We are All Digital Technologists by Osmosis

February 16th, 2012

Do you feel overwhelmed every time you read about the introduction of new technologies? Do you hear how they’re going to be having a dramatic effect on the way you do business in the future, and panic? You don’t need to fear the coming evolution because the chances are that you’re already a technology expert and actually quite adept at adjusting -although you may not know it!

Technologists with hindsight

Most of us have become digital technologists by “osmosis”. In other words, if we look back dispassionately over the past 30 years, with the benefit of hindsight we can see just how much our life styles have been changed inordinately with the advent of digital technologies. We have a natural inclination to think of ourselves as novices where new technology is concerned. Yet if we step back and look at the way that we’ve embraced and adapted to the changes introduced to us over the decades, we should give ourselves more credit. We have “absorbed” these new technologies and have every reason to be confident about taking advantage of the opportunities they bring for our professional and everyday lives.

At KeySo Global we help our clients recognize that they are far more technology savvy than they realize! We point to the analogy of the frog in a pot: the premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out. If it’s placed in cold water that is slowly heated, however, it will not perceive the surrounding danger and will be cooked to death. In other words, we’re not always cognizant of the fact that we’ve been slowly adapting to the digital world changes occurring around us; we need to become more aware of these changes, and have the confidence to embrace them and incorporate them into our personal and business lives.

Four technologies that rocked our world

In order to put things into perspective, consider four major technology developments in the 1980’s that significantly changed the way we live and work today:  the personal computer; the cellphone; the establishment of a global Internet and the creation of the Sony Walkman. While the impact of the first three may be obvious, the Walkman was the device that pioneered the way for people to access personalized portable entertainment, anywhere and at anytime.

The 1980’s introduced these new technologies and the 1990’s brought about their integration into society. For example, GSM cellphone technology allowed people to roam the world, the development of the World Wide Web and Internet browsers allowed people to access information, and the creation of TiVo gave people the ability to time-shift entertainment. All of these brought technology into the mainstream. Add to these the development of the iPod and iPhone and the rise of social networking in the 2000’s, and it’s clear to see how these technologies have permeated our society and culture, and just how well we’ve all adapted to the changes they’ve brought about.

Convergence opens new opportunities

We believe 2010 was a transitional year that saw the convergence of 3G & 4G technologies with cloud computing, social media, and Wi-Fi. The evolution of smartphones and the introduction of touch screen tablets has built on this convergence and enabled a faster, easier and more compelling interactive consumer experience. Social media in turn is leveraging this interactive access to the mobile network, and uses location and context data to provide personalization of services and information, with particular focus on retail opportunities.

The confluence of technologies and services is changing the way consumers live and work. It is also generating an ecosystem of companies that are creating applications and services which are stimulating the economy locally, nationally and globally. In a recent study it was estimated that 450,000 jobs had been created by companies developing apps.

Shifting business models

Mobility, Internet and computing capable devices are not only impacting their users but also the way in which companies interact with their customers. As a result, large and small companies need to recognize that the business models of their industries, relatively static for many years, are changing around them even if they haven’t yet started to adjust their own. Our advice to any CEO or small business owner is the same: open your eyes and look around; observe the opportunities that technology is now enabling and identify how you could apply these same technologies to enhance your company’s customer offering and business performance.

There is a plethora of opportunities out there to enhance your business model. If you need help identifying these opportunities, we at KeySo Global are here to help and can show you how they can be applied. Contact us at info@keysoglobal.com, +1-847-478-1633 or visit our website www.keysoglobal.com

Steve Bell, President, KeySo Global

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Convergence Trends and Innovation at CES 2012

February 1st, 2012

A shorter article on this subject was first published as Convergence Trends and Innovation at CES 2012 on Technorati.

The Consumer Electronics Show 2012 statistics (153,000 attendees, 34,000 international attendees, 3,100 exhibitors, 1.86 million square feet of exhibit space, and 20,000 new products) give an indication of the scale and diversity of attendance but give no color to the reality of convergence that will occur between Digital World technologies and the digital lives of consumers over the next 12 to 18 months. In the next couple of paragraphs I’ve highlighted some of the exciting convergence trends that we see emerging.

