tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69200997627260745802024-03-21T06:17:47.497-07:00Enterpriseappsential - Enterprise Application Development BlogThis section describes enterprise applications and how they are designed and developed, how they are beneficial to your organization, current trend, news and much more.Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-6835620990426795952019-05-23T03:52:00.000-07:002019-05-23T03:55:34.904-07:00What Are the Top Enterprise Security Challenges Faced by Small Businesses?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sj-YFBKRUGg/XOZ47Dp0OyI/AAAAAAAABjE/bThxpSu-5QYpddOKgoWvOmOYsb5gApPVACLcBGAs/s1600/enterprise-security-challenges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sj-YFBKRUGg/XOZ47Dp0OyI/AAAAAAAABjE/bThxpSu-5QYpddOKgoWvOmOYsb5gApPVACLcBGAs/s640/enterprise-security-challenges.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: corebt.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Life in the 21st century has taught us that technology is
irrevocably enmeshed with our lives. No matter what we do, chances are good
that technology of some sort will be involved. If it’s not a smartphone,
computer, or another ‘smart’ device that’s pretty much all tech, it’s something
that makes use of it, even if it’s only minimal. That’s just life nowadays: an
evolving society that relies more and more on technology as it improves and
takes over an increasing amount of aspects in our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Well, the same is true for businesses, both large and small.
Actually, it’s even more true for businesses because staying afloat in our
technology-driven society means leveraging the latest and greatest developments
to stay ahead of the competition. As it happens to be, these developments are
all centered around technology and how it can be used to propel business
strategies and meet quotas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The problem comes when you realize that this increased
reliance on technology also means increased <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">business security risks</span> from people who are more
than glad to use a business’ very own technology against them. As to the how,
that is exactly what we’re going to cover today. From possible leaks with IoT
connected devices, to vulnerable business data, here are the top <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">enterprise security challenges</span>
faced by small businesses.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Internet of Things (IoT) Breaches</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In case you’re unaware as to what the Internet of Things
(IoT) is, here’s an online definition:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Internet
of things is the extension of Internet connectivity into physical devices and
everyday objects. Embedded with electronics, Internet connectivity, and other
forms of hardware, these devices can communicate and interact with others over
the Internet, and they can be remotely monitored and controlled<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In other words, the IoT is a collection of programs and
devices that can connect to the Internet and to each other in a network of
connectivity with machine-to-machine communication that includes humans in the
mix. From both a business and consumer perspective, this is absolutely
wonderful… to a certain extent. Yes, we may gain ‘smart houses’ and other
gadgets that automate the home, and they gain troves of customer data and
machines whose real-time comm<span style="background-color: white;">unication with each other simplifies processes,
but all of us also open ourselves to an increased risk of <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">cybersecurity threats</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">For example,
think of a hallway doors that are locked to the outside world. As long as every
single lock holds, every other door is safe. But, were one to break, every
other door would</span> be compromised. Now transfer this analogy to the IoT. With it,
you could have dozens of devices in a single network with varying levels of
security, and if someone with nefarious purposes were to gain access to one,
they could gain access to all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Increased Reliance on Algorithms</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Like the IoT that has greatly improved many lives, the use
of algorithms in business has also greatly improved how they function. After
all, what is an algorithm but a set of rules that come together to solve a
problem? Unfortunately, also like the IoT, just because something can improve
our lives does not mean that it can’t hurt us as well. In the case of small
businesses, this comes as an increased reliance on algorithms that overlooks
what they do and how.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For instance, as a business becomes increasingly reliant on
algorithms to operate properly, it may lose sight into the actual functioning
and interactions of its systems that are all controlled by said algorithms.
That is to say, as their confidence in the algorithms increase, ther vigilance
starts slacking. For many businesses this may seem a negligent issue that can
be overlooked, but considering what happened to the U.S. Treasury Bonds <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0186688">“flash crash” of October 2014</a> before the
algorithms behind it corrected themselves, it most certainly should not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/null" name="_vavy5yb3353"></a>Vulnerable Customer Data<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/null" name="_jubmn9ujkglr"></a>Even
though we mainly hear about customer data breaches as they pertain to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/data-breaches-2018-4">large enterprises</a>, small businesses are just
as vulnerable to them, and perhaps even more. Sure, an enterprise that makes
millions or billions in revenue, and has just as much information on its users
may seem as the more likelier target, but would it be the easiest? No, it would
not. That would be a small business that doesn’t expect to be breached and has
a vastly inferior security system in place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/null" name="_lmn8p11r4sst"></a>Final Thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Regardless of its size and industry, being part of a business today means opening yourself up to security challenges you wouldn't have faced otherwise. If you’re part of a large business, you probably have teams making sure everything is working as it should and nothing untoward happens. If, on the other hand, you’re part of a small business, you need to be more vigilant and guard yourself against any possible risk coming your way.</span></div>
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-30620163760026803832019-03-24T23:45:00.000-07:002019-03-24T23:45:08.909-07:00How Are Enterprise Apps Revolutionizing the Corporate World?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N_G9mcGqeLU/XJhvzX9uugI/AAAAAAAABic/-INrwoNijes_dUlh67SUvyDmCTZ_QoDXACLcBGAs/s1600/enterprise%2Bapps.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="700" height="365" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N_G9mcGqeLU/XJhvzX9uugI/AAAAAAAABic/-INrwoNijes_dUlh67SUvyDmCTZ_QoDXACLcBGAs/s640/enterprise%2Bapps.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image Source: business2community.com</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Applications, whether they’re consumer or enterprise apps, are revolutionizing the world with the utility they provide. Whereas a consumer app focuses on serving the needs of consumers, i.e. people like you and me, enterprise apps instead focus on the enterprise. For instance, while both types of apps can fall into a variety of categories and are meant to improve the life of the user, those for consumer apps will usually be more targeted toward entertainment, and those for the enterprise toward meeting business objectives in a more efficient manner. Because of this, you’ll most likely encounter consumer apps in stores like the Apple App Store, Google Play store and Amazon Apps, and enterprise apps in more specialized stores that are often custom made for each enterprise. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Enterprise app benefits are also wide-ranging and can do a lot, such as increase a worker’s productivity and that of the business as a whole, leverage big data and make sense of it, and optimize business processes so they’re accomplished as seamless as possible. In doing so, they’re shaking up business and revolutionizing the corporate world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>How Enterprise Apps for Business are Revolutionizing the Corporate World</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Because of their wide-ranging capabilities, enterprise apps are useful for businesses of all sizes and industries. For example, some common enterprise app categories are for:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> ● Automated billing ● Business intelligence (BI)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> ● Payment processing ● Enterprise application integration (EAI)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> ● Email marketing ● Enterprise content management</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> ● Customer relationship management (CRM) ● Enterprise search </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> ● Enterprise resource planning (ERP) ● Enterprise messaging systems (EMS) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> ● Business continuity planning (BCP) ● Call center and customer support</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> ● HR management </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Whatever its use, you can bet that an enterprise application can help improve your business. As such, they’re absolutely crucial if you’re seeing that there are pain points in your sales funnel, your business processes are taking too long, information is not as readily available as it should be, or a host of other issues that need to be rectified. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Delving deeper, consider your sales department. As a business, you need to make sales to stay afloat and prosper, but complications sometimes arise that make that more of a challenge than it already is. For instance, maybe you’re receiving too many prospects and can’t handle tracking all of them. In this case, you can use a CRM app to deliver support when it’s needed, segment audiences for better targeting, and engage with them at the best possible moment. If you have salespeople on the field, this CMR application can also run on the cloud and be accessible on mobile so they can always have the information they need, when they need it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Enterprise applications are also excellent if you see that certain processes are taking too long, such as when you have a team sifting through data in an effort to make sense of it. To alleviate this, you can employ an AI-based enterprise app that can go through all the data while your human workers take care of higher-level tasks that go beyond analyzation. Likewise, you can also use an ERP tool to unify multiple operations and provide a single data source, and an HR tool to automate and streamline HR tasks like managing employee information, both of which will save even more time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Final Thoughts</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Enterprise apps for business provide enterprises with much-needed support in a variety of areas. For example, apart from what we touched on earlier, take a look at some of the <a href="https://www.g2crowd.com/best-software-companies/enterprise" target="_blank">top 50 enterprise apps for 2019</a>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.tableau.com/" target="_blank">Tableau Desktop </a>lets you drag & drop to analyze data. You can connect to data in a few clicks, visualize and create interactive dashboards with a few more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">●</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira" target="_blank">Jira</a> is an issue and project tracker for teams building great software. Track bugs and tasks, link issues to related code, agile planning, and monitor activity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.instructure.com/canvas?orginalh1canvas" target="_blank">Canvas</a> is the LMS that makes teaching and learning (and implementation and adoption and customer support and student success and bragging to your non-Canvas-using peers) easier.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.salesforce.com/products/cpq/overview/" target="_blank">Salesforce CPQ</a> automates quoting, contracting, and ordering processes. Improve sales productivity and close more deals without ever leaving the Salesforce Cloud.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.domo.com/roles/bi" target="_blank">Domo Business Intelligence (BI)</a> combines a powerful backend that sits on top of and connects into any existing system where data lives, including those for customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, human resources and financials, as well as any data repository or current reporting system.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Like these applications, there are literally hundreds and even thousands of other enterprise apps for business you can use. Best of luck!</span><br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-37076365515711622522019-03-14T04:02:00.001-07:002019-03-14T04:17:58.045-07:005 of the Biggest Factors Affecting Your Mobile App Development Costs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oMi83Cf88q4/XIouN3yo4TI/AAAAAAAABiA/18i_V9qZFr0FHH-cUJiMnTFxW0QJmgo7wCLcBGAs/s1600/Mobile%2BApp%2BDevelopment-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1600" height="342" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oMi83Cf88q4/XIouN3yo4TI/AAAAAAAABiA/18i_V9qZFr0FHH-cUJiMnTFxW0QJmgo7wCLcBGAs/s640/Mobile%2BApp%2BDevelopment-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Developing a mobile app used to be reserved for those who could afford to do so. It was an indulgence that not many took, and those who did spent a lot of money doing so. Then technology improved and the cost to develop a mobile app dropped. This meant that mobile apps were no longer a bonus that looked and sounded cool; they turned into a business advantage that can give you the boost you need to surpass your competition. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even though you won’t break the bank developing a mobile app today, it can still be a costly endeavor. That’s why today, we’re going to be discussing five of the biggest factors affecting your mobile app development costs and how to reduce them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. External Mobile App Development Resources</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As you might expect, one of the most obvious factors affecting your mobile app development cost relates to external resources, i.e. whether or not you turn to an outside source for help. To simplify things, let’s break down mobile app development factors into two areas: strategy and development. Whereas strategy relates to everything pertaining to the app’s function and features, development has to do with the actual engineering work that gets the app built. With this in mind, your company may have a well-defined strategy and design in place, but lacks the expertise to follow through with the development. Then again, the opposite may be true and you have a team of developers, but no real solution to implement. In both of these instances, you would need to go to someone else for help, which equates to a higher development cost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Low cost mobile app development solution:</b> If you have the capability, keep everything in-house. Keep in mind that outside resources often have the experience and expertise to deliver a beautiful app, so weigh this against your own resources. You could also opt for an app template that simplifies everything and reduces your overall costs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Mobile App Platform(s)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another factor that affects your mobile app development cost is your app’s platform(s). In other words, whether you choose a cross-platform approach or design it for a specific operating system like iOS or Android. Because each mobile platform is different and requires its own app-building approach, you can’t simply copy and paste the code for one platform and use it for another. If you want your app to work on all operating systems, you’ll have to invest more money and use a cross-platform approach that ensures this happens. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Low cost mobile app development solution:</b> Stick to the platform your users use the most in the beginning, and once your app has gained traction, venture out into different operating systems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Integrations</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You want your mobile app to be the best, so you get the best, right? Unfortunately, the more you add to your app, the more you end up paying for it. For example, consider features that can be integrated from the phone itself, such as GPS, camera, flashlight, etc. Each additional integration to your app equates to an additional fee. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Low cost mobile app development solution: Keep integrations to a minimum, especially in the beginning. If you build too many into the first release, you can end up paying more for something that you’re not even sure you truly want later on, and may also face additional costs in the beginning if there are bugs that need to be fixed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Bonus Features</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Similar to integrations, you may want to include bonus features on your app to make it even more attractive for your users. For example, to convince your users to stick with the app even though it takes a while to load, you may choose to include an animated splash screen to keep them entertained. You may also want to include virtual assistant functionality to make it more appealing to tech-savvy users (e.g. allowing them to interact with Siri, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Alexa" target="_blank">Alexa</a>, or another crowd-favorite assistant). No matter what additional features you choose to include, all of them will inevitably increase your costs.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv8vtJ7BTiY/XIouwzG0Q_I/AAAAAAAABiI/JFORTTkLVrUsxz7IGJnr5INKmELp6OlSQCLcBGAs/s1600/Amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv8vtJ7BTiY/XIouwzG0Q_I/AAAAAAAABiI/JFORTTkLVrUsxz7IGJnr5INKmELp6OlSQCLcBGAs/s640/Amazon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Low cost mobile app development solution: Also similar to the point above, keep bonus features to a minimum.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Localization</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Localization is the process whereby you make something unique for a particular place, and the final factor affecting your mobile app development costs we’ll cover today. For example, a basic consideration here is your app’s main language. You may want to expand its borders and include other languages, which will lead to more costs. Likewise, you have to think about customer support. Will you be able to handle requests coming from people who don’t speak the main language, but rather one of the additional ones? If you can’t, you’ll have to hire someone who can, which, again, means more money spent. And then there’s your market. Each region your app is available in may have different requirements to appear in an app store, meaning more boxes to check and more money to spend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Low cost mobile app development solution: At least in the beginning (and if you can), keep things simple and stick with one language and one market. Like we talked about with platforms, once your app has gained traction, expand both your app and its user base.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Let’s Take a Second Look</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">No matter your industry, chances are good that a mobile app can be an excellent tool you can use to propel your business forward. Unfortunately, development is not cheap; thankfully, there are some things you can do to alleviate your concerns and mitigate costs. For instance, the five solutions we covered today relating to the five biggest factors affecting your development costs:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. External Mobile App Development Resources</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Mobile App Platform(s)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Integrations</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. Bonus Features</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. Localization</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Best of luck!</span></div>
