Mereja

Author: Connie Hwong, Community Manager

  • Last week on Pro: disrupting the mobile OS landscape and photo management apps

    With WWDC around the corner, rumors about iOS 7 are flying: the software is allegedly getting a visual refresh and a few other design tweaks. Over on GigaOM Pro, our analysts are looking at the mobile OS market at large: major disruptions seem to be in store over the next 6-12 months that could knock iOS and Android off their respective pedestals. Other popular research content this week includes a look at the photo management app market, and an analyst’s take on the concept of “emergent business.”

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Connected Consumer: Survey: How apps can solve photo management
    Hans Hartman

    While apps like Instagram and Twitter often steal the spotlight when it comes to photosharing, photo management – which includes sharing as well as syncing, aggregating, and storing images across multiple device – is also a growing market. Analyst Hans Hartman presents the results of a user survey on photo management apps and devices, and applies the data to an evaluation of 18 solution providers, from Cooliris to Woven. Hartman’s report analyzes the feature sets, monetization models and unmet needs that exist across this market, and posits that there is still room for improvement and innovation. “What we need,” Hartman concludes, “are smart, big data–like, location- and service- independent solutions for organizing photos.”

    Mobile: Where new opportunity lies in the mobile operating system space
    Colin Gibbs

    According to analyst Colin Gibbs, the mobile OS landscape has remained relatively stagnant, despite the fact that the mobile market at large has seen fierce battles between handset manufacturers, network operators and designers. The Android operating system and iOS have dominated the market since they were introduced six years ago, and currently claim nearly 88% of smartphone sales worldwide.  But the landscape is about to undergo significant disruption: over the next 6-12 months, a new batch of mobile operating systems are coming to market, each with more sophisticated and dynamic features than either Android or iOS. Gibbs analyzes each of these new competitors, looking at the potential features and platforms that they’ll bring to both emerging and developed markets, and concludes with key takeaways for both consumers and the enterprise.

    Social: Beyond social: the rise of the emergent business
    Stowe Boyd

    In his latest thought piece, analyst Stowe Boyd considers the concept of emergence as it applies to the modern business world. Businesses (and their employees) must embrace the rapid adoption of new technologies and business practices as well as the increased speed of responding to global or economic changes. Boyd defines this as the “next generation” of business – a truly emergent organization that is prepared to deal with a volatile and complex marketplace and environment – and goes on to forecast how emergent businesses will approach and change the workplace on both macro and micro levels.

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  • Last week on Pro: a guide for the cloud curious and social at work (literally)

    Following the epic, 3.5-hour long keynote at Google I/O this week, all eyes were on the Moscone Center as Google rolled out a series of new products, devices, and features. The three-day event was packed with announcements, including the launch of Google Music, big upgrades for Google+ and Google Maps, and a lot more — check out our full I/O event coverage to catch up on the big news and themes that emerged from the show.

    Meanwhile, over on GigaOM Pro our analysts focused on the cloud (also a major topic at Google I/O), writing a veritable how-to manual for companies considering a cloud implementation.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cloud: Steps for finding the best route to the cloud
    David Linthicum

    Is your company considering a cloud implementation? Analyst David Linthicum provided a user’s guide for enterprise users making a transition to the cloud, emphasizing the need to create a “holistic plan and architecture” to avoid the chaos of an ad hoc system and the pitfalls of a failed cloud implementation. While there’s no single path to the cloud that will work for all companies, Linthicum analyzed responses from a series of end-user interviews about understanding a company’s requirements, identifying the tradeoffs of different types of cloud implementations (and major vendors in each category), and considering the economic benefits of switching to a cloud implementation.

    Connected Consumer: Defending the Apple Way
    Paul Sweeting

    Our colleagues over at paidContent have been following Apple’s recent ebook price-fixing conspiracy lawsuit. Now, analyst Paul Sweeting weighs in with his take on the situation, attributing Apple’s stubborn refusal to settle the case (as its five co-defendents have) to the company’s fears that “acknowledging wrongdoing in the ebook case, even implicitly, could constrain its ability to enter new media markets in the future.” While Apple’s rigid business policies are responsible for the success of its signature products, such as iTunes, Sweeting argued that this inflexibility has grave implications for Apple as it moves forward.

    Social: Social networks will displace business processes, not socialize them
    Stowe Boyd

    What would Margaret Mead have to say about Facebook? Analyst Stowe Boyd took a theory-based approach in his latest report, arguing that simply adding a social layer to existing business tools is ineffective and unlikely to work in the long term. Instead, Boyd presented the 3C model, an approach to categorizing business cultures and applying a “psychodynamic cultural model” to each type of business environment. Rather than analyzing a specific set of vendors or tools, Boyd provided a set of theoretical scenarios, a study of social network adoption in the workplace, and the arc of business culture, with specific applications to the software industry.

