by Machelle | Apr 30, 2018 | Business, General, Information Technology
Previous years have seen lots of inventions and innovations that have shaped industries. Above all, they have expanded economies as well as the frontiers of knowledge. These technological innovations that pertain to information sciences include data security, sophisticated smartphones, and artificial intelligence. They have ensured that information technology remains dynamic in every positive sense.
Trends of 2018
Even though as humans we cannot see the future, we can always deduce and estimate the exploits of last year. As a result, we’ll have an idea of what the year, 2018 holds for us especially information technology. The following are possible things or trends that are or will take center stage in the year 2018.
More Sophisticated Smartphones
The year 2018 will experience the invention of more compact mobile devices. Producing smartphones that are even smarter, not flexible but foldable. These will be far better than the bezel-less display but will become handier after being folded. This kind of invention will blaze the trail for more innovations that will blow the minds of many people.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning
Although this technology has found value in previous years, its further advancement in 2018 will have life-changing consequences. Artificial Intelligence via easy access to data algorithms. Finding expression via machine learning I’ll have an impact on how we contact people and transactions. It will take over jobs in different fields ranging from journalism to other white-collar jobs. Before choosing any future career path, looking into this massive acceleration in technology might be a wise decision.
Introducing the 5G Technology
Seeing the way people use the internet and the way consumers crave a faster network, there is a possibility of having a system faster than 4G. It is 5G. This technology can be ten times greater than the current system. 5G will undoubtedly change our reaction to web streams, introducing the use and design of apps and devices like 5G phones. The year 2018 will have engineers, software designers and even consumers gearing up for the advent of this remarkable technology.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is being embraced by the world’s biggest corporation like Google, Apple, and Facebook in previous years. This technology has entirely laid the foundation for the onset of smartphones, laptops, and game consoles that will be compatible with new technology. The year 2018 appears to be the ripe time for the proliferation of these devices and broad application of this technology.
The Blockchain Revolution
Though the blockchain technology becomes quite popular in the year 2017, it will continuously trend in the year 2018. This tech is because its other applications will become even more apparent. Apart from being a platform of the transaction for the digital currency, the decentralized nature of the blockchain technology it can continuously limit the incidence of computer hacks. With the backing of digital experts, this can change the perception and use of the internet. Therefore, it impacts the terrain of data security as data will be stored simultaneously across millions of computers.
2018 appears to be the year of many digital innovations, which provides consumers with better utility and grants tech giants a competitive advantage for maximum profitability. Even as the year is in its first quarter tech enthusiast are even more confident that these trends have started unfolding along with its numerous benefits.
Linda Rawson is the CEO, and Founder of DynaGrace Enterprises, (http://DynaGrace.com) which is a Women-Owned, Small Business. She is also the author of The Minority and Women-Owned Small Business Guide to Government Contracts.
Image Resource: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/948354; https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1409957; Featured Image DynaGrace Enterprises
by Machelle | Apr 9, 2018 | General
Why we need Organization
The Chaos
Does this sound familiar? Getting to work and realize you forgot your power cord for your laptop. Then you go to grab your glasses and they aren’t there. Another crazy day ahead. Now the whole day becomes a lot harder because you don’t have what you need. The famous words come from your mouth, “I need to get organized.”
Tips to Organize
Making your work day go smoother is very important. Here are some ways to organize your desk.
#1 Keep what you need in one area
This is very important because a lot of items we forget are in the rush to get out the door. If everything is in the same area, it will be simple to check.
#2 Schedule your day the night before
Have you heard the phrase, “know before you go”? Well, we are using it for this. If you know what is in the day ahead it will help you to know what to expect. This will help your day to be more effective.
#3 Organize your work area
Your work area is a place you spend most of your day. If it is not organized, it will be the creator or your chaos. Having items in place will help your day flow.
#4 Use your time wisely
It is easy to get distracted but working on a big task first thing in the morning will help get it out of the way. Especially if you have been procrastinating it. Then the rest of the day will go smooth.
#5 Figure out what your job entails and make time slots for that job.
In this tech-induced world, a lot of our jobs carries into several programs or social media. Place a certain time of day dedicated to that certain program/social media. That way you know that you will always have certain tasks at the same time every day.
#6 Allow for Flexibility
Life happens! Therefore, we need to be flexible. With flexibility, we need to be prepared to still get back on schedule.
#7 Write down appointments immediately
Have you ever thought, “I will remember that” when you are told what time a meeting will be? Then, when it was time for the meeting you missed it? This is one organization skill that can help the busy mind to be not so cluttered.
Having success can all depend on how you organize your life. Let’s do it!
