It's a great time of the year! |
Summer time, but I'm not seeing any relaxation in the world of IT. New hardware architecture is all over. Intel released Santa Rosa notebook systems in May, AMD's Puma notebook technology will be released by the end of the year, and systems with IBM's Power6 microprocessor will be available this month. Microsoft is even making hardware announcements as it revealed its 5-year-old "Milan" project, a computer that uses wireless connectivity and touch-screen technology to allow users and devices to interact with files and applications using a tabletop screen. The computer is the size and shape of a coffee table and is labeled as the next generation of PCs. And we all know new hardware always means new software!
Make sure you're keeping up.
Here's the schedule. Or you can view the complete Schedule on our website.
CSTA Web sessions:
June 13, 14
July 25, 26
August 22, 23
September 19, 20
CSTA classroom sessions:
June 5 - Chicago area
UITJ (Understanding IT Jobs) Web sessions:
July 26
September 20
TR Web session:
July 31
September 27
Keep in touch . . .
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Web 2.0
Web 2 is a term that has, seemingly suddenly, become an accepted part of IT. We're all supposed to know what it is, but in fact there's no definitive definition. In fact, there's not even a definitive name, as Web 2, Web 2.0, Internet 2, and Internet 2.0 seem to be used interchangeable. We'll use the most common name, Web 2.0, as defined by the Web 2.0 Summit (formerly named Web 2.0 Conference). This gathering is in its fourth year, and connects the leaders and technologists opening the Web's business opportunities to discuss challenges and opportunities.
An accepted definition is that Web 2.0 is:
• a transition of the World Wide Web from a collection of websites to a full-fledged computing platform serving Web applications to end-users. Ultimately Web 2.0 services are expected to replace desktop computing applications for many purposes.
The transition is from applications that people purchase and download to their own computers to run. These applications are updated and new releases are purchased. A service works differently. A vendor supplies a service which customers pay for directly through subscriptions or indirectly by accepting ads. The software runs on the vendor's site and is continuously improved. Additionally, the owners of Web 2.0 sites do not supply the content of the site. They can host the content, or can index content from multiple locations over the Web, but the content itself is supplied and shared by the users of the site. The service the vendor is supplying is access to content. Google is cited as an example of Web 2.0. They supply a service - searching the Web - which is paid for indirectly through advertising. Google does not provide software releases, just continuous improvement and new functionality. And, they do not develop the content they provide to their customers but index through Web sites and supply Web addresses of sites which contain pertinent information.
Web 2.0 contains many sites, from Wikipedia to MySpace to LinkedIn to eBay, to YouTube. In addition, blogs and RSS (Really Simple Syndication) are an integral part of Web 2.0. These sites started out as consumer sites and are considered social networking. This year, however, the whole idea of Web 2.0 is really moving into the business world.
Many business people are posting blogs. This is becoming an accepted way of informing customers, partners, and vendors of what's happening. An auto manufacturer can post a blog stating when the 2008 models will be available (aren't some of them already out???). Software developers post blogs describing the progress of the upcoming release of a DBMS. Blogs are augmenting newsletters, and perhaps replacing them. I'll be starting a blog so I can tell you all about new technology and products when I hear about them instead of waiting for the newsletter.
Business men and women are looking at YouTube. Posting videos has proven to be a wonderful form of advertising. Did you see the Mentos in Diet Coke video? If not, Google it and take a look. Not only is it fun, think "free advertising." Politicians are getting results – both good and bad – from posted videos. And, by the way, most if not all of the presidential contenders have pages on MySpace. Are you LinkedIn? This is the business networking site.
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia based on the notion that an entry can be added by any web user, and edited by any other. Businesses are now checking entries that describe their products for correctness – and again, "free advertising." eBay is completely business, and is the collective activity of all its users; like the web itself, eBay grows organically in response to user activity, and the company's role is as an enabler of a context in which that user activity can happen. What's more, eBay's competitive advantage comes almost entirely from the critical mass of buyers and sellers, which makes any new entrant offering similar services significantly less attractive.
Web 2.0 is growing daily. Wikipedia is one of the 100 most visited sites, and is predicted to be in the top 10 relatively soon. It's hard to miss the growth of YouTube, and have any of you not eBayed? This is really an exciting part of IT – quickly becoming an integral part.
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1. Can computers read your mind?
2. What is Feisty Fawn?
3. Which of the following doesn't belong?
a. Jaguar
b. Leopard
c. Panther
d. Puma
e. Tiger
4. What's the latest word on Longhorn?
5. And, what's the latest word on Palm OS?
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Most of our customers get to know us through CSTA (Computers: Systems, Terms, and Acronyms), our flagship course. Which is as it should be. We're proud of this training and work hard to make sure it's pertinent and current at all times. We have many people who have attended the training multiple times because it does change so regularly. Many, many people have told us they attended the seminar when they first started working with IT, then took it again within that first year – and got even more out of it the second time around. CSTA, however, is not the only training we offer. And here's where the eligibility comes in.
Attendees of CSTA are eligible for a 50% discount in any other training during the calendar year in which you take CSTA.
UITJ (Understanding IT Jobs) covers IT jobs for technical recruiters and account managers/sales people. We don't have time in CSTA to cover the difference between technical and application developers, developers and support staff, so we've put this coverage in its own seminar. TR (Technical Recruiting) is for new recruiters and includes the information covered in UITJ.
