Monthly Archives: March 2013

Big Data Breakthrough!

The use of Nanophotonics to transmit data using light might soon be coming into more widespread use.

One of the fundamental problems inherent to analyzing extremely large reams of data is the “bottleneck syndrome”. In other words, as the pool of data grows larger, it is continuously forced toward the processing components which simply are not powerful enough to keep up with the pace of accumulation. Many data centers are able to handle significant amounts of information, for example, but due to the nature of data proliferation, even some of the most headstrong are finding themselves submerged, unable to keep pace with growth.

Naturally, if more powerful tools were available, this wouldn’t really be a problem, would it? Well, hold on to your hats, people, because IBM will soon be ushering in Nanophotonics, which is poised to greatly enhance the speed and fluidity of computers in general, particularly those tasked with handling big data duties.

As its name implies, Nanophotonics deals with the use of light to transmit data  and on a very small scale, of course. Recent advances in silicon chip-based research have finally made it possible to integrate optical components into the framework of electrical circuitry. Apparently, IBM has been working on this specific project for at least 10 years, and it’s just now suddenly coming to fruition.

Just how fast is this technology? In terms of chip-to-chip transfers, we’re looking at a blazingly fast 25 Gigabits per second. Likewise, the same speeds can be expected in transfers between chips and memory devices as well. However, this only scratches the surface of what might be possible with the technology; for example, it’s possible to use different wavelengths of light to transmit data across several channels at once. This would mean that it might be possible to transmit terabytes of data in mere fractions of a second! What’s more, it appears that this technology can in fact be utilized with rather conventional systems and components, which means that we won’t have to wait for newer forms of hardware to be invented (which are compatible).

Needless to say, this is a monumental breakthrough in computing technology, but also for big data, which (in all truthfulness) really needed a helping hand on a technological level. With the newfound abilities of Nanophotonic chips at play, it seems that it will not only be possible to handle the current data loads (which are continuously building up), but also those in the distant future (which will undoubtedly be even more massive in scope).

Additionally, now that this technology is on the table, the industry itself is faced with several different paths to choose from where development is concerned. If, for instance, servers and most conventional IT systems begin integrating Nanophotonics into their basic design (which is very possible), then it will certainly have an impact on the industry as a whole. Cloud computing providers could also achieve incredible things with Nanophotonics. In a nutshell, this is certainly a milestone, and just another step toward the next phase of development in computing and communications (petaflops to exaflops).

Likewise, if servers across the web were using these chips, then it’s within reason to assume that it might create a dynamic shift in other ways as well. Imagine a complete integration of this technology with that of cloud computing and big data; individuals and businesses would have access to incredibly powerful resources at extremely low prices. The truth is, Nanophotonics could very well revolutionize virtually every aspect of computing and the internet, which would in turn, revitalize the way human beings look at computers and perhaps even usher in a new technological age.

Getting back to Big Data however; it’s quite easy to see how this development would allow organizations to continuously analyze even the most gargantuan-sized data pools at near real-time speeds. In fact, once Nanophotonics become more commonplace it’s very likely that the current ‘resistance’ will be placated entirely. In other words, if there is no build-up of data to contend with in terms of ongoing processing tasks, it will be possible to accumulate even more. This might point toward a near-future where Big Data is truly allowed to blossom, edging ever more closely toward its true potential.

As businesses begin to extract real value from big data, the drive to collect more and more information from varied sources will dramatically increase. This in turn will likely lead to the creation of new sites, services and social media interactions, each offering new possibilities for the end user. At the end of the day, big data is really about creating a repository for all available or collected information which can then be broken down and analyzed in order to identify trends, patterns, and/or to support a larger hypothesis.

But big data is also the natural end-result of human interaction/activities, so dealing with it is really an unavoidable issue; the fact that additional value can be extracted from it is a big perk. The truth is, if Nanophotonics hadn’t come along (in the next several years or at all), we might have had a very big problem on our (collective) hands with no cost-effective way of dealing with it.

Interested in Big Data Certification? Click here and get expert assistance along with the tools you need to pass virtually any certification course out there…

 

Are your Enterprise Architecture assets business centric enough?

Somewhat recently there’s been increased focus on the Enterprise Architecture of the US Federal government.  This of course comes on the heels of various initiatives which have been put into place which were designed to effectively bring everything up-to-date.  But the higher-ups aren’t satisfied with mere functionality; they’re beginning to talk about the business impact of their IT systems, which is a logical proposition to say the least.  Just like in the business world, the (US) Federal government and its related CIO’s are feverishly working toward bringing together all of the disparate resources out there under  more standardized forms of Architecture.

