Insight Community

We're looking to get insights into how individuals and the workplace are changing due to an increasingly "mobile" workforce -- thanks to things like widespread laptop and mobile device usage, as well as wireless connectivity. These days, "working" no longer means "being in the office." People and employees have truly become "Digital Nomads." Over the next few weeks and months, we'll be hosting a series of cases exploring different aspects related to this new mobile workforce. Dell is sponsoring the conversations here, and the best results will be placed on a site sponsored by Dell: http://whitepaper.digitalnomads.com/. The content may later also be added to a whitepaper and a wiki on the subject. While Dell is sponsoring the conversation, the content is vendor neutral. Just provide your insights on the question at hand.

We all know that more employees are becoming Digital Nomads, but from a business and IT perspective, how do you determine if this is a net benefit or a net loss?  Do you do anything to measure the specific ROI of having a dispersed workforce?  If so, how are you measuring it?  What have you found?  What would make it easier to determine the ROI of having a distributed workforce?  Basically, we're looking for any discussion that can speak to the ROI (good or bad) of having a workforce made up of Digital Nomads.

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Many years ago, mobile phones were seen as gadgets that could come in handy for emergencies. Obviously, now that mobile phones are ubiquitous, mobile communication is seen more as a convenience. Emergencies that call for the use of a mobile phone now include letting someone know that there's no more milk in the fridge. But mobile phones are still extremely useful in emergency situations, so before we forget about that, what are some best practices for using mobile phones for safety purposes? What phone features or services are useful for parents to keep track of their children? How can GPS functions on mobile phones make users safer? Besides not driving while talking on the phone, what other activities should people avoid doing with their phones? Can you dispel any 'dangerous' myths about using mobile phones? How can mobile phones be used to keep everyone safer?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

If you've used a mobile banking interface, we're looking for reviews on how well it performs. Which kinds of banking-by-phone interfaces are the most useful? Is the traditional automated menu system (eg. "press 1 to transfer funds") still your favorite? What kinds of mobile banking or payment services are becoming more popular? Do you think 4-digit PINs are secure enough for mobile banking -- or can you imagine more secure authentication methods for banking-by-phone? How else can mobile phones help you to manage your spending or financial affairs?

 

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

As the new TV season begins in the US, plenty of new shows are trying to engage their audiences with additional mobile content and communication with viewers. So what kinds of mobile offerings are most interesting for TV audiences? Reality TV shows such as American Idol have always had voting lines, but are there more interactive mobile services that tie into TV shows? Which popular TV shows have made mobile games, mobile audience participation, mobile phone art or streaming mobile videos? What is the quality of these offerings? How do you see TV shows and mobile content converging -- or staying apart? Do you think people will start watching their favorite shows on their cell phones, and if so, when?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Google has announced its Android Market for its up-and-coming mobile technology platform, and Microsoft has similarly publicized its SkyMarket for selling applications on its Windows Mobile systems. While these developments still need to gestate for several more months before consumers can get their hands on them, what are the prospects for these projects? Do you think that more developers will result in better mobile applications for these platforms? How do you think Google and Microsoft will handle issues such as security (ie. making sure apps don't contain viruses) as well as usefulness? Will other players like Nokia follow suit? What will so many mobile app platforms mean to consumers? Will phone apps need to be compatible with other phone apps?  Are you looking forward to more open mobile platforms with third-party applications?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

The US Presidential election is getting closer and closer with major political conventions on the way. For those who can't seem to get enough news updates on the candidates, what are the best mobile-friendly communities that track the political campaigns? How can a politically-active individual keep up with their favorite politicians or issues on his/her mobile phone (beside using Google/Yahoo news)? Do you know of any innovative uses of mobile phone technologies to promote political efforts? Also, we're looking for how to follow local politics as well, not just national elections -- as long as your submission isn't too focused on a specific small town. Additionally, feel free to suggest your own topics within this subject.

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Schools and colleges are about to resume session, so what kind of mobile phone services could make starting classes a bit easier to handle? What kinds of mobile phone tips are there for students about to meet a bunch of new classmates and roommates? What phone services would you recommend for students who may be adapting to a new and unfamiliar location? Are there services for parents to help kids adjust to new schedules -- such as the Wal-Mart/Disney wakeup call service featuring Hannah Montana? What other mobile services might help students get the most out of school or make classes more enjoyable?

We're looking to get insights into how individuals and the workplace are changing due to an increasingly "mobile" workforce -- thanks to things like widespread laptop and mobile device usage, as well as wireless connectivity. These days, "working" no longer means "being in the office."  People and employees have truly become "Digital Nomads." Over the next few weeks and months, we'll be hosting a series of cases exploring different aspects related to this new mobile workforce. Dell is sponsoring the conversations here, and the best results will be placed on a site sponsored by Dell: http://whitepaper.digitalnomads.com/. The content may later also be added to a whitepaper and a wiki on the subject. While Dell is sponsoring the conversation, the content is vendor neutral. Just provide your insights on the question at hand.

