Technology

The latest technology revolution isn’t just under way, it’s about to get bigger.

Hot on the heels of the “consumerization” of IT is a new uprising, one poised to forever change how we use technology at work. Known as “Bring Your Own Device,” or BYOD, it promises to provide the workforce with increased flexibility and mobility while possibly lowering costs for IT departments.

The consumerization-of-IT revolution took place after technology devices marketed for personal use—most notably, smartphones and tablets—began being released and adopted faster than corporate IT groups could test, deploy and support them. People bought these devices in droves and brought them—iPhone and Android, iPad and Kindle Fire—to the office. Read more

Looking at my iPhone and iPad today I realized there had been a changing of the guard. The apps I traditionally assumed I was using have kind of fallen by the way side and a new breed has taken their place. Change is normal and the tools we use do go in and out of favor every now and then but I thought it would be nice to mark the moment with a little blog post.

Here are my top three right now. Read more

We got one!

This post is by Fonnie Hassing, Voice of Reason at The Feisty Empire.

Paul wasn’t at all sure about getting an iPad, but I was.

So we bought one, just before our holiday – during which time we had plenty of time to check it out.

Here are my ten favourite things about it:

1.  The iPad is extremely useful for research when away on holiday (e.g. checking weather, planning dog walks at low tide, finding fish and chip shops and following maps). Read more

I was recently at a family BBQ enjoying a beer and a sausage in bread when I was asked the following: ‘Hey mate, you work in computers(sic), what’s all this Cloud computing stuff about?’

Now, being the families resident ‘computer nerd’, I’m often asked computer related questions (either that or cartoon related questions). Usually the questions are along the lines of ‘should I buy a Mac’ or ‘why isn’t my email working’. Most can be fairly easily answered with a paint-by-numbers answer, but this one required a bit more effort. Effort that by the end of the conversation – which only ended because if we didn’t stop talking, all of my auntie’s awesome trifle would’ve been eaten without me getting any – still could’ve been delved into a lot more.

This ‘Cloud computing stuff’ question became a 45-minute discussion about a bunch of seemingly unlinked topics – business, computers, iPhones and iPads, MYOB, the Patriot Act, Russians; the list went on and on. Read more

Last month, we proudly celebrated the first birthday of our ‘Getting Aussie Business Online’ joint initiative with Google.  With over 30,000 Australian businesses signing up for their free website with MYOB Atlas, we’re proud to help support the move online for many SME’s.

And this week, we’re excited to announce that all MYOB Atlas sites are now mobile ready!

Launching on Tuesday, MYOB Atlas sites are now optimised for mobile, displaying key information such as contact info, a map and opening hours in a mobile friendly format.  They also allow the user to switch to the full website to see all content and additional features.

Why is it so important to ensure your site is ‘mobile friendly’?  We asked MYOB’s Web Developer, Steven Wright to share his knowledge with you all, and some tips to help any business get mobile ready. Read more

Does one need an iPad?

It’s 3.00 am.

Do I need an iPad?

They’re all the rage, it seems. But I’m unco.

Fonnie says everyone who goes to meetings at her work brings an iPad.

No-one uses pen and paper any more. Fancy that!

But remember our iPhone disaster? Read more

In my day job helping accounting firms attract and retain talented partners and staff, I’m often asked what things separate good professionals from great professionals. Leaving technical and relationship building skills to one side, invariably it is the “small things” that really make a difference. One small thing – believe it or not – is voice mail.

Accountants, like other professions, need to communicate with their clients, prospects, government departments, suppliers and a host of others. Naturally enough, the telephone is a common method of communication. When you use the telephone you can’t avoid the inevitable … voice mail. Read more

Five seemingly small things that will make a big difference to the way you use AccountRight

Recently I have had the opportunity to spend time with our Seminar Presenters on the upcoming AccountRight Masterclass seminars, and had got an in depth look at the newest version of our much loved AccountRight software.

It took me back to the day we released Premier version 12, the whole interface had moved away from a grey background to the current white look. Most of the clients I spoke to thought it looked great, and while a handful thought it was too ‘bright’, they generally appreciated the cleaner, sleeker look. Read more

Kodak made photography accessible to the entire world. For over a century, if you took a photo then you likely took it using a Kodak product. Just like Google, Microsoft and the inventor of Velcro, they created a product that changed the way the world operated forever.

Kodak sold cheap cameras and expensive film – that was their business model and it worked for 120 years. Unfortunately on the 121^st year, that business model was no longer viable. Less than a fortnight ago, Kodak filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.

But where did it go wrong? Read more

Have you ever seen what happens to a 20 year old when they lose their smartphone? It’s the end of the world!  The current generation that has grown up with the internet has an expectation that they will always be connected.  They want instant access to the information they need and to be able to connect with people important to them whenever they like, regardless of geographical location.  While we older people have been critical of this reliance on technology, it is in fact a very efficient way to live. Generation Y spends less time finding the information they need and exchanging ideas with their peers. It may not seem like it since they seem to be perpetually communicating but that is a result of a much higher level of communication than what has occurred in the past. Read more