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As Yahoo! Research Chief Prabhakar Raghavan recently told Businessweek, “In a sense, there are only five computers on Earth.” These computers, vast data centers which have come to be called “clouds”, belong to Google, Yahoo!, IBM, Amazon, and Microsoft. Nearly all of our online activities, from sifting through CNN.com’s news stories to searching for risotto recipes to updating our family’s blog, are facilitated by a vast network of computers owned by one of these companies. These clouds are able to process huge amounts of data at amazing speeds, and many industry experts point to them as the wave of the future. The five big clouds are now opening up to smaller businesses, allowing them to compete in the world of data-intensive computing.

Clouds are essentially networks made up of a myriad of smaller machines, inexpensive servers, which can store and move huge amounts of data. These next-generation supercomputers are what allow Google to achieve their goal, “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Most of these cloud clusters are not on a company’s central campus, but in various locations around the world. And when one machine dies or outlives its usefulness, it is replaced and the service goes on uninterrupted. Businessweek likens the trend toward cloud computing to a shift in how American’s receive electricity: “At the most basic level, it’s the computing equivalent of the evolution in electricity a century ago when farms and businesses shut down their own generators and bought power instead from efficient industrial utilities.”

Now, smaller businesses will have the option of shutting down their small “generators”, expensive, clunky, and inefficient servers which cannot compare to power of clouds like Google’s or Amazon’s. As Talkibie reported in January, Amazon’s Web Services Division is reaching out to businesses who would essentially “rent” a piece of the cloud. Applications, websites, data, and even documents could be hosted on Amazon’s cloud, allowing smaller companies to launch products without the risk or investment of their own data centers.

Yahoo! has also taken an active role in expanding cloud computing beyond the borders of Silicon Valley. They’ve pioneered an open source project called Hadoop, which mimics some of the functions of Google’s groundbreaking software MapReduce. MapReduce essentially breaks down every computing task into thousands of smaller tasks which can be completed by individual machines within the cloud, then reassembles the information gathered into an answer. Yahoo! is working to make this software available on other computing clusters through Hadoop. Ironically, Google is now using Hadoop for some its community projects (MapReduce is too secret). Yahoo!, like Google, is making some of its computing power available to universities for scientific research and teaching.

IBM has also made gestures to open its cloud to business customers. In addition to hosting web applications for small and medium-sized businesses, they have collaborated with Google to build a prototype cloud for use by large universities. Fitted-out with Hadoop and IBM’s business applications, the joint Google/IBM university cloud will help computer scientists further develop the cloud computing of the next generation. Microsoft also sees the application of clouds to scientific study and higher learning. As Businessweek reports, Tony Hey, Microsoft’s vice-president for external research predicts that clouds will, “function as huge virtual laboratories, with a new generation of librarians - some of them human - “curating” troves of data, opening them to researchers with the right credentials.”

This trend towards open clouds will not only help small businesses, scientists, and students, but it will also change the landscape of the internet. It will likely increase its size and scope dramatically, and allow us to connect across boundaries in record speed. These five companies are essentially setting themselves up as the world’s computer, with the internet as their operating system. They are providing top universities with the latest research into computing, not the other way around. Though it’s too early to tell whether the trend toward large-scale clouds will benefit the average user, it is certain to change the way we interact with each other through technology.

A new popularity contest has begun in the social bookmarking world. Yahoo! has just released the Beta version of Yahoo! Buzz, a user-ranked social bookmarking application that will allow users to share “the buzz.” According to Yahoo!, the buzz “can be about anything - a great story on a major news site, an extraordinary bit from an obscure site, an intriguing video, or a fantastic blog that shouldn’t be missed.” Ranking on this site is based on a point system, and the most “buzzworthy” stories may appear on the Yahoo! home page.

So what makes this social bookmarking site so unique? The ranking for each story is decided by three factors: the number of times a story is searched for on Yahoo!, the number of times a story is e-mailed from Buzz, and the number of votes the stories receive (collectively termed a “Buzz Score”). Other similar sites, such as Digg, rank articles based on a single group of results (usually, strictly based on votes or single views). In this way, Yahoo! believes that the user is able “to impact what millions will see on [the site].”

From my explorations of the new service, there is a wide range of popular searches. Yahoo! subscribers have been looking up stories and information on everything from Paris Fashion Week to Starbucks Coffee to Anne Frank. Buzz takes the phrase “live in the moment” to a whole new level. The site uniquely incorporates the most current news and blog postings into the algorithm they use to determine rankings, which set it apart from competitors. This Web 2.0 strategy not only incorporates user-generated content, but also provides a way for frequently-updated sites to jump ahead of those which are more static. Search engines love new content, and Yahoo! has taken this preference to new heights.

An interesting point to consider is if the launch of Yahoo! Buzz will have any effect on the current Microsoft/Yahoo! deal. Recently, we published a story regarding Microsoft’s attempt of buying out Yahoo!. Certainly, the success of Yahoo! Buzz would be yet another reason why such a deal would be beneficial for Microsoft, who have struggled in the online area due to a lack of web experience. Access to applications such as this, as well as all of the other features that Yahoo! has to offer, would propel Microsoft into the web arena they are so eager to enter.

Review of Yahoo! Buzz are mixed, to say the least. One argument focuses on the fact that the site currently has less than 100 pre-approved news publishers, which pales in comparison to sites like Digg. However, this will also ensure that these sites will be able to handle the traffic flow generated by Buzz users (the same cannot be said for Digg). And, while there are those who believe that Digg is still superior, there are others who feel that Yahoo! may be on to something. As blogger Matthew Ingram puts it, “I think the Digg gang can probably sleep safe at night for a little while, but Yahoo could turn out to be a strong competitor.” I think so, too, Matthew.

Just like during your high school days, web success is based on popularity. Yahoo! Buzz offers users the chance to explore the most popular websites, blogs, and web entertainment out there today. Surely, this will prove to be a successful application for Yahoo! (and who knows….perhaps Microsoft as well?).

Branding is a common practice for businesses who want to put the right foot forward for their customers. Many companies make the effort to create attractive logos, craft marketing messages, and reach out to users by appealing to their cultural and aesthetic values. A great example of branding can be found in Dunkin’ Donuts popular commercials. This spot perfectly reflects the communities and attitudes of Dunkin’ Donuts’ stronghold in the Northeast. The actors are diverse, showing yuppies and blue collar workers alike, and it exemplifies the core of Dunkin’s customers.

But what about branding for potential employees? It’s rare to see a commercial or advertisement focusing on what it’s like to work for a company, though it could be the key to recruiting employees that would best fit in with the specific mission and values of a business. Branding for employment can not only help with recruiting efforts, but can also help current employees reflect your image when dealing with vendors, customers, and interviewees.

First, it’s important to have an accurate idea of the company’s goals, values, and mission in order to create an effective brand. What does your organization want to accomplish? What kinds of people do you currently employ? What are your goals for future hires? Examine company documentation for answers to some of these questions, and create an outline of your corporate culture. This does not need to be a fixed framework, and it should be able to adapt to changes within your business. By assessing current values and goals, you can establish future branding for your potential employees.

Aside from just looking at existing documentation, an accurate employment brand should include input from a wide variety of your current workforce. One simple way to gather feedback and determine the reality of your values is to survey employees from various business units, levels, and backgrounds. Many businesses conduct bi-annual surveys of employee satisfaction, and many even survey job candidates and hold exit interviews for those moving on to other opportunities. The feedback you gather could be surprising, and it will definitely help you get an accurate idea of how your company is perceived by those who know it best.

Once you have determined your stated values and the current perception of your brand by employees, it’s time to bridge the gap between the two. Determine how your actual brand is different from your desired brand, and take the steps necessary to match them up. For example, if a survey of your workers reveals that they see the chain of command is disorganized, make efforts to clear up the hierarchy and retrain management in communication techniques. Job hunters will pick up on internal problems from interacting with interviewers, and it may cost your business the best hire for the position. Listen to the suggestions of current employees, and you will be able to present the best impression to interviewees.

Walmart is a good example of a company which has struggled with employment branding. Though this commercial tries to show a festive, positive work environment, the public perception of working for the retail giant is better aligned with this satirical commentary. By listening and responding to the needs of current employees, businesses can avoid the Walmart curse of terrible employment branding. Remember, job candidates are not just interviewing to show you their skills, they’re also there to see if your work environment appeals to them. Careful branding, backed up by the willingness and ability to make changes, can help any business attract the talent they need to succeed.

