'Net Features : technology

Women in Tech Turn to the Web for Work

Allison Howen — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:35:00 GMT

Women in the tech industry are turning to the Web to escape their traditional work barriers, according to a recent Elance study.

In fact, 78 percent of the survey’s women respondents already conduct more than three-quarters of their freelance work online. The survey questioned 7,000 global independent professionals, with 80 percent of the respondents claiming that they’re optimistic about the future of high-tech professions for women, despite a lag in pay equality and encouragement from life influencers, such as teachers and parents.

"For women in tech, online work is a level playing field where merit and results win," said Fabio Rosati, CEO of Elance. "Online work provides an attractive avenue to neutralize gender discrimination around the world and create flexible professional opportunities not available in traditional job markets."

Online work is appealing to women for a variety of reasons, including that it allows them to build a work-life balance where they can set their own priorities. In fact, the study found that 60 percent of women who work online say that it enables them to easily manage their personal and professional lives. Moreover, 65 percent of women who work online claim the diversity of projects provides them with learning opportunities and strengthens their skill sets, while 60 percent of women say that online work allows them to work with multiple clients and is easier than competing for a full-time job.

"After taking five years off to focus on my family, I knew reentering the tech workforce would be difficult because this sector moves at lightning speed," said Heidi Vanyo, a software developer based in Blaine, MN and owner of Solutions by Heidi, LLC. "Instead of seeking a traditional full-time job, I opted for online employment on Elance due to the flexibility it provides me as a working mom. Within a few months, I was able to build up my web development portfolio and work with a variety of businesses around the world."

That said, there are still many factors that need to be focused on in order to close the technology gender gap. For example, 66 percent of women from the Elance survey state that offering equal pay to men and women with the same skill sets can help close the gap, while 55 percent say that receiving more inspiration from parents and teachers at a young age is also influential. Additionally, 49 percent of women state that dispelling the stereotypes that boys are better than girls in math and science can help bridge the gap, while 47 percent claim mentoring support for women is beneficial, and 47 percent say that seeing more women in technology as role models will also help close the tech gender gap.

It is important to note that despite these gender barriers, 80 percent of women are optimistic about the future success for women in technology. In fact, the study found that many women are planning to acquire new technology skill sets in the next year, including 36 percent who plan to gain website design skills, 29 percent who want to learn Web programming and 22 percent who are interested in mobile app development.

OpenX Jumps into Content Ad System

Michael Garrity — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:35:00 GMT

OpenX Technologies, a company that develops digital (and mobile) advertising technology, recently announced the acquisition of JumpTime, which will allow OpenX to leverage JumpTime’s content optimization platform in conjunction with its advertising technology to provide a unique content and advertising system to its customers.

If you’re unfamiliar with JumpTime, it is another technology company that aims to help publishers calculate the financial value of their content assets in real-time, allowing them to use the service to optimize their revenue by increasing user engagement with their most valuable content, while also providing them with various tools to act upon this information. JumpTime features a number of notable media companies in its list of clients, including MTV, Nickelodeon, Yahoo! and Amazon.

The core of JumpTime’s valuation technology is made up of various real-time algorithms that it uses to determine just how much content is worth. However, what really makes the product so useful is a number of tools that help customers put all of that information into action. This includes the Traffic Valuator application, which provides support tools for online editors that suggest the placement of headlines, photos and videos based on how well the content drives users to the site’s “most valuable” areas. These tools have led to revenue increases of up to 90 percent for some JumpTime customers, and all without purchasing any additional advertising.

By integrating JumpTime’s technology into its platform, OpenX can now (for the first time in the history of digital advertising, no less) ensure its publishing partners that they will receive the highest possible price for their advertising; plus, it will also show the page and videos views that drive the most engagement and highest value.

The New Office is on Its Way

Michael Garrity — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 06:38:00 GMT

Major news out of Camp Microsoft last week, as CEO Steve Ballmer officially unveiled the customer preview of the new line of Microsoft Office products.

The biggest advancement in the company’s core suite of applications is its cross-platform capabilities, as well as its deep integration with Microsoft’s SkyDrive cloud storage service.

