I sure hope not! Hello again from Cyberspace!
Today I'm going to share my mid-term assignment! You can find the website here. The working title is Almost Handwritten Cards - creativity was optional (I hope). Click it while you can, because I can't afford to keep it running forever!
The assignment was to create a business and design a website for that business. I'm not much of a web designer, but this was my shot at it. The idea behind the business was to use a robotic handwriting reproduction device to sign greeting cards based on smartphone touchscreen input.
After going through the assignment, it seems like a good idea, but I wasn't able to find the machine I had imagined. I wanted to price one, because this would be the largest single investment for the business. Overall, the overhead should be rather low, and the business could support itself after the handwriting machine is paid off.
I'm not sure how viable the business would be, and I don't expect it to make a billion dollars, but it was fun to look into.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Amazon Clouds make for sunny business
Hello again from Cyberspace!
In today's post, we're going to cover a video regarding Amazon's Cloud. The advertised title is Amazon and the Lean Cloud as presented by Werner Vogels. In the first minutes, Vogels states that he will discuss some of the business decisions behind starting Amazon's Cloud rather than the Lean Startup idea. In 13 points, Vogels outlines the ideas and principals behind the creation of the Amazon Cloud.
In today's post, we're going to cover a video regarding Amazon's Cloud. The advertised title is Amazon and the Lean Cloud as presented by Werner Vogels. In the first minutes, Vogels states that he will discuss some of the business decisions behind starting Amazon's Cloud rather than the Lean Startup idea. In 13 points, Vogels outlines the ideas and principals behind the creation of the Amazon Cloud.
- Design for Flexibility
- Amazon puts no constraints on the software platforms for their engineers. Because they hire 'the best in world', they go out of their way to enable their creativity.
- Design for On-Demand
- Due to the seasonal variation in Amazon's business, software must be developed to meet that need.
- Design for Automation
- After the launch of several APIs, Amazon realized that 70% of the engineer's time is spent maintaining their programs for customers. This is why Amazon creates their services so that the business rules decide when and how resources are allocated without an engineer spending their time on those tasks.
- Be Elastic
- While this is a little redundant from the seasonal planning point earlier, Vogels specifically points out that software must be able to scale up AND down. While I'm not very familiar with this topic, it sounded like scaling up was easy, but scaling back down is harder or overlooked.
- Design for Failure
- Be prepared for failure and plan to reduce/remove the failure. Amazon has very stringent requirements of how much failure your system has to meet, up to and including the loss of entire data stores.
- Design for Utility Pricing
- There must be a focus on price, since there is no reason for a consumer to return. While traditional brick-and-mortar stores have geography on their side, where the local population will choose your store because it is convenient, online retail does not have the same benefits. Amazon must retain their customers through low prices.
- Break Transparency
- Vogels emphasizes that they must make the cloud transparent so that those on the outside can see how it works on the inside. If APIs are being consumed by programmers outside your company, they will need to 'crack open the hood' at times to make their products.
- Decompose to its Simplest Form
- Amazon used this principal to redefine their databases, rebuilding so that their databases can be infinitely scalable and failure-proof.
- Design with Security in mind
- Companies must integrate security into the design of each application. One of my favorite lines from this video came from this bullet - we can no longer rely on the moat around our castle, but rely on each of our programs to be secure in and of themselves.
- Don't do it alone
- According to Vogels, every company must outsource and invite third parties to help build a great business. Amazon even offers commissions for to external hosts of links if those links result in sales.
- Focus on what doesn't change
- I really liked this point - a company must be able to do the basics well. There are certain things that don't change, such as keeping low prices will always be at the forefront in retail. No one will ever ask for the price will go up, or that packages will be delivered late. To be able to define these major themes and then do them well is vital to any business and planned for by Amazon.
- Let your customers benefit
- Amazon leverages its size and number of website hits to get better pricing for consumers and bandwidth providers.
- Continuously Innovate
- In today's world, start-ups have access to the same resources of the 'old school' IT companies. Until recently, a company had to amass their own IT strength in house, and they could make a lot of money by limiting services or forcing long-term contracts. Today and into the future, everything will be built on these types of services with the IT being held outside the company according to Vogels.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Your Client is Served
Hello again from Cyberspace!
This post is from class - check the location!
I'm dedicating this post to my brilliant teammates - you guys rock! Here I will explain what Client-Server Architecture is. In a nutshell, Client Server Architecture is a two part program - one part of the program runs on the user's local system (the client), and the heavy lifting happens on a server (the server) in cyberspace. Each part is not a functioning whole - the client software relies on the server to operate, and the server does no good on its own.
