BusinessWeek.com
Special Report March 2, 2009.
Companies that have established business intelligence tools throughout the organization in a consistent manner stand to benefit from the ability to get high-quality information and respond more quickly. For example, in the month leading up to the December 2006 European launch of Wyeth's (WYE) Enbrel (a drug by Amgen) prefilled syringes used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions, the company saw forecasted demand triple. Because the company uses SAP Business Information Warehouse to aggregate information from throughout its enterprise, the plants were able to anticipate this spike in demand and respond accordingly. they can very quickly move product or capacity from one location to meet patient needs or market demands anywhere in the world.
Business intelligence software can help companies mine customer data that they already track to potentially sell new products or services.
Lots of companies use business intelligence to understand what has happened in the past, but it's really important, he says, to do strategic modeling to understand how to move forward, whether it means solidifying relationships with your most profitable clients or figuring out which employees are the least productive and will need to go in the next wave of layoffs.
all around BI software are gaining more popularity in most industries an will help the bottom line of the cooperation and make them run leaner and meaner.
Source:
By King, BusinessWeek.com in San Francisco.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2009/tc2009032_101762_page_2.htm
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Cactus flowers...
Huntington Library Pasadena CA. "It would be nice if we could let let the little flowers be in focus, not the thousand thorns!
That is easy when we take pictures; in life, that is a different story..."
That is easy when we take pictures; in life, that is a different story..."
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
BUS 550 Chapter 10 Case study Questions
Myspace Case Study.
Q1:
My space will benefits from advertising revenue from the add sponsors and also making business contracts with larger search engines such as Googol . All those company can benefit from the heavily used/high traffic of visitors on my space and use there targeted adds to attract new online customers. My space members can benefit from exclusive ads offered on that site was well as targeted marketing that suits their preferences and age groups.
Q2:
My space does not create an ethical dilemma by itself, the users do. Having a control on what kind of information is being exchanged between the members, miss abuse and miss information posted by a user is not necessarily responsibility of the website. The role of the website is to create a forum for exchange of information and use technology for facilitating the “communication”. The site can only restrict access and content so much before it is not a networking site any more.
For example (I do not believe everyone who is stabbed by a kitchen knife will sue the knife manufacturer. Because the intention of manufacture was not making a tool to kill but some thing that can help people perform their tasks better… this analogy does not apply to the gun manufacturers to my opinion.)
Myspace is a social networking site and should be used with the discretion of the user.
Q3:
Same reasons and argument as in Q2 stands for this questions as well. Parents and schools should control the access of there children based on their own discretion. Child parental control and limits on the computers. As well as “education of kids” about expositor to the ‘open’ world of World Wide Web should be the main tool to safeguard kids.
Q1:
My space will benefits from advertising revenue from the add sponsors and also making business contracts with larger search engines such as Googol . All those company can benefit from the heavily used/high traffic of visitors on my space and use there targeted adds to attract new online customers. My space members can benefit from exclusive ads offered on that site was well as targeted marketing that suits their preferences and age groups.
Q2:
My space does not create an ethical dilemma by itself, the users do. Having a control on what kind of information is being exchanged between the members, miss abuse and miss information posted by a user is not necessarily responsibility of the website. The role of the website is to create a forum for exchange of information and use technology for facilitating the “communication”. The site can only restrict access and content so much before it is not a networking site any more.
For example (I do not believe everyone who is stabbed by a kitchen knife will sue the knife manufacturer. Because the intention of manufacture was not making a tool to kill but some thing that can help people perform their tasks better… this analogy does not apply to the gun manufacturers to my opinion.)
Myspace is a social networking site and should be used with the discretion of the user.
Q3:
Same reasons and argument as in Q2 stands for this questions as well. Parents and schools should control the access of there children based on their own discretion. Child parental control and limits on the computers. As well as “education of kids” about expositor to the ‘open’ world of World Wide Web should be the main tool to safeguard kids.
Article Review
Google PowerMeter,
Google is now field testing its PowerMeter software with over 10 million customers of eight large utility partners in three countries.
Google anounced it's lining up energy companies so it can enlist the utilities' customers to start using the home energy consumption software. PowerMeter helps consumers monitor their energy use through data supplied by so-called smart meters deployed by utility companies.
Google first announced in February its intention to give users detailed access to their energy consumption information. The idea is to get consumers to make more informed choices about power usage.
"This program is perfectly aligned with Google's mission of making the world's information accessible and useful," said Kristen Olsen Cahill, program manager for Google.org.
The basis for the testing is for the trial users to learn about their own power consumption and provide feedback to Google about their use of PowerMeter software, according to Cahill. Google is providing the software for free to both consumers and the power companies.
The software works with all varieties of smart meters. Google has not yet set a date for more widespread release of the PowerMeter software.
Currently, utility companies around the globe have deployed over 50 million smart meters. Smart meters are expected to reach hundreds of millions in the next few years, Cahill said.
"How the data is used is up to each energy company, but we think that consumers should have access to that data."
What are googols intentions? (Three-Part Goal)
Also sponsoring the testing program is Google.org, the company's philanthropic arm. The project is looking for ways to address worldwide challenges with information and technology. "So this is kind of a perfect fit in that regard. Studies show that just by seeing your information on your energy use, you tend to reduce your consumption by 5 to 15 percent."
