China Firm "Hijacked" Data
My last blog of the semester will come full circle from my first blog at the beginning of the year. The article I am writing about today is the charge that a Chinese company, China Telecom, routed about 18 minutes of 15% of all Internet traffic through their servers in April, including branches of the U.S. armed services, the U.S. Senate and companies like Microsoft. Of course China denied it, but China Telecom is a state-owned company and China has been known to actively participate in electronic esponiage, especially against the United States.
This is a good recap for everything we've learned this semester. The digital economy has propelled our country and the world to a higher standard of living and great, rapid progress. What we have to remember and realize though, is that whenever you digitize a majority of things in your country and rely on the Internet for normal day-to-day business, there will always be someone out there that wants to steal your information and use it against you. Whether it be for business or national security.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
How to Sell on YouTube, Without Showing a Video
How to Sell on YouTube
The article for my blog this week is about how small businesses are using YouTube to sell their products and gain customer awareness/reviews. We are probably all familiar with companies using social media such as Twitter and Facebook to advertise products or promotions. There is a trend lately to use YouTube not only to upload advertisment videos, but to comment on videos that regular people post, reviewing a product.
For instance, some random person may post a video in Youtube about how product X is really great but they can't figure out how to do a certain function with it. Product X will then post in their comments and explain to them how to complete this function. This means that everyone that clicks on the video and reads the comments will see the post.
Another technique is for small companies to follow chatrooms and forums that pertain to the product they sell. They will find trending topics or discussions relating to what they sell and then post a Youtube video to answer the question or show the highlights of a new product they have introducted. This keeps them very close to the needs and discussions of the customer base.
I hope this has enlightened you to new ways companies are using social media, in this case YouTube, to increase customer awareness and cheaply advertise.
The article for my blog this week is about how small businesses are using YouTube to sell their products and gain customer awareness/reviews. We are probably all familiar with companies using social media such as Twitter and Facebook to advertise products or promotions. There is a trend lately to use YouTube not only to upload advertisment videos, but to comment on videos that regular people post, reviewing a product.
For instance, some random person may post a video in Youtube about how product X is really great but they can't figure out how to do a certain function with it. Product X will then post in their comments and explain to them how to complete this function. This means that everyone that clicks on the video and reads the comments will see the post.
Another technique is for small companies to follow chatrooms and forums that pertain to the product they sell. They will find trending topics or discussions relating to what they sell and then post a Youtube video to answer the question or show the highlights of a new product they have introducted. This keeps them very close to the needs and discussions of the customer base.
I hope this has enlightened you to new ways companies are using social media, in this case YouTube, to increase customer awareness and cheaply advertise.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Using Social Media to Draw Shoppers
Gap Turns to Social Media to Draw Shoppers
[Gap] "The San Francisco company, which also runs Banana Republic and Old Navy, gave away 10,000 pairs of jeans Friday to people who “checked in” at a Gap using Facebook’s new Deals feature. The social network unveiled the program this week, letting local merchants offer deals to its 200 million mobile phone users."
"Shoppers who weren’t able to get a pair of jeans received a consolation prize: 40% off a full-price item."
Gap, the US's largest apparel retailer, has recently hit rough times and is trying to use the attraction of free items and social media to create a buzz and ultimately more business. I think it's absolutely genius. The price of the jeans and discounts they gave away is a small price to pay for the tens of thousands of Gap "check-ins" that took place on Facebook. I think the "check-ins" will definitely create positive advertising and buzz that will lead to more business for Gap.
[Gap] "The San Francisco company, which also runs Banana Republic and Old Navy, gave away 10,000 pairs of jeans Friday to people who “checked in” at a Gap using Facebook’s new Deals feature. The social network unveiled the program this week, letting local merchants offer deals to its 200 million mobile phone users."
"Shoppers who weren’t able to get a pair of jeans received a consolation prize: 40% off a full-price item."
Gap, the US's largest apparel retailer, has recently hit rough times and is trying to use the attraction of free items and social media to create a buzz and ultimately more business. I think it's absolutely genius. The price of the jeans and discounts they gave away is a small price to pay for the tens of thousands of Gap "check-ins" that took place on Facebook. I think the "check-ins" will definitely create positive advertising and buzz that will lead to more business for Gap.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Apple Opens Chinese App Store
China Opens Chinese App Store
On Tuesday Apple announced that it launched an online store and a simplified-Chinese version of its App Store for customers in China.
