Rio 2016: 16 Fun Facts About This Year's Olympics

The Olympic Games Rio 2016 is about to begin with much anticipation. I think we all can agree that no one really knows how this will play out with so much on the line. I just hope for the sake of the athletes/visitors that they have turned a corner in their planning and this is a huge success.

Let's take a look at 16 Fun Facts you may not know about!


1 - Rio 2016 will be the first time in Olympic history that a South American country has hosted the Games. The city won its bid in 2009, beating out Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo.
2 - The torch relay will begin on April 21 in the Games' birthplace — Olympia in Greece — before traveling across Brazil for more than 90 days and finishing in Rio on August
3 - The opening and closing ceremonies will be held in Rio's Maracanã Stadium, which boasts the world record for the most fans ever to attend a soccer game. Although its current capacity is around 78,000, the stadium squeezed in at least 173,000 fans during the 1950 World Cup final. Maracanã hosted the World Cup final again in 2014.
4 - Around 10,500 athletes from 206 countries are expected to take part in 17 days of the Olympiad, competing across 306 events.
5 - The competition will take place in four different areas: Copacabana, whose world-famous beach will host beach volleyball; Barra, home to the Olympic Park; Deodoro, for aquatics, BMX, and equestrian centers; and Maracanã, which features two large stadiums.
6 - Rugby Sevens makes its debut at the Rio Games, with both the U.S. women's and men's teams considered to be medal contenders. The seven-a-side variant of rugby lasts only 15 minutes per game. The U.S. is a defending rugby champion, of sorts, having won the gold medal in the 15-person version of the game the last time it featured at the Olympics — in 1924.
7 - Golf will return to the Olympics after a 112-year absence. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to reinstate the sport, which previously was played in the 1900 and 1904 Games. The 18 holes in Rio were designed by American golf-course architect Gil Hanse, who is based in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
8 - The Rio games will be the first to feature Olympians born in the year 2000. Rules state that all competitors must have been been born before Jan. 1, 2003, but many sports have other age requirements for health and safety reasons. The youngest competitors are likely to be from diving and gymnastics.
9 - A team of athletes who have been forced to flee their countries will be allowed to compete for the first time. The (IOC) says five to 10 refugees are expected to qualify and compete under the Olympic flag.
10 - The mascot for 2016 is "Vinicius," a yellow and blue creature representing Brazilian wildlife. It resembles a cat or monkey that can fly and has the power to stretch its limbs and body. It is named after Bossa Nova musician Vinicius de Moraes, one of the writers of "The Girl From Ipanema." Rio 2016 organizers say they hope Vinicius will help them raise 1 billion reais ($398 million) in merchandising.
11 - There are 7.5 million tickets, with prices ranging from $40 for some swimming events to almost $3,000 for the best seats at the opening ceremony. Most popular events so far are soccer, basketball, volleyball and handball.
12 - Organizers say they will prepare 60,000 meals per day to feed the athletes. Brazilian staples like rice and black beans and barbecued meat will be accompanied by other local offerings, such as tapioca, pao de queijo (cheese bread) and acai (an Amazonian fruit and so-called superfood). Image: Handout shows the unnamed mascots of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games during their first appearance in Rio de Janeiro Rio 2016 Olympic mascot Vinicius, left, and Rio 2016 Paralympic mascot Tom. Alex Ferro / Brailian Olympic Committee via Reuters
13 - Rio 2016 is looking for 70,000 volunteers, the first 50,000 of whom have already been selected — mostly from Brazil. The U.S., U.K., Russia, and China comprise most of the other volunteers chosen so far.
14 - Around 85,000 soldiers and policemen will be deployed — the largest security force assembled at any event in Brazil's history and twice as large as the security presence for London 2012.
15 - Rio's taxi drivers, or "taxistas," are being given the chance to sign up for free online English lessons provided by the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee. Drivers are often the first point of contact for fans, and those who take the four-month course will mostly likely be swapping "oi!" for "hi!"
16 - Team USA took 556 athletes to the London 2012 Olympics, second only to the hosts, and is again expected to bring more athletes than all the other visiting nations in Rio. Qualifications are ongoing so the exact number of places is still up for grabs. The U.S. topped the medal table in 2012 with 46 golds and 104 overall — though one was later taken away — and is hoping to better the tally in the summer.

TV Schedule for Events

NBC Article Link

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Colorado Telecom and Technology Directory, All The Top Companies To Prospect!

If You haven't checked out Colorado Technology Association yet, call them today! A great way to Network and learn about more companies in your own backyard.


Founded in 1994, the Colorado Technology Association is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the technology industry. Vision The Colorado Technology Association leads the network of companies and professionals fueling Colorado's economy, through technology.

Mission At the Colorado Technology Association, we:
•Lead an inclusive network that benefits our member community
•Advocate for a pro-business and technology-friendly climate
•Influence the development of a robust talent pipeline
•Lead initiatives to help companies grow


Colorado Technology Association Link

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CIO 100 Conference 2016

CIO is proud to recognize 100 organizations that have distinguished ... The full 2016 CIO 100 Symposium & Awards Ceremony agenda can be viewed here.

