Wearables aren’t just nice to have gadgets for fitness enthusiasts or tech nerds.  Enterprises are starting to employ a variety of wearables to increase efficiency and productivity.  A survey, of over 500 industrial sector employees, conducted by APX Labs found that wearable technologies enable workers to keep their hands free to perform the task in front of them, while at the same time accessing the information, applications and enterprise systems they need to do their jobs.

We are in a time where there is an expectation of ubiquitous computing.  A need exists to access all our information anytime anywhere.  Wearables provides workers, even those that don’t sit at a desk, the ability to access and provide a variety of data and seamlessly communicate it.  The use of predictive analytics has made the idea of instrumenting employees with wearables even more inviting.  In addition to regurgitation data from device sensors, employers are able to gather insights which can be used to identify trends and make future predictions.

There are plenty of examples of industries where wearables are currently providing great value.   In the retail space, Theatro is creating improved capability to communicate with and locate retail workers with a voice-controlled wearable coupled with a communication application.   This allows team members to find specific employees by name, expertise, and location to optimize floor coverage and team sales.

Off- site workers are leveraging Smart Helmets like DAQRI’s to connect with an expert, without disrupting their current activity.  Experts are able to view the environment of a co-worker in real-time and provide the necessary help to complete the task. This expert can relay instructions with voice, screen sharing, and annotated display screens.

How can wearables transform your business?  What new capabilities are possible?  Innovative companies are rethinking their core business to identify new business models, products or services that can be offered with wearables in their enterprise.

​Each new wave of technology represent an opportunity to rethink your core business.  What does this new technology allow my company to offer our customers that wasn’t possible before?   Committing to innovation allows you to remain competitive and not be outmaneuvered by competitors. 

Technology adoption rates are getting faster and faster.   It took over 35 years for a quarter of the American population to start using telephones.  The internet got to a quarter of the US population in 7 years.  With the increasing pace of technology adoption, businesses must react promptly to reap the most benefit. Here are a few tips to become more effective at innovating with emerging technology:
 
1. Are you looking for solutions to the right problems?
There are lots of problems that technology can solve.  Addressing the issues that are the biggest pain points or desires of your customers will yield the best results.  An innovation initiative that clearly defines the problem or specific capability that their customer desires will yield better results.  Start the process with clearly defined use cases.

2. What’s out there?
With things changing so rapidly there is undoubtedly many new technologies that you aren’t aware of.  Be vigilant about getting exposed to new trends and technologies.  There is a lot that can be discovered by reading tech news and attending meetups and conferences.  However, there are numerous technologies that are not on the radar yet, because a company may be in stealth mode, coming out of research labs, or hasn’t received much publicity.  This is where working with someone with connections in the venture capital, university, and startup communities’ helps give you earlier access to high quality technologies.  Give yourself the best chance of succeeding by getting exposure to high quality technologies.

3.  Do you have the best technology available?
Everyone has heard the term garbage in garbage out.  Being able to select the best technology solution for your organization is critical.     For a given problem, like social media publishing, monitoring, and analytics for example, there are numbers of solutions that provide these capabilities.  How would you choose?  Is price your biggest determinant?  Is analytics across a variety of social media platforms your key determinant?  Is your user going to be highly trained or anyone in the organization?  Understanding your criteria for selection and the technical differences between each offering is critical.   Working with someone that can speak with the technical teams and know the questions to ask can save a lot of time moving forward with the wrong solution. Having people that are subject matter experts and can see the nuances between the technologies is key to not getting the most hyped technology/company but the solution that will improve your customers experience.       From the whole universe of technical solutions, be sure to move forward with the best options for your needs.     
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4. Have you tried it?
There is nothing like trying out a technology to see what it actually does.   Does it perform as advertised?  What is the user experience like?  Does it integrate with other backend systems that are currently being used?  Something tangible to test and try is also key to help socialize the technology with decision makers.  Prototypes can be shared with customers to validate that the solution actually solves their pain point.      The value of being able to quickly develop and prototype cannot be understated in the innovation process.  