The new Office works seamlessly with touch, stylus, mouse, or keyboard across all new Windows 8 devices, from desktops to tablets to smartphones. Users will be able to create and edit content and access features using touch or a stylus as naturally as if they were using a keyboard and mouse.

It will also come with new Windows 8 applications built for touch-first experiences on tablet devices, such as OneNote and Lync. For ARM-based Windows 8 devices, there is Office Home and Student 2013 RT, which offers new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

But it’s not just about optimizing Office for new devices; Microsoft has been hard at work preparing for the future, which includes social media and cloud technology.

On the social front, Microsoft has integrated Office 2013 (via SharePoint and Microsoft Dynamics) with Yammer, the private social network for businesses, and it now comes with Skype, letting users call or instant message anyone, as well as add their contacts into Lync. Companies can also use SharePoint to follow people, teams, documents, and sites, as well as view embedded pictures, videos, and Office content.

As for the cloud, Office 2013 will be closely tied to Microsoft SkyDrive; so much so that all documents will be saved to SkyDrive by default, making that content accessible across various Windows devices. For example, when users take notes using OneNote, regardless of the device, they can then access them again on whatever they happen to be using at the time. Of course, these documents will be available offline and will sync once the user reconnects to the Internet.

Cloud technology allows Office to roam a user’s personalized settings, which includes recently used files, templates, and custom dictionaries (among other things), to remember where they left off and bring them back in a single click.

Suite offerings and pricing plans will be announced in the fall, as well as new Office 365 subscription services, which (when available) will all feature 2013 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access. The three announced subscription services will be Home Premium, Small Business Premium, and ProPlus, and each will come with rights to version upgrades and per-use rights for up to five PCs, Macs, and/or mobile devices.

It has been officially announced that Windows 8 will be released on October 26.

Watch Out: Millennials in the Workforce

Allison Howen — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:30:00 GMT

The Internet is just as important as air, water, food and shelter, according to one in every three college students and young professionals that participated in a recent study from networking leader Cisco.

The global report focuses on the next generation of the world’s workforce – of which I am a member – and it has arrived at some interesting conclusions about millennials and our technological needs, as well as our career expectations.

The most important takeaways from the study are simple. 1) Technology is an integral part of people's lives today and also to the success of modern businesses. 2) As younger people like myself continue to enter the workforce, companies should expect and foster more Internet- and social media-savvy work environments.

Below are some of the main findings from the study:

Technological Needs

The influence of technology is seen everywhere – from millennials claiming that the Internet is as important as air, to the recent baby-turned-YouTube-phenomenon that thought a magazine was a broken iPad. With that being said, the rest of the statistics in this report emphasize just how important technology is, especially in the future.

According to the report, 64 percent of college students would choose an Internet connection over a car, while 40 percent claim that the Internet is more important than dating, going out with friends and listening to music. Furthermore, 66 percent of students and 58 percent of young workers claim that a mobile device (laptop, smartphone, tablet) is the most important technology in their lives – with 19 percent claiming that smartphones are the most important devices that are used on a daily basis.

Career Expectations

So what does this type of information mean for the future? One might conclude that the future workforce will more diligently include technology into their careers, and may not care as much about salary as prior generations have.

The study revealed that 33 percent of college students and young employees would prioritize social media freedom, device flexibility and work mobility over salary when accepting a job offer. Additionally, 40 percent of college students and 45 percent of young employees would accept a lower-paying job that has more flexibility with regard to device choice, social-media access and mobility than a higher-paying job with less flexibility.

“These findings among college students and young employees indicate the freedom to access social media and use devices is increasingly important to the next generation of the world’s workforce – in some cases, more important than salary,” says Sheila Jordan, VP Communication and Collaboration IT, Cisco. “The results in the Cisco Connected World Technology Report demonstrate how companies need to acknowledge this fact in greater numbers, and respond accordingly – for many industries, the status quo of previous work environments is becoming a thing of the past.”

Findings also showed that 56 percent of millennials would not accept a job from a company that bans social media, or they would circumvent the policy.

And, in perhaps one of the most surprising statistics from the study, 29 percent of students believe it will be their right – more than a privilege – to be able to work remotely with a flexible schedule.

