Wednesday, 07 October 2009 08:58 Last Updated on Friday, 09 October 2009 07:15 Written by Michael Ballard

...they're coming back.
Remember the good old days of working with green text that connected back to the “mainframe”?  No hard drives, no internet, no Twiiter.  Then Bill Gates created an OS that would change computing for the next couple of decades with the adoption of the desktop.  Now we’ve gone 360 back to the thin client days.  Although not near the adoption rate of desktops, thin clients are not only growing in popularity (due to their TCO and “green” benefits) but growing in capability.

Quick 101 on thin clients:

That old “mainframe” was what was doing your primary processing for whatever program you were working with.  It was centralized and easy to get to.  The “dumb terminal” was simply an interface from your screen to the mainframe.  More than likely it had no fan, hard drive, little memory and certainly no Blu-ray DVD player.  The downside was you always had to be on the network for it to work.  Remember, it had to have a constant connection to the mainframe.

One of the big reasons for the desktop’s success was it could be ran locally.  No need for a network connection if I want to run a program.  This theory still holds true today.

( 4 Votes )

Read more...

Tuesday, 06 October 2009 12:25 Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 October 2009 14:58 Written by John Wise

I’ve just returned from a truly enjoyable visit with an NEC customer, theWit Hotel in Chicago, for a video shoot that promises to be both engaging and enlightening from a hospitality IT and communications perspective.  TheWit, which opened earlier this summer, is a stunning, brand new property in the heart of Chicago ’s vibrant theater district.

During our stay, we interviewed two key executives: Chief Technology Officer Darrin Pinkham, and Chief Branding Officer Lou Carrier.   As you’ll hear them say in the video, theWit is more experience than hotel.  One of the things that struck me during the stay was not only how engaging the staff was there (there’s a smiling face at every corner), but their use of technology to enhance and speed guest service. 

( 4 Votes )

Read more...

Thursday, 17 September 2009 08:36 Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 October 2009 14:35 Written by Sheryl Teague

The influence of the iPhone has been nothing short of extraordinary over the last couple of years.  New devices have emerged, new apps are introduced every day, and new global markets are opening up as a result of its popularity.   According to a recent survey by Forrester Research, nearly one-fourth of 300 surveyed North American enterprises now support the iPhone.

This device shines an important light on the front-and-center role mobility is playing in unified communications.  Enterprises are becoming more mobile by the day, and the ability to set contact rules and access presence information of other users on-the-go is key, regardless of device, be it RIM’s Blackberry, Windows Mobile devices, or the iPhone. 
( 2 Votes )

Read more...

Tuesday, 08 September 2009 13:06 Last Updated on Monday, 21 September 2009 14:16 Written by Kris Kozamchak

Computerworld recently featured a story called "Recovery Ahead" in which they talked about ways to plan for growth even during a downturn in the economy.  One of the "nuggets of wisdom" that was mentioned was "Spend strategically, finance creatively."

Examples from the article talked about one company that invested in video conferencing to reduce travel, while a university proposed a four-year capital expense payment plan vs. a single cash outlay for a new communications infrastructure.

There are various ways to plan for growth and NEC can help in many areas.  First, NEC Corporation has allocated more than $100,000,000 to fund leases (and other business activities) for business in the U.S. market.  Using this money, NEC Financial Services structured a number of strategic leasing programs designed to minimize capital expenditures, assist customers with their cash flow, and even fund “0% Interest” lease programs.

Secondly, NEC has several solutions, including videoconferencing, soft phones and more, that can help reduce costs now.
( 2 Votes )