How IOT is all set to Revolutionize the Marketing Industry?

The internet of things has gained traction since the value derived from data has considerably increased. The big data technology has provided organizations capabilities to make sense of their unstructured data. This has given way for more number of objects with embedded computing to collect more and more data. The trends indicate that by 2020 a staggering 50 billion objects with embedded computing systems would be bringing about revolutionary changes in the world.

One of the major changes that internet has brought in recent years is evolution of social media which is now becoming epicenter of online marketing. Similarly mobile internet backed by growth of Smartphone market has provided marketers an opportunity to collect real time information about their customers.

Customer Feedback through IOT

In today’s competitive market, internet has provided customers with knowledge and easily available options to select the best products at best prices. This implicates invoking customer loyalty is a big challenge for marketers.  The best way to counter this problem is to get feedback from the customer to tailor made the product or service according to customer preference.  The customers are less interested in providing feedbacks when they have plenty of options. The IOT devices with embedded computing and sensors can easily track the customer experience of the product. For example a sensor in a car can give car makers an idea on the usage pattern and performance overview of their product. This means instant feedback can be obtained which will help marketers to improve the product to suit customer preference.

Self Maintenance for better Customer Experience

One of the biggest reasons for customer dissatisfaction with a product or a service is when they have to call the technical support team after product or service is down.  A good product or service with a bad maintenance process can make customers switch to other brands. The IOT can support self diagnostics and through constant monitoring IOT objects can contact the support team before the product goes down altogether. For example, you are visited by an electrician to repair your air conditioner even before you made any call or even noticed that your cooling system is ineffective. This will create a wow effect amongst the customer with a maintenance process exceeding customer expectation.

Social Media Marketing through IOT

Social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest etc have become a make or break branding platform for all the organizations irrespective of their size. Social media marketing efforts are easier to implement and much easier to monitor. There is an upsurge in organic traffic of the websites due to social media marketing. IOT will be the next big thing in the social media marketing trend as they can be optimized to generate automated posts. IOT can play a major role in observing social media communities to effectively target audience.  This will help marketers in keeping one step ahead of the coming trends to bank on them.

Conclusion
 
IOT has a huge potential to implement path breaking marketing strategies. More and more adoption of IOT technology will force marketers to innovate their marketing with the help of this technology. The combination of IOT and big data will provide unprecedented business intelligence to marketers which will evolve the whole marketing industry.






About the Author:

Vaishnavi Agrawal loves pursuing excellence through writing and have a passion for technology. She has successfully managed and run personal technology magazines and websites. She currently writes for Intellipaat, a global training company that provides e-learning and professional certification training.

The courses offered by Intellipaat address the unique needs of working professionals. She is based out of Bangalore and has an experience of 5 years in the field of content writing and blogging. Her work has been published on various sites related to Hadoop Training, Big Data, Business Intelligence, Cloud Computing, IT, SAP, Project Management and more.

Read more

Big Data : A Big Step for Big Life

Big Data has not only given giant companies new ways to maximize their profit, but also given data scientists and researchers a new way to understand and work on complex phenomenon, and also given generalists a new unique technique to generate their stories. A few years ago, forecast of future scenario of any company was just dreaming of dreamers, but the big data made it possible. Now company knows where they will stand after one year. This is revolution.

The overall cost of collecting and analyzing big data is quite high, so naturally, companies are trying to squeeze maximum information from their big data.

The ultimate value of big data is always dependent on how effectively companies use it to make more profit and how long is data expected to be relevant enough for use.

Difficulties in deriving information from big data

As the name suggests, big data is huge enough to make things very difficult for those who fetch valuable information from it. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack.  It really is a challenge for analytics to bring down the valuable information from millions of chains of data. But considering the importance of big data, big companies spend dollars to evaluate that valuable information. That’s the call of today’s global market.

Analytics-“Data’s value maker”

The quality of information fetched from big data is totally dependent on the quality of Analytics behind it.  Research shows that analytics is one of the biggest factors and differentiators between companies that fetch the most value from their big data and companies that don’t.

Analytics avail the hidden information to the companies, which help the policy makers to take accurate decisions in favor of companies, to maximize their profit. Increase in the income graph reflects the importance of analytics in big companies.

Data Explosion- “rise of fully digital world”

The explosion of world of data is pretty new. As is year 2000, only one quarter of all the information available in the world was stored in digital form, the rest was preserved on the paper, or over films or by any other analog media. But as the rate of expansion of data is very high, the situation has swiftly inverted. And today only 2% of the data are in non-digital form. This is a huge change which took place in the comparatively very short span of time. The need of digitization and advancement in technology is the root cause.

That day is not so far, when we have our dream world- “fully digital world”.


The Future- “Where data is everything”

In this rapidly digitizing world, a world of data is expanding exponentially. In a single marketing firm, millions of stacks of data are generated every day by customer’s transactions alone. These data are stored and preserved. And new hubs of data keep on adding. You can imagine, data are actually flooding.

The biggest challenge in today’s world is management and preservation of valuable data effectively. The data is to be preserved, because it holds valuable information with it.  Researchers and scientists are working hard on developing techniques to extract a maximum of valuable information from big data.

The future will definitely bring a new data dominant world. A world where anything and everything will totally be based on some data.  And by observing the pace of development of the digital world, anyone can say that- “that day is not so far”.


About the Author:

Vaishnavi Agrawal loves pursuing excellence through writing and have a passion for technology. She has successfully managed and run personal technology magazines and websites. She currently writes for Intellipaat, a global training company that provides e-learning and professional certification training.

The courses offered by Intellipaat address the unique needs of working professionals. She is based out of Bangalore and has an experience of 5 years in the field of content writing and blogging. Her work has been published on various sites related to Big Data, Business Intelligence, Project Management, Cloud Computing, IT, SAP, Project Management and more.

Read more

Redefine Technology with Big Data Management

 
Big data describes the large volume of both unstructured and structured data which is not handled by traditional database. Big data usually includes data sets with sizes beyond the ability of commonly used software tools to capture, curate, manage, and process the data within time. Technology is changing the way financial institutions operate, markets are organized, and consumers and businesses interact with investment banks. It will also offer insight on the struggle between regulation and adopting smarter operations for demanding clients. It will offer new ideas for technology and information executives on the next wave of innovation – not only what banks are doing today, but what they are planning for tomorrow.