As you can see from this image, there are roughly 3 parts to Client-Server-Architecture - the client, the server, and the connections in between. This is very similar to how the web operates with the distinction that the software exists on both client and server. Instead of all the processing happening locally, your system connects to the server to complete processing.
The best example of this is an e-mail program, like Outlook. Outlook is installed on you computer, but it must talk to the server to find your e-mails. Your local program is no good without any e-mails, and the server doesn't want e-mails sitting around that it can't read.
I hope you enjoy! Thanks to the team!
This post is from class - check the location!
I'm dedicating this post to my brilliant teammates - you guys rock! Here I will explain what Client-Server Architecture is. In a nutshell, Client Server Architecture is a two part program - one part of the program runs on the user's local system (the client), and the heavy lifting happens on a server (the server) in cyberspace. Each part is not a functioning whole - the client software relies on the server to operate, and the server does no good on its own.
As you can see from this image, there are roughly 3 parts to Client-Server-Architecture - the client, the server, and the connections in between. This is very similar to how the web operates with the distinction that the software exists on both client and server. Instead of all the processing happening locally, your system connects to the server to complete processing.
The best example of this is an e-mail program, like Outlook. Outlook is installed on you computer, but it must talk to the server to find your e-mails. Your local program is no good without any e-mails, and the server doesn't want e-mails sitting around that it can't read.
I hope you enjoy! Thanks to the team!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Let me check my Case
Hello again from Cyberspace!
It's been a little while since my last post, and it's good to be back. This post will be dedicated to a case study regarding a business using API. API stands for 'Application Programming Interface', and, in a nutshell, lets you use functionality from a program you didn't write. This is more integrated than just typing something into Google Maps; it lets you get under the hood and incorporate the data into your website or mobile app.
Now that we're on the same page, lets look at a case study on USA Today from Mashery. This is a video study, and it takes about 20 min.
I'll save you the time to watch it, because it wasn't that great. Unless, of course, you enjoy bland presentations and poorly designed PowerPoints. The basic premise was the success that USA Today has had with their iPad API business. The presenter mentioned that they have been developing for platforms like the web and Android driven products as well. One of the major benefits stated in the video was the speed of development. There is a movement currently toward speedy release of products, and API is a simple path to take you there. Like the API because it's so much faster for USA Today. He also discussed the business model for the API side of USA Today, which is totally advertising driven. I was surprised that a simple API release could be so lucrative.
Overall, I thought it was a mildly interesting display of a business successfully using API's to make money. Some of this seems like it's presented by geeks for geeks, but I think this is a major avenue for the future of the internet.
On an unrelated note, you can't embed videos in a Blogger blog. ;_;
I tried to imbed the video here for your viewing pleasure, but with no luck. If you know of a way, please post it in the comments!
It's been a little while since my last post, and it's good to be back. This post will be dedicated to a case study regarding a business using API. API stands for 'Application Programming Interface', and, in a nutshell, lets you use functionality from a program you didn't write. This is more integrated than just typing something into Google Maps; it lets you get under the hood and incorporate the data into your website or mobile app.
Now that we're on the same page, lets look at a case study on USA Today from Mashery. This is a video study, and it takes about 20 min.
I'll save you the time to watch it, because it wasn't that great. Unless, of course, you enjoy bland presentations and poorly designed PowerPoints. The basic premise was the success that USA Today has had with their iPad API business. The presenter mentioned that they have been developing for platforms like the web and Android driven products as well. One of the major benefits stated in the video was the speed of development. There is a movement currently toward speedy release of products, and API is a simple path to take you there. Like the API because it's so much faster for USA Today. He also discussed the business model for the API side of USA Today, which is totally advertising driven. I was surprised that a simple API release could be so lucrative.
Overall, I thought it was a mildly interesting display of a business successfully using API's to make money. Some of this seems like it's presented by geeks for geeks, but I think this is a major avenue for the future of the internet.
On an unrelated note, you can't embed videos in a Blogger blog. ;_;
I tried to imbed the video here for your viewing pleasure, but with no luck. If you know of a way, please post it in the comments!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Future looks... connected!
Hello again from Cyberspace!
Lets talk about an interesting article I read called the Future of the Internet Report by the Future Internet Strategy Group. I think there's some real potential in this article, and I'll save you the 60 page read. In this post, I'll review the article, and comment on how the topics in the MIT course I'm taking relate to the trends in the report.