Top 25 Digital Transformation Award Winners Organizations are constantly looking for ways to improve efficiencies to grow competitive advantage. This two and a half day executive-level symposium focuses on how to develop, implement and capitalize on innovation, through keynotes, sessions, roundtables and briefings facilitated by IT and business experts and the CIO 100 honorees.

In addition, the CIO 100 Symposium takes time to recognize and celebrate the top 100 innovative companies of the year who have been identified by the CIO editorial team. These honorees are recognized during the CIO 100 Awards Ceremony and Gala, which is highly attended by honorees and executive conference participants.



Conference Link



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Satya Nadella and Jeff Weiner on Microsoft Acquiring LinkedIn

Article Link
Anthony Iannarino


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How To Be Rich..In Life and in Sales!

Last week a reader of my Sunday Newsletter sent an email to ask a single question. That question was, “How do I become rich?” The word rich is used to describe people who have an abundance of money and material wealth. But just like there are multiple forms of intelligence, there are multiple forms of wealth, real wealth being something different from pecuniary wealth. Be

Healthy
Your health is a more important source of wealth than money. You would never trade your eyesight or your hearing for money. You wouldn’t trade your ability to walk and run and drive for money either. You wouldn’t give up the ability to pick up your children or grandchildren and hold them in your arms. Your health is an immeasurable form of wealth, even if you don’t recognize it as such. Be

Wealthy
Being loved and loving others is an immense form of wealth. The more people who truly love you, the richer you are. The number of people you love is another way to measure your real riches. When you die, your banker will not show up to your funeral, nor will your stock broker. Don’t look for these folks if you are ever sick or hospitalized either. You’re looking for the person who is going to sit next to you and hold your hand.

The greatest source of riches is love. Period. Full stop. If you have that, you have what you really need.

Be Wise
One way to measure your real wealth is to weigh your character. Who are you? What do you stand for? What do you fight for? How do you contribute? There are people who cannot sleep at night because they’ve betrayed themselves and others. There is no amount of money that can prevent them from being poor. Who you are matters much more than what you have. It always has, and it always will.

Be Grateful
The truth is that you can only be truly rich when you are truly grateful. And when you are truly grateful, you are already rich.

There is nothing wrong with wanting money and hustling to make as much as you believe you need to be happy. But there are more important things that bring you real wealth that must not be abandoned in pursuit of “being rich,” lest you gain the money and lose your real wealth. Last week a reader of my Sunday Newsletter sent me an email to ask me a single question. That question was, “How do I become rich?” The word rich is used to describe people who have an abundance of money and material wealth. But just like there are multiple forms of intelligence, there are multiple forms of wealth, real wealth being something different from pecuniary wealth.

Article Link
Anthony Iannarino


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Aftermarket Mobile Accessories Revenue To Top $110B in 2021

ABI Research, the leader in transformative technology innovation market intelligence, forecasts global revenues of aftermarket mobile accessories to top $110 billion in 2021. Aftermarket Bluetooth headsets for smartphones will grow the fastest, in terms of both revenue and shipments, with shipments expected to show a 9% CAGR between 2016 and 2020.

“Bluetooth stereo headset shipments are rising steadily, and Apple’s rumored decision to remove the headphone jack from its new iPhone only further supports our belief that mobile accessory manufacturers will largely focus on Bluetooth audio listening in the near future,” says Marina Lu, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. “Wired headsets are also showing strong growth, as consumers usually have to buy additional headsets for their smartphones.”

Screen protectors, protective cases, and chargers also contribute to growth in aftermarket mobile accessories. Apart from larger touchscreens and higher value smartphones, advanced functionality for screen protectors, including privacy protection, anti-glare, anti-fingerprint, anti-scratch, and higher transmittance, is driving their demand. Vendors also cater to consumers’ desires to personalize their smartphones by developing well-designed protective cases. And new features built-in to these cases, such as wireless charging, memory expansion, and shock-resistant technology, increase their appeal.

Article Link
Fierce Mobile IT





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The 3 Keys To Identifying and Closing Sales Skill Gaps

The Revenue-generating Arm We’re talking about the revenue-generating arm of a company – identifying the closing sales skills gaps should be a top priority.

The companies that do it best, do three things:
1.Define the competencies needed for each sales role through competency models
2.Develop those competencies through role-based development plans
3.Measure skills gaps against those competencies with periodic assessments





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Video Streaming Habits: 65% of TV OTT Viewing is Spent Using Video on Demand

Subscription, transactional or free streaming video services account for 42% of the time that adult video streamers spend in front of television screens at home, according to new video streaming habits research from Adobe Primetime and The Diffusion Group (TDG). Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) accounts for 65% of the time adult video streamers engage with OTT services via home television screens. Free streaming services (FVOD) account for 30% and transactional streaming services (TVOD) 5%, Adobe Primetime marketing director Campbell Foster highlights on Adobe’s Digital CMO blog. ¨Consumers’ video-streaming behavior has fundamentally changed the competitive landscape of the TV industry,¨ Foster elaborates. ¨Media companies now find themselves in a battle for attention, engagement, and audiences. To understand this competitive landscape better, we worked with The Diffusion Group to survey video streamers off all ages.¨

Video Streaming Habits
Drilling down into the SVOD category, Adobe Primetime and TDG found that 82% of adult video streamers subscribe to some type of online subscription video service. Netflix tops the list at 70% use, followed by Amazon Prime at 33% and Hulu Plus at 21%.

