Sunday, December 31, 2006

Of Convergence and Divergence

Some people say technology is converging, sme others say technology is diverging. What do you think dude? Well think for a few seconds before reading on, it enhences problem solving, analytical, reasoning and positive brain circuitry.

Well my brain is a average one, and I did some reading and thinking and came to this conclusion, technology is diverging and devices are converging. Let me elucidate below.

See take example of TV, first we had only the CRT television, then Flat Plasma, LCD and Rear Projection TV and now the Thin TV . Cool evolution and divergence. Take the Wireless technology started with VSAT, WiFi, WI Max and still evolving. Take the example of cell phones. Take the example of cell phones, you had fixed landline, Mobile, VOIP, Satellite phone, Instant Messaging and so on. Take the example of washing m/c's with regular and front loading. Take the example of Refrigerators frost free, five side cooling , regular etc. AC's window , Split and regular.


Take office management printers, faxes , xerox all getting rolled into one MFD. So technologies are diverging whereas devices are converging. What are your views , please elucidate.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Airtel Song Catcher

Indian telecom provider Airtel has recently launched a song catcher scheme. IT is worth mentioning because of the user friendlyness it offers to user community.

There are still a lot of elderly people around who are tech. phobic. They find it difficult to download wallpapers, ringtones and make the phone settings easyly.

This new service would be specially useful for these people who can just dial a three digit number and point the phone towards the source of song and keep the phone at a diatance of 1 m, and lo behold in a 20 seconds you receive the same ringtone in your phone. Pretty easy and fun even for young people. Hope minds of companies keep working in the right directions. Also if call drop rates in India are improved people would be more happy with their telephone bills.


Say What.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Gaming and Pain Mangement

Friends I have written a lot about the bad effects of gaming, namely addiction. But lately Games are helping in alleviating pain. Let me tell you about it. There are certain situation where the patient is in lot of pain. Especially for children it has been found out that involving children in games makes them focus on something other than pain. It has been tried out in a number of hospitals in US and UK.

Pain management has recently acquired great interest of researchers. There are ways by which the pain in various areas of body can be measured.

So it seems that gaming has got some points in the good books of critics. Gaming is a multi billion business in US and any positive developments like these goes a long way into lobbying for its continuation.

Monday, December 25, 2006

Technoloy Pruning Cost of Business Transaction

In the age of globalisation it is imperative for companies to cut cost. Be it MNC's of the developed, emerging or third world countries. Its survival of the fittest and cutting cost is all pervasive and ubiquitous.

One way to cut cost is by minimising the travelling expenses and communiction bill. This can be achieved through vedio conferencing, web conferencing and phone conferencing in decreasing order of cost and effectiveness. I do agree that face to face communication has it plus points. But once a comfort level with a stakeholder is achieved then one can surely move on to these time and cost saving methods.

Big companies can afford video conferencing, SME's could do with either video or web conferencing and small and tiny sector could do with phone conferencing.

Go on shed the flab and be competitive.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Software Patterns

Reinventing the wheel was never a good idea. Even reserchers start from where other resarchers left after delving a bit into their work to check the intuitive correctness of their works. But software development is different, if you are developing software then once a problem has been cracked there is no use breaking your head over the same problem as your brain can be more effectively utilised in solving other more compelling and challenging problems. The hacked code of a problem is called a pattern. It is similar to the components of the COM ( Component Object Model) where you have components which are built and tested and can be used as building blocks to more complex functionality software.

Even EJB ( Enterprise Java Beans ) of J2EE framework utilises the same concept. That of software patterns and software reuse.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

New Technologies

Today let us talk about the new technologies. Technologies are improving by the day. New more efficient batteries,better CPU's, more number of CPU's, incerasing life of CD's.

Moser Baer recently unveiled a CD which can last upto incerdible 199 years, up from previously claimed 99 years cycle. So an improvement which is radical in nature.

Also recently intel announced that by January Quad Core CPU's would be available. That means 4 CPU's of 2.66 GHz each. Previously just in about June 2006 Dual core was launched with much fanfare. And if you have recently bought one then I am sure you will have higher numbers on your regret matrix. So this new processor is supposed to improve performance by 80% over dual core. Stupendous! This new CPU is designed for ectreme CPU processing capacity requirements. Meanwhile the Clock speed has reached a technological barrier of about 3.1 GHz presently.


Till the Sci-Fi future becomes the present, best of luck for those speculating to buy a latest computer.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Server Consolidation

Server consolidation and Virtualisation are hot buzzwords of the Industry today, let us first look at server consolidation. Server consolidation is used to reduce the number of physical servers to reduce the total space utilised in effect and also the real estate cost. In todays business environment Real Estate cost does make a lot of sense with sky rocketing costs in Cosmo's. It also reduces the maintenance and related costs. But then powerful servers are required to carry out the tasks.

There are two kinds of Server Consolidation

1. Logical Server Consolidation : Logical Consolidation i sknowing which applications are running on which servers and utilising how much of CPU power . The same info. can be used for planning the future purchase o0f servers and planning utilization of resources.

2 Physical Server Consolidation : Physical Consolidation deal with reducing the number of total servers deployed.


A point of caution here is that as you reduce the number of servers yo have to make sure you build resilience into your system by planning high availability and fail safe mechanisms. This can be achieved through clustering of servers.

Friday, December 15, 2006

BPEL

Business Process Execution Language is the latest standard in Web Services. Previously IBM and Microsoft had their proprietry technologies, WSFL ( Web Service Flow Language ) from IBM and XLANG by Microsoft. BPEL is a standard obtained by coalescing the two technologies. The Web services designed by using BPEL are used for B2B transactions which can last for a longer period of time.

WSFL i s based on the concept of directed graphs whereas XLANG is based on block structures language. BPEL combines both and creates a rich set of vocabulary. A BPEL process is an XML document generated with graphical design tools by business analysts rather than programmers.


Basically Web Service is a web method sitting on the WWW and executing business processes. Various WEb Services can be combined to create a complex business process. They can act as building blocks and create inter or intra Enterprise applications.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Microsofts Related Diversification

Microsoft is diversifying into hardware. It has started selling keyboards, mouses , Headphones et al. The products are priced at the higher end. Its a good way to de-risk its business model from being dependent only on software services. It is into wireless mouse and gaming mouse.
Cool strategy hope it pays off for the Software Giant.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Robotics

Robots are increasingly able to imitate human actions. In vienna there are robots used for mixing cocktails at bars. They can talk, ofer drinks, converse and insult customers humourously. Previously there have been computers who can handle household chorus like ironing the clothes. Robotics takes an important dimension as most of US,Europe and Japanese are aging and require soem domestic hel which could be taken up by robots. From the Sci-Fi movies of yester-decades to the reality of today, robotics have come a very far way. The day isn't far when they would be able to reproduce like humans.

