Category: Technology

Outlook for IT Outsourcing in 2015 and Beyond

September 28, 2015

IT outsourcing is undergoing an evolution and is going to be driven by changes in consumer demands. New service providers are entering the market while the existing providers are exploring new markets. Enterprises will continue the trend of shared critical business operations and IT services to keep a tab on cost, minimize errors and enhance productivity.  The growth in IT outsourcing in 2015 will continue under the substructure of skilled staff, high service quality and business process excellence. Optimization of cloud-based platforms, data driven sourcing, outcome-based pricing and standardization of business process are going to be some of the leading trends in outsourcing. The following article will give a detailed outlook for IT outsourcing.  1.      Sourcing to be data driven With rising complexity in sourcing, increased awareness level of clients and growing project uncertainties; data and analytics is going to take a center stage. The clients will explore opportunities through data measurement and analysis. Enterprises can make informed business decisions and plan accordingly. A thorough knowledge about sourcing channels will help the clients to design a sourcing strategy.  The intricacies of why, where and what will be answered lucidly with handy data. Data analysis also helps clients to understand how sourcing needs to be done. Since a lot of end-consumers and stakeholders get affected through sourcing decisions, data analysis will help clients to manage project and meet expectations of all the parties involved.  However, one must remember to take a representative figure of data sets to avoid being misled due to insufficient data.  2.      Cloud optimization Cloud will no longer be seen as a new technology.  Security and business continuity concerns looming over the businesses till last year will be put to rest by opting for a hybrid model where critical applications are hosted privately while general applications are hosted on a public cloud. A majority of the businesses will host their existing applications in cloud through SaaS model. Internal IT teams will align themselves with the cloud-based platforms for cloud application development through IaaS and PaaS infrastructure. On the other hand, large enterprises will dive into application analysis and testing on an individual basis. This is crucial to operate cloud infrastructure at optimized level and keep a check on cost escalation due to system inefficiency. Apart from that, cloud strategies will continue to evolve with deployment of point solutions. 3.      RFP loses sheen Request for Proposal through bidding process is often time-consuming and is going to be blotted out in 2015. In rapidly evolving IT environment, RFP is plainly anachronous and there is a considerable gap between proposal closure and business requirements. Business requirement change by the time proposal is sealed. Under such circumstances, it is important to look for purchasing processes that are fast and flexible. Businesses can explore the option of enterprise marketplaces where business requirements are instantly analyzed through data analysis and a suitable proposal is generated automatically.  Similar purchasing processes can be explored as this will enhance competition among service providers thereby helping the clients to choose the best. Market leaders need to work collaboratively with service providers to make this process work.  4.      Business leaders to participate actively in IT purchases IT purchase decisions have become critical to core business functioning. A wrong purchase decision can cost a business significantly.  The year 2015 will witness more top leadership involvement in technology purchase. Product engineering teams are likely to deal with IT purchases as well because they are capable enough to understand the implications of IT on product and service. Likewise, suppliers will target new buyers and evolve their selling approach. IT will observe a shift towards service brokerage model.  Decisions on application development in cloud and application subscriptions will be taken at a strategic level with CEO, CFO, COO and CIO involved deeply. IT expenses, quite often, are more than budgeted. Ultimately, businesses are going to look for IT savings through rationalization, integration and superior service selection and measurement.  5.      Multiple service providers Clients are going to spread their cloud application portfolio and look for different service providers for specialized requirements. The number of service providers per client will witness a dramatic increase in 2015. As a result, compliance, legal and governance obligations will increase for the client. There is going to be an increasing requirement for application portfolio managers due to application-focused approach. Bundled services are slated to be discontinued as application specific service will be focused upon to form a suitable mix of on-premise / off-premise, public / private cloud applications. SaaS integration will increase to integrate cloud applications with traditional on-premise applications. SaaS integration solution by SaaS providers will play a major role in managing the integration process which not only integrates data but helps in overcoming organizational inefficiencies, improve productivity and plug in gaps in performance.  6.      Neutralizing supplier risk Project risk rises if client is dependent on a single service provider. In the event of a failure which could be due to any reason, businesses are badly affected. Ultimately, it’s the end customers who bear the brunt causing lack of trust in the services. Clients are going to take supplier risk factor analysis seriously in 2015 and incorporate supplier risk into planning, proposing solutions and taking action for different risk events on real-time basis. The outsourcing teams will be conscientious while deciding upon the location of service provider considering the geopolitical risk factors involved like struggling economy and political turmoil.  Neutralizing supplier risk is also essential due to growing uncertainties like shrinking labor pool, rising cost of labor, changes in law, and weather.  7.      Renegotiation of contracts Over a last couple of years, clients have favored multi-vendor or tower-based outsourcing approach for the avoidance of lock-in to a single outsourcing service provider.  However, in future, clients are going to focus upon multi-sourcing cloud-based model.  Clients and service providers who have already entered into contracts last year will look forward to renegotiate with new SLAs. Moreover, cloud-based models are quick to implement and clients will again avoid vendor lock-in

