The Internet And Small Companies *

Certainly you have already had an experience like this: You are looking for a product, service or company you need, and the first place you look is the Internet. Using the Internet is convenient, plus there’s the possibility of finding detailed information such as comparing prices from different companies for the same product. However, as you begin your search on the Internet, you realize that only large and well-known companies are represented on the Internet. Small companies like the ones in your neighborhood don’t even have their phone number published, much less their products or services available through the Internet.

A recent study published in Brazil by the Internet Management Committee (CGI) called “Information Technology and Communication,” analyzed small businesses on the Internet. CGI focused their research on companies having at least 10 employees. The study examined the period from 2007 and 2010 and concluded that small businesses in Brazil still are not investing in the Internet as a way to promote their products or services. Their lack of reliance on the Internet is all the more surprising since during the past few years Internet connections have vastly improved in Brazil. We have migrated from the dial-up connection to ADSL, and even more important, businesses have been adopting local networks (also known as LAN) in order to connect more computers. Some companies and even home users now have gone beyond this and adopted wireless connections.

Nevertheless, with these vast improvements in Internet service thanks to new technology, the study shows that small businesses are not doing enough to take advantage of the power of the Internet as a way to boost revenue. More than 60 percent of these companies don’t even have a web page to present their products or services. More than 80 percent don’t have any type of simple customer service, such as an e-mail address where the customer can establish contact with the business.

Some small companies still maintain they don’t need the Internet to promote their business. They have Internet access inside the company only for their employees to use e-mail or search engines. Companies also complain they don’t have the expertise to employ this technology to expand their business, and they are also concerned about the security of information, theirs and their customers, such as with Internet identity theft.

If we look around, it is obvious that many traditional and small companies have found a way to move to the Internet. In some cases, the Internet has allowed small companies to grow into big companies and even trade shares on the stock exchange. New business lines were created specifically for the Internet, while the traditional ones had to adapt, and they are achieving great success.

So what prevents a small company from utilizing the tools of the Internet to expand its business? At the beginning, it seems to many of them like a waste of money with no return in the short-term. However, these companies are forgetting about consumers like you and me who today have high-speed Internet connections at home or in our offices, and we are likely to go to the Internet to look for something we need. When we are looking at our search results, don’t small companies want to be included?

This reluctance to change among small businesses is something we saw in Brazil some years ago — it looks like the paradigm for the adoption of credit cards as a way of payment. In the past, small businesses did not accept credit cards, but now all of them provide this service because they eventually realized how it would increase their business. As a result, today more than 80 percent of consumers’ purchases are paid for with credit cards.

In summary, the Internet is infinite so there is always adequate space for all kinds of products and services, big or small companies, suppliers and competitors. Moreover, there are several ways to develop a presence on the Internet, such as simple web pages, blogs, social networks, collective purchase websites, etc. The first step toward this new business model is not such a difficult challenge, so if you are a small business and considering it, a little research will reveal many ways to enter the Internet business arena. Sebrae, a public service organization that is well-known for offering assistance to small companies can definitely help you and guide your first steps. All of us consumers hope to see you here!

* Article published on Curitiba in English.

The 15 tech habits that everyone should avoid (part 2)

Getting back on the 15 tech habits we should avoid, let's get started by the 8th topic.
If you missed the part 1, here you can take a look.

8. Leave the laptop in the car: Thieves have plenty of time to study how to approach on you, or the simplest case when they see an easy opportunity right in front of them. If something attracts their attention in the car, or more, if they see you carrying a backpack or suitcase and moving to the trunk of the car, it will be easy to them to break the window, in seconds take your laptop and your information became legend. So if you really need to leave in the car, try to put under the seat, in discrete location, but better than this, take with you.

9. Not having a "disposable" e-mail: Dont give your main email to anyone or questionable websites when filling the form. You can easily start receiving tons of spam e-mails with this simple attitude!! So take advantage of the free emails such as Gmail or Yahoo and preserve your main inbox.

