If a tree falls on #Twitter, does it make a sound? You bet.

Photo created by Jackie Beiter.

Earlier this month I journeyed to Manhattan for the PRSA Digital Impact Conference. The event featured keynotes from Google, IBM, and Facebook and attracted public relations professionals from London to California, to Atlanta, to lil' old Rochester, NY. J

These conferences are to professionals what sleep-away camp is to a kid. Strangers unite, engage in activities, make unlikely connections, and before you know it, bonds have been formed. I too formed bonds, but not in the conventional way you may expect. I’ll explain.

When the conference kicked off at the Sentry Center in Midtown, I found myself seated in a large ballroom surrounded by hundreds of PR handlers eager to soak up the profession’s latest best practices and emerging trends. A program was handed to us as we entered which advertised a cocktail mixer that evening and provided other pertinent conference details such as the wireless pass code and bios of all the speakers. But perhaps the most important bit of information, scrolled across the back page in big block letters: #PRSADIConf.

This was the official Twitter hashtag claimed by the conference.

If you do not know what a hashtag is I will give you a quick run-down so you can competently participate in Twitter-based conversations from this point forward. A hashtag works to centralize a conversation on Twitter around a particular topic or keyword. The # symbol added without spaces to the front of any word or phrase ensures that your tweet is searchable under the appropriate category.

Hashtags are usually ascribed to an event, a movement, a cultural reference, or anything that could be considered a conversation sparker. Marketers can use hashtags as a way to create a sense of unity and community around their brand or product. Think of the hashtag as a magnet attracting all like-minded topics together.

The speakers were each engaging and dynamic and it was all I could do to try and capture everything they said. I started furiously tapping notes onto my iPad (which is definitely the way to go if you want to avoid callouses and that annoying feeling you get when your hand falls asleep from writing too much...you know, writing, that archaic way we used to take notes before tablets blessed our lives).

With access to the world-wide-web at my fingertips, it was challenging to commit my full attention to the podium, so occasionally my eyes would divert over to my Twitter feed. I searched #PRSADIConf in the search bar and lo and behold, dozens of tweets related to the conference started filtering in. (Example below).

https://twitter.com/#!/sradick

As quickly as the speakers were tossing their delicious bite-sized nuggets out to the audience, we would catch it like information carnivores and swiftly regurgitate it back to our followers on Twitter.

I continued to watch the tweets pour in and was in awe of all the silent conversations taking place alongside the actual presentation being given. Because there were so many topics to address, presentations were broken out into different tracks that the participant had to choose between, so being able to catch bits from tweeters in neighboring presentations was a great way to feel like you got to experience it all. I often found myself scanning the room wondering if the person I was quietly sitting next to was actually someone I was involved in a social gab-fest with on Twitter. (It can be hard to recognize actual human beings from their 48px by 48px profile pic). 

After shivering in my seat long enough from the sub-Arctic temperature in the room, I decided to tweet that it was inhumanely freezing in there as many conference rooms are, hoping that one of the facilitators was monitoring the hashtag and would turn the heat up. I was experimenting to see if my "silent voice" would be heard. It was not. 

Regardless, I made several new connections throughout the course of the conference and my Twitter followers swelled as a result. Here's the take-away: you can make a lot of noise in 140 characters. Twitter is quickly becoming the local meeting ground for people around the world to collect and connect. Revolts can erupt, debates can ignite, both friends and enemies can be made. But the bottom line is that no one wants to feel left out of a conversation. So get in there, stir things up, hash things out, or just take it all in. However you choose to use your silent voice is up to you.

Sound Bite Series: Cisco Partner Summit 2012

Ray Apy

(This post was contributed by Ray Apy, President and CEO of Annese & Associates).

We descended upon sunny San Diego for Cisco Partner Summit 2012 with high hopes.  Hope for renewed confidence in our partnership with Cisco.  Hope that Cisco's innovation will continue to lead global technology driven transformations.  Hope for hope in a sea of change. 

The Annese Partner Summit Team included Eastern Region Sales Manager Tony Annese, Director of Operations and Business Development Jamie Aiello, VP of HR Francine Apy, and myself.  We joined with Cisco partners from around the world to hear John Chambers and his leadership team remind us how and why we are aligned with the most visionary and operationally excellent technology manufacturer on the planet. 