There is no denying that Apple, Inc. holds a commanding presence in the industry today. The iPod has been one of the leading multimedia players for the past few years, and the recent introduction of the iPhone into the marketplace has boosted their reputation worldwide. This has led many to wonder: what’s next for Apple? The idea of Apple branching out into other markets seems like the next logical step, but what new idea will reach the largest group of consumers? This is the same question that BusinessWeek recently posed to their readers, and one of the most intriguing ideas introduced was the Apple Auto (conceived by Wes Brown of Iceology). This idea is huge: certainly, Apple has never attempted something of this magnitude before, but does that necessarily mean they couldn’t? If Apple could bring their branding to the auto industry, would they be successful?

It is certainly interesting food for thought. For the purposes of this article, let’s assume Apple did have plans to partner with an automaker. There are several technological and marketable characteristics that Apple has in its favor. The iPhone proves that Apple technology could feasibly be applied to a wide range of different devices. In theory, then, a team of Apple engineers could use their expertise to create a fully automated driving machine (hereafter referred to as the iCar, simply for brand power), complete with dashboard computer capabilities. Lucky iCar owners could potentially control all of the operations of the car via a simply touch screen.

As Brown pointed out to Businessweek, consumers are ready, willing, and able to pay top dollar for this company’s products. Certainly, the iCar would be no different. In addition to their innovative technology, the iCar can appeal to a wide range of consumers simply by including the following popular auto features:

ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND - An entire section of the Apple website is dedicated to their continuing efforts to go green. In a section entitled “A Greener Apple,” Steve Jobs describes all of Apple’s current conservation projects, all of which are impressive. Therefore, were Apple to pursue the idea of manufacturing the iCar, environmentally sound features would definitely be a priority. Whether that technology would use hybrid, biofuel, or electric models, or whether Apple would pioneer a new direction, the idea of “go green or go home!” would resonate with Apple’s customers.

ADVANCED SAFETY - Automobile safety features play a big role in the decision of buying a new car. According to Consumer Reports, the most important new automobile safety feature is electronic stability control, which “selectively applies brakes to one or more wheels when a vehicle is about to slide out of control”. All new cars will be required to have electronic stability control as of 2012. Other new safety features listed (which Apple would also most likely be able to provide) include lane-departure warning and back-up cameras (easy enough to imagine from Apple!), adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, night vision, voice recognition, and intelligent networks. Existing Apple technology could very easily be adapted and enhanced for all of these features.

ENHANCED MULTIMEDIA FEATURES - Apple is not entirely unfamiliar with the automobile industry, as they have worked with several manufacturers to adapt the iPod to be car-friendly. With the right team of engineers in place (both software and mechanical), this could be quite a feasible idea. Basic on-board PCs for automobiles are currently available for around $500 (less expensive than the first release of the iPhone!). Apple could easily develop an integrated system which would meet all the multimedia needs of today’s drivers. Imagine a car that can be completely controlled by voice commands. With an on-board mapping system, internet capability, cameras, and censors, your dashboard PC could do all of the hands-on work for you, enabling you to safely check e-mail, news updates, switch music stations, etc. What more could you ask for in a new car?

While there are inherent risks in these sorts of ventures, an iCar would undoubtedly have a profound effect on the automobile industry. It has the possibility of creating a merging of minds between consumer electronics and vehicle manufacturers, taking the best technology from each industry to provide a better user experience. If this idea were as successful as the iPod and iPhone have been, there will most definitely be an iLoan in store for many!

P.S. Mr. Jobs, if you are reading this, please be sure to spell Mr. Brown’s and my name correctly on the royalties checks.

Many industry experts, journalists, and bloggers have expressed their displeasure with Microsoft’s possible takeover of Yahoo!. Though the executives at Yahoo! have so far rejected the $41.7 billion offer, many expect a deal will be reached at a higher price, much to the dismay of the lion’s share of writers on the subject. As Jerry Yang, Yahoo!’s CEO, fends off the strong arm tactics of Steve Ballmer at Microsoft, we find ourselves rooting for him without knowing exactly why. Is it because we like the underdog? Or just because we hate Microsoft? Is there anything positive that could come out of this deal for consumers?

Yahoo! has been spiraling downward for quite awhile, and they haven’t been able to compete with search engine giant Google. Google has inked deal after deal with rival companies, perhaps the most important being the acquisition of DoubleClick, an internet advertising broker, which gives Google even more control over how ads reach internet users. The DoubleClick deal was cleared by the FCC after months of hearings, but is still awaiting approval by European courts. Yahoo! has lost ground to Google consistently when it comes to search technology and advertising, though Microsoft’s offer clearly intends to buck this trend.

Almost every news source covering the deal mentions that Microsoft wants a piece of the internet advertising industry. Perhaps together Yahoo! and Microsoft can present a viable alternative to Google for both search users and advertisers. The key to developing solid, targeted ad technology is collecting user behavior data, which is one thing at which Yahoo! has always excelled. As the Seattle Times reports, “Yahoo assembles a profile of a person’s behavior based on searches within Yahoo, videos watched, ads clicked and visits to Yahoo sites and partner sites such as eBay. The profile that emerges could have details such as a person’s basic salary, health concerns, cars, number of children, gender, age, ZIP code, industry and work.” Yahoo! is able to collect these detailed profiles in a way that Microsoft is not, and the information could lead to a vast improvement in Microsoft’s presence and success online.

Aside from the expected boost in Microsoft’s online ad chops, industry experts are speculating about the company’s possible plans to expand online software efforts. As the Wall Street Journal reported last week, “the company’s products face pressure to evolve as the rise of online services changes how people use technology.” Microsoft is being outmatched by the Software As A Service (SAAS) industry right now, and they rely almost exclusively on traditional software licensing for their revenue. Their competition comes from SAAS vendors who provide value to business users by hosting applications on proprietary servers, freeing businesses from expensive data centers and draconian licensing fees.

The Yahoo! deal could help Microsoft transition into the online software arena. As British insurance company Aviva PLC told the Wall Street Journal, “[the company] hopes Microsoft will combine Yahoo’s online software and knowledge of how the Internet works with Microsoft’s understanding of how a business operates to develop innovative corporate software.” If the deal goes through, Microsoft should be making plans to harness not only Yahoo!’s potential for ad revenue but also their expertise in web applications.

This dual strategy would push them towards the ultimate goal of competing with Google, which has an early lead in providing office tools through web applications. Google Apps, which includes word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation programs is becoming more and more popular with businesses of all sizes. Microsoft has made some moves to allow online access to its Office Suite, and perhaps with help from Yahoo!’s experts they will bring their software to the next generation of delivery.

Speculation is still all over the board, and it will likely be quite awhile until a deal is reached. One has to wonder, due to the recent fine imposed by the EU against Microsoft for a record $1.4 billion, if a merger of the two will be approved by government anti-trust groups. While I definitely sympathize with the folks at Yahoo! and hope against hope that they will be able to fight off the acquisition, there just might be some benefits for users in the long run. Most of us are stuck with Microsoft our software provider whether we like it or not, and a deal with Yahoo! just may give them the innovative approach they need to please us.

For those of you who remember being awestruck while watching the classic children’s movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, get ready for this: lickable wallpaper has entered into the modern marketplace! Earlier this month, Welch’s took out a full-page print ad in People magazine to promote their brand of grape juice. But there was a new twist: the ads provided lickable samples, using technology developed by a company called First Flavor. The ad was met with mixed reactions, most of which pertaining to what this Wall Street Journal article has dubbed “The Ick Factor.” The internet buzz generated by this new concept suggests that some may have been turned off to the product based on their initial interpretation of having to actually lick a magazine (and who knows where it has been?). However, the truth is that these lickable ads use the same technology as the dissolvable breath freshening strips that have been on the market for a while now. Even still, there are those who are not entirely convinced that this will be a sanitary form of marketing. After all, what’s to stop someone from tampering with a pile of magazines?

While this is not the first instance of this type of advertisement being used (The Wall Street Journal sites a similar ad campaign being used by CBS to promote one of its sitcoms), the Welch’s ad has received a lot of attention. Radio host Shari Elliker and her crew at WBAL AM 1090 even did a test run of the ad for a segment on her morning show. This attention has lead some ad experts to believe that such multi-sensory advertisements will draw a new pool of customers and strengthen the connection with existing ones. All publicity is good publicity, right? However, these experts also warn that there may be no middle ground with this type of advertising. Lickable ads will either be massively popular or a complete flop based on the response to their flavor.

Still, there are many consumers who can’t get past the perceived “ick factor,” and there are many more who believe that even if they could, there are too many opportunities for tampering and endangering public health. One blogger reviewing the Welch’s grape juice ad wonders if this whole concept is “a lawsuit waiting to happen.” Additional feedback indicates that some consumers feel the big bucks the company is spending on these ads (which, in fact, costs hundreds of thousands more than a normal print ad) would be better spent on other marketing ideas (i.e. - free samples of actual grape juice, discount coupons, etc.). And while there were a few blog reviews that were positively endorsing this ad, the overwhelming majority of them listed reason after reason for why this was such a bad idea.

