Technology Brief....
Technology Brief, Technology Currents and Technology Flash are our periodic reports and
newsletters analyzing important new technologies, changing market conditions, strategic directions,
user requirements and critical challenges in creating, deploying and implementing technology
solutions. Technology Flash and Technology Currents are a more in depth look at critical issues and
market changes available to our subscribers. Below are some of our previous issues. Subscribe to
our mailing list and receive our newsletter by clicking here. We welcome your feedback and
questions.
2021 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Brief – March 2021
1. BlackBerry IVY – Enabling Sensor Data and Analytics in Vehicles
“…New ways for auto makers to address the complexity within their vehicles, as well as take advantage of the potential 5G connectivity brings, means the market is ripe for an integrated approach and cloud-based solutions. The partnership with AWS brings BlackBerry a large set of tools to create services. …it has the potential to propel them to the top of the supply chain for all things sensors and data in the automotive market….”
2. Microsoft Azure Synapse – Bringing a Cloud Native Approach to Analytics
“…Microsoft wants to enable quick to market, quick time of discovery, and ease of implementation by offering a cloud native and low overhead approach as part of Azure. We believe this to be a good step for Microsoft to enhance its competitiveness as it continues to gain market share for Azure in enterprise deployment….”
3. Kigen Seeks to Bring the SIM Card into the 21st Century
“…We expect iSIM to be a 3-5 year implementation timeline before it achieves substantial installations, and it’s likely to transition first in more dynamic markets such as China and India. Still, iSIM will ultimately be a successful technology from which Kigen should be able to benefit, although it will need to be patient until iSIM catches on….”
Technology Brief – February 15, 2021
1. Talend: Data Integrity is Imperative
“…While many data warehouses can offer “Brute Force” cleaning of data sets, it’s imperative that organizations find a more elegant way to interact with their data and assign a quality or trust score to that data. Without such a strategy, it’s unlikely that companies can truly trust the value of their operational data….”
2. Poly Moves to Keep Users Healthy, Goes Anti-microbial
“…We expect to see the same antimicrobial technology make its way into many other Poly products over the next 1-2 years. As premium priced products that focus on professional level user collaboration and productivity, this capability adds a major ingredient to keeping users healthier long term….”
3. UL Evolves to Manage Supply Chain Integrity
“…This is a strong step by UL to bring more cyber security into the supply chain in a world where increasing component complexity, lack of transparency and growth of counterfeit components is highly problematic. We expect companies to increasingly demand some sort of certification from their supply chain….”
Technology Brief – February 2021
1. Citrix Enables Task Management
“…Citrix’s acquisition of Wrike fills a gap in its modern workspaces … Being able to extend Citrix Workspace to encompass a broader set
of organizational work patterns and needs, managing teams and task work, and having an ability to integrate with preferred tool sets while
maintaining a “one pane of glass” approach, should do well in the market and put Citrix ahead of most competitors….”
2. Intel MobilEye’s Improved Sensors
“…By being a part of Intel, Mobileye has the ability to create a new class of Radar/Lidar components that advance the capabilities needed
to achieve Level 4/5 autonomous driving performance while also reducing the overall cost… We believe Intel/Mobileye has a unique
advantage and will likely create the best-in-class sensors… This should give Mobileye a big competitive boost in the autonomous vehicle
market….”
3. AMD “Ryzen’s” the Bar in Mobile PCs
“…While it would be wrong to diminish the ability of Intel to compete, we believe that AMD chips are now more than pulling their own
weight when it comes to performance… Unless you’re a company that specifically requires an Intel processor as part of a critical app, we
see no reason not to recommend AMD Ryzen as a quality alternative to Intel Core….”
Technology Brief – January 15, 2021
1. Lockheed Martin Leverages Mixed Reality with Hololens
“…We expect organizations with complex operations to increasingly adopt MR based solutions over the next 2-3 years, which will
ultimately enable them to be more productive, lower overhead costs substantially, and make them more competitive in the marketplace…
With all its benefits, companies should be creating an MR strategy now for deployment in the near term….”
2. Qualcomm Re-Visualizes AI
“…By creating a way to reduce the processing required to do visual AI computations and thereby reducing the power requirements, size
and cost of AI chips, Qualcomm hopes to create mass market devices that can be deployed in lower cost and higher quantity devices,
and without sacrificing AI quality… This is a win for Qualcomm, and potentially a win for all forms of new, visually “smart” products….”
3. Cloudera Partners with IQVIA in Healthcare
“…Creating an Enterprise Data Cloud that enables organizations to maximize their valuable data assets must be a high priority. Those that
don’t do it well will risk becoming obsolete and/or at a competitive disadvantage… Organizations must implement a data lifecycle
management solution in the short term….”
Technology Brief – January 2021
1. Google’s OCTO – It all about Strategic Partnerships
“…Google rightly understands that customer-unique requirements that are leveragable to other organizations are critical to producing
leading products and enhancing the acceptance of those products. …collaboration with strategic customers can dramatically advance the
product capabilities and target those capabilities to real world needs, while also decreasing time to market for new technologies/tools….”
2. AWS Embraces Cloud Diversity
“…We expect AWS to continue to create specialized components that will allow it to play in an increasingly complex marketplace. While
currently ahead of the competition in the amount of diversity it offers, we do expect the other key cloud players to create similar
offerings… we believe AWS currently has the broadest specialized cloud enabled offerings in the marketplace and should serve it well in
capturing a growing variety of solutions and deployments….”
3. Intel vPro Pivots to Security
“…With the new capabilities now being offered in vPro based 11th Gen systems, Intel is moving security front and center, an
enhancement to the key management functions previously available. This will make vPro, which in the past has been a relatively small
percentage of systems sold, much more attractive to enterprises, and even some small business users….”
