Lightweight Models & Cost-Effective Scalability

Introduction

Final pattern, which would be discussed, has been Lightweight Models and Cost Effective Scalability. Tim O’ Reilly describes that scalability within the web 2.0 implements towards business models and technology.

An Example

Instance of the web application, which uses such a pattern for their individual advantage, has been Twitter. Twitter has been the online social networking service as well as it has been micro blogging service, which allows their users for sending along with reading the text dependent messages of up to 140 characters, called as “tweets”.

Employed open source software has permitted the Twitter application for being more light weight along with cost effective with effective performance. Twitter follows the uncommon revenue model with the sponsorship advertising. Twitter has revamped their advertising products with the promoted tweets, the promoted trends along with promoted accounts. They have also used its competitive benefit by publishing the promotional content within the innovative manner permitting advertisers for pushing tweets towards users even when those users may not follow advertisers twitter profile.

Best practices

(1) Scale with demand

Around each aspect of our business must also be designed for starting small as well as scale with the demand i.e. the technology model, the revenue model along with HR model

 (2) Syndicate business models

Allows enterprises for building all and part of its business on the top of components from rest

(3) Outsource whenever practical and possible

Such a practice may implement equally well to one person startups to multinationals

(4) Provide outsource infrastructure, function, and expertise

Flipside of outsourcing whenever feasible

(5) Scale your pricing and revenue models

Free and low cost pricing leverages Long Tail through encouraging the widespread adoption

(6) Market virally

User has initiated the positive word of mouth may lead towards the dramatic market growth

(7) Fail fast, scale fast

Twitter success within Web 2.0 needs the innovation. Innovation needs risk

(8) Design for scale

Twitter begins initially with the strategic as well as tactical choices for allowing scaling as business and product grows

 

Reference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0xbjIE8cPM

Leveraging the Long Tail

Leveraging long tail has been the retailing aspect, which concentrates on targeting the niche markets. Such concept had been introduced by the Wired Magazine’s author Chris Anderson in the year 2004.

Defining leveraging the long tail

Chris Anderson has been defined “The Long Tail” like the statistical curve depicting the benefit, which the website dependent sellers having countless items present for the niche markets have more than store i.e. front retailers having goods for the mass markets.

An example

The best instance of this has been website Yahoo.com. In their initial stages Yahoo had been just the search engine. They started capturing organizations like the Classicgames.com as well as rocketmail.com along with turned that in the Yahoo services Yahoo Games along with Yahoo Mail. Such expansion has permitted Yahoo for initially building the substantial tail as well as afterwards subsequently leveraging that in their competitors.

Best Practices

(1) Build on the driving forces of the Long Tail

This is driven through 3 forces like the democratized techniques about production, diminished cost of the consumption through virtue of the democratized distribution – making tail fatter as well as latest forms of associating supply & demand – driven business from hits to niches.

(2) Use algorithmic data management to match supply and demand

This help the customers to find products of same interest – “Consumers which bought that in addition bought X”. This has been critical like number of present products swells.

(3) Use an architecture of participation to match supply and demand

This extends from the user product reviews towards the popularity rankings as well as rest of the aggregated wisdom. Realizing the requirement for keeping users at site longer, their developers started changing Yahoo from the simple search engine, towards the Web Portal.

(4) Leverage customer self-service to cost effectively reach the entire web

Yahoo permits the consumers for managing its individual accounts providing them the bigger control along with information

(5) Leverage the low-cost advantages of being online

Production and inventory costs may also be kept low through fulfilling the aggregation role. Importantly what it meant had been giving access to the bigger array of the services to its users.

 

Reference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS1ayb0_dxY

Perpetual Beta

Introduction

This topic would be covering Perpetual Beta. Perpetual Beta, has generally been the piece of software, which has been in regular development however aggregate characteristics along with lesser bugs can also be found, newer characteristics along with aggregate scripts have regularly been added. However, few people feel that the agile software development (the generally utilized practice, which development teams uses) promotes the perpetual beta like newer characteristics have been slipped within each iteration; perpetual beta only occurs as one of the Tim O’Rielly’s important patterns towards the Web 2.0 applications.

What is Perpetual Beta?

Perpetual beta has been the term utilized for describing the software and the system that remains at beta development stage for the enhanced and also indefinite time. This has been usually utilized through developers for permitting them towards regularly releasing newer characteristics, which may not be totally tested.

Perpetual Beta

`           Perpetual Beta within Web 2.0 has been utilized for describing the online service that remains in regular development. At great instance of it had been the Gmail.

