Tomorrow’s Business Forecast: Mostly “Cloud-y” Skies
Tomorrow’s forecast for the future in business is still looking… mostly cloudy.
In an article written by The Street’s Dana Blankenhorn, an eloquent summary of timeline events is shown, leading to today’s anywhere, anytime business.
Blankenhorn writes, “There’s a great game you can play whenever you watch a movie from the last 50 years. You can date it quite precisely once you see someone interfacing with technology. Do you hear typewriters? It’s the 1970s. Are they using a PC? It’s the 1980s. A cell phone? Probably the 1990s. A smart phone? The 2000s. The adaptation of characters to technology mirrors our own. We change while hardly being aware of it.” from “When Everyone Has a Cloud – TheStreet.com“
So we find ourselves in an era where you no longer need to buy servers and boxed software into a model of always available business software via the cloud brought to your smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop. Don’t think the ‘big box’ software heavyweights aren’t taking notice as seen in Microsoft’s deft deployment of its Office 365 subscription-based online cloud software suite.
So what does this really mean for the average end user or business professional?
Thankfully, this involves a user experience that combines convenience with conserving money usually spent on expensive hardware upgrades.
“You need fewer local resources. Storage is no longer done locally and most database processing is off-loaded as well,” Blankenhorn explains. “Big jobs are done fast. Back in the late 20th century there was a project called Seti @ Home, which offered users screen-savers behind which their CPUs analyzed data sets from radio telescopes. That was “distributed computing,” a standard feature of the cloud.”
Ah… the SETI screensaver at work!
What was a mere screensaver of the past hinted at much greater potential for the business software collaboration in the future where Blankenhorn adds, “…computing can become ubiquitous.”
Ahh, ubiquitous. What all businesses aspire to be and enabled by today’s cloud computing technology such as the services offered by AnaTango.
However this is where AnaTango takes things a step further into the future with a term we’ve been referring to as the “adaptive cloud“.
In this future, you’ll find intelligent software that reacts and molds to your needs as seen in our core development “AMI Adaptive Management Infrastructure“. This will no doubt make the ubiquitous seem even more…ubiquitous in the coming years as we continued to roll out and expand the platform.
AnaTango’s Chief Marketing Officer Rob Mayeda brings nearly 17 years of broadcast news/media experience to AnaTango and is a multiple Emmy-winning meteorologist and multimedia producer. Rob’s latest hobby is working in project scheduling software user interface operation and graphics design. He might have a few more if not for his two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Barkley and Riley taking him for walks at the park. Contact Rob @ rmayeda@anatango.com
Cloud Computing Growth: The “MIPS” of Business and Investing
When it comes to visualizing how effective cost savings can be in a cloud-based environment its time to learn a new acronym to better understand what is ‘efficient computing’. Get to know MIPS, that is “Million of Instruction Per Second” or more specifically the cost of those MIPS.
Courtesy Fidelity, Microsoft
In this case what’s good for business can also be great for investors says Fidelity’s Gavin Baker, manager of Fidelity’s OTC Portfolio (FOCPX)
When it comes to cloud computing its really about “going back to the future”
“The first wave of computing focused on the mainframe and minicomputer, which centralized processing power. A second stage was anchored by the PC and client-server architectures—which moved the computing power out to every desk and server closet,” Baker explains.
“Now, plentiful, high-speed bandwidth is ushering in a third era, which marks a return to centralized processing power—the cloud—with the crucial difference being that this centralized processing power is easily accessible to users on a variety of devices ranging from smartphones to PCs. A simple example is the switch from an e-mail program that you store on your computer to one you access over the Web. With cloud-based models, all the software, processing, and storage is handled remotely and the data is available anywhere in the world, at any time, and on any device with Web access.”
So where is the cost benefit and is there any drop in functionality?
“Cloud computing is a wildly different model that could take hold over the next 15 to 20 years because it offers users lower costs and more convenience.”
“Essentially, what we’re witnessing is a transformation of computing into a utility much like water or electricity. And the future is here now—you can open your laptop anywhere and access supercomputing power with just a credit card. Start-up companies aren’t buying servers, networking gear, databases, operating systems, or applications directly—they are buying these as services.”
In other words this paradigm shift is changing the playing field where you simply buy as much service as you use or need, and don’t get stuck footing the bill for services that aren’t consumed on a month-to-month basis.