Linda Rawson is the CEO, and Founder of DynaGrace Enterprises, (http://DynaGrace.com) which is a Women-Owned, Small Business. She is also the author of The Minority and Women-Owned Small Business Guide to Government Contracts.
by Machelle | Apr 2, 2018 | General
Cubercise
So why is being sedentary not a good thing?
Exercising is very important. Did you know that if you were to stay in the same position for hours and hours it can affect your circulation? It can cause harm to your organs. Your blood needs to be able to flow freely throughout the body.
Sitting at a desk is something that is sometimes unavoidable. So, what can be done about it so that our bodies can feel healthy? If we are healthy, we can be even more productive in our work environment.
Tips on Exercising while at Work
It’s time for Cubercise !!
The Sammy Davis Jr.: Tap those toes, move those feet, create circles by rotating at your ankles. While you are standing around waiting for that copy or printout there is an exercise. Lift your toes to tap the top of something small, like soccer players tapping their soccer ball.
Going up: Instead of riding the elevator, take those stairs like you mean it!
Jog instead of Slog: Instead of slouching around, stand up and take a little jog in place. One minute of that is what you need.
Split Squat and Jump: Place feet hip-width apart. Take one leg and step back two feet balancing on the ball of your foot. Lower into a lunge and come back up. Then switch legs. Do 10-12 times.
Walk around the office: Instead of just sending an email, walk to visit them in person. Did you ask someone else to get you something? Instead walk and get it. Just avoid those candy jars.
Dance and sit: While you are sitting there just start dancing the dance. Move that body!
Hold the Wall: Do you find yourself just standing while someone is talking to you? Shimmy right up to the nearest wall and do a wall sit. You place your back against the wall and slowly slide down in a sitting position. Hold for 30-60 sec. For an extra challenge, cross one ankle over the opposite knee and switch.
Stand when you Can: When you can stand instead of sitting, do it! Get that blood flow going.
Squeeze the hairs off the office Chairs: Too shy to exercise in public, here is a great one for you. Squeeze those glutes and hold 5-10 seconds and release. Repeat until the meeting is done or the glutes are tired.
After Work Stretches
Sometimes when we hear Yoga, we think of having to be in a jumble of complicated bends and twists. Here are some simple but very effective poses to help end the day.
Mountain Pose: This is when you stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Take your hands and stretch them high above your head. Reach high to the clouds.
Forward fold: Slowly bring hands to stretch to your feet. Let your shoulders relax.
Warrior I: In a standing stance. Take one foot and step back two feet letting the knee in front be at a 90 angle. Taking your hands and reach high above.
Remember that circulation is key. Let your imagination flow as you find new ways to be healthy.
Linda Rawson is the CEO, and Founder of DynaGrace Enterprises, (http://DynaGrace.com) which is a Women-Owned, 8(a) Minority, Small Business. She is also the author of The Minority and Women-Owned Small Business Guide to Government Contracts.
Image Resource: Featured Image https://pxhere.com/en/photo/780566, http://www.freestockphotos.biz/stockphoto/15250
by Machelle | Mar 26, 2018 | Business, General
Continuing after a disaster
Why Plan?
There is no doubt that business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) are two overlapping terms in organizational planning. Both terms are processes that assist organizations to prepare for the unthinkable. Whether it is disruptive events—whether human-made or natural such as a hurricane, earthquake or power outage caused by something unforeseen.
However, it appears that BCDR planning is frequently overlooked or negligently procrastinated when organizations draw up their annual plans. This is evident in the testimonies of some employees who believed that their organization has little or no ability to recover quickly from a disaster.
So, what is the primary reason why organizations often neglect to incorporate the concept of BCDR planning in their day-to-day operations?
A primary reason why organizations fail to integrate BCDR planning
The primary reason why some organizations fail to integrate BCDR planning into their everyday operations is due to the cost of implementation. The fact is that BCDR planning can be expensive and there is no guarantee for immediate or quick return on investment. The process is similar to buying an insurance policy; that is, investing in something you hope you hope you’ll never need.
Notwithstanding, it doesn’t have to be that way, and BCDR should be considered of utmost importance.
3 Reasons why to integrate BCDR planning into your organization’s operations:
Secure and ensure continuous access for employees
Business continuity and disaster recovery planning are proactive steps aimed at avoiding and mitigating risks associated with disruption of business operations. Bear in mind that the best-laid plans won’t stop disasters from happening (especially natural disasters like hurricane,) but the impact that would have been devastating on productivity and revenue if your employees or customers can no longer gain access to critical business data and applications can be taken care of by BCDR planning.
