Posted on Thu, Aug 02, 2012 @ 05:01 PM
A man walks into your office and says I want to buy $24,000.00 worth of your product. What do you do?
I would hope you offer the man a seat, some coffee and let him know that you are all ears. A $24,000.00 deal isn’t something to pass up.
A man walks into your office and says I have a system that can save you $200 a month. What do you do?
Again, I would hope you offer the man a seat, some coffee and let him know that you are all ears. Saving $200 a month isn’t something to pass up.
At first it might strike you as strange to compare savings and a sale; one is received by doing business, the other by spending money. What makes them interchangeable is they both bring profit – big profit. If you are a small businessperson that means cash in YOUR pocket.
Here’s the trick. You are already spending a certain amount every month on electric, phone and internet, heating/cooling, a cleaning service, rent and so on. Lowering your rent while in the middle of a lease might be a problem but that internet/telephone person who you don’t have time to see might be able to reduce your expenses by $100, $200, $300, $1,000 every month.
Maybe you still aren’t convinced, so let’s break down the $24,000 sale analogy even more. Say you are the typical business that, after all expenses, is earning 10%. So, if you make a $24,000.00 sale your net, what goes into your pocket, is $2,400.00. Divide that by 12 months and you have your $200.00/month!
Your internet/telephone guy is as valuable as the customer who paid you $24,000.00.
If you wouldn’t let a customer walk out, don’t let a better phone and internet deal escape either. Monopolize on the savings. Spend less, save more and get the best technology, improve customer service and become more efficient.
By spending less on the basics, you can spend more on expansion, the extras, the bigger customers, the better deals. It’s a domino effect, but this time the dominos are being pushed back up.
Get the push you need with VoIP technology.
Posted on Wed, Aug 01, 2012 @ 05:24 PM
The average business day is wrought with stress, struggles and mishaps. Your phone and internet connection should not be one of them.
Has your service suddenly become slow and frustrating? It could be WAN Congestion. The symptoms usually include decreased call quality, poor connection speed, a backup of incoming calls and headaches.
There are two possible remedies – stop the traffic or help guide it. Since the average business doesn’t have the option to completely disallow incoming traffic, we’re going to prescribe a three-option regiment.
1. Add more bandwidth
If your employees are always complaining of slow internet speed and lagging calls, there’s a chance you need more bandwidth. It’s actually a good sign that you’re pulling in more traffic and operating at a higher level than when you first started using VoIP/SIP. Simply contact your provider to find out your increase options.
Side effects do include a slight increase in cost.
This is recommended for companies with an on-going and consistent problem that QoS hasn’t helped and is to be used long-term.
2. Perform QoS
What does QoS stand for? It means Quality of Service and though it can refer to just the general quality of your connection, it is also a tactic to speed up your connection.
VoIP technology functions using tagged voice and data packets moving through the digital world at various speeds and through various tunnels. Ideally, voice packets are always a higher priority than data therefore moving through the queue faster. What often happens, however, is the digital world can become confused, forgetting which tag is of more importance. Tags are what differentiate between a voice packet and a data packet.
What QoS does is remind the system which packets are which, which tags mean what and who should be moving first.
Side effects include periodic slowness caused by congested voice packets. The queue becomes slower due to number rather than priority.
This is recommended for companies with periodic slowness, often with large downloads or uploads. Companies with slow calls should always consider QoS first. QoS is to be used on an as-need basis.
3. Compress traffic
The name might be a bit misleading because you are not compressing the data – you’re compressing the bandwidth. The information being sent will remain the same size, but by decreasing the amount of bandwidth being allowed to move through the digital sphere, you’re prioritizing and allowing certain applications to move faster. This is used for problems with both phones and the internet.
Side effects include a decrease in speed for lower quality and less used applications.
This is recommended for businesses in need of a quick, temporary fix. It will only assist certain kinds of data and works well when paired with QoS.
We hope the doctor’s orders can help better your experience with VoIP and SIP technology.
Posted on Mon, Jul 30, 2012 @ 05:15 PM
When I was in 4th grade my best friend got a virtual video game for Christmas, and I was beyond jealous. If being labeled “virtual” wasn’t cool enough in the early 2000s, add a sick pair of goggles and hand controllers and it was.
The game was an all black, single-player, simulation game where you put on the goggles, a pair of gloves/hand-controllers and sensors on your ankles to control your character. It probably looked a little bit like the photo to the right, and trust me - it was heavier than it looks.
