Grockit marries social media with standardized test prep.

Grockit an Internet based SAT/ ACT prep program is using technology for basically all of their business needs. In the article When the Princeton Review met Facebook, Jessica Shambora reports how Grockit’s service has become a popular alternative to classroom SAT/ ACT preparation. In the article Shambora describes the incentives Grockit gives students to perform well on their practice tests. Grockit uses social networking technologies of Facebook to publish accomplishments made by the students while on Grockit. The article also compares the company to the famous Kaplan programs saying, “Kaplan’s assets are all tied up in real estate, while the cost for running [Grockit’s] servers is very low.” The Internet and web technologies like Facebook have so far proved to help Grockit register 50,000 users since it was founded in 2006.

Personally I think that Grockit’s use of the Internet and social networking technologies to entice students to perform better on the SAT/ACT prep is a great idea for many reasons. First, from a student’s standpoint, it must make the student who is practicing feel proud when they see a high score on their Facebook page. Who wouldn’t want to boast for getting a high grade on the SAT or ACT? Next, from Grockit’s standpoint, using Facebook to publish on participating students pages is a great way to advertise and show a fun way to practice for an extremely stressful exam.

Grockit’s use of the Internet allows students studying for the SAT or ACT to use their prep for free. Well that is most of the websites programs are free, there is a fee for one on one tutoring and advanced options. This gives Grockit a big advantage. Most people are discouraged from SAT prep because of the high cost. I know when I was preparing I paid $75 for each session. If I knew of Grockit’s service then, I would have saved so much money and I’m sure that’s what many people who use the service are thinking.

While looking for research studies on whether online SAT/ ACT prep is more helpful than classroom prep I was surprised at what I found. After searching a number of different databases for related articles most wrote about the prep itself, saying online or classroom prep is about a student’s preference. This seems to me that the only edge to using Internet technologies the way Grockit does would be for a lesser cost to run the business and a better way to advertise. The advantage does not seem to be in higher test scores.

Overall it seems to me that the use of Internet and social networking can really boost a business. Even if Grockit isn’t boosting SAT/ACT scores because of their online program, using the Internet and Facebook does help the business. With the elimination of real estate costs and the ability to provide free services (well, for the most part) while advertising on social networking sites, Grockit proves to use technology to its best advantage.

Sources:

http://grockit.com/

http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/01/04/when-the-princeton-review-met-facebook/

Information Technology in Healthcare

Information technology in the last few decades has really changed the face of healthcare. It has made it more efficient and more effective, thus increasing the amount of potential lives that can be saved by a smooth and operable healthcare system. Companies such as Digicare stake their reputation on their dedication to information technology advancements. Digicare focuses on the needs of customers and provide technological solutions that will work for them and improve outcomes. Information technology helps in this effort because it aids in improved communication not only between doctors and patients, but doctors and other medical personnel as well. Technology goes hand in hand with communication because today’s modern technology allows for faster communication. Speedy communication in the medical industry is a matter of supreme importance because time is not just money for doctors; it is the difference between life and death. This is where Digicare makes its living. They provide professionals in the field of medical informatics in order to ensure that medical transitions to new technology are swift and smooth. They aid in the jump to new hardware (such as newer model computers and medical equipment) as new software that is adopted by the medical industry. This software and hardware allow the administrative rigor moral to be taken care of increasingly faster and efficiently, thus allowing more time for doctor to patient hands on care. In the article, it was also stated that as a result of information technology healthcare professional practices, education, and methods of providing and documenting professional care are improved. These improvements work to better enrich the field of medicine as a whole.

I believe articles like this one points out some of the positive aspects of the medical industry. This is a good thing in the current political climate America is in. Americans are at a stage in time where the majority of the information being broadcasted concerning healthcare is negative. This negative broadcasting invokes fear and uncertainty in the psyche of much of the easily swayed public. However, this article is consistent with the views of our President Barack Obama, which is an indicator that healthcare is in the good hands of information technology. I am confident that President Obama will use his resources in conjunction with the information technology field to pull America out of this medical crisis. Not only will information technology help in the medical field, it will help Obama achieve his goal. Knowledge is power, and through the use of information technologies the White House will be able to spread their viewpoints and information on healthcare to the entire country to better inform the American people. We live in an era where information is vital and easily shared due to information technology such as phones, computers, etc. This ease of information sharing will aid the efforts of improving healthcare in the near future.


http://www.digicare.ie/index.php?page=r-d

Google Helps Indian Citizens

Google is spreading their services to places like India. They are adapting their search engine to help the illiterate Indian population. In the Indian villages there are Internet kiosks where residents can record the news of the town as well as listening to others. Google is also testing out Internet café’s where they can type in only a few letters and a list of popular Indian words will appear.

This is a nice way to reach out to the illiterate Indian population. Hopefully, they will utilize these privileges to improve their literacy and their knowledge. This is a great example about how much the world depends on technology. It is amazing that with the advanced technology Indian citizens can learn about what is going on in the world. In my opinion news is extremely important, therefore it is necessary that these citizens have a way of understanding and communicating with the world.

While I think Google’s new services are very helpful to people of India, I also believe that it is bringing them farther away from trying to learn how to read. They will become increasingly dependant on this search engine and technology, that they will not try to become literate. Since this new advancement is easy for them to use they will not try to read words in the newspaper or write an article, they will simply put headphones on and listen or record the news of the day.

The problem with this new advancement is that the Indian people did not look at the screen to see the list of words because they were too busy focusing on the keyboard. To improve this problem, I suggest that when the words are generated, or there is something important on the screen, a noise should generate so the user will know to look up at the screen. This way, they won’t always be completely focused on the keyboard and they will slowly be able to connect the sounds of the words with the visual aspects of it. I also agree with the suggestion to have the search guesses stay on the screen longer so the citizens will eventually realize they are up.

In conclusion, this article about Google was very interesting and is a good example of the technology epidemic that is taking over the world. This new technology in India is extremely helpful for the citizens to learn about the world, but it also may take away from their desire to actually try to become literate.

http://blogs.wsj.com/india-chief-mentor/2010/02/12/drivers-drive-googles-india-innovation/?KEYWORDS=IT+innovation