Business Process Re-engineering ( BPR )

BPR is a process which is used by organisation to constantly upgrade and re-invent their processes for revitalisation and improved ROI. It is common business knowledge that constant processes in the business timeline at best can only givea medocre return. So the processes should be constantly improved. OK improved but to what degree. People have different views on this, some say it should be incremental some say disruptive. I think it is situational. If there is a new technology in the market it would require a disruptive BPR endeavour, but on ongoing increamental BPR should be taken on a ongoing manner to improve business ROI. It is imperative to remember that the cost of BPR is high and failure rate upto 70%. So tread the path with caution. Also an important concept to be considered while executing a BPR project is to continuously unlearn old ways of doing things, resistance to change or sticking to old ways due to emotional reasons would only create expensive mishaps.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Save yourself from that Reprimand

Do you use a company Laptop, notepad or PDA for work. Take precautions. To guard against theft or leakege of company data, people companies may be resorting to spying on your computer through vrius softwares which are written for these special purposes. Are you aware of these pitfalls of communicating too much using your companies wares.

1. Don't visit prohibited sites on your laptop.

2. Don't E-Mail your collegues about the grouses you have against your boss.

3. Don't look for jib.

4. Don't take too much financial mileage out of your Gizmo than warranted.

5. Don't use the company network when doing personal work.

6.If some one from company or outside approaches you with an indecent proposal, immediately shoot back a E-Mail rebutting links with the source of spam.

Your job may be at risk in this difficult times.

Slowly Evolving Technology

Now that blogosphere and blogging has been around for quite some time now. We the bloggers expect some innovations from the companies operating in the space. Although most services offered are free, but they do earn revenues from various schemes. Also if the users concerns are addressed slowly the bloggers who have been around for quite some time would start earning money and would be able to pay for basic services like payment gateways et al. I have listed some services which I find are lacking in the current service providers.

1. Payment gateway, some form of payment gateway should be provided for the clients to make an online payment. Sometimes a new site may be good and not have as many hits as more popular ones, but may have quality content and also quailty customers who may want to pay for what they are being served.

2. Archiving Facility : As blog become larger in size, malicious intentioned people may want to hack it and delete the blog just by the click of a mouse button. Hense there should be archiving facility which should be removed only via confirmation through a SMS form a mobile.

3. Import Export of POstages : As a service providers proposition may become outdated or less profitable, or in case the customer has multiple blogs and want to move around some facilities then this should be facilitated.

4. Categorisation of Stories : Better management of Blog Posts where the stories could be categorised.

Monday, December 11, 2006

The Digital Divide

Computer was not around for a very l9ong time. There is a generation which is still alive born in the 50's-60's who find dealing with this Gizmo extremely difficult. Also there are the poor who can not afford to buy these gadgets leave alone learning them. This brings us to the problem of the digital devices. How to brdge this digital divide. If there are patient trainers who teach the old, or relatives or children could take up this task. Also as the interface develops to hi-fi speech recognition and facial-recognition-commands, things may improve. Till then user friendly Kiosks in rural area for the poor may do the trick.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

A Few Security Tips

If your computer is connected to the net your computer is at risk from attacks by cyber criminals. What do you do to avoid them. These hackers use the flaws inthe OS to gain access to your system and convert it into a Zombie. In effect what happens is that, you pay for the computing chip which processes other's works. Other things which you can do are to install a router, it acts as another line of defence in the internet.

Be sure you use the Anti-Virus, Firewall,Anti-Spyware software. Is best to use the professionals. Read technical blogs for latest updates on security breaches, and take care of your computer. If you are using Wi-Fi then make sure you use encrypted standards otherwise people may evasdrop and hack your system from proximity.

This list is not an exhaustive list of preventive methods, only indicative.

Desktop Search

Desktop tools are available from Google,MSN,Yahoo et al. The advantage of using desktop search is that it creates an Index of all the items, the folders,files,web pages visited etc and when you want to searcha particular itemyou are zeroed into the item assoon as you press the search button. Cool considering the time it takes to search a misplaced file on the computer using os search facility. So the best thing is impeccable organisation of resources, but to err is human so install a desktop search utility.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Dealing With Spam

Apart from setting up filters and blocking the E-Mail, mostly spammers find way of getting into our inboxes and the only way we can deal with the nuisance is to delete the mails manually. I think the folloowing suggestions can help. I useRediffmail and have not found these features there. I hope I get paid for this Idea.

1. Once the spammer gets your address, he sends you mail every day, ( Like a failthful spouse or lover). The problem is accentuated in case you logged after some days. What happens then. If there is a facilty of selecting a E-Mail and deleting all mails originating from this address then it would be a fine proposition. Also if I could delete all mails from a domain it would be helpful.

2. Also if there is a facilty of deleting all the mails from a particular date onwards, that is before a particular date it would be helpful.

Bye For Now,
Rajeev.

Unemployment Forces Youth To Cyber Crime

According to a report published in UK, unemployment is forcing youths from communities and online forums, and also from universities a fertile ground for recruitment by cyber criminals. They are hired and used in spamming and phishing attacks. After terrorists started recruiting educated people from universities it is now the turn of Cyber Criminals to do the same. Looks like globalisation does have its ill effects.

Say What.

Friday, December 08, 2006

File Sharing

File sharing is a technology which publishers and Music Companies declare as illegal. It involves storing of a copy of file at more than one location, called the peer-to-peer network and downloading and sharing it. Obviously each user downloads pieces of files from different computers and not from a single server. This makes high availability and faster download times. If the file is stored on a single computer then it may become unavailable if the PC is down. Even IT industrialists are amazed at the creativity of whom they call pirates.

Case Study : WiMax Initiative in Maharastra

IN Baramati near pune in Maharastra, there is the first WiMax initiative. A WiMax Network was set up to power 5 internet Kiosks in nearby villages. The Wireless Network can be accessed from about 100 scattered villages. Good news for the villagers who are mining the net for information, market info, telemedicine et al. If the endeavour is successful then WiMax can be used as a effective mechanism for the last mile connectivity of Villages in India.

WiMax is a Wireless technology through which broadband can be accessed upto 30 KM in Radius. Using WiFi you get a coverage of maximum 1200 metres.

Cool Advance.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Credit Cards

There are two types of Credit cards, one the common one which uses magnetic strips and the other is the smart card which contains the microchip with all the relevant information embedded in it. It is difficult to defraud if you have the smart card. Mostly in US and Eurrope, smart cards are used. But in Inida still more of the common ones are used. It also requires a special ATM to process the smart card, this makes it a costly proposition to implement in the third world countries.

RSS Conundrum

Mystified about the orange button emblemed RSS Feed on various blogs. Let me solve the mystry for you. Blog feeds or Really Simple Syndication ( RSS ) is a way to aggregate varius blogs which you visit at one place. So that yo can read all the stories without visiting all the sites. So it is a headache avoidance act for you. What you need to do for it is subscribing the RSS of various sites by clicking the orange buttom. You also need to have a reader which are of two types. Desktop reader anda web reader. WEb reader is more popular if you want to access the stories from the internet using any computer. So far so good. If you want there are services available, popular ones being bloglines,Yahoo,Google, Newgator.

Logging off for now Happy Blogging.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

ERP and related Technolgies Implementation

Related technologies are like CRM, SCM, BI et al. First go for ERP implementation. Go for big bang approach or parallel execution depending on your confidence level. Better eat the elephant by bytes.

