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The US' Perilous Path to Energy Enslavement
September 28, 2009
Hidden in the messaging at the Intel Developer Forum last week was a goal to dramatically lower U.S. electricity bills and save the country from becoming an energy slave to China by 2020. At the core of this is the view that the current Obama administration may be focused on the right things but in the wrong order.
PRM: Ready to Break Out
September 28, 2009
Some think of it as just an offshoot of CRM. Others view PRM, or partner relationship management, as interchangeable with sales force automation. The reality is PRM is coming of age in its own right, as manufacturers and technology companies struggle to manage their highly complex -- and constantly shifting -- channel partnerships.

Twitter's $100M Funding Coup Prompts 'Bubble' Buzz
September 25, 2009
After much speculation, Twitter CEO Evan Williams confirmed on the microblogging site's own blog that it has closed a "significant" round of funding. Williams didn't cite the dollar amount, but it has been widely reported that six investors are prepared to pump close to $100 million into the company, giving it a $1 billion valuation.
Boom Time for FOSS
September 04, 2009
The current economic recession may be pummeling companies around the globe, but amid all the dire reports and grim statistics littering what can only be compared to a bloody battlefield, one oft-cited exception appears to be still standing tall: free and open source software. That's what the common discourse seems to suggest, at least, and there's some anecdotal evidence to support it.

Web No Great Democratizer for Civic Participation
September 02, 2009
Unlike some people have hoped, the Internet hasn't led to big changes in the socio-economic makeup of Americans engaged in civic activities, a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project finds. As in offline politics, people who participate in online civic life tend to be richer and better educated.
New Tech and New Horizons for Home Media Installers
August 18, 2009
The current recession and the steep decline in the construction and sales of new homes are forcing dealers and installers to reevaluate their current product offerings. Average 2008 revenues were down almost 11 percent from 2007, and dealers are actively looking for new avenues to expand their business and make up for the shortfall in 2009.

The State of BPM: Poised for Takeoff
August 10, 2009
Nothing like a recession to spur business growth. In the BPM space, the current downturn has presented a major marketing opportunity for software and IT service firms. Sparked by customers seeking to cut costs and by innovations in e-commerce, the BPM market could easily double over the next several years.
Pain and Paradigm Shift
August 05, 2009
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told analysts last week that ultra-thin PCs will be the answer to the growing popularity of netbooks. I doubt that, but I can certainly understand Ballmer's interest in backing the ultra-thins, and this obviously has implications for larger issues like cloud computing. By now, the sides have been clearly marked out in the debate about on-demand vs. on-premise.

Mobile Software Firm Strikes While the Market Is Hot
July 16, 2009
On June 10, Antenna Software completed the acquisition of Dexterra for an undisclosed amount, solidifying its position as a key player in the mobile middleware/platform space, with a sharpened focus on field force enablement. This market grab comes on the heels of Antenna's acquisition of Vettro's strategic assets in November 2008.
Bad News for PC Sector Cushioned by Glimmer of Hope
July 15, 2009
Worldwide PC shipments will fall on a year-over-year basis for the first time in nearly a decade, but all signs still point to a late-year tech sector recovery, according to research firm iSuppli. Shipments will fall 4 percent from 2008 sales, to 287.3 million units, the firm predicted. This is the latest -- and perhaps the most optimistic -- of several research reports out lately.

The Changing What, When, Where and How of Video
July 14, 2009
New technologies are changing the way we watch video. DVRs, VoD, and online video are freeing us from the broadcast schedules that previously dictated when we could watch programming. The latter two, combined with an ever-growing number of channels, are dramatically increasing what we can watch. The revolution in video habits is not yet complete, however.
Apple Tablet Rumors Take on New Life
July 14, 2009
A persistent rumor that Apple has a netbook device in the works has gotten a boost from blog postings and other coverage citing a recent report in the Mandarin-language China Times. Based on a translation of the article to English, it appears the new product will be a tablet-style computer.

Shifting Clouds
July 10, 2009
The initial success and rapid growth of cloud computing is attracting a "cloud rush" of players twisting the original concept to suit their proprietary purposes and confusing IT and business decision-makers in the process. This proliferation process is also accelerating the inevitable shakeout of various startups.
When the Home Entertainment Systems Market Rebounds
June 30, 2009
Sales and revenues for the home systems channel will decline in 2009, just as they did in 2008. Many projects will be postponed or canceled this year. There will a decline in revenues of over 5 percent from 2008 to 2009. That's the bad news. However, integrators and manufacturers should not build their strategic plans based on "doom-and-gloom" headlines.

Outsourcing's No Longer In
June 30, 2009
Companies used to turn to outsourcing during tough financial times. The current global recession, however, has curtailed outsourcing as much as it has other parts of the economy. "Oddly enough, the global recession has hurt outsourcing significantly," said Chad Hahn, principal owner of Hahn Consulting.
The Coming Visual Computing Revolution
May 18, 2009
For the last decade, the PC market has kind of sucked. Against the massive growth of the '90s, and with the exception of Apple, which didn't do well in that decade, the PC market has been a poor reflection of the excitement that once surrounded it. Part of the problem was the focus on computation and the lack of focus on things that make computing exciting.

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