Taking notes in the cloud

I move between a lot of machines these days, work, clients, home and so on. I am finding it more and more the case that I need to move all sorts of information between them quickly and easily. This is where “cloud computing” come to the fore. If you have access to the Internet then you can use some service out there to store your data.

The latest one is Evernote. Much like Microsoft’s Onenote, Evernote give you the ability to create all sorts of free form notes, copy and past information, clip stuff from the web and search it all. The great thing now about Evernote is that fact that it has gone on-line. This now means that I can create notes on any PC and upload then to the Internet. Firstly, this means that I have a backup, secondly it also means I can access them from any Internet connected PC. Even better Evernote has mobile and web versions. This means you can create and save Evernote information on your mobile, have it sync with the Internet and then access it from another PC. With the web interface you can simply log into a web page and create and edit notes and again have it sync with your desktop.

This is proving to be a real productivity gain because now if I need to make notes or take a screen shot when I’m out at a client’s site I can do so in Evernote and know that I will be able to access that information when I return to the office later. No more messy pen and paper or sending emails, I simply access the web interface of Evernote and copy my information there. Simple. I also really like the availability of Evernote on my Windows Mobile device, simply because it can upload to the Internet and then I can access that information from anywhere. Now where ever I am I can document and capture information about what I’m doing, store it centrally but access it anywhere I have a PC or Internet access.

So what’s the cost? At the moment Evernote is in beta so it is free! Even when it launches I’m pretty sure I’m going to pay money for the service since it so handy. You can sign up for an invite to the beta at the Evernote site or send me an email (robert@saturnalliance.com.au) and I’ll send you an invite from my account.

Is knowing how to search more important?

When you need to know something these days where do you go? Google (sorry Microsoft but that’s the fact). Now the good thing about Google is that it returns just about everything that matches your search, which conversely is also the problem with it. I know lots of people who say they can’t find ANYTHING with Google. The reason why? They have no idea how to use Google properly. I doubt whether many people have read about the advanced search features Google offers. All they do is type the first thing that come into their head into the search box and expect what they want to be on the first page.

I think that I am getting pretty good at finding what I want these days. Typically, it does take some time, some refining and bouncing from site to site but eventually I do find it. Case in point. I was looking for some information on using the command stsadm -addcontentdb and Windows Internal Database (microsoft/ssee##) and Windows Sharepoint v3. After some refining I found a site that didn’t give me the answer but gave me enough clues to deduct a solution that worked. Yeah. Now, is it fair to say that I’m a good searcher or a deducer? With the power of Internet search these days I’m pretty sure that the answer you are looking for is out there BUT first you have to find it. Then typically the search results you get is usually not a direct solution to your problem, you gotta apply a bit of lateral thinking to find the solution that you require.

Now perhaps I do have an advantage being qualified as an Electrical Engineer and perhaps all those years at university did actually provide me some benefit in the methods I use today to locate information. To be an expert these days you don’t need to know the answer you just have to know where to look. The faster you can obtain an answer the smarter you are I believe. So if you haven’t looked at the advanced search features Google offers then I strongly suggest you do because it will put you ahead of the pack. As for improving you ability to decipher, decrypt and deduce an answer, well that only improves with practice. Remember a craftsman is only as good as their tools and for information workers Google is the tool of choice. So sharpen your skills so you can wield it like a master.

Is this the end of the Blackberry?

Like the Ipod, one of the great technology revolutions recently has been the introduction of the iPhone. Both of these devices are probably not a massive technological revolution in real terms but they have revolutionized the look, feel, design and way a technology device has been marketed to the masses. Apple is to be congratulated whole heartedly for this, they are masters of the game.

One of the major appeals of the iPhone is not doubt its interface. The ability to drag pages, the appearance and more make it a stand out of design that few other suppliers seem to be able to duplicate (even though it wouldn’t seem that hard). We are yet to see the iPhone here in Australia yet I know that one of the biggest drawbacks it has had is its inability to be used in a corporate environment. The major requirement here is the ability for the phone to sync up with corporate email servers, probably the most popular one being Microsoft Exchange Server. In many cases this has meant that executives had to choose whether to forgo the iPhone for the standard Blackberry (or Windows Mobile device) or carry around two devices.

