Statistics and facts about Big Data

Big data has been a buzz word for a while now, although many are still uncertain as to exactly what kind of impact big data can and will have in the future. This is certainly an area that many businesses and even governments are exploring though and it is predicted that the industry will see rapid growth in the next few years. Market value forecasts from various experts also estimate that this industry will grow to a multi-billion dollar industry in the near future. A number of companies, including IBM, HP, Dell and SAP have already been generating generous revenue figures from their big data related products and services.

While many market forecasts are predicting highly lucrative potential for the big data market, a range of market research amongst IT and business professionals has identified a number of concerns and shortfalls with regards to implementing big data projects. Lack of budget and lack of time to invest, are among the leading concerns of IT professionals. Another concern is the lack of expertise in the field with a significant gap forecast between demand and supply of qualified professionals.

Read More: http://www.statista.com/topics/1464/big-data/

Hardware Encryption Market Expected to Reach $296.4bn by 2020

A new report by Allied Market Research forecasts that the world hardware encryption market is to show a CAGR of 54.6% from 2010- 2020 and be worth just over $296 billion.

The World Hardware Encryption—Market Opportunities and Forecasts, 2014–2020 report proposes that hardware encryption is considered as the most effective form of data protection against unauthorized access, aligning with the actions of various governments across the globe who are coming out with stringent regulations pertaining to data protection. This is seen as a key development that further supplements the demand of hardware encryption as a key data security technology.

The hard disk drives (HDD) segment was found to be the highest revenue generating segment, constituting 57% of the total market revenue in 2014 and is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the analysis period. The segment of encrypted USB flash drives is forecast to grow significantly and register highest CAGR of 58.8% during the forecast period. The increasing demands of robust memory storage devices that are highly compact, offer maximum storage and render better security of data are key factors, which would drive the growth of this segment.

Looking at regions and vertical industries, Asia-Pacific was revealed to be the largest revenue generating region for hardware encryption, followed by North America and Europe, as is set to be the highest revenue generating region, constituting nearly 33.5% of the total market revenue. The region is also likely to registering a CAGR of 56.9% during the forecast period, supplemented by factors such as strong economic growth, development in enterprise IT infrastructure and the large scale outsourcing of BPO operations to China, India and Malaysia.

Read More: http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/hardware-encryption-2020/

Companies must embrace BYOD strategically

Research shows that the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend is not only here to stay, but will, in fact, grow in significance in next few years. Human Capital Management and HR experts at CRS Technologies believe that businesses ought to conduct a thorough cost and needs analysis before applying a strategy.

The company refers to Gartner studies on this evolving trend, specifically the prediction that almost four in ten (40%) organisations will rely exclusively on BYOD by 2016.

“Meaning they will no longer provide devices to employees. Additionally, eighty five percent of businesses will have some kind of BYOD program in place by 2020,” says James McKerrell, CEO of CRS Technologies.

Against this background of fast growing significance and relevance to the market, it is to be expected that companies will be eager to formulate and apply a BYOD strategy as a matter of urgency.

But it is more advisable for business decision makers to take a step back, consider a number of factors and measure these against core business requirements – irrespective of how attractive the proposition to reduce company investment in devices and lower costs is to financial directors, says McKerrell.

Be wary
Key considerations include data privacy and security, compatibility, and tech leasing. As McKerrell explains if employees are allowed to use their own mobile devices at work there is a need to implement a robust BYOD security policy.

“This policy should clearly state the company’s position and governance policy to ensure network security is not breached. Privacy can be compromised on both sides. Just one stolen phone can send an entire organisation into crisis. Things like remote deletion of data and access points come to the fore,” he says.

BYOD new to IT service desk

The IT service desk has officially opened in a new location on the first floor of the CCT building, now providing students with a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) space. There is currently a contest underway to name the new space.

Replacing the computer lab previously located in the CCT atrium, the IT service team envisioned extra support for BYOD spaces, which allow and encourage individuals to bring their own mobile devices for educational or work purposes.

