What is Internet of Things?

Modern industry is built around computers. Computers can now keep track of work, and they can tell you what is really happening on your shop floor – but are you listening to your machines talk? Because if you listen, you can now know exactly what is happening not only in your factory, but in your enterprise. Armed with information that your machines give you in real time, you can boost your company’s efficiency like never before.

These breakthroughs were made possible by a very important concept – the Internet of Things. What does that mean? The internet is a network that is made up of many smaller networks. All of these networks are made up of a large number of computers that are connected to each other. So the Internet is a network of computers. But it is not necessary that only computers should be connected to this network. Cars, home appliances, and many other objects in our day-to-day lives can also be connected to the network. This network has been named the ‘Internet of Things.’

How is the Internet of Things actually going to change people’s lives? Let us take a closer look at how connected devices are improving our day-to-day activities.

1] Today, you can fit your door with ‘smart locks’ that can connect with the internet. You can operate these locks without actually using a physical key. This lets you control who enters through the door from anywhere.

2] Soon, you will be able to buy smart refrigerators and ovens, which are connected to each other and to the internet. Your refrigerator will suggest recipes based on what’s inside it, remind you when you need to go shopping, and even let you order food from home.

3] You will be able to control your oven over the internet. Your kitchen appliances could even help you and your family eat healthier, by keeping track of the nutrients you eat over time.

This is only a small example of the many ways in which the Internet of Things is going to affect the world. From the viewpoint of supermarkets, being able to accurately track purchase patterns will help them manage stock better, with less wastage. Listening to what the machines are telling them can help them become more efficient.

But why stop at home appliances? The machines in factories and enterprises today are definitely ready to talk. AnAr Solutions knows the advantages of letting your machines tell you what is happening in your enterprise. By connecting your machines to form an Internet of Things, you can gather large quantities of useful information which will help drive better business decisions – AnAr has the tools to make it happen.

Mobile Application Catalyst For Your Business

If companies hope to step into the ever-expanding market of mobile device users, then they need to incorporate mobile application development into their online strategies.

Does your business need a Mobile App?

Companies need to think about mobile devices not as cell phones, but as mini handheld computers. Looking at the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, just as a company would develop applications to better reach computer based customers, so too must an enterprise think of mobile applications so as to reach those on smartphones or tablets.

Here are the reasons why you should develop a mobile app for your business –

• App as a promotional tool:
  Today, everything including commerce, trading and payment is handled on mobile. That being the case, mobile apps has proved to be the very future of computing. Developing a mobile app and promoting it among your users is hence extremely beneficial to further your business.
• Reaching many more customers:
  Developing an app for your business helps you reach many more customers, than with a traditional Website. Additionally, integrating major social networks with your app furthers the scope and reach of your business.
• Showcasing Your Products and Services:
  You can use your app as a tool to showcase your products and services. Users visiting your app would then have instant, one-stop access to you. Also, you can keep updating your app with interesting offers with encourages users to visit you more often and spread a good word as well.

In conclusion to all this, with the mobile industry booming like it is right now, it is most advisable for any and every business to develop mobile apps to promote their products and services. Mobile is indeed the way all communication is headed today and so, embracing this technology is guaranteed to produce the right results for your business.

Bringing The Desktop Application To The Web

In today’s world, applications and data are moving away from individual computers to web servers and this shift will work well for all the professions. Web apps can be easily accessed from any computer or location that has internet access. Travelers especially benefit in accessing web applications whereas desktop applications need to be individually installed on each computer. A desktop application is a self contained program that performs a defined set of tasks under the user control.

Undoubtedly web apps serve some very interesting purposes. As more and more people gravitate towards web apps, desktop apps may become obsolete. Some advantages of web apps are easy to update, perform  independently , support and maintenance is easier and easy bug fixing. Word processors and media players can be considered as typical desktop apps, while a shopping cart or an e-commerce website can be considered as web app. Web apps  need to be installed only once.

Now-a-days, people prefer to use web apps as it doesn’t have to be installed or downloaded, never requires a restart and never requires a contextual change  just to open up a purchasing page. Ultimately the accessibility of web based applications makes them very desirable.

Why HTML 5 Makes Sense for Business??

Now-a-days everyone in IT world is experiencing new portal of opportunities because of entry of HTML 5 websites. It is the latest version which offers new and greatly improved ways of implementing and designing web pages. It is a true alternative to move away from software and plugins. With little tweaking or revision it can be used on both desktop and mobile device browsers. Development resources become more manageable to the employees who work together while dividing project responsibilities. HTML 5 websites are extra-ordinary ,fast and powerful.

In today’s fast paced environment if every online business is powered with HTML 5 website, results would be remarkable. All major browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera) Support HTML 5 , so its technology can be used at its best today. HTML 5 has overcome traditional internet and replaced flash and can be used as a single code base.