I don’t remember the name, but I do remember enviously wanting the world of technology to transform me into a ninja. After many days of family parties, too much snow and vacationing, I finally got to go to my friend’s house and try the game she had bragged so lavishly about.
After spending an infinitely long 3 minutes assembling the gear on my tiny body, I began to punch, kick and jump in this exciting, new world. After a very finite 30 seconds, I realized that the game was awful. It was basically whack-a-mole with goggles and heavy arm padding. What is fun about swatting at different light-up bad guys? Where’s the karate? The acrobatics? Why I don’t I hear the sound of my punch? The sound of my opponents falling and losing? Most of all, why isn’t there more than one level?!
Having had such a terrible first experience with a goggle-based game, you can see why I have never anxiously awaited the new headgear technology or next goggle gadget. Quite honestly, both make me think of orthodontics and a poor social life. Much to my surprise, however, a recent article from Network World (click here to read the article) made me reevaluate my opinion.
Glasses are the new techie dream, and I want to take a look.
Recent plans to unleash the Google Glass has sparked a lot of interest. And many companies have jumped on this wave of anticipation - as all good companies and capitalists do.
Click here to see the Google Glass Live Demo.
Oakley, Apple and Epson are among the companies working on glasses-related projects. Though Apple is only in the patent stages and Oakley’s work is a continuation of the Thumps which has been for sale since 2004, there is still reason to be excited. None of these gadgets seem to be the same.
The medical world is working a special kind of goggle that allows doctors to see beneath the skin called 02Amp. The EyeSeeCam simply moves with your eyes and adjusts cameras as you look around. Epson has the Moverio, which hopes to better your airplane experience (not exclusively of course) by allowing you to watch movies comfortably, compactly and with good quality.
The Google Glass itself is a new form of photography and videography, especially valuable for sports and high-risk adventuring. It is one thing to be a talented athlete or to have the guts to skydive professionally or to be a great videographer. But it is almost impossible to be all three. The Google Glass allows high-quality video and photography to be done by the person executing the stunt or work. And that is only one of the benefits and uses seen in the early stages of development. Google is “excited” for Glass and so am I.
For further information on the development of Google Glass, please visit Project Glass (you will need a Google+ account to view).
Who knows when these gadgets will be finished, perfected and for sale, but we do know that it’ll be a pretty picture indeed.
Posted on Fri, Jul 27, 2012 @ 05:11 PM
How many times have you read a Terms of Service agreement on a website or before installing a new update or software? If you said more than once, you already have me beat.
It often strikes me as absurd that companies actually expect customers to read the full license, to sit down and scroll through page after page of legal jargon. As much as it annoys me, though, I know it’s necessary. The terms and agreements protect us both: lawsuits aren’t fun for anyone (well, maybe except for the lawyers).
The problems with this don’t-ask-don’t-tell style relationship between product manufacturers and customers are increasing though. Within all the legalities and technicalities there actually is a lot of important information, and users are breaking rules they didn’t know existed in the first place. Can companies really hold these people accountable for not reading every word and bullet point? Can customers really use “it’s too long” as a legitimate excuse?
These questions are hard to answer and, thankfully, it seems we don’t need to. 17 year old Kevin Wang has created a new website to simplify these terms and bring a new level of ease and understanding to licensing and contracts. Though the website only has 31 licenses at present, developers can send in their licenses with a link and summary to be added to the collection. TLDRLegal is starting a lot of talk, because it is sure to change the whole user-agreement dynamic as well save money too often lost to legal fees.
Perhaps the best part of the new website is the basic understanding we can all gain. It can be daunting to press ‘accept’ and have no idea what you’re really signing up for. Rememeber the AmazonPrime Free Trial that automatically charged your account almost $200 if you didn’t cancel at least 2 weeks before the end of the month? Yeah, TLDRLegal could’ve been helpful then.
Keep in mind, the website is focused on licensing agreements, though. This is more for software and developers. While it might become more extensive and host a variety of contracts simplified later, right now it remains in the beginning stages keeping its focus on restricted codes and access points.
When asked why he started the website, Wang explained, “I assumed that it had to exist, just because I needed it so much.” If there is a better reason, I sure don’t know what it is; I like the way he thinks.
Furthermore, this young computer science enthusiastic is heading to UC Berkley in the fall, and despite the high tuition cost, he says he has no plans to use the website for profit. Though he will consider advertisements in the future to help pay for server and hosting costs, his main concern is bridging the gap between developers and the software agreements. The website does accept donations as well.
