InsidEPR

Cloud, BYOD transformative to IT departments

By Caitlin Mattias

In a presentation titled, “Gartner Top Predictions for 2012: Control Slips Away,” the analyst firm makes some aggressive predictions that will no doubt have a radical effect on IT departments should they come to fruition. Interestingly enough, many of the areas identified also hit home among the top security concerns as my colleague Fran Lowe described in her blog post on RSA 2012.

Chief among the catalysts of IT department transformation is cloud computing. The concept of “open source” may just be the zeitgeist of our times, and it’s opened up a market where cloud services providers large and small are able to exploit business opportunity. This gives IT folks a migraine. They have business units and departments making renegade purchases of cloud services that they often do not endorse or even have knowledge of, resulting in concerns about integration and controls.

In answer, Gartner predicts that by 2016, 40% of enterprises will require some kind of proof of independent security testing before selecting a cloud vendor. Robert Lemos, in an article for Dark Reading, suggests that introducing brokers/auditors to the cloud ecosystem may indeed solve the question of guaranteeing security management. And with an expectation that by 2016 more than half of Global 1000 businesses will have used a public cloud to store sensitive data, that should probably be at the top of IT’s agenda.

Bring-your-own-device, or BYOD, is another area of increasing challenge for IT departments. But if you thought a full-scale crack down on mobile devices in your office was in the works, think again. The world has shifted toward mobile in such a drastic way that wholesale bans are simply not feasible. By 2015, the number of mobile application development projects in process is expected to outnumber those developed for PCs four-to-one. So the latest software innovations are skipping the PC and going straight to the mobile device. In fact, in the next four years, Gartner projects that half of enterprise users will rely mostly on email that’s browser, tablet or mobile client-based. This will create a significant demand for solutions that bring security measures into the enterprise mobile arena, including services that allow “twinning” or the linking of a variety of devices used by consumers interchangeably.

Gartner’s overall message for IT departments? Stop trying to hold water in your hands and start giving people straws. Focus on the “information” in the IT title, acting as a resource and advisor more than a technological junta within your organization. With the growth of the concept of IT-as-a-Service threatening head counts, anyway, it seems like they really have no choice.

NCAA Tournament Bracketology: Week Two @Engage

By Mike Tomlinson

The third and fourth rounds of games have come and gone and many at EPR are already suffering from March Madness withdrawal now that their hopes of winning have all but ended. Holding up in first place is ‘Can’t Snub a Champion’, whose strong showing over the past week combined with having the most teams remaining in his bracket as we approach the final four this weekend have solidified his team’s place as the favorite to slam dunk this tournament for the win.

In a respectable second place are the ‘Old School Dribblers’, who jumped several spots in the rankings after some clever picks, followed closely by ‘Bitzy’s Bashers II’ who will be sitting in a great position if Kentucky and Ohio State can pull out wins and head to the championship. Similarly, the fourth place ‘Failcats’ also picked Kentucky and Ohio State to go to the championship, so all eyes are on these two as we head into the final rounds of the NCAA tournament.

The bottom six teams left in our EPR office bracketology, while putting up a valiant effort, can sit comfortably and watch from the bleachers as the top four duke it out for the pride, glory, and lavish prizes that come with being the 2012 office bracketology champion! Stay tuned to find out our tournament winner after the championship game on Monday, April 2!