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-54544549161288764432019-02-24T22:40:00.001-08:002019-05-23T04:04:07.918-07:00Here Are the Enterprise Tech Trends to Expect in 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-44U-vjX1E/XHOJr34h-oI/AAAAAAAABhk/DeNxDhoByBcpz2yCIxnqNtuVF7zm44ObACLcBGAs/s1600/enterprise-technology-2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-44U-vjX1E/XHOJr34h-oI/AAAAAAAABhk/DeNxDhoByBcpz2yCIxnqNtuVF7zm44ObACLcBGAs/s640/enterprise-technology-2019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: computerworld.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">Just like peanut butter and jelly, technology and the enterprise go hand-in-hand. It doesn’t even matter how big or small an enterprise is either; as long as it’s an enterprise working in the 21st century, it uses some sort of technology day in and day out. It all boils down to a simple fact: if they’re not making use of the latest technology to uphold their strategy and propel their business forward, not only will their competition do just that, but will also leave them far behind in doing so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The thing is, as an enterprise, being left behind by your competition is the last thing you want because it signals that you’re becoming obsolete. To prevent this from happening, you have to do a lot of things that, unfortunately, we can’t cover today, BUT, what we can do is cover one of those things that, as it happens to be, is one of the most important things you can and should already be doing: taking stock of the incoming enterprise trends 2019 has in store, particularly those relating to enterprise technology.</span></div>
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Enterprise Technology Trends for 2019</h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">With the new year comes a whole trove of enterprise technology trends that either already existed and are being carried over from the past year and possibly even those before it, or are brand new and are just now making an impact. Likewise, while some are ground in facts and figures, others are solely based on speculation and what the “experts” believe will come. With that in mind, let’s get started covering the enterprise technology trends for 2019 that you need to keep an eye on.</span></div>
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The Cloud</h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A couple of years ago practically no one really knew what the cloud was. Despite the fact that most people with smartphones use the cloud today, things haven’t changed that much from those days. Well, for the general population, that is. For the enterprise, it’s been game of chicken in which they debate whether to join the cloud or keep things on-premise…until recently, that is. Today, the many benefits and advantages of the cloud, especially for growing businesses that may need to scale up in the near future, have pushed many to make the change, and many others to strongly take it into consideration.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZvjAVQp8YA/XHOKQujpxLI/AAAAAAAABhs/UUIliB3EPuQVWZGhGHfFuYwRmqsa01qdgCLcBGAs/s1600/The-Cloud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="860" height="293" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZvjAVQp8YA/XHOKQujpxLI/AAAAAAAABhs/UUIliB3EPuQVWZGhGHfFuYwRmqsa01qdgCLcBGAs/s640/The-Cloud.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: nextgov.com</span></span></div>
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Software-Defined Wide Area Networking</h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">In layman’s terms that are still a bit technical, software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) can be thought of as the combination of software-defined networking (SDN) and wide area networking (WAN) to do a variety of things, such as provide better bandwidth and performance, and allow access to internal networks for those in remote locations. With the incoming rollout of 5G networks expected this year, and the growing importance of IoT technology, 2019 seems an excellent year for enterprises to invest in SD-WAN technology.</span><br />
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Machine Learning</h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In one form or another, artificial intelligence (AI) has been in practically every list of tech trends we’ve had in the past couple of years. More often than not, it’s because of machine learning and its ability to “learn” without being explicitly programed to do so. Because of this, it’s used in practically every industry you can think of for more uses than you can imagine, and this will continue to be true in 2019. For example, digital marketers can use it when they place an ad and use “Smart Bidding” features, businesses when they introduce a chatbot to their social channels or applications, eCommerce brands when they recommend products based on browsing and purchasing behaviors, and so on.</span><br />
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Final Thoughts on Digital Transformations</h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As we leave 2018 behind and venture into 2019, the point we touched on earlier about technology being expected in an enterprise has never been truer. After all, look back on all the technology trends we touched on today. Can a company that’s not making use of any of these actually compete with another one that is? No, no it cannot. Even if only one of them is being utilized, that single advantage is worth even more in the tech-based world we live in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Because of this, digital transformations in the enterprise have never been as important as they are today; if they haven’t already, any laggards that have opted out of following past trends will start to feel the heat very soon. The choice, then, is whether to follow the lead of those who have already done what was necessary, or stay behind yet another year and hope that things somehow get better without actually taking the initiative and making it so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">With that in mind, best of luck adopting these enterprise technology trends for 2019 into your strategy!</span></div>
Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-82246690056910696102018-11-14T23:31:00.000-08:002019-05-23T04:02:47.856-07:00Why You Need to Adopt Workflow Automation Tools for Your Enterprise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-324cJSgEzNE/W-0fkUKdjnI/AAAAAAAABf8/gRhRUKpkqZYnE49Cj5xccbRXLSq7fHNsQCLcBGAs/s1600/Workflow%2BAutomation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="699" height="372" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-324cJSgEzNE/W-0fkUKdjnI/AAAAAAAABf8/gRhRUKpkqZYnE49Cj5xccbRXLSq7fHNsQCLcBGAs/s640/Workflow%2BAutomation.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: technologyadvice.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">No matter the industry or size, you’ll be hard pressed to find a business that doesn’t use some sort of technology in their daily processes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">That’s a fact of life when you live and work in the 21st century.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What many don’t realize is just how much they can get out of technology; they stick with the bare minimum, thinking that’s more than enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wrong—why not make the most of what you have?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For example, if you can this and that in half the time that it normally would, why wouldn’t you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">That’s the basis of what we’re going to be discussing today: adopting workflow automation tools for your enterprise so your employees can work smarter, not harder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Before we get to that, what exactly is workflow automation?</span></div>
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What Is Workflow Automation?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A definition for “workflow” is the sequence of industrial, administrative, or other processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Specific to the enterprise, a workflow can be seen as a system—a workflow management system—that exemplifies how tasks, documents or any other sort of information is passed from person to person, group to group.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In other words, from beginning to end, it’s how things get done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Expanding on this, at each stage in the workflow, someone or something is responsible for specific tasks that, when completed, signal to the next one(s) in the chain that it’s their turn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">At first glance, this seems normal and efficient, but when you narrow down on what’s happening, you’ll see that each stage presents an opportunity for improvement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">That’s workflow automation. It’s when you automate and streamline existing business activities and processes, thereby reducing human error so the enterprise can complete tasks more efficiently, accurately and consistently.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Do I Need to Automate My Workflow?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">More often than not, the answer to “do I need to automate my workflow?” will be a resounding yes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Even if you’re part of a small operation, chances are very good that you’ll gain some workflow automation tool benefits in doing so, such as minimizing inefficiencies and better managing resources, which both lead to an improved bottom line.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is because, with an automated workflow in place, you have a system that automatically handles processes for your employees and, apart from saving time by doing things automatically as opposed to manually, essentially allows them to focus on more important tasks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For instance, if you have any sort of repetitive tasks, you have an opportunity for automation that will optimize your resources for future processes, allowing you to meet new demands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">With that in mind, what are other workflow benefits of automation?</span></div>
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What Are the Automation Benefits and Limitations of a Workflow Management System?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Making use of workflow automation tools in your enterprise comes with a lot of benefits that can all help it grow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For example, on a smaller scale, if your employees no longer need to manual notify others when something is complete, downtime between tasks is essentially eliminated, creating a smoother workflow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">On a larger scale, automating workflows for the entire enterprise can save time and reduce errors and costs, all of which give it the competitive edge it needs in our current business landscape that’s saturated by competitors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As for limitations, the only real limitation of automating workflow would be if there is no workflow to automate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Even if you’re automating the minimum, such as an automated email reply for orders, you’ll save time each time an email is sent automatically.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Workflow Benefit 1: Automation Saves You Time</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GE0NSu4PZKQ/W-0f7lB7RjI/AAAAAAAABgE/UfjyVEJJm6I7a0aaaQ2E-3Wi8dm0pg32ACLcBGAs/s1600/save-time-and-money.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="600" height="368" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GE0NSu4PZKQ/W-0f7lB7RjI/AAAAAAAABgE/UfjyVEJJm6I7a0aaaQ2E-3Wi8dm0pg32ACLcBGAs/s640/save-time-and-money.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The very fact that some business processes will be automated means that you can complete (more) tasks faster, allowing your business to save time and speed up the workflow as a whole.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This, in turn, will give your employees more time to focus on other tasks like those that can be categorized as revenue-generating activities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For example, think of an inventory management system in a warehouse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">By tracking inventory on-hand as well as all sales and transactions, the system not only knows when inventory needs to purchase but by tracking past sales and trends, will also know exactly how much will be needed.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Workflow Benefit 2: Automation Reduces Errors</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A very big part of being human is to err—we just can’t escape it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But, in business, a place where a single error can cost upward of millions of dollars, being human doesn’t seem like a good excuse for the occasional error.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thankfully, with an automated system handling your workflow, errors can be greatly reduced or even completely eliminated as machines take over what was previously left up to a human to complete.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Additionally, with the right software backing you up, you’ll be able to ensure quality work at the first go, which saves you the hassle of going back a second or third time to get things right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In other words, by eliminating manual and human errors, time and resources can both be saved and re-integrated into the enterprise.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Workflow Benefit 3: Automation Reduces Costs</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Like we just touched on, automated workflows can save time and reduce errors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When combined, both of these things lead to reduced costs for the enterprise because we all know that time is money, and fewer errors mean less time and money spent correcting them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">That is to say, overall, automation can streamline pretty much every process it touches so time and resources can be saved and diverted to where they’re needed most, not where they’re simply needed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As for the errors, that’s pretty much self-explanatory; errors take valuable time away from the company because they need to be corrected if fewer errors down the line are to be expected.</span></div>
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Final Thoughts</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If it can be considered a mandate of owning a business, one would be to grow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thankfully, incorporating automation tools into your workflow can do just that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For example, consider <a href="https://www.aprimo.com/" target="_blank">Aprimo</a>, a leader in global marketing operations that offers performance-driven software for workflow automation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">By offering intelligent workflow capabilities that automatically assign and route tasks, all the manual labor of project management is eliminated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And by quickly assigning and managing resources for each project, you’ll be able to increase your speed to market so you can focus more on optimizing and tailoring everything to perfection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Good luck!</span></div>
Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-5535693995048578282018-10-05T22:46:00.000-07:002018-10-05T22:46:12.802-07:00Here are 3 Ways to Drive Quality Traffic to Your Website<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: https://www.elegantthemes.com</td></tr>
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So, you want to know <span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">how to get quality traffic to your website fast</span>?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unfortunately, while you can definitely <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">increase website traffic fast</span>, the same can’t be said for <i>quality</i> traffic.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In other words, while you can definitely do the following things, which all serve the same purpose of increasing traffic to your website:<br />
<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Start a blog that constantly churns content<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Post and engage with your audience on social media on a regular basis<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Develop an SEO strategy to increase your organic rankings<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Invest in PPC to capture more leads<br />
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The traffic you receive from these endeavors may not be the traffic you really want.<br />
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It comes down to the fact that not all traffic is created equal.<br />
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For example, imagine two different online fashion stores with unimaginative names, Fashion A and Fashion B.<br />
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In the past month, Fashion A received twice as much traffic as Fashion B, but received half the conversions.<br />
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Do you know what differentiates them?<br />
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Even though Fashion A received more traffic, it’s clear that the traffic it did receive was not interested in their offerings, i.e. it was not quality traffic.<br />
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Fashion B, on the other hand, may have received less traffic, but the traffic it did receive was quality traffic that was more receptive of their messages.<br />
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That's right there is the difference between normal and quality traffic.<br />
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With that in mind, let’s go over three ways to drive quality traffic to your website, some of which even teach you how to increase website traffic for free!<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
1. Guest Post on Relevant Websites</h3>
Regularly posting content is imperative to increase traffic to your website, there’s no doubt about it.<br />
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But, as we just covered, just because you’re receiving a lot of traffic does not mean that it’s going to do you any good.<br />
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After all, what’s the point of receiving tons of site visits if they’re just that, site visits?<br />
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There is none.<br />
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For this reason, you have to start being pickier about where to post your content.<br />
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That is to say, instead of asking all sites that accept content if you can write for them, take a more strategic approach and look for websites that actually pertain to your business and what it offers.<br />
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For example, consider blog hosting sites. You definitely want to post content on these sites, but doing so won’t necessarily lead to any sales.<br />
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When you boil it down, it’s the difference between link building and engagement. While the former leads to higher online rankings and more traffic, it doesn’t equate to conversions. The latter, on the other hand, does.<br />
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To get more engagement, which happens to be intertwined with quality traffic, you’re going to have to find relevant websites within your industry with audiences who are actually interested in your offerings.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
2. Advertise in Appropriate Channels</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ie5WKviJ7Nc/W7hH8HQ3s1I/AAAAAAAABfE/sax71hmx_dg5oQkdlE5-ZbxUMFlljhwMQCLcBGAs/s1600/instagram-sponsored-hed-2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ie5WKviJ7Nc/W7hH8HQ3s1I/AAAAAAAABfE/sax71hmx_dg5oQkdlE5-ZbxUMFlljhwMQCLcBGAs/s640/instagram-sponsored-hed-2015.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: https://www.adweek.com</td></tr>
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Like guest posting on relevant websites, you have to advertise in channels pertinent to your brand if you plan on receiving quality traffic.<br />
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For example, let’s use Fashion A again to illustrate this point.<br />
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As most fashion brands, Fashion A has an SEM strategy involving advertising on social media to drive traffic to its website.<br />
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Will advertising on, let’s say, LinkedIn garner traffic? Sure. Is it quality traffic? Maybe some, but considering that LinkedIn is more business oriented, I’d wager not.<br />
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What about advertising on Instagram — will advertising here lead to more quality traffic than LinkedIn? Seeing as how Instagram happens to be a very visual social platform with a large fashion component, chances are good that it will.<br />
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This is what advertising on appropriate channels means; it means advertising where you’ll not only find the majority of your audience, but also the audience most receptive to your messages.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
3. Develop an Email Marketing Strategy</h3>
Finally, you’ve no doubt heard that email marketing is a must for running a business, but did you know that it’s also vital in your quest for quality traffic?<br />
