New Payment Systems Using Visa

Visa has partnered with two other companies to provide a new form of electronic payment. Using their new device, a user can transfer money from their visa to another visa or bank account just by knowing the payee's email or cell number. The payee receives the money by entering her or his visa number or bank account number. The systems will use CashEdge's PopMoney service which is already used by about 200 banks or the ZashPay network, which already is used by about 500 banks and credit unions for person-to-person payments. One of the problems with previous money transfer schemes has been the lack of buy-in by banks. So that may not be an issue here. Some further information is available here.

The Pending Business Role of Tablets

One of the more interesting questions today is whether tablets like the iPad are just a flash in the pan, a short-term fad, or whether they will assume a serious role in the business world.

So far, corporations have been buying iPads for their personnel, although they are not yet the majority. Those who have not cite various reasons.

"In a recent InformationWeek Analytics survey of 551 business technology professionals, the top four barriers cited to using tablets (in lieu of notebooks) were lack of enterprise apps (38%), security concerns (34%), the lack of a physical keyboard (23%), and inadequate or expensive management software (21%).

But then, the iPad is only a year old, so it is understandable that enterprise apps would not be plentiful yet. In any event, software developers have a history of waiting until a clear market emerges before committing their resources.

Tablets stand somewhere between laptops and smartphones in terms of usefulness and functionality. Laptops (read also notebooks) have replaced the desktop computer. Smartphones have moved up from telephones to very portable computing and internet access devices. Laptops have the power to do very complex computing tasks. Smartphones have the ability to quickly access information on the internet and also to store basic documents. In between is a large gap, where tablets reside.

The lack of a physical keyboard is restrictive to their use. Physical keyboards are tactile and comfortable and less prone to error. For some it is just a case of getting used to the virtual keyboard, but for many others, it is a non-starter.

While tablets lack the power and capacity of laptops, they do offer up greater mobility. Going to a meeting or someone's presentation and opening up a laptop has always been a little awkward. But there are situations where having a computer handy during those events is very handy and useful. Smartphones often don't offer enough power, so tablets offer a reasonable solution. They are instantly on and it is easy to pull one out and place it on a desk or table and quietly use it without standing out as insensitive or inattentive. For short meetings, they also offer a viable approach.

Tablets are also more portable and therefore offer better mobility than laptops. And mobility is a major factor in the modern workforce. It's the simple reason why some companies have jumped into them already. Future versions of tablets will offer improvement in this regard. For example, the new Playbook from RIM will be a bit smaller than the iPad - small enough to fit into a large pocket - something the iPad can't do. That's huge. also, the power of tablets is bound to grow as they develop.

It seems reasonable to conclude that tablets will become a major force in corporate information systems. Specific applications - from CRM to BI to eProcurement - will be developed for personnel who need to do their jobs on the move, out in the field. They will avoid the need to drag out laptops and boot them up and at the same time will offer up much more power than smartphones.

For an article in this topic, and the source of the above quote, check out this link.

Gartner's Top End-User Predictions for 2011

Gartner recently released a report setting out their predictions for IT from a user perspective over the next four years. The report contains some startling predictions, and is worth a read.

By 2015, a G20 nation’s critical infrastructure will be disrupted and damaged by online sabotage.
By 2015, new revenue generated each year by IT will determine the annual compensation of most new Global 2000 CIOs.
By 2015, information-smart businesses will increase recognized IT spending per head by 60%.
By 2015, tools and automation will eliminate 25% of labor hours associated with IT services.
By 2015, most external assessments of enterprise value and viability will include explicit analysis of IT assets and capabilities.
By 2015, 80% of enterprises using external cloud services will demand independent certification that providers can restore operations and data.
By 2015, 20% of non-IT Global 500 companies will be cloud service providers.
By 2015, companies will generate 50% of Web sales via their social presence and mobile applications.
By 2014, 90% of organizations will support corporate applications on personal devices.
By 2013, 80% of businesses will support a workforce using tablets.
By 2015, 10% of your online “friends” will be nonhuman.

The short public report can be downloaded here.

Social Networking - Where is the Business Value?

One of the big issues facing many businesses is that of implementing social networking for business purposes. Just where does it fit in? Will it really level the hierarchies in the organization? Will it tear down the silos? Will it encourage collaboration? Or will it just chew up time and money?

