Google Announces Web Designer, Enhancements to DoubleClick

Google is set to launch a new app to help advertisers create Web ads and engaging Web content assets, using a standard called HTML5.  The new tool is called Google Web Designer.

Neal Mohan, Google’s Vice President of Display Advertising, pre-announced it on the official DoubleClick Advertiser blog:

“To help advertisers and publishers more seamlessly unlock the potential of cross-device programs, we are investing in a new HTML5 creative development tool - Google Web Designer. Available in the coming months, Google Web Designer will empower creative professionals to create cutting-edge advertising as well as engaging web content like sites and applications - for free. Google Web Designer will be seamlessly integrated with DoubleClick Studio and AdMob, greatly simplifying the process of building HTML5 creative that can be served through Google platforms.”

Google Web Designer is not exactly what the names implies â€" and that has created some confusion on the Web.  Several sites reported it was  a tool to design websites.

However, its main purpose appears not to be about creating websites. Google already offers Google Sites. Rather, Google Web Designer was pitched by Mohan as a tool to create rich media advertisements at last week’s Think DoubleClick industry event.

This new product appears created to address the growth of mobile devices.  Currently the DoubleClick Studio contains Flash tools for building rich media ads.

According to Mohan in a video address to the audience at the Think DoubleClick event, rich media ads are hot.  There has been a “50% increase in engagement rating for rich media ads over the course of the past several months,” he says.

However, Flash-based creative has some limitations.  It’s not viewable on many mobile devices such as tablets (including Google’s own Android platform), without users  going through complicated work-arounds or installing special plugins.   HTML5 is important to enable rich media such as video-based creative to be readily viewable on mobile devices.

Google Web Designer will allow agencies and advertisers to build advertising creative that can run across all modern devices and modern browsers in HTML5 format.  It will be available within DoubleClick and as a stand alone tool.

This new product is one more step in the growing range of advertising-related product offerings Google is building out under the DoubleClick brand.  They were previewed last week at the Think DoubleClick event, after a brief review of the online advertising industry.

As Mohan points out, people have been predicting â€" wrongly â€" the demise of display advertising almost since the beginning. “We’ve seen how all that’s turned out,” he notes humorously, adding that display advertising is a $200 billion industry opportunity.

Mohan walked through the online-advertising history, starting with DoubleClick for Publishers, an application that started 15 years ago and three years after the first display ad debuted on the Web.  Google acquired DoubleClick in 2007.

Google AdSense, the Google ads that publishers place on their websites and the product many think of when they think about Google advertising, is 10 years old.

If you’re not familiar with DoubleClick for Publishers, it is an ad serving program that intelligently delivers ads on a website, tracks performance metrics such as click-through rates, provides reports, and more. AdSense ads can be delivered through DoubleClick for Publishers, or publishers can deliver their own direct-sold ads or house ads.

There’s a main version of DoubleClick for Publishers.  And there’s also a free version called DFP for Small Business (Small Business Trends uses DFP for Small Business to serve ads on this site).

In other news last week, Mohan announced Campaign Manager, which is the renamed and upgraded advertiser tool platform.  Recognizing the importance of social, Google also has integrated Wildfire into DoubleClick, to get a better sense of how your social presence feeds into your advertising efforts. He says this is just the first step of the integration between Wildfire and DoubleClick â€" more to come.

Also announced was better integration between advertising using YouTube video and DoubleClick.

Image: video still from Think DoubleClick

Finally! Analytics That Show How Mobile Users Interact With Your Website

There are a number of website analytics companies that offer more complete information on what users are doing on your website. You can get heat maps that show where people are clicking and you can see how far down people scroll on your site. It’s a lot more information than free options like Google Analytics (see our Google Analytics 101 article) offer.

CrazyEgg, Mouseflow and ClickTale all offer these features for desktop browsing, but getting a lot of the relevant data from mobile users on iPhones, iPads and other mobile devices has not been an option until now.

ClickTale has recently pulled their mobile solution out of beta and is making it widely available. With online consumers increasingly gravitating towards smartphone and tablet devices of various sizes, retailers have very little insight into how - or even if â€" mobile visitors display different behaviors than traditional desktop and laptop users. ClickTale Touch is an SaaS solution that allows businesses to view all actions made by mobile device users on their websites, including every tap, double tap, scroll, tilt and pinch on the touch interface.

It looks like no other company is offering this level of mobile analytics.

The unique session playback feature simulates gestures, zoom capabilities, scrolls and tilts, replicating every interaction with your mobile site. The playable videos of user sessions are viewed on a screen that imitates the actual size of each device, giving you the true-to-life experience of individual visitors.

