Make 2016 the year The Cloud works for you

We've heard so much about Cloud Computing over the last 4 years that this weird term has quickly become a part of our vernacular. Everything digital is increasingly "in the cloud".  How can we make it work for us?

Your photos are likely on Apple's photo storage site, your address book is up there too, via your phone. Gee even your relationships and private opinions are most likely archived in FaceBook's cloud for you.

If you think about it all of this has kind of happened without us making much of a decision about it.

Perhaps it's now time to do a little thinking about "The Cloud" and what you want in it, what you don't want in it and how it could work for you.

The most obvious advantages of the cloud are the ability to access your work from anywhere with an internet connection. The other being your ability to be able to share your work with others.
Both these features of cloud computing open up a world of flexibility in how a business works.

You can easily have people work from home or outsource a task to someone by giving them access to your cloud systems for the period of their engagement. This alone can vastly reduce costs.

Cloud systems are however very reliant on reliable broadband connections that are fast and inexpensive. While this is available to many people, it is still an issue for many locations. Fortunately most cloud systems now have phone apps that allow you to do your business on your phone.

One of the most robust and useful of cloud systems is now called Google Apps for Work - This is very similar to Google's free versions delivered through gmail. The difference is you can operate all through your own domain name instead of Google's. You also get a higher storage capacity for documents in this paid version.

The pricing is reasonable at between $10-15 per month per email account. Which is very similar to Microsoft's own cloud app offering.

Build a Local broadcast TV station via YouTube & WireCast

Live local broadcast IP TV channel.

Thirty years ago I was part of trying to start a local TV station. The idea was sound, the business plan was tight and we had local advertisers ready to go. Though one thing got in the way, the licencing fee from the government was so high it locked us out of the market.

In those days Australia had essentially 4 TV channels and few more regional and experimental channels. The commercial channels were so profitable and so popular there was a buzz about even being invited into their offices. It was in effect a protected industry with legislation and procedures to keep competition out. It was in other words not going to happen.

Fast forward 25 years and the world has changed in on major way, the Internet is now everywhere and bandwidth is increasing with every year that goes. All of which makes the streaming of video a viable and realistic option for most people.

We've been Researching and Developing a new business model for 16 months. We've trialled a series of production tools and broadcast options. More importantly we've worked with existing high quality content producers to fully aggregate and re-broadcast quality content in a format available to 85% of the population. We've called the project Gigabitcity.tv We think you'll agree, a new era of local, high quality content production and broadcast is now within reach.

Here is the result: A fully aggregated news and information service with the ability to schedule pre recorded content and stream live news, weather and other shows as it is deemed appropriate.

Broadcast can be accessed via mobile phones, PCs, tablets and TVs. Public screens in libraries, in shop windows or shopping centres are also possible.

Advertising revenue is catered for through multiple parts of screen realestate. Additional revenue can be generated by design and production of advertisements and specialist programs for public or private viewing.

If you're interested in creating a local of subject specific live broadcast IP TV channel contact us today and we'll walk you through the opportunities.

If you wish to promote of sell the amazing new opportunity for local communities, just pick up the phone and call +61 2 4325862 or email sales@organise.net.au 

Is the Apple Watch the next iPhone?

After a huge fanfare it appears that Apple's much hyped Apple Watch has gone with the wind. Google, Garmin and many others have been quick to launch or relaunch their smart watches to the world.

"Our fans all aspire to having one"

Yet a recent visit to a city Apple store revealed an incredible interest in Apple Watch. "Our fans all aspire to having one" said one of the blue shirted Apple Geniuses. He's right the word "aspire" seems apt. Not everyone I spoke to could justify the cost of between $500 and $1500+, depending on their fashion sense and bank account.

Apple's Watch is an aspirational purchase - CCommons

With so many 'aspirations' Apple has planted a powerful seed in the mind of millions of people around the world. It would only take a killer app to turn those aspirations into purchases.

So all Apple has to do is wait for some of the multitude in the developer community to come up with the apps that will spark the imagination. There are many apps already here and many more coming through the pipelines every week. Some of the best are apps are really useful to have on your arm. We love some of the following:
London Bus and Tube tracker - Apps that estimate when your transport will arrive, brilliantly useful.
Runtastic - is one of many fitness trackers that are actually very useful when on your wrist.
AirBnB - has made a splash with their Apple Watch App, adding even more convenience to an incredible service.
Evernote - has a great app that adds your wrist to it's incredibly useful note taking cloud software.

The killer app has not yet come, it will. When it does Apple will reap huge rewards in the same way it is still for it's game changing iPhone.More glam info at Apple Watch web page

If you have an idea for a great Apple Watch app let us know, we may just be able to help you. Contact us for a confidential discussion.

Google Maps via MyBusiness

At our recent business event held in Gosford we heard direct from Google executives the importance they place on businesses and organisations registering for Google Maps and by extension mobile access. They advocated the streamlined process called MyBusiness.

The revised process via the MyBusiness registration is incredibly simple. The new MyBusiness process overrides the previous registration that many found complicated and difficult to understand.

Register here

A quick series of questions and a thorough validation process that involves an automated phone call or a postcard sent to your business address will have your business secured.

The result will be a listing similar to that showed above. The most important point is the listing on Google Maps (seen on the right),  opening hours of your business and a click through phone number.
These importance of these listings can not be over estimated. With so many people using Google maps and mobile search features you really need to be there. Don't hesitate, get onboard here: Google.com.au/Mybusiness

Dave Abrahams of OI & Duncan McGrath of Google Aust

Contact Organise Internet for details on how to make the most of this registration process. 

Egypt to eBooks - the digital evolution

Like a rising digital tide of change we wonder why? We all know the digital evolution of business and social life is upon us, lapping at our feet. The incredible changes are now too numerous to mention without sounding like platitudes. Though last month's announcements by Apple of their Apple watch device and platform beg the question: How did we get to this 'hyper-evolution' in the digital space?

From Egypt to eBooks

It's not yet a commonly held view, though I believe the digital society started hundreds of years ago. At least with the first printing press and by extension a few thousand years before that in our social desire to trade things; a trade in ideas, goods and services. For example it is relatively straight forward to argue that the great library of Alexandria in Egypt 2300 years ago functioned the same way as today's giant server parks that host millions of databases and websites.

Access back then was for the privileged few who had the right credentials, could travel, read and make sense of the scrolls. Access today is via an internet link at home, at work or at school via a revolutionary interface tool called the world wide web.

The hunger for knowledge has always been there, in hearts and minds of children, women and men. The difference now is, most people can read, most of us now have access to knowledge and most of us don't need to physically travel to get it. Indeed most of us don't need to ask permission from anyone to access it. Together these factors create perfect conditions for people to quench their thirst for knowledge. A thirst that has been with us for millennia.

Today what we experience as digital hyper-evolution is simply an acceleration of access to knowledge. We are in other words just following our natural desire to attempt to understand the world in a hope of making our lives better.

It would appear an adjustment in thinking is well over due if we are to make sense of the rising tide. A tide that is perfectly normal when seen in a historical context.