As if they needed more stress, organizations are facing evolving and increasingly stringent compliance regulations from the Payment Card Industry, as well as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA and others. Here are a few security compliance products that can make the audit process less excruciating.
Here are 10 of the distributor's hottest new offerings winning over solution providers.
New smartphones from Sony, Motorola and the first-ever Twitter-only mobile device -- the TwitterPeek -- headline a busy week for handset makers as the holiday shopping season heats up.
One needs to look no further than Google's most recent quarterly report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in which it spells out potential risks ahead in its business:
As we have limited experience to date in operating versions of our products and services, including Google Mobile and Android, developed or optimized for users of alternative devices and as new devices and new platforms are continually being released, it is difficult to predict the problems we may encounter in developing versions of our products and services for use on these alternative devices and we may need to devote significant resources to the creation, support, and maintenance of such devices. If we are unable to attract and retain a substantial number of alternative device manufacturers, distributors, and users to our products and services or if we are slow to develop products and technologies that are more compatible with non-PC devices, we will fail to capture a significant share of an increasingly important portion of the market for online services, which could adversely affect our business.
The key phrase is "difficult to predict the problems we may encounter." Google's never really been in the volume smartphone business before. One key factor with the launch of Android 2.0 is it marks the first time Google may face challenges with post-sales support of smartphones.
By contrast, with the Droid's launch in the offing, Apple said this in its most recent SEC report:
The Company is focused on expanding its market opportunities related to mobile communication devices including the iPhone. The mobile communications industry is highly competitive and includes several large, well-funded and experienced participants. The Company expects competition in the mobile communication industry to intensify significantly as competitors attempt to imitate some of the iPhone's functionality and applications within their own smart phones or, alternatively, collaborate with each other to offer solutions that are more competitive than those they currently offer. This industry is characterized by aggressive pricing practices, frequent product introductions, evolving design approaches and technologies, rapid adoption of technological and product advancements by competitors, and price sensitivity on the part of consumers and businesses.
With its back to the wall in the mobile device market, facing its stiffest challenge to date, Apple says it is "focused on expanding its market opportunities." This is a company with swagger.
Apple has what Google doesn't: experience in post-sales support. With millions upon millions of iPhone customers and users of various iterations of its iPhone software operating system, Apple has a mountain of data that probably gives it a good idea of what Google and Motorola are in for with customer problems, issues and complaints. While the guys in Schaumberg, Ill., and Mountain View, Calif., are grappling with the inevitable bug fixes, compatibility concerns and "known issues," Apple is planning on its expansion.
Today for Apple, the competition has never been stronger. So is its opportunity.
Many Yankee detractors automatically point to the organization's ridiculous ($206 million) player payroll and say the team simply bought the 2009 baseball world championship. But, if you take a close look, the Yankees also showed some nifty techniques that could easily be pulled out of the realm of baseball and used for success elsewhere. Tech companies, in particular, could learn a few things from how the Yankees approached this season and translate it into success in their world:
1. So what if you're tired? The Yankees' starting pitching rotation of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte defeated the defending World Champions by each pitching on three-days rest, rather than the standard four-days rest most teams use. Even tired, the team's top talent was better than that of other teams. The take-away? During crunch time (say the end of the quarter or the last few weeks before a product launch), the important players need to step up and just do what needs to be done. There will be time for rest later.
2. Everybody on the team is important. Alex Rodriguez only had a few hits in the World Series for the Yankees, and he is arguably the team's best hitter. So how did they win without him hitting a lot? Other guys stepped up, whether they made $20 million a year (Sabathia) or a lot less (Jerry Hairston Jr.). At a tech company, the lead developer can be just as important as the Southeast Regional Director of Marketing.
3. Don't worry if the rules or objectives change. Just meet them. I wasn't the only one who noticed the umpires were absolutely horrible during this year's baseball post-season. In particular, home plate umpires seemed to change their strike zone every other pitch. It was absolutely dreadful. But the Yankees and Phillies both tried to make the best of it. Pitchers tried to adjust their locations. Hitters tried to lock in and focus even more. Even though the strike zones were abominable, there were very few player complaints after the games. The players just dealt with it. Intel, Microsoft and other companies seem to continually face changing antitrust rules and priorities, yet both companies have remained market-share leaders for decades. They adapt to change. Other tech companies will succeed if they can figure out how to do that as well.
4. Having Kate Hudson as your girlfriend doesn't hurt. A-Rod's lady friend was at all the games, cheering on her man, even though she looked like she knew about as much about baseball as A-Rod knows about acting. The point: A-Rod wasn't afraid to let everybody know he had real support in his corner for every inning of every game. He showed her off. It certainly took a lot of attention and conversation away from A-Rod's, er, less positive talking points. Tech companies need to do a better job, sometimes, of bragging about their customer wins, their alliances and their market support. The bigger companies do it all the time (IBM sends out a press release almost every day bragging about its customer wins and support in the market.) Others could learn from it.