During implementation of ERP package ( which may take 3-12 months depending on organisation size and also number of modules ) , go for change management, continuous training and also consolidation of changes. These are very important for the success of your implementation. If not done properly there are many examples of costly failures and re-implementations.

After implementing the core ERP solution go for a Application depending on your industry. For example if you are in Banking industry which is customer facing then go for CRM package first. If you are in manufacturing go for SCM. After that go for Data mining and warehousing and Business Intelligence.

Is your child addicted to PC Gaming

Research is again and again showing the ill effects of Gaming on kids. It has a similar addiction effect as that of drugs, in that the involved person shows a craving for the game. Be wary of allowing your child unbridled access to Gaming. MOderation is the key. In a study done in the US on kids aged upto 21 these findings were revealed. The lure of collborative games i sthat gamers want to go on and on. Better stop while you can.

Enjoy technology but don't let it overwhelm you.

Technology Assisting BFSI

Indian companies are slowly catching up with the west in offering quality services to their clients. Although the efforts are far and in between but are noticeable. For example redemption of Mutual Funds Units used to be a problem area with the Indian Market Regulator ( SEBI ) allowing upto 10 days but the MF companies usually redeeming in 1-3 days based on if you were present in a city or a rural area. But things are fast chaniging.

For example HDFC Mutual Fund House now has a facility wherein you can redeem or buy units through your ATM account. Cool for Instant Redemption and Buying of units. Also there were online Portals which deal with all types of Financial Products online.

Cool going for investors.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Web 2.0

WEb 2.0 basically stands for the newer Web Applications like user created content. Blogging, Social Networking and Community sites et al. Basically in Web 2.0 there is more of collaboration based work. Sites like Orkut, Myspace, Blogger, o3 ,YouTube all are coming under this category.

The user created content is a exciting new area where insted of the professionals the users themselves provide first hand entertainment material.

I-Phone from Apple

Apple is soon going to launch a convergent device which would combine a phone, a music player and a portable computer device all iin one. Expected early next year. Let us hope that more such innovations hit the market so that instead of carrying truck load of Gizmos with one, one can do with just a single device which could be a Snazzy MFD ( Multi Function Device).

Monday, December 04, 2006

High Tech Stalking Through I-Pods

They cloned the mobile phones, they turned zillions of home computers into Zombies, now they are upto new tricks up their sleeves. And guess what you can be stalked through your I-Pod. I-Pod now comes with some acessories like the chip which if planted into your shoes while working out is going to transmit vital information like the Calories burnt and the speed of running to your I-Pod screen.

Stalkers can use the same chip to stalk you through their laptops by using wireless networks and the information in the chip. So beware of the stalker lying in wait next street.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

RFID

Radio Frequency Identification ( RFID ) is a method which is used in retail to tag a product and through wireless techniques bill the item at POS ( Point of Sales ). The information regarding item cost and other details are read wirelessly. RFID's are also used to assist SCM ( Supply Chain management). When a good is in transit it can be tagged and the inventory position can be accessed real time, by beaming the Radio Frequency Waves without physical counting. It also helps in avoiding pilfering of items from stores.

RFID's are currently at 5-10 Rs per ID and are relatively expensiveto use by small stores. But a number of organised players like pantaloon have adopted them successfully.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Mobile Dating

In China a new trend has been observed, dating via your mobile or m-dating. This phenomenon is slowly also spreading to US. The concept is being used by the mobile companies to increase the usage of text services for dating purposes and drive the revenue. People who are in a particular location like a pub or a disc send a SMS to the company which alerts a romantic partner or friend.

It is one step ahead to the speed dating or Online dating which is right now going on in India. So now meet your Mr. Right or one of them right where you are shopping.

More is merrier.

Friday, December 01, 2006

Spam Increases to 90%

According to a study by the US , 9 out of 10 ie is a stupendous 90% of e-mails flowing in te US are spams. In the US the spam increased from 2.5 billion in June to 7 billion in November. Spam costs a $1000 per employee per year in lost productivity. So far so good. This e-mails are sent by gangs of theives who are phishing for credit card numbers through spam e-mails. They also market products like Viagra, Financial producst and advice etc.

They achive this through controlling user computers, which are called Zombie Network. The large computing power is used by these theives to defraud users of Biooions of dollars every year.

Happy Mail Checking.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Xerox Patents Paper Technology

Xerox has created a technology according to which paper can be easily recycled. It was found that a large percentage of paper was rendered useless with in a day. Any ways now days paper is used as a medium to display and not as a storage medium. And hense Xerox has created a photocopier paper priced two to three times the normal paper. What ever is copied on this paper disappers within 16-24 hours of copying. So this makes a case for automatic paper recycling without any physical or technological effort. Cool Technology. Mostly daily memos in office can use this paper.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Technology Life Cycle

There are various phases of technolog deployment in a corporate

1. The study Phase : Feasibility is enquired and requirement analysys is done to find out what kind of infrastructure would be required and what would be the Software deployment. What would be the architecture of the deployment.

2. Deployment : The actual deplyment takes place and the computers are physically put onthe site and software installed.

3. Usage and Learning : People start using the system, and find the strengths and weaknesses of the system. They report bugs to the involved consultancy or SI's.

4. Consolidation : The processes are in place people are adept at using these systems, the productivity is up, bottomline improves.

5. Maturity : The employees become so adept that they may start taking part in the Consulting other organisations for similar implementations and charge them for the same. Also the top managers know how to use the system for findin required trends and leveraging the information to improve business processes and introduce new product and service offerings. The system is in flow.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Self Serving Through Technology

Technology in a number of instances is able to reduce the dependence of processes on human beings. This is made possible through self service programmes many time through the help of the internet. For example there may be a HR module which serves the employees information on request. It may also allow employees to update the system and add their information as and when required. This in term reduces the nuimber of employees required to complete various transactions.

For example in a government department there may be web IT returns filing. Also one may have land records in computerised form which can be accessed via web and also reduce property related frauds.

Good Going.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

E-Governance to Circumvent Corruption

The RTI act ( Right to Information Technology Act ) has already succeded to weed out corruption, but only to certain extent. So if all the state and central governments carry out e-Governance plans then to a large extent the corruption from the highly corrupt government office can be weeded out. The human element is the element which introduces corruption in the system, if technology or computers take over then this problem can be solved to a much greater degree as technological systems are difficult to rig, although not impossible. But such ingenuity and enterprise is lacking ini our Babus.

Stay alert, stay healhy.

Database Future

According to Oracle officials the average database size doubles in size every two years in India. Because of this India is a challenging market for Oracle. The future of database market seems to be that of self - diagnostic self-corrective mechanisms, ie the database itself finds out the compelling problems that it faces and either corrects or suggests corrections.

Looks like a great advance in database technology. As presently costly Database administrators have to be hired to carry out performance tuning of the database. Looks like some expert solution.

Say what.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Keep the eye on that ROI

Today CIO's have to consider the Return on Investment ( ROI ) for any investment. They have to justify the cost of any IT deployment to the top managers. The top manager wants to know what are the metrics of cost savings and other synergies. So what is the gain in terms of increase in productivity, saving in manpower cost, increased efficiency and accuracy all have to be quantified and reported to the management.

