Latest Articles
12.21.2012What Can Rendering Service Market Get From Cloud Computing?
12.20.2012Penetrating the Japanese Social Gaming World With the Help of Japanese Social Gaming Companies
12.19.2012Cloud-Based Rendering – the Logical Next Step for Render Farms
Archives
Categories
Tags
Android Basic Cloud Concepts big data CIO cloud Cloud adoption Cloud applications Cloud benefits cloud computing cloud concepts cloud gaming cloud hosting Cloud in business Cloud in Vertical Industries Cloud Migration Cloud News cloud provider cloud security cloud servers cloud services cloud storage cloud technology Enterprise gaming industry Google Government IaaS IT Japan mobile applications mobile gaming PaaS private cloud public cloud SaaS security Small Business small businesses smb SMBs social gaming Social Media social network virtualization virtual serversCall 855-466-4678
09.24.2012
Cloud computing is no longer a name associated with big IT houses. The picture has changed dramatically in the past 5 years or so. From being a technology to collaborate different business procedures, cloud computing has evolved as the best resource for start-up companies, irrespective of their geographical location. Additionally, non-IT companies have started to leverage the use of cloud computing to run their business efficiently. For example, the manufacturing sector wherein suppliers and manufactures work on a common global interface for collaboration thanks to cloud computing. But what really makes cloud computing the technology of the future is its potential to create new revolutions in the Small and Medium Business (SMB) sectors.
SMB’s are predominantly relying on the Software as a Service (Saas) model of business, which is facilitated by cloud computing in conjunction with data virtualization. The reason is the huge reduction in infrastructure costs that requires much less hardware components to be installed in the premises of an SMB unit. According to a survey report by Gartner which states that the SaaS market which attained its peak value of $3.7 Billion in 2011 is all set to increase to nearly $10.5 Billion till 2014 making it perhaps one of the biggest enterprise service growth stories in recent times.
Applications that are developed to support SaaS models are increasingly finding attraction among enterprises worldwide especially start-up companies, which look to gain the maximum advantage out of it. A recent survey report published by Techaisle stands as testimony to this growing affinity between SaaS solutions and SMB units. Going into the details of the survey, it was found that SMB’s were all in for the core business productivity tools that cloud based SaaS models had to offer. The main reason for that may be the cost of having to build such solutions by themselves.
The world economy is not good. So financial stability is something that SMB organisations need to be assured before anything else as they are likely to face a big crunch if they do not have enough financial resources. So there is a need to reduce the initial capital investments made in infrastructure and care should be observed to ensure that the business consumes and pays for only what it needs i.e. wastage of resources should be avoided at all costs.
Using cloud computing, it is possible for SMB organizations to schedule and organise the resources they actually need and they only have to pay for what they use. If they were to follow a business model of their own by investing in unique proprietary resources then chances are that several resources which are of no use for the business concerned may end up being bought along with the required resources and businesses even have to pay for them.
Recently, Microsoft sponsored a study of about 3000 Small and Medium sized business enterprises from among 13 nations. The survey conducted by research firm Edge Strategies pointed out that SMB’s are ever more willing to adopt the benefits of cloud computing and they want to maximise their profits by virtue of adopting SaaS models to reduce capital expenditure. According to 54% of the surveyed SMB units, SaaS has reduced their expenses tremendously whereas 59% of the surveyed organisations reported an increase in productivity. 69% of them agreed that they have better forecasts for their business future thanks to adopting cloud based strategies and business models.
Technical feasibility is definitely a reason why SMB’s are willing to adopt cloud computing more than any other enterprise resource management technology that we have seen before. Heads of SMB’s need not be responsible for hardware as well as software installation and maintenance as they are only using an interface, which provides them with all the necessary resources. Location independence, faster services, device independence, etc are all other key reasons why SMB’s prefer cloud-based business models today.
So now you can clearly see that it is not only Big IT enterprises that can benefit from cloud computing but also small and medium business units as well.
Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Guest Author:
Mandira Srivastava is a fulltime freelance writer who specializes in technology, health and fitness, politics, and financial writing. Equipped with degree of mass communication and having worked for both private and corporate clients, I have experience meeting a wide range of writing requirements and styles.
09.21.2012
The world as we know today is becoming more portable or in more specific terms, more mobile. A decade ago, the smartphone was a thing of future. Everyone used to see PDA’s from Sony Ericsson and Motorola as phones from the future because they revolutionised the mobile phone segment by introducing pressure-sensing touchscreens.
Today, we love smartphones, we love chatting, we love sending messages and we love being connected and cannot live without it: All of those things are brought together in the idea of a tiny device that has replaced the need of physical objects including camera, calculators, navigation units/maps, alarm clock, camcorder, calendar, flashlight, newspaper, radio etc. You might be surprised to see that this list can go longer and longer.