"Chinese customers can now order Apple products, including the iPhone 4 and the iPad, online and have the products delivered. Prior to this move, iPhone buyers had to order the devices on Apple's Chinese website and pick them up at one of Apple's four mainland Chinese Apple Stores in Beijing and Shanghai.
According to the new Chinese online store, Apple is shipping iPhones in China in one to two weeks, and iPads in 24 hours as of Tuesday morning."
Apple is planning to open 25 stores in China by 2011 and is starting to speed up the release of its products in China, which is the number one mobile market and second largest PC market in the world.
Apple is becoming a more and more global company. They are tapping huge markets to sell their products, especially China, that many of their US competitors are not. Along, with becoming more global, they are keeping the "local flavor." This can be seen in the Chinese App Store and online store that allows their new customers in China to easily gain faster access to their products. I think this strategy will payoff for Apple as they will potentially gain millions of new customers.
On Tuesday Apple announced that it launched an online store and a simplified-Chinese version of its App Store for customers in China.
"Chinese customers can now order Apple products, including the iPhone 4 and the iPad, online and have the products delivered. Prior to this move, iPhone buyers had to order the devices on Apple's Chinese website and pick them up at one of Apple's four mainland Chinese Apple Stores in Beijing and Shanghai.
According to the new Chinese online store, Apple is shipping iPhones in China in one to two weeks, and iPads in 24 hours as of Tuesday morning."
Apple is planning to open 25 stores in China by 2011 and is starting to speed up the release of its products in China, which is the number one mobile market and second largest PC market in the world.
Apple is becoming a more and more global company. They are tapping huge markets to sell their products, especially China, that many of their US competitors are not. Along, with becoming more global, they are keeping the "local flavor." This can be seen in the Chinese App Store and online store that allows their new customers in China to easily gain faster access to their products. I think this strategy will payoff for Apple as they will potentially gain millions of new customers.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Not sure what the plan is here H-P?
H-P Releases Its $800 Slate, the lastest Ipad Rival
The article I am blogging on this week is the news that on Friday H-P released a touchscreen tablet computer that runs Windows called the Slate 500. This tablet is supposed to rival the Ipad and is "the ideal PC for professionals who don't usually work at a traditional desk, yet need to stay productive in a secure, familiar Windows environment."
There are three issues that I see that make me ask: H-P what the heck are you doing?
1) It's six months after the Ipad has been released and nine months after H-P revealed the prototype of it. The Ipad has already built up a customer base and has numerous apps that are already available. H-P will be playing catch up, if it even gets a following.
2) This price of the Slate 500 is listed at $800 which is more expensive than the Ipad, excluding the ones that have the most cutting edge storage space and wireless connectivity. I don't think most people will pay a higher price for a new, unproved tablet that is not any better than the Ipad technology-wise.
3) Lastly, the screen on the Slate 500 is 8.9", compared with 9.7" for the Ipad. Again, priced at $800 I"m not really sure what more you get with the Slate 500 over the Ipad.
H-P I understand that you probably have a lot of money in R-D tied up in developing this tablet which may account for the high cost. If this is supposed to be the main competitor to the Ipad than I am going to say that Apple is going to remain dominant in the tablet market for awhile and their competitors have a long way to go.
The article I am blogging on this week is the news that on Friday H-P released a touchscreen tablet computer that runs Windows called the Slate 500. This tablet is supposed to rival the Ipad and is "the ideal PC for professionals who don't usually work at a traditional desk, yet need to stay productive in a secure, familiar Windows environment."
There are three issues that I see that make me ask: H-P what the heck are you doing?
1) It's six months after the Ipad has been released and nine months after H-P revealed the prototype of it. The Ipad has already built up a customer base and has numerous apps that are already available. H-P will be playing catch up, if it even gets a following.
2) This price of the Slate 500 is listed at $800 which is more expensive than the Ipad, excluding the ones that have the most cutting edge storage space and wireless connectivity. I don't think most people will pay a higher price for a new, unproved tablet that is not any better than the Ipad technology-wise.
3) Lastly, the screen on the Slate 500 is 8.9", compared with 9.7" for the Ipad. Again, priced at $800 I"m not really sure what more you get with the Slate 500 over the Ipad.
H-P I understand that you probably have a lot of money in R-D tied up in developing this tablet which may account for the high cost. If this is supposed to be the main competitor to the Ipad than I am going to say that Apple is going to remain dominant in the tablet market for awhile and their competitors have a long way to go.
