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Amazon and Google started out being unlikely competitors.

One started in 1994 by selling books and the other in 1997 by designing a new search engine for the Internet.  In 2002, both realized that they needed to open up their respective systems to developer communities as a technology disrupter, gain traction, and grow fast.  Both gave brick and mortar businesses a run for their money.  Both ended as undisputed leaders and have redefined the industry in their own ways. Both Google and Amazon broadly attract the same segment of consumers, albeit for different reasons.  They have not looked back ever since.  The Titans are now eyeing domination of the Enterprise segment with cloud based web hosting services and solutions. Amazon has a significant lead here.  What does it take for them to come out as the winner?  Is the threat from Google real?

In continuing our series on technology game-changers, we focus on a summary of differences between the Google Cloud and the Amazon AWS from an end-user and developer perspective.  In an earlier series (*ISMAC) we had discussed the ubiquitous nature of CLOUD infrastructure in current technology solutions.  

Cloud Vendors and Hosting Providers are available dime-a-dozen.  

Hosting Providers are good enough for simple web site hosting, be it local or regional.  Most hosting providers provide base hardware infrastructure (either Physical or Virtual Machines) with Linux or Windows Operating System and the corresponding Web(App)server (Apache, Nginx), Database (MySQL), Programming Language Support (PHP, Python, Java) etc.

Cloud Vendors on the other hand provide a whole slew of ready made and integrated software support like Email, Queuing, Messaging, BigData, NoSQL, Storage, Networking, Billing, Logging etc.  These services are all independent, but can be installed and setup to work cohesively with each other.  In this article, we will look at the offerings of “Google Cloud” and “Amazon AWS”.

Google Cloud Console - https://cloud.google.com/

Comprises of a separate Compute engine and App engine.  The Compute engine provides the raw hardware and allows the developer to install any tools/technologies they choose.  The App Engine on the other hand, comes pre-built with support for PHP, Python (language interpreters).  It allows the developers to directly upload their source code and setup the environment. Google Cloud also provides out-of-the-box one-click deployment of numerous tools in the Data Store, Programming, and Source Code Control, Configuration and Build Management and other Front-End, Mid-Tier, and Back-end packages.

Costing is tiered with a free-tier for almost all functionalities including storage and network usage (upload/download).  This approach is convenient for developers and companies to try out in a smaller scale free before choosing this as a production and scaling platform.

On the other side, setup is slightly non-intuitive for the first-time cloud user. The developer will require a few trials before getting comfortable with the offerings.

Amazon AWS Console - http://aws.amazon.com/

The console is organized very intuitively under various categories – Computing Resources, Storage, Content Delivery, Databases, Networking, Administration and Security, Deployment, Analytics, Mobile, Application Services and Enterprise Services.  Within each of these categories, the most common packages are provided in a single-click setup model.  Impressive is the ability to setup your own Simple Email Service, Simple Queuing Service, and Simple Notification Services (for server-side of mobile apps)

Costing is Free for the first 12 months.  This provides a wonderful way for developers and companies to test the platform and even use it in a semi-production model.

AWS has a much bigger ecosystem and therefore has support on the Internet for almost all situations one could ever face.

Verdict

In our earlier post, we wrote about #ISMAC and how it is changing the business ecosystem. In this post we will continue the conversation by understanding the leaders in each of these technology areas. We will also review what each one is doing in that space.

1.    Internet of Things (IOT)

Vendors in this space range from chip manufacturers (Intel, ARM, Texas Instruments), mobile and embedded device vendors (Freescale, Qualcom, Ericsson), Home appliance vendors (GE, Bosch), pure-play software developers (Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook), Networking vendors (Cisco) and large system integrators (IBM, Oracle, SAP). The spread is so broad given the multitude of technologies that go into making a device intelligent and automated.  One of the biggest business and technological challenges in this area is the need for standards at all hardware and software layers.  Standards are important to ensure complete hand-shake across device vendors as well as to derive functionalities at scale. Early-stage research companies will lobby for their work to become the standard.  This tussle will continue for a few years until the standards bodies get a grip of the overall collaborations required.  A potential obstacle from consumer perspective is the pervasiveness of these devices leading to privacy compromises. This will be a larger problem involving social, economic and political ramifications.

