Pleased to announce Late Night Health on Radio, a unique show that features radio and television industry veteran Mark Alyn who addresses the health and wellness concerns of America's growing upscale Baby Boomer market. Stay tuned for more information.

Russia Embraces Social Media

We are in the middle of a very interesting report that highlights the growth of social media in Russia. Stay tuned.

IBM Intends To Own The Cloud and Wear The Crown

The Cloud is prime real estate by any definition. Even Apple with its recent announcement about iCloud enhancements, which will make movies available for the new Apple TV, has a "heads up" position.

That being said, IBM NYSE: (IBM) intends to dominate cloud computing with its "silver bullet" that is capable of streaming the entire contents of a PC - software and all - over the Web. Known as the "Secure Enterprise Desktop," a USB key provides instructions for assessing an entire system from the cloud with a direct connection to a remove server as it bypasses the PC, or Linus computer into which it's been inserted. Oh, and forget the local software...not needed. Pretty neat!

The concept is derived from the Swiss banking software called the Zone Trusted Information Channel (ZTIC) used to secure sensitive electronic transaction information. 

A virtual machine, known as a hypervisor, then comes into play as a host similar to a dumb terminal accepting changes from a mainframe. The changes, which are synchronized on the cloud, appear to be occurring on the desktop. 

This is a major game changer!! Get ready for the new King...Big Blue.

 

The New Look of Retail

As more and more people shop online, the retail environment is changing to attract more brick and mortar customers.

As we reported last week, a number of companies exhibited at the National Retail Federation's (NRF) convention in New York City. It was evident at the convention that retailers are making positive changes.

Ignoring technology can be a very expensive mistake, and retailers are addressing this by introducing interactive technology into the store environment combined with a more personal shopping experience.

Expect to see the introduction of digital checkout, health/wellness centers and cozy environments...think Starbucks.

There's also a clear sign that Big Box is on its way out.

 

What's Up With Microsoft At Retail?

The latest on retail is happening in New York this week at the National Retail Federation Annual Conference and EXPO (NRF) where Microsoft will discuss details of its retail strategy. The strategy centers on the transformation of one-off applications, devices and databases into an end-to-end retail solution.

The retail market is clearly changing and the objective of this strategy is to help retailers respond to market changes with greater efficiency as they provide customers with a seamless and personalized shopping experiences. The integration of Microsoft's intelligent systems will provide retailers with a way to maximize the data so that it can be translated into strategic insight and business decisions.

For more information, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2012/jan12/01-16NRFEmbedded.mspx

India's New Supermarkets Break With Tradition

Humans, regardless of culture, feel very comfortable with the their traditions. It's what we call the comfort zone of familiarity. This reaction holds true with the new western supermarkets that are becoming a part of the Indian retail landscape in 2012. These are retail chains that will have a dramatic effect on the $300 billion-a-year retail trade.

For India's 700 million villagers, the supply chain will change and new ties will be forged between cities and villages. Farmers will be encouraged to grow quality crops at higher yields and the new supply chains will help them retain higher profits. With increased profits, farmers will finally be able to invest in new technology.

Change is difficult and stressful because it can force people and industries to change. For India, the decision to move forward rather than leave things as they is positive. Without these changes, the farmers and retailers would continue to cope with India's 40 percent produce perishable rate, low margins, and low yields.

This difficult road has the potential to bring tremendous positive changes to an industry that is still operating the way many farmers have operated 500 years ago.

We wish them well.