Corresponding highlights in the SVOD category include:
• 88% of adult video streamers use free online video services.
• YouTube is by far the most popular free online video service. It is used by 83% of adult video streamers. It is followed by Hulu at 23% and Crackle at 19%.

And for TVOD:
• 34% of adult video streamers use a transactional streaming video service.
• iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon Instant View are the top three transactional streaming video services.

The research partners also looked into TV Everywhere. Key takeaways included:
• 17% of adult video streamers (who also subscribe to pay-TV) engage with their TV provider’s TV Everywhere app, while 12% engage with the TV Everywhere apps provided by TV networks. This is largely consistent with the most recent Adobe Digital Index Video Benchmark research.






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Tech giants, government struggle with online speech policies

Officials with Google and State Department are struggling to craft a balanced policy that combats terrorist messages without unduly curbing Internet freedom.

As social media outlets increasingly become the favorite channels for terrorist groups to spread messages of violence and recruit new members, the Internet companies that maintain those services are in a tough spot.

Companies born on the Web like Google and Facebook promote an ethos of free speech, but at the same time recognize the dangers of terrorists, criminals and other bad actors co-opting their platforms in service of a violent ideology or illegal activities.

The government tries to balance censorship and free expression

Those same frictions arise as the government charts a policy toward what the State Department has termed the "use of Internet for terrorist purposes," according to Jason Pielemeier, who serves as the business and human rights section lead at the department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

Leaving aside the important but problematic questions about censorship and free expression, Pielemeier noted that simply squelching objectionable content can be a bad policy choice.

Article Link from CIO 

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Why You Won’t Recognize SEO in Years to Come

If you were to look back five years ago from today, SEO strategies would be the complete opposite of what they are now. So what can we expect in another five years? We can’t exactly answer that question, but what we do know is that it won’t look like it does at this moment. As a marketer in today’s world, we must be able to adapt quickly to new SEO strategies, but experts predict SEO will change drastically in the future. Today, we focus more on aspects such as mobile and social media sites that are still relatively new to us. Not long ago, Google introduced an updated search engine that was able to localize search results which, as you can imagine, really turned SEO upside down for everyone. Let’s explore three emerging aspects that are responsible for changing up the game of SEO:

1. Mobile Search
According to comScore.com, roughly 60% of digital media use is on a smartphone. More than 75% of people in the United States now use both mobile and desktop devices, which is a 68% increase from 2014. It’s no secret that smartphone internet usage takes the cake when it comes to comparing what Americans use the most for digital media. Everywhere you look, people are constantly on their cellphones and tablets. That leads us to app usage. Apple introduced apps in July 2008 a year after the first iPhone was released. During the first weekend that apps were introduced, 10 million were reportedly downloaded. According to smartinsights.com, today 89% of digital mobile usage is spent on mobile apps. As you can imagine, the invention of apps was a huge revelation in the digital realm. Here’s an example of the traffic for a Stream Companies’ client compared year over year. Although both mobile and desktop traffic are increasing, notice the difference in the increase between the two—WOW! It’s a given that better app search usage is in the works. We’re only in the early stages of apps and mobile usage and still examining and learning behavior patterns. If you’re noticing a change in your site’s mobile views, it’s time to alter your digital marketing strategy to ensure that you’re reaching your buyers from any device they use.

 

2. Social Media Sites
Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have been rapidly evolving, with plenty of exciting new features. Each year, more and more searches are targeting content, businesses, and places, just not people. Scrolling through your Facebook feed, you now find the latest news stories and happenings in the world. Facebook is now not just a place to connect with friends but also a news source. Because of this, we have to examine search results and the way we optimize for Facebook and other social media sites. Optimization of social media websites will definitely evolve into something different in upcoming years. If your business doesn’t have active social media accounts, it’s time to get the ball rolling. By adding social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter, you’ll be more likely to pull in new referral traffic to your website, which increases your chances of scoring more leads!

3. Voice Assistants
Within the last few years, we’ve been introduced to voice assistants such as Siri and Cortana created by Apple and Microsoft. Features such as these basically offer you your own personal assistant, making topics that you want to learn more about incredibly easy to access just by asking a question to your voice assistant. The way voice assistants scan the web and search for your answers is a method that we won’t recognize in years to come. Users have been asking more and more vague questions, such as “What should I eat for dinner?” rather than “Best sushi restaurants near Malvern,” so how do we go about optimizing for this? Within the years to come, we’ll be able to adapt and have an answer.


Article by Tina DiSerafino




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Tropical Paradise Victoria House Ambergris Caye Belize!