 2.  Social

Social sector is already close to maturity on the consumer usage perspective.  While there could be finer tweaks, the ability to post 140 character reviews to author elaborate ebooks provides consumers enough to go with.  At the backend, processing of these gazillion bytes of data and deriving meaningful value for businesses is key focus area.  At the current juncture social channels are simply used for consumer and prospect connect beginning with lead generation through to customer service and repeat customers.  Most organizations are working to understand and correlate the various factors that impact the conversion funnel and how best they can take advantage of it themselves.

3.  Mobile

With about 200 Million feature phones and 80 Million smartphones sold in India in 2014, the data cannot be clearer.  Complete ecosystems have formed around mobile exchange of money, ewallet, transaction processing etc.  Nationalized banks are also heavily invested in this direction. Ability to transfer money with the swipe of a finger is practical subject to security considerations. While Social is the biggest application used on mobiles (much more data traffic over voice), other ecommerce and financial transactions are not lagging far behind.  It is critical for business to adopt a mobile-first strategy in through thinking. Minimalistic and Responsive Design as some of the key deliverables in this space.

4.  Analytics

The ability to spot the proverbial needle in the haystack holds promise.  Analytics space continues to be hot with hundreds of new entrants each quarter. Open Source Technology platforms like Hadoop (sponsored under the Apache Project) play a key role in providing real-time and batch analytics. Quick access data stores like NoSql are very prevalent given the unstructured nature of data.  The need to handle millions of data element inputs per minute has also created a proliferation of queuing technologies that ensure data events are processed without loss. While Analytics is touted as the panacea, this space requires good blend of business acumen combined with computing abilities to derive true value.

5.  Cloud

Cloud is the most advanced of all the five technologies.  The question is not one of viability any longer.  Usage of cloud has become so common place that one cannot imagine otherwise. All our emails, files, photos, documents, videos, photos, blogs are saved up there in one of the cloud. Cloud infrastructure vendors have gotten the entire store, access, retrieve cycle ironed out.  Redundancy of infrastructure and replication mechanisms have evolved so well to completely hide the true complexity away from the end customer.  With companies like Amazon, IBM, Microsoft and others giving out free access to developer’s worldwide, cloud is the only defacto platform to develop applications.  It has also brought some semblance of uniformity of development with standardization of infrastructure stack open source products.

In summary, the five technologies listed above are very real and very NOW.  Businesses should take advantage of these technologies in ways that is most beneficial for them.

Futureshift Consulting [www.futureshift.in] brings you the right combination of business and technology strategy and implementation expertise. Visit us at www.futureshift.in for a sneak preview of our offerings.  Write to us [[email protected]]  or for a quick response..

As a technology consulting firm, we are often asked to help companies and assist them on the hottest technologies. In our CxO interactions, it is amply clear that businesses wish to invest in the 'biggest technology disruptions' to maintain a competitive edge in their businesses. We also often hear the words - mobile, cloud, big data and social media - peppered in conversations, loosely and interchangeably, expectedly so. 

So we decided to share our thoughts head-on through this post. In this post, we attempt to share with you a super simple cogent articulation of the top five technology trends that impact today's businesses. We use the word impact, after a lot of thought. Impact can mean competitive advantage for one, while it means coming out of red for the other. In yet another case, it may mean the bare-minimum entry criteria to play in the market. Across the spectrum, even within your industry or business segment, you will see that your competitors operate at varying levels of 'play' across these five technologies.

IoT, Social, Mobile, Analytics, Cloud (ISMAC)

Internet of Things (IOT), Social, Mobile, Analytics, Cloud (ISMAC) are the five areas in the technology industry that are driving innovation and hence valuations for businesses.

Let us address this one by one. In this two part series, we will cover ISMAC in its entirety. In the first post we will summarize the overall ecosystem and touch on the role each of these technologies play. Subsequently, we will highlight the evolution of each of the technologies, its current state and the future that technology holds for consumers and businesses. The next article will also provide an integrated view and sum-total impact of all these technologies in a futuristic sense.