“Visualizing user behavior inside the page has proven invaluable for perfecting Web usability, but the mobile Web requires a fresh approach â€" not only because it involves devices of various form factors, operating systems and input methods, but because mobile customers are much less forgiving of poor usability than traditional e-customers,” said Dr. Tal Schwartz, CEO and co-founder of ClickTale.

Let us know in the comments what you think! What analytic service do you use?

Apple launches iTunes radio service

Apple has unveiled its hotly-anticipated iTunes Radio Service, as the iconic maker of the iPhone moved to challenge operators like Pandora and Spotify. The free Internet radio service features over 200 stations "and an incredible...

Finally! Analytics That Show How Mobile Users Interact With Your Website

There are a number of website analytics companies that offer more complete information on what users are doing on your website. You can get heat maps that show where people are clicking and you can see how far down people scroll on your site. It’s a lot more information than free options like Google Analytics (see our Google Analytics 101 article) offer.

CrazyEgg, Mouseflow and ClickTale all offer these features for desktop browsing, but getting a lot of the relevant data from mobile users on iPhones, iPads and other mobile devices has not been an option until now.

ClickTale has recently pulled their mobile solution out of beta and is making it widely available. With online consumers increasingly gravitating towards smartphone and tablet devices of various sizes, retailers have very little insight into how - or even if â€" mobile visitors display different behaviors than traditional desktop and laptop users. ClickTale Touch is an SaaS solution that allows businesses to view all actions made by mobile device users on their websites, including every tap, double tap, scroll, tilt and pinch on the touch interface.

It looks like no other company is offering this level of mobile analytics.

The unique session playback feature simulates gestures, zoom capabilities, scrolls and tilts, replicating every interaction with your mobile site. The playable videos of user sessions are viewed on a screen that imitates the actual size of each device, giving you the true-to-life experience of individual visitors.

“Visualizing user behavior inside the page has proven invaluable for perfecting Web usability, but the mobile Web requires a fresh approach â€" not only because it involves devices of various form factors, operating systems and input methods, but because mobile customers are much less forgiving of poor usability than traditional e-customers,” said Dr. Tal Schwartz, CEO and co-founder of ClickTale.

Let us know in the comments what you think! What analytic service do you use?

Why You Should Be Focusing On Visual Content Marketing

Visual Concept Photo via Shutterstock

It’s time to reevaluate your content marketing game-plan. If you’re still pumping out articles and blog posts that consist of no more than a catchy title, some bulleted lists and a few bold headlines, you’re going to need to step it up. It’s a visual world, and those that want to establish an effective online presence need to keep up with the latest in the online content arena. Consider visuals and visual content marketing your new content marketing frontier.

The fact is, there’s just too much text out there. People don’t have the time to read about all of the things they want (or need) to learn about over the Internet. Cutting corners by condensing lengthy text content and spacing out short paragraphs to maintain readers’ attention can only do so much. Online text can be extremely well-written and engaging, but users are still going to rapidly scan through content, quickly moving on to the next shiny article that catches their eye.

If you want your content to flourish, you’ve got to start incorporating a variety of visuals throughout your text. Of course, the quality of your textual content still remains important; however, search engines and the general public are after more than just words. Visuals rank highly. On top of that they’re also highly sharable: Think about it, it’s way easier to share an image, video or comic on social media and other venues than it is to share a standard 500-2500 word article.

Furthermore, if you do share the latter, people aren’t going to get the main idea simply by glancing at it. With visuals it’s a different story-subject matter can be absorbed through just a glance, unlike a slew of paragraphs.

Just Remember This About Your Visual Content

One rule that should be stated before we go any further is that it is extremely important that you supply original visual content. The same rules that apply to textual content marketing apply to visual content marketing: Don’t copy someone else’s idea or design. Be creative or your content won’t make it on the public’s radar (or Google’s for that matter).

If you find that someone else’s visual is just too perfect not to use in your content marketing, at least give credit to the source you got it from.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to some examples that will get your creative juices flowing. Below are some ideas for visual content marketing that will popularize your content.

Infographics

Data driven content is is key to pleasing both readers and search engines. Infographics are a great way to combine facts like stats and percentages with helpful visuals that drive the point home. They’re also a great way to teach a process or set of facts that is hard to conceptualize.

An infographic explains a popular topic in an engaging, visual way and is much more effective than an article on the content marketing process. Readers are more likely to give more of their time to something that’s visual in nature.

Graphic visual representations are worth many words, and they can convey things that would take way too much text to get the point across. What’s more: Like most other visuals, they’re easily sharable.

Memes

Memes are a tough racket, but they’re a hot ticket. Basically, a meme is a humorous visual that spreads rapidly through Internet-based sharing platforms like blogs, e-mail, video sharing sites and social media. If you don’t have the slightly awkward, effortlessly witty, ironic touch that meme generators tend to have, then you might not ever come up with a hilarious or genius meme that will get proliferated over the Web.

