Effectively communicating in the office is more than just firing off a few emails or picking up the telephone. There's a degree of strategy that needs to accompany communication in the workplace. It's about intently listening to others while engaging with them on a level that allows everyone to relate. It's also about being direct and clear about the message being [...]
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is upon us. Everything from appliances like Siri, Alexa, and other voice recognition-driven systems to robots to credit card fraud detection is powered by AI. In fact, technology news indicates that the number of applications and platforms using AI is likely to grow exponentially in the near future. Wired reports that major technology companies, including [...]
The Internet of Things (IoT) has become nearly omnipresent, as the billions of connected devices become an increasingly prevalent part of our everyday work and personal lives. As the network of objects equipped with sensors, software and connectivity grows, so do questions about security and ethical use. The question remains for business leadership concerned with the state of IoT: issues [...]
The Millennials have been the coming generation for a while. But the cohort that follows them, Generation Z, are either on the entry rungs of job ladders or about to get there. Generation Z is the generation born between 1995 and the early 2000s, while, of course, the Millennial generation precedes them. Right now, at 79 million strong, Generation [...]
Advertisers target consumer computer searches and purchasing activity so that ads can be matched to them. That is why, if you’ve shopped for anything from shoes to kayaking gear recently, images of shoes or kayaks miraculously show up on your computer. Mining Social Media Accounts Technology news indicates that searches and buying activity are not the only things being [...]
The WannaCry malware attack that crippled computers around the world in mid-May 2017 could have been much worse if not for the quick-thinking actions of a 22-year-old British cyber protector. His actions are a bright light on an incident that caused costly damage to companies and individuals who rely on a digital workplace. It’s also a happy ending to May’s [...]
Cybersecurity breaches and cybercrime have been recognized as an area of immense risk for at least five years. Organizations ranging from the government to corporations have had data compromised or stolen. Currently, cybercrime alone is a business estimated by $445 billion, according to the Harvard Business Review. Technology news reveals that the average company deals with 200,000 attempts against security [...]
It’s clear that digital technology can power business and that many digital companies have disrupted entire industries with the way they deliver products and services for the better. But can technology be part of solving social issues as well as business ones? Can it disrupt models of organizations where progress on social issues has been made? In the last [...]
Artificial intelligence is a popular topic in boardrooms and C-suites today. As AI becomes one of the most-discussed opportunities, businesses are making significant investments in technologies designed to innovate new business models and improve business processes. Yet if history proves anything, many companies will swing and miss at this latest business strategy. Why? From the dot-com boom and bust [...]
Our world is hyperconnected, driven, in part, by advances in digital technology and wireless functionality. The convergence of these innovations is called the Internet of Things. It is transforming the way we live, work and play. Just what is the state of the Internet of Things right now and where is it headed? Put simply, the Internet of Things is a [...]
Most social media platforms operating today have been built with scale as a dominant metric in their business strategy. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and their kin wanted to build out as big as possible to keep revenues flowing. Yet increasingly, social media is becoming more than social media if, by that, we mean that media that connects friends and communities. [...]
Finance companies are not always linked with digital innovation in the way that, say, social media or technology companies are. However, digital innovation is affecting the industry, from venerable investment banks to blockchain developers. Fast Company annually publishes a list of the world’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, but it also breaks the list into sectors. Want to know who the most innovative [...]
The IoT allows for the measurement, collection, transmission, and usage analysis of countless objects, from cars to clothes. For marketers and business strategists, the IoT generates massive amounts of data that exposes the behaviors and passions of millions of customers and potential customers. In this time of great concerns over privacy and security, the question remains, regarding the Internet of Things: [...]
A concern that machines will replace workers animates much discussion about the future of technology. Robots, drones, and virtual reality all seem to portend a time not far distant when machines do work once done by humans. Indeed, in some instances, that future is already here. Proponents of augmented reality (AR), though, are increasingly saying that AR will improve employee [...]
Americans have more access to better food and food for a sophisticated palate than ever before. Great meals can be had everywhere from airline terminals to 5-star restaurants specializing in haute cuisine. Most people are aware of the rise in the foodie culture, where people from 18 to 75 pursue sophisticated foods ranging from roasted squab to artisanal chocolate to craft beer. [...]
Every year, Fast Company compiles a 50-company list of “The World’s Most Innovative Companies.” It surveys the business universe for companies whose products and business strategies have made the greatest impact.Innovation in social media likely has one of the most significant impacts of any digital workplace. Why? Social media is increasingly expanding the category of social media itself. Think of it as [...]
Businesses worldwide are losing “digital IQ” at a rapid rate, according to a yearly survey conducted by PwC. The Digital IQ survey tabulates responses from business leaders at over 2,200 companies and defines Digital IQ as “the measurement of an organization’s abilities to harness and profit from technology.” In 2016, 67% of businesses surveyed self-rated their digital IQ as strong. In [...]
Many digital technologies use images for security, along with consumer-specific knowledge-based authentication (KBA) such as passwords. However, sound is increasingly moving to the fore in technology news as a means of providing digital security. In the Call Center and Outside It: Detecting Fraud One reason is that some digital fraud is committed via the sound of a voice. Call [...]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is frequently the focus of technology news. There is a marked tendency, however, to treat AI as if it were a singular thing.The Varieties of AIIt isn't. A recent article in Wired points out that there are many varieties of artificial intelligence. If you hear of deep neural networks, for example, you are reading about a pattern recognition system. [...]
Snap Inc., the company that brought us the social media app Snapchat, is going public shortly. In the materials for its initial public offering (IPO), Snap described itself as a "camera company." The description caused no small amount of commentary, largely because Snapchat is a social media smartphone app, not a camera.Snapchat uses cameras, of course - one of the [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]