​Members of DAF Technologies regularly partner with organizations to accelerate their innovation initiatives.   We identify opportunities for innovation, research and identify recommended emerging technologies, and pilot and integrate new technologies into business processes. Let us help you leverage emerging technologies to innovate and endure. If you have questions, please contact Director, Innovation & Technology Faith Davis at 301.541.8569 or faith@daftechnologies.com
​

DAF Technologies Director of Innovation & Technology, Faith Davis, wrote an article for INC Magazine on professional relationship building. 
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Networking. It's a buzzword. We all know someone who got a new job or client as a result of a personal contact, and it makes it seem so easy. People get fired up to grow their own professional network and envision going to one or two events and then...(enter life changing opportunity here).
The truth is, creating a network that can alter your trajectory takes time and effort. If done correctly, it is one of the best uses of your time professionally. Being intentional about creating an amazing network has been critical for me in transitioning from technology development as an electrical engineer to a venture capital associate and then starting DAF Technologies. Check out the article for a few tips that I've learned during my journey:

http://www.inc.com/springboard/accelerate-your-career-4-tips-for-effective-relationship-building.html

I am getting a new mobile phone.  Since, I work with mobile technology people often ask what phone do you have.  As we all know, two years is an eternity in smartphone land and so much has changed during this time.  So here’s what I learned about mobile devices, wireless carriers, and mobile operating systems, while shopping for a new phone. 
  
Liberation from Wireless Carriers
I have seen a shift toward freedom from wireless carriers catalyzed by the T-Mobile Uncarrier movement in 2013. Since then all major carriers, except AT&T, have removed the two year contract in exchange for subsidized devices.   In the United States, device choice was tied to your carrier.  If a new phone came out that you wanted on another carrier you had to pay a hefty termination fee, wait for  your contract to end, or hope and pray that the device would eventually become available on your network. 

Now, the decision of what network carrier to choose is separated from your device choice.  Flagship smartphones are sold unlocked via manufacturer’s websites and can be used on all four carriers. The trend is that more and more phones can be bought and used on any network.  No more waiting for your contract to end to qualify for another subsidy.  You can sell your device and upgrade to a new one as often as you'd like. The devices in the figure below are examples of new high end smartphones that you can buy and use on any network* with all the latest features fast charging, extended battery life, and  more megapixels, processing power, and screen density than your eyes can perceive.  

*: HTC One A9 will work on Verizon after radio upgrade in December

Mobile Operating System (OS)
Your preference for mobile OS can  determine what device you choose.  I’ll start with Android as it has over 82% of the mobile OS market share according to IDC.  Previously, we were seeing a lot of customization and pre-installed apps (bloatware) that were specific to a carrier.   Now we are seeing a push toward near stock Android  and less bloatware to reduce cost to produce and to provide updates sooner to customers.  Google Nexus is still the holy grail with immediate updates and truly pure Android.    However, the Motorola X Pure and the HTC One A9 both new flagship devices claim to provide near stock Android. 

 iOS  has the next largest market share.  If you have a desire for iOS this means one device the iPhone. iOS continues to be a leader in user experience.

There is a fight to determine the third mobile OS and its relevance. There are a number of options here including Firefox OS, Ubuntu Phone, Jolla Sailfish, Samsung Tizen, and Cyanogen.  Judging by the investment from Microsoft and Qualcomm, Cyanogen is positioning itself as force to be reckoned with.  Cyanogen is Android that allows more customization and device access.  Unless you are in a non-US market, Cyanogen won’t play into your device decision.  
 
Now you have decided on your device, the next question is what wireless network carrier you will operate it on. This choice is based on quality of network or cost.  Carriers will always use confusing terms to say why they are the best network. These claims means nothing to the average user.  What you want to know is at home, work, and other frequently visited places what service has the strongest signal and fastest speed. For independent unbiased information on carrier signal strength and tower locations look no further than opensignal.com and sensorly.com for crowdsourced data on networks provided by real users.    
               
Price is the other factor to consider when choosing a mobile carrier.  If price is your deciding factor there are a whole slew of mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) that resell wireless service to provide more options and lower prices. There are a few mobile companies like Republic Wireless, Freedompop, Straight Talk, and Scratch Wireless that support calls and text via WiFi, which results in lower prices.  However, the major carriers are starting to support WiFi calling given your device is running at least iOS8 or  Android Lollipop.     Google recently entered this market as an MVNO with Project Fi.  The following chart, compares prices of low cost plans via wireless carriers.  More information     can be found here.  Each carrier has their pros and cons and you can decide which is best for you.
  