However, you’ll never know until you try.

Graphs and Charts

Charts and graphs are another way to drive a fact or a point home with data-purposed content. People love statistics, but they especially love looking at the numbers when they’re actually looking at the numbers.

Don’t just splat statistics out on the page, visualize them with a color-coded bar graph or an innovative piechart

Cartoon Photo via Shutterstock

Cartoons and Comics

There’s a reason people turn to the comics first in the newspaper: They’re way more fun to read than the text that they are sandwiched between.

Try using comics or cartoons to engage your readers and keep them interested in what you’re trying to say. As users are scrolling through your posts or articles, a comic can stop them in their tracks. The effect of cartoons and comics helps readers absorb a decent amount of what an article’s purpose is because those visual cues keep readers going.

Maps

Maps are great visuals for informational content, and if you can color-code your map and add more visuals to make it more interesting, that’s even better. Many times a map can be a great indicator of data driven content. A map is really just a type of infographic that conveys the purpose of a topic with very little text; however, they’re extremely effective.

For example, a map of Chicago detailing the high-risk crime areas can be color coded to get the point across with virtually no text. By just looking at the map for a moment users can see information in an instant that would take a few paragraphs to explain.

Videos

Of course, videos are also a great visual tool to use throughout your articles, and search engines love them. They’re also highly sharable. You just have to remember to keep it original and professional.

If you’re going to go to the trouble to produce a unique video, you might as well do it right. Hire a team of experts to plan, shoot and edit your video. Think about adding some original music, even. A well-done video will get you respect in your industry, and it will impress your customer base.

Conclusion

Again, as with any content marketing, what you produce should be original. If you don’t have the experienced personal to publish unique content of your own, like infographics, comics, charts, and maps; hire a graphic designer. It’s a small investment for what could be a big opportunity in your content marketing campaign.

Visual content marketing should now be your main objective if you’re out to better your online presence. Inputing visual aids into your content is also proven to get your site ranked higher in the nations top search engines. So if your content marketing objective is SEO, then visual content marketing should be number one on your to do list.

Know that if you really want make a point-or an impression-on the world wide Web, you’d better immediately start using a variety of visual techniques in your content marketing that capture an audience’s attention, inviting them to share your imagery with the click of a mouse.

If you play your cards right-you could even go viral.

Why You Should Be Focusing On Visual Content Marketing

Visual Concept Photo via Shutterstock

It’s time to reevaluate your content marketing game-plan. If you’re still pumping out articles and blog posts that consist of no more than a catchy title, some bulleted lists and a few bold headlines, you’re going to need to step it up. It’s a visual world, and those that want to establish an effective online presence need to keep up with the latest in the online content arena. Consider visuals and visual content marketing your new content marketing frontier.

The fact is, there’s just too much text out there. People don’t have the time to read about all of the things they want (or need) to learn about over the Internet. Cutting corners by condensing lengthy text content and spacing out short paragraphs to maintain readers’ attention can only do so much. Online text can be extremely well-written and engaging, but users are still going to rapidly scan through content, quickly moving on to the next shiny article that catches their eye.

If you want your content to flourish, you’ve got to start incorporating a variety of visuals throughout your text. Of course, the quality of your textual content still remains important; however, search engines and the general public are after more than just words. Visuals rank highly. On top of that they’re also highly sharable: Think about it, it’s way easier to share an image, video or comic on social media and other venues than it is to share a standard 500-2500 word article.

Furthermore, if you do share the latter, people aren’t going to get the main idea simply by glancing at it. With visuals it’s a different story-subject matter can be absorbed through just a glance, unlike a slew of paragraphs.

Just Remember This About Your Visual Content

One rule that should be stated before we go any further is that it is extremely important that you supply original visual content. The same rules that apply to textual content marketing apply to visual content marketing: Don’t copy someone else’s idea or design. Be creative or your content won’t make it on the public’s radar (or Google’s for that matter).

If you find that someone else’s visual is just too perfect not to use in your content marketing, at least give credit to the source you got it from.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to some examples that will get your creative juices flowing. Below are some ideas for visual content marketing that will popularize your content.

Infographics

Data driven content is is key to pleasing both readers and search engines. Infographics are a great way to combine facts like stats and percentages with helpful visuals that drive the point home. They’re also a great way to teach a process or set of facts that is hard to conceptualize.

An infographic explains a popular topic in an engaging, visual way and is much more effective than an article on the content marketing process. Readers are more likely to give more of their time to something that’s visual in nature.

Graphic visual representations are worth many words, and they can convey things that would take way too much text to get the point across. What’s more: Like most other visuals, they’re easily sharable.

