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Big Data, Big Challenge, Big Opportunity
Big data is a hot topic. Everyone from world leaders, to CXOs, to analysts, to media and just about anyone connected to the technology industry is talking about the transformative powers of big data. It even made it onto the agenda of the 2012 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. If the hype is to be believed, it has the power to transform businesses, governments and even society itself. It has the power to bring new insights into just about everything and drive a new era of intelligent understanding.
Yet if there’s such potential here, why aren’t we seeing more progress? There can be no question that some companies do understand the opportunities. One need only look at Google or Facebook to realise how these companies are effectively mining their data to drive new business opportunities and further monetize their value proposition. But these companies are rare exceptions. As I highlighted in my previous couple of blog posts, many companies are still very sceptical about moving from traditional business models and reluctant to embrace new opportunities. Read more
Are Teens the Future of the Cloud?
Late last week, ComScore announced its annual US Digital Future in Focus report. While there were no major surprises here regarding digital use, there were a couple of figures that caught my attention. ComScore noted that web-based email usage among 12-17 year olds dropped in 2011 by 31%. This figure was even higher for 18-24 year olds with a decrease of 34%.
Think about that for a moment. Email usage among 18-24 year olds has dropped by over one third. I find this figure incredible. I’m sure these people aren’t communicating any less; in fact, I expect them to be communicating even more. They’re communicating through Twitter, Facebook, Path and the wealth of other social media tools designed purely to share and communicate. Read more
Could Social Save the TV?
Over the past few weeks I’ve found myself re-engaging with TV. This isn’t because the programming has suddenly improved or because I’ve started subscribing to ESPN. It’s largely because of Zeebox. This is an iPad app that adds social integration to the viewing experience. Basically it’s a TV guide where you select a programme and see conversations around this programme from your Twitter and Facebook communities.
Although initially sceptical about this type of application, I now find myself not only watching more television programmes but also engaging with friends and family in discussions about the programmes I’m watching. In fact, this app is somewhat infectious. My wife is now also using it to talk to her social circles. What’s incredible about this app is how it’s starting to transform what could be considered the last ‘dumb screen’ in the house. Read more
Could VoIP Break the Mobile Industry?
As the ink still sets on Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype, industry analysts are continuing to debate the wide-reaching implications of the deal. With a price tag of $8.5 billion, Microsoft is taking a huge gamble on Skype’s potential to turn a profit, something it hasn’t done in many years. Yet this gamble is more than just on Skype. Microsoft has used over a sixth of its cash reserve in the expectation that voice and video calls over IP will become the key communication tool for both business and personal users.
The long-held promise of voice and video calls over IP is still yet to reach maturity. Since its launch in 2003, Skype has experienced a difficult and at times slow development path. The much-publicised acquisition by eBay and the near collapse of the company in 2008 has seen its expansion delayed, especially into video conferencing and mobile applications. Additionally, the marketplace has become much fiercer. Google Voice, Apple’s FaceTime and T-Mobile’s Bobsled (currently enabling VoIP calls on Facebook) are just a few of the competing services challenging Skype’s dominance.
Is the Buzz Back in Infrastructure?
After a few days out of the office, I found myself yesterday thrown into a hectic schedule of analyst briefings and development calls. At the end of the day, one fact was undeniable – there’s a definite buzz in the optical networking space. As I mentioned in an earlier post, our global networks are at the first stage of what Infonetics Research is calling an optical reboot: The rebuilding of the networks’ core on a foundation of 40/100G, OTN and ROADM technologies.
The success of this rebuild is critical for every member of the networking ecosystem, from businesses aiming to leverage the latest cloud computing applications to reduce IT costs and complexities, to domestic users seeking to consume rich-media applications across a range of devices, and even service providers intent on providing a high-quality of service while at the same time growing profitably. The optical reboot is the first step to ensuring our networks evolve into a flexible infrastructure that can scale to meet tomorrow’s bandwidth demands.
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40/100G Ben Horowitz Cloud computing Corporate Backbones Dig Facebook Foursquare Grid/Cloud Computing Groupon Hardware Internet Bubble Long Haul Transport Metro Core Transport Mobile Backhaul New York Times Optical Optical Networking Optical Reboot OTN Packet Optical Transport ROADM San Connectivity Social Media Software Twitter Venture Capitalists Wireline Backhaul
