Is Today's Internet Ready for Tomorrow's Innovation?

The Internet is an amazing network, but in its current state is it capable of sustaining the innovation pipeline of tomorrow's technologies and services? Let's look at three evolutions that will drastically increase the future demands of the Internet.

Evolution #1 - The Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things is essentially how non-traditional computing devices (devices excluding PCs, tablets and smartphones) can be managed, monitored and/or measured using computing and networking technologies.

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Do you know which cloud you're buying?

Plenty of ambiguity still exists around what exactly is the cloud. The ambiguity creates a lack of transparency and ultimately confusion for buyers. My theory on the root of this confusion is we all reference one cloud, but in reality we have two clouds, an enterprise cloud and a consumer cloud. Do you know which cloud you've bought or plan to buy? This post offers a tool to quickly assess your cloud type. I'll then run the tool against some the biggest players in the cloud to find out where they fall.

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What is the “right” Information Technology for my Business?

The biggest information technology (IT) problem any company faces is how to find, evaluate and select the “right” information technology. The problem is compounded by the rapid evolution of information technology and the extensive options bombarding businesses.

I help startups and small businesses tackle this problem in the Sacramento SCORE class “How to Improve your Business through Technology”. The class teaches a framework for the discovery, evaluation and selection of technology that drives the three most important things in business; people, process and product. If people, process and product are an unfamiliar concept, one of the best and most entertaining ways to learn about this concept is to watch Marcus Lemonis on CNBC’s “The Profit”.

Disaster Recovery requires all 3 ingredients - People, Process & Technology

It’s Monday morning. You sit down at your desk, log into your computer and start your most important application. It fails. You reboot, but the application fails again. Now what?

My hope is you have all three key ingredients — technology, process and people — required to recover.

Unfortunately companies of all sizes make costly mistakes in all three areas. The biggest mistakes I routinely see:

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Windows XP is on its last legs

On April 8, Windows XP will reach its end of life after a nearly 13-year run, and Microsoft will discontinue support for the PC operating system. The software giant even has a dedicated page on its website with a countdown ticker and information on effects of the upcoming expiration.

Many might ask: So what? Who would still be running a 12-year-old operating system? More than you probably think. Windows XP has the second largest desktop operating system install base in the world, behind only Windows 7. It is a fairly significant share, too — nearly 30 percent of the desktop market, according to web analytics and market research firm Net Applications.


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A leap to the cloud requires commitment, preparation

If your company still hasn’t put critical applications and data on the cloud, 2014 should be the year. At the very least, your organization should be discussing a migration strategy and timeline.

Cloud computing provides smaller companies a way to level the playing field with larger competitors. Companies no longer need significant investments in data centers with advanced computing infrastructure. Instead, the cloud allows them to acquire information technology as they need it.

But the transition typically isn’t easy. The cloud is still relatively new and even the most mature providers have limitations. So here are a few cautions when developing your migration strategy.

Know your provider

First of all, be sure you know the provider’s capabilities and responsibilities. A client assessment I performed highlights the importance of knowing a provider’s capabilities and responsibilities.

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