Interactive Gestures in the Living Room

TV’s seem to be getting bigger and thinner with brighter 3D Hi Def capability that in some cases requires no glasses. If you can see beyond the existing concept of the TV, you realize that the center of the living room is becoming internet connected and consequently smarter in its ability to offer a variety of interactive services to augment viewing. This increased smartness requires new paradigms for interaction with other devices and sources of information, media and preferences. Thisrequirement to share is being enhanced by the increasing use of Wi-Fi Direct in multiple devices finding their way on to the living room couch. Interestingly, the world of gaming has provided the consumer electronics industry with new perspectives of how to interact with couch surfers and their devices via gestures. Think iPhone type scrolling, pinching point and zoom capability but with hand gestures to enable scrolling through TV guides to select, explore and expand videos or TV programs.

Digital Interactive Cockpits

One really interesting demonstration was a see-through LCD TV where you could see a static bowl of fruit behind the screen as TV/video images appeared on the screen. Where could this innovation lead?  Ford, Mercedes and Kia were showing the way in which new display technology and processing power will enhance the dashboard. Although it was not found at this year’s CES, the concept of a clear LCD windscreen can’t be that far off! This coupled with gesture capability being demonstrated by Mercedes and other enhanced augmented display technologies, will revolutionize the way vehicles are controlled. The real challenge that the automotive industry faces is adapting the rapid cycle of development of ICT technology into their traditional 7 year product development cycles.

Connected Medicine

The medical world is also on the verge of experiencing the power of connectivity in the form of devices, apps and cloud solutions that monitor everything from diet to diabetes to heart rate with full ECG capability built into phones. Again, the rapid pace of technology development is struggling against bureaucratic approval processes and the ability of the existing health care industry to adjust procedures and personnel to adapt and handle the opportunities that these new solutions deliver. Imagine a scenario where monitoring devices are given away to people for free as part of their health plan, with the revenue being generated from the monitoring services. The opportunity to reduce hospital visits and enhance health regimes that elevate overall health levels benefits everyone but requires structural and procedure shifts to accommodate the change.

Device Proliferation Drives Differentiation

The explosion in smartphone and tablet devices with common operating systems (Android & IOS) and brilliant high resolution screen technologies and interfaces have enabled much of the convergence technology above. Sony, for example, demonstrated their new 2 screen tablet that closes like a clam shell and which has an on screen keyboard. As usual CES did not disappoint with multiple devices being announced that continue a trend of increased thinness, lighter weight, solid state memory, and more powerful processors than were in PC’s only a year or so ago. These are seemingly available from an ever increasing number of Chinese and Asian vendors, undoubtedly increasing price pressure as they all struggle to differentiate themselves.

Differentiation is difficult but a small (Fujitsu & Toshiba) number of vendors at the show are producing waterproof phones and tablets. Equally, vendors are exploring the space between tablets and smartphone’s in the 5 inch screen category. Samsung was hyping the note with their “S Pen” where artists drew caricatures on the screen that were then printed and displayed. The introduction of natural interfaces such as drawing, voice recognition, touch and gesture will most definitely enhance our ability to better utilize the devices and incorporate them in to our lives.

Dolby & Video Chat

From a technology perspective, 5.1 Dolby quality sound was demonstrated by Qualcomm who emphasize that the processing power of their chipsets now enable HD sound processed from 5 microphones on the device. Amateur video will never be the same again! Equally, the use of 5 microphones also means that noise cancelling and filtering will in the future allow much clearer video chat in areas of high ambient noise.

Redefining Human Interactivity

This is just a snapshot of some of the convergence trends and innovative thinking on display at this year’s CES, prompted by the availability and accessibility of a wide variety of new Digital Life technologies. As one final thought for consideration, Ericsson demonstrated how the human body can be used as a conductor for transferring data from one device to another. With one touch of your smartphone, you can transfer the video that you just took directly onto your TV. With the advent of the Internet of Things, the concept of the human body as a node within the net and a transfer mechanism for data means the Digital World is fast becoming the truly interactive place we knew it would be!

Steve Bell, President, KeySo Global LLC

www.keysoglobal.com

 

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The Eve of Digital Transitions

December 31st, 2011

In 2011 the digital world continued to evolve at an unprecedented pace as multiple developments compounded and converged on each other. Through this blog, Twitter, our Facebook page, specific reports we have written, presentations we have given, and our recently launched daily newspaper Digital Renaissance 2.0 we have attempted to weave together the digital world threads of change and share with our audience the impact these are having on the digital lives we lead.