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  • Last week on Pro: the fall of Fisker and death in Texas

    This week, there’s a familiar name on GigaOM Pro: Katie Fehrenbacher takes her in-depth expertise of the electric vehicle market (as seen in coverage like “A look under the hood: why electric car startup Fisker crashed and burned”) over to our research service. Her analysis of the Fisker situation, based on responses from a recent GigaOM survey, was one of the most well-read pieces of research over the past seven days. Other popular research content includes an analysis of how retailers can both fight and embrace showrooming, and an analyst’s take on the downfall of Dell and BMC.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cleantech: Flash analysis: the Fisker debacle and its implications on investing, innovation, and government incentives
    Katie Fehrenbacher

    Is Fisker the next Solyndra? The former poster child for the electric vehicle (EV) industry has allegedly lost nearly $200 million in government loans, and has been called to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. What repercussions will this hold for the car company, for the EV market, and for cleantech investments at large? GigaOM senior writer Katie Fehrenbacher analyzes the responses of a recent GigaOM survey on the potential impact that the fall of Fisker could have across all aspects of the cleantech industry, and what other EV companies and investors can learn from this latest incident.

    Cloud: Will the last person to leave BMC and Dell please turn out the lights
    Jo Maitland

    Analyst Jo Maitland writes an elegy of sorts for Dell and BMC Software, two giants that originally grew out of the Texas tech boom in the 1980s, and who stagnated and went private this year in the face of crippling losses. Maitland looks at the two companies as dinosaurs of a past era: companies too big and too slow to adapt to developments like cloud computing and the rise of mobile devices in the workplace. While BMC has issued statements that spin its decision to revert to a private company as a strategic decision, Maitland is skeptical as to how effective or feasible this turnaround will be for the former software giant.

    Mobile: Why retailers should forget showrooming and turn to in-store Wi-Fi
    Laurie Lamberth

    The future of retail continues to be a popular topic on GigaOM Pro. In her latest research report, analyst Laurie Lamberth focuses on the showrooming phenomenon, and how it’s impacting sales at major retailers like Best Buy and Target. She takes a quick look at various tactics that the industry has employed to combat showrooming, from price-matching guarantees to charging refundable “browsing fees.” However, rather than fighting it, Lamberth advises retailer to embrace showrooming, using the mobile experience and in-store Wi-Fi to engage and retain customers, serve revenue-boosting mobile ads, and gather valuable business intelligence on shopper behavior. Noting the fact that chains such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Sam’s Club have already started offering free in-store Wi-Fi, Lamberth provides a few case studies of in-store implementation, and offers a list of best practices for enabling a rich mobile data experience for shoppers.

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  • Last week on Pro: social customer service and the future of shopping (part 2)

    This week, Path, the intentionally-constrained social network, celebrated reaching the 10 million registered users mark. But this milestone was marred by complaints that the app was employing some shady user-acquisition tactics – in some cases, spamming users’ entire address books. Meanwhile, over on GigaOM Pro, social was a popular topic among our analysts, as we published our latest Sector RoadMap about how customer service tools integrate with social media platforms. Other new research includes a look at creativity in the workplace, and an in-depth analysis about mobile shopping behavior.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Future of Work: The cultural bias against creatives as leaders
    Stowe Boyd

    Analyst Stowe Boyd muses on the connections between creativity and leadership in the corporate sector. While a 2010 CEO survey conducted by IBM reveals creativity – and its role in innovative, disruptive thinking – as a highly valued quality for corporate leaders, there is a bias against promoting creatives to positions of authority. Boyd looks at the ongoing struggle between maintaining the status quo, charismatic leadership, and “thinking different” when it come to corporate politics.

    Mobile: Why mobile must be part of the shopping experience
    Phil Hendrix

    Is shopping dead? The future of retail continues to be a major topic for GigaOM Pro subscribers. Last week, readers tuned in to a podcast about the future of shopping. This week, Phil Hendrix’ published his followup report, based on extensive data gathered from a recent IMMR/GigaOM Pro survey of smartphone users about the retail experience. Hendrix posits that the traditional shopping experience is ripe for disruption. He digs in to the survey responses to identify what makes for a successful retail operation (across brick and mortar and ecommerce outlets), and makes a series of recommendations for retailers, brands, and local businesses.

    Social:  Sector RoadMap: Social customer service in 2013
    Laura Stuart

    Social customer service – meeting users where they are on social networks and social media platforms – is no longer a niche market. Enterprise giants like Salesforce, Oracle, and SAP are acquiring social customer service startups or launching their own in-house solutions. It’s clear that social customer service could transform how customers interact with businesses. Analyst Laura Stuart analyzes data from GigaOM Research’s recent survey on social business technology and identifies six major factors that could disrupt this volatile market in the near term future.

