Evaluating what will work and what doesn’t in the Information Technology

In the IT era, the best of times are the worst times. Computer hardware gets cheaper, faster and more portable. New information technology systems and business analytic systems captured people’s imagination. Furthermore, corporate IT spending has bounced back from its plunge back in 2001.

COPING WITH TECHNOLOGY ABUNDANCE IN THE MARKETPLACE TODAY

As the drumbeats of Information Technology become louder, they pose a threat to overwhelm general managers. One of the biggest issues that companies face is coping with technology abundance. It’s difficult for executives to determine what all the apps, systems and acronyms do, let alone decide which to purchase and how to adopt them successfully. Most managers feel unequipped to navigate the constant change in the technology landscape and so involve themselves with IT less and less. The digital transformation of the business environment is at the top of the agendas of CEO and CIO, as it should be. Customer expectations and behaviors change at dizzying pace. Furthermore, innovation that’s needed to compete effectively would be defined more and more by software.

DETERMINING WHAT TYPES OF IT PROGRAMS ARE VIABLE FOR THE FUTURE

Thoroughly inventing the IT wheel isn’t a sustainable starting point. Rebuilding existing services and processes on new platforms consume a lot of valuable resources, introduces unacceptable risk and will take a long time. How do CIOs decide what parts of the Information technology infrastructure have a viable future and what would be phased out to make room for advancement? The decision essentially should be based on business impact, value and risk. Also, there are technology hurdles, which investments should also get over simply to be taken into consideration. When evaluating where it makes sense to push IT to the new digital age, there are three major areas to measure against. These are the following:

1. DevOps ready. If innovation’s defined by software, the capacity of delivering software capabilities more effectively and faster defines successful organizations. DevOps practices and the culture of continuous delivery, which accompanies will be the heart of the competitive weapon. For a technology investment to live a happy and long life in the brave world of more agile and faster software delivery, it requires effectively meshing with a DevOps worldview. For instance, a lot of mainframe developers integrate actively what are very traditional app development environments to high-speed DevOps world with huge success. The compatibility of DevOps soon would need to be part of the evaluation criteria or that information tech investment these days may not be able to keep up with the future.

2. Security lifespan. As more and more of the core business model of companies’ runs on IT, thus the scope and criticality of intellectual property grow in proportion. Security therefore would finally complete the slow evolution from business impediment that is often forgotten to pivotal element in innovation strategy. It’s important that tools and systems, both present and future have long security lifespans. The recent ransom ware attacks in the world were in no small part successful since they targeted systems that already were well past the security sell-by dates. CIOs in response should always have the security vulnerability assessment lens nearby when reviewing if an existing technology could make the all-important leap to the future of the digital enterprise. Without a security path forward, it’s time to decide if a replacement is required to prevent future compliance and security damages.

3. Flexibility and connectivity. Hybrid information technology environments would rule the business information technology world. It’s not only an accumulation of cloud service and on premise solutions but a real hybrid model as well. A complex and mixture of platforms, consumption models and delivery mechanisms that are built and operated with ample agility to keep pace with the continuous change in the business requirements.

For any technology, the question would be how well it would coexist in the world with everything else. Standalone platforms are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Everything would have to be flexible, connected and responsive to change soon. If a critical business system could not find a new connected home, it could be near its end of days. Nonetheless, the most venerable business systems can have long lives ahead if they could make the critical connectivity work. The rising pressure to digitize business would continue to skyrocket in the years to come as the rate of change in customer demand accelerates, along with the technology landscape’s complexity. Nonetheless, enterprise CIOs have a lot of tools to create an innovative hybrid infrastructure, provided that they could evaluate carefully the suitability of what exists these days.

Much of legacy information tech actually is highly applicable to the next generation of digital business. Furthermore, with the right metrics to evaluate against, enterprises and businesses could rapidly move nowadays to build what they would need tomorrow.

The common practices of project managers for effective software implementation

There are numerous software apps available that could help with project management tasks, but there are also various opinions on what kinds of functionality one wants. A project management software is a tool that has the capacity to help in planning, organizing and managing resource pools and develop resource estimates as well. Depending on its sophistication, the software could manage estimation and plan, schedule, cost control and budget management, allocation resource, collaboration, communication, decision-making, quality management and documentation or admin systems. Nowadays, many browser-based and PC-based project management software solutions exist and finding their way into almost any kind of business.

Selecting the best project-management tool would depend primarily on what one needs as well as the project managers view of project-management software. The best project management program in the world could not help a company complete tasks faster or more effectively if the staff do not or will not use it. A management tool will only become effective when the task manager will be able to use it at its full advantage.

The following are some tips for project managers to get the most of the software.

