While NFC's original goal was to enhance mobile commerce applications, it is finding its way into a number of other uses, which is creating both opportunity as well as challenges for IT departments.
Enterprises would like to move to cloud computing but are hesitant because they are concerned about providers’ ability to secure company data. Here are some tips that help to ensure that if breaches occur, the business is not left holding the bag.
Big-data has become a big point of emphasis for many businesses. While the technology is available to deploy these applications, the needed personnel often is not. As a result, analytic engineers' salaries have blown past the six-figure mark, and hiring these experts has become a challenge for IT managers.
Increasingly, companies are using videoconferencing technology to help employees collaborate with co-workers, partners, and customers. As a result, demand for technicians is rising, and companies are finding it difficult to retain their quality workers.
Software-defined networks, which deliver virtualization functions to enterprise networks, have the potential to dramatically change network design and significantly reduce costs and maintenance.
A recent survey by Endace found that 23% of companies experience some type of network problem daily and another 25% have a serious problem each month. Enterprise networks are still very unreliable and probably will continue to be in the near term.
ITRC found that more than 600 security breaches took place in 2012. Flaws were found in some of the nation's most respected companies: Apple, Citibank, and Wells Fargo. So, it seems the bad guys are doing better than the men in the white hats.
Many enterprises view high-speed broadband connections as ubiquitous. Yet in about 20 percent of the country, businesses and their employees do not have access to even DSL connections. This shortcoming diminishes enterprises' ability to support their employees.
Walk into the Coastal Federal Credit Union in Raleigh, N.C., and something is missing. Rather than human tellers, customers face videoconferencing ATM machines. Is this the future of branch banking?
A survey by JD Powers found that customer interest in product features is lessening as phones evolve. Rather than features, price is driving purchases, and that change could have a dramatic impact on how IT departments secure these devices.
The Fraunhofer Institute found that videoconferencing technology improves team spirit, meeting productivity, decision-making, and employee concentration. Enterprises may benefit by pushing the technology down into small workgroups.
By 2015, according to ABI Research, seven out of every ten smartphones will support the emerging 802.11ac standard, allowing users to stream HD video and support other high-bandwidth mobile apps.
Trying to reinvigorate their market position, suppliers added significant enhancements to their enterprise video collaboration tools, including enhanced support for mobile systems, virtualization, and cloud solutions.
A growing number of HR managers are suspicious of individuals who do not take part in social media and view them as anti-social in real life as well as online.
The FBI recently issued a warning to smartphone users, highlighting two mobile malware applications: Loozfan, which steals personal information, and FinFisher, which is spyware that takes over a smartphone's functions.
Women are less comfortable using videoconferencing in the workplace than men. That was one of the findings in a recent survey about how employees view and use videoconferencing systems.
Employees can now use their home TVs to hold videoconferences with their colleagues. Logitech has introduced a new Webcam that plugs into a TV and does not need a local PC to hold a videoconference.
Japan and South Korea have a significant lead in terms of embracing mobile advertising. But eMarketer expects the US to become the world's top market for this space by the end of this year
Many vendors are moving away from hardware. The latest to join that movement is a bit of a surprise: Lowe's has decided to offer networked home security services. So, how will the company fare in this segment?
Advances in robotics and Internet bandwidth speed mean that low-wage foreign workers may soon be remotely controlling worker robots in the US and Europe. Companies like VGo, iRobots, and Willow Garage sell robots that may enable workers in India to produce cars in the US.
The recent launch of the EchoStar XVII satellite has the potential to increase broadband satellite communications' top speed from megabits to gigabits of bandwidth. Hughes Network Systems plans to test its high-speed satellite broadband services this summer and roll them out this fall.
Tired of having to sift through a series of complex screens and enter a variety of passwords when you use a WiFi hotspot? Well, those steps are no longer necessary. The WiFi Alliance has developed HotSpot 2.0 certification, which automatically connects compliant devices to local access points.
Healthcare providers have been moving to telemedicine treatments, where the patient and doctor can meet online, but insurance carriers are not required to pay for such treatments. This may change, though, as Maryland recently passed a law mandating that insurers pay up.
Recently, security software supplier Kaspersky identified Win32.Flame as malicious code that seems to have been developed, not by hackers, but by government agencies. Warring nations may set aside their bombs and wage their wars online.
