17.02.2010
NGC Blog
If you think social media is just a fad and doesn’t matter to your business, think again.
We all know social networking has become more mainstream in the last year, but some companies have neglected to catch on to the movement or simply just don’t understand how it all works. Fair enough, but not understanding the business applications of these popular tools is no excuse for sticking your head in the sand.
Here’s a great example of how far social networking has come in a short time.
While enjoying some Olympic curling yesterday (yes, curling is a sweet sport and very enjoyable to watch), I was following the Olympic Pulse online through NBC, which is counting the average amount of Olympic-related Tweets every 10 minutes. At one point I saw an average of 890 Tweets every 10 minutes.
That’s impressive. I also was impressed that athletes were Tweeting from the games. And, while watching curling on television, the NBC broadcaster said one of the U.S. curlers was tweeting while competing. I checked it out and sure enough, the dude was tweeting from the ice between curling rounds. Now that’s what I call interactive.
I bet the count will be higher tonight when Shaun White and the snowboarders hit the half-pipe.
Join NGC on Twitter @ThinkNGC and we’ll follow the Olympics together.
BTW, I like the Tweeting while competing statement earlier. Think I’ll use that more often.
Go USA!
23.12.2009
NGC Blog
Financial crimes are becoming more complex and sophisticated with the use of emerging and current technologies. It is the new activity of choice for criminals all over the world, according to a new report released by the SAS Institute.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE REPORT
Crimes of Financial Passion is an incredible supplement put out by the world’s largest privately-owned software company based here in the Triangle. A global leader in the analytics space, SAS now has given us insights from the world’s top financial crime experts on how high-tech practices can beat enterprise fraudsters at their own game.
Contributors include Bank of America’s former head of corporate security Chris Swecker; the FBI’s chief of financial crimes Sharon Ormsby; David Stewart, SAS’ financial crimes and compliance director; Ellen Joyner-Roberson, SAS’ global financial services marketing manager; and Dan Barta, former special agent member of the Bank Fraud Task Force with the FBI in Dallas and currently responsible for development/delivery of SAS’ enterprise fraud program.
And, as a contributor myself, it should be known extensive research went into creating this report and covers all spectrums of financial crimes – from internal fraud, social network analysis and silo busting, to detecting terrorist financing, case studies, and how to measure your success. It honestly covers it all.
Although this report at first glance seems to be targeted to just techies, it isn’t.
Little “Did You Know” facts on how to better protect yourself and/or your business are a nice add plus it provides significant resources, best practices, and clarification on laws that many of you will be surprised to learn about.
This, from an average citizen perspective, goes way more in-depth than just simply protecting your identity. Those who actually work in the financial services industry – especially in technology – will absolutely cherish this piece.
Financial innovation has changed the business of banking and our reliance on the financial services industry. Along those lines, the world has not seen a more sophisticated criminal, and the velocity of financial attacks today is unparalleled.
Combining the early generation of fraud-fighting tools with advanced analytics and adaptive optimization gives the financial services industry the opportunity to gain ground in the fraud race. But, the weapons are only as good as the data.
And, the world’s best at analyzing data is right in our backyard. Kudos to SAS for creating and releasing this report.
I encourage you to download or pick up a copy. Within the 33 pages, fraud experts and global thought leaders touch on key elements to financial crimes that will help you to properly fight your own battle.
Even if you don’t work in the in the financial services industry, it’s still worth the read.
23.12.2009
NGC Blog
I was excited to share my views in a recent article on Digital Media Buzz.
The article, Job Report: Innovation Future of Digital Media, by John Greaves, provided some interesting insight to future workforce demands and the current employment environment.
I’ve copied the article here:
The first decade of the 21st century witnessed so many changes and it isn’t just the amount of technological advancement; it’s the swiftness with which the digital world has changed. “Jobs have flipped from farming to manufacturing to information, it’s a continuous trend and in America we’re at the forefront,” says George Ou, a Washington, D.C.-based analyst for the think tank Digital Society.org. The hottest career fields in the tech arena appear to be those that are supportive of each shifting wave of advancement. According to Noah Garrett, founder and president of NCG Communications a consulting firm, “As job seekers and a business owner you must be prepared to support business technologies and future innovations of tomorrow.” It’s almost impossible to predict what’s going to be the next big idea or the most critical fields of the next decade (or even the next five years) but there seems to be a general consensus on the need to be intellectually and academically flexible. “’The best thing a kid heading off to college can do is get a broad set of thinking skills so they can adjust,” Ou says. “In 1999, we thought mainframe programmers would be extinct. The opposite became true because legacy programs like Cobalt are still important and pay good money, but there are fewer and fewer programmers who know how to work with them because everyone is moving to new stuff.”
