Mobile Madness!

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Matt L. Ottinger

Categories: Business News, Technology

Digiday explains why smartphones and mobile devices are no longer wants, but necessities, in today's world. Here are 15 stats that all brands should know about mobile:

The U.S. is at 101% penetration. (CTIA)
1 billion smartphones will be shipped globally this year. (Gartner)
Apple beats all other phone manufacturers in customer satisfaction for smartphones. (J.D. Power and Associates)
59% of mobile users are as comfortable with mobile advertising as they are with TV and online ads. (InMobi)
85% of mobile users prefer mobile apps over the mobile Web. (Compuware)
75% of Americans bring their phones to the bathroom. (11 Mark)
15% have answered their mobile phone while having sex. (Wilson Electronics)
Mobile advertising revenue is expected to reach over $11 billion worldwide this year, up from over $9 billion last year. (Gartner)
Mobile drives 23% of paid-search clicks. (The Search Agency)
Americans spend an average of 158 minutes every day on their smartphones and tablets. (Flurry)
15% of mobile users prefer to check financial accounts on smartphones and tablets. (Quicken)
42% of consumers using a mobile device while in-store spend more than $1,000. (Interactive Advertising Bureau)
Mobile now accounts for 12% of Americans’ media consumption time, triple its share in 2009. (eMarketer)
39% of mobile users access social networks from their phones. (Business Insider)
Mobile commerce will account for 15% of total e-commerce sales this year. (eMarketer)

Hat tip to Chamber staffer Glenn Harkness for the story.

Want to be ‘Smart?’ Ditch Your Smartphone for a While

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Charlee Beasor

Categories: Technology

Every so often, you observe an encounter so poignant that it must be shared.

Here is the scene I observed this morning on a crowded elevator: A young man enters, absorbed with his smartphone. In steps an older man, who pushes the button to another floor. Looking around, he spots the first gentleman staring at the phone.

“You know there’s life happening all around you, right?” the older man says with a smile.

The first man takes a beat and chuckles awkwardly, not sure how to respond and not sure if he should take it as a slight or just a social commentary. I’m sure I spotted a red blush creeping up around his neck and face. I should have gone up a few extra floors to see how it played out.

I told a co-worker about the encounter and she added how she’d seen a news story about a woman that had walked into an open manhole because she was distracted on her phone. A little Google search confirms her story. It also turns up a 2012 study by BMJ (British Medical Journal), in which pedestrians were observed at 20 high-risk intersections and their behaviors recorded. Those who were texting took an extra 1.87 seconds to cross and were almost four times as likely to display at least one unsafe crossing behavior (not looking both ways, ignoring traffic lights, etc.).

Not only are we missing out on life, but technology addiction can lead to accident and injury!

I’m just as guilty as the next person; I play on my phone and listen to music on the way to the parking garage after work. Also, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to stop taking my phone into the bathroom with me. The bathroom! (Don’t even pretend I’m the only one.)

Another danger: This is breeding a new generation of workaholics. While technology allows convenience by being able to work wherever and whenever, employees who are constantly “on” aren’t getting time to relax and recover for the next work day.

Some companies have caught on to how this negatively impacts their workers. In 2011, Volkswagen created a new policy that its servers would stop routing company emails 30 minutes after the workday ended and would not resume until 30 minutes before the workday began (the rule doesn’t apply to senior management). Other companies are tackling the issue as well, realizing that blurring the line of work and personal life is bad for employee well-being and business.

What’s that famous proverb? Oh yes, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy,” seems appropriate at this moment.

Do yourself a favor: Put your smartphone away today. Encourage your employees to rest and relax on their off hours. Remember the wise words spoken in my elevator and stop missing the “life happening all around you.”

IndianaNet and New Legislative Products to Keep You Informed

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Natalie Evans

Categories: Chamber News, Government, Technology

The Indiana Chamber provides its members and the business community an invaluable daily presence at the Indiana Statehouse. It also offers tools and resources that allow you to stay updated on legislators and Indiana General Assembly activities.

As always, the Chamber also offers the IndianaNet online subscription service, which provides regulatory information, legislative bill tracking, research and customizable reporting. IndianaNet maintains the documents and votes to all introduced bills and resolutions as well as maintaining regulatory information and much more.

