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A NEW WORLD FOR NET NEUTRALITY?

Potential changes to net neutrality guidelines have digital companies wondering about how they will deliver content in the future.Ajit Pai, the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has expressed his opposition to net neutrality. As he takes control of the federal agency, tech leaders are asking: Are we headed for a new world for net neutrality?Net Neutrality DefinedNet neutrality is a series of rules that restrict internet service providers (ISPs) from restricting, slowing, or speeding up access to certain websites or applications. Guidelines passed in recent years by the FCC have imposed rules that forbade ISPs from blocking, throttling or [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2024-03-27T10:58:57-04:00

HOW TO BALANCE AUTONOMY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN A DIGITAL WORKPLACE

It is a universally acknowledged truth that the path to engagement in the digital workplace has to lead through autonomy. Micromanaged employees are likely to feel bored and even resentful - anything but engaged. Employees given autonomy, on the other hand, have every reason to feel engaged. After all, one working definition of employee autonomy - "autonomy is the power to shape your work environment in ways that allow you to perform at your best" - incorporates good work performance into it. Good work performance and engagement go together. There are, nonetheless, issues that arising in the balancing of autonomy and [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T01:11:36-05:00

WHEN IT MAKES SENSE TO FOLLOW THE CROWD

In 2015, 22% of Americans used social media several times every day. As a result, more than 70% of corporations planned to increase their spending on social media branding. Brands and social media are not always good bedfellows in business strategy, however. The structure of social media and its associated technologies means that potential customers can opt out of brand advertising. Think of streaming video on YouTube, for example. You often have to watch a snippet of an advertisement, but may also be able to proceed after a few seconds, with the entire advertisement unwatched. The Relative Failure of Branded Content [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T01:35:36-05:00

THE RISING TIDE OF WEB ENCRYPTION

You probably don't even notice it anymore. Connect to a website, and you're likely to find a small lock symbol in the upper left corner of the address bar. Sites with the lock indicator are built and displayed with encrypted content. Today, for the first time, the average volume of encrypted internet content is greater than unencrypted content. Reaching this point is an important milestone for web security. With the rising tide of web encryption, it's time to look forward. What does this latest technology news portend for the future of cyber security? What's Locked Up The small lock symbol indicates the [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T02:06:30-05:00

FOCUSING ON WHAT WENT RIGHT IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

Many customer service surveys are focused on pinpointing areas of friction or areas needing improvement. A recent Harvard Business Review article, however, noted that asking customers what went right can raise perceptions of the service provided. Instead of simply asking customers to rate a product or service and reasons for the rating, then, a good business strategy is to ask "What went well during your visit?" and to ask it first. Asking the question, and asking it first, was correlated with increases in customer satisfaction and repeat business. Customers approached in this way also spent more on the products and services [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T01:22:28-05:00

WHY CLOUD COMPANIES ARE INTERESTED IN OFFLINE SERVICES

Google is the biggest company in the world based on cloud infrastructure. It comes as no small surprise to learn recent technology news: It is investing heavily in offline services. North Americans are used to rapidly deploying Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, and a host of other Google-based services on the cloud, to be used on personal computers, smartphones, or laptops. To them, development of offline services can seem counterintuitive - rolling back the progress that cloud infrastructure represents. Why Offline? Users, Users, Users But that's a very North American-centric view. In much of the world, 2G bandwidth is the norm, [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T02:20:58-05:00

ENTERING THE POST-MOBILE (PHONE) AGE

In a post-mobile world, we will be connected via devices with billions of other objects, from refrigerators to cars.In a post-mobile world, the lines will blur. An interconnected network of devices and objects will offer better connectivity and functionality. In the early 2000s, mobile devices like the Palm and Blackberry were revolutionary, but could not match the computing power of a desktop computer. As mobile technology improved, the smartphone (and laptop and tablet) became ubiquitous, giving users the power of a desktop that could function as well as any desktop computer when a powerful wireless signal was available.And now, with [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T02:26:41-05:00

DOES CLIENT LOYALTY FOLLOW COMPANIES OR PEOPLE?