However, what exactly brought about the on-going mad rush in the smartphone market is still an unanswered question. Many people believe that it is due to advent of the iPhone from Apple whereas others believe that it is because of the Android OS from Google that really injected a new lease of life into the smartphone market.
Smartphones have become cheaper and they will become more affordable in the near future. They have changed the way people see portable information as well as the internet. According to comScore, three out of five US smartphone owners with ages 13 and older access social networking or blog sites. The ssage of social media platforms are on the increase thanks to the growth of smartphones and today the phrase ‘mobile social media management’ is not a new thing as it is already one of the key buzz words in the smartphone world. The smartphone is more practical and convenient for social networking than PC. The small keypad on the smartphone makes texting easy on Facebook when in for i.e. an outdoors environment especially for users.
A new study by Flurry reveals that today people spend more time on social networking websites via their smartphones as compared to gaming which was seen as the most engaging of hobbies people used to accustom themselves with via their smartphones. When compared with the same time period in 2011, the current usage has jumped by over 60%, which is encouraging for social media platforms as they can now focus on providing more mobile-friendly content and applications which are in fact great marketing and promotion opportunities. Mobile apps have changed the way we see the internet.
Today it is all about one-touch solutions and whatever service you may require in terms of software is readily available either online or offline. Both the categories together make up for the smartphone application market which is expanding by big leaps every year. Enterprises are finding huge marketing potential in smartphone applications as these apps can convey business deals, offers, services more accurately to potential customers. Location based marketing and sales is possible because of the high levels of portability smartphones offer as compared to other marketing channels.
A recent World Bank and InfoDev study puts some amazing facts about smartphone usages. According to the report, nearly 75% of the global population has access to some form of mobile telephonic communication and a good majority of this total percentage use smartphones, which increases their value immensely. Over 30 Billion mobile app downloads took place in 2011 in the combined OS category consisting of iOS, Android and Windows which are the prominent operating platforms at present globally. However there are proprietary Java based and other platform based OS available for smartphones but these 3 are the areas where all the fun and excitement always happen.
The prominence of smartphones in social media is evident from Facebook’s recent acquisition of Instagram for nearly $1 Billion. Facebook values the importance of smartphones and the impact a smartphone application like Instagram can have on its overall brand image. Applications streamline information workflow throughout mobile social media and hence facilitate easy access and modification of social media content in different social feeds such as social networks, blogs and micro blogs, online social forums and so on.
The rise in smartphone popularity has definitely changed the way we describe the terms ‘internet’ and ‘globalization’. Cheaper tariff and higher comfort coupled with strong interfaces is what makes smartphones as the device of the future.
Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Guest Author:
Mandira Srivastava is a fulltime freelance writer who specializes in technology, health and fitness, politics, and financial writing. Equipped with degree of mass communication and having worked for both private and corporate clients, I have experience meeting a wide range of writing requirements and styles.
09.20.2012
Mobile social gaming is prouder and bigger in Japan than anywhere else in the world. This gigantic local market in Japan continues its growth with social gaming companies and platform providers generating one innovation to the next. In the last year alone, the social gaming industry in Japan has reached $3.26 billion with a predicted increase year over year. However, just this year, one of the most popular gaming mechanics called kompu gacha became a controversial topic especially for parents who pay the debt of their kids who play these games. This profit-making scheme has been banned by the government which has led to lower profits for gaming providers.
Millions of social gamers in Japan had been enticed by this gambling-like scheme as it allows them to win special virtual items by buying other items first. It lets players to have a more exciting and enhanced gaming experience. Unfortunately, many gamers have been spending way too much money on such games, including children who do not really have a clear idea on the financial consequence of playing these games. This has prompted the government to regulate this kind of social game monetization technique to address recent complaints and avoid unnecessary spending especially by naïve mobile users. The mere fact that Japanese consumers are willing to pay that much money for a mobile game presents a clear picture of how massive this industry is in this country.
Japanese mobile social gamers enjoy the convenience of having to pay through their mobile phones with carrier billing. This only encourages more of them to play their favorite games even for a higher cost. Card games though seemingly traditional in the outside realm still hold a top spot in the hearts of Japanese mobile gamers. Some of the most popular games in the local scene involve role playing and manga-related topics which have been integral to the modern culture of the Japanese people. Other top ranking games deal with the social lives of consumers such as dating and other love related activities.
Of course, with Facebook taking over the social network industry, local users also enjoy games wherein they could manage their own farms and restaurants. While Facebook has experienced a level of success in Japan, other foreign gaming companies will have to do more in order to penetrate this closed market where homegrown providers still lead such as Gree and DeNa. Both of these companies are trying to break into the international market with acquisitions and offices in other countries.
