2011
Some Interesting Twitter Statistics for 2011
Here are some interesting twitter stats I wanted to share We can then take a look at some interesting site statistics provided by Compete : Twitter.com had: 28,741,503 Unique Visitors in May 2011 148,742,825 Total Visits in May 2011 1 year graph comparing unique visits to total visits: Click on the above thumbnail to see a full size image. Pingdom has created a nice graphic showing the growth in tweets per month. This includes all tweets (including those made with 3rd party apps):
Risk Management when outsourcing (part1)
This is a multipart discussion that will be posted over the next several days. Over the last 5 years, I have seen a huge surge in the number of companies adopting formal risk management frameworks and methodologies. This is sometimes driven by regulatory requirements and other times by experienced executives that understand the importance of risk management. I wanted to take a quickly look at risk management in the context of outsourcing. What is risk? The definition of risk is intuitive but can be summarized as “an event that may have a material impact on your business and its success or desired outcome”.
Facebook has identity and your attention
Facebook has become the premium identity management company on the web with 500 million+ users. Just think of how many apps allow you to log-in using your facebook ID (aka Facebook Connect). In late 2010, Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook COO) stated that 10,000 websites integrate with Facebook everyday (that is over 3.6 million new sites every year). Facebook knows who you are, what you like, who your friends are, where you have been (Places) and what you are thinking about (status updates).
IDC predicts users will download 183 billion apps by 2015
June 28 2011, IDC released an interesting report entitled “Worldwide and U.S. Mobile Applications, Storefronts, Developer, and In-App Advertising 2011–2015 Forecast: Emergence of Postdownload Business Models”. They make a bold prediction that users will download 183 billion apps by 2015 (compared to 10.7 billion in 2010). They further predict that the revenue model is changing from the traditional model (fee charged during initial purchase) to a freemium model (where the app is free but users may purchase additional functions though in-app purchases and advertising).
Is Apple's IOS or Google's Android more secure?
Which is better: Android or IOS? Asking “which mobile operating system is the best” is a great way to start a mini war between friends or coworkers. It seems everyone has taken a side and is willing to go down in a blaze of glory defending their position. The fine folks over at Symantec wanted to determine which mobile operating system was more secure (IOS or Android). They then took the analysis a step further by comparing the security postures of these mobile OS’ to their most popular desktop counterparts.
Will mobile apps kill the internet?
An interesting new report boldly claims that we now spend more time using mobile apps then on the Internet. Flurry, the firm that conducted this research, determined that the average user spends 81 minutes per day using mobile apps as opposed to 74 minutes surfing the internet. The real shocker is comparing this number with the data from a year ago: 91% jump when users spend 43 minutes on mobile apps and 64 surfing the internet. Other interesting information related to time spent :
How to tag information
There are lots of information management programs out there that ask you to tag your notes, ideas and files (think of Evernote, Springpad, PersonalBrain, etc). Why tag Regardless of the program you use, the purpose of adding tags to your data is to make it more descriptive and therefore easier to organize and find later. Having used 4 or 5 different tools that use tagging, none of them provide any guidance on how to do it efficiently (read best practice). So here is the approach I have adopted.
How to set personal goals
I will use this entry to talk about setting personal goals. Yes.. Yes… I know it is June and that most people set their personal goals in January but how are those coming along? Do a cleanup Before building a new house, the contractor will clear the ground to ensure he is starting with a solid footing. The same concept applies to your personal life. Before even thinking about your goals, make sure you “clean your house” (both physically and mentally) to ensure you start with as clean of a slate as possible.
Consumerization is here and you have to deal with it
What is consumerization Consumerization is a term used to describe the trend where manufacturers release new innovative technologies in the consumer market before the corporate one. Interestingly these same technologies then find their way into the corporate world through the employees. “Consumer IT will affect every enterprise" said David Mitchell Smith, vice president and Gartner Fellow. "Attempts by enterprises to deny this are doomed to failure, just as previous attempts to deny Wi-Fi, 'smart' mobile phones, the Internet and even the PC itself failed.
"What is the next action" may be the most powerful question you can ask
In a previous article, I wrote about the wondrous power of implementing “Getting Things Done” as explained by David Allen. One of the most powerful tips it teaches is the power of asking “What is the next action” for each and every project on your to do list. It is a powerfully simple question that can be transformative if systematically implemented. For those that do not know GTD, here is some background information you need to understand the power. Anything that requires more than one action to complete is defined as a project in GTDland.