The leaders of Cisco spoke of change.  Expect it, watch how it is trending, move with it.  Businesses that do not keep pace with transformation will fall to a state of irrelevance.  We work on the cutting edge of the most intense transformation agent the world has ever seen - technology.  Cisco has positioned itself, through years of careful development and acquisitions,  as THE infrastructure to support global change through technology.  From network foundation to security, mobility, device, visual, voice, collaboration, web, access to core compute; Cisco's playbook covers it all.  They have departed from their competition through the sheer solution comprehensiveness. 

We left Cisco Partner Summit 2012 and returned to New York, our hopes and confidence in the future of our business completely rejuvenated!

Sound Bite Series: Hot Spots Before the Advent of Wi-Fi

Dominick Annese

(This post was contributed by Dominick Annese, retired Western Regional Sales Manager).

In the late 70’s and early 80’s, my hot spot in Buffalo, New York was the airport. 

In an effort to save money on long distance calls—this is pre cell phone—and make my life as simple as possible, I would drive to Buffalo, go to any appointments I had, (although Frank would tell you I never had any “real” appointments), and use the airport as my office. It was very convenient to the New York State Thruway, had plenty of parking and clean restrooms. 

Believe it or not in those days parking was cheap and there wasn’t any security. You might see a county sheriff walking around but mostly they were there to make sure you paid for parking. Also, back then airports had banks of phones because nobody had a cell phone. 

So for me the airport became my “hot spot”; phones, parking, coffee and restrooms—all in one location.

(Read more about the early days of Annese here). 

Access is the Key to Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)

This post was written by Tom Gdula, Virtualization Architect at Annese.

In a recent post to this blog, Rick Pollard wrote about the continued progression of eLearning and the need to serve the growing BYOD demand while closing the digital divide. Rick provided valuable insight into the benefits to be realized from an effective Bring Your Own Device strategy enabled by Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).

Whether we call it VDI, End User Computing, Ubiquitous Computing, Thin Client Computing or a remote desktop, we are referring to a user selected access model that is enabled by virtual computing technologies. When appropriately implemented, this technology allows for secure, but flexible access to a consistently reliable user experience via PCs, laptops, thin clients, tablets and smartphones. This includes older machines that would otherwise be retired for lack of sufficient power to run a current version of a directly installed OS and application suite. The result of virtualization is a lower total cost of ownership, a concept which matters to school administrators trying to meet the needs of all students in this new economy.

Back in 2001, Marc Prensky coined the terms “digital native” and “digital immigrant” while aiming to describe the differences between those of us raised through high school with little or no computer exposure and those who are raised with technology being a common everyday staple. Of course, today we recognize that collaboration with their digital peers is important to all students and access to eLearning experiences must be uniform regardless of the device or brand of device used.

The digital trailblazers that brought us to desktop virtualization have helped to usher in an era of affordable computing. This era promises greater flexibility than any of the models we have experienced in the past.

Several attributes of the VDI model include:

• Shared standardized images and on demand application publishing which provide a more manageable and reliable configuration resulting in a more consistent user experience - a critical consideration in the classroom where teachers have limited time and attention to expend on troubleshooting.
  
  
• A very high degree of scalability that results in a much lower cost per user as the number of users increases.
  
  
• The consistent application of security policies while controlling the destination of wired or wireless network traffic, paramount to online safety. A centralized and consolidated network of virtualized servers and desktops permits a much higher degree of security and control even when users bring their own wireless devices to school, because the network can now be configured to allow those devices to access only the virtual desktops and provisioned apps appropriate for that user.
  
  
• AppStores that promote on demand use of productive, effective, reliable, accepted, and licensed applications.
  
  
• A highly consolidated footprint versus a distributed server and physical desktop infrastructure. Leveraging the efficiencies of shared storage, the virtualized model greatly improves data archiving and deduplication potential, both of which enable affordable replication for disaster avoidance.
  
  
• Utilization of lower cost end points and extending the useful life of lower power PCs, while measurably reducing power consumption, repairs, and outages.

VDI is a highly flexible and cost effective model that can allow for broader accessibility by a greater number of students for a lower total cost of ownership. Proven as a viable platform in the K-12 arena, the virtualized desktop and application delivery model is rapidly becoming a standard for both traditional IT shops and hosted desktop service providers. While students continue to grow evermore accustomed to digital collaboration within the Managed Learning Environment, a sound desktop virtualization strategy can ensure their participation.

