A world in which cars listen, TV screens bend and machines write (no
humans necessary). No, it's not a teaser for a new sci-fi series. These
are some of the most intriguing technology trends happening right now.
Another trend we're keen on: Though pricing on first-generation
products used to make it difficult (if not impossible) for small
businesses to take a chance on an untested product, many tech vendors,
driven by a post-recession need for cash and lots of competition, are
pushing products to market at lower-than-ever prices.
Are you ready for more future in your now?
In the Mix
The idea of having a "personal cloud" for storage is so 2011. Now you
can combine office, mobile, web-based and even homebased storage options
to achieve near-automatic caching of data on everything from your
smartphone to your TV set-top box. What's more, the line has become
blurred in terms of personal and business use of such technologies.
"Many [people] today not only use the cloud to automatically back up
their photos from their smartphone to their computer and share those
photos with friends, but they also use the cloud to share critical files
with their co-workers, collaborate on those files and have access to
them from any device they happen to have with them," says Laura Yecies,
CEO of SugarSync, a San Mateo, Calif.-based integrated storage provider.
"One could argue that the ‘personal cloud' is dissipating as the lines
between business and personal lives are shifting, and that now it is
just the ‘all-purpose cloud.'"
Hand Print
Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark and Canon have touted their web-enabled
printers for years--but the hardware wasn't all that useful or
necessary. That has changed. Now, thanks to the current crop of mobile
devices, you can send documents to printers directly from your
smartphone or tablet. Instead of lugging along a load of collateral
materials on your next business trip or stuffing a lot of just-in-case
papers into your briefcase, you can store the documents on your device
and print them as needed.
"Whether it's a real estate agent on the move who needs printed
copies of contracts or an insurance agent who needs to print several
forms quickly, printing without a PC has become more of a must-have than
simply a premium," says Tuan Tran, vice president of Hewlett-Packard's
imaging and printing group.
Touch Me
The trend that started with smartphones and tablets has leapt off the
small screens: Now desktop computers, printers and more can be managed
by a touch of the finger. And innovations in the technology have helped
bring the price way down. Formerly enterprise-only solutions like
touch-controlled office kiosks, interactive point-of-sale terminals and
even sophisticated employee inventory systems are now within reach of
the smallest small businesses. One worth a look? The ViewSonic VX2258
touch-controlled monitor (about $340) can be installed in a store or
medical waiting room as a low-cost interactive kiosk.
The Uncomputer
Tech-savvy companies that need more desktop computers but don't want to
spend big for the firepower should consider a different breed of
machine: zero-client PCs. These cheap, small units are, quite frankly,
weaklings on the processing front--until you network them to a
full-power computer nearby. Zero-clients have been big-company tools for
some time, but recent price drops mean that a shop with just a few
seats can zero out its PCs.
"Sectors where data security, IT productivity and endpoint
reliability are critical are a very good fit for zero-client
computing--specifically, health care, financial services, hospitality
and retail, along with local government and education," says James
Buzzard, vice president for marketing at Pano Logic, a zero-client PC
manufacturer in Redwood City, Calif.
Speed Up
Innovations in wireless communications come and go, but with service
providers investing heavily in blazingly fast Long Term Evolution (LTE)
networks, it looks like the technology will be around for some time.
Though Verizon Wireless was once the sole LTE provider, now players from
AT&T to Google-backed startup Clearwire are stepping into the
arena--which means several choices will soon exist for accessing the web
while on the go as quickly as you can in the office.
"The emergence of LTE speeds has revolutionized the mobile experience
for small businesses," says Walt
Rivenbark, area vice president for
mobility applications consulting at AT&T Mobility. "Salespeople will
benefit by being able to collaborate remotely with their peers, easily
review and share large files and help prevent service technicians from
making a second trip."
But you may not want to sign up for LTE immediately. The service has
its problems: Coverage is still spotty, and there can be brutally
expensive usage caps. But, sooner rather than later, the technology may
be so robust that a single mobile data connection will work in the
office and on the road, allowing businesses to drop their pricey
internet service for a single cheap LTE deal.
Auto Zoom
Thanks to the likes of Ford, GM and Toyota, even small-business owners
can stop thinking company cars and start thinking company fleet. Auto
manufacturers have started offering low-cost business-oriented tracking
tools and productivity features that mirror the logistics packages of
big-time fleets.
"Factory-embedded productivity tools help fleet owners present data
like where vehicles are, driver behavior and dispatch options. And they
make that information accessible from any computer," says Ed Pleet,
product and business development manager for connected services at the
Ford Motor Company. Ford's Crew Chief vehicle management app starts at
$425, plus $32 a month.
Just be careful: Though fleet management tools are helpful in
figuring out which delivery guy can handle that last-minute pickup,
improper utilization could make your staff feel like you're spying on
them.
Talking Point
No, don't toss your keyboard quite yet. But do think of voice-control
technology as an always-at-the-ready assistant that can help out when
you're driving, caring for patients or knee-deep in hands-on work.
"Voice-recognition tools also can be effective in workplaces with
document-intensive work flows," says Vlad Sejnoha, chief technology
officer at Burlington, Mass.-based Nuance Communications, which offers
the Dragon Go! voice-recognition search app. "For example, the federal
government has mandated the use of electronic medical record systems to
capture and share patient information. But they tend to be hard to use,
template-oriented and a good option for voice recognition."
But be prepared to put some time into practicing with the technology
before you unleash it on your business. Those misdials that get served
up by your car's Bluetooth? You don't want the same thing happening with
sensitive business docs or in client communications.
Author, Author
Plenty of people will feel itchy at the thought (the editors at Entrepreneur among
them), but there are machines out there that can write. Not just type
or print, but actually turn bits of data into full sentences.
Durham, N.C.'s Automated Insights has put its writing program to work
to create more than 400 websites, 700 Twitter feeds and 400 mobile
apps. The 13-person firm creates every single grammatically correct word
of this network by machine, and founder and CEO Robbie Allen believes
automated authoring has a home in almost any business. "We originally
started out focused on data-intensive content like sports," he says.
"But now we realize we can use the technology in anything from financial
services to health care."
Gumby Screens
Imagine a PC screen that can bend around a column or along the curves of
a car's interior. Consumer-targeted tools like bendable iPads are still
years away, but moderately flexible screens, such as those from
Norcross, Ga.-based NanoLumens, are already available. The company's
NanoFlex products can conform to curved surfaces in retail spaces,
lobbies, transportation hubs or hospitality venues.
"It's all about more screens," says Nick Colaneri, director of
Arizona State University's Flexible Display Center in Tempe. "Everywhere
you look: at work, sides of cars--anywhere."
Join the Club
Shopping clubs aren't just for buying vats of ketchup anymore. These
days they're targeting businesses by pushing essential tech products.
Need a multiline phone setup, a high-speed network printer or even a
sophisticated networking system? Now you can load up your cart during a
trip to Sam's Club, Costco or
BJ's Wholesale Club--and you may never
have to rely on a pricey business technology reseller again.
"As the consumer market slows, tech vendors look for ways to
reconnect with customers, and the small-business-oriented shopping club
is a natural fit," says Stephen Baker, vice president of industry
analysis for Port Washington, N.Y.-based market research firm the NPD
Group.
There are drawbacks to using a club as your go-to tech vendor: Items
come and go, so you may not find what you need, and most don't offer
much on-the-floor customer service. (Luckily, you can put your
smartphone to work midaisle to search out product reviews.) And, as it
was with that backyard shed you bought at the club the week before,
you'll need to know how to install and service your tech purchases--or
be ready to hire someone who does.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222592
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