Personal Analysis

While the findings of this study can further emphasize my generation’s stereotype of being entitled to anything we want, I personally don’t know any millennial who thinks it is their “right” to be able to work remotely with a flexible schedule. Additionally, the college students and “young professionals” that I know are simply happy to have jobs in the current economy, and would not decline a job based on a social-media policy.

Visual Search Solution Monetizes Add-Ons for Developers

Michael Garrity — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:30:00 GMT

The growth of the mobile Web has also spurred the recent growth of visual search. Superfish, a company that develops visual search technology, is looking to capitalize on this industry growth and has recently concluded the beta testing and general availability of Superfish Visual Search for the Web.

Visual Search for the Web is a resource intended for developers who want "to quickly and easily add consumer product comparison functionality to their browser add-ons, extensions or toolbars."

The technology employed analyzes an image algorithmically in order to deliver similar and identical images in real-time without requiring text tags.

Following the beta testing, the company released case studies of the various test participants (there were 12 total), including Surf Canyon, a browser add-on that adds an intelligence layer on top of Google, Bing or other SERPs, and FastestFox, another add-on that increases user efficiency and makes "common Web browsing tasks" more convenient.

The new solution from Superfish is easily integrated into add-ons, extensions and toolbars with a simple, single line of Javascript code and only takes about an hour to complete. Superfish Visual Search for the Web will then help display similar and identical product results whenever a user scrolls over any product image on any Web page. The results are aggregated from a listing that contains over 150 million products from retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Macy's, eBay, Toys 'R' Us and many more.

"Superfish is squarely focused on the end-user experience," says Surf Canyon CEO Mark Cramer. "They add a great new feature to Surf Canyon that our users enjoy, fits in perfectly with the core functionality of our app, and we don't have to dedicate any time to manage/maintain it."

In the end, this is a great feature because it gives browser add-on developers a way to monetize their work, as extensions are traditionally a free feature for users. Superfish Visual Search for the Web, however, will deliver immediate revenue to developers, because for every user click on a similar product displayed by the solution, the developer will get some kind of commission.

"We previously relied on Amazon affiliate links to monetize FastestFox," says FastestFox CEO Yongqian Li. "Superfish provides a new avenue for monetization. The financial benefits are great, but I am especially pleased with the way it has helped me deliver even more value to my users."

Shortage of .Net Programmers

Pete Prestipino — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 21:45:00 GMT

Technology job board Dice.com released an October report indicating a rather severe shortage of .Net developers.

Postings for .Net development work are up more than 25 percent year-over-year at Dice and there are currently well over 10,000 jobs requesting .NET development at the popular job board. Experience is certainly a qualifying factor; consider the following information from Dice:

- 27 percent of the searches at Dice involve those looking for .NET skills and an experience level of zero to three years.
- 46 percent of those searches were for those with 4-7 years experience in .NET, and
- 21 percent were looking for developers skilled in .NET with 8 to ten years of experience.

Perhaps most surprising was that Dice believes that developers are not concentrating on .NET because they will not be able to branch out to other platforms. .NET developers earn $83,000 US on average comapred to Java developers who make approximately $91,000 US.

Five Top-Tier Tech Affiliate Programs

Linc Wonham — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 07:02:00 GMT

As the world’s leading manufacturers compete for shares of the explosive tablet computer, e-reader and smartphone markets, only one thing in the technology industry is certain at this point – consumers will spend more on gadgets in 2011 than any year prior. Another safe assumption is that no matter what the primary focus of your business website may be, few if any visitors this year will be impervious to great offers on tech products.

So Website Magazine searched the crowded field of online technology retailers and came up with the following top-flight affiliate marketing programs. In no particular order, below are the five we recommend most for claiming a piece of the 2011 technology spending pie:

Newegg
The accolades for Newegg’s competitive pricing, selection of gadgets, customer service and ease-of-use abound throughout the consumer electronics (CE) industry, making it one of the most trusted names in the retail technology space. Its affiliate program is managed through Commission Junction and offers up to 2.5 percent commissions on more than 60,000 products in the online, computer, communications, CE and IT fields. Newegg provides its affiliates with daily deals, product spotlights, weekly newsletters, RSS feeds and easy-to-use text and banner links to help its partners sell more product, and has a dedicated affiliate team for additional support when needed.