Wal-Mart wins the information wars

Although this article is from December of 2002 the content relates to what we have talked about in class over the past few weeks, and I found it to be very interesting. This article talks about Wal-Mart using a sophisticated IT system to track what customers purchased with their debit and credit cards. At the time, this IT system being used by Wal-Mart was highly advanced compared to other companies in the same business. “Wal-Mart’s aggressive adoption of information technology to improve logistics and back-office efficiency has also been a major driver of productivity.” The company takes the information received from the scanners each day to determine the quantity of sales, for that period of time, and what products need to be inventoried. Today this is something that is fairly common, and almost expected for large-scale companies to have, but Wal-Mart was a leader in this aspect of the IT world back in 2002. I found it very interesting that in the article it talks about how secret Wal-Mart top-management was with the information that they received from the scanners, and the importance of their IT systems not only for the company but for the government as well. When we think of information technology we don't think about the large scale impact that it could have. Federal officials used not only Wal-Mart's video cameras but their scanner system to see exactly when, where, and what was purchased by the 9/11 hijackers. This is something that seems so logical but that I have definitely overlooked when thinking about IT systems. The importance of Wal-Mart's systems are also seen in their attempt to restrict competitors to learning their success methods. "In October 1998, Wal-Mart filed a trade secrets lawsuit in Bentonville against Amazon.com, accusing it of pirating 15 employees, including chief information officer Richard Dalzell. The lawsuit was settled in April 1999, but the defections put Wal-Mart on guard against competitors recruiting employees with inside IT knowledge." Amazon's attempt to get the edge on Wal-Mart really only hurt them in the long run, but it shows how competitors are doing everything they can to get ahead, even using information technologies. Especially when sending the information received from the scanners everyday, Wal-Mart uses a secure private network when sending to their headquarters in Arkansas.
Back in 2002 Wal-Mart had the state of the art technology to track inventory, manage relationships with suppliers, and find trends that could help make better decisions about what products to stock, all of these things crucial for successful business operations. Today, information technology is even more important for Wal-Mart considering all of the foreign trading and production they are involved in. They have adapted over the past few years and grown with the times, updating their IT department and systems to keep up as well as get ahead in the economy.
I found this article to be very interesting and it relates directly to what we talked about in class in the beginning of the year. IT systems being used to influence operating activities and inventorying stock are very important to a smooth operating cycle and this is where Wal-Mart had the edge back in 2002, and other companies soon followed.

http://www.pressaction.com/news/weblog/full_article/hand12022002/

HP and Microsoft Corp. Simplify Technology Environments

HP and Microsoft Corp. announced a three-year contract to invest $250 million to simplify their infrastructure. This upgrade will enhance the technology used by the company and the customer. The new system will hopefully increase the development and the managing of IT environments. The collaboration between HP and Microsoft Corp., according to Mark Hurd, CEO and HP chairman, will help offer customers technology that will reduce cost, generate growth, and accelerate innovation. The infrastructure will offer management tools and hopefully improve the customer’s experience. The servers would be seamless and the information would be found instantly.

This three-year contract is not only for software, but also hardware. The idea is to engineer a new system and prepackage the applications the customer would need. The initial cost would be expensive. The new hardware would eventually be paid off, but by that time, it would be obsolete and a new infrastructure would be taking its place.

This collaboration seems to good to be true. The companies are trying to fix everything wrong with today’s infrastructures. This is a good way to be, but everything can’t be fixed, especially at once. The program is taking on too much at once. It will be very effective for many smaller businesses, but as any new infrastructure introduced into the business world, it will not work for every business that decides to use it.

This partnership will help Microsoft and HP grow and increase their stand in the global market. They are focusing on midsized and small businesses. This can help them increase they’re customer base. Smaller businesses might benefit more from the program’s customization than a large company, and it would be easier for the smaller businesses to switch over. The risk is smaller, however with more small businesses to switch, more problems will come up. Technology is never going to be perfect as long as humans take a part in it. The infrastructure will be flawed no matter what is done.

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2010/100113xa.html

EBay Asks Its Users For Help

When eBay makes changes to their website, a large number of users speak out. As eBay considers making changes in their search tools, they have decided to incorporate their customers and buyers by using a separate website called Garden by eBay. Here they can customize, critique and change their preferences and the search options. They hope to provide a better retail experience while slashing search result quantities. The old search function by eBay was very outdated and required that you pass over either hundreds of search results or a handful of different pages until you find what you are interested in. That way, they are able to provide the customer with accurate results in a format that they are comfortable with. With the large amount of inventory that eBay has on its website, it is important that customers find what they are looking for. By setting up Garden by eBay, eBay will have a better idea of what are more popular and practical search preferences while eliminating less useful ones.

EBay recognizes the importance of customer relations in this article. Information such as a photograph, price, and product descriptions are all highlighted and are presented in a cleaner fashion. Making sure that the customer is able to get to the desired product is vital for eBay’s success. The fewer pages that it takes for the customer to make it to their final site greatly improve the chances of a final sale. By establishing Garden, eBay makes their first move to hear what their customers would prefer.

It is a good idea for eBay to make Garden because not only does it help their bottom line, they also become a more user friendly web site. Reaching out and listening to what users have to say is a big step for eBay. They are trying to make sure that everyone is happy. If the customers are given the power to influence the overall product, a stronger online community has been built. The use of technology to improve communications between eBay and their users will result in better flow of information. They will finally construct an effective search engine that will improve the ability of users to find what they are looking for by establishing the new website Garden by eBay.

nytimes.com/2010/02/09/ebay-asks-is-users-for-help-building-new-search-tools/

Lathrop & Gage

In today's contemporary society companies are always searching for the latest in technology and information that will lead to a faster and more efficient company. With almost all business ventures it is known that time is money and that any lower alternative that is cost-cutting is most appreciated and always the chosen one.
A particular law-firm by the name of Lathrop & Gage has taken advantage of the new technology being offered especially in the visual communications sector. Recently to improve the efforts and enhance the overall effectiveness of the business relationship that Lathrop & Gage has with its clients, they purchased Polycom and Riverbed Technology with wide area network. These new visual communication devices has allowed the over 300 attorneys that work at 11 different law-firms offices to better serve the clients and increase attorney productivity.
I think in the year 2010 that this new form of communication/collaboration is just in its infancy and that within the next 5-10 years it will be considered the absolute norm. With new software like Skype or Ovoo and websites like www.chatroulette.com it has become a worldwide sensation to talk to others through video chatting and be connected with others that can potentially be thousands of miles away in just seconds. The idea alone is mind-boggling yet if you are to turn on the TV and catch one episode of Wolf Blitzer on CNN you are blown away by the video and communication technology that is available to him for his show 'The Situation Room'.
The Wide Area Network (WAN) has allowed for Lathrop & Gage to improve the application performance of the Polycams in some instances betweent the data centers and the remote offices by up to 100 times. The company couldn't have promoted their choice better than by exclaiming "With our investments, Lathrop & Gage is able to further consolidate IT infrastructure, reduce costs, enhance productivity, and improve data protection and management".
It is amazing to think that a law-firm would be able to find a way for technology to make such a positive impact on their business. However, if you can find a way to help each attorney save on average $30,000 a year I say go for it!

You have nothing to lose if you are able to save money and make people happy it is a win-win situation and can only lead to positive changes in the future. I think that Lathrop & Gage have made the smart decision to get into this aspect of the technology world as early as they did and now they can sit back and reap the benefits.