 

 

An Example

In regard to my topic today, I have been talking of the well renowned software platform, which almost each of us has been utilizing the Gmail. Gmail, a well renowned website, however uses perpetual beta.

I feel that this has been the excellent instance of how perpetual beta works, as for the bigger part changes had been user driven. We have been usually asked why several Google applications seem towards being perpetually in beta. For instance, Gmail has worn beta tag for more than 5 years.

With this perspective, Gmail developers may implement latest features; open them for selecting several users as well as monitoring its use. Through doing that, developers may gain greater information on planned latest features such as reliability, ease of use along with whether or not users would really be willing to use feature. In the sense, user becomes the co developer along with the tester of software as well as has been capable of giving the feedback straightly to developers; improving entire service.

Websites, who use Perpetual Beta

High end development websites like the Facebook along with Twitter as well as well known software, like web browser Google Chrome, have been using perpetual beta.

 

 

Reference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3C8uT-KHcw

Software Above the Level of a Single Device

Introduction

The 5^th pattern, which I would be discussing has been “software above the level of a single device”, the pattern introduced by Tim O’Reilly at the Web 2.0 conferences. That particular pattern has been referred to growing trend towards moving away from Personal Computer just software.

Best Practices

1) Design from the start to share data across devices, servers, and networks

Mobile devices have been becoming generally used for daily tasks, like seeing up maps, emailing work or friends along with accessing the information services like weather as well as traffic.

2) Think location aware

Yelp the prime instance of Web 2.0 platform, which allows the software above level of the one device. This uses crowd intelligence for providing the advice along with offers the seamless transition to use its website on the Personal Computer, for using its mobile applications.

3) Extend Web 2.0 to devices

With advent of the mobile technology, applications such as iTunes which integrates with the mobile devices have been the manner of future. iTunes has been the packaged application.

4) Use the power of the network to make the edge smarter

Yelp has been the site designed for helping the people to find businesses depending on the location. Content has been what draws users for such site. This helps us to find services within our domestic area, or the area we have been planning on travelling.

5) Leverage devices as data and rich media sources

Yelp encourages us to add value to site through giving the reviews about places we have visited, site trusts a lot on the word of mouth advertising.

Yelp actually shows harnessing together intelligence along with data has been another Intel inside however what about the software above level of one device?

6) Make one-click peer-production a priority

Yelp has been the application for several platforms, like the iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry along with that has been accessible from the browser from any device. Yelp actually shows not being locked down towards one device.

7) Enable data location independence

Yelp has been integrating with the Twitter as well as Facebook for posting the update when we write the review. Yelp makes the community through permitting us to follow the reviewers. It is also connecting to the friends from rest of the social networking sites.

 

References

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-ways-to-access-your-music-from-mobile/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mwjjv0YZvo

Rich User Experiences

Rich user experiences have generally been the combination of Graphical User Interface – style applications as well as multimedia content. The important component, which facilitates such kind of experience, has been the AJAX. With the AJAX, web applications may be more responsive & intuitive. AJAX is the short version of Asynchronous JavaScript and XML has been the combination of many technologies, which permit part and all of page for receiving the newer data without refreshing whole page.

 

 

 

THE BEST PRACTICES AJAX IMPLEMENTS:

Best of desktop & online experiences

Value of creating the web dependent software, which works along with provides the user with same experience towards the computer dependent software program has been increasing in Web 2.0 paradigm. AJAX has been the collection of tools used together for creating the rich user experience.

Usability and simplicity

Value of AJAX has also been in the capability of protecting the users from information overload through showing just the information specific to them increasing our companies present Web applications with the AJAX enhances usability along with consumer satisfaction when maintaining our competitive edge.

Technology usageto the requirements

AJAX has exploded into scene in past few years as a leading software development technique for the Rich Internet Applications.

While using the JavaScript, XML as well as XMLHttpRequest object, web pages may be much more interactive and also gives the functionality, which until now was reserved for its desktop counterparts. Outcome has been that, with AJAX, web applications may be more responsive along with intuitive.

Search over structure

As AJAX has majorly been the JavaScript based platform, I state that developers might be interested in regularly leveraging its Java skills. Developers have been going back to future through using the Ajax technologies for building the applications, which have been easier for using along with more functional apart from older Web programs.

Preserve content addressability

Ajax technologies related with the desktop applications increases the performance of websites along with easy to use. Value of AJAX has just been partially in enhanced speed of experience. This has also been in enhanced continuity of experience and also in capability of protecting the users from the information overload through showing just information specific to them.