December and November 2020 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Currents – 14 December 2020
Device Security Needs to Get Personal
“……the notion of an AI based continuous authorization program like Persona being able to understand that it’s a specific user from usage
patterns is a much more secure method of creating logins, access rules, and compliance monitoring than the current user name and
password, and is far superior in mitigating stolen credential threats than current systems……We expect that within the next 2-3 years,
such AI powered knowledge based security and compliance capability will be a defacto component of highly secure and compliant
access management infrastructure, starting with enterprise uses but eventually moving on to consumer devices as well….”
Technology Currents – 3 December 2020
Qualcomm’s New Snapdragon 888 gets Hyper
“…Qualcomm has added a Type-1 Hypervisor to the Snapdragon 888. Sometimes also referred to a “bare metal hypervisor”, it connects
directly to the processor elements and runs below any OS powering a device. This allows for multiple virtual machines to run
simultaneously and fully isolated from each other… I expect this capability to significantly increase the security and privacy of devices
going forward……While this initial hypervisor capability is available on the high end Snapdragon 888 device, I expect it to eventually make
its way into the mid and lower tier devices as well, although at potentially reduced functionality due to processor limitations. Still, the
ability to add a type 1 hypervisor when designing a new device is a breakthrough capability that both the device OEMs, OS providers (e.
g., Android) and the individual application vendors will find very compelling….”
Technology Currents – 24 November 2020
The High Cost of Enterprise Mobile Device Failures
“…We have evaluated the typical component steps necessary to resolving a device failure (e.g., help desk calls, user lost productivity,
technician time, shipping new devices to the user, etc.) and estimate that the average cost of a failed enterprise supplied mobile device is
$526 per failure…..Enterprises must look beyond the acquisition cost of the device if they want to fully understand the TCO of devices
being deployed to a mobile workforce. Mobile failures, while less than in previous generations as devices have become more robust, still
represent a significant cost to enterprises that often goes unrecognized….”
Technology Currents – 18 November 2020
Data Security vs. Data Privacy – They’re Not the Same Thing
“…Data security and data privacy are both necessary to completely protect corporate data assets. But most companies spend most of
their time on the former and much less on the latter. Enterprises must look at creating a full data lifecycle management solution that also
includes access control and audit logs to insure that compliance regulations are being met…..Most companies should be looking to
deploy such capability immediately to avoid a growing list of potential non-compliance regulations and penalties. Longer term, a blending
of more traditional security mechanisms with data access control features will further enhance the capabilities and make enterprise data
even safer and more compliant by easing the burden of corporate data manager….”
Technology Currents – 10 November 2020
Why You Need an Integrated Data Lifecycle Solution
“…we estimate that for most companies, 85%- 95% of data is never fully utilized, and therefore wasted… There are many stages in a data
lifecycle… The challenge for many organizations is how best to put together such a system, while keeping costs reasonable and
minimizing time to deployment/operation, as well as the challenge of presenting the data in a meaningful way so that people can actually
gain insights from it. …..Enterprises should adopt a platform approach to data lifecycle management that does not require extensive in-
house integration, nor require an extended deployment cycle, whether for major cross-enterprise projects or for quickly stood-up
individual or small group projects. To achieve this result, an integrated data lifecycle platform solution is critical….”
Technology Brief – November 2020
1. Can you hear me better now?
“…With its capability to significantly enhance user understanding of voice conversations, as well as provide a more flattened audio curve
so it’s not necessary to crank the volume up to hear, this Qualcomm technology will go a long way to improving the quality and versatility
of things we put in our ears.… over the next 1- 2 years nearly all mid to high end earbuds will include this functionality….”
2.Intel Vulnerability called Thunderspy – Much ado about nothing?
“…There are indeed vulnerabilities in all complex systems, and many do require concern for the security and privacy of personal and
corporate systems and data. But we need to discriminate the “theoretical” vulnerability from the practical, and not overreact. While its
necessary to take any and all vulnerabilities seriously, these types of vulnerabilities, often generate headlines that take the focus away
from real and practical threats….”
3. The Battle for the 5G Cloud Enablement
“…All cloud and virtualized software companies see 5G as a major opportunity to both increase market share for their respective
offerings, and to generate potentially massive revenues from the huge numbers of 5G user transactions which may be billed “as a
service”. There will likely be enough market for all players, but we expect that within the next 3-5 years, the market will coalesce around
3-4 main players with others relegated to niche positions….”
October and September 2020 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Currents – 20 October 2020
Creating 5G Solutions? Don’t go it Alone…
“…Any enterprise that’s looking to implement new processes and/or business models using 5G and related advanced technologies would
do well to look into participating in an innovation center and all the services they offer……Innovation centers, like those established by
Verizon, can go a long way towards accelerating solutions, especially those that require collaborations and/or partnerships. Having a safe
area to try out new products and strategies can make all the difference between success and failure….”
Technology Currents – 30 September 2020
Confidential Computing: What is it and why you need it?
“…one area that has been relatively ignored is the ability of encryption to be defeated if a bad actor can access the device hardware
through either a malicious app or a side channel intrusion. Encrypted data needs to be in the clear when processing it, and this is a real
vulnerability… Eliminating this risk is the vision of Confidential Computing…..While there is no 100% sure thing when it comes to security,
CC is a major step forward and should be implemented whenever possible, particularly for those organizations deploying applications in
the cloud. I expect CC to become a standard approach to compute, especially in the cloud, within the next 1-2 years….”
Technology Currents – 15 September 2020
How China Won the TikTok Battlek
“…China played this expertly and came away with a big win for keeping their technology intact and more importantly their application still
owned by Chinese company ByteDance, while also providing the US with a way to save face and show it made a difference in defending
US user security..…China was very politically astute in how it handled this battle, and basically got everything it wanted without giving
away anything substantial. China saw ByteDance’s TikTok acceptance around the world as a vindication of China’s emergence as a major
worldwide Internet player, especially in consumer apps. For China, the attack on TikTok was personal….”