http://www.polycom.com/company/news_room/press_releases/2009/20091022_1.html

Taming Twitter’s Streams With Automated Web Sites

Twitter is a website that has changed social interaction between humans because information about someone's life is easily assessable. It it a powerful tool that allows someone to check in on life of another person. Wonder what a President Obama or Shaq is doing all one has to do is get on Twitter to instantly know. Twitter is still relatively new so there are certain parts of the website that could use improvement. One key thing is that Twitter doesn't really have a map to locate users that someone is searching for. Like say if someone was interested in following members of the New York Yankees there is no way to find them. However there there are third party sites that have lists that sort users by specific themes. It would be in Twitter's to publish this information so users would have an easier time navigating the site.
Twitter has another problem which is users are unable to directly post pictures or videos directly to their Tweets. There are ways around this put it would make the site a lot more interesting if users could post pictures or videos directly instead of having to click through to a new page. A video would let followers see what people are doing instead of just reading their Tweet. It would enhance the website greatly.
An interesting aspect of Twitter is that it allows users to follow politicians who represent them. No longer can someone say that their representatives who gets nothing done. Politicians can know tell their constituents exactly what they are doing for them. They can Tweet something like “Finally passed the resolution to ban trans fat in restaurants.” Twitter makes politics more transparent which is a great thing. Politicians should be the public eye and Twitter allows them to show the people who they represent what they are doing for them.
Twitter is certainly changing the culture. People can fulfill their desires to see what others are doing around them. However it might lead to information overload. Do people really care that their neighbor is buying sweaters in Macy's. It allows followers to know exactly how the people they follow are living their lives. Its like Big Brother to a degree never seen before. Tweeting is still a choice but as it becomes more and more popular people will have to adopt it to fit in. Twitter is slowly eroding people's privacy.
Twitter is also an effective business tool. Stores can get word out about sales or new merchandise without having to pay for advertising. Customers can be followers of a company and that company can contact them. It shows businesses who their faithful customer are without businesses having to track them down. Twitter helps companies advertise to customers and is a lot more cost effective than traditional methods.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/technology/personaltech/11basics.html?ref=technology

Google Agrees to buy "Social Search" Service called Aardvark

Google recently puchased a technology service called Aadvark which allows members post a question using an instant message or e-mail. Then Aadvark searches through the members facebook friends and friends-of-friends looking for volunteers to perhaps answer the question.
In my opinion this a great way for Google to expand and re-enter the question answering services currently expanding on the web, especially when a social newtworking titan such as Facebook can be utilized. The most important aspect is the networking with facebook and creating competition against sites such as Ask.com and Yahoo answers. A key aspect, like stated in the article, is that Aadvark also searches your friends-of-friends, exponentially increasing the number of people who see your question. As Facebook continues to gain popularity, the options for running into someone who will one know the answer to your question and two be willing to answer it.
Aadvark has the oppurtunity and innovation to vastly improve Google's search engine. They are already a internet giant and this gives them the opputunity to move into the answering service. For example, now a person who would google an aspect of the question, such as top rated restaurants in baltimore, can now simply post the question on Aardvark, owned by Google, by instant message or e-mail and have a real life response from a human being. It cuts out the need to search first. A member can simply receive a direct post. The other key aspect also, once again, is the fact that so many people now own facebook accounts. It increases the possible answers into the tens of thousands for every member. In addition to already having the capability to Google the same type of question if there is no response posted.
The key is the fact that Google now directly owns one of, if not the largest search engine in the world in addition to this new question answering system. If Google can advertise and successfuly market Aadvark, they will have the oppurtunity to compete with Ask.com and Yahoo Answers. This has the possibility to be a great investment for the future. Google will officially expand into the answer service and this new IT innovation can help expand the company. If Aadvark proves successful, it could pave the way for other information systems in the future to improve questions asked over the web. In addition, it will allow Google to spur new technologic advances in other internet oriented fields.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/google-agrees-to-buy-social-search-service/?ref=technology

Illumina Unveils System

The Wall Street Journal reported that Illumina Inc. revealed a new information technology system that can sequence a person’s genetic code for under ten thousand dollars in less than a week. With current costs of sequencing around fifty thousand dollars, BGI (former Beijing Genomics Institute) has already purchased over one hundred of the new systems. The innovation is that the system can run two genomes at once and complete 3.1 billion pieces of information. The new system will enhance information on genetic causes of diseases and lower the costs of the information.

The system is a bottom line approach to increase the revenue of the laboratories and Illumina by decreasing the costs of the services they provide. However, a blog on Technology Review written by Emily Singer states that sequencing costs are difficult to determine because they often do not include the cost of analyzing. In my opinion the system will still cut the costs of gathering the information and the analysis costs will remain the same but the analysts’ time efficiency will be doubled. It is also possible that more analysts may be needed for hire to research the influx of data that is collected which will increase the cost of analysis.

Illumina also has many competitors who are researching and innovating newer systems that are faster and cheaper than Illumina’s new system. The Wall Street Journal article states that Illumina’s competitors are Pacific Biosciences Inc., Life Technologies Inc., Helicos Biosciences Inc., and Complete Genomics. The blog in Technology Review states that Illumina’s competitor, Complete Genomics, has a system that sequences three genomes for under five thousand dollars, but this price is not offered to laboratories commercially. In my opinion Illumina has their systems out on the market first and will capture the most market share because of this strategic move. Since Illumina is using a bottom line approach being the first in it’s market to release its service will make it easier in the future for Illumina to release newer and faster technologies. Its competitors in my opinion will follow Illumina’s lead and release their products on the commercial market soon. Though Complete Genomics has a faster technology for a cheaper price they are not maximizing their new technology and information on the commercial market when they will they will achieve a smaller market share than if they were to become the first to release it.

In my opinion Illumina has made every strategic move flawlessly. They have implemented new technologies to run their genome systems more efficiently as a result has gained more data and information on genetic causes of diseases, such as cancer tumors. Illumina has also become the first of their competitors to enter the commercial market industry therefore gaining the majority of the market share and selling more products before their competitors who have faster technologies but are only using their systems privately. As a result, I think Illumina has implemented the bottom line approach to increase revenues by using their information technology in a way that allows them commercially and privately to increase the amount of data gained.

Blog: www.technologyreview.com/blog/editors/24658/

Wall Street: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704586504574654712910204336.html

With Apple Tablet, Print Media Hope for a Payday

Apple has been leading the way with new technology for the past few years, and trying to continue being at the top in innovation with their new iPad. The iPad to me seems just like a larger version of the iPod touch, with 3G technology. But, print media players thinking it will be more than that.

People in the print media industry think that the iPad will help their industry as much as iTunes and the iPod helped the music industry. Companies have already begun to create applications that will be available for use on the iPad. The companies are looking to reach the younger generations, who have previously been allowed to read most newspaper articles online for free. This has been hurting the industry since they still need to pay all of the people it takes to make those articles happen (writers, editors, etc.).

It is not only newspapers who are making applications, but also magazines. Unfortunately this applications will not be free, but they will allow companies to become more "green" and reach newer audiences. Perhaps this will make more magazines global. The IT of all companies, print media or other, will need to stay on top of wealth of Apple applications. If the iPad is successful, it may be worth it for companies to spend the money to make an application.

The concern I have for if the tablet is how does it stand up to a laptop or even desk top computer. Will it actually replace the laptop? And since tablet computers already exist, is Apple too late in the game? Tablet PC's have not been very popular in the past, is putting the Apple logo on it and a trademark "i" name going to make it sell better.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/technology/26apple.html?ref=business

Nokia Trying to be Like Apple

In the article, "Nokia Get Its Manos," in the New York Times, Ashlee Vance discusses how the cell phone company Nokia is trying to expand. Mike Manos, a very popular guy in data operations, used to work for Microsoft handling a lot of their online services like xbox live, hosted email and Azure business software platform. He left Microsoft and moved to Digital Realty Trust, and from there he moved to Nokia. For Nokia, he is going to be the vice president in charge of service operations. Nokia's goal is to have their Ovi software store to have the same cachet as the Apple's App Store.
Most people use their cell phones today for everything. Not just communicating, they use it for email, networking, navigation, music, and anything else you can do online. You can do practically anything on a cell phone. Some people use it as a computer. These phone capabilities have been around for a while, but the phone that made it most popular was the iPhone. The iPhone came out and everyone wanted it. You could do anything with the iPhone, they have an App for anything. Because the iPhone was only available through at&t, many people switched to that company just for the phone.
Nokia is now trying to step it up and be like at&t. Most verizon phones you can do the same things as the iPhone and some of the tmobile ones too. Of all of the phones to be sold at any phone provider, Nokia isn't the first one to be bought. Nokia is known for their basic phones. To expand their customers and to be more adaptable to society, they are expanding their software store. They are trying to have their phones become more like the iPhone where you can get applications and use them for anything. Not many people have phones that can't access the internet or check their email or get them directions to somewhere. Nokia is realizing that and realizing that they need to expand and improve their services. They feel that hiring Mike Manos, data software genius will do just that and increase their accessibility.

