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Category: BusinessCommunicationTrends

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  • Coming or Going? In the Encryption Debate, U.S. Government Doesn’t Know

    Coming or Going? In the Encryption Debate, U.S. Government Doesn’t Know

    Senator Blumenthal has issued a call for the FTC to investigate Zoom’s security, illustrating a schism within the government over the issue of encryption.

    Few issues have polarized politicians, scientists, researchers and citizens as much as end-to-end encryption. Many officials, including multiple FBI directors, have warned that strong encryption makes it nearly impossible to properly investigate cases and contributes to criminals “going dark.” Others, such as Senators Ron Wyden and Rand Paul, have been staunch proponents of strong encryption. Similarly, mathematicians and security experts have repeatedly made the case that strong encryption cannot have backdoors or built-in weaknesses and still offer the necessary protection.

    Currently, the biggest threat to encryption in the U.S. is the upcoming EARN IT Act. The bill is designed to combat online sexual exploitation of children. While absolutely a worthwhile goal that should be a priority for companies, governments and individuals alike, the bill is a pandora’s box of uncertainty when it comes to encryption. The bill addresses protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, wherein companies are not held liable for things people say or do on their communications platforms.

    Under the proposed EARN IT Act, in order to maintain their protected status under Section 230, companies would need to comply with vague “best practices” established by a committee. This committee, and the U.S. Attorney General, would have wide discretion to determine what those “best practices” are. So what happens if the Attorney General is William Barr, an individual who has voiced staunch opposition to end-to-end encryption? Might “best practices” include the requirement that companies build in backdoors? Very likely.

    Backers of the bill, have said the bill is not an attack on encryption and that necessary safeguards are in place. However, nearly every expert who has reviewed the bill has arrived at a completely different conclusion, and believe the bill will absolutely lead to an all-out attack on encryption.

    Should that happen, many companies will have to choose between weakening their encryption, and thereby endangering their users, or move their businesses outside the U.S. One example is the encrypted messaging app Signal, ussed by the U.S. military, as well as senators and their staff. Signal developer Joshua Lund made it clear (an excellent read) the app will likely no longer be available in the U.S. if EARN IT passes.

    What makes this story all the more interesting is a recent tweet by Senator Richard Blumenthal, one of the sponsors of the EARN IT Act:

    I am calling on FTC to investigate @zoomus. Zoom’s pattern of security failures & privacy infringements should have drawn the FTC’s attention & scrutiny long ago. Advertising privacy features that do not exist is clearly a deceptive act.

    The facts & practices unearthed by researchers in recent weeks are alarming—we should be concerned about what remains hidden. As Zoom becomes embedded in Americans’ daily lives, we urgently need a full & transparent investigation of its privacy & security.

    Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) April 7, 2020

    One of the biggest privacy and security issues with Zoom is the fact that it advertised end-to-end encryption, but failed to deliver. Based on Senator Blumenthal’s tweet, the message is clear: end-to-end encryption is a wonderful thing for government officials, so long as said government officials can still spy on the average citizen.

    In other words, the U.S. government is stuck in a strange dichotomy where it wants to punish companies for not supporting end-to-end encryption, while at the same time undermining and legislating backdoors in that very encryption.

  • Microsoft Continues Cloud Hiring, Freezes Other Areas

    Microsoft Continues Cloud Hiring, Freezes Other Areas

    As the global pandemic continues to take its toll, Microsoft is freezing hiring for many roles, but is continuing to hire for its cloud division.

    According to a report, employees told Business Insider that “Microsoft is still hiring for roles within its massive cloud computing business, and the company was holding virtual hiring events for software engineers as recently as last week. Some groups, one employee said, are ‘prioritizing consumer-facing and critical roles.’”

    The news should come as no surprise, given the impact of the pandemic. As governments have called on individuals to social distance and stay at home, and as companies have sent their workers home with orders to telecommute, the cloud computing industry has entered its heyday. From Slack to Teams, Office 365 to Google Docs, Zoom to Skype, people are relying on cloud-based software and solutions like never before.

    In view of that, it makes sense that Microsoft would continue hiring for its cloud division. It’s likely that any increase in Microsoft’s cloud personnel will be permanent and far outlast the current crisis, due to the fundamental shift in the workforce the pandemic is causing. The longer it goes on, the more likely current telecommuting trends will become the norm, resulting in a permanent demand for cloud-based solutions.

  • Trello Brings Butler Integration to Slack and Jira

    Trello Brings Butler Integration to Slack and Jira

    Popular project management tool Trello has announced its Butler automation feature now integrates with Slack and Jira.

