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Technology Trends Webinar from IT Strategists – Part 1 of 5 A high level overview of the top technology trends on CIO and IT leaders minds. Topics of webinar include: cloud computing, online applications/SaaS, business intelligence, document management and collaboration (SharePoint), CRM 2.0, unified communications, Web 2.0, social networks and software, virtualization, and enterprise mobility. For more information, visit: www.itstrategists.com

I will shortly place an order for the Panny tc-p42s1 or tc-p42g10 model plasma tv. I watch a lot of movies with the widescreen bars on the top and bottom. Also I do play a fair amount of video games with static images (HUDs). I am aware that plasma’s can have burn in issues. I would like to know if these models have better resistance to burn in than other plasma’s?

PS.
(I am not a fan of LCD technology and would very muck prefer a reliable plasma)

Ok so we recently got a beautiful 52″ Sony BRAVIA HDTV with 240 Hz motionflow, four HDMI slots (capable of supporting 1080p in other words) and pretty much top of the line in terms of technology (keep in mind I am not including the OLED’s that will soon put LCD and Plasma to shame). The TV plays xbox 360 in beautiful hidef quality not to mention the HD channels beautifuly as well.

However, as I understand, Direct TV broadcasts in 1080i, and we have the HD service as well as the HD receiver box hooked up to our TV via HDMI cable (a very expensive cable might I add, not a cheapo found in RadioShack). Now if I go to one of the HD channels in the HD channel section of Direct TV, I do get the picture quality that I expect of this TV, but as for every other channel, it doesnt look nearly as good as HD should.

Now I understand this could just mean that we either A) dont have the full HD package or B) not all channels are gonna look as fantastic as they should because HD is offered by that station in general. However, I have trouble believing either of these are the case because when I hit the guide button, I get to surf through the different channels as well as have a PIP on the top right corner of what I was just watching (as I’m sure most Direct TV users are aware of). This PIP is of significantly greater quality than the full screen version when I exit the guide menu, in fact it looks like what I expect the HD channels to look like, but no matter what I do with the settings, I can’t get this same quality with a full screen version. Is there something I’m missing here? Is Direct TV just messing with me by taunting me with this beautiful PIP and then giving me crap when I full screen it? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Side note: the 240 Hz motion flow is still very apparent with the channels that don’t look HD. As in I can definately see the difference in the way the picture flows even if the resolution isn’t what I desire

The growing awareness of the need to use computers in domestic, commerce and industries has brought about a new turn in the way audit is conducted. Computerization or Information Technology has taken over most of the business activities and has spread over and beyond unimaginable tendencies.

Technology has brought about serious changes that may warrant traditional Auditors (i.e. Auditors who do not possess enough IT skill to perform audit tasks) asking themselves whether their role in today’s world of computer-run organizations can be guaranteed. And if so, what must they do to remain relevant, maintain and expand the scope and quality of their services, and contribute to the new form of wealth in the contemporary knowledge economy.

We now live in a society where change is imperative. Even when we do not wish to change, it is forced on us. To be competitive in this dynamic environment, today’s Auditors are expected to keep pace with the technological issues and opportunities surrounding the development.

Technology has affected the ways and methods Auditors carry out their jobs. Knowing what areas have been affected and which particular technologies have affected the areas is very important so that Auditors can continue to plan their carrier development.

Computerization of Accounting Jobs, Electronic Commerce, Electronic Data Interchange, Internet and On-line Services, to mention a few, have serious implications for traditional Auditors and their works because they have affected how and when information is created, processed, stored, communicated, acquired, refined and interpreted.

To add positively to the value chain creation in our modern organizations and societies, Auditors need to retool themselves to keep up with the rapidly advancing technologies and the resulting changes in the needs of their clients and employers. As a critical success factor, technology is changing the organization chart and value change relationships. Nevertheless, no matter how much automation takes place in commerce and industry, a lot of human intervention will continue to be involved in solving information problems at the level of information reengineering.

This is where Auditors have a great opportunity, as information architects and systems integrators, to expand their services. This means that the role of technology will change the nature, timing and location of Auditors roles in the value creation process. For instance, Auditors will now do less of manual vouching of accounting documents (which computers will now take over) and become information systems consultants, analyzers and interpreters of data.

They have to become information architects and information professionals to be able to assist their clients and employers into the mainstream of the information age, in which efficient information system, enabled by appropriate technologies are waved into the overall corporate strategy.