Ready access to data, quickly and with rich analysis and visualization, has qualitatively, as well as quantitatively, changed the communication patterns and hence the decision processes in many Technologies. Business intelligence software provides actionable and manageable information that can improve chain’s efficiency—from manufacturer through to the end-user. The goal of big data management is to ensure a high level of data quality and accessibility for business big data analytics applications and intelligence. The primary objective of analyzing big data is to support organizations in making better business decisions.
 
End-to-End Visibility –

Business intelligence software can provide far greater transparency by handling big data correctly. Business intelligence creates improved end-to-end transparency, and provides access to the inner workings of a business.

Avoid vendor lock-in and fragmented solutions -
Data proliferation demands innovative infrastructure, self-service analytics access and effective management. Big data solution providers address a fraction of the hardware stack or make you rip and replace your infrastructure.

Data organization-
Data has become most powerful resource for any business, especially for eCommerce stores, it’s a daunting task to collect data from multiple sources and organize it in a way that it gives useful information to business owners.  Big data provides solution to all the challenges of data handling and also helps in analyzing data for making better business decisions. 

Better Collaboration -
Collaboration is the fundamental rule of logistics management: if one link in the chain is severed, the entire process can fall apart. Building relationship after relationship is a fundamental step in the supply chain, which is used to make better collaboration one of the most important ways that big data influences the supply chain market. Business intelligence, and the software that comes with it, makes maintaining supplier-buyer relationships simple.

Pinpoint Focus –
Big data provides real time updates and insights, which is essential to achieving better focus. As you receive that intelligence, you can make any business changes necessary, large or small, to exact specifications.

Here are some examples of a combination of different tools for big data insights:

• Cloud is extensible, scalable, flexible, elastic, self-healing, on-demand, etc. and used to provide the inexpensive hardware/software platform with all applications (such as Kapow, SAP Intelligence Analysis for Public Sector application by Palantir, SAP, Sybase IQ, CRM, SAP Data Services with text analytics) for rapid ramp-up at lower capital cost requirements.
• Hadoop provides reliable data storage and high-performance parallel data processing – the ability to store extremely large data sets.
• SAP HANA provides the extremely accelerated business warehouse/enterprise data warehouse.

About the Author:

Vaishnavi Agrawal loves pursuing excellence through writing and have a passion for technology. She has successfully managed and run personal technology magazines and websites. She currently writes for intellipaat.com, a global training company that provides e-learning and professional certification training.

The courses offered by Intellipaat address the unique needs of working professionals. She is based out of Bangalore and has an experience of 5 years in the field of content writing and blogging. Her work has been published on various sites related to Big Data, Business Intelligence, Project Management, Cloud Computing, IT, SAP, Project Management and more.

Read more

The potential of Big Data in Digital Marketing

Big Data is a solution to the problem of ever increasing data volume and variability.  For marketers Big Data is like a gold mine for its ability to handle complexity of information.  The ability to take data driven decisions based on Big Data analytics is a powerful resource for digital marketers.

Big Data serves four major purposes for any organization in terms of digital marketing.

1 Customer Engagement

Big Data allows you to collect as much as data possible about the customers. You can learn about who your customers are and where they are from. You can gain insights on their interactions with your online store or website. Learning about the demographics and preferences helps you to provide them a user experience which would be most suited for them. For example Big Data can help you find that most of your customers from a particular age group and when they like to be contacted and which marketing collateral will be appropriate for them.

2 Customer Retention and loyalty

Big Data can help you learn about what is the reason behind the return visits of the customers. Is it the price, the product display, the brands, the offers or any other contributing factor which is helping your customers in making a decision to return to your store? This is the most powerful insight that Big Data can give you which will help you in retaining your customers and design a well planned customer loyalty program.

3 Optimizing Marketing

Big Data will also help in keeping track of your marketing efforts. It will give you insights about which social media channel is best suited for your marketing campaign. It will help you understand how much effectively your marketing efforts were able to create desired results for you.  You can easily tweak your marketing campaign based on insights gain from Big Data analytics. For example you were able to learn through Big Data analysis that most of the audience responded to your videos than your email marketing or posts.  The next time you can channelize your efforts more towards creating videos for your brand rather than investing time in email campaign.

4 Forecast

Big Data will help you forecast when would be the best time to develop & implement marketing plans.  Big Data helps derive meaning and trends from large volume of data. With the analysis of past purchase behaviour of your customer you would be able to predict when the demand rises and when there is fall in demand. You can use this insight in making better marketing related decisions.



Conclusion

Big Data is becoming very important part of your digital marketing efforts as more and more organizations are becoming data driven.  Big Data will be able to provide value from this data which was not utilized earlier. Big data will provide competitive edge to the marketers as they will be able to make better decisions and will be well informed about the customer’s preferences. The businesses that will be not using Big data will be bring a knife to a war which is fought with guns.

About the Author:


Vaishnavi Agrawal loves pursuing excellence through writing and have a passion for technology. She has successfully managed and run personal technology magazines and websites. She currently writes for intellipaat.com, a global training company that provides e-learning and professional certification training. The courses offered by Intellipaat address the unique needs of working professionals. She is based out of Bangalore and has an experience of 5 years in the field of content writing and blogging. Her work has been published on various sites related to Big Data, Business Intelligence, Project Management, Cloud Computing, IT, SAP, Project Management and more.

Read more

Programming and Tech Tips For All To Use

Programming and technology points have been rather prevalent and important to explore over the years. There is a clear need to take a look at such programming plans can be used in any spot though. There are a few sensible tips that may be used today in order to help people understand what is required of them when getting their setups ready for whatever it is they want to create and establish. These are all sensible tips that can work wonders for anyone these days. 


Code analysis programs are always helpful.
 
Code analysis programs are being used these days to help with testing out the codes that are being used in computers and if they are actually active and functional as desired. Programs like Klocwork, Polyspace, Pretty Diff and Black Duck Suite have been big hits with many who want to find ways to get their programming efforts to be as easy to handle as possible. All programmers need to take a look at what code analysis programs are available for use in their environments. Of course, these will vary based on what is available for use.

Always check the code before troubleshooting anything.

The most important tip to use is to check the code before any troubleshooting activities can take place. This is to ensure that there are not going to be any problems coming out of a program that could only be made worse if some professional troubleshooting functions are managed at any time.