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  • Last week on Pro: content personalization and the future of shopping

    This week, the content and digital publish space got a bit more exciting, with the news that NYC-based incubator and investor Betaworks acquired Instapaper. Over on GigaOM Pro, our analysts have  also been watching the content personalization landscape, and our latest Sector RoadMap (published in conjunction with paidContent Live) scrutinizes the current market and predicts which vendors and technologies could disrupt the market over the next 12-24 months. Also new this week: our analyst podcast about the future of shopping and retail, as well as a look at the hybrid cloud market.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cloud: Are Hybrid Clouds Just a Fear of Commitment?
    David Linthicum

    In his latest blog post, analyst David Linthicum weighs in on hybrid clouds, an increasingly popular option for companies who are not ready (or willing) to commit to a public versus a private cloud solution. Linthicum cites a few key features of hybrid cloud solutions, and provides a brief example of how Zynga has made use of a hybrid instance, but also lays out a set of caveats for businesses who are exploring this path.

    Connected Consumer: Sector RoadMap: Content Personalization in 2013
    Mark Mulligan

    In the latest Sector RoadMap from GigaOM Pro, analyst Mark Mulligan tackles the rapidly-evolving content personalization landscape. As content owners shift from human editorial curation towards machine-based recommendations, publishers, are relying on big data tools to study behavioral and social media data to target consumers and deliver highly dynamic, personalized content. Mulligan uses GigaOM Pro’s patented RoadMap methodology to identify and analyze six major disruption vectors that could impact the content personalization market over the next 12-24 months. Mulligan also highlights six personalization-technology vendors in both the B2B and consumer markets who could break away to dominate this landscape in the near-term future.

    Mobile: Why mobile is vital to the future of retail [Podcast]
    Adam Lesser, Dr. Phil Hendrix, Doug Stephens

    In one of GigaOM Pro’s latest podcasts analysts Dr. Phil Hendrix and Doug Stephens join Adam Lesser for a deep and insightful conversation about how mobile computing is changing the shopping experience. The 40+ minute podcast kicks off with results from a recent consumer survey on the shopping experience at large, and assesses the impact of “showrooming” on traditional brick and mortar establishments. As Hendrix, Stephens, and Lesser reveal, although physical, visceral experiences at brick and mortar stores is still a vital part of the shopping experience, successful retailers will need to drastically change the in-person shopping experience in order to survive. While Amazon is currently dominating the online market in terms of product discovery and comparison, what mobile experiences – apps as well as shopping platforms – will play in a role in dictating which types of physical shopping outlets can survive?

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  • Last week on Pro: quarterly wrap-ups and OpenStack

    Last week, we wrapped up our second conference of the year, as paidContent Live in New York City drew a packed house and standing-room-only workshops. More than 40 innovators, analysts, and content creators joined us on stage to discuss the future of digital media. Meanwhile, over on GigaOM Pro, our analysts took a look at the consumer products market, including new products and developments in OTT and streaming content services, as well as initial analysis of last week’s OpenStack Summit.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cloud: Understanding the State of OpenStack
    David Linthicum

    Analyst David Linthicum provides his takeaways from last week’s OpenStack Summit in Portland, OR. As the cloud computing standard continues to gain in popularity, Linthicum sees it as an increasingly important competitor to Amazon Web Services, especially as OpenStack gains traction with companies such as IBM, Rackspace, and HP (as well as many smaller startups). Linthicum offers his analysis and opinion on OpenStack’s future as a viable cloud computing standard, and offers suggestions on what major hurdles still exist for OpenStack’s interoperability and compatibility for the industry.

    Connected Consumer: Connected consumer first-quarter 2013: Analysis and outlook
    Paul Sweeting

    Analyst Paul Sweeting looks at recent developments in consumer products market – the past quarter was anchored by the CES expo in Las Vegas and closed with new buzz about a potential smart watch from Apple (and offerings from other competitors). The past quarter also saw new developments in consumer-facing copyright laws in the US and Europe in response to the newly-emerging used digital goods market. Sweeting looks at the proposed changes to Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) as well as other potential copyright law reforms targeting content aggregation services. He also reviews the past quarter in the OTT market, including services such as Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu, who are actively producing their own original content as well as serving up existing content on demand. Sweeting also provides a near term outlook on the consumer products market, including game consoles, connected TVs, streaming content services, and smart watches

    Social: Social first-quarter 2013: analysis and outlook
    Stowe Boyd

    Analyst Stowe Boyd highlights some of the biggest developments that emerged in the social business marketplace. Kicking things off with Marissa Meyer’s elimination of Yahoo’s WFH policy, Boyd provides data on the remote work habits of US workers across multiple industries, and the continuing consumerization of enterprise solutions, led by the likes of Salesforce and Microsoft and supported by hybrid consumer/enterprise products such as LinkedIn, Behance, and Mendeley. With continuing changes in business culture and the release of products such as Tempo and Mailbox, Boyd delves into the changing role of social tools in the workplace and wonders who comes first in the workplace – the business or the worker?