Behind us are the days of the simple scratch-and-sniff ad, but whether or not this new marketing scheme will be effective has yet to be seen. There certainly seem to be many concerns in the consumer pool that will need to be addressed. One thing’s for sure: this ad got people taking about Welch’s, so it’s clear that their marketing team must be doing something right!

Whenever Google comes out with a new product or service, U.S. industry watchers seem to shower praise on the search giant. They have become the advertising and web technology version of Apple, and consumers eagerly speculate about their latest moves and await their product releases. Not so in the tech-savvy nation of Japan, where users were quick to pan a mobile version of Google Maps which was well-received by U.S. consumers. As Businessweek reports, “Says [Google] software engineer Ken Wakasa: “People’s expectations are very high here compared to other regions.” As Google prepares to expand their mobile search division, they are using picky Japanese consumers as a test market for products and services designed for web-enabled cell phones.

In the summer of 2006, Google famously teamed up with Japanese mobile carrier KDDI, the second largest in the Asian nation. Last month, Google also struck a deal with the largest carrier, NTT DoCoMo. The two companies provide cell service to nearly 100 million users, and a much larger percentage of them (compared with U.S. consumers) use their cell phones for web access. The partnership aims to improve search engine technology, email access, ads, and website performance for mobile phones. Japan is the location of choice for Google not only because of the discerning population of cell phone users, but also because plenty of popular Japanese websites are specifically formatted for mobile access.

Google employs an observation method for testing, as a representative told Businessweek. “We just tell them: ‘Find me a restaurant for tonight in Shibuya,’ and we just watch.” Testing is sometimes done in-house, but participants are encouraged to use their mobile devices as they normally would. This gives Google a more realistic picture of how to improve their search technology. The ultimate goal of testing is to allow mobile users to find what they need using the smallest number of clicks.

The search engine’s testing efforts in Japan have revealed some surprising results. For example, while many computer users access Google to search for news stories and articles, data from testing in Japan suggested that mobile searchers are looking for images or videos rather than sites with lengthy (and necessarily tiny) text. This focus on image results has helped Google tweak their mobile search service. Rather than having the options to search for a number of different media (like on the regular Google home page), mobile users will have these options automatically integrated into their results. This move is a step forward for universal search, an initiative to automatically provide search results in many formats to users.

Another surprise for Google came during an unusual spike in searches late one night. As Google’s chief in the Japanese lab Ken Tokusei told Businessweek, “We were wondering: Was it spam? Was it a system error?” The late-night surge came from a popular television show which promoted a freeringtone download but did not show the web address long enough for viewers to log on. This surge is remarkable because it shows that Japanese cell phone users, who are a few years ahead of their American counterparts, are using phones for web searches even when their at home, and presumably, have access to a PC.

Perhaps the biggest barrier to making Google searches as easy from a phone as they are from a computer is the compatibility issue. Unlike computer software, where users really have very little choice of operating system, cell phones come with a myriad of different software packages depending on the manufacturer and service provider. The variety of software makes it hard for Google to optimize their offerings for every user, though their mobile platform Android aims to unite developers. With Japanese consumers as their guide, Google will hopefully bring a new uniformity to web-enabled phone software, allowing more users to experience their useful apps anytime, anywhere.

A few months back, Talkibie featured an article about the uses of Nintendo’s Wii console for rehabilitation for U.S. soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another recent report explored the use of online training programs for developing soft skills like communication, language, and management techniques. Now, we’ve learned of a military training tool that combines the worof gaming with the development of people skills. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has funded the development of a training game called DARWARS Ambush NK!, which allows U.S. soldiers to expand their soft skills in an exciting and entertaining environment.

Video games and military training go hand-in-hand. From first-person shooters, which allow gamers to improve their marksmanship and practice stealth, to Massively Multi-Player Online Gaming, which encourages teamwork and coordination, the skills needed to be a successful gamer often mirror those needed to work within a military unit. Military and police organizations have long used gaming-style training courses to help members develop their physical abilities, but DARWARS Ambush NK! is aimed to give soldiers the mental stamina and communication under pressure that will help soldiers interact with locals in war zones.

A jointly-funded project from DARPA, U.S. Joint Forces Command, and the U.S Marine Corps Program Manager for Training Systems, the game is developed by BBN Technologies, a regular contributor to DARPA projects. Ambush is set up as a multi-player simulation game, where up to 64 players can interact over a computer network. Though it is internet capable, the military units using the training program choose to play over a closed LAN for security reasons. Though a player’s perspective is that of a first-person shooter like in Halo or Call of Duty, Ambush NK! is meant to give soldiers the skills to deal with complicated communication challenges in places like Iraq or Afghanistan.

As one of lead scientists on the project, Dr. Elaine Raybourn told Baseline magazine, “We are talking about training for nonkinetic engagement - interpersonal communication, negotiation skills, and interpersonal rapport. The goal is to make soldier’s better thinkers and communicators under stress.” The “nonkinetic” aspect of the skill-building is what’s truly innovative about Ambush NK!. Soldiers have plenty of access to appropriate training for the physical aspect of their jobs, and DARWARS hopes to expand their competencies to help them better interact with locals in war zones. Scenarios for the players are designed to help them bridge local customs, train local peacekeepers and police, and build relationships with the community in which they serve. Perhaps the most innovative part of the technology is that it is designed to support user-generated scenarios, allowing training personnel and commanding officers to augment the game when needed.

Aside from the design elements of first-person shooters, Ambush NK! also pulls inspiration from virtual worlds like Second Life. Soldiers who use the game create avatars and communicate with each other during the online training exercises. This helps the units who will serve together to train in a realistic environment and develop superb teamwork. Instructors can also jump in, and like in virtual worlds, can change the scenarios and monitor their team’s progress.

DARWARS Ambush NK! has four main objectives, which are stated on their website:

• Varied - Giving individuals and groups real practice across a wide range of skills.
• Safe - Creating opportunities to exercise critical decision-making and communication skills in an environment where it’s safe to make mistakes and learn from them.
• Available - Making appropriate training available instantly to anyone, anywhere.
• Engaging - Making training so engaging that our forces choose to train, opting to come back again and again to practice and hone skills.

These goals are designed to help soldiers not only develop skills when they’re safely stationed at U.S. bases, but also meet the continuous training needs of those stationed overseas. The hope is that public relations disasters with civilians, which have plagued all the branches of the military in the Iraq war, will be avoided by giving the average soldier the skills he or she needs to deal with the public.

DARWARS Ambush NK! hopes to train 20,000 soldiers per year, and it will be tested first by the U.S. Army. The focus on soft skills such as communication, negotiation, and cultural awareness will likely be a useful addition to the tools currently used by U.S. military personnel deployed in war zones. DARWARS expects to eventually make the code for their projects open source, which would further increase military’s ability to adapt Ambush NK! for specific situations. With this type of excellence in training, hopefully our soldiers will be able to interact peacefully with civilian populations and encourage political stability in conflict zones.

Finding a job is all about connections. It’s about networking with former colleagues, clients, vendors, classmates, and friends. However, with the increasingly important role of technology in the job hunting process, how do employers and job hunters find or develop those connections? Just as friendship has gone the way of Web 2.0, with sites like Facebook and MySpace becoming the norm for socializing, so have corporate recruiters embraced online networking as a means of establishing professional relationships with potential employees.

One way in which recruiters are reaching out to job hunters is through targeted ads, groups, and messages on social networking sites. For example, Victoria’s Secret hosts a Facebook group which directs members to internship opportunities with the clothing and lingerie retail giant. Southwest Airlines has a similar group, offering not only internships but also job openings targeting college students studying in technology programs. The post specifically invites software engineers from six Texas/Oklahoma schools to apply, since Southwest is based in Dallas.

The idea is that by reaching out to current students and recent graduates, recruiters will be able to speak directly to potential entry-level employees. Also, as Southwest’s efforts demonstrate, those who spend time on Facebook and other social networking sites are more likely to be tech savvy, hence the job postings for their technology group. Employers have had great success with these targeted messages. According to the Wall Street Journal, Verizon Communications also used sponsored posts and groups on Facebook, which resulted in over one million clicks on their career site.

Recruiters and job hunters alike are also using video sharing sites to promote themselves and connect face-to-face with each other. A good example of this is the proliferation of recruitment videos up on YouTube and other video sharing sites. For example, this spot from Cisco highlights the diverse workforce, the fluidity of roles within the organization, and the personal interests of their employees. The actors (or real employees?), none of whomlook older than 35, are shown not just at work, but also at the beach surfing, at sporting events, in volunteer roles, and traveling around the world. The message is strong, the video is high-quality, and the market they want to reach is active on YouTube.