Technologists by Osmosis

This year I have given numerous presentations reflecting our foresight into technology trends of the future. During these I’ve shared significant knowledge gained in hindsight over the last 30 years in order to give my audience the necessary insight into the impact and influence that four fundamental technologies introduced in the 1980’s have had on the world today.

The reason for doing this is that most people don’t realize the extent to which their lives have been affected by these technologies. As a very simple example, the evolution of digital recording (DVR) as a means of watching programs when you want to via TV or streaming to a computer has introduced the concept of “time shifting”. Time shifting enables you to enjoy the entertainment you want at a time that’s convenient to you. The awareness that we try to bring to our audience is that most people have become “technologists by osmosis” over the last 30 years as they have absorbed technology into every aspect of their personal lives.

Collective Movements

More significantly, we have witnessed the ability to use technology to create and support collective movements; for instance, in the early part of 2011 the world watched as the “Arab Spring” movement inEgyptchanged the course of democracy in theMiddle Eastin ways most didn’t think were possible. Equally the “Occupy Wall Street” movement in theUSwas copycatted around the world as an outrage against corporations and bankers’ excesses. These are examples of people being enabled by technology to challenge those aspects of society and politics that don’t resonate with the growing awareness of what’s right and good that the Internet and the associated openness of information have facilitated.

Double Edged Capability

The counterpoint to this was raised by several people in different sessions – the fact that technology enables people to be tracked, analyzed and targeted for advertising and promotions. It also facilitates the creation of “Big Brother” systems which not only impinge on our privacy but which enable governments or other entities to control our lives. The reality is that as we enter 2012 it’s becoming increasingly impossible to go completely “off grid”.

Global Destiny

Abusive use of technology is always a potential threat but as “Wiki leaks” has shown, the Internet and technology have also given people a mechanism to oppose abusive use of information. This capability coupled with the power of the collective, as demonstrated by Arab Spring and other smaller positive actions of collective activity, give reassurance to the ability of the global population to take charge of their own destiny.

Digital Agents of Change

As people become aware of the fact that they are “technologists by osmosis” and that they have both understood and absorbed technology into their personal lives, they can seize the opportunity to utilize this knowledge to observe, assess and determine how technology can be used to shape their community and business lives. As our eyes are opened and our curiosity becomes aroused, we see how technology can be leveraged to enhance, fulfill or simplify our lives. It is this that lies at the heart of the concept we at KeySo Global call “Digital Agents of Change”.

Engaging Change

In a previous blog we talked about the characteristics of a Digital Agent of Change, or that person who has the power to change business models from both inside and outside of the company. Over the last 12 months we have strongly advised companies to engage Digital Agents of Change as a necessity to facilitate the change and adaptation of their existing business models to the emerging requirements of digital life.

Sharing Knowledge

On the eve of 2012 I’m delighted to see indications that more and more business leaders now recognize that their businesses are being impacted by digital world technologies and digital life changes. Many, however, have little understanding of exactly what this means for their business models or how they need to be adapted. For the last two years we at KeySo Global have been researching, developing frameworks and working with leading-edge thinkers to evolve the solutions and approaches that can help you as executives – and Digital Agents of Change – to create the business models and change necessary to succeed in 2012 and beyond. We look forward to the opportunity of sharing our knowledge with you in the coming year.

To all of our clients, partners, friends and readers we wish you all a happy and abundantly successful 2012.

Steve Bell, President, KeySo Global

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Virtual Connections in the Digital World!

December 22nd, 2011

The ease of communication made possible today by fast paced advances in converged technologies has affected not only our personal lives but it has also caused the business world to begin to undergo a radical metamorphosis. Because we can now conduct business from almost anywhere, it’s resulted in an unavoidable blurring between our professional and private lives. Some view this as a positive and others as a negative.

Virtual Business

Converged technologies have given people the flexibility to effectively communicate anywhere and at any time. We often hear people talking about their “virtual” or “mobile office” and technically in the today’s digital world your office is wherever you are. More and more companies are now adopting a virtual style of business as teams work remotely – at home, in coffee shops, in hotels, at airports – in fact anywhere that they are dispersed and yet can still remain connected.

