From notebook computers to PDAs, it seems that with each new decade comes a new gadget promising to be the best new tool for on-the-go business people. Lately, the tech world has been abuzz with the next frontrunner in the competition for this era’s top mobile enterprise device: the tablet.
In Spring of 2010, Apple Inc. released the first iPad tablet computer in a flurry of typical Apple-sized proportion. Although not the first tablet computer in the industry, the early success of the iPad prompted competitors Samsung, Motorola, Blackberry and HP to announce their own plans for tablet style computers - and the race was on. By December of 2010, the tablet was one of the most sought after gadgets of the holidays, and has continued to increase in notoriety over the past year.
While tablets are a popular gadget for teens and college students, professionals have also recognized the convenience of this newly redesigned technology. More portable than a laptop, but easier to navigate than a mobile phone, the tablet computer allows for easy e-mailing, web browsing, social networking and other typical work-related tasks. Since the release of the iPad 2 and other updated tablets earlier this year, many corporations have chosen to supply their employees with tablet computers in place of laptops and other similar devices.
Already leaking into the mainstream business market, the real question of the tablet computer is will the technology stick? Many early doubters of the tablet are eating their words, but skeptics still exist and are concerned that an investment in a tablet would be better spent on other equipment. Some critics feel that the touch screen technology of tablets is not yet fully embraced by the business community and the learning curve may cause issues in terms of company efficiency.
However, as the technology grows and changes, it’s likely that the tablet, like other mobile devices of the decade, will become much more user-friendly, durable and develop the ability to take on additional tasks, possibly even replacing many other devices in its class. The future of the tablet might be vague, but one thing is for certain – this useful little device has already earned its place in history’s most successful business gadgets.
Digital communication: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Web 2.0 (and very soon 3.0.) now seems to pass for personal communication—it is an evolution from in-person meetings, telephone conversations and written correspondence. Tweets, text & instant messages, and recommendations on LinkedIn have become the norm. If utilized correctly, you can communicate in such a way that the digital touch can remain a personal touch.
As the saying goes, we never get a second chance to make a first impression. The first time you meet someone in-person not only sets the tone for future interactions, but determines the depth and duration of any subsequent relationship with that person. This is also true of the first impression created via digital communication. When you reach out digitally, it is critical that you target the communication to what you know about the recipient. In developing a personal relationship, you should value inquiry over expediency and long-term vision over short-term gain.
Once a relationship is established, the benefit to your business grows, but the challenge in keeping it personal increases. No longer does "personalization" simply require that you spell someone's name correctly and making sure your boilerplate letter doesn't include information relating to the client you wrote prior. Communicating digitally involves the ability to reply immediately and likewise being able to generate immediate and flexible responses.
But how? There are several tools available to you to help ensure that any digital communication with you–whether on your own behalf or on behalf of those you represent–remains a personalized experience.
Know your audience. Listen, learn and adjust your behavior each and every time you learn something new about who you are corresponding with.
Solicit response. Success is not guaranteed by engaging in mass communication that gets your message out there; request feedback so that you build the perception that you are interested in having a one-on-one conversation.
Capture customer information. Through direct or email response, social media interactions can provide valuable information about your customer.
The goal is to build a digital relationship that positions you as your client's choice to meet his or her need(s). As disconnected as digital communication can at times feel it is possible to develop a personal relationship that establishes an emotional and psychological comfort level certain to build loyalty and brand recognition.
In today's economy, anything that interferes with the completion of mission-critical tasks is detrimental to a company's financial health, if not its actual survival. For many organizations, an unwillingness or inability to commence a major project can mean the difference, ultimately, between success and failure of that firm.
Nowhere is this more true than in the area of systems development. Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is the process of creating or modifying information systems as well as the models and methodologies used for the development of those systems. Not a simple concept, SDLC necessitates a clear understanding of the requirements, validations, training and the preparedness and willingness of the end-user community to adopt the change.
Given the complexity of SDLC and the interaction between both multiple players and moving parts, consultant contractors may be the ideal catalyst for kick-starting a project. Although not all projects require that the phases be performed in sequence, the fact the phases are interdependent means that execution must be well coordinated, even, and especially, when phases overlap.
Communication is critical every step of the way. A company cannot afford to have communication gaps arise. A contractor tasked with overseeing the entire process is likely to advance the project along more efficiently than in-house management and the IT department, both of which are responsible for a myriad of activities, all deemed more important to daily operations and, therefore, the bottom line. Although there are weaknesses associated with SDLC, the strengths usually outweigh them. Among those strengths are control over all aspects of the project, the ability to monitor large projects, development of detailed steps, accurate documentation, well-defined user input and ease of maintenance. Again, a contractor entrusted to carry out commencing a project is typically able to carry out these tasks in a more focused and productive manner than in-house personnel. Establishing a relationship with an agency that retains reliable, professional contractors able to develop solutions that are right for the client every time is an ideal solution for the company looking to jump start its project or shorten critical production processes.
This week in Tech Talk, we are going to talk about how Apple is moving forward without Steve Jobs, how the industry is growing, where people are hiring, and new products and services that are out there.
The loss of Steve Jobs was a major blow to Apple because he was their founder and maven for all marketing and technology. He didn't just bring the iPod to the world. Nope, he made it into the coolest thing in the world. Even as smartphones take over some of the market for music players, the iPod remains stout at the top of the heap. Moreover, he made the Apple brand into a flashy competitor for basically everybody. It's the kind of business that slays other business' ideas because, well, Apple is cooler.
Apple's business, even as they have just lost Steve Jobs, has grown in China at such a clip that the entire Asian market is ready to explode. With Apple comes everybody else. We live in a copycat world, and when other companies see Apple's success overseas, you can be sure the competition will follow.
Intel also posted its revenues above $14 billion for the first time. Since Intel and Apple are flourishing, it also looks like the laptop is still going strong. For every product placement that we see for mobile products, there is still going to be a laptop with the logo showing in just about every bit of entertainment you can enjoy online or on TV. It's just the way of the world. The strength of Intel just goes to show that sometimes the new dog (the tablet) can't necessarily kill the old dog (the laptop) just by being cool.
In other news, there is still plenty of room out there for business. True, the economy is not fantastic, but it is good enough to allow for jobs when new technology comes onto the playing field. For every cool app that is designed by some enterprising guy, there needs to be a team of programmers ready to keep that company up and running. Not only does the app have to work, but upgrades must be done, new products have to be created, and servers have to be maintained.
If you're looking at what's new in the technology world, you will see that a video startup called Qwilt has raised $24 million in capital to begin working on their vision for a streaming site that offers all content from a single platform. Not only will this help to unify some of the content that people have to randomly search online, but it might provide needed competition for companies that seem to have the market cornered on streaming web content. Does this remind anybody of Limelight?
Next week in Tech Talk, we'll be talking about new products in the mobile industry, how you can search for a tech job that works for you, some resume tips, and the latest news in the world of creativity and technology. For example, Michael Dell said that he could post 100 data warehouse jobs and get almost no applicants, but he could post 100 warehouse jobs he'd get 1000 applicants. Will we see a trend upward in those pursuing an education in technology? Come back next week to find out on Tech Talk.
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Apple's latest handset entrant--due on the market this Friday--could be a winner for consumers and enterprise users alike. iPhone 4S includes some nifty new features via iOS 5, including the addition of Siri voice recognition software. The service works on everything from Web searches to answering messages and taking dictation, and could conceivably be applied to any manner of workflow processes. It might just be the killer app that CIOs have been waiting for. Here's what you need to know.
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