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  • Last week on Pro: smart buildings, Q1 in mobile, and more

    This week, all eyes were on Texas, as Google announced that Austin will be its next Google Fiber-connected city. Next week, all eyes will be on New York, as we launch this year’s paidContent Live conference on April 17. We’ve still got a few tickets left, so register today to join our writers, over 40 digital content innovators, investors, and analysts for a full day of panels, workshops, and fireside chats about the future of media. Meanwhile, over on GigaOM Pro, our analysts have been looking back at the past quarter in tech. Read on to see what our analysts have to say about the current market and near term future for mobile, cleantech, and more.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cleantech: Building energy management systems: overview and forecast
    Eric Bloom and Richard Martin

    What does it take to build bigger, better, and more energy-efficient buildings? Analysts Eric Bloom and Richard Martin take a look at the rapidly-evolving building energy management system (BEMS) market, which leverages big data to monitor and control building energy use and efficiency. While the recent economic slowdown has hampered the BEMS sector, recent research projections still anticipate significant growth over the next decade. Bloom and Martin provide a competitive overview of the BEMS ecosystem, as well as a summary of current market opportunities, key players and recent acquisitions, and future strategies and growth opportunities.

    Cloud: Security: Getting to the truth in the enterprise vs. public cloud debate
    David Linthicum

    What’s the safest way to store your data? Analyst David Linthicum revisits the hotly-contested cloud security debate, taking a look at the arguments for (and against) public cloud solutions versus more traditional enterprise systems. He draws on recent data from Alert Logic to weigh in on the vulnerability of each system, adding his own thoughts and expertise about achieving security in the cloud.

    Mobile: Mobile first-quarter 2013: analysis and outlook
    Colin Gibbs

    It’s been a tumultuous quarter in mobile, for just about everyone except Apple. Analyst Colin Gibbs revisits the big news items and forecasts the potential impact on the mobile market. Highlights include RIM’s attempt at a fresh start as BlackBerry and the long-awaited launch of the BlackBerry10 OS and Z10 handset. Meanwhile, Samsung continued to exert its dominance on the Andoid market, and announced plans that could effectively create a third-party mobile ecosystem to rival Google’s control of the Android operating system. Gibbs also looks at how T-Mobile is shaking up the US carrier market by eliminating service contracts and handset subsidies, and the near-term outlook for the mobile market at large. Lastly, he outlines recent developments and disruptions in the wearable device market, and especially what it means for consumers.

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  • Last week on Pro: smart meters, smart watches, and more

    It was a busy week for our startup, social, and mobile readers — all eyes were on Palo Alto on Thursday, as the Zuck took to the stage to announce Facebook Home launcher for Android devices, dispelling earlier rumors that the social network would release its own phone – at least, for now. Meanwhile, over on GigaOM Pro, our analysts have been getting smart: this week’s featured research includes a flash analysis on the future of the smart watch, a deep dive into big data and smart grid technologies, and more.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cleantech: How energy data will impact the smart grid
    Adam Lesser

    “The time has come for software development to tackle the smart grid,” declares Analyst Adam Lesser in his latest research report. Now that we’re collecting petabytes of energy-use data from millions of connected devices, companies working in home energy management, building energy management, and utilities must leverage new, affordable big data tools to monitor and impact energy usage. As solar has given cleantech investment a bad name, software (and, to a lesser extent) hardware startups are offering a new range of products meant to increase efficiency of a fossil fuel source, as opposed to advancing renewable energy options. Lesser analyzes the risks and opportunities for these companies and highlights the major trends and takeaways from the companies already working in the space, such as Nest, Opower and ENBALA.

    Connected Consumer: Flash analysis: smart watches
    Michael Wolf

    With the success of projects like the Pebble watch on Kickstarter, followed by rumors that Apple might release its own device, the smart watch is no longer a gimmicky sci-fi gadget. Instead, early offerings from startup companies (or recipients of crowd sourced funding) have proven that there is interest and excitement from consumers, investors, and larger consumer products companies. Analyst Michael Wolf looks at the results of a reader survey conducted last month across GigaOM and GigaOM Pro, summarizing responses about smart watch price points, feature requests, and use cases and adoption rates, among other data points. The report also goes on to look at the Pebble’s market position in relation to potential offerings by giants like Apple and Samsung, as well as the company’s prospects in the near term future.

    Social: What is of highest value in today’s business?
    Stowe Boyd

    In his latest weekly update, Analyst Stowe Boyd looks at the changing nature of work in the American economy. Looking at recently-released data from the New York Federal Reserve, Boyd notes that since 1975, major shifts in labor — from manual, routine jobs towards nonroutine, knowledge-based work – has increased by about 20 percent. Boyd looks at how this shift is affecting operations, culture, and structure in the workplace at large.

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  • Last week on Pro: SQL-on-Hadoop, paid content, and the internet of things

    Hadoop and content monetization were big topics on GigaOM this week – no surprise there, as we just wrapped up our Structure:Data conference last week and are jumping straight into paidContent Live on April 17. Meanwhile our analysts over on GigaOM Pro offer their own deep analyses on how to manage big data, how to make money from paid content, and more.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cleantech: Cleantech and the internet of things
    Adam Lesser

    Are big data and the internet of things really two parts of the same whole? Analyst Adam Lesser considers how connected devices on networks collect massive amounts of data, and how this information can be used to save time, money, and energy. This added efficiency and increased automation could impact nearly all enterprise and consumer sectors, but Lesser focuses on the specific implications for cleantech: the smart gird, processors, and lighting.

