The Trites E-Business Blog

2012-02-10T09:44:00.003-05:00

How E-Books are changing the Publishing Industry

The publication of e-books has grown to the point that it is now an established and important part of the overall industry. New publishing vehicles are emerging which enable authors to publish their books without the need to find an agent or jump the hoops with a publisher. The new vehicles, like Createspace and Lulu enable authors to offer their wares for download or in paper on a print-on-demand basis. The real winner is the consumer, who can chose how they do their reading and will have a wider choice of authors to choose from. Also, they can get their books online for a much lower price in many cases as little as 99 cents.

As one who has published books in both ways, using traditional publishers and the new vehicles (in my case, Createspace), I can say that I much prefer the new scene. I can get my books out there in a form that I like, set the price and find ways to seek out readers for them (the hard part). With traditional publishers, you can't do that. You are at the mercy of the publishers., your book goes on the market for a short period of time on book shelves and than is taken off to make room for the new ones. The result is that most authors do not make any money on their books, even though it might be a very good one. With the new system, authors can leave their books for download on sites such as Amazon indefinitely, can have their books made available in print indefinitely and can devise their own marketing schemes, making use of the many emerging e-marketing specialists out there.

The new world of publishing gives consumers of books a better choice and gives the authors more control over their product. A win-win. For another writer's view, check out this article.

2012-02-07T08:24:00.003-05:00

The Wireless Spectrum Shortage

The amazing growth of mobile units like smartphones and tablets is having an enormous impact on the way people communicate and on business generally. As those units become steadily more powerful, they transmit ever increasing volumes of data. Something that is often forgotten, except by people in the communications industry, is that this uses up available spectrum, and that there are limits on the spectrum available.

The ability to transmit over the air waves is a controlled function. It has been so for many years because if it were not controlled and organized, the transmissions would get mixed up, interfere with each other and become very unreliable and unsafe. So government agencies administer spectrum and data carriers buy it.

So the amount of spectrum available is limited. To complicate the situation, most of the spectrum is not owned by the mobile operators, making the availability even tighter.

All of this means that the cost of using mobile devices is bound to go up. Unlimited data plans will be a thing of the past, which they already are in some quarters now. And tiered plans that charge heavy users higher fees will continue to grow. For more on this, check this link.

2012-01-25T08:50:00.004-05:00

SunLife Makes Good use of Tablets

In this case study, SunLife sets out how they gained a clear advantage by using the Blackberry Playbook Tablet. In collaboration with RIM, SunLife, one of the world's larger insurance companies, addressed an issue with their training programs they were offering their customers' staff on retirement programs. A significant purpose of the training was to have customers fill out forms afterwards for SunLife's marketing purposes. However, they were having difficulty getting the forms actually filled out and after weighing the problem, decided on a novel approach. They made available Blackberry Playbooks to the attendees and asked them to fill in the forms online. It worked very well, and after testing, implemented it with a thousand playbooks being distributed to their trainers. A novel approach for obtaining feedback from customers.

A logical next step might be to implement a more generic app for mobile phones and try asking the customers to fill in the information on their own units if they wish. Might or might not work, though.

For the case study, click this link.

2012-01-13T13:28:00.002-05:00

The Big Data Era
by Gerald Trites, FCA

A growing part of business is a focus on data. Companies that have learned how to obtain and create value for data are the companies that will succeed in the modern world. That is why data analytics has become such a big industry. And why the ability to analyze has become such a major part of the search for talent by many organizations. The importance of data is well known. What is not quite as widely appreciated is the magnitude of the change being wrought by data.

In June, 2011, McKinsey Global Institute published their landmark study, "Big data: The next frontier
for innovation, competition, and productivity". Since its publication, the study has gained influence in business, academia and research. Big data has become a major watchword of the 21st century.

When we talk about big data, we mean the vast quantities of data that are created and consumed every day in our world. Not very long ago, we discussed data in terms of megabytes. Then came gigabytes and in larger systems, terabytes. Each exponentially larger than its predecessor. Now we are talking about exabytes.

To get an idea of the meaning of exabytes, one of them is equal to a byte times 10 to the 18th power. That's equal to one quintillion bytes. To put it another way, one exabyte is more than 4000 times the total information stored in the US Library of Congress.

The data is being created at a growing rate through internet traffic, media, research and many other ways. A significant portion is generated through social media, mobile devices, the cloud, etc.

From a business point of view, the data represents a vast resource for defining customer needs, designing new products, determining business trends and developing strategy. The value of data is becoming so important that its presence marks the dawn of a new revolution in business, one in which the success and even the survival of a business depends on its ability to create value from the data, to direct it to the creation of strategic advantage. Companies are beginning to realize this and are ramping up the search for talent that has analytical abilities; something that is becoming a major industry in itself.

But the creation of value from data is subject to a number of constraints. The old ERP and CRM systems, while designed to direct data analysis to strategic decision making, were never designed to cope with the vast volumes of data in the big data world, nor were they designed to cope with the data that comes from social media, although Social CRM has been moving in that direction. The analytical sophistication of these business systems needs to be seriously improved. Also, corporate systems tend often to be segmented into different platforms, thus restricting the mobility of data and the ability to analyze it.Finally, too many managements and their advisors don't get it yet - are not "data-minded" and therefore will miss the strategic advantages that come from big data. And the shortage of people with serious data analytical abilities limits the ability of business to create that value, even if they realize it needs to be done. Absolutely a big challenge for educators and corporate trainers.

We've gone from bytes to exabytes in less than thirty years. In a world of exponential growth, imagine what the next thirty years has in store.

For a copy of the McKinsey report, go to the McKinsey Global site here.

2012-01-06T07:57:00.004-05:00

Facebook May be Getting Serious About Privacy

Facebook was roundly criticized by Canada's privacy commissioner in the last few years, and made some changes in its privacy functionality as a result. What they don't seem to get is that most western countries apply similar principles on privacy, and changes need to be made worldwide to accommodate those countries as well, along with the nuanced differences.

Recently, privacy authorities in the US and Ireland have also found Facebook to be lacking in the privacy area, forcing the social network to make some more changes. There is word that they are now beginning to realize that they need to conform to the privacy legislation in the different countries in which they operate, which means most countries in the world.

The Irish feedback came after an extensive audit. Also, Ireland is a headquarters site for Facebook International, meaning changes made their will set the tone for other countries. It's been a long struggle with Facebook and its privacy, but an issue that looms to greater importance with its plans to go public with an IPO.

For an article on this subject, click here.

2012-01-03T07:01:00.001-05:00

Facebook Marketing - "Like" Us

We've all seen the buttons. They appear on most sites these days. Like us on Facebook. And people are liking like crazy. So much so that the use of Facebook "like" buttons has become a major marketing tool for many companies.

Their objective is to spread their message as far as possible, So if people press the "like" button, it gets announced on their "wall", their friends see it and some will replicate it and so it goes. If only a small percentage of the friends do repeat the like, the size of the Facebook audience is so vast that it amounts to a significant number of potential customers. So companies are jumping in with both feet.

Through search tools, they can also accumulate lists of the people doing the liking and then use those lists for further marketing. Add in contests,m quizzes and games and you have a fully fledged marketing program. All for a modest cost. It's just one visible way that companies are using social media for marketing. For more, check out this article.

2012-01-02T10:35:00.000-05:00

Top IT Trends for 2012

Recently Gartner published a summary of the top ten IT trends to expect for 2012. The usual suspect are there, like virtualization and social media. But there are some new ones that are interesting. One in particular is the rapid turnover being exhibited by the young employees in their 20's and 30's. Many of them are not staying in their jobs for more than one year, particularly if they aren't shown clear career progress. They want to be fast-tracked. Also, when they receive training, which of course is the norm in IT, they receive offers from other companies and, not being caught up in the old company loyalty myth, are often gone. It is getting to be a serious problem for IT departments and indeed any functions in the enterprise that require IT expertise, which is a growing number of them.

Another interesting addition to the usual list is that of big data, or data analytics, depending on how you look at it. There has been a trend towards unstructured data for some time, and it continue to grow such that it is now a big industry. How to handle all this data and find business opportunities in it has become a major industry. At first glance, it presents a major opportunity for XBRL, since making good use of unstructured data is what XBRL is all about. However, it could spell its death knell as well, because companies have been slow to adopt XBRL and are being quick to adopt the newer data analytics, which could eventually overrun that window of opportunity for XBRL.

For a summary of the Gartner Top Ten, check out this link.

2011-12-29T07:36:00.004-05:00

Social Media Beginning to Mature

Now that many organizations have worked out the first set of kinks in adopting social media, they are on the cusp of a new wave of usage. The prime objective of social media is to improve customer relations and thus gain more revenue. But companies are only just getting used to the idea of including social media in their roster. They are only beginning to think seriously about how to make effective use of it for their business. This article sets out some thoughts on what is coming in social media usage in 2012.

2011-12-16T07:57:00.000-05:00

Here Comes So.cl

Microsoft has launched a new product -a combination of search and social networking that has a lot of potential, At present it is aimed at students who must carry out learning projects and wish to do so along with their friends, which is the most common way for them to work. But So.cl has a lot of potential beyond that. Remember, Facebook was initially directed to students too.

In the words of the So.cl website,

"So.cl (pronounced "social") is an experimental research project, developed by Microsoft’s FUSE Labs, focused on exploring the possibilities of social search for the purpose of learning.

So.cl combines social networking and search, to help people find and share interesting web pages in the way students do when they work together.
So.cl helps you create rich posts, by assembling montages of visual web content.
To encourage interaction and collaboration, So.cl provides rich media sharing, and real time sharing of videos via "video parties."

We expect students to continue using products such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other existing social networks, as well as Bing, Google and other search tools. We hope to encourage students to re-imagine how our everyday communication and learning tools can be improved, by researching, learning and sharing in their everyday lives."

Many people will benefit from collaborative research, including those in business and those who simply wish to keep in touch with friends having similar interests. It might even add some substance to the exchanges typically found on social networking sites. For an article on the topic, check this link. And for Microsoft's site, check this link.

2011-12-16T06:36:00.003-05:00

E-COMMERCE (Online)

January 23 – April 13, 2012

An interactive learning experience in which the course participant chooses and develops an online business.

E-Commerce is defined as the use of the Internet to sell goods and services. This 12 week online course should be of interest to individuals who wish to start their own online business or wish to make an existing online business more profitable. Participants who are seeking employment in the online business field will find the course to be a valuable asset. Anyone who is interested in simply gaining a better understanding of e-commerce and how it works will find the course very informative.

Tuition Fee is $500 + HST

For more information contact:

StFX Continuing & Distance Education

(902) 867-2372 or 1-877-867-3906

www.stfx.ca/academic/continuinged

2011-12-12T08:06:00.004-05:00

The Cloud and Mobility in Smaller Business

A recent survey by PWC revealed that smaller companies are placing emphasis on such technologies as social media and mobile computing. Both are rapidly becoming critical to effective business operations.

The study also found that they are particularly interested in cloud computing because it makes possible investing in advanced data management solutions such as ERP, which so far have been too big and complicated for many organizations. In the cloud, they can be obtained on a rental basis, which makes them financially viable. For more on this insightful survey, go to this link.

2011-12-07T07:16:00.001-05:00

Understanding the Cloud

We are deluged with cloud computing these days. Nearly every information technology (IT)-focused magazine article, blog, analyst report or service provider’s website you read, or conference, webinar or podcast in which you participate, makes its potential benefits abundantly clear. But the different delivery models, types of clouds, and actually putting cloud computing into action are, to many, closer to a fog than an actual cloud as their efforts appear stalled on the ground.

