The Disaster Recovery Survey 2012: Asia Pacific and Japan

May 8th, 2012

81% of businesses in the Asia Pacific and Japan might NOT be able to recover lost data and systems in the event of a disaster. New independent research sponsored by EMC points to outdated backup and recovery infrastructure.

EMC Research: "The Disaster Recovery Survey 2012: Asia Pacific and Japan"

The survey also found that 71% of all organizations had lost data or suffered systems downtime in the last 12 months.

These findings highlight the need for backup transformation from antiquated technologies that are not suited for today’s data growth or availability expectations.

A move to next-generation backup and recovery solutions ensure continued business operations in the event of a natural disaster, malicious activity or more routine and common disruptions to IT systems.

In fact, the research showed that the causes of systems downtime are often the commonplace disruptions to IT, such as hardware failure or data corruption, rather than natural disasters or other major incidents.

Other key findings are summarised below:

  • Hardware failure (60%), data corruption (49%) and loss of power (44%) were cited as the primary causes of data loss and downtime.
  • 42% of organizations cite loss of employee productivity as the most likely consequence of data loss and downtime.
  • 44% of organizations who store a backup copy offsite for disaster recovery still use tape for recovery, and 37% still use CD ROM (although 62% now use disk-based storage).
  • 83% of these organizations want to replace tape all together, highlighting the need for next generation backup and recovery.

Commissioned by EMC and conducted by independent research company Vanson Bourne, ‘The Disaster Recovery Survey 2012: Asia Pacific and Japan’ looks at the state of backup and disaster recovery in the region to understand how well companies are prepared for data loss and systems downtime.

For the full report, visit EMC’s website here.

Company Byte: Spirent Communications

May 7th, 2012

Spirent Communications is a multinational telecommunications and network testing company headquartered in the United Kingdom.

Spirent is a multinational telecommunications and network testing company headquartered in the United Kingdom.

With annual sales of US$528 million (US$160 million in APAC), it had a market capitalisation of US$1.7 billion as of May 2012.

Spirent Communications

Spirent Communications

Spirent is a global provider of performance analysis and service assurance solutions that enable the development and deployment of next-generation networking technologies.

It pioneered testing of Ethernet networks, IP Telephony and VoIP, VPNs, TriplePlay, CDMA applications and Location Based Services.

Today, the company is helping to test the first deployments of the next generation Internet or IPv6 networks in Asia, Europe and North America.

Profile: William Arruda – personal branding expert

May 6th, 2012

Dubbed the Personal Branding Guru by Entrepreneur magazine, William Arruda is credited with turning the concept of personal branding into a global industry.

William Arruda, personal branding expert

William Arruda, personal branding expert

William Arruda is the founder and President of Reach, a global leading personal branding consultancy with representatives in 30 countries.

“Relationships require care and so building and maintaining them is a major component of successful career management. These days, we live in a highly connected and technology driven world, so building your online network on LinkedIn, is a critical career management skill,” says Arruda.One of the most sought-after speakers on career management and executive success, Arruda has delivered hundreds of keynotes to audiences of five to five thousand throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.

His corporate clients include Adobe, BP, British Telecom, IBM, L’Oreal, JPMorgan, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley and Starwood Hotels. His private clients include some of the world’s most influential leaders.

As a thought-leader, Arruda is a spokesperson on personal branding and social media.

He has appeared on BBC TV, the Discovery Channel and Fox News Live and he has been featured in many publications, including Forbes, Strategies (France), Time Magazine, Veja (Brazil), the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

William is the author of the bestselling book, Career Distinction, and the upcoming book, Ditch. Dare. Do! He has lived in Boston, London and Paris and now calls New York City home.

Photo Contest: Home Without Walls (Professional Category)

May 5th, 2012

SingTel has launched a photo contest aimed at the professional photography community – with a top prize of S$15,000. Submit online before 20 May 2012.

Win the grand prize of S$15,000 or one of four S$1,000 prizes for the four themes.

Win the grand prize of S$15,000 or one of four S$1,000 prizes for the four themes.

The contest is part of a series of activities under the “Home Without Walls” campaign.

Capture family moments in one of four themes.

Capture family moments in one of four themes.

The campaign is about inspiring Singaporeans to make real and meaningful connections with the people who matter, with the aim of creating homes where there are no communication barriers, and connect from the heart – whether online or offline.

For the moment, only the Professional Category of the contest has been launched – for professional photographers that earn more than 50% of their normal income from photography.

Photos must be taken after 20 March 2012 and, if possible, reflect a Singapore context.

Each participant may submit up to 12 entries.

There are four separate themes for photos: Attachments, Connections, Memories, and Networks.