While we can’t predict what will be the next big job field, we can identify trends. “As far as concrete positions, social media gurus are a resource and trend that has been and will continue to be around,” Garrett says. This means there will be a continuous demand for Web developers and other experts who can best create and implement the tools business needs to thrive. This is especially true for organizations that depend on community to survive. John David Delgado, youth pastor for The Church at Woodland in Cartersville, Ga., has seen his position change dramatically over the past few years. “If you look at church Web pages and look at their job postings, three quarters of their job openings are for Web developers,” he says. “Church youth workers all have to be Internet savvy to connect with their kids on YouTube, Facebook and MySpace.”
Businesses are moving aggressively into social network marketing necessitating an upsurge in Web literacy among even those not technically in the IT department. “Some of your major corporations over the last two years — a trend I’ve seen they’ve created — is the position of Chief Innovation Officer, a job to innovate and lead a team of innovators,” Garrett says. “There will be a huge demand for management of social networking and for people who can think of new ways to use the technology.”
As cloud storage becomes more popular, Garrett also sees an increasing need for security professionals who can ward off viruses and piracy attempts to protect sensitive information. “Health care and medical records are going to be posted online; we’ll need people who are going to be able to handle security protocols for that,” he says. Garrett is so passionate about the changing face of the business landscape, he wrote a blog on Local Tech Wire entitled New Web, new jobs — Are you ready?
Some of the most important career fields emerging weren’t even dreamt of in 2004, Garrett says in the blog. They include:
* Social media gurus
* Community managers
* Infrastructure engineers
* Systems administrators
* Data analysts
* Network administrators
* Security administrators
Based upon the increase in e-learning both in the university environment and for business-related needs such as seminars and conferences, it’s also likely that there will be an increased need for teaching professionals with Net savvy.
With all the good news there is some bad. According to reports from sites such as The Nation global demand for IT workers is down. Local Techwire reports that “The IT Job Trends Report released by the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) shows the daily average number of posted IT job vacancies in August increased only by 0.9 percent, a signal that employers in the state are not ready yet for more staff.”
Still the Nation says for IT workers all is not lost. “Three main skill types remain in hot demand: Java, .NET and enterprise resource planning. People with these skills are still in demand in the midst of an overall reduction in IT recruitment. There is also high demand for workers skilled in quality testing, software testing and quality assurance.”
With all the advancement our world is becoming closer knit and in some ways reminiscent of ancient villages. The sense of community is growing as we find new ways to use old skills. “As technology gets better, jobs will get easier because humans will continue to do what only humans can do,” Digital Society’s Ou says.
23.12.2009
NGC Blog
True or false: The top 10 in-demand jobs expected in 2010 did not exist in 2004?
Please continue reading to find the answer.
The Web has changed the way we do things. It’s also has changed the way we work.
The economic downturn we’ve all suffered over this last year or so has taught us to be a little more frugal, a little more savvy, a little more attentive, and a little more inventive in how we operate our businesses and our lives.
These cultural and fiscal changes also have helped produce some interesting new careers that are beginning to surface – and surprise, surprise; the majority is Web-based and/or involves Web work.
Not to be Johnny Raincloud, but the new IT Job Trends Report released by the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) this week states that IT job seekers in North Carolina are waiting for jobs to return. According to the report release Thursday afternoon, the daily average number of posted IT job vacancies in August increased only by 0.9 percent, a signal that employers in the state are not ready yet for more staff.
But, for our purposes, we are not talking about current job vacancies. We’re talking about the new, new jobs.
The Web continues to generate an explosion tools that need practitioners and experts in how to use, manage, and develop them. This changing landscape means businesses will need people with unique skills – maybe not yet, but they will.
Did you know there currently are more than one billion computer users in the world with predictions of two billion by 2015? Did you know the fastest growing computer segment in the United States is the 5-to 7-year-old segment?
Technology is evolving with amazing speed as well as the jobs and skills needed to support it. Companies and job seekers should be thinking about the skills that they will need and start planning to acquire them now.
New, in-demand jobs such as social media gurus, community managers, infrastructure engineers, systems administrators, data analysts, network administrators, security administrators, health-care technology, green/clean technology … this list goes on and on.
Many of these jobs didn’t exist five years ago. Just imagine the jobs that will be available five years from now.
What’s likely to be hot in the tech job market of tomorrow? We would love to hear what you think.
We have moved from a world of stand-alone personal computers to networks of computers. And, even with all this technology, cloud computing, vitualization, real-time collaboration, and social networking, we still must have qualified people to run and manage these operations.