    Cloud: Sector RoadMap: SQL-on-Hadoop platforms in 2013
    Joseph Turian

    So, you’re jumping on to the big data bandwagon – now what? Analyst Joseph Turian looks at the enormous knowledge gap separating companies from accessing big data in Hadoop. An “avalanche of vendors” has stepped in to offer their own versions of SQL-on-Hadoop solutions, which ” increase the accessibility of Hadoop and allow organizations to reuse their investment learning in SQL.”  Following our signature Sector RoadMap format, Turian takes a look at the current SQL-on-Hadoop marketplace, and looks ahead at the exiting vendors and players (major players and startups alike) as well as the technologies and trends that could disrupt this market over the next 12-24 months.

    Connected Consumer: Content monetization: news licensing and syndication still need marketplaces and infrastructure
    Paul Sweeting

    Analyst Paul Sweeting tackles the tricky business of content monetization and syndication, specifically for news outlets. Publishers have wrestled with paywalls and the rising role of social in sharing and aggregating their content. Sweeting contends that publishers must strategically create a real market for their content as well as capitalize on ad hoc syndication opportunities, social sharing, and other distribution and paid content models. He goes on to highlight the work promising startups like NewsCred and ZInio who are serving as middlemen between content publishers and consumers, as well as in-house solutions developed by giants like The New York Times.

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  • Last week on Pro: big data in business, mobile ads, and social in the workplace

    Unsurprisingly, big data was on everyone’s minds this week, as we kicked off our conference season with Structure:Data in New York City. The two-day show had plenty of highlights – check out GigaOM’s complete coverage here. But one of the most buzzworthy talks of the day was from Ira “Gus” Hunt, the CTO of the CIA, which included the eerily provocative factoid that we can all allegedly be identified by our gaits, as measured by 3 axes recorded by our smartphones (or Fitbits). While you mull that over, catch up on your weekly dose of GigaOM Pro content, where our analysts have their own take on big data, the mobile ad space, and social’s role in the workplace.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cloud/Big Data: How to use big data to make better business decisions
    Paul Miller

    Big data, it seems, is everywhere – we’re now producing exabytes of it each day. But regardless of what industry you’re in, this sea of (largely) unstructured data needs to be curated, cleaned and queried before it can be strategically used for data-driven decision making. Analyst Paul Miller provides a primer on big data in the business context, including an overview of analytics, performance measurements, and structured versus unstructured data. Machine learning isn’t perfect (yet), and Miller emphasizes the importance of learning to ask the right questions and how to use the smartest queries when it comes to handling your bit data intelligently and strategically.

    Mobile: Why mobile advertising should finally soar in the next year. No, really!
    Colin Gibbs

    After years of disappointing numbers and overhyped false starts, Analyst Colin Gibbs thinks that mobile ads will finally deliver in 2013.  Gibbs contends that the rise of tablets (and phablets), the wider implementation of LTE networks and Wifi, and the increased traction for technologies such as NFC and augmented reality will all converge to make mobile ads a viable, successful channel. However, it still remains to be seen if advertisers can truly leverage these factors to create and implement compelling and innovative campaigns to attract consumer attention. Gibbs cites a few promising examples from Starbucks and Adidas to get your creative juices going.

    Social: Social is the new production line, not the new water cooler
    Stowe Boyd

    Social isn’t always trivial: Analyst Stowe Boyd dispels some misconceptions around the use of social tools in the workplace. Rather than serve as a mere outlet for banter, Boyd looks to none other than IBM’s CEO, Ginni Rometty, who argues that ” social networks will supplant the business-process model.” Boyd takes it a layer deeper, comparing and contrasting company structures that are more networked (with looser social affiliations) versus those that are more process oriented (with subsequently tighter social affiliations). Boyd divides these characteristics into cooperative versus collar, and creates assumptions as to how each type of business values and implements social tools and techniques.

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  • Last week on Pro: how to scale a startup, disengaged work and more

    March madness isn’t just for sports – as we saw this week, spring fever is roaring across the tech world, too. As soon as our writers returned from covering the five-day SXSW Interactive whirlwind in Austin, Samsung launched its highly-anticipated (and much-leaked) Galaxy S 4 at a splashy event in New York, and Google elicited howls of protest by announcing the impending sunset of Google Reader. Meanwhile, over on GigaOM Pro, our analysts are preparing for this week’s Structure:Data conference in New York City and writing research reports full of practical advice for startup founders, analysis of converging trends in the mobile, cloud, and big data markets, and more.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cloud: Understanding the Symbiosis of Cloud Computing, Big Data, and Mobile
    David Linthicum

    Perhaps the singularity is coming to the cloud: in his latest weekly update, analyst David Linthicum considers the increasing convergence (and interdependence) of mobile, data and cloud. While the enterprise (and their IT departments) treat these three emerging market segments as separate entities, Linthicum cites examples such as the relationship between big data and cloud storage, and of mobile computing and the concept of “personal clouds” for user data and document management, to argue that these three arms form a complex, symbiotic system that should be linked to gain greater strategic productivity.