The report is designed to position the British government well for what the report refers to as the 'Future Internet'. Broadly defined, the 'Future Internet' is what the internet will look like in the future. I know that sounds pretty obvious, but the article spends a great deal of time talking about some common misunderstandings about the future. For example, with all the talk about 4G and other smartphone connection speeds, it's easy to assume the future will be all about speed. The article points out that internet speed, while important, is only a minor portion of the future state.
What the article proposes as the 'Future Internet' is an "Internet of People and Things". This means in increase of internet connected devices, and not just smartphones. It proposes that we will accumulate much more data as machines talk directly to each other with no human interaction. This last idea has a very 'big brother' feel to it, and it shows the England-centric tone of the article. There are several ideas proposed here, like having GPS locators on a phone or clothing always tracking someone's location, that don't sit well in American culture.
The article outlines three specific areas of technology advancement needed to reach the Future Internet state.
The Cloud Infrastructure is something we are experiencing today with things like Google Docs and Zoho. Given the exabytes of data that are being collected, we will need specialized storage locations to manage all the data. Given the chart above, I don't see that society has any choice but to consolidate data storage, which leads us directly into the Converged Services. The article is staunchly opposed to companies keeping 'silos' of data, where one company captures their own data and doesn't share it across the industry. While the gains from this are hard to deny, I was never sold on this idea. Given that data is power, and whoever knows their customer better wins, I don't forsee companies willing to part with their hard-earned data to competitors.
The remainder of the article inspects various technologies and their feasability of being implemented. As you can see from the chart above, each of the larger blocks, like Social Advantage, are built on smaller pieces. Each of these smaller pieces are discussed in detail for the rest of the report, along with how close the UK is to achieving the piece.
Overall, I thoroughly agree with the direction the report is taking. It is very sensible, and we can even see pieces of this in place today with things like SaaS, FaaS, as well as the FCC releasing additional broadband spectrum. Also, the Cloud is gaining popularity, building into the necessary pieces outlined above. I think we will need to see some major businesses implement a cloud strategy as part of their regular operations, including security fixes and downtime safeguards, before the Cloud will take off as a strong and viable option for the future.
I would have to say that the Future Internet Strategy Group has a well researched report that is based in sound facts and predictions. I am excited to see their predictions come true, hopefully sooner than later.
**All images and quotes in this blog are from the Future of the Internet Report.
Lets talk about an interesting article I read called the Future of the Internet Report by the Future Internet Strategy Group. I think there's some real potential in this article, and I'll save you the 60 page read. In this post, I'll review the article, and comment on how the topics in the MIT course I'm taking relate to the trends in the report.
The report is designed to position the British government well for what the report refers to as the 'Future Internet'. Broadly defined, the 'Future Internet' is what the internet will look like in the future. I know that sounds pretty obvious, but the article spends a great deal of time talking about some common misunderstandings about the future. For example, with all the talk about 4G and other smartphone connection speeds, it's easy to assume the future will be all about speed. The article points out that internet speed, while important, is only a minor portion of the future state.
What the article proposes as the 'Future Internet' is an "Internet of People and Things". This means in increase of internet connected devices, and not just smartphones. It proposes that we will accumulate much more data as machines talk directly to each other with no human interaction. This last idea has a very 'big brother' feel to it, and it shows the England-centric tone of the article. There are several ideas proposed here, like having GPS locators on a phone or clothing always tracking someone's location, that don't sit well in American culture.
The article outlines three specific areas of technology advancement needed to reach the Future Internet state.
- Capable Access Mechanism
- Cloud Infrastructure
- Converged Services
| 1,000 Bytes | = 1 Kilobyte |
| 1,000 Kilobytes | = 1 Megabyte |
| 1,000 Megabytes | = 1 Gigabyte |
| 1,000 Gigabytes | = 1 Terabyte |
| 1,000 Terabytes | = 1 Petabyte |
| 1,000 Petabytes | = 1 Exabyte |
The Cloud Infrastructure is something we are experiencing today with things like Google Docs and Zoho. Given the exabytes of data that are being collected, we will need specialized storage locations to manage all the data. Given the chart above, I don't see that society has any choice but to consolidate data storage, which leads us directly into the Converged Services. The article is staunchly opposed to companies keeping 'silos' of data, where one company captures their own data and doesn't share it across the industry. While the gains from this are hard to deny, I was never sold on this idea. Given that data is power, and whoever knows their customer better wins, I don't forsee companies willing to part with their hard-earned data to competitors.
