Posted by Nelia Marchand on Tue, Feb 21, 2012 @ 05:48 PM
What do Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Human Resources (HR) software solutions have in common? Why, dealing with vast amounts data, of course! This, along with the increasing need to track, monitor and communicate with your most important constituency—your employees—it should come as no shock that there have been a couple of large acquisitions of HR software companies in the last few weeks. The major ones are SuccessFactors by SAP and Rypple by Salesforce. With all of these companies boasting sophisticated analytics features, the future of HR reporting looks bright. In addition, since HR is an early adopter of new communication strategies, Salesforce will be able to lend a hand as HR departments seek to extend social communication tools far and wide.
For more insight into moves that might be made in the HR software space, take a read: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/emerging-tech-and-trends/hr-and-talent-management-software-50417
Posted by BNMC Engineering on Tue, Feb 21, 2012 @ 05:41 PM
How often have you been late to a client meeting, delayed in traffic, and need to let them know you’ll be there in ten? Suddenly you’re trying to drive with one hand and digging around for your cell phone with the other, and you find yourself haphazardly (not to mention dangerously) texting misspelled words to your client and wishing you could just talk to Siri and keep your hands on the steering wheel so you don’t drive off the road. It’s ok, it happens to the best of us.
Soon enough, this situation will be a thing of the past. Speech recognition technology is everywhere these days, from UPS customer service to desktop software like Dragon Naturally Speaking. Nuance, the maker of Dragon, is finding that most of their business today is in the mobile market, and that many handset manufacturers are working on deeply-integrated speech recognition systems into their new releases. Ultimately, this means great things for small business owners, who are often on the road and need quick solutions. And these days, mobile devices need to be the ones to provide those solutions.
Read more about the future of speech recognition in mobile devices: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/nuance-cto-speech-tech-will-be-mobile-tech-08092011.html
Posted by BNMC Engineering on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 @ 10:13 AM
Remember 20 years ago when “going to college” was basically code for upsetting dorm Resident Assistants, calling for pizza delivery at 2am and writing papers by hand? While a couple of these things may still occur today, a post-high school education looks radically different. And from online universities to iPad use in classrooms, the technology used in higher education is as diverse as the educational options available. This means there is big pressure on IT organizations to ensure that its systems are up to the task.
In late 2011, the HDI Higher Education Forum brought together some of the top IT thinkers in the higher education world, and published a white paper of the forum’s presentations. The paper is entitled IT’s Readiness for the Higher Ed Future and it’s a fascinating read on how IT organizations can “confront the future with confidence.”
The Forum identified five key trends in IT: Classroom Design and Infrastructure; Cloud Computing Services and Virtualization; Campus Communications and Social Networks; Technological Diversity; and Visitors on Campus. They then outlined the challenges in these areas and had colleges and universities who have crafted solutions share their best practices.
The full white paper is available for download here:
http://www.thinkhdi.com/topics/library/white-papers.aspx?utm_source=FlipCard&utm_medium=internal&utm_campaign=Research-New-White-Papers
Posted by BNMC Engineering on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 @ 10:04 AM
If you’re still skeptical about Twitter’s relevance in the business world, I kindly ask you to join the 21st century. (Or, join Twitter, where thousands of social media “gurus” love to tweet all day about…Twitter’s use for business.) Despite the fact most people still think Twitter is not posting a profit (which is profoundly untrue), it’s not going anywhere. Really.
In fact, when used well, Twitter can actually have tremendous upside for your business. For one thing, it’s an amazing information resource—you can customize your feed so you receive only the information you want, from people you respect. And there’s more! From understanding what people out there are saying about your company to modernizing your customer service to generating legitimate referrals to networking with industry executives, here’s a slide show of 10 great reasons to start chirping from the rooftops:
http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/slideshows/view/231900631/10-smart-enterprise-uses-for-twitter?pgno=1
Posted by Nelia Marchand on Tue, Feb 07, 2012 @ 10:01 AM
Do you ever feel like your passwords are not truly safe? It’s probably not a surprise that the very first passwords weren’t either. One of the first instances of individual password use was right here in Massachusetts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Their Computer Time-Sharing System (CTSS) was one of the pioneers of modern-day computing technology—in fact, some CTSS applications were the foundation of modern-day operating systems. (Read more about the first passwords here: http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/01/computer-password/)
Back then, it was revolutionary for every system user to have their own password. But they were far from safe…and not much has changed.