The fact that workers are so mobile these days increases the challenges from a security perspective.  No longer do IT folks have full control over what's being done on a computer and what network they attach to.  Suddenly there are entirely new challenges for keeping corporate information secure.  On top of that, there are additional challenges from the threat of lost or stolen computer devices and data snooping on open WiFi networks.  So how are IT professionals taking on this challenge?  What tricks have you learned to keep a diverse workforce secure?  And from an individual standpoint, how much do you rely on your IT staff or how much responsibility do you take in keeping yourself secure?

In general, as a guideline, answers should be around 500 words. That's not a definitive guideline, but that's about what we're expecting. You don't have to answer all of the questions here, but can pick just the one or two you feel you have the most insight on. Or, if you feel you can answer multiple ones in detail, feel free to write up separate insights.

Entries chosen to go on the site will get a share of the pot.  The pot will be split depending on how many insights are chosen.

 

We're looking to get insights into how individuals and the workplace are changing due to an increasingly "mobile" workforce -- thanks to things like widespread laptop and mobile device usage, as well as wireless connectivity. These days, "working" no longer means "being in the office." People and employees have truly become "Digital Nomads." Over the next few weeks and months, we'll be hosting a series of cases exploring different aspects related to this new mobile workforce. Dell is sponsoring the conversations here, and the best results will be placed on a site sponsored by Dell: http://whitepaper.digitalnomads.com/. The content may later also be added to a whitepaper and a wiki on the subject. While Dell is sponsoring the conversation, the content is vendor neutral. Just provide your insights on the question at hand.

While a dispersed workforce has many advantages these days, it also creates some challenges: such as keeping workers on the same page and functioning as a team. There's no more watercooler to gather around, and a lot less informal chitchat over cubicle walls. What strategies have you taken to keep dispersed mobile teams on the same page and working productively as a team, rather than as a group of separate individuals? What strategies work best? Which sounded good but didn't live up to expectations? What other tools would make keeping a nomadic workforce even easier?

In general, as a guideline, answers should be around 500 words. That's not a definitive guideline, but that's about what we're expecting. You don't have to answer all of the questions here, but can pick just the one or two you feel you have the most insight on. Or, if you feel you can answer multiple ones in detail, feel free to write up separate insights.

Entries chosen to go on the site will get a share of the pot. The pot will be split depending on how many insights are chosen.

 

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

More and more mobile applications are aimed at monitoring people's health and recommending healthy foods/activities. What are some interesting mobile services or applications that can help mobile phone users stay healthy? (Note: please try to avoid iPhone-specific apps!) Do you think more mobile phones will integrate biophysical sensors -- such as heartrate monitors? Are there good mobile exercise applications or mobile dieting programs? Do you have an anecdotal story of how a mobile phone app has helped you (or someone you know) maintain a healthy regimen?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

With the Olympics poised to start in early August, how can sports fans follow their favorite events? Will NBC cover everything? What other sources of Olympic games news can be accessed on mobile phones? What do you think of Yahoo's mobile services for following the Olympics? How good do you think Fring's coverage will be? Which Olympic Twitters will be the ones to follow? How can mobile phone users keep track of the events and discuss the games?  Do you think the less mainstream sources will be more engaging to sports fans?  

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Following the July 4th weekend, there's still plenty of Summer vacationing time left.  But if you've taken a vacation recently, have you discovered particularly useful mobile services for touring unfamiliar cities?  Have any mobile services helped you with traveling to (or around) a vacation spot? What do you think of airline tickets via mobile phones?  If you're planning a "working vacation" or just a vacation, do you know of mobile solutions that help manage "work" and "non-work" functions on the same phone?  What sort of phone accessories do you think make traveling more convenient?  Do you have any tips or recommended apps for mobile phones that could make a vacation more enjoyable?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Nokia's announcement that it will make Symbian open source adds to a growing movement of developing more open wireless platforms.  So what are the consequences?  Will Google's Android platform, the Symbian Foundation, Openmoko and other mobile platform projects actually work together?  Or will they focus on different aspects and create differentiated devices?  Should consumers (not just developers) care about these projects?  How long will it take before these projects develop mainstream products?  What do these efforts mean for closed platforms (eg. Microsoft, Apple, etc.)?  What are the key components of a successful open source community -- and how do these open mobile platforms compare to each other?

In April, we began a conversation around The Future of Storage with support from Dell.  Top insights in the community were posted to http://thefutureofstorage.com/ with some making it to Ars Technica and in ad promotions. We're looking to continue the conversation with good insight into any of the following topics: Virtualization, iSCSI, FCoE, deduplification, thin provisioning, encryption etc.  

