The technology landscape shifts constantly, but the changes happening today – supported by the cloud’s innovative technology and processes – are transforming the ways companies do business. As small companies grow skilled in harnessing the cloud’s advantages, large companies are discovering that each day they delay may be costing them competitive advantage.
A lot can be said for the advantages of adding (or subtracting) infrastructure and software in seconds, a benefit only available on the cloud. Here are some others:
Architecture is a highly collaborative business. Keeping numerous stakeholders – owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, utilities, permitting agencies, fabricators, suppliers and subcontractors – on the same page is a daunting task.
Information Technology has entered a new era with the advent of “Third-Platform” technologies. The first platform was the era of mainframe and terminals, the second the era of LAN/ Internet and client/server. Now, in 2014, we have entered the Third Platform: the era of cloud computing, mobility, big data/analytics, and social business.
Because cloud providers support hundreds of businesses, they should be able to afford better security than any one business can, just as a bank vault provides better security than a home safe. But security varies widely from provider to provider, so due diligence is advised.
IT is facing unprecedented change, brought on by trends that allow users to cheaply and easily deploy their own cloud-based software and services. In such an environment, IT’s role shifts to that of partner, helping users improve their productivity through technology.
Many people have difficulty believing that a currency created by a computer geek can have real value, but 75 “crypto-currencies” are available today and they’re being exchanged for actual goods and services – including some that are illegal. Compass looks at the attractions and drawbacks of virtual currencies and their evolution to date.
Drones are widely used for everything from military reconnaissance to weather forecasting. Today, these unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are poised to revolutionize the commercial sector. With applications ranging from autonomous parcel deliveries to agricultural research, drones are leading a new era in aviation – if regulators can agree on how to ensure their safe operation.
By awarding the prize to three scientists who pioneered the use of computers, the 2013 Nobel jury in chemistry recognized the fundamental contribution of digital modeling to laboratory research. Compass talked to Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel about their breakthrough research.
3D printing is revolutionizing global industrial manufacturing, but it’s also being adopted to create human tissues. Researchers are dedicated to finding a way to produce desperately needed human organs in the lab, including kidneys, livers and hearts.
With foreign aid and philanthropy depleted by years of austerity, a new type of investment is gaining momentum, offering market-rate returns to help solve some of the world’s most intractable social problems. Known as Impact Investing, it collected investments of US$3.8 billion in 2013 and is projected to reach US$400 billion by 2023.
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are poised to create massive societal impacts while transforming urban landscapes and national economies. From the work we do to how our cars express our personal styles, the automobile’s traditional impact on society is about to fundamentally change.
This fall, the Louis Vuitton Foundation for Creation will spread its glass wings in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. This epic project is guided by two overarching themes: the celebration of visual art and the creativity of meeting a unique technological challenge.
Training technicians and engineers involves costly, fragile and sometimes hazardous equipment. The alternative? Virtual labs. Based on digital technology, these labs have become powerful learning tools, allowing students and teachers to overcome the constraints of the physical world to train safely.
School systems from Australia to Uruguay are investing heavily to make new technology available to students. But education experts agree such programs often overlook a vital component to successful deployment: training teachers how to use the technology and integrate it into their lessons.
T. E. “Ed” Schlesinger, dean of engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, believes that an era of autonomous vehicles will arrive within the next 15-20 years. Schlesinger, who founded General Motors-Carnegie Mellon Autonomous Driving Collaborative Research Lab before joining Johns Hopkins, is an expert in engineering systems for driverless cars.
Lockheed Martin Executive Chairman Bob Stevens retired as chairman and CEO of the world’s largest aerospace company at the end of 2013, after 10 years at the helm. He leaves a legacy of leadership, innovation, and an astute sense for guiding a large enterprise through challenging times in the pursuit of excellence.
Large aerospace manufacturers are requiring small suppliers to share more of the business risks and financial investments associated with development and production programs – all in an environment that requires the highest levels of quality and reliability, meticulous adherence to promised dates of delivery and year-on-year cost reductions.
As the polar ice cap thins and recedes, ship owners eye a trek through the Arctic as a means to slash fuel costs, emissions and time in transit. Though Arctic ship traffic is increasing, significant logistical, technical and political hurdles remain before the promise of the Northern Sea Route significantly impacts global shipping patterns.
SEEMP. ECA. EEDI. BWTS. Regardless of the acronym, these regulations spell “m-o-n-e-y” for the owners and operators of commercial ships. Although the new rules are intended to increase ship efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ship experts debate whether spending more on ship design and construction can be recouped through lower operating costs.
The contribution of shale gas to the US economic recovery is giving rise to dreams of “cheap energy” on a world scale. But experts agree that extending this boom requires the development of more efficient and environmentally safe recovery solutions.
By 2015, coal is set to take over oil’s position as the world’s leading fossil fuel, a major comeback driven by emerging economies and the development of less polluting and more economical “clean coal” technologies.
Take three brothers’ unique culinary skills, add a generous pinch of passion, blend avant-garde techniques with traditional Catalonian flavors, and what do you get? El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain – the highest ranked restaurant in Restaurant Magazine’s 2013 list of “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” and holder of three Michelin stars. Compass spoke to head chef Joan Roca to discover the secret ingredient to the success he has created with brothers Josep (wine director) and Jordi (pastry chef).
Technology is many things to many people. For some it is a tool to achieve corporate success, for others it provides a way of furthering knowledge. For new-media design company ART+COM, technology is a design tool, but it also serves as a medium to convey meaning and foster interaction with others.
Are you cloud weary? Tired of the hype, the nebulous promises and the confusing array of cloud offers? Worried that you’re behind the curve of a disruptive technology with enormous transformative potential?
If so, this issue of Compass is for you.
