TechColumbus

Top Ten Trends to Influence Future of Business Technology Products

noemail@techcolumbus.org — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:45:00 GMT

TechRepublic published its list of the 10 Most Important Business Technology Products of 2008. These will continue to impact business in the coming year. These are the technologies that are deemed as having the most important impact of businesses:

HP EliteBook Laptops – Already a leader in worldwide PC sales, the EliteBook from Hewlett Packard is complete with a full complement of industrial-strength features sure to make this the workhorse of corporate IT departments.

Zoho Online Productivity Suite – Zoho has quietly built a fleet of Web-based productivity and business applications more numerous and sophisticated than what Google offers and more cost effective than Microsoft Office. Especially for small businesses, Zoho allows users to truly take advantage of the Web rather than just bringing online apps into a browser.

LifeSize HD Videoconferencing – While the economy is cramping the travel budgets of most corporations, some videoconferencing solutions can be just as cost-prohibitive. LifeSize HD video conferencing offers a solution that is nearly as good as more costly alternatives, but can be implemented usually for under $40k. It uses a lot less bandwidth, also a cost savings. In the budget-conscious 2009 environment, LifeSize offers a high-quality, solution.

Splunk – Splunk is a solution for consolidating all IT data and making it viewable and searchable through Web-based reports. The pricing is simple and reasonable and will help IT departments present data in usable ways that workers can use for better and faster decision-making.

Force.com – Built on the platform that supports the very successful Salesforce.com, Force.com allows businesses to run their own applications including extensions of the Salesforce.com software to custom line-of-business applications to third-party apps for supply chain management, HR management and more. The platform streamlines the amount of time and effort it takes to successfully deploy these types of complicated applications.

Amazon Web Services – Like Salesforce.com, Amazon has taken the powerful platform on which it has built its core business and opened it up to other companies. Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers storage, databases, payment processing, fulfillment services and Web site scalability. AWS allows companies to pay as they go for services used and even some companies who aren’t ready to turn their operations completely over to an Amazon solution, are using the services to test new projects and solutions.

Palo Alto Networks Next Generation Firewall – Palo Alto Networks has introduced a more sophisticated firewall that does more than just block a specific port or protocol. It allows IT departments to set up a policy to block or restrict an entire category of applications or even specific programs. These can then be integrated into an Active Directory so that it can be applied to a specific user or user group. This can be used to more effectively protect the organization thorough more enforceable Web-surfing policies.

Apple iPhone 3G – The iPhone has made this list because of its enterprise-grade capabilities including Exchange Active Sync support and remote kill capability for IT.

Riverbed WAN Acceleration – Riverbed is the market leader in WAN acceleration products. WAN acceleration can help an IT department lower fixed leased-line costs while offering better performance for remote offices and telecommuters. WAN acceleration caches large files so that they don’t have to be repeatedly re-sent. This can significantly reduce bandwidth consumption and after the initial transfer, can dramatically decrease response times for file transfers and applications that rely on files that get transferred over the WAN.

BlackBerry Bold – Even with the splash being made by the iPhone, BlackBerry still remains the preeminent smartphone for enterprise – especially in security-sensitive environments. BlackBerry Bold takes this business favorite to the next level making it what TechRepublic refers to as the most powerful smartphone that money can buy.

For full details, see the post by Jason Hiner on TechRepublic

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/hiner/?p=893

31-Dec-08 11:45 AM

Columbus Hosts TechCrunch Editor for Informal Columbus Tech Meetup

noemail@techcolumbus.org — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:30:00 GMT

John Biggs, editor in chief of TechCrunch’s TechGear blog, called together members of the Columbus tech community for an impromptu and informal meet and greet at a local restaurant this week. In town to visit family for the holidays, Biggs, who writes not only TechCrunch, but also for the New York Times, Popular Science, Men’s Health, Laptop, Linux Journal and other leading publications, was quite surprised and pleased by the energy and enthusiasm of Columbus’ vibrant tech community – approximately 50 members of which attended the event. He posted a summary of his observations on the TechGear blog and says he plans to review a number of start ups and products that he learned about during the event in upcoming posts.

