Big data needs a product like Microsoft Access
Such a product, call it “Big Access”, would connect to cloud data sources, spreadsheets, enterprise data sources, log files, and perhaps certain machine data beyond those log files. Big Access would also provide functionality for data quality, data blending, and data shaping. It would provide basic data visualization capabilities, though it would leave the fancy stuff to tools that already cover the visualization space. Big Access would also provide predictive analytics functionality. The amount of explicit effort required to build a predictive model on existing data in Big Access would actually be quite small.
Soon Your Tech Will Talk to You Through Your Skin
It’s not hard to see why designers are looking for a new conduit. Our eyes and ears, the dominant modes for the digital world, are full to bursting. Devices bombard us with text alerts and audio bleeps. Your skin, on the other hand, is an “underused channel,” says Raymond Kiefer, a safety expert who helped design GM’s vibrating seats. “This is a way to cut through the visual and auditory clutter.” There’s a danger here, of course. Vibrations cut through the white noise of today’s alert-o-sphere.
Top 10 Data Center Predictions for 2015
In 2014, mission critical innovation drove new standards in PUE reduction, water use and digital service efficiency. Pressing data center operator concerns include security, operational expense management and Internet of Things (IOT) growth. Everyone seems to be balancing big data, cloud and SDN initiatives. And with shadow IT coming to light, you have more internal influencers with input on your data center operations. So what does this mean for 2015? I forecast a year of incremental adaptation vs. radical change as industry buzz gives way to genuine innovation and proven methodologies. As much as some things will change, others will frustratingly stay the same.
5 Mobile Design Trends That Can Teach Us Something
There are so many apps within the App Store and there are so many more on Google Play. It’s hard to tell what the up and coming design trends are but it’s significantly easier to pick five current trends and analyze them. Let’s see how color, innovative ideas and simplicity of current apps can teach us a thing or two about mobile app design. ,,, It’s interesting to see that some apps out there are trying to promote a sophisticated and elegant vibe through design. It’s not something common on websites either, but it’s significantly less common among mobile apps.
Microsoft's karmic gaffe is 'opening up the conversation'
"There are biases about everything," said Larson-Green on December 5 in a 40-minute-long interview. Those biases affect women, but also minorities and even individuals with more introverted personalities. "Are there ways to bring out the best in people? That's been a really great conversation we've had internally." Larson-Green isn't the only woman in the leadership ranks at Microsoft. Amy Hood, a 12-year Microsoft veteran, was named CFO in May 2013. Women also head business development and human resources.
Hiring Cultural Creatives
Cultural creatives, many of whom are millennials, are employees who go beyond just producing to actually innovate new ideas. They are independent, seek achievement, thrive on ambiguity and risk taking, and look for new opportunities at every turn. Cultural creativeshave a desire to do work that matters and matches their values, contribute to a shared vision, and express their personal beliefs at the office. Many business gurus, from Creative Class author Richard Florida to Bill Gates, have extolled the importance of this new group of passionate workers to propel the 21st century economy forward.
Deciding When to Replace ERP Is Complicated
Replacing the ERP system may not be the most cost-effective solution to business issues. To gauge that aspect, an important first step is determining whether the process or data issues identified by users are the result of a poorly executed implementation. Midsize companies in particular don’t always get the most competent consultants to set up their software, especially if the consultant (or the individual running the project) is not familiar with the peculiarities of the company’s industry or its specific operating requirements. Checking in with user group members in a similar business is an easy way to confirm if the issue is systemic or simply a poor job of setting up the software.
If 2014 Was The Year Of The Data Breach, Brace For More
Data breaches dominated headlines in 2014, and they appear poised to usher in 2015 as well. While the cybersecurity plights of certain high-profile retailers, financial institutions, and one prominent movie studio became common knowledge and headline fodder, these companies were far from the year’s only victims. In fact, a recent study found that more than 40% of companies experienced a data breach of some sort in the past year – four out of ten companies that maintain your credit card numbers, social security numbers, health information, and other personal information. That number is staggering, and shows no signs of retreat.
'New Year will be crucial to Korea's cloud market'
This is because cloud computing can help business innovation by allowing companies to react to rapidly-changing business conditions and to quickly adopt new IT infrastructure without significant up-front costs. Consequently, Korean enterprises started to recognize cloud computing as a "business enabler" and "speed-to-market" facilitator for its ability to drive business agility. Also, there have been a series of outages in datacenters used by crucial infrastructures, caused by disasters, and they triggered a failure of IT functions at businesses. This made many companies consider equipping themselves with highly automated disaster recovery strategies, leveraging the benefits of cloud computing.
Q&A with John Sonmez on His Book on Soft Skills
Another major challenge is self-motivation. When you are sitting in an office it is easy to get into work-mode, but at home with a full refrigerator, XBox, television and other distractions, it can be easy to goof-off instead of working. A remote worker has to develop a good schedule and a very strict habit of self-discipline to avoid all the distractions from working at home. A few others are things like: communication--which can be more difficult when not done in person. Guilt--even when you get more work done, you might feel like you are not getting enough done, since no one can actually see you working.