Memes

Memes are a tough racket, but they’re a hot ticket. Basically, a meme is a humorous visual that spreads rapidly through Internet-based sharing platforms like blogs, e-mail, video sharing sites and social media. If you don’t have the slightly awkward, effortlessly witty, ironic touch that meme generators tend to have, then you might not ever come up with a hilarious or genius meme that will get proliferated over the Web.

However, you’ll never know until you try.

Graphs and Charts

Charts and graphs are another way to drive a fact or a point home with data-purposed content. People love statistics, but they especially love looking at the numbers when they’re actually looking at the numbers.

Don’t just splat statistics out on the page, visualize them with a color-coded bar graph or an innovative piechart

Cartoon Photo via Shutterstock

Cartoons and Comics

There’s a reason people turn to the comics first in the newspaper: They’re way more fun to read than the text that they are sandwiched between.

Try using comics or cartoons to engage your readers and keep them interested in what you’re trying to say. As users are scrolling through your posts or articles, a comic can stop them in their tracks. The effect of cartoons and comics helps readers absorb a decent amount of what an article’s purpose is because those visual cues keep readers going.

Maps

Maps are great visuals for informational content, and if you can color-code your map and add more visuals to make it more interesting, that’s even better. Many times a map can be a great indicator of data driven content. A map is really just a type of infographic that conveys the purpose of a topic with very little text; however, they’re extremely effective.

For example, a map of Chicago detailing the high-risk crime areas can be color coded to get the point across with virtually no text. By just looking at the map for a moment users can see information in an instant that would take a few paragraphs to explain.

Videos

Of course, videos are also a great visual tool to use throughout your articles, and search engines love them. They’re also highly sharable. You just have to remember to keep it original and professional.

If you’re going to go to the trouble to produce a unique video, you might as well do it right. Hire a team of experts to plan, shoot and edit your video. Think about adding some original music, even. A well-done video will get you respect in your industry, and it will impress your customer base.

Conclusion

Again, as with any content marketing, what you produce should be original. If you don’t have the experienced personal to publish unique content of your own, like infographics, comics, charts, and maps; hire a graphic designer. It’s a small investment for what could be a big opportunity in your content marketing campaign.

Visual content marketing should now be your main objective if you’re out to better your online presence. Inputing visual aids into your content is also proven to get your site ranked higher in the nations top search engines. So if your content marketing objective is SEO, then visual content marketing should be number one on your to do list.

Know that if you really want make a point-or an impression-on the world wide Web, you’d better immediately start using a variety of visual techniques in your content marketing that capture an audience’s attention, inviting them to share your imagery with the click of a mouse.

If you play your cards right-you could even go viral.

8 Tips to Protect Your Social Media Accounts From Hackers

How can companies protect their social media accounts from getting hacked? Name one piece of advice or software that can help.

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

1. Check Before You Click

Most people get spammed when they click a link that is connected to an account or message, with the most popular one being “‘Did you see that picture of yourself?” Don’t click! There isn’t a picture of you being crazy; don’t worry. Change your password, and make sure it’s strong. Always evaluate accounts and tweets before you click anything!

- Kyle Clayton, Jackrabbit Janitorial

2. Use Unique Passwords

One of the most common causes of online identity theft is using the same username and password combinations across multiple sites. If one site gets hacked, your entire Web presence will be vulnerable. If you’re a solopreneur, use a service such as LastPass
or 1Password
to generate secure and unique passwords for every account.

- pconley, Automation Heroes

3. Have a Method for Creating Strong Passwords

Include uppercase and lowercase letters, with some numbers and special characters thrown in for good measure â€" but make it easy to remember. For instance, use the last four digits of an old phone number or zip code, and add in a nickname of a child or pet.

- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

4. Hatch a Plan to Come Back

Social media sites can get hacked â€" it’s a fact of life. Mass hacking attacks can gain access to accounts that should be secure. So have a plan for how you’ll come back from getting hacked, and take measures to prevent it. Know where to go for help, how to respond to follow-up messages and how to make sure you don’t endanger anyone else’s accounts.

- Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting

5. Maintain Complex Passwords With 1Password

1Password software (from AgileBits) creates strong, complex passwords but allows users to enter them just by remembering their own “one password.” I use it to maintain complex passwords while logging into multiple personal, business and client accounts. 1Password works with Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android and integrates with Dropbox, so I can log in anywhere, anytime, from any device.

- Clay Hebert, Spindows

6. Set Up Great Passwords and Protect the Backdoor

Make sure you have a complex password for the Twitter account and a separate password for the email address associated with the account. In the worst-case scenario, you can click “forgot password” and get backdoor access to your account from your email address. If a hacker gets control of your account, you can immediately go in the backdoor if you control your email address.

- Andy Karuza, brandbuddee

7. Adopt Two-Factor Authentication

Many leading social media sites have optional two-factor authentication as a feature within their security settings. While all users should take advantage of this service, it is critical that businesses adopt 2FA to protect against account compromise and brand-damaging incidents (think AP Hack). The feature is phone-based and is provided by leading security companies, such as TeleSign and Symantec.