Innovation is Assembly

Innovation within Assembly has been all about the manner in that Web 2.0 application may be used like the platform so as to build on. Major principle after this core pattern has been idea about the companies being forming the newer as well as innovative ideas through modifying and building on the pre-existing concepts.

There have been several advantages towards the online platform involving giving growth, fostering third party innovation along with building the trust and also online communities. Those may also be tied straightly towards the revenue model. One of best manners for building the online platform has been to give or offer API’s being the part of our service.

API is application program interface has been the set of routines, protocols along techniques to build software applications. Good application program interface makes that easier for forming the program through giving all building blocks. The programmer afterwards puts blocks along.

StockTwits® has been the financial communications platform for financial as well as investing community. This organization had been introduced in the year 2008 through long time investor Howard Lindzon. StockTwits made the $TICKER tag for enabling as well as organizing the “streams” about information within the stocks along with markets around the web and also social media. Those streams gives the newer forms of insight, concepts along with information, which have been used by the investors, analysts, media along with rest of the people as they research stocks along with manage its investments.

 

 

 

StockTwits RESTful API permits us to leverage user base, social graph along with content network, which drive StockTwits community. Our application as well as our users may access StockTwits social graph, showing curated data streams, integrate the watch lists and also easily sharing the messages, links and also charts straightly from our application. StockTwits API has been perfect for the financial applications or websites or applications, which want and require the social layer.

References

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-dC-9Y95mg

http://vator.tv/news/2010-10-19-stocktwits-secures-4-million-venture-round

Data is the next ‘Intel Inside’

Most essential principal about Web 2.0 has been that “Data is the next Intel Inside.” Tim O’reilly has referred to as Data has been Next Intel Inside; it means that several web 2.0 applications have been importantly data base driven. O’reilly focuses that issues here has been to make the unique, hard for recreating the source of data. Intel has been the brand name for the organization, which specializes in the computer hardware. Their slogan has been when we would be trying to encapsulate that actual power along with usefulness after machine our using has been this has been hardware, if actually that has not been a case.

Web 2.0 applications have been more and less associated data base driven, but data they have been driven through has been user orientated. Data has been the basis about any Web 2.0 application so without that, they have been virtually useless. Data has been anything raw; many times it collectively holds the bigger significance however in the individual parts may be meaningless.

Following has been the video of the Eventful.com.

A best instance for such a pattern has been Eventful.com, the global events depending on the calendaring website. Content has been global however users see up at domestic events for knowing what has been going on in its area. Users buy in to site through easier access towards events of interest towards them along with its friends. Promoters buy in for easier reach about the potential consumers through Eventful website along with email newsletter. Website along with newsletter target users depending on its interests, for promoters it has been targeted advertising at their best.

The web 2.0 application I’d like to focus on is one of my personal favorites, that being ebay. The creators of ebay are the masters of the internet marketplace. Having a first mover advantage, they were the first to pioneer the idea of having a market place online where you weren’t restricted to one item, or a category of items.

As technology progresses, we demand more than what the Intel Inside chip has to offer. People now have an interactive environment, where communication is fast, simple and reliable.

Harnessing Collective Intelligence

Harnessing collective intelligence is main feature of original definition of Web 2.0. Harnessing of collective intelligence included the uses of hypertext link for navigating web. Web contains billion of pages and several of these have been easily accessible whereas the other pages have been restricted for subscribers including the specialist libraries.

This concept firstly defined by Tim O’Reilly while doing conference for defining Web 2.0. Harnessing collective intelligence revolves around the user’s participation as well as network effect. It means the users collaborate with website for providing useful data, for them & for the other users of site. More users, who participate good quality of information has gathered by site. There are many Web 2.0 sites like Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr, each utilizes collective intelligence for creating content.

gdgt.com is an example of website harnessing collective intelligence. This website has focused on various like & dislikes voting, product reviews, community support & answer along with discussions on different technology gadgets. The whole system has built as well as reliant on customer base giving data, information validation and many more.

Online market places as well as advertising companies have started to permit user’s contribution. Website Amazon Associates permits users for selling their product as affiliate through writing review on their websites and links back to Amazon product’s page.

In the global environment where the innovation cycles have been shrinking, consumer expectations have been rising as well as talent has been becoming very distributed, the companies are looking for the requirement for more effectively apply knowledge as well as experiences of the individuals, regardless of their vocation, affiliation or organization status.

