Microsoft’s Offer For A Corporate Chat App

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Microsoft is offering a free version of its Teams corporate chat app, available for groups ranging from two to three hundred users. This version is designed for startups and small businesses.

The new version provides 10GB’s of data storage, with extra 2GB’s for each individual user. Microsoft also provides free online versions of Office that allows users to edit flies, documents, slides and spread sheets. Microsoft is trying to lure users who do not want to pay initially, especially small startup businesses, and convert them into paid users’ overtime.

It seems like Microsoft Crop. is giving more attentions to small businesses. “We’re kind of flipping the model on its head,” said Lori Wright, general manager for Microsoft’s Office 365 collaboration apps. “The competition looks at this as a way to get into enterprises and larger business, but that’s a place we’ve been successful for a long time. To us, this is really about expanding the opportunity down to small and medium-sized businesses who haven’t necessarily been Office 365 customers.”

 

Teams Allows you to communicate with large groups of people instantly. Imagine being able to talk with different teams around the office simultaneously; Discuss plans from your own computer instead of having to walk to the meeting room. Microsoft Teams does that, and more. Microsoft Teams is the hub for teamwork in Office 365 that integrates all the people, content, and tools your team needs to be more engaged and effective. With it you can video chat, make audio calls and preform many more communication methods. The best part, you can use teams alongside the rest of the Office 365 suite.

Earlier this year Microsoft provided the same free version of Teams to educational users. Report shows that by the end of March 2018, more than 200 thousand organizations are using Teams, with 8 million active daily users. Users of free version of Teams have the option to upgrade to paid Office 365 plans, which has more storage space and wider access to Cloud based Microsoft Office software.

On top of teams, Microsoft will also provide a new set of analytics tools such as corporation calendar and email to provide an in depth personalized insights of staff as it is a perfect tool to track for work. All those tools would bring significant benefits to small businesses.

 

Reference: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/microsoft-offers-businsses-a-free-version-of-teams-its-slack-rival/2018/07/12/f4a2db72-85ff-11e8-9e06-4db52ac42e05_story.html?utm_term=.812dc6e39cb6

 

Blockchain’s Potential in the Federal Government

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Blockchain technology is typically associated with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and the scores of others that became popular late last year. However, many of the world’s biggest companies such as Walmart, British Airways, and FedEx have also adopted blockchain technology to track, manage, and secure their data.

Now, governments around the world are also experimenting with blockchain. Canada, the UK, China, India—according to Deloitte, more than a dozen countries have begun blockchain tests in curiosity of its benefit to procurement and internal use. Of course, the United States federal government has also taken such an interest in blockchain.

In March of this year, Congress said “government agencies at all levels should consider and examine new uses for this technology.” Considering the benefits of blockchain, the federal government could find substantial cost savings by replacing old systems with blockchain ones; for example, a case can be made in regards to the Department of Defense’s systems.

The Department of Defense currently uses a five-decade-old Windows server to track the status of critical Army equipment, and with more data to track than ever before, the system will only continue to become more outdated. In fact, the Pentagon recently announced it had failed to document $100 million in computer system funds and $8 million in construction projects. Similarly, the Department of the Treasury uses a five-decade-old programming language to track taxpayer data. Numerous other government systems appear to be outdated as well.

However, a transition to blockchain technology could transform federal record management. A simple explanation of blockchain is that it is a public digital ledger, a giant spreadsheet that is live across a network of thousands of computers. Anyone on the network can see the changes being made on the spreadsheet, but any changes must be verified by all computers before they are recorded permanently onto the spreadsheet.

Because each computer in the network has a copy of this spreadsheet, blockchain is veritably secure; hackers would have to gain access to the entire network of computers in order to make changes to the blockchain. Likewise, this encrypted data is stored on this network of computers, removing the need to worry about old server maintenance.

Therefore, blockchain technology can prevent, or at least mitigate, future data breaches. According to an official in the Department of Homeland Security, “blockchain technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way we manage online identity and access the internet; this R&D project will help bring this potential closer to reality.”

Additionally, blockchain would increase transparency. If citizens and local governments shared access to secured data in a blockchain, issues such as property disputes or fraudulent behavior could be minimized.