Google buys social search company Aardvark

Headquarter within the Silicon Valley, CA,  Google Inc. has grown to become the worlds leading search engine.  One of the soul reasons for Google's success is it's simplicity within its operations.  Recently Google acquired Aardvark, a social search company.  Aardvark is simply a "Company that fields questions and routes them for answers to the most qualified respondents within the user's social networking circle."  The way the system works, requires the user to set up a list of contacts upon signing up.  These contacts are taken directly from their contacts on Facebook, Gmail and any other manual entry to compose their list.  Options for friends of friends, Facebook groups  are also an option.  What makes Aardvark unique and essential for google is that instead of finding web pages through google, Aardvark allows people to find people instead.  Aardvark does not use pre-indexed web pages, therefore questions asked are met with unique and customized responses by friends at real time.  

Founded as recent as 2007, Aardvark is considered "the first social search engine."  This company is most beneficial for google in many ways.  Apart from Google's dominance in creating the worlds leading search engine by finding targeted search results by scanning the world wide web for the most compatible results.  Google's competitors include Yahoo, MSN and AOL to name a few.  Upon all of these competitors, Yahoo has took the search engines to a new level by introducing Yahoo Answers.  Yahoo answers in essence, is Google's bootleg version of Aardvark, allowing users to ask a question to await a response from a person rather than a website.  Now with the acquisition of Aardvark, Google can now compete against Yahoo Answers in social search engines and once again remain on top.

The implementation of Aardvark could prove to be very prosperous for the veteran company Google, but history is not on Google's side.  In the past, company's have tried implementing and creating the same social search engine in which Aardvark was designed to do.  In doing so, many have failed due to response rates and participation.  As of October 2009, only 55.9% of Aardvark's 90,361 users have participated and contributed/created content on the site.  This low percentage of active users raises much concern in predicting the success of Aardvark.  Raising much concerns, there is also a great deal of hope within responses from those who contribute in adding content.  Of all of the questions asked on Aardvark, 87.7% were answered with an average response time of 6minutes and 27seconds.

I believe that the acquisition of Aardvark is a step in the right direction for Google.  Being a leading search engine, Aardvark will help google to expand into a social search engine reaching different target markets.  The success of Aardvark will depend solely on the participation rate of its users, and therefore it is hard to predict it's success.  Since Aardvark has been implemented and tested prior to being bought by Google, it is safe to say the system works but is not perfect.  With Google's outstanding reputation and success of its existing search engine, their is no doubt in my mind that Google's will be one of the biggest contributes to Aardvark's success.

By, Joseph Tazza

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100211-715034.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9155879/Google_buys_social_search_company_Aardvark

http://it.tmcnet.com/topics/it/articles/75249-google-said-be-ready-close-acquisition-aardvark-50.htm

"Seats at the Virtual Table"

This article deals with the new technologies in the field of electronic scheduling and web conferences. Tungle Corporation (www.tungle.com) is innovating the way scheduling is done between a client and an agent and how this advancement has extended to the world of web conferencing (Taylor).

I think that Tungle Corporation’s service is going to greatly improve the way scheduling is conducted, even on the small scale. When considered in the context of a real estate agent, whose business is dependent meetings with clients, this technology can greatly improve the way an agent’s or their assistant’s time is spent. The Tungle.me product itself provides a web calendar that can be attached to the agent’s email signature and integrated through Skype, Linked-in, Facebook, and Twitter. This integration provides a client with easy access to an agent’s calendar to see when they are available and to propose several meeting times based upon the shown availability of the agent. The agent can approve the time electronically and a confirmation email is automatically sent to the client. This is expanded to web conferences because Tungle.me automatically adjusts for time zone differences and prevents double booking.

In a personal interview I conducted with the assistant to a top real estate agent in the Westfield, New Jersey branch of Coldwell Banker, Mrs. Jean Korn told me that, “I am very excited about the Tungle program. So much of my time at work is spent playing ‘telephone tag’ with clients to find times that work and I still have to worry about double booking. If Tungle operates the way it looks like it will it has the potential to greatly reduce time that is wasted answering and making phone calls and will let me focus on work that will help us serve the clients faster and more effectively.”

It is in my opinion a seemingly invaluable advancement, especially with how competitive jobs like real estate are. In an especially referral based occupation, the agent that best serves their clients will get the most recommendations. This will transfer all the way from more efficient work to getting more clients. The potential then is to improve numbers both above and below the line by cutting costs that were represented as inefficiency and improving sales incomes by gaining more clients through better customer relations and presenting oneself as on the cutting edge of emerging information technologies.

In another article published on the web by financial.businessinsider.com the scalability of Tungle is shown by its prominence among Fortune global 100 companies through association with Lotus Notes, Domino, Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, Entourage for Mac and Apple iCal (Tungle Expands). The effectiveness of Tungle across both small market, one real estate agent, and large market, Fortune global 100 companies proves this programs ability to both increase efficiency and increase customer satisfaction and ease of business.

In the broader subject of scheduling, the application of Tungle by companies is a great way to both save time and make more money by increasing the time spent doing other tasks, and decreasing money and time wasted on double booking or scheduling errors. It is in my opinion that applying this, specifically in the field of real estate sales, is a very important step toward increasing sales and recommendations and therefore gaining a competitive advantage on competitors.


Taylor, Paul. "FT.com / UK - Seats at the virtual table." Financial Times. Web. 11 Feb. 2010. .

"Tungle Expands Reach to an Additional 350 Million Users Globally By Adding Lotus Notes Integration to its Business Scheduling Service." Stock Market Information. 19 Jan. 2010. Web. 11 Feb. 2010. .

Tungle.me - Scheduling made easy. Web. 11 Feb. 2010. http://tungle.me/Home/.

Google Buzz Won't Weaken Facebook

In the past Google has tried to compete in the social networking world, but has fallen short to websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Now Google is creating a new social networking service known as “GoogleBuzz” which will allow users to post short messages, videos, and images on the web for others to see. This platform is very similar to Facebook and Twitter; however Google has an advantage with its superior individual advertising powers. Google is an expert in using IT to target people’s behavior and match advertisements to them. Google’s strategy is to open up the Buzz service to Gmail users which will show up as a feature in their inbox. Douglas MacMillan suggests that the way that GoogleBuzz could flourish is through advertising. Google is planning to sell ads that are more relevant to the individual user than Facebook or Twitter has sold in the past.