Work with the Final variable.

The Final keyword needs to be used when drafting variables the right way. This is to see that values of items cannot be set more than once after they start running. This can be used to keep the items in the website as consistent and accurate as possible so nothing wrong can happen with them being used at a given time.

Use only one side effect at a time.

It is typically best to stick with one side effect at a given time. Side effects refer to what happens in addition to getting certain values ready in the programming process. It is best to keep the programming process as simple as possible in this case.

Create more accurate and direct names.

Finally, all processes must be used with their own unique and specific names. This is to ensure that the process of generating data will not be all that hard to handle. If the right plans are created in this case then the overall process of coding items will be a little easier for all to work with.

Watch for cut and paste processes.

While cut and paste processes may be useful and can help anyone to save time in the process of getting items ready, you need to be rather cautious. Use cut and paste if the program is a little easier to work with and is not going to be far too complicated. If the program is going to be easier to read though cut and paste processes then it should be just fine as it is. The key is to ensure that the programs being used are as easy to handle as demanded and will not be all that tough to use.

Programming and tech processes are all fascinating things for people to take a careful look at when it comes to finding ways to get a program to really stand out and to work as well as it needs to. The right plans must be established as a means of getting anything to work properly and with more than enough control as needed. After all, a good code setup needs to be designed to keep anything running with ease and clarity in mind.


Author Bio

David Miller is an educational researcher who has several years of experience in the field of teaching, online testing and training. He is associated with prestigious universities and many leading educational research organizations. Currently, he is pursuing research in eLearning software and is also a contributing author with ProProfs.

Read more

The Power of an App to Boost Your E-Commerce Business

More and more websites are building apps for their business and the trend is catching on with eCommerce businesses too. There is a great deal of benefit from having your own app for your eCommerce business. It is a good way of maintaining brand recognition, it keeps your customers loyal, and it removes competition that you would normally have to compete with online.

Your app is a constant reminder that your business exists
Once an app is installed onto a mobile device, it may act as an ambassador for your eCommerce site. It is a way of reminding your customer that your business exists, which is handy for when they want to buy one of your products. The sheer convenience of the app means that the consumer would not feel compelled to look online for a better deal. The idea of a better deal may not even cross the users’ mind; he or she may simply click your app and buy without a second thought.

Brand recognition is literally installed into a mobile device
Your app should be branded, and if it is then you have inadvertently installed a brand advert onto your user’s mobile device. They are going to be exposed to the app when they search through their apps looking for other programs. Subconsciously, this is going to have a drip-drip marketing effect, where the user does not know that he or she is keeping your brand fresh in his or her mind.

The fact that your app is installed on someone’s mobile device means that they may also form an emotional attachment to it. Most people do not recognize that they have formed emotional attachments to their apps until they are asked to delete some, at which point they experience a feeling of sadness, loss, and even withdrawal in the case of people addicted to their phones (there are more of them than you think).

It is easier than searching online amongst your competitors
If your customer were to go online and look for your products, then he or she would have to search for the product, at which point he or she would be exposed to your competitors. With an app this is not a problem, because the customer simply clicks on your app, finds your products and buys them. There is no risk of your customer being exposed to a cheaper product from your competitor.

A customer can be loyal to your business without even trying
It is nice to be loyal to just one company, but it is even nicer if they make it easy for you. For example, if you personally shop for your groceries online, then you probably use one superstore more often than you use others. Wouldn’t it be nice if you simply had to tap an app when you want to buy groceries? Where all you have to do is pick your items and submit the order? By creating an app, you can give your loyal customers this same luxury (convenience).

You are able to present your products in a more dynamic manner
An app has more potential than a web browser, especially a web browser on a mobile device. With an app you can show people animations involving your products, or product demonstration videos. You can even show them three dimensional images that they may manipulate with their finger.

You could add noises to the app, and even create a live stream so that you can update prices and submit offers that update on the app. You can even create a private area where the app user gets a special discount because he or she downloaded your app.

John Kravz is a representative of Vpn-guru.com. Read more about hidemyass vpn.

Read more

What is Promotional Merchandise?

Promotional merchandise, as the name indicates, is an essential advertising instrument that can be used to expose your company, products or services to a wider audience. In addition to product exposure, using promotional merchandise, such as custom flash drive, helps in increasing your business’s brand awareness. By far, giving away promo product to prospects for free is one of the best and most effective marketing tools available today. Whether you are looking for a way to establish an advertising space or a tool that would keep you in touch of your past customers, giving away promo products like custom USB drives is a great way to build a profitable and lasting business.

There are a lot of perks that can be obtained from giving away free promotional merchandise to consumers. One of the most obvious benefits of giving away free promo products is its can help introduce your business to a great number of new prospects. Basically, handing out these promo items will not just expose your brand to your local market, but it will help introduce your business to the internet markets as well. Since promotional products like custom USB drives are usually handy and transportable, a great part of your recipients will most likely carry these products wherever they go. If the recipient happens to be a traveler who frequently moves from one country to another, your services, products as well as business will get some exposure to some of the countries where he or she has gone by.

Another benefit that can be derived from handing out free promotional stuff is that it can help you save a great deal of money from your marketing and advertising expenses. While media advertisements from magazines, televisions and radio would cost millions of dollars a year, a dozen of custom flash drives would only cost you twenty five dollars or even less. What’s more, you can get bargained deals for these items when you buy them in wholesale orders. So, if you are looking for an economical yet an effective way of promoting your business, make sure to consider giving away custom promo products for free.

To make the most out of your advertising campaign, make sure to choose promo products that durable and long-lasting. Keep in mind that your advertising campaign will last for as long as your products remain functional and useful. Basically, giving them away during a tradeshow is just the beginning of what might be a very long advertising campaign. If your promo products are durable and long-lasting, your advertising campaign will last up to six years or even more.

Give away promo products that can be used by the recipient on a daily basis. In this case, you can hand out functional and useful items like custom USB drives, pens, calendars, bag, and many more. As much as possible, avoid giving away candies, treats and other edible items.

Always buy promo products from a reputable an established supplier like Save On Promotions. By doing so, not only will you get high-grade promo products, but you also get to save a lot of money from your promotional campaign.

Jasmine is one of the reliable person in promoting products .If you are looking for attractive electronic gadgets then you can visit save on promotions. We have huge stock of components available for you.