Well no more. It would seem from this press release that Apple is going to allow the iPhone to work with Microsoft’s ActiveSync technology, which will lay the ground work for the iPhone to sync with Exchange Server. The removal of this barrier will probably see the wide scale adoption of the iPhone in business markets. This spells trouble for Blackberry devices (and Windows Mobile devices as well mind you). The Blackberry maybe functional and maybe already widespread but it lacks one important feature when compared to the iPhone. Coolness.

As the iPod generation begins to make a greater impact on the business world, rising through the ranks, there seems little doubt they will demand the iPhone as the communications device of choice. The acceptance by both Microsoft and Apple that this is in both of their best interests, I believe, is going to make a significant change on the technology landscape in the years ahead. The biggest loser in this change, at the moment, would certainly appear to be Blackberry, however if I was selling Windows Mobile devices I wouldn’t become complacent. Windows Mobile devices probably have one more development cycle left to challenge the iPhone before they too come under significant threat.

When it comes to market share, cool beats functional any day of the week.

Rethinking managed services

This is my reply to a posting by Robbie Upcroft on getting into managed services.

You are right in saying that managed services are the way to go but I content that perhaps the time is too late. Why do I say that? If you haven’t read the book the World is Flat then you should because it details how all this sort of work is going to be done from places like India. To get an idea of what they charge have a look at : http://www.supportresort.com/. As the site says “We hire out quality IT staff by the month for an hourly rate as low as US$3.36.”

Problem with managed services is that they are so easy to replicate. If you have the cash go out and buy something like Kaysea and you’re away. Sure you’ll be able to convince most existing customers to come on board, not because of what managed services offer but more likely because they’ll do what you tell them. Fine. Now what about new customers?

Why would I pay for you to manage a workstation? Will what they’ll ask. I don’t care if it is defragged, etc and if it fails I just use another temporarily. Sure, I’ll take managed services on a server but on the desktops? No thanks too expensive. Is typically the response we have received.

Most clients in the SMB market space are looking to save IT costs and most won’t pay a per month charge greater than say $10 because it doesn’t make sense. If you have invested all that money in backend infrastructure like servers and Kaysea are you really going to a see a return on investment? Only if you get all client machines, including workstations onboard. As I said previously I think you are going to struggle to get any new clients on board with this.

Finally, what happens when people like HP and DELL enter the market by offering managed services on every PC they sell for LIFE (which they will)? These guys will be able to drive the costs right down simply because of their size. Even the best customer at some point will look at a cheaper prices (for essentially the same thing) and tell you, sorry but I’m going elsewhere.

So, in summary, yes managed service is an opportunity but it is not a saviour for a bad business model. You need to look at the setup and on going costs and license fees and ensure that you are going to get the numbers on board to cover these and make money. This is going to get harder and harder everyday as more people enter the market for “managed services” and drive the price down. I think it is too hard to differentiate yourself enough with a managed services product these days and there are not many barriers to entry. It is basically a volume business and SMB resellers really don’t have the volume to make this work long term in books.

Only my opinion.

It’s all going to the cloud

Think about, why the hell would you spend all this money on high powered workstations, servers, backup, disaster recovery and so and so if you could simply access everything remotely? Isn’t it easier if someone else manages all that? That’s the idea about the current managed services craze for SMB resellers but I believe that it is quickly moving even beyond this.

Big players like Google are designing the future as being totally online. Need an application? Simply rent it for the time that you need it. Would you pay a few cents a day for an application that is always up to date, available anywhere there is an Internet connection and never needs to be backed up? If you don’t then I bet a whole swag of people you know do. Unlike techies, these people are by far the majority of computer users and all they want is an easier way to do their work.

If you don’t know about products like Skydrive, Office Live Workspace, Jungle Disk, Google Apps and so on then boy are you behind the times. Even something like hosted Sharepoint can function pretty well as a complete replacement for a file server allowing quick and easy collaboration for any location where there is the Internet (cafes, work, home, PC’s Mac’s, mobile devices and so on and so on). From where I sit it is only a (short) matter of time before these Internet based applications become main stream. They’ll be supported 24 hours a day 7 days a week from help desks all around the work that can remotely access your session and resolve any issues.

It’s a brave new world that we face as technology consultants to businesses both big and small. Those that see the light early will flourish and prosper but those that don’t will wither and die. Typically change takes longer to happen that you expect but when things change they change in a far greater manner that you ever expected.

As the old song goes, “the times they are a changing” but can YOU hear it?