Put it in the Cloud

I was recently in Washington DC for a channel partner show. There were several data companies there, providers, agents like myself. There were some underlining themes to the show.

The development of Software as a service (SaaS) is a leading technology to offer. Data is moving into the cloud (meaning it is moving to the Internet and to hosted servers that are encrypted and redundant across the globe)

Also businesses are moving away from cap ex and leaning towards opex. They no longer can afford capital expenditures but will more likely purchase services on monthly terms that can be accounted for as operational expenses. This also lends itself to a tax benefit. Companies must retain their cash yet invest in technology and this is the common thread.

There are many providers that host services such as data backup, VOIP phone systems to replace on premise PBX phone systems and even IT support.

If you are not moving services to the cloud, you are becoming a dinosaur!

Welcome to the future.

Mike

Sprint Android EVO

Wow, I have been watching the momentum that Google Android has and now it is being validated. There are now articles stating that Android is the most used operating system in the US. It has consumed the I-Phone and even RIM Blackberry OS. Android does not operate on an exclusive carrier agreement like the I-Phone with ATT and as a result has blossomed. Take your pick, Verizon, Sprint, ATT or T-Mobile all work with Android devices. With partners like HTC and Motorola, this operating system may be the hottest thing in tech tech days.

Sprint launched the first 4G Android device the HTC EVO. It has an 8MP camera, a 1Ghz snapdragon processor, syncs seamlessly with Google apps, and their apps market store is full of options fr any end user.

I can picture a day in the future when every person carries this sort of web driven device. We used to discuss everyone carrying a cell phone, and now it is time to convert everyone to smartphone technology. It really will improve our productivity and our ability to stay in touch with more people.

Welcome to the future.

July 4th Smartphone sizzle

The 4th of July, fireworks, sunshine, US flags flying, cookouts, and smartphones?

This topic continues to gather steam. The Android platform by Google is hot. HTC is hot with its new EVO 4G Android Sprint phone. Rimm Blackberry is only growing domestically because of Google and of course the I-Phone. Word is not that Verizon will launch the I-phone by Jan 1st of 2011. The real question is can consumers keep up with these devices? Most people I meat know how to do some things like e-mail or browse. But my estimation would be that the average person only uses about 40% of what the device can actually do. Also, what about cost? I mean the monthly cost for owning one of these devices is now well over $100. In an economic downturn it really is impressive how many of these services/devices are entering the market.

Now if we can just write an app for the smartphones to light our fireworks, or clean them up.

Happy Independence day everyone!

Welcome to the Future.

CTIA Show Las Vegas 2010

Well, I am back from the show last week. It was a huge collection of people and technology in a city that is larger than life!

Google Android is a big hit. There are more Android devices hitting the market and in every size and shape. There was a new Sprint Android 3G/4G phone, and a new Nextel Android phone. There are over 20,000apps now for this platform.

Apps were the big thing again. Blackberry is even launching them left and right. Their entire booth was comprised of applications for business. go to www.appworld.blackberry.com to see them.

The US is leading the world in smartphone roll outs, mobile broadband infrastructure, app downloads, and also 3G/4G networks. It is evident that we are leading the world now in developing our wireless ecosystem. It does not hurt to have another $30 billion to invest towards those efforts this year alone.

The carrier competition to get to 4G is on. Sprint has WiMax, ATT and Verizon are developing LTE and T-Mobile is using HSPA plus network upgrade. It is becoming a data world where it is more important for us to browse, download, send pictures, and text than it is to make a phone call.

Welcome to the future.

Mike

Technology 2010

Well it is here, the new decade. The way we did things last decade, forget them, they are already old. What was normal then is not now. Goodbye old days.

Goodbye flip phones, hello Smartphones. Flip phones, just making cellular calls, are you kidding me, we need to Google stuff now and send e-mail more often. Goodbye voice, welcome data and VOIP. Remember those old analog lines, heck the FCC wants to ban them and go data only. Goodbye napping under a tree, hello GPS tracking. Business owners needs accountability to their bottom line and performance with the few employees they can even keep on payroll. Goodbye owning servers, hello hosted Exchange. Why would you spend $7,000 implementing an Exchange server when you can pay a couple hundred dollars a month to let those IT issues be someone else's problem? Goodbye travel, hello video conference. Let's see with budgets being slashed, Go To Meeting anyone?

It leaves me very optimistic to be honest. There are so many changing, evolving technologies, and businesses need help implementing them. Hello 2010.

Welcome to the Future.

Mike