Thursday, January 27, 2011

Virtual Meetings

Conference calls have long been an ongoing reality for business. Also, use of video software like Skype can enable the participants to see each other - at least in limited numbers. Tools like this are increasing in popularity as well. But imagine a system where people can meet virtually, and the imagery is available such that they can appear to sit around a table. They can talk to each other just as though they were physically together and even make eye contact.

Such systems, considered science fiction only a few years ago, are now a reality, and companies are using them to replace physical meetings with all the attendant hassle of flying and the expense of accommodations and other travel expense. SAP is one company using a virtual conferencing system. This article explains.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

McLuhan Could Have Predicted Wikileaks
by Gerald Trites

When Marshall McLuhan published The Gutenburg Galaxy in 1962 and Understanding Media in 1964, the World Wide Web hadn't yet been invented. The steps leading to the early development of the internet, such as the formation of ARPA, had been taken, but the internet was still a gleam in the eyes of some in the US defence department and a few academics. The World Wide Web was not yet invented. Tim Berners-Lee was only seven years old in 1962.

But the seeds of both the Net and the WWW had already been sown, and McLuhan understood that and of course his books and ideas struck a chord around the world. The new electric world would make possible the sharing of information instantaneously and globally. And so he coined the phrase The Global Village. Later on, some of his critics persuaded him to change the phrase to The Global Theatre, because the new world of global information exchange would be so much larger and more diverse than a village.

We all know that a village is a small compact unit with fast exchange of information. Everyone knows everyone else's business and there are very few secrets. Since the advent of the World Wide Web as a global force, we have seen the information flowing around the world. The Web itself now contains immeasurable quantities of information available globally. Google, as an example, has launched a number of initiatives through its publications programs and others that make information available globally that was previously not widely available. Social networks like Facebook make information about us available to others. We can think of many examples.

But it was not until the recent revelations put out by Wikileaks that we were truly drawn into the world of a Global Village. It became immediately apparent that the old rules about secrets - even sensitive state secrets - may not be sustainable. True the legal system still supports the old realm, but then laws can be changed and no doubt they will over time. Even if Wikileaks is eventually forced to shut down, which seems unlikely, the die is cast and there will be no shortage of successors.

As with the small villages of the world, in the Global Village there can be very few secrets. McLuhan was right on the money.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Streaming TV and Movies

Now that Netflix has moved into Canada, there is more attention being given to the prospect of consumers cutting their cord with their cable companies. Already some have done so, usually those who are more technology competent, because a lot of the content they watch on TV is available online. Sometimes it is streamed live and other times it is archived. The idea of cutting out the cost of cable, with its hundreds of channels you never watch, has a lot of appeal.

There's a thorn in the rosebush, however, and that is bandwidth capacity. Streaming video is very heavy on bandwidth, with reportedly an hour of streaming consuming as much as 2.6 Gigabytes. Most internet contracts in Canada establish limits on internet use by charging for download of data over certain amounts. For example, a common basic plan in Canada will have a ceiling of 10 gbs, after which the consumer is charged $2.50 per gb for additional downloads. This could cost more than $5.00 per hour, which is a charge that could add up to something significant. More expensive plans have limits of 40 or 60 gigs per month, which eases the burden somewhat, but may not be enough for many.

That means the initial cost saving from cutting the cable could be more than offset by increased bandwidth charges.

One gets the sense that there is a place for streaming video in our future, but not on the basis of it costing more than we already pay for existing services, which are, after all, pretty good in terms of quality. Our approach to use of the internet vs other means will continue to evolve, including the business models of the providers.

For one take on the cable cutting prospect, check out this article.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Changing Face of SEO

People and businesses setting up new websites often have unrealistic expectations as to how it will be received. Sometimes they feel they will instantly be able to sell worldwide, but of course this is dreaming. Realistically, it is quite possible that nobody will bother to go to the site.

For several years, it has been accepted that a new site owner needs to engage in Search Engine Optimization; in other words, make the best use they can of search engines in order to attract visitors to the site. At its most basic level, SEO means registering with search engines and making sure that the appropriate metatags are included in the site. Of course, there is a lot more to it than that. It's important, for example, to be realistic about the time frame of any growth in visitors. It takes time to build the trust and reputation among users and to find the ways to build in unique content that will attract them and keep them coming back.

Also, SEO now includes making good use of social media, which is a rapidly growing element in all online marketing initiatives.

And so, a recent article in internet.com is very timely - "Top Ten SEO Tips for New Websites." It's worth a browse.

Thursday, January 06, 2011

The Boom in E-Commerce

Established bricks and mortar companies were initially sceptical of the value and potential of e-commerce. Some of them, like Sears, got in early. Others have simply used their websites to display their products but offer no online purchasing capabilities. A few have done nothing or next to nothing in this area.

All that has been changing. Suddenly, companies like several of the big box retailers are investing heavily in their e-Commerce activities. There is a realization that this is big and that the growth potential is enormous. Part of this realization comes from the spread of mobile units, which enable companies to connect with customers when they are out shopping and when they are in their store. Part of it comes from interrnet growth - a simple case of critical mass.

To address this growth potential, whole new management structures are springing up, with issues like finding executives tuned into the issues and opportunities of e-Commerce, whether there should be a separate e-Commerce department, where it should be located, how it should be integrated into the main company. Issues like these would not have arisen a few years ago. But the potential of e-Commerce has become so great, and its activities so critical, that many companies are investing heavily on these issues. Here's an article on this new world of e-Commerce.

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Socially Challenged?

"With everyone who’s anyone friending, tweeting, linking and otherwise connecting online, you’d think social networking in the enterprise would be a no-brainer. Not so much. Though 89% of the 700+ respondents to our 2010 Social Networking in the Enterprise Survey said they have some sort of social network in place, most told us it’s an uphill battle to get employees to use the system.

Why? Mainly because we haven’t integrated our social networking systems into our e-mail systems and other applications. What’s more, we haven’t put policies and procedures in place to guide employees in appropriate use of our social networking systems—from blogs to wikis to discussion forums to broader social networking systems—and we don’t monitor their activities when they do use them.

Until now, InformationWeek Analytics research shows, marketing has been driving the charge for social networking in the enterprise, with limited results for the business. Now it’s time for IT to take the lead, helping to establish corporate policies and procedures and user education, and making social networking a collaborative effort that will pay off for all departments and the company as a whole.

Monday, January 03, 2011

Social Media in Business

Slowly social media is being recognized in business as a powerful tool for management, collaboration and interaction. Why it is taking so long is a mystery, except that management is often reluctant to risk losing control over corporate communications. There may be some risk of that, but is it really a big loss? The benefits may more than offset the risks. At least that's the message in a recent white paper by Ziff Davis Enterprise, sponsored by IBM and published in  IT World.

For years, decades even, there has been wide acceptance of the proposition that silos in organizations don't work - that they need to be broken down. While some companies have managed to do that, many have not.

But as the white paper points out, social networking can do a remarkable job of destroying those silos. In addition it can facilitate interaction between personnel at a human level, getting away from corporate-speak.

Companies need to move into social media. Of that there is no doubt. The place to start is with developing a social media strategy, so as to define the objectives, structure and policies governing its use. For the white paper, click on this link.