Read more

Sharing Knowledge within Your Business

The knowledge that your company has internally is incredibly useful if applied and shared among your staff. With this knowledge you can improve your sales and employee satisfaction and reach a wider customer base. But the key is sharing the knowledge sources you have. You do not want to make the mistake of withholding knowledge in your business, or limiting knowledge to only a handful of people. If only three people have knowledge on a certain topics and one quits, and another retires, then you are left with only one. You want to establish efficient ways to share your knowledge within your company.

Knowledge Sharing
You might already conduct staff meetings as a place to share knowledge but you should not limit yourself. Try holding brainstorming sessions where your employees are free to share ways they think the company could improve. Hold an innovative workshop where employees can share ideas about how to improve practice. You should also create a knowledge bank where information is held and steps for administering tasks are held. This can be placed on a private company network where staff can post new suggestions or ideas regularly.

Knowledge Management
Technology, when used to share knowledge within a company, must be carefully managed and channeled. You might want to designate the role of knowledge manager and assign it to a senior manager. You can also offer incentives for employees that post new suggestions in order to encourage knowledge sharing. And of course, never underestimate the importance of training in order to share knowledge within your company.

Creating a Knowledge Strategy
Of course your company will want to get the most from the knowledge you have. And to do this you need to create a strategy for discovering and sharing your knowledge. You should write out the guidelines that can be applied throughout your company. In order for your company to enjoy an effective strategy, your senior managers must commit to the strategy and must familiarize themselves with the benefits associated with it. You can talk to them about how to use the knowledgebase software and how to collect it, and then appoint one manager to be the knowledge manager for your company. When you are creating your knowledge strategy you need to consider the current level of effectiveness your company has with using knowledge. You also need to analyze the internal processes you have for collecting and sharing knowledge. Ask yourself if you currently have successful ways of generating ideas and if your staff is aware of what is going on. Make sure that you integrate this knowledge strategy into your business strategy, because it is a continuing process that should be central to your business goals. It is important that you identify how valuable your knowledge is to your company. Try and figure out what your company can gain financially from your knowledge. You might be able to develop a new product or license intellectual property or even gain a bigger market share. Whatever you decide be sure that it fits within your business plan.

Gaining and Managing Knowledge
There are many ways in which your company can gain and manage new knowledge. Information technology is one of the biggest tools you have at your disposal in this regard. Some systems are time consuming and others are complex but there are sure to be a few that fit within your business and can improve your business without being too time consuming. You might consider a database or a data warehouse. Your company might prefer to use data mining techniques or use reporting and querying tools. Whatever you decide make sure that it fits within your company’s business plan and goals.


Author Bio:
David Miller is an educational researcher, involved in the fields of teaching and online learning. He is associated with prestigious universities and many leading educational research organizations. As an ed-tech veteran, his area of research also includes new technologies for online training such as Online Survey Software. Currently David is experimenting with flipped classroom models and ProProfs.

Read more

Why Smart Watches Will Time Out

There are a huge variety of reasons why Smart Watches won’t work in the mass market. While gimmicky enough to excite the gadget collector, getting the mainstream consumer to buy into them will prove far more difficult. Especially, when they are put in context with better options out there.

Today’s Smart Phones are reaching the maturity of product lifecycle and coming into their own. Smart Phone cameras are actually competing with standalone cameras and not failing. Smart Phone apps are changing our lives in terms of how productive we as a society have become, how we track our movements, where we visit and how we socialise online.

Smart Watches are bad value for money. Comparing the Samsung Galaxy Gear Smart Watch to the iPhone 5S Smart Phone shows the real lack of quality features across the board. What’s worse is the lack of an USP or killer feature.

When developing Smart Watches, someone, somewhere, forget about one major target audience. Women won’t buy a Smart Watch. Why? There simply too ugly, too clunky and not an aspirational enough fashion accessory to justify the price point. And, traditionally far more women than men wear a watch, not just to tell time, but as an adornment. Many women see watches as akin to jewellery.

No one size fits all. Rules to live by in the rag trade, but what the Smart Watch developers haven’t noticed yet. Wrist size varies and so does eyesight. The screens in most Smart Watches are tiny.

In a world where people are always connected, taking the next step and seemingly talking to your wrist out loud might seem logical, but how crazy will you look? A lot of people find it hard to talk to hands-free-kits in the car. Do we honestly think Smart Watches will be the gadget to normalise what is perceived by many to be talking to oneself?

There are numerous early adopters out there. Time will tell how successful they will be but for the most part, don’t expect a stampede, after all, there not iPhones.

Read more

The World Of Satellite Broadband - Is It The Solution For You?

Satellite broadband could shortly be supplying internet access with speeds as much as 10Mb, all over the UK;even if you reside in an isolated area where you are unable to get a fixed-line or mobile broadband connection.

Satellite broadband deals
Isolated and rural areas have been suffering broadband woes for a very long time – that’s where satellite broadband comes in. Satellite broadband is a choice available for those users who live in rural or remote areas where traditional fixed-line based broadband services aren't available.

At the moment satellite broadband technology accounts for only 2 per cent of all internet connections. However there are reports predicting growth in this sector, both in consumer uptake and product versatility. The worldwide subscribers are also expected to rise by a large proportion as prices plummet due to decreasing technology cost.

Satellite broadband does not need a setup of cables or wires to connect your residence to the internet, which is a major advantage over standard connections requiring a wire based setup linked into telephone exchanges. Satellite broadband is the epitome of wireless-ness.

There are three major satellite broadband providers in the UK, namely Tariam, Eutelsat and Astra.

Should I get satellite broadband?
Satellite broadband uses a satellite dish to provide access to broadband services. However speeds are normally lower than standard connections. The major advantage of satellite broadband is that it can be provided virtually anywhere on the globe. It is as an option to fill in broadband connection in areas that are hard to reach, or are unlikely to receive a wired or mobile connection; but for many, it doesn't provide a service as good as fixed broadband products.

The satellite broadband download speeds up to 2010 were only up to 3.6Mb. However, Eutelsat finished its developments in satellite Internet in 2010, which allowed the download speed to increase threefold.
The download limits are also relatively small compared to a fixed-line connection.

The cheapest package provides download allowanced of only around 2GB per month. This highlights how satellite broadband is unsuitable for heavy usage, such as downloading large amounts of data and files etc. The expensive packages provide around 10-30GB per month of download allowance, which typically costs more than £100.