Google’s use of IT in advertising is a definite strength in the potential growth of GoogleBuzz. Google will gain revenues with the advertisements that it shows which will allow Google to add more features to its new social networking service. Google’s strong IT allows them to gain information on what their users likes and dislikes are by what they are viewing on the web. By connecting this service with their Gmail this further increases the IT strength when users receive advertisements via email. Google will be able to use the lack of advertising ability that Facebook and Twitter have demonstrated to their advantage by focusing on their own advertising. According to the article, despite all this strength Google is predicted to not take users away from Facebook. Gmail’s demographics focus on the 25 and younger more tech-savy crowd while Facebook has gained popularity in older generations and people that have little knowledge of technology.

I think that it is very important for Google to focus its efforts on advertising for GoogleBuzz if it wants to compete with social giants like Facebook and Twitter. Google will gain immediate support from Gmail users because the service will be readily available to them in their inboxes. Google announced that there will be a feature called “Recommended Buzz” in which the user will receive recommendations on other friends' posts that people found amusing. The strength of Google’s IT field will help them gain information on their users and allow them to recommend posting based on their and their friends' interests. The introduction of GoogleBuzz to the social networking world will just increase the market size of social networking rather than take some of the shares away from Facebook and Twitter. I agree with the author of the article, Douglas MacMillan, when he says that GoogleBuzz will not take users away from Facebook. However, I think that many users will find GoogleBuzz to be another tool in their social networking.

MacMillan, Douglas. "Google Buzz Won't Weaken Facebook." BusinessWeek. February 10, 2010. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2010/tc2010029_989050.htm.

TechniScan Inc. Selects Sun Microsystems' Java CAPS to Develop Integrated Healthcare Services

Techniscan Medical Systems, Inc. is a medical company that develops "a revolutionary ultrasound imaging system, SvaraTM, that uses a process called Warm Bath Ultrasound (WBUTM) to provide automated, 3D, high quality ultrasound images of the human breast." This device is being used by doctors to try to detect breast cancer in a patient, among other uses. While Techniscan has the technology, it is unable to efficiently use the device without proper software for it to share, store, analyze, etc. This is where Sun Microsystems, Inc. comes in. With twenty plus years of experience in assisting the medical industry with integration methods, TechniScan chose Sun Microsystems to assist them with implementing and integrating their product with Sun's software as to create the fastest, most reliable and most efficient breast examining tool around.
TechniScan's SVARA imaging system requires an advanced databases to maintain all of the complex data collected from breast scans. Sun's CAPS (Composite Application Platform Suite) will maintain and control all of that data and send it wherever it needs to be sent seamlessly. "'Sun Java CAPS will enable TechniScan to connect all of its systems to a central datacenter so it can provide integrated and quality health care services to operators, image reviewers, insurers and physicians through a Web-based architecture,'" says Rick Farnell, director of worldwide services, Sun Microsystems. Sun is also teaming up with LCN Technologies for help with further integrating Sun's software with the SVARA. LCN will be able to identify exactly how and where the software and product can be integrated, what requirements must be met and solutions to be implemented, providing TechniScan with the best possible software-integrated product.
This corporate tag-team is a perfect example of IT integration with an important product, or service. One company has the product, one has the software, and the other perfectly combines the two. Sun's software will help bring TechniScan's SVARA to market faster, it will make for better patient care, and above all, it very well may be "potentially improving the way breast cancer is diagnosed and treated."
This article is essential to our understanding of IT solutions in that it really drives home how software-to-product integration is executed, what it means for all companies involved, and what is does for consumers, or in this case patients, using the product. This integration creates ease-of-business, consumer peace of mind, and efficient user-to-user communication. The article also exemplifies how all industries rely on IT to properly maintain efficiency. Industries need to operate fast and properly in order to see profit and to best serve their customers. In TechniScan's case, "Sun's software, storage, systems and services help deliver secure health information exchange, data management compliance, and caregiver mobility solutions that reduce costs and medical errors, while improving efficiency and patient care." That is exactly why IT integration is essential to any company looking to stand out in their industry.

FCC May Pay Broadcasters for Airwaves

The Federal Communications Commission of FCC is currently drawing up a plan to pay broadcasters in the cell phone industry to vacate some of their airwaves. Many people are now using smart phones such as the iPhone and Blackberries to download data and with this new amount of use they are negatively affecting high speed internet. The FCC plan on sending this bill through congress, where they will pay broadcasters to not use their airwaves. However many of these broadcasters seem skeptical as they believe that they have an extremely bright future with the new technology developing in things such as mobile digital television.

The FCC’s plan will go to congress in March in hopes that it is passed and they can attempt to improve high speed internet and the service of some cell phone companies. There is no guarantee that this bill will be passed in Congress, seeing that some of these broadcasting companies are some of the largest companies in the world, and would stand to possibly lose tons of money in the process. Technology is constantly changing, and these broadcasters have found a way to move with technology and offer their consumers new and technologically advanced products using the resources that they already have in their airwaves. Consumers always want something new and improved, and these broadcasters stand to make a great deal of money if their current ideas and technology pan out. The FCC are offering them a stipend for these airwaves, yes; but that stipend does not compare to the potential profits that these broadcasters as well as phone producers such as Apple (iPhone) and Research in Motion (Blackberry) stand to make in the future with their advanced technology.

I believe that it would be very beneficial if the broadcasters would sell some of their airwaves to the FCC because it would benefit some consumers, who still rely heavily on the use of high speed internet. Yet I do see the broadcasters arguments as they have a very powerful network of consumers and with the technology that they are creating, they will only continue to make ample amounts of money. If a company sees a chance for profits, the way that these broadcasters do with the creation of mobile digital television then they will not back away from the potential profits in order to help anther sector. Mobile digital television could be a cash cow for these broadcasters, as many consumers especially sports fans would like the chance to watch television on the go in a device that fits easily into their pockets. The government stipend that these broadcasters would receive for their airwaves would not compare to the profits that these companies stand to make if the development of mobile digital television is a success. If some service providers such as AT&T are dropping calls because of the amount of data downloads to smart phones; is it really the data downloads causing this problem or is it the service providers fault for having a weak network?

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2010/tc20100210_185317.htm

Marriott International

Marriott International is constantly rethinking ways to better serve their guests. They are on the cutting edge of technology in the hotel and resort industry. To better serve their frequent business travelers they developed the Courtyard lodging company, which now provides moderately priced lodging for travelers. In recent times, Courtyard by Marriott reevaluated how they could better serve their guests and in turn increase the intent to return rate. It was decided that Marriott needed to evolve their amenities directed toward the fast paced business people using the hotel.

Before, guests would only be able to get headline news, financial information, and weather reports from printed papers at the front desk and directions to their business meeting from the front desk associate using a large, paper map. This caused the information to be less accurate and not up-to-date by the time some guests read it. So, with the constantly updating technology and needs of their guests, Marriott’s Vice President of Property System Services, Kermit Littlefield, knew something needed to change. The hotel wanted to simplify the process for the guests and staff, and also wanted to “simplify [their] IT systems so that the hotel general managers could focus on managing the properties and not on managing the technology”. With the help of Microsoft, the GoBoard was installed in the lobbies of over fifty hotels as a trial with the intention of placing them in all of the Courtyard hotels. This provided their guests with all the information they needed right at their fingertips. This touch screen technology allowed the guests to look up weather forecasts, news headlines, sports scores, financial information, airline delays, attractions, restaurants, and an interactive mapping system. This service also included a printer so the guests could take the information they needed with them. Microsoft also made this technology very hands-off so the managers would have more time to interact with the guests and build a stronger relationship with them rather than having to constantly aid the GoBoard.