We are not in the Terminator movies. Robots are not running the world. People still make the difference. And, if you prepare now, the market will rebound (it always does) and you’ll be ready.
Oh, and in case you couldn’t figure out the answer to the true/false question: The answer is true.
23.12.2009
NGC Blog
The Innovation Exchange this week takes a look at the first round of Broadband Stimulus funding; who wins, who loses, and who has the time to put together the monster application package needed to secure a piece of the pie.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 appropriated $7.2 billion and directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) to expand broadband access to unserved and underserved communities across the U.S., increase jobs, spur investments in technology and infrastructure, and provide long-term economic benefits.
The result is the RUS Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and the NTIA Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). BIP will make loans and grants for broadband infrastructure projects in rural areas. BTOP will provide grants to fund broadband infrastructure, public computer centers, and sustainable broadband adoption projects.
These grants are part of the bigger $787 billion stimulus package that Congress passed earlier this year.
Now that we got the generalities out of the way, let’s talk about it. And, we would love to hear about your experience with this as well.
So, last week, the government extended the application deadline for broadband funds six days to Aug. 20 (today) for the first round of the grants because of the high volume of applications that overloaded the electronic submission system.
This is just one of many complications organizations have or will face while reaching into the stimulus cookie jar. As anyone who has reviewed the application process knows, it is quite lengthy and requires a good deal of resources to complete. And, given the relatively short period of time between when applications were open and the deadline, it’s no wonder many had difficulty pulling together all of the information needed to apply on time.
Overall, the process is quite difficult, non-creative, and time consuming. After working on applications in recent weeks, some of the guidelines and questions are absolutely ridiculous and about as enjoyable to read as stereo instructions.
I predict others interested in securing broadband funds will wait for the next of the three funding windows in hopes that eligibility requirements will be relaxed. I doubt the rules will change much, if at all, but we will see. Maybe you could volunteer to review (yes, application reviewers right now are volunteers), and learn the ins and outs of what makes a good and not-so-good application.
Along those lines, there are several arguments critics have raised recently that deserve a mention here. Here are a few that caught my eye:
- The eligibility requirements impose a huge burden on small rural communities, and many will not be able to meet them unless they already have a project ready to go (the term shovel-ready is used a lot) and have put together a lot of data and documents.
- The definition of underserved will exclude rural areas that have a small, wealthy holiday home-owning class, but a sizeable number of poor people who live there year-round. I bring this up, because I was a long time resident of the Outer Banks, and I’m curious if that area falls into this realm. I don’t know, but sounds like it could.
- BTOP applicants with matching funds in excess of 20 percent of their project costs get favorable treatment.
- NTIA is not willing to pay people to review grant applications. See, told you reviewers were volunteers. I do not understand why the NTIA refuses to pay qualified individuals to review proposals. Isn’t this about job creation?
- The NTIA is expected to distribute up to $1.6 billion in the first round of the BTOP program, and the RUS is expected to distribute up to $2.4 billion in the first round of the BIP program. I believe first rounders will be notified of their status by October or November.
The good news is that if you missed the first round deadline today you still have two more opportunities to apply. Now, this may seem reassuring, but the Round Two and Round Three deadlines likely will come and go just as fast as the Round One deadlines.
Personally, the Broadband Stimulus is good and has some complicated components to the application process. Once you sift through all the government jargon and stringent guidelines, the nuts and bolts here promote technology infrastructure upgrades that are desperately needed in this country. And, with that in mind, it takes people to make that happen and that creates jobs.
In theory, this should work across the board. We can critique the process until we’re blue in the face, but this is the way it is – for better or worse. Good luck to all our first rounders, and let us know if you get what you think you deserve.
23.12.2009
NGC Blog
What does it mean to be innovative?
Innovation is everywhere – at least that’s what people say all the time. It just might be the most overused term in executive circles today. Shoot, we even chose to use it in naming this blog. Is that innovative? Dunno?
What the Innovation Exchange has noticed over the years is that not everyone shares in the same definition of innovation. So, we talked with several leaders in various industries throughout the Triangle and country to help define innovation.
As you’ll see below, the responses are, well, innovative. And, we would love to see what you think.
“To be innovative, an entrepreneur needs not only to have a good idea, but also to come up with a solution to someone else’s problem. Innovation ultimately needs to have some kind of application in the marketplace, presumably to make a product or service faster, cheaper, or more readily accessible, so it will attract customers and – ideally! – revenue. Innovation starts by asking ‘how could this be better?’ followed by ‘what will it take to get there?’”
