Recent Computing Trends - October 2008


There are two significant trends that small to medium sized businesses should pay careful attention to:

1) the rapid rise of interactive web technologies such as mobile computing, blogs, video sharing and social networks.  If you don't think blogs or social networks can be used in your business consider this:

  • Financial services blog Bankaholic was recently purchased by financial information portal BankRate for a stunning $14.9 million!  Yes, a blog sold for almost $15M!    > > Read Entire Article


To quickly illustrate the growth of these technologies I have built links to three Google search-trend graphs.  These graphs are powerful tools showing a live representation of what the marketplace has been doing from 2004 through the present - I encourage you to learn how to use these tools to better understand trends in and around your business!  

Interactive Web Tools - this Google search history graph  compares trends for blogs, forums, email and mobile computing (iPhone).  You can see how technologies such as forums and email have begun to decline whereas the popularity of blogs and mobile computing (iPhone in this graph) is rising rapidly.  

Interactive Web Tools, including Social Networks - look at the same graph  with Facebook added to the comparison.  The rapid rise of social networking (Facebook in this example) dwarfs the popularity of forums, blogs, email and even the iPhone!  


2) The increasing power and economy of Cloud Computing - software served up from the internet; also called SaaS (software as a service).  Many of you who know me are aware of how big a fan I am of Web 2.0 applications such as Salesforce.com and Google Apps.  Even if you currently use nearly 100% stand alone technologies such as Microsoft Office, there could very well be excellent business reasons to adopt some form of Cloud Computing in your business or organization.  In a June '08 press release Gartner Group made this statement, "Cloud computing heralds an evolution of business that is no less influential than e-business". 


What are Google Apps?
Google Apps is a collection of web-based programs and file storage that run in a web browser, without requiring users to buy or install software. Users can simply log in to the service to access their files and the tools to manipulate them.

Why Google Apps?
1) Business continuity and disaster recovery via Google backend
2) Low cost - $50 per user per year - 24x7x365 support
3) Collaboration

Most Powerful Capabilities in Google Apps:

1) Free Video Hosting and sharing
2) Google Gears enables offline access and backup of your files
3) Real time collaboration around spreadsheets, documents and presentations

A few who have switched to Google Apps:

1) Washington D.C City Government  - 38,000 users
2) Taylor Woodrow  - British Construction Firm - saved $2M
3) Colorado State University - 25,000 users
4) Arizona State University - 40,000 users
5) Salesforce.com
6) Capgemini Consulting


Free Analysis " Let us help you figure out if Google Apps has application within your business."





These are just two technology areas experiencing significant growth!  Figuring out when and how to apply IT technologies is what ITmpact is all about!

  • Could your company utilize social media strategies to market your company or products and services? 
  • Have you been thinking about utilizing new SaaS applications like Google Apps or Salesforce.com?

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