This paper will define the basic benefits of cloud computing, discuss the different delivery models, and provide key steps to consider before putting cloud computing into action.

Read Cutting through the Fog: What You Should Know About Cloud Computing and How to Get Started

2011-11-24T08:03:00.001-05:00

Handling Data Overload

As business information systems evolve into the use of social media both internal and external, and as an awareness of the potential benefits of using unstructured data for various business purposes, such data has become both more prevalent and more critical.

Unstructured data is that which is not placed into a particular context. It could be chat messages, blog postings, emails, or just data that is made available out of a traditional system for the users. Traditional structured data comes most often in the form of relational databases, the traditional method of storing and archiving data.

With unstructured data, the challenge is to channel it into the areas where it will be of most use. However, this takes a lot of time, and users usually don't have the time when they are working on a decision or preparing a report.

The attached article provides a good overview of this issue and suggests several potential solutions. However, one solution that is not mentioned is XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language). XBRL is a XML derivative -an open system that attaches tags to data for the purpose of financial and business reporting. Tags are simply cross-references to metadata that give information about the unstructured data and can provide it with the context needed to make decisions.

If a company were to set up a system, which could be automated, to tag unstructured data available to it upon inception, those data would become an invaluable business resource. Afterwards the data could be easily retrieved using the tags of interest and similar data with the same tags could also just as easily be retrieved and analyzed.

Many people think that XBRL is useful mainly for tagging financial statements for filing with regulatory agencies. This is just wrong. XBRL is useful for structuring and archiving unstructured data in a way that accords most closely with the interests of the users of the data.

Given the proliferation of unstructured data, XBRL is an technology solution whose time has definitely come.

2011-11-21T09:26:00.001-05:00

Keys to Global Success with E-Business

Going global with your eBusiness poses risks that don;t exist in local markets. As one would expect most of them arise because of legal and cultural differences. Failure to pay proper attention to these issues could be costly. One author has listed the main Keys to success as follows:

Key #1: Understand the Region First

Key #2. Find the Right Logistics andOperations Approach

Key #3. Know That Translations Require LocalSupport

Key #4: Look at Currency Options

Key #5: Understand Payment Gateways andProcessing Challenges

Key #6: Plan Global Strategy and ExpansionVery Carefully

For more, check out this link.

2011-11-18T07:46:00.001-05:00

The Role of ERP in a Cloudy World

A recent article in E-Commerce News raised the question as to whether SAP has become a liability to many businesses (It's not just SAP but any of the traditional legacy ERP systems) because of their size and rigidity. The point is made that SAP springs from the age of manufacturing, which could live with rigidity, and we are now in an age of services, which call for very different styles of information systems - styles that require flexibility and mobility.

The idea is that the newer cloud based systems meet the needs of modern service based businesses and mark the way of the future.

A lot of truth in all that. However, what that argument ignores is the extent to which SAP and other ERP providers have already ventured into the cloud. True, their core product is still based on system ownership in the traditional sense, but they have been moving strongly into cloud services in recent years. If I were an IT manager, and saw the need for some of the power and flexibility of the cloud, I would sure look at finding ways to extend my system into the cloud before I'd throw my ERP system out the door. Making such a major move is very high risk, the investment to get my ERP into place was major and I need to be sure that the transition to the cloud is seamless as possible. In fact if we learned anything from the rash of ERP installations of the 80s and 90s, it was that transitional failures can be incredibly costly! It works both ways. It seems to me that retaining my core system and implementing cloud capability through such vehicles as SAP's HP Enterprise Services' Cloud Platform collaboration makes a lot of sense. And I'm sure the users would be grateful for the lack of disruption in their jobs that would surely ensue from a wholesale change.

2011-11-16T08:41:00.001-05:00

Virtualization and the Cloud in the Health Care Industry

The health care industry has two pressing but fundamentally opposing needs from its information systems. It need to maintain a high degree of privacy because of the sensitivity of the patient data it handles. But it also needs universal speedy access from a variety of platforms to meet the need for data in emergency situations.

This interview shows how the Rhode Island provider, CharterCARE Health Partners has combined the cloud and VDI to meet these needs. VDI (or Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) is a technique of hosting websites on a cloud based system while enabling access and maintenance from desktops, tablets, smartphones and the like.

It's a technique that has spread beyond the health care industry, because the needs for strong security and easy multi-platform access - a difficult combination - is widespread..

2011-11-09T09:35:00.003-05:00

Online Television - Coming Up

Google has announced, enigmatically, that it will be launching a pilot of a cable TV network in Kansas City in the new year. The company already announced last month that it would be launching a new and original Channel on YouTube, which has been actively seeking content providers to enhance its system.

The move to Google into television has the potential to radically change the TV industry. Predictions of television being taken over by the internet have been rampant for many years, but so far, nobody has stepped up and claimed a firm stake. Part of the problem is that the entry costs are huge, and the risk is high. But Google itself is huge and has never shied away from risk. So its a prime company for making the move.

Google is not planning an incursion into the traditional cable model. Rather they will be employing the internet as a vehicle for delivery. That will raise bandwidth issues, and since the infrastructure of the internet is owned by a number of large private communications networks, like Bell, it will require some cooperative agreements and collaboration. Not something Google has been good at in the past. Although word is they are getting better.

We are on the cusp of a major shake-up in the TV industry. But it is a complicated, over-regulated world that Google is venturing into, and it will be interesting to see over the next year exactly how they approach it and how they fare. For an article on their latest announcements, check out this source. And this one. And their official announcements.

2011-11-04T08:10:00.004-04:00

Future of IT - Cloud computing, Security and Mobility - Survey

Over 500 IT professionals surveyed by tech staffing firm Modis indicated that the areas dominating their jobs were the cloud, security and mobility. No real surprise here, but nevertheless it is backed up by a fairly broad survey. Cloud computing took 29% of the vote, security 21% and mobility 18%.

Of course, these areas are all linked. Use of cloud computing immediately raises issues of security. And computing is increasingly moving to mobile units like smartphones and tablets. which one is driving the train is more difficult to determine. With mobility on the rise, use of the cloud makes it easier to manage applications and data. it also makes more powerful apps available to the units. But the cloud is being heavily used for non-mobile computing as well. And there's a lot to be said for having the same apps available for mobile units as for those in the office. And through it all, security is a concern. As well as privacy.

This article talks a bit about these issues.

2011-11-01T07:37:00.003-04:00

Youtube Moving in on Television

Youtube recently announced it will be offering 100 new TV channels, starting this fall, with the full slate up and running in 2012.

With a host of options becoming available to customers, online TV type entertainment is becoming a force to be reckoned with - seriously. Offerings by Apple, Google, Netflix and others are certain to be making further inroads into traditional television, which already is hurting and showing every sign of becoming obsolete. Some say it already is and will disappear in the not to distant future.

IT does seem inevitable that TV as we have known and loved (hated?) it is doomed for the dustbin. The flexibility that is possible with internet based entertainment is just too attractive not to be successful.

The big fly in the ointment at this time is the infrastructure, which is not robust enough to absorb an onslaught of new high volume users.Internet bandwidth is indeed a fixed quantity and massive growth, such as that which would occur with widespread video streaming of the magnitude to replace TV, would be too much for it to bear.

The cable companies have an infrastructure that can handle high volume streaming, and they need to make better use of it. They also need to change their business models to recognize this major change in their industry, just as the telephone companies have had to do. It's true that the cable companies offer internet services already, but the model presently separates the internet service from the traditional cable offerings. What they need to do is to merge these, so that people can view the internet seamlessly on their TV sets. They can still offer traditional cable, but should recognize that eventually this business might dry up and be totally replaced by the internet, as the latter matures.

They might be concerned about cannibalizing their traditional cable business, but in fact, this kind of new direction will actually save their bacon in the longer term. For an article on Youtube, click this link.

2011-10-18T08:06:00.005-04:00

City of Toronto CIO Explains EA

The City of Toronto is employing an Enterprise Architecture plan for its systems which is attempting to line up overall systems architecture with business objectives. This requires considerable agility in today's environment. EA, despite the hype, is not new and the concept of lining up Information systems with strategic needs is old hat, but EA is still a growing and developing discipline that has a great deal of merit. This article provides a good basic overview of the field.

2011-10-13T08:01:00.004-04:00

Companies Need to Embrace Social Media

There are companies out there that ban social media in their offices or on their systems, citing security issues and a need to control their platforms. Because of the latter point, many of those who have allowed some social media seek to control the usage and content that employees can utilize.

It's hard to believe in these modern times, when social media and the internet have become so ubiquitous that they just cannot be denied, that this could be the case. Yet we all know of many employers who follow these antiquated and outdated policies.

They are the losers in following those policies. Moreover, they are playing a losing game. Social media is here to stay - and it cannot be ignored.

To further complicate matters, many organizations that do see the need to adapt just don't know where to start. Well, how do you start a trip when you are sailing into uncharted waters. You do as much planning as you can, set your sails and head out. And then you stand ready to adapt to whatever conditions you encounter.

Companies and other organizations need to recognize that they need to adopt social media. They should start by adopting a policy that is consistent with their corporate objectives, one developed using a collaborative approach with their employees, and then set their sails.

There is no alternative. We're all in a learning environment. So we need to get learning.

Here's a Globe and Mail article that's on point..

2011-10-04T12:52:00.001-04:00

XBRL Canada announces XBRL23: EnhancingBusiness Performance

TORONTO, Oct. 4,2011 /CNW/ - This October 25^th through October 27^th the 23rdXBRL International Conference takes place in Montreal, Canada. Joina dynamic group of XBRL innovators and benefit from their experience andinsight on the improvement of the business information supply chain through theuse of XBRL.

Case studies,panel discussions and keynote sessions by technology, business and regulatoryleaders will bring to life the tangible benefits of XBRL and demonstrate how itcan be used to enhance business performance.

Some keyhighlights:

· Taxproject: Creation and filing of Inline XBRL in the UK

· ThereAnd Back Again - A Regulator's Tale

· Threeeasy steps to achieve real value from XBRL for your business

Additionaldetails regarding XBRL23 can be found here http://conference.xbrl.org/.

For the bestconference experience, hotel reservations should be made at the Le CentreSheraton by clicking on the link below.

Makeyour hotel reservation now, the XBRL23 special room rate of $182 USDexpires on 7 October. For the best conference experience, hotelreservations should be made at the Le Centre Sheraton by clicking on the linkabove.

XBRL Canada is supported and administered by theCanadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

For further information:

XBRL Canada,Gerald Trites, Project Director, (416) 602-3931, Email: gtrites@xbrl.ca

2011-09-29T07:35:00.003-04:00

How Best to Use Social Media

For small business in particular, social media presents a challenge. It's there and seemingly accessible and available as a sales vehicle. But this is the wrong way to approach it. Instead it needs to be approached as an electronic form of social engagement. The selling must come after the social presence is established and flow from it. This takes time - every day - honest interaction. And many small business owners have trouble finding the time. But if they don't approach it this way, but rather as just another sales vehicle, they may be wasting their time. Check out these tips for using social media in a small business.

2011-09-16T10:48:00.005-04:00

Mastercard Moving Ahead With Google Wallet

Mastercard has announced that their new application using Google Wallet will shortly be available. The application will allow payment to be made by tapping a mobile phone on a terminal, such as a Paypass terminal. Currently, this can be done with cards containing a special embedded chip but with this new approach, a chip would be embedded in a mobile phone. It would be constructed to self-destruct if it is compromised.