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Think about it, unlike the early 2000s, a time when receiving an email was a near-momentous occasion, emails today are a nuisance. You see a notification, get a little excited about what it could be, only to find that it’s nothing but spam.<br />
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No, thank you.<br />
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Now think about how you build an email list. Yes, you can take the less ethical route and buy email addresses or get them through a non-organic way, but hopefully, you’re building it with an opt-in or subscribe CTA somewhere on your site.<br />
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Do you know what this means?<br />
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It means that knowing how annoying it is to receive unsolicited emails, your subscribers still hit the “subscribe” button.<br />
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In other words, if they’re willing to subscribe, they’re already interested.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Let’s Take a Second Look</h3>
Like we covered in the introduction, driving traffic to your website is definitely important, but only if it’s quality traffic that leads to actual results.<br />
After all, what’s the point of having a million people visit your site per day if only one is converting?<br />
Again, there is none.<br />
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What you want is quality traffic, and here’s how you get it:<br />
1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Guest post on relevant websites</b> because engagement is more important than link generation in the long-run.<br />
2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Advertise in appropriate channels</b> because their audiences will be more receptive to your messages.<br />
3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Develop an email marketing strategy</b> because hitting “subscribe” means they’re already interested.<br />
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Best of luck driving quality traffic to your website!<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-12402754351424469152018-09-10T00:01:00.000-07:002018-09-10T00:01:03.328-07:00The Top Enterprise Technology Trends You Need to Know<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Living in a digital era means that technology is always changing; it’s constantly advancing and, if organizations want to succeed where their competition faltered, they need to make the most of the innovation these changes bring.<br />
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For example, if something comes along that defuncts previous processes or even makes them obsolete, it’s not only suggested to adopt and adapt as soon as possible but vital as well.<br />
The alternative, falling behind, is simply not viable in a world where competitive threats pop up every day, all vying to take someone else’s spot.<br />
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Because of this, the importance of following the latest technology trends is paramount and cannot be overstated.<br />
It boils down to the simple fact that enterprises today are intertwined with technology, and to succeed means making the most of it.<br />
With that in mind, today we’ll be discussing three enterprise technology trends 2018 strategies need: artificial intelligence (AI), big data and analytics, and blockchain.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Artificial Intelligence</h3>
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Artificial intelligence is nothing new, but rapid advancements in the field are making it a force to be reckoned with; so much so that it almost seems like AI capabilities are a prerequisite for success in the enterprise.<br />
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This is because, with AI backing them and their decision-making, enterprises can enhance their strategies and streamline processes more so than ever before.<br />
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For example, consider automation. Tasks that can be automated usually fall under the umbrella of tasks that are repetitive and time-consuming, and don’t require higher-level processes.<br />
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Thanks to AI and machine learning’s ability to learn from use, not only can they handle these sort of tasks with the mastery of a seasoned veteran, but over time they’ll get even better and better at them. So much so that they can be left alone while human workers focus on tasks that require a human touch.<br />
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Apart from automation, AI also allows for greater personalization through learned behaviors and patterns, and when combined with chatbots that reside in a website and support all site visitors coming its way, it’s easy to see how handy they can come in within retail and eCommerce.<br />
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Looking at 2019 and the coming years, it’s not a stretch to see a greater AI presence in fields across the board. For example, as <a href="https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/use-artificial-intelligence-where-it-matters/" target="_blank">Gartner points out</a>:<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In banking and financial services, chatbots help customers access their bank balance<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In healthcare, virtual nursing assistants follow up with patients post-discharge<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In retail, machine learning and natural language processing learn from customer data to generate behavioral insights<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In education, AI “tutor-bots” provide personalized learning<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Big Data and Analytics</h3>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2O7pPPTZYUQ/W5YUwHMgnkI/AAAAAAAABek/oXMvOugO4Z8ZlJJJvKsPxoG9FYIKpamagCLcBGAs/s1600/analytics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2O7pPPTZYUQ/W5YUwHMgnkI/AAAAAAAABek/oXMvOugO4Z8ZlJJJvKsPxoG9FYIKpamagCLcBGAs/s640/analytics.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Like AI, big data is another buzzword you frequently hear about enterprises.<br />
After all, part of being an enterprise is handling a lot of data, whether internal or external and if it’s not being analyzed and extrapolated for information, it’s being wasted.<br />
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For example, data can come from a lot of sources, such as how effective certain strategies are (internal), and browsing and purchasing behaviors, device usage and social interactions (external).<br />
Whatever the source, analytics tools can be used to learn valuable insights from that data, which lead to better strategies and improved decision making, both of which help the enterprise grow.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Blockchain</h3>
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And then there’s blockchain, one of the top technology trends to keep an eye on (and make use of if you can), and one you’ve most likely heard of in recent times.<br />
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In essence, blockchain is a type of ledger comprised of a list or records—called blocks—that are linked together with a cryptographic hash of the previous block, forming a sort of decentralized database.<br />
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In other words, it’s a peer-to-peer (P2P) network with a time-stamping server that stores data on thousands and thousands of servers around the world.<br />
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It is, therefore, a public ledger that’s extremely secure, despite the fact that it’s openly shared among users everywhere. This is because each time a transaction takes place, an unchangeable record of it—a block— is created with a timestamp, which is then linked to the previous block.<br />
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As such, changes and updates can only take place with every participants’ consensus.<br />
Because of this high level of security, blockchain is extremely useful for enterprises that house a lot of sensitive information they would like to keep extra secure.<br />
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For example, there are currently phones running on blockchain that are MUCH more secure than their normal counterparts, which is extremely important when we consider how many applications the typical smartphone houses, which can all be compromised.<br />
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Additionally, these blockchain-enabled smartphones can lead to cryptocurrency wallets with an added layer of security.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Final Thoughts</h3>
Enterprises and technology go hand-in-hand. If you’re part of an enterprise, you not only want the latest technology on your side, you need it.<br />
For that reason, we covered three such technologies today, technologies that you definitely need to know and use if you want your enterprise to succeed:<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Artificial intelligence<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Big data and analytics<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Blockchain<br />
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Best of luck!<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-84297991376481131412018-08-16T00:20:00.000-07:002018-08-16T00:20:25.729-07:00How Artificial Intelligence Is Shaping the Future of Enterprises<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1jjXbygHAyg/W3UkOfhNkrI/AAAAAAAABds/27cBjCGmS6QCVAybbpdgDFLZM_HZ0No0gCLcBGAs/s1600/artificial-intelligence-in-business.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="752" height="374" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1jjXbygHAyg/W3UkOfhNkrI/AAAAAAAABds/27cBjCGmS6QCVAybbpdgDFLZM_HZ0No0gCLcBGAs/s640/artificial-intelligence-in-business.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: blog.payumoney.com</td></tr>
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Despite all the buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) in the past couple of years, AI is anything but new.<br />
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From Greek mythology talking about mechanical men thousands of years ago to Alan Turing’s famous “Turing Test” in the 1950s, the thought of artificial intelligence has been with us from the beginning.<br />
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While we mainly think of it in terms of personal use, such as having an AI-enabled robot butler helping us as we go about our days, expectations for AI in a business run high. As to the why, it’s because a lot of progress has been made in recent years, and we’re seeing tremendous growth in areas like machine learning and intelligent automation that function to streamline work processes.<br />
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In fact, so much interest has been revolving around AI lately that total funding for it reached <a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/microsoft-google-ai-earnings-transcripts/" target="_blank">$15.2 billion</a> in 2017, representing 144% increase from 2016. In other words, a lot of money and interest is being diverted toward AI.<br />
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As such, AI is rapidly making its way into modern-day enterprises, and those who are quick to adopt it into their strategies are seeing incredible improvements in productivity and business processes.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Artificial Intelligence and the Enterprise</h3>
With AI as an emerging technology, enterprise AI companies are coming out on top as they improve their operational efficiency while simultaneously reducing costs.<br />
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Case in point, big data. While some companies sit on data silos that gather dust because they see data analyzation as too time-consuming, others are using some sort of enterprise AI platform to analyze data, find correlations, and then leverage whatever insights were gleaned to augment their strategies.<br />
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This is because data leads to insights, and insights lead to a more complete understanding of everything revolving around the business. For example, eCommerce insights learned from consumers can lead to a better understanding of purchasing behaviors, which can be used to make predictions to tailor strategies accordingly.<br />
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Additionally, while AI and machine learning excel at analyzation and finding connections where humans falter, humans have intuition and the ability to think outside the box, leading to an optimal combination in which each party brings something to the table.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9eHLKKuMcuY/W3Ukgq_9HrI/AAAAAAAABd0/7eYQ9Md2Hm44QzEvo0Ci8nhVcIv1lsA1ACLcBGAs/s1600/Humans-and-AI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1200" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9eHLKKuMcuY/W3Ukgq_9HrI/AAAAAAAABd0/7eYQ9Md2Hm44QzEvo0Ci8nhVcIv1lsA1ACLcBGAs/s640/Humans-and-AI.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In this way, AI can handle the heavy-duty work of sifting through data while humans make sense of that data and turn it into action.<br />
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Apart from big data, artificial intelligence for enterprise applications is also being used to create a myriad of tools that supplement workers as they go about their days. With it, they can collaborate faster and smarter than ever before.<br />
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Take automation, for instance. The vast majority of tasks that can be automated are repetitive and time-consuming, and having a human worker take care of them is a waste of money and brain power.<br />
With AI taking over this routine work, humans can use their own insights and creativity for higher-level tasks and processes that require a human touch.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Final Thoughts</h3>
From a consumer standpoint, we make use of AI every day as we ask Siri for directions to the nearest coffee shop, listen to Netflix’ recommendation to start a new TV show, or pay attention when Amazon suggests yet another product to buy.<br />
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From an enterprise standpoint, more and more forward-thinking businesses are finally making use of it to bolster their strategies. They see the possibilities and are quick to harness AI’s capabilities for their benefit.<br />
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In this way, AI holds a lot of promise for enterprises looking for innovative ways to improve themselves and better compete in the market. The alternative, standing by while others take the reins, is simply not feasible anymore.<br />
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<b>Best of luck!</b></div>
Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-6969001183075316742018-07-15T21:44:00.000-07:002018-07-15T21:44:42.137-07:00Which Platform Can Perform Better for an Enterprise App: Android or iOS?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PmxhME6EzqM/W0wiGURWd_I/AAAAAAAABdE/rlmMkK8ecp0BKGJl35WzbgM2vndwzpiIACLcBGAs/s1600/android_vs_ios.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="620" height="412" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PmxhME6EzqM/W0wiGURWd_I/AAAAAAAABdE/rlmMkK8ecp0BKGJl35WzbgM2vndwzpiIACLcBGAs/s640/android_vs_ios.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: itpro.co.uk</td></tr>
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Whether they’re used for less-defined purposes like informing employees of the lunch specials, or for specific tasks that fill niches in the workplace, enterprise applications are as diverse as their non-enterprise counterparts. But, unlike consumer apps, enterprise apps tend to be predominantly productivity-focused. As such, more and more businesses are turning to them as a means of increasing productivity and enhancing task performance, thereby allowing them to grow.<br />
Additionally, because an enterprise relies on varying software and applications to run its operations, and because it's only as good as the operating system (OS) it uses, enterprises everywhere are looking for the perfect OS to streamline tasks, manage internal operations more efficiently, and help support its employees’ daily work needs.<br />
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The question becomes, <i>which development platform is best?</i><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The Options: Android App vs iOS App</h3>
A mobile app development platform is software that allows developers to build, test and deploy mobile applications. Depending on the platform, it can also include tailor-made features to further customize apps. Because they are enterprise apps as opposed to consumer apps, these platforms must also account for variances like extra security to protect both business and user data.<br />
That being said, the top two mobile app development platforms you’ll come across are Android and iOS. While it would be ideal to create apps in both, that’s not always feasible because of constraints like time and budget. Apart from this, some just prefer one over the other.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>The Difference Between iOS and Android Development</b></div>
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There are just as many similarities as the difference when it comes to the iOS vs Android debate. Both have their pros and cons, but ultimately, the choice to opt for one over the other depends on your business and the type of app you want. With that in mind, let’s go over both and see what each brings to the table.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MrHuK84qWd0/W0wiZ4AcZRI/AAAAAAAABdM/w_NI1TPCnZggSzWxHROe4jpO-xPoo2tEQCLcBGAs/s1600/ios-vs-android-users.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MrHuK84qWd0/W0wiZ4AcZRI/AAAAAAAABdM/w_NI1TPCnZggSzWxHROe4jpO-xPoo2tEQCLcBGAs/s640/ios-vs-android-users.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: buildfire.com</td></tr>
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Leading up to the first quarter of 2018, Android users could choose between <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/276623/number-of-apps-available-in-leading-app-stores/" target="_blank">3.8 million apps</a>, while Apple’s App Store offered 2 million. Part of what goes into this is that the Android ecosystem is quite large and offers MANY choices in terms of what you can deploy. But, despite this lower number, <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3220988/apple-ios/apples-ios-dominates-enterprise-mobility-data-shows.html" target="_blank">82% of work</a> done on mobile actually takes place on iOS. This can be explained by the fact that, despite Android also getting a lot more downloads in the global market, iOS dominates the North American and Western European markets, which is where the majority of enterprise apps are deployed. Exemplifying this, iOS users are also typically younger, have <a href="https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Data-Mine/iPhone-Users-Earn-Higher-Income-Engage-More-on-Apps-than-Android-Users" target="_blank">higher incomes</a>, spend about <a href="https://bgr.com/2015/04/15/ios-vs-android-developers-revenue-apps/" target="_blank">4 times</a> as much on apps than Android users, and typically download business, education and lifestyle apps from the App Store.<br />
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In terms of how fast these apps can be deployed, it usually takes Android apps a bit longer because of longer release cycles and Android device fragmentation, i.e. there are many Android devices and building an app that’s compatible with all will take much more time than dealing with a few. Don’t forget that this depends on the complexity of the app, though. But do remember that it’ll always be the case that it takes more time to create an app that’s responsive for the myriad of Android devices than iOS. Similarly, the longer it takes to develop an app, the more expensive it’ll come out to be. Apart from this, there’s really nothing inherent to Android or iOS development that makes one more expensive than the other.<br />
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Moving to security, this is of utmost importance for enterprise apps because any security flaw can compromise confidential data — companies usually handle their own and that of their customers. Both Android and iOS face similar threats and vulnerabilities, but due to Android being open source and supporting third-party apps, it’s more vulnerable than iOS. As it is, iOS has <a href="https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list/vendor_id-49/product_id-15556/Apple-Iphone-Os.html" target="_blank">1458 vulnerabilities</a>, whereas Android has a higher number at <a href="https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list.php?vendor_id=1224&product_id=19997&version_id=&page=1&hasexp=0&opdos=0&opec=0&opov=0&opcsrf=0&opgpriv=0&opsqli=0&opxss=0&opdirt=0&opmemc=0&ophttprs=0&opbyp=0&opfileinc=0&opginf=0&cvssscoremin=0&cvssscoremax=0&year=0&month=0&cweid=0&order=1&trc=1834&sha=1bd76566e804bd0baf4aa6ef43598ed24565b5b6" target="_blank">1834</a>. Key here is Android’s device fragmentation and a high number of OS versions, which is one of the biggest contributors to an operating system’s security level. Because of this, while consumers may like the varying options, opting for Android for business comes with an intrinsic risk that it can’t shake off.<br />
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<b>The Best Mobile App Development Platform Goes to...</b></div>
