Archives : January 2009

Qatar researchers keep heads in the cloud

published on 2009/01/30 by Stewart Baines

It’s a case of from the sublime to the simplistic with cloud computing this week. On one hand we have the new Qatar Cloud Computing Initiative, which aims to develop cloud computing technology and provide a platform for local organizations to test applications in the cloud. Essentially, it will provide massive computing power to academic research organizations. On the other hand Google has announced it is experimenting with ways in which users can utilize Gmail when operating outside the cloud. The Qatar project, which is being led by Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Qatar University and Texas A&M University, is......

Qatar researchers keep heads in the cloud

published on 2009/01/30 by Stewart Baines

It’s a case of from the sublime to the simplistic with cloud computing this week. On one hand we have the new Qatar Cloud Computing Initiative, which aims to develop cloud computing technology and provide a platform for local organizations to test applications in the cloud. Essentially, it will provide massive computing power to academic research organizations. On the other hand Google has announced it is experimenting with ways in which users can utilize Gmail when operating outside the cloud. The Qatar project, which is being led by Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Qatar University and Texas A&M University, is......

IP contact centre investment set to hold steady in 2009

published on 2009/01/29 by Anthony Plewes

Although the recession is bound to have a substantial negative effect on enterprises’ telephony products budgets, researchers are predicting that IP Contact Centre (IPCC) investment could buck the trend this year. Such technologies naturally lend themselves to cost cutting imperatives and smart businesses will be looking to strip out operational costs. However, it won’t all be plain sailing, IPCC still requires substantial upfront investment and, while vendors may be prepared to slit each other’s throats in search of deals, it’s a case of speculate to accumulate for enterprises.Last year was a good for the IPCC market according to Infonetics Research.......

Facebook in the Enterprise

published on 2009/01/27 by Rob Evans

Once upon a time, employees had restricted access to the phone. When email arrived, users faced further restrictions- often, you could only email someone in the same company. Many organisations currently place restrictions upon access to Facebook - why? Our methods of communication are becoming quicker all the time. We started with the letter, moved onto fax, then email, and we are now moving towards IM (and in some extreme cases microblogging applications such as Twitter). Even our news consumption is becoming faster and less centralised through the use of these tools, as we snub news sources such as BBC......

The Social Media Explosion - I'm Now a Believer!

published on 2009/01/24 by Mike Lazar

First, let me tell you that while I am fairly technical and usually right on the edge of the technology curve, I've been a bit slow to embrace certain aspects of social media. One reason is that I simply can't do anything halfway. I was afraid that if I got into a social network, I would become consumed by it and spend every waking moment updating my status, reading about others, and making snarky comments to my friends. My family would think I had disappeared, and I would slowly morph into the people from Wall-E...never leaving my chair and ever......