Detail in some topics is only needed by a few people, so we cover that in individual Web sessions. These include Networking, Embedded Systems, On-Demand Computing, and Wireless Technology. We've also added a Web session on BI (Business Intelligence) for people who attended CSTA several years ago when this information was not included. And, we will be adding a session on Development Platforms and Architectures for the same audience.
Get the details on any of these courses and see if they fit your needs. And don't forget when you register to tell us when you took CSTA so we can apply the discount.
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CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
CRM has been around since the 1990s and is still evolving! People still question what it is, and they go on to question how useful it is. Even with all these questions, it's not going away – more and more companies are using some form of CRM.
call center Applications front office function. Part of CRM (Customer Relationship Management). A centralized source for customer support. Handles phone, email, fax, and Web site communications. Provides a system for answering questions and handling complaints and returns. Most record all contacts and build a knowledge base of interactions. Much of the support is automated through either voice or Web menus, and Web systems are now including Web call-backs or instant messaging support to let customers reach a person.
CEM (Customer Experience Management) Application technology comprised of software and processes that strategically manage a customer's entire experience with a product or company. CEM goes beyond CRM (Customer Relationship Management) which is focused on quantitative data to incorporate non-quantitative areas including customer satisfaction, product aesthetics, and attitudes and behavior of sales staff. A typical CEM system includes:
• Complaint handling
• Customer advisory board
• Customer satisfaction research
• Dissatisfaction analysis
• Focus group research
• Mystery shopper research
• Usability design and testing
Term was introduced in 2004/2005.
contact management See SFA (Sales Force Automation)
content management Type of program used to build dynamic Websites. It enables non-technical users to create, manage, manipulate, and deliver content to multiple targets, including multiple Websites, email, and wireless devices. Content management moves beyond document management in that it allows information to be managed at the paragraph, sentence, or even word level.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Application software providing front-office functions, including sales, marketing, and customer support. All CRM systems are designed to find and build a relationship with present and potential customers. One function is to manage help desks and call centers that work with phone, fax, the Web and email. Call Center software can be a separate package or combined with the CRM package. In addition, CRM systems can often interface with back-office systems such as manufacturing and financial applications. A typical CRM system includes:
• Call center automation
• Campaign planning and management
• Customer retention
• Sales force automation
• Shopping analysis
eCRM is providing CRM functions over the Internet. One of the biggest functions of most eCRM software is Website personalization and content management. CRM was formerly called CIS (Customer Information Systems).
SaaS (Software as a service) IT terminology. Refers to software that is offered on a subscription or lease basis rather than as a packaged product to purchase and bring in house. The vendor hosts the software and provides the hardware and software necessary to run the application, and users interact with the software through a Web-based front-end. This term is replacing the term ASP (Application Service Provider) and is used synonymously with on-demand applications. Companies can also use a hybrid deployment, which allows customers to either subscribe to or purchase (and bring in-house) the application.
SFA (Sales Force Automation) Application software. Front-office system providing sales functions. Includes automated inventory information and order entry so remote sales people have up-to-date information on sales calls. Also provide client management, scheduling, and forecasting functions. Also called contact management systems.
Web personalization Web personalization presents information on Web sites that is specifically designed for a specific visitor. Personalization can take place by having customers fill out questionnaires on their preferences to build a visitor profile, or by having visitors check boxes that indicate interest in specific Web content. The software can also track a visitor's movement through a Website, record the activity in a database, and be prepared to present information that would interest the visitor when he or she returns.
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1. Emotiv Systems is offering technology it has said will allow a computer game to read a player's mind. It's a combination of hardware and software that, in effect, creates an interface between a computer and 100 million or so brain neurons using a specially designed headset. The combo enables a computer to detect both conscious thoughts and subconscious emotions and allows a game to react accordingly, the company said. There's a demo on YouTube, Emotiv Stonehenge Demo, if you're interested in more information.
2. Just too important not to ask. Ubuntu Linux, or Feisty Fawn, is a Linux distribution based on the Debian GNU/Linux system which runs on desktop and notebook computers. It's an open source system that includes the latest versions of GNOME (GUI interface) and KDE (K Desktop Environment - an office suite). The current release is Ubuntu 7.04. The version numbers refer to release year and month, so this is the April, 2007 release. This release is also referred to as Feisty Fawn, reflecting "a combination of courage and restlessness that is found in a young deer that sets out to explore a world that is new and exciting – seeing the world through eyes unprejudiced by what has gone before." (from a Ubuntu blog).
3. Puma doesn't belong. It's a computer architecture from AMD that bundles together mobile processors (Griffin chips) and chipsets (RS780) so PC vendors can build notebooks with better power management, memory efficiency and processor bandwidth. All the others are releases of Mac OS X: Jaguar (2002), Panther (2003), Tiger (2005), Leopard (2007).
4. Longhorn has been around for an awfully long time – first as the development name for Windows Vista, and currently as the development name for the next Windows server OS (Operating System). The server OS was to be named Windows Server 2007 – for about 1 day. The official name is now Windows Server 2008, which means yes, the release has been delayed.
5. Palm OS is no more. The last PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) to run this operating system is the Treo 755p released in May, 2007. After this, Palm systems will use Linux.
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