    Butler allows users to automate actions based on a schedule, click of a button or rule-based triggers. The tool can be used on almost any Trello action, and provides a way for users to create automated workflows.

    According to a post on the company’s blog, “with the addition of Butler integrations into Slack & Jira, that automated workflow can now extend even further beyond the boundaries of Trello to the tools where other teammates are working—bringing them into the process and keeping everyone informed as work moves forward.”

    The new integrations will be a welcome addition to Slack, Jira and Trello users, giving users a powerful way make automation part of their routine.

  • DHS: Zoom Responding to Security Concerns

    DHS: Zoom Responding to Security Concerns

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a memo in support of Zoom and the company’s efforts to improve its security.

    According to Reuters, who gained access to the memo, DHS was addressing the recent issues Zoom has been facing regarding its security and privacy. The memo was “drafted by DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, which screens software used by government bodies,” and circulated among the government’s top cybersecurity officials.

    Rather than calling for a moratorium on Zoom’s use, as some companies and governments have done, the DHS memo sought to put officials’ minds at ease by emphasizing that Zoom understood the seriousness of the concerns and was working hard to address them. The support is good news for Zoom and an indication its recent efforts to beef up privacy and security are beginning to yield much-needed fruit.

  • Skype Adds ‘Meet Now’ Feature to Take On Zoom

    Skype Adds ‘Meet Now’ Feature to Take On Zoom

    In an effort to take on Zoom’s newfound popularity, Microsoft is adding “Meet Now” to Skype, making meetings easier than ever.

    Once upon a time, Skype was the reigning king of online videoconferencing. A number of missteps by Microsoft, clunky interface decisions, poor performance and ongoing security issues opened the door for Zoom to become the de facto standard amid the global pandemic. Now that Zoom has faced criticism of its own over security and privacy, Microsoft sees an opportunity to make up lost ground.

    The feature works whether Skype is installed or not. “Our unique Meet Now link will open your installed Skype app on any device,” the post continues. “Even if you’re not signed in, you can join the call or chat as a guest. If you don’t have Skype installed on your desktop, we will open our Skype for Web client for your convenience. If you’d like, you can install Skype on your device as well.”

    Image Credit: Microsoft
    Image Credit: Microsoft

    According to Microsoft, “Meet Now in Skype allows you to easily set up a collaboration space and invite both Skype contacts and friends or family who are not on Skype. Participants can then easily join meetings whether they have an account or not.”

    It’s unclear whether the new feature will be enough to help Skype regain market share, but it is nice to see Microsoft stepping up and giving users more options.

    Image Credit: Microsoft

  • Zoom Pivots to Security Amid Ongoing Criticism

    Zoom Pivots to Security Amid Ongoing Criticism

    Zoom is taking drastic measures to improve its security and privacy amid criticism and scrutiny as it serves hundreds of millions of users.

    As the pandemic sweeps the globe, individuals, corporations and organizations of all types are making drastic changes to their daily workflows and routines. Zoom has become an integral part of those routines, and hundreds of millions of users have begun to rely on the platform for school, work and socializing.

    Unfortunately for the company, the increased usage has also brought increased scrutiny, especially in the realm of privacy and security. The company has been called to task for not using end-to-end encryption, as its marketing claims; for leaking email addresses; for sending data to Facebook without informing users, before finally removing the offending SDK; and for a rash of Zoom-bombing incidents where outside individuals gain access to a Zoom meeting and make a nuisance of themselves.

    In view of these challenges, Zoom is taking drastic action to beef up its security and privacy. In a blog post on the company’s site, founder and CEO Eric Yuan said the company is enacting a freeze for 90 days in order to shift all “engineering resources to focus on our biggest trust, safety, and privacy issues.”

    The company also plans to conduct a comprehensive review with third-party experts and release a transparency report. It will also enhance its bug bounty program, and engage in a number of white box penetration tests. Zoom has also improved its privacy policy, apologized for not handling its encryption issues clearly and tried to help individuals address Zoom-bombing.

    In short, the company is pulling out all the stops in an effort to improve its privacy and security, no small task given how quickly the platform has grown.

    “To put this growth in context, as of the end of December last year, the maximum number of daily meeting participants, both free and paid, conducted on Zoom was approximately 10 million,” writes Yuan. “In March this year, we reached more than 200 million daily meeting participants, both free and paid.”

    As we said in a previous article, “the increased scrutiny of Zoom is a good reminder to companies that privacy and security should never be an afterthought. Instead, they should be a core feature, built in to an app or service from day one.”

    That statement remains true—security and privacy should never be an afterthought. At the same time, it’s time to give credit where credit is due: Zoom is stepping up to the plate and doing everything possible to provide its users with the privacy and security they expect and deserve.