- Michael Costigan, Youth Leadership Specialist

8. Create a Strong Password

The ability of malicious hackers to break or brute-force (guess) weak passwords has improved dramatically. The best way to protect your accounts is to use strong passwords â€" phrases that include a combination of at least 10 letters, numbers and characters and don’t include dictionary words. Software like 1Password can also dramatically improve password security.

- Jeff Siarto, Loudpixel Inc

8 Tips to Protect Your Social Media Accounts From Hackers

How can companies protect their social media accounts from getting hacked? Name one piece of advice or software that can help.

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

1. Check Before You Click

Most people get spammed when they click a link that is connected to an account or message, with the most popular one being “‘Did you see that picture of yourself?” Don’t click! There isn’t a picture of you being crazy; don’t worry. Change your password, and make sure it’s strong. Always evaluate accounts and tweets before you click anything!

- Kyle Clayton, Jackrabbit Janitorial

2. Use Unique Passwords

One of the most common causes of online identity theft is using the same username and password combinations across multiple sites. If one site gets hacked, your entire Web presence will be vulnerable. If you’re a solopreneur, use a service such as LastPass
or 1Password
to generate secure and unique passwords for every account.

- pconley, Automation Heroes

3. Have a Method for Creating Strong Passwords

Include uppercase and lowercase letters, with some numbers and special characters thrown in for good measure â€" but make it easy to remember. For instance, use the last four digits of an old phone number or zip code, and add in a nickname of a child or pet.

- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

4. Hatch a Plan to Come Back

Social media sites can get hacked â€" it’s a fact of life. Mass hacking attacks can gain access to accounts that should be secure. So have a plan for how you’ll come back from getting hacked, and take measures to prevent it. Know where to go for help, how to respond to follow-up messages and how to make sure you don’t endanger anyone else’s accounts.

- Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting

5. Maintain Complex Passwords With 1Password

1Password software (from AgileBits) creates strong, complex passwords but allows users to enter them just by remembering their own “one password.” I use it to maintain complex passwords while logging into multiple personal, business and client accounts. 1Password works with Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android and integrates with Dropbox, so I can log in anywhere, anytime, from any device.

- Clay Hebert, Spindows

6. Set Up Great Passwords and Protect the Backdoor

Make sure you have a complex password for the Twitter account and a separate password for the email address associated with the account. In the worst-case scenario, you can click “forgot password” and get backdoor access to your account from your email address. If a hacker gets control of your account, you can immediately go in the backdoor if you control your email address.

- Andy Karuza, brandbuddee

7. Adopt Two-Factor Authentication

Many leading social media sites have optional two-factor authentication as a feature within their security settings. While all users should take advantage of this service, it is critical that businesses adopt 2FA to protect against account compromise and brand-damaging incidents (think AP Hack). The feature is phone-based and is provided by leading security companies, such as TeleSign and Symantec.

- Michael Costigan, Youth Leadership Specialist

8. Create a Strong Password

The ability of malicious hackers to break or brute-force (guess) weak passwords has improved dramatically. The best way to protect your accounts is to use strong passwords â€" phrases that include a combination of at least 10 letters, numbers and characters and don’t include dictionary words. Software like 1Password can also dramatically improve password security.

- Jeff Siarto, Loudpixel Inc

Sony Introduces a 13 Inch Tablet That Slides Up Into A Laptop

If you’re looking for a large tablet that turns into a laptop, or vice versa, Sony introduces one that has it all â€" for a price.

The Vaio Duo 13 is a tablet with a 13-inch screen.  Set it on a flat surface and it transforms from a tablet into a laptop (or all-in-one PC) with a single sliding motion.

It’s an update to the company’s Duo 11 from last year, with a  larger screen.  It comes in just two colors â€" what the company calls Carbon Black and Carbon White finishes.

As tablets go, Dan Ackerman of CNET pronounces it a “little bulky.”   That is true.  But if you need a tablet to double as a laptop with a physical keyboard so that you get two types of devices in one package, this Vaio Duo 13 could offer a versatile solution.  At about three-quarters of an inch thick and weighing under 3 pounds, it still is portable.

The Vaio Duo 13 follows the hybrid tablet trend we’ve been watching avidly. Hybrids seem to resonate with business people.  Whether there’s enough interest for hybrids to catch on permanently as a device category remains to be seen, however.

With the Vaio Duo 13, there is no keyboard dock to attach. Instead the keyboard is concealed under the screen when in tablet configuration,  waiting to be slid in place when needed. Remembering your keyboard is one less thing to think about for entrepreneurs or other mobile professionals when carrying your tablet with you.