One goal behind the PowerMeter program is to get information about energy consumption into the users' hands. Having these details can help consumers answer questions like, "Why am I seeing huge spikes at 3 p.m. every day?" or "Why am I getting spikes when I'm sleeping?"
How It Works?
The participating energy companies install special equipment in their customers' connection boxes. This equipment transmits and tracks energy consumption data right to the consumers' iGoogle homepage, explainsEd Lu, part of the Google engineering team.
Understanding how consumers can make use of this information and compare it to neighbors and electricity use in other homes is the second part of Google's goal, according to Cahill. This will let consumers know if they are high energy users compared to others around them or are relatively energy-efficient, she said.
The third part is giving consumers tools to help them reduce their consumption.
So What?
Distributing free energy software may be little more than a self-serving gesture by Google, Jim McGregor, chief technology strategist for In-Stat, suggested. It remains to be seen whether there is any connection between educating consumers and convincing them to actually consume lower levels of power.
Google's approach is based on the assumption that if you can see your consumption, you will take steps to reduce it. However, other energy-saving steps, such as properly caulking a house, changing the type of light bulbs one uses, installing passive solar heating systems, etc., involve practical steps consumers can take to lower their energy usage.
"None of this is new, revolutionary or unique. This is just another effort to get consumers to focus on changing their habits," said McGregor. "Unless you're going to let the power company control how much power you draw, it really doesn't change things for the consumer."
Good Concept but ...
The concept behind Google's PowerMeter software is sound, but no new technology is involved.
The idea seems to support a good cause by Google, until they start charging for the access to this service. That is one thing to think about!
Sources:
E-Commerce .com
By Jack M. Germain
E-Commerce Times
05/20/09 2:13 PM PT
Google is now field testing its PowerMeter software with over 10 million customers of eight large utility partners in three countries.
Google anounced it's lining up energy companies so it can enlist the utilities' customers to start using the home energy consumption software. PowerMeter helps consumers monitor their energy use through data supplied by so-called smart meters deployed by utility companies.
Google first announced in February its intention to give users detailed access to their energy consumption information. The idea is to get consumers to make more informed choices about power usage.
"This program is perfectly aligned with Google's mission of making the world's information accessible and useful," said Kristen Olsen Cahill, program manager for Google.org.
The basis for the testing is for the trial users to learn about their own power consumption and provide feedback to Google about their use of PowerMeter software, according to Cahill. Google is providing the software for free to both consumers and the power companies.
The software works with all varieties of smart meters. Google has not yet set a date for more widespread release of the PowerMeter software.
Currently, utility companies around the globe have deployed over 50 million smart meters. Smart meters are expected to reach hundreds of millions in the next few years, Cahill said.
"How the data is used is up to each energy company, but we think that consumers should have access to that data."
What are googols intentions? (Three-Part Goal)
Also sponsoring the testing program is Google.org, the company's philanthropic arm. The project is looking for ways to address worldwide challenges with information and technology. "So this is kind of a perfect fit in that regard. Studies show that just by seeing your information on your energy use, you tend to reduce your consumption by 5 to 15 percent."
One goal behind the PowerMeter program is to get information about energy consumption into the users' hands. Having these details can help consumers answer questions like, "Why am I seeing huge spikes at 3 p.m. every day?" or "Why am I getting spikes when I'm sleeping?"
How It Works?
The participating energy companies install special equipment in their customers' connection boxes. This equipment transmits and tracks energy consumption data right to the consumers' iGoogle homepage, explainsEd Lu, part of the Google engineering team.
Understanding how consumers can make use of this information and compare it to neighbors and electricity use in other homes is the second part of Google's goal, according to Cahill. This will let consumers know if they are high energy users compared to others around them or are relatively energy-efficient, she said.
The third part is giving consumers tools to help them reduce their consumption.
So What?
Distributing free energy software may be little more than a self-serving gesture by Google, Jim McGregor, chief technology strategist for In-Stat, suggested. It remains to be seen whether there is any connection between educating consumers and convincing them to actually consume lower levels of power.
Google's approach is based on the assumption that if you can see your consumption, you will take steps to reduce it. However, other energy-saving steps, such as properly caulking a house, changing the type of light bulbs one uses, installing passive solar heating systems, etc., involve practical steps consumers can take to lower their energy usage.
"None of this is new, revolutionary or unique. This is just another effort to get consumers to focus on changing their habits," said McGregor. "Unless you're going to let the power company control how much power you draw, it really doesn't change things for the consumer."
Good Concept but ...
The concept behind Google's PowerMeter software is sound, but no new technology is involved.
The idea seems to support a good cause by Google, until they start charging for the access to this service. That is one thing to think about!
Sources:
E-Commerce .com
By Jack M. Germain
E-Commerce Times
05/20/09 2:13 PM PT
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
TED ideas worth spreading
Some interesting site with lots of inspiration...
Finally after a very long time I found a website with some intellectual substance, that is worth browsing through.
Hope you find it interesting.
Finally after a very long time I found a website with some intellectual substance, that is worth browsing through.
Hope you find it interesting.
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