Posts tagged software
6 things we hate about Google
Nov 12th
By Keir Thomas
I’m starting to get the feeling that Google’s Websites are over-engineered–so much so that I’m feeling nostalgia for the days of simple search when you just typed what you’re looking for and got a page of results.
Alas, somebody at Google headquarters believes those days are long gone.
With this in mind, here are my top six Google annoyances. Read the rest of this entry »
Free Linux tool determines open source compliance
Nov 9th
There are many ways that vendors of proprietary products try to scare business customers away from open source software, and one of the more commonly heard examples involves vague fears about compliance with open source licenses. There’s nothing like the specter of a good lawsuit to scare a company back into a paid vendor’s welcoming arms.
Katherine Noyes
Open source software such as Linux does involve licenses, it’s true, but complying with those licenses should not impose any significant burden on the company using such software. Nor should it be a reason to use proprietary products instead.
Aiming to help quash such fear, uncertainty and doubt, and to help companies focus their compliance efforts, the Linux Foundation this week unveiled a free self-assessment checklist designed to reduce the cost and complexity involved for the increasing number of companies using Linux.
Microsoft loves PHP. Yes, seriously
Oct 26th
There has in the past been a wide chasm between perspectives regarding commercial software and Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). On the one side, FOSS is about the sharing of ideas and fostering communities of passionate software professionals and hobbyists to build great software that anyone can download and use. On the other side, commercial software places a financial value on the software a company develops and offers and the expectation is that their customers provide compensation for that software in some form (usually paying for a license or subscription).
Paul Laberge
Despite the well-documented history between these two camps, the gap is closing and both are starting to see that they need each other to not only survive but also to thrive in this brave new world of cloud computing and services-based software. By doing so, developer communities from open source and companies like Microsoft will grow together, for the benefit of customers. This is why open source is increasingly becoming part of Microsoft’s developer DNA.
For example, in Canada Microsoft has participated actively in WordCamp Toronto and Montreal, GovCamp and hosts an annual open source conference called Make Web Not War. Microsoft has also participated in significant open source and open data initiatives with the Cities of Edmonton and Vancouver. Read the rest of this entry »
Beware of tricks used by spammers
Sep 8th
It is well known that spammers use many different tactics to add legitimacy to their emails.
Two techniques that are popular include personalizing emails and using images to try to fool the recipient into being scammed.
Spammers will often add text to email that specifically mentions the recipient. This is a technique used in legitimate marketing campaigns where a well known company has access to the users’ personal information because the user has signed up to receive their newsletter or is a previous customer. However for a spammer, obtaining personal information is not so simple. An easy way for them to get a similar effect though, is to simply use the email address to which they are sending. While this is not a name, it can have the same effect by making the email appear it was sent in accordance with a legitimate mailing list, rather than spamming at random. This can be a fairly effective tactic as a lot of websites now use email addresses as usernames.
Virtualization checklist for SMBs
Sep 2nd
There are countless small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) out there looking at virtualization and feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities and challenges of deploying such solutions.
Is virtualization within reach for SMBs? Is it cost-effective? Are there SMB-specific tools, strategies and methods? All of these questions can hinder an SMB’s adoption of virtualization technologies. And one question in particular can halt an SMB’s pursuit of a worthwhile investment: Do we even need virtualization?
POS, supply chain systems top Canadian retailers’ IT purchase choices for 2010
Jul 20th
Majority of Canadian retailers prefer sticking to the tried and true when it comes to software purchases, according to a recent survey of the industry.
In a poll of 34-mid-to-large sized retailers, the Retail Council of Canada (RCA) also found that these businesses may be embracing social media technologies but are still wary of cloud computing.
Nestor Arellano
Here’s some data collected by the RCA which might be helpful to tech vendors and service providers who have set their sights on Canadian stores.
SMBs win with bundled mobile licensing of Maximizer’s CRM 11
Apr 14th
Budget conscious small and medium sized businesses get a double bonus from a recent mobile customer relationship management (CRM) software product from Maximizer Software Inc.
The company’s latest product, CRM 11 acquired a broader Web access footprint but also got a slimmed down TCO (total cost of ownership) by way of a new all-access license pricing that consolidates desktop, mobile and Web access under one single fee which starts at $699. This group edition license is which is available for up to 10 users and includes one full year of inclusive upgrade assurance and technical support is ideal for SMB operations.
“A lot of SMBs still don’t get CRM and one of the major barriers is price. With this new pricing we home to lower that hurdle,” Bob Neudecker, director of marketing for the Vancouver-based company.
Because some CRM vendors currently charge separate licenses for desktop, laptop and mobile access, many companies prefer to forgo one or two of the three channels, Neudecker said. For example, companies can save as much as $550 with the new all-access license as opposed to the stand-alone license for just a desktop or Web access.
Neudecker is also optimistic over adoption of mobile CRM. “We found that one in four users is taking up mobile CRM options,” he said.
With the new licensing plan, some businesses could same as much as 20 per cent, he said. Read the rest of this entry »
School district boosts Web strategy with open source software
Mar 10th
Juggling daily classroom duties and other responsibilities make it very difficult for school staff and students to maintain and update school websites.
This was the case with School District 16 in eastern New Brunswick, where upkeep of the school websites often fell on the shoulders of one staff member who had little or no web design experience. As a result, many of these sites were rarely updated. 
However, since developing a content management system based on the open source Drupal server software, the district has streamlined its web services. Drupal is a free software package that allows an individual or a community of users to easily publish, manage and organize a wide variety of content on a website. Read the rest of this entry »
Star Trek Online provides beta execution lessons
Jan 20th
As a long-time fan of Star Trek, I was eager to get into the open beta test of Star Trek Online. This Massive-Multiplayer Online game developed by Cryptic Studios
has been in the making for years and offers nerds the chance to engage with this fictional Sci-Fi universe on a scale never before seen. Response to the open beta has been literally overwhelming – with the game’s pre-sales topping charts at retail outlets and through Steam’s online distribution platform.
Tech that changed the way we live, work and play
Dec 29th
Boring was among the list of words in my mind when I accepted my first freelance writing assignment on technology. Human-interest stuff, crime and strife where what held my interest – tech for me was just to far remove from daily life. My bad.
Today I’m more inclined to favour the words of one of our Networking editors Howard Solomon, who at one time jokingly said that the secret of his youth was writing about technology. Ina way Howard’s right. Technology touches every facet of our lives and because it is ever changing, it can’t help but alter our existence.
So here, in no particular order, are some of the decade’s popular tech that changed the way we live, work and play.
Read the rest of this entry »