What device do you have  or are you planning to get next?    What is the deciding factor for you?  Was it mobile OS, price, or device specifications? 

DAF Technologies regularly advise organizations on  integrating  mobile and emerging technologies into their strategy. If you have questions, please contact Director, Innovation & Technology Faith Davis at 301.541.8569 or faith@daftechnologies.com.

​The average length of time a company stays on the S&P 500 has gone from 61 years in 1958 to around 18 years now. Companies in the S&P 500 are replaced for a variety of reasons, including decline in market value or acquisition by another company. However, many of the changes are due to “creative destruction,” in which companies that once dominated industries have seen their profits fall and their dominance vanish as rivals employed new technologies that disrupted the old way of doing business.

In a now famous 2012 study, Yale professor Richard Foster conducted research based on almost 100 years of data to determine the causes of the accelerating turnover in the S&P 500.   He concluded that: 

•  Your days may be numbered. At the current churn rate,  75% of the S&P 500  will be replaced by 2027
• Most corporations fade, meaning that most firms see their performance and their stock price wither as new technologies and startups with new business models enter the economy
• The only way to fight is to embrace the  "creative destruction" and commit  to constant change and innovation

Innovation is a key to having a company that endures.  So a company should be smart about innovating and not just throw money at the problem.  Here are three things your company can do.

1) Embrace the concept of Open Innovation, "which is fundamentally about operating in a world of abundant knowledge, where not all smart people work for you, so you better go find them, connect to them, and build upon what they can do." Siloed research and development is no longer sufficient to generate new ideas at a pace and a cost that will sustain your organization.  

2)Get ideas from a diverse set of players. This means leveraging insights not only from your employees but from, customers, startups, academia, conferences, and consultants to name a few. Go a step further and seek out new views to add to your idea ecosystem. If I go to the same conference every year and talk to the same professor I will get a similar perspective on the changing landscape.  Constantly search for new  entities that will improve your viewpoint. 

3) Don't let ideas remain ideas. Have an effective way to get great ideas into the product roadmap. So many great technologies or ideas don't become game changing innovations because they don't make it from the lab to the product.    Be intentional about leveraging the ideas to differentiate your product or create new products or services.  

Companies have a choice of changing ahead of the marketplace, with the marketplace, or falling behind.  A consultancy, like DAF Technologies, would be a great resource in your toolkit to help your company innovate and endure.  As a consultancy we have the benefit of interacting with numerous varied players and will facilitate knowledge transfer from the external innovation ecosystem to your organization.  

​Members of DAF Technologies regularly advise organizations on  leveraging emerging technologies to innovate and endure. If you have questions, please contact Director, Innovation & Technology Faith Davis at 301.541.8569 or faith@daftechnologies.com

#IlLookLikeanEngineer, is the social media response to the sexist reactions to a female on a billboard for her technology startup in San Francisco.  As an African-American female engineer, I am not surprised when most of my co-workers are white males.  I have often been the only female in a meeting and I have been mistaken for the secretary.  What did surprise me was the reaction when I posted a picture for #ILookLikeanEngineer.    I received hundreds of likes, many comments of support, congratulations, and many didn’t know what I did.  From this post came potential collaborations, consulting opportunities, and chances to help people in my sphere of influence that now knew what I do. 

Press around an issue or movement is wonderful because it is often a catalyst for change.   A lot of great movements throughout history leveraged press to get things moving.   Women are often hesitant to promote themselves.  So, let’s keep the momentum and awareness of #ILookLikeanEngineer going by highlighting the accomplishments of phenomenal innovative women in technology.

Being in this field, I am in the position to know many outstanding technical minds within my personal network.   My goal is to provide AWARENESS to the great work they are doing and to INSPIRE other women to see that they can do ANYTHING. So, enough from me let hear from these amazing engineers.