1. Begin with a needs analysis. Project management solutions come in all sizes and shapes. The first thing to do is to determine what type of management collaboration tool the business or company needs. For instance, a manager should determine if all the tasks are internal or working with external vendors and customers. Other things to consider is if the tasks should be assigned or simply require a space where everyone could collaborate and if the task would involve budgets and invoices.

2. Make certain the software is easy to use. Find a program that is both intuitive and as a whole in-line with how the company works. If it fails to meet the company specifics out-of-the-box, then a solution should be one with built-in custom fields and the capability to rename categories and fields.

3. Consider a cloud-based service. This is preferable for a number of factors, such as deployment ease and overall ownership cost. It could also save thousands of dollars over a solution that has to be installed and managed. Users could also access the system on any device, anywhere and upgrades are automatically delivered since it is web-based.

4. Select a solution that could scale. Implementing a solution throughout the company is in itself a long-term project. That is why it is necessary to go for a solution that would grow with the company and provides features that the a manager may not even consider using at the start.

5. Ensure that the PM software incorporates with core applications, like email. An important factor in choosing a product is the integration capabilities. Since everyone uses email, a solution should be able to post messages to email that would boost user engagement and extend the product reach.

6. Solicit input from the people and departments who will actually use the software. Choosing a program that would be a good overall fit is critical. The best way of doing this is to include an entire team in the process of selection. Gather feedback from people and departments as they may have goals they would like to attain.

7. Compare various management solutions. Make a checklist based on the needs and compared products. Both the project manager and members of the team should review the software. If outside parties would also be using the software, solicit their opinion as well.

8. Opt for a solution that offers good community and vendor support. When choosing a project management software, find a vendor with a rich user community. This is important when questions arise since there will be fellow users to turn to for advice.

9. Establish goals from the start. Define the goals for clarity on how to set up the program, how to use it and how to train people on it. Otherwise, the software implementation will just be like a ship without a rudder.

10. Provide ample training. Consider numerous training sessions to ensure that everyone could attend. Set up a project immediately so employees could practice making posts, attaching files and using the program.

Having a project management software however will not entirely spell success to an organization or business if the project manager fails to do his or her responsibilities. Here are skills that task managers need to be effective and successful:

1. Be a good multi-tasker and highly organized. A good manager is one who knows how to manage numerous tasks and track concerns daily. The success or failure of a project lies in the difference between a project manager who is highly organized and a manager who is not.

2. Take charge and know how to lead. Task managers need good leaders. Managing a task is all about leading vendors and stakeholders to a successful outcome. Tasks must be lead in a way that builds consensus while at the same time flashing out the true roadblocks and risks. Effective managers showcase an image of a better tomorrow as well as foster confidence in the abilities of the members of the team to realize the vision.

3. One should be an effective communicator. Effective communication means that the manager should consistently ensure that they are clearly understood by all stakeholders and that they understand what is expected of them throughout the lifecycle of the task. Moreover, it is necessary that all stakeholders effectively communicate with one another as well as with the task head.

4. Know how and when to negotiate. Managers should also be excellent negotiators. A good head invests time to understand and negotiate the relationships and determine the stakeholder's interests. Without negotiating skills, one could spoil or ignore the crucial relationships, which make the success of a task very unlikely.

5. Recognize and solve issues fast. There would be times when issues and obstacle arise that require immediate resolutions. The way the project managers handle these issues would set him apart from others.

6. Become detail-oriented. Managing a project is all about details, big and small ones. That is why project managers should be meticulous when it comes to managing the details of each project and the impact that every detail could have on the overall success of the task. Details could make or break it, and an effective PM recognizes that.

7. Possesses necessary technical skills. To become a good PM, one must possess robust knowledge of the software, platforms and programs that the company works with regularly. This is true even if the job is actually non-technical. Furthermore, a great leader must have ample technical knowledge regarding areas of the project to be able to assign themselves to some of them.

The new Facebook Watch Tab that offers a wide range of shows for all users

Facebook mobile users would soon see a new Watch tab that offers a wide array of shows. It’s becoming the destination for viewers of programs. This of course makes FB a media company. However, qualifying for the label is not just a matter of pedants but also more on semantics, about the ambition of Facebook, its social obligations and the future of media.

MAKING THE FACEBOOK EXPERIENCE MUCH STICKIER

Facebook watch is all about making the experience much stickier, thus making users want to spend more and more time in the Facebook home. Today, with over two billion users, the social media giant wants to do much more in order to retain the interest of people who are logged in. Videos with high quality will do this, as will the eventual move of the company into live sports that has long been rumored but has not materialized yet. Power brings about responsibility and there have been instances when FB appeared uncomfortable with its social obligations. For example on the issue of fake news, despite having hundreds of thousands of new moderators, the company is determined not be an arbiter on what’s true or what’s false, preferring the user community to make the judgments.