  • Slack Adds Support For Microsoft Teams Calls

    Slack Adds Support For Microsoft Teams Calls

    Despite a heated rivalry, Slack has announced support for Microsoft Teams calls.

    Slack and Microsoft Teams are vying for control of the corporate messaging market. Teams boasts the larger user base, while Slack prides itself on having more engaged users. Both platforms have their unique advantages. Teams benefits from being part of Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Slack, on the other hand, is quickly setting itself apart as the option for companies who compete with Microsoft and are reluctant to rely on the software giant for their communications.

    In a move few would have expected, Slack has announced that it now supports Microsoft Teams calls, eliminating one more reason why some users might migrate away from Slack. Now, in organizations where different departments use different options, the newfound interoperability should help ensure Slack doesn’t become an extraneous platform.

    As the company’s description highlights, individuals can “bring video conferencing where your team is already working in Slack, from launching a call to joining meetings directly from event reminders.”

    This is a good move on Slack’s part and should further solidify its place in the corporate messaging world.

  • SpaceX Employees Won’t Be Zooming Anywhere

    SpaceX Employees Won’t Be Zooming Anywhere

    SpaceX has banned its employees from using Zoom for communication, in the latest challenge the popular videoconferencing app is facing.

    In a memo seen by Reuters, SpaceX cites “significant privacy and security concerns” as the reason behind the ban. The memo goes on to say: “We understand that many of us were using this tool for conferences and meeting support. Please use email, text or phone as alternate means of communication.”

    Zoom has been facing increasing scrutiny for its security and privacy, just as the app has become one of the most popular options for individuals sheltering in place and working from home. In short order, the app has been accused of not using end-to-end encryption, despite its marketing claims, as well as exposing users’ email addresses and phone numbers. Researchers have also discovered a serious security flaw in the Windows version of the app. New York Attorney General Letitia James is even looking into the company’s privacy practices.

    The increased scrutiny of Zoom is a good reminder to companies that privacy and security should never be an afterthought. Instead, they should be a core feature, built in to an app or service from day one.

  • FBI Warns of ‘Zoom-Bombing’ As Videoconferencing Soars

    FBI Warns of ‘Zoom-Bombing’ As Videoconferencing Soars

    The FBI is warning of ‘Zoom-bombing,’ where videoconferencing meetings are being hijacked by unwelcome participants.

    Zoom has quickly become one of the most popular videoconferencing platforms as millions of individuals self-isolate and work from home. The software is being used by companies, schools and individuals looking to continue some semblance of normalcy.

    Unfortunately, bad actors have been taking advantage of the platform and hijacking meetings. These disruptions have ranged from shouting profanities at the participants, to screen sharing pornography to the group. As a result, the FBI is recommending that Zoom users enable a number of settings to limit the risk, including:

    • Do not make meetings or classrooms public. In Zoom, there are two options to make a meeting private: require a meeting password or use the waiting room feature and control the admittance of guests.
    • Do not share a link to a teleconference or classroom on an unrestricted publicly available social media post. Provide the link directly to specific people.
    • Manage screensharing options. In Zoom, change screensharing to “Host Only.”
    • Ensure users are using the updated version of remote access/meeting applications. In January 2020, Zoom updated their software. In their security update, the teleconference software provider added passwords by default for meetings and disabled the ability to randomly scan for meetings to join.
    • Lastly, ensure that your organization’s telework policy or guide addresses requirements for physical and information security.

    These are excellent suggestions that everyone using Zoom should put into practice immediately.

  • The Best Tech To Help You Work Smarter, Not Harder

    The Best Tech To Help You Work Smarter, Not Harder

    As you read this from behind a screen while sitting in your living room, imagine what things would be like if we weren’t working from home because of Coronavirus… You’d probably still be reading this in your living room working from home. In 2016, not too long ago but feels like ages, 85% of global business was done by virtual teams. The world was already gearing up to go virtual, the current situation merely expedited the transition. 

    Why Workers Want to Work on the Web

    In this age of digital communication, more than half of workers want processes that are always improving. We’re living in a fast-paced world, with instant messaging, instant transactions, and instant noodles. We need work processes, which greatly affect our performance, to keep up.

    Half of all workers want collaborative workplaces, people want to feel important and like they’re contributing visibly. They also feel more connected to their team when working on projects together, and are looking for a culture of collaboration, with 91% wanting stronger team relationships with colleagues. 

    A sizable 43% of workers want access to the latest technology, because why not? If it measurably adds to or enhances our work why sit around waiting for everyone else to start upgrading? The earlier new tech is adopted the greater the gains and advantages over competitors. 