Joan Seifert Rose
President and CEO
Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED)
http://www.cednc.org/
“To me, innovation is a marriage of the art and science of creation. As such, it can be equally gorgeous, murky, experimental, and challenging. And, like any marriage, the trick is to find the way to sustain and grow it successfully! Whether through discovery, convergence, translation, or application in a new context, innovation is the engine we’ll build the 21st century around – which means a lot of change for all of us.”
Karl Rectanus
Leader, North Carolina STEM Community Collaborative
http://www.ncstem.org (Web site launching soon)
“Innovation can be seen as new applications for existing products or services or bringing new people into the fold to use existing products or services. In my view it is important to see all three aspects of innovation: people, product (service), and use.”
Ron Jebaily
Partner, Jebaily Law Firm
http://www.jebailylaw.com/
“True innovation is still invention. It’s still great minds creating things that can lead to commercial success or improve the human condition. What is different about invention today is that due to the advances in information and communications technology, great minds can connect and collaborate in real time. Invention, as a result, proceeds at a faster pace. More importantly, the time to mass distribution or mass adoption of invention has greatly compressed.”
Joe Freddoso
President and CEO MCNC
http://www.mcnc.org
“Innovation is the convergence of visionary thinking, planning, and hard work. Tossing conventional rules aside, being bold and unafraid of venturing into unchartered waters, and yet being humble enough to respect technology and all its ever-evolving beauty, that is a true innovator.”
Rita Cosby
Emmy-Award Winning Journalist/Best-Selling Author
http://www.ritacosby.com/
“Innovation is the creative approach to a problem or task, unencumbered by conventional thinking or traditional barriers.”
Brooks Raiford
President and CEO
North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA)
http://www.nctechnology.org
“In my mind, a valuable form of innovation is conceptualizing something familiar in a new way. As an illustration, for decades I have taken showers in bathtubs constrained by shower curtains whose straight rods created a narrow space. Now this space is more expansive because an innovator thought ‘outside the box’ to develop a curved shower rod.”
Dr. Chris Dede
Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard University
“Innovation means doing something differently, incremental, radical or revolutionary. With that, innovation is envisioning something new in one’s mind that doesn’t exist. Taking this vision to reality while some kick you in the teeth is one of the hardest things to do in a lifetime. Those that are hugely successful at pulling it off are labeled innovators. But, innovators are everyone that has an idea, and despite all odds, create something new – either products, goods, or services.”
Billy Glynn
Founder of Collective IQ
Author of Left Turn on Red and ranked one of the world’s top innovators by Information Week magazine
http://www.billyg.net/
The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination. Innovation is everywhere. Keep checking back for more….
23.12.2009
NGC Blog
It took a year to do it – less time than expected – but MCNC announced this week the completion of the N.C. School Connectivity Initiative through which all 115 K-12 school districts have become connected to the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN). They will be hosting a noon celebration in honor of this achievement on May 7 at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh.
The changing needs of students today demand that we offer technologically-advanced options for today’s classrooms. Next month’s celebrated completion of the N.C. School Connectivity Initiative is a major step in ensuring that every teacher and student has broadband access, no matter where they live, no matter how large or small the school district.
MCNC, an RTP-based non-profit, is planning a big celebration honoring the completion of the N.C. School Connectivity Initiative on Thursday, May 7, at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh. The celebration will focus on recognizing the leadership of Governor Bev Perdue, the North Carolina General Assembly and the University of North Carolina system, who were the driving forces behind funding for the School Connectivity Initiative.
“The N.C. School Connectivity Initiative provides local school districts with the connectivity and access to technologies that help prepare today’s students for the careers of tomorrow,” said Joe Freddoso, President and CEO of MCNC. “The fast implementation of the School Connectivity Initiative was achieved through a collaboration among the Department of Public Instruction, eNC, North Carolina Office of Information Technology Services, the Friday Institute , private sector service providers including ATT, TimeWarner Cable, Embarq, Verizon, DukeNet and MCNC.”
NCREN is a statewide IP data and video network that provides high-speed connectivity, distance learning capability and is one of the nation’s first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina.
MCNC offers the NCREN network, technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future-proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. It creates possibility and an equitable educational experience throughout the state.
MCNC continues to increase the scope and reach of NCREN.
The NCREN user-community now includes:
- 17 Institutions of the UNC System and General Administration
- 24 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
- All 115 Public K-12 School Districts in the state
- 7 of the largest North Carolina Community Colleges
- Research Institutions and Foundations
The N.C. School Connectivity Initiative is the result of North Carolina leaders’ desire for 21st century classrooms and development of a North Carolina workforce prepared to succeed in a global economy. It seeks to expand the number of schools with broadband Internet access; further develop communication networks for rural and underperforming schools; and develop a scalable model to maintain and enhance network services to all schools in North Carolina.
