ping! zine issue 76 - 2015 & beyond: what’s next for cloud providers and the smb
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Cloud storage and cloud hosting are here to stay and set to boom in 2015. Cloud services such as PaaS, SaaS and IaaS will continue to be a dominant force in the small and midsize (SMB) environment as these organizations look to outsource more IT services to reduce operational expenses and accelerate innovation.TRANSCRIPT
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18 HABITS TO MAKE 2015 YOUR MOST POSITIVE YEAR YET
s i x t e e n
t w e n t y t w oWHY YOU SHOULDN’T LEAVE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA TO A NIECE OR NEPHEW
WILL SMART ROBOTS TAKE YOUR JOB?
t w e n t y f o u r
t w e n t y s i xCLOUD COMPUTING DEADLY SINS
INS
IDE
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THE MODERN FACE OF SALES SHOULDN’T INCLUDE SELLING
t e n
t w e n t yYOUR CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN BLACKLISTED BY GOOGLE. NOW WHAT?
2015 AND BEYOND: WHAT’S NEXT FOR CLOUD PROVIDERS AND THE SMB
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WordPress & Powerful App Platforms!■ Supports over 140 popular apps including WordPress,
Drupal™, Joomla!™, TYPO3, and more■ Security & version upgrade notifi cations■ Trial version available for all applications■ App Expert Support■ 1&1 CDN and 2GB guaranteed RAM
for peak performance
Powerful Tools■ PHP 5.6, Perl, Python, Ruby■ 1&1 Mobile Website Builder■ NetObjects Fusion® 2013 included
Successful Marketing■ Facebook® advertising credits■ Listing in business directories■ 1&1 Search Engine Optimization■ 1&1 E-Mail Marketing Manager
State-of-the-Art Technology■ Maximum availability (Geo-Redundancy)■ 300 Gbit/s network connection
All Inclusive■ 1 FREE domain: .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info ■ Unlimited Power: webspace, traffi c, mail accounts, MySQL databases■ Secure e-mail addresses with virus and spam protection■ Linux or Windows operating system
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SERVERPOINT ANNOUNCES ITS NEW BRAND COLOSSUSCLOUD.COMServerPoint.com announces its new brand, ColossusCloud.com.For years, the brand ColossusCloud has been synonymous with ServerPoint’s high performance virtualization platform. Now, on its third generation, ColossusCloud has become a leading platform of Windows and Linux virtual machines to tens of thousands of customers around the world.“We’ve been hosting virtual servers since 2006 and we feel we can convey a better message by dedicating an entire website to just this service”, says Erik Johnson, CTO of ServerPoint.com.The ColossusCloud platform was built by the development team at Serverpoint.com and hosted on their own line of high performance dedicated servers, powered by RAID storage systems, dual E5 Xeon CPUs and up 256GBs of RAM per node. It is available on the US west coast as well as the east coast, with more locations coming soon.Along with this new website, ColossusCloud now offers a free trial providing all new clients with a $25 credit to create and try out their first virtual machine. Also, all virtual machines are at 65% off their original price.
LEASEWEB ACCELERATES EXPANSION IN ASIA WITH NEW HONG KONG DATA CENTERLeaseWeb has opened a new data center in Hong Kong as part of a drive to accelerate its global footprint. Operated by LeaseWeb Asia Pacific, the new Hong Kong data center follows the opening of a Singapore data center in July this year.Customers moving to LeaseWeb Asia Pacific’s Hong Kong data center will have access to a comprehensive portfolio of infrastructure solutions that includes bare metal servers, cloud services and the ability to mix and match hybrid environments for enterprises’ most demanding applications and workloads.“The opening of the Hong Kong data center is in response to strong demand from customers across the Asia-Pacific region,” said Bas Winkel, Managing Director, LeaseWeb Asia Pacific. “This new location strengthens our offering, providing seamless infrastructure solutions on a global basis, giving our customers a solid platform for growth in Asia. Ultimately, it’s about providing more choice in the marketplace, which is good news for customers, especially those who want a global partner that is responsive to their needs.”easy, reliable and cost-effective way of expanding online services globally.”
AHOSTING ISSUES WORDPRESS SECURITY WARNING IN THE WAKE OF SOAKSOAKAHosting has released a security warning and advisory notice to users of the WordPress content management system. Hundreds of thousands of WordPress sites have been infected with the SoakSoak malware, which enables attackers to completely circumvent a site’s access controls.The main vector for the malware appears to be the popular Slider Revolution Responsive WordPress Plugin, also known as RevSlider. Sites infected with the SoakSoak malware, via the RevSlider vulnerability or otherwise, may have a backdoor installed which gives the attacker complete control over the site.The vulnerability in RevSlider was disclosed and patched earlier this year, but many sites are still running vulnerable versions. The owners of sites still running a vulnerable version of the RevSlider plugin, which includes all releases below version 4.2, should immediately update the plugin.“The main vector for SoakSoak was closed some time ago, but many WordPress users, especially those who installed the RevSlider plugin as part of a theme, have not yet updated,” commented Daniel Page, Director of Business Development at AHosting, Inc., “Plugins bundled with themes are not updated as part of the standard WordPress upgrade feature, but must be upgraded along with the theme. It appears that many theme developers have failed to include patched version of the RevSlider in their plugins, leaving many thousands of WordPress users vulnerable.”
Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, announced Street Fighter® V exclusively for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and for PC. Through a strategic partnership between Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. and Capcom, the next game in the legendary series will offer cross-platform play that will unite Street Fighter® fans into a centralized player base for the first time ever. More game details on Street Fighter V, including release timing, will be coming soon.“Throughout all of our discussions with Sony Computer Entertainment, it is clear that we share a mutual belief that the fighting genre has a huge opportunity for growth,” said Matt Dahlgren, Capcom’s Associate Director of Brand
Marketing and eSports. “The announcement today is just the first step, of many, in creating the next generation Street Fighter experience our fans have been asking for.”The first gameplay demonstration of Street Fighter V will take place at the Capcom Cup grand finals tournament happening next Saturday, December 13 in San Francisco, CA. Tune in to the live broadcast at twitch.tv/capcomfighters to catch the first look, along with all of the tournament action.Also announced, Sony Computer Entertainment America will be bringing Ultra Street Fighter® IV to the PS4™, solidifying this historic partnership and demonstrating both companies commitment to providing a variety of true benefits to fighting game fans worldwide.
STREET FIGHTER® V ANNOUNCED EXCLUSIVELY FOR PLAYSTATION®4 AND PC
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If you have ever received a sales call during dinner, it’s probably safe to assume you’ve had a bad experience with selling. Unfortunately, the same negative reaction you experienced while eating green beans with your family is now commonplace—at all times of day—in the current selling environment. In most business models, the sales department is fixated on selling. The problem with this approach is that people no longer want to be sold. They want to be educated on how a product or service will benefit them. It’s not that there isn’t a place for sales anymore, it’s just that consumer needs have shifted. Purchasers today value education on the products and services they’re looking at over a traditional sales pitch. Currently, the job of selling is stuck between marketing and customer service. With this in mind, what is the best strategy to establish a better sales cycle that will engender customer loyalty and significantly impact a company’s revenue?
People want to buy, so remove the sales wall—especially any forms or language soliciting the consumer to “contact me to request quote.” This is especially important for smaller businesses making smaller sales deals. When it comes to your offering, work with the customer to make sure they understand the value your product or service provides. You don’t want people to buy your product who don’t really need it and won’t benefit from it. Negative reviews can kill existing deals and adversely impact your ability to sell to prospective clients. Deals in the hundreds of thousands still require substantial handholding and face-to-face meetings, but smaller deals are closed by answering questions and providing solid, timely customer service.
Today’s buyers know a lot more about the market than they did ten years ago. They come in with their own well-defined perceptions and knowledge about what they need. As a
result, the chances of “selling” them on something are virtually non-existent. Be frank with your customers and acknowledge that they are coming in with their own pre-determined ideas of your products and services. Work with them to enhance their understanding of the value of your offering, rather than
attempting to influence them to make a purchase. Challenge your sales team to handle incoming inquiries with this approach. You will see an automatic uptick in sales, and your bottom line will thank you.
Mind the increasing overlap between customer support and sales. Now more than ever, understanding the right time to bring in a dedicated salesperson is an art. There used to be a more defined handoff between the two but now both customer support and sales need to be aligned on where the consumer is at in the sales cycle at all times in order to provide the best possible service. Focus on educating and providing support all the way through the selling process until the very end when they are ready to buy. That is when the salesperson should enter. Even then, their role isn’t to make the sale but rather to guide the buyer through the purchasing process.We need to fundamentally change the way we look at “selling.” In 2015, this term has developed a borderline negative connotation when used in the context of convincing someone to make a purchase. Because buyers are now so well-informed
when making purchase decisions, they no longer have use for being sold to in the traditional sense. Organizations will accomplish more by allowing customers the space to make their own assessments and providing the resources—primarily customer support and product information—they need to make an educated decision they can feel comfortable with.
By Hampus Jakobsson, CEO of Brisk
THE MODERN FACE OF SALES SHOULDN’T INCLUDE SELLING
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2015 & Beyond:
what’s next for cloud providers and
the smb .
by Ridley Ruth
Cloud storage and cloud hosting are here to stay and set to boom in 2015. Cloud services such as PaaS, SaaS and IaaS will continue to be a dominant force in the small and midsize (SMB) environment as these organizations look to outsource more IT services to reduce operational expenses and accelerate innovation.Several factors are converging to accelerate this trend. Network and bandwidth costs are declining. At the same time, mobile computing continues its rapid growth and diversification. In fact, mobile device and app sales will soon account for 40% of IT spending growth, according to IDC, and the number of device types continues to expand, with SMBs increasingly relying on remote workers.Organizations are gathering and analyzing information at unprecedented rates, and they now recognize that their IT functions must be dynamic and scalable in order for them to stay competitive.
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One interesting and important result of these trends will be increased demand among SMBs for relatively small, scalable websites and customized apps to improve customer loyalty and satisfaction. As these websites proliferate, however, so will concerns about security and reliability.