 

We just returned from one of those great trips where you ask yourself, "why did we come home again?" Oh yeah that's right we have 2 boys at home, work and bills to pay!

 

We were treated to an amazing experience at the Victoria House in San Pedro, Belize. This resort typically books up well in advance so we were lucky to find 2 rooms for us and some friends. Besides spending most days poolside or trying out various rum drinks, you can find me in the water enjoying a number of activities.

 

 

 

 

 

GoFish Belize- Best fly fishing on the island with Abby
Victoria House Resort
LilAlphonse Snorkeling-Incredible snorkeling adventure




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No More Cold Calls..What Works Best For You?

 

 

What worked years ago now has most Sales professionals seeking out other ways to reach Prospects. Everyone has their own opinion as to what works best for them, it just comes down to being the most creative thinker you can be and doing what makes the most sense for you at the end of the day.

 



 

20 Shocking Sales Stats That Will Change How You Sell from Jake Atwood

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Top Sales Conferences You Should Attend in 2016

AA-ISP Inside Sales 2016
2/18/16, San Francisco; 6/15/16, Denver; 9/8/16, Boston AA-ISP’s Inside Sales conference focuses on helping frontline inside sales reps and managers in their day-to-day roles through a combination of talks and workshops. Sales leaders can explore a technology and service expo to peruse sales technology for their teams.

SiriusDecisions Sales Leadership Exchange
2/24/16 - 2/25/16, San Diego Focused on B2B sales leaders, this conference touches on every aspect of hiring, scaling, and developing a successful sales organization.

InsideSales Sales Acceleration Summit
3/9/16, Virtual This daylong virtual event brings together sales luminaries like Lori Richardson, Mark Hunter, Craig Elias, and Jim Keenan.

TOPO Sales Summit
4/7/16 - 4/8/16, San Francisco The sales summit’s four tracks (sales leadership, sales effectiveness, sales technology, and sales development) are a valuable resource for sales leaders looking to jumpstart their teams' success. Speakers hail from high-growth companies like LinkedIn, Google, and Box.

AA-ISP Leadership Summit
4/20/16 - 4/21/16, Chicago Attendees -- sales leaders ranging from managers to directors to vice presidents -- will learn about new sales and productivity tools, recruiting and hiring best practices, and call coaching. In addition, content will cover emerging technologies and trends like gamification.

Sales 2.0 Conference
5/2/16, Boston;  7/18/16 - 7/19/16, San Francisco Sales, sales operations, sales enablement, and marketing executives will learn how Sales 2.0 strategy can improve sales team results.

Dreamforce
10/4/16 - 10/7/16, San Francisco Each year, Dreamforce gathers salespeople from all over the world in a near-takeover of San Francisco. Past keynotes have included Satya Nadella, Jessica Alba, and Susan Wojcicki.

CEB Sales and Marketing Summit
10/18/16 - 10/20/16, Las Vegas “Smarketing” isn’t a fad -- it’s a necessary business practice. Learn how to bridge the Sales-Marketing gap at this year’s summit.

Forrester Customer Executive Summit
11/1/16 - 11/3/16, Dana Point It’s never been more important to understand your customers, and this summit will teach you how to adapt your selling strategy in a way that places clients front and center.

INBOUND
11/8/16 - 11/11/16, Boston An event that brings together marketing and sales professionals, INBOUND features inspiring keynotes from speakers like Brené Brown and Seth Godin as well as sales professionals like Jill Konrath, David Meerman Scott, Trish Bertuzzi, Jill Rowley, and Daniel Pink.

Sales Force Productivity Conference
Date TBA Learn new ways to streamline your sales team’s performance in areas like technology strategy, operations effectiveness, and sales manager development.

Sales Hacker Conference Date TBA Sales isn’t just an art -- there’s science to it, too. Take advantage of the science of selling to scale your team or your numbers. Last year’s conference included sessions like “Sales Productivity Lessons Learned from Managing 110 SDRs” and “Scaling a Worldwide Sales Org from 0 to IPO.”




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How Sales Reps Can Get to Yes Despite the Constant Barrage of No’s

In SaaS sales, SDRs and AEs are faced with a relentless stream of objections, constant refusals and straight up rejections. Not everyone can handle this kind of punishment. That’s why these sales reps are a special breed and a critical part of any company.

Overcoming the constant barrage of no’s is not an easy feat. There are many things that you can do to prepare yourself, but many of them are not taught in employee onboarding or can be found in the latest book of closing techniques. A sales mentor of mine used to say, “If you need to close, you opened poorly.” There are two ways successful sales reps deal with this challenge: internally and externally. The most successful sales reps know best what to tell their prospects and what to tell themselves when faced with a “no.” Learning how to externally deal with prospects after hearing “no” is more than rebutting objections and trying a different closing technique.

You have to understand the real reason behind the “no.” Learning what to say to yourself — and how to handle the emotions that go hand in hand with frequent rejection — is equally important. I’m sure you’ve worked with the rep that is always happy, smiling and in a good mood. People often chock it up to genetics: “It’s in her DNA. She’s just a positive person.” Though it may be true that she’s a positive person, attributing happiness and her success in sales to genetics is inaccurate. The real forces at work are mental toughness and emotional dexterity.