Of course, blockchain can also create cost savings and increase efficiency. On top of using blockchain to help reconcile the trillions of dollars of unreconciled funds in the federal budget, according to GSA, a blockchain solution could lower proposal analysis from forty days to ten days.

Sources:

http://fortune.com/2018/03/16/congress-blockchain-government/

https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/industry/public-sector/understanding-basics-of-blockchain-in-government.html

 

 

New Supreme Court Justice: Brett Kavanaugh

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Family Man Brett Kavanaugh has been nominated by the current president of the United States, to serve as one of nine members on the Supreme Court. He was vetted and recommended to the president by the Federalist society and the Heritage foundation along with a long list of other qualified officials. Among those officials who were brought to the attention of, but not chosen by the president are three other stellar choices for the conservatives Judge Thomas M. Hardiman, Judge Raymond M. Kethledge and Judge Amy Coney Barrett, each have contributed greatly to the justice department. Kavanaugh was selected to join the supreme court after serving 12 years as a Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit, which has produced a number of justices.

Brett Kavanaugh was born February 12 1965 to Edward and Martha Kavanaugh. In a recent interview Kavanaugh called his mother a “trailblazer.”, and the reason he decided to create a career in justice. After graduating cum laude from Washington School of Law at American University in 1978, Martha Kavanaugh, became prosecutor in Montgomery County, Maryland, Brett’s home state. During Kavanaugh’s childhood he recalls listening to his mother’s closing arguments at the family dinner table. His mother’s passion for the law inspired him to go to Yale Law school, where he eventually graduated from in 1990. Three years after his law school graduation Kavanaugh served as Justice Anthony Kennedy’s clerk, the justice who he is now replacing. In the late 1990’s along with Kenneth Star, Kavanaugh was a key member of the independent counsel, which produced the report that served as the basis for president Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Following which he served in the Bush White house from 2001 to 2006. And finally finished his career to date as a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals. Where he has issued approximately 300 opinions and has delivered numerous speeches.

At 53, Kavanaugh is known as a family man, he currently coaches his daughter’s basketball team and has been a committed member of his community for years. Along with family religion also plays a major part in Kavanaugh’s life and effects his judicial decisions. Kavanaugh is a stalwart for religious freedom. Russell More, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention said he is confident Kavanaugh will be a strong defender of the freedoms guaranteed by the constitution and Bill of Rights, especially our first freedom of religious liberty. Kavanaugh will continue to uphold his values and morals in the highest court in the land.

In the upcoming weeks Judge Kavanaugh will embark on a busy schedule of courtesy calls and visits to key members of the senate judiciary committee and other senators where he will discuss with them his judicial philosophy, past rulings and public statements. To assist his process the white house will roll out an intensive campaign to sell the nominee to the senate and the American public. He has to be voted in by the legislative branch by the senate. But until then there is no settled justice because the senate has not decided yet.

Sources:

https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2018-07-09/trump-says-he-cant-go-wrong-with-his-top-court-contenders

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/martha-kavanaugh-mother-brett-kavanaughs-supreme-court-nominee/

What 5G Technology Has to Offer

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5G or 5th generation technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we live our lives and the way we do business. Starting at 2G and moving up to 3G and eventually to 4G we have seen a shift in the standard of connectivity and speed that we expect. The change from 4G to 5G however, is a game-changer as the improvement is not only in terms of speed however, it also increases the number of possibilities. 5G will push mobile speeds from 100 Mbps to upward of 10 Gbps, the thought of waiting to files to download or websites to open will all be gone. Our tasks will be completed even before we can think of what to do next.

It is essential to highlight what the introduction of this technology will do, this isn’t just upgrading the network that we use and improving the speed of it. This technology will introduce ideas we haven’t even thought about yet and connect things we thought could never possibly be connected. Your watch will keep track of your heartbeat and feed information simultaneously to your kitchen on what food should be prepared. Your kitchen will be able to stock groceries and order by itself based on what you have run out of and what your preferences are, the opportunities and possibilities are endless with the introduction of this technology which makes it all the more fascinating.