Here are some key trends to look for in the year to come:
SMBs will increase their reliance on cloud-based security services.
Gartner predicts that more than 30% of security controls for SMBs will be cloud-based in 2015. The primary reasons are competitive pricing, better cost predictability and the promise of near-100% uptime. According to SMB Group, a mere 19% of small businesses now employ full-time dedicated IT staff, and few medium size businesses hire IT specialists who are well-versed in rapidly changing, cutting-edge technologies like mobility, data analytics and security. Increasingly resistant to devoting huge chunks of budget to specialized IT expertise and services, SMBs now recognize that entrusting security functions to the cloud allows them to return the focus of overburdened IT staff on strategic initiatives rather than “keep the lights on” activities. A KPMG survey of cloud adopters confirms that businesses recognize the benefits of cloud-based security providers, with 70% of respondents indicating that cloud services are delivering significant efficiencies and cost savings today.
Hosting providers will be become even more important for SMBs in 2015.
As more SMBs deploy multiple small, dynamic websites to optimize interactions with a diverse customer base, and many have already concluded they can save in the long run by managing web application delivery via the cloud. They know that working with a hosting provider is a smart and effective way to ensure that their data is protected, and they understand that cloud technology can deliver the same quality and functionality for their web infrastructure that well-funded enterprise IT departments provide. Whether SMBs are dealing with security issues or web outages, a hosting provider guarantees them better reliability and support, particularly when they don’t have the resources or inclination to expand their IT department.
As acceptance of cloud storage booms, SMBs will demand self-service backup, monitoring and restoration services.
As organizations push more and more of their data into the cloud, they can also feel a loss of control and increased vulnerability when it comes to protecting that data. In 2015, SMBs will increasingly demand always-available data from cloud-based vendors, whether the data in question populates websites or consists of corporate files and databases. Whether the threat of downtime or blacklisting comes from hackers seeking to steal sensitive information, from malware or malvertising, or from accidental incidents, SMBs will demand more self-service backup and restoration features to ensure business continuity. Advanced features like one-click data or website restoration, web- and mobile-based website monitoring, real-time website performance reporting, and pain-free database restorations will become big differentiators among cloud services providers.
In spite of rapidly increasing adoption, cloud-based services will continue to pose security risks for SMBs.
In 2014, we saw a number of widely publicized security vulnerabilities related to the cloud, including insider threats and threats posed by increased mobility and the proliferation of web apps. That makes SMBs nervous. Many are already deploying standard security and backup tools, but it’s increasingly clear that a purely defensive posture toward security challenges is insufficient. Hosting providers need to educate SMBs that it’s impossible to provide a 100% secure environment. Instead, companies need to begin with the assumption that hackers will, at some point, find an opening—hence the need for more comprehensive solutions for hosting, backing up and restoring data in 2015, with particular emphasis on sophisticated cloud-based risk assessment and mitigation tools.
Author: Ridley Ruth, COO, Dropmysite http://dropmysite.com
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18 Habits to Make 2015 Your Most
Positive Year Yet
Sure, most of us start each new year intending to make it a good one. But even when the Universe is helping out by providing things like a growing economy and job security, creating a positive life for yourself is easier said than done.
“A Pollyanna outlook just isn’t enough to sustain us through life’s slings and arrows, whether they come in the form of fender benders, annoying colleagues, mortgage payments, a lingering flu bug, or something more serious,” says Jon Gordon, author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy (Wiley, 2007, ISBN: 978-0-470-10028-8, $23.00,www.jongordon.com). “It isn’t enough to want a positive attitude. To develop and sustain one throughout adversity and challenges, you have to cultivate habits that lead to resilience and mental toughness.”
The best news, says Gordon, is that positivity isn’t just another feel-good buzzword. It has the power to infuse your life with purpose, creativity, accomplishment, and energy. When you live your life with positive energy, he says, you attract positive opportunities and people.Here, Gordon shares 18 real-life positivity tactics you can put into practice throughout 2015 and beyond.
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Become a selective listener and focus on the positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible, says Gordon, or you can trust that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible. Yes, this really is a choice you make for yourself every day.
Zoom focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask, What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire? Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions. “Often, we allow our attention to be captured by each new shiny ball that rolls by, or by each minor fire that needs to be put out, and we end up channeling our time and energy toward tasks with smaller rewards,” Gordon notes.
Watch where you’re directing your energy. We all have a finite amount of energy. Don’t waste yours on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts, or things you cannot control. “Instead, invest your energy in your purpose, people, and the positive present moment,” Gordon suggests.
Focus on “Get to” vs. “Have to.” Each day, focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. For instance, think, I get to go to a job that utilizes my talent and strengths and that is full of opportunities, instead of, Ugh—I have to go to work today. “Life is a gift, not an obligation,” Gordon says. “This may seem like an insignificant mental shift, but it will have a noticeable impact on your happiness and satisfaction.”