“Here’s to you, Columbus. I’ve been so coast-centric this decade that I failed to see your true worth,” he writes.

To read the full post

31-Dec-08 11:30 AM

2009 Heralds New Options for the Future of Computer Interfaces

noemail@techcolumbus.org — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:15:00 GMT

It’s hard to remember a time when the computer mouse wasn’t right there within fingertips reach. The mouse, which was met with some skepticism when it was introduced some 40 years ago, has now become ubiquitous as the primary man-machine interface in computing. However now, thanks to the popularity of the iPhone, the mouse may soon be replaced by the increasing use of touch screen technology. MIT’s Technology Review recently reported on two promising systems that are predicted to make news in 2009.

A project under development at Microsoft Research, is seeking to better marry touch sensitivity to ever-shrinking displays. Developers have added touch interaction to the backs of devices that range in size from an iPod nano to a watch or pendant. The concept is to have a device whose front is entirely a display and whose back is entirely touch sensitive (buttons would be on the side). The device was tested on four sizes of square displays measuring 2.4 inches, 1.2 inches, 0.6 inches and 0.3 inches wide. They found that people could complete tasks at roughly the same speed even on the smallest of displays. Furthermore, these back-of-the-screen prototypes performed better than the smallest front-touch devices. The project, known as nanoTouch, will be presented in Boston in April at the Computer Human Interaction conference.

Meanwhile, a startup in New York, Perceptive Pixel, has been developing touch technology for use on larger displays. The technology was quite pervasive during the November elections with many of the news anchors using the company’s touch screens to show viewers electoral progress across the country. Perceptive Pixel’s technology is unique in that it uses software that recognizes how hard a person is pressing on the surface. This allows objects not only to be dragged from one location to another, but it also allows objects to be manipulated, tucked under other elements, tiled, organized, etc. This allows better management of the screen and prevents the display from becoming too cluttered. Devices with the new pressure sensitive features are expected to ship by mid next year.

For more details, read the story in MIT’s Technology Review:

http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/21799/?nlid=1580&a=f

31-Dec-08 11:15 AM

Forrester Report Shows IT Market is Slowing but Still Growing

noemail@techcolumbus.org — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:00:00 GMT

A recently released report from Forrester Research projects growth in IT spending for both business and government to grow by 1.9 percent in 2009. Although this is well below growth projections of previous years, it is still seen as a bright spot within the increasing tide of bad economic news. Forrester reported that this growth, while meager, should be considered as positive especially when compared to the major downturns that occurred in 2001-2002 following the dot-com bust. During that time, the IT market experienced a decline of between 15 and 20 percent. In addition to an increase in IT spending in 2009, Forrester further projected a two percent growth in software sales.

To read a summary of the report

31-Dec-08 11:00 AM

Advanced Technology to Help Advertisers Gauge Consumer Interest in Outdoor Advertising

noemail@techcolumbus.org — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:45:00 GMT

Japanese Billboard “Looks Back” at Viewers

This January, a Japanese communications agency will test a technology that may transform the business of outdoor advertising and will certainly pique the interests of those concerned with privacy protection. NTT Communications plans to install a flat panel display in a Tokyo railway station that will advertise various products through a series of digital ads. While there’s nothing really revolutionary about that, the display will be outfitted with a small camera that will be “looking back” at passersby. The camera will be hooked up to image processing software that will be used to figure out exactly how many people standing in front of an advertisement are actually looking at it.

NTT has compiled the features of an “average Japanese face” to be able to recognize faces in the images. Although the system does not seek to link these images with personal identities, there are those who are concerned about the next step in the evolution of such practices and the implications to issues of privacy.

“We all know about the prevalence of security cameras,” writes Martha Walz, editor in chief of R&D Magazine. “But the use of advanced imaging to specifically learn about our preferences, with our without our consent, is disconcerting.”

