Green Tech goes to Top

One of the latest social awareness crazes that has cemented a pretty broad following is the idea of “going green”.  Though many people have been stressing environmental preservation for years, it has really caught on the last 5 years influencing more than just leftist activist rallies and peace demonstrations.  The Go Green mindset has now settled itself into the business world, corporate America, the domain once viewed as the arch nemesis of everything Green Initiatives stood for. 

Green ideas are everywhere we go now.  People are trying to incorporate the Three R’s into their daily lives; Reduce, Recycle, Reuse.  People have traded in their Hummers for the sporty new Prius (just go with me on this one) and are looking to minimize energy consumption and their environmental footprint.  Cars are starting to get more mileage per gallon?! Wow, talk about a timely scientific break through! Wait? What is that? Automakers have had the ability to do that for years, but nobody cared enough to implement it? Why is that? Because consumers didn’t care? Interesting.  The Green lifestyle is more than cars though it’s bringing your own bags to the grocery store, it’s using energy efficient light bulbs and appliances, it’s turning lights off when you leave a room, it’s not running the air conditioner on MAX COLD NORTH POLE temperature all day. 

Now however, these ideas and lifestyle adjustments that people are making in their private lives are carrying over into the corporate world.  Companies, and not just the small ones, have hopped on the bandwagon and are going green.  There is a whole new market sector developing in the corporate world completely dedicated the development of Green products and Green technologies.  This past week news came from Chromasun, a solar power development company, that they will be unveiling their new solar powered air-conditioning unit later this week.  Air-Conditioners are one the top energy consuming appliances in the world, especially in California, where they consume half of the peak energy load.  The new solar powered air-conditioner will look to reduce total energy consumption by nearly 15%.  

They are not alone in the push for Green however.  Many other companies are seeking out strategic business plans that not only to cut cost, but to be more environmentally friendly by reducing energy waste and carbon foot prints.  The TNS Group is proud to be one of these companies that provide these types of services to many of our clients.  Through the utilization of remote access, network optimization, and server virtualization The TNS Group is allowing companies to travel less, spend less, and use less.  These practices reduce carbon emission from traveling, cut energy consumption from powering unnecessary servers, and save on the cost of product hardware and the power needed to run that hardware.  The TNS Group is proud to be part of Green Initiatives and saving clients time, energy, money.  

 

New Movie Marketing

Exploring new forms of marketing and advertising is not always the easiest task. For this reason many companies have complete departments dedicated to marketing or in some cases hire out marketing firms to advertise for them. In our quest to expose our name and get our brand out there we have opened our minds to creative ways of advertising it hopes to find our groove. Thus we are now meeting with cinema advertising companies in hopes of running our commercial in a nearby theater frequented by our target audience.

With a commercial previously made to run in cable spots all we hope to do is acquire air time spots for a good price that will show in front of an attentive audience chalk full of business owners and decision makers who have been praying to the IT gods for an answer to their problems. Then, right before their eyes, just as they are preparing to see this summer’s ‘movie of the year’, (most likely sitting next to their screaming kids asking when the popcorn will be there), their prayers will be answered. A local IT services company; with a Big League reputation, unprecedented customer service, glowing testimonials for work done all across the Tri-state area, and the ability to optimize, upgrade, and resolve any IT problems will flash across the screen in big black and orange letters… The TNS Group. They will think to themselves, ‘What a great day to be me.’ Monday morning they will call us up at 203-316-0112 and say, “I am so glad that I saw your commercial at the movies this weekend, when can I get you in here?” Just like that we are on the move. That is at least how I see it playing out in my head.

All joking aside, The TNS Group is on the move. We are on the move for a successful marketing approach that will further legitimize our name and more importantly bring in new leads to our business. After much research about movie goers, box office numbers even in today’s market, and the retention rate that movie ads produce, we have agreed that this is something worth attacking. The cinema advertising industry is just taking off, and the numbers don’t lie. Steady and large revenue increases and projections are hopefully a sign of things to come as we venture out into the world of cinematography. This, along with a continued direct contact approach through the phone, email, mailing, and face to face meetings should bring us results. And if it doesn’t? Then it is on to the next idea.

iWant the new iPhone

Today’s top story in the “one up your competitor” department comes from who else but Apple.