 Why are they doing this exactly?  On the surface, it is part of the S3 initiative, which stands for “shared services strategy”.  Its purpose is to actually determine which sectors of the Federal IT umbrella are useful, redundant, and/or acting as a drain on resources overall.  The problem it would seem (as is often the case in other situations where extensive networks are put to use) is that most IT departments falling under the Federal banner have become too “siloed”, or narrowly/singularly focused.  This is not to say of course that individual IT groups don’t have their own unique tasks to complete, duties to fulfill, only that many sectors are drifting too far away from centralized authority and perhaps even away from their primary areas of focus (in terms of the business they engage in).

 This of course brings up another interesting question, is your enterprise architecture really focused on delivering results in a business capacity?   Most people might say, “Yeah, our IT department delivers the services we need to run our offices every day, what’s the problem?”  First off, the functionality of IT isn’t really being called into question; it’s whether or not the capabilities of the department are being utilized in a way that might allow the business to maximize their potential.

 As you are undoubtedly fully aware, technology continues to grow unabated, with new services, software and hardware becoming available in a constant, steady stream.  In order to become a truly modern, successful business, companies have to learn more to accurately gauge the value of their current architecture vs. any adaptations/additions they might be able to make.  The point is that IT departments are starting to wake up (en masse) to the concept of becoming more of an active player in business-centric goals and decision making.

 Simply put, most of the individuals comprising the management tier of any company are not personally able to direct their company’s IT resources in the right direction when it comes to enacting business strategies.  Likewise, many who understand business typically have no idea when it comes to IT, ergo, it’s up to the IT department to “meet them halfway” with an approach to enterprise architecture that’s more informed by business-centric goals, etc…

 What the US Federal government is really trying to do with their program, for example, is to increase their ROI (return on investment) with regards to their IT assets, which is more or less exactly what businesses should be doing as well.  However, it’s not always about determining the practical ways that IT can support a business, a truly informed and cognizant IT department should be able to stay a couple of steps ahead when it comes to implementing new technologies.  In this way, a business can capitalize on new ideas and potentials at the first opportunity, which can make all the difference in the world in terms of competition.  Perhaps a simpler way of putting it is  IT departments need to start aligning their goals with those being discussed in the “big board room upstairs”.

 In the end, a successful architecture and IT program is able to maintain a high level of predictability.  However, don’t get the wrong idea, in this case the word “predictability” doesn’t imply boredom or simplicity, but a steady stream of proven results that can be both measured and duplicated on a continuous basis.  Additionally, those IT departments which are able to produce great results with a stabilized, let’s say, “Curve of improvement”, are not only perfectly performing their job but also they’re adding additional value to the company itself.

 All-in-all, good enterprise architecture should reinforce good decision making at all levels of a company, as well as to influence it.  IT is a very unique component of any business, and up until the last few years, you might even say that it’s been slightly overlooked or neglected in some ways…but no more.  These days, a great IT department is more-or-less seen as a necessary component of any successful business, and the quality and focus of its architecture, is arguably, one of the (if not the) most important facets of any operation.

Certifying your IT department in Enterprise Architecture?  Click here for access to one of the best certification kits in the entire industry.

 

How Customer Loyalty programs boost value

The statisticians and marketing psychologists agree, it’s much easier to sell to a familiar customer as opposed to someone entirely new.  Naturally, there are many obvious reasons this is true; for starters, those you’ve already dealt with before have no doubts about your ability to deliver (a product or service).  Likewise, a regular customer is probably already anticipating doing business with you again, assuming they enjoyed their previous experience.  Yes, there are plenty of reasons as to why it’s easier to market to those you’ve already dealt with before, but that doesn’t mean one shouldn’t still exert a bit of extra effort.

In a nutshell, customer loyalty programs seek to capitalize on, or rather help retain your recurrent consumer base percentages.  Needless to say, this type of approach is more or less required if one wants to maintain steady growth while building a business from the ground up.  Through the implementation of various customer loyalty program strategies it is possible to not only sustain development, but also dramatically increase the overall potential for profits as well.  Let’s explore some of the better ways to achieve your goals with some fairly simple strategies…

Consider a tiered approach where your loyalty program is concerned.  For the average person, a lack of immediate rewards often greatly decreases their drive to participate.  In other words, offer participating customers a small up-front reward for their participation, while at the same time, dangling an even better one in from of them (which can only be attained through increased involvement in the program).   This not only gives the customer something to look forward to, it also reinforces the notion that ‘moving to another brand means that they will lose their accumulated rewards opportunity’.