NTT is sensitive to these concerns and says their interest in the system is simply to provide some level of metrics for the effectiveness of delivering digital messages through this medium. NTT is Japan’s largest telecommunications agency and has a content distribution system for digital signs. They see this technology as being important to their ability to sell such an analytics service or to determine the effectiveness of digital advertising in general.

For more details, see the write up in R&D Magazine

31-Dec-08 10:45 AM

Platform Lab Announces January Tech Events

noemail@techcolumbus.org — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:30:00 GMT

Platform Lab hosts a variety of events and activities for the Central Ohio tech community. The January line up has recently been announced and can be viewed on the Lab’s Web site at www.PlatformLab.com

31-Dec-08 10:30 AM

TechWeek 26-Dec-08

noemail@techcolumbus.org — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:00:00 GMT

TechWeek 21-Nov-08


	December 26, 2008

Breakthroughs at Nationwide Children´s Research Institute May Hold Key for Treating Lou Gehrig´s Disease and Other Nervous System Disorders

Researchers at Nationwide Children´s Research Institute have developed a non-invasive way of delivering gene therapy to the central nervous system. Such therapies were previously impossible because of the difficulty of penetrating the body´s protective blood-brain barrier or because they were considered too invasive, numerous or complicated. For this study, researchers used AAV9, a subtype of adeno-associated virus that can act as a vehicle for gene transfer. ... [More Info]

Five Most Important IT Trends of 2008

TechRepublic has published its top trends that impacted IT in 2008. These trends have been quietly transforming traditional IT strategies and impacting operating procedures. Trends range from it being IT´s time to shine during the economic crisis to green technology finally being take seriously, not so much out of corporate consciousness, but in reaction to energy shortages and looming government regulations. The list of most impactful IT trends in 2008... [More Info]

IT testing proves instrumental in reporting election results

Following glitches the Secretary of State´s Web site experienced on election night 2004, the state office revamped its Web site. Part of that overhaul included stress testing to make sure the site would be ready for the thousands of visitors it would receive on election night this year. The office chose TechColumbus´ Platform Lab to conduct the test, which showed that the site would perform well with 7,500 concurrent users. To read the full story, download the December insert in... [More Info]

Veteran Venture Capitalist Named to Head U.S. Small Business Administration

President-elect Barack Obama has named a veteran venture capitalist and leader in technology based economic development to head the U.S. Small Business Administration. Karen Gordon Mills has been named administrator of the SBA. Mills is president of the private equity investment firm, MMP Group which she founded in 1993. In addition, she serves as a director on the board of the Maine Technology Institute, an organization similar in mission and scope to TechColumbus that offers... [More Info]

The Science Behind Santa´s Magic

Ever wondered how Santa Claus can travel around the world in just one night on his reindeer-pulled sleigh and delivery toys to all the children? "He exploits the space-time continuum," says Larry Silverberg, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University. Santa´s magic may go far beyond merely traveling across 200 million square miles to visit hundreds of millions of homes of believing children in just one night, Silverberg said.... [More Info]

SEPG China 2008 Conference

Mr. John Hsieh, founder and president of Easy! Software LLC, was invited to speak at Carnegie Mellon University´s SEPG China 2008... [More Info]

Columbus Metropolitan Club Forum: TechColumbus and Central Ohio´s Bright High-Tech Future
Sponsor: Columbus Metropolitan Club
Day: Wednesday 21-Jan-09 11:30 AM
Location: Athletic Club of Columbus 136 East Broad Street Columbus, OH 43215
Mapquest | Add to Calendar

e-Track Luncheon - "Top 10 - What Not To Do" The Deal Killer
Day: Friday 23-Jan-09 11:30 AM
Location: TechColumbus 1275 Kinner Road Columbus, OH 43212
Register Mapquest | Add to Calendar