For decades, the Chamber has published the Indiana General Assembly Legislative Directory, which includes legislator biographies, photos, committee assignments and much more. The handbook also provides contact information, including social media profiles, and a map showing where each legislator will be seated in the House and Senate chambers.

In addition to the handbook, the new Indiana Legislative Directory App will provide all of the same information in a mobile format. The interactive version will complement the printed guide, with additional real-time features (committee schedules, bills authored by each legislator and more) and updates available through the app.

Also new for 2013 is the Legislative District Poster Set. The wall-size, color posters (one each for the House and Senate) will identify all 150 members of the General Assembly and the new districts in which they are serving. With 29 newcomers, 25 in the House and four in the Senate, the posters will be a valuable guide to the Legislature.

"All three products will really help anyone interested in following the Statehouse and what goes on in our government," offers Glenn Harkness, Indiana Chamber technical marketing director. "There are a lot of new faces, a lot of new assignments, and it’s important to know who’s who and what they will be doing."

The directory handbooks start at $7 (bulk discount pricing is available). Poster sets are $29.97 (which includes tax and shipping) and the mobile app is $19.99. Pre-order or inquire (we’re not yet taking orders for the app, but you can notify our customer service team to request more information) online or by calling Nick at (800) 824-6885. The Legislative Directory app is in production and will be available shortly.

Noblesville’s RMI Expanding Business, Adding Talent

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Matt L. Ottinger

Categories: Business News, Health Care, Technology

Historically, RMI in Noblesville has focused on orthopedic solutions for spinal surgeries, as well as hip and knee replacements. It’s had quite a bit of success in this industry, but RMI leadership now sees an opportunity to expand its focus.

"More recently, we’ve been looking for opportunities for growth in the non-medical field," President James Evans explains. "So we’re in the process of getting our aerospace certification."

Evans relays that expansion is one of the key reasons the company moved to Noblesville from Rochester in fall 2011. He explains the move gave the company more access to talent, and provided a more central location and close proximity to customers. While quite an undertaking, 19 of RMI’s Rochester staffers made the move south with the company, which currently has 25 employees (although that number will grow to 28 in the near future and well beyond once it expands into aerospace).

"We build low volume precision components out of exotic materials for the medical industry," Evans clarifies. "It’s a natural outgrowth opportunity to build products for other markets. Aerospace (and government, high-reliability military and aviation industries) all have requirements for the kind of capability that we have. Fairly high value componentry and assemblies are what we specialize in. In the spinal parts we build, the cervical plates, the hooks, the rods, the screws, which are mainly out of titanium and stainless steel and exotic plastics — we could really apply those to other markets."

Evans adds that the company has worked to evolve from just a component supplier and has expanded into full assemblies, which now comprise 40% to 50% of its business.

"When you start adding components together as part of an assembly, you have all of the interferences and system-level issues that you uncover," he notes. "And frankly, most of our competitors don’t want that hassle — so we look for more of those opportunities and that separates us from the competition."

He adds that the company now focuses on getting products to market faster by increasing engineering staff and adding equipment, which has helped build customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Evans remarks that RMI now serves more second tier developers.

"In 2005, most of our business was with large OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), and we had very little flexibility in defining the manufacturing of these products," he says. "We had little say in product improvements, and now we’re with customers who are competitive with large OEMs; they’re design houses and they’re working with orthopedic groups. … they look to us for manufacturing solutions."

Challenges still face Hoosier companies in the medical device industry.

"With people out of work, they don’t have insurance and put off having surgeries," Evans offers. "People are also doing tigher inventory controls, so purchasing habits have changed and so we don’t get as many large orders as we used to get. And of course Obamacare has had its own set of challenges, as well as the medical device tax — those things will affect the marketplace."

When asked about Indiana’s pipeline of talent for his industry, Evans explains central Indiana provides more access to talent, but he believes the state has room for improvement.

"The people who actually run our machinery, they need to be trained machinists and need to know a lot about metallurgy and inspection processes, and we have to train every one of them that comes in here," he asserts. "So there’s always a talent gap."

Would you like to know more about RMI or its products? Reach out to Evans at jevans@rmi.us.com.

Two New Legislative Products to Keep You Informed

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Natalie Evans

Categories: Chamber News, Government, Technology

Your Indiana Chamber investment provides you with an invaluable daily presence at the Indiana Statehouse. It also offers tools and resources that allow you to stay updated on legislators and Indiana General Assembly activities.