The advent of payments by using mobile phones, already a reality in Europe and Asia for several years, has been eagerly awaited in North America. It is likely to be very popular, if it can be demonstrated to be readily available and secure.

Here's an article on the Mastercard announcement.

2011-09-12T07:34:00.005-04:00

Catering to Customer 2.0

Use of social media in implementing CRM - Social CRM - is now a necessity. Today's customer expects to be able to use social media to interact with vendors and those who do not provide this capability are at a disadvantage. This article outlines some of the key ingedients of implementing Social CRM in an enterprise. A useful and timely article.

2011-09-07T07:51:00.001-04:00

Data Centric Security Works for the Cloud

We live in a data centric world, where data is everywhere and very mobile. The mobility expends through the use of all connected devices to the cloud. Mobility and Cloud computing pose certain risks to data integrity. So the concept of data centric security was born.

Central to data centric security is the idea of encryption. Only encryption can protect individual data elements from being read by unauthorized people. In a world where data is being freed, through technologies like XBRL, data integrity becomes more important.

CIO has recently released a white paper How Data-Centric Protection Increases Security in Cloud Computing and Virtualization.

Also, the CICA released a white paper a couple of years ago which gives a good overview of the subject.

Both white papers are useful in understanding how to approach this issue.

2011-09-01T07:55:00.001-04:00

Electronic Health Care

One significant initiative presently being carried out by the governments of Canada is the implementation of electronic health care. Despite extensive advertising over the past two years, many Canadians are not aware of what is being done in this area and what progress has been made.

The advent of electronic health care has been a reality in some other countries for several years, particularly those with socialized medicine. It has enabled health care people to gain access to a patient's medical records quickly when needed. Without it, when a person is in an accident and their next of kin cannot be found, the emergency responders have to initiate treatment without knowing what other medication the victim takes, and therefore run the risk of giving medication that conflicts and causes further problems, perhaps seizures, illness or even death.

Access to medical records electronically can reduce the likelihood of this happening.

Or suppose you live in a rural community 200 kilometers from the nearest significant medical center. Suppose you go to the local doctor with pains in your legs. Your doctor suspects blood clots, which can be the harbinger of numerous serious conditions. To confirm this and determine the root cause, however, the doctor needs access to a specialist. So you need to travel that 200 kilometers to get the tests and have them analyzed by a specialist.

An electronic system can enable the local doctor to connect with the specialist, have tests conducted, transmitted and analyzed, all online. The result is a faster and more convenient and also constitutes a cost effective resolution of the issue.

The introduction of all aspects of electronic medicine has been in progess in Canada under the umbrella of Canada Health Infoway, a not for profit organization created by the federal and provincial governments to initiate electronic health care in Canada. Many projects have been underway in the various jurisdictions. Canada Health Infoway has an excellent website which provides detailed information on the progress being made across the country in this important area.

Electronic Health Care is not the panacea for fixing all the issues around health care in Canada. it will, however, result in better and safer health care for everyone, not to mention reduced wait times. Interestingly, it also is showing itself to be generating millions of dollars in savings, because health care can be delivered so much more efficiently and effectively.

Better health care at less cost. Who can say no to that?

Check out the Infoway Website for more information.

2011-08-29T08:34:00.003-04:00

Use of Social Media in Business Rising

A recent survey released by Constant Contact provides some data from 1500 companies on their use of social media. Not unexpectedly, and like other surveys, it shows usage rising. But its the data that's important.
some of the findings are:

"- - a greater number of small businesses are adding social media to their marketing arsenal. Of the 1,500-plus respondents to the survey, 73% are currently using this form of marketing, and among that group, 80% reported that their usage of social media marketing has increased in the past 12 months. Of the 27% not already using social media for marketing purposes, 62% said they will be using it at some point in the next year."

That means in the next year, we should see usage percentages rising into the high 90's. But a good deal more research is needed into how it is being used and how effective it is in bringing in business. Bottom line - is it creating greater cash flows? Here's a summary of the survey.

2011-08-26T09:10:00.000-04:00

Collaborative Consumption - A Trend With Legs

The idea of monetizing your assets, especially those that you don't use very much, has a good deal of financial appeal. In a time of recession, it makes sense to bring in some more cash to help pay the bills.

Some sites have been around for a while, like Airbnb and others, that serve to facilitate the rental of assets like homes, cars, cottages, lawn mowers, etc. You name it. Airbnb has taken off globally, and others are following.

One of the issues with renting out personal assets is, of course, security. Many people have rented their homes, for example, only to have them trashed by the occupants. The same can happen with any asset.

Security is an issue, that's clear. However, there are measures the industry can take to mitigate such risks. Some lessons can be learned from eBay, which faces some of the same risks. For example, eBay started a rating system several years ago , where people who have used eBay are rated by those they dealt with according to their behaviour and comportment. In effect, what a rating system does is to create a virtual community, where the participants become "known" to each other and therefore merit greater trust.

Collaborative Consumption is a trend that will continue to grow. But it will require a focus on the creation of reliable and secure virtual communities in which they can function. For more on Airbnb, check this reference.

2011-08-25T06:55:00.000-04:00

Too Busy at Work? Get Your Own Avatar

Cisco Research says that we will soon will be able to buy a robot that essentially acts as an extension of our selves. An avatar. They've developed prototypes that can do administrative tasks for us, even doctor's rounds.

It seems inevitable since smart robots have been a dream of technologists since technology was conceived. it appears we are getting closer. We already have robots working on assembly lines. Avatars add a personal touch by enabling a direct interaction with us personally.

It's interesting to speculate on the impact this will have on the workforce, even on our daily lives outside of work. Will we be able to replace people with avatars? Will it create unemployment? Maybe these electronic wizards will be able to do our commuting for us. Go to different meetings simultaneously. Hold several jobs.

Within the next five years, we will begin to see some of the answers. Here's a write-up on Cisco's research.

2011-08-19T08:19:00.002-04:00

The Millennials Have Gotten a Bad Rap

Finally, a decent and sensible article on the Millennial generation! Common folklore depicts the entire generation as disrespectful of authority, disdainful of rules and process, texting all day and refusing to work when they don't feel like it. This stereotype never did line up with my experience with them during my years as a University Professor.

Drawing on recent research, Rob Preston of Informationweek, dispells some of these misconceptions. The research focused primarily on the relationship between the Millenials and IT departments but extends beyond that. The expectation was that this would be a highly contentious relationship, given the high level of the new generation's technology skills, not to mention their expectations. Not so, says the research. The young people give the IT departments high marks, except for the slowness of response times (which frustrates most of us). They do tend to resolve more issues themselves. But since when has this been a bad thing?

The research also indicates that the 20 somethings generation entering the workforce has a greater respect for their elders than previous generations did. In particular they mention their elders' moral values and work ethic as being good.

We all know that we need to watch ourselves when forming stereotypes. As Mr Preston points out, a generation consists of many different types of people, with different values and skills and personalities. We know this, but often it gets lost in the writings about a whole generation.

The Preston article is worth a moment of your time and some reflection.

2011-08-16T09:13:00.000-04:00

Boards Need to Learn From Social Media

The power of social media has been seen clearly in the recent rash of rebellions against established governments, in the Vancouver Stanley Cup riots and of course in the more recent London riots.

But the power of social media extends far beyond such activities. It's reach is wide and always potentially disruptive. A tweet or two on a particular company about any issue, particular one having social ramifications, can spread like lightning, leaving management and the board with a problem at 8:00 AM they didn't know they had when they went to bed.

How to deal with this is an issue that many boards are grappling with. Some are forming policies that enable them to monitor the mainstream media for mentions of the company and then analyze them for potential action.

Monitoring them is easy. The social media all have search and key word functions that can be activated easily and quickly, For example, Twitter searches can pick up tweets about a company that were issued only moments ago. Tools like Tweetdeck enable all mentions to be scrolled on an ongoing basis.

Acting on the mentions is not so easy. It takes people to scan them and determine whether they represent a threat or not. Companies could dedicate a person or a team to watch and analyze the social media 24/7. But this would be expensive. And most mentions are harmless or even positive. It's when they gain traction and have negative connotations that they become a problem. So there is a need for guidelines for determining when social media releases should be considered for action.

Then there needs to be a referral system to the people in the organization who can deal with an emerging issue. The referees need to be ready to act on a moments notice, since the word can spread so fast.

And then there is the question of appropriate responses and who needs to authorize them. This is the toughest part of a policy. But it is policy that is needed. Social media has grown to the point that it not only cannot be ignored, it requires proactive action.

All Boards should heed the call. For the experience of one Board member, check out this blog entry.

2011-08-10T08:34:00.002-04:00

Social Media Data Mining Can be Brutal

Some companies are starting to use data from Facebook and others to gather information about prospective employees and others they might deal with. Through personal profiles, postings they place and postings about them from friends, a great deal can be learned. But how accurate is such information? How long should young people, or anyone for that matter, be penalized for past indiscretions, mistakes or bad behaviour? How can companies and others control their use of social media data? Should controls be imposed through legislation?

These are emerging issues that provide a strong indication of the way of the future. There seems little doubt that social media data will be used more and more in future, for everything from employment to credit applications to criminal investigations. Serious errors of identity in any of these areas could be devastating for the victim.

At the recent Blackhat conference, held in Las Vegas, one presenter showed how facial recognition could be used for finding such information as Facebook profiles and pictures of individuals on the internet. He also showed how misleading this information could be. A write-up is found on the Technology Review site.

As pointed out in that same article, other researchers have conducted tests to determine the correlation between a persons character traits as determined through interviews and questionnaires as opposed to the findings from Facebook profiles. They found the correlations to be weak.

While this is an emerging area, it is one of paramount importance. One can only imagine the horror stories that are bound to emerge as social media data mining gains more prevalence.

2011-08-05T09:55:00.001-04:00

New Research Centre for Cloud Data

There is an abundance of data on the cloud, as we all know. Intel has established a new research centre at Carnegie Mellon University to study the potential for use of these data to provide consumer services. It's a concept that has been studied before, but what sets this initiative apart is the scale of the operation, the timeliness in terms of the growth of the cloud, and the focus on all types of innovative services.

One intriguing idea is to provide glasses that can receive data about whatever the glasses are viewing and transmit that information to the wearer. A automated tour guide, if you like. Another idea is to provide a translation service that draws upon materials that have already been translated by professional translators.

With a little imagination, one can envisage all sorts of uses for cloud data in everyday activities. Whether driving, doing housework, cooking, or just relaxing.

For years since the advent of the internet, people have been predicting the use of the internet for purposes of driving such ordinary appliances as refrigerators and oven ranges. That was before the advent of the cloud but the cloud with its proliferation of data changes everything. The new Intel Centre is a natural and timely progression in the evolution of the internet and its uses.

2011-08-04T07:28:00.003-04:00

Customer Designed Products

In a natural extension of online shopping, companies are now offering customers the opportunity to design their own products before ordering them. It has been possible, of course, to order customised products for years. But the extent of customization has always been limited to a few menu items, and customers didn't necessarily see their product before ordering it.

The big difference now is that customers can use imaging software to do the design, enabling them to see their product online as the add or delete features. There is often a broad range of features that can be modified as well. It's been referred to as me-shopping.

One recent article describes self design in three types of consumer product - Bicycles, wedding dresses and skateboards. It's an option that could easily be offered for other products such as automobiles, furniture and appliances. chances are we'll see more of that happening in the near future.

2011-08-02T08:19:00.004-04:00

Social Media Takes Time

More and more small businesses are taking up social media, but many of them are less than successful with it. One reason for their difficulty is that they often see social media as just another marketing channel. However, social media is designed for interaction, and to be successful with its use, it be viewed as an interactive device. That takes a change in thinking. Instead of simply pushing out advertisements, a business must take the time to post regularly and to respond to the comments and reactions of constituents.This will take a lot more time than simply posting ads.