Technology Currents – 14 September 2020
Nvidia/ARM- Not an Easy Marriage
“…Nvidia is acquiring ARM from Softbank in a $40B dollar deal (much of it stock that Nvida’s high flying valuation enables). And while this
seems like an interesting merger of complementary technologies, I think there are a lot of challenges that could make this a very
problematic combination..…It remains to be seen how well they can compete against primarily Intel and also AMD with an ARM based,
GPU centric offering for the data center/cloud. Being a full capability processor supplier is harder than just being really good at designing
GPUs….this acquisition is far from a slam dunk for Nvidia, as there are many longer term challenges they’ll face in the market….”
Technology Currents – 2 September 2020
You Gotta Know When to Fold ‘Em…
“…I expect that the foldables market will capture 10%-20% of the premium product space within the next 2-3 years, influenced heavily by
business buyers who are much less put off by the $2K price tag and more focused on tools that increase their productivity… I expect this
form factor will emerge as an important sub-category for virtually all the phone vendors to compete in..…if productivity is the driving force
in making a purchase decision, I expect users to not be put off by high prices that might represent a barrier for a typical consumer. I
ultimately expect foldables to be an important form factor going forward….”
Technology Brief – September 2020
1. Intel: One Step Backwards, Two Steps Forward
“…While Intel’s competitors have made significant gains in both performance and market share, it’s important not to simply count Intel
out. If anything, the “black eye” it’s received by losing the “process war” has given it a new incentive to pick up the challenge. Intel has
considerable resources it can deploy and much engineering prowess. While it’s certainly true that not being at the most current process
node has hurt, Intel continues to push boundaries on other design criteria that will keep it competitive….”
2.Intel’s PC EVO-lution
“…EVO is the first new brand for Intel in many years, and while not all Intel attempts at creating brands in the past have been successful,
Project Athena was a very successful market initiative that created new and innovative form factors created by multiple vendors that were
well received. EVO is a good way for Intel to differentiate from the competition and show customers why they need to upgrade….”
3. Why foldable smartphones are important, even if you never get one…
“…this form factor to emerge as an important subcategory for virtually all the phone vendors to compete in (and my speculation is that will
eventually include Apple). Manufacturers will continue to innovate in this space, both at the high end and scaled down to the mid tier…
foldables market to capture 10%-20% of the premium product space within the next 2-3 years, influenced heavily by business buyers who
are much less put off by the price tag and more focused on tools that increase their productivity….”
August and July 2020 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Currents – 21 August 2020
Why Everything You Thought You’d Done Right For Security is About to be at Risk!
“……tthe potential threat posed by quantum computing will dramatically change the amount of security most enterprises have in place in
the not too distant future. Companies must start to assess what the new world of security breaking quantum computing may do to their
environment, and develop a strategy to upgrade over the next several years, or risk having all data and systems vulnerable to
penetration……There is some time before the quantum threat becomes fully viable and therefore there is no need to panic. But there is no
reason to not start looking at your requirements now. Build an inventory of what crypto is in use. This includes devices, networks, data
encryption protocols, etc. Assess which algorithms are in use and whether or not they are quantum safe, and/or if they need to be
updated….”
Technology Currents – 17 August 2020
Rugged Smartphones for Front Line Workers
“……in some industries, the standard off the shelf consumer device is not sufficient. What’s needed is a more rugged device that can
withstand the environmental use factors of workers like construction, oil and gas exploration, route sales, first responders, transportation,
logistics and more……In choosing a device, determine which of the features and functions are most required, and select a device
accordingly. While priced higher than consumer grade devices, the rugged devices will provide longer service life with less breakage and
more functionality in many environments than consumer grade devices can’t function in, and offer a much better TCO….”
Technology Currents – 7 August 2020
Samsung Automates Social Distancing
“…The solution, with only minor modifications, can be configured for use in a variety of settings and companies. And the solution could be
extended far beyond just Covid monitoring. It’s applicable to special cases – for instance keeping track of medical staff in a hospital
setting, or firefighters in smoke filled building, or similar types of situations.…what’s impressive about this solution is that it was created
with off the shelf equipment, and was built, tested and deployed within only a few weeks, and with minimal equipment cost… We expect to
see a high number of leveraged solutions that spring from this initial situational requirement. Other smartwatch providers are at a
disadvantage if they can’t similarly reconfigure and remotely manage their devices for such customized commercial needs….”
Technology Currents – 30 July 2020
The Need for Crisis Communications is not just in Crisis
“…nearly every company needs to have some form of optimized mass communications as part of its operations strategy, and not only
used in times of crisis, but also as an active component of the corporate employee communications strategy. With the implementation of
the cloud-based “as a service” model, the complexity of deployment/operations and the low cost of operations have made it attractive for
nearly every organization in virtually any business…We strongly recommend such a capability be made part of all business continuity
and disaster response plans for nearly every size organization, while also evaluating the system for ongoing employee communications
improvements and better worker efficiencies. Failure to do so will result in both an enhanced danger to workers in times of crisis, as well
as a risk to continued operations of the organization….”
Technology Currents – 17 July 2020
Mobile Security Failings Putting Enterprises at Risk
“…we estimate that well in excess of 50% of workers employed mobile apps as part of their work before the current pandemic hit, and we
estimate that has now increased to greater than 85% of users who work from home at least part time. With the critical nature of mobile in
not only large businesses but smaller organizations as well, it’s imperative that companies maintain a secure posture for their devices
and user apps. But are they doing so? Not so much..…Mobile devices can be powerful productivity tools for users, especially in the
current remote work environment, but organizations need to take steps to educate users on best practices and deploy necessary tools
and infrastructure to secure those devices. Failure to do so will expose companies to potential malware, data breaches and significant
penalties….”