Talk to yourself instead of listening to yourself. We all know what it’s like for our fears, worries, and what-ifs to completely hijack our minds. These negative trains of thought can hold us back, wreck our self-esteem, and impact our health in a very real way. The good news is, you have the power to change the conversation happening inside your head. “Instead of listening to your complaints, fears, and doubts, talk to yourself and feed your mind with the words and encouragement you need to keep moving forward,” Gordon suggests.
Choose faith instead of fear. Faith turns adversities and dead-ends into detours to a better outcome than you thought possible, Gordon points out. “That’s not to say you’ll never feel fear—you will,” he comments. “You can use it as a tool to make smart decisions and to manage risk. Just don’t use it as an excuse to quit. Believe that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.”
Don’t chase dollars or success. Decide to make a difference and build meaningful relationships, and success—specifically, lasting, meaningful success—will find you.
Take a morning walk of gratitude. Weather permitting, wake up your body and mind by taking what Gordon calls a “Thank-You Walk” each morning. As you walk, challenge yourself to list things you’re grateful for: blessings in your life, events you’re looking forward to that day, and opportunities that have come your way. “Even a five-minute walk around the block will help create a fertile mind ready for success, but if you have the time for a longer stroll, the physical and mental benefits will be even greater.
Switch up your portion sizes. Make your first meal the biggest and your last meal the smallest. After all, you need the most fuel at the beginning of the day! “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card,” Gordon suggests.
Get more sleep. “You can’t replace sleep with a double latte,” Gordon notes. “When you’re well rested, your brain, body, attitude, and relationships will all operate at higher levels.”
Tap into the three greatest success strategies of all: love, serve, and care.“Experience has taught me that these strategies are every bit as valuable as those taught in top business schools,” Gordon states. “Build your life and career around them, and never forget that people and relationships are at the heart of everything we do in every aspect of life. When you love, serve, and care about those around you, you’ll attract greater success, and you’ll stand out in a world where most people don’t love, serve, or care.”
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About the Authors: Jon Gordon’s best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA, and college coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The Energy Bus, The No Complaining Rule, Training Camp, The Shark and the Goldfish, Soup, The Seed, andThe Positive Dog; he is also coauthor of One Word That Will Change Your Life. Jon and his tips have been featured on Today, CNN, Fox & Friends, and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include the Atlanta Falcons, Campbell’s Soup, Wells Fargo, State Farm, Novartis, Bayer, and more. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations, and teams.To learn more, visit www.jongordon.com.About the Book: The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy(Wiley, 2007, ISBN: 978-0-470-10028-8, $23.00, www.jongordon.com) is available at bookstores nationwide, from major online booksellers, and direct from the publisher by calling 800-225-5945. In Canada, call 800-567-4797. For more information, please visit the book’s page on www.wiley.com.
Focus on your purpose every day. Remember why you do what you do. Think about your purpose and the legacy you want to leave. Try to distill this idea down as much as possible—perhaps even into one word that’s clear and easy to remember. “We don’t get burned out because of what we do,” Gordon observes. “We get burned out because we forget why we do it.”
Remember, there’s no such thing as an overnight success. This is easy to forget in a world that’s increasingly built around instant gratification. (Think overnight shipping, fast food, video streaming, and more.) “While more and more things are available to us the moment we want them, I don’t think personal and professional success will ever be on that list,” Gordon says. “Don’t forget that there’s no substitute for hard work.”
Implement the “No Complaining Rule.” Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Complaints are full of negative energy and fail to enhance our lives in any way. They don’t offer strategies, solutions, ideas, or encouragement. “If you are complaining, you’re not leading,” Gordon says.
Read more books than you did in 2014. The more you feed your mind, the stronger and more agile it grows. The more ideas and viewpoints you consider, the more innovative and empathetic you’ll be. “Focus on reading books that help you learn, that inspire you, and that push you to consider life from new, unexplored angles,” Gordon advises.
Don’t seek happiness. Yes, you read that correctly. The truth is, the things we think will make us happy often don’t. “Overall, remember that lasting happiness rarely comes from ‘stuff’ or accolades,” Gordon states. “Instead decide to live with passion and purpose, and happiness will find you.”
Do a “positivity assessment exercise” each evening. Gordon suggests completing the following statements, either mentally or in a journal, each night before you go to bed:• I am thankful for __________.• Today I accomplished____________.“Going to bed in a positive mood will improve the quality of your rest,” Gordon observes. “This exercise will also train you to place your focus on what’s good in your life—something that, unfortunately, doesn’t always happen naturally!”
Smile and laugh more. There’s no need to be stoic and serious at every turn. “In fact, smiles and laughter are natural anti-depressants,” Gordon says.
“My final piece of advice is to enjoy the ride,” Gordon concludes. “You have only one ride through life, so make the most of it and enjoy it. Sure, there will be stressful situations and challenges you’ll have to overcome in 2015. But those things don’t have to define your year. So, how will you choose to make 2015 more positive?”