TigerDirect
This program is managed through the LinkShare network, and TigerDirect affiliates can earn up to 6 percent commissions on more than 50,000 tech products and gadgetry. Rated one of the top 25 online retailers in the world and regarded as an industry leader in computer parts and accessories, TigerDirect provides its affiliates with instant credibility among tech-savvy visitors. The giant retailer also gives partners 24/7 access to online reporting through its affiliate interface website to help them assess the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.

Geeks.com
Originally operating exclusively at the dealer and corporate levels, Geeks took its online computer and technology business to the consumer retail level while somehow maintaining the value normally limited to large-volume commercial buyers. In short, this 13-year-old e-commerce business for gadget fans provides its affiliates with some of the hottest tech deals on the planet. Managed through the Commission Junction (CJ) network, the Geeks.com Affiliate Program offers a minimum of 3 percent commissions on all sales and frequently provides its partner sites with new and relevant content.

ZipZoomfly
Also managed through the CJ network, the ZipZoomfly Affiliate Program was built on providing online consumers with the latest cutting-edge technology gadgets and gear at some of the best prices available anywhere. Launched in 1999 and experiencing double-digit growth soon after, ZipZoomfly has climbed to become a top 20 Web retailer and a preferred choice for high-performance computer components and consumer electronics. The company’s award-winning creative team provides affiliates with all the necessary banners and text links to promote their products and start earning generous commissions.

Best Buy
Considered by many as the top consumer electronics retailer in the world, the Best Buy brand adds respectability to any website. Another Commission Junction product, the Best Buy Affiliate Program pays out $25 on mobile phone sales and $10 on Geek Squad services, and affiliates can earn up to 6 percent commissions on other products. Because Best Buy has physical stores throughout the U.S., any pending state Internet sales tax laws will have no impact on the affiliate program. The retailer provides its partners with a library of text links, weekly banner ads, widgets and an open API for the Best Buy product catalog, as well as weekly newsletters and special announcements to help partners promote some of the best offers on gadgets.

Kids, Games & Tech

Pete Prestipino — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:00:00 GMT

If you like technology and you have children chances are good that they are going to like it too. I am always on the lookout for ways to get my kids even more excited about the prospect of technology just like their old man. It should not take too much convincing since they spend a fair amount of their time divided between our home's computers – I’m sure your home is the same way.

So how do you teach kids about technology? You might be surprised about the quality of some of the resources available.

AMD just announced the launch of Activate!, an interactive Web site primarily targeted for children ages 13-15 that enables kids to easily design and program video games.

Activate! was created by PETLab and funded by an AMD Foundation grant in support of AMD Changing the Game, whose aim is to provide programs that improve children’s critical science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills and encourages kids to become more globally conscious citizens by developing digital video games with social content.

“In its short two-year history, AMD Changing the Game has supported several leading-edge partners and programs that help expand the use of digital game development as an educational tool. With Activate!, teens far and wide will have access to the tools they need to create their own games,” said Allyson Peerman, President, AMD Foundation. “Our goal is to help today’s youth grow into technically adept, critical thinkers and responsible citizens in order to thrive in our digital world.”

Activate! contains tutorials for making games, example games for users to play, and will feature a gallery of user-generated games. Activate! leverages the publicly available Game Maker software program to help create the games. Depending on local laws, users will also be able to upload their completed games to the Activate! site.

AMD is not the only "game" in town. Microsoft's Fuse Labs offers the Kodu Game Lab,a visual programming language made specifically for creating games, providing an end-to-end environment for designing, building and playing games.

What makes Kodu interesting is its programming user interface offering a simple language which is entirely icon based. (greate for younger kids like mine). Programs are composed of pages, which are broken down into rules, which are further divided into conditions and actions.

Programs are expressed in physical terms, using concepts like vision, hearing, and time to control character behavior. While not as general-purpose as classical programming languages, Kodu can express advanced game design concepts in a simple, direct, and intuitive manner.

I'm sure there are other tech-savvy parents out there - so how do (or will you) teach your kids to be programmers or if not programmers, at least to love tech?