Please Stand By

I must admit I’ve become spoiled by everything working as intended. My computer hums along without issue, I have access to all of the files and software I need to do my work. I can Facebook, Tweet, or email (almost) whenever I want, wherever I want. Life goes on.

Until it stops. The wireless goes down. The computer power light blinks at you in defiance and then shuts off altogether five consecutive times before you yelp in frustration to the only technology-literate person in the house (not that this has happened recently…). The file-sharing application you use, that has YOUR ENTIRE LIFE on it goes down.

Just the other day, I was confronted with this terror; my worst nightmares had come to fruition, naturally on a deadline. To say I was frantic would be an understatement. We coped well, relying on email, swapping what we knew we had access to locally, buying time until balance (and our shared files) was restored.

It’s amazing how different life is when you’re not tethered to the web every second of the day. Recently I returned from a trip to Mexico with the family. Our room didn’t have wireless and neither did most of the resort (this came as a shock to me at first, but hear me out). Due to the prohibitive fees associated with international calling (and the fact that this was my first legitimate vacation in a very, very long time), I didn’t have access to a phone to text, call, FaceTime, or check my Facebook profile for five days. Initially I was seized with panic, until I realized, I was on vacation. As the day unfolded, my fears of utter disconnection melted away like the ice cubes in my drink as I soaked in the sun and the salty sea.

Despite it being 2012, the world is still here and I am still alive to tell the tale. My only FaceTime was the conversations with people at the hotel, on the streets, or on our tour. My information came from monuments, not Wikipedia. There were only waves, not webs, to surf. And, I liked it.

And today, as my workstation and my workday hum along, I am thankful that it all works, while at the same time kind of sad that’s what my life has become. A journey of hopping between hotspots and status updates.

And so, my friends, I encourage you to take some time, however brief, to sit back, relax, unplug, and enjoy some time off the grid. Humanity did it for thousands of years, a few minutes can’t hurt.

BYOD Meets One-to-One: The Hybrid Model

This post was contributed by Rick Pollard, Assistant Director at the Central New York Regional Information Center (CNYRIC).

As if we needed another...education has a new acronym: BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). The topic is one of the hottest for educational technology as we begin 2012. The concept is simple: students bring their own devices from home to use in the classroom. The proponents believe it leverages already owned technology, saves districts money, and creates the long awaited, highly regarded one-to-one environment more quickly. The opponents believe it will further widen the digital divide, encourage inferior devices such as phones to replace computers, and let school officials off the hook when it comes to investing in the lives and learning of students. I think the successful solution lies smack in the middle...doesn't it always?

The trend in personal mobile computing ownership is astounding, and one that can't be ignored. Freely accessible wifi is the new norm, and districts are under increasing pressure to make it available. Students and staff are already bringing their own devices (and their own networks) so it is just a matter of time before school administrators have to deal with the issue head on.

There's no doubt that an overnight policy change to permit students to bring in "any old device" would be nothing short of a train wreck. Platform inconsistencies, those who can afford vs. those who can't, network support issues, the list goes on...hopefully no one is suggesting, or attempting, that maneuver. There is, however, room for a sensible approach to BYOD...at least for those districts that have considered a one-to-one environment but couldn't afford it. Here are some important things to consider:

Defining "Device"
What is a device anyway? Gary Stager makes a relevant, and humorous, point on this here, but names and semantics aside, let's face it, students need substantial computing power and adequate screen size to create, produce, design, and program. And while I DO think smart phones should be allowed in schools and CAN enhance learning through communication and access...netbooks, tablets, and laptops are far better mobile "learning" devices.

Everyone Gets a Computer
Without a plan to put a computer in the hands of all students, you'll surely complicate instruction, frustrate teachers, further expose financial inequity, and be in a worse position than before you started. For those students who can't afford a computer, districts should develop financial assistance programs and leverage volume purchase plans to make units available at little or no cost. As compared to a full fledged one-to-one program, districts will realize savings for not having to buy computers for the students who already own them (or who can afford to buy them). And yes, it goes without saying, the financial burden shifts from parents to the district in communities with higher rates of poverty.