This technology is going to thrive on the amount of data that it will be able to produce, store and share with other platforms that are connected to the network. The “era of connectivity” is here and rules and regulations don’t seem to worry companies investing in the technology as of now. They know that once introduced the hurdle of what is taking it too far will present its self however, many believe however that it’s a temporary one. Many people who hold management positions in companies that are from various industries endorsed the technology by claiming that “it will enable new products and services” that haven’t been invented yet. Businesses are also appreciating the fact that it will increase efficiency in the way we use our energy. The speculation is that the technology will decrease the amount of energy that is used in networks, in terms of fulfilling their corporate social responsibility and keeping up to date with technology they are essentially killing two birds with one stone.

5G is set to be really big upon it’s estimated release in 2020. However, today’s society is driven by numbers and everyone wants to know just how big. After taking a look at 21 potential uses of 5G technology its is said to unlock about $12.3 trillion dollars across several industries. It is just a matter of time now to see what many companies come out with involving the technology.

Source:

https://www.business.att.com/learn/empowered-workforce/what-5g-means-for-business.html

Tariffs on Imports From China

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Recently, President Donald Trump decided to impose tariffs on about $50 billion worth of imports from China – This is when the trading war between U.S. and China started and escalated. The white house claimed this new restriction is executed in response to Beijing’s longstanding theft of US companies’ intellectual property.

Asian stocks struggled since Tuesday, June 19, 2018. The marketing is being kept dragging down for the past 2 weeks by the fears that China and Trump administration would plunging deeper into the trading competition with no easy way to exit.

At the meanwhile, Wall Street had its worst day of the month one day after the slump in Asia market. The US market slide more than 475 points (2 percent).

An additional tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese products are scheduled to carry out on July 6. This policy spiked Chinese central bank to pump more than $100 billion to the financial system of the country. This policy was a signal that China is responding to an economic slowdown but also bracing for a possible long-haul trade fight with the Trump government.

Ahn Deuk-geun, an international trade expert at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of International Studies, said the recent decline in Asian stocks “shows the impact of escalating trade war between China and the U.S.”

“Even amid relieved geopolitical tensions following North Korea rapprochement,” Ahn said, “the jitters about the China trade tensions seem to have an overpowering impact on the markets.”

Source:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/asian-markets-slump-again-amid-deepening-china-u-s-trade-war-fears/2018/06/25/cad47f0c-78e5-11e8-93cc-6d3beccdd7a3_story.html?utm_term=.f54abd50133d

First Female African American Brigadier General for the Marine Corps

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Col. Lorna Mahlock has been nominated to become the first female African American Brigadier General for the United States Marine Corps. She is a graduate of Marquette University, the US Army War College and Naval Postgraduate School. At the age of 49 she has already served over 30 years of service and has contributed to the ensured safety of hundreds of her fellow marines with air tactical support as a company commander, operations officer and commanding officer. Mahlock enlisted in the marine corps in 1985, following which she was commissioned as an air traffic control officer in 1991. Col. Mahlock provided deployment support in Iraq three times with Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 38, first as a company commander from November 2002 to May 2003, after which she was promoted to operations officer when she served her on her second tour from February 2004 to May 2004. Her last tour started January 2008 and concluded a year afterwards; during this tour Mahlock served as a commanding officer. Over her 33 years in the united states military Col. Mahlock has received thirteen medals and the sea service deployment weapon.

The marine corps is the smallest of the four military services and has the lowest percentage of female members. According to marine corps community services, woman make up only 8% of the Marine Corps total personnel. Col. Mahlock if sworn in will be just one of 100 women in the U.S. Marine Corps that holds a position once unavailable to her gender. Mahlock previously was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, where she was charged with overseeing 1,300 military and civilian and $250 million in military equipment in support of U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to Mahlock there had never been a female African American general in the marine corps however, the first African American general to serve in marine corps history was marine aviator Frank E. Petersen Jr. He was chosen as a second lieutenant in October 1952 after completing flight training. Twenty-seven years later in 1979, he was promoted to brigadier general, according to marine corps university. Col. Mahlock’s next assignment will be later announced if she is confirmed by the senate, but while her processing continues, she will continue to inspire those who never thought possible obtaining general position as an African American woman.