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Makeyourtax.com, a cloud based tax filing application launched by Indus Net Technologies(INT.) and Taxmantra

Makeyourtax.com, a cloud based tax filing application launched by Indus Net Technologies(INT.) and Taxmantra

September 25, 2015

Payment of tax helps every citizen to participate in the contribution towards national income and consequently in the appraisal of the national economy. Filing of Income Tax Return (ITR) provides legality to what we are earning and whether we are paying tax on it or not. However, there are a lot of confusions and over-lapping information with regards to who shall file Income Tax Returns and what is the due date for filing those returns? Launch of “MakeYourTax” Software To help every organization, Chartered Accountants, Consultants, and Individual taxpayers overcome such challenges, Indus Net Technologies(INT.) and TaxMantra jointly initiated an online tax return preparation and filing software – Makeyourtax.com for businesses, individuals and professionals. It is an easy and reasonable tax filing solution that allows taxpayers and tax consultants to prepare and file tax returns quickly,easily and anytime and from anywhere. The whole application is cloud based and provides the convenience of multi-user access to tax returns offering complete flexibility between the tax payer and the tax consultant. It also provides white label tax filing portals to employees working in major corporate. It is extremely competitive as per the price is concerned and provides a host of values and added services including “assisted tax filing” especially when someone needs expert advice. Key Features of the Solution MakeYourTax cash back offer is unique in the sense that this is one of the first offers that is introduced with regards to Income Tax Return Filing. This offer would provide rewards in the form of cash back to the users who would use this application to file their returns.  MakeYourTax is offering its basic package of “Do It Yourself” Tax Returns at an introductory price of INR 99. Users subscribing to this package would have an option of sharing the application on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. On successful sharing, the user would be rewarded with PayTM cash back of Rs. 100. So, technically users would be filing their returns one rupee less than the package price. This is an introductory offer aiming to promote mass filing of tax returns. The due date of ITR filing for individuals was 07th September, 2015. MakeYourTax cash back offer specifically aims at stimulating those taxpayers who have failed to meet deadlines. The Software Works with Precision When it comes to dealing with filing your hard-earned money for Income Tax Return, accuracy is something which every person looks for. Makeyourtax solution ensures every penny is measured with precision, provided all your documents are ready for filing. With its three simple steps and trouble-free navigation, the site allows you to prepare your Income Tax Return file within a wink of an eye. All you need to do is, create a free account, fill up the required details and you’re done with your registration with the website. Also, the auto-guide system of the site takes you to the right path instead of baffling you with the intricate process of tax return filing unlike other applications. Moreover, the auto-selection of ITR form keeps you away from the confusion of identifying the right form for filing your tax. Once you’re done with the account creation; you can download your tax return file. MakeYourTax Differentiator MYT Other Online Applications Entire gamut of Income Tax Return Filing provided Only basic ITR filing services provided Suitable for all kinds of businesses. ITR 5 & 6 can   also be availed Not  suited for businesses like private limited companies and LLPs Provides ITR filing services from ITR 1 to ITR 6 along with various other facilities for client management. Extremely compatible for practicing professionals. Not suitable for professionals like Chartered Accountants and other Tax practitioners The user-friendly interface makes self filing tax returns easy and comprehensible Do not have user friendly interfaces, especially for first time users Tax Synopsis Report is easily available for ready reference of users making the process hassle free and easy Tax Synopsis Report not available and hence making the processes cumbersome and less user friendly Extremely client centric providing 24*7 email and 24*5 phone/WhatsApp support Expert and ready support not available Absolutely NO NEED of installation Installation and Manual Updating is Mandatory No bar on number of users and ease of access Hassles related to single user and multi user systems. Has to be installed in separate systems individually and can be accessed only from systems in which the app is installed Being a cloud based application there are ZERO chances of data corruption Data corruption and hanging of application are common occurrences The solution is entirely web based cloud application. It is best suited for professionals and  businesses irrespective of their locations Confined to a physical location and hence not suitable for organizations having multiple offices and bases in different locations Do you have a lot of questions to ask? Get them answered right away through the website’s ‘support’ page by simply filling up your name, telephone number and email address.You may also send them an email at info@makeyourtax.com and get all your queries clarified. You’re one step ahead with MakeYourTax.com to file your Income Tax Return process.

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The Emergence of GPS-based Apps