Business Benefits

Studies have shown that those businesses that have adopted more flexible work practices and allow their workforce to operate away from the traditional office setting can potentially boost their productivity. A report by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers at the 2010 White House Forum for Workplace Flexibility highlighted some of the benefits of remote working which included: “reducing absenteeism, lowering turnover, improving the health of workers and increasing productivity”.

The Pros and Cons

There are advantages as well as disadvantages for companies that choose to operate virtually, and also for their employees who work remotely. Some to be considered are:

Advantages:

Reduction in stress levels by not having to commute to work

  • Time and money saved by not having to commute
  • Environmental benefits from not driving to work
  • Being able to manage your time more effectively and work when you are most productive
  • Healthier life style – opportunity to exercise more easily and eat a better diet
  • Working in a more relaxing work environment
  • Companies can consider a larger pool of employee applications as location isn’t a factor

Disadvantages:

Lack of support – both administrative and managerial

  • Lack of face-to-face communication can increase the chances of miscommunications or misunderstandings
  • Less camaraderie among workers can result in less cohesive work teams
  • Technical difficulties can hinder communication and/or work progress
  • Problems separating free time from work time as work is always “there”

A Considered Strategy

The transition to a virtual work style can be made without too much disruption. It’s generally considered advisable for a company to approach the change over with a well defined strategy in place in order to take full advantage of the benefits and flexibility that remote working enables. A reevaluation of existing communication protocol may be necessary to adapt to this new way of working, as well as adjustment of the daily routine that’s needed to ensure 24/7 coverage, learning how to use new collaboration tools or services, and expanding the use of existing programs that have moved to the cloud, such as Microsoft Office 365.

Beyond Collaboration

Today’s converged technologies help to bridge the communication gap for businesses and their workforces, regardless of their location. Many businesses have evolved their regular on site team meetings into virtual meetings, making it essential to have the right tools in place to engage a remote work team. Increasingly it’s becoming essential for teams to not only collaborate but to creatively interact in order to find innovative solutions to business problems and customer requirements.

Creative Solutions

We at KeySo Global have been working closely with Bob Dean of Dean Learning & Talent Advisors LLC. Together we have been using ThinkTank, a unique platform that gives “structure to collaboration” and which has enabled us to carry out collaborative virtual consulting through customized brain storming and problem solving sessions with our geographically dispersed clients.

To learn more about ThinkTank and other creative strategic processes that can help your business sustain a dynamic virtual work environment and collaborate better, contact us at info@keysoglobal.com, +1-847-478-1633 or visit our website www.keysoglobal.com

Steve Bell, President, KeySo Global

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Acting with Decorum in the Digital World

November 25th, 2011

Today smartphones have become an intrinsic part of our digital lives and are no longer merely used for making calls. The need for us to display good digital manners has never been more essential but unfortunately this isn’t always the case!

Governments and independent agencies impose regulations for proper Mobile Internet behavior when, for example, personal safety is at stake (like texting while driving) or disturbance can be caused (as in dedicated quiet cars on trains). In the broader sense, however, there is a need for a socially acceptable set of rules for using ever smarter devices and this is the catch 22 of the situation: these guidelines need to be initiated by those very communities that use them. Yet, as users, we’re still struggling to determine how the devices we’ve grown to depend on can be unobtrusively integrated into our lives.

How annoying is it when you’re trying to have a conversation with someone and they’re constantly checking their phone for emails, Facebook updates or sending text messages? Or you’re at a wedding and the person in the pew next to you takes pictures and tweets throughout the service? None of this is illegal but it can be offensive and it’s certainly anti-social.

Many believe that digital devices should come with user etiquette manuals to inform users about polite usage in public places. This may help reduce the day-to-day disturbances that modern devices create but there’s a general feeling that with the rapid adoption of new technologies, digital manners are also rapidly deteriorating. Maybe there’s a need for digital etiquette to become a compulsory class in all educational programs!

These classes could use Netiquette as their base curriculum. The term is a blend of “net” and “etiquette” and refers to a set of guidelines for proper online behavior. Netiquette not only applies to how and where you use your smart device but also to the content of your communication. As with the written word, spelling and grammar are of the utmost importance as corporate websites or blog articles littered with typos can really deter a would-be client. Having said that, certain online abbreviations commonly used in SMS messages were added this year to the Oxford English Dictionary, including LOL, OMG and TTYL. Typing solely in capitals is not good practice, however, and IMPLIES THAT YOU’RE SHOUTING!