Source:

http://www.businessinsider.com/lorna-mahlock-marine-corps-first-black-woman-general-2018-4https://www.iiimef.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/705814/female-marines-discuss-womens-history-month/

Small Business Contracts exceeds $100 Billion

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Last month, the Small Business Administration released its scorecard for fiscal year 2017. Among the news was that small business contracts have exceeded $100 billion dollars for the first time ever. This milestone stems from surpassed expectations: the federal government has a small business contracting goal that 23% of government-wide contracting spending comes from small businesses, and the federal government has exceeded its goal for the last five years in a row.

Unfortunately, the federal government did miss its goals for government-wide prime contracting for women-owned small businesses, as the government aimed for 5% but only hit 4.71%. Likewise, the federal government also missed its prime and subcontracting for Historically Underutilized Business Zones.

However, small business contracts exceeding $100 billion is an exciting milestone. The scorecard also revealed the eight agencies with the highest mark of an A-plus: The Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Labor, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of Personnel Management, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the SBA. The A-plus grade reflects the agencies’ “significant efforts” toward meeting the 23% small business contracting goal. Going into next year, the SBA hopes to reach out to small business tech. Of course, higher numbers and surpassed goals are expected for fiscal year 2018 again.

Small business owners usually handle all their current work by themselves, although outsourcing some work proved to be effective. Xero Bookkeepers can cover all that relates to your business’ accounts. And you will have more time to develop your business.

Source:

https://federalnewsradio.com/agency-oversight/2018/05/sba-scorecard-small-business-contracts

 

Innovations Shaping The Future of Transportation

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Transportation is the heart of every individual’s daily life, whether you are commuting to and from work or traveling on vacation. As years pass we are becoming more and more efficient in the way we transport ourselves from one place to another. In the 1800’s we were using horses to go from place to place. A century later we had developed the steam engine and were using trains along with many other vehicles. What the future has in store for us is startling for some but, exciting for others. In the past the hurdle has been getting airplanes to be able to have vertical take off and landings which we are moving closer and closer to with each passing day through the innovation of aircraft design.

Flying cars use to be a fascinating idea however, recently this has begun materializing. Close to 15 startups have begun putting significant amounts of money into the idea along with several large corporations such as Airbus, Boeing and Toyota. Not only is the U.S. a flag bearer in leading the effort but, there are also several companies based out of Europe involved in the effort. Large investors are also showing interest in revolutionizing the emergency healthcare industry and also the delivery business. This innovative technology will also address the population growth concerns and issues with traffic.  Overall, flying cars are something we could see as soon as 10-15 years. In the near future it will also become a major investment opportunity as some have already began taking advantage of the opportunity. An old quote, “necessity is the mother of invention” is apt for this situation as the World Health Organization expects “7 out of 10 people to be living in cities by 2050”. This means that cities will have to rethink their transportation systems and flying cars is something they will definitely have on their radar. The most exciting thing regarding this development is that today we are talking about advancements in transportation, tomorrow we could be talking about other technological advancement in society.

Another great development in the transportation industry is the introduction of connected vehicles. Connected technology is based on wireless communication and is like an ecosystem within its self. It pairs the vehicles with all of its surroundings which include infrastructure, vehicles, pedestrians. The introduction of this technology really puts an emphasis and highlights the importance of safety, it alerts the driver of the vehicle of his surroundings and informs the driver of dangerous situations. Soon this technology will be implemented in road work areas and intersections that are notorious for accidents which will serve as a preventive measure. The most exciting thing about this development is that the technology is ready and now its just a matter of implementing it. Very similar to the flying cars the connected vehicles are faced with the hurdle of government intervention, when the government gets on board this is a technology that will change the way modern day transportation is thought of.

The final exciting development in transportation industry is the spread of electric vehicles. Electric vehicles have been around for a while now however, they haven’t made leaps into people’s daily lives until now. Electric vehicles are something we will get use to seeing more often now. This initiative is beneficial both environmentally and economically.  The use of clean energy in the form of electric vehicles addresses climate change concerns and provides a renewable source of energy whereas, it also provides an investment opportunity for people interested in emerging technologies. The state of Oregon is recently one of the biggest players in U.S., Oregon recently introduced an electric highway which gives access to charging stations along the highway. Oregon is also pushing private businesses to include stations as well so it becomes a more viable option for residents. With states like Oregon pushing this initiative we will begin to see more and more electric vehicles on our roads.