BREAKFAST SERIES: The Business of the DTV Conversion: Exploring the Future of TV and the Web
Sponsor: Event Reminders
Day: Wednesday 28-Jan-09 8:00 AM
Location: WOSU@COSI Digital Media Center 333 W. Broad St. Columbus, Ohio 43215
Register Mapquest | Add to Calendar

2008 TechColumbus Innovation Awards
Sponsor: TechColumbus
Day: Thursday 5-Feb-09 5:30 PM
Location: Greater Columbus Convention Center - Grand Ballrooms 400 North High Street Columbus, Ohio 43215
Mapquest | Add to Calendar

Click to unsubscribe

26-Dec-08 6:00 AM

Breakthroughs at Nationwide Children’s Research Institute May Hold Key for Treating Lou Gehrig’s Disease and Other Nervous System Disorders

noemail@techcolumbus.org — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Research Institute have developed a non-invasive way of delivering gene therapy to the central nervous system. Such therapies were previously impossible because of the difficulty of penetrating the body’s protective blood-brain barrier or because they were considered too invasive, numerous or complicated.

For this study, researchers used AAV9, a subtype of adeno-associated virus that can act as a vehicle for gene transfer. Through a single injection, AAV9 was delivered to the central nervous systems of neonatal and adult mouse models. The tests showed AAV9 was able to access the central nervous system with unmatched efficiency.

Although the mechanism of this treatment requires further study, researchers are encouraged with the results. They believe the relatively non-invasive method holds important implications for gene therapy treatments in cases of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and ALS, or Lou Gehrig ’s disease. The therapy could also carry implications for other disorders to the central nervous system such as Huntington’s disease.

For more details, see the most recent edition of Nature Biotechnology:

http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nbt.1515.html

24-Dec-08 11:00 AM

Five Most Important IT Trends of 2008

noemail@techcolumbus.org — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:45:00 GMT

TechRepublic has published its top trends that impacted IT in 2008. These trends have been quietly transforming traditional IT strategies and impacting operating procedures. Trends range from it being IT’s time to shine during the economic crisis to green technology finally being take seriously, not so much out of corporate consciousness, but in reaction to energy shortages and looming government regulations.

The list of most impactful IT trends in 2008 includes:

IT’s opportunity in the economic tsunami to help bring down company costs by using technology to automate and streamline tasks.

The adoption of virtualization and utility computing, especially within small-to-medium sized businesses. Such practices allow companies to buy server and storage capacity within a flexible utility model rather than invest in hardware.

The true state of flux in IT employment continues. While IT workers lament that employers are offshoring and hiring non-resident immigrants under H1B guest worker visas, employers and IT leaders still claim that these effects have been greatly exaggerated by the media and that in truth they still can’t fill all their open positions.

Green IT finally catches on. Although the term green IT has been bantered about for years, in 2008, companies (outside of California) finally began taking it seriously. This may be partially because people are beginning to believe that humans are impacting the earth’s climate, but it’s more likely that energy savings, along with looming government regulations on energy usage and CO2 emissions are powerful motivators.

Ultra-cheap PCs hit the market. Low-cost “Netbooks” retailing at under $500 came to the masses in 2008. Although aimed at emerging markets, these laptops were big hits with consumers in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Many of these were not procured or deployed through IT, but purchased by individuals for their convenience and portability. With the budget pressures of the current global recession, IT will start to co-op these low-cost machines for some functions as an easy way to save money on capex investments.

For more details, read the story in TechRepublic: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/hiner/?p=891&tag=nl.e099

24-Dec-08 10:45 AM

IT testing proves instrumental in reporting election results

noemail@techcolumbus.org — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:30:00 GMT

Following glitches the Secretary of State's Web site experienced on election night 2004, the state office revamped its Web site. Part of that overhaul included stress testing to make sure the site would be ready for the thousands of visitors it would receive on election night this year. The office chose TechColumbus' Platform Lab to conduct the test, which showed that the site would perform well with 7,500 concurrent users.

To read the full story, download the December insert in Business First.

24-Dec-08 10:30 AM