ISMAC delivers an ecosystem to help businesses have maximum reach with minimal costs. It also helps business to be present in front of the customer without being intrusive. We are all creating peta-bytes of data both in structured and unstructured formats. In today’s day and age, anything that we do on the internet is captured in more than one way. This explosion of structured and unstructured data is generated through literally, zillions of devices, channels and services - mobile devices, wearables, social networks, data sensors, trackers, customer loyalty programs, Utility bills, Online browsing foot prints, Phone call traces, Voice intonations, Satellite imagery, CCTV cameras and much more.  Each of these devices are big industry sectors (comprising of hardware, software and services) in their own right. Companies are building hundreds of new business models on top of this user-generated data. Even a simple integration between handful of devices is enough to disrupt this space beyond recognition. The challenge is not in identifying these opportunities, but in actually bringing them to market in a financially feasible manner. The ability of a company to upsell such opportunities is critical in generating business traction and profitable ventures.

+ISMAC – This term was coined at FUTRLABS (The Innovation Hub of Futureshift)

1.  Internet of Things (IOT)

The concept of software inside appliances is well accepted. So is the ability to operate them without moving an inch (remote).  The Car, Television, Air Conditioner, Audio System are just a few of the daily-use devices that are already intelligent and automatic.  Internet of Things is the technology that builds on the fact that every device and equipment ranging from your watch to fan, fridge, dog-collar, mop, shoe, tennis racquet, wardrobe could be personalized to work intelligently depending on your preferences. And why not? Your mop may want to dispense an extra ounce of cleaning fluid considering the condition of the floor. You may like your socks to be a certain temperature as you step out in the chilly winter. Your shoe may add an extra cushion of air as you go hiking up a rocky surface.  The grip of your tennis racquet may adjust to the atmospheric humidity and your sweating pattern.  After all, sky is the limit to your imagination.  IOT promises just that.

2.  Social

Social Media has provided billions of users and thousands of businesses new ways to reach and interact with customers and also among customers. With the explosion of platforms, content sharing has become child's play. Customer's have figured out ways to use these tools to voice their concerns publicly and effectively. The challenge is for business to effectively use this channel to improve overall customer experience and customer service engagement.

 3.  Mobile

Mobile access of websites has increased over 70%.  Financial and Commercial transactions on mobile phones has been incredibly quick and timely.  A number of ecosystems have developed around payment processing, electronic wallets, devices and operating systems, mobile applications, voice and telephony, user experience etc. Businesses have no choice but to adopt a mobile-first approach in all their discussions and decisions.  

4.  Analytics

Analytics allows businesses to understand how, when and where people consume goods and services.  While this has been the way smart businesses performed since time immemorial, explosion of data and multiplicity of channels has shifted this problem into a technology-driven one. Changes in customer expectation have necessitated businesses to be one step ahead of demand. Technologies are expected to crunch multiple terabytes of data in near realtime and propose the next best action to convert the customer

5.  Cloud

Cloud computing lowers the barrier of entry for businesses to adopt any of these technologies.  Ability to spin up BigData instances in hours (instead of weeks or months) flattens what was once a competitive advantage.  Hardware and Computing Resources can be procured, setup, expanded and contracted to changing demands at the finger tips.  Mainframes and PC's have given way to this standardised way of setting up business infrastructure and operations

In summary, ISMAC is no longer a pie-in-the-sky.  It is real and it is the NOW...

In the next post, we will dive deeper into each of these technologies and also provide a sample of potential business opportunists that span multiple of these technologies.

Stay tuned.

Strike-a-deal:

Businesses lose a chance to sell to over 95% visitors to a store. As visitors come and spend time with your retail sales personel, and precious time is used to educate them about your products and services, little or no system exists to convert that effort into a sale.  Subsequently, the visitor walks away with no follow-ups made.

Strike-a-deal is a simple way to engage the prospect and ensure that each visitor to your store is followed up to make a sale and nurture loyalty.