Today, password security is still somewhat fragile. You may think that just because your business doesn’t deal with highly sensitive data means you don’t need to be vigilant about security. TechWeb published a great refresher article for small- and medium-sized businesses on the importance of having an up-to-date password security policy. Some basic reminders include changing your passwords frequently and using complex passwords. More advanced policies and procedures should include restricting application settings and using device-lock apps.
Read the entire “9 Password Security Policies for SMBs” here: http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/security/232500320/
Posted by Nelia Marchand on Tue, Feb 07, 2012 @ 09:52 AM
Have you noticed an increasing number of people using iPhones, Android phones and iPads in business settings? Of course you have! But, doesn’t it seem like just yesterday when everyone was complaining of thumb strain from endlessly emailing on their BlackBerries? For some businesses with greater security needs, like financial services companies or government agencies, BlackBerry is still the device du jour. But for an increasing number of SMBs, BlackBerries are rapidly going the way of the dodo. IT is becoming better equipped to support iPhones and Android phones, and their ease of use makes the end user happy.
However, Research in Motion (RIM), the maker of the BlackBerry platform, has a newly appointed Chairwoman and CEO and they are determined to claw their way back into relevance, and into your hands. RIM has bumped up their release of the BlackBerry 10 platform, as well as two new tablet computers, to September 2012. In order for RIM to return to its former glory days, “the company badly needs to storm back into the smartphone market with an Android- and iPhone-killer,” says Eric Zeman in his Information Week Mobility blog (See full story here: http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/smart_phones/232400449
Is it too late? Can BlackBerry innovate their way past Apple and Google? What would BlackBerry have to do to get you to use one again?
Posted by BNMC Engineering on Mon, Jan 30, 2012 @ 09:27 AM
About a month before the iPhone was to be released, Steve Jobs decided he wanted a glass screen to prevent scratches when the iPphone was carried in a pocket. Charles Duhigg and Keith Bradsher of the New York Times have written an excellent article about why Apple makes iPhones and iPads in China instead of the United States.
One of the key points is this:
Chinese factories are far more nimble than American factories.
The story Duhigg and Bradsher used to illustrate this will only add to the iPhone lore.
Just over a month before the first iPhone was to be released in 2007, the authors report, a frustrated Steve Jobs summoned his senior team. Read more: How the US lost out on Jobs
Posted by Nelia Marchand on Fri, Jan 27, 2012 @ 05:53 PM
Google's new privacy settings with their “all or nothing” mentality are leaving millions of die-hard Google fans shaking their heads. With most of us still adjusting to recent Facebook changes, the news just seems like one more security headache we don't need, but has marketers licking their lips.
To read more about this hot topic see Richard Adhikari’s article in TechNewsWorld.com entitled - Privacy Advocate Fiercely Furrow Brows a Google
Posted by BNMC Engineering on Mon, Jan 23, 2012 @ 01:54 PM
Perhaps a question you might be asking yourself. We were scouting around YouTube and wanted to share this humorous animated look at Google+ versus Facebook. Although it is slanted a bit, it is entertaining. Click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC_M6PzXS9g&feature=youtu.be . For a more official description visit Google’s to http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/.
Posted by BNMC Engineering on Mon, Jan 23, 2012 @ 01:40 PM
This week Google released ‘Search Plus Your World.’ This modification now integrates Google+ results in your Google searches. Google says this will create more personalized results. For more information click on the link -
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/search-plus-your-world.html