Satellite broadband is also much less reliable than standard connections. The broadband signal has to travel a long, long way (up to the satellite) so there is high latency, and can be data loss, or even transmission failure. This makes it an unsuitable choice for online gaming, online TV services, video conferencing and other real time applications that require a high speed reliable internet connection.

Independent Broadband
Despite the few drawbacks, the biggest advantage of satellite broadband is that it does not need to be connected to the UK's fixed-line network. Dependence on the BT copper network is a big problem for people who live in isolated parts of the UK. Satellite broadband transmits the broadband signal via satellite so you can receive the signals wherever you reside. Satellite broadband means you can be totally independent of standard broadband networks.

What else do I need to know about satellite broadband?
In order to use satellite broadband, you will need to install a satellite dish (which is not a small one) along with a transmitter to be able to send data. The primary installation cost is a expensive, regardless of the provider you select. It can be around £300 if you install it manually yourself and it can go as high as £700 if you want a professional to come and install it. The majority of suppliers charge a connection fee of around £30. You will also require a satellite modem and a broadband router. Most providers give these for free along with the installation, but sometimes you have to pay for them separately.

In addition to the expensive set-up costs, the monthly satellite broadband fee is also higher than standard fixed-line connections, or mobile broadband connections. The monthly package costs can range from £20 to £35 for a very basic package.

Another small concern for people using satellite broadband is that extreme weather conditions can affect the connection. Heavy snow, rain or high winds are part and parcel of remote regions normally and these can all impede the signal. Satellite broadband requires a clear undisturbed line of sight between the satellite and the dish, and if anything gets in the way of this, like moisture in rain, then it may cause problems in the link.

Normal rain showers shouldn’t affect connection but a large storm could render you broadband-less.
Eutesat now transmits its broadband signals at a very high frequency so it is doubtful that there will be too much disturbance with this provider. If the weather is extreme you should not expect decent connectivity though.

The decision on satellite broadband
The installation and set-up costs of Satellite broadband are much higher than for standard conventional fixed-line broadband. Satellite broadband is also well below cable based connections in terms data transfer speed. Despite these facts, Satellite broadband offers a solution where no other may exist.It provides connectivity to those users who are unable to get a connection on a copper or a fibre line. It is not a cheap option but if you need internet connectivity, and can’t get online by any other means, then you should probably look at Satellite broadband.

Find out when your area is getting mobile and fixed broadband
If you are considering satellite broadband then you should first find out when super fast broadband is going to be rolled out to your area. There are plans afoot to bring fibre to much of the UK, and 4G mobile broadband is on its way to much of the UK too. Both of these options are probably preferable to satellite broadband. If you have a service arriving in a few months you will feel silly if you have just forked out £700 to install satellite broadband and won’t need it anymore.

Satellite broadband technology is expected to keep on improving and providing better speeds and reliability in the future. Great news for the marine industry and for those people on land that have no prospects for the arrival of fixed line broadband.

Phil Turner considered satellite broadband after he moved to a really remote part of the country. Before he made any final decision he checked out deals and the availability of other broadband connections by using online price comparisod n sites like uSwitch.

Read more

What Are The UK Broadband Fair Use Policies?

In an effort to regulate the use of broadband UK broadband providers have introduced fair use policies.These policies are the way that providers control cyber traffic. The problem is that certain people may be hit harder than others; and not always fairly.Certain providers in the market are considered fairer than others. By knowing all the information about fair use policies you will you be able to find the best provider for you. So here you go…

Who gets affected the most?
As the fair use policy was created to keep cyber traffic down, heavy internet users are the most commonly affected.The actual theory behind the policy is that certain people may be affected by the heavy usage of others. By implementing the fair usage policy low usage consumers will not be affected by the heavy usage consumers.The fact is that you are likely to be sharing your connection with around 40 to 49 other people.The usual maximum contention ratio for a broadband connection is around 50:1.This means that your connection could be affected by what 49 other people are doing.If one user is regularly affecting the internet of the other users then the service provider will do something.

There are certain criteria which you can use to determine whether you are going to be affected by the fair use policy.People who download large files through peer-to-peer networks and online gamers are often affected.Others who use their home broadband for business might find their connections throttled.

To avoid being affected by the fair usage policy you can try cutting down how much you use your internet.Of course this is not an option that most people want to adopt.Another option is to limit your high usage activities to times when other people will not be online.If you are downloading large files when no-one else is online you will not be as severely affected by the policy.

Fair use policy penalties
When you first sign up to a service provider large downloads will generally be allowed for the first couple of months.If this trend persists the provider may get in touch with you and ask that you limit your usage a bit.Of course if you continuously exceed limits then fair use action is likely to follow.

There are a number of ways that this can impact.The first penalty will be the throttling of your connection.When this action is taken your connection speed will be slowed dramatically, particularly during peak times.Another form of action will be the charging for excess usage and the restriction of access to certain peer-to-peer sharing websites.There have been terminations of contracts in some very extreme cases.

Disputing your fair use policy penalty
If you do feel you have been unfairly penalized on the fair use policy there are a few things you can do.The first step would be to contact your service provider and try to resolve this issue with them.If you are unable to do that you should get in touch with Ofcom.Ofcom is the regulator for the telecommunication industry and other industries.The regulator will look into any complaints you have about your provider and try to help bring a resolution to the issue.They won’t always look at individual cases so it might be worth talking to people in your area on the same network to get a little people-power going.

Which UK broadband provider is the fairest?
There are certain providers which are considered to be fairer than others.You should look at the fair use policy of the provider and the traffic management strategies being used.

Sky Fair Usage
Sky is one of the most well-known service providers out there.They are also considered to be very fair in their policies.If you have an unlimited package with this provider you will not be subject to traffic management or fair use policies.This stand has caused high demand for their broadband, which can affect the overall speed of the connection.

The only packages that have a traffic management policy with this provider is the out-of-area packages.For these users traffic management will be in place mostly during peak times on weekdays, where certain kinds of traffic are prioritized.This scheme will not affect Sky Lite and unlimited customers.