Shoppeazy: How can you get your own Online Store in a less than 99 minutes . We have made the complexity simple. Designed ground up from a total-retail perspective this is designed with a simple goal. To give you the exhaustive capabilities  and at the sma etime have a 10th grader run the store and get your cash registers ringing.

With Shoppeazy you can

define your multi-level and multi-dimensional Catalogs

Define Products

Upload Content, Technical Details,  Special Instructions

Upload Photographs

Configure from over 15 User-defined Price fields

Define Search Engine Optimization keywords at multiple levels (Site, Category, Brand, Product)

Integrate Payment Gateway with CCAvenue

Apply multi-type Promotions, Coupons and Discounts. 

Seamless and Simple User Experience.

Check it out here - http://store.futureshift.in/. Can you believe that took us less than 99 minutes to set it up.

Contact.ly was designed with a simple philosophy of maximising returns on a sales call.

Every one who has been a Sales Person or a Sales Manager would understand on the painful process of daily call reporting. Contact.ly makes such a report easy by helping the field rep log the visit at your fingertips. 

The location tracker, business card capture and InstaMail are some of the new capabilities that make it extremely useful for the organization. The analytics at the back-end can help provide valuable insights to maximising sales performance and optimising resources.

One of the most widely appreciated offerring by in the Hi-Tech Retail segment is 3X3 Learning.

In simple terms 3X3 learning is all about Instant Learning, Anytime, Anywhere. This is a blended learning optimized to maximize attention, retention, results. 

#BullyNoMore.in

Cheerna Dutt from Delhi Public School North Bangalore talks about the affects of Bullying and why we should stand up against Bullying. Delhi Public School North Bangalore is a pioneer school of Amnesty International India’s Human Rights Education programme

More here

#BullyNoMore is a Social Campaign aimed at creating awareness in schools across India towards individual human rights against #bullying.  Bullying can take various forms and impact the psychology and personality of each child. 

Amnesty partnered with Futureshift Consulting (www.futureshift.in, @futureshift_sg) to develop a technology framework comprising of a website (www.bullynomore.in) and the roll out of the campaign to multiple schools across the country.  Students were encouraged to upload 2-minute videos or audios voicing their thoughts on bullying.  The turnout was tremendous, with recognition from the honorable Minister for Education Ms.Smriti Irani

Guys, it has been a great week for us. We just redesigned our website with a new logo, responsive design and a minimalist approach. We believe this is very much inline with what we do and our clients ask. What do you think?

At Futureshift, we believe that we will be able to contribute immensely to the social sector space by building on the capabilities, skill sets and the connections that we have built with our vast experience in transforming businesses around the world.

As a part of giving back, our consultants have pledged 20% of their time to work on social causes that will Maximize Social Impact. They will leverage their global expertise and use Futureshift tools and services towards those causes.

Some examples of the areas we are working on include

Solving the teaching problem in India by developing multi-media teaching aid with Pocket Power.

Solving India’s human rights problems by working together with Amnesty International. Projects like #bullynomore.in have gained traction to address the bullying in schools.

Solving literacy and numeracy problem by working with a leading NGO on how to expand footprints and volunteers.

Solving India’s vaccination problem with MyHealthshield that can help reduce tens of thousands of infant deaths due to missing the vaccination schedule.

Futrlabs is our Innovation Hub that develops Intellectual Property on disruptive technologies to positively impact outcomes.  Technology is the bedrock for success. Picking the right solution for the right problem is critical. Futureshift's Mobile, Cloud, Social and Analytics platforms will help you achieve success, instantly with the right tools. 

ZMOT.ly (read zee-mot-lee) is all about ensuring impact at zero moment of truth. This is about rapid demand creation and predictable revenue through right interventions and influencing the decision making process even before the prospect visits your shelf (online or offline).

Unlike the  classic traditional model, where a engagement (with prospect) kicks in from the point of first interaction with your team (first moment of truth) and through the customer experience after purchase (Second Moment of Truth), ZMOT helps you actively influence the experience from inception and create a positive demand cycle for the product or service.