Today the IT investment and department is no longer supposed to be the support function which it used to be some years back. Today it is considered as the core strategic function which is necessary for any organisation to survive in the market and further its interests. The top management has to be convinced of any expenditure and this can be easyly done if the top management team is tech savvy. If not they should be involved in Workshops and executive coaching courses to make them enlighetened on the issue.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Earn while you blog : Adsense

Did you know that you can earn for the blogs you maintain. Its a simple concept, sign up to the adsense google programme. In turn Google will display ads on youir web site and if people click on these ads, google pays youi. Cool deal man. People became millionaires through this programme. And many are earning hefty cheques using the same facility.

The main challenge for you would be to attract traffic to your web site. If your web site has a traffic of a few thousand per day, you could well ditch your job and start blogging full time and make a decent earning.

Say what.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Closing the GAP

When buying that ERP solution, you have your current processes which have to be mapped to the processes capabilities of the Module which you buy. So you may be doing the process in one way in your organisation whereas the Module which you buy may be doing it in a different way, which the selling company may propound as the best practice and ask you to switch to that way of executing the process. The difference between your way of working a process and the way software does it is called the GAP. For example if 70% of processes match then there is 30 % GAP. This GAP can either b efilled by customisation, butn no company offers you 100% process match. So it is up to your wisdom to decide how much GAP is acceptable.

What ever the GAP is , that much change has to take place in the organisation and as you know that any change entails, resistance and a cost of training and build up. Hense it is pertinant to close the GAP as much as possible. If the GAP consists of an actual industry beset practice then adapt it as it will add to the bottomline. So the best is left to the descretion of the task force.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

How to spread Best Technological Practices in SMB's

Most Small and Medium Scale businesses are devoid of best prectices. Som eentrepreneurs with out the requisite experiences set up the Business and runs it the best which comes to his mind. That best is not good enough. In todays globalised world where competition is all but available it is not possiblel to survive if you do not have that edge.

One way to learn the best practice is through hiring consultants, you can create processes which are best in the line of the business. Another way is to implement ERP packages which are created especially for the SME's. These packages are today available from leading players like SAP and Oracle. You can go for module wise implementation to keep the change effective and keep costs low. You may also be able to implement the whole package if you can afford as the cost of these solutions is low. Or you can even rent these solutions.

Go on, be the best.

Friday, November 17, 2006

DRM Restrictive

Zune offers 2 million songs through its store. Apples i-Tunes has more than 75% market share. But both Apple and Microsoft offer their songs in propritary standard, which can be used only with their players. That is if you buy from Microsoft it wont play on the I-pod, and if you buy from Apple store it won't play on Zune. Crazyly incompatible. Shouldn't be that way.

e-Music a online store which has 10% market share sells music in MP3 format which is not restrictive like the DRM ( Digital Rights management). But then the music can be copied. Until there is a solution so that any body can buy from any store and also there is no piracy the consumers are is a soup.

Well hope standards emerge soon.

Sony PLaystation 3.0 Unleashed

Sony has released playstation 3.0 which was much eagerly being awaited in the market. Now on sunday Nintendo is expected to unleash Wii system. The wii from Nintendo tries to differentiate on motion detecting capabilities. There was a long queue formed to buy th efirst playstation in the US. Poople waited for three days to get their hands on the console which is selling for $600.

Apart from crazy gamers the crowd included resellers who would buy the console and then auction it on e-bay and make a fine profit cut. The reason being that the console is supposed to be short of demand , creating a secondary market of it. Well for all you die-hard fans, more fun is on your way.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Create Your Own Music

You need not be a great Musician to crete digital music. There are tools like Sony Acid Studio, Fruity Studio and various other programs which allow you to create your own digital music and record your album.

The music track can be created in two ways ie, Loopology and Recording. If you have the MIDI interface with your computer you can directly record your music by connecting the Guitar or whatever instrument with the computer.

Using prerecorded loops you can directly create the music tracks by repaeting the loops in innovative ways. Loops are a small fraction of music.

Also using software like Sound Forge you can give great effects to yoiur tracks like reverb, and others and make your music sound really great. Today you need not have a hell lot of talent to produce music album. All you need is a Media Center PC and a little bit of ingenuity and obviously marketing prowess.

If you have money, Man you are Maddona of US or Sonu Nigam of India.
Go ahead do the Research and produce your own digital music.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

User Controlled Content

With the coming ofthe Dish TV there has been some innovative experiments.Like multi feed Audio Support, where one can watch the channel in multiple language choice, ie either English or Hindi. Also if you are watching cricket you can control the camera or the viewing angle of the match.Upto 8 different angles can be selected to view the match. Cool isn't it.

Also with IPTV introduced by MTNL recently in Mumbai and Delhi you have a choice of on demand video or audio or a host of other prerecorded programmes, just by the click of a button. Plethora of choice to the user.

Also you have your regular Media Center PC using which you can record the live TV programmes and watch it when you have leisure. The world looks like changing for the better for those looking out for entertainment. Sure who doesn't want to be in control.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Zune launched

Microsoft has launched Zune portable music player today. It retails at $250 at an cost equal to that of the Apple's 30 GB I-Pod Category. The main feature is that you can share songs and photographs wirelessly among different Zunes. Compared to I-pod it is a bit larger and bulky, also heavier. Battery lif eis same for songs ( 14 Hrs ) , video playback time is 4 hrs compared to 3.5 hrs of I-Pod.

Even the cost of a song is comparable at 99 cents. I just think that Apple has the First Mover advantage to It which will not be that easy to snatch away from Apple.

TracNet Internet Service

In the US now you can access wireless service inside your vehicle or boat. TracNet has launched a service using which you can connect to the internet in matter of seconds. Your vehicle should just be equipped with a video screen which most of the Vehicles ( 40% ) in US are.

There are various advantages for sucha service. Suppose you are moving in your vehicle and want to find a place to park or want to know the nearest Restaurant. Just look up in the internet. It converts your Car or Vehicle into a Wi-Fi Hot Spot and you can conect to the net using a wirefree laptop.

You can connect to your office while camping or away for vacation. You can connect to your ofice system or to a digital home remotely and carry out your tasks using this service. India is still far away from such technologies. Some of the forward looking Educational Institutions lke the IIPM, IIM's, Amity University etc provide such services but that is limited only to the University campus. There are plans to set up Hot Spots across the country beginning with Metros.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Fight Your Mobile Bills

T Mobile in the US has started a new service to reduce your monthly cellular bill. The service is using Wireless Networks to connect the phones. If you have hot spots at your home or nearby. Your mobile seamlessly switches to the wireless network and your bill will be reduced as there is a subscription charge of 15 dollars per month irrespective of the usage of the service. It is a technology similar to VOIP but this uses the wireless network.