    New Needs to Know Now

    Emphasis on openness is a must for 9 in 10 workers, people want transparency. Workers want employers that see them as valuable additions worthy of being in the know and that can be held accountable. They also want to know how their business makes decisions about processes. People don’t want to sign on with a megalomaniac who throws darts at a board to make decisions nor with someone who delegates writing and adjusting processes to someone who knows nothing about those whom it affects. 

    Communication within and without the workplace has evolved, so workers want changes that accommodate such alterations. 74% of workers prefer sending messages instead of in-person discussions. It’s more efficient, you can edit out mistakes, and you don’t have to deal with all the awkwardness that can arise when talking in-person. Almost 80% hope to have more tools for communication. 

    Areas for Improvement

    1 in 4 of people working remotely struggle with interacting solely through technology. Relying on tech alone could lead to: 

    • 69% reduced productivity
    • 67% increase in lack of team engagement
    • 58% increase in difficulty managing tasks

    How do we combat these crippling disadvantages? Be available, to answer questions, to help troubleshoot, and to keep everyone in the know with updates. Look smart, according to Photofeeler, profile pics of people wearing glasses appear more competent. 

    Tech to Help

    Use Grammarly to sound smart, which measures correctness, clarity, engagement, and delivery of your writing, as well as fixing spelling and grammar. With Shift, you can look smart, which connects all of your accounts, apps, email and tools to stay organized. 

    Communicate intelligently with Slack, which connects teams with organized spaces and channels to communicate clearly. Use InVision to collaborate well, editing digital media with real-time feedback and quick updates. Work smart with Sequel, using bots to communicate generally for you on Facebook, WhatsApp, Slack, Kik, and text, thereby increasing your availability.

    Workers seem to know what’s up, with 65% of employees predicting work will only become more digital and more global. Covid-19 has made that forethought into a reality, so pandemic and after, Workplace tech is here to stay, so embrace it and make your work experience better.

    Learn more about how to work smart here!

    The Best Tech To Help You Work Smarter, Not Harder

    This story originally appeared on Kivo Daily

  • Surviving The Sharp Pivot To Remote Work

    Surviving The Sharp Pivot To Remote Work

    More people are working from home these days, and why not? Better schedule, working environment, and commute (what could be better than rolling out of bed and immediately getting to work?). Oh, and avoiding the Coronavirus epidemic! Now everyone, even Gary (we don’t discriminate, insert name here) from accounting is working remotely. As annoying as Gary is on the company chat, there are a few other difficulties that you might encounter. But don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to survive this world crisis (and Gary), without having to kick off your bunny slippers. 

    While the novel coronavirus situation has 4 million people telecommuting, this exodus from the office is going to dramatically change the tools, support, and management styles necessary to succeed. Take for example, what employers were uncovering before casual Friday turned into casual Monday, Tuesday, etc. 

    A flexible work arrangement leads to:

    • Boosted morale (90%) 
    • Lowered operating costs (77%)
    • Increased productiveness (65%)
    • Reduced sick days (50%)
    • Happier employees (57%)

    Despite the many benefits, the transition to distance work may not be simple for many workplaces. If you didn’t already have remote working protocols in place, it can be difficult to establish them on the fly, and the learning curve can be extra steep during these trying times.

    If you have already started making the transition, you’re likely to encounter some bumps along the way, from communication strain to internet bandwidth. Your coworkers might be blurring the lines between personal and professional communication right now, but give Gary a break, he might just be lonely. A 2016 study found among those working remotely, some feel increasingly isolated, disconnected, and uninformed. This is where innovative management can step in, using great platforms like Slack to keep teams connected and coordinate goals while helping to keep employees focused. 

    It’s adapt or else you’ll find that without oversight by others, routines, processes, and time management will suffer. The same study reported some employees felt happier, working more, and quitting less than coworkers stuck in the office. Just use discretion when identifying who needs the extra help staying on task, since there are superstars out there.

    Make sure everybody has the tools to succeed, 5 or 6 GHz networks are highly recommended to support connecting to business applications, teleconferencing, streaming, or transferring large files. Check on internet providers, many are offering enhanced broadband service with so many working from home.

    Communication is key in this new, often uncharted territory. As Greg Caplan, CEO and co-founder of Remote Year, says “Good remote workers understand the importance of communicating clearly with their team in any medium they’re using.” 

    Help your team acclimate to working remotely with real-time analytics and reporting applications like TimeToReply. The online platform supports and enables team production by measuring inboxes, reply times, and timed goals. 

    Now that Gary is taken care of, and since we all know what we’re doing, we can all rest a little easier. Covid-19 or not, remote work is here so make the most of it now!

    Learn more about remote work in a Coronavirus economy here.

