As websites become increasingly complex, many site owners are constantly looking for ways to trim a few tenths of a second off their pages' load times.
For these people, a boost is coming from an unexpected source: the first update to HTTP since 1999.
The upcoming publication of HTTP/2 as the new protocol for browsers and other web services is expected to significantly reduce page load times across the Internet. HTTP/2 will also facilitate caching of more data, increasing speed to revisited sites.
Another upgrade in HTTP/2 involves multiplexing to allow multiple requests to be addressed simultaneously. In earlier HTTP versions, only one request could be outstanding on a connection at a time, meaning a stalled process could halt a loading page entirely.
HTTP/2 was based in part on the SPDY networking protocol spearheaded by Google.
To read more on the logic behind the changes made in HTTP/2 and the expected benefits, visit the project's FAQ page.
Communication is a cornerstone of corporate activities in any era or industry. Co-workers, partnering organizations and customers must be able to reach out and connect with one another in order to ensure smooth transactions and other business dealings. Although there is little doubting the importance of being able to communicate both internally and externally, many companies are still facing significant issues when it comes to this all-important function.
The problem's nothing new, either: A 2012 Forrester study underlined the obstacles that many firms deal with when it comes to communication, particularly with integrating and using new platforms to connect with stakeholders and consumers. In fact, Forrester found that, at the time, many organizations still used legacy communication technology for their main purposes.
"[A]ll are worried about smart devices, pervasive video and social media that give new power to customers — allowing them to interact easily with customer service agents, pass information electronically and complete business transactions on the run," Forrester stated. "[T]here is a disturbing communications gap that is getting worse by the day…[L]egacy systems that still dominate communications as a significant barrier to support modern communications."
While aging technology platforms are a serious hindrance, they aren't the only communication problem companies deal with.
Study shows common business communication pain points
According to Entrepreneur, there are several pain points that the majority of companies — from large enterprises to small- and mid-size organizations — face when it comes to their communications:
1. Waiting for the proper information to be communicated
2. Dealing with unwanted communications
3. Dealing with inefficient communications
4. Addressing barriers that hamper communications
5. Dealing with customer complaints
This study also found that the 70 percent of SMBs that experience these issues also see 17.5 hours of unproductive work time during the average week, translating to an approximate total loss of $26,041 each year. This time comes in direct connection with these pain points, illustrating the damaging effect insufficient communications have on a typical organization.
"SMBs need to enlist the most efficient and value-added technologies to enhance their business," noted a technology report from TDS. "Just because a communications system isn't 'broken' doesn't mean that it is working. Now is the time to look into leveraging resources with business communications technologies to gain increased productivity and create an integrated system for communication with employees, vendors, prospects and clients."
Addressing pain points through new technologies
As noted previously, many companies' communications are held back by legacy technology. Upgrading such solutions can be a crucial investment, but communication technologies rapidly shift, making it difficult to determine what your company might need. According to VMblog contributor Curtis Peterson, 2015 will bring a number of communication changes that businesses must be ready for, including:
• Reduced use of desktop and laptop computers
• Increased utilization of cloud-based applications
• Increased use of virtual meetings
• Company-provided mobile devices for employees
• Strengthened security for BYOD
• Reduced utilization of on-premise technologies
In this way, many corporate communications needs will revolve around ensuring staff mobility through hand-held devices and cloud applications.
"The cloud has more than changed business in 2015, it's completely restructured the way we work, access information and perform business tasks on a daily basis," Peterson wrote. "The growth of the Internet of Things and the rise of the mobile workforce will only continue to spur this rapid change."
In order to deal with these changes, companies should leverage the services of an industry-leading cloud and communications provider like Hostway today.
Though Microsoft's End Of Life date for Windows Server 2003 is still five months away, they've given all of its users another reason to upgrade as soon as possible.
When Microsoft recently patched a 15-year-old bug in the Active Directory component that can permit hackers to control PCs running all versions of Windows, they chose not to repair the vulnerability in Server 2003.
While many are left wondering why such a fix took as long as it did, customers still using 2003 must decide if their position has become even less tenable due to the publication of the bug.
Microsoft has explained that the architecture required for the fix "does not exist" on 2003. Its users must now cope with the fact that their aging operating system has seemingly just become even more fragile.
The United States' second largest health insurer has been victimized by one of the largest data breaches ever suffered in the healthcare industry.
Anthem, formerly known as WellPoint, conceded late Wednesday that hackers had infiltrated a database containing records on as many as 80 million people.
In 2013, the company paid $1.7 million to resolve federal allegations of HIPAA violations that exposed protected health information of 612,402 people beginning in 2010.
The company has posted a statement and FAQ at anthemfacts.com for those seeking more information about the safety of their information. Their statement admits that the breach affected data on current and former members, including names, birthdates, social security numbers, street and email addresses, and employment and income data.
Anthem has committed to providing free credit repair and ID protection services for its members.
Visit our website to learn more about how companies can safeguard health information and comply with HIPAA protocols.