Deciding which new age words are now socially acceptable is often a challenge. The Oxford Dictionary of English has been increasingly infected by web-based slang over the last few years and some of the latest words to be included in the dictionary are: chillax (meaning to calm down and relax) and defriend (meaning to remove someone from your list of friends / contacts on a social networking site). These now commonly used words reflect the way that our everyday language is being influenced by the digital world. At some stage in the future let’s hope that someone will organize a tweetup (a meeting set up by means of posts on Twitter) and actually create a set of socially acceptable rules to live by in this new digital age!

Probably the most important rule of Netiquette is “think before you post”. Not everything that happens to you is worth blogging or tweeting but when it is, make sure that you’re comfortable that your words won’t come back to bite you and that the “digital footprint” you’ve created is one you can live with.

At KeySo Global we are advisors and consultants about the impact of digital technology on society, business and individuals. Please contact us at info@keysoglobal.com, +1-847-478-1633 or visit our website www.keysoglobal.com

Alison Bell, Social Media Manager, KeySo Global LLC

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Digital World Perspectives from a Week in Chicago

October 31st, 2011

Chicago may not be the center of the digital world but it can be a great place to find new perspectives!

This week I attended 4G World 2011, a four-day conference and expo that brought together an ecosystem of high tech vendors to talk about LTE – the technology that delivers 4G service to 33 networks in 23 countries, including Verizon, AT&T and Metro PCS in the US. This year’s conference was dominated by presentations highlighting the phenomenal growth in video and data traffic which is driving significant investments in spectrum and network equipment to deliver blazing mobile speeds anywhere that consumers go.                        

Optimism

There was a marked sense of industry optimism as the initial 4G deployments are delivering faster than the anticipated growth in consumer uptake, and technical and operational challenges related to the network and devices are being accommodated with the expectation of exponential growth over the next 4 to 5 years.

Legacy

At 4G World, multiple tributes were made to the legacy left to the industry by Steve Job’s introduction of the iPhone. Ironically, his greatest legacy may not be the device itself but the tsunami of data that his devices unleashed on the mobile networks of the world. Data traffic via mobile networks has increased 4,500 times in the last 13 years and in the last 4 years iPhone users have driven video to over 50% of traffic; it is predicted by Nokia Siemens Networks that this traffic will increase 1,000 times by the year 2020. It was also recognized by the CTO of Clearwire that every prediction on data capacity has been underestimated. Steve Job’s legacy has resulted in the acceleration and major rethinking of the architectures that enable the transport of this data, including the offloading of data from cellular networks to Wi-Fi, the introduction of small cells and the acceleration of LTE technology.

Faith and Trust

This week I heard Gillian Tett,USmanaging editor of the Financial Times, speak at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs about the current crisis inEurope. She identified that faith and trust are at the core of economic, financial, social and political systems; that the European crisis is part of a broader global problem of blind faith in financial alchemy where the following pillars have been consistently eroded and have failed:

  • rating agencies
  • securitization
  • banks’ balance sheets
  • models of valuation
  • regulators
  • the ability of government to secure and protect the system

Resulting from this, Tett noted there has been a shift in market psychology, collapsing of time horizons, credit markets that lack credit and a lack of trust in cyber trading. She pointed out that once this trust is lost it is very difficult to restore it. To compound this, Tett believes that in a world of instant communications and social media a dangerous situation is occurring, that of an accelerating cycle of uncertainty around these global systems.

Perspectives

It was interesting to hear two very different perspectives of the future, especially since both are significantly intertwined. Over the last 30 years, the growth and convergence of the information, computing and telecommunications (ICT) industries have contributed to a seven times increase in global GDP and facilitated not only globalization but also the connection of almost half the planet to information and communications. ICT industries contribute more than 2% of the global GDP, with Apple last year gaining the title of most valuable company in the world.

Men of ideas and vision, such as Steve Jobs, coupled with technology and science have the ability to create significant changes to the world we live in and to the wealth that we enjoy. ICT industries, however, are causing fundamental structural shifts in the way that traditional industries, societies and even politics behave. The structural shifts can be traumatic for those affected, as witnessed not only by the “Occupy Wall Street” movement taking place globally but also by the apparent inability of political leaders to find the answers to the resulting economic, financial and social problems. Converged technologies and social media are now enabling the so called 99% to stay as informed as the 1% while at the same time providing the mechanism for the 1% to more effectively engage, interact and tap into the collective knowledge and expectations of the people.

