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Enterprise Mobility Bytes | Week of – April 9 – 15, 2018
11 Reasons Enterprises Should Rethink How They Use Their Apps
Enterprises now use hundreds of cloud services, but the current enterprise app concept is wrong. Why? The human brain simply does not work the way the mess of disjointed cloud apps are designed.
Digital Transformation: Closing The Gap Between Innovation And Execution
Coming up with the ideas is easy, but turning those bright sparks into successful businesses is a lot harder. Most organizations do not have a major problem generating new ideas, but many firms fail when it comes to implementing fresh business models or turning good ideas into organizational objectives, according to a new report from Cass Business School.
Apple Pencil, Augmented Reality Makes 2018 iPad Work Like A Pro
At first glance, the newest version of the standard 2018 iPad seems no different than the one it replaced. It’s the same size and weight, the screen is the same size at 9.7 inches diagonally and it comes in the same colors. But that sameness belies some real improvements, some of which move the new iPad down the line towards the iPad Pro. The most obvious move in the Pro direction is the Apple Pencil, which now works with a standard iPad. The newest iPad also supports augmented reality and it’s got a faster processor. However, it does not include connectors for Apple’s Smart Keyboard, so that feature remains exclusive to the Pro models.
Despite New Collaboration Tools, Outlook Remains King Of The Office
A new independent survey, “The Office 365 app usage report 2018,” found that despite hype around new collaboration tools, Outlook remains the most used application among enterprise workers across all age groups, job functions and industries. The survey, which queried 1022 business professionals worldwide regarding their use of Office 365, found that respondents are five-times more likely to use Outlook as their go-to app, compared to other Office apps, such as SharePoint and OneDrive. A majority of respondents indicated using Outlook 10 or more times daily.
Global App Downloads Hit Record High
Worldwide app downloads for the App Store and Google Play stores grew more than 10 per cent year-over-year to 27.5 billion in Q1 2018, the highest of any quarter, App Annie reported. Consumer spend grew 22 per cent to $18.4 billion, boosted by the popularity of health and music apps. In a regular review of the apps market, App Annie said revenue earned in the broader app economy is much larger than the consumer figure, as total sales would include earnings from third-party Android stores, m-commerce and in-app advertising.
A New Gmail Design Is Launching ‘In The Coming Weeks’ With Several Fresh Features
Google’s paid enterprise-level app platform, G Suite, has dropped a sweet nugget of information pointing to a forthcoming redesign and enhancement of the Gmail web interface. An email sent to G Suite administrators today announced that there will be a new “Early Adopter Program” to test out a new version of Gmail on the web, along with some information on what we can expect as part of the new design.
Digital Transformation: Here’s The Money, We’ll Sort It All Out Later
Gartner just issued a prediction that worldwide IT spending is projected to increase by more than six percent this year to total $3.7 trillion — the highest growth rate seen since 2007. Enterprise software spending is forecast to experience the highest growth in 2018 with an increase exceeding 11 percent, and “barring unexpected disruption, the software industry is expected to continue capitalizing on the evolution of digital business,” according to a statement from the analyst firm.
Microsoft Adds Content Creators Mode To Skype To Enhance Collaboration
This summer, Microsoft’s Skype for Windows 10 and Mac desktops will gain a new mode that will enable users to work collaboratively on livestreams, podcasts and other video content. Dubbed Skype for Content Creators and currently in beta, the new mode dispenses with the need for additional equipment to record multiuser video calls and streams. The application will also allow users to place and record calls using NewTek NDI-compatible solutions like Vmix, Wirecast and Xsplit.
The Seven Levers Of Digital Transformation
Organizations that embark on digital transformation projects often run into difficulties. Following the seven principles of digital transformation will help them reap the benefits of digital technology.
Google Makes Speech-To-Text API More ‘Business Friendly’
Google has rolled out several major updates to its Cloud Speech-to-Text speech recognition technology. The overhaul is the biggest since Google announced the service two years ago and is designed to make Speech-to-Text more useful for businesses. Among the updates are pre-built models for transcribing phone calls and video, features that support automatic punctuation, and a new tagging and grouping mechanism for transcription workloads. In keeping with its business focus, the updates also come with a standard service level agreement (SLA) guaranteeing 99.9 percent availability.
