Official Mobile Security & Innovative Technologies Blog
This blog is managed/edited by Eric Everson. The purpose of this blog is to discuss common threats and solutions that exist within the mobile community in addition to the intricacies of innovative technologies and the markets therein.
Thank you for taking the time to review my blog; I am Eric Everson the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. In addition to my duties at MyMobiSafe, LLC I am also a full-time graduate student and mobile industry researcher. As a mobile security expert and innovative technologies leader, I am glad to answer any questions you may have: EricEverson@Hotmail.com
Wednesday 13 May 2009, 8:33 PM
Windows 7: Paint a Lemon and Call it Innovation?
Windows 7: Paint a Lemon and Call it Innovation?
Author: Eric Everson
In the automotive industry junk cars are dubbed lemons; these are the junkers that shady auto dealers repaint and polish just to make the cars more attractive to unsuspecting car buyers. So you’ve got to be asking why is a company like Microsoft (a company historically championed for their innovation) being compared to a shady auto dealer. In a nutshell, as you start to actually listen to the tech savvy experts of the world, you too will also begin to uncover that the new Windows 7 platform is surprisingly like the painted lemon you try to avoid when buying a car.
I have to admit, I really do have high expectations for Microsoft so it just makes me shake my head in disappointment to see yet another rush-job pushed prematurely into the software market. Like so many other software gurus, I have to admit that I too was secretly hanging on to the notion that the release of Windows 7 would right all (or at least most) of the wrongs that Vista introduced. As it seems if you were disappointed with Vista (arguably the worst blunder in Microsoft history) then I’m sure you’ll feel the woes of Windows 7 too.
With my intimate history of marketing innovative technologies, I have to say that tying the Windows brand to what is seemingly another junk version of Vista could be detrimental to Microsoft. Unfortunately, this is exactly what the executive powers at Microsoft have done. To make matters worse as many analysts have already noted, Windows 7 in many cases does not even incorporate the fixes that have been worked into Vista. Can anyone else see the buzzards starting to circle in the sky above?
Like I said, I have high expectations for Microsoft so this whole repackaging Vista as an innovative new “Windows 7” is a real let down. With companies like Google gaining traction hard and fast in the Operating System (OS) sector, I believe it’s time for Microsoft to revisit their roots of innovation. Surely the talent hasn’t all jumped ship, but from the looks of things an infusion of new blood might be exactly what Microsoft needs to regain its innovative capital. As it seems today, the stage of the OS sector is being set for a serious shake up.
It’s hard to say it better than InfoWorld’s Randall Kennedy as he noted, “Bottom line: So far, Windows 7 looks, behaves, and performs almost exactly like Windows Vista. And it breaks all sorts of things that used to work just fine under Vista. In other words, Microsoft's follow-up to its most unpopular OS release since Windows Me threatens to deliver zero measurable performance benefits while introducing new and potentially crippling compatibility issues.” Is Windows 7 just a painted lemon under the cloak of innovation?
Your go-to guy in innovative tech,
-Eric E: aka The MobileTech
Good Reading by Randall Kennedy: http://www.pcworld.com/article/153624/under_the_hood_windows_7_is_vistas_twin.html
Eric Everson is a leading mobile technologies researcher and is the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. If you would like to contact Eric Everson for interview or with research related inquiries contact him directly at EricEverson@Hotmail.com.
Author: Eric Everson
In the automotive industry junk cars are dubbed lemons; these are the junkers that shady auto dealers repaint and polish just to make the cars more attractive to unsuspecting car buyers. So you’ve got to be asking why is a company like Microsoft (a company historically championed for their innovation) being compared to a shady auto dealer. In a nutshell, as you start to actually listen to the tech savvy experts of the world, you too will also begin to uncover that the new Windows 7 platform is surprisingly like the painted lemon you try to avoid when buying a car.