According to information and instructional technology director Susan Senese, an increasing number of students are bringing their own devices to school. As part of the IT team’s vision, their strategy was to enrich the student experience by providing students with more study spaces that support their own devices, rather than providing them with additional computers.

In addition to the BYOD space located in front of the new IT desk—which will also be used as a space for instructional activities by IT staff—the back of the new centre is equipped with six stations for full-time employees working on special projects and hosting training sessions.

Also new to the IT service desk are different operating hours.

“We’re going from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with the hopes of helping staff, faculty, and students throughout the day,” said Michael Young, manager of IT customer service, on Wednesday morning during the grand opening of the service desk. Previous operating hours were 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Read More: http://themedium.ca/news/byod-new-to-it-service-desk

AT&T 4G LTE expands to Newberry

NEWBERRY -- A rural Greene County town will now be covered by AT&T's 4G LTE service.

AT&T is now giving local customers in the Newberry area faster mobile Internet speeds on the network with the nation's strongest LTE signal. The expansion will also cover Elnora in Daviess County.

AT&T has launched 4G LTE in Newberry and Elnora near I-69 as part of an ongoing rollout across the area.

AT&T has made several additional area network enhancements over the past year for residents, businesses and travelers. These include expansion of 4G LTE coverage to Worthington and Switz City, along with a mobile Internet cell site near State Road 45 and County Road 200 East. Here's how 4G LTE benefits the customer:

* Faster speeds. LTE can deliver speeds faster than many other mobile Internet technologies.4 You can stream, download, upload and play games faster than ever before.

* Reliability. Easily stay connected to the people, information and entertainment you care about as you move around town.

* Options. Be the envy of your tech-savvy friends by taking advantage of all the latest 4G LTE smartphones and tablets AT&T offers.

"This investment in technology by AT&T is welcome in Daviess and Greene counties. Citizens and businesses will be able to communicate and conduct business faster than ever before with these mobile Internet improvements. I appreciate AT&T's hard work to expand 4G LTE to these communities," said State Sen. Eric Bassler.

AT&T has invested nearly $2 billion in its wireless and wired networks in Indiana between 2012 through 2014, driving a wide range of upgrades to reliability, coverage, speed and performance for residents and business customers.

Read More: http://www.gcdailyworld.com/story/2267654.html

Is 2016 the end of the road for ERP software?

In the past, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has always been about tasks and transactions. It has provided businesses with the control they need to manage production lines and supply chains as they repeat precise patterns, season by season.

However, the business landscape is changing. Manufacturing, for example, is no longer a simple matter of basing decisions on past order experience, making plans based on historic patterns and duplicating processes with little deviation.

As we move into 2016, businesses need to respond quicker, change tactics dynamically according to market demand, analyse and act upon internal and external data, and deliver their products to customers faster than ever before. In effect, rigid, function-led ERP software as we know it will become obsolete. In this article, I will explain why 2016 signals the death-knell for legacy ERP systems.

The latest technologies are changing the ERP industry for good

From adaptive manufacturing to prototyping, the latest technologies are shaking up how we produce, consume and deliver products. The burgeoning development of 3D printing, or additive layer manufacturing (ALM) for example, has the potential to change the face of the production line.

Read More: http://www.itproportal.com/2016/01/14/is-2016-the-end-of-the-road-for-erp-software/

Expert: Mobile security to be focus in 2016

As mobile use continues to expand, security in the mobile space is becoming more important. Here is how one expert believes mobile and security will change in 2016.

iOS security will take center stage
"[Expect] more iOS kernel exploits and jailbreaks for iOS 9.2 and 9.3. We believe a vulnerability similar to Stagefright will emerge on iOS, proving no OS is safe from motivated attackers. We'll also see another Airdrop-esque attack, which will allow hackers to send and install malware on any device within range," said Zuk Avraham, Founder, Chairman & CTO, Zimperium.

Android devices will continue to have late updates

"Despite all of the criticism and pressure Android received this year following our discovery of the Stagefright vulnerability, many Android devices still aren't likely to receive timely updates in 2016. Hackers will continue to target Android and we expect more exploits to take advantage of the shared address space ASLR weakness to gain system privileges. Given the further adoption of SELinux, kernel exploits will also become more important for rooting," said Avraham.