With this in mind, Baker says he’s focusing in on three prime areas for future investing that show strong growth potential: cloud computing, mobility and personalized medicine.
While AnaTango currently has no plans to enter the personalized medical care industry, its good knowing we fit well within two of the three categories with our cloud computing optimized AMI Adaptive Management Infrastructure platform that allows AnaTango software to perform equally as efficiently from the desktop, laptop to smartphone and tablet devices.
What works for AnaTango is an exponentially strong business model specializing in a paradigm shift to subscription-based cloud computing, one that Fidelity’s Baker that investors should keep a keen eye on.
In the 1990s, Baker says there were two main trends a growth investor needed to get right: the replacement of mainframe architectures with client server architectures, and growth in personal computers (PCs). “Owning top companies related to the PC and client server trends was a big part of outperforming as a growth investor in the 1990s.”
He says that picking the winners might be hard, but the opportunity may be significant and could justify today’s valuations.
“I believe some of the companies in these businesses are going to be orders-of-magnitude bigger,” says Baker. “So valuations that appear elevated on a one- to two-year time horizon make more sense if you extend your time horizon and look at the bigger picture.”
Read more in Fidelity’s Investor Report here: “Three Tech Trends to Watch”
AnaTango’s Chief Marketing Officer Rob Mayeda brings nearly 17 years of broadcast news/media experience to AnaTango and is a multiple Emmy-winning meteorologist and multimedia producer. Rob’s latest hobby is working in project scheduling software user interface operation and graphics design. He also teaches geology courses at Cal State East Bay in Hayward should you be so inclined to want to sit in on a lecture one day. Contact Rob @ rmayeda@anatango.com
From CIO to CFO: Making Cents of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is one of the hottest buzz words in business today. Yet it seems when it comes to cloud computing, many businesses talk about it but no one really does anything about it.
In an excellent guest article for Forbes Magazine, Irv Rothman discusses the need for a united front on a company’s executive team to maximize the immediate and long-term cost savings performance made possible by today’s cloud computing software.
“A successful journey to the cloud requires intense planning and alignment across all parts of the business; essentially a roadmap that helps navigate the financial and technology decisions that need to be made over the years ahead. The payoff will be worth it, but to get there, organizations need an internal champion. That champion has traditionally been the CIO. However, cloud affects so many parts of the business that a successful strategy requires the buy-in and close support of the CFO as well. Though some may see this as an unlikely pairing, the close alignment of IT and finance means that CIOs and CFOs are finding themselves in a significantly more interdependent relationship.”
You can think of today’s cloud computing as an evolutionary leap from the revolutionary moment the internet first arrived.
Businesses in the 90s-2000 relied on processor/hardware gains roughly in line with Moore’s Law coupled with enhanced flexibility via in-house wired connectivity between machines. The internet was just starting to come online and upload/download speeds made the thought of attaching documents or PDFs files a “wait until the next day” proposition.
Today’s 2000-2010 technology has flip-flopped this dynamic.
Technology has improved to the point where smaller devices such as tablets like the iPad now pack greater processing power than yesterday’s PCs, and are connected wirelessly to networks that can now upload/download HD files in a matter of minutes (or seconds via Intel’s Light Peak or Apple’s Thunderbolt). Today’s era of technology allows you to run powerful applications fully capable of running all aspects of your business from an iPad via an internet connection with no need for costly off-the-shelf software, servers, and hardware upgrades.
Most corporate CIOs have known about this paradigm shift for quite some time, but CFOs in the same company might not be as enlightened how this transition can equal dramatic cost-savings benefits.
Rothman keenly lists the top 5 reasons CIOs and CFOs should see eye-to-eye in cloud software implementation:
#1: CIOs can help CFOs understand the business case for cloud
“Cloud isn’t an IT priority, it’s a business priority. Since it is rooted in technology, it is up to the CIO to make this case to other members of the C-suite, including the CFO. The CIO can speak directly to business priorities dear to the CFO by demonstrating how cloud technologies help improve business processes and the overall performance of the enterprise.