I have to admit, I really do have high expectations for Microsoft so it just makes me shake my head in disappointment to see yet another rush-job pushed prematurely into the software market. Like so many other software gurus, I have to admit that I too was secretly hanging on to the notion that the release of Windows 7 would right all (or at least most) of the wrongs that Vista introduced. As it seems if you were disappointed with Vista (arguably the worst blunder in Microsoft history) then I’m sure you’ll feel the woes of Windows 7 too.
With my intimate history of marketing innovative technologies, I have to say that tying the Windows brand to what is seemingly another junk version of Vista could be detrimental to Microsoft. Unfortunately, this is exactly what the executive powers at Microsoft have done. To make matters worse as many analysts have already noted, Windows 7 in many cases does not even incorporate the fixes that have been worked into Vista. Can anyone else see the buzzards starting to circle in the sky above?
Like I said, I have high expectations for Microsoft so this whole repackaging Vista as an innovative new “Windows 7” is a real let down. With companies like Google gaining traction hard and fast in the Operating System (OS) sector, I believe it’s time for Microsoft to revisit their roots of innovation. Surely the talent hasn’t all jumped ship, but from the looks of things an infusion of new blood might be exactly what Microsoft needs to regain its innovative capital. As it seems today, the stage of the OS sector is being set for a serious shake up.
It’s hard to say it better than InfoWorld’s Randall Kennedy as he noted, “Bottom line: So far, Windows 7 looks, behaves, and performs almost exactly like Windows Vista. And it breaks all sorts of things that used to work just fine under Vista. In other words, Microsoft's follow-up to its most unpopular OS release since Windows Me threatens to deliver zero measurable performance benefits while introducing new and potentially crippling compatibility issues.” Is Windows 7 just a painted lemon under the cloak of innovation?
Your go-to guy in innovative tech,
-Eric E: aka The MobileTech
Good Reading by Randall Kennedy: http://www.pcworld.com/article/153624/under_the_hood_windows_7_is_vistas_twin.html
Eric Everson is a leading mobile technologies researcher and is the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. If you would like to contact Eric Everson for interview or with research related inquiries contact him directly at EricEverson@Hotmail.com.
Wednesday 13 May 2009, 7:06 PM
Small Business: The Power of Tradeshows
Small Business: The Power of Tradeshows
Author: Eric Everson
The success of entrepreneurship is often achieved by getting your business or products in front of the right people at the right time. For most entrepreneurs that dilemma sounds simple enough to resolve until the rigorous reality of daily business begins to consume and otherwise capitalize your valuable time. Finding time for networking can quickly become a daunting task for even the most skillful business managers.
What many entrepreneurs find is that tradeshows offer exactly the opportunity for communicating their brand and connecting with “the right people” that they are looking for. Every industry has its share of tradeshows (conferences, expos, consortiums, etc), so the most important thing to consider is which one fits your business best.
Naturally some tradeshows carry greater overall industry visibility than others, but all too often paying for a pricey booth at a major tradeshow might not really be the best investment for your young business. Let’s say for example that you are a new entrant in the mobile industry looking to make some viable connections within the U.S. market. The biggest tradeshow in the mobile industry in the U.S. has become the CTIA Wireless show (web address below). The problem is that despite the high booth fee, you might still get stuck back in a low traffic corner with poor visibility for your brand. Instead of the mega show where your startup brand will be hard pressed to outshine the displays and events of the industry titans, you might consider a smaller show that caters toward the same industry segment but isn’t as notorious. For a young company in the wireless sector the Mobile Business Conference might be a better fit.
In essence this is the same thing celebrities consider when they decide which red carpet events that they want to attend. Some are interested in the A-List theatrics of the bigger shows while others prefer the more intimate gatherings of smaller shows. No matter whether you’re in the mobile business or show business, there is certain to be a tradeshow in your industry that fits the needs of your small business. A tradeshow can be a total waste of time and money if you chose the wrong venue, but likewise they can be an incredible vehicle for growth too! To borrow from that age-old adage, simply look before you leap.