Most contemporary BCDR planning offers the ability to run applications and access data from backup instances of virtual servers. Such plans allow users to continue operations while primary servers (or original business location) are being restored. Choosing such BCDR planning reduces downtime cost and makes good business sense.
Something better than just backup
There is hardly any business today that doesn’t have one form of backup. However, what happens if a mighty flood like hurricane Katrina wipes off your primary and backup data? A proper BCDR planning entails that businesses should consider sending a copy of data offsite for immediate recovery when disaster strikes. Traditionally, this meant sending tapes to a secondary location or some vaults. However, advanced BCDR planning has made it possible to secure and recover data backup from virtual servers and Cloud hosting. Every business needs backup and continuity.
Business continuity is a must
Having constant access to data is very essential, especially for your customers or clients. It means you need to evaluate your business ability to restore IT operations and ensure continuity. Therefore, a proper BCDR planning considers a business impact analysis or risk assessment which will reveal any weaknesses in an organization’s ability to continue operations that exceed IT use.
Final Thought
Business continuity and disaster recovery are highly essential for the success of any business, regardless of profit motive. Here are a couple of sites to find ideas for planning: https://www.ready.gov/business/implementation/continuity and https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/89510
Linda Rawson is the CEO, and Founder of DynaGrace Enterprises, (http://DynaGrace.com) which is a Women-Owned, 8(a) Minority, Small Business. She is also the author of The Minority and Women-Owned Small Business Guide to Government Contracts.
Image Resource: Featured Image https://pixabay.com/en/stickies-post-it-list-business-2852375/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Zealand_Sign_Assembly_-_Emergency.svg
by Machelle | Mar 19, 2018 | Business, General
Introduction
Portable classrooms are an innovative solution that creates a productive learning environment and caters to new and changing populations. They ensure the extension of learning activities during school renovations, new school construction or emergency situations. Portable classrooms are also known as modular classrooms and are equally useful as daycares, training facilities or professional offices.
What is a portable classroom?
A portable or modular classroom refers to a building that is constructed off-site in a factory setting. What this means is that the materials used in the construction of the building and the entire process of construction take place within a factory. Instead of bringing them to the site to begin construction where the classroom is intended to be.
Once the classrooms have undergone full construction, they are shipped in parts (or whole if possible) to its future location.
What are the benefits of portable classrooms?
Portable classrooms are famous for specific reasons, and below are some of the reasons why there is a need for these modern building designs.
Mobility/flexibility
Portable classrooms are derived from the fact that they are highly flexible and can quickly be moved from one place to another. They are highly suitable for schools that need additional space, especially in an emergency situation. This means is they can be delivered to a school for temporary use and removed once the need for them is no longer necessary. Also, the school also has the luxury of moving the classroom to any other area of choice. Such benefits are not associated with traditional buildings.
Time-saving
As the population increases, the number of students or people gaining admission into schools also increases to a level that sometimes chokes the schools. The schools need to find a quick solution to the new challenge considering that they have to keep up with the curriculum and academic calendar. Portable classrooms may prove to be the best way to address the challenge posed by a growing student body. Since they take less time to build and deliver, depending on the urgency of the problem. Thanks to modern technology, it will take less than 10 weeks to develop and provide a portable classroom.
Different design options
Another excellent reason why portable classrooms are so famous is the numerous design options from which you can choose. It doesn’t matter if you are leasing or purchasing a portable classroom; there is always a style or pattern for you. You can get a turn-key classroom which is portable classrooms with furniture and fittings included to meet the need of your school. You can ask the manufacturer to customize your design just the way you want it. This includes HVAC systems, safety rails, ADA ramps, decks, and security systems where necessary. With portable classrooms, there is no end to design options.
Relatively affordable
Of course, all housing units are costly, but a portable classroom (though not always cheaper) is quite affordable and cost-effective, compared to traditional buildings. The amount you will spend for a portable classroom will largely depend on the level of customization you want. You can easily cut down on cost by purchasing or leasing an existing portable classroom, instead of going all out for a new one. If ever you’re worried about damaging the structures in transit, you have to put that aside. Portable classrooms are designed to be extremely sturdy, and a used one is a great way to save a ton on your budget.
Therefore, considering portable classrooms is a great idea. Plus they have great benefits in a growing community.
Linda Rawson is the CEO, and Founder of DynaGrace Enterprises, (http://DynaGrace.com) which is a Women-Owned, 8(a) Minority, Small Business. She is also the author of The Minority and Women-Owned Small Business Guide to Government Contracts.
Image Resource: Featured Image http://www.intermodalstructures.com/classroom/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AULAS_M%C3%93VILES_(27983543002).jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portables_at_Rock_Creek_Elementary_School_-_Washington_County,_Oregon_(2012).jpg
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}