    Surviving The Sharp Pivot To Remote Work

    This story originally appeared on Kivo Daily

  • Microsoft Teams Gets Personal

    Microsoft Teams Gets Personal

    Microsoft Teams is one of the most popular platforms for professional communication, but now Microsoft is making it personal.

    As more individuals are working from home, the lines between personal and work lives are increasingly blurred. While Teams has gained popularity as an app for work communication, Microsoft sees an opportunity to expand it to be a central communication tool for every aspect of life.

    In a blog post, Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President, said: “At work, every day more than 44 million people use Microsoft Teams. People love Teams because it’s the only hub for teamwork that lets you chat, do video conferencing, make calls, and collaborate all in one place. And while Teams is great for work, we’re all struggling to manage responsibilities across work and life. We use multiple apps and disconnected tools such as calendars, email, messaging, and documents to manage it all.

    “To provide one app to help manage work and life and deepen your connection with those who matter most, today we previewed new features coming to Microsoft Teams for your personal life.

    “With these new features coming to Teams, you can connect, stay organized, and collaborate with family and friends. Create groups to plan trips with friends; organize a neighborhood gathering or your next book club meeting. You’ll be able to connect in a group chat, make video calls, collaborate over shared to-do lists and assign tasks to specific people, coordinate schedules, share photos and videos, all in one place. Teams gives to you the tools to seamlessly manage daily life; share grocery lists, organize across family calendars, store important information like Wi-Fi passwords and account info, and even see location updates when loved ones arrive home or at other locations like work or school.”

    Microsoft’s announcement should come as no surprise. With Teams’ increasing popularity, Microsoft was bound to expand the app’s reach sooner rather than later.

  • Slack CEO: We’ve Seen an Enormous Surge

    Slack CEO: We’ve Seen an Enormous Surge

    “In the first 60th percent of this quarter added 9,000 new paid customers,” says Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield. “That’s a net number. This is compared to 5,000 for the previous quarter and 5,000 for the quarter before that. That’s an enormous surge. We’ve also seen the number of messages sent per user up 25 percent. Suddenly people are discovering a lot of techniques that were available to them before that suddenly become mandatory.”

    Stewart Butterfield, CEO of Slack, discusses via Zoom on CNBC how the pandemic has doubled their pace of growth:

    Customers Added Has Nearly Doubled

    You think about what people hope to accomplish out of having a meeting. It’s often to get a decision made. It’s to update people on the status of projects. There’s a whole bunch of reasons to have a meeting. There’s an immediate obvious switch that goes off in people’s heads, hey we used to sit in the same room and now we’re at home, we need to have a videoconference. But the best way to support that work in getting the decision made, getting people on the same page, and knowing where you can ask the question is often better served by other methods. In the case of Slack, that’s channels. 

    In the first 60th percent of this quarter added 9,000 new paid customers. That’s a net number. This is compared to 5,000 for the previous quarter and 5,000 for the quarter before that. That’s an enormous surge. We’ve also seen the number of messages sent per user up 25 percent. Suddenly people are discovering a lot of techniques that were available to them before that suddenly become mandatory. When the only tools you have to get work done are meetings and email and meetings suddenly become a lot harder to pull off you begin to look for alternatives.

    Right Now It Looks Great For Us

    We look at what might happen on the small business side (on whether we will see sustained growth). There could be millions of bankruptcies and that will obviously affect us. We have a very healthy small business part of Slack. Enterprises can shut down spending. On the other hand, we’ve seen the surge in sign-ups so obviously people are seeing the need. We also see expansion in existing enterprise customers. It’s very hard to know how those two forces balance each other out. 

    There are other things to consider too. I’ve been talking to other software CEOs. What do you do when you’re not doing field marketing events to drive new customers? What do you do when your salespeople can’t travel? What do you do when your executive briefing centers are shut? How is that going to manifest in pipeline and growth in 3, 6, 9, 12 months? Right now it looks great for us but it’s impossible to say how this takes out over the year.

    Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield: We’ve Seen an Enormous Surge
  • Zoom Removes Facebook SDK From iOS Client

    Zoom Removes Facebook SDK From iOS Client

    The latest Zoom update removes the Facebook SDK responsible for the app sharing data with Facebook, even if a user did not have a Facebook account.

    The data sharing was originally discovered by Motherboard, and involved the Zoom app sharing a disturbing amount of data with Facebook, regardless of whether a user had a Facebook account or not. This didn’t sit well with many users, especially as the app has achieved near-default status as the videoconferencing tool of choice as millions of individuals work from home.