10. Keep all your e-mails: If you are the one who keeps all received email in the inbox in a chronological order ... congratulations!! But sorry to say that, it will be pretty hard to find something when you most need. Try to use folders and tags in order to classify by category such as work, personal, important ones, etc. Also delete the ones you wont use anymore.

11. Not learn the shot-cuts of the keyboard: Still there are many people that dont know how to use the Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. Those are the most common ones, and there are lots of those that makes easier your life. No need to learn all combinations, but it can help you save a lot of time with a simple Ctrl+S, for example.

12. Install too many things: You install a few messenger, other tool bars, and some programs. When you initiate your computer and after everything is loaded, you notice your computer slow. This is because programs usually let many logs and other stuff behind, making your computer keep loaded all this things. So when you want to install new stuff, think twice if you really need it. Of course, there are some software that can clean up your computer, or another way is format and re-install everything ... but this takes lots of your time in order to do it and can give you possibly a cost.

13. Store files anywhere: This is one of the most common problems people complain when working with computer ... "I swear I have saved the file but I dont know where!!". I bet this already happened to you. So in order to avoid this kind of boredom, try to organize your files using folders splitting by subject or category. Once you need to look for it, you have an idea where it might be. Act as you do with other stuff such as, the newspaper and magazines, the monthly bills, the photo albums, etc.

14. Use the same password for everything: You first think that if you put the same password for everything you need, it is easier to remember, because it is just one. However, imagine if one of those places you created the password they don't store encrypted and worse, this information is stolen somehow. The thief can have your name and password and can access your e-mail, social networks, perhaps bank account, whatever. Better have a set of different passwords for different purposes and with critical levels, not only that, keep it safe, not have written anywhere or shared with other people.

15. Lock the cellphone: Not all cellphones have this feature to put a code/password to unlock. However, if your cellphone have, consider using this feature. This is because if you loose or leave anywhere nearby to bad intentioned people (why not say thief), he can easily steal some important information stored on your cellphone for many purposes, such as make calls, get your contacts for spam, perhaps your e-mails access and some others. If you have this feature, why not take advantage of this tiny thing that can protect you.

Well, surely there are many other important hints that can protect yourself of headaches. But following some of those ones, you can make your productivity even better, possibly not right away but in the long run.

Ultrabooks: Going Beyond Tablets *

Yes, here is one more new technology term! Ultrabooks are the newest evolution of laptops. They were created by Intel, and now big companies like Acer, LG, HP and Asus are investing in the concept. In order to qualify as an Ultrabook, the model must conform to the following: It must be less than 21 mm thick, and most important, it must cost less than US$1,000. (Unfortunately, we already know the price will be higher in Brazil due to the high import taxes here.) According to the manufacturers, it is essential for Ultrabooks to reach a mass audience, and they expect them to become a dominant product in 2013.

The first models released are equipped with Intel Sandy Bridge processors that measure only 32 nanometers. However, with the continued development of technology, it’s expected newer models will be equipped with processors of only 22 nanometers. A nanometer is the unit of measure for the transistor in the processor, and the smaller they get, the greater the possibility of putting more transistors on a single processor, as this increases the performance of the computer. Just to give you an idea of how small these processors are, the flu virus is 100 nanometers in size!

Here are a few more details related to this new concept: Ultrabooks are super thin, use lightweight batteries that last longer - at least five hours - and have a quick start-up, only about seven seconds. Also, the traditional laptop hard drives have been replaced by SSDs, also known as flash memories. Because of this, the Ultrabooks will be strong competitors for netbooks and tablets, since some of them come up with touch screens.

Now you are no doubt wondering: Which is more better to own - the Ultrabook or a tablet? In the previous technology article, we discussed tablets and their features and purpose. A tablet can be seen as a consumer of content - designed to be easy to use, very intuitive, and mobile anywhere, any time.

On the other hand, the Ultrabook is designed as a producer of content - much more powerful than tablets, with the same features as laptops. Additionally, Ultrabooks combine some of the best features of tablets, such as the ease of mobility due to their reduced size and weight.