UPDATE: Authorities are reportedly investigating a lead that points at state-sponsored Chinese hackers as the responsible party for the Anthem breach.
In the first half of this series, we examined the rising use of mobile applications, as well as what companies and their development teams should consider when testing these programs for performance and functionality. Now, we'll take a look at the other side of the equation – mobile-optimized websites.
Although many users seem to favor mobile applications, retailers should not let their websites fall by the wayside. Especially in certain industries, many individuals still prefer to connect with brands via their web pages.
Recent research shows that while users spend more time on mobile apps, mobile websites produce more sales than their application cousins. Fifty-five percent of consumers made a purchase via a mobile website last December, according to eMarketer. This is in comparison to the 34 percent who completed a transaction on a mobile app. Moreover, 32 percent of American consumers regularly make purchases via mobile websites, according to statistics from PricewaterhouseCoopers.
"Apps may be where mobile users spend most of their time...but when it comes to spending money, mobile websites are where consumers funnel their funds," eMarketer stated.
Therefore, when enhancing or building your own website for your company, it is critical to consider mobile optimization. But how can organizations go about ensuring that their website is fit for use on a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device? Here are a few tips and best practices for mobile optimization:
Utilize similar brand elements, but simplify
In order to create a unified experience across your desktop website and the mobile-optimized version, designers should seek to leverage matching brand elements, suggested SocialMedia Examiner. These can include the brand's name, logo and color pallette.
However, the mobile website shouldn't be an exact copy of the regular site. Designers should aim to simplify elements, content and capabilities for mobile users, whose screen size is often limited.
"Given the restricted amount of screen space, it's important to figure out what key pieces of information your visitors will probably be looking for," SocialMedia Examiner noted. "It's also important to keep the steps involved in going from entry point to purchase as simple as possible."
Build a responsive mobile website
WPExplorer contributor Tom Ewer also emphasized ensuring that the mobile website is responsive so that it reacts appropriately to the size of any mobile device. For instance, a responsive site is displayed differently when viewed on a smartphone versus when accessed via a tablet or desktop computer. Components are automatically arranged according to the device's screen size and display capabilities. This projects an impage of a modern, technologically inclined business.
"Having a responsive design to your site simply means that it will be customized automatically, no matter what source your viewer is visiting from," Ewer wrote. "Pretty cool, right?"
Graphics and text: Choose wisely
Remember when we talked about simplifying the mobile website? The same principle should be applied not only to brand elements, but the text and graphics of the site as well. Ewer advised eliminating all but the important graphics, particularly those that are elaborate. The same goes for text content - users aren't likely to zoom and scroll to read text, so this information should be included judiciously. While a lack of bells and whistles may seem questionable, users will likely enjoy the site more without these needless additions.
"Forget about all the 'frills' that many sellers try to use to garner more attention to their products," Ewer wrote. "Give shoppers only what they need to make an informed purchase."
Today's mobile device users understand the impact that those devices have on their lives – not only in day-to-day tasks, but in the workplace as well. In the current enterprise environment, mobility is more important than ever, and this trend isn't going anywhere.
Just a few years ago, a number of experts predicted that mobile web apps would become the go-to functionality on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. However, recent research shows that mobile HTML5-based websites haven't taken off the way these individuals predicted, and that native applications are still king.
Mobile apps reign supreme
Guardian contributor Charles Arthur recently noted that while there were predictions that users would shift away from mobile-native apps toward Web applications accessible via their mobile browsers, this transition has not taken place.
A study from analytics firm Flurry underscores this, finding that users now leverage mobile websites even less than before. Typical web app use decreased from 31 minutes a day on average in mid-2013 to 22 minutes in 2014.
This is bad news for mobile HTML5 web apps, particularly since today's users are spending even more time on their devices – the average individual now spends approximately two hours and 42 minutes a day on his or her smartphone, up four minutes from last year. More than two hours of that time on mobile apps.
"[O]ne thing is clear – apps have won and the mobile browser is taking a back seat," Flurry noted, according to Arthur. "Now every company in the world including Google is adjusting to that reality."
The importance of mobile app testing: Top considerations
As organizations build their own websites and mobile apps, it is critical that they keep their competition in mind. According to statistics compiled by Statista, there are currently more than 2.5 billion applications available between Google Play and Apple's App Store. With this abundance of options, application creators cannot afford to have bugs or errors in their applications: Users will simply abandon these programs for something else. This makes testing an app's performance essential.
Experts recommend the following best practices for mobile app testing:
Tune in for the next part of this series, where we'll examine how to ensure your website is optimized for mobile.
In today's enterprise environment, a disaster recovery plan isn't just something nice to have – it's more crucial than ever. A business continuity strategy must be formulated to ensure that when a disruptive event takes place – be it a service interruption, inclement weather or some other instance – the company can sustain its usual processes.
Creating an effective disaster recovery plan isn't without its fair share of challenges. Unless every essential aspect is factored into the strategy, the enterprise will likely find it lacking when it comes time to activate the plan. Therefore, pinpointing and addressing these obstacles is key.