In order to succeed with social media, even a small business needs to have a social media strategy. As with other important strategies, it needs to be carefully thought out and properly resourced.That's the view in this article, and one that makes good sense.

2011-07-29T09:44:00.003-04:00

Challenges of Social CRM

Social CRM has become a major trend in the world of customer relations. True, there are lots of advantages of engaging customers through social media and then feeding the interactions or the results of them into CRM data that can be useful.

The reality, however, is that using social media does result if engaging customers in a leveling, interactive environment, which can raise expectations. If the company's internal processes and support are not well placed and effective, these higher expectations can lead to a big fall, perhaps even loss of a customer.

It's a fact, too, that properly using social media takes time, which means a requirement for resources. If those resources are not fully committed to the Social CRM, then it runs the risk of failing.

For more info on how to fail at Social CRM, check out this article.

2011-07-19T07:31:00.001-04:00

An Extensible Memory

A recent research study suggests that we are relying more on computers to supplement our memory. It indicates that when we know that some facts can be quickly accessed on a computer, we are less likely to remember those facts. But we are more likely to remember the folder in which they are stored.

Computers may be changing the way we use our brains, and therefore initiating a slow change in the very structure of the brain. Some microphysicists are suggesting that ultimately we may have brain implants to supplement the brain's activity - perhaps beyond memory and into behaviourial patterns. Seems a logical evolution, if not a natural one.

2011-07-16T06:14:00.001-04:00

Exit the Telephone

Long the mainstay of communications, the internet is finally pushing the telephone to the periphery. Yes, it's still used, but less and less. And it's being replaced not by cell phones, but by email and texting. email has assumed a general application and people of all generations use it frequently, often when a phone call would have taken place. Younger people like texting, as do some older folk. See this article for more.

For many young people, a cell phone is not for talking but for texting. That may change with the coming explosion in smart phone video calling - hard to say.

The internet has displaced lots of technologies that once were seen as fundamental to the world. Television is another technology that is on the way out. But the cycle is incomplete. The internet is simply an enabling technology, not the ultimate user. Laptops and tablets are simply tools that have sprung up to most expeditiously employ the internet. However, the long term prospect is that the internet will underlie other things we use, like refrigerators, ovens and cars. We see some of this already, particularly with cars. Ultimately, the internet will ultimately underlie the telephone and televisions and these end user devices, which after all are quite suited to their purpose, will cycle back to something like they were before the internet, only driven by the internet. Smarter and wireless, but still fundamentally the same as the old.

2011-06-20T07:53:00.000-04:00

Data Analytics and Custom Reporting

There has been a trend for several years now for data consumers (for lack of a better term0 to develop their own reports. In years past, this was not always the way it worked. Reports, especially financial reports, were carefully crafted by the reporters and sent out to the consumers for consumption. Some forward looking companies have made data available in data tools (see Potash Corp's Investor Relations website, for example), which make it possible for consumers to retrieve data elements and then massage them into custom reports.

Generally, however, good tools for consumers have been hard to come by. But this is changing. Data analytics tools, specifically designed for data consumers without necessarily high end IT skills, have been coming onto the market, and changing the way consumers use their data. One writer recently characterized this movement as a move towards information democracy. Others have forecast a trend towards information democracy, indeed since the spread of low cost computing. But it has been slow in coming, until the tools started to become available, some of them open source and cloud based.

Examples of the new consumer oriented analytics include Qlik Tech and Tableau.

Information democracy will have a huge impact on the field of reporting to investors, something that has been slow to evolve and is still centered on tightly formatted reports. More openness of the data will be good for all involved.

2011-06-17T08:26:00.000-04:00

Android and The Future

One of Blackberry's strengths for its Playbook is that the device is designed to accommodate the Android system. Google's Android has become the most widely used operating system for smart phones. One aspect of Android is that its plans extend well beyond the applications that have traditionally been used in North America. In Europe and Asia, the use of smart phones for such apps as payments is old hat. In North America, these apps are in their infancy.

That is soon to change. Numerous organizations are gearing themselves for payment systems using smart phones, and the Android system will be front and center in these apps.

But Android is going beyond that into the control of a number of devices, such as home appliances, stereos, wireless speakers, cars, alarm systems, etc. The possibilities are endless. Smart phones will become the ultimate remote, connecting the virtual world with the non-virtual world, as one writer puts it.

The implications for eBusiness are huge. Easy methods of payment are just one area that will streamline transactions. The access to outside devices will have the potential to streamline building security, and a variety of home services. Whole new lines of products will ensue.

2011-06-09T07:10:00.000-04:00

The Personal Cloud

When Steve Jobs introduced the iCloud last week, he brought new attention to the idea of the personal cloud. Apple is not the first to introduce a personal cloud system, and certainly won;t be the last. Google has been in the space for a couple of years. But people are waiting to see what Microsoft is going to do, and it will take another year to find that out.

The iCloud fills a need that is growing and that most people by now are familiar with. We have more than one computing device. They all create and store content. As smart phones in particular have grown in capability, more duplication of content has occurred. Tablets also lead to the same thing. In addition, when people are using one of their devices, they often want to access some content that is on one of the other devices. If it is handy, they can do that with through a USB port, although that is a bit bothersome. But the other device may not be handy, meaning they simply cannot access the content they want.

The answer is often has been to synchronize the devices, but that can also be a bother, since it has usually required a periodic manual process, so the devices are not always synchronized.

The cloud offers a solution to all this. Have some key apps on the cloud and store the data there. Then it can be accessed from anywhere there is internet access and on any device capable of accessing the internet. Then the users can gain access to their apps and data more easily. In addition, the cloud is more secure because if the device is lost, the related data is not - or need not be.

The personal cloud is a technique that has legs.

2011-06-06T07:26:00.000-04:00

Mobile CRM

While mobile CRM has been slow in coming, there are very strong reasons why it should be expected now, as explained in a recent article in E-Commerce News. For one, mobile units are now ubiquitous. They outnumber laptops and the like. In addition, people are getting more used to living in a mobile wireless world and younger people have grown up in and thrive in it. Also, going mobile with CRM takes the application closer to the customer, the purpose of it all. There seems little doubt that the climate is ripe for implementation of mobile CRM. Look for a serious growth in it over the next year or two.

2011-06-03T09:42:00.001-04:00

E-Reading Grows; Paper Declines

The amount of time people spend reading on screen has now grown to be equal to the amount of time spent reading on paper. That's milestone that surely marks the way to the future. Ultimately we can rest assured that the reading of anything on paper will become a curiosity.

E-readers like Kindle really got the ball rolling, when it introduced the use of e-Ink, which replicates the paper experience - or attempts to. It is still a hard and inflexible tool, and the industry recognizes that newer flexible media are needed to advance the replication. Prototypes of such devices are being developed.

The advent of tablet computers is probably the biggest event to advance e-reading. These small devices are ideally suited to reading not just books, but any kind of document. That makes them ideal for containing meeting agendas, course materials and innumerable other documents that people need to read while not necessarily having access to a traditional computer.

For an article on this new trend, check this link.

2011-05-23T03:12:00.000-04:00

E-Book Sales Overcome Print Books

Amazon has announced that sales of its Kindle e-Books has outstripped sales of all its print books, including hardcover and softcover. During 2010, it announced that e-Book sales had exceeded sales of hardcover books.

IT clearly marks the course of the future. People are getting used to reading on a screen and the convenience of carrying a small device rather than a pile of heavy books is making its mark.

Sales of eBooks will also be spurred on by the sales of tablet computers as well. Although their screens are not as good as those of the e-readers, nevertheless, they tend to be very good, except in direct sunlight, and have the same level of convenience as their e-reader counterparts. In fact they might have some more convenience, since the tablets also include other conventional computer apps as well within the same device and people don't want to be burdened with carrying around a bunch of different devices.

Expect e-Books to remain as the dominant form of books in future and print books to become collectors items. Read more on the announcement here.

2011-05-10T09:29:00.002-04:00

Google Interior Views

Google is doing it again. The company is bringing out a new service under Google Earth in which you can go beyond street view to enter buildings and tour around inside. Want to visit the Louvre? Or check out that great looking restaurant on Fifth Avenue?

Google is not the first to make this happen. However, the fact that the capability will be integrated into its popular Google Earth will seriously ramp up the importance of interior views. Businesses will be able to make use of this feature for advertising purposes. Customers will be able to do virtual shopping, check out the ambience of interiors or perhaps eventually window shop, or heck, even actually shop.

The possibilities are incredible. Further explanation is in this article.

2011-04-26T08:44:00.000-04:00

ERP Implementation at Maple Leaf Foods

Maple Leaf Foods is a major Canadian food producer that grew quickly over the past fifteen years through a series of mergers and acquisitions. As with many companies with a similar growth pattern, the company ended up with more then 30 different ERP systems, which in itself was evidence of a somewhat splintered management organization. In addition, they had been faced with a major product recall in 2003 because of tainted meat, which cost the company some 37.5 million dollars. They also, like many other Canadian exporters, are faced with the consequences of a rising Canadian dollar, which seriously affects their sales, particularly to their major market - the US.

All of these factors along with others, prompted the company to launch a thorough five year plan, which includes initiatives on several fronts, one of them being a streamlining of their ERP systems. The article referenced here, which is very comprehensive, provides an interesting case study of their challenges and of the solutions they are rolling out. Great for discussion in class or otherwise.

2011-04-18T14:53:00.000-04:00

SDN

Write down this new acronym (as if we needed a new acronym!) - SDN, or Software Defined Networking.

This is a project of The Open Networking Foundation which is a consortium of a group of the leading network providers like Cisco, Microsoft and Juniper. The idea is to virtualize networks on a cooperative basis, giving companies the advantages of latency and scalability to a degree that can only be available with virtualized networks.

It\s bound to be popular and will be useful for cloud computing as it adds a set of standards that will be helpful in that arena. it's another stepo away from the old proprietor based systems of previous years and is a liberation for companies from the old constraints of those outdated systems. For more on SDN, see this article.

2011-04-14T09:30:00.000-04:00

Microsoft Makes a Decisive Move into the Private Cloud

Cloud computing has been a big trend in computer systems because it removes many of the issues around systems development and management. Companies can implement systems on proven platforms using proven applications. Of course, they sacrifice many of the customizations that come with self developed and managed systems, but for many companies the sacrifice is worth it.

On the other hand, some companies have been reluctant to go to the cloud because it is, after all, an outsourcing activity, and subject to many of the pitfalls of outsourcing, such as reliance on outside management, and dependence on security structures that may not fully meet the company's normal standards. Few companies are willing to sacrifice much in the way of security standards.

One solution that has been gaining support is that of private clouds. These are systems, still in the cloud and still offered by outside vendors but which involve more control and management by the customer.

Microsoft has recently announced a major initiative in the field of private cloud computing in the form of System Center 2012.

System Center 2012 is a cloud based application that an IT shop can make available to its users that features a self service portal enabling users to select the features they want without having to deal with the underlying systems. For example, the system allows selection of logical networks, load balancers, storage, memory and virtual CPUs. There is more at this link.

Virtualization in the cloud by using private cloud technology is moving into the forefront of enterprise systems. Watch for the competition to step up.

2011-04-05T11:09:00.000-04:00

HYBRID HOSTING - The Next Evolution of the Cloud?