If your friends and relatives can't manage to make it to an event with you, never fear: Researchers at Yamagata University are developing a miniature, wearable robot that uses telepresence to let you carry your loved ones around on your shoulder!
With the advent of low-cost Web cameras and broadband network connections, home security systems have become a hot business. In addition to traditional security suppliers, like ADT, the market is attracting telcos, cable companies, and energy providers, thereby creating an area of increasing competition.
Watching TV is not healthy for you, according to conventional wisdom. Well, that may soon change. Comcast and United Healthcare are now delivering diabetes prevention videos on-demand to high-risk patients. The partnership illustrates how healthcare may be delivered in the future.
Huawei has become a key supplier of networking equipment to telcos. The company is now gunning for enterprises and may represent the most significant threat to Cisco since its inception. Huawei has set a goal of $15 billion in enterprise equipment sales by 2015.
Tired of idle chitchat while your hair is being washed or your muscles relaxed? Never fear: Robots are here! Robots have taken on hair washing tasks at Japan's Hair salon Super Hair Seo, and DreamBots has developed the Wheeme, which gives individuals a deep body massage.
After a long run of significant growth, cellphone sales dipped by more than 1 percent this quarter, according to market research firm International Data Corp. The change will have a significant impact on vendors, such as Nokia and RIM, who have struggled recently.
Since the early days of television, Nielsen has reigned supreme in the ratings business. With the advent of the Internet, ComScore has emerged as a legitimate competitor. So, game on.
The amount of data traffic running over US wireless networks grew 123 percent from 2010 (388 billion MB) to 2011 (866.7 billion MB), according to the CTIA. Carriers have tried to prepare for the change by moving from 3G to 4G networks. But with data rates increasing so rapidly, will there be enough bandwidth to meet future demand? Doubtful!
For the frazzled, hurried consumer, waiting in line has become a major bugaboo. A survey by Great Clips has found that 94 percent will wait less than 10 minutes to check out at a store. Self-check-in has become popular among airlines and is now making its way into the retail marketplace. Using smartphones, consumers can order items and pick them up, cutting down on their wait time.
Videoconferencing systems now are quite static. Users set up a camera, and it stays focused on the target regardless of whether or not the user moves during the presentation. NTT is developing a system that moves with the speaker, providing a feel similar to a face-to-face conversation.
Are you ready for your next videoconference? Do you remember the dial-in number? Do you wait on hold for one of the key speakers? LoopUp has found that meeting minutiae (calling the right number, seeing who is on the conference, making sure all the systems work) are taking up about 20 percent of the time on each call.
Cellphone suppliers are constantly on the lookout for ways to differentiate their wares. Nokia may be at the head of the pack when it comes to wearable devices. The company has been working on technology that notifies individuals when a call comes in by creating a tingling sensation… on their tattoos.
To date, smartphone apps have only been able to work with 50Meg chunks of information. Well, recent technical advances have been able to boost that number to 4Gbytes. Consequently, developers will be able to work with more complex data types. But will wireless networks be able to handle the additional traffic?
Confused about long forms and short forms? Well, this year, face-to-face help may be only a few clicks away. The IRS, as well as tax preparation agencies like TurboTax, have introduced new video conferencing services, designed to make it easier for individuals to get the help they need.
Ever get that feeling where you don’t want to go to the office but have physical tasks that need to be done there? Well, help is on the way. Japanese researchers have developed Telesar V, a robot that can function in the place of a person. Unlike other virtual connections, this one comes with a 3D body suit, so the bot can mimic your motions and you can stay home.
Google is reportedly working on a pair of Android glasses that will use a low-resolution built-in camera to monitor the world in real time and overlay information about locations, surrounding buildings, and friends who might be nearby. Interested?
Video conferencing is becoming much more common in business today, but it introduces new security issues. For instance, intruders may be able to tap into your sessions and learn trade secrets. Here are steps companies can take to ensure their sessions are secure.
The Internet has changed the way that companies market products. Now "Likes" and thumbs up carry a lot of weight. So perhaps it's not surprising that a black market technique has emerged whereby some Websites offer to boost ratings in exchange for cash.