The CIO can also show how employing technologies delivered as a service (via the cloud) helps the company save money by allowing an external vendor to shoulder the burden of maintenance and hosting. With a technical understanding of the data and infrastructure requirements needed, the CIO can also help the CFO understand the associated risks associated with cloud and how they will be able to address likely CFO concerns such as data governance and compliance. Together the CIO and CFO can both raise their profile with the CEO and executive board by presenting a united front, and offering their shared insights on the business benefits of cloud.”
#2: CIOs and CFOs must collaborate on a deployment plan
“Whether addressing an existing problem or offering new capabilities, cloud technologies can be disruptive. The CIO and CFO can minimize the disruption by working together on a deployment plan that reduces downtime while new systems are brought online, rapidly trains employees using the new technology, and establishes specific metrics for success. The conversation should start with reviewing and prioritizing the needs of the business, followed by a side-by-side comparison of available cloud technologies that address those needs. The CIO can offer a critical look at the gaps in the company’s existing technology landscape, coupled with a thoroughly researched recommendation of emerging technologies that can fill these holes.”
#3: CFOs must have CIO insight to fully grasp the financial implications of adopting cloud technologies
“The implementation of cloud technologies will cause a substantial shift in expenses and cost structures. The CFO will need the CIO’s insight to accurately anticipate these changes. It’s not just about long-term cost savings that come with cloud technologies. CFOs also need a clear understanding of initial costs, as well as the potential impact it may have to business efficiency and income while these technologies are introduced. The CIO will have clear insight into service level agreements (SLA) and respective costs associated with a cloud vendor, the cloud solutions they offer, and what will be needed to migrate legacy systems and train employees on the new technology. Because the CIO will be closely monitoring the company’s evolution to cloud, they will be in a position to advise the CFO on expected shifts in costs and cash flow. This will be critical for the CFO who needs to provide Wall Street with accurate forecasts on the company’s Capital and Operating expenses on a quarterly basis.”
#4: Any company can implement cloud; the difference lies in how these technologies are managed
“Once the CFO decides to fund the implementation of cloud technologies, someone has to create strategies to manage and maintain these technologies. This responsibility falls under the purview of the CIO. However, the CFO must work with the CIO to create management strategies that extract the most business value and protects the organization. The competitive advantage will come with how an organization manages change, integrates its service portfolio and leverages the information generated to better serve stakeholders.”
#5: The CIO and the CFO must present a united front to reign in “shadow IT”
“Business users are becoming more sophisticated in technology use, and cloud applications are relatively simple to install, even for moderately savvy users. Without proper oversight, splinter groups will find ways around corporate IT to take immediate advantage of cloud technologies. To help counteract this “shadow IT” activity, the CIO and CFO must work together to be proactive about embracing new technologies such as cloud, before department heads and others engage in rogue activities. With innovative technologies such as cloud, it becomes more imperative that all groups align across the business. Collaboration from the top down sets a clear example and best protects corporate interests.”
It is ironic in some ways cloud computing is meant to improve collaboration across all departments in business, yet many companies stumble at the very implementation of it.
Without fully realizing the benefits, many businesses handcuff themselves into slow-motion gains as opposed to an instant return on investment maximized the full benefits of cloud computing.
This makes it more important for businesses to align themselves with a cloud business software provider who can guide them on the implementation process with a full strategic deployment plan. Truly successful cloud software companies have been doing this now for a while.
AnaTango has taken this concept one very large step further.
We have developed Anavation and Anavoy AMI-based software to adapt to each business it serves, to the point that no two versions of the software are alike. When the corporate team, SDP implementation and the very software itself can align themselves into complete business efficiency, the true power of what cloud computing can be is fully realized.
Even CFOs to CIOs can appreciate how this scenario makes more than cents from day one.
Forbes Magazine “CIO, Meet the CFO: 5 Ways To Get More From Your Cloud” by Irv Rothman
AnaTango’s Chief Marketing Officer Rob Mayeda brings nearly 17 years of broadcast news/media experience to AnaTango and is a multiple Emmy-winning meteorologist and multimedia producer. Rob is a self-described technology ‘geek’ constantly researching and testing new software and hardware designs. On other days, his Cavalier King Charles Spaniels rule his life and take him for walks. Contact Rob @ rmayeda@anatango.com
Cloud Computing: Growth and Investment Opportunities Accelerate
While the rest of the world is mired in a slow-motion economic recovery, the prospects for cloud computing growth continue to shine. In fact cloud computing businesses are enjoying life on a relative island of business opportunity and prosperity, revenue numbers confirmed by the latest industry research.