Your go-to guy in innovative tech,
- Eric E: aka The MobileTech
Here are the links as promised:
CTIA: http://www.ctia.org/
Mobile Business Conference & Expo: http://www.mbconf.com/
Eric Everson is a leading mobile technologies researcher and is the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. If you would like to contact Eric Everson for interview or with research related inquiries contact him directly at EricEverson@Hotmail.com.
Author: Eric Everson
The success of entrepreneurship is often achieved by getting your business or products in front of the right people at the right time. For most entrepreneurs that dilemma sounds simple enough to resolve until the rigorous reality of daily business begins to consume and otherwise capitalize your valuable time. Finding time for networking can quickly become a daunting task for even the most skillful business managers.
What many entrepreneurs find is that tradeshows offer exactly the opportunity for communicating their brand and connecting with “the right people” that they are looking for. Every industry has its share of tradeshows (conferences, expos, consortiums, etc), so the most important thing to consider is which one fits your business best.
Naturally some tradeshows carry greater overall industry visibility than others, but all too often paying for a pricey booth at a major tradeshow might not really be the best investment for your young business. Let’s say for example that you are a new entrant in the mobile industry looking to make some viable connections within the U.S. market. The biggest tradeshow in the mobile industry in the U.S. has become the CTIA Wireless show (web address below). The problem is that despite the high booth fee, you might still get stuck back in a low traffic corner with poor visibility for your brand. Instead of the mega show where your startup brand will be hard pressed to outshine the displays and events of the industry titans, you might consider a smaller show that caters toward the same industry segment but isn’t as notorious. For a young company in the wireless sector the Mobile Business Conference might be a better fit.
In essence this is the same thing celebrities consider when they decide which red carpet events that they want to attend. Some are interested in the A-List theatrics of the bigger shows while others prefer the more intimate gatherings of smaller shows. No matter whether you’re in the mobile business or show business, there is certain to be a tradeshow in your industry that fits the needs of your small business. A tradeshow can be a total waste of time and money if you chose the wrong venue, but likewise they can be an incredible vehicle for growth too! To borrow from that age-old adage, simply look before you leap.
Your go-to guy in innovative tech,
- Eric E: aka The MobileTech
Here are the links as promised:
CTIA: http://www.ctia.org/
Mobile Business Conference & Expo: http://www.mbconf.com/
Eric Everson is a leading mobile technologies researcher and is the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. If you would like to contact Eric Everson for interview or with research related inquiries contact him directly at EricEverson@Hotmail.com.
Monday 20 April 2009, 5:36 PM
Small Business: iPhone Goes Small Business!
Small Business: iPhone Goes Small Business!
Author: Eric Everson, Founder MyMobiSafe.com
Perhaps you’ve seen the latest iPhone commercial which shares all the ways that the iPhone can cater to small business owners? If not, check it out at http://www.apple.com/iphone/gallery/ads/. What I love about this is that it brings function to small business users that might not otherwise have integrated a mobile element into their businesses yet.
Let me say that even though I am a long-time fan of the iPhone, it’s not quite ready to replace your Blackberry or Palm… yet. This campaign marks another bold move for Apple into the highly competitive realm of phones targeting business users. In fact I might go so far as suggesting that if Apple continues to improve the iPhone Operating System and continues to integrate key business-friendly features that the iPhone could become a top contender in this market too.
Naysayers of the iPhone suggest that the phone is based on aesthetics more than functionality, but this is exactly what Apple is setting out to prove otherwise. Anyone that has adopted Apple products into their life knows that function is the core of their design. What’s more is that they do look great too! I’m hopeful that the next gen iPhones will correct many of the quirks that hold it back as a viable business tool. In the interim, if you watch this new commercial I think you’ll agree that Apple is gearing up to make a big splash in business-focused handsets. If you are a small business owner looking for a new handset, the iPhone might just be exactly what you need to introduce a mobile element into your company.
Your friend and innovative technologies guru,
- Eric E
Eric Everson is a leading mobile technologies researcher and is the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. If you would like to contact Eric Everson for interview or with research related inquiries contact him directly at EricEverson@Hotmail.com.
