The IoT, as it’s referred to, is expanding rapidly and is expected to reach far beyond watches that track our health stats and thermostats that learn our comfort levels. The IoT is in cars, hospital equipment, shoes, cash registers, trains, and on and on. We are finding new ways to connect things, collect their data, harvest that data, and feed it to other things. So what does this mean for you and your business?

The Internet of Opportunities

Businesses need to figure out how to translate this hyper-connectivity to the customer experience. The move to the cloud is intrinsic to the IoT. This means less hardware, more data, and easier customization.

To take advantage of this pivot, ask yourself these questions:

• Can your offerings be purchased via subscription? The rise of the subscription model will continue to influence how consumers view commerce and convenience. The sale of physical products will decrease in importance as services become more and more prominent. More and more, your revenue will come from the services you offer.
• Can everyone in your company get the data they need? The IoT will bombard your business with information. But unless you know how to organize and distribute that info to the right people on your team, it won’t help your business grow. You’ve got to have the business intelligence in place to make it work.
• Are you ready to educate your staff? The growth of the IoT will be fast and inconstant. The learning curve might look like a roller coaster. In order to keep your team engaged and informed, you’ll need to place a high priority on training. Encourage your people to keep their eyes on emerging trends.
• Are you willing to re-up your security? All connected devices can be hacked. The IoT requires a security force field and an ever-present vigilance. If you can’t put the most secure measures in place, you won’t be able to compete.
• Have you embraced the cloud? The IoT doesn’t work without cloud computing. If your company has been hesitant to make the move to the cloud, it’s time to rethink your resistance. The cloud makes it possible for your company to adapt quickly, take on more capacity, and offer more options to your customers—all at a lower cost, as additional physical infrastructure is no longer necessary.

Roll with the Changes: The Internet of Things Is Now

If you think your business could benefit from the impending ubiquity of the Internet of Things, the time to get on board is now.

Need a solid IT team to lead the effort? Solvere One is ready to take on the challenge. Call us at (202) 905-2722 or contact us online to learn more about our IT support services.

Have you ever sat down at someone else’s computer and wished you had some of the applications you normally use on your own computer?  Instead of spending the 30 minutes it would take to download and install all of the applications you want to use try Portable Apps.  In the words of the Portable Apps team: “Now you can carry your favorite computer programs along with all of your bookmarks, settings, email and more with you. Use them on any Windows computer. All without leaving any personal data behind.” There are two main benefits of portable apps: 1) the ability to use your favorite apps with your settings on any Windows computer without having to install and configure them and 2) the ability to leave no personal data behind on whatever computer you run them on.

Portable apps have been repackaged so that all of the required components are kept in a folder along with the applications executable (.exe) file.  The benefit is you can copy the portable apps to a usb drive and have them readily available anywhere you need them.  To run the program simply go into its folder and double click on the .exe file for it.  All of your configuration settings will be saved into the folder for that program.  The picture below is an example of what 7zip looks like in portable form.

Since the portable apps are stored on a usb drive and the configuration files are stored there as well, no personal data is ever left behind on whatever computer you use.  This means you can use Firefox portable to browse the web, check email, use online banking and when you are done simply unplug your USB drive to take your info with you.  A warning – you must still be careful while browsing the web since Portable Apps do not protect you against viruses.

Portable Apps are limited to free, open source software.  For a complete list of portable apps check out the Portable Apps website. ]]>