5. Don't be afraid to spend in tough times. Even though New York was at the heart of the world economic meltdown last year, the Yankees finished building a $1.5 billion stadium and then spent almost $500 million on free agent players. The team also spends top dollar on training facilities, trainers, marketing, its own TV network and more. How is the team rewarded? Forbes placed the team's valuation at $1.3 billion before the new stadium opened, with about $350 million in annual revenue. The team's top line and bottom line are both expected to grow in a down economy and the marketing potential, alone, after winning a World Series is inordinately lucrative. The team aggressively reinvests in product quality. The top revenue-producing companies in technology all spend higher rates than average on R&D, in good times and bad, as well. Complain all you want about the Yankees' spending and player salaries. They're the ones being fitted with championship rings today.
There will be some time for reflection over this year's baseball season. Pitchers and catchers report in 16 weeks.
But it's also the latest marker to come out of Google's Mountain View, Calif.-based headquarters in the area of communications strategy -- a strategy that within years could very well vault it into place as the top telecommunications player anywhere.
Not only will Droid make the Google-driven Android 2.0 mobile operating system immediately a force to be reckoned with (it's only had muted support in the market to date), but combined with the growing interest and functionality in Google Voice and the company's other products and capabilities, Google will have soup-to-nuts offerings in the area of text, voice and video communications.
Consider:
Android 2.0: The mobile operating system Google has brought into the world has an uphill fight to catch up to Apple's iPhone OS and ecosystem -- but, then again, it doesn't have to catch up. Android 2.0 will act as a key enabler that could eventually link all of Google's communications offerings together into a single handheld device.
Google Voice: This application has been very, very slow to launch in a broad-based format and you still need either an invitation or permission from Google to gain access. But once there, users find that Google Voice is a powerful application that connects all of a user's voice and SMS contact points into a single place. Whether on a desktop, notebook, netbook or smartphone (with the exception of the iPhone platform), Google Voice becomes a virtual communications hub for individuals.
Google Talk:This has yet to displace AOL Instant Messaging as the IM format for the masses, but its elegant connection of text IM, voice and video -- as well as extension functionality with Gmail -- means it's going to stick around for a while.
Combined, Google's products and technologies are rapidly transforming it into the communications services company. At this rate, by 2012 Google will have capabilities and offerings that will far surpass anything in the market now and could very well have today's communications giants eating out of the palm of its hand. Everything you need for voice and data communications could come from one company.
The official launch of the Droid by Motorola shouldn't be considered a touchdown for the Android 2.0 operating system, it should be considered a first down. And Google is driving down the field with the wind at its back.
"If you are driving you may not also be doing the following with an electronic portable device:
-- "hold;
-- "speak into;
-- "read from;
-- "touch."
"What can you do?" she asks. "Nothing unless you want to upgrade to the newest available technology out there."
There are two types of smartphone-using drivers: Those who admit to peeking at their devices while driving, and those who lie. And if you've ever glanced up from a text message or e-mail while driving to see the truck in front of you stopped short while you were glancing down, leaving you barely a split second to slam on the brakes, you know it's not exactly the smartest of practices.
So what's a technology professional to do? Well, if you have customers to whom you're providing mobile devices, you might want to gently remind them about the new laws throughout the U.S., including New York. You won't just be saving your customer some grief and the cost of a traffic ticket. You might just be saving a customer.
Now, Twitter is trying to make it easier for its members to help them with the fight. On Tuesday, the service added quick-click links to user pages for members to either block others or report them for spam.
"No automated action will be taken as a result of reporting a user as spam (in other words, it can't be used to incite an angry mob against an account you don't like.) And once you report a profile it will automatically be blocked from following or replying to you. You nailed it!" wrote Twitter blogger Jenna Dawn.
"Our spam fighting tools will continue to evolve as new behaviors emerge, and as always, we'll keep trust and safety at the top of our list," she wrote.
Twitter isn't the only social networking site forced to try and protect users from spam bombardment. Spam on Facebook has been a common complaint by many users -- to such an extent that the site earlier this year began suspending large application developers from its platform for behavior that violated or appeared to violate Facebook terms.
The difference between Twitter's approach to spam and Facebook's approach is this: Twitter is now putting not just the burden of reporting spam on its membership, but also providing easy-to-use tools to get it done. Facebook continues to put the antispam burden largely on developers and its own users but provides rank-and-file members few or easy tools to fight back against spammy, invasive or misleading application developers.
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