    Connected Consumer: 11 Steps for scaling a startup
    David MacMillan

    In an appeal for the unsexy (but very necessary) side of startups, analyst David MacMillan takes a look at several crucial (and often overlooked) aspects of establishing a startup and expanding the business beyond a couple founders and a good idea. While founders (and their funders) focus their initial efforts on product development, technical risks, and marketing efforts, MacMillan’s report covers the critical, mundane infrastructure tasks, such as proper legal and financial infrastructure,  to include in any startup business plan. MacMillan provides a veritable owner’s manual, covering topics like safe harbors, intellectual property ownership and identifying and obtaining proper legal and financial services with actionable advice and important factors to consider at each stage of the process.

    Social: Why work doesn’t happen at work
    Stowe Boyd

    Analyst Stowe Boyd pens a brief thought piece based on a 2010 TED talk by 37signals’ Jason Fried. Fried and Boyd both advocate for thinking outside the box – or in this case, outside the office. Boyd notes the counterproductive nature of the typical office – the so-called “death by a thousand interruptions in the typical workplace” – and instead argues in favor of the disengaged (or semi-disengaged) worker.

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  • Last week on Pro: BYOD, AWS, and oDesk

    This weekend, all eyes are on SXSW, as 60,000 registered attendees (not to mention the thousands who arrive just for the parties) descend into Austin for the ten-day interactive, film and music festival. Be sure to check out our SXSW coverage and wish our reporters luck and a solid Wi-Fi connection as they navigate hundreds of panel discussions and downtown Austin. Meanwhile, over on GigaOM Pro, our analysts are looking at the challenges of BYOD policies in the workplace, new trends in hiring contractors (both in the U.S. and overseas), and more.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cloud: Three Things Amazon Web Services Should Do to Remain On Top
    David Linthicum

    Analyst David Linthicum takes a look at the latest Gartner report on public cloud computing adoption, which reveals that the IaaS market continues dominate the conversation (and the revenue streams) when it comes to public cloud. While AWS is clearly the biggest IaaS player — for now — Linthicum offers his own take on what Amazon can and should do in order to maintain its lead in the market.

    Mobile: Planning a BYOD strategy on the move
    Cormac Foster

    Analyst Cormac Foster provides a practical guide for enterprises who want to implement a smart, dynamic BYOD strategy. Acknowledging that most companies already have an ad-hoc system in place, Foster provides guidance for establishing an oversight team, creating standards and metrics, and ensuring that you have buy-in from key departments across a given organization before embarking on a phased buildout.

    Social: Taking the friction out of a fast-and-loose work economy
    Stowe Boyd

    Outsourcing is passe — instead, companies like oDesk are propagating a new trend called ”lift, not shift,” as analyst Stowe Boyd discovers when he sits down with Gary Swart, CEO of oDesk, to chat about the 540,000+ companies which use the service to find and hire contractors. Boyd analyzes Swart’s description of how US companies create work both in the U.S. and overseas (as opposed to outsourcing labor for their entire company), and how oDesk is establishing itself as a global player in the freelance economy.

    Thumbnail photo courtesy of Flickr user Will Merydith

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  • Last week on Pro: wearable devices, LEDs and Yahoo’s rescinded WFH policy

    It’s been a big week for big data and for GigaOM. We hosted our first internet of things meetup in San Francisco on Tuesday, with a packed house of 250 listening to our 5 speakers. Our next IoT meet up is slated for Boulder on March 13; register here to join us. We also checked out the Strata conference in Santa Clara, as we get prepared for our own Structure:Data show in New York City on March 20-21. If you haven’t secured your tickets yet, click here to register now – there are a limited number of spots remaining. Meanwhile, over on GigaOM Pro, our analysts took a deeper look at the potential motives behind Marissa Meyer’s new anti-WFH policies at Yahoo, as well as deep dive into the wearable devices market.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cleantech: The growth and promise of the LED market
    Ucilia Wang

    Analyst Ucilia Wang takes a look at the LED industry, which is slowly making inroads into the commercial markets. LED is moving away from being a mere novelty or purely functional form of illumination and gaining popularity for residential and retail use. Wang provides a technical overview of LED design and engineering, potential additional use cases and applications for the technology, and which startups and major companies to watch as LEDs continue to gain a foothold in the mainstream.

    Connected Consumer: The wearable-computing market: a global analysis
    Jody Ranck

    Last summer, we published analyst Jody Ranck’s analysis of wearable devices, and it’s back at the top of our most popular research content. While Google Glass is often cited as the seminal wearable example, Ranck also looks at many of the devices available to consumers today. At present, it’s a market largely dominated by the quantified-self movement, anchored by fitness products such as the Nike Fuelband and the Fitbit (see disclosure). Although the mobile and health sectors will see the biggest impact over the next 5 years, Ranck looks at current and emerging wearable technologies that will resonate across the enterprise, disability technology, fashion, gaming/entertainment, and augmented reality sectors.