How To Stay Mentally Tough When Faced With “No”
1.Exert Control over the Situation: Determine that you are in control over the situation. Determine that you can and will get positive results even when faced with rejection. Perception is reality.

2.Let Go of Your Ego: Believe it or not, it’s not always about you. The prospect is not saying no to you, he/she is saying no to the product. As Dr. Maxwell Maltz wrote, “You are not your failures.”

3.“No” Does Not Always Mean “No”: Don’t confuse rejection with refusal. I’m not suggesting you pester your prospects into submission until they say “yes.” This “don’t take no for an answer” approach is what gave sales a dirty name in the first place. But realize that “no” could mean “not now.” Following up appropriately and offering true value often leads to a “yes” in the end.

4.Learn: Everything is a learning opportunity. Once you take that perspective, then you can move on and become stronger. Failure only comes when you fail to learn the lesson.

Article Link


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IoT Internet of Things Could Unlock $11 trillion by 2025!

One of the truisms of digital disruption is that ultimately most benefit accrues to the end consumer, mostly in avoided costs. The Internet of thins might be about to top that on its head. According to an analysis by management consulting group McKinsey and Company, “Although consumer applications seem to be on the leading edge of adoption, nearly 70 percent of the projected economic value will eventually come from the use of sensor technology and swarm intelligence among B2B users.”

Although IoT is still coming into focus for many, it already connects more than nine billion devices worldwide; over the next five years, that number is expected to grow to between 20 billion Intel, A Guide to the Internet of Things, available here and 50 billion Cisco, The Internet of Things, available here devices. In 2025, IoT is expected to create between $4 trillion to $11 trillion in economic benefits globally.

In a discussion paper entitled, Preparing IT systems and organizations for the Internet of Things McKinsey researchers Johannes Deichmann, Matthias Roggendorf, and Dominik Wee describe the opportunity as huge, but caution that there is a lot of uncertainty for companies. “Questions remain about how to accurately assess the business opportunities in the Internet of Things, how to build a technology stack (the layers of hardware, software applications, operating platforms, and networks that make up IT architecture) to support current and future Internet of Things applications and devices, and whether companies should invest in open or proprietary technologies,” they say.



Which-5 Article Link




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5 Cool Salesforce Tips To Help Everyday Sales Reps!

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Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2016

Analysts Explore Top Industry Trends at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, in Orlando
Gartner, Inc. today highlighted the top 10 technology trends that will be strategic for most organizations in 2016. Analysts presented their findings during the sold-out Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, which is taking place here through Thursday. Gartner defines a strategic technology trend as one with the potential for significant impact on the organization. Factors that denote significant impact include a high potential for disruption to the business, end users or IT, the need for a major investment, or the risk of being late to adopt.

The top 10 strategic technology trends for 2016 are:

The Device Mesh
The device mesh refers to an expanding set of endpoints people use to access applications and information or interact with people, social communities, governments and businesses. The device mesh includes mobile devices, wearable, consumer and home electronic devices, automotive devices and environmental devices — such as sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT).

Ambient User Experience
The device mesh creates the foundation for a new continuous and ambient user experience. Immersive environments delivering augmented and virtual reality hold significant potential but are only one aspect of the experience. The ambient user experience preserves continuity across boundaries of device mesh, time and space. The experience seamlessly flows across a shifting set of devices and interaction channels blending physical, virtual and electronic environment as the user moves from one place to another.

3D Printing Materials
Advances in 3D printing have already enabled 3D printing to use a wide range of materials, including advanced nickel alloys, carbon fiber, glass, conductive ink, electronics, pharmaceuticals and biological materials. These innovations are driving user demand, as the practical applications for 3D printers expand to more sectors, including aerospace, medical, automotive, energy and the military.

Information of Everything
Everything in the digital mesh produces, uses and transmits information. This information goes beyond textual, audio and video information to include sensory and contextual information. Information of everything addresses this influx with strategies and technologies to link data from all these different data sources. Information has always existed everywhere but has often been isolated, incomplete, unavailable or unintelligible. Advances in semantic tools such as graph databases as well as other emerging data classification and information analysis techniques will bring meaning to the often chaotic deluge of information.

Advanced Machine
Learning In advanced machine learning, deep neural nets (DNNs) move beyond classic computing and information management to create systems that can autonomously learn to perceive the world, on their own. The explosion of data sources and complexity of information makes manual classification and analysis infeasible and uneconomic.

Autonomous Agents and Things
Machine learning gives rise to a spectrum of smart machine implementations — including robots, autonomous vehicles, virtual personal assistants (VPAs) and smart advisors — that act in an autonomous (or at least semiautonomous) manner. While advances in physical smart machines such as robots get a great deal of attention, the software-based smart machines have a more near-term and broader impact. VPAs such as Google Now, Microsoft's Cortana and Apple's Siri are becoming smarter and are precursors to autonomous agents.

