This post is part of our continuing blog series on the Internet of Things. In our previous posts, we discussed sensors, wireless technologies in IoT, and Connected Operations: 3 IoT Scenarios.
Smart cities, self-driving cars, intelligent machines—the IoT market is exploding with “Things.” The ease with which they cross over from sci-fi to real life makes it look like a breeze, thanks in part to data engineers who do the heavy lifting behind the scenes.
Non-stop advancements in web technologies have reshaped web applications in amazing ways. From simple frames with images, links, and decorated text, web apps have evolved into complex computer programs with client and server code. Modern web apps are powered by rich client-side processing and for this, there is one ubiquitous tool (JavaScript), which also gets pushed into places where it is not the right tool for the job. That developers are in a love-hate relationship with JavaScript is indeed true!
To give credit where credit is due, JavaScript has matured a lot over the years. Advanced optimization and compilation techniques have led to fast web experiences. Yet, browsers that run on JavaScript fall short of delivering the near-native performance and rich experience demanded by video games, computer-aided designs, and scientific visualization.
Which is why WebAssembly, the new open standard, is such great news.
In part 1 of the two-part series on Being Agile on a Fixed Cost and Timeline, I had discussed a case study based on our experience in executing an agile fixed cost project for a large US-based company. Needless to say, it was a complex project, thanks to its magnitude, the constraints on the timeline and budget, and the strict quality requirements. We had our share of learning during its execution as we found the best ways to move forward. In this follow-up post, I’ve distilled six key learnings, which, hopefully, you would find helpful while executing agile projects that have triple constraints on the scope, cost, and timeline. (more…)
It was towards the end of 2017 that Baiskoafu, a client based in the Maldives, approached us to build a platform to stream and download multimedia content in Dhivehi, the Maldivian language. The client wanted the app to be a medium through which they could promote local talent and content across the globe. Apart from this key idea, they had a sizeable collection of audio and video content and a set of questions for us. How could they materialize this dream? What should the product look like? What features should be included? 2018 was a period of joint discovery and exciting development for Baiskoafu and QBurst.
Oracle NetSuite, the popular all-in-one Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, offers valuable insights into business processes by means of various reports. Many clients prefer to transfer these reports to an SFTP server and through the SFTP middleware to other enterprise systems such as SAP and Salesforce. While direct transfer from Oracle NetSuite to the different systems is not impossible, it is complex and requires time-consuming logic.
SFTP makes this job of transferring files from Oracle NetSuite particularly easy because the transfer can be automated. This is done through coding by utilizing the features of SuiteScript 2.0 SFTP Module. This would require login credentials and port number of the SFTP server.
Have you ever been asked to deliver a project using Agile principles (Scrum or Kanban) for a fixed cost? If not, I’m sure it is going to be a frequent ask in the future. Product managers all over the world are striving to finish projects on a fixed budget and timeline so they can launch their products early in the market. At the same time, they are looking for Agile delivery as it makes the project more transparent. (more…)
If you are a digital marketing analyst, you would be dipping into your toolbox for these two tools every day: Google Analytics (GA) and Google Tag Manager (GTM). These are great tools to have because they let you measure how your online business is performing. But at times, when you think you’ve got everything right, a GA tag does not do the trick like it is supposed to. Wait, don’t throw up your hands! It could be just a silly mistake you made during implementation. Read on to find out about the 3 common errors in Google Analytics when using Tag Manager and how you can fix them.
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We are in the booming phase of the Internet of Things (IoT) and, with it, beginning to be aware of the security risks it is vulnerable to. These historical IoT security hacks should give us some perspective: Between 2006–2010, attackers created the Stuxnet virus, designed to damage Iranian centrifuges by targeting their SCADA systems. In 2013, hackers were able to exploit and utilize millions of IoT devices to create a botnet. More than 25% of the zombies in the botnet were made up of devices like smart TVs and baby monitoring systems. In 2015, researchers hacked into a running JEEP’s computer system, managed to engage/disengage the brakes, and cut the driver off his own car.
In our previous posts, we discussed sensors and wireless communications—the two components that underpin the Internet of Things technology. Our current post looks at how these technologies take effect in real life and help make a difference to operations. Two of these cases deal with real-time location systems (RTLS) implemented in healthcare and logistics and the other with condition monitoring in wind farms. (more…)
The holiday season is around the corner and with it comes “Shopping Days”. Over the years, retailers have engineered such days that promise knockout deals to get shoppers into stores in hordes.
In the US, Thanksgiving has given rise to Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM), which are fast spreading across the Atlantic. Barentain Dei (Valentine’s Day) in Japan is followed up with White Day thanks to the ploy of Japanese confectionery companies. In India, Friendship Day and Diwali herald the shopping frenzy while China has its own shopping day in November called Singles Day. Click Frenzy, the Australian version of Cyber Monday, is the brainwave of yet another online retailer.
With holiday shopping days established, retailers need to be prepared to make the most of it. More than 70% of consumers in the US, UK, Canada, and Germany will shop on 2018 Black Friday, predicts a research report by McKinsey. Your branded website could be the top sales channel during these shopping holidays. Here is what we think every eCommerce site should invest in to make the most of the shopping holidays.