FACEBOOK WATCH WILL ACCELERATE THE SHIFT TO AUDIENCE TREND

Across media, power shifts to audiences. The idea of editors to determine what users could read or for commissioners to determine what users will watch is getting weak. Schedules have become obsolete, albeit gradually. The Facebook watch hastens the trend. With a user base that’s massively larger than Netflix and YouTube combined, the social interactions performed when logged on to FB is recorded meticulously by the algorithms of the social network. This of course helps drive content promotion and distribution.

In any Facebook mobile application, convenience is king. The social network makes it more convenient to enjoy viewing experiences with no need to leave the platform. Mark Zuckerberg justifiably argues that this is a way to transfer more power to users. Watching video on FB has an amazing power of connecting people, foster community and spark and inspire conversation. On the social network, videos are discovered via friends and bring together communities. As more and more people enjoy the experience, they like the serendipity of discovering news on the News Feed. However, they also want a dedicated area where they could go to for watching videos.

THE VIDEO TAB IN THE UNITED STATES

Last year the Video Tab was launched in the United States, which offered a predictable space to find Facebook videos. Now, the company wants to make it even easier to catch up on shows. The new Watch is a new platform for shows. It would be available on desktop, mobile, laptop and in TV applications. Shows are made of episode, recorded or live and follow a storyline or theme. To help people keep up with the shows they follow, it has a watch list so they will not miss out on the latest episodes. Watch is personalized to help discover new shows that are organized on what friends and communities are viewing. For instance, there are sections such as ‘most talked about’ that includes shows wherein a lot of people used the Haha reaction. There is also the ‘what friends are watching’ that helps connect with friends regarding shows that they are following as well. In FB Live, people’s reactions and comments to a video often are much a part of the experience as the video itself. So when watching a show, one could see comments and connect with friends as well as other viewers while viewing or join in a dedicated FB Group for the show.

THE PLATFORM FOR SHOWS

Watch is the platform for all publishers and creators to look for an audience, create a community of passionate fans and also earn for their work. A wide range of FB shows could be successful, especially the following:

1. Shows that engage the fans and the community. Nas Daily publishes a daily show making videos together with fans all over the world. The Watchlist makes it easy for fans to catch a new episode daily.

2. Live shows that directly connect with fans. A New York Times bestselling author, Gabby Bernstein, life coach and motivational speaker, users a mix of live and recorded episodes for connecting with fans as well as answer queries in real time.

3. Live events which bring communities together. Major League Baseball broadcasts a game on Facebook every week, letting people view live baseball while connecting with friends as well as fellow platform fans.

4. Shows following a narrative arch or have a consistent theme. The show Tastemade’s Kitchen Little is a funny one about children who watch a how-to recipe video and then instruct professional chefs on how to make it. Every episode features a new chef, a new kid and a new recipe. The food, unsurprisingly does not always turn out as expected.

Watch would be home to a range of shows, from reality, comedy, to live sports. It’s exciting to see how publishers and creators use shows for connecting with fans and community.

Rural Health IT helps to improve health care services in most rural settings

Rural Health Information Technology uses computers for storing, protecting, retrieving and transferring information electronically within the health care scenario. The key elements of the rural health IT include electronic medical records for patients instead of paper records, secure electronic networks for delivering updated records anytime, anywhere the patient or clinician may need them. Furthermore, the Rural Health IT provides electronic transmittal of medical test results to hasten and simplify the processing by health care providers.

Health IT works to improve safety, quality and effectiveness of services. Furthermore, the systems could help make certain that the physicians as well as other wellness professionals will have the most current particulars regarding the condition or ailment they are treating. HIT systems boost quality of service via avoiding medical errors and duplication. Since most patients receive ministry from various health providers, the provincial medical IT works to ensure coordinated, efficient and secure exchange of statistics. Moreover, through the use of the information technology system, researchers could learn faster regarding new therapies and treatments.

The potentials of the HIT include the following:

1. Lower medical errors
2. Ascertain safer patient transitions between medical care settings
3. Reduce unnecessary and duplicative testing
4. Boost sharing of care information between laboratories, providers, patients and pharmacies
5. Ensures security and privacy of electronic wellness data since information is electronically maintained and transmitted.

Advances in wellness IT hold great promise in terms of helping rural and small communities overcome difficulties in health provisioning, like distance and shortage of personnel. A lot of small and rural medical providers point to the lack of financial resources as to why there are poor adoption rates. The medical IT investment should compete with other capital expenses, like the need for a new operating room equipment. There are few grants that state specifically that they would fund the HIT initiative that supports the cost of software, hardware and the necessary training for implementing and using electronic records, computerized provider order entry, e-prescribing, electronic transmittal of medical tests and decision support systems among others. There are some grants which would support the quality of medical ministering, access, patient safety, workforce training programs and controlling the cost.