More Movers and Shakers

By Molly Reynolds

In the October 2011 edition of our newsletter, we updated our readers on many analyst and media movements – to other publications and to positions in the private sector. There’s been much activity since then with reporters becoming analysts and analysts moving to the corporate world. Here, in no particular order, is that list of key influencers that have changed roles over the last six months:

• Connected Planet closed its doors at the end of 2011. Rich Karpinski, the publication’s editor-in-chief, is now Yankee’s senior analyst for mobility.
• Kevin Fitchard moved to GigaOm last fall to cover wireless, as he formerly did at Connected Planet.
• Fahmida Rashid switched from a security beat at eWEEK to become an analyst of networking and security at PC Magazine.
• Emily Green left as CEO of Yankee. She remains on the board of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
• Elizabeth Woyke has ended her wireless beat at Forbes. She remains a freelance reporter, covering business and technology.
• Ted Chamberlin, formerly of Gartner’s infrastructure and operations team, is now the senior director of product marketing at Citrix Systems.
• Teresa Mastrangelo left her post as directing analyst for satellite, cable and IPTV at Infonetics. She remains the principal analyst at Broadbandtrends.
• Doug Toombs left Tier 1 Research to be a research director with Gartner.
• Jennifer Pigg, formerly of Yankee, has founded her own analyst firm, Battle Green Research.
• Likewise, long-time Yankee analyst Zeus Kerravala has started his own research firm, ZK Research.
• Joe McGarvey is now the director of analyst relations at Genband. He was previously with Current Analysis.

Friday by the Bay: Food glorious food but first come gardens glorious gardens

By Fran Lowe

If I needed any reminder about the taste of home-grown or just-picked food or the role of food, as in food and friends, a lengthy brunch this past weekend with three visitors from France reminded me of the intense relationship the French have with food. Where it comes from, how it was grown, its provenance, how it should be prepared, and so on and so on.

Happily in Oakland we have a growing population in our own backyard that is now as passionate about their food and the growing of that food as any proud Continental. Even as a growing number of farmers’ markets are making fresh, organically-grown produce available to more and more people, more people and organizations in Oakland are starting to grow their own fruits and vegetables in backyards, community gardens and urban farms. The types of gardens and models being developed are as diverse as the array of seeds and plants being cultivated in the perfect mix of the city’s neighborhoods and cultures.

Organizations like City Slicker Farms (@cityslickerfarm) promote sustainable food systems and a green economy as they empower the West Oakland community to grow their own organic food by gardening empty public spaces and their own backyards. Today City Slicker Farms consists of seven Community Market Farms (spaces open to the public), over 100 Backyard Gardens, a weekly Farm Stand, a greenhouse and Urban Farming Education programs.

Funk Town Farm is a community garden located in the area known to locals as “funk town” in East Oakland.  Both novice and experienced gardeners work together to grow their own produce (and flowers) to use and sell to their neighbors on an affordable sliding scale. They also raise chickens for eggs.
 
Oakland Community gardens are centrally located public gardens, subdivided into individual plots available to local residents for personal gardening. The Oakland Park System currently runs nine of these gardens (Lakeside Horticultural Center Kitchen Garden, Temescal, Bella Vista, Verdese Carter, Bushrod, San Antonio Park Community Garden, Mosswood Community Garden, Arroyo Viejo, Golden Gate). The waiting time to get a plot can be long (it took me 18 months) but the annual fee is modest ($25) and the chance to dig in some dirt and work alongside fellow gardeners is priceless. You also have to put in a bit of community garden maintenance time; but, you can tend to your plot year round however you choose. It’s like having your own personal backyard garden, only it’s not in your backyard.

If you’re interested in learning more about growing your own food locally, finding other urban farms and organizations involved in the food movement such as the Growing Justice Institute, visit the Peoples Grocery  (@peoplesgrocery) for some other great links.

Happy gardening and get ready for Spring!

Week 1: March Madness Hits Engage

By Mike Tomlinson

With the first week down in the 2012 NCAA Basketball Tournament, we take a look at the winners, losers and long shot teams in the Engage PR March Madness office pool! The league currently is host to a cutthroat four-way tie for first place between ‘Hoop Dreams’, ‘What Rocks’, ‘Double Dunks’ and the ironically named ‘Failcats’. But don’t get too comfortable in that #1 spot, teams!