I look forward to seeing this website thrive and grow. It is always comforting to read not only about a new website sure to help all us computer geeks but to know that not everything is for profit, too.
Check out TLDRLegal if you need some software agreement clarification. It’s sure to be a hit.
Posted on Wed, Jul 25, 2012 @ 05:05 PM
All of us have placed a call only to unfortunately be greeted by the familiar sound of a voicemail at one time or another, and those greetings get old fast.
For those in business, it is usually something along the lines of, “Hello, you have reached John Smith. I am unable to take your call at the moment so please leave your name and number and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you.
Kids usually have some kind of garbled mumbling like, “Yo, dis is Jimmy. Leave a message. Peace,” at so fast a pace that you jump at the sound of the beep.
Any of our more technologically-challenged friends will take the safe route and rely on a machine: “You have reached the Sprint PCS mailbox of (pause) John Smith,” or for those too scared to even record their name: “We’re sorry (pause) – number 9. 9. 9. 3. 4. 2. 8. 5. 1. 2. Is not available. Please leave a message.”
With all these usual recordings, a funny or simply different voicemail message can be refreshing. Though not the most professional option, here are the top 6 voicemail greetings:
1. The Gender Switch
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know the difference between a male and female speaking voice, and the expectation of the ear is precisely what makes “the Gender Switch” my favorite voicemail message.
Get your spouse, your friend, your sibling or even your child in on this one. If you’re a male, find someone with a very high voice. If you’re a female, you’ll want a deep, low voice. Have this person record “Hey you’ve reached [your name here]. Leave me a message!” or something along those lines. Your callers are in for a shock.
2. “Hello? I can’t hear you…”
Perhaps one of the more frustrating messages, the “Hello, I can’t hear you” requires patience both from you and from your callers.
Begin your message as if you are answering a phone; a simple, “Hello?” works just fine. From there, pause as if your waiting for an answer and begin to ask again – “Hello? I can’t hear you. Who is this? Sorry, what?” Continue for only a few seconds, giving just enough time for the caller to respond and begin to speak louder. Once you’re satisfied with the length of the message give a quick, “JUST KIDDING. I’m not here – leave a message!” and get ready for some exasperated voicemails.
3. BEEEEP
This may be the simplest of the Top 6. You can do this alone or with a friend.
We all are familiar with the beep that comes at the end of the message, so why not make it your own? Simply record you or you and someone else beeping loudly into the phone. Throw a “leave a message!” at the end if you want, too.
Just remember: the regular, recorded beep will still sound for your callers once your message has ended.
4. The Jingle
If you’re feeling creative, I have just the voicemail for you! Similar to freecreditreport.com or Oscar Meyer, write up something short and sweet to get stuck in your callers head.
Even though it’s not a voicemail greeting, here’s a classic jingle we’ve been hearing since the 30’s to use for reference:
click me!
5. Make it Epic
If you want epic voicemails, you need to inspire epic emotions. Try recording a favorite inspirational tune to provide an intro, outro or background for your message. Some classic favorites are Eye of the Tiger, Ride of the Valkyries or anything from Star Wars. My personal favorite would be “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” best recognized from 2001: a Space Odyssey.
6. Gadget or Appliance Switch
Here’s another creative idea: what if you told callers you they weren’t talking to a cell phone? This is one of the more popular funny greetings. Try something like, “Hi, you’ve reached Susie’s refrigerator. Please don’t ask me if I’m running, and leave a message at the beep.”
You have a whole variety of objects to choose from. Before most pranksters only had kitchen appliances to choose from, but you could get silly with an iPod, the washing machine, DVR or even a made-believe mind reader or something. Whatever you choose, it’ll be sure to make us laugh!
Happy calling!
Posted on Tue, Jul 24, 2012 @ 05:07 PM
Most consumers have been made aware of company’s abilities and tendencies to track any given online searches, purchases, browsing history and so on. The general response has been a mix of confusion, anger, frustration and complete outrage. It’s an invasion of privacy and unfair to users. Why then are internet privacy experts against the legislation in process?
Many large names are supporting the Do Not Track protocol including Microsoft and Apple. In May 2011, Congress introduced the Do No Track Act. The World Wide Web Consortium is in the process of standardizing the protocol. So what’s the problem?
Well, companies like Microsoft and Apple don’t need to rely on such customer information to up their sales. These innovative companies are household names and multi-billion dollar businesses. No matter what legislation does, they’ll make a profit. Additionally, the Do Not Track Act has been pushed aside to the point that it is predicted to have a 3% chance of passing through the Senate.