Friday, October 1, 2010
NFL, Verizon Talk Tablets
NFL, Verizon Talk Tablets
My blog for this week is about talks the NFL and Verizon are having to figure out how to distribute NFL games via a tablet computer....i.e. an Ipad. With the new 4G mobile networks coming online the NFL is looking to increase the ways it can broadcast its games. "In March, Verizon signed a $720 million four-year deal with the NFL to be its official wireless partner." This deal only applies to mobile devices though and not tablet computers which are becoming hugely popular.
There are a few issues that need to be worked out first, such as licensing rights disputes and 4G testing to see if the network can even handle the kind of bandwidth needed if millions of people started streaming live NFL games to their Ipad. From a business perspective this is a great move for the NFL. The NFL is already very popular and has a large fan base and it's great to see they are thinking about ways to stay current with the new technology that is coming out. The more mediums the NFL can use to broadcast its games the better they can stay connected with their fans, not matter if they are sitting in front of a TV or not. As more tablet computers make their way into the marketplace, such as the RIM by Blackberry, I think this is just the beginning of the potential that this technology has to offer. Kudos to the NFL for jumping on this early and I think they will be rewarded financially for it.
My blog for this week is about talks the NFL and Verizon are having to figure out how to distribute NFL games via a tablet computer....i.e. an Ipad. With the new 4G mobile networks coming online the NFL is looking to increase the ways it can broadcast its games. "In March, Verizon signed a $720 million four-year deal with the NFL to be its official wireless partner." This deal only applies to mobile devices though and not tablet computers which are becoming hugely popular.
There are a few issues that need to be worked out first, such as licensing rights disputes and 4G testing to see if the network can even handle the kind of bandwidth needed if millions of people started streaming live NFL games to their Ipad. From a business perspective this is a great move for the NFL. The NFL is already very popular and has a large fan base and it's great to see they are thinking about ways to stay current with the new technology that is coming out. The more mediums the NFL can use to broadcast its games the better they can stay connected with their fans, not matter if they are sitting in front of a TV or not. As more tablet computers make their way into the marketplace, such as the RIM by Blackberry, I think this is just the beginning of the potential that this technology has to offer. Kudos to the NFL for jumping on this early and I think they will be rewarded financially for it.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Chapter 11, In Which Blockbuster Does the Inevitable
http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100923/chapter-11-in-which-blockbuster-does-the-inevitable/
The article I selected this week is pretty short, but has a great connection to class. It is about Blockbuster officially filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today in order to cut down some of its $1 billion in debt. This presumably means further retail store closures so they can try and get their debt around $100 million.
The main reason why Blockbuster is filing for bankruptcy is because of the business share they have lost due to the competition from Redbox and Netflix. Hardly anyone goes into a brick and mortar video store anymore to rent a DVD for the night, when they can go to a Redbox vending machine and pay a dollar or stream a show or DVD to their TV/computer or receive it in the mail directly to their house. The business model changed and Blockbuster did not respond to it at all. Relating this to our course is that Blockbuster was not able to create value with their business any longer. Using Porter's Five Forces we can see that Blockbuster had a huge threat of new entrants, as well as a threat of substitute products, and that was satisfied by the the already mentioned companies. The barriers to entry were not high because their core competency was selling DVDs, not a very hard concept. Lastly, with the intense rivalry of the DVD rental business, Blockbuster did not gain a competitive edge by using innovation or technology. They are paying the price now by filing Chapter 11 and I'm sure in the near future other MBA classes will have to present a case study on Blockbuster and what went wrong.
The article I selected this week is pretty short, but has a great connection to class. It is about Blockbuster officially filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today in order to cut down some of its $1 billion in debt. This presumably means further retail store closures so they can try and get their debt around $100 million.
The main reason why Blockbuster is filing for bankruptcy is because of the business share they have lost due to the competition from Redbox and Netflix. Hardly anyone goes into a brick and mortar video store anymore to rent a DVD for the night, when they can go to a Redbox vending machine and pay a dollar or stream a show or DVD to their TV/computer or receive it in the mail directly to their house. The business model changed and Blockbuster did not respond to it at all. Relating this to our course is that Blockbuster was not able to create value with their business any longer. Using Porter's Five Forces we can see that Blockbuster had a huge threat of new entrants, as well as a threat of substitute products, and that was satisfied by the the already mentioned companies. The barriers to entry were not high because their core competency was selling DVDs, not a very hard concept. Lastly, with the intense rivalry of the DVD rental business, Blockbuster did not gain a competitive edge by using innovation or technology. They are paying the price now by filing Chapter 11 and I'm sure in the near future other MBA classes will have to present a case study on Blockbuster and what went wrong.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
F.C.C. Likely to Open New Airwaves to Wireless
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/technology/13wifi.html
My article this week focuses on the topic of the FCC potentially opening up new bands of the spectrum for unlicensed wireless. This is mainly due to the fact that TV was recently changed from analog to digital and some space was freed up. The last time unlicensed wireless was opened up we received such innovations as the TV remote, cordless phones, garage door openers, and Wifi; inventions that we can't imagine living without.
