Category: Small Biz Go Mobile

Small Businesses Create Customer Intimacy with SaaS: Improving Productivity and Competitiveness with Software-as-a-Service Applications

by Ed Lucente

Ed Lucente is a Sr. Product Marketing Manager at AT&T. You can find more blog content from Ed and other experts on emerging technologies on the AT&T Networking Exchange Blog. AT&T has sponsored the following blog post.

Software-as-a-Service in the CloudBefore the advent of cloud services, IT was managed ad hoc by small businesses (less than 250 PCs). This included tasks like on-premise server installations and maintenance, software upgrades, database administration, network management, and backups. Small businesses faced difficult IT challenges related to increasing operating expenses, unending complexity, and a lack of trained resources. IT management and costs distracted small businesses from focusing on building better solutions for customers. Fortunately though, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications have changed this malaise. Today, SaaS services are allowing small businesses to increase productivity and competitiveness, reduce IT costs, and develop solutions that create customer intimacy.

Productivity and Competitiveness

A survey commissioned by Microsoft showed that of the small businesses that use the cloud, 41% said they were able to employ more staff in roles that directly benefit sales or business growth, 39% invest in more product development or innovation, and 37% experienced improved agility and competitiveness. The cloud has made it easier for small businesses to scale their business to explore new markets, according to 42% of respondents. And 52% said that using the cloud enabled them to add new solutions and services that benefit their business more quickly and securely.  Read More

#SocamShow Episode 7 – Fathers Day: Great Tech Gift Ideas for Dad!

by Shy Mukerjee

Stuck on what to get your small biz loving Dad for Fathers Day? Drowning under a sea of Amazon reviews trying to figure out which case, accessory or new device Dad will really love this year? We have tech gift ideas!

Here are a few suggestions for some great devices Dad will absolutely love. Hit “read more” and check out the links below for some additional info on these products. Read More

6 Hot Tech Gadgets for Entrepreneur Dad: From Paper-Saving Organizers to Eco-Friendly Notebooks, Here’s Father’s Day Technology Any Dad Will Love

by Curlis Phillip

Curlis Phillip is a Senior Marketing Manager at AT&T. You can find more blog content from Curlis and other experts on mobility on the AT&T Networking Exchange Blog. AT&T has sponsored the following blog post.

 

Growing up on the island of St. Thomas, Father’s Day weekend was always a festive time. The annual Father’s Day weekend celebration was staged in the fishing village of Frenchtown just southwest of the capital, Charlotte Amalie.  The festivities included a series of softball and fishing tournaments and non-stop dancing to music by some of my favorite local bands and steel pan players.  At home, we showed our gratitude by making dad a hearty island breakfast.  Since I knew very little about the latest tech and electronic gadgets back then, I often settled for a new tie, coffee mug, pen, or shirt.

How do you find the right Father’s Day gift for that tech savvy entrepreneur dad?  The tech savvy dad is usually an early adopter, and shopping for him can pose a bit of a challenge.  If you feel that you have run out of ideas, don’t despair. The key is to find a cool gadget that can help make his business run more smoothly. Read More

Apple Introduces iPad “Smart Case” – complete back protection + smart cover for your iPad

by Shy Mukerjee

A cool new accessory just hit the Apple Online Store, called the iPad “Smart Case.” Not only does this case support a magnetic smart cover, but it also offers complete protection for the back of your iPad, something many have complained the original smart cover lacked.

The new Smart Case is rubber, made of polyurethane, and comes in a wide variety of colors, including grey, pink, blue, green and red. The full range of color options can be seen below.

The Smart Case starts at $49.99 and could be a great last-minute Father’s Day gift for the upcoming holiday. So be sure to head on over to Apple’s Store and check it out!

Complete color options:

Turn by Turn Navigation and Real Time Traffic comes to iPhone with New Maps App!

by Shy Mukerjee

Apple Maps for iOS6

While Google Maps has provided GPS-esque turn-by-turn navigation on Android for free for quite some time, iPhone users have been left in the dark. But with iOS 6, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, Google is being kicked out of the Maps app, and Apple is taking over with their own technology that provides many of the features iPhone users have been clamoring for, including navigation.