At the recent trade show for MAC users in San Francisco, Apple unveiled the newest version of its popular iPhone, dubbed the iPhone 3G S. Famously known for their creativity in products and commercials, Apple took a simpler route, and said the S stands for speed. Not too flashy, but effective.

The iPhone 3G S is being touted as a faster, longer lasting, and more functional version than its predecessor. The new iPhone also has a built in internal compass, and full functioning video camera that can be focused by touching the screen with a finger. According to the Washington Post Apple VP of worldwide marketing Philip W. Schiller explained that through a simple voice command, users can upload an iPhone video directly to You Tube. Wow

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the launch is the price tag. The previous iPhone was priced at $399 on its launch date. The new device will be priced at $199 and $299, for the 16 gigabytes and 32 gigabytes of storage respectively. For those of you unfamiliar with gigabyte conversion, 32 is an insane amount of memory, and more than almost any normal human would need on their handheld device. The iPhone 3G S will hit stores next week, and will surely draw more crazed crowds of people, especially with the devalued price tag accompanying it.

The launch of this device only moves Apple further into the stratosphere, while their competition remains grounded on earth. The smartphone is evolving into a do everything tool, closer to a pocket sized PC rather than a smartphone. This phone can prove to be a game changing device that will bury the competition, and undoubtedly uproot the Palm Pre which came out only days before.

"Palm Pilot" Ring Any Bells?

Back in the dinosaur age of technology when a cell phone only made phone calls, people relied on Palm Pilots to keep their lives in order. These days, when smartphone like Blackberries and I-Phones do just about everything except serve you breakfast, the archaic idea of separate devices for calling and organizing seems downright strange to most tech-savvy users. The seamless integration of these services placed the Palm Pilot next to your VCR and CD player on the dust collecting shelf reserved for technological antiques. While the Palm Pilot probably won’t ever leave that shelf, Palm is banking that its new product, The Palm Pre, will be leaving store shelves in a hurry and dethroning the incumbent giants as the new “it” gadget.

The Palm Pre came out June 6^th, and did not draw the mass hysteria the iPhone did on opening day. No one camped out for days, but instead arrived and average two to three hours early in hopes of snagging a new Pre. Sprint is the official service provider of the Pre, and was selling the phone for $299, with a hundred dollar mail in rebate. According to a CNET article about the launch, the biggest lines came at Best Buy’s, which were selling the phone for $199, and eliminating the need for to go through the mail in rebate process. Retailers refused to give specific information on early sales figures, but said the stores experienced a “steady stream” of customers throughout the first day.

Early feedback on the Pre has been positive, but only achieved a three out of five star average user rating on the CNET website. The smartphone features a vibrant display with multitouch functionality as well as a solid Web browser and good multimedia integration. The Pre offered good call quality and wireless options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Some drawbacks noted in the websites review were a cramped keyboard, and a lack of, video-recording capabilities, onscreen keyboard, and Flash support as the main drawbacks.

As a self declared “crack berry” addict I can’t say I would trade in mine for a Pre. However, after reading the reviews and researching the product, I think an individual in the market for a smart phone should consider the Pre. While it will probably never be able to compete with the ridiculous amount of apps for the iPhone, or the constant connectivity of all blackberry users, the Pre seems ready to take a bite out of the smartphone pie.

The Latest Craze in the World of Crackberries

Blackberry has wasted no time keeping up with the high demand for instant technology and consumer gratification, all in the palm of the user’s hand. The new Blackberry Curve 8900, code named Javelin, has come storming onto the scene, no pun intended at the Blackberry sister phone the touch screen Storm. This new phone has tech gurus drooling as it seems to have everything one could ever imagine in a phone. The new 8900 offers many of the traditional features that have made Blackberries the sensation they are today including web browsing, email, mobile updates from social networks, and of course the holy grail of text messaging ability.