    Zoom has since released an update removing the offending SDK, as well as offering an explanation of what happened:

    “We originally implemented the ‘Login with Facebook’ feature using the Facebook SDK for iOS (Software Development Kit) in order to provide our users with another convenient way to access our platform. However, we were made aware on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, that the Facebook SDK was collecting device information unnecessary for us to provide our services. The information collected by the Facebook SDK did not include information and activities related to meetings such as attendees, names, notes, etc., but rather included information about devices such as the mobile OS type and version, the device time zone, device OS, device model and carrier, screen size, processor cores, and disk space.

    “Our customers’ privacy is incredibly important to us, and therefore we decided to remove the Facebook SDK in our iOS client and have reconfigured the feature so that users will still be able to log in with Facebook via their browser. Users will need to update to the latest version of our application that’s already available at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time on Friday, March 27, 2020, in order for these changes to take hold, and we strongly encourage them to do so.”

    This change is good news for everyone concerned with privacy. Given Facebook’s abysmal track record, there’s simply no reason to be sending the company data unless absolutely necessary—which in this case it was not.

  • Digital Transformation: The Conversation Has Shifted, Says ServiceNow CEO

    Digital Transformation: The Conversation Has Shifted, Says ServiceNow CEO

    “We’re done with talking about if it is a good idea to digitally transform,” says ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott. “Now the conversation has shifted to how quickly can you get me there. I have to get there really fast. My prediction is that companies that are digital, that can lead this digital transformation revolution, will prosper through this time because there are so many public sector and private sector entities that must change. I do believe we will be going into a totally new normal.”

    Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow, discusses how COVID-19 has forced CEOs to speed up digital transformation in order to compete and win. McDermott says that businesses have to have an all-weather workforce to win.”

    We’re Done With Talking About If It’s a Good Idea

    When we came out of the financial crisis in 2008 that is when cloud computing hit a new gear. That’s when it became the pervasive computing theme of the 21st century. The elasticity of the cloud, the ability to build applications very quickly on a platform like ServiceNow’s⎯so you can be in service, in service to employees, in service to customers, and in service to keeping the operation going, even through difficult times. if you think about digital transformation, it’s a $7.4 trillion addressable market in the next four years. 

    I talk to CEOs and heads of state every day. We’re done with talking about if it is a good idea to digitally transform. Now the conversation has shifted to how quickly can you get me there. I have to get there really fast. My prediction is that companies that are digital, that can lead this digital transformation revolution, will prosper through this time because there are so many public sector and private sector entities that must change. I do believe we will be going into a totally new normal. It’s not dissimilar to 2008. We’re going to have to figure out whether it’s three weeks from now or three months from now. 

    A Totally New Way To Work

    How are you going to get back to work? Business continuity must contain. Think about all the processes that will have to change. I like to think of this as a physical distancing, not a social distancing because our processes on Zoom every day has us connected to the management team and the people throughout our company. So while we are physically distant we have socially kept the conversation going. We’re continuing to pursue our goals because that’s what the world needs from ServiceNow.

    Customers right now are basically saying, how do I take care of my people? For example, I’ve heard from some very outstanding CEO saying we’re going to keep hiring or am certainly not going to lay people off. How do we get the tools for people to do the job remotely? How do we make that happen? How do we make sure we’re caring for the people? How do we align them with the goals and the orientations of the company? How do we keep compliance and security at a high level even as they work from places like home or studio environments where they’re not used to working? All of this has to be done utilizing a digital platform, a totally new way of working. 

    What About the Customer?

    Here’s a really big thing. In the beginning, everybody was saying we’re going to work from home. We will close down operations and that was basically it. What about the customer? What we’re learning about the customer is right now they’re not really interested in you upselling them and cross-selling them in an engagement layer of CRM. What they are interested in is business continuity. How will you service me even as we’re in the midst of a crisis? 

    This idea of service management, of making sure you get the right assets in front of the right problems where you can resolve issues for customers⎯especially since they’re no longer working in their offices for the most part. It has really reoriented the workflow of companies all over the world and it’s happened really quickly. 

    Over 43 percent of the companies today actually don’t even have a work from home policy. Think about that. Now, after this crisis, I can assure you they’ll need one and the boards of directors will expect that they have one. If you remember the post 9/11 era, it was unbelievable to think that people would be standing in line to get x-rayed with their luggage before getting on a flight. 

    Digital Transformation Has To Go Faster

    As they think about this new environment just think about the procedures and the protocols that we have to now impart on the workforce to make sure that they’re healthy when they come into these buildings and they actually go to work. We will actually have to have quick analysis. For example, you could do an ear temperature check to make sure someone’s temperature isn’t high when they’re coming into the workplace to keep people safe. That’s a protocol, that’s a new process, and I expect that things like that will definitely happen.