Job hunters are turning the tables on recruiters by using YouTube for self-promotion videos. This clever spot follows a graphic designer as she hands out resumes around town. The videographer asks her potential interview questions which highlight her passion for her field. Another great idea? Model Tomiko Foster created a video of the best shots of her portfolio, giving potential clients not only a look at her past work, but also an idea of her presence in front of the camera. The video also features a plug for her agency, Ford Models, and invites interested parties to visit their website.

Recruiters and potential employers are also utilizing video technology to set up interviews and meetings without the commitment of flying candidates across the country and picking up a large expense tabs. Employers can virtually meet with job candidates, and executives in offices around the country could potentially participate or observe the interview. Industry experts predict that more and more computers will feature video conferencing technology to allow the average job seeker access to employers all over the world.

Perhaps one of the first web tools to be utilized by recruiters and employers was the search engine. Most hiring managers spend a few minutes “Googling” job candidates before calling them for an interview, and if they find something unsavory or unattractive, the job hunter may not make it to the interview stage. If a potential candidate is featured in drunken photos on MySpace or wrote an inflammatory blog post about a past employer, recruiters are going to think twice about hiring him or her. It may be judgmental, but it’s the nature of business. Recruiters want to meet with people who conduct themselves professionally, and a racy Facebook profile could work against a job hunter.

Those candidates who are tech savvy are creating websites and profiles on business networking sites like LinkedIn. LinkedIn is essentially Facebook for business. Job hunters and employers alike create professional profiles which showcase their experience, opportunities, and best qualities. One can connect with former coworkers and find job opportunities through the online network. Once you establish a connection with a professional contact or colleague, you have access to all of their connections, etc. The site is fast becoming a new frontier for turning personal and business contacts into job leads and professional opportunities.

While a personal connection is always a sure way to find job leads, Web 2.0 technologies are helping to bridge the gap between technology and face-to-face contact. Through video conferencing, social/enterprise networking, and personal promotion, recruiters and job hunters are making it easier to get to know each other on the internet.

“Raise more money, transform operations, and build stronger donor relationships.” This is the promise of Salesforce.com’s foray into the political arena, a new service called CampaignForce. With the recent proliferation of Software As A Service (SAAS) products and increasingly tech-savvy political candidates, it’s no surprise to see a service like CampaignForce marketed to campaign managers. Salesforce’s political product is meant to help candidates run their campaigns like a business and treat their supporters like customers.

CampaignForce works much like Salesforce’s other SAAS options, which focus on customer relationship management (CRM). The idea is to give campaign staffers the same quick access to donor information and statistics that customer service reps have to client information. Candidates and staffers can view an easy-to-read landing page which displays pertinent data such as recent polls, fundraising progress, outreach efforts, and public appearances. The user-friendly interface can even be paired with other applications to pull data from YouTube (to see how many hits campaign ads are receiving) and generate financial reports for the Federal Election Committee, saving staffers time and ensuring the accuracy of the records.

One of the biggest benefits of using a web-based service rather than traditional software is the ability to access information at any time, from any location with internet access. This is especially applicable to political candidates, who are constantly on the move. Staffers in a mobile command center (like a wired RV or bus) would still have the ability to serve the needs of donors, journalists, and voters. CampaignForce is hosted on Salesforce servers, eliminating the need for complicated and costly data centers.

As of February 4th, a Salesforce press release revealed that their services are being used by nearly 30 political campaigns. It’s no surprise that one early adopter was Republican contender Mitt Romney, who suspended his campaign on February 7th. The veteran businessman raised $20.7 million in the first quarter of 2007, despite polls showing him behind Guiliani and McCain. Romney’s campaign manager Alex Burgos reportedly attributed the fundraising success to CampaignForce. Ron Paul is another remarkable fundraiser, and his campaign, well-known for their Web 2.0 efforts, also uses CampaignForce.

While some candidates jump at the chance to store their data on Salesforce servers, the service got a slow start. In an interview with eWeek, senior VP of global public policy Dan Burton says, “They’re [candidates] wary of putting data on the internet. They’re just now awakening to this potential.” However, as this type of data hosting service becomes more and more popular among businesses, it’s only a matter of time before campaign managers join the enterprise world in welcoming SAAS technology.

Adobe has long been known for their software applications which appeal to designers, developers, businesses, and everyday users. They are now making a series of moves into the “Software As A Service” (SAAS) industry, in a clear attempt to compete with Google and Microsoft. At the Max show late last year, Adobe announced their plans for a new file-sharing service called Share, which will allow users to create, organize, publish, and collaborate through web-based applications. The first step in this SAAS direction was their purchase of Virtual Ubiquity and its online word processor called Buzzword.

Virtual Ubiquity was based in Waltham, MA, and CEO Rick Treitman told eWeek that the plan for Buzzword was to, “build a full-featured word processor that made no sacrifice about running on the Web.” The goal with Buzzword was to work with the endless possibilities of web-based applications to create a user experience that was not only convenient, but also slick-looking. As Treitman commented to eWeek, “We tried everything - Java, .NET, AJAX, and we settled on Flash.” Adobe’s popular plugin was the tool Virtual Ubiquity used to deliver an interactive, real-time word processor that delivered a uniquely “online” experience.

With Adobe’s acquisition of Buzzword, the site was launched to critical acclaim. Buzzword feels more professional than Google Docs, allowing users to create documents which incorporate graphics and images for a business presentation, a poster, or an advertisement. Like Docs, Buzzword allows you to share and collaborate on documents without using attachments, which solves the problem of multiple versions. Users can specify the level of access to any document, allowing one colleague to become a co-editor while limiting another to read-only privileges. Any collaborator can add comments to a sidebar, allowing the team to suggest changes without making them permanent. The Share service will also give users 1 GB of free storage online.

Aside from the sleek design typical of Adobe products, the Flash-based word processor boasts a powerful “help” system to assist those of us who are slow to learn new applications. In addition to pop-up prompts that provide keyboard commands, Buzzword has a great help center accessible from a drop-down menu at the top of every document. And when an action fails (like pasting an image from the clipboard) the user is immediately notified as to why it happened and how to fix it. In addition to the hand-holding for new users, the online word processor is open to comments and discussions from the community. Buzzword’s discussion forum provides a place for users to get together for problem solving, and also features a virtual “suggestion box” for improving the service. Many user questions are answered by the big wigs at Virtual Ubiquity/Adobe itself, which adds to the sense of community.

Buzzword is especially useful for documents containing images, tables, or graphics, as images can be dragged and dropped with text flowing automatically around them. With the expansion of the Share service, Adobe will allow developers to create mashups with their Flex applications using Flash previews of documents from Buzzword. This kind of integration and flexibility is key for any designers or developers who use online word processors, and it is a distinct advantage over Google Apps, which does not have the software to compliment their SAAS offerings.

However, in my exploration of Buzzword I have noticed several problems that are reflected in the user discussion forums. First things first: it takes a while to load. Granted, Flash pieces are nice visually, but they can sometimes get in the way of a good user experience. Buzzword can sometimes take as much as 15 seconds to get going, which could be a turnoff to impatient users. As a writer, I rely on a solid thesaurus, which is not built-in to Buzzword. This feature is in the works, though not in the near future.

As an editor, I also love being able to open two documents side by side (in tabs within the same browser window). Buzzword does not allow you have multiple documents open at the same time in the same window, which is essential in some business settings. Also, perhaps the biggest barrier to successful competition with Google and Microsoft is the lack of spreadsheet or presentation apps. Adobe is not likely to overlook these functions for long, as it is an often requested feature on their discussion forum. For now, though, Buzzword looks like it will be the main focus of their SAAS efforts.

Buzzword is currently free, though industry experts predict that a premium service of some sort will develop with the expansion of the Share service. Overall, Buzzword is a solid product and good tool for Adobe to test the SAAS waters. The interface is friendly and attractive, and it’s likely to appeal to a more enterprise/developer audience than Google Apps. As the product continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Adobe positions itself in this emerging world of online document creation, sharing, and storage.

For more information or to sign up for Buzzword, visit www.buzzword.com.

Last spring, Microsoft launched a new browser plugin called Silverlight, which was designed to give developers of Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) another weapon in their arsenals. Silverlight, which competes with products like Adobe Flash, Java FX, Quicktime, and Adobe Shockwave, allows web-based applications to be developed with animation, vector graphics, and video/audio playback capabilities. Now, as the launch of Silverlight 2.0 nears, RIA development teams are taking notice of the flexibility and convenience of Microsoft’s attempt to rival Adobe.

