Have you ever had to collaborate with clients when progress was delayed because someone either didn’t get an email or didn’t get back soon enough? While email, file sharing and conference calls may be very familiar and comfortable, there are actually much more effective ways to engage team collaboration that are safer and more efficient than many conventional methods—email, VPN (Virtual Private Network) or Dropbox (just to name a few).
Indeed, cloud technologies and collaboration are a match made in cyber-heaven. Here, I outline how you could be working with cloud collaboration rather than your normal routine: huddled around a desktop PC in someone’s cubicle, shuffling documents between offices, back and forth phone and emails (choose your own misadventure) that undermine yours and your employees’ productivity.
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For years now, people have been talking about how high-functioning computers would take over the world—a SciFi thriller where tries to fight back against masses of robotic armies, machines trying to eliminate human existence. The notion of a completely automated society and workplace certainly seemed far-fetched 10 or 15 years ago and, in my opinion is still rather off-the-wall. When news anchors and columnists refer to automated computers taking over our jobs, they are sensationalizing the idea that computer automation will devalue human employment. On the contrary, I argue that process automation does quite the opposite—automation eliminates non-value-added work in order to highlight one’s particularly valuable and important human skills. Skills that would be exceedingly hard to replace by machines.
The specific value businesses get out of automated processes is not just in efficiency. It also goes beyond cost-savings. Rather, the tangible value that automation gives to a business is in increasing the perceived value of their workforce. Automation is meant to reduce employees’ time spent on simple tasks while increasing their time engaged in higher order thinking.
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Information Technology (IT) can make or break a business. When done right, thoughtfully laid-out and well-implemented technology solutions result in increased profit, productivity and growth. In a recent article, “Productivity is soaring at Top Firms and Sluggish Everywhere Else”, HBR correspondent Chiara Criscuolo pins the success of growing businesses on innovative IT strategies. Criscuolo identifies the main cause of the increasing productivity gap between successful “Frontier” firms and everyone else as the effective use and implementation of IT solutions.
Productivity is the most important driver of economic growth and long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive marketplace. An HBR research team found that the most successful businesses—both in manufacturing and service— effectively implement IT strategies: strategies that make successful firms exceedingly more successful. These IT strategies focus on increased productivity in service and production—culminating technological investments with human and organizational improvement. The IT revolution goes beyond simply technological advances—rather it emphasizes the integration of human skill with software and organizational know-how (managerial quality) to create a more satisfied, engaged and productive workforce.
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PayPal chip reader
The transition to the new chip credit card technology may at first glance seem confusing— I’ve heard several business owners ask questions such as “How will this impact my business?”, “Will this cost me a lot of money?” and “What are my options?”. In short, if you currently use a point of sale (POS) system, the new industry standards will affect you. Check out our recent post about this chip credit card transition for details. You will want to invest in a chip-capable card reader by October 1 of this year (the date when major credit card providers will switch over to their new policy). But on the bright side, there are a couple of light-weight options for chip card readers that are relatively inexpensive, easy to use and even compatible with most current iPhones, tablets and Android devices.
Both Square and PayPal have announced chip/swipe readers that should be coming later this year. These mobile credit card readers simply plug into the headphone jack on your phone or tablet— effectively transforming it into a cash register.
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Usually, my tips are directed at finding tech solutions to better your overall business. But today, I’ve decided to do something a bit different. Because we are in the midst of home improvement season, I wanted to showcase a couple of helpful phone apps that have made my 2015 fixit-yourself projects run a LOT smoother. Below I describe the 5 essential iPhone apps for home improvement DIY projects. Let’s call it the iPhone DIY suite.
To get started you probably will need an application to figure out how to implement the projects on your To-Do list. Get started by checking out: WikiHow and iFIXIT.
WikiHow will tell you how to do anything from tenderizing chicken to building a frame wall in your basement. I use this app often.
iFIXIT specifically focuses on how to fix things (appliances, electronics and even computers). Even if you opt for a handyman, it will give you a good idea what work needs to be done—this app can help to gauge whether quoted work seems reasonable.
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A popular online malware marketplace used by cybercriminals all over the world has been shut down by authorities.
The website, known as Darkode, established in 2007, was the largest-known English-language malware themed forum in the world. Darkode had between 250 and 300 active members and worked as a means for online criminals to buy and sell everything from stolen data, to various hacking tools.
As means to previously avoid unwanted infiltration, to become a member of the site, one had to be vouched for or nominated by existing members in order to utilize the forum. To further protect themselves, Darkode was hosted on web servers that were set up to resist law enforcement penetration.
It is believe that users of this forum were responsible for the cyber-attacks on Sony’s PlayStation Network and Microsoft’s Xbox Live services from last year, among others.
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