I think this is a great enhancement for the Courtyard by Marriott. The research and development team was able to figure out what the guests needed and discovered ways to implement a solution. This technology gives its guests what they want and need in a timely fashion. Getting information is much faster and more efficient than before and the service is more personalized and interaction between guests and the hotel staff is encouraged and even strengthened. In addition, the innovation in the lobby presentation that went along with the GoBoard makes the hotel more welcoming. Since they guests now have everything they need they can consider Courtyard an “office away from their office”. Also, the Marriott reworked its infrastructure in order to minimize management’s time with the technology and maximize its time helping and building relationships with the guests. Therefore, Marriott used its supporting activities to increase the primary activities such as customer relations and daily operations like the usage of the lobby, the check-in process, and amenities offered to their guests. Furthermore, according to their survey results, guest satisfaction has increased. Service scores are up by ten percent and intent to return has also increased by twenty-seven percent. Moreover, this new technology helped Marriott increase revenue and market share.

Technology is constantly changing and affecting every market and industry. Therefore it is essential that today’s companies adapt to the changes. Based on this article and some older articles I read about Marriott International, I believe the company has done a great job in leading the industry with technological advances and customer satisfaction. I am impressed that they continue to stay on the ball and never cease to try to improve. The commitment they show to their customers is very welcoming, and I think it will continue to provide them with great success in the future.

http://www.microsoft.com/Casestudies/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?casestudyid=4000004935

AOL Cracks Open AIM’s Door and Lets in Facebook

AOL has finally made the long awaited decision to merge its instant messaging chat services with facebook’s. 17 million people consistently use the AOL instant messaging service each month and they can now link their buddy list from AIM to their facebook page and use both buddy lists while on facebook. Other services such as iChat and Meebo made similar deals with previous website in the past which proved to be powerful and profitable moves, however AIM was slow to make the jump.

Although AIM was missed out on additional revenues, their patients may prove to be their greatest virtue as it lead them to a dominant contract. I agree with this move by AIM, it seems like a no brainer. If you cant beat them then join them. Facebook has become an online powerhouse, starting out with just a college/university based website for students to interact. Facebook has now become a multigenerational and world wide online service for almost everything. There’s no way AIM will pull users from facebooks massive user base with the limited services that they offer. However, what AIM does have is much more experience in the online chat market, as well as all of their users extensive buddy lists from way back when. What will happen is, after downloading the update, when you log onto facebook in addition to your normal chat group in the bottom right corner there will also be your entire buddy list from AIM as well and both services can be simultaneously used through facebook. The two will greatly compliment each other and extend both of their businesses.

AOL’s president for internet and mobile communications, Brad Garlinghouse, explained “that in the past AOL had not adapted its instant messenger service to meet user expectations of interoperability. Under a new management team, AOL’s attitude is changing.” Also, “We are now taking risks that historically we would not have taken,” he said. “People who use AIM are much more likely to use other parts of the AOL experience. So for us we are looking at creating a more useful product. This is about getting back to basics.”

AOL as well as Facebook will benefit from this merge in extending both their services.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/aol-cracks-open-aims-door-and-lets-in-facebook/?ref=technology

Google to build ultra-fast broadband networks

Google plans to create new "ultra-fast broadband networks around the country." These networks would help customers connect to the Internet faster. The new networks are more modern and up to date with the growing technologies such as online video. The company is trying to do things such as "enable consumers to download a high-definition, full-length feature film in less than five minutes." These networks are all experimental and Google plans to continue to tweak and build on them. Googles ultimate goal is to bring cheaper and more advanced network connections to more Americans.

I think that ideas and technologies such as Googles new broadband are extremely important in today's society. Fast networks can create more opportunities and better ways to achieve goals. The new networks Google hopes to create are essential not just for businesses but also for the everyday person. High-speed Internet access enables more people to quickly search the web and do all things necessary in their lives. With the fast-paced American society, people are looking for ways to get on the Internet and navigate faster. Googles new networks are trying to give people that chance to complete tasks much quicker.

The connections Google hopes to offer are a change to the slower and more expensive ones now in place. I feel that it is important that fast broadband and high-speed Internet be available to all consumers. Fast Internet access makes everyone's life easier especially at a low price. Without it, connections are slow and sometimes unreachable. Inexpensive ultra-fast broadband should be the goal of all companies like Google.

Hopefully broadband growth continues into the future. In order to keep up with the fast-paced technological growth that America is facing, high-speed Internet is essential. With new technology created everyday, consumers and businesses need to be able to have an Internet connection that is compatible and quick enough to sustain these new technological advances. Companies need to be able to have high-speed Internet access in order to complete all tasks necessary to fulfill their business strategy. Without ultra-fast broadband networks it would be hard for businesses to achieve their maximum potential in all areas and departments.

The cable TV industry does not contribute a lot of innovation in respect to fast broadband networks. Companies such as Google are the only ones trying to create new modernized networks. I think that all companies with the available resources and capital should be trying to establish these new types of networks. It is crucial for American society to be able to keep pace with the rest of the world, especially in the business aspect. If the rest of the world has developed fast broadband networks, the United States needs to as well. Without it, our country will fall behind and become less successful than other countries around the world.

Overall, I feel that building fast broadband networks is very significant in the United States. With advances in technology and science, high-speed Internet access is crucial for success. Google is doing an excellent job in keeping up with today's Internet society. Hopefully some day soon there will be an even faster and cheaper broadband network, available to all consumers.

Tessler, Joelle. "Google to build ultra-fast broadband networks". Associated Press. 10 February 2010.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100210/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_google_broadband_network_7

HP Opens first Ever Wind-Cooled Data Center

In the current financial crisis, many companies are forced to make drastic changes in an effort to reduce costs. Hewlett-Packard has chosen to make their new plant, the Wynyard, in northeast England, environmentally friendly. they are introducing wind tunnels and an air filtration system to cool and heat the plant. they have high hopes that despite the construction costs, and necessary changes to implement the new strategy, they will continue to increase their revenue.

Hewlett-Packard is a computer processing company that competes primarily with IBM for IT services and management contacts. this requires a safe secure environment. In addition, Hewlett-Packard has been compared to Lenovo and Dell to determine differences and similarities. Researchers have determined that they provide the same programs with little differences in types of features. They are also relatively the same in price range. However, Hewlett-Packard hopes that their new energy efficient approach may introduce them to a new market. This gives them an opportunity to gain a lead in the market share percentage. Energy conservation has become an increasingly important part of the consumers wants and needs when determining what product they want to purchase. Hewlett-Packard has chosen to take this next step in hopes that they will be able to attract this type on consumer.

The new technology to make Wynyard more efficient is going to increase Hewlett-Packard's costs by six percent. They hope that within two years, the extra costs will be recouped due to the savings in power and energy costs. Hewlett-Packard is doing their best to make efforts to reduce their costs while maintaining a secure environment.

