Simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH
“Simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH”
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The “Secret” Life of Teenagers
The “Secret” Life of Teenagers
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Warnings all done - here comes 2012
Warnings all done - here comes 2012
Posted Fri, 02/12/2011 - 08:43
2012 will be the year that technology giants go head to head to compete for leadership in the high growth areas of mobile and Cloud, according to analyst IDC.
By the end of next year, we should have a good idea which vendors will – and won't – be among the industry's leaders at the end of the decade, the analyst predicts in a new report.
http://www.idc.com/research/viewtoc.jsp?containerId=231720
Today, spending on mobile computing, Cloud services, social networking, and big data analytics technologies is growing at about 18% per year and is expected to account for at least 80% of IT spending growth between now and 2020.
But with future market revenues at stake, IDC predicts that 2012 will be marked by some of the first high-stakes battles as companies seek to position themselves for leadership in these critical and fast-growing technology areas.
Frank Gens, senior vice president and chief analyst at the market watcher, said the big players in the market - including Microsoft, HP, SAP, RIM and Apple - would face 'crossroads moments' in 2012. "The industry's shift to the 'third platform' [mobile devices supported by the Cloud] will accelerate in 2012, forcing the industry's leaders to make bold investments and fateful decisions," Gens said.
"The urgency to act – and to make the right decisions – will dramatically increase. By the end of 2012, we should be able to see much more clearly which players have successfully positioned themselves in the 'lead pack' of the marathon-like race for industry leadership in the decade ahead," he added.
Overall, IDC predicts that worldwide ICT spending will grow 6.9% year over year to $1.8 trillion in 2012. As much as 20% of this total spending will be driven by the technologies that are reshaping the IT industry – smartphones, media tablets, mobile networks, social networking, and big data analytics.
IDC also predicts that in 2012 mobile data network spending will exceed fixed data network spending for the first time, that 80% of new commercial enterprise apps will be deployed on Cloud platforms - and that China will surpass Japan as the world's second largest IT market sometime in the course of the year.
Read the IDC Report - CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE
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Important Information for anyone in Business or Enterprise
Important Information for anyone in Business or Enterprise
Increasing, Business and Enterprise is acknowledging the opportunities, effectiveness and efficiencies of modern ICT in the workplace, but all is not always rosy with decisions being made. There is a strange reluctance, found in some entrenched and stretched IT Departments - not just to the change being made, but to even acknowledge that change should even be considered. Ask why. This is not the time to ignore the shift in the way people are choosing to access the world today.
It is time to seriously consider putting a hold on spending money on shoring up old technology, and towards making fundamental changes in order to reduce organisational overheads for tomorrow.
Many have struggled through from their MS NT and Win XP days toward a 21.1st Century platform, but there are still some that linger - and there is danger in a 'heads in the sand' attitude.
We were once told by those who should have know better; "It will never change".
But it has..........
From SMEs to Micro-business, Private Enterprise to Public Sector, there are those with the insight and forethought, who saw the possibilities early on, but those who haven't, there is still time to accept and understand the advantages. If you represent, or are part of the sort of organisation that has been previously stung by technologies that offer the earth, and yet fail to deliver the future ( wasting time and money on, for example, Taking modern devices and having to downgrade them, Windows Mobile, WiMax, Windows Vista, Early Thin Clients, Windows Tablet PCs, Android 1, dotNet, Mobile Flash, Windows Live Spaces) - this change is no damp squib, but there are still some potential pitfalls to be wary of.
What is different now? Now, change needs to happen, there is no flexibility available through funding generosity, there is no headroom left.
This is an invitation to you to begin to face the future flexibly.