The directory handbooks start at $7 (bulk discount pricing is available). Poster sets are $29.97 (which includes tax and shipping) and the mobile app is $19.99. Pre-order or inquire (we’re not yet taking orders for the app, but you can notify our customer service team to request more information) online or by calling Nick at (800) 824-6885. Poster sets are expected to ship in early December with the Legislative Directory and the app available near the beginning of the 2013 session.

STEM Jobs Becoming Larger Emphasis in Indiana

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Hannah Rozow, guest blogger

Categories: Education, Technology

Hannah Rozow is the student representative on the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. An undergraduate at Indiana University in Bloomington, she is pursuing a double major in economics and political science with a minor in Spanish.

Indiana needs more workers educated in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

According to a study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, the demand for STEM jobs in Indiana will rise to 4% of the total workforce by 2018. Of those 115,570 jobs, 90% will require some postsecondary education, and 43% will require at least a bachelor’s degree. So what are colleges and universities doing about it?

Institutions across the state have launched initiatives to meet projected demand. Many of these efforts aim to meet the needs of a particular region, while some serve the state as a whole. Here are some of the projects underway in Indiana:

Purdue University College of Engineering introduced a plan to increase undergraduate enrollment by 10% and graduate enrollment by 25% to 30% over the next 5 years.
Ivy Tech Community College received a $3.1 million grant from North Central Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) to train 44,000 people of the North Central region for STEM-based careers over the next 5 years.
The University of Notre Dame’s Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program in Indiana (AP-TIP IN) works to increase enrollment in AP courses – math, science and English – and increase the number of qualifying scores on AP exams at 33 Indiana public high schools.
In an effort to attract students at an earlier age, Ivy Tech-Northeast hosts Adventure and Imagination Summer STEM Camp for students ages 11 to 14. Similarly, Indiana University-Bloomington hosts Adventures in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math summer camp for middle school students.
Southwestern Indiana STEM (SwISTEM), through a partnership between the University of Southern Indiana and Ivy Tech-Southwest, aims to increase the number of students in STEM majors and educate those students in a hands-on, team oriented way.
The state funding formula for 2013-2015 includes a high-impact degree metric, meaning a portion of public research institutions’ funding will be tied to the number of STEM degrees produced.

While institutional initiatives are an integral part to increasing the number of STEM-qualified workers, their efforts are only part of the equation. Involvement from the business community is vital. By offering job-shadowing opportunities and school presentations to local students, businesses can incite student interest in STEM education at an earlier age. Additionally, businesses should partner with local colleges and universities to ensure that students graduate not only with a STEM degree but with the professional skills needed to be a good employee.

The state needs more STEM-educated workers, and if there is a collaborative effort between colleges, universities and businesses, demand will be met.

What’s Worse Than Losing Your iPad?

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Matt L. Ottinger

Categories: Technology

A typical person could name myriad things in life that would be worse than losing one’s iPad: Being forced to watch those super sad Sarah McLachlan abused animal commercials on a continuous loop. Dying in a fiery car crash. Being a chair in Clint Eastwood’s home, constantly having to deflect his criticism.

But a recent newsletter from Mobile Enterprise posts answers from users who were asked that very question. Their findings may surpise you:

iPad users would find accidentally destroying their device more painful than:

Getting in a minor car accident – 40%
Having a root canal – 32%
Breaking their nose – 16%
Getting fired from their job – 10%

Business travelers also say they’d rather forget the following items than forget their iPad:

Deodorant – 55%
Birth control – 50% (47% among females)
A change of clothes – 35%
To lock the front door – 22%
To turn off the oven – 17%

H/t to staffer Glenn Harkness.

Midwest Telecom Expo Coming to Fort Wayne October 9-11

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Matt L. Ottinger

Categories: Technology

If you have an interest in emerging technologies, you may want to make a trip up to Fort Wayne in October. The Indiana Telecommunications Association is hosting the Midwest Telecom Expo. Here is some info from a press release:

The Midwest Telecom Expo is excited to announce it will be diving into its next 30 years of service by bringing innovative technology from exhibitor booths and a broad discussion on topics impacting fiber optic technology, broadband, wireless services, enterprise business networking, video services and home networks. The Midwest Telecom Expo will be held October 9-11, at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and will host over 600 communication professionals and 100 exhibits designed to provide a “hands on” opportunity for attendees to see new technology and discuss its capabilities.