Silverlight 2.0 is slotted for release sometime in the first quarter of 2008, with a beta version expected in time for Microsoft’s MIX conference in early March. The new version adds value for developers by supporting .NET languages and development tools. This means that content can be coded in a myriad of languages, including some dynamic languages like Ruby and Python. Fast and efficient video delivery and animation is Microsoft’s main focus with Silverlight, and it appears to be paying off.

Some of the features that have RIA developers eagerly awaiting Silverlight 2.0 include:

• Support for Windows-based and Macintosh systems (Linux support is in the works through third-party Moonlight)
• Quality vector-based graphics, media, animation, text, and video which can be integrated into an existing web app
• Enhancement capability for existing standards in RIAs (AJAX, etc.)
• Fast installation due to small (2 MB) file size
• Ability to work in a variety of browsers
• Choice of development languages using .NET framework
• Uniformity in media format which can be scaled for different media (HD or mobile), and support for WMA and MP3 audio
• Text-based XAML format which allows RIA content to be searched and indexed

The tool’s creators hope that Silverlight will stand up to the unusual scrutiny that is so often directed at Microsoft products. They want to present a solid, attractive alternative to Adobe products, which have dominated the design world, while still appealing to developers. In a recent interview with eWeek, Cynergy Systems VP Dave Wolf describes the reason he things Silverlight will take off. “There is no question that the Microsoft developer community is huge, passionate and, for the most part, they get enterprise software development.” For industry insiders like Wolf, Silverlight is a flexible option for developers who don’t use Flash technology.

Silverlight has won several awards, including CNET’s Webware 100 Award, which is significant since it’s based on voting by industry insiders. It’s an early victory for a relatively young technology. Perhaps the most promising thing about Silverlight’s positive reception is the continued expansion of RIAs into the mainstream. More and more developers are relying on technology which allows the seamless incorporation of multiple media, and Silverlight is another step in that direction. The web application world is becoming more inclusive of video, sound, and animation, and users are starting to expect a web experience saturated with these interactive elements. Silverlight 2.0 will make it easier and more efficient for developers to give the people what they want. And that is always a good thing.

U.S. automakers are seeking new ways to improve the performance of electric cars. Following a progressive energy bill which requires a 25% increase in fuel efficiency by 2020, car companies are ready to take another look at the technology behind the electric car. Plug-in vehicles had a brief moment in the sun (largely in California) in the late 1990s, but a short battery life, lack of consumer support, and the powerful oil lobby combined to shelve the idea. With the popularity of hybrid cars and the support of legislation, automakers are exploring new options to make the plug-in electric vehicle a viable product for U.S. drivers.

The environmental benefits of plug-in electric cars are clear: the electricity required to power them emits 50% less greenhouse gases than a traditional gas-powered vehicle. The practicality of these clean cars is less obvious. They can travel approximately 40 miles before needing to recharge, and some of them can be plugged in to regular wall outlets. This would be perfectly reasonable and even convenient for the vast majority of U.S. commuters, 78% of which have a daily drive of 40 miles or less. It would be very impractical, however, for any extended trip, especially if the vehicle in question required a special type of charging station, as did GM’s late 90s model, the EV1.

The key to making electric vehicles successful in the U.S. market is finding a battery technology that can increase their range and decrease their price. In a recent interview with Business Week, Nissan Senior VP of Technology Minoru Shinohara points out, “The price of the battery is almost equivalent to the car itself. It’s not very practical right now.” For this reason, automakers are looking beyond the battery systems of past electric cars to the same technology that is used in laptops.

Both Nissan and GM are planning to introduce electric cars that use a lithium-ion battery, unlike the nickel-metal hydride versions that GM used for the EV1. These batteries have the benefit of being more stable than NiMH versions, which allows them to pass safety standards for cars. There are still some safety concerns, however, as there was a rash of exploding lithium-ion batteries in laptops in 2006. The batteries also hold a stronger charge and weigh less. However, at current production costs, they are estimated to add approximately $10,000 to the consumer price of the car, making it very hard to compete with hybrid vehicles.

GM’s lithium-ion powered car is called the Chevy Volt, and it will likely hit the market by 2010. It boasts a completely electric engine with a backup power system that will kick in after the lithium-ion battery is drained. The backup system, called E-Flex Drive, can be configured to run on gasoline and E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline) or biodiesel. The electric battery can be recharged using a standard household outlet, or it can recharge itself using the gas-powered combustion engine. Hybrids already on the market, like Toyota’s popular Prius model, have nickel-metal hydride batteries recharged by a gas engine.

GM is still looking for a supplier for the battery system, and firms working to provide new technology solutions are getting a boost from government grants. One such company is A123 Systems, based in Watertown, MA and founded by an MIT professor. They have successfully created a lithium-ion battery that was demonstrated in a hybrid car, thanks to incentives from a Department of Energy grant. DOE funding for battery technology has reached $80 million this year, with $30 million going specifically towards developing fleets of plug-in electric cars. Automakers are also hopeful that government incentives will be available for consumers who purchase their green cars. A tax credit is already extended to hybrid owners, who get a break of up to $3000, depending on the purchase date and model of car.

Through a combination of innovation and government support, the electric car just might find a receptive market in the United States in coming years. It’s a good sign that filmmaker Chris Paine is making a sequel to his 2006 documentary, “Who Killed the Electric Car?” The title? “Who Saved the Electric Car?”

Businesses have increasingly turned to online training methods in recent years, using technology as a way to better serve the needs of their employees’ professional development. This is especially true for those employees who need help with “hard skills,” such as computer training, operating machinery, or safety standards. Now, HR departments are starting to look to e-learning as a means of teaching “soft skills” or “people skills,” like communication, conflict resolution, management techniques, teamwork, and foreign language. This trend is still in its infancy, and some business are scratching their heads and asking, “Can you really learn people skills online?”

Employers are turning to e-learning to ensure that younger workers are developing the soft skills they need as they take over the work force. Baby boomers are slated to retire soon, and companies are worried that their experience and knowledge will go with them. Younger workers are accustomed to using computers, cell phones, and social networking websites in their everyday activities, and e-learning advocates hope that these two groups can be linked through online mentoring and training programs.

U.S. Bancorp has begun using a software package called Open Mentoring which connects workers across the organization for personalized training and mentoring services. Open Mentoring matches up employees based on demographic and competency information, and helps them connect through phone calls, online chats, and forums. The strategy may help preserve some of the organizational knowledge and memory that would otherwise be lost when experienced employees retire.

Employers are also using e-learning technologies to improve the language skills of their increasingly diverse workforces. Many companies who use an outsourcing employment model or who operate overseas are finding it increasingly important to provide language training to employees at locations all over the world. E-learning tools can help make that experience uniform and ensure the quality of teaching is the same across the company. One leader in this market is GlobalEnglish, which boasts clients such as Reuters, Mitsubishi, Nestle, General Motors, Canon, and Hilton International. They offer customized programs which will allow for specific problems or challenges to be addressed depending on the native language of the employee.

Online training has also come in handy for companies who need to give seminars on ethics or sexual harassment laws. During my tenure at a major publishing company with thousands of employees worldwide, we were required to participate in a web-based sexual harassment course. The 60-minute interactive class included a pretest, videos of real-life scenarios, test questions, and follow-up material that could be printed. Rather than attending a crowded meeting with a frustrated HR rep trying to shout over the chatter of bored employees, we were able to complete the training on our own schedule without the distractions of our immature coworkers.

So how do we know if online training is appropriate or effective for soft skills development? Many organizations are attempting to answer the same question. A number of online training models include follow-up meetings and sessions to allow trainees to interact and test their knowledge. This means that local HR reps have a chance to evaluate the effectiveness of the training, if only on an informal level. Metrics for soft skills learning are hard to define, but many programs use a survey/user satisfaction model to collect data and measure success. However, with the incorporation of more and more Web 2.0 tools into e-learning programs, people skills can indeed be exercised online. Between blogs, WIKI, social networking/bookmarking, and video sharing, employees really are able to communicate and learn in a group setting from the comfort of their cubes.

A remarkable trend has hit the technology industry hard, with more and more enterprises opting for web-based applications in lieu of traditional software packages. This model is reflected in the field of project management, where online tools are multiplying like rabbits. No longer to teams have to rely on Excel spreadsheets, Powerpoint presentations, and Project’s limited tracking functions. These web-based project management tools can help an enterprise not only manage scheduling, budgets, resources, and communications, but they can also help identify best practices throughout the product development process.

One reason web-based applications for project teams has been so popular is its ability to connect users from anywhere in real-time. Many manufacturers have relationships with groups in China or Mexico, while many IT developers have teams in India. Using a web-based tool solves the time zone problem as well as the “versioning” problem, so every team member has access to the same information.