Regards
John
| Date: November 30, 2011 09:10 ET | IT Administrators Say Security Concerns for Mobile Devices Are Slowing Enterprise Adoption Enterprise Device Alliance Survey Learns That Enterprise IT Expects Increased Management Challenges as Acceptance of Mobile Devices Soars | SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 30, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A survey conducted by the Enterprise Device Alliance (EDA) revealed that IT administrators believe that the challenge of securing mobile devices is the largest impediment to acceptance by enterprises. 54% of the respondents replied that preventing access to sensitive data from unauthorized users is the top concern slowing adoption smartphones and tablets for enterprises. 59% of the IT professionals said that another source of concern is the security risk should the devices be stolen or lost. Despite these concerns, more than 90% reported that tablets are being tested in pilot or production deployments at their organizations. Though the respondents indicated that only 6% of the employees currently have tablets, they expect that number to increase 250% by the end of next year to approximately 15% of their user community. The organizations reported a noteworthy divergence of reasons for supporting mobile devices. For smartphones, the most reported benefit driving adoption was email access. For tablets, the driver was executives demanding that IT support the devices. Unlike smartphones, the main use of tablets was apps including "App Store Apps," custom apps, and mobile access to a variety of enterprise IT resources. "The good news is that there's still time for enterprise IT to plan and prepare for the onslaught of mobile device deployments coming in 2012. However, our survey reveals that many IT organizations are under resourced and under investing in tools, and this could cost companies competitiveness and delay solutions that reduce security risks" said T. Reid Lewis, president of GroupLogic, a founding member of the Enterprise Device Alliance. "The Enterprise Device Alliance helps IT professionals make the best choices for their organizations by arming them with an aggregate view of the plans of their peers as we've done with this survey. The EDA helps IT professionals prepare for the future by providing examples of solutions that are proven in the marketplace." One novel challenge that mobile devices present to IT is managing employee owned devices (BYOD). A surprising three quarters (75%) of responding organizations reported policies that allowed at least some of their staff to use their own mobile device for company purposes. The survey revealed that even among the largest organizations, those with more than 10,000 employees, two thirds (66%) allowed some employees to bring their own devices and that IT would support them to some degree. This acceptance of BYOD may explain why 45% of the companies provide no prescribed device configurations. For the 55% who are providing some configuration, one of the most comprehensive ways to deliver them is by using a mobile device management (MDM) solution. But only 16% of organizations with more than 500 employees reported using MDM solutions today. That number is expected to more than triple to 50% by the end of 2012. Other noteworthy findings of the survey include:
The in-depth survey sought to learn the impact of smartphones and tablets on large organizations and the IT administrators who are tasked to manage and support them. The online survey was conducted from September 22 to October 15, 2011 and elicited 532 responses. From these, we selected 277 IT administrators who were in commercial, government and educational organizations with more than 100 employees. 68% of the respondents were from organizations with more than 500 employees. Responses from computer consultants, resellers and independent support professionals were excluded. A complete report of the findings is available at http://www.enterprisedevicealliance.org/resources/. Enterprise Device Alliance members comment on the implications of the survey data: Web Help Desk: "The survey data reports that the skyrocketing deployment of mobile devices means that IT faces higher help desk service request volume with no new staff," observed Terry Siddall, vice president atWeb Help Desk. "The Web Help Desk ITSM help desk solution is mobile ready, MDM integrated, and completely automated. Deploying these efficiencies will be the difference between success or failure as the infusion of mobile devices continues." GroupLogic: "The EDA survey data shows that 56% of IT staffers in enterprise IT view consumer solutions like Dropbox as security risks, and they need secure, enterprise-ready alternatives," said T. Reid Lewis, president and co-founder of GroupLogic. "Our mobilEcho 'mobile file managed' solution provides an easy to use, secure, and centrally managed alternative to consumer solutions such as Dropbox." Centrify: "The growing popularity among employees for Mac and mobile devices is requiring organizations to support and manage additional platforms in their environment," said Frank Cabri, Centrify vice president of marketing. "The majority of the surveyed organizations said they want to utilize Microsoft Active Directory to manage their mobile devices. They understand that it make sense to leverage that same infrastructure to easily and cost-effectively centralize administration and management of all users, Macs and other devices." Absolute Software: "The results of the EDA survey reflect the reality faced by most of our customers. Tablets and other ultra-portable devices are definitely entering organizational deployments–often as employee-owned devices. And the number one concern on the part of IT is how to adequately secure these devices and the corporate data they can access," said Peter Frankl, vice president for Lifecycle Management atAbsolute Software. "The most surprising result is the rapid rate of growth. This exceeded our expectations and only emphasizes the need for IT to act now." About the Enterprise Device Alliance The Enterprise Device Alliance is a non-profit technology group that serves as a resource for organizations deploying, integrating, and managing Macs, iPhones and iPads in Windows-managed environments. The EDA delivers free information, market data, and access to solutions that support heterogeneous environments. The EDA member companies are leading technology solution providers for cross-platform enterprises. Member companies include Absolute Software, Centrify, GroupLogic, and Web Help Desk. For more information, visit www.enterprisedevicealliance.org . CONTACT: Tom Cromelin tom.cromelin@enterprisedevicealliance.org 925-997-8459 |
If you're nice to people, people are nice back. It's not a complicated formula.
Sinek
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INFOGRAPHIC: iPad in Business
INFOGRAPHIC: iPad in Business
Everyone knows that iPads are cool, fun to use, and just about the hippest thing you can tote around with you at the moment. But iPad has a serious side too and is quickly becoming a highly sought after business tool; 80 percent of Fortune 100 companies are currently deploying or testing iPad for business. It’s why we couldn’t be prouder to announce Zendesk for iPad, the first full-featured customer service application built especially for iPad, allowing you to keep in even closer touch with customers, no matter the location. To learn more how about you can integrate mobile tools into your customer support platform, check out our white paper on multi-channel support.
Click to see original: http://www.zendesk.com/blog/more-than-just-a-pretty-interface-ipad-means-business/
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Future Application Direction
Future Application Direction?
It was only last year that we sat around a table in what was then the hub of ICT in ******** , ******** and discussed the possibility of a tablet based solution to a (service) data collection need.