Seek out other companies that you might be able to partner up with for your loyalty program.  Virtually everyone is familiar with the concept of strategic partnerships; however they’re usually formed out of a necessity or desire to bring a new product/service to the market.  Well, alliances can also help build your customer loyalty program, you just have to find other businesses (perhaps locally) that not only believe in what you’re doing, but also work in an area that’s comparable or complimentary to your own.   Remember, whenever real incentives are used to lure customers in, your goal is simply to provide real value while at the same time seeking to make up any minor losses you might incur through a greatly increased volume of customers.  Likewise, if you are able to maintain a large percentage of consumers during one of these ‘growth spurts’, then you’re one step closer to building a bigger, better business.

When all else fails, resort to gamification.  One of the more recent ‘hot trends’ in business is the concept of gamification.  Basically, customers (and/or employees) are engaged via gaming to participate more fully in a rewards program; likewise, this might very well create more of a psychological drive for achievement in some people.   Arguably, the most impressive, useful, accessible and perhaps popular form of gamification is that which can be deployed via social media websites.  Think about it, with the large number of gamification tools that are already available via sites like Facebook, bringing in new loyal customers has never been easier or cheaper.  To put it simply, this is a tool that more businesses need to become aware of.   What’s really great about this approach is that you are able to not only gain direct access to your customer’s contact information, but also to their interests.  Armed with specific knowledge of what your customers like, it might be possible to make even more targeted attempts to refine your reward program(s).

Explore the interests of your customers in greater detail.  If, for example, you operate a sandwich shop that specializes in healthy ingredients, it’s highly likely that many of your clientele have an interest in fitness.  In this type of situation, it would be beneficial to work out a cooperative plan with some local gyms or fitness trainers.  Moreover, it would be incredibly easy to implement and organize some type of program or joint activity between the two businesses via social media sites.  Additionally, it should be noted that these types of joint activities don’t always have to be ‘for-profit’, you can actually build an impressive consumer base from simply participating in some local or regional non-for-profit activities.  The bottom line is that people tend to be impressed by a business’ ability and willingness to help out with a good cause, which they’ll hopefully remember the next time they require services similar to those which you provide.

Can customer loyalty programs boost value?  Certainly they can, however, if you want to extract the maximum amount of value that’s possible from your loyalty / rewards program you might need to get creative and explore your (technological) options.

Arm your IT department with the skills to implement a successful customer loyalty program.  Click here.

 

Carbon Microthreads might be the next step on the road toward a complete brain computer interface system

While we’re not fully jumping directly into “the Matrix” just yet, some very bold steps have been made recently with regards to the development of a more permanent brain – computer interface system.  While it sounds like part of the back-story of a science fiction novel or movie, the use of newly developed carbon microthreads in brain – computer interfacing systems is being explored.  Don’t get the wrong idea however, this concept is largely still in its infancy (*we’re safe from the androids…for now).

* – That was meant as a joke.

How would it work, exactly?  Currently, the idea is that these super thin and tiny microthreads could be used to replace conventional electrodes for use in monitoring neurons.   The truth is, we can already use certain types of electrodes to accomplish these same tasks, but the problem is that scar tissue tends to develop around them, which obviously endangers the patient/subject and of course, decreases the functionality of the technology itself.

What makes carbon microthreads different however is their incredibly small size.  In fact, these microthreads are around 100 times smaller than those electrodes which are currently used, so it’s definitely an improvement.  There are basically two hurdles which researchers are currently facing: rejection by the brain during extended use of electrodes and the aforementioned problem related to the size of the electrodes and brain tissue scarring.  Because carbon microthreads are so small, scientists are postulating that they might be able to simply cover them in perhaps some type(s) of organic substances, like proteins, which would hopefully prevent the brain from completely rejecting them.

 Naturally, this technology (if and when it’s fully developed) would allow for some radical advancement where consumer electronics are concerned.  For instance, if a simple, routine and harmless method of implanting carbon microthread-based electrodes were developed, we might see the entire consumer computing market radically shift in a more futuristic direction.  Likewise, imagine the effect that such a technology might have on the internet at large.

 Even more importantly, there are plenty of medical / biophysical uses for this technology right now.  While this is pure speculation at this point, think about all of the people suffering from conditions which bring about paralysis; this type of technology might allow us to not only treat the root causes of these illnesses, but to effectively “wire around them” if no other options are available.  Likewise, for those who’ve lost limbs or were perhaps born with certain birth defects, carbon microthread-based electrodes might finally allow them to gain complete mobility and control over artificial limbs.  Needless to say, the inherent power and potential of this technology is far reaching, and it might even allow us to finally treat some of the more debilitating neurodegenerative conditions.