We don’t need a law. We need a better system.
Legislation is a solution in the same way that a security camera is protection; it can only covers a specific area and while it can prove a crime was committed, it can’t stop it. The government can’t guarantee you won’t be tracked; it can only scold those who get caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
The problem with eCommerce, cookies (not the ones in the cookie jar) and unprotected browsing is that the power of the internet lies in the hands of the server. More focus needs to be put on the client-server relationship and establishing a balance between them. This is the same protocol and processes we’ve been developing since the 90’s. Who needs legislation if tracking isn’t possible? Why rely on the government when we can protect ourselves?
If you worry about how a business will be affected for the worse, I have good news as well. In the words of Doc Searls, “All they have to do is ask.”
The modern business often relies on the information they gather from tracking their customers and the comprehensive data collected about specific social groups and products. Target apparently knew about a teenage pregnancy before the teen’s father – doesn’t seem right, does it?
But like I said – have no fear; they don’t have to suffer if they can’t track as heavily, or even at all. For years research has been done through verbal, consensual conversation. In fact, companies still do it including the nonprofit anti-smoking campaign Truth, Aflac and Coca-Cola. Sales research and business profit does not rely on this sort of tracking. Consumers will still buy the same products for the same reasons even if we don’t know how often they Google “low carb diet,” how many emails they receive on average or know where they shop for their bedding.
For the majority of my readings I was outraged that someone could argue against Do Not Track legislation. But there is a distinct reason that experts are dubbed “expert,” and I soon realized that it isn’t a matter of for or against, yes or no, good or bad.
Again, we do not need legislation. We need a new system. We need alternatives, improvements and, most of all, options.
Whether you believe that tracking consumers is right or wrong, we need to be able to choose whether it is done to us. I believe that if you have to consent to use a person in a science experiment or survey (and you do), you should have to consent to track a person as well.
What do you think? Let us know your opinion on trackers, legislation and the act itself in the comment section below.
Posted on Thu, Jul 19, 2012 @ 05:15 PM
The battle between desktop and laptop computers has been a long and bloody one. With many casualties, such as floppy disks and writing pads, and much advancement, like removable hard drives and cordless mice, the laptop has been often dubbed the winner. Based on Sun Tzu war theory, though, this is simply impossible: “Every battle is won before it is fought.”
I have to admit that I am solely a laptop user. This past Christmas I received my first MacBook and recently bought an iPhone, so it’s safe to say I am a biased and addicted Apple consumer. However, I do have my fair share of experience with a variety of desktops and PCs: the Dell Dimension, my first Acer laptop, a brief stint with Vista and even the opportunity to play with a Alienware x51.
It’s from this assortment that I came to the conclusion that a laptop can never outdo a desktop. Sure, every computer, every brand, every style is different. But the truth is: a desktop is reliable and enduring. It won the battle before it began.
This may seem like strange logic, so let me remind you that I am not intending to present cold hard facts. I only hope to explain my opinion in a more solid manner. Truthfully, I contradict my own opinion and often find myself disproving it. Comments and disagreements are encouraged heavily.
Let’s begin with the basic pros and cons of each.
There are a few ways to process the chart information. Were it a numbers game, the desktop would win having less cons and more pros. If we go based on needs, the winner becomes relative to the buyer. But even when we judge based on a compare and contrast system, the winner still isn’t obvious.
Since I’m in a chart-y mood, let’s check out this Venn diagram. We’ll call it the final round or the tiebreaker.
So does this make my choice more obvious? Perhaps not, considering both are a solid bargain. Let’s try one last chart (I promise) to clarify:
The driving points for a laptop are simple: mobility, portability, style and weight. I’m a college student – trust me, I have loads of practice whining “but this laptop is too heavy! How can I take it to class?” For the desktop, its most poignant features are often overlooked: it will endure time and survive the improving gadgets.
The desktop computer is simply a more lasting invention, because it can sustain and adapt better than a laptop. It will be able to handle increasingly better graphics, applications, speeds and so on. Upgrades are its old pals – desktops thrive off the add-ons. Laptops should thank their lucky stars for the existence of removable hard drives and CD/DVD burner options.
But enough with the examples and let’s get to the point: desktop will win the battle, because the laptop lost before it began.
The laptop is a product of the desktop – a more portable version of the greatest technology our world has seen. The desktop is the computer, and our technology is nothing without it.