In India which is still slow to adopt 3G services leave alone services like Wi Max and 4G. The service also offers unlimited internet access. Let us hope that some such service is launched in India so that Indians can gain from the Idea.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Customised Virtual Newscast

US based Northwestern University has devised a technology in which news can be organised edited and delivered through a virtual anchor to the user. The user gets a customised newscast based on his/her interests. So gone are the days of watching what is offered to you, you would be able to watch news on the topics which interest you. Wow, sounds impossible. So now you can program your newscast. This is certainly a breakthrough as customisation will result in increased usage. A brand new news package could be delivered every hour or every half an hour.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Technology only as Good as Human Endeavour

At least till today technology ( AI Artificial Intelligence ) has been unable to replace a seasoned and experienced human mind. So let me tell you, we have Business Intelligence ( BI ), DSS ( Decision Support System), and MIS ( Management Information System ). We also have Expert Systems. All these systems generate solutions to a given particular business problem but the part of choosing the best solution and implemanting it is left at the mercy of a human mind. Such is the divinity of a human being. All these system help you to avoid the lengthy and time consuming process of computing and analysing data for trends. So you are left with accurate data and ample of time to take timely decisions. But then you should be experinced and seasoned businessman to understand the relevance and importance of the data and take suitable action.

So all KM ( Knowledge Management ) tools can be used to take a particular action. The implementation of decision is for what Human Recources, Technology and team work are required. Project implementation can be done only by an organisation of resources and people. For example a data warehouse was created, which was producing 10 TB of data every week, then using Data Mining and BI you found out that out of 5 product categories of your company, only one category itself was contributing 80 % growth p.a. . The other categories were producing 10 % growth p.a. and one category was in loss. You have the data instantly, at the end of a quarter.

So now you can take a decision to introduce new models of products in the category showing 80% growth, as it would possibly take off. You may discontinue the loss making product or make it a point to continue offering the product category if you want to offer the complete boquet of Products to your customer or take advantage of tax planning.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Decide your IT Budget

To decide on your IT spend you have to keep a watch on certain factors, lest you regret later, with a wrong IT spend. Look for complete solutions. Better deal with system Integrators who would have the responsibility of making all the components work together, like HP. Don't end up buying the cheapest components and apps. froom different vendors, which then don't work together, and you have to spend high amounts rectifying the problem. Look for scalablity next. Your business is likely to grow in the future, so you have to think of scaling the applications and IT infrastructure in the future.

To minimise costs, think of scalablility upfront. Take a decision, if open source software would serve your business purpose or buying the expensive propriety software is your priority. Some opensource softwares are better then their paid counterparts.

Take a decision if you want to procure or outsource the to reduce TCO. Non-core functions can be outsourced to reduce costs but take into consideration security aspects before taking such decisions. Also make sure that if you are buying proprietry software buy only the licenced versions from Authorised dealers to avoid legal problems. Plan your hardware and software aspects well in advance to avoid costly and strategic misfits later.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Spreading the Revenue Risk

Infosys, Wipro, Satyam and TCS which were hitherto dependent largely on North America for their revenues and customers are now spreading the risk and acquiring or increasing the number of customers from EU and Asia. Infosys now gets 68.5% from US, 32.59% from EU. TCS 59% US and 22% from EU and Asia. Spreading the risk is important for corporations to protect themselves from the risks of depending on a single market for revenues.

Spread your risks, now.

India now a R&D Hub

Did you know that high profile companies like Google, Microsoft, Adobe, SAP and Oracle et al all have India Development Centres, ie they carry out hi fi IT research in India. In last two years Microsoft Corp India has filed 110 patents from India mostly from its Hydrabad development centre. Looks like quality is getting enmeshed with India. Indian products and brands are no longer looked down upon and are joining the elite global list.
Bravo, India, Keep up the Good Work.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Management by Results

What can a quality glitch do to your company. I am talking about the sony 9.6 million battery recall case. Sony's second quarter earnings fell by 94% to $14 million from $329 million. The cost of recalled batteries alone at a whopping $429 million. Sony seems to be playing the benevolent god father in deciding to accept the failure in its stride and none of the top management would be required to resign. Looks like a death blow to the brand equity of sony. Hope they recover.

IPTV Arrives

MTNL to offer IPTV services in Delhi and Mumbai. Host of services like video on demand,audio on demand and other interactive stuff. People can watch their favourite programs whan they want. The degree f freedom with respect to time is a welcome. But I have certain doubts about creating compeeling and creative content. Most of the existing entertainment houses who feed the TV channels are going to be incubators of this new channel. Hense i doubt if people would have enough choice of variety of good entertainment to choose from. Reality shows like lil champ from Zee TV have succeeded to create a flutter in the market with a TRP of 11 but too many me-too copies would soon make even this sector loose its sheen.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Google Print ads

In a new service launched by Google, it is offering advertisements into 50 US newspapers including reputed ones like the Washington Post and NYC through its adwords program. YOu upload the print ad artwork and the choice of newspaper and it gets published and you get billed for the same. Although publishers have the ultimate creative and financial rights of publishing. I think this s a good move by Google as it will help advertisers located in other countries to access new customers through a single window.

Hosted Applications

Web hosted applications are where you access the application hosted on the hosts ( ASP ) Appplication Server Provider through a browser. You don't buy the application, you rent it, or pay-per-use as it is called in the industry parlance which means that the cost of the application or the rent is low, so that even ( SME ) Small and Medium Enterprises can use it effectively to plan their technological forays. The small application developers lose their market share to the bigger players as rented or hosted software would be more affordable and having better quality than them. The issues on the flip side include that of security of the shared data, as it is in the custody of third party. A solution for security issue could be that clauses be incorporated in the contract stage itself.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Pitfalls in Adopting Technology

If you assume that one fine day a new technology is introduced in the company and it will succeed then you are under a false impression. People have to be trained in the new technology. Before actually implementing technology, you have to measure the readyness of your employees for a change in the process of working. If you have a primarily young employees then it would be easier to implement change, as they would be having the requsite skills and they will be more amenable to change.

If you have a work force of average age 55 plus, then you are probably going to face a lot of problems and resistance from the employees. Be prepared for it and have a strategy to communicate and effect change. A outside consultant should be hired or an internal person could take charge of the communication and behavioural modification exercise.

You should communicate the benefits of the new technology to the company and the people. Reward the people who buy into the change process and use negative motivation process to those opposing. You should be able to win the crucial stakeholders of the process like the Employee Labour Union, Management and supervisors to begin with.

Plan the change and implement it diligently. More on it later.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

@Gaming

"Where have you been Ramesh?", Asks Mother.
"Where else, Gaming", replies Ramesh's Father.

Gaming is fast picking up its traction in India. From $30 million in 2005, its expected to reach a mammoth $300 million in India in the year 2009. Great Guns man. This booty in the bush has driven Microsoft to launch XBOX360 in India amidst fanfare. There was a flashy ad by Akshay Kumar and Yuvraj Singh ( Indian Stars ) to entice the Indian Gamers.

Apart from XBOX360 which is a console based gaming console from microsoft with Hi-Fi features, the other players in the industry include Nintendo's WII system and Sony's Playstation 3.0 both soon to be released in the Indian Market.