For the IT crowd…

Career IT professionals should consider developmental courses designed to teach the concepts of brain-computer interfaces if for no other reason than to stay “ahead of the game”, so to speak.  While it seems like it might be extremely far-off into the future, the truth is that this technology is growing by leaps and bounds and we might be seeing bona-fide brain – computer interface systems emerging on the commercial market much sooner than expected.

 Of course this means that more and more IT careerists will then begin pushing toward understanding the technology itself, which in turn means that the possible uses of it will also explode.  Some of the bigger, more financially sound companies would undoubtedly begin trying to transition part of their workforce toward utilizing the interface technology, which might provide them with a slight edge over the competition.  The net effect of that would obviously be that more and more businesses would begin to adopt a similar approach to theirs, which in turn would create increased demand at the IT level.

 Yes this is largely speculation, but keep in mind that we’ve never seen such a fantastic type of technology implemented on such a large scale before.  The effect of having this type of technology available on such a grand scale will have wide-ranging effects on society, the likes of which we can’t even come close to accurately predicting at this point in time.  However, as you are probably well aware, if something incorporates electronics and connects to the internet or a network, there will always be IT professionals who are striving to understand and master the use of it.

Core IT courses in brain – computer interface technology are now available!  Click here!

 

Can gamification really help to widen customer commitment?

The concept of playing games has been with us since the dawn of mankind, or at least written history.  Games, particularly those of the ‘video’ variety, continue to strongly influence consumers and entertainment trends as well, which is only further proof that virtually everyone likes some form of gaming.  Just in case you are skeptical, here are some statistics (from 2010) which come from the ESRB, among other sources:

  • Around 67% of households in the US contain at least 1 video game console
  • In 2009, the video game industry pulled in a whopping $10.5 billion
  • The average gamer today is in their mid 30’s
  • At least 40% of the gaming population is female

In other words, it’s a safe bet for most companies to attempt to engage consumers with some form of gaming, if for no other reason than a majority of the population is already familiar with more complex forms.  In fact, one might even say that it’s critical for businesses to reach out to consumers in a way that speaks directly to their experience.  Given that certain products tend to appeal to specific age groups, for example, it only makes sense for companies that specialize in cereals, for example, to find new ways to engage the younger video game crowd.

But getting back to the business end of gamification, one might be inclined to wonder just how important gamification is likely to become.  Well, according to this Gartner research study:

“By 2015, more than 50 percent of organizations that manage innovation processes will gamify those processes…”

“By 2014, a gamified service for consumer goods marketing and customer retention will become as important as Facebook, eBay or Amazon, and more than 70 percent of Global 2000 organizations will have at least one gamified application.”

 

The takeaway point is that there are plenty of trends and reasons as to why gamification will continue to grow throughout the course of the coming years.  Moreover, this should be a big wake-up call for those organizations who might have been neglecting this new and exciting form of consumer marketing.  As the above trending predictions indicate, most companies are gamifying themselves both inside and out, and for good reason, there is plenty of evidence to support the notion that gamification works.  For instance, Playboy has recently been experimenting with gamification courtesy of Bunchball and has been reporting increases in terms of both revenues and total users engaged (60% increase in revenue from month-to-month, with 85% of respondents returning to the app/site).

But beyond the limited statistical evidence which is available, it’s fairly obvious that the desire to engage in fun, competitive tasks is pretty much hard-wired into most human being.   Rather than attempting to derail these natural tendencies, it only seems logical and fitting that they might be used to further drive consumers toward the products and services they need.  Businesses which are producing useful and valuable products or promoting extremely useful concepts need marketing tools like gamification in order to deliver higher quality and innovation.

People often forget that advancement / improvement requires hefty investments on the part of the participating company. Needless to say, if gamification can help to stabilize consumer audiences, a quicker succession of technical advances might become possible which ultimately leads to more profound technological progress which in turn may bring about sweeping societal advances.  Of course this is largely speculation; no one can peer into the future and simply know what’s going to happen.  However, increased emphasis on gamification is producing quantifiable benefits for real companies in the present time; certainly this is reason enough to merit further investigation of it.

Furthermore, as it becomes possible to build a larger, more devoted customer base, social media will help to expand an operation beyond its borders.  These days, all it really takes is a well-placed viral internet campaign and a solid strategy to completely revitalize the profit margins of virtually any organization.  The increasing move toward more widespread use of basic gamification techniques means that most consumers will soon be used to the idea of interactivity.  As previously explained, given that most of these same consumers are already ‘gamers’ (either traditional console or through social media), it’s pretty obvious that they’re fully prepared and understand how to participate.

Looking for Gamification Certification?  Click here to “level up” your career profile…