Employee retention and strategies for optimizing it are a constant consideration for organizations. It might be particularly important for those having specialized, customer-facing employees. For those firms, an employee transitioning to a new firm brings along an additional issue. Will clients follow the employee rather than being loyal to the firm?This is particularly an issue for law firms, financial firms, and consulting groups, but all companies face it to some degree. It's an aspect of client retention that can cost firms, as it is an estimated seven times more expensive to acquire new clients than to service existing ones.A recent article in [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T20:06:05-05:00

HOW DESIGN THINKING WILL HELP YOU RETAIN CUSTOMERS

Design thinking is immensely important to business. It's important to client and customer growth and retention. Its application can foster innovation and smooth innovation's acceptance. It can be a key part of business strategy. Many people, though, are unsure about how "design thinking" as a term used in business differs from product design - the creation of logos, the deployment of industrial design, and so on. It's quite different. Simply put, design thinking uses the creativity, re-envisioning, and re-tweaking that are part of product design throughout the departments of a company, to think through creation, improvement, and use of [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T21:05:07-05:00

ENGAGING EMPLOYEES IN IMPROVEMENT: HOW TO BE HEARD

Whether you have to approach an employee about needed improvement in job performance or softer skills such as team play, it can be difficult to truly engage the person. No one likes to hear criticism. Even constructive criticism can cause an employee to tune out and not hear what's being said. They may focus more, in the conversation and on the fact of the criticism itself, not on the issue and its resolution. How do you have an improvement-related conversation that is heard? It's a key part of leadership skills. Generate an Open-Ended Question About Solutions A recent article [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T20:48:29-05:00

LESSONS FOR THE DIGITAL WORKPLACE FROM NETFLIX

Netflix is one of the most disruptive digital companies. It moved from the margins of DVD provision from its inception as a mail service in a way that eventually helped to drive its bricks-and-mortar competitor, Blockbuster, out of business. It continues to remap the content provision industry by creating an array of popular content, from House of Cards to Orange Is the New Black.It is also the first global digital content provider, with operations worldwide that cut across conventional divisions to provide a user interface, content, and delivery systems. Global growth is key to its future expansion from its current subscriber base of [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T20:49:52-05:00

MANAGE ENERGY, NOT HOURS

Many managers and employees keep track of hours expended on the job as a guide to productivity and engagement. Hours expended rather than tasks done, or quality of tasks, become major metrics in business operations. Many observers believe, however, that managing energy is a better alternative. There are several reasons for this. First, clocking hours can become too much of a goal in and of itself. Hours expended do not necessary equate to productivity or quality. Second, hours are finite. There are only 24 in every day. Energy, on the other hand, is elastic. It can be increased or [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T20:55:49-05:00

RANSOMWARE: THE GROWING THREAT TO THE DIGITAL WORKPLACE

Ransomware is a cyber attack in which malware is placed in the computer(s) of unsuspecting persons or businesses. The computer system is locked and unavailable to users until a certain amount of cash - sometimes demanded in Bitcoins or gift cards - is turned over to the hackers. The cash is the "ransom" that unlocks the system again. Instructions on paying are given as part of the ransomware demand.Ransomware can affect smartphones, individual computers, and large organizational computer systems. It can also affect smart devices such as televisions.Affecting Consumers, Businesses, and GovernmentsRansomware is a growing concern that affects consumers, businesses, and [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T21:14:02-05:00

EMPLOYEES APPRECIATE AUTONOMY: LESSONS FROM CO-WORKING SPACES

The Harvard Business Review points out an even more intriguing statistic about co-working spaces: Workers in them thrive much more than workers in conventional offices.Autonomy and Flexibility ValuedThe HBR wanted to know why employees were far more likely to thrive.A big reason was the autonomy and flexibility co-working spaces offer. Jobs can be done at any time. Most co-working spaces are open to members 24/7. Workers can choose to work early or late and leave afternoons open for errands or work-outs at the gym. They have control over how, when, and where they perform their job tasks.In addition, co-working spaces offer a community, but [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T21:24:46-05:00

CAN THE DIGITAL WORKPLACE CHANGE OUR ELECTIONS?