Open Workbench is a good example of a web-based, open source project management tool. It’s optimized for Windows, with similar functionality to Microsoft Project (a comparison page is available on the Open Workbench website). The code is available for customization, and like most open source tools, it is free to any number of users and any type of organization. They make a profit through training documentation, though user forums are also available at no cost. Open Workbench is also available in French and German, allowing international enterprises to collaborate within the same application.

Another key player in this industry is Mingle, a product of ThoughtWorks Studios. It is geared specifically towards Agile software development teams. The set up mimics a “card wall” or “sticky note wall,” so that it mimics the old standard tracking method of leaving notes for team members. The tasks can be arranged and color-coded according to their importance and time sensitivity. Though web-based like Open Workbench, it’s not open source, which allows for little independent customization. It’s also not free. At $59 per user per month, it could be an expensive tool for larger teams.

Another good option is Project Insight, who’s client list includes toy companies, software developers, ad agencies, and design firms. Their goal is to create features that, “satisfy experienced project managers and are easy enough for team member to learn and adopt.” The pricing model is slightly more affordable than Mingle, starting at $250 a month for the package plus hosting. Project Insight is also carefully integrated with MS Office products, allowing users to import existing Project files into Project Insight. The most interesting thing about their tool is it’s appeal to different development teams in different industries. For example, Razor USA, best known for the Razor scooter, has incorporated Project Insight into their team activities including design, development, and manufacturing. “The [Razor] product design and development team is in Los Angeles and the manufacturing is in Asia, so coordinating tasks and activities across the globe is imperative.” This web-based model allows collaboration in real-time.

Project management software is one of the early adopters of the trend towards web-based applications, and we’ll likely see more tools for enterprise following this model. As businesses continues to embrace the global economy, software will also need to adapt to meet the needs of international development teams.

Traditional market research is seeing another shake up with the inclusion of social networking into their mix of techniques. While we’re all accustomed to seeing advertising on Facebook (everything from “That’s what she said” t-shirts to floral gift baskets are being hawked on their ad board), a new strategy has been popping up in the marketing departments of major companies. Now, not only will you see ads for your favorite products, but you will be asked to discuss them in social networking forums.

The process of tweaking and improving products is being taken out of the hands of R & D departments and being thrust upon the consumer. In an increasingly user-generated world, everyday consumers are being asked for their feedback on everything from doggie treats to tax software, all through the lens of online networks. Not only is this a cost-effective way to conduct high-level focus groups, but people sitting in front of a computer are more likely to be brutally honest than those sitting in a stuffy conference room. Some companies are using the standard sites like MySpace and Facebook, while others are creating their own social networks. Some are made up of selected consumers or internal employees, while others are open to a larger market set.

A good example of this is Proctor & Gamble’s networking site Capessa, which is open to any internet user. It focuses on what are believed to be “women’s issues” like health, beauty, parenting, relationships, and gardening. As the website explains, “Capessa is a gathering place for real women to share their stories, offer their personal wisdom and practical advice, improve their lives and be inspired. It’s a place where experiences are the common thread, where advice comes from personal experiences. Capessa is you and women just like you.” Not terribly subtle, is it? What is subtle is Proctor & Gamble’s involvement, which is mentioned hardly anywhere on the site. Users can post blogs and videos, recommend links, and chat about their favorite shoes and makeup, while P & G collects their opinions and ideas for future product development.

Another example of this is model is Turbo Tax’s Inner Circle, which is a social network open to any taxpayer, whether or not they use the software. The site boasts a membership of about 5,000 users, and they can ask questions and post comments about taxes and the software packages offered by Turbo Tax. Their marketing department monitors the questions and concerns and even stokes the conversations to gather data. What differentiates this from Capessa is the open acknowledgment that user comments and ideas will be used for future product cycles. The website urges users to, “Tell us how we can improve our products and services. Contribute ideas for new features.”

In addition to individual companies who have created online forums for focus group research, there are a few pioneering technology firms developing social networks as a business service. Mzinga, which translates as “Beehive” from Swahili, allows companies to integrate social networking tools into their existing website. These add-ons can include blog-style forums, wikis, consumer surveys, polls, user profile pages, and social bookmarking. Another front-runner in this trend is Networked Insights, has the added feature of rating customer comments and activity based on the responses they receive. For example, an active commenter who does not spark debate or attract other comments would be less important for market research than a one-time commenter who set off a firestorm discussion. This allows marketing departments to screen ideas based on their validity and popularity.

Companies who engage in focus groups based in online networks are reaching out to users in a low-cost, high-yield way. Clever marketers could potentially get free advice from people who actually care about the outcome of the product. One word of caution, however: be prepared to actually use their suggestions. There’s nothing quite as puzzling to consumers as ignoring their opinions. Making a product based on user-generated data not only has the power to appeal on a massive scale, but it also has a built-in consumer and the buzz of word-of-mouth advertising. It’s the recipe for a perfect storm, and I suspect that more and more corporate websites will be asking me to create a personal profile in the near future.

Back in August 2007, job board giant Monster.com was hit by a major security breach. Hackers used a legitimate employer account and password to steal names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses from 1.3 million job seekers who used the site. The information was later used to send out “phishing” emails, which used Monster’s brand to gather financial information from victims. Information was stolen not only from Monster, but also from those of USAJobs, a federal employment service which used Monster’s databases. This brought to light the problem of security for online recruiters and job hunters alike, and companies like Monster are struggling to keep up with the demand for a more secure method of storing user information.

Online recruiting is becoming more and more popular, with large companies paying a premium for job postings and access to resumes from sites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com. Companies are estimated to have spent nearly $6 billion on online job postings last year, and in 2005, approximately 51% of new hires were found online. That number is expected to grow. With the continued expansion of online recruiting efforts, employers and job seekers are looking for some assurances that security will improve.

Monster.com responded to the hack (albeit slowly) by issuing a letter to users explaining their plans for beefing up security. “Monster has formed a Security Task Force made up of senior management from the Monster organization. The task force is committed to develop infrastructure advances that will further enhance the security of our customers and services.” These infrastructure advances could include any number of efforts, including monitoring activity on their website in real time to “catch” any thieves in the act.

It seems this may not be enough for job seekers, who have lost their trust in online job boards. In a recent interview with HR Magazine, a recruiting firm exec says, “They’re no longer putting their information out there, so [it’s] a waste of time.” Until companies like Monster and Careerbuilder get serious about limiting who can access user information, recruiters and job hunters alike are looking towards alternative models for connecting job hunters with relevant postings.

One promising company is Job Central National Labor Exchange, which was created by a consortium of employers called DirectEmployers. DirectEmployers aims “to improve labor market efficiency through the sharing of best practices, research, and the development of new technology.” Companies using Job Central pay a flat fee of $15,000 annually for job postings, and they carefully screen to make sure that all the employers and opportunities are legitimate. The site uses no advertising, as ads can lead users to dowloading spyware or other malicious software. Best of all, Job Central uses a Google application called Base which allows listings to be gathered from employers sites and linked through jobcentral.com. This means that job hunters are sent directly to the employer to apply for the job, and no personal information is stored on Job Central’s servers.

Another solution to this security problem is being pioneered by Jobs2Web, which is an optimization strategy for companies who want their job listings to show up at the top of search engine results. They want to put the traditional job board out of business by making a company’s recruitment website more visible to the average job seeker. As their website explains, “Our career site optimization solution will optimize your open jobs and make sure they can be found on major search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN as well as free job posting locations.”

As Monster’s apology letter points out, “Every Internet site in the world is facing the growing issue of fraudulent usage of information,” and it seems that hackers have so far had an easy time targeting job boards. Their relative lack of security and their vast amounts of user information make them a juicy target indeed. More companies will likely suffer the fate of Monster, and more job seekers will likely reach out to alternative job boards like Job Central. Until job boards get serious about security, beware of unsolicited emails from your favorite site asking for your bank account information.

As more individuals and businesses take steps to go green in coming years, renewable energy sources expect to see massive growth. Both the wind power and solar power industries saw remarkable changes last year, with wind power companies adding over 5000 megawatts to the grid and the industry expanding by 45% last year. The solar power industry, though much smaller, saw a similar percentage increase, adding more than 300 megawatts to the U.S. power grid. The renewable energy field is a bright spot in a slowing economy, and experts predict that the growth spurt will continue, adding jobs and clean energy sources in many locations throughout the country.

Part of this trend is due to favorable policies and regulations at both the national and local levels. The federal government has enacted tax credits and business incentives to clean energy companies, and many states have followed suit. Though some of these credits are due to expire at the end of 2008, the industry may be able to weather the storm due to the increasing demand for clean energy in states like California, which has passed laws demanding that utilities buy a certain percentage of their wattage from renewable sources.