While no one is sure what innovations and new products will come about if this spectrum becomes unlicensed, but the talk is that "super Wifi" would probably be feasible. This means that a high rise building, college campus, or even a city would be able to cover their entire area with a wireless signal. Not only would the days of searching for a hotspot be a thing of the past, but there would be other benefits as well. A hospital could monitor the location of all their equipment as well as the vital signs of all their patients. Cities could monitor all their traffic cameras and other equipment from one location. A distribution center would know at anytime the exact count of the inventory in their warehouse and be able to more efficiently track what they receive and ship with the help of RFID tags. A power company could monitor their entire power grid and distribute power more efficiently, with less waste. These are just a few examples that the experts say would be very feasible.
While we can't predict all the innovations and inventions that will follow if this wireless spectrum becomes unlicensed, but we know it will be a game changer. It will connect our lives, society, and businesses even further than we already are now. The possibilities are almost limitless and the opportunities to create spinoff businesses due to this technology or to help existing businesses to use this technology to their advantage will be something that will be key in the future.
My article this week focuses on the topic of the FCC potentially opening up new bands of the spectrum for unlicensed wireless. This is mainly due to the fact that TV was recently changed from analog to digital and some space was freed up. The last time unlicensed wireless was opened up we received such innovations as the TV remote, cordless phones, garage door openers, and Wifi; inventions that we can't imagine living without.
While no one is sure what innovations and new products will come about if this spectrum becomes unlicensed, but the talk is that "super Wifi" would probably be feasible. This means that a high rise building, college campus, or even a city would be able to cover their entire area with a wireless signal. Not only would the days of searching for a hotspot be a thing of the past, but there would be other benefits as well. A hospital could monitor the location of all their equipment as well as the vital signs of all their patients. Cities could monitor all their traffic cameras and other equipment from one location. A distribution center would know at anytime the exact count of the inventory in their warehouse and be able to more efficiently track what they receive and ship with the help of RFID tags. A power company could monitor their entire power grid and distribute power more efficiently, with less waste. These are just a few examples that the experts say would be very feasible.
While we can't predict all the innovations and inventions that will follow if this wireless spectrum becomes unlicensed, but we know it will be a game changer. It will connect our lives, society, and businesses even further than we already are now. The possibilities are almost limitless and the opportunities to create spinoff businesses due to this technology or to help existing businesses to use this technology to their advantage will be something that will be key in the future.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Number 2
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/streaming-your-entire-computer-to-a-television/
Alright, here goes blog number two for the semester. The article I chose for this week is from the New York Times and is not much of an article, it's really a short update on a new technology that has recently come out and spurred some thoughts for me. The article is on a new USB device from a company called Warpia, which allows you to wirelessly stream whatever you are doing on your computer (i.e. watching a Web video, movie, or just surfing the Web) to a TV. The TV and laptop have to be within Line of Sight and the signal is only good for about thirty feet.
I see this technology as the next step before TVs, PCs, and cell phones will all be merged into one device, with maybe a few different sizes you can choose from. I mean really what is the point of having a laptop that you can put a DVD in and watch a movie or stream Netflicks and at the same time have a TV that can serve the same function. You can get online with a computer, but I have seen technology lately where you can hook your TV up to the internet as well. The trend with cellphones is the same thing. You can surf the Internet with your phone, watch movies/videos, and make calls. Skype and other programs on your laptop can make calls as well, so the laptop really is just a larger Iphone/smartphone or you can think about cellphones as being smaller computers, however you want.
I suspect that in the future laptops, cellphones, and TVs will all be very similar devices and the only difference will be the size. All of these devices will be able to surf the web, stream video, make calls, and do anything else that comes along in the next few years. Sizes will vary but the range of functions will essentially be the same. You can probably think of them in three seperate sizes: portable size (Iphone), semi-portable (laptop), and nonportable (TV sized). I think in the future there will be no reason for devices to have specific functions when the technology will be such that it will only really matter on what size you want the device to be.....60 inch flat screen for your house or 4 inch to be able to fit in your pocket.