XBOX360 is also available in the online version as XBOX Live which is subscription based. Microsoft alrady has a first mover advantage and its gaming system is being touted as technologically superior to Playstation 3.0. In the first round of Gaming Wars, MIcrosoft was beaten by Sony, as Playstation 2.0 had a market share of 51%. In this fresh round of marketing Blitzkriez, Microsoft already has about 34% market share.

Some people say that gaming is bad. It creates violent tendencies in the youth. But the growth of the gaming sector globally is phenomenon. And the gaming experience itself is viral. There are people who sit in front of their console or pc's for hours together. IN one instance one youth died of gaming fatigue. But such incidents are rare. In fact their are role playing and strategic games which enhances your management skills. So Rajeev recommends you games. Apart from that if you can control your instincts then try out the games. The games are available in Online, Console, PC and Mobile versions.

Best of Luck, Gaming.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Muvee Autoproducer : Product Review

Its a software which automates video editing and burning DVD's. Creating Music Video was never so easy. Editing is no longer th eforte of experts, thanks to Muvee Autoproducer, just transfer the footage to the software, give a thumbs up, thumbs down flag to clips for definite inclusion or definite exclusion. Add the digital song track or the song. The application analyzes the music and images and assembles them in a compelling way. There are cuts between the scenes just at the right moments which is in perfect Sync with the music. So now youknow how you are seeing those amazing videos with stunning effects. Not a human endevour, but software creativity. System requirements are PIII processor or equivalent, 250 MB of RAM, Windows XP.
Go ahead, rip that DVD, you may be the next grammy award winner.

Virtual Existence

Beware of the predators and paedophiles on the prowl browsing the net. These people have fake identities and mutilated personalities. Theychange their genders and identities and stalk you. Hundreds of people get cheated, raped, murdered or duped by this process. You may fall in love with a guy on chat, who would involve you completely and then vanish into thin air. Making you feel like an exposed oyester. Paedophiles stalk children and sexually exploit them. Surfing the internet regularly, beware of virtual existence. So what can be done to avoid such traps. Before being involved be sure ofthe identity of the person. Talk through WEB Cams or video conferencing. Make a telephone contact or VIOP enquiry. Visit the person with an accomplice.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Cheap Laptops

Buying a computer, Consider a laptop, reasons, portability of course and Mobility. The third most compelling reason is that they are now available under 40k. Cool man, a branded notebook computer form the likes of Acer , Sony, Toshiba etc with Dual core , 80 GB hard disk, Dual Layer DVD Writer , 512 MB Ram , buit in camera, microphone, finger sensor, bluetooth and all other ultra modern features ( in the high end models ). HP and Lenove lead the pack based on factors like Volumes and After sales service. So does our old Desk Top PC sounds like a old Unwieldy Device. Sure man. Go ahead, buy it in a lap.

MIcrosoft Lower TCO

According to a latest research by Frost and Sulllivan, the TCO ( Total Cost of Ownership ) of Windows 2003 is 15.9% lower compared to that of LInux. The study points out that the TCO of the computer consists of CAPEX ( Capital Expenditure ) and OPEX ( Operational Expenditure). Capital expenditure is the one time expenditure which i sdone to buy the computer along with licenced software. The operational expenditure includes maintenance cost, down time cost and training costs.

These study was done over a period of five years. Linux has a lower CAPEX but higher OPEX , which is vice versa for Windows. If the study is to be trusted then Microsoft sales would soon zoom. Best of Luck , Gates.

Business Networking

It is to develop important business contacts. There are social sites and dedicated business networking sites. Social sites like Friendster.com,classmates.com,myspace.com,orkut.com ( google) . Dedicated business sites like linkedin.com which is most popular with 8 million registered users. You need an invitation by existing member to join this network. YOu have Ryze.com which is more of business cum networking site. Facebook.com is a social networking site which is organised on the basis of schools, companies and regions.

There are a lot of companies today which do not believe in placing ads in print media or the internet but want employees through word of mouth or networking. You can get such jobs if you join these sites and diligently develop contacts. Also you can develop important contacts who become your future business partners. Also knowing important people in life would never prove to be Futile. You can get difficult tasks completed in a jiffy if you have the right contacts.

Increase your prospects, get networked.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Narcissistic Tendencies

The cellular has now become a MFD ( Multi Function Device). But are people becoming a slave of the device. Are you overcommunicating? IT has camera, music player, photo album, video clips, internet , e-mail and host of other VAS(value added services). People are using cellular for its snob value. Some overuse it, some don't know how to use it and keep it just to showcase the gizmo. It is fast becoming a style statement. But are you as good as the cellular model you have? Does your phone reflect your personality or gets reflected by it. If you are given a month of talk time , would you utilise it 24x7x30. I am sure not. Any thing in excess or recess is bad. Moderation is the key. I make optimum use of my phone to further my life goals and maximise its ROI ( Return On Investment).
I don't want to be the servant of my servant.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Share your Videos

Are you an Amateurish Video Enthusiast and want to make it big in film making one day. Upload your clip to YouTube.com which has up to 25 million hits per day. Chances are your talent will be spotted. Other sites like break.com and getdemocracy.com also allows you to do the same. Google has recently acquired YouTube.com for $1.65 billion as its own google failed to take off.. So what are you waiting for shoot, burn, upload and swim your way to stardom. You may be the next Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

New Features of YouTube

Online Editor : Edit your clips online and do advanced things like color correction and auto correct, anti shake slow motion effects etc.

Create Channel Trailer : Set up a video as your channel trailer.

Live Hangouts : If you have huge following going into millions stream live videos in live events.

Improved Analytic's : Including estimated time of videos watched.

Dual Boot

If you are in a dual boot situation between Linux and Windows and want to share files between the two OS. Easy way is to create a separate FAT 32 partition and store your files in this partition so that it can be accessed form both the OS's. The native file storage format of Windows xp and 2000 is NTFS whose security features do not allow sharing of files between OS stored in separate partitions.

When Firangi's are more Compassionate

I was recently browsing New York Times Online Edition and while viewing a video, there was an option of high resolution and low resolution to view the video in. The low resolution was obviously for those who don't have broadband connectivity which is the most likely scenario in India. I was surprised at their empathy, because Indian Sites like SifyMax and Indiatimes do not have any such options although they cater largely Indian audiences and are supposed to understand India and its nuances better.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

The MovieBeam

This is a $200 box which has a hard -disk which stores upto 100 DVD quality movies. Each week 8 new titles can be downloaded through a wireless antenna. Some HD moveies are also available. Old moveies are erased as new ones are added. You have to pay $4 for a new movie and $2 for a old movie. Easy to use and conveniently attached to the TV. Indian homes still don't own DVD players although its available for Rs.4000 only. So what do you think ? Is there a digital divide between Indians and Americans, with new products and new models announced every day. If you have the moolah, you can have a lot of fun.