It is interesting to note that Ultrabook technology isn’t really so new. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Apple MacbookAir, a laptop with the same features as Ultrabooks, released by Apple some years ago. The difference now is that Ultrabooks will be produced by several companies, allowing for the possibility of greater popularity and cheaper prices.

In a nutshell, you can begin thinking which kind of user you are - sometimes a consumer and other times a producer? The good news is you will now have the opportunity to buy the most suitable equipment for your needs, and thus you will take advantage of the best of what technology has to offer.

* Article published on Curitiba in English.

The 15 tech habits that everyone should avoid (part 1)

Everyone has flaws in the technology world - who never used the word "password" as password one day?!?
But now let's dig deeper to seek the really bad habits that can cause permanent damage to your computer, your pocket and your mood.

Lets talk about the the 15 worst habits in the world of technology, which should be avoided at all costs:

1. Not use security software: many people still dont have the habit to have any firewall or antivirus at least on the computer as a way to protect your computer from invasion or any trying of information theft. A simple click in one unknown (or known) email sender can put your computer in high risk such as have installed any spy or key logger  program to capture everything you do. Please, you have to have something to protect, there are many free or payed options for purpose.

2. Not have any backup of your computer: many people have "good" excuses why they still dont have backup. But any piece of your computer like hard disks eventually fail, and according to Murphy's Law, this will hapen when you most need, whatever it is, a worksheet, a document, or a college project.

3. Not have any off-site backup: Picture this, a thief breaks down your home and steals your laptop! ... you might be thinking, "no problem, I have a backup on my pen-drive or external hard disk". But to get worse, the thief takes all of these too. Well, this can happen, so try to store your data in multiple locations, why not on the internet (on the cloud), there are many websites with tons of gigabytes available for free. Try to make this a routine to update, otherwise if one day you need a file, you will not get surprised with very old version of those data.

4. Answer to a SPAM: Do you know why spammers still keep sending emails to your inbox? It is because there are enough users still answering those with a simple gesture of clicking on the link "remove your email", and thus confirming to the spammer that you exists with a valid email and it is a potential customer. Of course there are a few (very few) advertising emails that work seriously with this option.

5. Walk around with the laptop turned on: This no problem in moving the laptop from the kitchen to the living room meanwhile the laptop is turned on. The problem is whey you close the lid and put into the backpack at the office and go home for fifteen or thirty minutes by bus, subway or car. A hard disk in operation can be damaged even by a small impact (such as a bump on a bus), and computers can easily overheat if left indoors. Turn off your computer before transporting it.

6. Print out everything: You can have all your receipts and personal documents in digital copy with free programs such as PDF Creator and print everything in .pdf format. So that you can store on your computer for easy search, instead of printing out everything, and when you most need you cannot find anymore the only copy you had about the monthly rental fee.

7. Use the laptop on bed: You can use your laptop in bed whenever you want. The problem is when you leave it on standing on its beautiful goose down comforter. Quilts, blankets, pillows and cushions can block the vents of the computer, causing overheating and damage to components. Instead, use a notebook table or a coffee table to keep the machine in a comfortable position and ensure a good flow of air.

To not make this post so extensive, it will be divided in two parts in order to make it easier to read and better comprehension. So see you on part two.

Tablets: The Post-PC Device Or Just One More Fad? *

No doubt you have already heard about these new gadgets that have become so popular so quickly. You might be wondering, What do they do, and Should I buy one?

Tablets have many functions, such as “surfing” the Internet, checking e-mail, playing games, watching videos and movies, reading e-books (electronic books) and other activities you can already do on an ordinary computer. The difference with the tablet is that it is much lighter and thinner than an ordinary computer. It is even lighter than a notebook or netbook computer, allowing you to carry it easily anywhere, and without needing any Internet connection cables. Also, tablets have a long battery life.

Most tablet users report their greatest pleasure comes in the feature of the touch screen. For those of you who own smartphones, you will be familiar with how touch screens work. Companies like Apple were able to adapt the smartphone touch screen to produce small touch screen computers like the iPad. The general term for these touch screen computer devices is tablets.

