Putting technology expertise to work for your business. More by Tony Bradley
Technology is a great equalizer that can level the playing field between small and medium businesses and their much larger competitors. A survey from Bank of the West finds that SMBs have embraced mobile technology and recognize its importance, but are frustrated by a lack of apps more relevant to their specific business needs.
Harris Interactive conducted the online survey on behalf of Bank of the West. It targeted small businesses—defined as having two or more employees and $10 million or less in annual revenue—in July and August.
There are some interesting results. Almost nine out of ten of the small businesses indicated that they use mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. However, 58 percent wish that mobile technologies were tailored to be more relevant for their business.
It’s a huge year for Microsoft. The venerable tech giant is essentially reinventing itself from the ground up for 2012. A new server OS, new desktop OS, new Microsoft Office suite, new mobile platform, and new tablet hardware are all being launched virtually simultaneously. To say Microsoft has a lot riding on the success of the new products is an understatement.
Apparently, Microsoft is willing to put its money where its proverbial mouth is, though, and lead its customers by example. There are reports that Microsoft plans to accelerate its normal PC refresh cycle to give all employees new Windows 8 desktops and laptops. But, wait—there’s more! Microsoft is also allegedly issuing new Windows Phone 8 smartphones and Surface RT tablets to all employees as well.
Microsoft allegedly plans to give all employees their very own Surface RT tablet.Aside from Microsoft playing Santa Claus (or Oprah—choose your own benevolent icon), and bringing Christmas to employees a tad early, the move also demonstrates Microsoft’s confidence in the new platforms and software. It is arguably the most extreme example of the “eat your own dog food” mantra ever implemented.
Apple unveiled a variety of new products and features at its media event yesterday. While a veritable rainbow of iPod Touch options, or re-engineered headphones might be exciting news for some, they’re irrelevant to businesses or business users.
Fear not, though. Apple also revealed some good news for business users. There are aspects of the new iPhone 5, and features in the new iOS 6 that will make iOS devices more useful and effective as mobile productivity tools.
If you already use iOS devices for business, or you’re considering deploying iOS mobile devices or implementing a BYOD policy that allows users to bring their own devices to work, here are seven benefits of the new iPhone and iOS that you should be aware of:
4. FaceTime over cellular networks
FaceTime is great. Many traveling workers use it to keep in touch with spouses, or chat with the kids and tell them goodnight before they head off to bed while they’re out of town. It can also be a simple and useful tool for impromptu video conference calls with other iOS or Mac OS X users.
The major downside to FaceTime has been that it only works over Wi-Fi connections, which greatly limits when and where it can actually be used. With iOS 6, users will be able to connect and chat over FaceTime anywhere they can connect with either Wi-Fi or over the cellular network.
Large enterprises have the budgets and IT departments to manage multiple dedicated T1 or T3 lines. However, small and medium businesses (SMBs) tend to rely on more consumer-oriented Internet services like DSL, or cable-based broadband. Comcast is one of the leading providers of broadband Internet in the United States, and it’s introducing new IT services aimed at helping those SMB customers get more done.
Business Class Signature Support is a new service from Comcast. Comcast intends to provide 24/7 technical support and equipment protection for small business customers. Essentially, signing up for Comcast Business Class Signature Support is like hiring an on-demand IT department to provide support for networking, mobile devices, PCs, and servers.
Tech support can be just a phone call away for SMBs with new Comcast IT services.One of the cruel ironies of being a small or medium business is that the business and IT needs are similar to those of larger corporations, but SMBs don’t have the financial or technical resources to provide those services internally. Hiring full-time, dedicated staff is cost-prohibitive, but when a need arises SMBs need someone they can turn to and have issues addressed immediately.
The tablet market finally seems to have moved beyond a one-horse, Apple iPad monopoly. Google’s Nexus 7 has made a splash in the tablet market, and Amazon’s unveiling of the new Kindle Fire lineup will shake things up a bit as well.
With so many great tablet options on the table, many businesses and consumers who have been waiting patiently on the sidelines might be ready to take the plunge and buy a tablet. However, there are also some good reasons to hold off a bit longer.
Apple’s iPad remains the dominant player in the tablet market. The iPad is used as the barometer against which all tablet rivals are measured in terms of both price and performance. Despite the fact that many competing tablets beat the hardware specs of the iPad on paper, and the fact that there are a variety of tablet options that are much cheaper than the iPad, the iPad continues to sell by the millions.
The main advantage RIM has—and arguably the one thing that has kept it in the game up to now—is the existing BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) infrastructure. But, if the new BlackBerry 10 (BB10) devices don’t work with the current BES platform, BB10 could be dead on arrival.
Galen Gruman of Infoworld explains in detail the chaos that awaits the launch of BlackBerry 10. The current BlackBerry Enterprise Server—BES 5.0.3—is done, except for a maintenance update that will take it to BES 5.0.4. The existing BES will not be able to manage BB10, and customers will be forced to migrate completely to BB10 all at once—scrapping the existing BES and replacing it—or they’ll have to run a BB10 infrastructure in parallel with the current legacy BES system, and manage them both simultaneously.
Will companies continue to bet on RIM if it includes investing in a whole new infrastructure anyway?RIM has a lot riding on the success of BB10—possibly, the company itself. The platform seems promising. Back in May, I wrote after attending RIM CEO Thorsten Heins’ keynote presentation at BlackBerry World in Orlando: “Does BlackBerry 10 look capable and innovative enough to excite users and keep BlackBerry in the game? Yes, I think so.”
A new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project finds that smartphones are at greater risk for privacy breaches than traditional flip or feature mobile phones. That seems like an obvious conclusion that needed a study about as much as we need research on whether or not water is wet or ice is cold.
Why are smartphones a greater privacy risk than old-fashioned mobile phones? Well, the same reason your PC is a higher risk for a privacy breach than your refrigerator or scientific calculator—it actually contains valuable, relevant information an attacker might be interested in.
News flash! Smartphones have more sensitive data so they pose a greater privacy risk.Sure, feature phones contain contact lists, and most can get email, or do some rudimentary Web surfing and social networking. However, that is nothing close to the gigabytes of information that can be stored on most smartphones, or the sensitive data shared apps that might be surreptitiously “leaked” to app developers or other parties.
