Latest News
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NAS vs SAN
Simon Sharwood | March 9, 2011Learn the difference between NAS and SAN scalabale data storage devices.
The IT industry has a deserved reputation for confusing people with jargon, but never more so than in the world of storage where it has adopted the competing-but-similar terms “NAS” and “SAN” to describe large-scale data storage appliances.
To understand NAS and SAN, you first need to get your head around “DAS”, or direct-attached storage. DAS refers to disks installed inside a server. Every server needs some DAS, in order to store its operating system and other vital data. But DAS can only scale so far to store all the data a business generates, a server would need space to house many, many disk drives. If servers could do so, they would quickly become untenably large and power-hungry.
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HOW TO: make the most of trade shows
Virginia Harrison | March 8, 2011
Tempted by a trade show but not sure it’s worth the investment? Or perhaps you exhibit every year – same stand, same crowd. But if you aren’t getting solid results, it might be time to rethink your approach.
Sales and marketing consultancy Revealed Resources advises SMEs on how to get more out of business expos.
“Trade shows can be a great lead capture mechanism. It comes down to your market. Is the market you’re going for likely to be there? What traffic is going to come by your stand?” Principal Consultant Rashid Kotwal says. -
ASIC – Companies ‘hide bad news’
Les Pickett | February 24, 2011
A number of top 200 listed companies fail to properly report their profit results in an effort to “hide bad news” from investors.
This comes in a landmark survey by the corporate regulator. Late last year, The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) for the first time reviewed the quality of the disclosures contained in the “Operating and Financial Review” section of the annual reports of 50 of the top 200 listed companies with June 30 balance dates.
ASIC found that a number of companies had disregarded warnings by the regulator in the lead-up to the August annual profit reporting season not to report misleading profit figures that focused on more favourable-looking numbers.
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How the weak win deals: A theory of asymmetric negotiation
Peter Fritz | February 24, 2011Negotiations tend to favour the powerful.
This is never clearer than in war and battle. We expect the strong army to defeat the weak army. Yet, as is beautifully articulated in a terrific article by Ivan Arreguin-Toft titled How the Weak Win Wars: A Theory of Asymmetric Conflict, some 30 per cent of the time the weaker army will win a war.
Of course, it is not really the case that weaker armies win wars; for if they were truly the weaker army they would have lost. Instead, we are surprised when our judgement of which army was stronger is proved incorrect. When the weak win wars it is normally said that they “had a better strategy”. The army with the better strategy is simply the one who’s General has done a better job of accounting for all the variables at play when formulating his strategy.
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AIM SURVEY: Women in the workforce
Les Pickett | February 9, 2011The Australian Institute of Management is conducting a SURVEY seeking views on how can we retain more women in the workforce and increase their representation in senior management positions in Australia.
Australia’s escalating skills shortage is hitting the profits and performance of organisations in this country. In this environment, organisations are embarking on new programs to stop the female ‘brain drain’ from the workforce and to ensure they gain full advantage from the skills of all the women and men they employ.
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HOW TO: write a strong value proposition
Virginia Harrison | February 6, 2011
You probably think you have a good handle on what your business does. But could you outline exactly what you offer customers in a few sentences? And does it matter?
Principal Consultant of Revealed Resources Rashid Kotwal says nailing the value proposition is a crucial element of success.
The sales and marketing business consultancy has advised mid-size companies on business expansion for more than a decade.
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How about Azerbaijan?
Marc S. Ellenbogen | February 4, 2011Why SMEs need to think about emerging markets.
People who are experts would say there’s no way a SME can operate in Azerbaijan or Kurdistan, or in any centralized economy where a pseudo-dictator is controlling. They would say these are just pipe dreams.
I disagree.
My argument is these people want their economies to grow. Like Dubai, Qatar and the Emirates they see value in slowly bringing in know-how and growing their economies. And they would rather foreigners brought in that know-how, people they don’t feel threatened by politically rather than their own people who might become a counterbalance.