Corporations have been gradually creating more video content, but in many cases they lack the tools to easily find that video information later. Companies like Meditrxstream and VMIX have been delivering products to help with that process.
Malware designed to infect Google Android smartphones has increased dramatically, and now the government is stepping in. The National Security Agency has developed SE Android, a system that tries to close up its security holes.
As smartphones and tablets forge into the mainstream, vendors can begin work on the next big wave: wearable devices. Apple and Google are two of the heavyweights reportedly investing time, effort, and money here. This broad category spans the range from devices that can be worn like watches to computers integrated with people's clothing.
Increasingly, individuals are taking to their cellphones and tapping out messages to friends and business cohorts. But a study by the University of B.C.’s Sauder School of Business found that when people text, they are much more likely to lie than when they use other communication options.
Bad guys are following the money, according to a recent report from Lookout Mobile Security. The company expects mobile device attacks to increase by 400% in 2012. In addition to traditional attacks, users need to be aware of new attacks, such as SMS fraud.
The Internet is offering addicts new treatment options in the form of virtual programs from companies like egetgoing.com and Lionrock Recovery. These programs present benefits as well as drawbacks.
Hundreds of thousands of mobile apps have emerged in a short period of time – and some of these include violent and sexual content. Consequently, the CTIA, an industry consortium of carriers, including AT&T and Verizon, has begun outlining a rating system that will label video game content, in a manner similar to that for movies.
More than any other company, Research in Motion has been hurt by the runaway success of Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android systems. Though it is losing a significant share of the smartphone market, RIM has found a way to possibly stay afloat with "Mobile Fusion," its plan to expand its robust enterprise management functions to other devices.
A man in Oakland filed suit against PHD, which he said sent unsolicited Quit Smoking text messages to his phone. If found guilty of violating the Telemarketing and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the company could face $5 million in fines.
Virtual communications is impacting the job market in a new way, with companies increasingly conducting job interviews via video conferences rather than face-to-face. Applicants need to make sure they are ready for this change.
Today's infants quickly move from the womb to a touchscreen. A survey by Common Sense Media found that half of children under eight years old access a mobile device like a smartphone, a video iPod, or a tablet; and experts are mulling the ramifications of this.
The world’s most powerful supercomputer now resides in Japan, but the US would like to reclaim the lead. The Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee, which is part of the US Department of Energy, is building a supercomputer that will be used for such tasks as simulating nuclear explosions.
The US government is funding controversial projects to collect daily Internet activity, including Web searches, Twitter messages, Facebook and blog posts, and the digital location trails generated by billions of cellphones. Its goal is to map these interactions to predict social behavior, such as protests.
Executives always want to be in touch with the office. In response, airlines have been offering individuals broadband links. In fact, market research firm In-Stat expects revenue from such services to reach $1.5 billion in 2015. So, broadband has taken wings.
Smartphone users are aware that their systems are open to possible security breaches. But NPD Group found that more than 82 percent of them do not have any security software on their phones. That's just dumb.
With more and more executives relying on mobile devices to complete their work, mobile device management has become as popular as traditional IT management solutions.
Skype recently acquired GroupMe, a startup developing tools to make mobile communications simpler. The move underscores dramatic changes in that market, ones that will change how executives communicate.
For cyber criminals, crime does pay. The Ponemon Institute found that the median cost of a cybercrime is $5.9 million this year, which is 56 percent higher than the year before. In addition, the organization found that there was a 45 percent increase in successful attacks.
Do you check your email, messages, and voice mail constantly during the day? If so, you may have developed an unhealthy addiction to your phone. A recent study in the Journal of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing outlines the symptoms as well as possible cures for this malady.
While technically elegant, WiMax technology has had trouble gaining market traction, especially in the US. Sprint's recent decision to support LTE represents another blow to its emergence as a mainstream wireless technology.
Law enforcement agencies are poised to use iPhones as facial recognition systems in the coming months. The technical advance promises efficiency but has created a backlash among civil liberties proponents.
The volume of spam dropped from 225 billion to 40 billion in the past year. Kudos to law enforcement officials for shutting down some of the world's largest botnets.
Video conferencing has become a key way for employees to interact. Vendors have been pushing these capabilities down to smaller devices, such as Apple's iPad and Google Android smartphones.