A new report by Gartner Research not only confirms what we’ve seen in terms of interest at AnaTango for our company’s Cloud Business Management Suite of services including Anavation and Anavoy, but shows that business is likely to remain very strong for the near future.
For 2011 into 2012, cloud computing (SaaS) companies revenues are set to climb from $12.3 billion to $14.4 billion dollars worldwide, a roughly 17%+ increase year to year. From 2012 to 2015, Gartner forecasts an additional 53%+ growth(!) from 2012 to 2015 as cloud services adoption accelerates.
These numbers reflect what Gartner Research Director Sharon Mertz sees as a worldwide increasing familiarity with cloud computing as a complete business management model.
“After more than a decade of use, adoption of SaaS continues to grow and evolve regionally within the enterprise application markets. Increasing familiarity with the SaaS model, continued oversight on IT budgets, the growth of platform-as-a service (PaaS) developer communities and interest in cloud computing are now driving adoption forward,” Mertz said in a statement.
Gartner defined SaaS as primarily a delivery and management approach for software such as CRM or ERP. Among the top CRM and ERP vendors are Oracle (NSDQ:ORCL), SAP (NYSE:SAP), Salesforce.com, and Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT). Oracle and SAP have been on a recent run of merger and acquisition activity in the space as well with multiple purchases in the cloud computing space with the last year. Even companies tied to computer hardware like Dell are getting into the mix with the recent acquisition of Silicon Valley based Wyse, known for its cloud client computing services of scalable remote device management for enterprise.
Industry experts anticipate more M&A activity in the space as larger providers like Oracle and SAP acquire ‘specialty’ companies with niche business intelligence/management software to fill in the gaps of the parent company portfolio.
Given the return rates of savings accounts, long term CDs, bonds and unpredictable nature of the the stock market, it makes more sense that angel and venture capital investors are keeping their ‘heads in the cloud(s)’ as a means of investment strategy as more businesses adapt and utilize cloud-based services.
AnaTango’s Chief Marketing Officer Rob Mayeda brings nearly 17 years of broadcast news/media experience to AnaTango and is a multiple Emmy-winning meteorologist and multimedia producer. Rob is a self-described technology ‘geek’ constantly researching and testing new software and hardware designs. Rob also leads the user-interface design and implementation for AnaTango’s Cloud Business Management Suite under AnaTango Cloud. We trust Rob’s cloud observations in the natural world as well, you may not know Rob is also an AMS-certified broadcast meteorologist. Contact Rob @ rmayeda@anatango.com
Beyond ERP: AnaTango’s New Technology Rises
Its the end of ERP as we know it and cloud-based business services companies feel just fine. But what’s behind this new way of business sea change that has some referring to the shift as a ‘mass extinction event’ in technology?
In geology a mass extinction event is a dramatic decrease in the diversity and abundance of life. The one you’re probably most familiar with comes from the late Cretaceous period (K-T event) when a space rock a few miles across slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula around 65 million years ago. The resulting blast and global cooling led to the rather abrupt end to nearly 75% of life on Earth.
What you may know is there is a similarly profound mass extinction event underway involving the way businesses run themselves.
Only in this case, the Earth-changing asteroid is what you call the internet. To get a little more specific, it really involves increasing array of today’s subscription-based cloud management platforms that are changing the business landscape at the expense of the doomed dinosaur known as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
“…Much has been discussed about SAP’s pending $3.4B acquisition of SuccessFactors, and now Oracle’s $1.9 billion deal to buy Taleo. Rightly, SAP and Oracle have been praised for trying to bolster their cloud offerings with these moves. But, in a few years, I wonder if it will really matter. Because, while SAP and Oracle are obviously trying to get with the times by offering their services via the cloud, it may be too late. Why? Because, in short, ERP – enterprise resource planning software – is on its deathbed.
That’s right. ERP’s days are numbered. And it is because of a fundamental shift that is taking place regarding how people consume products and services driven by the massive growth of the cloud itself.” – Tien Tzuo, Zuora CEO from “The End of ERP”
As succinctly stated in this post by Tien Tzuo (who spent time previously as Salesforce.com’s CMO) the very survivability of ERP comes into question based both on today’s challenging business environment and explosive expansion of cloud-based business management tools.