The chance for more effectively applying Collective Intelligence, this is an aggregated knowledge, insight as well as expertise of diverse group, has become reality. As the individuals become adept & comfortable sharing the ideas and thoughts in the virtual space, organizations may use such insights for addressing critical business challenge. Site may then give better experience for the users that in turn enhances sites retention rate

Google’s PageRank is also an example of harnessing collective intelligence.  Google has become mostly used search engine as of how quick the results have been and quality of web site based on our searching query. Google PageRank is numeric value, which presents how essential a page, is on web.

Harnessing Collective Intelligence may play essential role for generating new idea, solving age old issues, disaggregating as well as distributing works in innovative and new ways and making much better, much informed decision about future. Harnessing Collective Intelligence may increase business results by improving, how the companies access untapped knowledge as well as experiences of their network.

 

Social networks are becoming popular source of staff engagement

Employee engagement is nowadays considered as a measurement of an employees commitment to organization and enthusiasm and energy to work. Quality of work is direct function of employee engagement. Previous techniques of building clubs and social platform have been left far behind social media platforms that are used to generate employee engagement. According to Stroud (2012) social media traffic has increased by 43% between 2009 and 2010. It is expected to multiply in coming years because organizations are realizing that social media is the most effective tool for employee engagement.

Social media websites are engaged in providing attraction, recruitment, communication, connection and engagement to people. LinkedIn is considered as the most valuable tool for recruitment.

According to a major study by IBM, most HR executives struggle to effectively connect their workforce:

“For example, 78 percent of the HR leaders we interviewed do not think their organizations are effective at fostering collaboration and social networking. Yet only 21 percent have recently increased the amount they invest in the tools required to promote collaboration and networking.

Another study revealed that 98% of HR respondents say they believe that social networking is an important tool for recruiting, retaining and managing employees. If you take the numbers at face value, the gap between the 98% believers and the 21% taking action seems like an opportunity for breakthroughs in employee engagement using social media.

In spite of the zealous enthusiasm of the IT sector, technology alone cannot address the problem of engagement, but companies are increasingly seeing social media as an expedient means to get employees engaged.

Some results of a study by Jive Software of more than 500 people from 350 companies on their experience of using social software are as follow:

•39% increase in employee connectedness

•25% decrease in onboarding time

•29% increase in executive communication.

•34% decrease in time to find information and experts

•27% reduction in email sent

•26% decrease in time needed for meetings

•27% decrease in duplicated tasks

•32% increase in ideas generated within the company

•32% decrease in time to find answers

•37% increase in project collaboration and productivity

•30% increase in employee satisfaction

•24% decrease in need for travel

The closing remarks for this blog are that we should embrace the future and in future, we can see the growing demand of social networking websites to enhance employee engagement. Enterprise 2.0 which we discussed in previous blogs is a potential software that can help organizations optimize the use of social media.

 

References:

http://softjoe.com/SocialMediaEmpEngagement

http://www.therecruiterslounge.com/2012/09/05/how-to-build-employee-engagement-using-social-media-4/

 

Wikis and Twitter in Enterprise2.0

Last week blog was about micro blogging. This week I am going to discuss wikis and twitter in Enterprise 2.0. All of us are familiar with some well-known wikis for example Wikipedia and Wikimedia etc.

In Ward’s original descriptionWiki is, “The simplest online database that could possibly work”.

Wiki are server software that allow user to use their browsers to edit and create webpage contents. Wikis allows hyperlinks and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly.

Organizations allow wikis through enterprise 2.0 that allow group communication and allow editing of organization of content in addition to the content itself. “Open editing” has profound effect on wikis popularity and usage. It represents democratic use of web by allowing everyday users to edit and create contents. Even non-technical users can create and edit contents.

Wiki allows capture of information and knowledge to everyone interested in enterprise 2.0. It is not necessary for wikis to be encyclopedic rather they may be focused on working together and bringing Web2.0 technologies into workplace successfully. In future, it is expected that end users, managers, leaders, academics, students and providers will use wikis to capture, create and share knowledge collectively.

There are different wikis software that are available. Enterprises are starting to implement wikis but the problem is selection of the best suitable software among a couple of hundred software. Advanced and complex software may not be helpful every time. Most of the users are non-technical for wikis therefore software must be simple. Secondly, it must have rules and responsibilities to control the behavior of users. Finally yet importantly, it must provide secure information exchange. It must not pose any security threat on users and organizations. In this regard, different authentication services may be helpful.

It is important to bring people to use wikis when it is implemented in organization People must be encouraged to leave old and adopt new. They must not be replied through mail or phone. Usually it does not go right first time for all organizations,therefore, a metric must be agreed and outcomes must be tracked to fix problems.