Technology Brief – July 2020
1. Android Gets to Work
“…We’re seeing a large uptick in use of Android mobile devices in many different business cases… Samsung and Panasonic have shown
their ability to produce working-class devices that are both attractive and offer a better lifecycle cost for many organization. Enterprises
must evaluate the overall lifecycle cost (we have a model to do so) before making a choice and should do so in the early stages of
adoption, or face avoidable escalating lifecycle costs….”
2. If You’re Just Looking at the Smartphone Processor, You’re Looking in the Wrong Place
“…In looking for the best mobile device, particularly as we move to fully enabled 5G networks, it’s necessary to look beyond the core
processor and even the modem. It’s truly necessary to evaluate the capability of the full RF subsystem including the RFFE. Without a
quality RFFE, where some vendors have compromised, you can’t achieve the full performance and capability promised by 5G (or even 4G)
….”
3. Citrix and Microsoft Partnership: It’s all about the new Workspace
“…We expect this partnership between Citrix and Microsoft will greatly accelerate the move to modern workspaces for users who need to
engage with corporate apps from anywhere, anytime, and on any device. … Companies already using either Citrix or Microsoft products
independently should evaluate how the pairing of these companies will enhance user productivity, impact cost of operations and ease the
burden on IT resources….”
June and May 2020 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Currents – 20 June 2020
Is There a Private 5G Network in Your Company’s Future?
“…within the next 1-2 years, many companies will be able to take advantage of the capabilities inherent in 5G NR-U. Some will decide to
deploy and manage their own systems, but many will outsource the deployments, and the most likely vendors of such “5G as a Service”
models will be the commercial carriers (e.g., AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Vodafone, DT, etc.).…Many companies are still on older, outdated
WiFi networks and are looking to upgrade over the next 1-2 years to the latest technology (WiFi 6). But in determining the best approach,
consideration of 5G NR-U in each company’s particular circumstances should be evaluated. I expect WiFi, especially WiFi 6, to coexist
with 5G NR-U and neither will be a superior solution for all circumstances. In fact I expect many companies to deploy both technologies
….”
Technology Brief – June 2020
1. Intel Takes on ARM in Portable PCs
“…Lakeview provides Intel a chance to enable its OEMs to really innovate in form factors that were unattainable with earlier generation
chips. While most of the new designs will likely center around full Windows 10 machines, there are likely to be some innovate “other”
systems….”
2. Why We Need WiFi 6E
“…WiFi 6E represents a vast improvement in WiFi connectivity in speed, latency and capacity. It should be implemented in most public
access areas as well as in enterprises that need the ability to handle a much larger number of users with high speed, low latency and
little to no interference of competing signals….”
3. Google‘s G-Suite Shoots for the Enterprise
“…Google, invigorated by a new Google Cloud management team, is now aggressively targeting the Microsoft installed base with what
might be its most competitive product yet, and is seeing some initial results… While we see no immediate large threat to Microsoft’s
dominance in the productivity space, we do expect that Google’s focus on fully integrated and simple to deploy solutions will ultimately
allow it to increase its enterprise market share….”
Technology Currents – 20 May 2020
How Microsoft plans to lead in Enterprise Mixed Reality
“…MR has the ability to transform the way front line workers operate… There are approximately 2B front line workers in the world. Of
those, about 500M are information based workers. Estimates are that the value of MR products for this market will grow from about $1B
currently to $9B+ by 2025…..While MR currently is a small player in the overall enterprise app space, we expect a major impact over the
next 3-4 years as the tools and capabilities are made more available to enterprise users, and the ease of deployment and creation of
customized workflows make the apps compelling. Microsoft is putting major effort into leading the Enterprise MR revolution. Organizations
should be building a deployment strategy in the next 12 months….”
April and March 2020 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Currents – 17 April 2020
Can Microsoft be the Operating System Enabling 5G?
“…There’s been an “under the covers” war being waged on who will power the massive computing core of the new networks. Microsoft
has been making determined moves to try and be the operating system behind this core network…We don’t expect this approach by
Microsoft to prevent others from competing is this emerging and expanding market. But it does provide Microsoft with an ability to show a
more complete capability that others don’t’ match. This should allow Microsoft to capture a significant portion of the emerging market for
5G core networks and the services offered on those networks….”
Technology Currents – 9 April 2020
Intel’s Pandemic Response: A Model for Others
“…Intel recently shared how it’s dealing with the pandemic, indicating that its measures have resulted in virtually no disruption to its
business, even as it had to learn how to deal with remote workers, travel restrictions and diverse geographic regulations.…We’ve seen
too many companies, big and small, scramble with an emergency need to respond to the current crisis. It’s critical that each company
learn from this and follow a similar model to what Intel did, so that the next emergency won’t be a repeat of this haphazard response
approach. Failure to do so will mean a high impact on organizational effectiveness, and may even cause enough disruption for the
business to fail….”
Technology Currents – 27 March 2020
Is Enterprise Endpoint and Network Security Broken?
“…The notion that either endpoint or network security should be a plethora of unique and independent products that need to be interpreted
and/or managed separately is coming to a rapid end. I expect most companies to move to a unified security approach, particularly as
most of the tool necessary will be offered as cloud services, which makes a transition more attractive and easier to deploy. Companies
must focus on unifying their security products in the next 1-2 years if they are to stay secure longer term…..We expect a unified endpoint
security model like BlackBerry Spark to become the dominant endpoint security model within the next 2-3 years, although it may take
somewhat longer for companies with already existing technology to make the change, and unified network security management like
Cisco’s SecureX to become the key model for network security….”