Business users will also appreciate that it runs Windows 8. It boasts a 10+ hour battery life.

Here’s another feature business users may appreciate: like other tablets, the Vaio Duo 13 has a rear camera for taking vivid photos. But IDG News also reports that the device’s image capture software can also double as a scanner for documents.

Take a photo of a document and then use the Vaio Duo 13′s imaging software to “straighten it out” like a scanned document. Optical character recognition software can even recognize the text from the scanned item.

You can also write on the screen with a stylus,  so you can take notes while using it as a tablet.

Another cool feature is a so-called “constant connection” which means that, like smartphones, the computer stays connected to the Internet downloading emails and updating applications even while in sleep mode.

In his review (video below), Ackerman also praises the easy-to-use keyboard and even the narrow but functional touchpad mouse (“it’s better than not having one”). However, he points out that the slant of the screen when the device is in laptop configuration, cannot be adjusted and may not be for everyone.

The Vaio Duo 13 just went on sale in the U.S. and it is pricey at $1,399.  However, the device features the new Intel Haswell-based microprocessor,  giving it considerable functionality, reports Venture Beat.

Image: Sony

Qualys announces QualysGuard enhancements

Qualys has announced a series of product launches and enhancements, spearheaded by a small business version of the company's suite of integrated security and compliance solutions.

Named QualysGuard Express Lite, it said that this cloud offering allows SMBs to protect themselves against attacks and simplify the compliance process.

According to the company, this delivers the full power of the QualysGuard Cloud Platform and includes the ability to discover network vulnerabilities and issue the patches to fix them, do web application scanning, website malware detection and PCI compliance automation via self-assessment questionnaires, which are automatically submitted to acquiring banks online.

Philippe Courtot, chairman and CEO of Qualys, said: “Our mid-sized customers have been using QualysGuard Express due to its ease of use and actionable security results that help organisations fend off cyber attacks and avoid data breaches.

“The new Express Lite offering will be ideal for small business customers who have limited IT resources and need a comprehensive security and compliance monitoring solution that is simple to use and fits within their budget.”

The company has also revealed the availability of cloud-based customisable questionnaires in the QualysGuard Cloud Platform and suite of integrated solutions for security and compliance. This allows businesses to use it to centralise and automate the vendor risk assessment process and ensure that service providers and IT suppliers do not disrupt or hurt business performance, the company said.

It also proves compliance across multiple regulations or standards, including ISO 27002 Section 10.2, FFIEC and GLBA IT Security Handbook, HIPAA - (§ 164.308(b)(1)) and PCI DSS 2.0.

Courtot said: “Our new customisable questionnaire service extends QualysGuard's capabilities for mapping and scanning, with an easy-to-use and cost-effective cloud-based approach to manage non-IT controls with support for authoring, distributing, completing, collecting and documenting surveys.”

Finally, Qualys revealed details of the integration of the QualysGuard Private Cloud Platform with VCE Vblock Systems, which will see the fully virtualised QualysGuard software stack pre-installed and pre-configured on the VCE Vblock System to help users secure their networks from cyber attacks and to automate compliance.

Big Data analysis described as a major skill shortage in security

A shortage of capable Big Data analysts is a major challenge for businesses.

Speaking to SC Magazine, Sarb Sembhi, chair of the ISACA government & regulatory advisory sub-committee for Europe and Africa, and a past-president of the London chapter, said that in terms of the infosec skills shortage Big Data analysis is one of the most prominent.

He said that security people have to get closer to data, and closer than they have ever got before. “That involves understanding Big Data within social media and in warehouses,” he said.

“Getting closer to the data is something security people have not been involved with, but no single person in the organisation will have a good overview, and the responsibility will come down to the security people, as they are going to have to have data people to understand it while they themselves will have to understand all data across the organisation. Those skills are really lacking.”

Sembhi explained that in a project his company had been involved with, a client was dealing with a breach and they had to help them understand what data they had on their customers.

“It might be emails, or emails and home addresses, or credit card details or something even more sensitive. So we broke it down to how they needed to respond to each client,” he said.

A report by the Big Data London group from last year found that 77.9 per cent of respondents believed there is a shortage of skilled people, while 70 per cent thought that there is a knowledge gap between the skilled Big Data workers and those commissioning projects. The survey of 131 members also found that more than three-quarters of respondents said learning ‘on the job' (80 per cent) and ‘self-teaching' (72 per cent) are the best ways of keeping up to date with the latest Big Data skills.

Sembhi said: “People don't need policies and documentation, what they need is a single document that gives them what they need to do, and as a professional service they need to give that to their clients and they need a policy on how to treat internal data and how they treat client data.

“That and an understanding of data loss is quite complex and needs to be understood at some level in an organisation, as at the moment it is not and it is looked at by people who have worked with it.”