The new 8900, seen as the replacement to the curve, also offers a highly touted 3.2M camera, Wi-Fi support, built in GPS, Blackberry Maps, and an Enhanced Media Player. One of the most popular features of this all in one “phone-computer-GPS-camera crew-personal assistant” device is the stunning resolution and clarity of its new screen. Smaller than the screen of the Bold, critics say it is the sharpest and crispest Blackberry screen yet.

What about size you ask? Yes it does matter, and in this case it is perfect. The Javelin weighs in at just less than 4.00 ounces and fits comfortably into pockets and purses alike. Coming from someone who is a self proclaimed texting-addict, the keys of the new 8900 seem perfect for hours of messaging at the expense of my thumbs. The keys are said to be spaced just right and have a solid feel to them.

Blackberry always seems to be coming out with new updates, new models, and new ways to keep themselves one click ahead of the competition. The operating system on the blackberry has generally enjoyed widespread success, but could there be trouble on the horizon? Look out for search engine giant Google, as they break into the market with their new Android operating system now being launched on phones by T-Mobile. For more on that and the latest in technology buzz check us out on twitter for daily updates.

Now Introducing...BING

In an effort to combat internet mogul Google, Microsoft launched their own search platform, dubbed Bing, this past weekend. The effort marks Microsoft’s second attempt at dethroning the incumbent Google, after Windows Live Search failed to make a dent in Google’s majority control of market share. (Read up on Microsoft’s past blunders with Windows Live, and other flawed product launches)

According to an article from the Information Week website, Google controls over 60% percent of the market share in comparison to Microsoft’s lowly 8%. Microsoft can’t even stake a claim to second place on that list, which belongs to Yahoo at 21%. After getting toasted by Apple advertisements against their latest product, Windows Vista, Microsoft seems to be taking a stab at a different kind of market; that of the millions of dollars companies pour into search engine related advertising.

While Microsoft can be commended for their David vs. Goliath type crusade against Google, I believe this venture will be placed in the same recycling bin as Windows Live Search. Google is hands down the best at what they do. The company has vice grip on the market, and was successfully able to turn company name into a verb synonymous with attaining information. (How many times a day does the phrase “Google it” get used in your office?) Microsoft is once again biting a bigger piece then their company can chew. Google’s audience data is so comprehensive, easy to use, and dare I say fun; that I don’t ever see another company dethroning them.

Acknowledging this dominance, Microsoft has even purchased “Sponsored Link” space on Google in an effort to promote Bing. Now, when you type in “Windows Live” in Google, the first sponsored link is Bing. If promoting your own product on your new product on your competitors platform is a sign that Microsoft knows its fighting an extremely uphill battle.

Only time will tell whether Bing is able to make a splash in the Google infested waters of internet search engines. Unfortunately for Microsoft, I think they’re going to need a bigger boat.

 

Back from a project...

Hey everyone!

I have been doing a job for a client that has required some off site work, but I'm jammin' in the office today so I figured I would give a little update on something I've been working on....

My wife started a company called Loveli Marie which is a launch site for her new fashion line. I know, I know... what does fashion have anything to do with IT? Well I'll tell you... networking. I've helped purchase domains, redirect to popular social sites (rhymes with Shplogger), and refresh myself with what it's like to edit website code in html and Java script.

The reality is you're only as strong as you can be when it doesn't take an hour to find you on the internet. Now, I'm not saying that my wife is number 3 on Google's search for "CT fashion", but all you have to do is type in her web address and you can get contact info, FAQs, Bio's and all that good stuff.

This isn't a plug for a fashion site as much as it's a wake up call saying, "Hey, this is the 21st century. If you're not Bloggered, FaceBooked, MySpaced, LinkedIn, and any other I couldn't think of... you're not that available."

~Matt S.