Another interesting feature of tablets is their increased storage capacity compared to the older technology. On a tablet, imagine that you can have simultaneously more than 4,000 e-books stored, not to mention magazines and newspapers from all over the world. With a few touches, you can have thousands of other issues available, ready to be downloaded free or cheaply onto your tablet.

With the appearance and now widespread use of the tablet, many of our daily habits have changed, such as the reading of e-books and the way we navigate the Internet. Regarding this new technology, specialists are divided on predicting the future. Some technology experts believe the sales of tablets will continue growing until they completely replace PCs and notebooks. Other experts believe tablets will lose popularity over time, just as sales of netbooks are already beginning to decline.

Whatever the future of tablets, if you are thinking of purchasing one, you will need to have a clear idea what kind of services tablets offer, as well as what your tablet’s primary purpose will be for you. Do you want a tablet mostly to read e-books? Or is Internet capability through WiFi or 3G integration with e-mail your most important need?

With many tablet models available on the market, there should be one that fits your requirements. Here are some samples: Among the top-selling tablets, we have the Apple iPad and Amazon Kindle. The Apple focuses on multimedia, working as an entertainment center, but it also includes a feature to read e-books. The Amazon Kindle meanwhile is very focused on e-books through integration with the website Amazon.com as its main source of books. The Kindle features a specific technology called e-ink (electronic ink) that makes it easier to read the screen particularly in daylight environments. Of course, there are many other brands with different features, and many of them less expensive than the Apple or Kindle.

The reality is that with the creation of new technology, people are getting many more options and are being provided with the opportunity to be connected all the time. Consequently, we are all much closer to the information and entertainment worlds, whether by computers, smartphones, or now by tablets. Although tablets are a brand-new technology, we can already see what they have sparked. So don’t worry, one day soon you will probably consider owning one of these devices.

* Article published on Curitiba in English.

Five corporate social platforms to think beyond Facebook

When we talk about social networks, the first that comes to our mind is Facebook, right? Not a long time ago, for us Brazilians we were thinking about Orkut. This sounds like an era that often moves to another era and we change our opinion as a consequence. But do you think that social networks are only like that you already know as quoted above?

Well, if we look around we will find many others with different purposes, here are some of them:
This does not mean that you have to follow each of those, far less they are the most important ones to be part of. Also, the focus given to those ones are very differently from what you are used to navigate.

- Cisco Jabber
Aggregate the unified communications platform from Cisco, Jabber was designed to make employees more productive, regardless of location or device used. Result of an acquisition made by the manufacturer in 2008, the service allows users to access presence, instant messaging, voice, video, voice messaging, desktop sharing and conferencing capabilities.

- Socialcast
In May, VMware acquired Socialcast, a social networking platform that allows companies to integrate social tools and processes within enterprise applications. The free version offers features like activity stream, private message function, microblogging and profiles. The option premium brings analytics, directory integration and user tasks, among others.

- JiveSoftware
It is an extensive platform that allows third party developers to integrate social networking capabilities using an SDK based on OpenSocial.

- Chatter
The Salesforce.com supports from the beginning the question of social networking in the enterprise and supply Chatter was involved in a CRM application's own independent company for something that can be deployed even by non Salesforce customers. The free version allows users to create profiles, post updates, follow co-workers, group creation, file sharing and collaboration in a private and secure. Furthermore, access can be done anywhere from Chatter Chatter Mobile and Desktop. Since the Plus Edition provides all the capabilities of the free version as a more refined integration with CRM, and a more elaborate security and other controls.

- SAP StreamWork
The SAP StreamWork is a social networking tool based on the model software as a service (SaaS) designed for enterprise collaboration. The Enterprise Edition adds advanced security capabilities, automated provisioning and the ability to integrate legacy applications, including SAP and SharePoint, Microsoft.

Possibly you can never join to those social networks above, for some reasons like money to invest, companies not interested on this, or also not fun as we know.
At least, now you have an slight idea that social networks go beyond the popular ones.