"Hybrid hosting, an approach that combines components of dedicated hosting and cloud hosting in a single solution, allows businesses to switch seamlessly between dedicated hosted services and cloud services, or use both simultaneously, as needed. In particular, hybrid hosting solutions recognize that a business will have different sets of requirements for different types of computing needs as well as requirements associated with specific types of applications. For mission-critical applications, including line-of-business and proprietary applications, stability and security requirements may point to the need for dedicated hosting. Usage associated with promotional events and campaigns, or any application that experiences highly variable traffic and usage patterns, may be better suited to scalable cloud solutions.

Rather than forcing businesses to choose just one platform, hybrid hosting gives businesses access to both, integrating the strengths of each seamlessly without incurring unnecessary costs and without introducing undesirable complexity. As a result, “[t]he bulk of business computing will shift out of private data centers to the cloud,” according to noted technology author Nicholas Carr.2 To look at what that shift entails, we will examine next the basic elements of hybrid hosting."
The white paper can be downloaded at this link.

2011-03-28T08:11:00.000-04:00

New Payment Systems Using Visa

Visa has partnered with two other companies to provide a new form of electronic payment. Using their new device, a user can transfer money from their visa to another visa or bank account just by knowing the payee's email or cell number. The payee receives the money by entering her or his visa number or bank account number. The systems will use CashEdge's PopMoney service which is already used by about 200 banks or the ZashPay network, which already is used by about 500 banks and credit unions for person-to-person payments. One of the problems with previous money transfer schemes has been the lack of buy-in by banks. So that may not be an issue here. Some further information is available here.

2011-03-22T08:19:00.000-04:00

The Pending Business Role of Tablets

One of the more interesting questions today is whether tablets like the iPad are just a flash in the pan, a short-term fad, or whether they will assume a serious role in the business world.

So far, corporations have been buying iPads for their personnel, although they are not yet the majority. Those who have not cite various reasons.

"In a recent InformationWeek Analytics survey of 551 business technology professionals, the top four barriers cited to using tablets (in lieu of notebooks) were lack of enterprise apps (38%), security concerns (34%), the lack of a physical keyboard (23%), and inadequate or expensive management software (21%).

But then, the iPad is only a year old, so it is understandable that enterprise apps would not be plentiful yet. In any event, software developers have a history of waiting until a clear market emerges before committing their resources.

Tablets stand somewhere between laptops and smartphones in terms of usefulness and functionality. Laptops (read also notebooks) have replaced the desktop computer. Smartphones have moved up from telephones to very portable computing and internet access devices. Laptops have the power to do very complex computing tasks. Smartphones have the ability to quickly access information on the internet and also to store basic documents. In between is a large gap, where tablets reside.

The lack of a physical keyboard is restrictive to their use. Physical keyboards are tactile and comfortable and less prone to error. For some it is just a case of getting used to the virtual keyboard, but for many others, it is a non-starter.

While tablets lack the power and capacity of laptops, they do offer up greater mobility. Going to a meeting or someone's presentation and opening up a laptop has always been a little awkward. But there are situations where having a computer handy during those events is very handy and useful. Smartphones often don't offer enough power, so tablets offer a reasonable solution. They are instantly on and it is easy to pull one out and place it on a desk or table and quietly use it without standing out as insensitive or inattentive. For short meetings, they also offer a viable approach.

Tablets are also more portable and therefore offer better mobility than laptops. And mobility is a major factor in the modern workforce. It's the simple reason why some companies have jumped into them already. Future versions of tablets will offer improvement in this regard. For example, the new Playbook from RIM will be a bit smaller than the iPad - small enough to fit into a large pocket - something the iPad can't do. That's huge. also, the power of tablets is bound to grow as they develop.

It seems reasonable to conclude that tablets will become a major force in corporate information systems. Specific applications - from CRM to BI to eProcurement - will be developed for personnel who need to do their jobs on the move, out in the field. They will avoid the need to drag out laptops and boot them up and at the same time will offer up much more power than smartphones.

For an article in this topic, and the source of the above quote, check out this link.

2011-03-16T08:47:00.000-04:00

Gartner's Top End-User Predictions for 2011

Gartner recently released a report setting out their predictions for IT from a user perspective over the next four years. The report contains some startling predictions, and is worth a read.

By 2015, a G20 nation’s critical infrastructure will be disrupted and damaged by online sabotage.
By 2015, new revenue generated each year by IT will determine the annual compensation of most new Global 2000 CIOs.
By 2015, information-smart businesses will increase recognized IT spending per head by 60%.
By 2015, tools and automation will eliminate 25% of labor hours associated with IT services.
By 2015, most external assessments of enterprise value and viability will include explicit analysis of IT assets and capabilities.
By 2015, 80% of enterprises using external cloud services will demand independent certification that providers can restore operations and data.
By 2015, 20% of non-IT Global 500 companies will be cloud service providers.
By 2015, companies will generate 50% of Web sales via their social presence and mobile applications.
By 2014, 90% of organizations will support corporate applications on personal devices.
By 2013, 80% of businesses will support a workforce using tablets.
By 2015, 10% of your online “friends” will be nonhuman.

The short public report can be downloaded here.

2011-03-14T10:17:00.001-04:00

Social Networking - Where is the Business Value?

One of the big issues facing many businesses is that of implementing social networking for business purposes. Just where does it fit in? Will it really level the hierarchies in the organization? Will it tear down the silos? Will it encourage collaboration? Or will it just chew up time and money?

These are some of the questions business leaders are facing. there is a recognition that companies should be implementing social networking in some fashion, at least to the extent of developing a policy.

Software developers like salesforce.com are jumping into the ring, based on the idea that companies may not want to simply adopt Facebook and Twitter, but employ a look-alike that has been built specifically for business. Some are looking at the idea of using social networking for enterprise wide collaboration, reaching across the silos to exchange information and ideas. Some have experienced some success with this concept. Others are concerned about having social networking available all the time, thinking that it would be a drag on productivity. At the same time, there is a recognition that some people, especially the younger ones, like social networking styles of communication including texting, and much prefer it over email. This would seem to be a very legitimate need that should be addressed.

There is a range of issues, potentially important, and gaining in urgency as younger people enter the workforce.

For an interesting and insightful article on this issue, check this link.

2011-03-08T08:03:00.000-05:00

Semantic Web Design

The idea of the semantic web has been touted for some time, and now there are applications coming out that can actually implement elements of it. One example is the retail website for eBags, long a leader in e-commerce. That site makes use of information gathered from various sources about customer preferences and enables them to quickly zero into the particular bags they are most likely to want.

The amount of information now available about customer preferences has grown tremendously in recent years. Some of it has become available through the use of CRM and BI systems. But a lot of it has arisen through less expensive means - particularly social media. Companies are increasingly using social media to interact with their customers and in the process obtaining mineable information that can be useful in defining their preferences. Other websites also contain useful information. The idea of the semantic web is that the entire web becomes a data base that can be accessed so as to maximise search efforts and decision making. Drawing on a wide array of information is now possible by using search engines like Google, but the idea of the semantic web is to render the need for search engines unnecessary. Obtaining the necessary information happens behind the scenes.

The latest trrend towards semantic applications is only a small part of the ultimate vision, but nevertheless it can be viewed as the beginnings of a major trend that ultimately will pervade the entire web and most websites on it. For an interesting article on this subject, click here.

2011-03-01T14:50:00.000-05:00

A Glass E-World

For an intriguing look at our possible future, check out this vision put out by Corning Glass. While it is futuristic it isn't far-fetched. Everything in the video is either possible now or a logical extrapolation of existing trends. Enjoy!
Then think about the eBusiness Implications!

2011-02-24T09:47:00.000-05:00

Cell Phones - Their Changing Role

Once placed into the market as portable telephones, the ubiquitous cell phone has become so much more. From that modest beginning, it has become a tool that can be used for messaging, paying for restaurant meals and bringing down entire governments.

The latter has been seen in recent weeks throughout the Middle East. It appears that cell phones are the new voting poll - the harbinger of democracy.

The power of texting and messaging through social media, such as Twitter and Facebook resident on cell phones, has been demonstrated before, albeit in more modest tones. For example, it was said to have played a large role in Obama's victory in the presidential race. Indeed, Obama was perhaps the first real digital politician.

There now is little doubt that cell phone texting and messaging can capture and motivate the will of the masses. Such has been the cell phone's rise to power.

One of the features of cell phones that was first introduced as a novelty was the camera. The power that this small innovation would assume was foreseen by few people. However, a camera on a phone connected to the internet enables the user to snap a photo quickly, or even take a video, and post it on the internet in seconds for all to see. The power of this phenomenon has recently been seen in the Middle East uprisings, where graphic photos of the violence have been placed for all to see, putting the lie to the carefully scripted pronouncements of the governments currently (and now temporarily) in power.

The world has seldom seen such a powerful propagator of democracy. For a bit more, see this article.

2011-02-17T17:34:00.000-05:00

The Growing Integration of Business and IT

Over the past few years, business, traditionally a reluctant courtesan of IT, has come to recognize that IT is fundamentally critical to corporate strategy. And much has changed. While many of the basic elements, such as desktop solutions, servers, multi-processors, laptops and so on are still being used, they have been enhanced and augmented by the Cloud, mobile units, social networking and the concomitant growth in availability of reams of data - unstructured data - that is useful to the enterprise. And so the concept of data visualization grew into prominence as a means of capturing and using these vast amounts of data.

Much has changed in the technology, which has led to big changes in the management issues and in the way data can be used for strategic purposes. For example, the availability of unstructured data, properly visualized, can be used to enhance BI and CRM systems, among others, leading to better marketing and strategic decisions.

Deloitte has released an excellent white paper reviewing all these changes, and providing expert direction on the strategic implications. Check it out with this link.

2011-02-15T16:54:00.000-05:00

Mining Cell Phone Data

Smart phones can leave a trail that can tell others a lot about you. For example, when you make and take calls, how much time you spend on websites, texting, etc. When the phone is on and when it is off. All these facts say something about your habits, relationships, interaction with others, etc.

So an astute analyst of these date can possibly tell you whether you are paying attention to a presentation, whether you are jet lagged, etc.

This kind of information can be valuable for marketing and is probably a coming trend. Read more about it by clicking this link.

2011-02-02T08:39:00.000-05:00

How Technology Affects the Level of Decision Making

The usual intuitive view about the impact of technology on corporate decision making is that it tends to move that decision making down to lower levels, by empowering the lower level personnel with greater information. A recent study, however, indicates this is not necessarily true.

The study was carried out by professors of Harvard, Stanford and the London School of Economics. The research team evaluated data from some 1000 companies in eight countries. They reviewed various different non-production decisions such as hiring as well as a selection of production decisions, such as scheduling. They also included the impacts of different technology roll-outs which might have factored into the decisions.

Their hypothesis was quite insightful - that large infrastructure IT investments would tend to drive the decisions to a lower level and that an increase in communications technologies would drive the decision making upwards. Research in the past has tended to confirm the first element of the hypothesis in any event. On the other hand, the second element might be counterintuitive to some people. However, both aspects of this hypothesis were confirmed by the research.

The theory is that communications technologies make it easier for personnel to ask their bosses for input on key decisions., They also make it easier for the bosses to communicate their decisions and to monitor events at the lower levels. So the executives end up making more of the decisions.

For a write up on the research, check out this article.

2011-02-01T09:44:00.000-05:00

Tablets - The Connection Options

The pending roll-out of RIMs new Playbook brings to the forefront one of the underlying issues with tablets. Do people prefer to use WiFi connectibility or 3G?

There are pros and cons. WiFi is generally less expensive but is not always available. 3G is available in more places but can be very costly. True, there are unlimited data plans offered by some suppliers, but they are going to have a limited life span, and in any event, can be costly to buy.

