Category Archives: Tech News

Huge Growth Forecast for Cloud Services Industry

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Diagram showing overview of cloud computing, with typical types of applications supported by that computing model. For small and medium-sized businesses, the cost effectiveness of cloud computing makes it an attractive option for businesses fighting to stay competitive and profitable. Cloud computing allows businesses to efficiently react to the constantly changing speed of technology so they can expand operations.

Virtualization is the technology that allows cloud computing to be so versatile and efficient. Using virtualization users can lower costs and reduce the need for excessive Information Technology (IT) personnel; allowing businesses to focus on their core business goals.

Because of these advantages, plus the ability to outsource the daily operations of cloud computing, the use, adoption and expansion of this technology will continue to proceed quickly and impressively.

The fifth annual US SMB Cloud Insights report predicts that the cloud services market will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4 percent over the coming three years. That translates to the industry expanding from a value of $25.2 billion this year to a sizeable $34.9 billion by 2018.

“Over the five years that we have been conducting this study, we’ve seen a rapid and consistent growth in SMB consumption of cloud services,” said Birger Steen, chief executive officer of Odin, the provider of the report and cloud services provider. “Applications and capabilities that were previously reserved for enterprise-size organizations are now benefiting millions of smaller businesses. At the same time, SMBs are becoming more sophisticated in their IT and telecom choices, and developers are creating more services and applications specifically for this market segment.”

Launch of BlockTrail

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BlockTrail – a platform for bitcoin analytics – was launched today by BlockCorp researchers. Based in Amsterdam, BlockCorp (co-founded by Lev Leviev and Boaz Bechar) provided €500,000 ($669,310) in funding to BlockTrail.

BlockTrail will be competing with other platforms offering the same, such as: Blockr and Blockchain.info. BlockTrail will be looking into gaining customers from institutions and government bodies which it hopes will pay for the data.

BlockTrail enables its clients to set up secure, multi-signature transactions, simultaneously maintaining Bitcoins access. Its API provides refined data on: addresses, economy analytics and transactions that can be delivered to any platform and all the while it is very developer friendly due to its SDK.

The company also offers refined data on transactions, addresses, and economy analytics delivered to any platform, simultaneously facilitating the integration of Bitcoin functionality due to its SDK.

Huge Deal Brings DirecTV to AT&T

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DirecTVConsolidation is the name of the game these days in the telecommunications industry. This observation is exemplified by the upcoming purchase of DirecTV for a figure approaching $50 billion by the mother of all telecoms, AT&T. The idea behind the merger is for AT&T to expand its customer base exactly at a moment in history when the industry is facing several complex challenges.

The merger was approved by the boards of both companies on Sunday. In addition to widening the customer base, the companies are looking for ways to also control their content and its delivery. Faced with the threat of new technologies such as streaming and wireless, cable and satellite service providers are struggling to stay competitive by offering a wider range of services and products while simultaneously keeping their shareholders happy by growing revenue.

The deal will see AT&T paying DirecTV shareholders $95 per share. Including DirecTV’s debt that AT&T also agreed to pay, the entire value of the deal is estimated at $67.1 billion.

“Customers will be able to get wireless, voice, data, TV and home security from the same company nationwide,” says Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics. “It allows (AT&T) to grow the share of consumers’ spending on telecom.”

News of the upcoming deal was first leaked on April 30, and since that date the share price of DirecTV stock soared 12%.

“This is a unique opportunity that will redefine the video entertainment industry and create a company able to offer new bundles and deliver content to consumers across multiple screens,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T’s chairman and CEO.

Putting Workers Under the Microscope

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Tracking employees with the Business Microscope
Tracking employees with the Business Microscope

Moving in a distinctly reverse direction to the innovation companies like Google and Zappos have embraced, where employees are given freedom in areas like creativity, time-off and more; a Japanese company has created a tool that will track just about every movement and interaction an employee has in the office or workplace.

The device, which is worn as a badge or ID card, holds chips and sensors which record a variety of behaviors, including how often a worker goes to the lavatory; to whom an employee speaks during the day, how often, where and with how much enthusiasm, and just about every move a worker is capable of making.

Hitachi, the developer of the device, calls it the “Business Microscope.” It is a good name since it will certainly make employees feel like they are being scrutinized as if they were  bugs on a slide under the eye of their supervisor.

The gadget can tell how often a worker gets up out of his chair, how far he walks and where he went. It can also tell how often he  speaks at meetings, reporting on how much and what he contributes to groups.

“Business Microscope uses sensor technology to measure and analyze inner company communication and activities. Multiple-sensor devices are placed inside a nameplate-type sensor that is attached to employees,” Hitachi said on its website.

“When the name tag sensors come within a specified distance of each other, they recognize each other and record the face time, body and behavior rhythm data to a server,” Hitachi added.

Hitachi said their goal for developing the badge is to make workers more efficient while also helping supervisors and bosses to organize the workspace to make it more worker-friendly, enhancing cooperation between workers.

Apple Acquires SnappyCam in Latest Company Buyout

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In one more buyout in which Apple keeps the competition down, the mega computer company purchased the company that created the popular photography application SnappyCam. The purchase of SnappyLabs is one more in a series of acquisitions and buyouts by Apple which keeps them current with the latest technology without requiring Apple itself to introduce anything new.

Apple Buys Popular App SnappyCam
Apple Buys Popular App SnappyCam

Users can purchase SnappyCam as a $1 app which upgrades their mobile phone’s camera functions. SnappyCam adds several useful functions, but it’s most well-known and popular is allowing a smartphone to take pictures in quick succession by holding down the on-screen shutter-button.

The tech blog TechCrunch first reported the Apple’s most recent purchase, but the amount of the buyout is still unknown. The buyout is further proof that Apple has diverged from the company’s traditional custom of avoiding acquisitions while Steve Jobs was the CEO. It appears that the company buyouts are taking the place of innovation as competition in the app marketplace only increases.

Apple has been teasing the marketplace with a soon-to-be-but-yet-to materialize smartwatch and TV product. The iWatch is due for release in late 2014, buy a Samsung iWatch has already hit the market. The response to the buyout of SnappyLabs was a 22 percent downturn in Apple’s share price, closing at $540.98.

In 2013 Apple purchased 11 companies. In 2011, the last year Jobs ran Apple the company only purchased two tech firms. In 2009 they bought one company, a music service known as Lala.com because it was in completion with Apple’s own platform iTunes. Apple predictably closed down Lala.com and maintained its tight hold on music delivery. In 2010 Apple bought-out four companies.