Software publishers and hardware manufacturers are making significant efforts and progress on simplifying their offerings to the benefit of everyone. Simplicity is about “How do humans really work? What do they really need to do to accomplish a task?” These are very difficult questions to answer, but the answers are coming because a number of designers have been working on the question for some time.
Several technologies and products are examples of simplicity including SaaS and offerings like the Google search engine. What was the theme that came in second for this year. “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Clearly this is an issue as technology becomes more complex and good offerings become more plentiful.
So what are the current “hot” items from a short- and long-term perspective? The short-term technologies that business's should consider include:
Virtualization: All sizes of organizations should virtualize their servers and applications and that many publishers are responding by packaging their software in virtual appliances. Business's can adopt much of this technology now for servers, and over the next few years you will see your desktops, applications and storage all virtualized. VMWare is king of this space, but Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Sun and Citrix all have reasonable options.
Software as a Service: Bill.Com, The Business Analyst, Capital Confirmation, GoFileRoom, MyPay, Run by ADP, PaySimple, SageWorks ProfitCents, SAP Business By Design, TimeBuilder and XCM all have offerings that can be installed quickly and run from a Web browser. In some cases, I do not know of a viable competitor with the same capabilities at any price. In other cases (unfortunately under nondisclosure) there are some superb offerings that you will see yet this year in addition to these new generation products.
Third-party products: These vendors expand and improve mainstream products by finding a need and filling it. For example, for QuickBooks alone there are: LeGrand CRM, MISys manufacturing, Fishbowl Inventory, BillQuick Time and Billing, Avalara AvaTax, SpeedTax, Softrak Adagio FX and Wasp Barcode just to name a few, plus thousands of others. Further, many of these products can work standalone or with other products as well.
Windows Server 2008: Windows Server has notable performance and reliability improvements including the supporting products of SQL 2008, Hyper V, ForeFront and improved Active Directory. SharePoint Services, PerformancePoint, Exchange 2007 and IIS are all becoming more widely deployed.
Windows Vista and Office 2007: The current technology is good, and ready to be deployed. I recommend using the 64-bit versions even though initial implementation may be a little more difficult. For most organizations using Open Licensing with Software Assurance is the best strategy, particularly after you have enrolled in MPAN. Remember that these technologies will be replaced by Windows 7 and Office 14 in 2009.
Improvements in scanners: Both Fujitsu and Canon have had notable and major improvements in their product lines this year. You should definitely take note and make your acquisitions from the new lines. The Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 and S510 are notable improvements as are the Fujitsu fi-6140 and fi-6240.
Reporting: There are significant shifts occurring in business reporting including Excel reporting tools like BizNet Software, Adagio FX, Crystal Xcelsius and the shift at Microsoft from FRx to PerformancePoint. Many of the business analytics companies and products have been purchased by larger companies, for example Business Objects being acquired by SAP, Cognos being acquired by IBM, and Hyperion being acquired by Oracle.
Voice over IP (VOIP): This technology has come of age. In doing the research for my own company this year, I was exceptionally pleased at how usable and affordable advanced features had become. I can see no condition under which a phone system should be replaced without at least some consideration for VOIP compared to traditional PBX or KSU systems. This applies to all sizes of companies.
Green: From the introduction of Intel’s Atom to the announcement by Dell about making their product line 50 percent more energy efficient over the next two years, being energy efficient is more than a fad. You can help your business save money by buying more energy-efficient products today, and by teaching your team about energy-saving steps to use with technology.
Security: Far from being solved, most organizations are just assessing their risks and choosing encryption software. We believe that encryption will be needed on all laptops, desktops, servers and backups by the year 2012, possibly sooner. Passwords still are sufficient today, but two- and three-tier authentication is also becoming more important.
Longer term technologies that will probably have merit include:
New generation communications: Including WiMax, 802.11n and soon-to-arrive on the desktop 10GB Ethernet.
Replacement cellular technology moving from 3G to 4G: Players will include Apple with the iPhone, RIM with new-generation BlackBerry products, Google Android and Samsung.
More SaaS and Utility computing: It should be possible to run an entire business with no servers in-house if you choose this strategy. Assume all current services can be hosted, virtualized or will be offered as SaaS.
Small portable devices replacing laptops: Prototypes have already been created using projection and other techniques eliminating laptop devices. Many of the new-generation cell phones are candidates to have enough computing power to serve as your access to information. Internet and cell phone convergence will lead to even bigger shifts in the way we use technology. Scorecard today: 3.3 billion cell phones, 1.2 billion laptops. I expect even more cell phones within three years and only moderate growth in laptops. I recommend the return to desktops at the office and home unless there is a need for portability. This strategy provides more speed and security at a lower cost.