There are indications that WiFi will get more expensive as well, as suppliers begin to charge high volume users for their data usage. The availability of wireless spectrum to support the explosion in wireless devices like tablets and smart phones is becoming an issue, so more charging is inevitable.

From the user point of view, the ability to use their tablet no matter where they might be has a great deal of appeal. But in the longer term, is the cost worth it?

RIM is taking an interesting approach with their new Playbook. It will have WiFi and 3G but the 3G connection will require a Blackberry 3G connection. The Playbook will connect with their Blackberry using Bluetooth and then on to the internet through the 3G capability of the Blackberry.

They are producing the new device cautiously until they get a feel for the market reaction.

For users who prefer to use WiFi, it will make little difference. For those who like 3G, it will be more cumbersome, and cumbersome is not likely what the consumers want.

The jury is out. For an article on this subject, click this link.

2011-01-27T08:29:00.001-05:00

Virtual Meetings

Conference calls have long been an ongoing reality for business. Also, use of video software like Skype can enable the participants to see each other - at least in limited numbers. Tools like this are increasing in popularity as well. But imagine a system where people can meet virtually, and the imagery is available such that they can appear to sit around a table. They can talk to each other just as though they were physically together and even make eye contact.

Such systems, considered science fiction only a few years ago, are now a reality, and companies are using them to replace physical meetings with all the attendant hassle of flying and the expense of accommodations and other travel expense. SAP is one company using a virtual conferencing system. This article explains.

2011-01-18T09:45:00.001-05:00

McLuhan Could Have Predicted Wikileaks
by Gerald Trites

When Marshall McLuhan published The Gutenburg Galaxy in 1962 and Understanding Media in 1964, the World Wide Web hadn't yet been invented. The steps leading to the early development of the internet, such as the formation of ARPA, had been taken, but the internet was still a gleam in the eyes of some in the US defence department and a few academics. The World Wide Web was not yet invented. Tim Berners-Lee was only seven years old in 1962.

But the seeds of both the Net and the WWW had already been sown, and McLuhan understood that and of course his books and ideas struck a chord around the world. The new electric world would make possible the sharing of information instantaneously and globally. And so he coined the phrase The Global Village. Later on, some of his critics persuaded him to change the phrase to The Global Theatre, because the new world of global information exchange would be so much larger and more diverse than a village.

We all know that a village is a small compact unit with fast exchange of information. Everyone knows everyone else's business and there are very few secrets. Since the advent of the World Wide Web as a global force, we have seen the information flowing around the world. The Web itself now contains immeasurable quantities of information available globally. Google, as an example, has launched a number of initiatives through its publications programs and others that make information available globally that was previously not widely available. Social networks like Facebook make information about us available to others. We can think of many examples.

But it was not until the recent revelations put out by Wikileaks that we were truly drawn into the world of a Global Village. It became immediately apparent that the old rules about secrets - even sensitive state secrets - may not be sustainable. True the legal system still supports the old realm, but then laws can be changed and no doubt they will over time. Even if Wikileaks is eventually forced to shut down, which seems unlikely, the die is cast and there will be no shortage of successors.

As with the small villages of the world, in the Global Village there can be very few secrets. McLuhan was right on the money.

2011-01-13T09:39:00.000-05:00

Streaming TV and Movies

Now that Netflix has moved into Canada, there is more attention being given to the prospect of consumers cutting their cord with their cable companies. Already some have done so, usually those who are more technology competent, because a lot of the content they watch on TV is available online. Sometimes it is streamed live and other times it is archived. The idea of cutting out the cost of cable, with its hundreds of channels you never watch, has a lot of appeal.

There's a thorn in the rosebush, however, and that is bandwidth capacity. Streaming video is very heavy on bandwidth, with reportedly an hour of streaming consuming as much as 2.6 Gigabytes. Most internet contracts in Canada establish limits on internet use by charging for download of data over certain amounts. For example, a common basic plan in Canada will have a ceiling of 10 gbs, after which the consumer is charged $2.50 per gb for additional downloads. This could cost more than $5.00 per hour, which is a charge that could add up to something significant. More expensive plans have limits of 40 or 60 gigs per month, which eases the burden somewhat, but may not be enough for many.

That means the initial cost saving from cutting the cable could be more than offset by increased bandwidth charges.

One gets the sense that there is a place for streaming video in our future, but not on the basis of it costing more than we already pay for existing services, which are, after all, pretty good in terms of quality. Our approach to use of the internet vs other means will continue to evolve, including the business models of the providers.

For one take on the cable cutting prospect, check out this article.

2011-01-11T08:56:00.002-05:00

The Changing Face of SEO

People and businesses setting up new websites often have unrealistic expectations as to how it will be received. Sometimes they feel they will instantly be able to sell worldwide, but of course this is dreaming. Realistically, it is quite possible that nobody will bother to go to the site.

For several years, it has been accepted that a new site owner needs to engage in Search Engine Optimization; in other words, make the best use they can of search engines in order to attract visitors to the site. At its most basic level, SEO means registering with search engines and making sure that the appropriate metatags are included in the site. Of course, there is a lot more to it than that. It's important, for example, to be realistic about the time frame of any growth in visitors. It takes time to build the trust and reputation among users and to find the ways to build in unique content that will attract them and keep them coming back.

Also, SEO now includes making good use of social media, which is a rapidly growing element in all online marketing initiatives.

And so, a recent article in internet.com is very timely - "Top Ten SEO Tips for New Websites." It's worth a browse.

2011-01-06T09:53:00.000-05:00

The Boom in E-Commerce

Established bricks and mortar companies were initially sceptical of the value and potential of e-commerce. Some of them, like Sears, got in early. Others have simply used their websites to display their products but offer no online purchasing capabilities. A few have done nothing or next to nothing in this area.

All that has been changing. Suddenly, companies like several of the big box retailers are investing heavily in their e-Commerce activities. There is a realization that this is big and that the growth potential is enormous. Part of this realization comes from the spread of mobile units, which enable companies to connect with customers when they are out shopping and when they are in their store. Part of it comes from interrnet growth - a simple case of critical mass.

To address this growth potential, whole new management structures are springing up, with issues like finding executives tuned into the issues and opportunities of e-Commerce, whether there should be a separate e-Commerce department, where it should be located, how it should be integrated into the main company. Issues like these would not have arisen a few years ago. But the potential of e-Commerce has become so great, and its activities so critical, that many companies are investing heavily on these issues. Here's an article on this new world of e-Commerce.

2011-01-04T08:03:00.000-05:00

Socially Challenged?

"With everyone who’s anyone friending, tweeting, linking and otherwise connecting online, you’d think social networking in the enterprise would be a no-brainer. Not so much. Though 89% of the 700+ respondents to our 2010 Social Networking in the Enterprise Survey said they have some sort of social network in place, most told us it’s an uphill battle to get employees to use the system.

Why? Mainly because we haven’t integrated our social networking systems into our e-mail systems and other applications. What’s more, we haven’t put policies and procedures in place to guide employees in appropriate use of our social networking systems—from blogs to wikis to discussion forums to broader social networking systems—and we don’t monitor their activities when they do use them.

Until now, InformationWeek Analytics research shows, marketing has been driving the charge for social networking in the enterprise, with limited results for the business. Now it’s time for IT to take the lead, helping to establish corporate policies and procedures and user education, and making social networking a collaborative effort that will pay off for all departments and the company as a whole.

In this report, we analyze the survey results and guide you through the steps IT must take to drive this vital next-gen collaboration."

2011-01-03T10:27:00.000-05:00

Social Media in Business

Slowly social media is being recognized in business as a powerful tool for management, collaboration and interaction. Why it is taking so long is a mystery, except that management is often reluctant to risk losing control over corporate communications. There may be some risk of that, but is it really a big loss? The benefits may more than offset the risks. At least that's the message in a recent white paper by Ziff Davis Enterprise, sponsored by IBM and published in IT World.

For years, decades even, there has been wide acceptance of the proposition that silos in organizations don't work - that they need to be broken down. While some companies have managed to do that, many have not.

But as the white paper points out, social networking can do a remarkable job of destroying those silos. In addition it can facilitate interaction between personnel at a human level, getting away from corporate-speak.

Companies need to move into social media. Of that there is no doubt. The place to start is with developing a social media strategy, so as to define the objectives, structure and policies governing its use. For the white paper, click on this link.

2010-12-29T11:38:00.000-05:00

Monitoring Social Media

As more organizations are getting into social media, they are learning the best techniques to make best use of those media. One of the techniques is establishing a good system for monitoring what is being said about the company and who is saying it. Sometimes particular issues can go viral on the net, leaving the company with a tarnished reputation.

Particular techniques include identifying customers by segment, hosting one or more branded customer communities, engaging customers in conversation and integrating the social media channels with other channels of customer communication.

Social media use is quite new for business, but nevertheless the use of it must be guided by business priorities, efficiency and ultimately, profitability.

This article provides an interesting summary of an approach to social media.

2010-12-28T11:35:00.003-05:00

The New IT Platform

It's no secret that the world of IT is increasingly dominated by cloud computing, mobile computing and social networks. What is less widely acknowledged is that these phenomena may actually replace the current IT platforms, at least that is what a new IDC report, "IDC Predictions: Welcome to the new mainstream" says.

The new IDC report was released last week and is more than a trendy muse.

Companies are already moving into social media, including blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. But that doesn't mean in this new world that personnel will be tweeting and sending Facebook status reports that they are going to take their coffee break now. Not at all. Social media is revealing itself as a valuable tool for interacting with stakeholders in the business - employees, customers, suppliers, competitors, and others. The work that people do in the new world will be very serious work, directed to greater profitability and efficiency through the use of the cloud, mobiles and social media.

The IDC report, downloadable here, says that during 2011, these things will become mainstream. It's moving faster than we thought.

2010-12-24T11:31:00.001-05:00

Social Media - An Important Management Tool

IBM has sponsored a new eBook, entitled "Empowering People, Removing the Barriers to Social Business Adoption," that explores the ways in which social media can be used to manage a company, support collaboration and monitor and manage the activities of teams within the organization.

For some time now, companies have been using social media as a resource in researching new personnel being considered for hiring, and for corporate wide discussions and announcements. The new paradigm suggested by IBM, already adopted by some progressive companies, goes much further than that, making social media an important and central part of the fabric of the company.

The paper offers some concrete solutions to the problems of work silos and uncooperative teams, all within a context of peer respect and transparency. You can download a free copy of the eBook from this site.

2010-12-21T08:59:00.005-05:00

Television in Transition

That medium most central to news and entertainment life during the latter half of the 20th century is rapidly changing before our eyes. The internet has changed and continues to change everything else - books, magazines, newspapers, travel, banking, you name it - but television has been the longest holdout, particularly cable TV.

That cable still survives these days is particularly remarkable when you consider that a lot of the content that people like to view is available for free on the internet, while the cable companies charge an arm and a leg for it.

Many people realize this, and surveys are reporting hundreds of thousands of people discontinuing their cable service. And many more planning to do so during the coming year.

People are discovering the entertainment value of sites like Youtube, which offers its content for free. Also, movie services like Netflix are catching on and many of the news services offer their programs and news programs on archive and sometimes on a live streaming basis. Quality of internet content on the big screen is getting better too, and in many cases as good as regular TV.

The most interesting aspect of this changing part of the world from a business point of view is that there must be a way for the providers of the content to get paid for their product, whether it be music, movies or news features. Right from the people/actors doing their part to the companies providing the equipment and marketing expertise to get their work to the public. So "for free" may be appealing to the audience, and especially to the young who often feel that everything should be free, but free is just not sustainable.