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At the end of the day, the decision to build an Android or iOS enterprise app depends on many things, such as its type and function, user demographics, the deployment market, and the project’s timeframe and budget. For example, if your market is in South America, Asia, Central or Eastern Europe, you’ll do well with Android, as it’s more prevalent in these regions. If, on the other hand, you’re based out of the US or Western Europe, iOS will serve you best. You have to take all these considerations and choose what’s best not only for you but for those who will be using the app. Good luck!<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-17671428225043056802018-06-10T22:34:00.001-07:002018-06-10T22:34:48.806-07:00The Importance of a Smart Office for Better Productivity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joVANsQnYIc/Wx4IJ4aDglI/AAAAAAAABcA/1NvoWrIefTgQFW47tlV3hl6u48LbUTuWwCLcBGAs/s1600/Smart-Office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-joVANsQnYIc/Wx4IJ4aDglI/AAAAAAAABcA/1NvoWrIefTgQFW47tlV3hl6u48LbUTuWwCLcBGAs/s640/Smart-Office.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: <a href="http://forfend.net/category/smart-office/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 105%;">forfend.net</span></a><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 105%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></td></tr>
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Organizations often contemplate how to make their employees work smarter and harder, but they rarely look at the workplace itself. Think about that — isn’t that strange? Isn’t it strange that in their endeavors to increase productivity and efficiency, they’re focusing on everything but the one place where the work is actually being done? Not only strange but contradictory as well when you consider those small things like physical discomfort can greatly impede productivity, such as when an office is too hot or a chair too stiff.<br />
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Instead, the workplace should be used as a tool that improves an employee’s experiences and enhances their output, resulting in a competitive advantage for the organization as a whole. To this end, technology and IoT (Internet of Things), the interconnectivity of devices through a network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interactions, can serve both as the driver and enabler they need to increase productivity, streamline routine tasks and create more efficient work environments.<br />
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That is to say that with an injection of modern technology, a workplace can be transformed from normal into a smarter workplace.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
What Is a Smart Workplace?</h3>
So, what is a smart workplace? For one, it’s an office that uses the latest smart workplace technology to enhance productivity. Second, it’s an office paired with IoT devices and an ecosystem of connected devices used to monitor and control office operations. Putting it all together, a <a href="http://workplaceinsight.net/smart-workplaces-increase-performance-attractiveness/" target="_blank">smart office</a> is:<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Centered around the people working there. What attracts and motivates them? What do they need to be able to perform at their best?<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Based on the activities that are to be performed in the workplace. Where and how are these activities best performed?<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A place designed for flexibility. Flexible in a way that it is accessible and used every day depending on different activities and that it is open to changes and innovation over time.<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Enabled and enhanced by technology, which efficiently supports the needed ways of planning and performing work.<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sustainable in every possible way, balancing both economic, environmental and social aspects.<br />
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With all of this backing smart offices, it’s no surprise that the <a href="https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/smart-connected-offices.asp" target="_blank">smart office market is growing</a> at a CAGR of 12.94% between 2017 and 2023, with an increase in value from $22.21 billion in 2017 to $46.11 billion by 2023. And now we arrive at a new question: why should I enact smart workplace solutions for my business? Simple, because it leads to the following things.<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Streamlined Processes Made Easy with a Connected Office</h3>
On any given day, we use a wide array of tools and devices to get work done — this is both good and bad for, ironically, the same reason. It’s good because it means we have all of these tools at our disposal that makes our jobs much easier. It’s bad because we have all of these tools at our disposal that doesn’t operate in concert with each other, increasing the time we spend moving from one to the other.<br />
Fortunately, this doesn’t hold with IoT and smart office technology that reduces the friction between different systems. In other words, IoT is creating connected spaces where multiple systems come together in one that’s more efficient than the sum of its parts. The idea behind this is that when everything works in sync with each other, you create a more connected and adaptable workforce that’s ready to handle whatever challenges come its way.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Employees Working More Efficiently</h3>
Apart from the efficiency that more connectivity brings, smart workplace solutions include the ability to control the office’s environment. For example, greater control over the temperature, humidity and light exposure. When employees can tailor these things to their preferences, their comfort levels will increase, simultaneously increasing their productivity.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Conservation of Money</h3>
To the pleasure of executives everywhere, smart offices also lead to smaller bills and the conservation of money. How? Energy savings, for instance. By installing systems that adjust the temperature or light throughout the day, an optimal room temperature and brightness can be set that conserves the most energy. Along the same lines, sensors can detect when no one is in the room and automatically shut off the systems to prevent waste energy.<br />
Additionally, smart office technology can also streamline or completely automate low-level tasks, allowing employees to focus on those that require more brain power. For example, consider a solution that automates some tasks and leads to a 1% increase in productivity. This may not sound like a lot, but when you realize the amount of money and production that goes into any given business, that 1% can translate to millions of dollars.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Final Thoughts</h3>
In today’s day and age, the importance of the smart office cannot be understated. We have access to cutting-edge technology that leads to increases productivity and efficiency, something businesses everywhere want. In fact and as we covered today, a smarter workplace can lead to:<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Streamlined Processes Made Easy with a Connected Office<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Employees Working More Efficiently<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Conservation of Money<br />
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Good luck!<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-35435958568566274522018-05-24T21:57:00.000-07:002018-05-24T21:57:24.987-07:00How to Successfully Implement New Enterprise Software<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RL6OLAXRcV0/WweSrZvwHII/AAAAAAAABbs/IwpYYu4K8P4fXNncJornUCeLjbLS46YiACLcBGAs/s1600/ERP.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RL6OLAXRcV0/WweSrZvwHII/AAAAAAAABbs/IwpYYu4K8P4fXNncJornUCeLjbLS46YiACLcBGAs/s640/ERP.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: medium.com</td></tr>
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Times change and technology advances — this is the state of the world. On the business side, this translates to a need for enterprises to be on top of any new developments, or risk falling behind. In other words, whenever new enterprise software solutions come along, enterprises need to be on top of them and assess whether they can be used to streamline processes and make the organization more efficient.<br />
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More often than not, this involves implementing new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software that functions as a business management tool to streamline everything from customer relationship management (CRM) and human resources (HR) to payroll management and business analytics. The problem comes when you realize that implementing ERP software is an enterprise-wide commitment with implications throughout the whole organization.<br />
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Despite this, that enterprise software implementation is a challenging process, successful implementation positively impacts the organization's bottom line. By enhancing capabilities and injecting modern and relevant technologies into the enterprise, it can operate more efficiently and eliminate redundancies that are taking away from it. Yes, implementation will not be an easy task, but it’s a much-needed one that should not be overlooked. Here’s how you can make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible.<br />
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<b>1: Appoint a Project Manager to Oversee Implementation</b></div>
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To begin with, you want a project manager in charge of overseeing the pre-implementation, as well as implementation and post-implementation process. This is someone who’ll be responsible for ensuring that the project moves along as seamlessly as possible, as well as supervising the technical aspects and keeping everyone up-to-date on the implementation’s progress, so make sure it’s someone who can answer and elaborate on the question, <i>what is enterprise software?</i><br />
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<b>2: Clean Up Your Data</b></div>
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Before you begin the actual implementation, i.e., when you’re in the pre-implementation process, take this time out to get rid of unnecessary clutter that has no place in the updated system. Whether you’re integrating new enterprise software or completely replacing an older one, the fact remains that you don’t want to transfer nonessential data, such as outdated data or duplicated entries that will only tax your system.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-buSmSx9BiC8/WweS7MGS4PI/AAAAAAAABbw/XEq6BXZIH6o9Wjq5bf4Y0ajDNdbOt8qwACLcBGAs/s1600/data.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-buSmSx9BiC8/WweS7MGS4PI/AAAAAAAABbw/XEq6BXZIH6o9Wjq5bf4Y0ajDNdbOt8qwACLcBGAs/s640/data.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: nitro-net.com</td></tr>
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<b>3: Go Over Existing IT Infrastructure</b></div>
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After you clean your data, go over the existing IT infrastructure and determine exactly you want to accomplish with the implementation. For example, if you’re integrating the new software with the old, will they be able to work seamlessly without any issues arising? If you are retaining software, you always have to make sure that everything works without a hitch, otherwise, you have another overhaul in your hands.<br />
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<b>4: Get End-Users Involved</b></div>
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Finally, think about who will end up using the new software and get them involved. These people, your end-users, know the ins and outs of what’s needed to run the enterprise on a day-to-day basis, and including them in the conversation is essential if you want a system that’s most conducive to productivity. After all, the decision to implement new ERP software was prompted by the previous one’s failings, and they know first-hand what’s needed.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Final Thoughts</h3>
Enterprise software implementation is designed to automate operations within an organization. While revamping enterprise-wide software may be stressful and overbearing, and the implementation process time-consuming and laborious, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.<br />
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That is to say that when done correctly, new ERP software can completely change how a business operates. For example, by streamlining some tasks and automating others, more manpower can be diverted where it’s needed most. Along the same lines, the real-time capabilities that updated software often bring the lead to a competitive advantage that would’ve been forgone.<br />
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At the end of the day, the last thing you want is to stick with the same sub-par system just because it’s been working ‘just fine’ and implementation seems daunting. It’s not what your competition is doing and it’s not what you should be doing either.<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-82143486244980058082018-04-05T01:24:00.000-07:002018-04-05T01:24:58.709-07:00The Best Technologies and Trends for Enterprise Application Development<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u0ymR8aPtIU/WsXZ4xw3e3I/AAAAAAAABaw/UYCnbEf0uucmaSRhbMCsEXhnbj4gjN7rgCLcBGAs/s1600/Enterprise-App-Development.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="632" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u0ymR8aPtIU/WsXZ4xw3e3I/AAAAAAAABaw/UYCnbEf0uucmaSRhbMCsEXhnbj4gjN7rgCLcBGAs/s640/Enterprise-App-Development.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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The importance of web and app development cannot be understated in today’s marketplace, especially for enterprises who rely on applications to keep everything running smoothly. If there’s a need — whatever it is — an app can be created to satisfy that need. As such, enterprise apps need to be able to do a lot of things that vary from industry to industry and from business to business. For example, a retail company will benefit from an inventory management app, while a law firm will do better with an app that compares marketing regulations across different sectors.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Enterprise Application Development Trends</h3>
Enterprise applications do a lot of things, but more importantly, they increase productivity and empower workers to do more. Their adoption is also increasing dramatically as it becomes easier and cheaper for businesses to develop them. This adoption, in turn, is reshaping how these organizations function and respond to demands, whether internal or external. But, as with all technologies, enterprise applications change over time with evolving trends. Failing to take notice and act on these trends will only prove detrimental in the long run, which is why it’s extremely important to stay on top of any and all developments. For example, these three enterprise application development trends that are currently making the rounds.<br />
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<b>1: Increased Popularity of Progressive Web Applications</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.aumcore.com/blog/2017/01/31/progressive-web-apps-when-should-you-consider-building-one/" target="_blank">Progressive web apps (PWAs)</a>, originally proposed by Google, are applications that combine the best of both worlds — mobile and web. In essence, they’re applications that take advantage of the best features modern browsers support. They have an app shell with cached content that loads instantly, and then use service workers to fetch dynamic content for a well-rounded experience that’s cheaper to create than native app development.<br />
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Another way of thinking about PWAs is as web applications or websites that have a native mobile app feel. They not only work offline and have extremely fast load times, but are also responsive and work for all users, making them ideal for our mobile-centric world. This mobile distinction is important because it’s one of the driving factors behind their popularity growth. We live in a world that prioritizes speed and inclusivity, and PWAs offers both of these things while native or web apps tend to fall short in or the other.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5cKPJn0le4/WsXaKJPgTZI/AAAAAAAABa0/A9iUF5xDTXEXOgvRCIGQ_hLFaOrsnf72gCLcBGAs/s1600/pwa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5cKPJn0le4/WsXaKJPgTZI/AAAAAAAABa0/A9iUF5xDTXEXOgvRCIGQ_hLFaOrsnf72gCLcBGAs/s640/pwa.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: developers.google.com</td></tr>
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<b>2: More Focus on Security</b></div>
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Security is getting an overhaul because breaches have dominated the news recently and it’s making everyone uneasy. Enterprises are worried about their systems getting hacked and end-users are worried about their sensitive information being leaked. There are many contributing factors that go into each and every breach, but a recurring theme is that apps are commonly built with vulnerabilities that make them a prime candidate for hackers. Backtracking, what’s causing these vulnerabilities?<br />
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As <a href="https://www.mrc-productivity.com/blog/2015/10/5-reasons-why-businesses-still-struggle-with-application-security/" target="_blank">Julien Bellanger</a>, CEO of Prevoty, says, it may be because developers aren’t security experts. “Application developers are rarely (never?) hired because of their security expertise,” he says, “[t]hey are hired to deliver new applications and new functionality. In order to attempt to stay ahead of hackers, security professionals need to spend a lot of their working lives monitoring the “state of the art” in terms of publicly available knowledge around vulnerabilities. It takes a thief to catch a thief. Developers were not hired to do this, they don’t have the time to do this and their skill sets are not best placed to implement mitigations against complex attacks.”<br />
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Another issue has to do with management. In many cases, management doesn’t consider security a big issue until something actually happens. It’s a sort of trade-off — more security means slower apps, and many don’t think that their own technologies are vulnerable. This is made worse by the fact that many applications are a one-time endeavor that doesn’t get much-needed updates and security patches until, again, something happens to spur action.<br />
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<b>3: Rapid Mobile App Development and Citizen Development</b></div>
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Rapid mobile app development (RMAD) uses code-free programming tools that speed up and simplify the development process, and citizen development uses easy to build processes that can be operated by users. In essence, both allow users to quickly build and manage internal apps, and function to lessen IT dependency. As <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-advent-of-the-citizen-developer/" target="_blank">this article</a> states, “IT has at least one major opportunity left to lead the digitization of the remainder of our organizations. Trends like low code and the resulting citizen developer that it can enable are going to be one of the key catalysts for next-generation IT that unleash a new wave of local, more decentralized solutions at scale within our organizations.”<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Enterprise Application Development Programming Languages</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nMaK9q1iimA/WsXahAr5h5I/AAAAAAAABa4/2ArRUGUIGT8YOjGeONTy899qB8BA7v4qwCLcBGAs/s1600/programming-languages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1600" height="368" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nMaK9q1iimA/WsXahAr5h5I/AAAAAAAABa4/2ArRUGUIGT8YOjGeONTy899qB8BA7v4qwCLcBGAs/s640/programming-languages.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: pcquest.com</td></tr>
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As we’ve covered, enterprise application technologies are extremely important today, and their uses are vast. Similarly, the programming languages used to create them are also quite extensive, and they vary based on personal preference, the organization’s established code base, and so on. For example, let’s take a look at some of the <a href="http://www.theserverside.com/feature/Best-programming-languages-for-enterprise-development" target="_blank">most popular backend languages</a> for enterprise app development:<br />
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1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Java</b>: Java is popular among cloud providers and is universally supported by cloud APIs. It’s also simple, intuitive, object-oriented, robust and secure.<br />
2.<b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>SQL</b>: SQL is a staple of backend development because it’s used to extract and update records from databases, and most backend services include a data store.<br />
3.<b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>PHP</b>: PHP is very useful for dynamically generating content on Web servers. It can also be embedded directly in an HTML page.<br />
4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>JavaScript</b>: One of JavaScript’s biggest benefits is that JavaScript for Web apps is code compatibility across client and server modules, meaning that it can run both client-side and server-side.<br />
