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12.9.2012

With the fast-paced and highly technological environment that we have these days, it is quite difficult to keep up to date with the knowledge and information.

One of the more prominent concepts in technology right now is cloud computing. This is a very vast topic as it entails a conundrum of other hybrid concepts derived from precedent technology and completely new ones.

You cannot be a cloud expert unless you are well-equipped to identify and differentiate the different dimensions of the technology. First came the “as-a-service” models, then came the combination or hybrids to better address the varying needs of customers ranging from individual end-users to giant, multinational corporations and enterprises.

Two of the most popular concepts now are cloud server and cloud VPS. The instant question is, “What is the difference between the two? Are they the same or are they only similar?” Here is an explanation on how the characteristics of the two define the fine line:

A Bit of History

VPS is an older term used to describe the difference between a real “bare-metal” server and many virtualized OS’s running on one real server. Now that cloud or virtualization has become the normal, VPS is used again to define the amount of flexibility.

An old VPS was usually on one server that had RAID 10 array. Not bad but cloud uses a centralized SAN system for disk storage and many separate hypervisors providing the CPU and Memory resources for the virtual servers running on them.

What Relates and What Separates?

Both cloud server and cloud VPS are running on the same virtualized environment, this basically means that resources like CPU and memory come from the same hypervisor.

“Cloud VPS” is different in that total resources for all VPS’s is set to one overall account.  Also, the OS templates available are usually restricted for VPS.

While “Cloud Server” is different in that the resources available are only restricted by the plan ordered by the customer.  That plan can be changed to allow more if needed.  There are more OS templates to select from. Also, it should be noted that more than one hypervisor can be used.

So in summation, “Cloud Server” versus “Cloud VPS” is trying to define how much flexibility a user has.  “Cloud VPS” is shown as restricted and “Cloud Server” as more flexible.

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About the Guest Author:

Bryan Kinney is a technical engineer at GMO Cloud. He has been working in the I.T. field for the last 18 years but have been into computers personally for 29 years.  Always loves good logical puzzles and non-logical human ones too.  Originally from the Northwest USA and can get into hiking and survival camping.

12.8.2012

How Social Media Can Help Your “Local” Business Reach International Customers

 Social Media has literally changed the way we communicate, socialize and gather information.  Rather than turning on the television to catch “Breaking News”, more and more people are beginning to access Social Media feeds via their smartphone, tablet or computer to get the latest up-to-date information.  The trend really made its mark in the wake of the 2011 earthquake in Japan.  Unable to access traditional modes of communication, citizens relied on Social Media to update family and friends on their status, check on their own loved ones and even gain important information about particular areas affected by this horrible natural disaster.  More recently, Social Media sites became the lifeline to those in the Northeast United States before, during and in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.  While many were without power for weeks, some were still able to access places with electricity to charge their devices and post status updates.

Social Media has weaved its way into the lives of people across the globe.  For many, checking these sites has become as routine as drinking that first cup of coffee in the morning.  Businesses have been able to seize the opportunity to jump on the bandwagon and engage customers in ways like never before.  While many still believe Social Media best benefits larger companies, small businesses are finding their own benefit to integrating this new technology as part of their overall marketing plan.

Imagine this…a craftsman in Germany who has been producing handmade pottery (popular locally) now has the ability, through Social Media, to generate “buzz” about his product not only throughout his own country and the rest of Europe – but internationally!  While websites offer a presence on the World Wide Web, Social Media provides a method of actual interaction.  The store owner can now implement strategies to increase followers and communicate directly and instantaneously with them – regardless of where they are in the world.  The key to success is developing a Social Media plan which not only generates followers, but sparks interest.

Consider these helpful tips to increase followers:

Ensure social media links are included on every page of your website: Make it easy and convenient for people to connect with you.  Most companies will place social links on their HOME page, but neglect to do so on the rest of the website.  Be sure to place Social Media icons and links on every page of your website.

Conduct a drawing: Offer an incentive or prize once you reach a certain number of followers. The bigger the prize, the greater the chances your followers will continue to encourage their friends to connect with you, thus building and expanding your connections.

Offer coupons and/or specials:  Not only are you generating interest in your product with a “call to action”, you are giving them an incentive to buy.  Encourage your followers to also share the offer with their Social Media connections. This will promote your product to an entirely new group of people who may be interested enough to learn more and perhaps even become followers themselves.

Interesting posts are the key to sustaining followers.  Below are some ideas you may want to consider to keep your Social Media efforts fresh and interesting:

Make it all about your customers: Offer useful information, such as tips, advice, articles, etc. Give your followers posts they look forward to reading. Often, companies make the mistake of trying too hard to “make the sale” rather than developing a relationship with their followers.

Interact, Interact, Interact!!!: Explore opportunities to engage your followers.  This could be as simple as asking them to comment on a photo you post. Encouraging comments and feedback is also an excellent way to gauge interest in your products and even evaluate the demand for additional product lines.

Highlight your customers and clients: Consider interesting ways to highlight your customers or clients.  Of course, be sure to get their permission before posting.  Encourage your customers to send in photos of themselves using your product.  Post photos from special events or sales.  The opportunities are endless!

If you haven’t already done so, it is important to consider developing a Social Media strategy for your business.  While Social Media should not be a replacement for traditional advertising and marketing, it is an important complement to your overall strategic plan.

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About the Guest Author:

Gina Smith writes freelance articles for magazines, online outlets and publications on behalf of a number of companies, including http://spanning.com. Smith covers the latest topics in the business, golf, tourism, technology and entertainment industries.

12.7.2012

There have been a lot of Japanese games which have made heads spin across the world. These are usually the result of a game concept extended to the technology at  hand. These were the handheld game-and-watch games of the early 1980s, and early wristwatches with built-in games.