Author: Eric Everson, Founder MyMobiSafe.com
Perhaps you’ve seen the latest iPhone commercial which shares all the ways that the iPhone can cater to small business owners? If not, check it out at http://www.apple.com/iphone/gallery/ads/. What I love about this is that it brings function to small business users that might not otherwise have integrated a mobile element into their businesses yet.
Let me say that even though I am a long-time fan of the iPhone, it’s not quite ready to replace your Blackberry or Palm… yet. This campaign marks another bold move for Apple into the highly competitive realm of phones targeting business users. In fact I might go so far as suggesting that if Apple continues to improve the iPhone Operating System and continues to integrate key business-friendly features that the iPhone could become a top contender in this market too.
Naysayers of the iPhone suggest that the phone is based on aesthetics more than functionality, but this is exactly what Apple is setting out to prove otherwise. Anyone that has adopted Apple products into their life knows that function is the core of their design. What’s more is that they do look great too! I’m hopeful that the next gen iPhones will correct many of the quirks that hold it back as a viable business tool. In the interim, if you watch this new commercial I think you’ll agree that Apple is gearing up to make a big splash in business-focused handsets. If you are a small business owner looking for a new handset, the iPhone might just be exactly what you need to introduce a mobile element into your company.
Your friend and innovative technologies guru,
- Eric E
Eric Everson is a leading mobile technologies researcher and is the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. If you would like to contact Eric Everson for interview or with research related inquiries contact him directly at EricEverson@Hotmail.com.
Thursday 9 April 2009, 2:11 PM
Small Business: Mobile Payments Big Money or High Risk?
Small Business: Mobile Payments Big Money or High Risk?
Author: Eric Everson – MyMobiSafe.com
Imagine a world where all of your financial transactions are conducted through your mobile phone. A place where anything from transferring funds to pay your electric bill to paying for your groceries is all conducted via the convenience of your mobile handset. Interestingly enough, this is a world that already has the framework and tools in place for mainstream use. So why aren’t more companies jumping on the mobile payments opportunity?
Mobile commerce is a developing niche that has not reached a tipping point for mass adoption throughout the world. There are pockets of users that have been quick to embrace this new technology, but for far too many others it just hasn’t taken hold yet. For those companies (large and small alike) that have invested in the future of mobile commerce (to include m-payments, m-banking, etc) there is a lot of money riding on the successful uptake of this new technology. With these investors impatiently awaiting the surge of social interest in this technology it is the risks this technology faces that become increasingly apparent.
From wallet phones to mobile payment applications, there is an entire host of mobile commerce options to choose from already. This market as “niche” as it may still be is seemingly becoming flooded with competitors. From the industry titans of the credit markets to the startup mobile application developers, the solutions becoming available are numerous. In such an environment the reality of acquisition costs per customer begins to set in. This became a critical issue for us at MyMobiSafe.com too as the average revenue per user numbers were easily imbalanced. Whether you are a major multinational or smaller vendor this business like so many others carries hefty customer acquisition costs. These costs typically mean that these vendors must meet X many users for Y amount of time to even begin to breakeven on these solutions… and this isn’t even considering the exorbitant infrastructure costs that these companies face to deliver/manage their mobile commerce solutions.
Pretending that we can ignore costs for a moment, there seems to be an even bigger risk here… which is at the consumer level. I am a graduate of the Harvard Business School – MIT Program, and I am well aware of the textbook innovative technology adoption cycles. With that said, are mobile commerce solutions filling a market need or creating a market novelty? Sure it would be convenient not to carry my heavy Harley-Davidson wallet, but with tap-and-go payment cards, no signature credit cards, a gamut of prepaid cards, online payment solutions, and more is the general population looking for yet another payment/commerce solution? Failure to identify a critical need to adopt mobile commerce solutions stands as the greatest potential hindrance this market faces. Do we need mobile commerce solutions the same way we needed online commerce solutions? With all handsets heading toward the standard of allowing real Internet connectivity, won’t many of these unique-to-mobile solutions become obsolete given a narrow timeline?