This initiative entered the implementation phase in spring 2008 and initially was established through N.C. Senate Bill 1741 by the General Assembly. Now, with all K-12 schools in the state connected to NCREN, results include increased collaboration between all K-20 education entities in the state.
Dr. Bill Harrison, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Board of Education, will be the keynote speaker at the event. He was appointed to the by Gov. Perdue to fill an At-Large position. A native of Pennsylvania, Dr. Harrison has served N.C. public schools in a variety of ways throughout his career. ”The School Connectivity initiative is critical to creating the kind of classrooms and learning environments that provide educators and students the content and the tools needed to truly make our students competitive in today’s global economy and interconnected world,” said Harrison.
The public is welcome to attend.
23.12.2009
NGC Blog
(Editor’s Note: NGC Founder Noah Garrett is a die-hard Washington Redskins fan and was so disgusted after last night’s MNF defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles, he wrote this is in a Tuesday-morning tirade. Enjoy.)
After saving the world by running through a maze of challenges in the nation’s capital in Dan Brown’s latest book The Lost Symbol, famous symbologist Robert Langdon decided to take a break and hunker down in a D.C. hotel room before heading back to his home in Cambridge. “All I came here for was to give a lecture,” he processed internally.
He checked into a nice hotel in D.C. and took a shower. While shaving, he glanced into the mirror and noticed the bags under his eyes when the telephone rang. “Now what?” he pondered.
On the other end of the line was a dark raspy voice. “Robert,” the man whispered into the phone. “I need you to come to FedEx Field immediately. It’s a matter of life and death.” “Who is this,” Robert asked. “It’s Daniel Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins. Come quick. We have a problem only you can figure out. A limo is waiting outside your hotel.”
“Wait, how did you know I was here …” Robert blurted before Daniel interrupted, “there’s no time to explain.” Robert hung up the phone, finished getting dressed and went out the door.
Robert arrived at FedEx Field and was met by Daniel Snyder’s assistant outside the entrance of the stadium. “What’s this all about,” Robert asked the woman. “I don’t know,” she replied, “but Mr. Snyder seems desperate for your help.”
Robert was escorted upstairs to a plush luxury suite where Daniel sat behind a huge desk. “Glad you could make it. We really need your help,” he directed to Robert without even saying hello. “Fine,” Robert replied, “This better be good.”
“You are the world’s best code breaker, and we need you to decipher what is wrong with our team, take over as play caller, and put us back into the right direction before the season is over for us. Like I said, it’s a matter of life and death,” Daniel explained. “Ok,” Robert agreed, “I’ll take a look and see. But, this will cost you.”
Robert knew Daniel was rich and was willing to spend whatever it took to make the Redskins the greatest team on earth.
The scholar took hold of the Redskins playbook, looking through all the X’s and O’s, and stored everything in his photographic memory. He then started watching tape from a recent Monday Night Football game where the team embarrassed themselves at home against the Philadelphia Eagles on national television.
“Mr. Snyder,” Robert started with the Redskins’ owner jumping out of his chair with excitement. “I see nothing wrong with this playbook, the offensive schemes, the defensive packages, and as a matter of fact, this is one of the better playbooks in the NFL. The problem isn’t the design,” Robert pointed out, “it’s the delivery and execution by your players and coaches. If it was up to me, with the exception of a few, I would get rid of all of them and just start over.”
“That’s it?” asked Daniel. “No, Mr. Snyder, “Robert continued. “When I say get rid of everyone with the exception of a few, you are not included in the few.”
“You want me to fire myself,” Daniel quipped like a spoiled trust-fund brat. “Yes, it’s the only way. To be great, requires great sacrifice from everyone, including you. But, don’t do it officially until you pay me my enormous consulting fee.”
Daniel grabbed a large sum of cash – pocket change to him, but five years salary for most folks. “But, you haven’t figure out what needs to be done the way I want you to,” Daniel sobbed. “Sorry, Mr. Snyder, I don’t play your game,” as Robert snatched the wad of cash from Daniel on the way out the door and the beleaguered team owner slouched down on his desk and began to cry.
At the end of The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown offers one word for readers to dwell on until his next book: Hope. As for the Redskins Nation, that may be a tall order to ask fans now that the team has moved from the cream-puff portion of the schedule into the bulk of the tough NFC East.
Geez, even Robert Langdon knows the best thing to do as a Redskin right now is to take the money and run – not to the playoffs mind you, but to the bank. That’s the team’s greatest asset.