Virgin Media Fair Usage
Virgin Media is another one of the most influential UK broadband service providers.While Virgin services are very popular the problem is that the industry sees package fairness level as errr… unfair.Most of the cable broadband deals offered by this provider are considered to be unlimited. However even the highest package is subject to traffic management schemes for people who go over certain usage limits.The traffic management scheme applies mainly during the day time and there are certain limits, which need to be considered.Once the limit has been reached the speed of the broadband connection can be cut by up to 75%. The reductions in speed will last around 5 hours even if you only exceeded the limit minutes before peak times end.

BT Fair Usage
BT is the telecommunications giant in the world of UK broadband.BT is seen as very fair in the implementation of their fair use policy.In fact the unlimited broadband packages offered by this provider are now truly unlimited and are not subject to any policy.If you are not on the unlimited package, but have BT vision, you will be given additional bandwidth.Before the move to truly unlimited broadband BT traffic management schemes targeted certain people.These people were those who used peer-to-peer websites during peak hours of the day during the week and on weekends.

Plusnet Fair Usage
Plusnet is another provider which many people have been drawn to. They are advertising heavily in the UK at the momentThe fair use policy for this provider is considered to be fair.For unlimited packages there is no fair use policy or rate limiting in place with this provider.However, even with the lack of fair use policy there is a traffic management scheme in place.The scheme with this provider is actually very detailed and called traffic prioritisation.The prioritised traffic on unlimited packages will be VOIP and gaming traffic first, followed by browsing and email, then download and sharing activities.

Phil Turner likes nothing more than when he can help his family and friends save a little money. He always advises them to shop around on price comparison websites when they need a great deal. They even have the latest the latest UK broadband offers so the sites are really helpful for those looking to upgrade their current service.

Read more

5 Finance Apps to Make Your Life Easier

Planning finances isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do.  When we sit down and look at our incomings and outgoings, it is easy to get in the mind-set that everything is fixed and we simply have to accept our situation. 

However, when we take a closer look at things, we can often find that there are opportunities to save money.  What most people don’t invest in is the truth that a lot of small savings fast add up into a serious sum of money.  If sitting down and going through your finances doesn’t appeal to you, or you aren’t the best at keeping track of your spending, then you can always decide to use finance apps instead.  This infographic brings together the best five iOS premium apps related to financial management, all of which can help you plan, save, and hand you back control of your financial affairs.

Jenny loves the financial world and is currently looking for Dealmarket private equity funding opportunities.  She was a big user of finance apps when she was at University to help her plan spending.

Read more

Preparing For Cyber Monday - Infographic

The increasing ease and popularity of online shopping has given way to the rise of a new shopping holiday, aptly named Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is the Black Friday for e-commerce; online stores offer huge discounts on a wide variety of products for one day only. In fact, it has become so big that $1.465 billion was spent Cyber Monday alone in 2012. (Source: Doba.com)

This insightful infographic dives into the facts and figures surrounding commerce trends during Cyber Monday as well the holiday season in general, including what people preferred to buy, and how business prepare to handle the large influx of shoppers. For example, according to figures presented a majority of online shoppers (31.4%) took to their computers on Cyber Monday to buy clothing. As a business owner, this infographic offers invaluable information on attracting more customers for the shopping season, like including free shipping and investing in Google product listing ads.

The author created this infographic to inform readers on how to prepare their business for Cyber Monday.

Read more

Top 5 Most Popular Free Games In Nederland

All games have come a long way over the years. Nowadays you can see people from all walks of life playing games in public vehicles and in waiting rooms trying to beat their best scores. In Nerdeland, gratis spelletjes have become popular. The market is also flooded with a variety of games and more games are still developed every day to keep the pace of the market demand. Here are the top 5 most popular free games in Nederland.

Angry birds

This is the most interesting and popular game which is available for free on Androids. The most important reason of its popularity is about its addictive nature and easy in playing. it has a mixture of humor and cute graphics with well designed physics. This has made it to be the most popular in Nederland among all gratis spelletjes available. It involves some angry birds as the name suggests where by a gamer tries to destroy pigs and angry birds. It was developed by Rovio, it has been downloaded over 100 million times and it has been rated 5 out of 5 for its fun experience that makes you to play again and again. 

Fruit Ninja

Fruit Ninja is also one of the top 5 most popular games in Nederland, just close to Angry birds and it involves swiping over the screen and cutting the fruits thrown into the air. The more you swipe them and not allowing them to fall down the more points you get. It is not free although not expensive. If you have a certain penchant for slicing fruit, it can be great for you. You only need to be cutting the fruits by swiping across the screen. It can sometimes sound dull but after the inclusion of bombs and other elements you can be addicted to it and continue playing. This game was developed by Half Bake studios and it has been downloaded over 20 million times and it gets a rating of 4 out of 5 because of its popularity.

WordsWithFriends

This is another popular game that lets you to play with friends and opponents with or without Android operating system. For instance you can use Android and play it with a friend using an iPhone. It is the only game with this feature and it is free to download.

Doodle Jump

Doodle Jump is one of the hottest mobile games. It is simple and easy to play by just tilting your phone from left to right without pressing any button and trying to jump to different platforms while being attacked by enemies. You therefore avoid these enemies as you jump from one platform to another. It is a real fun game and addicting.

Bejeweled

Bejeweled is another popular gratis spelletjes in Nederland but very difficult to defeat. You are required to match the gems, making horizontal and vertical lines during a timed play that adds pressure element. It has been in the market for quite some time and it has a rating of 4 out of 5.

Other than the above mentioned most popular free games in Nederland, you can also get other games which are equally interesting, depending on your desire. You can explore the different types of games, compare them, get informed about the newest trends and other advanced games being released. There are several free games in Nederland you can choose from. However, let’s face it, you will get some favorite and fall for them. You might therefore be having a personal preference of gratis spelletjes, because there are thousands of free games in the market.

Shopon is an online game enthusiast and programmer. He is also a blogger and works to popularize online game. He was awarded for his contribution in the field of online gaming industry.

Read more

Ways to Keep Your Personal Information Secure

It is estimated that 10 million individuals each year are victims of identity theft. In order to eliminate theft and fight back against fraudsters it is important to take all of the steps possible to protect your valuable information. Do not carry your Social Security card in your wallet or purse and never have a slip of paper on you that lists out your passwords to help you remember them.

All this does is give a potential hacker direct access to your accounts and information that will allow them to take advantage of you and ruin you financially. Be sure to collect your mail promptly each day so there is no opportunity for people to swipe bills and other account statements. In addition, it is a good idea to check with your various creditors and businesses you have an account with to see what they are doing to help protect your information. You can get more tips on how to prevent identity theft by reading the infographic below.