Technology Currents – 18 March 2020
Not all Companies are ready for Work from Home – Some Won’t Survive
“…Because of the Coronavirus threat and subsequent government actions to isolate people to prevent its spread, many organizations
have been forced into changing from a colocated many people working in the office model, to one where the majority is suddenly working
from home… your company may be ill equipped to transition overnight to the new work model…..This class of companies is going to have
a difficult time adapting to the new reality of most people having to work from home. In fact, most won’t be able to do so, at least not in a
reasonable timeframe. Some won’t survive if this lasts more than a few weeks ….”
Technology Currents – 1 March 2020
Robotic Process Automation – AI on Training Wheels?
“…We expect RPA to be a short term advantage for some companies as they try to make operations more efficient. But in the long term,
true AI powered machine learning that provides for a discovery process is a better solution, although harder to implement…..While RPA is
not always a bad choice, it should not be a final destination. Rather, it should be seen as an intermediate step in the process of making
corporate processes better, more effective and more efficient….”
February and January 2020 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Currents – 15 February 2020
Enhancing Collaboration for a Changing Workforce
“…With an ever increasing amount of “things” being deployed, from sensors to mobile devices to intelligent assets of all types, the ability
to By 2025, we estimate that 60%-80% of workers in a typical organization will be millennials. These “digital natives” have a major impact
on how worker collaboration takes place…..Companies must be proactive about adding collaboration tools for the new workforce needs as
millennials and supplemental workers increase and become a larger and important part of the business. Those organizations that do not
provide such capabilities face an increasing amount of employee frustration and lowered user productivity, resulting in lower efficiency of
the entire business….”
Technology Currents – 1 February 2020
Next Gen Endpoint Security – It’s Not Just About the Endpoint
“…The old way of doing security for authentication (i.e., user name and password) are still dominant and won’t disappear quickly, but their
usefulness as a secure solution is coming to an end…..Next generation systems built on AI and behavioral analysis (e.g., BlackBerry
Cylance) are key to elevating the level of security for devices and back end systems, and are a prerequisite for newer IoT devices and
services. Companies should be evaluating such system now and formulate a plan to implement them over the next 1-2 years….”
Technology Currents – 15 January 2020
Why Multi-Cloud Security is so Difficult
“…Although we estimate that about 50%-60% of companies have implemented a SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)
solution, which in theory aggregates threat intelligence information from a variety of sources (data center, network routers, end points,
cloud servers, etc.), it may or may not be fully integrated with each instance of cloud in a multi-cloud environment…..For most
organizations, it’s going to remain a multi-cloud, multivendor world for the foreseeable future… We expect within the next 2-3 years to see
a vast improvement in data sharing and standard interfaces across cloud and security vendors that will make the job of security much
easier for most organizations….”
Technology Currents – 1 January 2020
What’s Next for 5G?
“…We’ve barely rolled out 5G, and we’re already looking at what’s next! But as with all tech, the evolution of 5G service isn’t standing still
for very long. Here’s a look at what is coming in the next 2 years as we see the next version of 5G (known as Release 17) rolled out, and
what it means to users…..We’re still at the very early stages of 5G deployments as the original Release 16 capabilities are still being
rolled out. But it’s important that 5G tech doesn’t stand still, as many use cases exist for which 5G is not currently optimum….”
December and November 2019 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Currents – 17 December 2019
Intel Fills a Hole in its AI Strategy
“…Intel is betting BIG on AI’s future. It’s going to be a huge market in the next several years as the overall computing market is
transformed by what AI can accomplish from low end mobile devices all the way to high end data centers in the cloud…..This is a good
addition to making a more holistic strategy available on Intel’s platforms for all segments of the AI market. It will also go a long way in
helping them maintain a lead at cloud providers (e.g., AWS, Google, Microsoft) that have major AI initiatives underway. … this is a good
acquisition for Intel to support their AI plans at the high end… it’s filling a hole in its product offerings that should help it compete and lead
going forward….”
Technology Currents – 16 December 2019
Will 5G Accelerate Edge Computing as a Service?
“…While 5G holds the promise of significantly enabling more MEC systems than currently available, it is not necessarily the answer for
all organizations. However, the availability of network carrier’s edge services provides a needed option that significantly enhances the
ability for companies to deploy edge computing……Organizations must assess workload needs, amount of data generated, necessary
speed/latency of processing, and privacy needs in order to best analyze whether a 5G-enabled implementation of a network operator’s
edge computing as a service solution is optimum….”
Technology Currents – 2 December 2019
IBM Pak’s the Cloud
“…We applaud IBM for seeing the need to have more standardized approaches to deploying enterprise workloads in the cloud and to
reducing the complexities of working in a hybrid, virtualized multi-cloud world. Giving companies a starting point that contains all of the
key technology components is far superior to starting from scratch…..But until IBM has more Cloud Paks or creates a broader ecosystem
to create Cloud Paks externally, it may have limited appeal. But built on open standards like Red Hat Linux and OpenShift, IBM has taken
a credible step to becoming a key player in the future of enterprise cloud technology vendors….”
Technology Currents – 1 November 2019
The Enterprise at the Edge
“…With an ever increasing amount of “things” being deployed, from sensors to mobile devices to intelligent assets of all types, the ability
to process information locally and react quickly is becoming a necessity. This movement of compute resources into close proximity to
the input/output, and which are often analog resources, is what’s driving the rapid rise of Edge Computing….If you are not already looking
at Edge as an important component of your enterprise computing strategy, you are not going to be competitive in the future. Just like
client/server and cloud before it, Edge will be a critical component in any enterprise computing strategy….”
October and September 2019 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Currents – 15 October 2019
The Other Side of 5G?