But that’s not all! Real-time traffic analysis and crowd-sourced traffic data comes into play as well. This means that not only can you get ultra-reliable traffic data built into your navigation, but the app can automatically calculate faster routes based on actual and up-to-the-minute traffic conditions and ask you if you’d like to take a different route. It even automatically calculates how much time you’d save!

The final feature of the upgraded maps shows you 3D views of major cities in stunning detail. While this doesn’t have a business purpose I can think of, I can’t wait to play around with these new maps :)

Apple Maps for iOS6 3D Screenshot

 

A digital assistant in your car: Siri coming to BMW, GM, Mercedes, Land Rover, Audi, Toyota, Chrystler, Honda and Jaguar in 12 months or less

by Shy Mukerjee

Apple’s announcements at the WWDC keynote today are off the chain! This just in: Siri is going to start being integrated into cars so you can use your digital assistant straight from your iPhone without taking your hands off the wheel! Apple today is announcing a huge number of car manufacturers who will be integrating Siri this year, including BMW, GM, Mercedes, Land Rover, Audi, Toyota, Chrystler, Honda and Jaguar! Not only that, but this integration will be happening in “12 months or less” according to Apple, meaning that we’ll start seeing Siri integration in automobiles as early as this fall!

Along with that announcement, Siri is getting a ton of new features in the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 6, including:

– Sports knowledge (scores and info about players. She can now answer the question, “Who’s taller, Kobe or Lebron?” for instance)
– OpenTable reservations so you can book dinner at a restaurant hands-free
– Rotten Tomatoes integration for movie times, trailers, and more!

The announcements at WWDC are coming fast, so stay tuned to this space for the latest!

Mountain Lion hits stores next month for $19.99

by Shy Mukerjee

Forgot to upgrade to Lion? Or maybe you were just waiting? That’s okay. Even if you’re stuck on OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, the cost to upgrade all of your computers to the latest version of Apple’s desktop operating system, 10.8 Mountain Lion is under twenty bucks. And it isn’t coming out next year, nope this baby is ready to roll out Apple’s door and onto your MacBook next month!

There are tons of new features coming your way including:

– Power Nap which keeps your Mac up-to-date while it sleeps. This means email, calendar, reminders, and even your photo stream are all synced while it sleeps. It can even update apps and download system updates as well as back up to your time machine while you’re away. It doesn’t spin up your fans, and it goes easy on your battery.
– Voice dictation in any app
– Social integration in all apps—enter your Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, Vimeo or other social login info just once, and then use apps like Preview, Safari, and Mail to painlessly share media and links just like on your iPhone
– Vastly improved notifications all come from one spot rather than a variety of apps. Plus, they can all be easily turned off: automatically when you connect to a projector, or manually when you just want to be left alone.
– iCloud support for documents, notes, reminders that syncs immediately and seamlessly. Edit a document on your phone, and it’s already changed on your Mac.
– New Safari features the fastest JavaScript engine, unified search field (just like my personal favorite Chrome!), and iCloud tabs which sync your open tabs between all of your devices (including other Macs, iPhones, iPod touches and iPads)
– Support for HiDPI displays like the new retina MacBook Pro
– Airplay to share your screen instantly to an Apple TV, just like your iPad or iPhone does today. The quickest way to get your computer to display on a TV or Projector in full 1080p HD.

and much, much more! Apple is bringing more than 200 new features to Mountain Lion, so this is far from the only exciting new features we’re going to find out about Apple’s latest desktop (and laptop!) operating system :)

Store your documents in the cloud with OS X 10.8 “Mountain Lion” and iCloud

by Shy Mukerjee

Mountain Lion, a.k.a. the next-gen version of Apple’s OS X operating system that powers its laptop and desktop computers, is going to be a big focus at Apple’s annual WWDC conference for app developers this year. The latest version of Apple’s Pages word processing app (as well as Numbers and Keynote) will bring desktop users into the cloud in a big way with “Documents in the Cloud,” a new Apple initiative to help sync your docs across all of your devices seamlessly. No longer will you be stuck managing your cloud folders on different services—with Documents in the Cloud, every time you open up one of Apple’s productivity apps—BAM! your documents are right there no matter which device (Mac, iPad or iPhone) you created them on.