AR Investors Share Insights On The Industry’s 2018 Trajectory
2017 was a year full of surprises for the augmented reality industry. Arguably the single biggest development was the emergence of ARKit for iOS devices and ARCore for Android devices. Digi-Capital forecasts that the install base for mobile AR could hit 900 million by the end of 2018.
With 150 Businesses On-Board, Slack Targets Next Round Of Enterprise Customers
Slack has unveiled a raft of new security and compliance features aimed at boosting the appeal of its Enterprise Grid product among IT leaders and admins. While Slack has tended to be adopted on a team-by-team basis, Enterprise Grid offers centralized management of the team chat application on a company-wide basis and supports up to 500,000 users.
Cisco Eyes Blockchain Messaging For Better Security
The decentralized data storage method of blockchain could make enterprise group messaging more secure. Cisco is among the vendors investigating the promise of blockchain messaging.
Top Five: Ways To End Resistance To Digital Transformation
Digital transformation. It seems obvious. Businesses leverage digital technology to transform processes and procedures to optimize, well, everything. Some of you are saying, “Yes, this is obvious, and I am only shocked that it isn’t farther along.” Others of you are staring daggers at your executives for resisting it. Others of you are the executives. But hey, we’re not here to judge. Here are five ways to overcome resistance to digital transformation in your organization:
Mobile Application Management Tools Balance Service And Cost
It can be overwhelming to navigate mobile application management tools — but with some testing, IT can find the right one that balances budget and requirements. Mobile application management (MAM) is one of the three elements of enterprise mobility management (EMM), along with mobile device management (MDM) and mobile content management. IT can purchase all three combined in an EMM suite with a single management console, integrated services across the three elements and favorable costs. Even though EMM suites often sound like the best option, there is a market for stand-alone mobile application management tools.
Facebook Launches Bounty Program To Spot Misuses Of Data By App Developers
Facebook is launching a bounty program that will reward people who find and report any misuse of data by app developers on its platforms. The social networking giant said the program is the first of its kind in the industry.
Privacy Concerns Giving You Sleepless Nights? Keep Chats Safe With These Apps
Sure you can trust the cross-platform messaging app WhatsApp on security, thanks to its automatic encryption. It ensures only you and your recipient can access the data (not even WhatsApp employees can view what you send). But it’s not the only safe spot on your mobile ecosystem — here are some other security-centric apps that you can bank on.
Autonomous Vehicles Will Change The World: The Economist
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to develop and spread quickly in the coming years. Some are already on the road. A new report from The Economist considers the implications of fully self-driving cars for personal mobility, car ownership and the future of transport, on the assumption that the remaining technological hurdles will be overcome. It also looks more broadly at the wider economic, social and cultural effects of AVs.
Windows 10’s Sets Feature Brings Tabbed Apps To Microsoft Office
While users wait for the next big Windows 10 feature update to arrive this spring, Microsoft is offering testers an early peek at what the company has in store for the fall. The latest Skip Ahead preview build, number 17643, is now available for members of the Windows Insider early-access and feedback program, and it contains some new enhancements to the Sets and Data Sense features.
Walmart’s Automated Pickup Stations Highlight Future Of Digital Transformation
Walmart has upped the ante in its retail battle against Amazon, adding more than 500 Pickup Towers to their brick-and-mortar stores after a successful pilot project late last year. Last fall, the retail giant added 200 Pickup Towers—colossal structures within Walmart allowing online buyers to pick up goods bought from the company’s website—to stores across the country. Customers only have to scan a barcode at their local Walmart’s tower before receiving their order.
Ransomware Attacks Doubled In 2017
Ransomware attacks grew significantly in 2017, doubling in volume from the year earlier, according to Verizon’s 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report, which was released on April 10. Verizon’s 2018 DBIR reveals insights on the state of data breaches, derived from analysis of over 53,000 security incidents and 2,216 breaches.
Social Media Data Regulation Appears Likely After Zuckerberg Testimony
After nine hours of hearings and questions from approximately one hundred Members of Congress, Facebook CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg escaped with his life, but he may have brought regulation of social media closer to reality.