Setting Standards
Just like the standards that are set for school supplies or sports equipment, a minimum spec for computers is needed too. Standards for browsers, OS, and desktop publishing should be discussed...keeping in mind the reality of the web 2.0 world we live in. Many applications have moved from client-based to the web, and the vast majority of laptop and tablet devices connect in the same way, despite browser and OS differences. The need for computer labs may still exist of course, especially for dedicated applications such as those found in architecture, art, and programming. That said, the use of virtual computing is now a practical and affordable solution for delivering a traditional desktop with client-based applications to tablets and laptops alike. VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) is very promising in a BYOD model since it allows for platform and application uniformity (regardless of device), and lets network administrators sleep well at night knowing that personal devices aren't infiltrating the school network. A good article here explains the growing relationship of VDI and BYOD.

Network Support
School districts should provide a robust, filtered, and fully accessible wireless network, but I don't think they should support personal devices. There, I said it. Districts can support the computers they provide, but the students who own laptops and phones find ways to fix and update them now...and that doesn't need to change. The school motto should be..."we expect all students to come prepared for learning with a mobile computer that meets our minimum requirements, and if a family can't afford one, financial assistance is available." We say it for so many other things, why not computers?

The convergence of mobile devices, wireless networks, and the continued evolution of the Internet has opened new doors for learning. Let's take advantage of the opportunity by leveraging personal technology in the classroom, the same way it is being done on college campuses and in the workplace. Combining the frameworks of BYOD and one-to-one computing seems like a logical first step.

The Evolution of Sharing

Once upon a time, we were taught “sharing is caring.” Back then it was (in retrospect) simple stuff like giving equal time with the favored toy or activity in our kindergarten class, bringing food to share at snack time, or telling the other kids about your “this is so awesome” object you bring in for show-and-tell. The consequences back then for not sharing were severe, you got a lecture, a time-out, or had whatever the object of contention was taken away from you for a “brief” (to the five-year-old mind, excruciatingly long) period of time.

Now, the way we “share” has taken on a new life, and so has the consequences of sharing or not. With the arrival of Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn, very little of our lives remains private. Little did we know back in college that those late-night, post-outing status updates and photo tags were going to come back to haunt us.

What happens on the Internet, stays on the internet, but the fortunate thing is this power can be harnessed for good. While it’s yet to be seen how effective the viral outbreak of KONY 2012 in bringing about the change they speak of, it demonstrates the power and reach that an effective campaign can achieve.

To celebrate 42 years of making connections, Annese is starting something new. For the month leading up to our “Birthday” on April 15^th, we’ll be sharing a bit of our history on Twitter. Keep your eyes peeled for the #TechOverTime hashtag for bits about Annese, as well as the technologies that have come and gone over the past four decades.

My 2 Cents: Is the word "technology" being abused?

I have been mentally flagging the number of TV ads that are now claiming the word “technology” as part of their marketing message. Everything from pregnancy tests to air fresheners to Sarah Jessica Parker hair color commercials.

It seems to me that there is an unspoken understanding these days among ad execs that by simply ascribing the word “technology” as the ambiguous reasoning for how the product works, its status becomes instantly elevated in the mind of the consumer. No matter the network or the audience, this word seems to evoke the same credibility regardless of the product being featured. The word is usually accompanied by some wispy image of molecules floating across the screen, hypnotizing the consumer into blindly accepting that this is in fact a highly intelligent product which exceeds all realms of comprehension. It must work, because some unknown patented technology is behind it!

Perhaps I only noticed this new trend because I work in the technology industry. Therefore I can’t help but laugh every time I see a commercial selling hair color in a box, that attributes the rich, lasting color effects to the “technology” so carefully infused into each morsel of the dye. Of course I am being facetious; and who knows, maybe I am way off-base, and everything these days can somehow be attributed to technological innovation…but my two cents (which is more of an observation and less of a social critique) is this: the word is becoming so overused and commonplace that eventually, like anything else, its meaning will begin to dissipate.

Make note of these commercials next time you see them, and let’s make a collection of them in the comments! Do any immediately spring to mind?

What Happens in Vegas... Gets Posted Online

Follow me (on Twitter @MrsRudysKarbear, on Facebook at facebook/AnneseAssoc, and on foursquare at Annese Marketing) during my trip to the annual Cisco Partner Velocity event in Las Vegas, because what happens in Vegas.... doesn't stay in Vegas, anymore.

Day 3, Thursday, 3/1/2012

8:30 AM PST

With everyone moving a bit slower today, breakfast eaters (myself included) sauntered in right before the platters were removed, making the move into the conference room even slower.

