Gartner's Top Ten Trends for 2013

Gartner Group has come out with their annual publication of the top ten trends in technolgy for 2013. For the most part, the list is predictable. The growing importance of mobile devices is featured, for example. But they won't replace PCs any time soon. PCs are deeply embedded in the work world, and in fact most of the applications used in business cannot be used effectively on mobile devices. Maybe eventually, but not yet. On the other hand, the number of devices in use to access the internet, and the sheer volume of usage might outstrip PCs at any time.

Other predictions feature the growing use of the cloud for personal purposes. This makes sense in a multi-device world, where people on the move will want to have access to their data without always having to synchronize their various devices.

And the growth of big data and data analytics is an important trend that cannot be denied.

For an article on the Gartner Trends, check out this link.

Big Data for Government

A new Study released last week for the purposes of advising on policy in the US government provides a cogent analysis of the opportunities available to government through big data.

Big data has evolved as a term denoting the vast quantities of structured and unstructured data now available on the Internet and on various Information Systems. There has been a growing interest in the data from businesses and governments over the past year. Tools to analyze the data are being implemented in a wide number of organizations.


"The report pointed to possible values of Big Data analysis for the federal government, including determining the most effective medical outcomes across large populations, analysis of health anomalies in the hospital or home through sensors, new levels of real-time traffic information, a better understanding of the most effective online learning techniques, better fraud detection, or improved weather predictions."

The analysis of big data was incorporated in a significant big data initiative launched by the Obama administration earlier in the year. This new report marks a significant contribution to the policy issues that are now being addressed.

For more, check out this article.

The Perils of Giving Out Your Private Information

Check out this article on this important topic. Something we need to keep reminding ourselves of.

Mobile Phones - A Revolution

IT may be an understatement to say that mobile phones have changed the way we communicate with each other. IT goes much deeper than that. They are changing the way we as humans interact with each other in profound and revolutionary ways. never in the history of humanity have we been in such close contact with each other. And never have so many events been so transparent to so many people. Pictures and videos of significant events can circle the globe in seconds, and change the way people perceive them and their implications. This has already led to the downfall of governments.

CNN is recognizing this with a new series "Our Mobile Society" recognizing the profound effect of mobile technology on our society.  

Mobile Marketing

The shift from traditional PC's and laptops to mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets has had numerous implications. One that has been particularly under scrutiny lately is that of marketing. Not too long ago, internet marketing was something new and the world of marketing was severely shaken up. Marketing strategies were forced to embrace the internet and to find ways to reach customers without aggravating them by slowing down their browsing. 

The old traditional marketing in pre-internet days saw ads transmitted to a very passive audience on TV or in the print media. On the internet, however, the audience is far from passive - one click and they're gone. So marketing had to be less intrusive, quicker and more instantly engaging. It also had to combine internet and non-internet marketing in a way that the two complemented each other. Marketing has fully adapted to this scenario. The advent of social media and the consequent social marketing has extended that paradigm.

Now users are moving in large numbers to mobile devices, and their tolerance for advertising and interruptions is even more limited. Mobile users are often on the run, and want to do things very fast. For example, they may be on the street and want to find a particular restaurant and make a reservation. The last thing they want is to wait through an advertisement on a clothing store sale.

It presents a real dilemma for advertisers.Just how quick can they make their advertisements and still get their message across. One answer, of course, is to shorten the message. Make it not more than 5 or 6 words. For example, "Hillside Buick sells buicks and pontiacs" or "Big sale at Hillside Buick"

Those may not be the best examples, but the point should be clear. Even flash ads may come into vogue - where Hillside Buick is flashed on the screen for a half second, creating a subliminal impression. 

With people using Facebook more now on mobile units than on computers, that company now faces these problems in spades. Read about it in this article.

F-Commerce -How Useful is it?

Facebook's stock price will only improve when investors see that businesses are finding it a useful tool for marketing. That's the only way that Facebook will be a commercial success.

Indeed, Facebook seems a natural. it has many millions of users who are engaged and active. The users represent all demographics except the very young.With a little ingenuity, a demographic can be targeted. Customer feedback can be obtained very quickly. Product endorsements by customers can be provided to other customers and potential customers. In short, all the ingredients are there.

And yet, businesses are often not too sure what to do and how to proceed with Facebook They set up Facebook pages, try to get content into it and generate "likes". But the result is often desultory,

F-Commerce needs to be approached with a strategic plan, one fueled by research and qualified social media experts. It needs to be consistent with corporate strategic plans and executed accordingly. It must be managed as the significant initiative that it is, not as a sidelight. That doesn't mean it will work out, but it will give it a better chance.

Check out this case study.