Emerging Trends in Technology

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
1. CLOUD COMPUTING Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet). APPLICATION 1. Web-based cloud services.These services let you exploit certain web service functionality, rather than using fully developed applications. For example, it might include an API for Google Maps, or for a service such as one involving payroll or credit card processing. 2. SaaS (Software as a Service). This is the idea of providing a given application to multiple tenants, typically using the browser. SaaS solutions are common in sales, HR, and ERP. 3. Platform as a Service. This is a variant of SaaS. You run your own applications but you do it on the cloud providers infrastructure. 4. Utility cloud services. These are virtual storage and server options that organizations can access on demand, even allowing the creation of a virtual data center. 5. Managed services. This is perhaps the oldest iteration of cloud solutions. In this scenario, a cloud provider utilizes an application rather than end-users. So, for example, this might include antispam services, or even application monitoring services. 6. Service commerce. These types of cloud solutions are a mix of SaaS and managed services. They provide a hub of services which the end-user interacts with. Common implementations include expense tracking, travel ordering, or even virtual assistant services VALUE Cost efficient: Cloud computing depends on infrastructure that is rented hence capital investment is normally zero compared to purchased infrastructure that needs high capital investments. Moreover, software licensing, upgrading and maintenance is normally done by service providers hence a companies I.T expenses are lowered. Backup and recovery: All data is stored in a cloud hence backing up and restoring is easier than data that is stored in a physical device. Furthermore most cloud service providers are competent enough to handle recovery of information. Automatic software integration: software integration is normally done automatically. Hence additional efforts need not be taken to customize and integrate applications. Cloud computing also facilitates customization of options at ease.

 Ease of access: Once you register with a cloud information can be accessed anywhere where there is an internet connection. Quick deployment: Depending on the type of technology you need for your business once you opt for cloud computing your system will be up and running within a short period of time. Increased innovation: The low costs of entry to new markets offered by cloud computing, levels the playing field for startup companies to compete with traditional organizations and this increases competition. The increased competition leads to increased innovation. RISKS/CHALLENGES Security and privacy: The security of information in a cloud is normally risked because a companys sensitive information will be put in the hands of a third party cloud service provider, hence a reliable service provider who will keep the information absolutely safe should be chosen. Possibility of hacking/cracking can lead to loss of privacy of clients data. Technical issues: Technology is always prone to outages and technical issues and even the best cloud service providers run to this kind of trouble in spite of keeping up to the best standards of maintenance. Network and connectivity may also arise hence reducing the efficiency of cloud computing. Reliability Issues: By centralizing services cloud computing increases the likelihood that a systems failure becomes catastrophic rather than isolated. Over Dependency (lock-in): Use of cloud computing means dependence on others and this could limit flexibility and innovation. The others could be large corporations like Google and IBM and this leads to monopoly and costs in the long run could even be higher. Policy and access Issues .If your data is stored abroad whose policy do you adhere to? Your country or the country abroad. Service Delivery and Billing: It is difficult to assess the costs involved due to on-demand nature of services. Budgeting and assessment of the costs will be very difficult unless the provider has some good and comparable benchmarks to offer.

2. SOCIAL MEDIA AS A BUSINESS TOOL Social media sites are webbased services that allow individuals to construct a public or semipublic profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. APPLICATION

1. Blogs (e.g., WordPress) 2. Social Networks (e.g., Facebook) 3. Microblogs (e.g., Twitter) 4. Wikis (e.g., Wikipedia) 5. Video (e.g. Youtube) 6. Podcasts (iTunes) 7. Discussion Forums 8. RSS Feeds 9. Photo Sharing (e.g., Flickr)

VALUE Flexibility: - It expands choice on what, when, and how to communicate with the customers. It allows various ways through which a business can interact with her customers. One can communicate at any time of day, night, week, etc.

 Convenience and accessibility:- It is easy and quick in terms of accessibility, reviewing, updating and editing whatever information is passed to the customers. The organization can reach a wider audience globally. Cost efficiency:- It is cheap to advertise and communicate with a customer by use of social media since most of them are free as compared to Print or Televised media. Customer Loyalty:- Social media could be the spark you are looking for to attract attention to your site, product or service. It could also be used to further build loyalty and long-term relations with your audience. RISKS/CHALLENGES Damage Reputation:- When you make a mistake offline, a few will know but when you make a mistake in front of hundreds or thousands of you online audience, most of them will know and it will damage your reputation. Time waste:- Using social media for marketing and advertising could be more time consuming than companies expect. Influence on workforce:- Social media can have a negative influence on worker productivity. Employees may waste valuable time using social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. They can also use social media to attack the companys reputation Complexity:- In order to get social medias full effect, you need to understand how it works, when and how to use it and which channels to focus on depending on your end goal of using social media. Healthy of Users:- When social media is used excessively or in the wrong way, it could have serious detrimental outcomes on both mental(Are our Minds safe?) and even physical(Helps criminal minds find you) health of individuals. Measuring its Success:- Marketers are still unsure how to calculate social medias ROI.