I won’t even touch on the major issues of handset-level security that these solutions face, but the underlying question remains… could there be more reward than risk in this market? With consumers increasingly willing to try new technologies, this represents a real potential opportunity for this niche to gain some traction. Perhaps only the long-sighted persuasion of the markets invisible hand will foretell, but for now there are a lot of businesses treading water hoping that you too will adopt a mobile commerce solution.
Your friend and mobile technologies guru,
Eric E: AKA “The MobileTech”
Eric Everson
MyMobiSafe.com
Eric Everson is a leading mobile technologies researcher and is the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. If you would like to contact Eric Everson for interview or with research related inquiries contact him directly at EricEverson@Hotmail.com.
Author: Eric Everson – MyMobiSafe.com
Imagine a world where all of your financial transactions are conducted through your mobile phone. A place where anything from transferring funds to pay your electric bill to paying for your groceries is all conducted via the convenience of your mobile handset. Interestingly enough, this is a world that already has the framework and tools in place for mainstream use. So why aren’t more companies jumping on the mobile payments opportunity?
Mobile commerce is a developing niche that has not reached a tipping point for mass adoption throughout the world. There are pockets of users that have been quick to embrace this new technology, but for far too many others it just hasn’t taken hold yet. For those companies (large and small alike) that have invested in the future of mobile commerce (to include m-payments, m-banking, etc) there is a lot of money riding on the successful uptake of this new technology. With these investors impatiently awaiting the surge of social interest in this technology it is the risks this technology faces that become increasingly apparent.
From wallet phones to mobile payment applications, there is an entire host of mobile commerce options to choose from already. This market as “niche” as it may still be is seemingly becoming flooded with competitors. From the industry titans of the credit markets to the startup mobile application developers, the solutions becoming available are numerous. In such an environment the reality of acquisition costs per customer begins to set in. This became a critical issue for us at MyMobiSafe.com too as the average revenue per user numbers were easily imbalanced. Whether you are a major multinational or smaller vendor this business like so many others carries hefty customer acquisition costs. These costs typically mean that these vendors must meet X many users for Y amount of time to even begin to breakeven on these solutions… and this isn’t even considering the exorbitant infrastructure costs that these companies face to deliver/manage their mobile commerce solutions.
Pretending that we can ignore costs for a moment, there seems to be an even bigger risk here… which is at the consumer level. I am a graduate of the Harvard Business School – MIT Program, and I am well aware of the textbook innovative technology adoption cycles. With that said, are mobile commerce solutions filling a market need or creating a market novelty? Sure it would be convenient not to carry my heavy Harley-Davidson wallet, but with tap-and-go payment cards, no signature credit cards, a gamut of prepaid cards, online payment solutions, and more is the general population looking for yet another payment/commerce solution? Failure to identify a critical need to adopt mobile commerce solutions stands as the greatest potential hindrance this market faces. Do we need mobile commerce solutions the same way we needed online commerce solutions? With all handsets heading toward the standard of allowing real Internet connectivity, won’t many of these unique-to-mobile solutions become obsolete given a narrow timeline?
I won’t even touch on the major issues of handset-level security that these solutions face, but the underlying question remains… could there be more reward than risk in this market? With consumers increasingly willing to try new technologies, this represents a real potential opportunity for this niche to gain some traction. Perhaps only the long-sighted persuasion of the markets invisible hand will foretell, but for now there are a lot of businesses treading water hoping that you too will adopt a mobile commerce solution.
Your friend and mobile technologies guru,
Eric E: AKA “The MobileTech”
Eric Everson
MyMobiSafe.com
Eric Everson is a leading mobile technologies researcher and is the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. If you would like to contact Eric Everson for interview or with research related inquiries contact him directly at EricEverson@Hotmail.com.
Friday 3 April 2009, 2:22 PM
VeriSign Diving Into Mobile Security
VeriSign Diving Into Mobile Security
Author: Eric Everson
This week VeriSign announced the arrival of their new mobile app: VIP Access. The application is designed to create a more secure environment for online transactions via the existing VeriSign VIP Network.