Mobile Payments Show Dramatic Increase *

A new way to pay our bills is about to start — the mobile payment. The “m-payment” is already present in Brazil. It involves paying your bills through authentication via cell phone, similar to a credit card when we type the password in order to confirm the transaction. There are currently several methods being implemented around the world and some have been working for years, such as Premium SMS based, Mobile web payments, and Contactless NFC (Near Field Communication).

The methods being developed in Brazil are the Premium SMS based and the NFC. The first method involves the customer sending a payment request via SMS text message to short codes (special telephone numbers). Once the transaction is approved, the merchant is informed about the payment success and the transaction is concluded. The second method is used mostly for purchases made in actual stores (as opposed to Internet purchases) because it requires a special mobile phone equipped with a smart-card. The card concludes the transaction with a reader module, requiring authentication. One of the main reasons for using these two new technologies is to integrate and adapt credit card, debit card, transportation, and meal voucher payments to a mobile phone.

Although the Brazilian financial system is solid, modern and well-distributed, 49 percent of the population is still deprived of banking services, which means there is a great demand for mobile financial products by millions of people. A contributing factor is the huge presence of cell phones in Brazil – about 106.9 percent. This means there are currently more cell phones than people in Brazil! Thus, the stage is set for mass adoption of services offered by mobile devices.

Brazil is poised with the necessary banking knowledge that is essential to the success of mobile payments. However, some obstacles still need to be overcome. For example, the lack of coordination among the various companies that offer this service — telecom operators, banks, and large retail chains need to understand and respect the needs and operations of each other. They all must learn to work together. Also, since mobile payments are new, there is a large legal gap resulting from the absence of regulation. There is a lack of clarity in the banking laws, which do not define the legal parameters of non-financial institutions, such as a wireless carriers offering payment services in Brazil.

Judging from this scenario, experts agree that it is unlikely the Brazilian market will have a single universal system for payments via mobile devices in the near future. However, if we look back just a few years, how long did it once take for a merchant having one card terminal to process all the different “plastic” options? Payment services have improved dramatically in a short period of time. Nevertheless, the future expectation for mobile payments is enormous. There are currently 1.6 million mobile transactions performed annually, but this number is expected to reach almost 12 million by 2014.

* Article published on Curitiba in English.

What most people do on the Internet

Do you spend hours on the internet, watching videos, checking e-mails, reading news or going shopping?

An infographic published by the website Flowtown do a research what most people do while connected virtually.

What users most do on the virtual world are: read or send e-mails, use search engines, search for medical or health information, check info about the weather and search for services or products.

At the other end, that is, the less things people do online, are creating or working on personal pages, buy or sell stocks, using dating sites, visiting universes like Second Life - and for surprise, access the Twitter!

Although this research does not show specific data with numbers such as online pornography, the information is very interesting to understand a bit more the internet's influence on people's life.

The data are divided in categories to make easy comprehension:

Entertainment and Social Networks

- 71% of people watch movies on YouTube or Vimeo;

- 65% are subscribed on relationship websites, such as Facebook or LinkedIn;

- 46% do photo upload to shared with other;

- 32% play games;

- 32% read newspaper or blogs informative ;

- 30% share something that created;

- 21% do podcast download;

- 13% use the Twitter;

- 14% use dating websites;

Finances

- 61% do operations on online banking;

- 37% search financial information, such as interest rates;

- 25% donate to a charity;

- 11% buy or sell stocks, bonds or mutual funds;

News

- 81% search for data about the weather;

- 76% receive news in general;

- 61% search for news about politics;

- 52% read news or any information about sports;

Personal Business

- 92% send or receive emails;

- 65% buy or make travel reservation;

- 37% evaluate products, services or persons;

- 24% do telephone calls;

- 15% create or work on web-pages or collaborative blogs;

- 14% create or work on blogs or personal websites;

- 14% have a personal website;

Shopping

- 78% search information about services and products;

- 71% buy some product;