3. TOUCH SCREEN touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. Users interact with the device by touching areas on the screen with a finger or hand. APPLICATION

1. Game consoles. 2. All-in-one computers. 3. Tablet computers. 4. Smartphones. 5. Point of Sale 6. Medical Equipment 7. Industrial controls 8. Navigation

TOUCH TECNOLOGIES 1. Resistive Comprises several layers such that when the top layer is touched, a voltage is applied to it and sensed by the other layer. By rapidly switching between each layer, the position of pressure on the screen can be read. 2. Surface Acoustic Wave It uses ultrasonic wave that pass over the screen panel so that when the panel is touched, a portion of the Wave is absorbed and the position of the touch event registered. 3. Capacitative it consists of an insulator such as glass coated with a transparent conductor and since the human body is also an electric conductor touching the surface of the screen results in a distortion on the screens electrostatic field, measurable as a change in capacitance. VALUES A touch screen is very intuitive as it is easy to use and understand. Save space as no keyboard or mouse is required.

 Touching a visual display of choices requires little thinking and is a form of direct manipulation that is easy to learn. Touch screens are the fastest pointing devices. Touch screens have easier hand eye coordination than mice or keyboards. No extra work space is required as with other pointing devices. Having less or not buttons means that you can put more effort into having a big screen RISKS/CHALLENGES The screen has to be big enough to be able to touch the buttons without missing Having a big bright screen and needing massive computing power to run this means a very low battery life In direct sunlight it is much less efficient and most of the time very difficult to read the screen If a touchscreen device were to crash the whole screen would be unresponsive, and because of the lack of buttons operating it would be very impossible The screens will get very dirty You have to be within arms reach of the device They usually cost more than ordinary devices 4. Mobile Money Transfer Mobile Money Transfer is a mobile phone based payment and money transfer service allows users to deposit money into an account stored on their cell phones, to send balances using USSD technology to other users (including sellers of goods and services), and to redeem deposits for regular money. Users are charged a small fee for sending and withdrawing money using the service. APPLICATION 1. Mobile Wallet - a convenient solution to receive, store, send money and pay Merchants everywhere at anytime. It targets both banked and unbanked users for daily usage. 2. Money Transfer - a universal solution to transfer money from mobile phone to mobile phone, domestically or abroad. 3. Air Time Transfer - a smart solution to transfer air time domestically or abroad, designed for commercial street reload or for private transfer. 4. Mobile Banking - a solution to securely access to banking services like statements, loans, bank transfers or trading tools through mobile.

VALUE Simple mobile access to money services, at anytime Full mobile banking experience for anybody Attractive for remittance: lower fees than traditional means of money transfer Increase customer loyalty thanks to a personal money service RISKS/CHALLENGES Fraud:- fake deposit SMS, death threats Network/Connectivity Problems Inaccessible to users in areas with poor or no carrier network coverage. Systems breakdown, also may lead to delays Costs Tariff charges for money transfer service are still high. Services for Special Populations eg elderly, illiterate or visually impaired are unavailable 5. TELECOMMUTING Telecommuting refers to work undertaken at a location that reduces commuting time (e.g. inside the home or at some other remote workplace) which is facilitated through a broadband connection and computer or phone lines. Generally, it is working at home by using a computer terminal electronically linked to one's place of employment. APPLICATION 1. Remote Access Cable modems, wifi, broadband access, Remote Access Servers (RAS) or Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are the hardware and software combinations that allow employees remote access to the corporate network. 2. Virtual Offices - They are hosted web-sites that provide a variety of services to bridge the communication gap between telecommuters and office workers. At a basic level, these services provide employees with email, chat forums, document management functions, workflow and the ability to share calendars and contact lists. 3. Timekeeping/Expense Reporting- It is an Internet-based ASP for professional service-oriented businesses that have several offices in different locations and want all employees entering data into one system for client billing and management reporting. 4. Web Conferencing - an ideal way for companies to hold seminars and training sessions, promote new products, give client presentations or even hold virtual tradeshows with thousands of people attending.

5. Business Project Collaboration They service any business by offering more general tools integrating disparate project methodologies with schedules, budgets, document control, meeting notes, threaded discussions, work flow and so forth. VALUE Cost savings if a need for office space or office equipment or parking can be reduced without transferring expenses elsewhere Increased job performance/productivity for certain types of tasks Improved employee morale and job satisfaction Improved leverage to recruit or retain highly skilled employees Reduction in unscheduled absenteeism/turnover Reduced influence of traffic jams and bad weather on productivity More control over working environment; fewer distractions Increased familiarity with technology (computers, modems, fax machines) Decreased neighborhood crime because of more people being home during daylight Hours RISKS/CHALLENGES Reduced interaction among employees on key workplace issues Feelings of isolation from co-workers and work events Frustration in trying to set meetings or deadlines with telecommuters Negative perceptions of expenses being spent to pay employees to stay home The cost to manage around a telecommuter exceeding any cost savings to be realized Worker dissatisfaction when some employees are selected and others are not selected to telecommute Increased burden on managers and supervisors to manage telecommuters and the work they are getting done