Created by Britni Zandbergen, Senior Director of Marketing at Idology.  Britni has years of experience in identity management as well as dynamic SaaS solutions.

Read more

Can You Really Get Something For Nothing? Free Gifts With Broadband

Free gifts are always tempting, especially when you're already thinking about buying something and you're getting something else for nothing. Broadband internet providers often offer broadband with free gifts, and in this article we're looking at whether or not you're really getting something for nothing. Wondering whether those free gift contracts are worth it? Read on to find out.

Where You Get the Goodies
There are plenty of online offers for free gifts, and you can check out any broadband comparison web site, such as uswitch.com, to check out what's on offer. You'll obviously need to sign a broadband contract to get your gift, so you'll need to be in a position both to get a new contract (i.e. you're not currently under contract elsewhere) and to legally sign a contract, so you'll need to be a UK resident and over the age of eighteen.

Routers and Tech Stuff
By far the most common free gift offer that you're going to find is for a free router. You'll probably want a router, since this will mean that you can access your internet connection wirelessly rather than needing to be tied down to a cable all the time. Most providers will give you a router for nothing, though you will need to be a bit careful about this one.

Whilst this isn't a scam at all, you will need to make sure that you're really getting a free gift. Not all providers are actually giving you a router, most are simply lending it to you, and you'll be required to return it in good condition at the end of your contract or if you cancel service. Ensure that the router is yours before attempting to make any changes or modifications to it.

If you're bundling your services, which means that you're combining say a land line phone or a cable television service in with your broadband service the same rules will apply. Particularly for cable television services you will probably be offered some form of set top box or DVR, which may or may not actually belong to you. Are you getting something for free? Yes, as long as you own it, but most likely you're just saving on rental costs and will need to return equipment when your contract expires.
 
Free Service
The next most common free “gift” is some kind of discount on services. You might get a few months free of charge, or a couple of months at half price. As long as these offers are coming directly from the broadband provider themselves, you're absolutely getting something for nothing, and you should snap these offers up. They're relatively common and constantly changing though, so make sure to check those comparison sites for the most up to date deals.

Offers of Computers and Other Devices
Right now, we're only talking about offers made directly by broadband providers, we'll come to third party offers in a moment. These deals are less common than they used to be, some providers still offer electronics such as iPods, iPads and even laptop computers to people who sign up for service. These computer deals especially are most common with mobile broadband plans, though some ADSL and cable providers also occasionally offer them.

Are you getting something for nothing? The answer is probably not, though you might be. You'll want to check out the monthly cost of the plan that you're looking at and compare it to the same plan with the same provider but without the free gift. You'll probably find that you're paying a little extra each month, especially if you're getting a computer.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you shouldn't take the offer, and if you need a new laptop this might be the way to do it. Just make sure that you're getting a device that you really want, rather than paying extra for something that you don't need. Unlike third party offers, deals like this through major broadband providers generally offer good quality products, so you shouldn't need to worry about that issue.

Third Party Offers
Now we come to an area that's a little more problematic. Some broadband providers allow other companies, usually web sites, sell contracts for them. These third parties will get a commission from each contract that they get signed. Some third parties will offer lower monthly payments than the broadband providers themselves as an incentive for you to sign with them rather than with the provider, and sacrifice a little of their commission. Others will offer free gifts.

You should be extremely careful about accepting these free gifts. They are generally offered as something generic, such as a “seven inch tablet.” You'll be given no brand name or model number, so you won't be able to research the product. When your gift arrives you'll probably find that it's a low quality or outdated model, which is why it's being given away for free.

The basic rule for accepting free gift offers from third parties is that if you don't know exactly what you're getting, down to the model number, then you should turn down the deal, since there's no guarantee that you're going to get a useful device. Even if you do know exactly what you're getting you should take the time to look online for customer reviews to make sure that other people have had a good experience with this particular offer before committing to signing a contract.

Can you get something for nothing? On today's market where there's so much competition and providers are vying for new customers, yes you can, but obviously some deals are just going to be better than others. It is possible to get a great free gift, but you'll have to know who it's coming from and know that it's something that you're actually going to use. Free service offers in particular are always a good idea, but you might get lucky and get a great new iPod or that wireless router that you really want.

Phil Turner advised his friend to check out any deals he found for broadband with free gifts. Even being careful though he found a few great deals on uSwitch.com.

Read more

The Importance Of Web Design For Small Businesses

In the modern world, firms and individuals are increasingly using the internet to enhance their businesses. Website design/development is one of the most essential services required on the internet by both individuals and firms. Web design and development requires special skills because potential customers can be disappointed by the layout and design of the website. There are several firms offering website design in Toronto and in other parts of the country. However, not all the firms provide quality and professional website development.

A good working website should not only have an incredible layout and design but also provide the relevant information about the services and products your business offers so that it can attract more traffic and potential customers. Business owners and individuals should hire website designers who will create user-friendly websites that are easy to navigate. While hiring website designers, it is important that you see their portfolio and you should determine whether they have experience in website design.

Website design is a process that involves strategic planning, meeting customer needs and demands, actual site designing and development, testing, publishing and re-evaluation. Designers should involve customers at each phase of the process so that they can provide their input or suggestions. Website design is a vast field made up of services such as search engine optimization, graphic and logo design, website development and maintenance, web applications, internet marketing and custom software development.

Website Development
Website design requires dedication, a sense of purpose, creativity and professionalism. Experience is also very essential in web development. The process of web development entails designing a website, creating web content, liaising with the client and scripting. Web development may also include a non-design element known as coding. The input for website designing should come from a team of experts like an interface designer, an online marketing strategist, an information architect and a creative strategist. The team is responsible for developing a great website that will improve your business.

Website design may fail for several reasons such as lack of trust-building elements, message mismatching and website design shortcomings. If website visitors do not trust your capability, then they will not transact with you. Some examples of trust-building elements include use of original images, professional-looking design and third party validation. Online marketers and interface designers are responsible for determining what works or fails when it comes to trust-building components. Web designers can create a site that does not provide the relevant information to customers. If the information does not meet the expectations of customers, then the website will not achieve the business objectives.

