Information Technology

Over the years, I've talked about building a range of simple websites for personal use to implementing very complicated proprietary and open source enterprise content management systems. What I haven't talked about is the cost of building and maintaining those websites. Honestly, I've been too embarrassed for how little I spend and too stunned by the price tag for what the big companies pay for their websites. Who Is Hosting This? sent us a graphic that we thought represented the typical costs small to medium size businesses can expect when building and hosting their new websites. So good was the infographic that we decided to post it here.

Bring your own device (BYOD) is considered by many to be a real game changer in the business world. Companies have adopted it as a new strategy aimed at getting more productivity from employees while also helping them be happier at work. While BYOD has certainly made inroads in businesses all over the world, other organizations and institutions are starting to see the benefits of having people use their own devices in areas that were previously considered off limits. Perhaps most fascinating of all these potential adopters is the United States military. Though at first reluctant to allow servicemen and women to use their personal devices, the military has begun exploring how BYOD can benefit everybody.

Bring your own device (BYOD) may not exactly be new, but many companies are still trying to figure out if it’s the right move for them. While roughly half of all organizations have instituted some kind of BYOD policy, that still leaves the same number looking at their options and wondering if allowing employees to use their own devices for work is really worth it. There are many reasons BYOD may be adopted, but the two biggest benefits cited by BYOD supporters are the increases in employee productivity and overall job satisfaction. But do employees who use their own devices actually get more work done, and does it also make them happier while on the job?

One of the biggest trends from just the past few years can easily be summed up through the letters BYOD. Bring Your Own Device policies have been all the rage among companies looking to increase employee productivity while also saving on costs, and it’s a trend that doesn’t appear to be slowing down. According to Gartner, about half of companies will have some sort of BYOD program in place by the year 2017. But all is not sunshine and rainbows for the relatively popular BYOD movement.

Cloud storage enables users to store data online. This makes data easily accessible for other users who have been given access to the files. Cloud storage reduces the need for expensive offline data storage devices and if done correctly, can save a lot of time as well as money.

But should you put all your eggs in one basket?

Growing Storage Demands

Storing data can be very expensive and as storage demands grow, so does the need to upgrade storage systems.

You’ve probably heard of the Internet of Things (IoT) and how it’s set to completely transform the world. Some may view thguestis as an exaggerated take, but there’s little question that companies across the globe are taking an intense interest in it. The central concept of the IoT features tiny sensors and other machines that are all connected to the internet, allowing them to communicate with people as well as each other. Some experts are predicting that by the year 2020, there could be as many as 20 to 30 million items that are part of the Internet of Things.

The world is going mobile. This isn't exactly a big revelation, but by adopting smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, businesses are changing the way they operate, and the changes are only expected to keep coming with the development of wearable technology. Perhaps one of the biggest ways the business landscape is transforming is through the increased use of customer relationship management (CRM) software. Companies have used CRM for years, but it has exploded in popularity only recently, and much of that is thanks to CRM businesses embracing mobile technology.

The way businesses operate has certainly changed with the rise of new technology flooding the workplace. Perhaps one of the most significant developments in the past few years has been the increased use of personal devices in the office. As smartphones and tablets have become more affordable and their capabilities have multiplied, more workers are bringing their own devices to help them with their jobs. According to one recent survey from Webroot, employees at more than 60% of companies use their own devices at work.

With Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs likely here to stay, companies are trying to find ways to reap the most benefits while downplaying the drawbacks. While it’s true that BYOD policies can lead to increased productivity, more employee satisfaction, and greater collaboration among workers, some significant issues have arisen in recent years. At the forefront is the concern over having a BYOD security plan, and since under a BYOD policy employees would be using their own personal devices to access company networks and data, business leaders are finding it an issue they need to address quickly.

While the overall job market may still be struggling, for those in the field of big data, the opportunities are plentiful. We’re currently in the middle of a big data boom, where companies of all shapes and sizes are finding ways to use big data to grow and be more successful than ever before. Businesses are in the hunt for people that possess the right skills for big data jobs that have been rapidly emerging in recent years. Higher education is also responding, instituting programs and new degrees to keep up with the demand. In a field that is still ripe with innovation, changes are expected to happen on a fairly regular basis.