Month: December 2013

How Big Data is Changing Technology Consulting in Los Angeles

How Big Data is Changing Technology Consulting in Los Angeles

What makes data “big” is the growth of the database, according to InformationWeek. As data grows, it becomes more difficult to analyze and work with. Companies that specialize in “big data,” like Google, actually specialize in applying that data for practical purposes. These companies run massive search engines that retrieve information, or analyze our connections to other people to form a network of friends and family. They keep track of our wish lists and our music playlists, and the number of services is starting to grow. As changes to the health care law lead to an increase in IT infrastructure, organizations are left with an increasing need for technology consulting.

Project Management

Los Angeles has a thriving tech startup scene that includes work on prosthetics and mobile applications. The region also plays host to some of the largest names in gaming on mobile and console. That requires technology consulting in Los Angeles to help manage projects and keep teams focused. These large companies work with huge sets of data, and teams need to be able to maintain a laser-like focus on certain aspects of that data to create rich applications for consumer usage.

Data Backup

The same concerns a consumer has about backing up his computer exist in the business world too, but the stakes are much larger. A consumer may lose receipts, documents or pictures from a certain year. Corporate entities stand to lose user data (which may be leaked to malicious third parties in the process) which translates to a loss of revenue. Backups must be maintained as a principle of smart business.

Data Privacy

Customers that use your products, subscribe to your emails or interact with your internal service departments have an expectation of privacy with your firm. The larger your company’s data set, the bigger the risk you pose. Hackers may see a small to mid-sized firm as an easy target, due to a perceived lack of security. In many ways, IT companies help bridge that gap with in-house training and around the clock monitoring. Some packages may include crisis management or emergency response, which is an excellent replacement for keeping full time employees on-call.

Monitoring and Maintenance

The financial and real estate sectors in Orange County are finding a greater need for IT infrastructure as more of their services go digital. Now, clients can browse properties from home, even taking tours of the home in some cases. These new services require computer networking in Orange County that the financial sector isn’t equipped to deal with. Technology consulting firms assist in the development of that important infrastructure, ensuring that industries can keep up with consumer demand.

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The preceding guest post comes courtesy of Cal Net Technology Group, offering computer services in Long Beach and the greater Los Angeles area. The company offers project management services to help users build infrastructure, and training for employees to use the applications.

How to Measure Employee Productivity

How to Measure Employee Productivity

Recording an employee’s productivity is like summing up what they accomplish each day. In most cases, you can point to tangible numbers, like units shipped or calls answered, to form a snapshot of employee productivity. The fact is that expectations are changing, and how we measure employee productivity in this new age must evolve to stay relevant.

Measure Expectations

One method practiced by developers who use the “Agile” development philosophy is to measure productivity in terms of perceived and productive time. A project manager first comes up with a system of time management, say “chili peppers,” and then decides how many of these units will be needed to complete a project. An online time sheet is used to measure actual hours, and in some cases notes on the project itself. The time spent working is measured against that projection, and improvements are made in infrastructure so goals and output match.

Record Actual Hours

Time clocks are still an important part of the employment landscape. Hourly employees are just as important as ever, now that businesses are cutting down on excess expenses. Part-time and hourly employees record their hours worked, which is then measured against the work they produce. This is how a company discovers how efficient their workforce actually is.

Review Final Product

The final product or the sum of those products is also a great indicator of productivity. You can use last year’s projections for this year to measure whether employees are actually hitting the goals you’ve set for them. Try to review totals regularly, and meet with employees to discuss potential road blocks. It may be that more staff is needed, or that work must be delegated properly.

Customer feedback can also be a healthy indicator of individual productivity. If one of your employees consistently receives high marks for service, or for going above and beyond, consider enabling this individual to do better work for you.

Final Thoughts

Gauging an employee’s productivity isn’t a simple matter, and there are many influencers that can affect what goes on at work. For instance, teams can expect to be on the phones handling customer concerns during a new product launch. That time may affect output elsewhere, leading one to believe that the staff is working inefficiently. Try to account for these outside circumstances when you analyze your business model. Your company may be dealing with an inordinate amount of stress that requires your attention.

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This guest post was brought to you by Allied Time, suppliers of a Web based time clock to track employee time. Allied has been supplying businesses with time clock solutions for 40 years.

Maximize Your Computers

Maximize Your Computers

Normal office networks provide companies with a great service by linking all their computer units to one another. it makes file sharing easy and private communication between desktops is now an option. However, with as much as office networks can provide us, there are some limitations that it possesses. Speed, for example, is limited to the internet connection type that is availed from the provider. Most companies can utilize and have been utilizing remote desktop protocol, or RDP, services to be able to link all their machines and use them efficiently. While most companies use the remote desktop protocol that comes with the operating software of the computers, third party remote desktop software is provided.

Why need a third party to provide such software? The stock remote desktop protocol that comes with every operating system doesn’t necessarily maximize the bandwidth among your machine. For low volumes, this could be fine, but for a company with a lot of PCs, this could be detrimental. Third party remote desktop software can maximize RDP bandwidth by up to 30%. With data being able to travel at higher speeds, your productivity can increase and could lead to more revenue with the added efficiency.

Speed and better allocated RDP bandwidth are not the only things that come as benefits to remote desktop software. The benefits could be endless with you and your company; so why not find out for and switch or suggest switching your remote desktop software now.

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Article submitted by RDPSoft Company, trusted providers of remote desktop protocol software such as their terminal server monitor.