Combine that with seamless Notes and Reminders integration through iCloud and Mountain Lion, your Mac will finally start to feel like a natural extension of your mobile experience. No matter which device you’re on, whether it’s a desktop iMac or your iPad, you’ll be working with the same lists, notes and documents. Thankfully, it looks like messy file management is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

A few other features that should spice up your desktop Mac experience are rolling out as well. Dictation (just like on iPhone 4S or iPad 3) will work in every app, not just Apple’s ones. So if you want to dictate a document straight into Microsoft Word, you’ll be able to do that with the click of a button on Mountain Lion.

Again, WWDC is happening live so we’ll be updating our coverage as the day goes on, so stay tuned to SmallBizGoMobile!

Next Generation MacBook Pro Announced with 15″ Retina Display

by Shy Mukerjee

It’s the start of Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (or WWDC) today in California, and while huge new product announcements don’t always accompany Apple’s conferences, this year we’re all in for a bit of a treat. The MacBook Pro line is being updated with a brand new design that eliminates the optical drive to get a slimmer form factor, reducing it from nearly an inch thick to about three quarters of an inch.

The weight of the laptop has been reduced as well, but the battery life has been bumped up to an estimated 7hrs. As well, tons of other new specs to drool over: USB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-microphones, etc. etc.

But the big news is that the 15″ MacBook Pro will now been shipping with a beyond-HD 2880×1800 Retina display. Starting at $2199, this new 15″ MBP will clearly be the one to own this year for photographers, graphics professionals, video editors, and anyone who will appreciate reading crystal-clear Retina text on their laptop.

We’ll be updating throughout the day with pictures of the new products, and our take on what it means. But if you’re already salivating and can’t wait to get ahold of the new generation MacBook Pro, the Apple Store is taking orders as we speak.

Latest News on the Retina MacBook Pro

Exciting software is already ready to use the 15″ Retina-display MacBook Pro, indlufing:

– Apple apps that take advantage of the display: Safari, Mail, iPhoto all updated
– Pro apps like Aperture and Final Cut Pro also make use of every pixel on the display
– Adobe working closely with Apple to make sure Photoshop and other apps are Retina-ready
– Retina-ready AutoCAD
– Even Diablo III is retina-ready!

Changes to the hardware:

– Asymmetrical fans mean less noise when the fans come on
– For the first time ever on a Mac, an HDMI port to plug into your HDTV or Projector
– Quad Core i7 processors up to 2.7 Ghz (latest Ivy Bridge architecture)
– Up to 16GB of 1600Mhz memory (RAM)
– Same 7 hours of battery life
– 100% solid state hard drive (SSD) tech means ultra-fast read and write times
– 2x Thunderbolt ports, as well as USB 3.0, and the standard SD card slot
– New Thunderbolt adapters that give you Gigabit ethernet or FireWire 800 ports
– MagSafe 2, the latest in Apple’s MagSafe power adapters, the MagSafe 2 is even thinner than before

VIDEO: Interview with Duracell Powermat CEO Ron Rabinowitz

by Shy Mukerjee

This contest has ended, but if you want a chance to win the 24-Hour Charging System as well as a VIP invite to our Sept. 12th party at Jay-Z’s 40/40 club in NYC, all you have to do is “like” the official Mario Armstrong page on Facebook

I recently had the chance to sit down at Jay-Z’s 40/40 club in Manhattan with Duracell Powermat CEO Ron Rabinowitz. It’s no coincidence that we met at Jay-Z’s club—he’s an investor in the company, is integrating wireless charging stations throughout his club, and will feature prominently in the advertising here in NYC.

In the Socialcam video above, you can see us chatting about the new 24-hour Power System which just launched this morning. The system is available in stores in NYC and also online—you can pick it up for $99 from Amazon.com for instance—in both black and white. With wireless charging stations rolling out all over NYC this summer, combined with the extra battery pack included in the set, this could be the number one way to keep your devices charged and shooting video all day long.