September 21, 2015

The last time you wanted to meet someone interesting for a date, you probably opened one of the many apps available to look who is near you. You also probably opened another app to see which restaurants or bars are nearby, if you were visiting a new city. Of course, there are always those meet-ups nearby that you can check out, when you are in another city. All these tools help you to meet interesting people, access services and products close to where you currently are and also receive help with respect to maps and directions. All this is possible because of the GPS technology. There has been a spurt of growth in the realm of GPS-related apps and this is something that one must take note of. GPS based apps are becoming an everyday-part of life, if they haven’t already become. As more people adopt smartphones, we will see a greater need to choose GPS-based applications as our main format for marketing locally. The GPS technology can be used in a number of ways today. It has almost changed lives, and people are warming up to the idea of GPS-based apps even before they are being released, calling for a growth in developing such location-based apps. Is GPS right for you? If you have a business that caters to a certain geographical area, you could try using GPS-technology in your app. Most businesses that are local can somehow integrate GPS into their apps. This helps clients or customers to figure out where you are, though maps usually do the same thing too. By using GPS, you will be more accessible to your target audience and they will be able to reach you quickly. The tendency today is to find a service provider who is physically closest to the user. This means, if someone is in the vicinity of where your business is located, if you are on a platform where your location can be tracked, it is better to integrate GPS somehow. There are many existing apps that help you to make use of GPS without having to design a new app. Yellow pages and classifieds have their own apps which help people to search for businesses closest to them. You could start with getting listed on those apps. This will help you to be more visible and approachable to clients and customers who are in the vicinity. Mind you, a number of your competitors might already be using GPS-based technology. The future of GPS GPS certainly is going to be a big part of our future. It can be used in innumerable ways and it helps businesses to reach their clients and customers easily, without having to actively participate. When the customer opens an app and looks for businesses nearby, yours must be listed. It becomes that easy for this client or customer to approach you. GPS works best for companies and businesses that are geographically based. If your business caters to a particular geographical community, it would be wise to get listed on a GPS-based application. If you wish to have your own GPS-based app, you should have a good reason to do so. You might even consider your GPS-app to be a product on its own. If you are willing to consider your app to be a product on its own, feel free to speak to our app development consultants who would be better able to help you make a decision. At the end of the day, it is important to note that GPS is here to stay and will remain an important part of today’s application ecosystem.

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10 Reasons to Migrate from Physical IT Infrastructure to Cloud

September 14, 2015

There is a buzz with cloud adoption advocators and supporters in the market. All kinds of organizations whether big, medium or small, irrespective of their sector, are rushing to make cloud an integral part of their business. Among them, there are groups of people who do not support cloud and claim it to be disastrous and a threat to business security. It was understandable to hold such views when public cloud was introduced a couple of years ago, but not anymore. It is important to note that cloud is a broad term and is largely classified into three categories SaaS, PaaS and IaaS. The most common model used by small enterprises is SaaS i.e. Software-as-a-Service, as it can be easily delivered over the web browser and is cheaply available on subscription basis. SaaS is usually run on public cloud. On the other hand, many large enterprises use IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) model that delivers computer infrastructure. Here the users do not have to invest in servers, software, and datacenter space or network equipment. Instead they buy fully outsourced IaaS service that manages everything for them. It is high time you move to the cloud, if you haven’t already Irrespective of the cloud model chosen, cloud technology has delivered obvious benefits to modern businesses. It has become a strategic imperative for organizations to delve into cloud and adopt it. The core agenda of IT teams using cloud is to ensure governance and keep a tab on cost. The cloud is typically used for web hosting, email hosting, productivity solutions, back up/ recovery, security and monitoring, application hosting, and content filtering. Many organizations have learned to use cloud as a hybrid model (a combination of private and public cloud) and safeguard their organizations from security threats. In the following article, we will discuss ten important reasons to migrate from physical IT infrastructure to cloud. 1.      Security Security has remained the topmost concern for many IT executives owing to deployment of data on shared resources. It is also important to note that the kind of capability delivered by cloud technology is incomparable to any other traditional on-premise infrastructure. A certain level of concern for security is justified owing to high stakes. However, the unwarranted criticism generated by cloud computing is largely a hoax by rancorous elements because; security of customers’ data is actually the selling point of vendors. Security in cloud systems is governed by the highest level of recognized data protection standards managed by professional IT experts. While cloud vendors have strong systems in place to protect data centers, it is simultaneously the responsibility of clients to ensure that appropriate firewall, and strong passwords are in place. Moreover, the responsibility of employees (especially those accessing cloud on smartphones) in protecting critical organizational data can’t be annulled. Depending upon the business sector, both clients and vendors need to be compliant with regulatory compliances like HIPAA, SAS70, and PCI DSS.   2.      Paradigm shift from capex to opex Once you are able to outsource your hardware and software requirements with cloud computing, the risk factor of managing infrastructure is significantly reduced. Your capital and operational expenses will plummet like never before. As you need to deploy few internal IT resources, there is considerable release of tied-down capital. Most of the cloud vendors charge as per pay-as-you-go method, and clients find it easier to bear the expenses from their operational costs. The relieved capital expenditure can therefore be reinvested to a more deserving area in business to stoke your business expansion plans.  3.      Flexibility Cloud technology offers you the flexibility of operating under open standards. The open standards allow you to avoid vendor lock-in. You can rope in different vendors for meeting different business requirements. You can also shift your outsourced service from one vendor to another. It gives you an opportunity to trade off risk by dispersing your services and bypassing single vendor dominion. Furthermore, it encourages competition among vendors where the client is bound to get the best.  4.      Economies of scale A simple concept of economies of scale is applicable in cloud computing as well. The cost per unit can be reduced significantly by increasing the number of units produced. The cost savings that cloud technology brings in is unquestionable. It is almost impractical for an organization to hire staff of world class caliber and deploy multiple servers of high capacity to meet their needs. On the contrary, a cloud vendor can easily offset these cost concerns by having a long clientele.  5.      Real-time synchronization helps to collaborate and service customers better Most of the leading cloud service providers have developed mobile and tablet applications which allow the users to access cloud solution remotely and on-the-go. Productivity solutions like ERP and HRMS deployed on cloud are easily accessible on smartphones through applications. This enables employees to work together on a project seamlessly. Cloud can be remotely updated by a sales employee and instantly viewed by a production employee. Thus, cloud helps in plugging the gap in communication and information relay. Customers can be updated in real-time about order status and marketing executives can improve their responsiveness to the market by instantly viewing the sales data and tracking marketing campaign.  6.      Reliability You can rely on cloud services ten times more than you do on your on-premise system. Cloud brings along with it a high level of reliability by minimizing downtime to negligible. It is the sole responsibility of the cloud vendor to keep the systems up 24 x 7. Even if maintenance has to be carried out, it is done without affecting the businesses dependent on it. A cloud vendor specifically considers all types of failures like overflow, timeouts, and network failure before deploying the solution. For the same reason, they believe in storing multiple data copies to maintain system continuity. On the other hand, with on-premise system, you are completely left to fend for yourself. Getting an instant help during downtime seems out of reach. Ultimately, you lose business and