The Wynyard new plant is built to increase confidence in its users. Not only will it be safer for the environment, but it will also remain one of the more power-backed plants. This means that when the power goes out, the Wynyard will be able to generate enough power to stay in service for up to four days.

Hewlett-Packard has made great strides to improve the satisfaction of their consumers and employees. consumers have begun to care more about how their products are being made while still maintaining a high quality. If given an option, they will pay slightly more for the same product if they had confidence that the product was produced in an environmentally friendly manner. It is crucial for a company to fully understand a consumer's wants and needs to be able to maximize their revenue. The environment is an important political issue that needs to be addressed. Hewlett=Packard is one of the many companies that have made efforts to alter their production to achieve a more power-saving environment. I believe that this new plant, the Wynyard, will be able to increase their market share and get them one step closer to being the lead producer for IT services and computer processors.

Kirk, Jeremy. "HP Opens First Ever Wind-Cooled Data Center" Inforworld.com, 10 February 2010.www.inforworld.com/d/green-it/hp-opens-first-ever-windcooled-data-center-831?page=0,1

AT&T's iPhone Mess

AT&T and Apple underestimated how popular the iPhone would be when it first launched. They would have been happy to grab 1% of the global cell-phone market, but instead they now have 14% of the smartphone market. Why does this present a problem amongst the consumers? The AT&T’s iPhone has taken over their data network and consumers of this phone are now unhappy with it because they claim that it simply can’t handle the traffic between downloading intensive applications or simply making phone calls. Consumers are worried that if there is a large crowd of people using their iPhones at the same exact time, whether making phone calls or using the applications, that the AT&T network will not come through for them. The FCC’s chief of safety and homeland security issued a warning that "purposely try to disrupt or negatively impact a network with ill-intent is irresponsible and presents a significant public safety concern." Essentially, he is trying to say that this could interfere with 911 phone calls.

I personally think that AT&T is doing the best they can to provide an efficient data network for all of the iPhone users and all AT&T users for that matter. The phone already has apps that make life easier for many people like access to maps while traveling, access to personal e-mail, and much more. Nothing is perfect, and many phone companies have struggled to consistently provide the best service possible for their consumers. Because most of America uses cell phones in today’s day and age, the service for any phone will not always be perfect reguardless of it is an iPhone or not. The article says that consumers of the phone are rebelling because they want to express their frustration of paying $150 a month for a phone that does not always provide the fastest data network; however, if this is the case, then those people shouldn’t use the iPhone and should just switch to another smart phone.

Due to the fact that some iPhone users are “data-greedy” people, this leaves AT&T with a few options to try to fix this problem. One option is that they could upgrade their network to keep up with customer demands, but this would weaken their profits. Another option is that they “could charge more for network access or limit what customers can do on their phones, but that would enrage the all-you-can-eat subscriber base as well as Net Neutrality types who seek to prevent telecom companies from dictating customers' options.” From my personal experience, the iPhone has never created any problems because the data network was quick and I accomplish what I want to on it. There is a flaw to everything and I know that AT&T is doing what it can to provide their consumers with the best service that they can. It is possible that maybe in the future they will solve this problem, but for right now I think the iPhone fits the lifestyle of many of its users.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_07/b4166034389519.htm?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5

"Google Jolts Telecom Rivals"

Google, one of the Internet’s fastest growing search engines, has decided to develop and offer a high-speed, fiber-optic web service. Google is campaigning this service as “think big with a gig”. This network will operate 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to with a speed of one gigabit-per-second. Google is being realistic in their approach by saying they are not trying to build a nationwide network rival. They only plan on reaching 50,000 to 500,000 people in select cities. Google wants to improve the Internet speed to advance their services like YouTube in allowing people to download and stream faster.

Compared to other nations, the United States is slow with our Internet speed and is in need of improvements. As stated by Akamai’s State of the Internet for this quarter, the United State’s Internet speed has declined 2.4% from 2008 to 2009 and was ranked as 18^th out of 203 nations. Google’s aspiration is to develop new deployment techniques for building fiber networks in an effort to inform and assist the deployment of faster networks by other internet service providers elsewhere. I think Google’s approach shows their growing concern and impatience with our countries slow broadband. Google is not taking this chance to become a major Internet service provider, but to improve our Internet access and the programs and sites that depend off of the speed of the Internet.

Google’s plan of diversification into a new market with a new product could become a detriment and hinder the company. As Ms. Vascellaro points out, Google will have to expand their primary value chain with customer service and logistics. Google has never had to deal with customer service, the billing of customers, or sending out trucks, which may present difficulties. I think Google is well experienced in Web infrastructure and capable, but to tear up all the neighborhoods in order to replace the copper with fiber and convincing people to allow them may not be as easy as they think. “Verizon said Google's project is a validation of its own strategy. Verizon has spent $23 billion to replace much of its copper-wire network with a faster fiber-optic one, but the deployment took several years and is ongoing. Other telcoms have more limited network upgrade plans, but all of them use fiber to connect new housing developments and infrastructure.” If Verizon has spent that many years and that amount of money working on fiber-optic networking, I am hesitant to have faith in Google’s “think big with a gig” campaign.

Vascellaro,Jessica. "Google Jolts Telecom Rivals". Wall Street Journal. 11 Feburary 2010. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704140104575057273487119574.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wsj%2Fxml%2Frss%2F3_7011+%28WSJ.com%3A+What%27s+News+US%29#video%3D57E0FCA1-6EEA-477C-8F96-43DFAF8B7EFA%26articleTabs%3Darticle.

Google's Display-Ad Sales Should Top $1 Billion

“Google CEO Eric Schmidt hinted in July that display advertising would probably be the next of his company's businesses to generate $1 billion in sales. Analysts say 2010 is the year he'll deliver on that prediction.” (MacMilan)

Online advertising is become more and more popular with companies on the web. It is predicted that display ads will account for four percent of Google’s total sales this year. Because of this, Google is taking action in trying to help marketers increase the effectiveness of their advertisements. I think Google has a very effective game plan in doing so. They are focusing on getting the most out of each of the advertisements they display.

In their plan to better online advertising, Google invested in the display advertising company Teracent. “The startup’s proprietary algorithms automatically pick the creative parts of a display ad (images, colors, text) in real-time determined by like geographic location, language, the content of the website, the time of day or the past performance of different ads.” (Rao) While marketing is a very important component of sales, advertising is very important component of marketing. The producer must always be focused on the right aspects of a marketing plan when advertising. This investment was a very good decision on Google’s behalf because by improving the quality of the advertisements and making them more specific to each and every customer, they will be more effective in generating sales.

Another thing Google has done to help advertisers is offer them Campaign Insights. The company Hair Club was the first to test out it out. Hair Club “ran banner ads for its hair replacement services across hundreds of Google's partner sites while Campaign Insights tracked the number of people who had seen the ads and then performed related Web searches.” (MacMilan) This new technological tool allowed the company to see the quantified, factual results from their advertisements. The company was then able to reevaluate their spending on online advertising. Based on the information they received from Campaign Insights, Hair Club made the decision to increase the amount of money allocated for these advertisements.