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This past December, Google blacklisted more than 11,000 websites following the outbreak of the SoakSoak malware which infected thousands of WordPress sites that used a popular plug-in. This is hardly an isolated event — in fact Google blacklists hundreds if not thousands of websites a day due to targeted hack attacks, malware, and other general site vulnerabilities. For hosting providers, blacklisted sites can be a real nightmare. Customers often don’t understand why their site was blacklisted, and in knee-jerk fashion will typically blame their hosting provider – even when such blame is not warranted. Regardless of where the fault lies, hosting providers need to be prepared to help customers remediate these critical issues. Every minute a site is blacklisted represents lost revenue and damage to your customer’s brand. How you respond could be the difference between keeping a satisfied customer or losing an unhappy one.
While it can happen to any website, even those with relatively robust security measures in place, blacklisting is a particular problem for SMBs. Such companies typically can’t afford IT staff with specialized security and remediation expertise, so they rely on you for site maintenance. Others may have come to you through a reseller, which may or may not have the technical expertise to handle the situation, resulting in additional lost time and a panicked call to their web host for support. Getting back into the Good Graces of Google: Restoring a clean website Helping your customers restore their site as fast as possible is critical. The time required to remove malware, secure a site, request review and get site blocking removed can range from several hours to a week or more, depending on the severity of the damage. A recent study found that the average time it takes for Google to remove blocking is more than 10 hours; actual removal times examined for 500 blacklisted sites ranged from 2 hours and 20 minutes to 23 hours. And time is money: Results from the Symantec 2011 SMB Disaster Preparedness Survey found that, on average, blacklisting costs the SMB $12,500 per day. So, how can you help? One of the fastest ways to get your customers’ sites up and running quickly is by restoring the site from a clean, previously backed-up version. This may not always address this issue if the site is infected with malware and requires additional remediation, but in the majority of cases, restoration via back-up does the trick. The question is, what kind of back-up services should you offer – managed or self-serve? Ideally, the answer is ‘both,’ but that depends on the size and sophistication of your business. Managed Services ApproachManaged backup and monitoring services use a proactive approach that gives the user peace of mind their accounts are protected against threats, and that if an incident occurs, a plan is in place to mitigate the damages and return the accounts to normal as quickly as possible. Of course, managed services come at a premium, and also require the web host to allocate resources – hardware, software, security, disaster recovery and business continuity -- specifically to those managed accounts. Depending on
Your Customers Have Been Blacklisted by Google. Now What?
the size of the customer, managed services may or may not be the best solution for a price-conscious user (cost) whose accounts can get by with a backup solution that can make them “whole” quickly (value). Self-Service SatisfactionWhile any customer would appreciate the white glove attention that a managed service provides, it may not be within their budget. Or, the customer may have enough IT skills and/or resources in-house to manage a simple browser-based back-up solution. In either case, web hosts should also offer a cloud-based, self-service option. Such solutions are much less expensive, reduce response times, and give your customer greater control over their situation – all of which adds to the positive customer experience and stickiness for the account. And if they should need it, you can also provide hands-on support as a premium or add-on.
Self-service back-up for e-mail and websites empowers customers to access and mange their own site restore functions, reduces the amount of staff you need to have on hand, and IT infrastructure you need to maintain (your customers will access their backed-up files directly from the cloud). It should also reduce the number of backup-related support tickets and improve the ease with which such tickets are resolved. More importantly, it frees up what staff you do have to focus on infrastructure or security-related tasks, or more complex customer support issues. The result is lower operating costs, higher profitability and a greater focus on customer satisfaction and growing your business. If your customers do call you in a panic, there are several first-responder tools that you or they can use to find out whether they are truly blacklisted. The first, best and most obvious place to look is Google’s own Webmaster Tools. Other tools you can point your customers to include The Abusive Hosts Blocking List, which is primarily for email abuse but it can give them insights as to why their site may have been blacklisted, or MX Toolbox and BlackListAlert.org, which search multiple blacklist databases. Once the site has been fully restored, Google recommends that your customers use Wget, cURL or the Fetch as Google tool in Webmaster Tools to verify the site is clean and free of damage. Only then should your customers submit an online review request to have Google the blacklist warnings. Hopefully your customers’ issues will be resolved in just a few hours, but counsel them that the review process could be much longer. Effectively helping your customers handle their blacklisting issue, and being supportive throughout the entire process, can win you much deserved loyalty and appreciation. And offering them various service levels – i.e., managed or self-serve back-up and restoration services -- that best fit their needs and IT skill level will go a long way toward turning a bad situation into a home run. Ridley Ruth is COO at Dropmysite, a leading cloud-based backup company with a focus on websites, emails, databases, mobile devices and more. The company has developed a comprehensive solution and launched three websites: www.Dropmysite.com, www.Dropmyemail.com and www.Dropmymobile.com.
Your Customers Have Been Blacklisted by Google. Now What?
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Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Social Media to a Niece or Nephew
It’s true that millennials are massive users of social media, but does that mean any young friend or family member has the background to be enlisted to give your business’ social media campaign the attention it needs?
Probably not.
Let’s take a look at several good reasons to put your social media marketing in the hands of a pro.
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION. Simply put, unless one of your family members has a background in marketing and – more specifically – digital marketing, they likely won’t have a real theoretical basis for their methods.