The remainder of the article inspects various technologies and their feasability of being implemented. As you can see from the chart above, each of the larger blocks, like Social Advantage, are built on smaller pieces. Each of these smaller pieces are discussed in detail for the rest of the report, along with how close the UK is to achieving the piece.
Overall, I thoroughly agree with the direction the report is taking. It is very sensible, and we can even see pieces of this in place today with things like SaaS, FaaS, as well as the FCC releasing additional broadband spectrum. Also, the Cloud is gaining popularity, building into the necessary pieces outlined above. I think we will need to see some major businesses implement a cloud strategy as part of their regular operations, including security fixes and downtime safeguards, before the Cloud will take off as a strong and viable option for the future.
I would have to say that the Future Internet Strategy Group has a well researched report that is based in sound facts and predictions. I am excited to see their predictions come true, hopefully sooner than later.
**All images and quotes in this blog are from the Future of the Internet Report.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
I've got you in my Sites
Hello again from Cyberspace!
Today I'd like to discuss Google Sites. I made one! This site is for MenuMax, the make-believe business discussed in a previous blog entry. I'll discuss some of the features of Google Sites, how Google Sites fits the definition of Software as a Service, and how this can be viewed as Service-oriented architechture.
First, the nitty-gritty of setting up the site. I've played with some website building using ASP, so I really appreciated the simplicity of this service. I found it easy to get set up, and there were thousands of widgets to add to different pages. It was much easier than pounding out tons of HTML. On the downside, I can see how some of the set-up features could be confusing without any web-building experience. Specifically, I can see the potential for mix up when adding new pages from anywhere other than home. The site asks where to place the new page and doesn't give a lot of detail on what they mean. I accidentally made a blog page as a sub-page to my calendar, not on the home page. Once there, I couldn't delete it & had to start the site over from scratch. That leads me to another point - Google Sites is not very forgiving of accidents. If you pick the wrong background or add a page it the wrong place, it is hard to find the correction for it. I'm not saying it isn't there, just that I couldn't find it. Even with the downsides, I recommend Google Sites if you need a website soon. It's great for the casual user that would like a presence on the web.
From a technology perspective, Google Sites fits right into the definition of Software as a Service (SaaS). SaaS is the idea that I can consume a computer program through an online service, much like Google Docs or Google Maps. These are interactive programs that users can run in practically an web browser without the need to download anything additional to your local computer. All the data are saved in Google servers, and can therefore be accessed from any system, often including mobile devices, at any time. From this standpoint, Google Sites does just that - it allows the users to access a web-building program like Adobe Dreamweaver to build websites.
In addition to SaaS, there is also Firmware as a Service (FaaS). FaaS is similar to SaaS, except that FaaS gives the user more power to make changes to the program to suit their needs. Google Docs fits more into an SaaS than FaaS, because Google Docs doesn't allow you to make any fundamental changes to the document or spreadsheet; you can only consume the document as presented through the browser. FaaS does allow you to make those changes, and Google Sites has a few of those tools. You can import widgets onto your site from thousands of options, some made by Google, some not. You can add scripts to a page and upload your own web templates, going beyond the 'vanilla' options offered by Google. While not as robust as designing websites in Visual Studio, Google Sites gives you plenty of options in creating your first website.
And there you have it. Google Sites is easy to use and get started with, with more options for uploading than the average cloud service. Google is quickly paving the way to a day when desktop computing is obsolete and all our interaction with computers is over the internet.
Today I'd like to discuss Google Sites. I made one! This site is for MenuMax, the make-believe business discussed in a previous blog entry. I'll discuss some of the features of Google Sites, how Google Sites fits the definition of Software as a Service, and how this can be viewed as Service-oriented architechture.
First, the nitty-gritty of setting up the site. I've played with some website building using ASP, so I really appreciated the simplicity of this service. I found it easy to get set up, and there were thousands of widgets to add to different pages. It was much easier than pounding out tons of HTML. On the downside, I can see how some of the set-up features could be confusing without any web-building experience. Specifically, I can see the potential for mix up when adding new pages from anywhere other than home. The site asks where to place the new page and doesn't give a lot of detail on what they mean. I accidentally made a blog page as a sub-page to my calendar, not on the home page. Once there, I couldn't delete it & had to start the site over from scratch. That leads me to another point - Google Sites is not very forgiving of accidents. If you pick the wrong background or add a page it the wrong place, it is hard to find the correction for it. I'm not saying it isn't there, just that I couldn't find it. Even with the downsides, I recommend Google Sites if you need a website soon. It's great for the casual user that would like a presence on the web.