Connecting the Dots

We can all choose what to believe. If we recognize that change is ongoing, even if we don’t understand the change, with hindsight and a little insight it’s possible to take an optimistic path which will help to establish and rebuild our faith and trust in the emerging system. As Steve Jobs said: “Believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path, and that will make all the difference”. If politicians were to adopt this mindset, it might give them faith to tackle the global crisis and address the concern expressed by Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg and President of the Eurogroup: “We all know what to do, we just don’t know how to get re-elected after we’ve done it”.

At KeySo Global we are advisors and consultants about the impact of digital technology on society, business and individuals. Please contact us at info@keysoglobal.com, +1-847-478-1633 or visit our website www.keysoglobal.com

Steve Bell, President, KeySo Global LLC

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Galvin & Jobs: Great “Men of Ideas”

October 24th, 2011

Article first published as Galvin & Jobs: Great “Men of Ideas” on Technorati.

The onset of autumn has brought the passing of two significant individuals who have shaped what the Economist refers to as “the era of personal technology”.

Since October 5 the media have been swamped with eulogies to Steve Jobs and coverage of memorials set up outside Apple stores by devoted followers. Without doubt, Steve Jobs possessed the unparalleled ability to combine design and technology, and infuse this with the emotive spark that consumers can relate to. He was highly skilled at identifying the right design for the right technology at the right time. Very rarely, however, did the products he introduced push the limits of the technology curve. His passion did not lie in the pursuit of leading edge technology or in the next great breakthrough but instead in the creation of user centered elegant and simplistic devices that slip into everyday life.

October 11 saw the passing of Robert Galvin, better known as Bob Galvin. Bob was long time CEO of Motorola and son of the founder, Paul Galvin. During his tenure, Motorola became an early pioneer in semiconductors, paging and cellular communications. These major milestone technologies required incredible foresight and the tenacity to overcome the challenges of long development cycles and innumerable roadblocks. Bob’s inspiration and commitment resulted in Motorola not only becoming a global player in these industries by delivering multiple breakthrough products but, more importantly, creating a wealth of knowledge and experience that has moved across the industry and the globe.

The life work of each of these men enabled the dawn of an exciting new era. Over the last 30 years computing, telephony, entertainment and consumer electronics have been on a converging path, and many recent landmark products and technology innovations were the result of the vision held by these two remarkable individuals. Their lasting legacies within Apple and Motorola will continue to exist as questions:  “What would Steve do?” and “What would Bob do?” The challenge for the next millennium is to build on these legacies; corporate leaders, employees and new entrants in all industries need to ask themselves “how do we take ideas and make them relevant to the consumer?” and “how do we turn ideas into the technology to make them possible?”

It’s sometimes hard to believe that innovation and growth can survive the turmoil of the current economic climate or that creative solutions can be found for the world’s problems. Statistics show, however, the world’s GDP has actually increased 7 fold over the past 30 years and it’s my belief that these two “men of ideas” were key contributors to this growth. Both were highly innovative and successful men who never lost touch with reality. Most significantly, they both had faith in the power of ideation to generate a sense of optimism for the future. May they now rest in peace.

At KeySo Global we are advisors and consultants about the impact of digital technology on society, business and individuals. Please contact us at info@keysoglobal.com, +1-847-478-1633 or visit our website www.keysoglobal.com

Steve Bell, President, KeySo Global LLC

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In the Digital World which comes first: the Chicken or the Egg?

October 14th, 2011

Do you hesitate to hire new employees because you fear the economy hasn’t truly recovered yet? Do you anxiously watch for signs of recovery in the form of bank lending, government compromise towards growth, and a future of hope?

I do, with one tiny exception. I believe in our future, now.

As a consumer, I spend more than I probably should but I will not be handcuffed. As a professional, I provide pro-bono services to those people and those companies that I have faith in and that I see are doing the right and wise things to help their customers, their community, and their country. As a person, I give trust up front and only withdraw it when that trust proves false. But I am not afraid to trust in the new – new friends, new business contacts, new ideas, or new opportunities.