These are some of the questions business leaders are facing. there is a recognition that companies should be implementing social networking in some fashion, at least to the extent of developing a policy.

Software developers like salesforce.com are jumping into the ring, based on the idea that companies may not want to simply adopt Facebook and Twitter, but employ a look-alike that has been built specifically for business. Some are looking at the idea of using social networking for enterprise wide collaboration, reaching across the silos to exchange information and ideas. Some have experienced some success with this concept. Others are concerned about having social networking available all the time, thinking that it would be a drag on productivity. At the same time, there is a recognition that some people, especially the younger ones, like social networking styles of communication including texting, and much prefer it over email. This would seem to be a very legitimate need that should be addressed.

There is a range of issues, potentially important, and gaining in urgency as younger people enter the workforce.

For an interesting and insightful article on this issue, check this link.

Semantic Web Design

The idea of the semantic web has been touted for some time, and now there are applications coming out that can actually implement elements of it. One example is the retail website for eBags, long a leader in e-commerce. That site makes use of information gathered from various sources about customer preferences and enables them to quickly zero into the particular bags they are most likely to want.

The amount of information now available about customer preferences has grown tremendously in recent years. Some of it has become available through the use of CRM and BI systems. But a lot of it has arisen through less expensive means - particularly social media. Companies are increasingly using social media to interact with their customers and in the process obtaining mineable information that can be useful in defining their preferences. Other websites also contain useful information. The idea of the semantic web is that the entire web becomes a data base that can be accessed so as to maximise search efforts and decision making. Drawing on a wide array of information is now possible by using search engines like Google, but the idea of the semantic web is to render the need for search engines unnecessary. Obtaining the necessary information happens behind the scenes.

The latest trrend towards semantic applications is only a small part of the ultimate vision, but nevertheless it can be viewed as the beginnings of a major trend that ultimately will pervade the entire web and most websites on it. For an interesting article on this subject, click here.

A Glass E-World

For an intriguing look at our possible future, check out this vision put out by Corning Glass. While it is futuristic it isn't far-fetched. Everything in the video is either possible now or a logical extrapolation of existing trends. Enjoy!
Then think about the eBusiness Implications!

Cell Phones - Their Changing Role

Once placed into the market as portable telephones, the ubiquitous cell phone has become so much more. From that modest beginning, it has become a tool that can be used for messaging, paying for restaurant meals and bringing down entire governments.

The latter has been seen in recent weeks throughout the Middle East. It appears that cell phones are the new voting poll - the harbinger of democracy.

The power of texting and messaging through social media, such as Twitter and Facebook resident on cell phones, has been demonstrated before, albeit in more modest tones. For example, it was said to have played a large role in Obama's victory in the presidential race. Indeed, Obama was perhaps the first real digital politician.

There now is little doubt that cell phone texting and messaging can capture and motivate the will of the masses. Such has been the cell phone's rise to power.

One of the features of cell phones that was first introduced as a novelty was the camera. The power that this small innovation would assume was foreseen by few people. However, a camera on a phone connected to the internet enables the user to snap a photo quickly, or even take a video, and post it on the internet in seconds for all to see. The power of this phenomenon has recently been seen in the Middle East uprisings, where graphic photos of the violence have been placed for all to see, putting the lie to the carefully scripted pronouncements of the governments currently (and now temporarily) in power.

The world has seldom seen such a powerful propagator of democracy. For a bit more, see this article.

The Growing Integration of Business and IT

Over the past few years, business, traditionally a reluctant courtesan of IT, has come to recognize that IT is fundamentally critical to corporate strategy. And much has changed. While many of the basic elements, such as desktop solutions, servers, multi-processors, laptops and so on are still being used, they have been enhanced and augmented by the Cloud, mobile units, social networking and the concomitant growth in availability of reams of data - unstructured data - that is useful to the enterprise. And so the concept of data visualization grew into prominence as a means of capturing and using these vast amounts of data.

Much has changed in the technology, which has led to big changes in the management issues and in the way data can be used for strategic purposes. For example, the availability of unstructured data, properly visualized, can be used to enhance BI and CRM systems, among others, leading to better marketing and strategic decisions.

Deloitte has released an excellent white paper reviewing all these changes, and providing expert direction on the strategic implications. Check it out with this link.