More security breech headlines

"This is due to participation in bug bounty programs, which provide compensation and recognition to hackers who discover and report vulnerabilities in a company's security infrastructure. As companies realize the value of these programs and build the internal acumen to digest the results, more organizations will formalize these programs. Legislative changes will also push researchers toward public disclosure," said Avraham.

Read More: http://www.bizreport.com/2015/12/expert-mobile-security-to-be-focus-in-2016.html

How relevant is NoSQL in the enterprise?

On Demand Watch our on-demand webcast where we look into whether NoSQL is a suitable fit for the enterprise.

Once upon a time, there was only one mainstream database architecture. Relational databases management systems (RDBMS), which stored information in tables and enabled access via a structured query language, were the only real show in town.

Then came NoSQL-based approaches, offering unprecedented scalability and alternative forms of access, which helped drive whole new ways of storing and querying information making viable a number of new workloads. Today, NoSQL is moving from specific use cases into more generally applicable areas and therefore broader deployments.

This raises a number of questions. What models are NoSQL approaches most appropriate for? What trade-offs have to be made relative to relational approaches? And what do decision-makers need to consider in advance so they don’t come unstuck down the line?

This is our last Regcast for 2015, and we promise give you answers to SQL or NoSQL questions.

Read More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/12/18/how_relevant_is_nosql_in_the_enterprise/

The hidden costs of NoSQL

The NoSQL industry was developed quickly on the promise of schema-free design, infinitely scalable clusters and breakthrough performance. But there are hidden costs, including the added complexity of an endless choice of datastores (now numbering 225), the realization that analytics without SQL is painful, high query latencies require you to pre-compute results, and the inefficient use of hardware leads to server sprawl.

All of these costs add up to a picture far less rosy than initially presented. However, the data model for NoSQL does make sense for certain workloads, across key-value and document data types. Fortunately, those are now incorporated into multi-mode and multi-model databases representing a simplified and consolidated approach to data management.

Let’s take a closer look at the impetus for the NoSQL movement and the true impact of abandoning SQL.

Dawn and decline of the NoSQL movement

The popularity of NoSQL grew from the need to scale beyond what traditional disk-based relational databases could handle, and because high performance solutions from large database companies get very expensive very quickly. Coupled with data growth, developers needed a better way for the growing use of simple data structures like users and profile information associated with mobile applications. NoSQL promised an easy path to performance.

Another explanation for NoSQL popularity comes from the perception that SQL can be hard to learn. But Michael Stahnke, director of engineering at Puppet Labs, claims that is an early, and invalid argument, noting that, “instead you must learn one query language for each tool you use.”

Read More: http://www.networkworld.com/article/3019122/tech-primers/the-hidden-costs-of-nosql.html

Mobile wallet industry plans to cash in on big 2016

American consumers will have more choices in 2016 for how they make purchases with their smart phones as big banks and retailers vie for market share against tech giants Apple and Google.

Companies like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wal-Mart Stores are rolling out their own products just as mobile-payment apps are catching on. By 2019, eMarketer estimates, the total value of transactions made by tapping a phone on an in-store terminal will reach $210 billion, up from $8.7 billion in 2015. For banks and retailers, that presents an opportunity to take on Apple Pay and Google’s Android Pay – and maybe save on transaction fees to boot.

“Every one of the top 11 issuers of credit and debit cards by the end of next year will have their own version of Pay,” said Richard Crone, chief executive officer of Crone Consulting LLC. “Same for retailers. The big losers are going to be the ones with nothing.”

At stake is a fight over money and consumer data: Retailers loathe paying fees to accept credit cards in their stores and have long sought better data on what their customers buy, and when. Banks similarly dislike paying fees for Apple Pay transactions. Thus, financial institutions and retailers have incentive to push out their own mobile-payment services.