Adaptive Security
Architecture The complexities of digital business and the algorithmic economy combined with an emerging "hacker industry" significantly increase the threat surface for an organization. Relying on perimeter defense and rule-based security is inadequate, especially as organizations exploit more cloud-based services and open APIs for customers and partners to integrate with their systems.

Advanced System Architecture
The digital mesh and smart machines require intense computing architecture demands to make them viable for organizations. Providing this required boost are high-powered and ultraefficient neuromorphic architectures. Fueled by field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) as an underlining technology for neuromorphic architectures, there are significant gains to this architecture, such as being able to run at speeds of greater than a teraflop with high-energy efficiency.

Mesh App and Service Architecture
Monolithic, linear application designs (e.g., the three-tier architecture) are giving way to a more loosely coupled integrative approach: the apps and services architecture. Enabled by software-defined application services, this new approach enables Web-scale performance, flexibility and agility. Microservice architecture is an emerging pattern for building distributed applications that support agile delivery and scalable deployment, both on-premises and in the cloud.

Internet of Things Platforms
IoT platforms complement the mesh app and service architecture. The management, security, integration and other technologies and standards of the IoT platform are the base set of capabilities for building, managing and securing elements in the IoT. IoT platforms constitute the work IT does behind the scenes from an architectural and a technology standpoint to make the IoT a reality. The IoT is an integral part of the digital mesh and ambient user experience and the emerging and dynamic world of IoT platforms is what makes them possible. "Any enterprise embracing the IoT will need to develop an IoT platform strategy, but incomplete competing vendor approaches will make standardization difficult through 2018," said Mr. Cearley.

Gartner Article Link


Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.

CIO'S Focusing on Digital Transformation & Changes in Technology For 2016

IDC predicts digital transformation will shape 2016

What will IT leaders focus on in 2016? The recently released "IDC FutureScape: Worldside CIO Agenda 2016 Predictions" report outlines what the research firms sees as the most significant predictions for the coming years. According to IDC, the biggest issues in IT leadership will center on business needs, capabilities and availability related to digital transformation.

The data shows that two-thirds of CEOs plan to focus on digital transformation strategies for 2016 and that CIOs will be major players in leading every department through this shift. In terms of capabilities, only 25 percent of CIOs report feeling confident in how they are driving new digital revenue streams.

When it comes to availability, CIOs are focused on legacy IT services and how to maintain them with limited budgets, while also increasing digital transformation within the business. In order to accomplish these goals and maintain success in the coming year, businesses will have to focus on innovation, integration and incorporation, according to IDC. That includes implementing cross-functional partnerships, investing in new technology and fostering a culture of innovation within IT.

Article Link



Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.

What Successful Sales People Do!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!



Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.

Twas The Night Before Month End...

Twas The Night Before Month End
Twas the day before month end and across every floor,
All the salespeople were scurrying some right out the door.

The goals had been hung on a white board with care,
In hopes that this month would find everyone there.

Sales managers were nestled in a conference with dread.
While visions of bonuses still danced in their head!

The CEO with her figures and I my sales map,
Had just settled down for our afternoon chat.

When out on the sales floor arose such a clatter,
I sprang from our meeting to see what was the matter!

Away to my team I flew like a flash -
Arriving in moments after my 50 yard dash.

Above all the murmurs and shouting I heard, "PO"
Which gave the luster of goal to all gathered below.

When, what to my wondering eyes did appear,
The salesperson with an order that would make them their year!

So over the details, by line we went quick,
Ensuring the warehouse each item could pick.

More rapid than eagles accounting they came,
And wanted more info, the customer credit to gain;

Away they all went to make the D&B call,
Making sure that the deal would be good for us all.

The answer was quick, as we all knew the stakes!
Yes, accounting cried, you've not make a mistake.

Now back to her desk the salesperson flew,
Customer info to update and order entry to do.

The warehouse was bustling, more coffee they drank,
It wouldn't be THEIR fault if our numbers did tank.

Then the pick slip started printing, the paper did fly,
The pages kept printing, right up to the sky!

They all started running to pack all the stuff,
Sales held their breath, would it be enough?

When the boxes were labeled and stacked on the dock,
We let out our breath then glanced up at the clock.

We did it, we'd made it - yes right on the nose,
Then cheers they did shout and the volume it rose.

To cut through the noise the salesperson did whistle,
"If you needed proof forecasting works, I'm sure this'll!"

Surprised at this admission, I looked all around,
They were all still smiling, not a face held a frown.

Knowing I couldn't say it better myself,
I shuffled some paper to stack on the shelf.

Still patting her back, the sales team turned to go,
A good month on the books - we still basked in the glow.

And I heard her exclaim as she left for the night,
It's amazing what happens, when you plan it all right!

Author Lynn Hidy Selling To Big Companies



Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.

My Annual Holiday Maxfund Pet Food Drive in Denver!