Mining Cell Phone Data

Smart phones can leave a trail that can tell others a lot about you. For example, when you make and take calls, how much time you spend on websites, texting, etc. When the phone is on and when it is off. All these facts say something about your habits, relationships, interaction with others, etc.

So an astute analyst of these date can possibly tell you whether you are paying attention to a presentation, whether you are jet lagged, etc.

This kind of information can be valuable for marketing and is probably a coming trend. Read more about it by clicking this link.

How Technology Affects the Level of Decision Making

The usual intuitive view about the impact of technology on corporate decision making is that it tends to move that decision making down to lower levels, by empowering the lower level personnel with greater information. A recent study, however, indicates this is not necessarily true.

The study was carried out by professors of Harvard, Stanford and the London School of Economics. The research team evaluated data from some 1000 companies in eight countries. They reviewed various different non-production decisions such as hiring as well as a selection of production decisions, such as scheduling. They also included the impacts of different technology roll-outs which might have factored into the decisions.

Their hypothesis was quite insightful - that large infrastructure IT investments would tend to drive the decisions to a lower level and that an increase in communications technologies would drive the decision making upwards. Research in the past has tended to confirm the first element of the hypothesis in any event. On the other hand, the second element might be counterintuitive to some people. However, both aspects of this hypothesis were confirmed by the research.

The theory is that communications technologies make it easier for personnel to ask their bosses for input on key decisions., They also make it easier for the bosses to communicate their decisions and to monitor events at the lower levels. So the executives end up making  more of the decisions.

For a write up on the research, check out this article.

Tablets - The Connection Options

The pending roll-out of RIMs new Playbook brings to the forefront one of the underlying issues with tablets. Do people prefer to use WiFi connectibility or 3G?

There are pros and cons. WiFi is generally less expensive but is not always available. 3G is available in more places but can be very costly. True, there are unlimited data plans offered by some suppliers, but they are going to have a limited life span, and in any event, can be costly to buy.

There are indications that WiFi will get more expensive as well, as suppliers begin to charge high volume users for their data usage. The availability of wireless spectrum to support the explosion in wireless devices like tablets and smart phones is becoming an issue, so more charging is inevitable.

From the user point of view, the ability to use their tablet no matter where they might be has a great deal of appeal. But in the longer term, is the cost worth it?

RIM is taking an interesting approach with their new Playbook. It will have WiFi and 3G but the 3G connection will require a Blackberry 3G connection. The Playbook will connect with their Blackberry using Bluetooth and then on to the internet through the 3G capability of the Blackberry.

They are producing the new device cautiously until they get a feel for the market reaction.

For users who prefer to use WiFi, it will make little difference. For those who like 3G, it will be more cumbersome, and cumbersome is not likely what the consumers want.

The jury is out. For an article on this subject, click this link.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In this report, we analyze the survey results and guide you through the steps IT must take to drive this vital next-gen collaboration."

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.

Monitoring Social Media

As more organizations are getting into social media, they are learning the best techniques to make best use of those media. One of the techniques is establishing a good system for monitoring what is being said about the company and who is saying it. Sometimes particular issues can go viral on the net, leaving the company with a tarnished reputation.

Particular techniques include identifying customers by segment, hosting one or more branded customer communities, engaging customers in conversation and integrating the social media channels with other channels of customer communication.

Social media use is quite new for business, but nevertheless the use of it must be guided by business priorities, efficiency and ultimately, profitability.

This article provides an interesting summary of an approach to social media.

The New IT Platform

It's no secret that the world of IT is increasingly dominated by cloud computing, mobile computing and social networks. What is less widely acknowledged is that these phenomena may actually replace the current IT platforms, at least that is what a new IDC report, "IDC Predictions: Welcome to the new mainstream" says.

The new IDC report was released last week and is more than a trendy muse.

Companies are already moving into social media, including blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. But that doesn't mean in this new world that personnel will be tweeting and sending Facebook status reports that they are going to take their coffee break now. Not at all. Social media is revealing itself as a valuable tool for interacting with stakeholders in the business - employees, customers, suppliers, competitors, and others. The work that people do in the new world will be very serious work, directed to greater profitability and efficiency through the use of the cloud, mobiles and social media.

The IDC report, downloadable here, says that during 2011, these things will become mainstream. It's moving faster than we thought.