“This showcase provides attendees in the communications business with all the latest high tech equipment and how it can be used to grow services in a competitive economy,” said Darren Dierbeck, Vantage Point Solutions, VP of Customer Relations and Chairman of The Midwest Telecom Expo. “Whether it’s broadband, wireless or networking, the Expo gives telecom companies a place to evaluate which equipment best suits their needs.”

Highlights of this year’s agenda will include keynote speaker, Michael Golob, SVP-Engineering and Technology at FRONTIER and a leading authority in networking communications technology. He will discuss how to take the benefits of broadband services to America’s rural areas. Golob is responsible for integrating the new service areas acquired in 2010 from Verizon into FRONTIER’S national network and also works to expand the broadband capacity of the company’s network. The second keynote speaker will be David Seda, Vice President of Field Marketing for CALIX. Seda is a technology expert with the distinction of working as an executive at world renowned technology company, APPLE for 10 years when the company was bringing some of its most innovative products to market. Seda will be discussing the growth of wireless technology and how companies may serve customers with more services by utilizing new fixed wireless options.

Other topics that will be covered include Disaster Recovery, Growing Services from Data Networks and Strategic Planning.

In addition to its educational programming and exhibit hall, The Midwest Telecom Expo will feature exciting evening receptions and a golf outing (weather permitting) to provide a casual atmosphere for networking. Additionally, FRONTIER is helping sponsor a National Guard Indy Car revealing the latest in racing technology to attendees while they view exhibits.

“The Midwest Telecom Expo has always been a promotion of new technology and its application, and Fort Wayne has been the perfect host for this most important regional event,” said John Koppin, president of the Indiana Telecommunications Association. “As technology changes our industry, we are changing the Expo to keep pace. I think attendees and exhibitors will be impressed by the agenda and will be able to sharpen their skills and cultivate new business relationships.”

Communications professionals can register now for The Midwest Telecom Expo. For exhibitor, sponsorship or attendee questions, please contact Kristen or Ashley at (317) 635-1272, or visit the website: www.midwesttelecomexpo.com.

Tallying Up the Tablet Numbers

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Tom Schuman

Categories: Technology

The focus of a recent eMarketer article was on how more Americans are using their tablets to enhance their shopping experience. Most retailers, it noted, are falling short of providing consumers with the interactive aspects they are looking for.

I was more fascinated, however, by the tremendous growth in tablet usage. Check out some of these numbers:

Millions of tablet users: 13.0 in 2010; 33.7 in 2011; 69.6 in 2012 and a projected 133.5 by 2015
Percentage of the population using a tablet: 4.2% in 2010; 10.8% in 2011; 22% in 2012; and the projected 41% in 2015
Percentage of Internet users using a tablet: 5.8% in 2010; 14.5% in 2011; 29.1% in 2012; and the projected 51.9% in 2015

The eMarketer analysis:

In just over 12 months, tablet ownership has expanded beyond the early adopter set to include nearly all population groups. To reflect this rapid growth in tablet adoption and purchase intent over the past six months, eMarketer has raised its estimate for the number of tablet users in the U.S. The new forecast projects that the triple-digit growth seen in 2011 will carry through 2012, fueled primarily by the popularity of Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle Fire, as well as by an expanding selection of low-priced tablets.

Building A Better Indiana

The Business Blog of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce

Tag Archives: Technology

Mobile Madness!

Categories: Business News, Technology

Want to be ‘Smart?’ Ditch Your Smartphone for a While

Categories: Technology

IndianaNet and New Legislative Products to Keep You Informed

Categories: Chamber News, Government, Technology

Noblesville’s RMI Expanding Business, Adding Talent

Categories: Business News, Health Care, Technology

Two New Legislative Products to Keep You Informed

Categories: Chamber News, Government, Technology

STEM Jobs Becoming Larger Emphasis in Indiana

Categories: Education, Technology

What’s Worse Than Losing Your iPad?

Categories: Technology

Midwest Telecom Expo Coming to Fort Wayne October 9-11

Categories: Technology

Tallying Up the Tablet Numbers

Categories: Technology