    Social: What Marissa Mayer’s ‘no remote work’ dictate means
    Stowe Boyd

    Analyst Stowe Boyd takes a theiry-based approach as he weighs in on Yahoo’s crackdown on WFH culture. Drawing on Edgar Schein’s  principles of organizational structure, Boyd looks at what impact Meyers’ latest policy will have upon Yahoo’s corporate culture. While the mandate emphasizes the importance of in-person collaboration and communication, Boyd worries that Yahoo is sacrificing innovation in favor of corporate micromanagement.

    Disclosure: Fitbit is backed by True Ventures, a venture capital firm that is an investor in the parent company of this blog, Giga Omni Media. Om Malik, founder of Giga Omni Media, is also a venture partner at True.

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  • Last week on Pro: disrupting the university and energy efficient data centers

    It was a big week for Google and Tesla, as new information about Google Glass stirred up fresh buzz for the device, and the electric vehicle company recovered from its New York Times snafu and projected it would become profitable next quarter. Meanwhile, on GigaOM Pro, our analysts gave their own opinions on Google’s wearable device, and looked ahead at education and digital learning – the next big disruption in tech?

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cleantech: Three trends that could transform the energy efficient data center
    Adam Lesser

    Analyst Adam Lesser takes a look at energy-efficient data centers, which have recently become the pet projects of internet giants like Facebook, Google and Amazon. But more companies (both large and small) are turning to data centers and exploring the best options for establishing energy-efficient practices and investments. Lesser sits down with Clemens Pfeiffer, a data center infrastructure management expert, to analyze the latest trends and technologies that could disrupt this space in the near-term future.

    Mobile: Fashion shouldn’t be a high priority for Google Glass — at least not yet
    Colin Gibbs

    In a brief, fun blog post, analyst Colin Gibbs offers his opinion on Google Glass – and its latest collaboration with hipster eyewear company Warby Parker. As Google’s device heads to the consumer market, the intersection of fashion and design will play a central role in the wearable device market. But Gibbs still remains skeptical about mainstream adoption of Glass, especially given its price point.

    Social: Disrupting the university: near-term opportunities in the digital-learning market
    Shannon Arvizu

    Analyst Shannon Arvizu looks at the rapidly-evolving digital education market, especially at the post-secondary level. IT spending for U.S. universities is projected to reach $10 billion in 2013 alone, leaving a huge opportunity for education technology startups to make true headway in the industry. Arvizu analyzes which startups, technologies, and qualities will be necessary in order to truly disrupt the ed-tech sector, including what types of learning and educational content may be most effective and influential.

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  • Last week on Pro: the internet of things and cleantech, Mailbox.app and more

    If you’re in the midst of a Presidents’ Day break, be sure to download our latest podcast (the iWatch, Dr. Big Data and more) to keep you entertained and updated. And if you’ve got road trip envy, check out Katie Fehrenbacher’s take on the Tesla/New York Times debacle, which riled up automotive enthusiasts and clean tech advocates alike.

    Meanwhile, over on GigaOM Pro, our analysts are looking at how the internet of things will impact the connected (and electric) car, the future of software-defined networking, and what’s next in social networking.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cleantech: Cleantech and the internet of things
    Adam Lesser

    The internet of things (IoT) is quickly gaining traction (and buzz) among investors and industry forecasters alike. GigaOM’s own Stacey Higginbotham deemed IoT “the new land grab for chip makers” in a recent post, and analyst Adam Lesser agrees with her, citing the importance of chips, sensors, and radios in the world of cleantech. As devices such as connected cars and smartmeters become part of the mainstream (and not just cleantech-focused) consumer landscape, the internet of things – and the components that power it – will become an increasingly vital component as well.

    Cloud: Forecast: sizing the software-defined networking market
    Lee Doyle

    Analyst Lee Doyle looks at the rapidly-evolving software-defined networking (SDN) landscape, as fresh batches of startups and established corporations alike enter this competitive arena. The outlook for the SDN enterprise market continues to expand, and recent acquisitions (such as VMWare’s recent $1.2 billion deal with Nicira), indicates major opportunities ahead. Doyle analyzes the current and near-term future prospects for SDN in the enterprise, focusing on the products (hardware, software and services) and use cases and applications that business customers will find most relevant.

    Mobile: Proximity-based mobile social networking: outlook and analysis
    Peter Crocker

    Analyst Peter Crocker looks at the most recent iteration of social networking, defining proximity-based social networking applications as services that connect users based on their physical proximity to each other, as well as facilitating connections between people in a certain time and place. Led by apps such as Highlight and Grindr, mobile application vendors have quickly and deeply latched onto this market segment, and Crocker predicts that the market will grow to $1.9 billion by 2016. In this report, Crocker analyzes the types of social networking mechanics presently in use and the existing technology and market structure, before providing his forecasts for the next four years.