Here are some of the mobile wallets that will compete for consumers’ attention in 2016:


∎ JPMorgan Chase plans to introduce its own mobile wallet in mid-2016. Mobile-banking apps are already used by more than half of U.S. smart phone owners with bank accounts, according to the latest Federal Reserve survey. Chase plans to pre-load cards for 94 million customer accounts “so the customer doesn’t have to do anything but accept the terms and conditions,” Gordon Smith, CEO of consumer and community banking at JPMorgan Chase, said at the Money 20/20 conference in October.

∎ Wal-Mart will begin accepting payments through its mobile app in all U.S. stores in the first half of 2016. About 22 million Walmart shoppers already use the app, which compares prices and offers discounts on items and will now let customers store their credit- and debit-card information.

∎ Merchant Customer Exchange – a consortium founded in August 2012 by merchants including Wal-Mart and Target Corp. – is testing its CurrentC app with about 200 merchants in Columbus, Ohio. The service is not yet available nationwide.

Read More: http://www.concordmonitor.com/news/nation/world/20305545-95/mobile-wallet-industry-plans-to-cash-in-on-big-2016

Yoyo Launches Mobile Wallet In The U.S.

UK-based mobile wallet app Yoyo Wallet has quietly brought their mobile payment technology to the U.S. and has been stealthily rolling out services with select partners in a private beta.

The company is planning its official launch in the first quarter of 2016.

Beyond basic card payments, the Yoyo wallet provides loyalty programs and rewards offerings it can automatically deliver to customers based on buying patterns.

Vendors using Yoyo can also offer discounts to Yoyo wallet users to try and attract new business.

The U.S. expansion follows the company’s $10 million Series A round, which was raised from investors including: Taavet Hinrikus, one of the brains behind the runaway European fintech success story, TransferWise; and seed investor Imperial Innovations, the venture fund founded by the Imperial College of London for technology transfers.

In fact, Imperial College is where Yoyo first began hawking its new wallet technology in 2014. From there the company expanded to 15 other British universities and other sales centers (like office parks or cafeterias).

From those roots the company now processes 200,000  monthly transactions in the UK, making it the second most popular payment app after Starbucks.

Yoyo Wallet’s co-founder, Alain Falys argues that none of the large payment application providers like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or PayPal are offering additional point of sale or loyalty services, which is what differentiates his company from the pack.

Read More: http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/21/yoyo-launches-mobile-wallet-in-the-u-s/

Mobile payments ecosystem comes of age in India

Although being young with only a dozen mobile wallet players in the field, India's mobile payment ecosystem has witnessed steady growth and a rapid adoption of path-breaking innovations as people started realising the benefits of technology in online payments space in 2015 -- the most popular being the "mobile wallet".

Major economies across the world have been witnessing "cashless" transactions, with the industry, estimated to be around $300 billion in 2013, making inroads in many countries in the last five years. Companies such as Apple, Alipay, Google's Android Pay and Samsung Pay have already put their own solutions in place.

In India, there are around 12 mobile wallet players that include Paytm, MobiKwik, Oxigen, Citrus Pay, Freecharge, Zaakpay, ItzCash, Airtel Money, M-Pesa, and mRupee, and their combined customer base is said to be more than 125 million. Of this, Paytm alone has a lion's share of over 50 million.

According to a study by research and consultancy firm RNCOS, the current size of the mobile wallet market in India stands at about $53 million (350 crore Indian rupees) and is estimated to touch around $183 million (1,210 crore Indian rupees) by 2019. Cash transactions account for 38 percent, while recharge and bill payments account for 30 percent of the total market.

However, there are minor irritants such as failed transactions forcing the online shoppers to go through the tedious process of filling in details, and the lack of awareness among people. But leading payment gateway company PayUbiz has launched a new feature called Magic Retry, which enables the consumers to retry a failed transaction by simply picking up from the point where the last error message appeared.

Magic Retry is specifically designed for mobile online payment and is said to be first of its kind in the digital and electronic payments ecosystem in the country.

Head of Business at PayUbiz Rahul Kothari said that though most of the online shopping was taking place over mobile devices, online transactions through mobile phones were still susceptible to payment failure due to network signal loss or a random error. "With the launch of our new feature, the usual hassles which have been traditionally associated with mobile payments are things of past," he added.