While undoubtedly there is a blatant void in this area of mobile security, there remains significant opportunity for VeriSign to grow their model. Currently there are only about 40 sites that are VeriSign VIP Network partners – the most notable of which is likely eBay/PayPal. So what is this new app and how can it help you increase the security of your mobile transactions?
Essentially what the VIP Access app does is creates a platform wherein a “Credential ID” is populated. This Credential ID is much like the 30-second Secure ID technology that exists within the VPN environment wherein the user has about half of a minute to use their ID to access their intended VIP Network site.
The move into this environment is well founded and given the proper development, this could prove to be a driving platform in creating more secure payment solutions throughout the mobile environment. The obstacle to overcome is that the greatest advantage in this VeriSign solution (the 30 second secure access window) could also be the added inconvenience that keeps people from adopting this app like they should. If you have ever fought with the Secure ID codes in the VPN environment, you are all too familiar with the urgency that is required – now compound that with the processing environment of the handset and mobile network and I’m sure you can see how 30 seconds is gone before you know it. On the other side of this however, the 30 second window creates a better level of user protection as even the most sophisticated mobile spyware would have a hard time executing within such a restricted timeframe.
Overall, I think that this is a great move by VeriSign and I look for this to be a growth opportunity for them into the mobile security sector. As I can vouch as the founder of MyMobiSafe.com, they will face many unique hurdles in this environment with a B2C approach. I suspect that as the VIP Network continues to gain persuasive new partners this will also act as a gateway of adoption for the VIP Access app. I encourage everyone to check out this app the next time you want to do some mobile auction shopping via eBay; you might find that you like the added security as you make your mobile purchases.
Keeping you informed with the developments of mobile security…
Eric Everson – The MobileTech
Eric Everson is a leading mobile technologies researcher and is the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. If you would like to contact Eric Everson for interview or with research related inquiries contact him directly at EricEverson@Hotmail.com.
Author: Eric Everson
This week VeriSign announced the arrival of their new mobile app: VIP Access. The application is designed to create a more secure environment for online transactions via the existing VeriSign VIP Network.
While undoubtedly there is a blatant void in this area of mobile security, there remains significant opportunity for VeriSign to grow their model. Currently there are only about 40 sites that are VeriSign VIP Network partners – the most notable of which is likely eBay/PayPal. So what is this new app and how can it help you increase the security of your mobile transactions?
Essentially what the VIP Access app does is creates a platform wherein a “Credential ID” is populated. This Credential ID is much like the 30-second Secure ID technology that exists within the VPN environment wherein the user has about half of a minute to use their ID to access their intended VIP Network site.
The move into this environment is well founded and given the proper development, this could prove to be a driving platform in creating more secure payment solutions throughout the mobile environment. The obstacle to overcome is that the greatest advantage in this VeriSign solution (the 30 second secure access window) could also be the added inconvenience that keeps people from adopting this app like they should. If you have ever fought with the Secure ID codes in the VPN environment, you are all too familiar with the urgency that is required – now compound that with the processing environment of the handset and mobile network and I’m sure you can see how 30 seconds is gone before you know it. On the other side of this however, the 30 second window creates a better level of user protection as even the most sophisticated mobile spyware would have a hard time executing within such a restricted timeframe.
Overall, I think that this is a great move by VeriSign and I look for this to be a growth opportunity for them into the mobile security sector. As I can vouch as the founder of MyMobiSafe.com, they will face many unique hurdles in this environment with a B2C approach. I suspect that as the VIP Network continues to gain persuasive new partners this will also act as a gateway of adoption for the VIP Access app. I encourage everyone to check out this app the next time you want to do some mobile auction shopping via eBay; you might find that you like the added security as you make your mobile purchases.
Keeping you informed with the developments of mobile security…
Eric Everson – The MobileTech
Eric Everson is a leading mobile technologies researcher and is the founder of MyMobiSafe.com. If you would like to contact Eric Everson for interview or with research related inquiries contact him directly at EricEverson@Hotmail.com.
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