A major concern among opinion leaders in audit profession today is that the staggeringly fast changing information technologies may overwhelm the control capabilities of Auditors, unless they constantly upskill themselves at a speed consistent with the changes taking place.

To be effective, Auditors need to understand the security sensitivity of Computer-based Environment and be able to combat computer – related fraud. Acquiring information technology skills requires the discipline of learning. They must engage in the learning process necessary to revamp their skills.

They need to become information engineers and architects, using their superior knowledge of the business process to help management make efficient and effective Information Technology (IT) decisions. Offering sound counseling to management is an area that Auditors have a role to play.

As we realize the value of information as asset, they need to help management appreciate the need to protect both information and the technologies that are used to manage and move information. Having talked about this, it is now obvious that a major challenge in a knowledge society is making information productive. Information that is not secured cannot be productive for the owner.

Those who are responsible to ensuring integrity, confidentiality and availability of information cannot afford to be obsolete in the technology that is either used to process the data or convey the information. It is therefore clear that Auditors who do not possess the right skill to work in a computerized environment can not claim to have an answer to information security requirement of such establishment. Auditors in general must continue to enroll in IT Security Schools and Associations to leverage the gap being created by emerging technologies.

This is very important because they must fulfill the expectations of their employers and clients, who count on the truth and fairness of financial statements that they audit. They must also ensure that modern techniques and tools appropriate to the new environment in which they work are learned and used in verifying the validity of the financial information on which they express opinion.

So when should you license your technology to other companies? This can be a complicated question, since I always say “no one sells your product like you do.”

Depending upon your tendencies, there is a bias toward holding everything you develop close to the vest, unwilling to give that hard-earned technical advantage to another company. Or you may be on the other side of the fence, and want to very quickly “cash in” on a technological development—thinking that there are very large companies out there that can do a much better job selling the product than you can.

So really, what’s the right approach? Just like most other decisions facing managers of technology companies, there is no one simple answer. It really does depend on your situation.

Have a Process

The best way to approach a decision of this nature is through a methodical, logical process. It shouldn’t be done emotionally, or without proper data. To come to the optimal answer, you need to be very honest about the position of your own company in the market, your priorities, company strengths and weaknesses, and the level of resources available to you. In addition, you need to have a solid understanding of the potential of the technology in the market, whom might be an attractive licensee, how interested they may be, and “can you license to someone else and still sell your own version”?

These, and many other questions, should be answered before you reach a conclusion. All too often, however, I see companies make a snap decision on whether to pursue a licensing strategy or not. This is very strategic question for a company, yet I have seen the decision made on a whim—with less thought than “where should we have lunch today?”

What have you got?

So let’s walk through an example process. First of all, what have you got—really? Is this IP something that is a fundamental step forward, or a “nice to have?” Things that are fundamentally unique, you will want to think very carefully about before sharing with others. It may be the best thing to do, but I would recommend thinking it through most carefully, if you have something truly unique and desirable. Lesser inventions carry lesser risks of lost opportunity costs, if they are licensed out.

Does it fit the Core Business?

Second, how does it fit with your current business? If it doesn’t fit with your core business, and you have no reason to “run away” from your core business, the decision becomes a lot easier. If your current business is thriving and you have quite of bit of runway left to pursue in that market, opening up a second business has a high likelihood of becoming a distraction—potentially harming the core business. Plus, it is very likely in this instance, that you will not be able to do the new opportunity justice, anyway. So to avoid sub-optimal outcomes in both business areas, it almost always makes more sense to license the technology to another player, whose business is a better fit—and one who will dedicate the resources required to gain success.

Can you “have your cake and eat it too”?

Third, if it does fit the core business, can you license it to other segments on a non-exclusive basis? This is an important question to consider. If the answer is yes, I call this “having you cake and eating it too.” The answer to this question is dependent upon a couple of things. Are there “fences” that can be set up between your market segment, and that of the potential licensee?

As an example, let’ say you have a new enterprise application that is different, but complementary, to your existing core product. This new product can be sold to the same type of large corporate customer that your existing product is sold to. But this new application also has strong potential in government markets, where you have no current presence. The government market is very different, and contacts are crucial to success. Instead of trying to build distribution into this new government market from scratch (which can be time-consuming), it is potentially a very wise move to license the new product to a company with existing, strong government business. They can sell it under their own label, put marketing money behind it, provide support, etc. In this way you have accessed that market, without entering into an area outside of your core competency, and without spreading around your scarce resources.