     I also expect that workers will work more from home, that people will be more agile and flexible in how they work, and the tools and the platforms of digital have to be enabled to make that happen, So here it is, people that are digitally transforming now, you have got to go faster. People that haven’t actually embarked upon this journey, you need to do it now. Now is when your people will expect you to build a culture that enables them to prosper in any working environment. I have to believe we’re in a new norm. If it’s not COVID-19 it’s going to be something else. Workforces have to be prepared to handle anything. We have to be an all-weather workforce to win.

    Digital Transformation: The Conversation Has Shifted – ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott
  • Satya Nadella: Microsoft Teams Becoming ‘Critical Infrastructure’

    Satya Nadella: Microsoft Teams Becoming ‘Critical Infrastructure’

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is touting the company’s software in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

    In an interview with CNBC, Nadella talked about the responsibility he felt toward keeping the company’s employees safe, and the wider role the company plays as “digital first responders.”

    “I think at this point, the most important thing for us as a company, is to ensure the safety of our own employees,” said Nadella. “That’s, I think, the place where I start from. We have done everything to stay grounded in the public health guidance….

    “This pandemic has no borders, and its cure is not going to have any borders. So we have to come together as a global community, and we have to do our part. I sort of describe our role as the ‘digital first responders’ to all the first responders. So, even if you take what’s happening with Microsoft Teams, it’s become critical infrastructure for people who are doing remote work. We’re seeing 60X increase in Teams’ usage, 900 million minutes a day. So, therefore, scaling—I’m very thankful to all the Microsoft employees who are really building all the critical infrastructure and scaling it.

    “Similarly, we’re working with CDC in their pre-screening bot. Because one of the other challenges we face right now, is how do we take the load off of the healthcare system. So this pre-screening bot with CDC protocol is being used, even by Providence and others….

    “The other thing that’s also happening is education. We have lots of students now with remote learning. And that’s another place where Microsoft is stepping up…how does one conduct remote learning? And one of the things we’re doing even today is taking the lessons we’ve always had in Minecraft Education and making them just part of the base game. Because when kids are at home, and parents are also getting involved in helping them stay with their education lesson plans, I think this can be a step forward.

    “So we’re doing everything we can to help us work through this crisis, but it’s going to take all of us.”

  • Ecommerce Ad Spending Doubles As a Result of Coronavirus

    Ecommerce Ad Spending Doubles As a Result of Coronavirus

    While some industries may be reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, ecommerce ad spending is experiencing a boon.

    According to Search Engine Land, a recent report details the growth ecommerce ad spending is currently undergoing, jumping “from $4.8 million the week of February 17 to $9.6 million the week of March 9. The data, released by media sales intelligence firm MediaRadar on Friday, encompasses advertising spend across national TV, print and digital media, including websites, Snapchat, YouTube and podcasts.”

    The data is another indication that the U.S. and world economies are experiencing fundamental shifts as a result of the pandemic. People are practicing social distancing, working from home, turning to social gaming for human interaction, relying on cloud environments, communicating via Slack or Microsoft Teams and turning to videoconferencing in never before seen numbers. Similarly, the increase in ad spending corresponds to people sheltering in place and relying on ecommerce for their day-to-day needs.

    The longer the pandemic goes on, the more likely such trends will become permanent, forever changing how people go about their personal and work lives.

  • Coronavirus: Zoom’s Newfound Popularity a Two-Edged Sword

    Coronavirus: Zoom’s Newfound Popularity a Two-Edged Sword

    Zoom may be benefiting from unprecedented numbers of users flocking to the platform, but that newfound popularity comes with some downsides.

    In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Zoom and other video conferencing solutions have become the new way many individuals are working, worshiping and keeping in touch with loved ones. While that has resulted in the company having many more users, it has also significantly raised the cost of doing business and it’s not clear how many of those users are paying subscribers.

    In a regulatory filing with the SEC, the company said: “While we have seen increased usage of our service globally, there are no assurances that we will also experience an increase in paying customers or that new or existing users will continue to utilize our services at the same levels after the outbreak has tempered. Furthermore, such increased usage by free Basic account users during this time could require us to expand our network capacity which would increase our operating costs.”

    The company also fears the increased number of users will raise its infrastructure cost as it works to keep up with demand. “We expect our cost of revenue to increase for the foreseeable future, both in absolute dollars and as a percentage of total revenue, as we expand our data center capacity and third party cloud hosting due to increased usage stemming from the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 virus,” the statement continued.

    Zoom also expressed concern that any perceived issues or performance problems could irreparably hurt its reputation. This is especially a concern as the platform, and the meetings it hosts, become a greater target for hackers as a result of its growing popularity.