One state has been especially welcoming to renewable energy companies. New Mexico’s governor (and former Democratic presidential candidate) Bill Richardson told the Wall Street Journal that his state has enacted laws granting “close to $20 million” in incentives for German solar company Schott. Schott has plans to build a massive solar cell factory in Albuquerque that will provide jobs for approximately 350 residents by 2009, with plans to increase the opportunities to 1500 workers. Schott has a similar solar plant in Billerica, Massachusetts, which manufacturers solar panels for use by construction companies and individuals. The Albuquerque plant will focus on large-scale solar modules for use by utility companies who supply solar-based electricity to grids throughout the country. Because of policies like his, Richardson predicts, “The Southwest is going to become the laboratory for clean tech jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency.”

Wind power is seeing even more impressive growth, and nearly 20,000 jobs are now available in the U.S. market due to wind energy projects. Half of those were added in the past year, and the trend is expected to continue. Experts in the clean energy field expect tens of thousands of jobs to be created in the coming decade. While some of these emerging companies focus on manufacturing large scale turbines for use by utility companies, others have taken a more local approach, installing smaller-scale turbines at businesses, schools, and hospitals.

One such company is Blue Sky Wind, based in White Plains, NY, and they expect to see a total production of 1000 megawatts through their various projects by 2010. Their common sense approach allows them to seek opportunities to make a difference in various settings. As their website explains, “We seek places where the electrical infrastructure is in place and where supplemental energy is needed and cost effective. BSW will consider urban, suburban, industrial, farm and rural settings for wind projects.” Many businesses are following the same model, and much of the wind industry’s growth is due to small-scale local projects like this. In the coming years, we can expect to see not only large wind farms popping up all over the country, but also turbines on college campuses, in business parks, and in housing developments.

The continued success of the renewable energy industry comes as a welcome bit of news amid pessimistic economic reports and talk of recession. This industry will prosper and grow in coming years despite the dismal prospects for other industries. This shows that utility companies and their customers are starting to consider the source and the environmental impact of their electricity.

Almost every enterprise within the software or application development world has acknowledged the need for metrics to measure the usability of their products. However, as a recent Baseline Magazine article points out, almost no one is measuring the development process itself, which means that our processes are largely untested, inefficient, and potentially wasteful. Up to this point, the only research most managers do into their team’s success is to walk through the bullpens once a day and ask, “How’s it going?”

This isn’t because of a lack of desire or a belief that this type of information gathering is unimportant. As Forrester researcher Carey Schwaber told Baseline, “The common units to measure developer productivity are variable or inaccurate. The fundamental problem is that it’s difficult to size software.” In other words, the metrics for measuring the development process have not been standardized, tested, or scaled to the industry.

For this reason, most organizations gather absolutely no data on how their process is working, if they even have a formal process at all. Forrester research found that just 63 percent of managers had metrics in place at all, not to mention whether or not action was taken as a result of the data. Also, the metrics they mentioned are general business concerns, and they are not specific to application or software development. Common measurement points include employee productivity, cost management, defects, and scheduling; none of these points are tailored to what design and development teams actually do.

For this reason, we’ve decided to make a short list of metrics that can be used specifically to measure the success of application development teams. Here are a few metrics to consider implementing within your development process.

Quality of product at each stage - Check often for problems or errors within the design. These act as the metrics within the metrics. It’s important to keep a running tally of issues at every stage so they can be solved as the need arises or as the project progresses. One of the factors of success is to show the client a working, quality proof of concept at key intervals. This lets your client know that you’re paying attention to details and you won’t forget to take the small steps that make the finished application high quality. This will also help convince the client that more time is needed if you run into scheduling concerns. While fast food customers might want poor quality as quickly as possible, your clients probably don’t. They’ll be willing to wait if they know the finished product will be better in the end.

Effective management - The old saying, “There are too many cooks in the kitchen,” applies well to application development teams. Top heaviness is a sure way to create communication problems, which leads to a poor quality product. If your organization is structured in a less-hierarchical model, nominate one member of the team to take charge of communicating and assigning tasks. Make sure your team has strictly defined roles, and check often to be sure that they’re collaborating and sharing key information. A great way to ensure collaboration is to use a project management application like Makibie Connect or Open Workbench. These tools are designed to encourage communication and track scheduling for a team with diverse roles.

Skill development - This is a great way to measure the success of your team in the long term. When an individual developer can add new skills or knowledge to the process, you are better positioned to deliver unique value to your clients. If your group develops new skills or gains new insight, you have a great barometer of the success of future projects. This metric also has the bonus of looking into the past. Did your team create a better product than last year because of a seminar they attended or a new employee with unique insight? Measuring the skill development of your group can show you not only short-term success but also long-term growth.

Business value - While it’s easy to dismiss this category as cost vs. return on investment (ROI), business value can be much more than simply tallying up your profits on any given project. If the application you deliver does not support any of your long term business goals, it does not matter how much money it brought in. A good example of this is in Starbucks’ recent decision to discontinue breakfast sandwiches. Financially, they were a success for the coffee giant, but they did not support the brand or the quality coffee that is Starbucks’ primary focus. The same concept should be applied to application development. Not only should a product be financially successful, but it should also give your business a boost towards meeting fundamental goals and values.

User satisfaction - This is undoubtedly the most important of all application development metrics. Whether your code is perfect or your clients are pleased with the design, the only opinion which really impacts your success is that of the user. The best way to ensure user satisfaction throughout the development process is to implement frequent testing. The more users who examine your project, the more chance you have of getting it right. Ideally, testing should be done every time you show the client a new prototype. This will provide you with a laundry list of changes that need to be made before the next cycle.

Most teams are asked to improve their productivity, quality, and cost-effectiveness, and most have no idea how to do so. These traditional metrics serve simply to justify your team’s existence to the powers that be, but that is not always enough. Using a set of data points specific to application development can not only justify your existence, but also prove your unique value within any given enterprise.

Professional athletes have always been big business for advertisers, but recent trends show that the pros are taking the lead when it comes to low-budget, online ads. Instead of allowing big-budget companies like Nike and Gatorade to create their images, athletes are reaching out to fans with Web 2.0 technology. Many have Facebook and MySpace profiles, contribute videos to YouTube, and write regular blogs. This grassroots marketing effort shows that celebrity athletes are stepping up to the plate to showcase their personalities, and it has helped them establish public identities outside of traditional sponsorships.

Perhaps no athlete has done a better job of web self-promotion than Chris Bosh, the charismatic forward for the Toronto Raptors. This rising star in the NBA is card-carrying member of the Web 2.0 generation. In addition to being the fourth draft pick in 2003 and taking the Raptors to their first ever division title, Bosh has his own YouTube channel, the only athlete to claim this “honor”. Bosh got the channel following the success of his hit YouTube video, in which he asks fans to vote for his inclusion on the NBA All Star team. Dressed in a cowboy hat and a bolo tie (Bosh is a native Texan), he stumps using the classic language of a used car salesman: “You think it’s $20? No sir. You think it’s $10? No ma’am. Even five? Uh huh! It is free! That is right, it is free!” In case you’re wondering, “Bubba” is played by Bosh’s brother.

Bosh’s hilarious self-promotion was a success, and he will be playing in the All Star game on February 17th. Fans on YouTube have commented that his sense of humor won their votes. As one commentator wrote, “NBA should be THRILLED to have this guy! Young superstar coming into his prime. Tech savy for the internet.” The video has received nearly 500,000 views, all for a production cost of approximately $20. As Bosh told the Wall Street Journal, $15 of that was for the cowboy hat. On his official blog, Bosh expresses his interest in continuing his YouTube success: “I think I’ve found a way for me to show people how I like to have fun. I have a few ideas for new videos so I want everyone to be on the lookout.”

Another NBA star has also taken his branding into his own hands. Steve Nash, an All Star who plays guard with the Phoenix Suns, enlisted amateur filmmaker Lola Schnabel to put together a web ad for Nike. The unusual part of this is that Nike had no creative control or financial stake in the beautifully shot and expertly edited ad. It features Nash’s other athletic talents like soccer and skateboarding, and he felt it could better reflect his personality than a big budget masterpiece produced by Nike. While Nash isn’t quite as wired as Bosh, the two NBA and YouTube stars may represent the future of how professional athletes interact with fans and advertisers.

The biggest surprise in this new trend is that advertisers have not objected to these independent ads. While Nike has not specifically promoted Nash’s spot, a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal, “If an athlete remains true to him or herself and respectful to others and the brand, then it is hard to envision a conflict.” Nike’s position acknowledges that athletes are essentially brands or commodities, and as long as their self-promotion efforts align with those of their corporate sponsors, the benefits are universal. As more and more tech-savvy sports stars emerge in the professional leagues, we can look forward to an increase in viral, web marketing efforts by athletes, and for athletes.