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Do Cloud Based Solutions Benefit Ecommerce Platforms?

August 21, 2015

As the internet continues to democratize information, it has also not failed to revolutionize the eCommerce industry. With the advent of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), eCommerce sector adopted the cloud technology to access big data, analytics and other applications online, from anywhere across the world. The industry implementing the Cloud Technology does not have to depend on physical server as they’re hosted in the Cloud. Why SaaS? SaaS is affordable and easily scalable to drive more traffic. It also enhances the overall product sophistication and customer support experience. They are more technically advanced and capable of hosting global infrastructures. The majority of the SaaS platforms have come a long way in terms of feature richness and customizability. However, to start your store on SaaS, you have to sign up for the service, pay subscription fees in order to launch your website. At the most, taking everything into consideration, it takes approximately 30 days to start your store, as payment gateway integration might take some time. Who does it benefit? Companies Looking for Easy Automation and Assimilation SaaS platform contains API, therefore, customer data, order data and products can be easily manipulated both through inbound and outbound automatically. Such a feature benefits the companies and enables them to develop customization in their ERP infrastructure and allowing them to keep the shopping cart lean and flexible. Companies looking for Ecommerce as a Spoke and not as a Hub If SaaS platform can be used in a broader scale making it connect to the back-office systems and turning it into a simple shopping cart, nothing could be better than this platform as it offers great economy and utility. Companies Looking for Rich Features Any SMB that wish to set up an online store quickly can highly benefit from SaaS platform. SaaS is ideal for organizations wanting to offload the hosting and management tasks of their eCommerce platforms with minimum expenditures. Companies Looking for Great Customer Experience and Contemporary Design When the entire platform is treated as a spoke in an ERP back-office project, SaaS can be redesign and reset in a short period of time. All large SMBs or mid-market companies should update their interface and think of redesigning their store every quarter. How does it benefit your Company? SaaS – Not only Flexible but also Scalable SaaS flexibility allows companies to have complete access to not only the front-end features that are visible to the customers, but also to the complex back-end system integration.  A company needs technology and direction to improve its infrastructure. An improved infrastructure always ensures to convert customers and increase revenue year-over-year. In this respect, SaaS solution takes care of the technology aspect and put experts on their toes, allowing them to redistribute their money to the different sections of their department in order to amplify the brand name and customer service. The Solution is Time-Effective Besides allowing for inexpensive maintenance, cloud-based solution is also time-effective. The majority of the self-hosted solutions, especially in the holiday seasons become unresponsive as they’re unable to cope up with the consumer traffic demands. However, quality SaaS providers offer a whole digital suite to optimize your eCommerce performance. The service provides proper redirects and site hierarchies that make sense to Google’s crawling bot and also ensures that their networks are capable enough to handle peak traffics. Easy Access to Order and Customer Data When an organization can access source code and database directly, they automatically get access to many other internal and external information in several ways, typically for back-up automation and integration purposes. This is undoubtedly, a huge benefit for larger organizations that believe in real-time data mining and want to have access to their own data whenever in need. Proficient Security with Excellent Uptime A SaaS platform always ensures that your store is up and running at top speed. The experienced professionals work hard to maintain a consistent and quality user experience for their clients. The larger SaaS eCommerce platforms enjoy a 99.99% uptime and which stay over many years. Also when it comes to security of a site, software updates and patches to address new vulnerabilities are the common elements required by an eCommerce technology. However, with SaaS solutions, these updates and patches occur automatically, allowing retailers to focus on their business. Managed PCI Compliance Credit card data management is a sensitive and time-consuming subject. Most importantly, managing PCI Compliance, which is a process of ensuring that an eCommerce platform is securely dealing with credit card information, is completely managed by SaaS providers. This complicated task should not be handled by any online retailer in order to prevent errors and confusions. A Streamlined Overall Experience When it is a matter of smooth checkout experience, SaaS platforms provide rigid workflows. They produce a frictionless checkout process, both on mobile and desktop platforms while performing professional A/B test. Also, the flexibility of easily modifying graphics, colors, layouts and updating themes on a SaaS platform allows the online merchants to stay up-to-date with the changing technology. How to go about Creating Ecommerce Site on SaaS? SaaS allows the required ease of getting a site up and running in less than 30 minutes. The basic steps involve  Sign up for the service and create an account  Connect the domain  Enter company information  Add shipping information  Choose the design template  Choose a payment gateway  Select a template  Add your business logo  Add your site content  Add a product It is time to utilize the democratizing capabilities of the internet technologies to increase ROI and grow your business. You’re ready to go with your eCommerce store on Cloud solution now. However, do not forget to include social media accounts, plan for email list, add additional products and promote your site.  

