Emerging Technologies
Let All Covered Help You Evaluate a New Technology and Determine
the Business Benefit
Is your company one that tries the hot, new technology just after it is released (early adopter)? Or is your organization one that waits for months, sometimes years, before implementing the technology (late adopter)? Regardless of which end of the spectrum you fall (most small businesses are somewhere in the middle), hot or emerging technologies capture your attention because they are constantly discussed in publications, in web seminars, in conferences and many other venues.
Here are some emerging technologies that are piquing the interest of small businesses as they are starting to be adopted and are maturing in their feature set and lifecycle.
VoIP or Voice over IP is a technology which allows telephone calls to be made over your broadband Internet connection versus using the standard analog line to make telephone calls. You can use your computer to make the calls, a special IP telephone or an adapter on your standard telephone. This type of technology and service has its advantages, especially if your data connection is underutilized. Another area in which VoIP is advantageous is for those who travel often. You could be in another country, plug in your computer and make calls anywhere in the world and not need a specialized international cell phone or calling plan. It may even appear, at first glance, that you can make telephone calls for free since you're using the same resource as your Internet connection.
However, there are drawbacks to this technology. If the power goes out, you will not be able to make or receive calls unless you have a battery backup for your Internet connection. Since the technology relies on another technology – your Internet connection, you can have inconsistent uptime and voice quality.
SaaS or Software as a Service is more of a model or methodology where software applications are used or accessed via the web versus installing the application on each user's machine and running the software "locally". These products are built specifically for one-to-many usage over the Internet. The advantages include no maintenance or updates by the IT department, no management of hardware, instant updates delivered by the software company, and pay-as- you go licensing model. Some of the most popular or well known SaaS products include Salesforce.com, QuickBooks or TuboTax Online, and WebEx.
The disadvantages to these services are that it may cost more in the long run, you have less control over the application or little customization capabilities and the vendor's longevity or viability is more of a concern.
Windows Vista is the next generation of Microsoft's operating system. Microsoft Windows Vista helps customers in four key areas: Find and Use information, Enable Mobile Workforce, Improve Security and Compliance and Optimize the Desktop Infrastructure. Features such as Instant Searching, Windows Meeting Place, Sync Center, improved power management, and integrated Windows Defender are great enhancements for business users. However, the hardware, processor and memory requirements are greater than ever.
Prior to implementing Windows Vista we recommend that each business consider three key factors:
- Age of your workstation hardware
- Application compatibility
- Need for Vista features
For assistance with implementation of any emerging technology, contact All Covered to help you evaluate the advantages and disadvantages and to determine if your business will benefit from these new technologies.
