Whitepapers

The Rise of the Machine

M2M (Machine to Machine) - the buzzword for 2013

Machine to Machine (M2M) technology is increasingly growing in popularity due to today’s changing technological landscape. Sensors, devices and components that enable M2M are becoming smaller, cheaper and more power efficient. These factors are increasing the perceived value that can be derived from applications that utilise this technology.

With M2M technology, organisations are able to:

• Create new recurring revenues from ongong services
• Develop whole new product lines that rely on real-time two way connectivity
• Perform diagnostics and repairs remotely
• Monitor machine status and usage in real time
• Increase profitability by lowering service costs and improving product performance

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BYOD - Is it right for you?

5 aspects to consider before implementing a BYOD policy

A recent study conducted by Juniper Research suggests that “the global number of users bringing their own devices into enterprises will more than double by 2014, to 350 million” (Financial Review). As a result, organisations are increasingly considering the adoption of a BYOD workplace and IT departments have begun to see that a ‘wait-and-see’ approach may no longer be viable.

This whitepaper explores 5 main considerations and how they may impact an organisation’s decision to engage in a BYOD policy.

Mobile application security

How security and privacy issues can derail mobile applications

Today, many organisations are rushing to develop mobile applications, to remain competitive within their industry. In fact, the rate and speed at which applications are being pushed into the marketplace is phenomenal and if you haven’t been participating, the sense of urgency to follow suit is understandably strong.

While most organisations should be considering developing a mobile application, a word of warning: in the rush to deliver applications quickly, on a limited budget, many organisations (including some multinational companies) have overlooked critical security considerations.

This whitepaper looks at some of the security challenges and the very real security risks associated with developing mobile applications.

Development Platforms

Deliver rapid innovations to a networked and mobile population

As the technological landscape evolves to meet the changing needs of customers – who expect 24/7 access to their devices both mobile and desktop, software developers can’t ignore the inexorable move towards development platforms.

What's special about these development platforms is that non-application specific code is built in by default which means the redundant part of the development cycle is reduced and this greatly increases development productivity, reduces development cost and decreases time-to-market.

This whitepaper takes a look at the evolution of software development throughout the years, and illustrates how organisations can capitalise on the modern approach of software development platforms.

Systems Integration

New standards take the pain out of integration

In today’s complex and connected world, properly integrating systems is a matter of urgency. More so as management now has the expectation that the IT department must contribute to the bottom line. This is where systems integration plays a crucial role.

Effective systems integration helps IT departments contribute to organisations’ business goals in various ways:

• Streamlines business processes
• Increases organisational efficiency
• Saves costs managing IT systems
• Optimises use of company-wide business systems
• Enhances interdepartmental communication
• Provides management with a 360 degree view of your organisation
• Improves insight into business performance
• Enables increased strategic use of software systems
• Empowers leaders to rapidly respond to changing customer demands
• Supports an agile and flexible response to changing market conditions
• Facilitates astute decision-making

Top 5 business-focused IT trends of 2011

The impact on Australian organisations

2011 has seen a number of interesting emerging trends and innovations significantly impacting organisations.

In this whitepaper we take a look at the Top 5 IT trends of 2011 and decipher what this means for Australian organisations.

• Mobile - tablets in the workforce
• Innovative adoption of cloud computing
• Emerging trend of mobile cloud
• Increased adoption of collaborative software and social media
• Use of personal devices in the work environment

Cross platform mobile applications

a new approach for organisations

Android sales have surpassed those of the iPhone and as such this has caused a shift in the mobile market. Although Android devices are more widely used, research shows 75% of organisations solely support the iPhone.

It is becoming prevalent that organisations need to support multiple mobile platforms to ensure they reach their desired market. However, the development costs and time associated with developing multiple applications supported by multiple mobile platforms are proving to be a challenge for many organisations.

So what is the solution? How can organisations increase their reach through mobile applications when the dominant mobile platforms keep changing?

This whitepaper suggests cross platform mobile applications as the solution.

Ensuring projects stay within budget

what organisations need to consider

With almost 70% of all software development projects running substantially over budget, organisations have come to understand the importance of controlling and managing projects.

Too often, organisations fail to dedicate adequate resources and the right level of control to allow projects to stay on course, consequently risking the project running out of budget.

This whitepaper outlines the critical steps organisations need to take to ensure projects stay within budget.

Migrating to the cloud

3 main approaches

Cloud computing is well and truly upon us. Most organisations have at least investigated the option of migrating their applications to the cloud, with many already taking advantage of the benefits associated with cloud computing.

So if your organisation hasn't made the move yet, what are your options?

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS),
• Platform as a Service (PaaS), and
• Software as a Service (SaaS).

This whitepaper looks at these approaches in detail and provides the benefits and disadvantages of each.

Web application or website

what's the difference?

With the continued rise of the online space, organisations are exploiting the medium to extend their customer reach.

Increasingly, organisations are offering additional products and services to their current customer base as well as to new customers who would have been geographically difficult to reach prior to going online.

Many organisations have started to provide what would have previously been desktop applications via the web. These applications are known as web applications.

This whitepaper examines web applications and websites and the differences associated with the development of each approach.

Going mobile

what organisations need to consider

The mobile space has exploded in recent years. Smartphones, tablets and wireless technologies have provided a new way to communicate with clients, suppliers and employees.

No matter what industry you are in or who your clients are, most organisations have at least thought about "going mobile". Early movers have already capitalised on the mobile space through mobile applications and websites.

But with an array of devices and operating systems – what do organisations need to consider?

Moving to "the cloud"

3 key aspects to consider

There is no doubt that "the cloud" is upon us. No matter where you turn, every technology company is talking about it, every organisation is thinking about it and some businesses are already profiting from it.

This whitepaper outlines the key aspects you need to consider before moving to "the cloud".

The importance of reporting

why it demands 20-40% of your budget

The amount of data organisations handle each year grows exponentially as their business expands; as does the number of users who require access to this data in the form of reports. The complexity of reports is also increasing as management at all levels demand access to up-to-the minute information on which to base business-critical decisions.

This whitepaper examines the best approach to planning for effective reporting for a custom developed system.

Part II: Why 70% of software projects fail and how you can ensure success

• the unique reasons why off-the-shelf software projects fail and provides advice on how failure can be avoided
• the risks associated with custom built applications and highlights how to effectively minimise these risks

Part I: Why 70% of software projects fail and how you can ensure success

The software industry is littered with failed projects. No business is immune to the failure; from large multinationals to small businesses, many have experienced the effects of a failed software implementation.

This whitepaper examines the causes of failed software projects and provides advice on how to best manage symptoms to avoid failure.

This whitepaper is presented in two parts.

5 signs you have outgrown your Microsoft Access application

Microsoft Access is a fantastic tool for creating single-user desktop applications. However, when used as a multi-user enterprise-wide application it has many costly limitations.

This whitepaper highlights the signs that your business has outgrown a MS Access application and provides options of what you should do next.

Faster application development with up to 40% less cost

The volatility which has engulfed the global economic climate over the past year has highlighted the need for organisations to have clear visibility into their business processes in order to react quickly and decisively to those market changes which directly affect their operations.

This whitepaper outlines approches on how to slash development costs of custom built applications.