With Alcatel-Lucent's Immersive Communications technology, companies can change backgrounds during videoconferencing sessions. Is it the next big wave in video conferencing?
One ripple effect from the rise in tablet adoption is rising broadband usage. Tablet users are much more likely than laptop, smartphone, or netbook users to demand broadband connections. Carriers need to be prepared for the data deluge.
Ethernet has emerged as the dominant networking option in the enterprise, the home, and the WAN. Now, after years of being rebuffed, it is poised to become the dominant method of connecting datacenter devices.
HP became the latest vendor to drop its hat in the broadband networking ring. The company has begun bundling network services with some of its laptops, but it seems like a weird strategy.
The next wave in cellphone design is… paper. Researchers at Queen's University and Arizona State University have designed a pliable cellphone, one they envision will soon makes its way into the marketplace.
Data storage requirements continue to grow and put pressure on enterprise networks. As these systems expand to support zetabytes of information, will the datacenter infrastructure become too complex for corporations to support?
Want to exercise more regularly but have trouble sticking to a schedule? Mobile online applications from companies, such as Endomondo and Adidas, can help by tracking results and connecting individuals with online support communities.
Since Apple's introduction of the iPad, more than 100 vendors have jumped into the tablet market. Given the bevy of competitors, it seems likely that someone will try to lower product pricing and deliver $200 systems.
Eye control may be the next wave of changes in computer user interfaces. Lenovo and Tobii have developed prototype systems that respond to users' eye movements.
To date, cloud computing and mobile devices have not been easy to tie together. However, a new generation of mobile devices could change that, according to market research firm In-Stat.
Patients visiting the Ocean Beach Hospital emergency room are being treated virtually, via a telepresence robot that connects them to remote stroke experts.
Many employees are now using social networking sites during work hours and realizing the benefits. Now that social nets have been accepted, what's the next big innovation to hit the enterprise?
A decade after the dotcom boom, the Internet continues to dramatically change the way that business gets done and individuals communicate. More than a trillion email messages traveled over the Net last year, and dramatic changes loom on the horizon.
Internet companies have the dubious distinction of comprising about half of the Top 15 Hated Companies in the US. Poor products and mediocre customer service are the reasons for the notoriety.
Employees are avoiding using video conferencing tools because they are afraid of how they present themselves on camera. Their fears include bad hair, messy desks, and inarticulate speech, according to research by Damovo.
Google included a number of consumer-based applications in its latest release of Google Apps, illustrating that the lines between enterprise applications and consumer apps are fading.
The gap between smart grid end points and Internet connections recently narrowed, as energy companies will soon begin using WiFi connections to collect usage data.
Individuals rant and rave on a daily basis about products and services on social networking sites. Cisco's Social Miner enables companies to monitor these conversations and respond.
Customer interest in mobile video transmissions is growing. However, there is not enough bandwidth now to support rich exchanges – a shortcoming that could stymie movement to applications like mobile videoconferencing.
DSL has been bypassed by new higher-speed networking options. In response, Alcatel-Lucent and Huawei have devised techniques to give the technology a needed boost.
Expert Integrated Systems: Changing the Experience & Economics of IT In this e-book, we take an in-depth look at these expert integrated systems -- what they are, how they work, and how they have the potential to help CIOs achieve dramatic savings while restoring IT's role as business innovator. READ THIS eBOOK
your weekly update of news, analysis, and
opinion from Internet Evolution - FREE! REGISTER HERE
Wanted! Site Moderators Internet Evolution is looking for a handful of readers to help moderate the message boards on our site – as well as engaging in high-IQ conversation with the industry mavens on our thinkerNet blogosphere. The job comes with various perks, bags of kudos, and GIANT bragging rights. Interested?
To save this item to your list of favorite Internet Evolution content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet David Weldon In the 1970 science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M. CLICK FOR MORE
M2M: Rise of the Machines? Not Yet David Weldon In the 1970 science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project, two giant supercomputers from the United States and Soviet Union secretly join forces to take control of the collective nuclear might of the two countries. In the film, the two machines discover each other's existence, communicate back-and-forth, share their collective data, and cut their human creators out of the process. It is the ultimate example of machine-to-machine communications, or M2M. CLICK FOR MORE