Alright, here goes blog number two for the semester. The article I chose for this week is from the New York Times and is not much of an article, it's really a short update on a new technology that has recently come out and spurred some thoughts for me. The article is on a new USB device from a company called Warpia, which allows you to wirelessly stream whatever you are doing on your computer (i.e. watching a Web video, movie, or just surfing the Web) to a TV. The TV and laptop have to be within Line of Sight and the signal is only good for about thirty feet.
I see this technology as the next step before TVs, PCs, and cell phones will all be merged into one device, with maybe a few different sizes you can choose from. I mean really what is the point of having a laptop that you can put a DVD in and watch a movie or stream Netflicks and at the same time have a TV that can serve the same function. You can get online with a computer, but I have seen technology lately where you can hook your TV up to the internet as well. The trend with cellphones is the same thing. You can surf the Internet with your phone, watch movies/videos, and make calls. Skype and other programs on your laptop can make calls as well, so the laptop really is just a larger Iphone/smartphone or you can think about cellphones as being smaller computers, however you want.
I suspect that in the future laptops, cellphones, and TVs will all be very similar devices and the only difference will be the size. All of these devices will be able to surf the web, stream video, make calls, and do anything else that comes along in the next few years. Sizes will vary but the range of functions will essentially be the same. You can probably think of them in three seperate sizes: portable size (Iphone), semi-portable (laptop), and nonportable (TV sized). I think in the future there will be no reason for devices to have specific functions when the technology will be such that it will only really matter on what size you want the device to be.....60 inch flat screen for your house or 4 inch to be able to fit in your pocket.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
1st Blog
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/technology/26cyber.html
For my first blog of the semester I am going to comment on an article from the NYT's that is about a week old. The overview is that the Pentagon just confirmed that in 2008 a foreign intelligence agent in the Middle East used a thumb drive to infect DoD computers. The thumb drive installed malware that could and might have transferred sensitive data to Russia. Numerous computers were infected and at least one highly protected classified network was penetrated. It was so bad that the President at that time, George W. Bush, was briefed up on the situation.
In the military, as in business, information is power. The ability to send, share, and analyze data quickly is key to staying ahead of your adversaries or your competition. IT helps us to manage all this data and share it quickly with people who need to make decisions. The better your network systems are connected internally and externally the better your business or organization will function and the better your managers can make sound decisions.
The drawbacks to relying on very tightly connected IT systems are the issues of security and privacy. If hackers or competitors can install malware, viruses, or steal data from your systems then you lose the competitive edge and your "trade secrets" can be vulnerable to being compromised. Not only that but if your IT systems are infected and no longer function your entire business may be in jeopardy, especially if that is the medium by which you conduct a majority of your business. The military has realized the importance of IT security and has just formed its own US Cyber Command a few months back to bring many different agencies under one consolidated command in order to effectively combat cyber threats.
IT can help us run our businesses more efficiently and help us keep the competitive edge, but we have to ensure we have sufficient protections in place such as virus protection and limiting access to our systems by unauthorized personnel. If not, the technology that is so important to us and our business can be used by one single person, in an instant, to our competitor's advantage.
For my first blog of the semester I am going to comment on an article from the NYT's that is about a week old. The overview is that the Pentagon just confirmed that in 2008 a foreign intelligence agent in the Middle East used a thumb drive to infect DoD computers. The thumb drive installed malware that could and might have transferred sensitive data to Russia. Numerous computers were infected and at least one highly protected classified network was penetrated. It was so bad that the President at that time, George W. Bush, was briefed up on the situation.
In the military, as in business, information is power. The ability to send, share, and analyze data quickly is key to staying ahead of your adversaries or your competition. IT helps us to manage all this data and share it quickly with people who need to make decisions. The better your network systems are connected internally and externally the better your business or organization will function and the better your managers can make sound decisions.
The drawbacks to relying on very tightly connected IT systems are the issues of security and privacy. If hackers or competitors can install malware, viruses, or steal data from your systems then you lose the competitive edge and your "trade secrets" can be vulnerable to being compromised. Not only that but if your IT systems are infected and no longer function your entire business may be in jeopardy, especially if that is the medium by which you conduct a majority of your business. The military has realized the importance of IT security and has just formed its own US Cyber Command a few months back to bring many different agencies under one consolidated command in order to effectively combat cyber threats.
IT can help us run our businesses more efficiently and help us keep the competitive edge, but we have to ensure we have sufficient protections in place such as virus protection and limiting access to our systems by unauthorized personnel. If not, the technology that is so important to us and our business can be used by one single person, in an instant, to our competitor's advantage.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)