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Gut instinct due for a comeback
Virginia Harrison | January 25, 2011
In an advertisement for her reality television show, business owner Kelly Cutrone explains there’s no crying in her office. If you want to cry, go outside.
The Kell on Earth star is probably not alone in the view that emotion is something best left at the office door.
But according to interdisciplinary education expert Dr Anne Fritz-Cohen, managers need to rediscover their feelings in order to be more effective.
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Sustainable development and the role of medium sized enterprises
Ulrike Schuermann | January 18, 2011According to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) SMEs account for about 90 per cent of businesses worldwide, employing 50 to 60 per cent of the world’s workforce. In Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics data indicate small businesses in Australia comprise up to 89 per cent of all employing enterprises, with medium businesses making up another 10 per cent.
The SME sector is not only huge but also extremely diverse – with 60per cent of all of these businesses not having any employees – this diversity creates challenges on many levels and areas including responsible business practices, corporate sustainability and philanthropy.
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Mixing business with family – can it work?
Philippa Taylor | January 18, 2011Family Business Australia (FBA), a non-profit organisation working with families in business, has developed a two-day course to help family members be effective directors, and understand the dynamics that can affect their judgement.
FBA, in conjunction with the leading Australian provider of family business education, the Australian Centre for Family Business at Bond University, has focused not only on business governance but governance pertaining to family involvement.
This course is designed to cover material not currently offered in Australia today. The emphasis is on balancing the needs of the family and the business when developing management and governance structures such as boards and advisory councils.
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Fast and furious First 5000 critical in saving the planet
Ulrike Schuermann | January 17, 2011The urgency for all businesses to be economically, environmentally and socially sustainable has never been greater.
From a customer perspective; the world will be putting a price on carbon emissions and customers will prefer to do business with sustainable companies (including Government procurement) = sustainability is good for business.
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A thought on business development
Peter Fritz | January 17, 2011I just watched The Social Network. I enjoyed the film thoroughly, and unsurprisingly, it got me thinking about successful businesses.
There are three elements you need to build a business: 1) Connect: connect to the market or in other words, find customers; 2) Laziness principle: make it easy for the customer to use your solutions, and ensure they are easier to use than existing solutions; and 3) Persevere: no business is created without perseverance.
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Don’t bank on competition
Jost Stollmann | January 17, 2011Why business must take action against the big four. CEO of Tyro Payments Jost Stollmann on why the big banks continue to fail their customers and how constructive industry behaviour can help reform the banking sector.
The world of commerce has moved into the internet age. As customers and business owners we demand speed, efficiency and reliability in transactions which are scattered over every facet of our lives. So it’s no wonder when we depend on the major banks – which run on legacy IT systems that are more than 30 years old – we are so often frustrated or left short-changed.
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UPDATE: 11 crucial consumer trends for 2011
First 5000 | January 12, 2011January 2011, Another new year, another roller coaster of threats and opportunities. We tend to focus on the latter as, amidst currency wars and defaulting nations, there are more opportunities than ever for creative brands and entrepreneurs to deliver on changing consumer needs. From Brazil to Belgium. No rest for the wicked!
Trendwatching’s brief overview of the 11 consumer trends for 2011:
1. Random acts of kindness
In 2011, expect companies to monitor consumers’ public moods and act upon them with random acts of kindness…marketing may never be the same 😉 Read more »
2. Urbanomics
Are you ready for hundreds of millions of more daring, more experienced consumers? Oh, and that’s just one side effect of rapid global urbanization… Read more »
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Why Gerry Harvey is wrong
Patrick Callioni | January 11, 2011Gerry Harvey should be careful what he wishes before crying out for a “level playing field”.
Today we will consider a significant public policy issue that affects all of us: competition in the retail sector. Gerry Harvey and other large Australian retailers are arguing that the Australian Government should impose the GST on purchases made online from overseas suppliers, to create a level playing field for Australian retailers.
Gerry Harvey has gone so far as to label Australians who shop online as “un-Australian”, using emotional hyperbole in a way that many have found offensive, as shown here. I am not going to get emotional about this – I will consider the facts.