Monthly Subscription vs. Buy It All & Manage It Model
Consider the rise of today’s cable, satellite dish and video streaming websites. All of these bring the best content providers like NBC Universal, CBS, Disney ABC/ESPN, etc. have to offer and all you need for access is a simple monthly subscription fee. Many of these providers use existing hardware to get you connected and any hardware/software upgrades are done remotely and largely free of charge.
If you were ERP, you’d believe this model makes no sense. You would rather purchase a broadcast network for yourself and manage the costs of maintaining it, upgrading systems and managing all of its employees and related costs. If you wanted another service, then you’d simply go out and buy another (software box off the shelf) cable network and add on all of the aforementioned costs all over again. If no subscription based service were available and if no alternatives were out there, then this ERP buy-it-all-manage-it-all world is the only one we’d be living in.
But much like the era of the dinosaur in the days post-asteroid impact, the times have clearly changed and there’s now constantly evolving and improving lineup of subscription based cloud business management tools available for today’s SMBs.
From “The End of ERP”
“…Why does all of this signal the death of ERP? It’s because the rigid ERP systems from SAP, Oracle and others were designed specifically for the 20th century manufacturing era rather than the 21st century services-based world. Because ERP was built to track products that can be put on a pallet, versus offering services that are consumed over time, subscription businesses using this legacy technology struggle over and over again with the fundamental questions:
Who are my customers? Try asking SAP or Oracle how many active customers you have at any one time. The concept simply doesn’t exist. Orders, Accounts, and Products? Sure. Ask your ERP how much up-sell business you’ve done, or how many customers have renewed in the past year – and you’ll get a blank stare. ERP is simply not built around customer-centric transactions. In a Subscription Economy, unless you can monetize customer relationships over time, you’re dead in the water.
How can I price this service the way I want to? Subscription services run the gamut from simple monthly recurring charges, to usage based charges, to one-time charges, to “all of the above.” Unfortunately, ERP systems force companies to resort to hokey workarounds to get their pricing right, like creating different products for every month of the year. “February Service SKU” anyone? And simple cost-plus pricing doesn’t apply to services. Instead, businesses want to do rapid A-B price testing when trying to gauge appetite for a new service or offering. Meanwhile, a single price change in an ERP system can take weeks.
Where’s the “Renew” button? Subscriptions are all about an ever-changing lifecycle as customers sign-up, upgrade, add-on, and ultimately renew their service. At their core, ERP systems only give you a “Buy” button for tracking transactions. They’re missing the critical tools you need to process this lifecycle over time.
Why can’t I sell to everyone? Subscription Economy companies like Salesforce.com and Box have found success by selling their services to everyone from individual users up through very large enterprises. They need tools for managing things like high volume recurring payments in the B2C world, as well as tools for managing high-complexity invoices and contracts in the B2B world. And those tools need to manage customers that may come through different channels such as web self-service, mobile devices, direct or channel sales or even Facebook. Legacy enterprise technology makes you chose one or the other, when what you really need is the ability to sell B2Any.
What’s going on with my financials? Subscription businesses live or die by their ability to measure the ways that bookings, billings, cash flow, and revenue are inter-related. Unfortunately, this data lives in different software silos. Bookings fall into CRM, billings and cash flow live in your GL or ERP system, and revenue is too often calculated in a series of complex spreadsheets. Good luck stringing all of that together…” – Tien Tzuo, Zuora CEO from “The End of ERP”
At AnaTango we believe we have done just that.
The AnaTango solution: The Evolution Away from ERP to AMI
AnaTango’s Adaptive Management Infrastucture (AMI) is at the core of AnaTango’s Cloud Business Management Suite. To date this includes two powerful cloud-based SaaS applications including Anavation and the cloud-based enterprise platform known as Anavoy.
Both are offered fully malleable into the hands of our business partners who can choose from library of add-on features and enhancements which all are fully embedded within the system. Compatibility issues with old/new software products are never an issue unlike the older on-the-counter-box-top/ERP counterparts.
The CBMS doesn’t simply end with Anavation and Anavoy, rather these are the first two products in growing suite of products specifically targeted to the needs of different business environments and industries. The CBMS goal is to match the diversity of the SMB and multinational conglomerate marketplace and thrive in its new cloud-based environment.