5S is an easy Japanese philosophy to improve your work environment
My current employer is committed to achieving excellence and empowers its employees with simple yet powerful work strategies. One of the tools we use is called the 5S. It comes from the management practice of the Japanese giant Toyota and each of the 5 guiding principles start with the letter S: Seiri – Means to sort. It mandates that you get rid of anything that is underused or not used. It allows your employees to work in a clean environment with less distraction.
Getting Things Done may be the most important business skill
From a very young age, I realized that if I really wanted to succeed, I had to be smarter, faster and better than everyone else in my field. I have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on training products and seminars. When working with younger professionals, the question I get asked most often is this : “What do I consider the one most critical skill required for success in business”. This is a great question and the answer is simple, learning a technique that allows you to GET CONTROL of your to dos.
How to handle a "crappy job"
One of my first articles was entitled “the YOU brand” and is still one of my favorite articles. I strongly recommend you read it as it has helped many people change their approach to career management. I will assume you read it and accept the premise that you are selling your services to your company in exchange for salary, benefits and working conditions. What happens if you are in a “crappy job”? Crappy can mean different things to different people. For some it means no work-life balance.
So you hate change?
Change makes people uncomfortable. They feel anxious, overwhelmed and just plain scared. Change means you have to deal with the big unknown instead of the warm and comfy day-to-day routine you have gotten used to. “The only constant in business IS change”. Re-read that sentence and repeat it at least 10 times a day. The days where you joined a company out of school, worked for 40 years and retire are long gone. As the rules of business change, so do the qualities demanded by employers.
Negotiating with a "bad" counterpart
Most of our negotiations with vendors should be amicable and balanced. Once in a while though, you come across a vendor that simply does not want to partner and only sees you as an additional revenue stream. For these rare cases, you sometimes may need to resort to extra-ordinary measures to regain control of the situation. Take a Step Back In most situations, if a vendor “feels” that they have won the business even before the official terms are negotiated, they may decide to take a hardline stance.
Are you generating value for your company or you?
In past articles, I have written about the new reality of work where, regardless of your title or work agreement, you are a service provider selling YOUR services to your firm. You company is NOT buying 40 hours a week but rather your specific skill-set. The next reality I need you to accept is that job security no longer exists. Whether you are a contract employee or an old timer, your job is only as secure as the value of your skills.
The PC is dead. Long live the iPad.
Top tech analyst firms, Gartner and IDC, are both reporting that the sale of personal computers dropped for the first 3 months of 2011. It seems this is another trend was able to break. It was able to grow its sales and market share (compared to a year ago). Although the increase is different depending on the firm you choose, it is somewhere between 8.5-9.5% (compared to 7% last year). Could this be the slow and painful death of the traditional PC lead by the tablets?
Peter’s Principle – Promoted to your level of incompetence
Dr Laurence Peter and Raymond Hull wrote an interesting book entitled The Peter Principle (in 1969). The basic premise is that employees are promoted as long as they work competently. This cycle eventually leads to a promotion above their “level of competence”. Interestingly, we have seen Peter’s corollary “in time, every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out their duties”. The concept of managing upward is the science of managing your incompetent boss to limit possible damage.
Are coupons an efficient marketing tool
From newspapers and magazines to flyers and pamphlets, coupons are everywhere. They have become so popular that “coupon clipping” is now a hobby. Putting aside the thrill of saving money (sarcasm intended), is the cost worth it for the retailer or manufacturer? Risk Sharing Using your friends and neighbors as your own personal test subjects is always a lot of fun. Recently a new Greek restaurant opened in my area. The decor looked simple but elegant and their menu appealing. I have gone to too many “bad” restaurants and I simply wasn’t in the mood to risk going to another one.
Honest Tea: The Most Honest City In America
Honest Tea is a competitor to the Snapple brand in the United States of America. They conducted a brilliant marketing campaign and social experiement. It was so original I wanted to share it with you. They wanted to see which of the major US cities was the most honest. They installed un-manned racks of their product and asked people to voluntarily donate a dollar per drink. The experiment was filmed and the results were tabulated. Watch this fantastic experiment and campaign unfold.