Participants must send in photo of family moments based on their own interpretations of the above themes.

Detailed terms & conditions can be found online.

The panel of judges comprises Derrick Heng from SingTel, as well as renowned photographers: Yumi Goto, Marc Prüst, and local photographer Tay Kay Chin.

The winner of each theme will win S$1,000 in cash, while a grand winner will take home S$15,000.

Samsung finally unveils the GALAXY S III

May 4th, 2012

After much anticipation, Samsung has officially announced the third generation GALAXY S. The GALAXY S III will be available in Singapore from Q2 2012 in Pebble Blue and Marble White. Prices to be announced later.

Update (23 May 2012): RRP (without contract but incl. GST) in Singapore has been announced at S$998. Availability to be announced later.

Latest update (25 May 2012): Marble White Samsung GALAXY S III will go on sale in Singapore on 30 May. Collection of pre-orders begin 29 May. Pebble Blue version will be available at a later date. Stay tuned!

The Samsung GALAXY S III will come in Pebble Blue and Marble White.

The Samsung GALAXY S III will come in Pebble Blue and Marble White.

The Samsung GALAXY S III has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel main camera and 1.9-megapixel FRONT camera that shoots HD video, and is powered by Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.

“… it enables one of the most seamless, natural and human-centric mobile experiences …,” said JK Shin, President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung.The GALAXY S III offers WiFi Channel Bonding which doubles the WiFi bandwidth.

For those who are tired of wires, a separate wireless charging kit allows you to charge the phone without plugging it to the socket.

Samsung boasts that the smartphone has been “designed for humans” – by making the phone recognise the user’s voice, understand more human gestures, and by making it easier to share moments on social networks.

Human-centric interface

Samsung GALAXY S III has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel main camera and 1.9-megapixel front camera, and is powered by Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.A “Smart-stay” feature senses and recognises how you are using the smartphone.

For instance, when reading an e-book or browsing the web, the front camera detects the eyes and maintains a bright display on the phone for continual reading.

“S Voice” is Samsung’s advanced natural language user interface that listens and responds to voice commands. Does “S Voice” stand for Samsung Voice – its response to Siri?

For example, you can TELL the GALAXY S III to “snooze” when the alarm goes off, or to play songs, reduce/increase the volume, send text messages and emails, organise your schedules, or launch the camera to take a photo.

Samsung GALAXY S III will be available in Singapore from Q2 2012.Easy sharing

The new “S Beam” expands on Android Beam by allowing a 1GB movie file to be shared within three minutes and a 10MB music file within two seconds by simply touching another GALAXY S III phone, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal.

Click to display enlarged view of the tech specs.

Click to display enlarged view of the tech specs.

“Buddy photo share” function allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with the friends pictured in an image directly from the camera or the photo gallery.

“AllShare Cast” allows wireless display of the smartphone’s content onto a larger display.

“AllShare Play” shares files between the GALAXY S III and a tablet, PC or television, regardless of the distance between the devices.

“Group Cast” shares the smartphone’s screen among multiple friends on the same WiFi network.

“Pop up Play” allows a video to continue playing on one part of the screen while other apps and tasks continue simultaneously.

Experian says you are overloaded by marketers

May 3rd, 2012

An independent research conducted by Experian finds that Singapore consumers are suffering from information overload and no longer respond to blanket marketing.

44% of respondents from Singapore interact with only three or fewer brands.

An independent research conducted by Experian in Singapore.

An independent research conducted by Experian in Singapore.

This is the result of poorly targeted communications from multi-channel marketer.

In addition, 30% of participants said they now IGNORE the emails, direct mail and social media messages they receive from brands because of information overload.

78% of consumers cited that they are very SELECTIVE about what opt-ins, newsletters or updates they sign up for to ensure they are only receiving messages that are relevant to their particular interests.

SG consumers agree that a COMPANY’S WEBSITE is the most valuable source of information they use to look for information about a brand, with 91% stating that it is a relevant or very relevant source.

While 36% of consumers believe the ideal frequency of brand communications is once a month, a quarter of consumers (25%) did not have frequency preferences as long as the communication is RELEVANT.

Giveaways and incentives (65%) is the number one way for brands to engage the SG consumer. Any surprises here?!

The research also shows a clear DISCONNECT between the communications consumers want from brands and the way they are being targeted by marketers.

For example, although MARKETERS listed print media as one of the least important tools for connecting with consumers – 86% of CONSUMER respondents rated it as the second most valued communication medium.

New mouse: Logitech Mouse M105

May 3rd, 2012

The Logitech Mouse M105 is expected to be available in end May (S$16), in black, red or white.

Logitech M105, available in May (S$16).

Logitech M105, available in May (S$16).