SMBs: Should You Adapt or Have SaaS Adapt to You?
In this new era of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) the landscape of offerings is literally changing by the day. From business intelligence (BI) to customer resource management (CRM) there’s no shortage of companies with stock ticker acronyms out there that all say the same thing, “we can help your business outperform and achieve immediate return on investment”.
In most cases this is true, yet many of these formerly innovative companies are now taking a move from ERP’s old playbook. They would rather you fit into their system of doing business without you having the ability to adapt, modify or optimize it for your own needs.
This is where the landscape of cloud-based businesses who do offer this level of adaptive management becomes suddenly much smaller. Its like going from a continent the size of Asia down to islands in the Caribbean. And this is precisely where AnaTango rises from out of the ocean.
You have the keys to the high performance car but do you really know how to drive it?
Powerful software no matter the vendor is only as good as the knowledge of that product in the hands of the people who are using it. Many companies are content to drop a software upgrade or service into their customers’ laps and wait for the phone to ring on the customer support side later. While some companies thrive with customer support such as Apple’s Apple Care for instance, AnaTango takes a different approach to this partnership.
Meet AnaTango Consult/Connect/Apps
Maximizing the software in ways that bring immediate results should require a method of strategy deployment (aka a Strategic Deployment Plan). This is where goal setting, key performance indicator tracking and realizing revenue gains become reality. AnaTango not only provides you with the firepower to achieve this, but also deploys the field generals (Six Sigma Master Black Belts and executive team with decades of software experience) to guide SMBs to reach their goals. This also includes an overhaul of branding/marketing/networking services to leverage the benefits that social media and main stream media offer growing companies.
AnaTango also has hardware and IT experts who can adapt and enhance existing infrastructure and improve the speed/accessibility of cloud-based management. Lastly, new to AnaTango is the forthcoming Apps division that has the ability to create topic and task specific applications for companies looking to expand into iOS and Android environments.
Any new client to AnaTango benefits directly from the monthly subscription model in ways not thought possible before. This complete optimization of a SMB sets AnaTango apart from many of its competitors, because we feel this is the next evolution to cloud-based business management – an Adaptive Management Infrastructure (AMI).
This way your business from day one won’t be tied to an aging platform, rather one that was built to your needs and growing with your needs as new products in the CBMS come online to expand your business possibilities.
By planning for nearly every possible outcome, even the sight of an asteroid plunging through the atmosphere won’t make your business tremble.
Instead you will see it and be the first to react to it as a new opportunity.
Take that, T Rex.
AnaTango’s Chief Marketing Officer Rob Mayeda brings nearly 17 years of broadcast news/media experience to AnaTango and is a multiple Emmy-winning meteorologist and multimedia producer. Rob is a self-described technology ‘geek’ constantly researching and testing new software and hardware designs. Rob also leads the user-interface design and implementation for AnaTango’s Cloud Business Management Suite under AnaTango Cloud. In his free time he likes to study and chase tornado-producing supercell thunderstorms. Seriously, he does that. Contact Rob @ rmayeda@anatango.com
Rob’s Bold and Not-As-Bold Predictions for 2012 in Tech
Top 10 predictions for 2012.
My forecasting skills are probably more finely tuned to weather patterns and producing daily forecasts. But as real fan and active participant in the development of some of today’s technology and software designs there does seem to be a changing of the guard heading into 2012 that should make for a very entertaining and exciting year.
Here are some of my bold and not as bold predictions for the year ahead, which I will gladly revisit at year’s end to see what happened and what clearly didn’t.
Remember, these aren’t forward looking statements and certainly nothing worthy of building your retirement portfolio around. But…I have a funny feeling that this may be what’s on the way in 2012.
SOCIAL MEDIA “NEXT BIG THING” IS…
Pinterest. Its addicting, unique and practically absorbs you into full-time collaboration with other users with its simplistic yet effective interface. Sharing ‘pins’ has some tremendous SEO and sales/marketing potential as well making this concept a strong one for being a revenue generator as well.