5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>C/C++</b>: C is efficient and flexible, and C++ is a more modern version that adds object orientation, operator and function overloading and templates.<br />
6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>C#</b>: The latest to come from the C family, C# is like Java in that it can compile to an intermediate form that uses the .NET runtime interpreter and sandbox, and eliminates mistake-prone tasks like memory management.<br />
7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Python</b>: Python is an interpreted language that’s object-oriented and its syntax is extremely clear and understandable, leading to its popularity in introductory computer science courses.<br />
8.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Ruby</b>: Ruby is an object-oriented language that shares many syntactical elements with Python. It’s commonly used as a Web backend and usually paired with the Rails framework.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Final Thoughts and TL;DR</h3>
Here’s the tl;dr version of everything we covered today in case you’re too busy for the full read:<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The importance of web and app development cannot be understated in today’s marketplace<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If there’s a need, an app can be created to satisfy that need<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Enterprise apps need to be able to do a lot of things that vary from industry to industry and from business to business<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Enterprise applications do a lot of things, but more importantly, they increase productivity and empower workers to do more<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>But, as with all technologies, enterprise applications change over time with evolving trends such as these:<br />
a.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Increased Popularity of Progressive Web Applications<br />
b.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>More Focus on Security<br />
c.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rapid Mobile App Development and Citizen Development<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>As for the most popular programming languages for enterprise apps, the top 8 are: Java, SQL, PHP, JavaScript, C#, C/C++, Python, and Ruby<br />
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Best of luck!<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-66598201627278848212018-03-05T22:44:00.001-08:002018-03-05T22:44:59.375-08:00How to Guarantee Success for Your eCommerce Business According to the Experts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Whether brick and mortar or eCommerce, growing your business and ensuring its success has never been easy. This rings especially true for an eCommerce business that has to deal with the countless competitors coming out of the woodwork day in and day out. You need successful eCommerce business ideas, but the difficulty comes from options and indecision. For example, should you do this? What about that, will it be better than this? And even when you do make a decision, how can you know if it’s the right one? You can’t unless you see it through and find out what happens. What you need are tips, but not normal tips, you need tips for eCommerce success straight from the experts.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Tips for eCommerce Success According to the Experts</h3>
And now we arrive at the tips from the experts, AKA the successful eCommerce business ideas you need for your eCommerce business to succeed:<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
1: Neil Patel — Paid Traffic is a Must</h4>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ehiSN8W6Wk/Wp43Z5zppwI/AAAAAAAABZE/TblWNHieu3YFOIcxlDXTZopkHeXvNqlEwCLcBGAs/s1600/Mobile-Advertisting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ehiSN8W6Wk/Wp43Z5zppwI/AAAAAAAABZE/TblWNHieu3YFOIcxlDXTZopkHeXvNqlEwCLcBGAs/s640/Mobile-Advertisting.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Paid traffic can be one of the best ways to quickly generate sales for your eCommerce store. You might think that paid traffic is expensive and you’ve probably heard some stories of people who have spent a lot of money – and saw no return. However, if done properly, paid traffic can, in fact, be quite affordable and once you have a winning campaign on your hands, paid traffic can really take your business to the next level</i>. — <a href="https://neilpatel.com/blog/6-clever-ways-to-ethically-boost-ecommerce-store-sales/" target="_blank">Neil Patel</a><br />
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As an eCommerce business you NEED traffic to your website, and apart from organic methods that take a couple of months to come through, you have no other way besides paid traffic of attracting your audience to your site. In other words, unless you’re a big brand that’s known around the country or globe, paid traffic is a must. Even then it’s important, but more so for those of us who are just starting out or are in the process of growing. It comes down to the fact that you can’t survive eCommerce without sales, you can’t make sales without an audience to sell to, and you can’t have an audience unless they know who you are.<br />
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2: Larry Kim — Remarketing Is Incredibly Powerful</h4>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PIMyHQVC7pk/Wp43ifvP5fI/AAAAAAAABZI/PARv2umGQfQb-ZsFy9ZTp8O7Ibx0ZnHZACLcBGAs/s1600/content-syndication-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PIMyHQVC7pk/Wp43ifvP5fI/AAAAAAAABZI/PARv2umGQfQb-ZsFy9ZTp8O7Ibx0ZnHZACLcBGAs/s640/content-syndication-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>I discovered the power of [display remarketing] a few years ago when I realized the vast majority of our site traffic came to us through non-branded organic searches, didn’t convert, and left and never came back. We were awesome at getting people to our site, but totally sucked at getting them to remember us after they got here…Just 18 months out, remarketing allowed us to increase our repeat visitors by 50%, boost conversion by 51%, and increase time on site by an insane 300%! Remarketing helped make our SEO 7x more awesome by keeping us in front of interested consumers and compelling them to take action</i>. — <a href="https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/10/01/remarketing-facts" target="_blank">Larry Kim</a><br />
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Remarketing is a step above paid advertising and works even better because you’re targeting people who are not only already familiar with your brand, but who are also interested enough in it that they previously visited your site and browsed around; you have all the ingredients of a customer except for the actual purchase. There are countless reasons that explain why they logged off in the first place — maybe they had to go somewhere, they could have wanted to buy something but an unexpected expenditure put their purchase from you on hold, or maybe they simply got distracted and forgot. Whatever the reason, the goal with remarketing is to show your audience why they visited your site in the first place and convince them to take the next step.<br />
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3: Richard Lazazzera — Implement a Customer Loyalty Program</h4>
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<i>Reward customers for their loyalty. Developing a loyalty membership to your store is another way to increase conversions from your current customers while rewarding them for their repeat purchases. Creating a loyalty program can be as simple as rewarding customers on their second purchase at your store or after a set dollar figure</i>. — <a href="https://www.shopify.com/blog/15593136-7-customer-retention-tactics-to-get-current-ecommerce-customers-to-purchase-more" target="_blank">Richard Lazazzera</a><br />
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Last on our list today, a customer loyalty program is exactly what you need to grow your eCommerce business. For one, it gives customers an incentive to become repeat customers. Second, you can incentivize them to invite their own friends to join, who can then become repeat customers as well. For example, you can offer points for every purchase, and once your users accumulate a certain amount of points they can use it toward an additional purchase. You can also offer discounts and reduced or free shipping to users who join your loyalty program, making it more likely that they’ll choose you over your competition when they need something.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Final Thoughts for Startups</h3>
Everything we covered today is important for all eCommerce businesses, but especially so for startups that are trying to make a name for themselves in the dog eat dog world that is eCommerce. When starting out, you first need to grow your audience — something paid traffic can help you out with. Once you have traffic, you need to convert as many site visitors as possible — something remarketing excels at. And once you have a steady stream of customers, you need to turn them into repeat customers who, in turn, point their friends and family your direction — something loyalty programs can do for you.<br />
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<b>Best of luck</b>!<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-86766806287616056552018-02-08T22:19:00.000-08:002018-02-08T22:19:54.414-08:003 Enterprise Software Trends for 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: selecthub.com</td></tr>
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Enterprises crave the innovation new technologies bring because they know that when technology evolves, they evolve with it. This especially holds true for enterprise software, which is used by all for varying reasons — maintaining customer databases, managing assets, taking care of orders, dealing with finances, and much much more. And as every new year that has come our way, new software is appearing and, along with it, software trends enterprises everywhere are quick to adopt.<br />
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For example, the frequent data breaches we’re seeing in the news as of late are pushing enterprises to increase their cybersecurity with new software updates. Similarly, the big leaps we’re making in the realm of artificial intelligence are paving the road for AI derivatives like machine learning and automation, which function to make the enterprise smarter as a whole.<br />
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This is all to say that emerging challenges and advancing software are prompting enterprises to exchange the old with the new and follow the new enterprise software trends 2018 will bring. Let’s take a look at some such trends.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Enterprise Software Trends 2018 Will Bring</h3>
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<b>Personalization</b></div>
Personalization is becoming more and more important in enterprises because of all the advantages it offers. For example, employees can receive more relevant and tailored information, saving them time as they avoid parsing through irrelevant data they don’t need. Consider a news feed, for instance. Without personalization, there’s no filter separating what’s important to an employee versus what’s not. With personalization, though, they only get what’s relevant; they see exactly what they want to see.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Artificial Intelligence</b></div>
AI is one of the most popular topics today, and not just for enterprises. In terms of enterprises, though, AI software offers many benefits that come in the form of machine learning and automation. Machine learning, for example, helps in the analyzation of big data, making sense of patterns that can help enterprises make smarter decisions to spur revenue.<br />
In fact, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/10/23/machine-learnings-greatest-potential-is-driving-revenue-in-the-enterprise/#7a8fff5641db" target="_blank">89% of CIOs</a> are either planning to use or using machine learning in their organizations today, and 90% of those who champion machine learning in their organizations today expect improved decision support that drives greater topline revenue growth. Automation, which is made possible with machine learning, is quickly being adopted by enterprises because it saves them time and money. For instance, when repetitive tasks are automated, employees can devote more time to other pursuits, increasing their productivity.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EjGhPPO0UI4/Wn07Ib-4HNI/AAAAAAAABYk/ac_UpYDmi0MxwrgkRfu11raqiEefKqJuQCLcBGAs/s1600/AI-Startups-compressor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EjGhPPO0UI4/Wn07Ib-4HNI/AAAAAAAABYk/ac_UpYDmi0MxwrgkRfu11raqiEefKqJuQCLcBGAs/s640/AI-Startups-compressor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: hubspot.com</td></tr>
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<b>Cybersecurity</b></div>
It’s predicted that the global cost of cybercrime will climb to <a href="https://www.juniperresearch.com/press/press-releases/cybercrime-cost-businesses-over-2trillion" target="_blank">$2 trillion by 2019</a>, almost 4 times the cost in 2015. In 2018, enterprises will use AI to improve cybersecurity. Why? Because machine learning can ‘learn’ from past events. As such, it can help enterprises identify cybersecurity threats. Exemplifying this, <a href="https://www.webroot.com/us/en/about/press-room/releases/cybercriminals-using-ai-in-attacks" target="_blank">95% of IT security professionals</a> say machine learning is a crucial component of a cybersecurity strategy.<br />
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Final Thoughts and TL;DR</h3>
Another new year means new and updated enterprise software trends. Here’s the Tl;dr version of what we covered today:<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Enterprises are always quick to adopt new technologies because they provide the means to grow, keep up with competition and surpass them<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This holds true for enterprise software, which is always evolving to handle new challenges and prepare enterprises for the future<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Personalization helps employees see only what they want and need to see, saving valuable time that could be spent performing higher-level tasks than sifting through data<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Artificial intelligence is extremely important for enterprise because it offers many advantages, such as machine learning and automation<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Machine learning aids in the analyzation of big data, and further helps enterprises make sense of patterns that can help them make smarter decisions to spur revenue growth<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Automation is made possible with machine learning and helps increase productivity<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>AI, especially machine learning, can be used to improve cybersecurity by ‘learning’ from past events, which then works to identify future threats<br />
Best of luck in 2018!<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-23919773094800968972018-01-08T20:51:00.000-08:002018-01-08T20:51:43.237-08:003 Enterprise Technologies That Will Rule in 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ir-W4xRzg24/WlRJU8HBP6I/AAAAAAAABXQ/-aJr3sHJj7ElreuSXHlXqCCcx7h_T1uEACLcBGAs/s1600/top-technology-trends-2018.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="957" height="358" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ir-W4xRzg24/WlRJU8HBP6I/AAAAAAAABXQ/-aJr3sHJj7ElreuSXHlXqCCcx7h_T1uEACLcBGAs/s640/top-technology-trends-2018.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: https://fossbytes.com</td></tr>
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A new year always brings in new technologies and trends that enterprises everywhere are quick to eat up. While these change every year, many are trends that started the previous year and carried over. Case in point, artificial intelligence (AI). AI has been a hot topic in recent years, with many new technologies stemming from it, and it’s poised to take the spotlight again in 2018. In fact, <a href="https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3763265" target="_blank">Gartner predicts</a> that by 2020, AI will be a top five priority for more than 30% of CIOs.<br />
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With that in mind, let’s take a look at enterprise technology 2018 strategies need. And as it happens to be, these technologies all revolve around AI.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
1: Voice Assistants</h3>
Voice assistants are becoming more and more popular in the business world every day. With them, employees can be more productive as they conversationally interact with them, giving them more time to focus on more important tasks.<br />
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For example, Amazon recently announced <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/alexaforbusiness/" target="_blank">Alexa for Business</a>, saying that it will help organizations solve the problem of wasted time due to tedious tasks like managing calendars, dialing into meetings, or searching for information:<br />
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<i>Alexa lets people use their voice to interact with technology so they can spontaneously ask questions in a way that feels natural. Alexa can help people take care of these tasks just by asking. Alexa can help people stay organized and focused on the things that matter, whether they are working in their office or at home. Alexa can simplify conference rooms, allowing meeting attendees to start meetings and control the equipment in the room by simply using their voice. Alexa can also do things around the workplace, like providing directions to a conference room, notifying IT about a broken printer, or placing an order for office supplies.</i><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
2: Big Data and Analytics</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zb0vqur_OhY/WlRJEGsm7UI/AAAAAAAABXM/Zx0Isa3ZGqIBMXzwF4w2KS1J5E6-r9iOwCLcBGAs/s1600/Big%2BData.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="1338" height="546" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zb0vqur_OhY/WlRJEGsm7UI/AAAAAAAABXM/Zx0Isa3ZGqIBMXzwF4w2KS1J5E6-r9iOwCLcBGAs/s640/Big%2BData.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: http://akraya.com</td></tr>
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It seems that a prerequisite for being an enterprise is handling a lot of data — it just can’t be helped. While tedious to make sense of this data, it’s absolutely vital because it reflects the decisions and consequences of said decisions. For example, an eCommerce can analyze customer data to make sense of purchasing behavior, which can help them tailor their strategies for the future.</div>
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There is, therefore, a need to manage, analyze, and extrapolate information from data, which will help enterprises aid in the decision-making process. This is where big data and analytics programs that make sense of it come into play. It’s 2018 and enterprises that previously sidestepped the big data trends are revising their strategies to prepare for the influx of insights they can glean from the mountains of numbers and statistics piling on at their doorstep.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
3: Automation</h3>
Finally, a third technology AI promotes that will rule in 2018 is automation. The thing is, tasks that can be automated are usually repetitive, routine and time-consuming, which is why the automation trend is definitely continuing from 2017. With machines taking over lower level tasks, more manpower can be devoted to those that require a human touch, which then functions to reduce overall labor costs and lower error rates.<br />
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And as <a href="http://www.information-age.com/rise-machines-continues-key-balance-123466992/" target="_blank">Information Age</a> points out, a report by ServiceNow found that highly automated companies are 6x more likely to experience revenue growth of more than 15% when compared to companies with low automation. In other words, if you’re not automating you’re not only missing out on possible growth, but also placing yourself at risk of being overtaken by your competition.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Final Thoughts and TL;DR</h3>
Artificial intelligence is reshaping business and the enterprise as a whole. It makes data easy to understand, allows for accurate predictions, and leads to simplified processes that free up resources. That’s why today we covered AI-based enterprise technology 2018 will see. From voice assistants to automation, these technologies were present in 2017 and will see an even bigger presence in 2018:<br />
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1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Voice assistants </b>allow employees to conversationally interact with technology, saving time so they can focus on more important tasks<br />
2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Big data and analytics</b> help the enterprise make sense of their internal and external interactions while extracting important information to aid the decision-making process<br />
3.<b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Automation</b> reduces labor costs and allows organizations to devote more manpower to higher level tasks<br />