I wanted to let everyone know that I will be participating in my annual Holiday Maxfund Pet Food Drive again this year -7 years counting helping a local no-kill Pet shelter. I will not bore you with my Pets are needy and every little bit helps speech because hey, it could be worse I could be asking you to donate to the Santa Clause alcohol recovery group.

I would appreciate anything you might be able to contribute. I will be collecting items between now and De 30th to deliver to the Maxfund Animal Shelter. Feel free to email me or click on my profile to find out my contact information and I will be happy to make arrangements for pick up.


Items Needed:
*Dog food and cat food – unopened bags; cans
*Dog crates – all sizes Cat carriers
*Dog beds/pillows (new or gently used)
*Cat litter Stuffed dog toys (washable rubber or plastic ones are best)
*Chew toys for dogs (Kongs are ideal)
*Blankets, towels, comforters (new or gently used)
*Sheets; towels – all sizes Bowls – all sizes (plastic or metal)
*Large jars of peanut butter Large chew bones
*Used leashes; dog collars
*Dog shampoo Tennis balls

This was meant for anyone in the Colorado Region, if interested and live out of state feel free to let me know if you would like to contribute...all donations accepted!


Maxfund
If you are not able to drop off anything but feel like giving, here is a link: https://www.maxfund.org/donation-page

Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.

7 Quick Sales Tips for a Strong 2015 Close

 

The year has once again flown by and it’s time to finish out on a strong note. For sales professionals, this means pedal to the metal to close out the year on top. For sales managers, it means coaching and guiding teams to reach the finish line in good shape. Here are some quick sales tips that may prove helpful in bringing 2015 to a strong close.

1. Personalize your dialogues — Too many sales professionals send impersonal e-mails and leave “canned” voice mails- I know, because I’m on the receiving end. There’s a tool called the Internet, with the World Wide Web and social media sites, offering a wealth of information regarding the contacts you’re trying to reach. Prior to any dialogue, phone or e-mail, take the time to check LinkedIn and Twitter to find out who they are, their interests, and what they’re tweeting about. Then, use this personal information in your dialogues. I know how great marketing automation systems can be, but they tend to generate generic responses. When you make dialogues personal, you can expect to see a change in response rates.

2. Read, read, read, and read — In our great age of content-based marketing, organizations are producing an abundance of relevant articles, white papers, research studies, briefs, and blogs on key subjects. Search for topics related to your industry, and sign up for alerts and blog subscriptions from people and organizations that can help build your knowledge base. These sources can give you the information to develop and provide insights to prospects.

3. Provide real insights — The more you read, the better the insights you can provide. Don’t just automatically share content with “read this article, it’s a great piece.” Take the time to aggregate data and provide meaning. Offer real insights and value to your connections. Develop an opinion and communicate your points of view. It’s a great way to become an expert and build both credibility and your personal brand.

4. Don’t get complacent — If you are close to making goal with a few months of the year left, it’s easy to get complacent. I say keep the pedal down and make it to the finish line as quickly as possible. Remember, the calendar resets itself each year. Don’t just think about completing the current year; push for continued, sustainable success to lay the foundation for 2016.

5. Fill out your CRM — Data capturing and sharing is critical in today’s business world. I understand that sales professionals typically don’t get up in the morning eager to fill out their CRM, but make a commitment to do so. Tracking won and lost deals is critical for companies, with analysis helping to improve products, positioning, and messaging.

6. Get social — If you are not leveraging social selling tools, do so before it’s too late. You don’t have to become an expert in Twitter or make hundreds of connections on LinkedIn. At the very least, set up accounts on these two social platforms and follow your clients and prospects so you can learn more about how they think and what is important to them. Follow the posts of investor relations departments to get a better understanding of your target companies’ business performance. Finally, follow your competitors, too, so you can stay current on what they are doing.

7. Nurture leads — Prospecting can be difficult. That’s why if someone downloads content from your website, you should make the commitment to follow up and nurture that lead. They may not have an immediate need, but they are searching for elements of your solution. Basically, they’re kicking the tires. If they fit your lead criteria, make sure to touch base and nurture those leads. Don’t just give up after two e-mails; make sure the prospect knows who you are for when the need arises

Article Link
By James Brado

Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.

New Data Reveals: The Best Times To Send Your Business Emails This Holiday Season

New Data Reveals: The Best Times To Send Your Business Emails This Holiday Season from HubSpot

Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.

Where the Internet Meets in the Largest Data Center in the World

Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.

The 10 Biggest Data Center Stories

Here are the 10 most popular stories that ran on Data Center Knowledge

Safe Harbor Ruling Leaves Data Center Operators in Ambiguity – Europe’s annulment of the framework that made it easy for companies to transfer data between data centers in Europe and the US while staying within the limits of European privacy laws has caused a lot of uncertainty for businesses that operate data centers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Which Data Center Skills are in Demand Today – As their approach to infrastructure changes, organizations are looking to invest in good people to support new initiatives.