Grants that support the initiatives may not specifically state they fund HIT. Nonetheless, HIT is considered as a solution to boost the initiatives. The use of IT allows better care coordination and quick access to patient data. This could improve the quality of wellness care and patient results in parochial settings. Using HIT holds a lot of potential for rural America. Not only does it enable better wellness coordination, it also allows instant access to patient data which could improve the quality of care given.

The benefits of electronic health records are well-documented. Moreover, rural providers are positioned uniquely to benefit from it. Health IT has the potential of transforming the way parochial providers collect, manage, store, use and share information. In addition, the program helps rural areas to coordinate and access care, boost disease survey, target health education and compile regional data and information. All of these activities are aimed at boosting the quality of services and results.

The Internet of Things in the Entertainment Field

The drastic rise in the number of smart devices as well as sensors that are connected to IoT or the Internet of Things could potentially change the way consumers interact with all networked technology, including the entertainment and media platforms. This represents a chance for the entertainment field to assimilate the growing number of customer insight that would be generated constantly by IoT technologies all over the market to drive more interactive and responsive offerings.

ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES THAT ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDERS HAVE TO ESTABLISH

There are three kinds of analysis capabilities that entertainment provider would have to establish to process IoT data to customer insights as well as marketing opportunities. These are the following:

1. SITUATIONAL ANALYTICS. This help organizations utilize network-centric data for measuring current behaviors, competitive and performance conditions to support decision-making process in a daily basis. From an entertainment point of view this may take the form of comprehending the current disposition of a consumer to better measure the type of entertainment that’s most appropriate.

2. PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS. Enables providers to anticipate the behavior patterns of customers, the trends and derive business intelligence to boost offerings. Knowing that a consumer is coming home from a major sporting event could give insight as to the kind of programming to deliver.

3. PRESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS. Would boost the ability of providers to quickly respond to customer interactions and resolve conflicts or create more intuitive user experiences to deliver customized content and offers. This includes considering diagnostic options and network performance when delivering an entertainment experience.

Through integration of these three types of IoT data analysis to their operations, entertainment providers would have an extensive dashboard that provides end-to-end insight to their inventory constantly, network infrastructures and customers, offering unprecedented control over delivery channels and managing revenue streams.

In an Internet of Things world, media organizations would be able to understand what a person is watching, and measure where, how, why and with whom consumers are viewing content. This new insight level as well as the provided context by smart devices enable the media and entertainment companies to deliver targeted ad that’s relevant to a person’s physical activity, mood or location in real-time. IoT not only boosts consumer content experience, but also encourage the advertising field to thoroughly redefine the measure of success. If smart devices offer useful data to content providers perceived as non-intrusive and the content experience result interprets consumer current readings appropriately in real-time and respond rapidly to those needs with targeted and relevant advertising the implications for enhanced brand loyalty could be wide.

IoT CREATES A WOW FOR CONCERT GOERS

The same security and convenience that could be used in sporting events may be used also at concerts within arenas and stadiums. Additionally, the Internet of Things could turn concerts to amazing experiences. For instance, for those who are far away from the stage, there are GoPro cameras that live stream the concert. A user may use the stadium’s WiFi network to access the stream and look at close-ups of their favorite artists on their mobile devices.

THE FUTURE OF ENTERTAINMENT IS LIMITLESS

Although still at the beginning stages, IoT adoption in arenas and stadiums is not far away. Devices and sensors are being tested at present, and the viability of the solutions is indeed promising. With the introduction of IoT technology in the world of entertainment, there will be well-connected and interactive networks formed between viewers and the entertainment platforms. The benefit is that there is an increased scope for the field to accumulate as much insight from customer as possible in an attempt to generate programs and technologies that would be appreciated and loved by everybody. Creating a more responsive and better platform for viewers, they could have direct interaction with the offerings and in turn would benefit the connected entertainment field in bringing up more viewer-friendly and better content.

The Internet of Things could pave the way for more automated and intuitive entertainment suggestions to be made for viewers, in movies and music as well, whichever suit their current mood or situation. IoT and other cloud-based resources could build a fast growing environment wherein the analysis and exchange of data would ensure that there is better availability and interaction of entertaining stuff between the industry and the viewers. IoT could boost the way people enjoy entertainment as well as boost their experiences. Connected devices would be able to deliver the kind of entertainment that is interactive and truly unforgettable.

Entertainment firms have a great deal to gain from IoT. Organizations that tackle the obstacles on implementing the systems and invest in new capabilities ahead will stand to gain the most from the competitive advantages.

Without a doubt, the Internet of Things is making waves in the entertainment field. New technologies are being tested to cater to the changing needs of people nowadays in terms of entertainment.