In summary, the future of transportation looks very bright. Three bright innovative ideas will be able to change the way people commute on a daily basis. The advent of flying cars will free us from traffic jams and make the commute much smoother. Connected technology is another step that will make travelling much safer for everyone. Through the use of wireless technology drivers will have access to pretty much everything around them and know how much of a threat they are. Finally, an energy source that has been around for a while is becoming more and more accessible to everyone. Highways are now being filled with charging stations. In a few years we can expect as a society for these technologies to take over and be integrated into society fully.

 

Sources:

money.cnn.com/gallery/technology/2018/05/15/transportation-technologies/index.html

techcrunch.com/2017/11/08/are-flying-cars-the-future-of-transportation-or-an-inflated-expectation

www.questsolution.com/blog/item/57-how-technology-is-changing-the-transportation-and-logistics-industry

 

The EU’s GDPR and Privacy Policy Changes

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In the last few weeks, many companies have been sending out emails with the following message: “We’ve updated our privacy policy.”

The reason for the abundance of such messages is the General Data Protection Regulation, also known as the GDPR. In 2016, the European Union enacted the GDPR, a sweeping data-protection law, but the EU included a two-year grace period for companies to reach compliance. Now, two years later on May 25, 2018 the EU has begun to enforce their privacy law.

What does the GDPR actually do? The GDPR is forcing companies—everybody from multinationals to small restaurants—to list how they gather and process personal data and to give individuals new or expanded rights to their data. For example, companies need to delete data as soon as it is no longer needed, and individuals will have the right to see, correct, or delete personal information about themselves. What are the consequences of not complying with the GDPR? Companies will lose 4% of their global revenue or $23.4 million, whichever is larger. While the GDPR is exclusive to the EU, because any data that involve individuals in the EU is supposed to be protected, even companies that are not located in Europe have opted to make global changes to their privacy policies.

Even with the two-year grace period, many companies have struggled to reach full compliance by May 25. According to a Capgemini SE survey of 1,000 businesses in March and April, only half of businesses said they were even “largely compliant” at that time; new surveys also suggest 60-85% of companies did not expect to be compliant by May 25. Similarly, companies have been citing heavy expenditures to make the deadline.

Privacy advocates have given the GDPR widespread approval; at the same time, others are wary of what seems like excessive regulation. The law has certainly inspired new discussion about privacy and data, but as to whether it will inspire other countries to enact similar changes is unknown.

Sources:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/5-questions-about-what-to-expect-when-gdpr-takes-effect-1527154200

https://www.wsj.com/articles/gdpr-has-companies-big-and-small-racing-to-comply-1527154200?mod=article_inline

Memorial Day: Remember And Honor

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Memorial Day marks not only the beginning of summer but also a solemn day of remembrance for all veterans who have died serving in the American armed force. The holiday was originally known as Decoration Day and started after the civil war to honor the union and confederate dead. On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield gave a speech in Arlington National Cemetery to over 5,000 participants; they decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there. It is unclear where exactly this tradition originated; numerous different communities may have independently initiated the memorial gatherings. Nevertheless, in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo, which first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866, was chosen because it hosted an annual, community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.

The event in Charleston that also may have precipitated the holiday offers poignant evidence of a country struggling to rebuild itself after a bloody war and were buried in unmarked graves, and the town’s black residents organized a May Day ceremony in which they landscaped a burial ground to properly honor the soldiers. In the years following the war, celebrations were sparse and few, the north and the south celebrating in distinctly different ways. Memorial Day gained its name and national identity in 1967, decades after the civil war However, it wasn’t until a year later, 1968, that congress passed the uniform holiday act cementing Memorial Days place in the calendar, making it the last Monday in May rather than May 30. Authenticating Memorial Day when the change finally went into effect in 1971. Now a days we celebrate Memorial Day on the beach or in a lawn chair, but its history comes from a much deeper, profound meaningful celebration.

Source:

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history/pictures/memorial-day/birthplace-of-memorial-day

http://time.com/3892630/why-do-we-celebrate-memorial-day/