Do we wait for the chicken to lay the proverbial golden egg? Or are we waiting for the egg to hatch before we decide to act? In other words are we waiting for everything to get better before we start to invest again, to hire again, to loan again, to spend on goods again? I believe that the waiting’s over and that we should be saying “enough is enough”, taking the bull by the horns and doing something now to jumpstart the change towards recovery and growth that we’ve all been waiting on.

For those who aren’t constrained by necessity to eat “hand to mouth” with their pay checks or unemployment checks, let us stop hoarding money and spend, let us hire to provide jobs for those who want to work, let us lend to those who are dedicated to providing. Most of all let us stop waiting for others to take the initiative to improve our lives for us – let us act now!

At KeySo Global, we are excited about the technological and digital world changes that are affecting our lives but at the same time we are witnessing a new perspective from those people who don’t share our passion. What used to be viewed with hope – the space program, landing on the moon; unrivalled production of the best cars and equipment; an almost euphoric emphasis on innovation and creativity – is now viewed with apprehension.

And that is something that concerns me, both personally and professionally. We have forgotten how to embrace change, and welcome it for being new and different. We have forgotten that we really want hope to remain within arm’s reach and not vanish over a distant horizon. We have forgotten how to be optimistic.

Lending is about trust and optimism, not money. Compromise is about progress and opportunity, not position. Hope is for everyone, not for just a few. It is the essence of the American dream. As Helen Keller said “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence”.

I have hope and I understand that we are part of an exciting new digital world where we have two choices. We can either embrace the changes and challenges that new technology brings, and take advantage of the opportunities it offers for growth and prosperity. Or we can ignore these totally, carry on as before and allow the optimism we had to disappear into obscurity.

So it doesn’t matter whether the chicken or the egg came first. What matters is how and when we react to the rapidly evolving world we live in.

To learn how you can leverage the opportunities afforded by the Digital World to help you succeed and make it a better place for us and future generations to live in, please contact us at info@keysoglobal.com, +1-847-478-1633 or visit our website www.keysoglobal.com

Steve Benton, Principal, KeySo Global, LLC

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Protect your Digital Footprint and zip up your Privacy Settings

October 3rd, 2011

I recently had the enjoyable task of giving the father-of-the-bride speech at my daughter’s wedding. This is a challenging project for any father trying to blend humor with touching moments of emotional significance from his daughter’s childhood and wrapping up with words of wisdom for the happy couple.

Check your zipper

During my preparation for this speech I looked to the Internet for guidance. One of the more comical pieces of advice was labeled “The ABC of Giving a Public Speech”, which concluded by saying that the XYZ aspect – being confident about your speech – is the most critical. In this instance, XYZ stands for “check your zipper!” Nobody wants to be standing in front of an audience, unaware of their embarrassment, and having attention diverted to the wrong area!

The new Facebook

You may ask what this has to do with social media. At the recent F8 Developers Conference, Mark Zuckerberg announced significant changes to Facebook. One of these is the introduction of “frictionless sharing” which more closely integrates applications from media companies and enables personal actions such as reading an article, listening to music or watching a movie to be transmitted to all ones’ friends, providing the user has granted prior permission.

Serendipitous sharing

This “frictionless sharing” is designed to encourage “real-time serendipity” by removing the extra step requirement to manually “Like, Share or Comment” on content, which tends to inhibit interaction. The technical framework for apps has been changed within Facebook so that, rather than requiring you to click to share, the app automatically posts your status update. 

As you install each app, you can grant permission for it to update your timeline. At this stage you’ll need to carefully consider the transparency of the information you’re sharing, how your timeline will be updated and why it may be beneficial for you to opt in.

You, as a sponsored story

Provided a user hasn’t “opted out”, anything they listen to or watch can be openly promoted by Facebook partner companies, such as Spotify or Netflix, as if the user had clicked “like” and endorsed it themselves. Additionally, advertisers can identify individual Facebook users, and their activities and endorsements may be used in sponsored stories to recommend a product to their friends.

As a result of this evolved social media, tighter management of privacy settings for online profiles has now become imperative. Users need to understand what these privacy controls mean in terms of what content can be can shared and with whom, as all actions now constitute the users living online profile or “digital footprint”. The already complex overlap between our public and private lives is set to become even more blurred with these changes as almost everything posted on the web is now becoming public knowledge.