Yes, we all know how to like, comment, share, tweet, etc., but a real social media expert will have a formal and professional background in their craft. This is vital for ensuring that your social media channels play a real role in the overall marketing strategy behind your brand or product.
Real social media managers continually hone their knowledge and keep up to date with trends throughout the social space, marketing world, et al. All of this experience and focus are vital to ensuring your social media follow a thought out and effective….
STRATEGY. While most of your young family members may have seriously impressive strategies when it comes to Clash of Clans, they likely don’t have a clue about how to build and execute a proper social media strategy.
Why is strategy so important? Stephen Covey points out that highly effective people must “Begin with the end in mind.” This is essentially the basis of all strategy – what are we trying to accomplish? Are we seeking more likes? Do we want to increase our sales? Do we seek to drive more traffic to our blog? These questions we answer with an outline of strategies and actions that we believe will help us accomplish our goals and objectives.
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A true social media manager will have a formal background in marketing, giving them insight that those without experience or knowledge would be blind to. Strategy is important for setting goals and outlining the actions you’ll take to achieve them.
TOOLS. When you hire a social media strategist you aren’t simply paying for their time. A good social media manager will have a gang of tools procured through countless hours of research or through larger-than-you’d-bet credit card transactions.
Those beautiful analytics reports they create are the result of these costly tools and applications. They provide insight that would otherwise get lost in the day-to-day workings of your social real estate. This information is vital for doing testing that allows managers to finely tune their strategy to ensure the best possible outcomes.
TIME AND ATTENTION. A lot of times when we ask others for a favor, they will enthusiastically accept. This enthusiasm will gradually and inevitably decay, leading to your social media presence – and possibly your business – taking a hit.
When you hire a real social media expert, you gain a new member of your marketing team. Strategists live and breathe
social media, but more importantly they love to get their clients results. Just like a chef wants to put out a great tasting meal, a
social media strategist wants to have a positive impact on your brand.
Their job is to provide you with the support you need to allow you to focus on the things you excel at. If you’re an author, you can focus on your writing. If you’re an organic food company,
you can focus on your farmers and health of your production. If you’re a CEO, you can focus on the most important and timely
aspects of your business. A real social media manager gives their time and attention to giving you back your focus.
BECAUSE YOU LOVE THEM. Yes, your young family members look up to you and want to help. Unfortunately, social media
management is a lot more work than most assume. It takes wit, writing skills, formal training and education, strategizing, and expensive tools. It takes a lot of time, too. Time your niece or
nephew could spend following their dreams, getting scholarships or studying for their finals.
As the adage goes: “If you love something, set it free.” Your relatives will thank you – as will your business.
About Jay YorkJay York is a social media strategist at EMSI Public Relations,
an award-winning national agency. You can find EMSI Public Relations on Twitter: @emsiPR
Will Smart Robots Take Your Job?
Technology is replacing real jobs and will continue to do so at a record pace over the next couple of decades. We’re accustomed to seeing this kind of thing in certain industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and banking. But now, says Professor Edward D. Hess, technology will be coming for white collar jobs, too.
“Technology will be replacing more jobs at an ever-increasing pace, particularly with this next round of technology, which includes artificial intelligence. AI is the game changer,” says Hess, a professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business and author of the new book Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a Leading-Edge Learning Organization (Columbia Business School Publishing, 2014, ISBN: 978-0-231-17024-6, $29.95, www.EDHLTD.com). “It is the biggest discovery since fire! It effectively threatens to wipe out a whole new group of jobs, including white collar positions.”
Hess’s assertions are backed up by a recent University of Oxford study by researchers Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael Osborne. They found that over the next 10 to 20 years, 66 percent of U.S. employees have a medium-to-high risk of being displaced by smart robots and machines powered by artificial intelligence.
So, what can you do to keep your job?
“When the AI tech tsunami hits, the only jobs that will be safe are the ones that require a human element. The things that humans will be able to do better than robots is creative, innovative, and complex critical thinking and engaging emotionally with other humans,” says Hess. “You must take up your skills in these areas in order to make yourself more irreplaceable.”
Read on for Hess’s advice on how to strengthen the skill set that could save your career:
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Will Smart Robots Take Your Job?
Overcome cognitive blindness. Humans are lazy, sub-optimal thinkers. We seek to confirm what we already believe, and we tend not to be open-minded or rational. We take what we already know, replicate it, improve it, and repeat. It is easier than thinking critically or innovatively, but it makes us cognitively blind.“If you give two people a set of data, each will process the information in ways that confirm their own existing knowledge,” says Hess. “We all have these cognitive blind spots. Cognitive blindness to different interpretations of the information is one reason change is so hard for people. It’s why smart people make bad decisions, and it’s why companies miss competitive shifts or new trends. You can overcome your cognitive blindness by strengthening your critical thinking. Start asking yourself, Why do I believe this? What do I truly know? What don’t I know? What do I need to know?”
Get good at not knowing. We have to change our mindset about what being smart really is. In the technology-enabled world, how much you know will be irrelevant, because smart machines and the Internet will always know more than you. What will be more important is knowing what you don’t know and knowing how to use best learning processes—in other words, the smartest people will be focused on continuously learning.