This means that the companies in the TV business need to find new business models. that may not be as hard as it first seems. They already have strong support of advertisers - the most likely source of revenue. All they need to do is to convince the advertisers that it is worth their while to spend big bucks on advertising on the internet. As the audience shifts over, this will be an easier task.

The established players also need to find ways to compete with new players like Google TV and Apple TV.

Musicians have adapted quite well. Justin Beiber is a good example, who got his start through his parents putting his videos on YouTube. They of course went viral and the rest is now history. We can expect more YouTube stars in various fields - not just music.

The end result will not be the end of TV. It will mark the end of cable TV as we know it. And it will result in new business models for everyone in the supply chain and will mark a wonderful new era in TV content for the audience.

For a good article on this topic, check out this link.

2010-12-16T09:52:00.000-05:00

Top 5 IT Business Videos for 2009

ITBusiness.ca has released a list of the top five videos for 2009, including the links that can be used to watch them. Worth some time! Many of the links involve the use of mobile units and social media - two of the forces currently shaping e-Business. For the list and the links, click this link.

2010-12-14T09:54:00.000-05:00

Managing the Move to the Cloud

Gartner predicts that spending on the cloud will increase in the next year by 16%, more than three times the rate of increase expected in IT spending generally. That would indicate that many companies will need to pay attention to the management of the transition to the cloud.

One point is immediately clear - many of the same issues are going to arise as in any IT migration - the need to test before cut-over and the need to manage process change being two examples. Other issues may not be quite as obvious.

Companies need not and in many cases should not use a single supplier. In the cloud, this can be a challenge, and there is a new breed of service providers who act as cloud brokers, to guide people through the labyrinth of issues.

Also, and this is better known, it is important to pay attention to where your data is going to reside. Different jurisdictions have legislation that covers the management of data that resides in their jurisdiction. For example, the EU Privacy Act limits the transfer of private data outside the EU. And the US Patriot Act makes the data available to certain government and regulatory bodies. As a minimum, the company needs to know the location of its data and have a grasp of the governing legislation and how it fits with home legislation and relevant contracts.

For an excellent article, which provided much of the source of this article, check this link.

2010-12-08T08:24:00.000-05:00

Mobiles in the Cloud

Mobile devices have been famously proliferating in the world of data transfer, through texting, email and many new apps that can do anything from playing Bookworm to showing movies to operating complete GPS systems. These are impressive accomplishments for such tiny devices, but yet they are limited as computing devices. They don't have much space for storing apps or the related data. Also their computing power, while impressive, pales against conventional computing devices like laptops and of course other bigger computers.

The cloud offers up the logical answer. Cloud apps run on remote servers and can run pretty well any application you can think of. The challenge for mobiles is to get the input-output interfaces working so the results of such powerful apps can be run from the limited mobile interfaces. it's a challenge but not impossible for a wide range of apps. Such apps are starting to come out in commercially viable scale and content, primarily at this point in the form of games. But then a lot of modern computing originated with games.

We'll soon see a large growth in the capabilities of mobile units. A person cruising in a boat on a lazy summer day out in the country will be able to run an app that utilizes the advanced analytical capabilities of a sophisticated ERP system and display the reports on the tiny screen of the mobile. It will open a whole range of services for the devices. And will cement their role as a focal point of the new computing environment. An article in Technology Review explains some of the new games coming on stream.

2010-12-06T08:52:00.000-05:00

I Want it and I Want it Now

Such is the consumer of data in the modern age. They want their data anytime, anywhere. Sounding like a spoiled child, they are backed up by masses of people and by technology. And by three megatrends - the proliferation of mobile devices, cloud computing and social collaboration. It is possible for them to get what they want.

Companies who use the web for disclosing their information to their stakeholders, or to their partners and collaborators, need to respond fully to these trends. Lets take a quick look at what this means.

Mobile devices are evolving so quickly it makes it difffcult to plot strategy. However, we do know that smart phones are likely to be around for a while and that they are likely to have small screens but big capabilities. Information needs to be made available so it can be consumed on these devices as well as on more conventional devices. That part is not too difficult.

However, we also know that the consumers of data want to be able to work with the data themselves, rather than just receive a bunch of prescribed reports. That means they need to get the data into applications that are powerful enough to do good analyses. That's a challenge for the small devices, even though they are powerful. Also, people using any computers are increasingly using cloud apps for various purposes. The companies therefore need to provide the analytical ability and the logical way to do this is on a SaaS basis - in the cloud - so that the users don't need to worry about finding good analytical tools every time they want to consume some data.

Third, users are accustomed to social networks, and becoming more so. Collaboration is the key and understanding data is a natural for collaboration - between the organization providing the data and the consumers as well as between the consumers themselves. This is the way people work online, and the way companies need to provide their information.

So Mobiles, Cloud computing and social networking (see this related article) - all are key to the disclosure of information in the new and developing information environment.

2010-12-01T10:49:00.000-05:00

Dell Keeps on Innovating

Way back when the Web was new, and companies were just starting to use it, Michael Dell started up a new venture to sell computers to people on demand. What set his new business apart from others that preceded it was that it didn't carry inventory, it didn't build the computers until they had been sold. This simple (conceptually anyway) innovation revolutionized the field of supply chain management, and set the stage for countless new companies in the information age.

Now, Dell is still innovating, this time in tune with the major trends of the time - SaaS, the Cloud and virtualization. The company is moving beyond hardware into service, something that all big companies (e.g. IBM) must eventually do. For an interesting article on Dell's current initiatives, check out this link.

2010-11-25T07:50:00.000-05:00

Facebook CRM

Social media are increasingly being used for contact management. Traditional contact vehicles, like email, don't really provide useful contact manegement capabilities. Social media, like Facebook and LinkedIn do offer not only information about contacts, continually updated by the contacts themselves, but also have been growing their messaging and chat functionality, making them more viable as contact management tools.

Social media have been used for some time now by companies trying to get their message out and trying to collaborate with their stakehoilders. The enhancements in contact management and messaging capabilities will serve to make them more valuable and more widely used for CRM. For an interesting take on this theme, see this link.

2010-11-24T07:47:00.005-05:00

The End of Top Down Management?
by Gerald Trites

Management gurus have been predicting the end of top-down management for years. It might have started with some of the early writings of Peter Drucker, but I haven't gone back and checked the references. Certainly, after the beginnings of the information age, the predictions abounded. The workforce is different, the thinking went. It is more educated and (gulp) talented. The power will lie with those who have the skills. The bosses won't even understand what their people are doing and will be relegated to the role of coordinators. The real decisions will be made by the workers.

Somehow, it hasn't worked out quite that way. The bosses still call the shots - the real shots. The masses still have to toe the line, certainly in the big companies. Yes, there are exceptions, Google is often touted as one, but then one could argue that it gets a lot of press on this point because it is an exception.

The move to collaborative or participative management has evolved into something of a charade, where there are periodic meetings and discussion groups when important things are happening, but which often involve explanations of why management has chosen a particular path, under the guise of seeking employee input.

So that's where we are at this time, after some twenty or thirty years (depending on where you start counting) of the information revolution.

Enter social media. A rising tide of commentary has been suggesting that social media will transform the internal workings of organizations, that the people within the organization will all have a voice and that decisions will be made with ongoing and decisive employee input.

A recent book, "Social Nation" by Barry Libert, (reviewed at this site) argues just this point - that social networking is transforming the attitudes of everyone in or connected to an organization, and that management therefore has to change its ways and become much more inclusive and consultative.

The fact is though, in a modern corporation, employees can participate publically in discussion of corporate issues on social media, but they cannot speak their minds. If they speak against the corporate line of thinking, the current culture or, especially, the actions or pronouncements of particular managers, their tenure with the organization is bound to be short. They know that, and many people on Facebook, for example, keep two accounts - one for work related acquaintances and one for family and friends (real friends).

So is social networking transforming management? I'm from Missouri on this point.

The fact is, there are many factors working to transform management that have nothing to do with social networking. One of these is the tremendous increase in the participation of women in the workforce and their growth in numbers in management - a trend that has developed over the past twenty years or so. Women have always been more eager to communicate than men, and more eager to talk things out with others who are affected. Men and women working together, throughout history have always been able to work effectively to the common good. It was only with the advent of large organizations, with their need for men to go away from the home to work that the worklives of men and women became so separated. Before that, they worked together on the farms and in family owned businesses for centuries. Men and women working together avoids the extremities of masculinity and feminity and brings to bear a much more balanced and inclusive approach to management and to worklife generally. It is that which is leading to major changes in the way organizations are managed, not social networking, although hopefully it will improve the way in which social networking is used in corporate cultures.

2010-11-21T08:17:00.001-05:00

Distributed Co-Creation et al

The growth of social networks and the concomitant growth in online collaboration has led to the coining of a phrase that captures the business technique that has evolved. It's called distributed co-creation and it represents the approach of gathering a group of users on the web together to collectively solve business issues.

McKinsey defines and places it thus “…[T]he ability to organize communities of Web participants to develop, market, and support products and services has moved from the margins of business practice to the mainstream,”

Those who are gathered may be customers, suppliers, technical experts or any group with the capacity to bring some critical expertise or knowledge or experience to bear on solving problems.

Online collaboration is no longer new, but this term is, as is the focus on the legitimacy of including in business processes, particularly those involving creative functions, such collaborative activities.

McKinsey has released a list of 10 IT trends most affecting business, and distributed co-creation is top of the list. Other collaborative activities are also on the list. All of which points to the new world of widespread collaboration on the web for business purposes.

2010-11-12T08:13:00.000-05:00

When Credit Card Fraud Strikes a Company

"A credit card data security breach was not a positive event in the history of Hannants, but the way the company handled it mitigated the problem and made customers feel like they were included in the solution -- more like partners than like victims. Hannants trusted its customers and their reaction to the news, and the company was rewarded with a largely positive response from its customers in social media."

Credit card fraud can be disastrous for a company, but the Hannants case illustrates a number of important lessons about good CRM. Communicate with the customers. Be open and honest. Don't be defensive. Don't lay blame. Just work to fix the problem and tell the customers what is being done to safeguard their interests. Have good relationships to begin with. That may be one of the most important points. Good CRM, with established channels of communication and a legacy of trust will pay off in bad times.

For a write-up on the Hannants case, see this article.

2010-11-10T12:37:00.000-05:00

Gartner's Top Ten Technologies for 2011

Gartner has released its list of top technologies for this year. Cloud computing tops the list, as might have been expected. Also Mobile apps comes second - again not a big surprise, which means that it is a reasonable list. The top ten are:

1: Cloud computing

2: Mobile apps and media tablets

3: Next-gen analytics

4: Social analytics

5: Social communication and collaboration

6: Video

7: Context-aware computing

8: Ubiquitous computing

9: Storage class memory

10: Fabric based infrastructure and computers

For more detail on these items, please click here.

2010-11-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

Saas, IaaS and PaaS

We hear a lot about Software as a Service (SaaS) and its role in enabling applications to be provided in the cloud. Lately we have been hearing more about Platform as a Service and Infrastructure as a Service. IaaS essentially involves the provision of raw computer power and storage. PaaS, on the other hand, offers up not only the infrastructure but an operating system and an applications platform which customers can use to develop/configure their own applications. PaaS gives the customers more flexibility with the applications they use on the cloud than does SaaS, which is generally a bit restictive because the same apps need to be used by a variety of customers and the provider could not possibly support the apps if there were 100 variations on them being run.