Next up and tied for fifth place are ‘Bobcats or Bust’ (whose all-in on Ohio strategy has so far paid off), and ‘Can’t Snub a Champion’ whose prophetic refusal to be snubbed rang true as both teams linger so closely behind. Honorable mentions in the week one roundup go to ‘Bitzy’s Bashers II’ and ‘Winner Winner Chicken Dinner’ who, while dropping down to 8th and 9th place respectively, still have a decent shot at shooting up into the top ranks once the next rounds are played this weekend—that is—if they picked wisely!

Sadly, the ‘Slam Dunkers’, owned by our office manager Anna, will walk away with the first “thanks for participating” badge as her West and Midwest picks were slashed after a rough showing in the first round of games. Stay tuned to the Engage blog as we chronicle one fortunate team’s glorious journey to the top of the 2012 Engage March Madness tournament!

Friday By the Bay: Our Own Tour de Chocolat

By Mike Tomlinson

You get access to some pretty tasty events passing through town when you live in the Bay Area! The San Francisco International Chocolate Salon expo took place on Sunday, March 4, and I was lucky enough to attend. Rejoicing chocoholics were able to sample some of the best chocolate varieties and products from around the world, as well as participate in wine tasting and food pairings that all connoisseurs could enjoy!

While many exhibitors were offering more traditional offerings, I found the most interesting varieties to be those with unusual ingredient pairings. My palate was shocked as I tried what ended up being my favorite two varieties in attendance; it was a virtual tie between Chuao’s potato chip chocolate bar and their Firecracker chocolate bar, the latter a concoction of dark chocolate, salt, pop rocks, and chipotle peppers!

Unfortunately, my favorite Bay Area chocolatier was not in attendance—Coco Delice, located in Emeryville.  They offer an amazing dark chocolate named Bison Black Magic. Made with Berkeley’s own Bison Brewing Company’s Organic Chocolate Stout, you can find it at almost any local Whole Foods Market or Mollie Stone’s. All in all, the Chocolate Salon was a great show and I look forward to going year after year… after year! Life is pretty sweet when you live in the Bay Area!

Check out some photos from the 2012 San Francisco International Chocolate Salon!

Make your own photo slideshow at Animoto.

Are Your Marketing and PR Initiatives Engaging Your Influencers?

By Jeannette Bitz

There has been a drastic shift in how your customers receive information and talk about your company - organizations that fail to recognize this change are destined to fall behind. Social and digital media has ushered in a new era of communications – one that gives customers and other influencers a platform to talk about both you and your competitors. This can leave marketing organizations feeling as if they’ve lost control of the message and how it is being communicated across a variety of platforms. So how do CMOs operate in the world where the rules and realities have changed so drastically?

In today’s issue of InsidEPR, Engage provides CMOs with a check-list that will help them assess their current marketing strategy and build a plan that addresses their business objectives today and in the future. To start, your 2012 communications plan cannot simply be an extension of last’s year marketing plan - even if you do have the same budget. Level-setting or zero-based planning means starting with a clean slate. What may once have been considered and addressed as standalone marketing silo - public relations, marketing communications, social media and digital media – now must be leveraged to work together.

With seemingly everyone (including your customers) driving today’s conversations via social media, companies must ensure that their marketing efforts evolve beyond simply “pushing information out” toward a model where the company is driving findability, influence and engagement. We believe it should begin by assessing your strategy from the point of view of your audience. What do they care about? What are their pain points that you aim to solve? How are you better at meeting their needs than the competition? What outlets do they regularly leverage to learn more about your service? Where are the conversations taking place and what are your influencers saying about you, your competitors?

Next, determine what assets you have and what assets need to be added. Realizing that most CMOs are operating with constrained resources, it’s equally important to know what you can leverage effectively.

Finally, Engage believes it’s necessary during the planning and program development to make sure your programs are tightly integrated so that you can achieve effective results.  Whatever outlets you leverage—including your website, social media channels, your traditional PR materials-- make sure the message you’re delivering is consistent.

