2014 was the year of personalization. But, 2015 will be the year of contextualization. Marketers want to deliver the right experience, at the right time, to each user. The digital engagement tools make contextualization possible by combining real-time segmentation and personalization technology which helps to answer many questions about consumers. Sharing and capturing data across data sources like CRM, marketing automation, e-mail marketing systems, etc. and touch points like web, email, social, call center, online store, offline database, etc. helps an organization to create visitor profile that will improve target based marketing. Read more at:  http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/articles/moving-from-personalisation-to-contextualisation/1506

Billions of people can access the web anywhere because of the increased use of smartphones. Businesses are offering mobile apps to engage with customers. Earlier, enterprise mobile apps failed to take advantage of technologies that personalized the experience of consumers. So, next-generation mobility efforts require apps that personalize consumer experience based on identity and location. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/mobile-digital-marketing/five-signs-that-mobile-engagement-is-evolving/1493

The global cloud market is predicted to reach $180 billion by the end of this year, which means we will see new cloud unified communications adoptions. Unified communications (UC) is a system that joins voice, text, email, audio/video conferencing, and IM into a continuous user experience. The integration of mobile tech into the unified communication infrastructure allows businesses to multiply their productivity. Read more at: : http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/cloud-collaboration-and-future-ad-hoc-real-time-communication-0

In this age of competition, it is important for sales people to be up-to-date. According to venture capitalist and Internet guru Mary Meeker, in 2012, 13% of all Internet traffic was executed from mobile devices. If sales team is equipped with a mobile CRM, it will help an organization to be flexible. It is also a proven way to boost sales, increase productivity and company revenue. To know more about the strategic advantages of using a mobile CRM software, follow: http://www.maximizer.com/blog/5-strategic-advantages-to-using-a-mobile-crm-software/

According to the market study by ABI Research, it was found that revenues generated from integrating, storing, analyzing, and presenting Internet of Things (IoT) data will reach $5.7 billion in 2015 and it is also estimated that it will account for nearly one-third of all big data and analytics revenues. Read more at: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/how-iot-analytics-will-reach-57-billion-2015-0

Small to medium-sized businesses use contact management systems (CMS), where a single sales person interacts with the entire client base and they replace CMS with CRM system when their clientele increases. Marketing can be done using CMSs, but with CRM systems one can extract sales data more implicitly. CRM systems allow marketers to target customers that the system has identified by analyzing and CMSs reveal when last time a customer purchased a product or service. Nowadays, vendors advertise their CRM products with features that allow for the integration of CMSs but in reality, data from the contact management software can only be extracted and imported into the CRM system. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/is-it-time-to-integrate-your-contact-management-software-with-your-crm-software-65416

Consumers are purchasing online and so e-commerce sites have become very important. Thus ecommerce security becomes important. E-commerce dealers must be able to ensure protection for cardholder data and be able to provide strong access control measures through the payment card industry data security standard (PCI DSS). Heather Gilroy (Brand Development Manager at Personnel Checks), writes in this article link about some ways to improve e-commerce security:  http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/e-commerce-digital-marketing/4-ways-to-instantly-improve-your-ecommerce-security/1454

According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project, it was found that 61% of workers who have online access say email is very important for doing their job, and 54% say the Internet is very important. 35% of the workers describe land line or cell phones as important 4% say social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn are very important. Know more at:  : http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2015/26796/the-most-important-tech-tools-for-workers

Next-generation technologies adopted by telecom service providers has led to worldwide growth in the Operation Support Systems (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS) software market. According to a market study by TechNavio, this market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.85 percent from 2015 to 2019. In order to reduce operational expenses, telecom operators outsource most of their service functionality -- such as infrastructure, operations and management -- to vendors who can optimize their business. Also increased usage of cloud computing in OSS/BSS is also expected to push market growth. Read more at: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/how-telecom-service-providers-will-evolve-2015-0

According to a report by corporate finance adviser Hampleton Partners, it was found that investment for Internet-connected devices is growing at a fast pace and the report also highlighted the fact that $9.4 billion has been spent in the past three years to acquire so-called "Internet of Things" suppliers, with $5 billion, or more than half of the total, in the first nine months of 2014. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/27/us-internet-m-a-idUSKCN0JB14220141127

Nowadays most people are working remotely and companies have accepted this. Working remotely has helped employees to have flexible schedules but companies must reassess the technologies needed to set up a remote workstation. The main purpose is to provide technology to perform their job while on the go. Businesses can set up a cost-effective way for their workers to work remotely. Norah Abraham (freelance writer), writes about the tools needed to set up a remote workstation in her article. Read more at: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/5-essential-tools-remote-working

Pure tag management software/solution has become omnipresent. Every company wants to own one. But it is a feature and not a product segment. So, the future of "tags" is shifting to data management. Most TMS providers are now engaging in unification platforms, by which all the data collected from various channels and devices can connect and interact. These can be utilized by marketers so as to reduce spending, and increase marketing efficiencies. The future of tag management is digital marketing. It gives marketer agility and ownership of their data. To know more about tag management and its benefits and the future challenges it faces, read the article by Contributor Hollis Thomases (veteran of the interactive marketing world) at: http://marketingland.com/future-tag-management-102355

Organizations who have sensitive data and are required to put their sensitive data in the cloud opt for hybrid cloud. Companies looking to expand their presence into the cloud also opt for hybrid cloud. According to a report, the growth rates of both hybrid and private clouds come in the range of 40% to 45%. This article by Sharon Gaudin (Computerworld UK) describes some basics that every IT manager should consider if enterprises are looking to use a hybrid of public and private cloud set-ups. To know more, follow: http://www.computerworlduk.com/in-depth/cloud-computing/3581099/five-tips-for-building-a-successful-hybrid-cloud/