Although handheld consoles have taken these games into the 21st century with great graphics, the real and unseen revolution was the incorporation of collaborative games. One of the most successful handheld game with its own ecosystem was Pokemon. At its core, this is a single-player game card for kids. However, one innovation included in Pokemon was the ability to share or transfer ownership of pokemon creatures. Extending this ability to internet games has been a real money maker.

Monetizing with in-game commodities has been a big moneymaker for a lot of online games. A lot of MMORPG games and browser-based social games make money off of in-game transactions. As it turns out, online game monetization is done better by Japanese firms as compared to American companies.

There are a lot of reasons why monetization works better in Japan. The country, itself, is the third biggest economy in the world. Even with an economic slowdown during the 1990s, and the effects of the global financial crisis, they have not experienced any shrinking in their economy. During the same period during the rise of the internet, social networks and online markets, Japanese online spending has also been better compared to most of the world. Even with a high cost of living, the Japanese still have a big percentage of their earnings in disposable income. This translates to the Japanese having the second highest online spending per capita in the world.

Related to the individual wealth and spending habits is the ease with which the Japanese can spend on online games. Japan has a higher than 99% 3G telephony coverage, and almost everyone has access to mobile games. Handsets (both smartphones and feature phones) have apps pre-installed allowing for mobile payment. Most feature phones have built-in apps for paying train and bus tickets. These bills are not paid separately but instead are part of the month’s billing statement. On top of the carrier billing, there other payment modes which have been in use in Japan even before 3G, including credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards, e-wallets (also called e-money) and Paypal.

Merging the ease of payment with an enthusiastic gaming nation, is a formula for easy migration to monetized gaming. Japan is a gaming nation, as can be seen on television game shows of every kind. Mobile apps just made it easier for them to play games on their phones. Among the most popular games are social card games, as discussed above, these are like Pokemon and with tie-ups to anime and manga, these are self-promoting. Up to 70% of the most popular games are social card games. Japan has always had a big share of the worldwide video game market and they currently command a 10% share. Although it is very rare that social card games export well.

The increasing popularity of social card games and the ease with which these can be distributed via mobile phones, has resulted in the shift of market strategy among major video game makers. These companies have also introduced their own social card game apps. With their marketing savvy, and tie-ups with mobile app channels, there is practically a stream of social card game apps being introduced to the Japanese market.

Understandably, there is still the challenge of entering the Japanese gaming market. It requires some level of knowledge and expertise in the industry in order to successfully execute this venture. Japan-based firms such as GMO Cloud understands the need for this kind of service and has since started to offer localization and marketing services that aid the entry of these foreign companies.

With tie-ups on intellectual property holdings for titles and with established distribution channels, mobile games are not going to dry up soon. The Japanese willingness to pay for their games and for level ups, monetizing on in-game services and acquisitions will continue to be a big source of income for game developers, and mobile channels.

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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.

12.6.2012

There are some believable positive developments in the gaming industry since cloud computing came on stage to help businesses optimize their methods of operations. The three prominent benefits of cloud technology to the gaming industry are highlighted as follows:

• Increased Availability and Accessibility: Cloud computing, as a result of its flexibility and scalability in the area of storage capacity, allows gaming companies to make available to their customers series of content that are accessible as soon as they log in into their accounts. This indicates that game players do not necessarily need to bother about how they could save their games and/or protect them for regular access. The unique opportunity of getting games to play anytime of the day has reportedly increased game players’ satisfaction, a condition that stands to help game companies retain habitual gamers and maximize sales and revenues over a long period of time.
• Variety of Hardware: Cloud computing has streamlined the process of playing games by making it possible for players to have the liberty of using various devices in accessing their games. Previously, game players solely relied on the “consoles” they are required to carry around to enjoy their games. Nowadays, all devices are applicable – whether smart phones, palm-held devices, laptops, desktops and so on. As a matter of fact, game players now enjoy the rare freedom of playing their games while on-the-go.
• Multiple Game Content: Unlike before when a console only afforded players the opportunity of playing a single game at a time, cloud computing creates the avenues for accessing and playing multiple games at a time. This practice does not only help game companies to rake in more revenues, it also adds values to the experience of playing games. This situation of satisfaction, on the part of the players, has reportedly led to the improvement in game-maker-customer relationship and loyalty. This is a quality that is bound to translate into higher profitability for the game industry.

These three innovative contributions of cloud computing to the gaming industry are quite influential in the industry. Game-makers are now concentrating on providing interesting and long-lasting game content to their customers, instead of worrying endlessly on producing hardware or consoles that customers will find portable, easy-to-use and light.

Incidentally, cloud technology provides a platform for innovation and new business expansion as major game-makers like Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony are gradually migrating their game content to the cloud. The main advantage of this is that game players can speedily access the games using any digital-enabled devices. They can play as many games as possible in real-time without having to acquire plenty of consoles to do this. This attitude does not only help the environment to be cleaner, it also simplifies the procedures of playing games.

Visit GMO Cloud’s sample Game Server Configuration for an in-depth understanding of how it works and why it is advantageous compared to the old method that is used.

Without doubt, this is a win-win affair: The game-makers are going to increase their sales and revenues through this improved method of game-content delivery; the customers are going to enjoy their games without worrying about the headache of carrying their consoles around nor thinking about the cost of buying many consoles in order to have access to multiple games at a time. Though, the players’ personal information are required to open their accounts at the beginning of their subscriptions, the recent development in cloud computing security will help protect their identities so that they will not be subjected to identity theft, as it happened recently to some online game players.

Cloud computing is indeed revolutionizing the gaming industry with the hope of transforming the processes of game access, methods of play and storage for constant access.

Be Part of Our Cloud Conversation

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/