As the shift to a marketplace where customers have more voice than ever before and where the concept of “media” is changing almost daily, the role of agencies has also changed.  Agencies are now in a prime position to serve as a conductor in helping companies orchestrate the new integrated communications process.

Engage has for some time been working with our clients to expand their reach and results by developing campaigns that integrate  public relations, marketing, social media and digital media.  We help clients develop their by strategy by first understanding what their business objectives are from the viewpoint of their customers or end users. We take a holistic approach – first understanding what the company would like to communicate and then determining the right communications mix. 

Building communications programs that reach and move those customers or influencers to action is today immensely more complex and challenging, yet also more exciting than ever. The media and influencer ecosphere we all exist and operate in is getting bigger and more granular by the minute (literally) and the role of technology ever more pervasive, so in the spirit of a picture being worth a thousand words, here is Engage’s map for integrated PR and marketing services.

The state of IT insecurity – thoughts from RSA 2012

By Fran Lowe

It has been close to a week since the close of RSA 2012 in San Francisco and by now most of the speakers and exhibitors are well back into the day-to-day reality of their jobs. What we took away from the conference --from the consumer adoption of new services like mobile banking and Google Wallet to the rising incidents of major enterprise-level data breaches, it’s probably safe to rename the IT security industry the IT INsecurity industry.

The “new normal” was a term much in use. Analyst Chris Christiansen, Vice President for IDC's Security Products and Services group, says “most companies have been breached and don’t know it or they will be breached.” All of which, along with last year’s new SEC disclosure requirements on the potential material impact of security breaches, is certain to have CEOs asking what exactly it is they’ve been investing in. Additionally, we anticipate additional strain on budgets as IT sec continues its balancing act of risk, convenience and cost.

With 106 product categories identified in the RSA official program guide, it is impossible to visit let alone address them all, so here are just few observations and some of the trends we’ll be watching in the coming months:

• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)–Enterprises are attempting to parse out the potential impacts of BYOD policies and IT permissions, impacting everyone from CIOs to hiring managers. Is it worth cutting costs by allowing personal devices to be used for official business means? And what exactly happens when that employee (and the data on their tablet or mobile device) walks out the door? Eric Lundquist at InformationWeek points out a few possible solutions—keeping our eye on the “data,” not the device and using sandboxing software to create a sensitive data area partitioned on an employee’s mobile device. If the employee leaves the company, the IT department could delete that area, removing the data from the device remotely.
• Secure Data Transfer—Many companies have policies in place to monitor the transfer of data to third parties, whether through a password-protected FTP site or other method. But as Lundquist acknowledges, many attacks have shifted from focus on securing social security information to gleaning intellectual property from companies and nation states. And the biggest, most embarrassing targets seem to be security companies themselves, including RSA,
• Big Data—This 2012 megatrend, closely tied to business intelligence and analytics, will impact everyone, including the IT sec industry. Threat intelligence is the promise and the goal for security; but, how do we mine huge data bases to gain true business value? What are the security challenges and will there be the opportunity to use this data to uncover trends and get a step ahead? With more than two-thirds of sensitive and regulated information residing in databases, according to IDC, the exchange of that data represents a major threat.
• Mobile—There is so much we could talk about here, but just think about the insecurity of mobile platforms and apps for a start. Some things never change; most mobile apps are developed with no input from security professionals, so predictions are that malware will come from leveraging legitimate mobile apps. Considering Gartner’s projection that by 2015, mobile application development projects will outnumber native PC projects four-to-one, that could be a LOT more malware in the next few years.
• Mobile Banking—Mike Rothman, analyst at Securosis, was quick to point out in a pre-show blog post that mobile banking and payment security is the elephant in the room…and few are addressing it. As Rothman points out, the security industry is by nature reactive, with startups and solutions being spurred by security events and breaches after the fact, not before. That’s not a comforting realization for anyone who’s currently paying for their coffee with their mobile phone, but we’ll be interested to see who leads the charge in defending consumer data from attacks using this new method of commerce.
• Cloud Computing— It’s only going to grow. The questions for now seem to revolve around what mix of private, public, or hosted cloud organizations feel comfortable with and understanding the security threat levels associated with those choices. According to Christiansen, few service providers are yet offering any real security assurances. These are early days.