Amar Singh, CISO at News International and head of the UK security group at ISACA, said that skills such as privacy and analytics are needed, particularly around the need to understand how Big Data can help.

He said: “Big Data is a skill that will be required around information security and finding Big Data itself is not that easy as it does not mean anything unless you go into it and know what to do with the data.”

Eight Reasons Small Businesses Should Be Heading To The Cloud

When starting a new business, or restructuring an existing one, access is one of the biggest factors of success. And with the constantly changing landscape of technology, business owners are able to access any aspects of their businesses, over nearly any sort of device. Ari Rabban, the CEO of Phone.com, believes that cloud services are the future of small businesses, with the ability to access anything at any time.

Rabban has several reasons why businesses should be ready to take the leap to cloud deployment.  Here are eight reasons that he sights:

1. Lower start-up costs compared to significant investment into on-premise systems
2. Ease of configuration and uploading software compared to hardware upgrades
3. Reduced maintenance costs - don’t need large IT staff to support cloud-based applications
4. Diverse applications - from big data to CRM and communications systems can run in the cloud
5. Healthy competition among numerous cloud-based providers creates many options to choose from
6. Access - in contrast to in-house servers or PCs, a business owner can access data from anywhere
7. Security - off-site secure locations usually come with built-in redundancy
8. Functionality of enterprise-grade platforms

With cloud computing, flexibility is the key. Whether you’re running to the airport and on your smartphone, or on your living room couch with your laptop, the needs of your business should never be far from your fingertips. With the numerous cloud services offered, and more appearing almost daily, the future of your business should be one that is tailored to best fit your way.

You can see more about cloud computing in our Smallbiztechnology archives.

Eight Reasons Small Businesses Should Be Heading To The Cloud

When starting a new business, or restructuring an existing one, access is one of the biggest factors of success. And with the constantly changing landscape of technology, business owners are able to access any aspects of their businesses, over nearly any sort of device. Ari Rabban, the CEO of Phone.com, believes that cloud services are the future of small businesses, with the ability to access anything at any time.

Rabban has several reasons why businesses should be ready to take the leap to cloud deployment.  Here are eight reasons that he sights:

1. Lower start-up costs compared to significant investment into on-premise systems
2. Ease of configuration and uploading software compared to hardware upgrades
3. Reduced maintenance costs - don’t need large IT staff to support cloud-based applications
4. Diverse applications - from big data to CRM and communications systems can run in the cloud
5. Healthy competition among numerous cloud-based providers creates many options to choose from
6. Access - in contrast to in-house servers or PCs, a business owner can access data from anywhere
7. Security - off-site secure locations usually come with built-in redundancy
8. Functionality of enterprise-grade platforms

With cloud computing, flexibility is the key. Whether you’re running to the airport and on your smartphone, or on your living room couch with your laptop, the needs of your business should never be far from your fingertips. With the numerous cloud services offered, and more appearing almost daily, the future of your business should be one that is tailored to best fit your way.

You can see more about cloud computing in our Smallbiztechnology archives.

Eight Reasons Small Businesses Should Be Heading To The Cloud

When starting a new business, or restructuring an existing one, access is one of the biggest factors of success. And with the constantly changing landscape of technology, business owners are able to access any aspects of their businesses, over nearly any sort of device. Ari Rabban, the CEO of Phone.com, believes that cloud services are the future of small businesses, with the ability to access anything at any time.

Rabban has several reasons why businesses should be ready to take the leap to cloud deployment.  Here are eight reasons that he sights:

1. Lower start-up costs compared to significant investment into on-premise systems
2. Ease of configuration and uploading software compared to hardware upgrades
3. Reduced maintenance costs - don’t need large IT staff to support cloud-based applications
4. Diverse applications - from big data to CRM and communications systems can run in the cloud
5. Healthy competition among numerous cloud-based providers creates many options to choose from
6. Access - in contrast to in-house servers or PCs, a business owner can access data from anywhere
7. Security - off-site secure locations usually come with built-in redundancy
8. Functionality of enterprise-grade platforms

With cloud computing, flexibility is the key. Whether you’re running to the airport and on your smartphone, or on your living room couch with your laptop, the needs of your business should never be far from your fingertips. With the numerous cloud services offered, and more appearing almost daily, the future of your business should be one that is tailored to best fit your way.

You can see more about cloud computing in our Smallbiztechnology archives.

How the IRS Scandal Might Benefit Small Business

A few weeks ago, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) admitted that some of its employees improperly subjected to disproportionate scrutiny to conservative groups seeking to set up non-profit status.

While you might think that the scandal has little to do with small business, in the strange world of Washington â€" where everything influences everything else â€" the scandal has the potential to benefit small business owners in several ways.