Nanotechnology: I have long been a fan of this technology that crosses multiple industries. For computing, we expect smaller devices, security implemented via nanotechnology and flexible screen technology
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Ride Your Bike to Work
I started riding my bike today before/to work and thought it would be a good idea to share some of the benfits of cycling to work. With gas prices being over $4.00 a gallon every mile biked is money saved.
According to the 2007 edition of the AAA's "Your Driving Costs," you could drive a small sedan 15,000 miles a year for 41 cents per mile. The cost can reach 66 cents per mile if you put 15,000 miles on a four-wheel-drive. That's an annual cost of $9,997—a difference of $3,750 between those two options. Those numbers mean you could save $1500 a year on a 10 mile commute if you biked it. Anyone care to take a guess on 2008 numbers?
And not to mention, you will get in better shape. A little exercise never hurts and no 12oz curls do NOT count :).
Benefits to Your Employer
Benefits to employees
Benefits to the community
According to the 2007 edition of the AAA's "Your Driving Costs," you could drive a small sedan 15,000 miles a year for 41 cents per mile. The cost can reach 66 cents per mile if you put 15,000 miles on a four-wheel-drive. That's an annual cost of $9,997—a difference of $3,750 between those two options. Those numbers mean you could save $1500 a year on a 10 mile commute if you biked it. Anyone care to take a guess on 2008 numbers?
And not to mention, you will get in better shape. A little exercise never hurts and no 12oz curls do NOT count :).
Benefits to Your Employer
- improved employee health and well being
- reduced need for parking
- reduced stress in the work place
Benefits to employees
- an opportunity to get in shape while commuting
- reduced commute cost
- improves their overall attitude and morale
Benefits to the community
- improve air quality reduced
- fuel consumption and highway congestion
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Washington Online Sales Tax Now Law
Online shoppers who are residents of the state of Washington will now have to start paying sales tax on purchases made on the Internet.
Starting today Washington joins 18 other states that require some online retailers to collect sales tax. About 1,100 ecommerce retailers have agreed to collect taxes in exchange for the state not going after them for back taxes.
Last year Washington passed the law to require online retailers to collect sales tax. The new law changes the state's tax system from origin-based to destination-based. Taxes will be collected based on the location of the buyer, not the location of the seller.
"This is a very important step,"Mark Johnson, vice president of government affairs for the Washington Retail Association, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "It's a major changing of our tax structure." Brick-and-mortar stores support the online sales tax saying that it allows for fairer competition with ecommerce businesses.
Most smaller businesses do not support the new tax law. They will have to implant new software in order to identify Washington's 350 taxing districts. They are also concerned about the law becoming national, as they would then be required to sift through thousands of tax codes and file returns throughout the year for each code.
Starting today Washington joins 18 other states that require some online retailers to collect sales tax. About 1,100 ecommerce retailers have agreed to collect taxes in exchange for the state not going after them for back taxes.
Last year Washington passed the law to require online retailers to collect sales tax. The new law changes the state's tax system from origin-based to destination-based. Taxes will be collected based on the location of the buyer, not the location of the seller.
"This is a very important step,"Mark Johnson, vice president of government affairs for the Washington Retail Association, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "It's a major changing of our tax structure." Brick-and-mortar stores support the online sales tax saying that it allows for fairer competition with ecommerce businesses.
Most smaller businesses do not support the new tax law. They will have to implant new software in order to identify Washington's 350 taxing districts. They are also concerned about the law becoming national, as they would then be required to sift through thousands of tax codes and file returns throughout the year for each code.
Online Shopping Getting and Keeping the Customer
There's good news and bad news…
The good news is there's a lot of opportunity for satisfying customers, even making them very, very happy. The bad news is three-quarters of online shoppers surveyed said website content is insufficient to complete research or purchase a product online most, or some of the time. Nearly 80 percent rarely or never purchase a product without complete information, and 72 percent will take off to a competitor that does supply that information.
It seems that consumers really want to buy online, but retailers aren't making it easy for them. Sometimes, it seems like retailers go out of their way to lose customers. In fact, it seems many sites are severely lacking in the customer service department. If customers don't prefer online shopping to brick-and-mortar shopping, it's because retail sites haven't done enough to make the online shopping experience a good one.
Here are some tips to help yourself to a satisfied on-line customer:
The e-tailing group reports these ten features and functionalities as the most important to customers, according to a survey.