While many businesses understand the benefits of some kind of service-level agreement (SLA) with their IT providers, they often neglect to put serious time or thought into drafting one that maximizes the contract. A good SLA should not only lay out customer expectations and terms of service, but it should also provide metrics for measuring performance and provide incentives for a job well-done. Creating a customized SLA could save your business time, money, and provide a better user experience.

Good SLAs address a few key questions:

• What will the provider promise to do, and how will they do it?
• How will their performance be measured?
• How will the SLA adapt to changes?
• What will serve as incentives or penalties?

In answering these questions, businesses can tailor their SLAs directly to the needs of their organization. Be sure your expectations are realistic, comprehensive, and specific. It’s important to have an accurate idea of what is possible and what is impossible. Think of the SLA as an insurance policy. It’s meant to ensure you stay up and running in case of a major disaster, but it’s also meant to help your IT provider perform well in case of a serious meltdown. Like any good contract, an SLA is two-way legal protection, and negotiating the terms up front can ensure that expectations on both sides are reasonable. This is the major reason to establish performance metrics. Do you need faster response times? Do you need to meet a monthly volume goal? Do you need to reduce the total amount of time employees spend on certain tasks? By laying out specific goals and metrics from the start, your IT provider is in a better position to meet your needs.

So why not draw up an air-tight, comprehensive service-level agreement? The answer is simple: you will pay more for services that you might not need. Just as you wouldn’t need a minivan for your solo commute to work, you may not need some of the services your IT provider is trying to throw into your SLA. One easy way to determine exactly what you need to include is to conduct a survey of users from various backgrounds and departments. Find out what really matters to the end user, and you can potentially save a good deal of money by customizing your IT coverage.

One of the most interesting new trends in IT service is the negotiation of in-house service-level agreements. Some companies are starting to write up SLAs with their internal IT groups, complete with metrics, incentives, and penalties. While some might scoff at this idea, suggesting that internal contracts aren’t effective, others have embraced the trend as a way to track cooperation and success between departments. Even though you cannot sue your own IT department for breach of contract, you can use a combination of metrics and incentives to improve their performance. Once compensation is tied to success, everyone will be on board with an internal SLA.

In the end, as with any product or service, the most important measure of success is the overall user experience. Be ready to reevaluate your measurement techniques and criteria if you find a disconnect between the user experience and the metrics you defined in the SLA. If your customers (be they in-house employees or outside clients) see an improvement, then your efforts have been successful. Also, it’s advisable to put a process in place which will enforce the measurements in real time and help ensure that the SLA is being met. This can be done by using tools from companies like Gomez or building your own measurement. Regardless of how you choose to enforce the measurement, creating, communcating and sticking to a good SLA is a win-win for everyone involved - especially the end users.

Following a year slumping stock prices and weeks of lay-off rumors, Microsoft has made their move, bidding a reported $44.6 billion for search engine Yahoo! Inc. The bid was unsolicited, and it has the technology world buzzing with excitement. This is perhaps the most calculated move which Microsoft has made in response to Google’s dominance of online advertising and search, and industry experts are eager to see how the takeover will play out.

In a press release issued this morning, Yahoo! states: “The Company said that its Board of Directors will evaluate this proposal carefully and promptly in the context of Yahoo!’s strategic plans and pursue the best course of action to maximize long-term value for shareholders.” If they really want to please the shareholders, they’ll take the money and run. Their profits have declined for five consecutive quarters, and they’ve announced significant lay-offs later this month. The deal would be a 62 percent increase over the closing price of their stock on Thursday. Microsoft’s offer is $31 per share, which is no doubt an attempt to pounce while Yahoo is weak.

If the deal goes through, it would be largest acquisition Microsoft has ever made. The AP spoke with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, and he is optimistic about the deal. “This is a decision we have - and I have - thought long and hard about. We are confident it’s the right path for Microsoft and Yahoo.” Ballmer also issued a press release expressing his hopes for the future: “We believe our combination will deliver superior value to our respective shareholders and better choice and innovation to our customers and industry partners.”

The deal would increase competition in the growing online advertising market, a space in which both Yahoo! and Microsoft have struggled. The online ad industry is expected to double by 2010, and Google currently holds the keys to the kingdom. Despite its popularity as a portal site, Yahoo! has failed to attract major advertising dollars. The deal could also lead to a combined search engine, drawing on users from Yahoo and MSN, which are both failing to compete with Google’s 60 percent share of the search market.

What does this mean for current Yahoo and Microsoft users? The Guardian is predicting that Flickr and Upcoming could replace Microsoft products which aren’t as popular. They also expect web-based office suites could be rolled out to rival Google Apps. Microsoft’s Office suite software could be accessible to Yahoo! Mail users, a strong user-base for the company. Microsoft has made no promises regarding branding, however, so major changes to Yahoo!’s image could be forthcoming.

The Justice Department has expressed interest in examining the deal, which could create significant problems for Microsoft. Google recently faced opposition in its acquisition of DoubleClick, though the merger was eventually cleared by the FCC. Microsoft has indicated their strong commitment to this deal, and negotiations may turn hostile. In their letter to the Yahoo! Board of Directors, Microsoft says it, “reserves the right to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that Yahoo!’s shareholders are provided with the opportunity to realize the value inherent in our proposal.”

Rest assured, bloggers and news outlets around the world will be watching this story, and it will be fascinating to see if Microsoft has finally struck a deal that will give them the chance to compete with Google.

A few weeks ago, we published an article about an up-and-coming website called Greenshopper.com. This unique business allows environmentally-friendly shoppers to locate green alternatives to their everyday purchases. Consumers who want to make socially responsible purchases can find everything from organic shampoo to hemp swimwear. The driving force behind this project is Zachary Bouchard, who founded Greenshopper.com after a successful career in financial services. I had a chance to speak with this remarkable 27-year old entrepreneur about his business and his passion for our planet.

Bouchard was focusing on responsible green investing when he decided to write a book about how to make good consumer choices that would reduce your environmental impact. “I had read forty or fifty books on the subject, and the research for my book developed into the foundations of the website,” he said. Bouchard had done some small website projects during his investment banking career, and his interest in web development coupled with the programming expertise of his stepfather led him to pursue Greenshopper full-time.

The philosophy that drives Bouchard is ‘vote with your dollars.’ He argues, “Capitalism is an essentially democratic process, probably more democratic than our two-party system. You have only two choices for president, but you have thousands of choices for every product that you buy.” It’s a compelling idea, and Greenshopper hopes to show people that it’s possible to influence the market by “voting” for environmentally-friendly companies. The website’s FAQ sections explains how it works: “Every purchase of a green product or service increases the demand for that product, making it more appealing for other companies to produce a similar, sustainable product.” By supporting eco-friendly products, shoppers can push responsible products to the mainstream and create a demand for items that do not contribute to the climate crisis.

He speaks with a passion and an urgency about our need to stop the climate change which threatens the planet. “Every ecosystem on Earth is on the verge of collapse, and what the politicians are proposing isn’t going to work. Small steps work on an individual level, but politically we need big steps.” His goal is to reach out shoppers who are just beginning to change their habits. “Our target market is people who are on the fringe, just starting to worry about the environment.” He stresses that the little things, like walking or biking instead of driving or swapping old light bulbs for energy efficient models, has the potential to make a huge impact.

To reach these consumers, Bouchard engineered an affiliate deal with Amazon.com, which allows customers to access the best green products from retailers all over the country. “Our ‘buy online’ section opens directly into your Amazon account, and we get credit for every purchase.” Amazon gives Greenshopper a cut of all sales, though Bouchard declines to reveal the exact percentage. He’s very excited about an upgrade to the site that will allow consumers to find local green businesses. “We want to be the one-stop shop for buying green, locally and online. Our customers will soon be able to find local green businesses that aren’t necessarily sold directly though Greenshopper or Amazon. This will reduce the environmental impact of shipping and allow local businesses to reach responsible shoppers in their areas.”

Other plans for the website include discussion forums and product suggestions, which will enable the community at Greenshopper to suggest new products that should be available on the site or identify products that should not be included. Bouchard has not yet conducted any national advertising for Greenshopper, though as their revenues increase and site’s design improves, he expects to see growth. As the revenue grows, so will Greenshopper’s philanthropic efforts; at present 10% of all their profits are donated to environmental organizations, and he hopes to up that number in the future.

To those who say that the younger generations are apathetic and uninvolved, I would point to Bouchard as an example of someone who has committed his life to a worthy cause. He is a true believer, and it is his hope for change that drives him to influence others. “When you start to understand the real problems we face, it can be scary and overwhelming. You have to have a tremendous amount of hope which overcomes the panic you sometimes feel.” While the problems our planet faces are indeed daunting, Bouchard is doing his part to educate the public and make it as simple as clicking a mouse to do the right thing.