Monday, October 30, 2006

The Perils of Outsourcing

Apple and Dell did it. So can you. Outsource non-strategic business processes. They outsourced batteries to Sony Corp. They faced the concequences. About 10 million defective batteries were shipped in the laptops. And it could have been detrimental to consumers life and property. In worst case a laptop caught fire in amidst a business presentation. Now to the more juicy part of who is to the blame, the OEM or the agency. Who is responsible for the final quality check to be done, the part manufacturer or the product assembler. How could the defective products pass two layers of quality check. What should be done to avoid such goof-ups by high profile world class MNC's? Obviously responsibility can be outsourced, not accountability. Ultimately Apple and DELL are accountable for the mess. They can sue Sony, but nothing can restore the damage to their brand equity.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Storage Area Network

SAN is a solution that integrates all storage devices; be it on LAN, WAN or the Intranet. Every time a new storage device is added to the network, it is automatically detected and is accessable through all servers on the network. Though the technology is not very new but it has recently taken off because of BPO and ITES industry where new Information gets added fairly rapidly, hense memory management becomes important. Also in Data warehouses and BI applications.

Monday, October 23, 2006

ERP Market

Its worth $100 million in India. The fastest growing sector of software applications. SAP leads the market in India, followed by Oracle, Global SSA and other local players. SME sector is a big customer of ERP in India and they are good at adopting change according to the Global Players. The sector is likely to grow to $250 million by 2010. ERP initially was meant to cater to only the manufacturing sector but now cater to newer noble fields like education and e-governance. There are associated modules like CRM, SCM, BI . Adoption of ERP could be at one go, "Big Bang Implementation", or phase by phase Modulewise Adoption. The benefit of ERP system is bringing efficiency into the operation of the organisation and get information at the fingertips of the management for better informed internal decisions and react or proact to the external changes.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Too Little Too Late

IE 7.0 was unvieled today. Most of the features are lifted from other smaller more innovative , first mover companies. IE has 86% marketshare, followed by 11.5 % by Mozilla Firefox and 2% each of Apple's Safari and Opera browser. Time Microsoft inducts some fresh blood into its organisation.
"Did I hear some one curse".

Monday, October 16, 2006

E-Books Bleak Future

Sony recently introduced a e-Book Reader at $350. It can be used to store large number of downloadable e-books and can be scanned page by page. The advantage is that its light weight , occupies very less space, any number of book marks can be added, you can search the book in seconds, and no trees are detroyed in making them , for now don't pay attention to e-Waste, that is not in the marketing plan. One charge i senough for 7500 page turns. It uses electricity only when pages are turned. They can store Photos ( of four grey shades ) and play AAC mucic files also MP3. Some 10,000 e-books are available at the sony store and if you buy the Gizmo before year end you get a gift coupon of $50. So does the Gadget has any future in India. I guess the price is upward for most Indians. May be a Demonstration object at the most.

"If you can afford it, go for it".

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Motherboard Unleashed

A motherboard houses the CPU and the RAM. It has the RAM sockets to expand the RAM memory by just adding the memory modules into the slots. It should contain a PCI express slot into which a graphics card can be installed so that you can get better performance than an integrated card with the chip which degrades the performance. It contains the SATA connection to connect the hard disks and the optical drives. Make sure there are enough PCI slots to expand the functionality of the computer. Also make sure there is support for USB 2.0 along ith firewire ( IEEE 1394) and Gigabit Etherener for a futureproof Motherboard.

Friday, October 13, 2006

PC Spec's

The main thing to keep in mind while buying a PC is its use. Predict the current use and the future use in next one year to extend the usability. If money is not a constraint then I would suggest a system with dual core processor. At least 512 MB of RAM, 1-2 GB preferable. At least 80 GB of Hard Disk Space. A good graphics card with 128 MB of RAM will support games and Video. Choose a dual layer DVD writer for your machine. If you need a PC just for basic office functionality and internet browsing then go for any good branded entry level PC. A branded entry level computer would offset your budget by just 18-20,000 Rs in India. Dual Core by about 25-28,000 Rs.
"Buy Once Buy The Best".

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Buying Camcorder : Check these features

1. Look at the optical zoom. At least 10 x upto 25 x. Digital zoom is of no real value. The same can be achieved through software.
2. A large screen, but that drains battery, but good for reviewing the footage immediately.
3. Check out th esupported format, mini DV , HD are some popular formats. For home movies mini DV is the best , for professional work HD ( High - Def.) would be more suited.
4. The controls should be simple and intuitive. Try them before buying.
5. 1 CCD Camcorder is cheaper, but 3 CCD gives professional touch.
6. Look for optical and electronic image stabilizer. Optical stabilizer is better.
7. Though still photographs are supported but they may not be as good quality of a dedicated digital camera.

Monday, October 09, 2006

SpyWare

Spyware is not a virus as commonly misunderstood. It doesnt self replicate. It is a malicious program which

1. delivers unsolicited pop-up advertisements
2. carries out theft of personal information
3. monitors your browsing and spending pattern to tailormake spams
4. re-routing you to advertising sites

What precautions can be taken?

1. Dont use ActiveX. Set the internet setting security option to appropriate value.
2. Install spyware - blocking software.
3. Take a backup of all important data on a medium like CD.

What are the Symptoms of Spyware Infestation?

1. loss of System Performance
2. System hangs and crashes
3. threat to private info stored in the computer

PC Market in India Update

There are ten vendors in the branded space. HP, Acer, AMD, Dell, Zenith, LG, HCL and so on are some of the well known players. Xenitis in Kolkata and Sogo in Bangalore are strong regional players. The market share of branded PC's has increased from 50 percent to 70 percent over the last couple of years whereas the market share of assembled PC's have come down to about 30 percent. This market share is likely to stabilise over the coming years. Rationalisation of duties has narrowed the price gap from 37 to 40 percent that assemblers enjoyed in 2000-01 to under 14 percent in 2005. Today an average branded PC in India is priced in the range of 22K to 25K.An advantage working on the side of assemblers is that they are innovative and flexible in their offerings. Studies show that upto 75% of the cost of the PC has to be spent on the PC after purchase. For branded PC's this figure can be brought down to 40%.

A brand will always remain a brand.

Evolution of E-Commerce

The minimum you could do is have at least an informative web site which is a marketing tool active 365 days of year x 7 days a week x 24 hours a day basis. You can inform people about your product, processses, Organisational processses, culture, mission, vision, values etc. You could provide important contact information on the web site.

In the next evolutionary stage you could provide for some sort of central complaint lodging system directly to the company to account for the improper treatment of customers ( incompatible with company values ) by the call centres or regional centers. This will also act as a control for the organisational values. Innovative companies also use some sort of Live Chat or Help Desk to sort out the queries and problems of customers.You can have a online transaction facility i.e. selling online.

Next you could go all the way to integrate the entire supply chain i.i. you could seamlessly connect to your Suppliers and Ditributers or the End Users. You can use the internet to add interactivity to your advertisements and customise your communication to the customers. For certain industries like software, digital music internet gives the market Global Reach.

You could add internet as an additional channel to your existing brick and mortar business or have a buiness which is built from scratch as a pure internet dot com company and after succeeding with the internet version you could go in for the brick and mortar version.You could also use collaboration tools to Co-ordinate projects done by different teams which may be located in different geographical locations working on different aspects of a project or taking advantage of the time zones. Also there are the applications of telecommuting and mobile work force.

