Social Media Has Shifted the Power: More people now experience The Joy of Discovery

Community Guest Blog post by By Hal Schlenger

And they’ve lost even more control

The music industry impacts all of us; everyone at the TAG E2.0 February meeting identified themselves as someone who listens to music regularly.  An industry whose content and distribution were controlled by companies like A&M, Capitol, Epic, and Apple (check your Beatles history) continues to transition to independently produced content and online distribution channels.

Barcode Scanning Becoming Second Nature for Bargain Hungry Shoppers

Community Guest Blog post by By Ben Lee

It is no secret that consumers are using barcode scanning technology on their Smartphones in record numbers. Due to the competitive nature of the retailing environment and the weak economy, consumers are holding on tightly to every dollar they must spend while seeking maximum value. The ability to scan a barcode and compare different retailers or e-tailors offerings for price and convenience of procurement is seen as the new must-have for the savvy shopper.

Top IT Trends of 2011

Community Guest Blog post by By Mary S. Hester

Compiling our list of the top technology trends for 2011 was enjoyable. We reviewed our 2010 predictions and looked ahead with optimism. Unfortunately, economic woes continued through 2010 delaying the expected IT expenditures and slowing growth.  Again, the trends haven’t changed much year-over-year as technology is a quiet revolution. But don’t be disappointed, those same trends are driving new models that will revolutionize the way we do business.  As technology advances, the numbers continue to drive IT investments. Businesses will implement common sense infrastructure improvements and avoid the glitz. The glitz will come from consumer electronics this year as mobile devices become better, cheaper and faster.

Biometric Identification Technology, Coming To A (Fill In The Blank) Near You

Community Guest Blog post by By John Trader

“Biometrics, that’s the eye scanner used to open the door we saw in that movie, right?”

There is a new identification technology phenomenon that is rapidly sweeping across the globe which is used to identify an individual by their physiological characteristics with near absolute certainty.  It’s called biometrics.  With the unprecedented rise of terrorism, identity theft, fraud, illegal immigration and a host of other iniquitous activities in the last 10 years, people felt unsafe about the world they lived in and businesses were searching for a solution to stop profit losses suffered from unscrupulous employees and customers taking advantage of inadequate internal systems.

Why important projects are designed to fail: How to make them succeed

Community Guest Blog post by By Jack Bergstrand

Implementing reinvention projects is critical for companies to win in the global marketplace. Unfortunately, project failures have consistently been a major barrier to reinvention. According to Standish Research, 70 percent of major projects fail to meet their objectives, 50 percent exceed their original cost estimates by 200 percent, and 20 percent are ultimately cancelled. Why is this?

Who says your best ideas have to come from the inside?
Community Guest Blog post by By Chad McCloud

This year’s Super Bowl might just be remembered as much for the crowd than the game itself, and not because of a packed stadium in Dallas.  The crowd is now providing the spark for what might just be your favorite Super Bowl commercial.  The E*Trade baby who ditched his high-priced broker has engaged Social Media dynamo Poptent to crowdsource concepts for the “best advertising imaginable”, according to E*Trade’s CMO.  Poptent has received 250 submissions from videographers all over the world who want to create their Next Big Commercial, giving E*Trade a ton of creative ideas to choose from.  Frito-Lay has also launched a major crowdsourcing campaign for their Doritos and Pepsi Max commercials, and are offering big bucks to undiscovered creative geniuses who might just be that accountant who lives next door.