“…While everyone seems focused, and rightly so, on what 5G may mean to the billions of users of smartphones and how it will affect
them, there is a less visible but equally as important side to 5G that will have profound effects on consumers and enterprises…5G is an
important upgrade to mobile networks and offers a compelling user experience. But we shouldn’t forget that it also opens up a number of
new services that network operators can provide, and that these services will likely grow quickly. Enterprises in particular should
evaluate if these new service offering can provide a compelling new business model to advance services, and/or offer a way to upgrade
and improve internal infrastructure for cost savings and/or enhanced performance..….”
Technology Currents – 4 October 2019
Mobile Security: 5 Key Misunderstandings
“…Nearly all companies allow their employees to use smartphones for work- related interactions. With the advanced capabilities and
power of the modern smartphone, it has become a go-to productivity tool that’s employed by a majority of workers in a variety of
industries. Yet, in talking to many IT organizations responsible for managing end- point access, it’s surprising how many have
misconceptions about the security of these devices…It is imperative that companies assume that smartphones are a security risk, just
like any other end point device accessing the corporate network. As such, mobile devices can’t just be tolerated and ignored in your a
security policy. Instead, you must include acknowledgement of the various factors that are somewhat unique to the smartphones.….”
Technology Currents – 1 October 2019
Increasing Mobile Security with 5G?
“…as much as mobile has become a mainstream productivity tool, it also has a darker side – it’s now become a primary vector for
security breaches….Organizations should not shy away from allowing widespread use of mobile devices as they provide real advantages.
But they must be fully protected and secured against the growing number of malicious attacks from bad actors. Modern smartphone
access can cause dramatic information leakage and security breaches that just 2-3 years ago would have been unheard of…. 5G will
significantly enhance security and limit data breaches for most endpoints, including both smartphones and PCs (and other endpoints as
needed).….”
Technology Currents – 17 September 2019
The Trouble with Enterprise XR
“The potential for enterprise XR is vast but it won’t fully realize its potential until the market coalesces around more standardized
solutions that include hardware, software and creation tools…Qualcomm’s XEP has the potential to be a real boon to enterprise XR
solutions. Only time will tell if this program can offer the kinds of important ecosystem creation acceleration the XR market sorely needs.
But Qualcomm is large enough and with enough market clout to make a real difference in this space….”
“The potential for enterprise XR is vast but it won’t fully realize its potential until the market coalesces around more standardized
solutions that include hardware, software and creation tools…Qualcomm’s XEP has the potential to be a real boon to enterprise XR
solutions. Only time will tell if this program can offer the kinds of important ecosystem creation acceleration the XR market sorely needs.
But Qualcomm is large enough and with enough market clout to make a real difference in this space….”
Technology Currents – 15 September 2019
Deploying Enterprise-Class PC Security?
“…Companies continue to struggle with making sure their PCs are protected from malware attacks, data breaches and miscellaneous
“bad actor” attacks (e.g. ransomware, identity theft, data exfiltration).. Should enterprises expect their PC vendors to secure them? The
answer is, yes, and enterprise-class device makers are doing a lot which is not always apparent to organizations purchasing devices….It’
s a smart investment to look at acquiring PCs that offer the maximum protections from enterprise class vendors. The additional cost will
be more than outweighed by the elimination of potential data breaches and malware attacks, offering a significant return on investment.
And those companies not confident in their own security resources would do well to employ the professional monitoring and management
services offered by the vendors.….”
Technology Currents – 10 September 2019
Can BlackBerry make Security Intelligent?
“…BlackBerry recently released its Intelligent Security initiative powered by recently acquired Cylance. Using machine learning (ML) and
artificial intelligence (AI), … can significantly elevate the ability to detect and remediate potential attacks on not only PCs and
smartphones, but eventually on all manner of “things”, particularly Enterprise of Things (EoT)…We expect BlackBerry through the Cylance
technology to be in a leading position for management and security for things like autonomous vehicles, smart devices, smart cities and
even mission critical mobile devices.….”
Technology Currents – 6 September 2019
What’s Next for Google Cloud?
“…Looking to add additional value and product differentiation to their suites, most UEM vendors are now moving towards including a
Machine Learning (ML) and/or Artificial Intelligence (AI) component to their products. While AI is the current rage (and often over hyped) in
a variety of products, there are some unique benefits to having AI incorporated into a UEM scenario…There are many advantages to
enabling a UEM suite with AI. However, in choosing one, the organization should fully evaluate how the AI is implemented, what features
and functions are pertinent to the enterprise users, and if the AI features are indeed AI or just labeled as such as the latest marketing buzz
word. AI can be very valuable, but only if it’s implemented and deployed properly.….”
Technology Currents – 1 September 2019
5G is Important but Don’t Forget WiFi6
“…While you should rightly focus on 5G for your next mobile device purchase, don’t neglect the major improvements in security, speed
and latency that WiFi 6 can bring when using your device in enterprises and public places..with the upcoming plethora of connected
devices all wanting high bandwidth access, the only way to have quality of service and avoid bandwidth bottlenecks is to upgrade the AP
currently installed. Yes, WiFi 6 will mean buying new equipment. But for most users, and especially for enterprises, the benefits will
outweigh the costs.….”
August and July 2019 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Currents – 24 August 2019
Huawei’s Big Move from Components to AI Services?
“…Huawei made a major AI announcement with its Ascend 910 datacenter and cloud targeted chipsets, as well as a new soon to be open-
sourced framework called MindSpore. No one should be surprised about this announcement. Huawei has been positioning itself to be an
AI powerhouse for the past 2-3 years…Huawei’s new AI offerings are precursors to many more technologies we can expect to see from
the company — as well as from other Chinese behemoths such as Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba, who now are large enough and have
enough resources to substantially impact new technology markets..….”
Technology Currents – 15 August 2019
Can Enterprises be Mobile and Secure?