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Happy New Year and best of luck in 2018!<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-37754675620886087422017-12-05T20:55:00.000-08:002017-12-05T20:55:39.943-08:00Understanding the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5LAJskl4LI/Wid13XmepOI/AAAAAAAABW0/-Q6qg_Ee8-A2fn13LSZSq53de4_-UArkACLcBGAs/s1600/Entrepreneurs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="950" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5LAJskl4LI/Wid13XmepOI/AAAAAAAABW0/-Q6qg_Ee8-A2fn13LSZSq53de4_-UArkACLcBGAs/s320/Entrepreneurs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: entrehub.org</td></tr>
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Entrepreneurship started thousands of years ago, way back when humans began specializing in specific trades and commenced to sell or trade their wares and services. Hunters scoured fields for meat, fishermen spent hours at sea to come back triumphant with nets filled with fish, smiths worked forges to mold metal into tools and arms, and masons built the first cities.<br />
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While professions change, entrepreneurship remains. We still have the staples that stem from our basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing, but as the years passed and times changed, our range of entrepreneurial opportunities grew exponentially. This is especially true for women, who have traded the homemaker role for the businesswoman role who’s ready to not only compete with men but beat them.<br />
Nowadays, as long as a desk, a phone, and a computer are available, a successful entrepreneur can be born. And if a physical location is needed, companies like <a href="https://www.wework.com/" target="_blank">WeWork</a> are there to provide everything the next-generation entrepreneur needs, from desks and office suites to entire headquarters.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The Next-Generation Entrepreneur</h3>
The financial crisis of 2007-2008 hit entrepreneurs pretty hard. As the economy recovered, consumer behavior changed, businesses evolved, and the successful entrepreneur adapted. With a strong work ethic, a propensity to take risks, and a plan to satisfy a need that’s not being taken care of, entrepreneurs rose from the ashes and started their own business. Rather than working for larger corporations, or waiting until they had a solid understanding of the business world after after a long tenure, these entrepreneurs opted for creative freedom and the chance to start something of their own.<br />
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Besides their innate qualities that led them to become entrepreneurs, an emergence of investors also made it possible for them pursue their dreams. With a plan in mind and a strategy poised for success, they found someone willing to bet on them. And with the Internet as part of their tool belt, nothing seemed impossible.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
How the Internet Has Bolstered Entrepreneurship</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-quVhoVjJbOM/Wid2AkAbsDI/AAAAAAAABW4/birhq8c_mNkG2g1apWsTr9zhSP3Fh300QCLcBGAs/s1600/Internet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-quVhoVjJbOM/Wid2AkAbsDI/AAAAAAAABW4/birhq8c_mNkG2g1apWsTr9zhSP3Fh300QCLcBGAs/s320/Internet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: bitsonline.com</td></tr>
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Whether opening a local business or starting an eCommerce company that deals with global customers, the Internet has been there to help. For local brick and mortar businesses, the Internet and SEO can help corral customers to their location — it places them on the map. In the online business world, well, the name speaks for itself: online business. That’s why a physical location is no longer a requirement for starting your own business; depending on your industry, you simply may not need it.<br />
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Now consider social media, which functions as fuel for the entrepreneurial fire. With it, entrepreneurs can do everything from promoting new products and services to marketing their business and connecting with their audience. For instance, they can lead up to a product launch with a live video that includes a Q&A session. They can also use it to pose questions to their audience for a deeper understanding of what they want to see. The beauty of social media is that it can be used for practically anything, from brand awareness to audience research, and it’s all thanks to the Internet.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The Next-Generation Entrepreneur Is Here</h3>
<a href="http://www.babson.edu/Academics/centers/blank-center/global-research/gem/Documents/GEM%20USA%202014.pdf" target="_blank">51% of working people</a> see good opportunities to start a business, and in 2014, entrepreneurship rose to the highest level in 16 years, with 14% of the working population fulfilling the entrepreneurial role. This means that if you’ve ever wanted to become a successful entrepreneur, your time is now.<br />
<br />
To get started, let’s review what we covered today on the next generation of entrepreneurs:<br />
<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Entrepreneurs have been a part of society for thousands of years, and even though roles have changed, the entrepreneurial spirit remains unchanged<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The financial crisis of 2007-2008 may have slowed things down, but entrepreneurs overcame hurdles and came back<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Thanks to more investors and access to tools stemming from the Internet, entrepreneurs, now more than ever, have more and more opportunities to begin<br />
<br />
Best of luck, entrepreneurs!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-26108697575737097312017-11-03T21:53:00.000-07:002017-11-03T21:53:05.150-07:003 Ways Technological Investments Can Grow Your Business<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WZpQasr9d1I/Wf1Ey-p1zXI/AAAAAAAABWM/HfZFLdZ77GsxB_RRoSWziXJgTSUWy6-WQCLcBGAs/s1600/Business-Technology.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="900" height="442" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WZpQasr9d1I/Wf1Ey-p1zXI/AAAAAAAABWM/HfZFLdZ77GsxB_RRoSWziXJgTSUWy6-WQCLcBGAs/s640/Business-Technology.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: <span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 105%;"><a href="http://www.waqar.me/business/new-technology-helps-boosting-your-business/">http://www.waqar.me/</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Technology and business go hand-in-hand; they’re a match made in innovative heaven. In fact, 79% of CEOs believe that innovation in business, primarily business technology, will lead to competitive advantages and increased profits.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Technology in Business</h3>
Technology in business can mean many things, primarily growth. It also means evolution and adapting to changing market trends and customer demands. For example, with technologies that enable automation and provide detailed analytics, organizations can strategically cut costs, streamline business processes, and better cater to customers. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>1: Business Technology to Cut Costs</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As we just covered, technology can lead to competitive advantages and increased profits. Unfortunately, many organizations don’t realize this and instead choose to cut technological investments when they embark on cost-cutting endeavors. They make the mistake of slashing costs across the board, a strategy that may result in more money in the present, but effectively leaves them weaker down the line. </div>
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Instead, organizations should strategically cut costs by identifying nonessential costs and diverting funds to technological investments, which can then lead to reduced costs in the future. For example, an investment in green technology, such as solar energy, will not only lead to reduced electric bills, but also tax credits from the government and utility companies. More on the IT side, migrating infrastructures to the Cloud will also drastically reduce maintenance costs and will allow you to scale up or down as needed.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>2: Business Technology to Optimize Processes</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It’s quite easy to understand how technology can be used to optimize existing business processes — when newer technologies come out, they’re usually an updated/upgraded version of previous technologies; they fix what was wrong and add new and better features. At the end of the day, the goal with technology is to find better solutions for the business, and technological investments are perfect for this.</div>
<br />
Consider AI and automation, for example. Advancements in these areas could drastically increase productivity and employee performance, leading to business growth. Similarly, analytics technology can be used to get a better understanding of data, which would function to better predict outcomes, strategically manage risks, and streamline business processes.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>3: Business Technology to Understand Customers</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Building off of technological advancements, organizations can use technology to better understand customers — their needs, their motivations, and what product or service they’re most likely to respond to. By injecting technology into the business model, organizations will also be able to completely reshape their customer’s journey according to what they actually want. Looking at analytics again, they can be used to analyze consumer trends and business drivers. This would effectively lead to a much better understanding of customers, facilitating growth.</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Final Thoughts and TL;DR</h3>
Technology in business is as important as employees; you can’t grow without either. Here’s the tl;dr version of what we covered today:<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>79% of CEOs believe that innovation in business, primarily business technology, will lead to competitive advantages and increased profits<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Technology in business means growth and adapting to evolving market trends and customer demands<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Organizations should strategically cut costs by identifying nonessential costs and diverting funds to technological investments, which can then lead to reduced costs in the future (e.g., investing in green technology or a Cloud migration)<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Advancements in AI and automation could drastically increase productivity and employee performance, leading to business growth<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Analytics technology can be used to get a better understanding of data, which would function to better predict outcomes, strategically manage risks, and streamline business processes<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Similarly, analytics can be used to analyze consumer trends and business drivers, leading to a much better understanding of customers and increased growth<br />
<br />
Good luck and definitely don’t forget to make investments in technology!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-2926977670064580862017-10-03T22:36:00.000-07:002017-10-03T22:36:39.661-07:00How Can Social Media Affect Your Business?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gr46jlR7siM/WdRxXdwCpqI/AAAAAAAABVE/ktgnSq4D4Y0NyPGRR0w0qr5REltk1zVdgCLcBGAs/s1600/How-to-Create-a-Brand-Identity-Using-Social-Media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gr46jlR7siM/WdRxXdwCpqI/AAAAAAAABVE/ktgnSq4D4Y0NyPGRR0w0qr5REltk1zVdgCLcBGAs/s640/How-to-Create-a-Brand-Identity-Using-Social-Media.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: Aumcore.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Social media marketing is a hallmark of today’s business world. It’s a customer-centric way of building relationships that can appeal directly consumer emotions, change behavior and affect decision-making. Its way of creating a network that deepens intimacy between brands and their consumers by forming a medium in which all parties can exchange ideas.<br />
The point is that the impact of social media marketing on your business can be great and, more importantly, can be used in your favor. To exemplify, here are three ways the impact of social media can be used in your business’ favor.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>1: Social Media as a Way to Connect with Customers</b></div>
As much as enterprise social media is a way for professionals to connect with each other, it’s also an avenue for enterprises to connect directly with their customers. How? By forming a community for customers to become followers.<br />
If your brand is active on social media, posts regularly and responds to your customer’s comments, you’ll not only make them feel as though they’re part of the community, but the brand itself. The key is to make them feel heard and to make them feel like they’re not talking at a brand, but with a brand.<br />
Make sure not to make it all about business either. Yes, you can share business updates, but also open up about other things that will facilitate emotional connections with your brand. For example, are there causes that your business or customers feel strongly about? If so, zero-in on them and make a difference.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>2: Social Media as a Platform for Discussion</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1hgL6owb6kM/WdRxpE2aIvI/AAAAAAAABVM/Aix0dtnYnLEtaTNYkfd35D1uRt9vVrl-wCLcBGAs/s1600/Social-Media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="650" height="442" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1hgL6owb6kM/WdRxpE2aIvI/AAAAAAAABVM/Aix0dtnYnLEtaTNYkfd35D1uRt9vVrl-wCLcBGAs/s640/Social-Media.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: Aumcore.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
One of the biggest benefits of social media is that it starts the discussion. With a simple Facebook update or Tweet, your brand can open the stage for discussion that includes your customers in the mix. Through this, your business can gain valuable insights into your followers’ opinions and what current or potential customers want from you.</div>
Also important is to show as opposed to tell. If your business has products, don’t just tell your audience, show them. Share a video that captures all the features and benefits they’ll gain from it. From there, listen to what they have to say and tailor future products accordingly.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>3: Social Media as a Way to Manage Your Business’ Reputation</b></div>
Today, companies have less control over their brand’s reputation than ever before. It’s all about customers, their opinions, and what conversations revolving around their brand are saying. If one person has a bad experience, you can bet that another will hear about it, then another, and so on; it’s an endless cycle that can spread news like wildfire.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qpOBUCjN2mA/WdRx4Ay3gjI/AAAAAAAABVQ/WSv-ioj1CQ89-aXGKFvaZxIJZlv6-RUmACLcBGAs/s1600/influencer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qpOBUCjN2mA/WdRx4Ay3gjI/AAAAAAAABVQ/WSv-ioj1CQ89-aXGKFvaZxIJZlv6-RUmACLcBGAs/s640/influencer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For this reason, brands can use social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to manage their reputation and curb any negative press that may be floating around. For example, imagine that there’s an unflattering story in the rumor mill that may or may not be based in facts. Whatever the case, enterprise social media can be used to solidify facts and eliminate speculation. The beauty of of social media is that, as we covered earlier, it’s a way of connecting with customers. After all, who better to say what’s what than the brand itself?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Final Thoughts</b></div>
The impact of social media on the enterprises of today is far-reaching. As more and more people join social media every day, enterprises are taking note and are doing the same. Whatever their reasons, they’re realizing that enterprise social media can be used to their advantage in the following ways:<br />
1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Social media is a way enterprises can connect with customers to form deeper connections<br />
2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Social media is a platform for discussion that lets everyone’s voice be heard<br />
3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Social media is a way enterprises can manage their reputation and set the facts straight<br />
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Best of luck with your social media marketing!<br />
<br /></div>
Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-33051917646703982732017-09-05T23:36:00.000-07:002017-09-05T23:38:30.598-07:00Some Tips to Keep Your Enterprise’s Cybersecurity Intact<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_K_AKrC_l6Y/Wa-VwJ9W8vI/AAAAAAAABUA/4tTJB3i98aY0q4rT3Pf07jZPtW4pgF0HgCLcBGAs/s1600/cybersecurity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="1000" height="442" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_K_AKrC_l6Y/Wa-VwJ9W8vI/AAAAAAAABUA/4tTJB3i98aY0q4rT3Pf07jZPtW4pgF0HgCLcBGAs/s640/cybersecurity.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: <a href="http://northrupcorporation.com/services/cyber-security/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 105%;">http://northrupcorporation.com</span></a></td></tr>
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It’s forecasted that the global cost of cybercrime will reach <a href="https://www.juniperresearch.com/press/press-releases/cybercrime-cost-businesses-over-2trillion" target="_blank">$2 trillion by 2019</a>, almost 4 times the estimated cost in 2015, and further, a survey of 540 organizations throughout North America, the UK and Germany found that <a href="https://www.carbonite.com/en/cloud-backup/business/resources/carbonite-blog/osterman-research-survey-reveals-shocking-ransomware-statistics/" target="_blank">nearly half had been attacked</a> with ransomware within the past year. Pair this information with the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/2017-biggest-hacks-so-far/" target="_blank">biggest cybersecurity disasters of 2017</a>, such as the 8,761 documents that were allegedly stolen from the CIA, called CIA Vault 7 and which revealed ‘the majority of [the CIA] hacking arsenal including malware, viruses, trojans,’ etc., and we have a perfect storm in the form of a cyber threat.<br />
Even worse, everyone’s a target — from the smallest SMB to the biggest enterprise — and we’re seeing more and more brazen attacks (see the leaks and hacks we’ve seen in the news, such as the <a href="http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/hbo-hacks-leaks-business-impact-1202531385/" target="_blank">HBO extortion attempt</a>). Worse still, you can have a whole nation-state, a criminal organization, or a lone hacker targeting you.<br />
The problem we’re facing with enterprise cybersecurity is that the problem can’t be attached to one specific case; it’s a multi-faceted issue that includes complex IT environments with older legacy systems paired with modern applications, cloud computing that reduces infrastructure costs while throwing its own complexities into the mix, human error and a lot more.<br />
And now we reach the crux of the matter: improving your enterprise’s cybersecurity.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Improve Enterprise Cybersecurity</h3>
Being part of an enterprise that’s comprised of many individuals, one of the first and most important things you should do is educate your employees on proper ‘cyber hygiene,’ which includes adapting secure email habits, keeping an eye out for insiders and human error, and using all the tools/information at your disposal that aim to reduce the odds of a cyber threat.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Adapt Secure Email Habits</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
As anyone with a corporate account that receives dozens or hundreds of emails every day can attest, spam and phishing attempts run rampant. Even though spam filters catch the majority potentially harmful emails, it’s still important to uphold alternate safeguards that act as a secondary line of defense. For example, viewing emails in plain text removes malicious links and embedded viruses that may be hidden ‘between the lines.’ Additionally, a good idea is to use multiple email accounts for differing purposes — you can use a primary email for internal communication within the organization and a secondary one for subscriptions and similar things that are wont to attract fishy emails.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uZcSnmCjNE0/Wa-WBVQfQpI/AAAAAAAABUE/WSnYE--jFSIG_tZe-xZHe1InGVYfIpiUgCLcBGAs/s1600/email-security.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="940" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uZcSnmCjNE0/Wa-WBVQfQpI/AAAAAAAABUE/WSnYE--jFSIG_tZe-xZHe1InGVYfIpiUgCLcBGAs/s640/email-security.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: http://www.securelaptop.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Use All Available Guides and Information At Your Disposal</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