    Zoom should serve as a good example for other companies whose business is booming during the coronavirus pandemic. While the added users and potential income are welcome, it will almost always come with greater scrutiny, expense and potential for things to go wrong.

  • VMware COO: Companies ‘Relying on Us For That Future World of 5G’

    VMware COO: Companies ‘Relying on Us For That Future World of 5G’

    VMware is synonymous with virtualization software. Everyone from data centers to end users rely on the company’s software to be able to run multiple operating systems on a single set of hardware.

    In an interview with Mad Money’s Jim Cramer, VMware COO Sanjay Poonen commented on the current state of telecommuting during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as VMware’s role in 5G.

    On The Impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic

    “This is unprecedented times. We’ve always been a trusted advisor and, as you know, we know a thing or two about virtualization. Our customers run their critical apps on our infrastructure.”

    On How Long-Lasting the Impacts Will Be

    “I think there’s part of our life, Jim, that’s going to change forever. Behind me I have a saying from Winston Churchill that says, ‘when you’re going through hell, go through it.’ Another one I like from Winston Churchill is ‘never waste a crisis.’

    And I think that’s part of our life that’s forever going to change. We will, perhaps, have a place where, for instance, less travel is good for the planet.”

    On Collaboration

    “We want to make sure that if you are at home, you are productive, you’re able to work continuous, just like it was at work…We were one of the early customers that used Zoom. We love it. We use Slack. We use Microsoft Teams. These are all ways in which you can collaborate.”

    On VMware’s Role in 5G and the Network Strain the Pandemic Is Causing

    “We have tremendous relationships with the telco players—they are some of our biggest customers—and the cloud infrastructure players. In many cases, we are between software, compute, storage and networking. Software defined architecture is really where the world of 5G is going.

    “So a lot of these big companies have started relying on us for that future world of 5G. And software is a lot easier to manage. It’s also just as reliable, more reliable, because you can fix things. And we’re working very closely with our customers. Bandwidth is going to be something we watch very carefully.”

     

    https://player.cnbc.com/p/gZWlPC/cnbc_global?playertype=synd&byGuid=7000127560

     

  • Coronavirus: Rescale Partners With Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud For Vaccine Research

    Coronavirus: Rescale Partners With Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud For Vaccine Research

    In the race to create a COVID-19 vaccine, Rescale has partnered with both Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

    Rescale is a leader in enterprise big compute and is offering its high performance computing resources to research teams working on vaccines or test kits—at no cost. Thanks to the partnerships, “researchers can rapidly run simulations in the cloud without setup time or IT teams using Rescale’s turnkey platform combined with cloud computing resources from Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure.”

    Another significant advantage of the cloud partnership is the ability for research teams around the globe to seamlessly collaborate and combine their efforts.

    “Rescale’s platform can provide access to high-performance computing resources that can help accelerate key processes and enable stronger collaboration,” said Manvinder Singh, Director, Partnerships at Google Cloud. “As a partner of Rescale, we’re grateful that they will make these resources, including Google Cloud computing capabilities, available to more researchers and organizations.”

    Greg Moore, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Health added, “We’re inspired to team up with Rescale in the fight against time to help provide answers to address COVID-19. To enable researchers and organizations to develop new therapeutics and vaccines faster, we’re working together to accelerate the availability of Azure supercomputers in the cloud.”

    Rescale is to be commended for offering their HPC resources at no cost to researchers who are desperately trying to develop vaccines and more efficient ways of testing. The announcement is also a prime example of how the coronavirus pandemic is hastening a large-scale migration to cloud computing.

  • Coronavirus: EU Asks Netflix to Throttle Video

    Coronavirus: EU Asks Netflix to Throttle Video

    In an effort to ease the strain on internet infrastructure, the European Union is asking that Netflix stream video to standard definition when necessary.

    Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for internal market, tweeted that he had talked directly to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings to make his request.

    Important phone conversation with @ReedHastings, CEO of @Netflix

    To beat #COVID19, we #StayAtHome

    Teleworking & streaming help a lot but infrastructures might be in strain.

    To secure Internet access for all, let’s #SwitchToStandard definition when HD is not necessary.

    — Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) 3/18/20

    Companies are already struggling to keep up with the added strain on networks. Microsoft has recently begun throttling non-essential Office 365 features to ease the strain on Teams. Facebook has similarly been struggling to keep up with the additional WhatsApp usage, as the app is currently being used even more than it does during New Year’s Eve, its normal peak usage period.

    As the pandemic continues to force people to stay home and telecommute, additional companies will likely be called to take the same measures as Netflix.