17 Ways to Invest in the Web

Pete Prestipino — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:00:00 GMT

You’re investing time and money in your business, so why not invest your profits in the broader Web community? Below you’ll find 17 publicly traded Web, technology and software companies that could make good additions to your investment portfolio. While we’re in no way qualified to say whether these companies would actually make good investments, on their own these are noteworthy companies in their respective industries and deserve the attention of the broader investing world.

There are clearly way more Web, software and technology companies that you could invest in, but consider this a starting point to opportunities outside of the obvious (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.).

Zix (formerly ZixIt) offers secure e-mail software and services for corporate customers. Its products enable users to transmit encrypted e-mail and documents to any address in the world; recipients who are not service subscribers can access the messages through the company's ZixMail.net portal. The company also offers an electronic prescribing service that allows physicians to use a handheld device to prescribe drugs and transmit prescriptions electronically.

Websense provides employee Internet management, Web filtering, and security software designed to help businesses monitor and improve employee productivity, control what content employees can access, and reduce network bandwidth and storage usage. Companies use the Websense Enterprise software to monitor and report employee Internet usage, block access to certain content, and set time periods for when access is available. Clients such as McDonald's and the US Army subscribe to the hosted service, which checks for compliance against a proprietary database of more than 180 million websites in about 90 categories.

Vocus produces software to help automate a variety of public relations tasks, like organizing media contacts, managing news collection, and analyzing public relations effectiveness. Users vary from not-for-profits and the government to corporations and public relations professionals. The company also offers a proprietary information database of over 800,000 journalists, analysts, media outlets and publicity opportunities.

Support.com (formerly SupportSoft) provides Web-based support software which identifies and repairs hardware and software problems, reducing the need for technical support staffing. The company serves consumers and small businesses, with its offerings available through its website and through partners like as retailers, broadband providers, and anti-virus software providers.

SourceForge produces websites aimed primarily at open source software developers and other technology enthusiasts. The company's websites include SourceForge.net (an online collaborative development site), Slashdot.org (peer-produced and -moderated technology news), Linux.com (information regarding Linux migration strategies), and Freshmeat.net (open source software directory). It also operates ThinkGeek, an online shop for apparel, books, and tech gadgets.

Rackspace provides a range of Web hosting and managed network services for businesses. It primarily offers traditional hosting services with dedicated servers, but it has expanded into cloud hosting, which lets customers utilize pooled server resources on an on-demand basis. Rackspace also provides hosted collaboration, email, and file back-up applications. The company markets its service operations under the name Fanatical Support. It has more than 50,000 enterprise customers and operates nine data centers located in the US, Hong Kong, and the UK.

Open Text hopes to enhance communication by opening the book on enterprise content management (ECM). The company develops software used to search corporate intranets, manage documents and workflows, collaborate on business projects from different locations, and handle group scheduling tasks. Open Text's offerings also include software for managing collections of cataloged information, library automation, and group scheduling, as well as vertical offerings for industries like pharmaceutical, legal, oil and gas, financial services, and media. Customers have included Motorola, Nortel Networks, and the US Army Reserve; key strategic partners include Microsoft and Oracle.

Openwave is all for opening new lines of communication. The company, which developed much of the technology behind the wireless application protocol (WAP) standard, provides software and services that wireless operators use to give customers Internet and corporate intranet access from their mobile phones. Its applications allow service providers to offer e-mail, Web navigation, and messaging services to mobile users. Openwave also offers infrastructure software to automate tasks like billing and service provisioning, and it offers managed application services. The company's customers include Sprint and KDDI. About half of Openwave's sales come from customers outside North America.

Keynote Systems provides Internet performance management services to all manner of companies with a Web presence. Using a network of computers connected to Internet backbones in more than 200 cities worldwide, Keynote monitors the speed of activities like conducting e-commerce transactions, downloading Web pages, or using wireless applications to help clients identify information bottlenecks. It offers qualitative research and consulting services covering online behavior, industry trends, and customer satisfaction to help clients improve the customer experience. Keynote also tests and measures the performance of mobile devices.