IaaS and PaaS not only involve different customer experiences, they involve different strategies by the providers. So far, Amazon, as one of the major cloud providers, has stressed an IaaS service. Recently, on the other hand, Microsoft has been going into the PaaS route. The two rivals will therefore be attracting customers with different needs and desires, but also will be selling their wares on the basis of the differences they offer to the customers. The outcome will be instructive in gauging the future direction of cloud services. For an excellent article on the Microsoft initiative, check out this article.

2010-11-04T07:11:00.000-04:00

What is Social CRM?

CRM has been changing drastically over the past couple of years, and the centerpeice of this change is Social CRM.. Involving the use of Social Networking to strengthen CRM, Social CRM provides a way to involve the customers as never before. Facebook is widely used by companies for this purpose, although some of the other social media, like Myspace, LinkedIn and Youtube (although this is a different kind of social media) are used as well.

Companies that implement social media generally set up a few pages on Facebook, and then install social media software, which is available from most major CRM vendors now, and which gathers the Facebook information and provides an interface for managers to analyze the information. This might include who likes and dislikes a particular entry. Who has become a fan and who hasn't. And what comments are being made on the company's wall. Of course, the Facebook site also provides a vehicle for providing answers and commentary, but companies who successfully implement social CRM recognize that it's more about listening than about talking. For an intro to Social CRM, check out this site.

2010-11-01T08:59:00.000-04:00

Using Social Media in a Small Business

Social media are being used more by companies for CRM purposes. For smaller business, social media can also be useful for interacting with customers and others. The key is interacting. many smaller businesses, and some larger ones, see social media as just another tool for getting their message out. Another tool for broadcasting.

But the key to social media is the fact that it is social. That means interacting with people at a personal level. Listening as well as speaking. This is a novel idea for many people. Not that they have never used social media before, but they often have not made the connection between business promotion and social media. It's very different from traditional advertising. But it is quite similar to the idea of socializing with clients and potential clients. Going to cocktail parties with them or playing golf with them. This is the kind of interaction you want when using social media.

For an interesting article on this subject, check out this link.

2010-10-28T08:17:00.000-04:00

Cloud Confusion

Yet another study indicates that people are confused about cloud computing and whether it has any benefits for their organization. This article has some pointers about how to address this confusion. Do your research, Try it out on some non-critical apps. Evaluate the experience. Treat it as a strategic decision, with all the implications that carries with it.

2010-10-26T11:05:00.000-04:00

Frenemies

A new form of collaboration on the web is that of working with competitors. While this has been touted as a likely outcome of web usage since the web began to be used for business purposes, the idea has been gaining some traction lately, with the collaborating competitors being referred to as frenemies.

One important form of it is having customers browsing for certain products directed to a local physical location where they can obtain what they seem to be looking for. The chances are that if a customer is just looking and does not place an online order, they will go to a location within a reasonable distance from them in any event. So the idea is that they are referred to a local place, even that of a competitor. Of course, this works both ways, with competitors referring to their competitors as well, so over time, the business brought in from referrals should hopefully be more than any business lost to competitors.

For an article describing the arrangements made along these lines by a particular company, please see this link.

2010-10-22T08:42:00.000-04:00

Social CRM

CRM is a natural tool for enhancing and perhaps even establishing a strong CRM System. Social Media can be used to engage customers, gain feedback and vet new ideas and initiatives.

But the issue has been how best to use social media. Just setting up a Facebook page or Twitter Account won't accomplish much.

One of the approaches to consider is to identify which types of customer are most likely to use social media and become engaged in it. There are several possibilities, but Chris Bucholtz, a blogger at Forecasting Clouds, has made three good suggestions. First is sports fans. Often they are young and enthusiastic users of social media. Another is clients of government agencies. The agencies themselves are usually eager to hear from the publics they serve and often the publics they serve are eager to provide feedback. Finally, certain Hobby enthusiasts may provide a successful group of social media users.

2010-10-19T07:40:00.000-04:00

Targeted Ads on Facebook

What better place for targeted advertising than Facebook, where people voluntarily disclose their personal information. While such voluntary disclosure does not remove the strictures of the Privacy Act, nevertheless, there is some ambiguity about this, and Facebook has implemented a system of advertising based on the information that people have disclosed, such as their gender, age, etc. Recently, Facebook has revealed that these targeted ads have become their largest source of revenue. This article explains.

2010-10-15T07:56:00.000-04:00

Cloud Computing - SAAS and PAAS

Many companies continue to move to cloud computing despite the additional risk involved. Vendors are becoming more sophisticated in the area and offering more comprehensive solutions. For example, the original center of the cloud - Software as a Service (SAAS) has now evolved into Platform as a Service (PAAS). With integrated platforms available in the cloud, it makes it more feasible for companies to move their ERP, CRM and BI systems there.

Microsoft has declared that they are fully into the cloud. In a recent interview, Bob Muglia, president of the nearly $15 billion Server and Tools Division of Microsoft, explains the current state of the cloud and offers an insight to Microsoft's strategy in this important area. The interview, complete with videos, can be seen on this site.

2010-10-14T07:37:00.002-04:00

IT Careers: Hottest Jobs, Skills in Cloud Computing, Mobile Application Development

The latest IBM Tech Trends survey of IT professionals reveals that cloud computing and mobile application development will provide the most career opportunities, followed by social media and business intelligence. See the article at this site.

2010-10-11T10:39:00.000-04:00

Google - Maker of Fine Automobiles

Google has announced that they are testing a new car that drives itself. There have been predictions for a few years now that the traditional car manufacturers would be moving in that direction, but this is a very tangible and interesting move by a company that has not been involved in any way in the automobile industry. It shows once again how sudden and discontinuous change has become the norm for the information age.

Some of the car makers have been introducing new self driving functionality, such as, for example, the self braking feature of the new Mercedes. However, these initiatives have been sporadic and have not approached the status of a fully self driving car.

Google is investing a lot of money in their new initiative. It will be interesting to see if they succeed. For more on the self driving car, see this website.

2010-10-04T07:33:00.000-04:00

E-discovery Goes In-house

As legal issues have moved into the electronic age, so has the discovery process. Discovery is the pre-trial process in legal actions that involve making documents available to the other party so as to improve the fairness and efficiency of the actual proceedings. Since many documents are now electronic, the process of e-discovery was born a few years ago to include the production of electronic documents. E-discovery has grown as a part of the legal process and now has reached the point that companies are bringing it in-house so as to include it in their regular control operations. For a good article on this development, please see this article.

2010-09-28T14:19:00.001-04:00

International E-Business

There are many issues that arise in doing international e-business that don't arise in domestic markets. Of course, the obvious ones revolve around culture, but there are very different laws about handling money and making sales as well. An interview published in e-Commerce Times, titled "A World-Wise View of E-Commerce: Q&A With Asknet CEO Michael Scheib," provides an interesting quick overview of some of the issues in various countries. It's worth a look at this link.

2010-09-24T08:08:00.000-04:00

Facebook now Meets Canadian Privacy Requirements

Last year, Canada's Privacy Commissioner reported that Facebook fell short of privacy requirements because it was collecting information that was available to others without making this clear to the users. Since then, Facebook has made a number of changes to its privacy procedures, basically providing the users the option to choose who the information can be made available to. last week, the Privacy Commissioner announced that Facebook now meets the requirements. For an outline of the announcement and its background, check out this article.

2010-09-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

Social Media and CRM

A new trend is taking place in the CRM world, in which companies are using social media to augment their CRM systems. It makes a lot of sense, because their customers can discuss issues, new events can be exposed to them, and their support people can participate. Different from the traditional chat rooms, social media facilitates getting to know the customers better and encourages better participation. Some companies are using this approach successfully. For an article on this topic, please see this link.

2010-09-17T08:19:00.000-04:00

Online Privacy - Is There Such a Thing?

Many people assume that if they don't explicitly identify themselves on the internet, then their actions on it are anonymous. However, this isn't necessarily so. Standard logins can reveal more information about a person than many realize. For example, everyone has an IP Address, point of entry, domain, etc. and these are not hard to find and to track. Indeed many companies plant cookies to follow the users and determine their interests, desires, and habits.

Of course, many people are aware of the existence of cookies and often/sometimes(?) employ software to disable them. But by then it's too late to stop them from identifying a person, or coming very close. And the sophistication of identification techniques on the internet is growing.

Many business will tell you that they don;t need to identify an individual - that they only want to identify what their commercial interests in order to be able to make product information available to them at timely moments. A lot of research and effort is going into this effort. And that's generally true. But the real danger is that unscrupulous people, such as criminals may indeed want to identify you, and then there is a real problem.

Some safeguards can be taken - cookie software, wiping our browser files after each use, shielding IP addresses, etc. But a lot of people don't do these things, and in any event, the technology for identification is getting more sophisticated. it could mean the end of privacy for good. for more on this theme, see this article.

2010-09-13T12:15:00.000-04:00

Android Moving up in the World

Google's Android operating system for smartphones has been one of the major success stories of recent years. Google bought Android Inc, as a start-up, two years ago and since them developers have flocked to it to the extent of hundreds of thousands of new apps, some say as much as a million new apps. Android is based on the Linux system, which makes it pretty much open for developers, something that works in the technology world and that Apple should have learned many years ago when it lost market share to IBM and its clones by keeping their Apples closed.

Now, Android is positioned as the front-runner in the smartphone world, and predictions are that its star will continue to rise. For example, see this article.

2010-09-09T08:44:00.003-04:00

Journalism - An Industry in Flux

It is obvious to everyone by now that the world of news and news media is changing rapidly and irrevocably. Digital media is providing new and different channels of distribution, new avenues for reader interaction, and even new types of content.

The industry was the focus of a panel discussion held last week in Toronto, which involved a number of experts from media companies, and some of the digital companies like Facebook. One of the discussions pointed to the advantages of having news comments placed through Facebook, rather than as anonymous comments on news sites. There was the thought that this might raise the level of the online discussions in traditional media sites. Anyone who has read some of the comments one sees in traditional media sites would relate to the need for finding some way to raise the level at least up to kindergarten level!

The advances in mobility were also discussed, with recognition that it is important and will become more so, but that the problem now is that there does not seem to be a good means of providing advertising content, which is necessary from the industry viewpoint.

A summary of the discussion is at this site.

2010-09-07T09:37:00.000-04:00

IT Support Needs to Change

The trends in technology over the past few years have highlighted a growing sophistication in the use of technology. At one time, the only experts in the company were the IT support staff. That's still true in some ways but in many ways it isn't. Nevertheless, IT support personnel need to recognize what has changed.

The big thing that has changed is that the employees, especially those coming on stream now, are very used to technology and are good at using it for many purposes in their daily lives. This ranges from social networking to numerous apps to mobile uses like texting. While they may not be cognizant of the risks associated with some of these activities, all that does is tend to make the work of the IS support people harder, because they end up having to say "no" - and it only takes a certain number of "no's" before they are regarded as Neanderthals.

So there is a significant management problem that needs to be addressed. Couple this with the growing trend of companies to adopt a policy of allowing employees to use their own computers, and the whole issue is ramped up into the stratosphere.

It seems clear that what needs to happen is for the IT departments to release a lot of control. To be more responsive to new technologies coming up out of the field, and to support as best they can the employees who way to use their own technology in a way that they are used to doing, which should add efficiency. In the end, the technology will cost the company a lot less and while there might be additional risk, this is something that can be dealt with.

InformationWeek Analytics recently released a survey - End user 2.0 - that bears out these broad conclusions and also brings in some new considerations. Worth thinking about. The long term credibility of IT support functions everywhere is at stake.