From a technology perspective, Google Sites fits right into the definition of Software as a Service (SaaS). SaaS is the idea that I can consume a computer program through an online service, much like Google Docs or Google Maps. These are interactive programs that users can run in practically an web browser without the need to download anything additional to your local computer. All the data are saved in Google servers, and can therefore be accessed from any system, often including mobile devices, at any time. From this standpoint, Google Sites does just that - it allows the users to access a web-building program like Adobe Dreamweaver to build websites.
In addition to SaaS, there is also Firmware as a Service (FaaS). FaaS is similar to SaaS, except that FaaS gives the user more power to make changes to the program to suit their needs. Google Docs fits more into an SaaS than FaaS, because Google Docs doesn't allow you to make any fundamental changes to the document or spreadsheet; you can only consume the document as presented through the browser. FaaS does allow you to make those changes, and Google Sites has a few of those tools. You can import widgets onto your site from thousands of options, some made by Google, some not. You can add scripts to a page and upload your own web templates, going beyond the 'vanilla' options offered by Google. While not as robust as designing websites in Visual Studio, Google Sites gives you plenty of options in creating your first website.
And there you have it. Google Sites is easy to use and get started with, with more options for uploading than the average cloud service. Google is quickly paving the way to a day when desktop computing is obsolete and all our interaction with computers is over the internet.
Tomorrow's Forcast is Cloudy
Hello again from Cyberspace!
In this entry, I will be looking at some cloud services - Microsoft 365, Zoho, and Google Docs. I'll be rating them on a scale of 1 --> 10, with 10 being the best. I'll give my opinions of each and summary of how I see these suites could benefit businesses.
Up first is Zoho. I'm starting here because I've never heard of them, and it seemed like as good a place as any to start. The first one I tried was Zoho Writer. Aside from the typical word processing features, I was interested in the 'Post To Blog' option. Unfortunately, the program froze on me, otherwise you'd be reading something from a Zoho doc here. I also thought the spreadsheet was average. Once I found the function helper, I was doing everything normally in the Zoho spreadsheet. I noticed there are quite a few more mathmatical functions in Zoho than Excel, which was a major plus. Also, I liked the option to record macros, which isn't currently available in Google Docs. Unfortunately, Zoho wouldn't confirm my registration, so I can't share the awesome chart I made, even though that was an option... The bugs strike again. The last program I tried was Presentation, which worked just as expected. The interface blew my mind - it was so hard to find anything! After a bit of hunting and pecking, I was able to find my way around, but not impersonating Microsoft really hurt the usability for me.
Overall, I give Zoho a 6 of 10, mostly due to buggy behavior. I mostly liked the interface, but it was a major hinderance in Presentation. All the typical features were available, and a couple of surprises like being able to work offline within your browser. However, I missed the Auto-Save feature of Google Docs, and I obviously didn't like the bugs. If they fix the bugs, I could see this being a top notch product.
Zoho has the by far the most 'other' applications, most of which I wasn't able to try. It seems that Zoho is specifically geared towards businesses needs, and also supports online collaboration like chat and meetings. Between the three product lines, it appears that Zoho is the middle ground for business application.
Next up is Microsoft 365. I was looking forward to using the familiar Office products in a cloud environment, and I think the idea of having multiple edit the same document simultaneously. Unfortunately, I couldn't access a single program. Microsoft offers this service for a charge and requires a software download, unlike Google and Zoho's free suite. Once I created an account, it wouldn't let me sign in! I tried my password ad nauseum, but it claimed a password mismatch.
I tried to reset my password. Per protocol, it asked me a security question to verify my identity. I never gave a security question, and the text read 'Default security question?', and wouldn't accept any of my answers. I wish I could make this up. I finally started a new account, which gave me the same issues. Overall ranking 0 of 10. It sounds like it has potential, but compared to Google and Zoho's sign up and start using, Microsoft may have a tough time with their current format.
This product is geared specifically for businesses. From the research I did on the outside (the only kind I could manage), this is built from the ground up for businesses. There is a subscription service, which is posted as $6 per person for smaller businesses. It offers the classic Microsoft Office producst over the cloud, which means that multiple people can simultaneously access the same document - a major improvement over current Office products, and you don't have to pay for that expensive Office Suite. All of the rhetoric I found for Microsoft 365 looks great, and I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't use it.
Finally, the best is the last. Google Docs. I've used this before and loved it, so I saved the best for last. There was no downloading, just sign up for a free Google account. I really enjoyed jumping right in and using the features right away. I spent most of my time in the Spreadsheet application, and even built a couple of little tools for use 'around the house', so to speak. I also tried to make a Document and even a Paint application. There were no surprises on the Document program, but I found I liked the Paint application better than the one on my hard drive. It is simple to use with a streamlined interface, whether you are drawing lines or coloring in shapes, it feels more polised than MS Paint.