    Social: Orchestra’s Mailbox makes email triage effortless
    Stowe Boyd

    In his latest blog post for Pro, Analyst Stowe Boyd provides his initial analysis of Orchestra’s Mailbox app, which launched last week with much fanfare and a very long waiting list. While acknowledging the app’s limitations (it’s currently only available for iOS, and only connects to Gmail), Boyd provides a personal walk-through of his experiences using Mailbox for his own email triage, and how the app stacks up to other task management solutions, such as Asana and Remember the Milk.

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  • Top jobs of the week in tech

    We’re hoping our East Coast readers have successfully dug themselves out from the weekend storm: We need New York City to stay high and dry for our Structure:Data conference next month. Check out the speaker lineup here, and then check out our latest batch of job listings:

    We also have more listings from companies like Platfora, Discovery Communications and more. Click here to see what else is on our jobs board.

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  • Last week on Pro: bursting the cloud bubble, task management tools taken to task

    This week began with a blackout and a buy-back, and looks like it’s ending in a whiteout — at least for our readers on the East Coast. Meanwhile, over on GigaOM Pro, our analysts are publishing research on the cloud, the future of the task management tools market, and the latest news and speculation about new products from Apple and HBO.

    Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

    Cloud: Why Cloud Computing is Harder and more Expensive than we Thought
    David Linthicum

    Is the cloud honeymoon already over? Pro analyst David Linthicum gives us a reality check with some results from KPMG’s most recent Cloud Survey. While 50 percent of businesses who responded were already using a cloud solution, a third also indicated that moving to cloud-based platforms was costlier than expected. Linthicum points out some of the realities of implementing cloud solutions, and makes a few recommendations for how we can reset our expectations around the constraints of the technology and the amount of time and money they require.

    Connected Consumer: Apple settles into the set-top
    Paul Sweeting

    Pro analyst Paul Sweeting has some bad news for Apple fanboys (and fangirls) hoping for an iTV rollout this year: while tech insiders have long speculated that Apple might introduce a game-changing device for the living room, recent chatter indicates that the company plans continue its current line of set-top boxes, rather that producing anything new. Sweeting also takes a look at the latest leaked news surrounding the HBO Go app, another contender for living room MVP.

    Social: The 2013 task management tools market
    Stowe Boyd

    The task management and collaboration tools market continues to grow as remote workers and mobile teams become increasingly important to the enterprise, small businesses, and startups alike. Pro analyst Stowe Boyd provides an extensive analysis of ten of the leading task management products currently on the market (including Asana, Astrid, and Remember the Milk), dividing the group into three tiers, highlighting distinguishing features and assessing each on their team and task model. Is there another Yammer/Microsoft success story on the horizon?

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  • Top jobs of the week in digital media

    What a weekend. Over here at paidContent, we spent the past few days bingeing on episodes of House of Cards, glued to the Superbowl (the game, the ads), and hiding from it all with a good dose of Downton Abbey. Take a quick break from the media overload and then check out our latest batch of job postings from companies across the nation.

    We also have more listings from companies like 20th Century Fox, Akamai, Elevate and more. Click here to see what else is on our jobs board.

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    • Last week on Pro: CES, the fragmented web experience and natural gas

      As the dust settles from CES and the latest flurry of earnings calls, GigaOM Pro analysts are looking beyond connected forks and daily stock market standings. This week, GigaOM Pro takes a look at how the ever-evolving web experience is disrupting content distribution (and consumption), a flash analysis of the biggest hits and misses at CES, and more.

      Note: GigaOM Pro is a subscription-based research service offering in-depth, timely analysis of developing trends and technologies. Visit pro.gigaom.com to learn more about it.

      Cleantech: Natural gas – the other scenario
      Adam Lesser

      Solar has been getting the lion’s share of press in the cleantech sector; the specter of Solyndra continues to plague the industry, and is blamed for scaring away potential investors and hope for market evolution. Pro analyst Adam Lesser identifies another culprit: natural gas. In his latest weekly update, Lesser notes that natural gas is a cheap and appealing alternative for many utilities, who often favor it in lieu of other renewable energy alternatives. However, the natural gas market has its own perils, and Lesser outlines several scenarios that will continue to effect the economics of renewable power in the near future.

      Connected Consumer: CES 2013 flash analysis: disruptions and disappointments from consumer tech’s biggest show
      Michael Wolf

      Pro Analyst Michael Wolf provides a Las Vegas post-mortem and analyzes the results of this month’s GigaOM reader survey. Wolf also takes a look at the show’s major trends – everything from the Internet of things to 3D printing – to determine what’s next for consumer products. What were the biggest highlights (and lowlights) of CES?

      Mobile: How new devices, networks, and consumer habits will change the web experience
      Amy Cravens

      As mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablets) continue to rise, content providers are struggling to contend with a rapidly-growing consumer base that expects zero latency across multiple devices in their user experience. Pro analyst Amy Cravens looks at the biggest shifts in the web experience of the past decade and analyzes the major factors that impact web experience, from design to actual devices. She also presents a pair of case studies from Walmart and the Financial Times before presenting her shortlist of emerging solutions for addressing web content delivery.