Website development has its shortcomings especially if the designers take shortcuts. Some of the shortcomings may make the website to be incompatible with some browsers or mobile phones or web pages may take a lot of time to load and some links may be broken. Such websites may require redesigning which is expensive. Website designers should create fast, amazing and interactive websites. The designers should also create perfect websites on budget and time.

Graphic and Logo Design
First impressions mean a lot to business owners. A website may require illustration, animation, freehand drawing and photography. These forms of graphic designs will determine whether your business flourishes or sinks. Logos and graphics speak directly to potential clients about the brand you are selling. They also inspire trust, familiarity and reliability. Logo design is the foundation of branding because logos capture the essence of the firm and its core values. In today’s competitive business environment, firms must have logos and graphics on their websites and other products.

Internet Marketing
Having a running business website is just half the battle. A website should have ample traffic. To achieve this, a business may consider hiring internet marketing services. Internet marketing can take the form of search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click or link building. SEO improves the ranking of your website on search engine results thereby increasing traffic to your website. Pay per click (PPC) is highly efficient in increasing traffic to a website although it comes at a cost. Internet marketing requires creativity and dedication. The marketing team should be able to mix aspects of web design/development with advertisement, for better results.

Each and every strategy used should not only increase traffic to a particular website but also increase business sales. By hiring a full set of web solutions and services, a firm or individual will have a web presence and better platform for marketing their brands.

This post is written by Larry Smith, the Director of Marketing at Cloud SEO, who is an expert in Online Advertising and SEO and a specialist in the management of Google AdWords Advertising Campaigns.

Read more

Four Of The Best Productivity Tools

Most of us carry our smartphones with us every day, so it makes sense to use them for more than just making calls. Here's a quick look at six of the best productivity aids for busy office workers.

EverNote
EverNote is a free to use productivity suite which includes mobile apps, a browser plugin and a web app. Use EverNote to store notes about almost everything in the cloud, and access those notes from any device with an Internet connection.

HootSuite
Manage multiple social media accounts in one handy interface with HootSuite. Share access to your accounts with the premium package, which starts at £7.19 per month.

Remember The Milk
Remember The milk is a free mobile app that makes managing to do lists easy. Upgrade to the Pro version for $25/year to enjoy the ability to get push notifications about urgent tasks, sync your apps anywhere, and use widgets and badges to be reminded about upcoming To Do items.

Basecamp
Basecamp is the ultimate project management tool for large and small companies. You can try Basecamp for free for up to 60 days, and full accounts start at just $20/month. For that fee, you can run up to ten projects at a time, and take advantage of 3GB of cloud storage for those projects.

A Name Badges International Infographic

Read more

Elements Of Modern Construction Software Solutions

Technological advances have led to increased utility in the field of construction software. For small to medium-sized companies, software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions can reduce the initial cost of implementation and can provide added support and stability for these advanced technological systems. Understanding the basic elements of construction software packages can provide increased insights into the most effective uses for these systems in boosting productivity and supporting your company's ongoing construction projects.

Dashboard

The primary interface for SaaS systems is the dashboard, which typically allows access to the most commonly used applications and may provide a convenient display of current project information. Secure login technologies allow staff members to work from home or from anywhere with a high-speed Internet connection. Drop-down dashboard menus allow users to obtain additional information about specific projects or work activities.

Cloud Access

Most SaaS systems allow users to access their dashboards and applications securely through cloud computing technologies. Customized logins can ensure that each staff member has access to the specific applications and data necessary for his or her job duties; this can boost productivity and reduce security risks in the workplace.

Scheduling Applications

Shared calendars and email alert systems can ensure compliance with contractual obligations and can prevent scheduled events from slipping through the cracks. Establishing tiered access levels can ensure that only authorized personnel can edit or delete items already in place, guaranteeing optimal protection for these critical scheduling applications.

Centralized Data Storage

Most construction software platforms incorporate searchable data storage for contracts, documents and other business-oriented digital information. Creating hierarchies and categories within these storage systems can allow a greater degree of control over access and editing privileges in the workplace environment.

Contract Management

Contract management is a critical element in managing construction projects effectively. Tracking and monitoring contractual obligations and ensuring that all deadlines are met can protect the company's reputation for reliability and can allow a greater measure of control for supervisors and managers in the corporate structure.

Punch Lists

Punch list applications are designed specifically to allow access via mobile devices while on the construction site. Mobile apps intended for professional use have become immensely popular in recent years; it is estimated that as many as 200 million workers perform at least some part of their job duties using a mobile device. Punch lists are ideally suited for adaptation to the mobile environment and can provide added convenience on the construction site.

Technical Drawing Programs

Drawing management software is designed to streamline the drafting process and to help construction firms manage multiple sets of plans and track changes as they occur. By maintaining a historical record of previous project iterations and revisions, construction firms can more effectively manage the demands of the client and the requirements of the project.

By incorporating the power of advanced SaaS arrangements in managing the computing needs of your construction firm, you can provide your staff members with the tools they need to succeed. Construction software solutions can enhance productivity and ensure on-time completion of projects in progress to create added profitability and improved market position in the housing industry.

Elements of Modern Construction Software Solutions

Grant runs a small construction company, where he uses a software system to handle many of his business needs. He has found that technology developed expressly for the requirements of this industry has made his business run more smoothly and more securely, and recommends these solutions to others.

Read more

Asia On Track to Be Biggest Cloud Consumer

According to recent studies on cloud data usage conducted by Cisco, North Americans are currently the biggest consumers of cloud data, transmitting around 261 Exabytes of data per year. The Asia Pacific region is the next biggest consumer, transmitting 216 Exabytes of data in 2011. An Exabyte is one billion gigabytes. If that sounds like a lot of data, that’s because it is – but it’s a tiny amount compared to how much analysts believe will be used by 2016.

Cloud usage is growing more rapidly in Asia than it is in North America, so by 2016 the Asia Pacific region will be the biggest consumer of cloud data, handling 1.5 Zettabytes of data per year. That’s one and a half billion terabytes worth of data. North America will be handling 1.1 Zettabytes, with Western Europe not far behind, and also hitting the one Zettabyte barrier.

Cloud computing is a huge industry, and as this infographic shows it’s only going to get bigger as more and more industries start heading online. Software as a Service is already a ubiquitous idea, with email, messaging and even accounting products heading “always online”. Don’t miss out on the cloud revolution.

Produced by CWCS

Read more