Overall, I give Google Docs a 9 of 10. I enjoyed the interfaces, and I love the Auto-Save feature. I also like that my Google account dovetails onto other sites (like this one!), but I did miss a few functions that I'm used to in Microsoft Excel. I also found the help to be a little sparse.
From a business perspective, Google Docs looks like it is geared more towards individual users than enterprise solutions. I can't imagine an entire company with thousands of employees working off of this platform, or even a company with more than 3 employees. It appears to lack the collaboration of the other two, as well as any clear security features. While I'm sure Google Docs are well protected, I didn't see anything proclaiming the security of these products. While this is great for the weekend warrior to organize their finances or set a team calendar, I can't see this as the standard for a major company.
So there you have it, my impressions of SaaS in the cloud. In using these three products, I can see this being the future of business productivity applications. No software installation, storage off-site, and pay-as-you-hire plans can help refine technology costs for almost any size business. With advanced security features and a faster interface, I don't see any reason for these applications to be offered anywhere but the cloud.
It's exciting to think where the future is headed with such robust documents available online today.
In this entry, I will be looking at some cloud services - Microsoft 365, Zoho, and Google Docs. I'll be rating them on a scale of 1 --> 10, with 10 being the best. I'll give my opinions of each and summary of how I see these suites could benefit businesses.
Up first is Zoho. I'm starting here because I've never heard of them, and it seemed like as good a place as any to start. The first one I tried was Zoho Writer. Aside from the typical word processing features, I was interested in the 'Post To Blog' option. Unfortunately, the program froze on me, otherwise you'd be reading something from a Zoho doc here. I also thought the spreadsheet was average. Once I found the function helper, I was doing everything normally in the Zoho spreadsheet. I noticed there are quite a few more mathmatical functions in Zoho than Excel, which was a major plus. Also, I liked the option to record macros, which isn't currently available in Google Docs. Unfortunately, Zoho wouldn't confirm my registration, so I can't share the awesome chart I made, even though that was an option... The bugs strike again. The last program I tried was Presentation, which worked just as expected. The interface blew my mind - it was so hard to find anything! After a bit of hunting and pecking, I was able to find my way around, but not impersonating Microsoft really hurt the usability for me.
Overall, I give Zoho a 6 of 10, mostly due to buggy behavior. I mostly liked the interface, but it was a major hinderance in Presentation. All the typical features were available, and a couple of surprises like being able to work offline within your browser. However, I missed the Auto-Save feature of Google Docs, and I obviously didn't like the bugs. If they fix the bugs, I could see this being a top notch product.
Zoho has the by far the most 'other' applications, most of which I wasn't able to try. It seems that Zoho is specifically geared towards businesses needs, and also supports online collaboration like chat and meetings. Between the three product lines, it appears that Zoho is the middle ground for business application.
Next up is Microsoft 365. I was looking forward to using the familiar Office products in a cloud environment, and I think the idea of having multiple edit the same document simultaneously. Unfortunately, I couldn't access a single program. Microsoft offers this service for a charge and requires a software download, unlike Google and Zoho's free suite. Once I created an account, it wouldn't let me sign in! I tried my password ad nauseum, but it claimed a password mismatch.
I tried to reset my password. Per protocol, it asked me a security question to verify my identity. I never gave a security question, and the text read 'Default security question?', and wouldn't accept any of my answers. I wish I could make this up. I finally started a new account, which gave me the same issues. Overall ranking 0 of 10. It sounds like it has potential, but compared to Google and Zoho's sign up and start using, Microsoft may have a tough time with their current format.
This product is geared specifically for businesses. From the research I did on the outside (the only kind I could manage), this is built from the ground up for businesses. There is a subscription service, which is posted as $6 per person for smaller businesses. It offers the classic Microsoft Office producst over the cloud, which means that multiple people can simultaneously access the same document - a major improvement over current Office products, and you don't have to pay for that expensive Office Suite. All of the rhetoric I found for Microsoft 365 looks great, and I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't use it.
Finally, the best is the last. Google Docs. I've used this before and loved it, so I saved the best for last. There was no downloading, just sign up for a free Google account. I really enjoyed jumping right in and using the features right away. I spent most of my time in the Spreadsheet application, and even built a couple of little tools for use 'around the house', so to speak. I also tried to make a Document and even a Paint application. There were no surprises on the Document program, but I found I liked the Paint application better than the one on my hard drive. It is simple to use with a streamlined interface, whether you are drawing lines or coloring in shapes, it feels more polised than MS Paint.