The top trends for the year 2015 can be divided into three groups. They are: Merging the Real and Virtual World which includes Computing Everywhere, The Internet of Things, and 3D Printing. The second group is Intelligence Everywhere which includes Advanced Pervasive and Invisible Analytics, Context-Rich Systems and Smart Machines. The third group is Emergence of the New IT Reality. To know more about these emerging trends, follow: : http://www.cmswire.com/cms/internet-of-things/top-10-strategic-tech-trends-for-2015-gartnersym-infographic-026777.php

The first milestone in cloud computing history was marked by the arrival of Salesforce.com in 1999, which is the pioneer of the concept of delivering enterprise applications via a simple website. . The next development was Amazon Web Services in 2002, started providing a suite of cloud-based services including storage, computation and even human intelligence through the Amazon Mechanical Turk.In 2009, as Web 2.0 hit its stride, Google and others started to offer browser-based enterprise applications, though services such as Google Apps. According to Dan Germain, chief technology officer of Cobweb Solutions, “The most important contribution to cloud computing has been the emergence of "killer apps" from leading technology giants such as Microsoft and Google. When these companies deliver services in a way that is reliable and easy to consume, the knock-on effect to the industry as a whole is a wider general acceptance of online services.” To know more about the history of cloud, go to: http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/A-history-of-cloud-computing

 Internet of Things (IoT) is the new trend in the world of technology. There are three factors which contribute to the growth of IoT. They are: Computer chips with radio communications built in are getting inexpensive, the cost of packaging small quantities of units has dropped with the growth of 3D printing and Sensor Technology has become more advanced, making sensors easy to build.  Recently, a number of groups have been formed in order to define standards for Internet of Things. Also, "Open Interconnect Consortium" standard have been established by various companies. To know about the various standards in IoT, follow this link:  :  http://www.networkcomputing.com/cloud-infrastructure/iot-standards-which-will-prevail/a/d-id/1307046

What is the requirement of the IT certification skill? It is a recognized benchmark based on standardized skill, which shows a person's knowledge and dedication on a particular technological platform. This certification helps to group the person with a selected group of individuals. Having an IT certification gives a person an edge over others when it comes to hiring. In a volatile economic environment it helps a person to retain his/her job. Also helps a person to climb up the corporate ladder in his/her career. With the help of the certification a person can join a group of unique members which will improve his/her networking skills. It also enhances professional credibility. In some cases, organizations require certified associates and staff, so having a certificate will also be helpful for the company. In some scenarios, customers only want to work with companies that have certified individuals. Earning an IT certification on a new product can make a person a subject matter expert in his/her organization. Certifications may be the best way of rewarding one's efforts. IT certification ensures that corporate professionals are up to date with existing and new technologies. Read more at:

http://www.informationweek.in/informationweek/news-analysis/297740/certifications-benefits/page/1

Internet of things (IoT) is helping in monitoring the weather by gathering as much data as possible about the weather so that some idea is obtained about how the weather is evolving in different regions. IoT provides detailed data and makes it feasible to locate hundreds or even thousands of sensors per square mile in populated areas. Many weather forecasting apps are also available. One such app comes from Weather Signal, a brainchild of Open Signal, producing a live crowd source weather map which can be viewed by anyone. The BloomSky Tian is used for a more consistent set of measurement in weather forecasting. It uses Wi-Fi to connect to a home network and also has a camera to take pictures. Both these options are there for consumers, but IoT options are also there for civic and professional use. One such option is available from Envirologger. Read more at:

http://www.informationweek.in/informationweek/news-analysis/297673/monitoring-weather-internet

Communication has evolved a lot since the discovery of telephones. The invention of smartphones and OTT (over the top) messenger apps, along with the emergence of social networks, have changed the face of communication. At the same time, improvements in collaborative technologies have sent video-conferencing through the early motions of commoditization, making it a reality for businesses of all sizes. Now the time has arrived to move from Unified Communications to Universal Communications. While unified communications has been focused on integration and streamlining of all the communication and collaboration tools within a business; universal communications is about making communications possible anywhere, between anyone and nearly across any device. The main factors driving the emergence of Universal communications are changing work life balances, social networking, and constantly improving devices, changing uses of synchronous vs. asynchronous and mainstreaming of the cloud. Read more at:

http://www.informationweek.in/informationweek/perspective/297528/journey-unified-universal-communications

Many instant messaging technology platforms are available today such as WhatsApp, WeChat, BBM, iMessage, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk and Skype which are targeted for consumers. Microsoft Lync, Cisco Jabber, etc are generally for the enterprises and have a cost linked with them. The global market is forecasted to grow from USD 267 million in 2005 to USD 1.2 billion in 2014, for enterprise instant messengers. Instant messaging by nature encourages people to be brief and to the point, which saves time. Apart from saving time, another benefit is the positive impact it has on geographically separated offices. It helps in bridging locations, encouraging new global business structures. Replacing phone calls with instant messaging also reduces cost. Many felt that instant messaging was less intrusive than a phone call due to the ability to see if a co-worker was busy or not prior to sending a message. Instant messaging also enhances the ability to multitask. IM has started to change the dynamics of Indian enterprises and helped to increase the efficiency and productivity. Read more at:

http://www.informationweek.in/informationweek/perspective/297504/instant-messengers-changing-dynamics-indian-enterprises