People voting in the recent elections may have found the actual process to be surprisingly old-school. In a world where transactions from checking a bank account to receiving medical advice takes place online and can occur 24/7, voting often requires a special trip to a specific location on a particular day. Ballots and voter IDs are still often paper, marked by pencil. The activity is concealed with cloth curtains.Yes, there are mail-in ballots that eliminate the need for a specific polling place and day. But the real question is: Why hasn't the digital world come to voting? Does technology news [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2024-03-27T08:55:30-04:00

THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION AND ARCHITECTURE

THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION AND ARCHITECTURE Work It! Staff January 19, 2017 Digital Architecture is undergoing a paradigm shift as a result of the digital revolution. The Third Industrial Revolution and Its Impact on Architecture An article in Architect: The Journal of the American Institute of Architects points out that the characteristics of the Third Industrial Revolution are likely to have a revolutionary effect on the way architecture is conceived and practiced. As the article observes, economist Jeremy Rifkin, in the book The Third Industrial Revolution, cites three central elements as integral to the Third Industrial Revolution. First, it will manifest as a smaller scale [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T22:40:33-05:00

DOES THE GENDER OF VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS MATTER?

DOES THE GENDER OF VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS MATTER? Work It! Staff January 18, 2017 Digital Many observers feel that the increasing use of virtual assistants, such as Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa, will be among the top technology news stories of 2017. Yet, an increasing number of people, both in the tech field and outside of it, also feel that the gender with which Siri and Alexa - and other virtual assistants - are designated is problematic. They are designed and marketed with female voices, which may reinforce what they feel are gender stereotypes about women being helpmeets rather than independent or [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T22:05:57-05:00

IS THERE A RIGHT TO DISCONNECT? E-MAIL BE OFF LIMITS OFF HOURS?

IS THERE A RIGHT TO DISCONNECT: OR, SHOULD E-MAIL BE OFF LIMITS OFF HOURS? Work It! Staff February 1, 2017 Collaberation French workers seemingly have it made: 35-hour work weeks and a large amount of vacation each year. As of January 1, 2017, a law went into effect covering employees in companies with more than 50 employees. The "right to disconnect" law requires companies to designate hours when staff members may neither send nor respond to emails. The law is designed to help employees who leave the office, but never quite leave the work, bound by an electronic tether with emails and texts [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T22:04:26-05:00

THE EMERGENCE OF GENERATION X CHANGES DIGITAL WORK

THE EMERGENCE OF GENERATION X CHANGES DIGITAL WORK Work It! Staff January 13, 2017 Collaberation While Baby Boomers and Millennials get a lot of press, Generation X is moving to the fore in terms of exerting influence in corporations, politicals, and digital start-ups. Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, originally got attention because of their critical mass. Born in the wake of World War II, they were one of the largest generations in U.S. history. (The Boomer cohort had 77 million members. Millennials have 83 million. Generation X totals 65 million people.) Millennials, born from 1978 to 1995, get [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T22:03:32-05:00

SHOULD BUSINESSES AIM AT INNOVATION OR FAMILIARITY?

SHOULD BUSINESSES AIM AT INNOVATION OR FAMILIARITY? Digital NPA Work It! Staff January 12, 2017 Many businesses believe they need to rebrand frequently or innovate constantly to keep consumer interest and increase reach, penetration, and sales. Recent research, however, suggests that consumers are creatures of habit rather than necessarily always responders to innovation. Cumulative Advantage as Important as Competitive Advantage An article in the current Harvard Business Review observes that the truism that rebranding and innovation are necessary stems from the theory that companies constantly need to be building and maintaining a competitive advantage. The authors, however, posit that consumers are just as driven by [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T22:02:51-05:00

2017 Looking Promising for the Digital Workplace

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T21:48:26-05:00

THE CLOUD IS ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR NETWORK

THE CLOUD IS ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR NETWORK Work It! Staff July 31, 2017 Cloud The cloud can make us work smarter, faster, and cheaper, but many companies aren’t getting all they should from their investment—because the cloud has an Achilles’ heel. It can only perform as well as its weakest link, according to research from the Boston Consulting Group. For most businesses, that’s the network. A poorly optimized network can actually destroy the value you hoped to get from the cloud. From the BCG report: The network can become a bottleneck. Applications can run much slower than they should. Connecting [...]

Thomas Fuhrman2017-12-11T22:01:10-05:00