INTEGRITY TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANTS

We put incredible amounts of information about our lives into our smartphones.

Today’ smartphone are really just a handheld computer. They run apps for every function, some integral, others you download. Blackberry has always been prized for its security but fewer and fewer people have them. iPhone reportedly has 24 percent of the global market, Android phones 47 percent. It is only a matter of time. Malware is designed to stay hidden, collecting credit card numbers, bank accounts numbers, passwords, trade secrets, anything that can be sold. If you smartphone was infected, you probably would not know it.

If you are considering a presence on Facebook, look to your customers, current and potential. Having a presence in social media in terms of a Facebook page, twitter feed could be beneficial to your brand. A Facebook page allows people to interact with your brand in a fun way through events, contests and updates. Maintaining the page requires web designers and marketing people. Advertising is another option. Advertising can be used to target specific demographics in an effort to lure them to your Facebook page or a website. Place and add with hyperlinks drawing people to your page or website, choose target demographics and set a per click bid rate and wait. You will have to frequently review both the success of your bid rate against other advertisers and the click-through rate of your ad, adjusting as required. GM reportedly spends $30M annually to maintain their Facebook page, more for pay-per-click ads which appear in the margins based on the viewers demographics. GM recently announced it would no longer advertise on Facebook but would continue to maintain its page, citing poor correlation between clicks and car sales. Some products do well advertising on social media, but it depends on the product and it’s selling cycle.

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The hardest part about being a mobile professional in business for yourself is keeping track of the books. Who owes you money, how much to pay the tax department, how much a job cost. There are products dedicated to mobile service providers and they are cheaper than you might think. Most are software as a service apps (SaaS), software you use on the web. You either download a mobile app for your phone or access the app via a web browser. The advantage is the software is always up to date with the latest features. There is no large cash outlay, just a small monthly fee and often a free trial. With a mobile app bills and payments can be done on the fly. Your data is backed up and available any time. Customers receive their invoices via email, saving paper and can pay electronically, improving your cash flow. Disadvantages: if you cannot get online, you’re cut off from your data. You must trust the service provider’s backup and disaster recovery plans. For more information search for online bookkeeping software or contact me.

6 Tips for Organizing Your Small Business Finances

http://mashable.com/2012/05/01/tips-small-business-finances/

If you are hosting an event and want a custom app Yap has the tool for you.

Getting Hitched? Hosting A Conference? This DIY App For Your Big Events Takes 15 Minutes To Make

http://www.fastcompany.com/1837072/yapp-build-your-own-app-technology?partner=rss

Some organizations are discovering social media is must. Gen Y use Facebook, Twitter and the like intensely more so than Gen X. In fact, the lack of a social media strategy can be a handicap, allowing rumors or negative press to circulate unchallenged. Better to adopt a social media strategy and benefit instead. For more see: What Does “Professional” Look Like Today?

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/the_new_professional.html

If you find email is sucking up all your time try this tip from the professionals. Schedule 30 minutes morning noon and afternoon. Set a timer and abide by it. Delete junk emails first, then open those which may need an immediate reply. Replies must be completed within the allotted time. When time’s up you are done. Anything not read or dealt with must wait until the next session. Avoid checking email on your smartphone until the next allotted email session.

“Companies can use the embedded BI approach to spread a more analytical mindset to more people and more areas of the company, which drives more data-driven decisions. Because employees don’t leave their application environment to analyze data, they more often trust the data and the analysis, which reduces latency in making decisions.” http://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/show.aspx?c=95594&slide=7

Direct Access allows remote users to secure their networks over the Internet without a VPN. It is new in Windows 7 and benefits user and IT administrators alike.

Nokia is betting heavily on its new Lumia 900, Microsoft phone OS and potential integration with Microsoft’s vast array of products. Once a global leader, it was blindsided in the smartphone market. Nokia is still the largest vendor of low-end cell phones, huge in developing countries – where they could potentially sell millions of smart phones. Desperate for a share of the smartphone market Nokia is hanging its fortunes on the 4.3 inch Lumia which runs the Windows Phone OS. Windows OS is faster and uses animated tiles instead of stationary icons. Sales are slow in North America but Nokia is aiming to raise its US share to 4.6 from under 1 per cent. Apple, Android and RIM have 30, 50 and 13 per cent respectively.