Kana Software provides customer relationship management (CRM) software for call centers and e-commerce websites. Kana's software capabilities include customer service interaction through live Web chat, e-mail, telephone, and customer self-serve portals. It also offers applications that assist with and guide agents through conversations with customers. Other key offerings include consulting, technical support, and training services. Kana Software serves companies in the telecommunications, manufacturing, financial services, and health care industries.

Lionbridge Technologies wants to be king of the jungle at bridging the language gap. The company offers translation, or localization, of software, user manuals, Web content, and other materials, preparing them for international use by tailoring them to individual languages and cultures. The firm also supplies human interpreters to government agencies and businesses. Lionbridge also provides testing services. Under its VeriTest brand, the company checks websites, software, and hardware to ensure their quality. Microsoft accounts for about 20% of sales, and other clients have included Google, Volvo, and Nikon.

Liquidity Services (LSI) is an online auction firm providing manufacturers, retailers, and corporations with an electronic business-to-business marketplace to dispose of, liquidate, and track goods in the reverse supply chain. About 1 million buyers are registered for the firm's online marketplaces, through which they can bid for wholesale, surplus, and salvage assets like retail customer returns, overstock products, and end-of-life goods. LSI also offers valuation, appraisal, inventory, marketing, sale, and logistical management of assets; warehousing and inspection of inventory; and transaction support such as payment collection and dispute mediation.

iMergent helps you cast a wide net for Internet shoppers. The company provides software and e-commerce services that enable small businesses to establish online storefronts. Its software helps merchants to create and maintain their e-commerce site and process orders. The company promotes seminars around the country to sell its products to aspiring e-commerce mavens. iMergent also offers related services like consulting, creative design, transaction processing, data warehousing, and help desk support.

GigaMedia develops and licenses online gaming software, provides application consulting and development services, and operates an online gaming service. Its software portfolio includes gaming management tools used to provide online games, monitor user behavior, and manage transactions. The company's online entertainment includes casual games like poker and mahjong, as well as online role-playing games. GigaMedia's development and consulting services range from infrastructure design to transaction processing and customer support. The company continues to operate its legacy business, providing broadband Internet service.

Digital River helps keep the e-commerce flowing. The company provides technology and services that enable its clients to sell their products on the Web without building an e-commerce platform from the ground up. Using its own proprietary server technology, Digital River offers Web development and hosting, transaction processing, fulfillment, and fraud screening services to more than 40,000 customers operating online retail and distribution businesses. It also provides its customers with Web traffic data that allows them to better market their online presence. Security software client Symantec accounted for 24% of total sales in 2008. Digital River has been growing through a steady stream of acquisitions.

Citrix Systems is taking connectivity to the next level. The company provides access infrastructure products that enable PCs, IP phones, and other devices to remotely and securely access applications across wired and wireless networks, freeing customers from facing the difficult task of installing and updating software on each piece of hardware. Its product line includes application virtualization software, VPN appliances, and password management tools, with most applications capable of being deployed in both Windows and UNIX-based computing environments. The company also offers online managed services for meetings and presentations, technical support, and remote desktop access.

BroadVision gives companies a peek into the world of customer self-service. The company provides software applications that enable businesses to offer their customers personalized self-service via the Internet. BroadVision's software suite includes applications for integrating business processes with self-service operations; managing the sales process, including lead generation, execution, and customer service; connecting customers to personalized online views of content; and managing content from creation through distribution.

Startups Wooed By Microsoft

Pete Prestipino — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:45:00 GMT

Microsoft announced it will begin offering free software and online services to certain tupes of startups. The program, dubbed BizSpark, will be rolled out in 82 countries starting today.

The program targets early stage software startups, with resources including access to Microsoft platform software and development tools with no upfront costs. The program will also provide access to technical support and marketing visibility from Microsoft, as well as support through a select group of network partners – industry associations, government agencies, university incubators and investors – chartered with advancing entrepreneurialism.

Microsoft is also launching the BizSpark DB where they will promote startups that are developing innovative software applications, offering visibility with an audience of potential investors, clients, partners and peers. Startups must enroll in BizSpark through a Network Partner. If they are not already engaged with a Network Partner, they can go to Microsoft.com/BizSpark and find one or get connected with a designated Microsoft Employee who can help them enroll.