Although Yahoo earned a much larger revenue than Google last year when it came to display ads, Google has the upper hand in supplying marketers with the services provided by Campaign Insights. It costs them much less and is much easier for them to perform these services than it would be for Yahoo. While this is true for now, it will not be long until Yahoo comes out with a tool similar to Google’s Campaign Insights. For this reason, Google should continue to invest money and research not only into bettering advertising techniques and creating new ones but also into analyzing the results produced by these strategies. Better ways to analyze advertisements with provides marketers with a better understanding of how to improve them. With better advertisements, companies will see an increase in sales. Companies will acknowledge this by spending more money on advertising and in turn, Google will also experience an increase in revenue.

MacMilan, Douglas. “Google Acquires Teracent To Apply Machine Smarts To Display Ads”.BusinessWeek. 8 February 2010. Web. 10 February 2010.http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2010/tc2010027_356976.htm

Rao, Leena. “Google Acquires Teracent To Apply Machine Smarts To Display Ads”.TechCrunch. 23 November 2009. Web. 10 Feburary 2010.http://techcrunch.com/2009/11/23/google-acquires-teracent-to-apply-machine-smarts-to-display-ads/

Micron to Acquire Chipmaker Numonyx for $1.27 Billion (Update2)

Micron to Acquire Chipmaker Numonyx for $1.27 Billion (Update2)

“Micron Technology Inc., the biggest U.S. producer of computer memory, bought and acquired Numonyx Holdings BV, a chipmaker company, for $1.27 billion (Par 1).” This decision helped and profited Micron by increasing the number of chips to develop more mobile phones. It also benefitted them by strongly competing as one of the top memory making companies in the world. They are behind Samsung, which is based in South Korea, because they are the world’s largest maker of memory (Par 10). By combining the Micron and Numonyx together, “Micron has made a $204 million profit in its first quarter since 2007 (Par 16).”

I believe that Micron is correct when considering themselves as one of the top memory making companies in the world because they are planning their company for the future. By buying Numonyx, they have increased their assets and profits immensely. They want to be above and independent of all fellow memory making companies so they can establish themselves as a stronger corporation. It seems they are trying to avoid the effects of our country’s recession and construct new ideas on how to make more efficient handsets and mobile phones. This deal is not only beneficial for the future of their business, but for the future of technology. By acquiring all of Numonyx chips, they will have the resources to develop better phones. “They are going to be a dominant force in the mobile handset market by their ability to offer multichip packages (Par 4).” These packages will be sent to the manufacturers who actually make the phones. Personally, when it comes to phones I see new and improved models come out every month. It is amazing how these chips can help the phone companies to develop more efficient mobile phones. It is even more incredible to think that each chip has to be design uniquely to make each specific phone and handset. Another benefit of purchasing these chips is that Micron is “broader” in a sense. This means that the companies who manufacture the phones will be going to them because they have the widest selection of chips. Hopefully with the heavy reliance and demand, Micron will eventually beat Samsung for the number one position as the top memory making company in the world.

As long as they are able to make and produce more chips for every type of mobile phone, Micron seems to be doing very well. As well as producing these memory chips, Micron should still keep looking at the different possibilities to develop new chips. Since technology is rapidly changing and expanding every single day they should find ways to take used phones and recycle the chips from those phones to make new chips. Then their business will continue to grow technologically and financially. After all they have been considered “the most active acquirer in the memory chip business (Par 15).” Therefore they should have no complications when producing and improving the memory chips for future handsets and mobile phones.

King, Ian. “Micron to Acquire Chipmaker Numonyx for $1.27 Billion (Update2)”. BusinessWeek. 10 Feb 2010. Retrieved 10 Feb 2010
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-10/micron-agrees-to-acquire-numonyx-taking-on-samsung-update1-.html.

How Using Technology Helps Real Estate Companies Be More Profitable

One of the hardest hit industries by the recent economy is the Real Estate industry.  In these difficult times realtors are trying anything and everything to get the “edge” needed to sell their listings. Amanda DiVito of the Divito Dream Makers, RE/MAX Alliance has found that technology is a great way to boost her profits.

Amanda found that “eNeighborhoods.com”.  She describes in an interview how the technology works, “eNeighborhoods was the first tool of its kind that offered demographic and school information. We realized it was a one-stop source for crime statistics,” says DiVito. “eNeighborhoods breaks it down for real estate agents to put into a presentation for clients.” eNeighborhoods, a division of Dominion Enterprises, compiles real-estate related home and neighborhood information into a high-impact, colorful presentation for print, e-mail or online delivery. Using this data, she enhances her listing presentations with valuable U.S. Census data-everything from demographic information by neighborhood, school information, cost-of-living, crime statistics, and other information.”

The key to this new technology is that it is convenient and easily distributable. She found the top things that buyers are looking for on their “value-chain” of what was important in their thought process going into purchasing a house. eNeighnorhoods was the perfect tool to be the one-stop, easy way of giving the possible homeowners information on the important things they wanted answers whether it be school information or crime statistics. All of this information can be put into a PDF and e-mailed as well so that a possible buyer can look at the information on his or her own time. This makes it so that the realtor can give the customer what they need, while giving another customer that same information with the easiness of sending an e-mail. When times are tough, many times the answers can be found in finding technology that is applicable in order to make the job easier and most importantly, profitable.

http://rismedia.com/2008-02-11/how-using-technology-helps-real-estate-companies-be-more-profitable/ 10 Feb 2010

ESPN Plays Up the Web

The worlds most famous sports broadcaster, ESPN, is putting a lot of emphasis on their new website, ESPN360 to make money from live online sports video. ESPN360 is a website that allows subscribers to view almost any sporting event with the click of a button, live right from their home. The website does not require any additional fee, but rather comes with the Internet service of a provider. ESPN believes that with increased popularity of their new website, they can create higher revenue with an increasing demand of live, streaming sports footage.

The article states, "A person familiar with the matter said ESPN has had preliminary conversations with technology companies about making the service available on devices such as Web-enabled TVs or gaming consoles." (Par. 3) This would allow subscribers to view any live sporting event through their TV or gaming console such as Playstation or Xbox. One reason why someone might want to subscribe to ESPN360 is because their favorite team or sport might not be televised where they are living. ESPN360 would allow them to view every game, no matter if it was televised in their state or not. With access to ESPN360, a subscriber would not have to go out to a sports restaurant or pay for an additional package to view their favorite team.

One thing standing in the way of the expansion of ESPN360 are media forms such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable. They believe that the growth of live Web video will decrease demand for cable subscriptions. ESPN has countered by saying that they would "pull back" one of their traditional cable channels, ESPN Classic. This would not be detrimental to ESPN because the number of homes receiving ESPN Classic has reduced by 6 million since September, while ESPN360 has doubled. Another point that Time Warner Cable has brought up is the interest of their customers. Time Warner Cable believes that if they are carrying ESPN360 with their service, non-sports interested subscribers should not have to pay for ESPN360. Maureen Huff, spokeswoman of Time Warner Cable said, "Our customers ought to be able to access the Internet without being forced to pay for programming that they might never watch." (Par. 13)

ESPN believes that with the promotion of their site via the Internet and cable, they will be able to receive more subscribers. It is a great idea for ESPN to be advertising their new network this way because people are willing to pay the price to view their sports team. Damon Phillips, vice president of ESPN360 said "We want to take the best of the Web and take it to a TV-like environment." (Par. 12)

Wall Street Journal. Sam Schechner, 8 Feb. 2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2010. .

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