USER INTERFACES IN 3-D
We will wonder how we lived in a time when our desktops lived in a 2D environment. Right now the only real signs of this sea change are on gaming systems: Wii, XBox Kinect and PS3. But what happens when this technology is finally very usefully applied to business? Lift/Pull/Push moves to access files and data will be far more intuitive and reduce ridiculously absurd levels of drop down menus and mouse-clicking common to today’s software. 3D interface design is probably my second favorite best startup business plan for 2012.
BEST STARTUP BUSINESS PLAN: CLOUD SECURITY
Becoming THE security net to protect cloud-based services = wanting to become the fastest growing startup in years. Its a perfect storm of sorts in the cloud with a killer business plan. With a cascade of companies adopting cloud-based management/productivity services – protecting the internet pipeline/personal data for these companies has never been more crucial. In fact at AnaTango, its an issue we treat extremely seriously and design our systems and software infrastructure from the ground up with far higher security standards than our mainstream competitors.
Look for one or two companies to position themselves as the ‘cloud leader’ in guaranteeing bandwidth/pipeline performance will full time counter measures to prevent DNS and other attacks. Indeed, hacking and anxiety over security may be the primary reason why more companies are resisting to fully adopt cloud computing for all their productivity/management/IT needs.
HACKTIVISM TURNS TO THE DARK SIDE
Hacktivism Turns Dangerous – more sophisticated hacking begins coordinated attacks on power grids and infrastructure systems. As authorities have greater problems tracking down the sources, this will only embolden those who have the skill sets to perpetrate them.
CLOUD COMPUTING OUTLOOK: M&A ACCELERATION
Cloud builds momentum. With a recipe of saving money, increasing accessibility, transparency and collaboration the drive for businesses to utilize cloud services will likely continue seeing an exponential leap forward. However, rapid consolidation in the space seems likely as the big fish begin gobbling up the more talented and feature focused competition.
CLOUD/INTERNET BEGIN FULL ATTACK ON CABLE TV
YouTube’s move into original programming will be expensive but worth it. Remember when people used to shake their heads when HBO, Showtime, Starz, FX hired top talent to produce movie quality programming? In the new ‘cloud’ based always-on-demand world, YouTube stands to gain by simultaneously offering more free content vs. Apple’s iTunes and Amazon’s pay for everything model. But Apple likely wins even with the higher monthly price because…
APPLE’S ATTACK ON CABLE TV
Apple’s TV (iVision?) debuts. Take one look at your cable box or dish remote and then look at your iPhone w/ Siri. Which would you rather use to quickly set/record/find programs to watch? No contest. In fact Comcast would be wise to begin working with Logitech to match Apple to the punch with a voice activated remote control.
The only problem I have with “iVision/Apple iTV” is forcing folks to accept the predetermined monitor size that comes with it. Here I think people could be missing something…Apple may not actually sell you the “TV” but rather the interface, like their Mac Mini or Apple TV. It would seem to be far more marketable (and far greater profit/unit) to avoid costly OLED panels and stick simply with making the Apple TV box matched to an iPod Touch voice activated interface. This would make Apple TV work immediately with ANY TV on the market, allowing the user to choose their favorite large screen TV or keep their existing one.
CONJECTURE: PLAUSIBLE PARTNERSHIPS & ACQUISITIONS
Microsoft buys Nokia and looks to buy ARM as well. Samsung tries to align with HP and invests in the open platform WebOS. Amazon considers making a run at RIMM/Blackberry to get into the cellphone/smartphone market only to be outbid by Google who buys RIMM to bolster its folder of smartphone tech in the on-going patent wars. Despite this Apple and the new iPhone 5 dominate until Google-designed Motorola mobile devices begin hitting the market. Apple also begins a transition to using iOS across its entire product lineup including laptops and desktops, running far more efficient ARM-based chipsets and flash-based RAM drives.
APPLE: THE RISE OF JONATHAN IVE?
With Steve Jobs last big project (TV) finally released – who will lead Apple to its next “big thing?” There is “another” as Yoda once said in The Empire Strikes Back (while of course no one can be another Steve Jobs) but the “other” I’m referring to is probably the one person at 1 Infinite Loop with that rare gift of indelible design, eloquent and museum quality “art ware” who we haven’t seen much of to date, but I think this time next year that should be about to change.
MUST HAVE GADGET OF 2012
Tie – iPhone5 and Apple iTV/iVision.