No Google? Not an Option

By Roya Pakfetrat

As I’m sure you’re aware, last week, Google officially changed its privacy policy. As I followed the news (by Googling it, of course) leading up to this “devastating” change, I laughed to myself as some suggested cutting off Google use entirely. Seriously? That’s like asking a teenager to delete their Facebook account or hand over their cell phone – it’s just never going to happen.

To be honest, I don’t see any real harm with the new policy and even if I did – would I really delete my Gmail account or stop watching YouTube videos? Uh, no. This reminds me of the constant uproar over Facebook’s annoying privacy policies (although as we know, they tend to be a bit more secretive about it). Everyone takes the time to complain about the changes, then they move on and still use the service because they know they would be lost without it.

So what does Google’s new unified privacy policy really mean for you? Well, if you use any of Google’s 60 different services, like Gmail, YouTube, Google Search or Google+ (with the exception of a few like Google Chrome and Google Wallet) - Google can now combine the data from all of your Google accounts and create a comprehensive portrait of your on-line preferences and practices. But don’t fret - the new policy doesn’t collect any new information from Google users; it just allows Google to do more with the information that it has already been collecting.

So basically with Google’s new policy, Google can more easily target advertising based on what you search, what you email about, where you are located and much, much more; the list can literally go on forever. To be honest, I don’t care what Google advertises when I’m using Gmail or YouTube – I’m not going to buy it anyway.

But if you’re like the growing number of worry warts out there – check out these tips from CNET and the Washington Post on how to work around the new policy.

And no matter how you feel about the new policy, just be honest with yourself - life without Google is just not an option.

Pinterest: Social Media’s Rising Star

By Leslie Schmidt

Pinterest. Pinterest. Pinterest. A word that brings so much happiness to so many that when said three times, I think it might make something magical appear such as a recipe for rainbow cake.

As most people have heard by now, the Pinterest hype has taken off like wild fire. Many consider themselves obsessed; Addicted even. More addicted than to Facebook or Twitter? That’s still debatable, but in my case− yes.

Some have compared the site to digital crack for women or a black hole of sorts. But many ask the question − WHY is it addicting? Who better to answer that question than Pinterest co-founder, Ben Silbermann. After winning the Crunchie Award for Best New Startup of 2011, Silbermann explained to TechCrunch, “Pinterest is a visual site, and a lot of people are visual by nature. But at its core, Pinterest is a site that connects people who are passionate about the same things. In the same way that people who use Facebook are excited to connect with people they care about, people on Pinterest are excited to be inspired by people with similar tastes.”

As a visual pinboard, Pinterest is more about “look at this” instead of many other existing social media sites that yell “look at me!” This well drawn poster should help explain.

I know what you’re thinking. “Great… there is a social media site that’s addicting. What’s new?” Right?

Well what is beyond impressive is that Pinterest has not only become the hottest new obsession practically overnight, but a Shareaholic report shows that it is actually driving more traffic than some giant social media sites including Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube combined.

The data in a RJ Metrics report also shows that Pinterest retains users two to three times more efficiently than Twitter did at the same time in its history. Also, over 80 percent of all pins are re-pins, meaning that an overwhelming majority of content shared on site is recycled between users. As a comparison, another study done at a similar time in Twitter’s history showed that only about 1.4 percent of tweets were retweets.

Pretty impressive in my book.

This kind of popularity (and while still in the invite stage) can only mean one thing. When Pinterest opens itself up to the public – No more invites and no more exclusivity - It’s very possible that the feel of Pinterest will change dramatically.

But until that sad day… Happy Pinning!