Sales percentages and consumer demands may tell us that the laptop is winning, but I promise you that to be future-proof is a greater gift than to be portable. You can win the fight without winning the war.
Still, this competition will continue for a very long time (especially with the new opposition: smart phones and other portable devices like eReaders and iPads), but I believe in Tzu: the battle has already been won.
Posted on Tue, Jul 17, 2012 @ 05:15 PM
An efficient phone and internet system is almost as important to a business as its customers.
Think about it – what links the customers to you? Communication. There is no way to know if a consumer is interested unless they tell you. Whether it is an email, a phone call or a knock on the front door, you need a method of fast, effective and reliable communication.
If you can’t get in touch, you can’t do business. It’s that simple.
We all know the age old saying, “Your only as strong as your weakest player.” In the telephony and general business world I say, “Your only as strong as your telephone and internet system”. The point is, if your method of communication is weak, so is your business.
It is never too late to upgrade and add some muscle to the brainpower of the company. Truthfully, your product won’t sell if it isn’t any good, but no matter how good that product is, no customers means no success.
It is shocking how many businesses run based on the limits of their phone and internet system. Don’t let a poor connection hold you back.
With VoIP/SIP technology, your business and customer relationships will be taken to a whole new level. There is a wide range of features that can assist any business, but we make sure your plan fits with your product and service specifically.
Here are a few examples of VoIP/SIP features:
- Voicemail access from any phone
- Calling abilities from any computer including access to call history, transferring, muting, holding
- Paging system through the computer
- Updated call waiting messages for customers on hold
- Fast and simultaneous phone and internet service
- Affordable long distance and international calling rates
If even one of those resonated with you, I can assure you that VoIP is worth the switch. Whether you want to improve customer relations, connection speed, portability or mobility, save money or go green, VoIP can do it (click any term to see a related article).
It’s an easy and quick transition for a low cost with high benefits. Don’t believe us? Click here to read customer testimonials or to read more about VoIP/SIP technology itself. Atris provides free VoIP information packets to find out if it really is right for your business, and we’d be happy to just talk if you have any questions, concerns or general thoughts.
Business relies on three C’s: connection, communication and customers. Let us improve all three, today.
Posted on Fri, Jul 13, 2012 @ 09:26 AM
Last week Cisco started a big discussion about cloud computing security. When addressing how safe we really are, I concluded that we can never really know. Trust between users and providers is dwindling, and it is almost impossible to determine whether added security is necessary or another grab at our wallets.
While continuing to read deeper, I realized the problem spans widely and affects many large companies. It was a bit shocking to see headlines talking about Ticketmaster and cloud computing – a website which I often use and spend a lot of money on.
Ticketmaster has always been a site I found trustable, reliable and accessible. If you forget your password, they send you a temporary replacement and prompt you to create a new password rather than send the previous – who knows who can see your email after all. Secondly, once you have entered using this temp, you either provide your credit card number or allow your billing information to be wiped. If you need a new password, you must be able to provide credit card information. The trick is to stop a third party from being able to buy tickets or products using your billing information. I have a feeling this is useful for parents with concert-hungry teens, too.
This is only one example of the high security measures on Ticketmaster, so I began to read the article a bit fearfully. It turns out, Ticketmaster wasn’t previously part of the cloud - could that be why I felt so safe on the site?
Despite the Cisco mishaps, they are beginning to merge into a private cloud through the company. As the third largest e-commerce company in North America, it is no surprise they want a more efficient internet system. It is no surprise they are opting-out of the public cloud either.
Part of the company’s merge will also involve Nexus switches and ASA firewalls – hefty and costly security measures. They aren’t playing around.
In addition, the company reportedly will not consider public cloud credit card transactions. The goal is that the private cloud will provide Live Nation partners and tenant businesses with more direct control and add ease to working with multiple ISPs. Because Ticketmaster wants to continue to protect their customers, they are staying private; the benefits are business-related rather than user-friendly.
This decision was not done lightly; it was given great care and thought. The timing feels odd with the recent Cisco blunder, but I strongly believe this is a contract and switch that was in the making for quite some time previously.
Ticketmaster is a fantastic, secure and customer-loving company making a great example of how we must treat cloud computing: taking the highest security measures, transitioning slowly and keeping personal information private. Many companies should follow suit.
We cannot call cloud computing the enemy nor can we shun it from any business. The best option for large companies is to be wary and take the transition slow. Don’t trust a single source and protect your customers at any and all costs.