…ONE MORE THING
Long form Mayan calendar ends with hundreds of folks in attendance during the Winter Solstice at many of the ruins sites in Mexico. Then… in an instant comes a revelation! Nothing has changed. On to 2013.
AnaTango’s Chief Marketing Officer Rob Mayeda brings nearly 17 years of broadcast news/media experience to AnaTango and is a multiple Emmy-winning meteorologist and multimedia producer. Rob is a self-described technology ‘geek’ constantly researching and testing new software and hardware designs. Rob also leads the user-interface design and implementation for AnaTango’s Cloud Business Management Suite under AnaTango Cloud. He does not break dance, at least not in public. Contact Rob @ rmayeda@anatango.com
Cloud Computing: “Top Investment Priority for 2012″
Is it a case study in how tough the economic environment is for today’s businesses or simply a great leap forward that levels the playing field for small businesses looking to gain the same transparency, efficiency and management tools that used to be reserved only for monster capital corporations? It would seem its both.
The move into cloud computing for business management needs seems to be more out of necessity now as opposed to novelty. Case in point this recent eWeek article “Cloud Computing Remains Top Investment Priority” that echoes what we’ve been hearing from prospective clients.
“…A survey has revealed that most businesses recognise that cloud computing will be their top investment priority in 2012. Fifty percent of respondents to a recent Unisys online poll said cloud computing is their top IT investment priority for 2012. This is the second straight year respondents to a Unisys poll named cloud as the chief priority for IT investments in the coming year.
In a similar poll conducted in December 2010 and January 2011, 44 percent of 262 respondents said cloud computing topped their IT priority list for 2011. The more recent poll, which drew 300 responses, was conducted on the company’s website in September and October 2011.
Other respondents to the poll listed cyber-security (21 percent), mobile/social computing (21 percent) and big data (8 percent) as their top 2012 IT priorities.”
Powerful Management Tools For Any Business
AnaTango’s own Cloud Business Management Suite (Anavation, Anavoy) is primed to fill this need by offering extremely powerful strategic, operation and inventory management that can continuously (and collaboratively) track key performance indicators down the individual assignment/task level for each employee. This level of business management common to Strategy Deployment Planning (SDP) was once something only larger companies with giant IT budgets could afford, normally through a miasma of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) products folded together into a workable (yet inherently expensive) solution.
Compatibility issues aside, ERP amounts to the old way of doing things built in era where broadband/internet connectivity fired up with the sound of dial tones and pings (perhaps you remember those days of CompuServe, AOL or Prodigy?). Today’s ERP-based systems are still the norm for most businesses, but the price of admission (service contracts/seats) for most small/medium businesses remains a budget breaker.
This was the reason why AnaTango built its Cloud Business Management Suite from the ground up to the cloud to answer these challenges with a fully customizable, modular interface (known as Adaptive Management Infrastructure) that brings the full power executive-level SDP management into the hands of every business.
The “Big Fish” Are Taking Notice…
As seen in this article, large multinational corporations aren’t keen on sitting on the sidelines as SMBs lead the charge into cloud services.
“It’s no longer just SMBs that are keen on the cloud. Multinational companies want a piece of the action too
Cloud services are gaining momentum among large organisations, marking an expansion from the traditional user base of small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), according to new research.
Adoption of cloud services within multinational corporations (MNCs) is up 61 percent from April 2010, with 45 percent of these companies now outsourcing at least some of their key IT services to the cloud. The research was carried out by analyst firm Ovum, on behalf of Cable & Wireless Worldwide, and surveyed more than 100 MNCs across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.”
Cloud Services Are a Necessity, No Longer a Novelty
Immediate return on investment with key performance indicator and cost management savings simply works in any economic environment. Even as the next great bull market runs again, the positives offered by cloud-based management services won’t lose their luster, rather we believe more businesses will spend even more to fully integrate it. – Rob Mayeda
AnaTango’s Chief Marketing Officer Rob Mayeda brings nearly 17 years of broadcast news/media experience to AnaTango and is a multiple Emmy-winning meteorologist and multimedia producer. Rob is a self-described technology ‘geek’ constantly researching and testing new software and hardware designs. Rob also leads the user-interface design and implementation for AnaTango’s Cloud Business Management Suite under AnaTango Cloud. Contact Rob @ rmayeda@anatango.com
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