Your network may not be a formal part of your ERP implementation, but network performance has a major impact on how satisfactory your ERP system is. Network problems can slow your ERP response time to a crawl and force you into all sorts of workarounds to get your ERP performance up to something at least partially acceptable. Not surprisingly, the network isn’t the first suspect for poor performance of an ERP system. You’re more likely to look at the ERP database, processor speed or other factors before examining your network’s…

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It’s no surprise that globalization, always a hot-button topic, has resurfaced in the US presidential race. But a lot of the discussion continues to re-litigate the past rather than proposing how to compete in the future. While we’re still talking about tariffs, trade deficits, and currency wars, globalization has morphed in a very different—and more digital—direction. Our old image of globalization was one of container ships moving manufactured goods from far-flung factories to markets around the world. Cross-border trade in goods remains a major force in the global economy, but…

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The Internet of Things (IoT) is a key technology that will provide the data that will fuel the cognitive business era. Cognitive systems will ingest all the IoT data and use it to infuse intelligence into systems and processes. As a result, businesses will become more efficient, improve overall customer experience, discover new business opportunities and better anticipate risks and threats. Our research over the past year has revealed three important trends driving adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) as we move through 2016. They are: 1) IoT systems…

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Report suggests organisations, be it because of embarrassment or ignorance, aren’t seeking help from the authorities when they’re victims of cybercrime. Under a third of cyberattacks against businesses are reported to the police, suggesting that organisations are underestimating the threat posed by hackers and cybercrime, a new study has warned. According to Cyber Security: Underpinning the Digital Economy, a report by the Institute of Directors and Barclays bank, companies are keeping quiet about being the victim of a cyberattack, even if their operations were badly affected by such an incident — as figures…

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When the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas filled its 2.5 million square feet of exhibit space with promising technologies, there were smart cars, smart drones and smart houses to get excited about. Missing was last year’s excitement about the Apple Watch.  Since its April 2015 introduction, Apple has remained secretive about how the smartwatch is selling.  Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly stated that “we are not announcing the numbers,” but a new report by research firm Juniper estimates that Apple has claimed 52 percent of the smartwatch market.…

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MANY prophets of information technology (IT) believe that the next big movement in their field will be the “internet of things”. This, they hope, will connect objects hitherto beyond the reach of IT’s tendrils so that, for example, your sofa can buzz your phone to tell you that you have left your wallet behind, or your refrigerator can order your groceries without you having to make a shopping list. That, though, will mean putting chips in your sofa, your wallet and your fridge to enable them to talk to the…

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The company already has more than 50 million business pages on its network. They may not be as sexy as the celebrities Facebook is reportedly trying to woo, but small and medium businesses are still an important group of customers for the social network. On Wednesday, the Menlo Park, Calif., company unveiled a new tool that lets businesses make a short introductory video about their company. Dubbed “Your Business Story,” the video tool lets businesses create essentially a photo slide show to which they can add some music from a…

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Last year was truly excellent for the mobile world especially in terms of developments made to the web browsing on smartphones and tablets. Will 2016 be similarly exciting? Here’s what we believe is likely to make news in 2016. Web fragmentation and more focus on Web Performance According to mobile experts from Applause, it is likely that ‘walled gardens’ created by companies like Google (AMP), Facebook (Instant Articles), Twitter, Netflix, Pinterest, etc. will be more visible in 2016 increasing web fragmentation. We agree that these ‘powerful regions of influence’ will…

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