- 53% put advertisements such as Craigslist;

- 26% participate on virtual auctions;

- 15% sell something

Web browsing and search

- 92% use search engines to find information;

- 83% search for medical or health information;

- 67% visit pages of cities, states or federal government;

- 56% search information about jobs;

- 53% read on Wikipedia;

- 32% post comments on groups, blogs or photos;

Social Network: Which One Are You On? *

As we search for a definition of social networks, we discover that it’s a form of representation of emotional or professional relationships between human beings. A social network is responsible for the sharing of ideas among people who share common goals and values. For example, a discussion group consists of individuals who have similar interests. Today, these social networks are occurring primarily on the Internet, lending to the accelerating of dissemination of common ideas.

Whenever we talk about social networks in Brazil, the first name that comes to  mind is Orkut. Launched in 2004, it was the first social network in Brazil and today has more than 60 million profiles. This social network is the most common one among Brazilians, who represent more than 50% of Orkut’s users, followed by Indians and Americans, respectively. Also, this networking tool has been a huge attraction of the Internet in Brazil, since more than 82% of those who access the Internet have an Orkut profile, according to research published by Ibope Nielsen.

However, it’s not only Orkut that has proven attractive to Brazilians. Recently, Twitter and Facebook are competing for second position in the total number of Brazilian users.

Moreover, not only are individuals making use of Orkut and Twitter, but also companies are now looking at social networks as an opportunity for marketing their products and getting closer to consumers by spreading news or launching campaigns in a more straightforward manner, such as using promotions and awards.

The newest social network to arrive is called Google Plus, and in just weeks, has exploded with such a huge number of users that it’s surprised even Google itself, its creator. Integrated with other Google services, the Google Plus network site goes beyond Orkut, with a different concept of interaction and new ways to get closer to friends. Before its launch, many media critics raised this question: Is there space in people’s lives for more social networks? Google Plus has answered that question with a resounding yes, by making clear enhancements and providing additional value to users.

The popularity of Google Plus and other social networking sites seems to suggest that changes don’t necessarily happen when society adopts a new tool, but certainly when it adopts a new behavior, and a new trend is created by seeing old ideas in a new way.

If we look around today we can see other kinds of social networks in use on the Internet. For example, there are popular ones for photo publications, for professional careers, content organization, and also ones providing integration among university students, teachers and classes.

Either way, the idea of social networks is not really so new at all. However, on the Internet, they work in a far more powerful and dynamic way. Thus, if you have some interests in common with others, perhaps it’s time to share. See you there!

* Article published on Curitiba in English.

How the SMS is changing the World

The smartphones are becoming more sophisticated and common, however the simple SMS (Short Message Service) sent by ordinary cellphone is still the main data service used in the world.

A research published by the website MBA shows how the text message is in our life and how we work with it. The research shows a significant growth particularly in developing countries. The numbers are impressive:

- Exists 4,2 billion users in the world, that means 3 in each 5 habitats of the planet. This represents five times the number of Facebook users, and four times of Google users. Also represents the population of the entire world in 1975.

- In 2010, were sent 6,1 trillion messages, 338% more than in 2007.

- 48 million people have cellphone but no electricity. They use car batteries to charge their phones.

- The beneficial use of SMS are present in poor countries, such as Ghana and Nigeria where it is common the counterfeit drugs. So HP has developed a system that allows consumer to check the expiration date of a product. It just need to send an SMS with the printed code on the package to the government service and soon they receive a confirmation of the authenticity of the product.

- The feature phone, aka "dumb phone" (the simple ones) is the number 1 selling electronic product in the world.

- 87% of Fillipinos prefer communicating to their government by text message. Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo set up texting lines for 54 government agencies. Residents can report crime, drug activity and general complaints by text message.

- 13 millions, or 1 in 3 Kenyans use the mobile banking service M-Pesa, which lets users transfer money, receive salaries and pay bills by text messages.

Short messages that increasingly form the bulk of human interaction. From banking to health-care, texting is reshaping every aspect of how humans live.