Top Trends Driving Tech Innovation
18 Aug 2008
What’s Really Behind the Push for Faster, Sleeker, Smarter Technology?
A business professional responds to incoming e-mails while waiting for a conference call to start. A busy parent checks the family calendar on a personal digital assistant before making the next doctor's appointment. A music lover downloads an artist's latest recording before it's played on the radio. Look around and you'll see more and more people with handheld devices, ultra-thin mobile laptops, tablet PCs or smartphones. Whether it's for work or personal use, these new technology devices are becoming a part of our daily lives.
This new technology brings information to our fingertips in a matter of seconds. It has become so pervasive, consumers and workers alike expect all aspects of their lives to be as responsive. As a result, organizations feel the push to have information flow continuously whether it's from a handheld device or a laptop. They want to see how they can be more productive using this new technology but still retain flexibility in a secure environment. Employees want a quick response to a business need no matter what day or time. Consumers expect a quick turnaround on products or services. Organizations want to meet these demands but most don't know quite where to start.
To make this transition to an always-on world, organizations need a unified environment that includes instant messaging, e-mail, mobile voice, mobile data, and access to enterprise applications and data but they also need the right network infrastructure. And, employees need the right device, right application and the right level of support. But how did we go from driving to the record store to buy an LP to downloading a music video the day it is released? Or holding a meeting on two continents where everyone is viewing the same presentation at the same time? What is behind this push for faster, sleeker and “smarter” devices? EDS has identified three key trends that are contributing to the rise of edge devices and related technology.
Generation Y Born Into Technology
Individuals born between 1980 and 1996 are considered digital natives. Known as Generation Y, these individuals have used digital technology their entire lives, including video games. According to a recent survey of more than 7,000 U.S. college students, 97 percent own a computer, 94 percent own a cell phone, 76 percent use instant messaging and 34 percent use Web sites as their primary source of news. Also, 28 percent author a blog and 44 percent read blogs. A typical blog contains text, images and links to other blogs or Web pages.
These individuals not only use instant messaging to communicate, but they also search the Internet for answers giving them a more global perspective. As members of this generation enter a professional environment, they expect similar tools to function the same way as the other devices in their lives.
EDS' approach to help organizations make the leap for this generation is to use of blogs and wikis, which are repositories of data that people can access with portals based on different groups and teams. EDS employs a user-centered design process that enables a single point of access to an organization's applications, information, processes and communities of interest. EDS' Composite Application and Portal Services provides Web-based solutions that give clients, employees and partners enterprisewide access to secure, personalized information.
Expanding Borders Create a 24-Hour Workday
A soft drink manufacturer purchases a snack food company on the other side of the world. A technology company expands its client base by establishing operations in a nearby country. Whether it's through acquisitions or expansion, more and more organizations operate beyond their own country border in different time zones. But business issues still need to be addressed in a timely fashion no matter where the office is located. This situation creates a 24-hour workday.
EDS designed an architecture that links back to EDS' or the client's data center so the data is hosted at the highest level of security and given redundancy, plus over the air management and data encryption for customers in different countries. Executives can feel secure in knowing their information is readily available and safe in any type of situation. EDS lowers the infrastructure complexity by providing seamless design, implementation and integration of operations. We manage approximately three million desktops in more than 60 countries around the world. Our service desk enables direct interaction by telephone, fax, Web or e-mail between the end-user and EDS' Service Desk support organization for both question and problem resolution.
Telecommuting Is On the Rise
In today's economy, a 30-minute drive to the office can really put a dent in the family budget. Rising gas prices are prompting more employees to work from home to save on gas and money. EDS makes it possible for employees to link into the network whether it's through a secured repository of data that employees can access, portals that are based on different groups and teams, or team sites. These telecommuters not only save money and reduce their carbon footprint, but they also stay in contact with other team members.
Telecommuting can also save organizations money. Real estate is expensive, and some organizations find it easier to reduce expenses by having employees work from home. Some analysts predict that in the near future 40 percent of the work force will no longer be dedicated to a physical building.
The technology is there, and EDS is making it possible for organizations to operate on the edge. The same technology and infrastructure that supports organizations with expanding borders also helps telecommuters stay connected. EDS provides end-to-end management services for all new types of devices starting with a personalized service to match the right services to the individual mobile worker. By combining e-mail, messaging, mobile device management, enterprise-to-edge security and back-office application extension capabilities, EDS' world-class infrastructure enables organizations to empower employees to do the work they need to do anywhere, at anytime, on any device.
EDS Is Your Trusted Ally
As the use of edge devices, remote computing and always-on interfaces becomes more prolific, enterprises need a trusted ally to help foster positive user experiences for customers and employees alike. EDS has the knowledge, information technology resources and expertise to help you keep pace with today's advancements while preparing for the breakthrough technologies of tomorrow. EDS and its Agility Alliance partners influence future product roadmaps and lead Beta testing for early adopter programs. We bring standard and consistent practices, which reduce the risk to the client – from managing e-mail and data to encrypting devices and completing over the air upgrades or wiping a lost or stolen device.