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How Mobile Devices Are Driving the Future of Search

August 17, 2015

Back in March 2014, a study conducted by online advertising platform Marin Software revealed that more than 50% of all paid search links would arrive from mobile devices by the end of December, 2015. Jessica Lee wrote that cost per click (CPC) on mobile devices increased at an incredible rate, when compared with CPC on desktops in 2013. Moreover, tablet CPCs outranked desktop CPCs. A lot of naysayers had predicted that tablets would be irrelevant. Throughout 2014, we have only seen people purchasing more tablets and cellphones with which most people access the Internet today. In fact, a majority of search queries come from mobile devices, as opposed to desktops. This fundamental change in the way people access the Internet has contributed to a paradigm shift within SEO circles. Today, SEO professionals understand that the money is in mobile devices. People simply do not use computers anymore, especially, in developing countries where large computers are more expensive and unaffordable for a large number of people. Thus, mobile devices have given the power of using Internet to many people who, otherwise, would not be privileged enough to be online. It is not just the poor who access the Internet using mobile devices. Most affluent people use mobile devices to conduct searches, look for products and also to simply browse. This change in user habits is mostly because of increased screen sizes of mobile devices. In this article, let us take a look at how mobile devices are driving the future of search. What is the status of mobile Internet usage today? Today, it is no longer relevant to describe how important mobile devices are and why we need to focus our SEO strategies on mobile devices. What is important is to understand the statistics so that we are in a position to create targeted search campaigns, which help us to create SEO strategies that are effective and useful. Danyl Bosomworth wrote that a whopping 80% of people used smartphones to search the Internet, whereas, another 47% of those interviewed used tablets as well. 91% of those interviewed still used a PC or a laptop to search the Internet. What this really tells us is, mobile devices cannot be ignored anymore. They are an important part of the search ecosystem and it is crucial to understand how people use their mobile devices when they search so that we can build better websites and come up with more targeted SEO campaigns. Searching begins on search engines but mobile apps are not far behind Danyl also wrote that 48% of them start searching on search engines. Another 33% start searching on branded websites, whereas, 26% of those interviewed searched on branded apps. This piece of data gives us a very valuable piece of information. People have already begun to use branded applications to search for products. For instance, people would download Macy’s application to check which products are available because they trust Macy to sell the best. Likewise, it is becoming increasingly clear that people now use applications to search for not only products but also trivia, information, news and many other things. We have already moved towards an app-centric world, where the browser is slowly losing its significance. This is not really a bad thing to happen. It is just that we need to get used to the new way of browsing and searching for information. The future is the mobile app Mobile apps are going to get bigger this year and this will partly be the reason why it is important to focus our SEO strategies on optimizing applications for search. This will help us to guide users to arrive at information that they want and also help clients in increasing sales. Applications will continue to take precedence over websites in the near future. He also continued to write that 89% of time spent on media by users was through mobile apps. People spent only 11% of their time viewing media on mobile browsers. This leads us to believe that if people are going to look for images or videos on their mobile devices, it is mostly through applications. If you have an e-commerce store, it makes more sense to make it app-friendly, rather than having a completely new mobile website. This also brings us to the topic of responsive websites. Responsive web design for better mobile search With mobile devices coming in different screen sizes, designers need to focus on various screen resolutions. This impacts the way online search takes place. If websites are not optimized for a mobile experience, they will receive very few visitors and search traffic. Responsive design ensures that a website looks good on all screen sizes, thereby, enhancing the stickiness of a website. Responsive design is also SEO-friendly and is a great method to ensure that mobile websites are SEO-friendly too. It also removes the need to design separate mobile websites. Local search and geo-location data If you have ever used one of those taxi-hailing applications, you will know the importance of geo-location data. Dating applications have mushroomed over recent years, thanks to GPS and the ability to locate like-minded people nearby. Searching on mobile phones is more local than ever. In fact, local search is the singular most unique feature of mobile search. Businesses can now optimize their physical stores to appear in the search results of mobile users who are in the vicinity. If you run a restaurant that sells Thai food and someone who likes Thai food is nearby, you will probably end up in the search results. All that you need to do is optimize your store locator pages in order to help the searcher locate you. GPS has, in fact, changed the way we search completely. Searching has truly gone local, thanks to geo-location information. One does not need to describe one’s physical presence in detail. Turning on the GPS needs to be enough to help customers locate your office or store. Moreover, a mobile user’s geo-location data gives you

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What Is Green Information Technology?