“…many companies say that they believe (or are unaware of) any mobile data breaches within their organization. Research we’ve done at
J.Gold Associates shows that IT believes about 65% of mobile devices have never had a breach or are unaware of one happening (e.g.,
lost, stolen, attacked by malware), while greater than 50% of end users admit to having a breach on their device, although not all exposed
corporate data, and most never got reported to IT…companies must have a total security strategy that encompasses mobile devices and
mobile work, rather than a standalone security strategy for mobile alone. Without these steps, we will be seeing many more mobile data
breaches in the near future..….”
Technology Currents – 12 August 2019
Mobile Compliance: An Ongoing Challenge
“…Does your company need to be in “Mobile Compliance”? The answer is, probably so. Even though we often talk about compliance in
terms of regulated industries (e.g., financial, healthcare, retail, government), the truth is that most industries have data protection
obligations. It’s not just about HIPAA, PCI, GDPR, etc., there are also many local regulations governing data disclosures and privacy. It is
highly likely that your company falls under governance of at least one of these…It’s imperative that organizations, not just regulated ones,
take mobile compliance seriously and act to insure that their mobile devices are as compliant as their installed base of PCs. Failure to do
so will result in major fines, loss of customers, and in some cases even executives going to jail!.….”
Technology Currents – 1 August 2019
When Should Enterprises go 5G??
“…There has been a lot of hype lately about how 5G will change the wireless world. Carriers are ramping up their rhetoric, if not always
matched with actual deployment. And end users are being bombarded with 5G news from carriers, device makers and app providers. But
is 5G really ready for prime time?…Enterprises should look at 5G as an important technology upgrade, but should do so not based on
hype but on real need. In the short term (1-2 years) there may be little benefit for most users to upgrading from 4G LTE to 5G services.
Longer term, we expect 5G to become dominant just as all network upgrades eventually take over the majority of deployments..….”
Technology Currents – 18 July 2019
Can Gaming Save High End Smartphones?
“…Smartphone makers have looked to the emerging markets, and in particular China, for growth over the past couple of years, especially
in the all important high end market where margins are made. But the Chinese market for high performance smartphones is becoming
saturated, as is much of the rest of the developed world….Gaming alone is not a panacea for a saturated smartphone market, especially in
the more mature markets. But just like in the PC space, finding a niche that users are willing to spend big on is critical to continued
success of the industry. I don’t expect everyone to be carrying a gaming optimized devices, just as most people don’t buy a gaming PC
per se. But the vendors and network operators will find a nascent but lucrative market in pursuing this niche, not only in China, but
increasingly in other parts of the world as well..….”
Technology Currents – 17 July 2019
Microsoft-AT&T Partnership is a Preemptive Strike in 5G?
“…AT&T and Microsoft announced a multiyear partnership that will see AT&T move its non-network infrastructure computing needs to the
Microsoft Azure cloud as it becomes a “cloud first” company. Aside from the 270K employees at AT&T that will now migrate to the Office
365 platform for office and collaboration needs, and the various apps and databases that AT&T needs to run its varied businesses that will
move to Microsoft Azure, there is much more here than just Microsoft getting a lot of new O365 and Azure customers…We should expect
to see a lot more partnering between cloud infrastructure providers and network operators as 5G becomes more available in the next 1-2
years. There are some great benefits for both in tying a high speed, low latency network to a cloud infrastructure that can bring alive a
number of new and compelling services for consumers and businesses.….”
Technology Currents –1 July 2019
The Evolution of Mobile Management
“…The early days of MDM were primarily about managing the mobile devices in use, particularly for connection to corporate email. The
capabilities were comparatively primitive (as were the devices)…If your company has not yet migrated to a UEM approach, it should do so
in the next 6-12 months. Security has become a much greater issue on mobile smart devices, with their increased complexity, more
connectivity to corporate apps, and large store of onboard data. Older style MDM and EMM put your organization at risk that, while not
completely eliminated, can be mitigated far better with a clod based, more complete UEM capability..….”
June and May 2019 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Currents – 5 June 2019
AMD-Samsung: A Match Made for Mobile Gaming?
“AMD and Samsung announced a licensing agreement whereby Samsung would license AMD Radeon graphics technology to be
incorporated into future Samsung chips…Overall, this is a good move for Samsung, and perhaps an even better one for AMD. Long term
they should both be winners unless somehow Samsung can’t make it work. I deem that unlikely, but only time will tell how well they do at
upping their game and how others in the marketplace, particularly Qualcomm, respond..….”
Technology Currents – 3 June 2019
Mitigating Mobile Threats and EMM?
“many companies assume the mobile devices, whether smartphones or tablets, are secure devices not needing any additional protection
to prevent loss of data or malicious attacks like spyware or ransomware, nothing could be further from the truth. In actuality, mobile
devices are as exposed to security threats as many PCs….organizations must fully evaluate the potential for data breaches they have
with their mobile workers and they data/apps they access, and create a strategy that utilizes a combination of EMM management and
threat defense applications. This is the only way companies can be sure that the large number of mobile devices they have installed won’t
lead to a data breach that could potentially cost hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars to mitigate..….”
Technology Currents – 14 May 2019
Securing the Mobile Enterprise with Android?
“…The best way to manage the privacy challenge while also keeping corporate data secure is to deploy Android Enterprise capable
devices. Why? Because it essentially creates the ability to have two devices in one – a personal area that is under total control of the end
user, and a secured and vaulted area that can only be controlled by the enterprise.…For maximum privacy and security, I strongly
recommend that companies adopt Android Enterprise level devices along with complimentary management through an EMM/UEM. The
additional cost is minimal, but the amount of enhanced security is much greater..….”
Technology Currents – 6 May 2019
Creating a Mobile Lifecycle Management Plan?