There are many guides you can use to reduce the possibility of a cyber threat. One such guide, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) <a href="https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework" target="_blank">Cybersecurity Framework</a>, was actually developed in response to President Barack Obama’s <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/12/executive-order-improving-critical-infrastructure-cybersecurity" target="_blank">Presidential Executive Order (EO) 13636, <i>Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity</i></a>. Primarily developed by NIST with private sector input, the framework outlines an action plan for organizations to better manage and reduce cybersecurity risks, and also seeks to foster risk and cybersecurity management communication. <a href="https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework/cybersecurity-framework-faqs-framework-basics" target="_blank">More specifically</a>:<br />
<br />
“<i>The Framework will help an organization to better understand, manage, and reduce its cybersecurity risks. It will assist in determining which activities are most important to assure critical operations and service delivery. In turn, that will help to prioritize investments and maximize the impact of each dollar spent on cybersecurity. By providing a common language to address cybersecurity risk management, it is especially helpful in communicating inside and outside the organization. That includes improving communications, awareness, and understanding between and among IT, planning, and operating units, as well as senior executives of organizations. Organizations also can readily use the Framework to communicate current or desired cybersecurity posture between a buyer or supplier</i>.”<br />
Keep in mind that the framework is a guide, so you should customize it for your specific industry and organization.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Keep An Eye Out for Insiders and Human Error</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
One final point we’ll touch on today involves people — whether those with malicious intent or those prone to mistakes. On the former, insiders can be employees seeking financial gain through data manipulation or disgruntled employees with an axe to grind. On the latter, accidents happen. An employee may accidentally open the wrong email, divulge the wrong information, and may perform many similar actions in which the cyber threat was completely unintended.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K67gswxWRU4/Wa-WWQlgf5I/AAAAAAAABUI/4nHNkweWhGwyy9wx6Gn_05AhNfrwfGQNgCLcBGAs/s1600/Human-error.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="630" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K67gswxWRU4/Wa-WWQlgf5I/AAAAAAAABUI/4nHNkweWhGwyy9wx6Gn_05AhNfrwfGQNgCLcBGAs/s1600/Human-error.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: https://securityintelligence.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To counter this, make sure to increase cybersecurity awareness, develop strategies for specific instances, test said strategies, and educate all employees on enterprise cybersecurity, including password management and what they share on social media.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Final Thoughts</h3>
With cloud computing, the rapid rise of the smartphone, and other technological advents, guarding company data has never been harder or more important. As such, make sure to keep backups of critical data — just make sure that the backup itself doesn’t have any malware — keep an eye on privileged accounts that are frequently targeted, set-up multi-factor authentication processes, and keep in mind everything we covered today.<br />
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</div>
Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-70980824339669499662017-08-08T21:56:00.000-07:002017-08-08T21:56:40.188-07:00How to Manage Mobile Devices in an Enterprise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gcXTgLhDRA/WYqUAFEnczI/AAAAAAAABS8/-bvezmWi7lASQPXHIK122lIJKjNeFWgMACLcBGAs/s1600/MDM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="810" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gcXTgLhDRA/WYqUAFEnczI/AAAAAAAABS8/-bvezmWi7lASQPXHIK122lIJKjNeFWgMACLcBGAs/s640/MDM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: www.pcmag.com</td></tr>
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The huge increase in smartphone and tablet adoption, paired with faster mobile connections to the Internet, are giving rise to a trend businesses everywhere are seeing: enterprise mobile devices for employees. As <a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/how-to-manage-mobile-devices-across-your-business-1321415" target="_blank">Elizabeth O'Dowd</a>, editor of mobile technology and wireless networks at Solutions Review, says:<br />
“<i>What makes an enterprise mobility solution even more important is the value it holds for the future of your enterprise. Computers are only becoming smaller; laptops are considered mobile devices to most of the top solutions, not just smartphones</i>.”<br />
Moreover:<br />
“<i>Sooner than you realise, mobile devices in the enterprise will be a necessity as the lifestyle of the workplace begins to change. Ignore this and not only will you have less efficient workers than your competitors, but employees will seek to work other places with more favourable and modern work environments</i>.”<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Enterprise Management for Mobile Devices</h3>
The mobile rise, in turn, is leading to one of two outcomes: first, enterprises provide their own devices for their employees in what’s called mobile device management, and second, enterprises enact a BYOD (bring your own device) policy in which employees use their own devices with company-owned applications.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Mobile Device Management</h3>
The first option for enterprise management, mobile device management (MDM), entails IT personnel to pair employees with enterprise mobile devices. This allows remote tracking and management, which is good if a mobile device is lost or if an employee leaves the company. In such cases, IT can enforce device security and lock everyone out and wipe the data. The company can also configure WiFi access, install and manage applications, and address any problems with the device.<br />
The problem with this option is that employees typically prefer using their own devices and, when using enterprise mobile devices, don’t like the idea of having their phone wiped if a situation in which corporate data is at risk rises. We therefore land on the second option, a BYOD policy.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
BYOD Policies</h3>
When choosing a BYOD policy, IT departments are turning to a variety of restrictive mobile device management solutions that protects information without impeding on the owner’s personal data. For example, we have mobile application management (MAM) and enterprise mobility management (EMM).<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Mobile Application Management</h4>
A more targeted solution than MDM, MAM creates a distinction between business and personal by allowing companies to control access to their applications and the content associated with them instead of the actual physical device. In other words, the only thing that IT can access is the application itself and its features. So if the devices is lost or stolen, access to the app can be removed without touching personal data. Another plus, the application can also be remotely updated with new features and security patches if threats arise.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tu25zzPBo_Q/WYqUT9xG-8I/AAAAAAAABTA/2ykp__pNk7YcFwmzsAzphsWO5SjxxtUHgCLcBGAs/s1600/2016-1223-aumcore-office-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tu25zzPBo_Q/WYqUT9xG-8I/AAAAAAAABTA/2ykp__pNk7YcFwmzsAzphsWO5SjxxtUHgCLcBGAs/s640/2016-1223-aumcore-office-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: Aumcore.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Under this category, employees may be given access to an array of applications, such as corporate email, sales support, cloud storage, etc. When this is the case, enterprise management can take an extra precaution and limit certain functions, like copy & paste, to prevent employees from sharing sensitive data.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Enterprise Mobility Management</h4>
Because EMM can handle large numbers of devices with different operating systems, one of its goals is to get various software management tools under one umbrella. Falling under the BYOD category, it’s a hardware-agnostic option of remotely managing devices that entails remote access to corporate applications, internal websites, etc. In a way, EMM is an all encompassing approach that bridges the gap between MDM and MAM by centrally managing and enforcing corporate security protocols.<br />
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Final Thoughts and TL;DR</h3>
From schools to enterprises, mobile devices are popping up everywhere. They’ve infiltrated most businesses for one simple reason: they’re versatility. Anyway, here’s what we covered today:<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mobile adoption is leading businesses to choose between enterprise mobile devices and BYOD (bring your own device) policies<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mobile device management, when employees use company devices, entails remote tracking and management (including remote wiping)<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Some BYOD policies are mobile application management (MAM) and enterprise mobility management (EMM)<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>MAM allows companies to control access to their applications and the content associated with them instead of the actual physical device<br />
●<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>EMM bridges the gap between MDM and MAM by centrally managing and enforcing corporate security protocols<br />
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Good luck managing your enterprise’s mobile devices!<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-6759181001507391532017-07-02T22:41:00.001-07:002017-07-02T22:43:01.580-07:005 Ways Enterprise Mobile Apps Can Increase Your Business’ ROI<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Enterprise app trends have changed the enterprise landscape in various ways. For example, they’re great branding tools that help your Brand stay in the mind of your users. In this way, a mobile app can act as a marketing channel that works 24/7 — as long as the app is on a phone, it can market. </div>
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More specific to our topic today (and if done correctly), they can help businesses increase their ROI. </div>
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<b>This can be done in two ways</b>:</div>
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1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Internal apps that drastically improve productivity, thereby increasing ROI </div>
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2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>External, client-facing apps that bring in their own revenue and help with marketing efforts</div>
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Enterprise App Trends: Adoption to Increase ROI</div>
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Fueled by increased ROI through a one-time investment that goes into a mobile app, businesses are adopting more and more enterprise mobile apps in an effort to adapt to smartphone-dominated world we live in. These companies are seeing that apps, both internal and external, help boost ROI directly through revenue, and indirectly through increased employee productivity. </div>
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<b>Here’s what they can do for you</b>:</div>
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1: Employee Tools</h4>
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The first two ways enterprise mobile apps can increase ROI entail increased employee productivity through internal apps. This line of thinking is as follows: with mobile apps helping employees, they can work faster and better, improving overall company productivity. </div>
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As <a href="http://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/three-elements-of-successful-mobile-apps/">Van Baker</a>, Research VP at Gartner said, “<i>The mobile app should make work faster, and better, for the employee, as well as less expensive…Don’t simply extend existing applications — make them better for the mobile worker</i>.”</div>
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The beauty of mobile apps, or apps in general, is that they can be programmed to do whatever you want. The first way, therefore, is by using mobile apps as tools for employees. As such, if there’s something that’s currently lagging or can be improved, an app can be developed to fix it. Even better is the mobile aspect of the app because it entails mobility and flexibility. </div>
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2: Streamlined Efficiency</h4>
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Going off of using mobile apps as tools for tasks, they can similarly be used to streamline tasks and improve employee efficiency. This is because the best sources for information on how a company runs and how it can run more smoothly are the ones in the front lines everyday, the employees.</div>
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With mobile apps helping them navigate through tasks, employees can not only work more, but also better. This translates to more productivity for the company as a whole, and more productivity usually means more money.</div>
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3: ECommerce</h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXwsFBMBEdQ/WVnXGhlgdOI/AAAAAAAABRQ/Cw9bKk12BEUnLzCpl6YVi0Rl_NBJPXUQQCLcBGAs/s1600/ecommerce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXwsFBMBEdQ/WVnXGhlgdOI/AAAAAAAABRQ/Cw9bKk12BEUnLzCpl6YVi0Rl_NBJPXUQQCLcBGAs/s1600/ecommerce.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">source: Aumcore.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Moving on to external, client-facing apps, the first way to increase ROI is by opening a revenue channel. More specific to eCommerce businesses that sell products/services, it’s easy to see how these apps result in more money for the enterprise. You put in a one-time investment to develop the app (with maintenance updates every now and then), and then let it do its magic — sell to your users 24/7.</div>
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4: Customer Data</h4>
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Another beauty of mobile apps is that they’re a goldmine of user data that can be used to improve marketing efforts. Once installed, mobile apps provide a company with a picture of how their users are interacting with the app. This includes the products/services they’re interested in, the ones they’re not, and general demographics that can be used to tailor and better target marketing campaigns.</div>
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5: Marketing Channel</h4>
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Rounding off the list, enterprise app trends have shown that apps serve as marketing channels all on their own. From our last point we see that user data can be mined from apps. The next step, therefore, is to use that data to better target marketing campaigns. For example, if you notice that a certain demographic is more likely to purchase a particular product/service, you can shift marketing efforts to target that particular demographic.</div>
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In an alternate vein, mobile apps can also help your company’s marketing team with push notifications that ensure that your Brand will always be in your user’s minds.</div>
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Final Thoughts</h4>
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For enterprise mobile mobile apps to be successful, they have to have a positive impact for users. More than that, they have to have provide a real value. That is to say that they have to actually streamline tasks and help them work better (internal apps —> employees), and improve their interactions with your Brand (external apps —> users).</div>
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Best of luck!</div>
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-30415649160163651392017-06-03T00:07:00.001-07:002017-06-03T00:10:30.625-07:007 Benefits Fueling the Adoption of Mobile Apps by Enterprises<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OxzyDoq9HAc/WTJdLKIgjpI/AAAAAAAABQk/oPIEHjB7iyEz8375uCe-MApqsg1zj599gCLcB/s1600/ecommerce-mobile-app.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="632" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OxzyDoq9HAc/WTJdLKIgjpI/AAAAAAAABQk/oPIEHjB7iyEz8375uCe-MApqsg1zj599gCLcB/s320/ecommerce-mobile-app.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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“I can’t use a mobile app for my business, there’s no use for it.” False, whether you’re a small business of a large enterprise, the benefits of mobile apps transcend industry and size. This is why a poll of mobility specialists focused on enterprise app trends found that 43% of respondents said increased productivity was their primary goal for an enterprise app rollout, and 22% said that new revenue or service delivery opportunities were the key focus.<br />
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<b>Grow Your Business with a Mobile Application</b><br />
At the end of the day, <a href="http://enterpriseappsential.blogspot.in/2017/04/how-can-enterprise-application-integration-benefit-your-business.html" target="_blank">enterprise mobile apps</a> have a positive impact on your bottom line. Internal apps are excellent employee tools to streamline tasks and create an efficient work environment, and external, client-facing apps give your business the added ‘oomph’ to get a leg up over your competition.<br />
The point being that through mobile apps you can get the much needed boost to grow your business. How? Well, to whet your mobile appetite, here are 7 benefits you can expect by adopting the enterprise app trends and getting a mobile app for your business.<br />
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<b>1: Streamline Tasks with Internal Apps</b><br />
The first benefit comes from internal apps. Look at this way, who knows more about the day-to-day activities that it takes to make a business run that the employees who spend their days in the front line?<br />
Employees know what works and what doesn’t. Listen to any watercooler conversation and you’re bound to hear things like, “if only I could ________, I would work so much faster!” or “man, that ________ is really cutting my productivity. We should ________.”<br />
Listen to your employees and help them help you.<br />
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<b>2: Open a New Revenue Channel</b><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MDslw3vMRl0/WTJdXyY3XAI/AAAAAAAABQo/V-wbZMBBWx0rxZXYxYfy8vc7W24WBSSiwCLcB/s1600/ecommerce-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MDslw3vMRl0/WTJdXyY3XAI/AAAAAAAABQo/V-wbZMBBWx0rxZXYxYfy8vc7W24WBSSiwCLcB/s320/ecommerce-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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The next set of benefits come from client-facing enterprise mobile apps. These are the ones that have the most impact on growth, as they’re usually associated with increased revenue. As such, our second benefit is creating a whole new revenue channel.<br />
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Most easily observed by those in ecommerce, pairing an app with your business can lead to a drastic revenue influx. An ecommerce business has a leg up over normal brick and mortar shops in the sense that they’re ‘open’ 24/7, offering their products and services around the clock in the form of a website. Add a mobile app in the mix and you not only have 24/7 coverage, but also mobility.<br />
Mobility translates to sales at any time, in any place. You can also send push notifications every now and then with special offers to incentivize your users to make a purchase.<br />
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<b>3: Stay Ahead of Your Competition</b><br />
There are two possible scenarios when talking about mobile apps and your competition:<br />
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Neither you nor your competition have a mobile app.<br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Your competition has a mobile app and you don’t.<br />
In the first scenario, you need to take the first step and get ahead of them, and in the second, you need to catch up with them and compete. The truth is that in the consumer’s mind, a business with an app is better than one without. Pairing an app with your business demonstrates that you want make a connection with your users; you want to facilitate future interactions with your brand.<br />
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<b>4: Greater Customer Convenience</b><br />
Leading off of the previous benefit, a mobile app is excellent for making your users’ lives easier. Being a consumer yourself, you know that a three-step purchase journey is better than a five-step journey. Similarly, a mobile app that gives users the same functionality as a desktop site, with the added benefits on this list, is great for making your customers’ lives easier.<br />
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<b>5: Improve Your Branding Efforts</b><br />
Do you know what a splash screen is? If not, it’s the loading screen that appears when you launch an app. Anyway, by putting your company’s logo or slogan on your app, you’re essentially solidifying your brand in your user’s mind every time they open it. And as we covered earlier, push notifications are excellent for getting their attention. Use them every now and then with updates or informative content that ensures you’re a constant presence on their phone and mind.<br />
