Switchfast Blog: The Future of IT
Three Advancing Areas of Enterprise Hardware
Friday, June 18, 2010 by Bryan Anderson
Consumer technology products have advanced substantially over
the past decade, with devices like netbooks, mobile internet
devices, and tablets evolving from the increasing demand for
improved, efficient computing. In comparison, the enterprise
industry has experienced a much slower adaptation of evolving
innovation, and in some cases (like the iPhone) has simply adapted
the consumer product as a popular business utility.
While a great deal of innovation has provided a jolt in software
development, the appropriate hardware can be crucial in providing
businesses, both small and large, an accurate and efficient user
experience. Every business demands the most up-to-date software
services, why can't the same be said for hardware?
Here are three previews into the future of catering technology
to a more enterprise-driven market:
Motorola ES400 Smartphone. One word iPhone
users could never attribute to their phone is "rugged." As business
users become more mobile and rely more on technology to stay
connected, their devices need to be "real-world" ready. Most
cellular devices recently have seen upgrades in processor speed,
software options, and media capabilities (camera and video
specifications). Motorola has decided to produce a smartphone that "combines
aesthetics with business functionality." The specs are catered to
field workers like salespeople or mobile businesses, including the
ability to withstand drops of 4 feet and exposure to dust,
moisture, and rain. Another software innovation integrated with the
hardware includes a biometric fingerprint scanner, which would
allow "IT managers to remotely manage the phones being used by the
workforce." A future competitor, Intermec Technologies, will launch
an enterprise phone with a dedicated 2D barcode scanner. While all
the capabilities of the phone can be customized, it is the rugged
hardware that is purposefully aimed at the rigorous, mobile
businessperson.
SeaMicro's 'Mini' Server. As a Venturebeat.com
article points out, "SeaMicro is dispelling the
Silicon Valley myth that you can't innovate in hardware anymore."
The company has found a way to combine 512 Intel Atom chips that
produce supercomputer results all while using 75% less space and
power than present-day servers. They virtualized several functions
that took up space in each server rack, such as, storage,
networking, server management, and load balancing,. In essence, the
company shrunk the size of the system board "from a pizza box to
the size of a credit card." A graph within the article shows the
amount of money saved from their innovative venture.
HP Web-Based Printers. With digital content
being the frontrunner for capital investments, the art of printing
has trailed at a sluggish pace. As the internet grows and becomes
integrated with common business utilities, hardware will become
more important to enterprise users in their quest for workplace
efficiency. Changing hardware to accommodate a shift in fundamental
content consumption is one consideration taken by HP who recently announced their plans for web-based
printers. While the internet brings a foreign element to the
printing industry, 3D model printers are also piercing the
enterprise industry. These advancements, coupled with the demand
for on-location printing capabilities from various devices, will
push the traditional printer into an essential enterprise role.
Until Next Time -
Matthew Hymel
Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support &
Consulting
Rochester
IT Support & Consulting
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