“…While most organizations have a plan in place to deal with refresh of computing systems (PCs and servers) few seem to have a
strategy that deals with replacement of the now ubiquitous Smartphone. This seems to be a legacy of the days when companies dealt with
Smartphone use on an exception basis, but we are long past that phase…companies should have a lifecycle management plan for
smartphones. Leaving users alone to do their own thing is counterproductive, and with the high cost of data breaches, it’s potentially
disastrous to the organization. A plan does not have to be complex, but if you don’t have one, you’re costing your company money in user
productivity, support costs and data breach remediation..….”
April and March 2019 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Currents – 27 April 2019
5G Modem Wars: Winners and Losers
“…Now that Apple and Qualcomm have settled their dispute, people are trying to pick winners and losers of this extended battle. The
market has picked Qualcomm as the primary winner judging by its stock price, and that may be true, but it’s also too simplistic…There
was a lot more going on in the 5G modem wars than just the Apple/Qualcomm lawsuit. The winners and losers were not a clear cut as
many had believed, and the complex supply chain of parts for future 5G enabled devices continues to be dynamic..….”
Technology Flash – 26 April 2019
What’s Next for Google Cloud?
“…Google recently held its annual Next conference where it made a large number (>100) of both major and minor announcements… Much
has been covered on the specifics of the announcements, so I’ll focus more on analysis of the strategy than on the technology.…I expect
that Google will continue its push hard into enterprise and that more organizations will see them as a credible choice going forward.
Google Cloud is being positioned as a strong competitor to Azure and AWS, and should increase its market share significantly over the
next few years..….”
Technology Flash – 23 April 2019
Beyond Apple/Qualcomm- The 5G Modem Wars: Identifying The Winners and Losers?
“…Now that Apple and Qualcomm have settled their dispute, people are trying to pick winners and losers of this extended battle. The
market has picked Qualcomm as the primary winner judging by its stock price, and that may be true, but it’s also too simplistic….There
was a lot more going on in the 5G modem wars than just the Apple/Qualcomm law suit. The winners and losers were not as clear cut as
many had believed, and the complex supply chain of parts and suppliers for future 5G enabled devices continues to be dynamic.….”
Technology Flash – 16 April 2019
Samsung’s Galaxy Fold: Bright Future or Dead End?
“…this is no mass market device, in the sense of its more pocketbook friendly (and larger volume) Galaxy S10 cousins. Some have said
there is no market for this device given the price point. In my opinion, given the “status” this device brings to the owner as she pulls it
from a bag or pocket, there will be plenty of buyers.…I expect that in 2-3 years (maybe sooner), you’ll be seeing smartphones with
foldable displays in mainstream (meaning $400-$800) smartphones. New technology always flows downhill as volumes increase and
components get cheaper. It will happen in foldables as well. In fact, I expect the foldable to become the new “phablet” in the not too distant
future.….”
Technology Flash – 2 April 2019
5G’s 80% challenge
“…the devices are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to 5G. The real “below the water line” challenges, the 80+% of the challenges
in making 5G real are in updating and creating networks that can truly provide all of the capabilities that we expect.…The 5G 80%
challenge requires that network operators move to a fully NFV core if they are to provide the variety of premium services that they have
promised with 5G,… We expect Intel architecture to ultimately dominate this space, much as it has in the enterprise and cloud markets ….”
Technology Flash – 11 March 2019
Nvidia Swoops in to buy Mellanox
“…Mellanox has focused more on the high performance data center and cloud marketplace than in traditional enterprise servers and PCs
where Nvidia has a significant presence with its GPUs.. Nvidia really needs to focus on its growing data center business, where it can
provide high end products at good margins.…With this purchase, Nvidia has acquired a company that can significantly help it overcome
one of the biggest performance bottlenecks …. BUT, ultimately the value of this acquisition will rest on how well Nvidia manages and
integrates the technology, and in the past some of its major strategic acquisitions fell by the wayside. Coming at a significant premium
price to market valuation, only time will tell if this was a good buy or not.….”
Technology Flash – 5 March 2019
MWC – where smartphone battles unfolded
“…Mobile World Congress, as usual, had a number of impressive new smartphone technology announcements. But beyond the exciting
new devices, what does it all mean for the future of mainstream devices and average users?.…it’s important to recognize that looking
beyond the hype, not all of the technology will be quickly available, affordable or attractive to a large swath of users, at least in the first
iteration. But MWC does clearly show us where the devices are going longer term and what it means for all of us who can’t live without our
smart devices.….”
February and January 2019 Newsletters (Click on each tab to learn more)
Technology Flash – 6 February 2019
Enterprise mobile management: Where do we go from here?
“…Mobile has become a mainstream tool for the vast majority of enterprise workers… Mobile device management/enterprise mobile
management (MDM/EMM) suites have been deployed by most organizations… I expect most EMM/MDM suites to migrate towards full-
blown unified endpoint management (UEM) suites that not only manage PCs in addition to mobile devices, but also Enterprise of Things
(EoT) deployments most companies will undertake in the next two to three years.…If your company currently runs an MDM/EMM solution,
or even if it’s already migrated to a UEM product, be prepared for some big changes to take place over the next two to three years… If you
are not viewing endpoint management strategically, and not preparing for the next phase in capabilities, you risk putting your company on
a path to reduced productivity, increased threat surface, and higher TCO….”
Technology Flash – 15 January 2019
Microsoft and Walgreens – The Future of Healthcare?
“…Microsoft and Walgreens announced a 7 year strategic partnership… While on the face of it, this is a major win for Microsoft in terms of
cloud and Windows seats for Walgreens’ basic IT needs, what is more compelling is what it means when we read between the lines…This
is potentially a win-win scenario. Walgreens gets a partner that can create and deploy much needed advanced technology for the new
healthcare delivery models and allowing it to concentrate on what it knows best – customer facing services. And Microsoft gets a partner
that already has massive presence and scale to touch a vast number of potential customers. ….”
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