“Again, this is an area where strong critical thinking skills will be essential,” notes Hess. “Our thinking will need to become more intentional and deliberate. Rather than pride yourself on what you think you know, become an adaptive learner—someone who knows what you don’t know and how to learn it by asking the right questions, someone who can think critically and innovatively, someone who can really listen with an open mind and collaborate well with others.”
Humility is a “silver bullet.” “Quiet your ego,” recommends Hess. Humility will help you really hear what your customers and colleagues are saying, and humility will help you be open-minded and more willing to try new ways. Both make innovation and entrepreneurial activities more likely to be successful. Humility is also necessary for good critical thinking and collaboration. Curb your tendency to interrupt people and instead focus on becoming a better listener. Work on reading people’s emotional cues and picking up on what they’re saying and not saying. Don’t be so consumed with being right—be consumed with constantly stress testing what you believe against new data. Treat everything you think you know as conditional, subject to modification by better data.
Become an egoless collaborator. Emotional intelligence plays an important role in your ability to recognize and appraise verbal and nonverbal information, to access emotions in order to aid in creativity and problem solving, to process your own feelings and assess those of others, and to regulate your own emotions and manage those of others.“The ability to collaborate effectively will be an essential skill in years to come,” says Hess. “The powerful work connections that will be needed to build successful organizations will result from relationships that are built by authentically relating to another person, recognizing their uniqueness, and doing so in a respectful way that builds trust. If you can’t manage your own emotions and ego, read those of others, or connect with the people around you on more than a superficial level, then you won’t be a successful collaborator.”
Sharpen your hands-on skills. The trade professions are at greater risk, because their jobs are often easy to replicate with an algorithm. This group must hone their perceptual diagnosis, real-time reaction, and physical dexterity skills to fix problems. Robots won’t likely be able to replicate this in the near future.“Artificial intelligence will in many ways make our lives better,” says Hess. “But it will also challenge all of us to take our skills to a higher level in order to compete and stay relevant. We humans need to focus on continually developing the skills that are ours and ours alone—at least for the near future.”
About the Author:Edward D. Hess is a professor of business administration and Batten Executive-in-Residence at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and the author of 11 books, including Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a Leading-Edge Learning Organization, by Columbia Business School Publishing (September 2014).About the Book:Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a Leading-Edge Learning Organization (Columbia Business School Publishing, 2014, ISBN: 978-0-231-17024-6, $29.95,www.EDHLTD.com) is available at Amazon.
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Cloud computing provides an increasingly popular way of procuring IT services that offers many benefits including increased flexibility as well as reduced cost. It extends the spectrum of information technology (IT) service delivery models beyond managed and hosted services to a form that is packaged and commoditized. However, many organizations are sleepwalking into the cloud. Moving to the cloud may outsource the provision of the IT service, but it does not outsource the organization’s responsibilities. There are issues that may be forgotten or ignored when adopting cloud computing strategies. In a recent survey by global nonprofit IT association ISACA, 30 percent of the 3,700 respondents said cloud computing is one of the top issues expected to impact their enterprise’s security in the next 12 months.Most people are aware of the concept of the seven deadly vices that are said to explain human weaknesses. These are wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony, and are sometimes referred to as the seven deadly sins. Of these vices one above all can lead to problems with cloud computing—sloth. Clearly, a good understanding of cloud is critical, as is effective governance over the cloud.Sloth affects cloud computing activities because it can lead to inattention to details such as: Not knowing you are using the cloudThis sounds irrational, but it happens more frequently than would be expected. It is easy to buy a cloud service using a credit card—and an your organization may be using the cloud without the appropriate people knowing about it. When you buy the cloud service that way, it is likely that you have agreed to the terms and conditions set by the provider and these may not be appropriate for your needs. You should ensure that there is a proper process for obtaining a cloud service and that it is followed. For definitions of various cloud types, view a free guide from ISACA at www.isaca.org/cloud.Not assuring legal and regulatory complianceMany organizations have invested heavily to ensure that their internal IT systems comply with the legal and regulatory requirements for their type of business. You need to check that if you move these systems into the cloud that you will not lose this compliance.Not knowing which data are in the cloudOne of the key legal requirements for many organizations is compliance with data privacy laws. These mandate where personally identifiable data can be held and how it must be processed. If you don’t know what data you are moving to the cloud you could be in trouble. This problem has become more acute because of the explosion in the amount of unstructured data such as spread sheets, presentations and documents. It is essential that you identify and classify data you are moving to the cloud to manage risks and ensure compliance.
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Not managing identity and access to the cloudControlling who can access what is even more important when data and applications
are accessed via the Internet. Managing identity and access remains the responsibility of the customer when the data and application are moved to the cloud. The best way
to achieve this is through the use of identity federation based on standards such as Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) and Active Directory Federation Services
(ADFS).Not managing business continuity and the cloud
Organizations adopting the cloud need to determine the business needs for continuity of any services and/or data being moved to the cloud. To support this they should have policies, processes and procedures in place to ensure that theses business requirements are met. These involve not only the cloud service provider, but also
the customer as well as intermediate infrastructure such as telecommunications and power suppliers.