3G Mobile Services to Hit India Soon

Characteristics would include faster web browsing speeds comparable to that of broadband. Sharper pictures enabling better gaming and mobile tv experience to the mobile users. Also streaming video and audio would be a real possibility.But cost of handsets which is expected to be on the upperside would prove to be a major hurdle. Also 3G policy regarding spectrum allocation would have to be framed. Further telecom companies would have to spruce up their network infrastructure to be able to roll out these new services.In India where a mobile model from Motorola in the range of Rs. 700 is expected soon and the inequality of income distribution as a result of improperly executed libralisation steps ,with people having disparate incomes and purchasing power is going to make growth for the telecom companies in 3G segment not an easy thing. Also competition from VOIP is going to intensify with computer penetration and home broadband connections going up.

Some ERP Related Facts

1. Business processes have to be mapped to ERP and customization has to be done.
2. The aim is to have all the processes of the business mapped in the Package.
3. An ERP system helps in reacting faster to marketplace changes i.e. in being proactive rather than being reactive to market.
4. Standardization of business processes across units can be achieved.
5. Best business practices can be adapted.
6. Real time information is available to the Decision maker.
7. Legacy systems are generally fragmented and not properly integrated across functions.
8. An ERP system enables IT to be used as a strategic business tool rather than for a limited purpose of data processing.
9. ERP systems support E-Commerce.
10. Awareness training sessions should be held for managers and key end users should be involved at various stages of implementation to ensure success.
11. Most people consider ERP system as a hygiene factor for effectiveness.
12. ERP Systems avoids duplication of efforts across functions and business units.
13. Using ERP system one can integrate their partners systems and information can flow seamlessly.
14. Performance can be reviewed more frequently, for example weekly instead of monthly.
15. It facilitates business innovation through new business processes.
16. It increases revenue through its built in collaboration abilities.
17. It improves operational efficiency by streamlining processes.
18. It increases ROI through Reliable Operation with a stable and proven infrastructure.
19. Change management is the biggest challenge of ERP implementation.
20. While choosing a package flexibility, Scalability should be kept in mind.

Benefits of ERP Implementation

1. Reduction of lead time
2. On-time shipment
3. Reduction in Cycle time
4. Better Customer Satisfaction
5. Improved Supplier Performance
6. Increased Flexibility
7. Reduction in quality Costs
8. Improved resource utility
9. Improved information accuracy and decision making capability

Internet Marketing

1. Most of the companies have a web presence basically to disseminate product or service information and distribute brochures.

2. The glitches include lack of inexpensive payment models. People are not comfortable with divulging their private information like credit card numbers online because of lack of adequate security protocols Another glitch is the sheer limit of number of people who have access to payment methods like credit cards.

3. Many banks in India are already using Mobile phone for banking purposes.

4. One big obstacle in the way of using internet in a big way of conducting business is the abysmally low internet penetration and the digital divide in India.

5. One delicate issue in this context would be that of Ethical Marketing. There is a very thin line between consumer delight and intrusion of privacy of the customer.

6. Those who already have an established brand are more likely to successfully sell their products online compared to those following purely internet model as the customers know about the quality antecedents of the company.

Microsoft Vista OS Preview

This new Operating System (OS) is going to boast of a number of features. Prime among them being, better and less expensive security of computer networks; employees can remotely log on to the office system without the use of VPN which people find difficult to use. More secure browsing with internet explorer version 7.0 .

Easier installation of software fixes or patches. Improved user account management, for example a clerk or a junior could install printer or scanner without having access to Administrators password.The operating system is being tested through 5 lakh selected customers initially.Other popular operating system in the market include Unix, Linux, Mac OS et at. Microsoft increasingly faces competition from OS such as Linux which is an open source software.

An open source software is a software which doesn't cost having been developed by volunteers from IT software developers profession. In India especially in the government sector i.e. state government and center government offices are increasingly adopting Linux operating system too keep their IT spend down. Also with introduction of low cost computers ( sub 10,000 Rs. Category ) , these systems are preloaded with Linux OS . Linux is itself a powerful operating system being used in industry as web server and Application Server. Both are mission critical applications.Microsoft sighting the widespread use of pirated software ( 90%) in India has come out with a stripped down cheap version for the Indian market to boost sales.

Microsoft claims the TCO ( Total Cost of Ownership including cost of maintenance, training and support )Of windows operating system is less than TCO of Linux. Other vendors claim that Microsoft uses various coercive strategies to induce desktop vendors to ship their OS.

I say, "May the open source prevail".

Categories of OS : Class Room

An OS is the interface between the user and hardware , it controls the execution of software instructions and controls the operation of other computer components.

1.Stand Alone OS : These files are stored on the hard disk and loaded into the computers RAM when the system boots. These control the interface and working of a single computer. Ex : Windows OS, MAC OS.

2.Network Operating System (NOS): These are used to co-ordinate and control a group of computers connected together in a LAN. Ex: Windows xp, windows 2000, Unix, Linux.

3. Embedded Operating System : These are used in handheld devices like a PDA. These are called embedded because they are completely stored inside the ROM.( Read Only Memory.) Ex: Windows CE, Palm OS.

"Which is your category ".

Did You Know?

a) How worms spread?
Worms spread mainly through unsecured networks,p2p applications and shared folders.

b) What is the motivation of the hackers?
For kicks, for fame and most commonly for financial gain.

c) What is adware?
It is a program which pops up advertisements when you try to link to a site.

d) What is spam?
It is a unsolicited e-mail.

e) What are common categories of spam?

1.Education Related
2.Finance Related
3.Health Related
4.Gambling Related
5.Adult Related

User of Internet Technology Beware

You may have heard about the pros of banking but not cons. Here is a a caveat. It does offer you convenience of transferring your funds at any time you need but you stand the threat of losing vital information through trozan horses if you use internet cafes or your own little secure handheld device for accessing your bank accounts.There are keylogging programs ( a kind of trozan horse ) that once enters into your system by being hidden in other software programs start monitoring your keyboard entries as you visit a bank and then sends this information to the theives through the net. They can also be planted in your device or desktop through e-mail messages. So be careful whenever you download and install free software on your system or read emails.

Don't blindly download or don't open suspicious looking( rather harmless looking) e-mails. There may be a malicious code in it.Cases were reported in Brazil where 55 people stole $4.7 million and in France $1.1 million from bank accounts( internet ofcourse). According to some reports in the period between '00 and '05 the number of such cases have increased exponentially.

These problems of fraud have also been occuring in India but under reported or not reported by the banks because of the threat of loss of reputation and a profitable medium of business channel.

Murphy's Trivia," Why robbers are always ahead of police----------------------because the police is behind and the robbers are ahead of police, Hi Hi Hi".

RDBMS Technology Unleashed

It stands for Relational Data Base Management System. It is data stored in a set of related tables. There are other objects like queries, views, indexes, clusters, etc in a RDBMS. It is used to store millions of transactions or records in transaction intensive industries like the BFSI, BPO etc. Popular RDBMS providers are Oracle, SQL Server from Microsoft, Sybase, Ingres et al. SQL Server 2005 edition has built in data warehousing, mining and Business Intelligence and Analysis functions and tools built into it.

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