July 22, 2015

There is no doubt that today’s environment is significantly different from the environment of 20 years ago. There are a lot more cars, industries and pollution from all kinds of sources. With developing countries consuming more than developed countries, it is becoming an unsustainable scenario where millions of tons of waste is generated on a continuous basis. Amid all this, there is also the problem of information technology. As IT grew, people and organizations began to buy more computers, devices, servers and other peripherals, leading to more electronic waste. Some of this waste is very hazardous and polluting to the environment. Moreover, computer peripherals tend to use a lot of energy and companies that make profits from the IT sector have a unique responsibility towards their environment. With this in mind, Green Information Technology is the practice of environmentally sustainable computing. Green IT, as a philosophy, came into being in 1992 when the Energy Star labeling system was unveiled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is a labeling system that helps companies to reduce greenhouse emissions and save money as well. It does this by identifying superior and green products that reduce greenhouse emissions & energy consumptions. With this in mind, we can kind of gather where the philosophy of Green IT comes from. Now, in order to understand green IT in today’s context, let us take a look at some of the problems that are pulling us down as a society. 1. Electronic waste Today, companies generate a lot of electronic waste. This includes computers, laptops, batteries, chips, smartphones, silicon and a host of other waste products. All this pollute our environment greatly. Green IT involves safe disposal of electronic waste and dealing with companies who will also engage in safe disposal of their electronic waste. Adequate waste disposal methods need to be put in place in all IT departments and this actually needs to be a part of IT governance. 2. Increased energy consumption The more we consume energy, the scarcer coal, water and other products will be. Nuclear technology has its own risks. The best we can do is to reduce energy consumption. It order to do this, companies can adopt cloud computing, instead of buying their own personal infrastructure. Shared platforms and infrastructure help companies to reduce their greenhouse emissions & energy consumptions. It becomes our moral responsibility to choose products and services, which work towards reducing energy consumption. Cloud computing will definitely be one of the preferred options because of this. 3. Culture of replacing products, instead of repairing A number of companies continue to replace their devices and peripherals even when it is not required. These older devices can easily be fixed and used for a few more years. Companies need to actively encourage repairing devices rather than replacing them. This is an important part of green IT. When we repair existing products, waste generated by our companies will be lesser. 4. Using low quality products Low quality products consume more energy and emit more greenhouse gases. They might also be manufactured with unsafe and toxic materials, which do not degrade biologically. In order to avoid this, we will need to invest in high-quality and energy-efficient products, which are green and environmentally friendly. They might prove to be expensive in the beginning but you will save a lot of money in the long term. Low quality products do not go through the standard testing protocols and some of them fail emission level tests, hazardous materials test and other such tests miserably. They are also known to drain electricity more than high quality products. Looking ahead Green IT is only going to grow bigger. As global warming is becoming more important to tackle, we all will need to focus on green IT. This begins with doing business with companies that are green and sustainable. It becomes our responsibility to push green philosophy for the sake of environment. It becomes a moral responsibility not only for companies but also for end users and clients. Unless you go green, people might hesitate to conduct business with you. In the near future, we can see a growing awareness about environment-friendly behaviors and people will likely prefer to use products & services from companies that stand up to their green ideals.

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The Five M-Learning Myths that You Need to Move Past

July 13, 2015

M-learning, the most widely used name for Mobile Learning, is believed to be the emerging trend in the e-learning sector. Though it has gained enough popularity since the starting of the 21st Century but still the industry experts consider it to be in the nascent stage; and the sole reason behind this being the myths of mobile learning, which are hindering learners from embracing the new opportunities related to this relatively new mode of learning. Hence, it’s time for you, as a learner, to move past these myths and take a step forward towards the technologically advanced world. Here are some of the most significant myths that you are expected to rule out at the earliest: 1. M-learning means “learning on the go” It’s just an assumption. Instead, m-learning is much more than “learning on the go”. In fact, through mobile learning, you are accompanied by learning tools even in the static places. Though most of the learners resort to m-learning to learn on the move but it’s certainly not restricted to this. It’s just that it makes learning more flexible. 2. M-learning points at learning through mobile phone It is surely a misconception. Mobile phones aren’t the sole device used for mobile learning. M-learning even includes into its periphery the devices like laptops, notebooks and tablets. To be precise, any device that does not restrict a learner’s mobility is considered suitable for mobile learning. However, mobile phones are among the most widely used devices for m-learning as these handheld devices can be used by a learner without any inconvenience. 3. M-learning is actually related to mobile devices It’s off course about mobile devices but not just about that. Instead, it’s all about technology. After all, technology is the enabler of learning activities, which some people misperceive to be the driver. In fact, it is the integration of educational technologies into the learning sphere that enhances the overall mobile learning experience. Hence, it has nothing to do with just mobile devices. 4. M-learning is mobile-based e-learning Some people are of the opinion that mobile learning is nothing but e-learning through mobile devices and that it offers just snippets of the learning materials. Though it is true to some extent but still m-learning is something more than this. This view does not actually take into account the fact that mobile devices have a number of additional affordances like location awareness, collaborative communication etc. 5. M-learning caters to distance learning and not classroom based trainings It is absolutely a misinterpretation of mobile learning. M-learning does not restrict itself to distance learning. It is equally effective for classroom based learning, if the homework, museum visits, field trips etc. are taken into account. Mobile learning helps you review learning materials, collect and analyze course related details through a handheld device, which is not just easy to carry but is even easy to store information in. Now, as you know that mobile learning is not a “15 minutes of fame” categorized learning support system and has already been projected by the industry experts to be a predominant learning method in the near future, it is advisable that you move past the aforementioned m-learning myths at the earliest. After all, mobile learning wouldn’t be a choice anymore; rather, it would emerge as a compulsive learning mode to stand apart.