The focus of this conversation is centered on the SAN market and its current and future directions, including the aforementioned areas.  To get an idea of the type of insights we're looking for, just look over http://thefutureofstorage.com/ to see some earlier posts. Please note that while that site is sponsored by Dell, the topic for discussion is not vendor specific.

In continuing this conversation, feel free to write about any topic in this space that you think would fit on the site, such as where you think the SAN market is heading. Alternatively, feel free to write thoughtful insights that address some of the points raised in earlier posts on The Future of Storage site.

For the purpose of encouraging discussion, here are a few topics that might be interesting to explore:

• What type of storage architectures (SAN, NAS, iSCSI, FC, DAS) work well for virtualized servers and why?
• What methods are best for accessing/provisioning storage with virtual systems (virtual group service, like VMWare? software function in the virutal system? raw device interface?)
• What backup methodologies make sense for virtual server environments?

If you have personal experience with any of these, or even just want to walk through your thought process in evaluating options, those tend to make for very interesting posts.

Also, as we look to continue this ongoing conversation, please let us know what other topics you think would be good to discuss in future months.

The insights selected to be on this site will each get a "share" of the bonus pool below. You can write multiple insights to get multiple shares.

PLEASE NOTE: We are looking for unique insights that delve into a single subject concerning this topic. Don't try to cover too many things in a single insight submission. Again, look over the existing Future of Storage site to get an idea of what's appropriate.

Like last time, please get your insights in early. We will be closing the case once we feel there are enough insights (somewhere between 10 and 20 insights).

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Redeeming online coupons usually involves printing out a barcode, but coupons sent to mobile phones could potentially be much more convenient. So where are the mobile coupon offers? Have you found good sources for mobile coupons? Have you used services like Cellfire, ZiXXo, Moblee, QponDirect, MoVoxx, etc? What are the barriers for mobile coupon adoption (for either consumers or merchants)? How will GPS on phones affect mobile coupons?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

There is an increasing number of ways to manage voicemails, especially with providers like Sprint licensing Visual Voicemail for its subscribers. But what are your favorite ways of dealing with your voicemail? Do you use services like YouMail.com or GotVoice.com? What do you think of voicemail transcription from PhoneTag and SpinVox? Or services like CallWave, Pinger, Jott, etc? Besides all these current offerings, where do you think voicemail features are headed in the future? Will Twitter ever revive Odeo?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

For some time now, local-mobile search services have promised to provide users with quick and easy ways to find nearby pizza restaurants and dry cleaners. So what are your favorite uses for local-mobile search? Have you used services like Dial Directions? Can you recommend any "cheap gas" services that are optimized for mobile phone users? What do you think the "top 10" uses of mobile-local search are?

Business analytics are playing an increasingly important role in helping companies gain the insight they need to make better decisions. How have you found this to be the case with your business? Please share your best examples with us of how analytics (CRM, dashboards, or other analytics capabilities) have improved the performance of your business. For an example, see this video clip by Malcolm Gladwell.

Responses for this case will be used in a whitepaper being created by Techdirt for TheCustomerCollective and included with the results of a survey we are hosting titled, "CRM Analytics."

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

Symbian Ltd. turns 10 years old this June, so we're looking for some opinions on how far the Symbian OS has come -- and where it is headed in the future. If you're a developer, how effective do you think the Symbian Signed program has been? Does Google's Android platform offer a real threat to Symbian? How do you think Symbian will compete to maintain its market share as the dominant smartphone OS? Are there unique features of Symbian that will be hard to imitate? What capabilities should consumers look forward to with Symbian phones?

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

While most phones come with pre-installed casual games, some folks would like games that are a bit more entertaining than a monochrome version of Tetris. There are large publishers like EA Mobile coming out with titles for mobile phones, but where are some other sources of decent games? Which phone platforms have the best (most popular) games? Which Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) have the best mobile interfaces? Given the rise of accelerometer sensors, what input methods do you prefer for mobile games? (For example, a certain Sony Ericsson cell phones uses a motion sensor to play EA Games' Need for Speed ProStreet driving game.) If you're not a mobile gamer, you could submit a short overview of mobile game genres. But if you do play mobile phone games, we're looking for how you found your favorite games and if you picked your phone based on a particular game.

LetsTalk's PhoneTalk blog wants to add new voices to its website, and they're posting regular Cases here for the Techdirt Insight Community to add interesting new content to their site. The winning submissions for each Challenge Case will be posted (perhaps with some editing) on the PhoneTalk blog -- with credits to the author. The following is LetsTalk's next assignment:

We're looking for interesting phone apps or services that make your phone more useful to you. For example, do you use Google's GrandCentral to block undesirable calls? Have you installed any third party software on your phone that you use regularly? Have you tried any user-friendly services that can text message driving directions to your phone? Do you use any voicemail-to-text services?

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