Overall, I give Google Docs a 9 of 10. I enjoyed the interfaces, and I love the Auto-Save feature. I also like that my Google account dovetails onto other sites (like this one!), but I did miss a few functions that I'm used to in Microsoft Excel. I also found the help to be a little sparse.
From a business perspective, Google Docs looks like it is geared more towards individual users than enterprise solutions. I can't imagine an entire company with thousands of employees working off of this platform, or even a company with more than 3 employees. It appears to lack the collaboration of the other two, as well as any clear security features. While I'm sure Google Docs are well protected, I didn't see anything proclaiming the security of these products. While this is great for the weekend warrior to organize their finances or set a team calendar, I can't see this as the standard for a major company.
So there you have it, my impressions of SaaS in the cloud. In using these three products, I can see this being the future of business productivity applications. No software installation, storage off-site, and pay-as-you-hire plans can help refine technology costs for almost any size business. With advanced security features and a faster interface, I don't see any reason for these applications to be offered anywhere but the cloud.
It's exciting to think where the future is headed with such robust documents available online today.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Here's our last model on the Runway
Hello again from Cyberspace!
This time we have the same thing we had last time! Yippie? Well, not really the same thing. It's more like the same candy, different flavor. This post is dedicated to a make-believe company. I promised in my last post that we would cover this company I made up, and go into a little more detail. Hopefully you read the PDF (you did read it, didn't you?), so you have a basic understanding of what's going on. If you didn't, the business model outlines 9 essential pieces for any company to succeed. Those things are:
- Value Proposition - What value does my product/service offer the world?
- Customer Segment - Who is going to consume my product?
- Revenue Stream - Where will the $$ come from?
- Channels - How do I get my product to the people?
- Customer Relationship - How do I keep my customers happy?
- Key Resources - What do I have to help me do what I do?
- Key Activities - What do I do that keeps me in business?
- Key Partnerships - Who is in my bullpen?
- Cost Structure - What does it cost to stay in business?
The imaginary business I created was dedicated to my wife and son. My son was diagnosed with rather severe food allergies when he was 9 months old, and that opened up our eyes to how hard eating with allergies can be in our society. To compound the issue, my wife was nursing, so she had to alter her diet as well. One of the most frustrating things about the allergies was the lack of good, consolidated knowledge for us to access when we had questions. Hence the idea for an infomediary where food information is consolidated and easy to access. While I'm sure there are several sites similar to this, we couldn't find a good one.
The business idea is to take the menus of restaurants around the country, both national chains and local restaurants, and publish the nutrion facts and allergen information for every item on the menu. To bolster that, it would include a database of food available in your local grocery store produces by large food companies like Kraft or Heinz, as well as other items that are prepared in the same facility. Finally, there would be a chat community for people with similar issues to discuss nutrition and other food related issues. Income is driven by sponsers and advertising. All the information is free to browse, but each page would have advertisements, therefore paying the bills. The site would also offer paid spots, similar to Google where the top few search results are sponsored links. I'm not sure this has the universal appeal of a WebMD, but I believe there are enough people out there with food concerns to make this a viable plan.
Enjoy looking over my model. I hope you like it, and I invite you to comment to tell me what you think. See you next time!
Up next on the runway...
...Business Models!!
Hello again from Cyberspace!
This time around, we are going to look at some business models. The next couple of posts will show some business models I created using Business Model Generation from the Business Model Foundry. The general idea here is to outline the integeral pieces that go into making a business successful, and focuses largely on the value brought to consumers. The PDF file available on the website has an excellent model to map out what's vital to a business, and I'm going to discuss one I created for Coca-Cola Enterprises.
I worked for Coca-Cola Enterprises as my first real job out of college. I was surprised to find out that Coke is actually two companies: The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Enterprises. The former is what you typically associate with Coke - housed in Atlanta, holds the secret formula, does all the marketing, etc. Coca-Cola Enterprises is the bottler, and they buy the syrup from The Coca-Cola Company, mix in the carbonation, and distribute it to your local grocery store/vending machine/restaurant.
I did my best to match the beautiful graphs in the PDF file, but I'm afraid I fell a little short. What I was able to do was fill out the blocks for Coke's business model. This is a little simplistic, and I created this with a North American focus, seeing as that is where my experience came from. Click on the image to enhance it and look it over. I believe it is pretty self-explanitory, expecially for a well-known brand like Coke. I'll get into a little more detail with my next post, where I'll discuss a company I made up. Stay tuned!