Who's Adequately Prepared
According to a Dimensional Research study commissioned by Axcient, today's enterprises deem a backup and business continuity strategy critical. However, the majority find current approaches lacking.
The study found that 90 percent of IT leaders leverage several different backup and recovery tools. Of the respondents with multiple DR systems in place, 60 percent said these tools had overlapping functionalities. At the same time, 91 percent noted that having a variety of tools in place causes numerous problems with the company's DR strategy, including the learning curve involved with the use of several different systems and the cost of added service licenses and maintenance.
The research also underscored the impact of unscheduled downtime. Although 97 percent of respondents had experienced a major outage in the past 24 months, only 7 percent said they would be able to respond and recover from a similar subsequent event within two hours. Overall, Axcient CEO Justin Moore noted that such downtime and permanent data loss can cost the business market more than $40 billion annually.
"With multiple, disparate, legacy tools for backup and recovery, current solutions are broken," Moore noted. "As a result, users are unable to recover their systems in the event of an IT outage, or even worse, a disaster."
The study also found that half of all IT professionals agree that if data is unable to be recovered, their department is held responsible. Since a permanent loss of data could also result in a loss of employment, IT teams are working to find solutions to these issues that will help them create an all-encompassing plan for disaster recovery.
Other Challenges
In addition to the obstacles illuminated by the study, senior systems engineer and technology author Karl Palachuk also noted several other issues with companies' disaster recovery strategies, including:
"The bottom line is that preparation will make a disaster recovery go as smoothly as possible," Palachuk wrote. "Having technical knowledge and a vague idea of what needs to be done is simply not enough. A successful recovery requires a good plan that addresses the...biggest problems of disaster recovery plans."
Addressing Challenges
There are several approaches business leaders and IT managers can take to mitigate the challenges seen with their enterprises' DR plans, according to an Acronis white paper:
Leveraging the Cloud
However, one of the best solutions to emerge in this arena is the use of cloud technologies. The study found that one-third of businesses currently utilize the cloud as part of their DR plans, and 89 percent of respondents noted clear benefits in using the cloud in this capacity. Furthermore, of the 74 percent of IT professionals that use a non-cloud secondary site for their business continuity, 79 percent said they would consider switching to a cloud-based strategy if the resources were in place. As such, Moore noted that it's no surprise that IT departments are beginning to realize the advantages of including the cloud in DR plans.
"Given the staggering complexity and limitation of traditional on-premise backup and recovery solutions, there is clear value in fully transitioning to a single, comprehensive cloud-based solution," said Diane Hagglund, senior research analyst at Dimensional Research. "Although cloud-based backup and recovery is still early in adoption, the recovery market is ripe for innovation and the cloud is the next frontier."
To find out more about how the cloud can be leveraged for disaster recovery, contact a trusted service provider like Hostway. Hostway offers best-in-class business continuity services and can help business leaders craft a DR plan that will suit their company's needs.
Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube provide inexpensive, effective marketing for products and services. One of the primary reasons businesses market through these channels is to gain higher page rankings for their websites. A higher ranking means the business site will appear higher in search engine results — increasing awareness of their products and services.
Are Google and YouTube Related?
Yes, indeed. Google owns YouTube, so YouTube videos rank highly in Google search results. Google’s secret algorithm to determine the ranking of YouTube videos is similar to that used for webpage rankings – based on determining the authority of a video channel or webpage. The higher your YouTube video is ranked, the higher its authority, and the higher it will appear in a keyword search.
Will My Popular Video Help My Website Rankings?
Only indirectly. Outgoing backlinks on YouTube contain “nofollow” code, so YouTube channels are useless for building backlinks that directly affect external page rankings. A popular video channel on YouTube may not directly affect your website rankings, but there will be an increase in traffic to your site.
This may result in more clicks, link-backs, and comments, which can then increase the ranking of the site in keyword searches. Because of this increased traffic, your popular YouTube video can indirectly have a very positive effect on your website rankings.
How Do I Increase My Video’s Popularity?
No matter how much you promote your video, viewers must find value and meaning in its content, or it won’t be popular enough to make a difference.
Using social networking platforms effectively to promote your business requires constant updating and promotional activities. It can create many hours of work outside of core business operations, but when done properly, the value added in the form of brand awareness and authority is worth the effort.
Take part in an interactive forum on e-commerce technology trends in downtown San Antonio.
Join Hostway and our partner Praxis on Jan 28th from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at the Boiler House at the Pearl for a presentation and forum on how retailers and brands are using the latest technology to create innovative and inspiring shopping experiences for their customers.
Come hear Jason Finkelman, Client Development specialist with Praxis Information Science, an e-commerce development agency focused on building omnichannel experiences on the Magento platform. Jason will lead an informal discussion on the topic of future retail trends, including:
Hear how online retailers are overcoming barriers to their success, how they are adapting to the changing retail world, and get advice from the experts. Network with online retail professionals addressing issues similar to your own. And hear Hostway talk about the Magento-based services we offer enterprises.
Register now to make sure you have a spot at this exciting event!