Privacy education

Very soon privacy education will have to be incorporated into school curricula. It should most definitely become a part of everyday dialogue between parents and their children, and in many cases the onus will be on the kids to educate the parents!

Already teachers, police officers and other public employees have to be mindful about the pictures and comments they post for fear of repercussions. A recent example of this is a picture that was posted on Facebook of a teacher drinking wine during her summer vacation in Paris and returning home to find out that parents had seen it and objected, which lead to her dismissal.

Don’t forget to zip up your privacy settings

In future, the anecdotes you choose for your father-of-the-bride speech may well be those poignant and, most likely, edited moments from your daughter’s Facebook timeline. If you’re tempted to get a laugh by including a few more embarrassing snippets that you sourced elsewhere – don’t! The guest who kindly videos your speech on their smartphone and posts it on Facebook may just set in motion a train wreck for your daughter’s carefully groomed digital footprint!

At KeySo Global we are advisors and consultants about the impact of digital technology on society, business and individuals. If you’re interested in acquiring a better understanding of the implications of and applications for your corporate or personal digital footprint, please contact us at info@keysoglobal.com, +1-847-478-1633 or visit our website www.keysoglobal.com

Steve Bell, President, KeySo Global

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Flash Riots – a Reality of Digital Life?

September 6th, 2011

The early August spate of riots in London and other parts of the United Kingdom were of real concern to me personally, not only because they occurred in my home town but because they appeared to be totally without motive – even to the rioters themselves!

Equally frustrating, in a city where digital technology is being used to monitor its citizens’ every move, it’s obvious that this technology is not being used as effectively as it could be. The old world respected and admired cultures of the London “bobby” and community policing have not been successfully linked to 21st century technology, so that law enforcement services are unable to interact with their diverse urban communities and deter the escalation of flash points.

Technology alone

In London you have the densest network of closed-circuit TVs (CCTV) anywhere in the world. The probability is that the average Londoner will be caught on camera at least once every 10 minutes. With this impressive network of CCTV’s has come sophisticated facial recognition software, as well as software that’s capable of fast-tracking through hours of video footage and pinpointing the exact location of those people under surveillance.

Integration is the key

This reliance on technology, however, presents similar problems to those that the CIA experienced in the 90s, when the level of sophistication of the technology was considered to be more important than how it was actually linked to assets on the ground. Similarly, during the recent crisis in London, the bobbies on the street were not effectively linked with this high technology, leaving them powerless to provide and receive real time information, so that when the riots escalated, strong arm tactics had to be used to quell them. Now there is talk that community policing is passed its usefulness and should be replaced with US style “fear policing”. A better alternative, as I see it, is to more efficiently integrate and leverage this hybrid of technology and the community bobby, and where necessary support it by more effective targeted backup.

Two sides to a coin

Reminiscent of the Arab Spring, social media and social networking once again played a critical role during this unrest, as instant messaging was used to incite, coordinate and reinforce actions across a widespread area. There were immediate calls in the UK to monitor, intercept and block this messaging, something that the UK and the US governments were only recently advocating that China and the Arab countries NOT do in the face of legitimate press protests. They recommended that the right to protest and communicate freely should be safeguarded.

Legitimate reasons to control

When digital forms of communication are used to advance criminal activity (looting, arson, the destruction of property and so on) I agree that countermeasures need to be in place; however, as in judo, I believe that the secret is to use the force of the opponent to counteract them. This would mean using social media to engage with and mobilize the masses against the criminal minority, and would require the legitimate authority to openly communicate and dialogue via all channels to ensure a consensus of opinion within the communities.

Looking to the future

Western governments, law enforcement and security services need to readdress the realities of policing and protecting democracy in today’s digital world. The current economic climate of austerity, high unemployment and limited growth only heightens the pressures and frustrations felt by society. In large cities, the flash point is ever present when small orchestrated groups use the increasing isolation of the community to their own advantage – and we have seen that social media and social networking can work both ways in such an environment. This is the time when we need to ensure that the integration of information and communication technology is aligned with the values and culture of our democratic society, and that it is used for the greater good.

Understanding and gaining a strategic perspective in these rapidly changing digital times can be difficult if 99% of your focus is tactical. To gain clearer insights into how your business could be impacted in the future by these changes, contact us at info@keysoglobal.com, +1-847-478-1633 or visit our website www.keysoglobal.com

Steve Bell, President, KeySo Global

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