Hello again from Cyberspace!
This time around, we are going to look at some business models. The next couple of posts will show some business models I created using Business Model Generation from the Business Model Foundry. The general idea here is to outline the integeral pieces that go into making a business successful, and focuses largely on the value brought to consumers. The PDF file available on the website has an excellent model to map out what's vital to a business, and I'm going to discuss one I created for Coca-Cola Enterprises.
I worked for Coca-Cola Enterprises as my first real job out of college. I was surprised to find out that Coke is actually two companies: The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Enterprises. The former is what you typically associate with Coke - housed in Atlanta, holds the secret formula, does all the marketing, etc. Coca-Cola Enterprises is the bottler, and they buy the syrup from The Coca-Cola Company, mix in the carbonation, and distribute it to your local grocery store/vending machine/restaurant.
I did my best to match the beautiful graphs in the PDF file, but I'm afraid I fell a little short. What I was able to do was fill out the blocks for Coke's business model. This is a little simplistic, and I created this with a North American focus, seeing as that is where my experience came from. Click on the image to enhance it and look it over. I believe it is pretty self-explanitory, expecially for a well-known brand like Coke. I'll get into a little more detail with my next post, where I'll discuss a company I made up. Stay tuned!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Which route should I take?
Hello again from Cyberspace!
Today lets talk about routers. Our class assignment was to listen to HowStuffWorks TechStuff #4 - What is a router? and write a post about it, so here we are. The only thing that impressed me more than this podcast was the amount of time it took me to find it. Seriously, I searched for three hours, and the podcast only lasted 30 minutes. ^_^;
Anyway, on to the good stuff. This is my first listen to the HowStuffWorks TechStuff podcast, but I became a subscriber. The two hosts (sorry, I didn't catch their names) were low-key an relaxed, and aside from some sizable and strange tangents, were knowledgeable and presented a nice in-depth article.
The story goes like this - computer connectivity is organized into layers. The first layer is within the computer itself and the second is on a local area network. Neither needs a router to operate. The third level is the Internet level, which is where the router is required. I won't spoil the podcast for you since this is where the real meat of the conversation is, but in a nutshell, the router finds the best way for you to connect to the desired computer out in cyberspace.
It amazed me to learn about packets, the Internet being a network of networks, and all sorts of other neat facts; I have a new-found appreciation for the Internet. I keep looking at my computer, trying to gaze beyond the bits on the screen to where the router is passing packets out, checking if more are needed, and updating its routing table for the most optimized route. What's more amazing is that this complicated piece of technology that is a fixture in my house only cost around $70, and practically installed itself. I just plugged in all the cords, and now everything in my house can access the Internet. Amazing!
I hope you grab it while the grabbing is good. Never forget those wise words of Confucius: "Nothing is permanent in the Internet unless you make it so." OK, not Confucius, but wise nonetheless.
Today lets talk about routers. Our class assignment was to listen to HowStuffWorks TechStuff #4 - What is a router? and write a post about it, so here we are. The only thing that impressed me more than this podcast was the amount of time it took me to find it. Seriously, I searched for three hours, and the podcast only lasted 30 minutes. ^_^;
Anyway, on to the good stuff. This is my first listen to the HowStuffWorks TechStuff podcast, but I became a subscriber. The two hosts (sorry, I didn't catch their names) were low-key an relaxed, and aside from some sizable and strange tangents, were knowledgeable and presented a nice in-depth article.
The story goes like this - computer connectivity is organized into layers. The first layer is within the computer itself and the second is on a local area network. Neither needs a router to operate. The third level is the Internet level, which is where the router is required. I won't spoil the podcast for you since this is where the real meat of the conversation is, but in a nutshell, the router finds the best way for you to connect to the desired computer out in cyberspace.
It amazed me to learn about packets, the Internet being a network of networks, and all sorts of other neat facts; I have a new-found appreciation for the Internet. I keep looking at my computer, trying to gaze beyond the bits on the screen to where the router is passing packets out, checking if more are needed, and updating its routing table for the most optimized route. What's more amazing is that this complicated piece of technology that is a fixture in my house only cost around $70, and practically installed itself. I just plugged in all the cords, and now everything in my house can access the Internet. Amazing!
I hope you grab it while the grabbing is good. Never forget those wise words of Confucius: "Nothing is permanent in the Internet unless you make it so." OK, not Confucius, but wise nonetheless.
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