Due to its built-in storage ability, HTML 5 can save client databases offline, store cookies and cache files. With HTML 5 one can create clear, descriptive semantic code. It provides standard access to functionality such as camera or GPS that previously was only available to native applications. All you have to do is connect AnAr, to know how to use it and you are all set. AnAr gives you promising access that you desire.

Windows Azure Cloud Overview For Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs

Microsoft Windows Azure is a platform which assists in developing and deploying cloud applications and services. This application saves money and matches dynamic workloads, which increases productivity, as your team is able to work on more strategic projects instead of maintenance and support.

Most commonly overlooked benefit of cloud is ability to create secure and reliable cloud based services that expose line of business and back off systems to company’s own on-or off premises applications. This platform offers a wide range of services and provides four options for doing this  as in virtual machines, cloud services, websites and mobile services. All have different role-plays and  depends on the mission of the company whether to use one, or combine all.

AnAr manages your company’s move into the cloud. We work with our clients to understand their set up, applications and their expectations from cloud computing. Our specialists help you in reducing cost and improve service delivery in line with business priorities. Seems interesting? For more information contact us via info@anarsolutions.com and via our website www.anarsolutions.com

Collaboration Software – SharePoint Shows The Way

Over the last five years financial services industry is suffering from slow economy and increased regulation which has dried up budgets and jobs. People are facing hard time finding documents, information and contents across functional business areas and organisation. There is lack of planning for organizing  documents. The true challenge is finding innovative methods that lower costs, rapidly integrate with existing data and systems, deliver fastest time to market and deliver on those promises.

Sharepoint is undoubtedly the solution for it. Adopting Sharepoint substantially reduces an extra cost of business intelligence. SharePoint is the most popular software for creating corporate intranets. Sharepoint is the platform which has ability to bring together teams and redefine the way people work together and guarantee success in the market. Sharepoint provides an organisation multiple ways to visualize information. Business key players need this data in real time to make important and accurate business decisions.

Today, entrepreneurs  need to accelerate enterprise services beyond using standard in-the-box methodologies as it reduces risks and increases deliverable quality. When entrepreneurs are backed up with industry expertise,coupled with ability to deliver high performance custom applications using Sharepoint, they uniquely separate themselves from competitors. 

Sharepoint is a vastly capable, flexible , powerful system that can be tailored to meet the needs of the organisation. AnAr Solutions helps in increasing that ability to excel and have maximum impact in the industry. For more details and and free consultation on how your business can benefit by using Sharepoint contact us today at anarsolutions.com or ring us on +91-020-25235915

Customer Focus: The Key To Success… Lies In Customer’s Success

Nowadays when Services are also commoditized, many service based companies try to be Customer Focused. A boost in the customers business directly leverages a growth in Service Provider’s business. Now how can you be the driver to enhance your customers’ business? Of course by providing the services you have promised to them, but not limiting yourself there. Go one step forward and provide them with what they had totally not expected. Keep the customer and their needs as your only focus – know and understand your customers’ business objective and align your services accordingly.

But does it mean to always keep pleasing the customer? Be like a puppet in the customers hands and do whatever they say. No. Customers would appreciate if you analyze their requirement and say “this won’t work” when it would not. Of course you have to work real hard and prove your statement for them to accept it. Show them the various options and discuss with them till you reach a consensus.

Customer does not want free things as value-adds. Instead they will appreciate if you are genuinely working for them and your work is worth the cost.

Lets’ now look at some of the best practices that can be followed so that EVERYTHING absolutely everything is just customer aligned:

1. Understand the Customer’s assignment:
   1. Analyze the project at hand,
   2. Understand what customer will achieve once this assignment is complete
2. Align Project Execution Process: Every client may not follow the same style for execution for the project. At times you would like to advise him that Scrum/Agile can be better than waterfall or vice versa. Aligning your process for customer will lead to processes more suited for Customer and Project. Following a process makes things organized and less chaotic to handle.
3. Project Plan:
   1. Plan execution of this Project as per defined processes
   2. Share Project Plan with Customer and take his inputs
   3. Identify Risks and discuss them with Customer upfront
4. Realistic Status updates at right time: The customer may not require Status reports every day. Based on Customer’s preference, make sure you send them without fail on pre-decided intervals. This will ensure that customer knows the project status at any given point of time. Avoid the urge of giving misleading updates to client in fear that he will be upset. It is better to face it when you and the Customer have time to mitigate the risks.
5. Transparent and regular communication: Communication is key function n Outsourced projects. Customer cannot come to team member’s desk and get the clarifications needed at any point of time. He has to rely on communication mediums and team’s availability. If team is regular with their updates and other project related Communication then Customer knows what team is working on and where project stands, he can make any changes needed to the previously defined plan.

The customer has invested in the project with the intention to make it successful. Solution Provider’s success lies in the customers’ success. Even a nagging customer helps you improve by showing you where you lag. Take it as a challenge to give the best service you can to your customers.