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Platform as a Service: A Beginner’s Guide

June 24, 2015

Platform as a service is the most difficult and confusing to characterize as it is often mistaken with Infrastructure as a service or other cloud computing services. The key factor that defines PaaS is the fact that it allows developers to build and deploy web applications on a hosted Infrastructure. PaaS has an elastic quality that helps in expanding the cloud to accommodate infinite data. PaaS has its own unique set of characteristics that makes your experience of using Platform as a Service more enjoyable one and it can save your time and cost. With increasing costs and unavailability of resources, models such as the PaaS are growing in their stature & importance. It is not only the small and medium sized companies which use PaaS but also the larger ones. There are both technical and economical reasons to adopt PaaS as a preferred cloud computing model. In this article, let us take a look at what PaaS is and how it is used. PaaS for developers A common misconception that prevails is that cloud computing is only for network administrators and this forces us to lose out on many benefits & solutions to tackle certain problems. In a typical setup without PaaS, the tasks involved in setting up a server are acquiring and deploying server, installing operating system, configuring operating system, testing & running it to check whether it works and a hundred more steps. Setting up a new server and hosting an environment while copying the existing data can be really painstaking but if you have PaaS, you would have something called a Virtual Machine (VM) through which you can pass the information to the server like in a USB Flash Drive. This reduces the need for IT infrastructural investment and encourages developers to focus on what they need to really be doing – developing. Some of the advantages of PaaS are as follows: 1. Rapid testing and deploying PaaS provides you an opportunity to the development teams to try different configurations, multiple machines and different locations to assess performance by running stress tests and also check compatibility & response in novel ways that would be next to impossible in a local environment. When the testing becomes quick, deploying also becomes quicker. It saves the developers a lot of time and reduces cost. Most importantly, rapid testing and deploying helps you to build a better business by ensuring that your clients and customers are never left waiting for updates, finished products & other such things according to the way your business might use PaaS. 2. Portability Like we mentioned earlier, PaaS has the option of Virtual Machine or VM, which helps in carrying the existing data on a new server without any hassle. The platform needs to be agnostic to the underlying infrastructure and allow companies to move the application from one IaaS to another. Systems that don’t use PaaS have to spend days to reincorporate data and this uses up a lot of employees’ time. PaaS avoids the unnecessary chaos by its feature of portability. This helps to enhance flexibility within an organization and increase productivity. 3. Dynamic Allocation In today’s competitive market, when there are millions of options to choose from,  IT teams need to be flexible enough  to quickly test or put a new feature of an application or a new service in the market. It needs to be ensured that before launching it on a large scale, it needs to be tested on a small section of clients. Although seemingly difficult, it has become much easier with PaaS and cloud computing. PaaS, when hosted on IaaS, gives you the option of multiple accesses again, reducing time drastically. This helps in encouraging the dynamic cloud process, which is also slated to be the future of cloud computing. 4. API     Application Program Interface or API plays a huge role in making PaaS perform tasks such as user authentication and storing & retrieving files and it can also sometimes help in making calls directly to a database; the platform needs to have a well-documented API. This will contribute in making your business have the flexibility of creating and customizing a software application to interface with the platform, which meets the specific requirements of the company. 5. Availability and scalability The biggest concern about any software or a server is its availability and whether it will be adaptable to your company’s requirements. When you choose a platform, it needs to be easily accessible and available anywhere at any time. If you choose something that isn’t available or is difficult to access, it can cause a fatal damage to your company’s success as you will have to invest a lot of time and energy to just install it. Another important aspect is scalability of any service. PaaS gives you the power to scale the improvements or the problems that need to be solved accurately. The platform needs to be smart enough to take the full utility value of the elastic capacity of an underlying infrastructure. It needs to be able to handle all the requirements of an application. If you want your PaaS model to be successful, make sure that you choose a platform that will help your company’s overall outcome. 6. Boosts Internal Entrepreneurship Due to cloud computing, companies no longer need to put in efforts in maintaining and choosing systems. They can focus on the business aspects of the companies, which is the core constituent of any entrepreneurship. PaaS quickens the development and deployment on an online infrastructure possible. This, in turn, helps to empower visionaries and boosts internal entrepreneurship. All a company has to do is to set aside some budget for PaaS and encourage the IT team to utilize the PaaS to come up with innovative ideas and strategies. The best part is they don’t have to worry about the maintenance and any kind of fixed tariff. 7. Security When we talk about cloud computing of any kind, the biggest concern that arises is about the security of