You will recall that you own Staff wanted to explore the use of tablets, but that you were eventually told that it was 'impractical and possibly flawed' and pointed in the direction of Panasonic 'Toughbooks'. That was a rather expensive option (but sheepishly 'corporate' - who can argue with ‘Windows XP and ’tough’?)).
I did, and I can.
In comparison to the alternative, tablets are now being accepted in many forward thinking organisations. Indeed, their practicality is being embraced like no other technology in the recent past.
The practicalities, the potential for savings, the flexibility and the security offered by tablets by far outweighs the reasoning to doubt the platform.
If ********** (public service) wants to see solutions in the light of current technology options, rather than trying to accommodate outmoded and outdated thinking, and unfounded fear, uncertainty and doubt, I urge you to at least take a look. The, often considered, sticking with what we have can be the LEAST COST EFFECTIVE WAY FORWARD.
There are many options and sensible arguments.
Cutting to the chase, give me the opportunity to at least have a dialogue with key stakeholders. This is one ICT F.U.D. that for once stands for "Future Application Direction"
The invitation is there.
Regards
John Rudkin
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tablets/why-tablets-matter-for-enterprise-users/428?tag=nl.e101
Tablets in the Enterprise
Why tablets matter for enterprise users
By Patrick Gray
November 29, 2011, 11:44 AM PST
Takeaway: Patrick Gray details the reasons why tablets are relevant and states that ignoring tablet technology is inexcusable.
In my TechRepublic IT Leadership column I recently wrote about technical solutions looking for a problem. In some of the responses to my tablet-related TechRepublic articles readers have wondered aloud whether tablets are in the same vein: a technical solution to a non-existent problem.
This is an interesting and legitimate question, and while tablet hardware is fairly inexpensive, a large-scale deployment and the associated support and maintenance costs are not insignificant. Accounting for the obvious bias of a writer who writes weekly columns about the wonders of tablets, I’ll offer an answer of “yes” to the question of whether tablets are relevant. Here’s why.
Fast and light
Two of the most innovative features of the current crop of tablets are conceptually the most mundane: fast boot times and exceptional portability. In an age when full-blown laptop computers can boot in 12 seconds or less and weigh around 3 lbs, an instantly-accessible device that shaves 12 ounces seems less than exciting, and one wonders how much these seeming trivialities matter. Instant accessibility and portability make one far more likely to use the device for rapid access to “glanceable” information.
The BlackBerry and other smartphones revolutionized the mundane old application of email by making it universally available and accessible, rather than booting up a larger device and the associated applications. I believe tablets will perform a similar feat for a larger pool of information and applications that might range from rapidly accessible and instantly updated dashboard-style management reports, to knowledge sharing and collaboration tools that have suffered by being chained to laptops.
Collaboration 2.0
Since the dawn of computing we’ve seen technologies that promised to accelerate and enable that corporate stalwart: the meeting. While tools like SharePoint have brought some of this vision to life, I’ve always found laptops to hinder collaborative work, since they create an instant barrier to personal interaction the moment the screen is raised. In most companies, the detailed creative work takes place in person, over a whiteboard or via a conference call, and the technical tools are updated after the fact. Tablets, on the other hand, can be passed around, poked, and prodded; they facilitate human interaction rather than hinder it, and capture ideas in real time. While technology will never replace skills like meeting management and delegation, tablets can finally provide what every good technology should: an accelerant to an already successful human process.
Laptop replacement
While the TechRepublic community may balk at replacing a “loaded” desktop or laptop with a low-end tablet computer, the majority of workers in most companies use little beyond email, web browsing, and perhaps a handful of enterprise applications. As these workers migrate toward web-based front ends and the major players expand their tablet offerings, issuing and maintaining pools of traditional laptops makes less sense. With fewer moving parts and near-ubiquitous commercial availability, you could almost “outsource” your hardware maintenance to the local big-box electronics store, allowing remote employees to swap a defective unit that’s then remotely provisioned just like a BlackBerry or other smartphone. I’m very excited that the lines between consumer and enterprise hardware, at least at the end user level, are blurring. Tracking, repairing, and managing a huge pool of computers seems more of a distraction than a valuable function for the modern IT shop, and tablets move us just a bit further away from this function.
Gauge tablets’ relevance to your organization
Speculation is certainly a low-risk art, and I completely understand IT leaders regarding any new technology with a dose of healthy skepticism. Most CIOs are regularly faced with all manner of challenges, and the IT press spouting off about the wonders of tablets may seem like yet another burden rather than helpful commentary.
That said, while it’s too early for most organizations to rush headlong into a widespread tablet deployment, there’s little excuse not to be conducting at least an informal test in this area and gauging the relevance to your organization. Get a bit creative here, and perhaps allow a couple of junior developers to experiment with connecting their personal tablets to corporate systems, and presenting their findings to IT leadership as a low-cost way to dip your toe into the tablet waters. While a wait and see attitude is appropriate at this point, simply ignoring tablet technology is inexcusable.
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