8:45 AM PST

With a quick recap of Tao from the previous evening, (truly a site I might add, was the women suspended from the inside of the chandelier pouring champaign) Amanda then passed the microphone to Chris Brogan for a little lesson in leverage.  Letting customers be your advocates leverages them to Hero's in their world with their boss and peers, and thus friends in yours.  Chris continued with some interesting comments on Pinterest, much inline with my previous post, but shared a new site for the guys to get in on the action: Gentlemint.  With the same premise as Pinterest, now men have a place to share fascinations with cars, vodka, cigars, and man-caves. 

10:00 AM PST

Closing out the keynote sessions was Jeffrey Hayzlett, former CMO of Kodak, a Rochester, NY based company near and dear to my heart. A very engaging presentation and discussion emerged around being a clock changer. He opened with a story about his first day at Kodak and a little experiment he did changing the clock ahead in the meeting room. As outrage broke out little by little that the clock was wrong, that nothing works in the office, that in essence, no one is doing their job properly, after a few weeks finally a women, sick of hearing the complaining, simply moves her chair over to under the clock, hikes up her dress, gets on the chair, and changes the clock. That is a "Clock Changer"; when you see something that needs to be changed, speak up, and make the change, be the change. As a nice reminder to Run the Gauntlet, each member of the audience received of copy of Jeff's latest book.

1:15 PM PST

Closing the day was the Americas breakout lead by Michelle Chaintera, with two speakers on marketing automation and how it works for your businesses, especially in connecting marketing to sales. Moving marketing to a revenue center from a cost center is the first step in building relevance and promoting value.

4:00 PM PST

Passing the time before the red-eye later tonight, I toured a bit more of The Palazzo, hit up the "big" (very big) gym, and found my way to a nice sports bar where I caught the Kentucky game and made a few small world connections to friends and locations back home.

8:04 PM PST

After arriving at McCarren Airport, to what I can only describe as a eerie, almost abandon part of the city, I found myself compelled to take part in the true Vegas experience and sat down at a Wheel of Fortune slot machine, where I proceeded to loose $10 in 20 minutes. My travels were complete.  After three days of speakers, networking, site seeing, and motivation... I can officially say, what happens in Vegas... does not stay in Vegas anymore.

What Happens in Vegas... Gets Posted Online

Follow me (on Twitter @MrsRudysKarbear, on Facebook at facebook/AnneseAssoc, and on foursquare at Annese Marketing) during my trip to the annual Cisco Partner Velocity event in Las Vegas, because what happens in Vegas.... doesn't stay in Vegas, anymore.

Day 2: Wednesday, 2/28/2012

8:45 AM PST

After a quick bite to eat, and a short intro from Amanda, Cisco Partner Velocity day two kicked off with the first Keynote Peter Hinssen explaining the new normal.. a digital world is all around us, it is time to adapt. A focused presentation on the value of Customers, but changing the conversation away from speeds and feeds to behavior, need, and usage. Peter asked the audience, "Are you built to last," providing that the trick to staying around and remaining valuable is to keep on innovating.

9:45 AM PST

Sally Hogshead was up next with a presentation on "How to Fascinate." Before the event each attendee was given a survey to take, and during the presentation Sally explained that "Fascination is the most powerful form of connection," and in a nut shell, "Marketing is like On-line Dating", you need to stand out, be interesting, be exciting, and make it through the distractions... be fascinating. I am "The Guardian" by my survey criteria meaning my primary trigger is Power, secondary Trust, and dormant is Prestige. My strengths; established, genuine, and sure-footed. Take the test yourself and learn now to use your strengths to get what you want!

4:00 PM PST

Lastly, closing the keynotes for day 2 was Daniel Pink with his book Drive about "The Surprising Truth about Motivation." Although it started out as more of an HR conversation then a Marketing one, the premise and presentation was fantastic in the end. Although money is always a motivator, the real key is to pay people enough to where money is not a motivator and the creativity flows from enjoying the work and having the autonomy to do what you do. People who feel like they are making progress do meaningful work, and in order to know you are making progress, you need feedback. Interesting research shows that annual, one-time performance reviews do not motivate people, or even change behaviors. Motivation stems from conversation. In today's digital, "I Want it Now" world, feedback, conversation, action, is happening so instantaneously that people need to limit the how, and start talking about why. People don't have time (or interest) in how, they want to know why, why should I listen, why do I need it, why should I care.

6:19 PM PST

Partner Velocity wraps up with dinner and entertainment at TAO... I think I will check it out!