Read More: http://www.zdnet.com/article/mobile-payments-ecosystem-comes-of-age-in-india/

20 million neem trees for smart cities

MYSURU: Due to various medicinal values in neem tree, the Central government plans to grow more than 20 million neem trees across the country especially at the proposed smart cities in days to come, said Sudershan Kumar, senior principal scientist at National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow.

Speaking at one of the ISC sessions on Wednesday, he said, "In days to come DDT will be replaced by neem which has got multipurpose use. Though DDT was restricted in 2011 itself, even today every year India produces 6,000 tonnes of DDT annually for the eradication of mosquitoes and other pests and exports nearly 2.90 lakh tonnes to Africa. We are into research and preparing neem based product to eradicate malaria.

In the proposed smart city concept in 100 cities, neem saplings will be planted on roadsides. Uttar Pradesh will have at least a lakh of them, followed by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. For the past three years China has been showing great interest in neem plantations. They have planted more than 14 million trees and have a 40% share in the global export of neem products," he added.

He also mentioned that all the smart cities will have a web portal which will have detailed information about the cities, including details about the plants and medicinal properties. T Drone technology will also be used to review images of plants and their precise location.


Read More: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/20-million-neem-trees-for-smart-cities/articleshow/50476443.cms

Ericsson joins AT&T Smart Cities initiative

LASVEGAS: Swedish multinational provider of communication technology Ericsson has collaborated with American telecommunication giant AT&T to build smart, sustainable cities using Internet of Things (IoT) innovations in the US.

The alliance will deploy information and communications technology (ICT) to improve citizens' lives where they work and play.

"Ericsson is a global leader with the proven software platforms and technology needed to develop smart cities, making them an ideal fit in this effort," Mike Zeto, general manager of smart cities, AT&T IoT solutions, said in a statement.

"Together we can help cities enhance the lives of their citizens by saving them money, conserving energy, improving quality of life and further engaging with residents," Zeto added.

The alliance will support AT&T's new smart cities framework, which is aimed at helping cities better serve their citizens and would work with local US universities to build smart city environments called "spotlight cities."

The framework will be deployed in many US cities with a focus on infrastructure, citizen engagement, transportation and public safety.

"Our collaboration with AT&T will help create the cities of the future in which citizens are safer, healthier and better prepared to handle the challenges of daily life. We must determine how to integrate disparate infrastructure for the common benefit of society," Orvar Hurtig, head of Industry & Society at Ericsson, said on the alliance.

Ericsson will help to establish smart, sustainable cities by connecting the 100 cities in the world with 4G/LTE and enabling intelligent infrastructure connectivity. Ericsson will also invest in safety, transportation and utilities/energy sectors.

Read More: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Ericsson-joins-ATT-Smart-Cities-initiative/articleshow/50468447.cms

AT&T to launch smart cities initiative in Chicago

Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas will get an AT&T smart cities network of free services that could help city officials more efficiently manage and give tools to residents to avoid some common hassles, the communications company said Tuesday.

It's part of an effort to build more connected communities thanks to the Internet of Things and alliances of big tech names like Cisco, Deloitte, Ericsson, GE, IBM, Intel, Qualcomm Technologies, AT&T's Smart Cities general manager, Mike Zeto said during a developers summit during international tech show CES.

AT&T chose Chicago to participate in its smart cities framework that could allow law enforcement officials to detect gunfire and determine how many people were involved; help city officials better manage operations by remotely monitoring conditions of roads, buildings parks; and let commuters know if traffic lights are out along their routes and remotely view parking meters.

Chicago will focus on improving resident engagement, using sensors to maintain infrastructure and making buildings smarter and more energy efficient, said Brenna Berman, the city's chief information officer.

"The goal is to better service our residents and to get more out of the budget that we use to deliver those services," she said.

Zeto said the program could involve local startups working with the larger companies as well.

"We chose the cities based on their propensity to embrace new technology and to have innovative thought leaders within their government, along with the research universities and education systems," Zeto said.

Read More: http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-att-smart-cities-bsi-20160106-story.html