Open source but not open to theft

I am a proponent of open-source development. I believe in the collective power of minds around the world improving software for the enjoyment and use of others. However, as we have seen with the release of Dell’s Streak Tablet, companies have tried to take credit for using this open source software without providing the underlying code. Thus making it apparent that it takes not only an army of the brightest and best computer minds to develop new open source software but also to regulate it and protect it as well. As open-source is growing and becoming more prevalent we may be a need to create a more official set of open-source regulation to make sure that when companies decide to use open source products they give credit where credit is due.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/business/26ping.html?_r=1&ref=technology

Taking a bite out of social media

http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/16/technology/4food/index.htm

The article I linked above discusses a Manhattan restaurant, 4food, that uses social media as an integral part of their business model. The restaurant promises to give the best burger in NY for $6 and to make up for the cost of ingredients it saves money in menu and advertising costs by utilizing social networks. Patrons can build their own burger on their phones and then post it to the restaurant. Furthermore, by posting their creation on twitter or facebook, customers are inherently advertising to their friends about 4food. 4food also lets customers promote their own creations via social networks, increasing the restaurant’s visibility. While this is the first example of social media in restaurants I have seen, I don’t hesitate to say it will not be the last. This article just goes to show the reach of social media and the endless possibilities that it creates. If 4food is has taken “have it your way” to social media, what else is next?

Clouds...the wind of change

Cloud computing, while it may sound fluffy and abstract, has taken a firm hold as the future of business computing. The successes of web sites such as flickr (photo storage), mozy (data storage), and Facebook have shown the viability of online computing and storage. Making people’s data, photos, music, video, etc. available to them wherever they have internet access, including their mobile devices has changed they way people store data in their digital lives. Furthermore, these cloud-based companies have evolved the idea web applications into a pocket-sized, go-everywhere “app”. These apps, which are designed to work on an exponentially growing number of devices, provide the full features of proprietary software and access to client data. Along with the expansion of open source applications cloud computing is allowing nearly any computer based activity to occur though an internet portal, saved, and then accessed anywhere. Yet when rolling these ideas into a business application one must be cognizant of the security issue created my sending out extremely sensitive information to store on the internet. I see the major issue in the implementation of a large-scale cloud computing system as the security that companies have over their data and intellectual property as it is transferred over the internet. While encryption is continuing to develop, the fact there is still a risk may be deterring some companies from jumping into the cloud.

Mobile Technology

I would like to focus this week’s response around the future of the mobile market and mobile technology. I believe, similarly to Microsoft as shown by their billion-dollar investment, that the mobile market is unequivocally going to continue to grow by leaps and bounds. No matter how technology continues to grow all new advancements are going to need an applicable mobile interface. Five to ten years ago businesses were worried about launching web sites and designing their web interface. In today’s market a clean, crisp web site is standard and business are trying to determine how they can best “mobilize” their goods and services.

Mobile technology has also created a 24-hour workday in the business world. As we discussed in class information is power, and information is not always created between 9am-5pm Monday through Friday. Mobile devices have made it easy for employers to reach their employees with critical information at any time of the day. Furthermore, it mobile technology has shrunk the idea of the “work computer” into the palm of your hand, allowing employees to not just receive information but to act upon it immediately. The importance of the constant and instant contact created by mobile devices can be exemplified by the fact that most large companies issue and pay for their employees smart phones because of the flow information mobile devices generate.

When looking to the future, there is no exact way to predict where mobile technology is going. However, there are a few trends that still have lots or room for expansion. The first I want to discuss GPS based social media. While some may cringe at the though of broadcasting your location at all times, the application of GPS based social interaction is continuing to grow on the backs of GPS enabled smart phones. The second growing technology is the mobile video chat. Although video conferencing has become prevalent in today’s business world, there is a certain amount of equipment required for it to work. The future of video conferencing will be in every individual’s hand removing the need for designated video conference rooms or times. Soon every business call could be face to face.