As part of a small business, I plan to stay with premise-based solutions. The much more secure, fair priced and efficient system has never blundered or concerned me. I see no reason to switch when the technology is equally up-to-date, compatible and advanced. Just some food for thought!
Have you considered the best internet system for your business?
Posted on Thu, Jul 12, 2012 @ 05:11 PM
It’s that time of year again for Google to begin it’s spring – more like midsummer – cleaning.
Most of the products being discontinued, retired or simply destroyed come as no surprise. As I read through various lists of previously, recently and soon to be ended products, many were only vaguely familiar; a few were even completely foreign to me.
For Google, marketing and consumer awareness does not seem to be the problem. The $200 Billion company has been extremely successful and even has its own phrase – “Google it”.
Products are failing because they are either outdated, done better by another application or almost too specific and obscure.
The positive side to be taken from this, however, is the willingness to try, to take risk and to persevere. And I suppose a net worth of $200 billion does make that slightly easier.
Comparatively, Apple disappointed consumers with their conference in early June when they failed to release any information on the rumored iPhone 5 and a seemingly unchanged new Macbook Pro (it seems sales are still higher for the older model). The public was bored.
Are they playing it safe? Or just biding time before they really unveil an exciting and innovative new product? This $300 billion company seems to be able to afford either approach.
Returning to the original topic – Google discontinuations – I found the most interesting aspect to be that Google’s greatest competition is itself. It is not the iPad or the iPhone or anything Apple related really. Maybe one could argue that Facebook is a close second on its list of enemies, but that $90 billion company has a much smaller medium (that’s not to say they’re not trying to expand however – does Instagram ring a bell?)
But in reality, the only company Google can’t outdo is itself.
A good example of this Google v Google competition is the Google Notebook, dead since September 2011. This application meant to function as an online trapper-keeper or planner. You could make free form notes and copy and paste URLs with a click. It became obsolete, however, when users were given access to Google Docs, a much more comprehensive, accessible and user-friendly application – or at least in my opinion. Considering Google allowed users to migrate all their Notebook documents with Google Docs, I doubt we differ much in our opinions.
Google Desktop had a similar end. Instant data access didn’t become obsolete, but it was done better with other applications. Desktop was also discontinued in September 2011.
Most notable I believe is the termination of Google Video. YouTube is more well-known and more accessible, so Google plans to merge its videos with the site. You may ask, how did Google kill itself? Isn’t YouTube responsible? Simple – Google owns YouTube. Once again, the company can’t undo itself.
More recently in April 2012, the company shut down Google Related. This product was an ambitious endeavor, but I hadn’t even heard of it until after termination. Developers made this toolbar application to help add depth to user’s searches. In their words,
“Google Related is a browsing assistant that offers interesting and useful content while you are browsing the web. For instance, if you're browsing a page about a restaurant in San Francisco, Google Related will assist you by displaying useful information about this restaurant such as the location of the restaurant on a map, user reviews, related restaurants in the area, and other webpages related to San Francisco restaurants - all in one place.”
In theory, this application seems like a sure-hit, another internet tool that changes our daily lifestyle. The reality of it was, though, that Google is a good enough search engine as is. As thinking beings, we can skim the webpage to find all that information almost just as fast. Google Related couldn’t outdo the original Google search engine.
The product wasn’t bad – it just wasn’t necessary. And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The too specific products I mentioned earlier are applications like OnePass or Social Graph API. OnePass is almost a form of online payment, and Social Graph API was an attempt at connecting social network users and app developers. With PayPal, Amazon and forums, these products only appealed to the experts or truly obsessed. If a variety of people won’t want it, popularity and success become impossible.
Again, demand was lacking, not good execution.
In my final point of discussion, I’d like to return to Google Enemy #2: Facebook.
This young – both in age and owner – company has been untouchable in the social networking world. After the failure of Google+ (which has not been retired, destroyed or shutdown… yet), Google has decided to close Google Wave, their first attempt at social networking, Google Buzz, a product similar to iMessage or Facebook chat, and put the designers of Picnik (which will be terminated January 2013) on to a more important task – photo editing on Google+.
It seems as if the company can’t decide whether to surrender to Facebook or keep fighting. They accept defeat in many of the applications yet still believe in the future of G+ in adding more developers, designers and young minds .
Whatever their reasons may be, Google is a powerhouse company that continues to innovate and change the web. I owe them a lot. After all, I couldn’t have found nearly all this information with some quick searches in my Google Chrome search bar.
Keep designing Google – you’ll outdo yourself someday.