It will be interesting to see if the new guys can perfom well enough to exist for a reasonable amount of years. Or at least keep the funding going until the plan is tested for profitability.
It's admirable that folks are out there testing new ideas and the money men have enough extra cash to gamble a bit. Whether big data and the cloud will turn into big bucks will remain to be seen.
Well, it wouldn't resolve all the problems, of course, Paul, but it might eliminate some of the IT pressure in the case of tools that require more IT intervention. So instead of needing seven IT professionals, he might need six. I'm thinking specifically of big data, where developers are creating solutions that allow business users to do their own analytics without needing the 'translation' services (for want of a better phrase) of software experts.
"So despite the availability of tools, it's still going to be a challenge for midsize firms. That's why it's vital that these solutions are super-simple and intuitive enough for business users to apply when it makes sense."
By Super-simple I guess you mean when the average non-tech guy can comfortably use these tools. For some tools it is possible to attain that state, but for others I doubt we will ever reach that stage. But let's assume that's is the case, how would that solve or remedy the situation for the mid-size firm you make mentioned of in your comment?
Great article and it's really nice to see new innovative companies coming into existence and taking advantage of new and improved technological tools. But the question is how long will they last? Since their business model hinges so much on untested technologies, what happens in the longer if these technologies does not deliver on the expected promise?
One common issue, too, is even though technology costs are coming down, the skills shortage is a challenge for smaller firms. I recall speaking to a CIO at a midsize organization. He had seven open positions and was having a tough time filling them because, although pay was competitive and the company provided good benefits, the company was near several high-tech firms that offered the gee-whiz perks that so many folk want and enjoy. This business simply couldn't afford gym memberships, onsite daycare, gourmet restaurants, etc.; it offers flextime, telecommuting, and so forth, but it was taking six months to fill each position. Obviously I don't work there, but I do know this CIO fairly well and he seems to be a great guy, someone I'd like working for if I was a software engineer or tech.
So despite the availability of tools, it's still going to be a challenge for midsize firms. That's why it's vital that these solutions are super-simple and intuitive enough for business users to apply when it makes sense.
Thanks for your article. We share the results of how artificial intelligence and big data deliver outstanding results for our advertising customers through our branded success story program, 19 of which (at the time of this writing) can be found here:
The ThinkerNet does not reflect the views of TechWeb. The ThinkerNet is an informal means of communication to members and visitors of the Internet Evolution site. Individual authors are chosen by Internet Evolution to blog. Neither Internet Evolution nor TechWeb assume responsibility for comments, claims, or opinions made by authors and ThinkerNet bloggers. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
Social media has been with us for a decade -- but employer policies and the law are anything but firm about the most appropriate usage of this powerful tool.
Businesses often struggle to decide which domain to use. When it comes to purchasing a domain name, you have plenty of extensions to choose from, ranging from .com and .net, to .me, and even .mobi. But which one should you pick?
I've been writing about how the next evolution of the Internet might just be an advertising revolution, and how corporate IT can stay involved as the enablers and providers of the technologies that make this possible.
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.
New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is conducting a pilot test of digital kiosks to guide subway users to where they want to go more efficiently and at lower cost.
The whole Amazon.reader debate is a double-stupid. It's stupid to think that there's any e-book buyer who doesn't know Amazon's URL, and it was stupider to let ICANN launch the whole free-form TLD initiative to start with.
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.
Edmunds separates customers into segments based on the info it collects on its site and from partners, and uses that to push out custom content, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
The automotive website uses propensity modeling to target ads and customer registration forms, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
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