Quote for the day:
"Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value." -- Albert Einstein
Such a product, call it “Big Access”, would connect to cloud data sources, spreadsheets, enterprise data sources, log files, and perhaps certain machine data beyond those log files. Big Access would also provide functionality for data quality, data blending, and data shaping. It would provide basic data visualization capabilities, though it would leave the fancy stuff to tools that already cover the visualization space. Big Access would also provide predictive analytics functionality. The amount of explicit effort required to build a predictive model on existing data in Big Access would actually be quite small.
Soon Your Tech Will Talk to You Through Your Skin
It’s not hard to see why designers are looking for a new conduit. Our eyes and ears, the dominant modes for the digital world, are full to bursting. Devices bombard us with text alerts and audio bleeps. Your skin, on the other hand, is an “underused channel,” says Raymond Kiefer, a safety expert who helped design GM’s vibrating seats. “This is a way to cut through the visual and auditory clutter.” There’s a danger here, of course. Vibrations cut through the white noise of today’s alert-o-sphere.
Top 10 Data Center Predictions for 2015
In 2014, mission critical innovation drove new standards in PUE reduction, water use and digital service efficiency. Pressing data center operator concerns include security, operational expense management and Internet of Things (IOT) growth. Everyone seems to be balancing big data, cloud and SDN initiatives. And with shadow IT coming to light, you have more internal influencers with input on your data center operations. So what does this mean for 2015? I forecast a year of incremental adaptation vs. radical change as industry buzz gives way to genuine innovation and proven methodologies. As much as some things will change, others will frustratingly stay the same.
5 Mobile Design Trends That Can Teach Us Something
There are so many apps within the App Store and there are so many more on Google Play. It’s hard to tell what the up and coming design trends are but it’s significantly easier to pick five current trends and analyze them. Let’s see how color, innovative ideas and simplicity of current apps can teach us a thing or two about mobile app design. ,,, It’s interesting to see that some apps out there are trying to promote a sophisticated and elegant vibe through design. It’s not something common on websites either, but it’s significantly less common among mobile apps.
Microsoft's karmic gaffe is 'opening up the conversation'
"There are biases about everything," said Larson-Green on December 5 in a 40-minute-long interview. Those biases affect women, but also minorities and even individuals with more introverted personalities. "Are there ways to bring out the best in people? That's been a really great conversation we've had internally." Larson-Green isn't the only woman in the leadership ranks at Microsoft. Amy Hood, a 12-year Microsoft veteran, was named CFO in May 2013. Women also head business development and human resources.
Hiring Cultural Creatives
Cultural creatives, many of whom are millennials, are employees who go beyond just producing to actually innovate new ideas. They are independent, seek achievement, thrive on ambiguity and risk taking, and look for new opportunities at every turn. Cultural creativeshave a desire to do work that matters and matches their values, contribute to a shared vision, and express their personal beliefs at the office. Many business gurus, from Creative Class author Richard Florida to Bill Gates, have extolled the importance of this new group of passionate workers to propel the 21st century economy forward.
Deciding When to Replace ERP Is Complicated
Replacing the ERP system may not be the most cost-effective solution to business issues. To gauge that aspect, an important first step is determining whether the process or data issues identified by users are the result of a poorly executed implementation. Midsize companies in particular don’t always get the most competent consultants to set up their software, especially if the consultant (or the individual running the project) is not familiar with the peculiarities of the company’s industry or its specific operating requirements. Checking in with user group members in a similar business is an easy way to confirm if the issue is systemic or simply a poor job of setting up the software.
If 2014 Was The Year Of The Data Breach, Brace For More
Data breaches dominated headlines in 2014, and they appear poised to usher in 2015 as well. While the cybersecurity plights of certain high-profile retailers, financial institutions, and one prominent movie studio became common knowledge and headline fodder, these companies were far from the year’s only victims. In fact, a recent study found that more than 40% of companies experienced a data breach of some sort in the past year – four out of ten companies that maintain your credit card numbers, social security numbers, health information, and other personal information. That number is staggering, and shows no signs of retreat.
'New Year will be crucial to Korea's cloud market'
This is because cloud computing can help business innovation by allowing companies to react to rapidly-changing business conditions and to quickly adopt new IT infrastructure without significant up-front costs. Consequently, Korean enterprises started to recognize cloud computing as a "business enabler" and "speed-to-market" facilitator for its ability to drive business agility. Also, there have been a series of outages in datacenters used by crucial infrastructures, caused by disasters, and they triggered a failure of IT functions at businesses. This made many companies consider equipping themselves with highly automated disaster recovery strategies, leveraging the benefits of cloud computing.
Q&A with John Sonmez on His Book on Soft Skills
Another major challenge is self-motivation. When you are sitting in an office it is easy to get into work-mode, but at home with a full refrigerator, XBox, television and other distractions, it can be easy to goof-off instead of working. A remote worker has to develop a good schedule and a very strict habit of self-discipline to avoid all the distractions from working at home. A few others are things like: communication--which can be more difficult when not done in person. Guilt--even when you get more work done, you might feel like you are not getting enough done, since no one can actually see you working.
Quote for the day:
"Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value." -- Albert Einstein