The plug-and-play USB optical mouse is targeted towards young users, aged 16 – 25, who are fun-loving and budget conscious.

It has a precision of 1000 dpi tracking and comes with 3 years warranty.

Dell enhances Alienware portfolio for advanced mobile gaming

May 2nd, 2012

Dell’s Alienware M14x (from S$2,699) and M17x (from S$3,599) are now available from its online store.

The M14x claims to be “the most powerful 14-inch laptop in the Universe” while the M17x is 3D-capable – offering an immersive, high-definition, surround-sound experience.

Dell Alienware M14x (left, from S$2,699) and M17x (right, from S$3,599)

Dell Alienware M14x (left, from S$2,699) and M17x (right, from S$3,599)

The M14x features optional dual drive configurations, up to 16GB of memory for extreme multitasking, a Blu-ray combo optical drive, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics engine with GDDR5 graphics memory.

This is the most advanced GPU in a 14-inch form factor and the first time Alienware is offering GDDR5 graphics on a laptop of this size.

The M17x delivers the latest NVIDIA and AMD graphics card options, up to 32GB of memory, optional 17.3-inch 120Hz WideFHD WLED 3D display, and THX 3D surround sound.

It is one of the first laptops to offer the AMD Radeon HD 7970M graphics card and the latest GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GT 660M and 675M graphics solutionsii.

Both laptops feature Intel’s 3rd Generation processors and Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 technologies, HDMI 1.4, USB 3.0 for fast data transfer, Bluetooth 4.0, optional 3D HD gaming capability, optional Blu-ray disc drive and exceptional surround-sound quality from Klipsch speakers.

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Lady Gaga’s manager to speak on All That Matters

May 2nd, 2012

The speaker line-up for the upcoming Digital and Music Matters 2012 (from 22 to 26 May 2012) has been announced.

Troy Carter and other speakers will be at All That Matters from 22-26 May 2012 at The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

Troy Carter and other speakers will be at All That Matters from 22-26 May 2012 at The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

Industry experts such as Troy Carter (Lady Gaga’s manager), Bob Ezrin (Music Producer), Adam Smith (YouTube), Tod Machover (MIT Media Lab), Erik Johnson (Facebook), Brian Taptich (Zynga), Craig Hepburn (Nokia), Catherine Leung (Baidu), are set to convene at The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

The full list of speakers can be viewed here.

Participants can look forward to hearing first-hand from the industry’s elites who will be able to share their knowledge and experience discussing all that matters in the music and digital entertainment industry.

Other notable music and industry luminaries who will be attending Music Matters include Bob Lefsetz (the author of The Lefsetz Letter); Andrew Hipsley (McDonald’s Corporation); Souleymane Hamed (Coca Cola Indochina); Michael Chugg (super-promoter); Anthony Zameczkowski (Head of Music, YouTube Asia-Pacific); John McLellan (Haldanes); Michael Paull (Sony Music Entertainment); Stephen Bryan (Warner Music Group); Mike Bebel (Nokia); Haji Taniguchi, (President, Avex Music Publishing and Chairman, MPAJ); and Chee Meng Tan (Director, Music, SingTel).

Microsoft and Tata Communications join OVCC

May 1st, 2012

Microsoft Corp, Tata Communications, ACT Conferencing, and Kathea have joined the Open Visual Communications Consortium (OVCC).

Official website of the Open Visual Communications Consortium (OVCC).
The OVCC is a group of leading service and solution providers creating the blueprint to deliver high-quality video collaboration that connects any vendor, any network and any device, anywhere.

Six months after the launch of the OVCC in October 2011, there are now 23 members in the independent group.

OVCC members contribute to and implement the OVCC technical and commercial blueprint, using established standards and best practices to accelerate and commercialize business-to-business video communications.

OVCC members are committed to providing video around the world to enable enterprise users to place and receive video calls beyond corporate firewalls and across standards-based and proprietary video platforms.

The first OVCC services are scheduled to launch later this year.

Service providers will develop and implement OVCC technical and commercial specifications based on industry standards, best practices and business approaches to answer the need for interconnection, addressing, signaling, interoperability and service coordination.

Interoperable, high-quality connectivity across networks and devices should allow network providers to profitably and predictably monetize their inter-enterprise video exchanges.

By making interoperability requirements invisible to the enterprise, the OVCC specification enables enterprise users to leverage video conferencing investments and enable more efficient value chains – spanning customers, distributors and suppliers – to improve the speed and efficiency of doing business.

Video collaboration stakeholders interested in closing video connectivity gaps can meet OVCC members in person at TIA in Dallas, Texas, June 5-7, or at CommunicAsia in Singapore, June 19-22.