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<b>6: Foster Customer Loyalty</b><br />
With customer loyalty program in place that rewards users for purchases or referrals, you’re bound to see a spike in repeat purchases and conversions. This is because everyone likes deals, everyone likes saving money, and everyone likes exclusivity.<br />
An easy option is to implement a program that rewards purchases with points that can be used for anything from discounts from future purchases to free giveaways. This ensures that customers stay loyal and keep coming back to you for more.<br />
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<b>7: Increase Customer Satisfaction</b><br />
Rounding up the list of benefits is something that can make or break your business, customer satisfaction. The simple reality is that an unhappy customer is a ticking time bomb that you need to diffuse. Just like positive reviews can turn potential customers into customers, negative reviews do the opposite and deter future prospects.<br />
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Enterprise mobile apps with a 24/7 customer service feature are perfect for unhappy customers because you’re giving them an option to vent and relieve their frustrations. Even if you don’t have someone working around the clock answering calls, the option to send a report or email can act as a temporary salve to ease their frustrations until you can get in there and take care of the situation.<br />
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<b>Wrapping Up</b><br />
There are instances in life in which it’s best to be a follower. This is exactly the case when it comes to following <a href="http://enterpriseappsential.blogspot.in/2017/01/why-top-companies-are-in-search-of-mobile-apps-for-business.html" target="_blank">enterprise app trends</a>. And in case you forgot, here are some benefits of pairing your<br />
business with an app:<br />
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1.Streamline Tasks with Internal Apps<br />
2.Open a New Revenue Channel<br />
3.Stay Ahead of Your Competition<br />
4.Greater Customer Convenience<br />
5.Improve Your Branding Efforts<br />
6.Foster Customer Loyalty<br />
7.Increase Customer Satisfaction<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-74324907476529832692017-05-01T23:16:00.001-07:002017-05-01T23:16:24.025-07:006 Ways You Can Use Mobile Apps to Grow Your Enterprise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If 77% of companies are saying that the enterprise mobile application world is different today than it was two years ago, then it’s time to take heed of the changing enterprise app trends and adapt to the times.<br />
“They’re too expensive,” some say. Actually, with templates and services that offer cheap enterprise app solutions, this no longer has any credence, and pairing an application with your enterprise can actually lead to growth.<br />
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<b>Grow Your Business with Enterprise Mobile Apps</b><br />
What are <a href="http://why%20top%20companies%20are%20in%20search%20of%20mobile%20apps%20for%20business/" target="_blank">enterprise mobile applications</a> good for? Many things, but most importantly, they’re key for business growth and securing a strong foothold within your industry.<br />
On the growth through increased profits side, mobile apps offer a whole new revenue channel, especially if you have a commerce business. How? By using the app and selling through it. Delving deeper into this, you can increase profits by opening a new marketing channel and increasing your reach, and similarly, brand awareness.<br />
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Of course, we can’t forget about the customer either. After all, they are the ones who will lead your business to growth. Don’t neglect them, use a mobile application to improve their experience with your brand and steer them away from the competition, and toward you.<br />
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Let’s begin:<br />
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<b>1: Open a New Marketing Channel</b><br />
An easy first, an <a href="http://www.omniesolutions.com/enterprise-platform.aspx" target="_blank">enterprise application</a> opens up a whole new marketing channel, especially if you integrate it with social media platforms and open the avenue for users to share content with their own friends and family. And as the following section explains, a new marketing channel translates to increased brand awareness.<br />
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<b>2: Increase Brand Awareness</b><br />
Out of a new marketing channel, comes improved brand awareness. Think about it. An application for your enterprise will undoubtedly display your company’s logo, slogan, messages, etc. Therefore, every single time they open the app and see your company’s splash screen, they’ll be exposed to your brand.<br />
And with push notifications enabled, your customer base is always one message away. As long as you don’t overdo it, a notification every now and then can serve to keep your brand a constant presence in your audience’s mind.<br />
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<b>3: Greater Customer Convenience</b><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gpnPEuy0btc/WQghku0mB8I/AAAAAAAABPA/vrjEy5HA77gyID8_QZyhQh7sonxQkwj-QCLcB/s1600/Ecommerce-Mobile-Application.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gpnPEuy0btc/WQghku0mB8I/AAAAAAAABPA/vrjEy5HA77gyID8_QZyhQh7sonxQkwj-QCLcB/s320/Ecommerce-Mobile-Application.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
Image Source: Aumcore.com<br />
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We, or at least many of us, lead fast-paced lives and are addicted to our smartphones. Being on-the-go means means that we’ve long since entered the smartphone age in which they’ve become an extension of us, not unlike an extra appendage. This, in turn, means that if we want to get our customers’ attention, we need to be available on a format they’re likely to use many times throughout their day.<br />
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With a mobile application attached to your enterprise, you’ll not only be more accessible to your customers, but if you’re an <a href="http://5%20ways%20artificial%20intelligence%20is%20changing%20the%20future%20of%20ecommerce/" target="_blank">ecommerce business</a>, you’ll also simplify and reduce the steps from beginning to checkout. Your customers will no longer need to go to a physical store or sit down in front of a desktop computer, now all they have to do is reach into their pockets, tap a few times, and there you go, you have a sale.<br />
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<b>4: Improve Customer Service</b><br />
Customer service is key for business growth because a happy customer is a repeat customer, and a repeat customer means more revenue. This especially true if an unhappy customer decides to leave negative comments in one of the many review sites out there. Why? Because negative reviews lead to fewer customers, and fewer customers lead to less opportunities for growth. DO NOT let this happen.<br />
The question now becomes, how can a mobile app improve customer service? Accessibility. There’s no doubt that it’s hard to offer 24/7 customer service. An easy fix is to offer the option for your customers to leave feedback or make inquiries any time, any day. Even if you can’t respond immediately, the ability to voice their concerns (and a helpful follow-up email that ensures their concerns will be heard) will serve to ease their otherwise flared tempers.<br />
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You can also take an extra step and program a chatbot within the application for true 24/7 customer service. It’ll be more expensive, yes, but it will also greatly improve your customer’s experience with your brand.<br />
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<b>5: Boost Customer Loyalty</b><br />
Loyal customers, they don’t just come back, they don’t simply recommend you, they insist that their friends do business with you. - Chip Bell<br />
As Chip Bell’s quote above suggests, loyal customers are extremely beneficial for business growth. This can be done through the use of reward, loyalty and referral programs.<br />
A program that gives your customers a discount for each referral is bound to boost loyalty. The same can be said for loyalty programs that reward users for each purchase, as they’ll be inclined to use your services over and over again to further boost their rewards.<br />
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<b>6: Get a Leg up over Your Competition</b><br />
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Image Source: elegantthemes.com<br />
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66% of organizations are expecting to increase their investment in enterprise mobile apps within the next three years. Do the same because at the end of the day, you want to be number one; you want to be the brand that consumers turn to in times of need.<br />
There are two possible scenarios with your competition and mobile apps. One, they have an application and you don’t, and two, neither you nor them have an application. In the first scenario, you need to catch up and surpass them. In the second, you want to get a leg up over them and use the momentum to further boost your business.<br />
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Looking Back<br />
Enterprise mobile apps and the changing enterprise app trends are changing the way consumers interact with brands. What you want is to capitalize on this change and use it to grow your business. That being said, let’s look back and do a quick recap of how you can do this with an enterprise mobile application:<br />
<br />
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Open a New Marketing Channel<br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Increase Brand Awareness<br />
3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Greater Customer Convenience<br />
4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Improve Customer Service<br />
5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Boost Customer Loyalty<br />
6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Get a Leg up over Your Competition</div>
Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-16019912146280969032017-04-03T23:38:00.000-07:002017-04-06T00:31:16.515-07:00How Can Enterprise Application Integration Benefit Your Business?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Enterprises of all sizes, from small to large, rely on a variety of software applications to execute critical business operations on a daily basis. In order to communicate with internal and external teams, maintain relationships with customers, acquire business intelligence, and carry out other business objectives, enterprises have had to rely and acquaint themselves with multiple software programs.<br />
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The issue here comes from the lack of coordination between the different applications. Some businesses turn to enterprise app development to create custom applications that maneuver around the issue, but to truly get passed it, you have to integrate enterprise applications into a single interface.<br />
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<b>What Is Enterprise Application Integration?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) enables data flow from programs by creating an interface that allows applications to communicate with each other. By bridging the gap between different software programs, EAI helps organizations exploit the full potential of their technology. Its implementation results in a well-rounded view of an organization’s business model, enabling higher operational efficiency.<br />
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<b>How Can EAI Benefit Your Business?</b><br />
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The goal of EAI is to combine data generated by different programs to streamline business operations and create a more efficient business. It helps businesses remain flexible in terms of infrastructure. As we covered earlier, enterprises usually purchase a variety of software programs for alternate business operations. Some of the applications that EAI can target are related to:<br />
●<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ecommerce Optimization<br />
●<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)<br />
●<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Human Resources Data<br />
●<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Internal and Marketing Communications<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
●<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Supply Chain Management (SCM)<br />
●<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Customer Relationship Management (CRM)<br />
●<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Business Intelligence and Analytics<br />
Because intercommunication in the above processes is not automated, they can’t communicate with each other, leading to inefficiency. And now, here’s how EAI can be of great benefit for your business:<br />
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<b>Simplified Exchange of Information</b><br />
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As the ‘integration’ part of its name implies, <a href="http://enterpriseappsential.blogspot.in/2016/10/how-enterprise-applications-are-gaining.html" target="_blank">enterprise application integration</a> allows the integration of different software programs. Naturally, what follows is a simplified flow of information between separate software programs.<br />
If you think of the interface created by EAI as a single point of data access, those within and connected to the enterprise can access the combined data, eliminating redundancies that come with separate and detached systems. The outcome is a consolidation of data that’s not only easily accessible, but also a big time saver.<br />
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<b>Automated Business Processes</b><br />
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Similar to a simplified flow of information, automated business processes are a natural byproduct of EAI because it streamlines operations from various applications. The combination of processes allows you to figuratively ‘kill two birds with one stone.”<br />
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<b>Simplified Technological Processes</b><br />
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Not everyone can be tech savvy. It’s no great surprise that some people have a harder time that others adjusting to new technologies. This problem is magnified further when new applications and existing software don’t mesh well together. By combining the information and functionality of multiple programs into a single user-friendly interface, EAI reduces the complexities of technology that some people struggle with. As such, instead of learning various systems and applications, one need only familiarize themselves with one.<br />
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Image Source: hospitalitynet.org<br />
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<b>Improved Efficiency</b><br />
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By nature, the single interface that EAI creates greatly improves efficiency. Organizations no longer have to go back and forth between applications when completing a task; they can quickly locate information in one simple place.<br />
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Picture an employee seeking to use information from one application for another. Without EAI they have to go back and forth between both, risking inconsistencies. These can be a missed word, number, or anything else that may arise out of human error. With EAI, on the other hand, everything is consolidated in one location. Easy, simple, and efficient.<br />
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<b>Wrapping Up</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.omniesolutions.com/enterprise-bus-integration.aspx" target="_blank">Enterprise application integration</a> is the answer to the question you didn’t know you had. With it, an enterprise can:<br />
●<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Manage the flow of information in a simple manner.<br />
●<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Automate business processes and streamline operations.<br />
●<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Reduce the complexities associated with new or challenging technologies.<br />
●<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Improve efficiency with a single interface that reduces the impact of human error.<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6920099762726074580.post-28509423354225971482017-03-02T21:38:00.000-08:002017-04-06T00:30:24.145-07:00The Rise of Enterprise Cloud Apps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We live in a time of technological advancements. Drones are delivering packages from Amazon, self-driving cars are taking to the highways, advances in natural language processing are gearing up to shake up the world of smart digital assistants, and cloud computing lets us store unimaginable amounts of information on remote servers.<br />
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<b>Enterprise Cloud Applications</b><br />
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Let’s begin with a brief overview of enterprise mobile apps and enterprise app development. Enterprise apps differ from consumer apps in that they’re predominantly productivity-focused. More often than not, they’re created by enterprises to streamline tasks and create an automated environment. In the past, enterprises wanting to develop an app would need to contact vendors, complete an RFP (request for proposal) process, and jump through numerous other hurdles. Things are much better today. Now, organizations can go to a cloud marketplace and submit their app without the worries that previously troubled them. And, if for any reason they’re not pleased with the app, they just need deactivate it.<br />
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This simplified development process, with less involvement from vendors, was formerly reserved for consumer apps. It has, in turn, taken pressures off selecting the optimal cloud strategy and led to the consumerization of B2B enterprise mobile apps. As a matter of fact, Oracle, the world’s largest software company <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/01/20/all-oracle-applications-are-cloudbound/" target="_blank">announced</a> in 2016 that all of its apps would be moving to the cloud. Moreover, a survey found that 75% of enterprises with greater than 1,000 employees have at least one app or platform running in the cloud, and 90% of all companies today either have apps running in the cloud or are planning on doing so in 2017.<br />
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<b>Enterprise Cloud Applications in the Public Marketplace</b><br />
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The growing consumption of enterprise cloud apps has led to an increase in both the number of enterprise mobile apps moving to public cloud marketplaces and ease of enterprise app consumption. This shift in the <a href="http://enterpriseappsential.blogspot.in/2017/01/why-top-companies-are-in-search-of.html" target="_blank">enterprise app development</a> process has been largely driven by Amazon Web Services (AWS), a pay-as-you-go suite of cloud computing services that make up an on-demand computing platform. AWS is an easy and affordable solution to cloud computing, and one that reached an all time high in popularity in 2016, with 57% of companies running it in the cloud. In fact, AWS is actually more popular than Microsoft, Google and IBM’s clouds combined.<br />
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<b>The Demand for Enterprise Cloud Applications</b><br />
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As we covered earlier, <a href="http://www.omniesolutions.com/enterprise-platform.aspx" target="_blank">developing enterprise apps</a> on the cloud is much easier than the on-premise alternative. Not only easier, but cheaper, and as we’ll cover in the next section, safer as well.<br />
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<b>The Security Misconception</b><br />
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There’s a big misconception about the cloud and security. Many believe the cloud to be unsafe because it’s ‘the cloud,’ an abstract concept that most don’t fully understand. In other words, because data is stored on servers and hardware that are largely out of their control, people believe that it’s more susceptible to breaches.<br />
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In reality, and as this post explains, “Offsite cloud applications typically require more stringent firewalls, access credentials and security protocols than onsite stored data. With onsite stored data, security protocols tend to wane because they nest behind a local firewall onsite. On the other hand, offsite cloud applications must adhere to much more stringent security protocols, to make sure business owners are comfortable storing materials offsite and to make sure that access to those materials remains muted from the outside world.”<br />
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<b>The Takeaway</b><br />
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“What’s happening in the market is cloud—it’s just the way the industry is going to be going forward,” says Dan Miller, Oracle senior vice president for ISV and OEM. It’s safe to say that if you’re going to embark on an enterprise app development journey, the cloud is the way to go.<br />
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Sophina Dillardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10924126062472863304noreply@blogger.com0