The biggest potential gain for small business owners lies in the ammunition the scandal provides Republicans in their effort to challenge the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While the GOP has thus far failed to stop the new health care law, the scandal gives Republicans the opportunity to hinder the tax agency’s efforts to enforce the law. By hammering away at the theme that the IRS cannot be trusted, the GOP may be able deny the tax authority the funds it needs to administer the new law.

That, it turns out, will benefit small business owners, who tend to oppose the ACA. A Gallup Survey of small business owners conducted in April revealed that 48 percent think the new law will be bad for business, while only 9 percent think it will be good, and 39 percent think it will have no impact.

The cost of the new law, and the benefits of any reduced enforceability, will fall largely on small businesses because almost all big companies provide employee health insurance. In 2012, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 98 percent of businesses with 200 or more employees offered employee health insurance, but only 61 percent of companies with fewer than 200 employees did.

The scandal also adds to the credibility of the Tea Party groups, who are major supporters of small business. Conservative organizations claimed months ago that they had been singled out for unfair treatment, but many were skeptical of their claims. Being the victim of the IRS has boosted the favorability of the Tea Party movement, a CNN/ORC International survey suggests. Between the March poll (before the news of the scandal broke) and the latest poll, the Tea Party’s favorability increased nine percentage points, CNN reports.

If the Tea Party can capitalize on the scandal to garner support in the mid-term elections, their electoral success should work to the advantage of small business owners. Tea Party supporters are more likely than other voters to believe that cutting taxes on small business is a good approach to job creation, a 2010 Winston Group survey revealed. Moreover, nearly two-thirds of small business owners believe in the Tea Party idea that the government is too expansive, as compared to less than half of all Americans, A Wall Street Journal/NBC poll showed.

Then there’s the effect of the scandal on IRS audits themselves. The tax agency might need to cut back on audits in the wake of the scandal, as it seeks to rebuild its trust with the American people. That would be a welcome respite for successful small business owners who have seen an increase in the rate of IRS examinations in recent years. According to the IRS’s annual data book, the audit rate for business returns of between $200,000 and $1 million jumped from 2.8 percent in 2008 to 3.7 percent in 2012.

Perhaps a corollary of the proposition that “politics makes strange bedfellows” should be: “politics creates unexpected linkages.”

How the IRS Scandal Might Benefit Small Business

A few weeks ago, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) admitted that some of its employees improperly subjected to disproportionate scrutiny to conservative groups seeking to set up non-profit status.

While you might think that the scandal has little to do with small business, in the strange world of Washington â€" where everything influences everything else â€" the scandal has the potential to benefit small business owners in several ways.

The biggest potential gain for small business owners lies in the ammunition the scandal provides Republicans in their effort to challenge the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While the GOP has thus far failed to stop the new health care law, the scandal gives Republicans the opportunity to hinder the tax agency’s efforts to enforce the law. By hammering away at the theme that the IRS cannot be trusted, the GOP may be able deny the tax authority the funds it needs to administer the new law.

That, it turns out, will benefit small business owners, who tend to oppose the ACA. A Gallup Survey of small business owners conducted in April revealed that 48 percent think the new law will be bad for business, while only 9 percent think it will be good, and 39 percent think it will have no impact.

The cost of the new law, and the benefits of any reduced enforceability, will fall largely on small businesses because almost all big companies provide employee health insurance. In 2012, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 98 percent of businesses with 200 or more employees offered employee health insurance, but only 61 percent of companies with fewer than 200 employees did.

The scandal also adds to the credibility of the Tea Party groups, who are major supporters of small business. Conservative organizations claimed months ago that they had been singled out for unfair treatment, but many were skeptical of their claims. Being the victim of the IRS has boosted the favorability of the Tea Party movement, a CNN/ORC International survey suggests. Between the March poll (before the news of the scandal broke) and the latest poll, the Tea Party’s favorability increased nine percentage points, CNN reports.

If the Tea Party can capitalize on the scandal to garner support in the mid-term elections, their electoral success should work to the advantage of small business owners. Tea Party supporters are more likely than other voters to believe that cutting taxes on small business is a good approach to job creation, a 2010 Winston Group survey revealed. Moreover, nearly two-thirds of small business owners believe in the Tea Party idea that the government is too expansive, as compared to less than half of all Americans, A Wall Street Journal/NBC poll showed.

Then there’s the effect of the scandal on IRS audits themselves. The tax agency might need to cut back on audits in the wake of the scandal, as it seeks to rebuild its trust with the American people. That would be a welcome respite for successful small business owners who have seen an increase in the rate of IRS examinations in recent years. According to the IRS’s annual data book, the audit rate for business returns of between $200,000 and $1 million jumped from 2.8 percent in 2008 to 3.7 percent in 2012.

Perhaps a corollary of the proposition that “politics makes strange bedfellows” should be: “politics creates unexpected linkages.”