Posts for "Collaboration"

It may have taken weeks, months or years; but finally, the Big Bosses have agreed that your company needs to implement software “A,” which you’ve dedicated (what seems like) your entire life to in studying, reviewing, testing, and proving. You’re convinced it’s the King Daddy of all software that will make the business buzz like never before. Elation! Joy! That glorious feeling of movement! A job well done! But wait! It’s not over. You still have to get what you’ve agreed to purchase. If your vendor isn’t ready to go when you are, those feelings of joy can quickly evaporate as pressure is ... READ MORE

Bloomfire knows the value of content. The company allows you to build an online community and engage with your colleagues and customers through knowledge sharing. We sat down with Craig Malloy, CEO and co-founder of Bloomfire, to discuss the ins and outs of how companies can get the most out of their content both in-house and externally.   What is Bloomfire's mission? The problem we're solving is the following: workers spend an inordinate amount of time searching for the information they need. Studies have shown this to be at least 30% of their workday. The internet has made it a lot easier to ... READ MORE

It is likely that in some point in your career you’ve either heard of or used the business tool that is most commonly referred to as ‘The 4 Ps of Marketing.’ These ‘4 Ps’ have been used since the mid-20th century to help companies define how they are going to promote the right product, in the right place, at the right price. I’m here to tell to you about a new set of ‘4 Ps’ – the ‘4 Ps’ of how the iPad is changing the game of selling. Apple’s introduction of the iPad in April of 2010 revolutionized the computer ... READ MORE

Is workplace productivity struggling through too much software, or not enough? Are companies limiting their employees by not aligning each and every one with the proper skill set to tackle projects, to use a variety of software applications effectively without feeling overloaded? These are just some of the many starting points to consider when assessing employee productivity. Sometimes it boils down to the processes employees are put through. Other times, the issues have more to do with communication snags between manager and employee. Some employees may feel their talents are being ignored, that their individual success toward a project, or two, ... READ MORE

Did you know that 49 percent of consumers surveyed in the US and UK said that they do not mind relinquishing personal data in order for a personalized shopping experience? Though the vast majority of people are worried about how their data will be used, many of them realize that trusted retailers can use their information to market content that is both relevant and appealing to them. It is similar to the Groupon effect. Users reveal their likes, dislikes, Internet usage (via cookies), location, demographics and more in order to receive deals that are most appealing to them. Take, for instance, ... READ MORE

Certain types of business software aren't all that easy to figure out, but the benefits of better organization of your tasks and projects are self evident, and Asana has been at the forefront of providing just that. We talked to Kenny Van Zant to learn more about the company and its plans for the future. What was the inspiration behind Asana? Was there a specific business need that wasn't being addressed? You know, whenever I get onto the topic of what Asana helps people do--which is to get organized, stay organized and track their work--I have never met anybody who said, "Oh ... READ MORE

Think for moment about the amount of technological change we’ve all experienced in the last 25 years. I once listened to music with a clunky eight-track player. Now I have Spotify, which lets me instantly stream nearly any song from the cloud for free. I once booked trips with a travel agent, manually entered business contacts into a Rolodex, and physically carried important documents on a floppy disc. Now all those functions have been subsumed by my iPhone. A final example: decoding the first human genome began in 1990, took 10 years to complete, and cost $3 billion. Today it ... READ MORE

Remember when websites had hardly any hyperlinks? Over the years, we have seen some technological innovations that have made the Web transform from a simple one-way communication tool to a network of social applications that promote two-way communication. The “new Internet,” properly termed the “social web” has started a trend that is revolutionizing the way businesses function. The emergence of various social channels available on the web allow businesses easily take on a new form communication to interact, listen and engage with colleagues and customers. Make way for a new business trend Above all, the social web has given way to a growing phenomenon ... READ MORE

Before developing our 2013 predictions, we wanted to assess how we did on our 2012 Top 10 SMB Technology Predictions. Here’s our take–please let us know what grades you would have given us! And stay tuned for our Top 10 SMB Technology Predictions for 2013, which we will post in a couple of weeks! Note: On this grading scale, 5 means that we came closest to hitting the mark, and 1 means we missed it entirely. Economic Anxiety Lowers SMB Revenue Expectations and Tightens Tech Wallets: Year-over-year data from our annual SMB Routes to Market Studies indicated that more small and medium businesses ... READ MORE

  Tradition can be a good thing. It can bring people together, maintain the bonds of friendship and culture, and ensure the continuation of positive or charitable actions. Tradition can also be bad; often used as a poor excuse for the continuation of outdated, ineffective or inefficient practices. Now, this doesn’t mean that traditional practices, struggling to keep pace with modern demands, must be discarded. Sometimes, they just need to be supplemented with new ideas and best practices that reflect contemporary expectations. Mark Smith – CEO and Chief Research Officer of advisory and analyst firm Ventana Research – made a call for strong ... READ MORE