Equinix Doubles Down in One of Internet’s Most Important Locations – Equinix broke ground on a brand new Ashburn, Virginia, campus that has the potential to grow to 1 million square feet of gross building space – a data center build-out that would cost $1 billion by the company’s estimate. Inside an Equinix data center. (Photo: Equinix)

Telx Acquisition Closed, Here’s Digital Realty’s Plan – Interconnecting Telx meet-me rooms with its big wholesale facilities over private network links is Digital’s new value proposition. Digital Realty data center in Chessington, U.K. (Photo: Digital Realty)

Growth Continues in Secondary North American Data Center Markets – While top data center markets like New York, Silicon Valley, and Dallas get most of the attention, a lot of growth is taking place in markets considered secondary. Markets like Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, and, more recently, Reno, Nevada, are seeing a lot of multi-tenant data center construction and take-up.

Windstream to Sell Data Center Business for $575M – Windstream has more than 20 data centers, most of them on the East Coast, with some in the Midwest, South, and on the West Coast.

Who is Winning in the DCIM Software Market? – While the very top players are the same, competition for their market share is heating up, as new vendors enter the market, and as previously existing ones step up their game.

The Billions in Data Center Spending behind Cloud Revenue Growth – Every quarter, cloud giants Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, and Google collectively spend billions of dollars on servers and other hardware for their cloud services and data centers around the world to house all that gear, and the quarter that ended September 30 was no different. A technician at work in a data hall at Facebook’s Altoona, Iowa, data center. (Photo: Facebook/2014 Jacob Sharp Photography)

Facebook to Build Third $200M North Carolina Data Center – The company has been on a data center construction tear this year, which indicates that its user base continues to grow quickly.

HP Launches Open Source OS for Data Center Networking – The move to open networking is about giving users more control of the configuration of their networks, as well enabling Software Defined Networking and Network Function Virtualization capabilities. Stay current on data center news by subscribing to our daily email updates and RSS feed, or by following us onTwitter,Facebook,




Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.

The Next Information Revolution Will Be 100 Times Bigger Than The Internet

Every day I see something I want to know more about, something I can experience at a deeper level, and share with my friends and family. I’m hardly alone in that; the average citizen of any connected country is an avid consumer, seeker, and sharer of information —driving over 5.7 billion Google searches each day. But what happens when you see something you can’t describe? Or when you encounter something you can’t accurately communicate to a friend, let alone a search engine?

Sadly, the platforms and tools of the current age of information aren’t much help when trying to learn about. They restrict our ability to learn more about things we cannot describe with words. And while the Internet has powered a new era of human networking and intelligence, the first information revolution fell short of realizing the potential of technology to provide us with the keys we need to fully unlock the world around us in any given moment. This isn’t a new development. Throughout history, our ability to express curiosity for the world around us has been limited only by the technology available.

To get a sense of the far-ranging implications of a new information revolution, we can consider the massive shift the search business drove in the wake of mainstream Internet adoption. As PCs became cheaper and connectivity improved, millions of consumers needed a better way to access the wealth of information that was now available within their homes and offices. In meeting that need, the search industry established the infrastructure that is today continuing to disrupt everything from print advertising to brick & mortar retail. The best example of the long-term ramifications of an information revolution is, of course, Google.

Article Link

Ambarish is cofounder and CEO of Blippar.




Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.

Data Center 101 Colocation and Security Tips For Your Company

Leaders from Microsoft and Dell tell us what we should know about our data centers, before we build them. Also, learn what technology and market trends are driving the need for high-density, high-performance solutions in the data center.
Article Link

Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.

Mid-Year 2015 U.S. Carrier Ethernet Leaderboard, Telecom Top Companies for Layer 2 Transport

U.S. Carrier Ethernet Leaderboard

BOSTON, MA, AUGUST 24, 2015 – Vertical Systems Group’s U.S. Carrier Ethernet LEADERBOARD results for mid-2015 are as follows (in rank order based on retail port share): AT&T, Level 3, Verizon, CenturyLink, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, XO and Cox. Port shares were calculated using the base of enterprise installations of Ethernet services, plus input from surveys of Ethernet providers. The LEADERBOARD threshold is four percent (4%) or more of billable port installations. “U.S. Ethernet port growth was unprecedented in the first half of 2015 and easily surpassed previous estimates.

This market seems to be defying the law of large numbers, as there are few indications of the typical slowing growth patterns that we look for when services reach this size and maturity,” said Rick Malone, principal at Vertical Systems Group. “Primary drivers for growth are massive migration from TDM to Ethernet services, robust demand for higher speed Ethernet private lines and rising requirements for connectivity to public and private Clouds.”

Other providers selling Ethernet services in the U.S. are segmented into tiers as measured by port share. The Challenge Tier includes providers with between 1% and 4% share of the U.S. retail Ethernet market. The following six companies attained a position in the mid-2015 Challenge Tier (in alphabetical order): Bright House, Charter, Cogent, Lightpath, Windstream and Zayo.

Article Link

Contact me at tduggan(@)Cogentco.com at Cogent for more Info or to Network. Cogent delivers customers with Highly Reliable, Secure and Scalable IP Networks with over 190 markets throughout 38 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, with over 57,900 route miles of long-haul fiber and over 27,400 miles of metropolitan fiber.