Non-exclusive licensing can be a great compromise

This is the type of “complementary” licensing deal that can be very effective in optimizing your total return on a technology. The key to this strategy is for there to be a good “fence”, so that you don’t create channel conflict between you and your licensee. In this example, you’re in the corporate market, and the licensee is in the government market. So it’s very clean and complementary, basically incremental revenue with little costs.

There are other examples of non-exclusive licensing where you end up competing with your own product under a licensee’s label. This can work as well, but it’s a lot trickier to manage. You will run into channel conflict issues, much like selling your own labeled product through reseller channels, with the added twist of another brand involved in the competition.

The final thing to consider is timing. How well protected is the technology, and how fast is the technological curve moving in this market space? If the market isn’t moving fast technologically, there may be no one overtaking you quickly. A sleepy, slow moving market tips the scales toward keeping the technology and developing the market for it in-house, rather than aggressively licensing it to others. Regardless of your resources, it becomes more likely that you will have time to exploit the IP, when there is little fear of someone leapfrogging your technology. If on the other hand, you’re positioned in a brutally competitive market with rapidly evolving technology, the arrow moves the other direction. In this case, IP is a fleeting advantage, and one that better be used ASAP, before it becomes obsolete. This scenario begs for a strategy of aggressively licensing the technology, to obtain the best return possible, in the short period of time that the IP will be relevant.

There is, of course, much more to consider when undertaking a decision to license/not license out your technology. This discussion provides an introduction to some of the major points that should absolutely be reviewed in any licensing discussion.

I’d love to hear some stories about your own licensing efforts, and hear points of view from a different angle.

I recently bought a used large 55-in. projection TV that I have really enjoyed using so far, except for one aspect: there appear to be lines at the left and right corners of the screen going from top to bottom, embedded into the image…the lines are colorless, but visible. (Sort of like a watermark on a letter.) Does this indicate a defect with the TV unit, or is this normal for TVs that use this technology?
Also: the TV is HDTV-compatible.

Of all the most sought-after degree programs there are, the information technology degree is the one that is currently in the hotseat. Information technology is a branch of engineering that basically has to do with utilizing computers and their software to exchange, process and save information. Because there are different types of technology available, there are several different types of IT professionals.

The word technology is widespread now and covers a vast array of different applications; and it would seem that those applications are almost limitless. From working on computers as a systems analyst to selling computer systems based on a strong foundation of knowledge, getting a degree in information technology can be just the thing to not only push a career forward but give a person just that much more of an edge over their competition.

An assortment of specialized areas in information technology allows for the everchanging and evergrowing needs in the field to be met without alteration. A qualified individual in any one of the IT areas will be able to provide a company with a level of optimum productivity; especially when the learned skills are mixed with the basic fundamentals of business and their applications. It is no secret that employers tend to look for prospective employees who can provide a strong foundation in order to keep operations smooth.

Project management theory, computer programming, database and network systems are only just a few of the lessons that apply to getting an information technology degree. Hands-on training is great for building confidence and provides a level of comfort when entering a professional work environment. Professional certifications and dual degree programs can not only upgrade IT degrees, they can boost resumes and help to achieve the earning power that one has been looking for. A fully certified IT professional with a degree can expect to make $45,000 per year and up.

As this is one of the fastest growing fields around (and it looks to stay that way), there is always a need for those skilled in information technology. One would be hard pressed to find any area of everyday life where computers aren’t already in use; and that is why the demand is and will always be what it is. An added plus is that with the use of computers being so widespread, there is hardly any place on the map a person can go that doesn’t need workers with an IT degree.

With computers and technology, the learning is never done. As the demand continues to grow and change, so will the technology that complements our every day life. The person seeking a degree in information technology must be truly interested in computers and have a thirst for knowledge. There must be willingness and an aptitude for learning something new as software and technology upgrades itself at an amazing rate. The IT professional is a person who is alert and able to keep up; and better yet, is one step ahead of the game at every turn.

The person who has taken the time to earn his or her information technology degree will have opened the door to a career path that is wide and all encompassing. While one path in information technology may be right, that path can often lead to others; and the more skills behind a person the more well rounded and better off they’ll be in their career. Information technology has come a long way and will continue on for many years to come. It is definitely one of those professions that will have the opportunity to see what tomorrow brings, today.