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Infrastructure as a Service: A Beginner’s Guide

June 15, 2015

The way computers and data storage work are very different from what how it used to be. The way storage works, has changed drastically since the emergence of cloud. The cloud has literally changed the way we do business, connect with people and deploy IT solutions. It has also reduced cost burden and increased productivity among companies. This has helped companies to focus on their core competencies, while using services on a shared platform. Most importantly, the cloud evolution has helped companies to establish themselves firmly in the IT sector, which earlier was too expensive. Finally, cloud computing has helped companies to access software and infrastructure which otherwise could not have been possible. There are various services a company can purchase through cloud computing models. One of those is Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS. What is IaaS? Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a kind of cloud computing where a 3rd party provider hosts internet based virtualized computing resources. It has started to replace the server you might have once used happily. The trend has changed so much that now you can see companies, who host these servers and allow you to pay for the use of the hardware that they house. IaaS is seen as a cost-efficient and scalable solution as it doesn’t require the same hardware that was previously required. For instance, servers are very expensive to purchase and maintain. Smaller and medium companies simply cannot afford to have an entire server setup built for themselves. It is also quite unnecessary for larger companies to have their own servers when much of their infrastructural needs can be outsourced. Whilst IaaS cuts costs and ensures good service, you need to pay attention to the platforms and software you are using as well. Let us look at some advantages of installing IaaS: 1. No maintenance costs Yes, you heard it right. It is not low maintenance cost but no maintenance cost altogether. Since, cloud computing is done over the Internet, companies don’t have to invest in the hardware required. All of it is handled by the IaaS vendor the company chooses. It also means that companies don’t have to worry about maintenance and replacing old equipment. When there is no maintenance cost, the companies can invest in other things. It also saves on the time to check maintenance and when it comes to business, then time equals to money. This is a very interesting aspect of cloud computing as most companies find it difficult to maintain infrastructure. It costs a lot and is very time consuming. Companies simply cannot take the responsibility of hiring maintenance staff full-time as that is going to cost a lot. The obvious choice is then to outsource to a cloud vendor. 2. Pay-as -you-go model As we discussed earlier, investing in infrastructure can be a very expensive affair. No company can afford to invest so much money in infrastructure when it can be used on a safe and secure shared platform. If need be, cloud computing also allows dedicated servers, which need not be bought. It will be maintained and allotted by the vendor and the client only has to pay for renting the services. This is one of the biggest advantages of IaaS and the pay-as-you-go model essentially means that the use of IaaS is metered in such a way that companies only pay for the services they use & how much they use it. There is no fixed monthly price tag, which is a welcome. Enterprises will know exactly where and how much are they spending & whether it is worth it. If you have used less of IaaS, your costs will match that. If you have used it excessively, your bill reflects that. The payment charges are transparent and therefore, you don’t have to doubt the credibility of the service. 3. Multiple user access IaaS provides multiple user access, which acts as one of its key points. In an era that has to make do with virtual teams, this aspect of IaaS comes in handy. Multiple User Access ensures that the confusion and the chaotic situation where a single user trying to handle multiple responsibilities is avoided. It also helps in improving the efficiency and the speed of work & definitely contributes in reduction of cost. It offers a great solution to start-ups that can’t afford to pay separately for each user. At the end of the day, it boosts flexibility and versatility within an organization. This is important to maintain the cohesiveness that exists within a company. 4. Strong reliability and performance IaaS is a very reliable option and its performance is, without a doubt, excellent. As IaaS reduces cost and time in maintenance & provides multiple user access, the performance of the company increases too. The IT team won’t have to worry about maintaining the hardware or keeping a track of it. It can concentrate on improving and adding new contributions to the company. This also brings us to the question of IT teams innovating and adding value to their home organizations. Instead of spending precious man-hours on infrastructure, they can focus their time on more complex and valuable tasks. 5. Scalability When it comes to business, nothing is the same as the previous day. The work structure can change from week to week, which demands for a dynamic infrastructure that can handle a large variety of requirements that are placed upon it. With IaaS, resources can be made instantly available for the ever so fluctuating activities. It also effectively eliminates any kind of downtime needed to add to or adjust infrastructure requirements. For example, if there are some new demands that suddenly arise, IaaS services can upscale quickly and easily to meet the growth. If there is a drop in demand, services can scale downward and save resources from being wasted unnecessarily. This shows how IaaS can mold itself to fit the company’s needs. 6. Easier access IaaS also provides easier access for employees and entrepreneurs who

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