Becoming locked-in to one providerIt is often claimed that the cloud provides flexibility but how easy is it to change a
cloud service provider? A number of factors can make changing providers difficult, for example, there may be contractual costs incurred on termination of the service
contract. The ownership of the data held in the cloud may not be clear and return of the data on termination of contract may be costly or slow. When data are returned
they may not be in a form that can easily be used or migrated. Cloud services (built using cloud platforms, platform as a service [PaaS] in particular) may be based on a
proprietary architecture and interfaces making it very difficult to migrate to another provider.
Not managing your cloud providerYou need to manage your cloud provider just like any other outsourced IT service
provider. This means defining and agreeing to metrics via service level agreements and then making sure that these are achieved. A customer may wish to perform an audit of the provider but it may not be practical for the provider to allow every
customer to perform their own audit. Certification of providers by a trusted third party is a way to satisfy this need. However it is important to understand what these service
organization controls (SOC) reports cover. Taking a good governance approach, such as COBITwww.isaca.org/cobit, is the key to safely embracing the cloud and the
benefits that it provides.
CLOUD COMPUTING DEADLY SINS
About The AuthorMike Small is a member of the London Chapter of ISACA, a fellow of the BCS, and an analyst at KuppingerCole. Until 2009, Mike worked for CA where he developed CA’s identity and access management product strategy. He is a frequent speaker at IT security events around EMEA. He will be speaking at the ISACA EuroCACs/ ISRM conference, on 10-12 September 2012, in Munich. On the subject of identity and access solutions, access governance, ensuring business continuity in the cloud and avoiding lock-in in the cloud.About EuroCACs/ISRMEuroCACS/ISRM is a multidimensional event featuring audit, security, governance and risk content, as well as the audit and security programs, tools and resources needed to be responsive to industry changes. Held in Munich, Germany, from the 10–12 September, the event combines ISACA’s world-renowned European Conferences – CACS and ISRM. The conference offers a unique learning experience on the latest topics and research, and engaging network opportunities. Register athttp://www.isaca.org/Education/Conferences/Pages/European-CACS-ISRM-Europe-2012.aspx.About ISACAWith 95,000 constituents in 160 countries, ISACA® (www.isaca.org) is a leading global provider of knowledge, certifications, community, advocacy and education on information systems (IS) assurance and security, enterprise governance and management of IT, and IT-related risk and compliance. Founded in 1969, the nonprofit, independent ISACA hosts international conferences, publishes the ISACA® Journal, and develops international IS auditing and control standards, which help its constituents ensure trust in, and value from, information systems. It also advances and attests IT skills and knowledge through the globally respected Certified Information Systems Auditor® (CISA®), Certified Information Security Manager® (CISM®), Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT® (CGEIT®) and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control™ (CRISC™) designations.ISACA continually updates COBIT®, which helps IT professionals and enterprise leaders fulfill their IT governance and management responsibilities, particularly in the areas of assurance, security, risk and control, and deliver value to the business.
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The Top Tech Gifts This Holiday SeasonIf you’re still in the dark as to what gift to give your nearest and dearest this Christmas, electronic gadgets and gizmos are sure to do the trick! Tech expert Karl Volkman shares his insight on the most coveted electronics on the market this holiday season:
Fitbit Flex: This itty bitty fitness monitor is conveniently fashioned into a wristband, tracking daily steps, distance, and calories burned. Users can document daily activity and compare to their personal goals as well as track sleep quality during the night.
Samsung Smart UHD TV: With some of the highest resolution on the market, this TV not only delivers incredible picture quality but gives all viewers a perfect seat due to its curved UHD TV technology. The Samsung smart TV capabilities allow users to easily navigate through movies, applications and social media as well as streaming content and live TV.
GoPro HERO: For photography enthusiasts,
the iPhone just won’t cut it. The user-friendly modes on
the HERO camera include QuikCapture, which turns on the camera and records with
the press of a single button and Burst Photo, which captures
fast-action sequences at up to five frames per second.
Microsoft Surface Pro 3: Replace the traditional laptop with this tablet. The interface
allows users to type and write directly on the surface of the
screen and with the purchase of a type cover, instantaneously
transforms into a laptop-like product.
Beats Solo²: The “it” product when it comes
to headphones, this device delivers clear, crisp sound
and allows for up to 30 feet of wireless listening. Users can also pair this product with a Bluetooth device for taking
hands-free calls.
Karl Volkman, the Chief Technology Officer of SRV Network, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois, is an IT Professional with over 30 years of experience. Prior to his position at SRV Network, Karl was the Director of Technology for the New Lenox School District 122 in Illinois, the Chief Information Officer of the Habitat Company in Chicago, and the Manager of Networks & Communications for John Nuveen and Company. Karl’s certifications include HP, Microsoft, Cisco, Adtran, Objectworld, and Cymphonix. His capabilities include IT Management, Planning and Technician, Telecomm Technician, Programmer, DBA, and Technology Instruction.
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