The good news is there's a lot of opportunity for satisfying customers, even making them very, very happy. The bad news is three-quarters of online shoppers surveyed said website content is insufficient to complete research or purchase a product online most, or some of the time. Nearly 80 percent rarely or never purchase a product without complete information, and 72 percent will take off to a competitor that does supply that information.
It seems that consumers really want to buy online, but retailers aren't making it easy for them. Sometimes, it seems like retailers go out of their way to lose customers. In fact, it seems many sites are severely lacking in the customer service department. If customers don't prefer online shopping to brick-and-mortar shopping, it's because retail sites haven't done enough to make the online shopping experience a good one.
Here are some tips to help yourself to a satisfied on-line customer:
- The landing page is crucial. You should have a landing page relevant to the search term. Yes, this is going to take some time to develop. But it doesn't take any time for a potential customer to abandon you. Remember that information seekers scan from left o right, top to bottom, so keep those keywords to the left and not buried in chunks of text. Make sure it's clear where links lead, especially if navigating a customer away from a landing page.
- Product information should be complete, answering all the customer's questions. A survey found 77 percent said "buying from a particular merchant is 'very to somewhat' influenced by the quality of content (descriptions, copy, images and tools) on a particular website.
- Search is fundamental. Be there at every entry point possible.
The e-tailing group reports these ten features and functionalities as the most important to customers, according to a survey.
- Product overview
- Merchant's guarantee
- Stock status/availability
- Customer service links
- Product specific information
- Long description
- Quality of image
- Size chart
- Toll-free number
- Ratings and reviews
Take some time and review your companies website. Are the 10 most important things being offered? Are any of them? It is far easier to keep an existing customer than get a new customer.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Walking Around for the Right Reasons
Management by walking around (MBWA). This concept has been around for a few decades now. Management theories in the 2000's, such as "the Tipping Point" and "the Long Tail," are more marketing- and market-driven. The advent of communication by e-mail and IM has planted many a manager's butt in their seats. Still, there are plenty of bosses and managers wandering the hallways, patting themselves on the back because they think walking amongst the people is a noble act.
The thing is ... it could be. MBWA can pay off big, especially for entrepreneurial companies, but you have to do it the right way and for the right reasons.
If the point is to recognize and appreciate the employees who help make you successful, then what's not to like? Seeing you gives your staff the opportunity to see their boss as less the voice of authority and more a genuine human being who is invested in their ideas and opinions. The problem arises when those who walk the halls do it for all the wrong reasons.
Many business owners walk the floor only when a crisis has hit, and they think their presence will calm their employees. That's not effective if you've been hiding in your office before the you-know-what hit the fan. MBWA only works if you do it regularly -- and if you really want to know what's going on in your company.
Effective leaders (bosses) do more than just communicate with their employees; they encourage all employees to do the same. Open communication is key to business survival, particularly when times are tough. Chances are that some of your employees are concerned about their job security and the stability of the company. If you hide out in your office, rumors will only increase, as will the number of resumes headed out the door.
Real leaders are problem solvers. They don't abdicate responsibility, they don't expect others to make the tough decisions, and they don't shy away from accountability. W. Edwards Deming said it best: "If you wait for people to come to you, you'll only get small problems. You must go find them. The big problems are [the ones] people don't realize they have in the first place."
So be a good leader, be a good boss, get out there and take ownership.
The thing is ... it could be. MBWA can pay off big, especially for entrepreneurial companies, but you have to do it the right way and for the right reasons.
If the point is to recognize and appreciate the employees who help make you successful, then what's not to like? Seeing you gives your staff the opportunity to see their boss as less the voice of authority and more a genuine human being who is invested in their ideas and opinions. The problem arises when those who walk the halls do it for all the wrong reasons.
Many business owners walk the floor only when a crisis has hit, and they think their presence will calm their employees. That's not effective if you've been hiding in your office before the you-know-what hit the fan. MBWA only works if you do it regularly -- and if you really want to know what's going on in your company.
Effective leaders (bosses) do more than just communicate with their employees; they encourage all employees to do the same. Open communication is key to business survival, particularly when times are tough. Chances are that some of your employees are concerned about their job security and the stability of the company. If you hide out in your office, rumors will only increase, as will the number of resumes headed out the door.
Real leaders are problem solvers. They don't abdicate responsibility, they don't expect others to make the tough decisions, and they don't shy away from accountability. W. Edwards Deming said it best: "If you wait for people to come to you, you'll only get small problems. You must go find them. The big problems are [the ones] people don't realize they have in the first place."
So be a good leader, be a good boss, get out there and take ownership.
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