While Japanese developers can easily produce advanced graphic designs for social games, local patrons already find entertainment in fun, interactive and simple graphics which are engaging enough for them to pay and play. But while cute and interesting avatars and anime graphics capture the attention of this crowd, the core or story of the game is still the main attraction. Compared to console games, developers could find an easier time and spend fewer money when generating a social game just as long as they have the right idea. Many video game developers are even setting their sights on this more lucrative market that they can transition to.
Another factor that makes the Japanese one of the most addicted social media gamers in the world is the fact that they love to interact with other players and their friends through these mobile games. They could play against someone from another country, invite close friends to join their circle or simply chat while playing. And since many of these gaming programs are often already installed on their phones, users are even more swayed to play instantly.
Though the kompu gacha stoppage caused a little dent on the financial growth of social games for now, the market is still seen to be a strong one in the coming years. With the advent of the smartphone and eventual dying of feature phones in the market, more local players will be lured into downloading more games in their mobile phones as the technology gets even better. With 3G networks being reliable for users and more innovations in the works, there is no doubt that Japanese players will still hold a great percentage of worldwide users in the social media gaming industry.
Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Guest Author:
Rodolfo Lentejas, Jr. is a fulltime freelance writer based in Toronto. He is the founder of the PostSckrippt, a growing online writing business dedicated to producing top quality, original and fresh content. To know more about him, please visit www.postsckrippt.ca. Like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.
09.19.2012
MSC Malaysia is the national ICT initiative strongly supported by the Malaysian Government with the hope of turning the country into a fertile land of opportunities for both local and foreign ICT/IT firms.
Designated as an incubator for ICT companies by a bill passed by Malaysian legislators, MSC Malaysia has a huge task of creating a comfortable environment for a crop of foreign ICT/IT firms that will like to snatch up this opportunity to invest in Malaysia and expand their business operations.
One of the significant programs embarked upon by MSC Malaysia is the MSC Malaysia Cloud Computing which aims at encouraging both domestic and foreign small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in utilizing cloud computing for optimum performance and better profitability. In addition to this, Malaysia Government expects this initiative to add more high-skill technology jobs to the currently scanty workforce in the country’s ICT/IT industry.
Foreign IT firms have a lot to gain from this open-door policy: apart from enjoying the unique liberty of expanding their business operations, they can also enjoy other incentives guaranteed by the MSC Malaysia Bill, which may include tax concessions and other benefits.
Cloud computing is recognized as a force that can guarantee efficiency in the activities of Malaysian SMEs as well as a factor necessary for attaining a situation of sustained profitability. The initial expectations of the Malaysian Government are that making the country an ICT/ IT hub in South-East Asia will attract foreign players in the industry who will be able to generate jobs, promote efficiency and make significant impact on the Gross National Income through heightened economic activities. The fact is that only a few countries even in Asia operate such an open-door policy; Malaysia’s good gesture should be seen as a great chance to expand and grow, rare benefits that foreign IT firms cannot afford to miss.
For increased efficiency, cloud computing is expected to help businesses in Malaysia reduce, drastically, the cost of running, maintaining and expanding their operations. Despite the fact that widespread adoption of cloud technology may definitely lead to reduction in the size of any company’s IT personnel, such a job loss will be compensated for by the creation of new ones through business expansion and specialization. In other words, as firms in Malaysia turn over their IT infrastructure management to independent public cloud service providers, they can have enough time to strategize and develop other areas of their businesses. And, hopefully, this action will yield multiple employment opportunities which the country dearly needs in order to achieve its Digital Malaysia Initiative.
As the security and data-protection concerns about cloud computing subside due to improved cloud technology, businesses in Malaysia will be able to completely transfer their IT applications to the cloud for better performance and increased profitability.
As an English-speaking country, Malaysia offers the possibility of instant integration for firms and English-speaking investors coming from countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and other English-speaking countries. Hence, once the language barrier has been eliminated, it will be possible for new entrants into Malaysia ICT/IT industry to quickly get acclimatized into the environment.
Cloud technology is, incidentally, the most appropriate choice for Malaysian ICT/IT companies if they want to achieve their Government’s plan of having industrial activities in the country digitalized for improved business operations. Cloud computing offers unparalleled scalability, which allows firms to choose their storage plan based on their present or future needs. It also allows a great deal of flexibility that the current system of computing does not guarantee nor encouraged. The most interesting aspect of this program is that any company can utilize cloud computing for greater efficiency, irrespective of their size or systems of operations. As time goes on, the cost of migrating one’s IT structures to the cloud will become expressly cheap.
Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Guest Author:
Jerry Olasakinju, a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree holder, is a passionate researcher and writer whose interest in everything computing is unparalleled. He blogs about his literary works at http://jerryolasakinju.blogspot.jp/