By Andy Marken

You probably didn't know it but some companies think – actually they're positive – that social media was developed just to give them a fast track to sales ... lots of sales.

They even like the idea of social engagement because they feel it's a way to get out ahead of the pack and have everyone follow them!

Once they're in the lead, they'll push harder to sell more and more of their products.

By Andy Marken
I have never understood why storage has never gotten the love and respect it deserves.
The iNet has it with Vint Cerf (one of its founders).
He fights for it, protects it, leads the charge for Internet everywhere.
You know ... peace, justice, the global way!

By Andy Marken

Standing in the Starbucks line the other day I watched folks stand there with their eyes glazed over as they chose the size, flavor, foam/cream they wanted and then had to decide if they were going to pay with cash, credit, debit or Starbucks card or if they were going to use their smartphone.

By Andy Marken
While most of the attention at this year's FMS (Flash Memory Summit) in Santa Clara, CA focused on the enterprise, one of the most eye-opening sessions in the 3-day event was the M&E (Media & Entertainment) panel.

By Andy Marken

Just as the Internet turned 40, a "Wall Street Journal" article suggested email was "over the hill."

Today's online tools enable folks to instantly reach a wider audience (Facebook, LinkedIn, other social networking sites, Twitter).

They can tailor their reach with specific content (Flickr, YouTube).

Whether it's on their smartphone, tablet or ultrabook, they're connected to, communicating with someone ... anyone.

By Andy Marken

Years ago, the CEO of a very successful client announced he was going to spend a week with the sales people and visit customers, prospects.
After the third day, he returned to the office and said he'd had enough. His reason, "They don't like me."
What he meant was they didn't appreciate his technological breakthroughs as much as the folks who attended conferences where he often spoke to engineers who appreciated the elegance of his expertise.

By Andy Marken

I really like the word innovation it sounds so ... progressive.

And with all of the data Facebook and Google gather and sell about you, you'd think we'd really see some innovative products emerge.

You know, really different, really better. Not just a knockoff with a few tweaks, lower price.

By Andy Marken
When the big studios and networks were in their heyday, the M&E (media &entertainment) industry was easy to find.

By Andy Marken
While cable, telco, wireless, even social sites fight over the "ownership" of the choke points of the internet (infrastructure/spectrum), the M&E industry is running hard to learn exactly how they monetize the stuff they put on your screen.
The one thing they all seemed to agree on at the recent Broadband TV conference is ... it's complicated.

By Andy Marken
OWC Storage Solutions Deliver Fun, Action for Production Team
A lot of us have a story, an idea, a movie that has to be told because things get in the way.
But a few of us have no choice but to set the story free and hope it will be favorably received.

By Andy Marken
Two things drive OTT/IPTV (Over the Top/Internet Protocol TV) streaming content and the demand for bigger, better TV screens.
Sports is one of them.

By Andy Marken
The more the IT (information technology) industry advances, the more it treads over old ground.
It wasn't quite back in Lady Lovelace's day, but there was a time when an IT manager's status in the organization was measured by the number of mainframes sitting in his/her data center.
It was power-, people-, budget-intensive.