Name: Olubunmi 'Boomie'  Odumade

Title: Co-founder of Nexercise a digital fitness app 

Education: Bachelors Mechanical Engineering University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Master Computer Science 
University of Wisconsin Madison, Wharton MBA   

Accomplishment you are proud of: Receiving $25,000 for winning Power Moves Pitch Competition during Essence Music Festival and being featured in Essence magazine 

What advice would you give to other women aspiring to excel in technical fields?  Network!  It’s easy to feel alone as women in technology. However, there are lots of resources (Women2.0, FemTech, GirlsWhoCode, etc) and places where we can feel that there are others like us and talk about our struggles.  Tech is still male dominated and there's still work to be done but it’s nice to see that we are definitely making progress. 

Share something unique thing about you: I’m a salsa addict. I am doing a performance tonight   

Last concert you attended:  Charlie Wilson with Kem

Name:  Carol Politi 

Title: CEO TRX Systems which delivers 3D location indoors  

Education: Bachelors Electrical Engineering University of Maryland College Park, Masters Electrical Engineering Johns Hopkins University, MBA University of Maryland College Park  

Accomplishment you are proud of: Cracking the   challenge of delivering indoor location without infrastructure. This is a difficult problem since there is no access to GPS.  We developed algorithms to deliver indoor location and have been issued 8 patents to date and a number more are in process. 

What advice would you give to other women   aspiring to excel in technical fields?  An engineering degree is a great degree to have regardless of what you want to do.  It is a great resource to learn how to solve problems and it opens up a world of possibilities for a wonderful career 

Share something unique about you: Balancing a family with two kids and a startup 

Last concert you attended:  Darius Rucker 

 How to connect:  Twitter  Linkedin  Facebook

Name:  Arnita Hayden 

Title: Senior Product Manager, Sprout  Social a social media management tool for businesses

Education:   Bachelors Computer Engineering Howard University, Masters in Systems Engineering MIT, MBA MIT

Accomplishment you are proud of:  Being a mentor in the Technovation Challenge. Coaching four high school girls on creating mobile phone app prototypes, writing business plans, and pitching their business plans to a panel of venture capitalists; exposing them to the future and potential in high-tech careers.  

What advice would you give to other women aspiring  to  excel in technical fields?  I think it’s good that people are bringing up the issue of under representation of women in technology fields. Don't be afraid or intimidated by what you hear in the media.  It is still very much possible to excel.    

Share something unique thing about you: I am very social. I am not the typical engineer stereotype.  I like to go out and be in book clubs and am generally extroverted 

Last concert you attended:   Made in America Music Festival in Philly featuring Miguel, Beyonce, and
Macklemore 

How to Connect:   Linkedin

Further Reading & Resources:  www.sb.com, ww.women2.com www.hackbrightacademy.com www.girlswhocode.com www.thefemtechproject.org, www.womenwhotech.com/resources www.PowerMovesnola.org

http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/03/ilooklikeanengineer-aims-to-spread-awareness-about-gender-diversity-in-tech/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/08/03/isis-wenger-tech-sexism-stereotypes-ilooklikeanenginer/31088413/

 This is not an exhaustive list but a few resources for women in technology.  If you are aware of a resource please share in the comments section.

Last week, a startup company, Opternative, launched the first online eye exam accurate enough to give the user a prescription from home using only a smartphone or computer for only $40.  This is going to change the game for optometrists.  Of course, there are more reasons to get your eyes examined besides updating your prescription.  I would like to take a quick poll in the comment section.  How many of you have an outdated prescription, now, because your eye exam just never made it to the top of your to do list? 

 
This blog post is not about Opternative, but more about how you as a successful organization should leverage technology to maintain competitive advantage or create new products or services.  Gone are the days when the dominant player in an industry can rest on its laurels and collect profits.   The ubiquity of mobile devices and applications is bringing with it a wave of disruption. How is your industry being disrupted?   Everyone thinks of Blockbuster, Borders Bookstore, or Blackberry as classic examples of successful companies that didn’t innovate and allowed a wave of innovation to completely wash them up.

Customer experiences are being completely re-imagined as a result of mobile devices.   In this round of disruption many companies are not going to be easily outmaneuvered.  Companies are leveraging early stage technology, making acquisitions of innovative startups, and trying to react quickly to the changes in their industry.   

Traditional Banks have seen a huge influx of technology in the last few years.  There is mobile payment technologies (i.e Google Wallet, Apple Pay), cryptocurrency (i.e Bitcoin, Litecoin), and  mobile check cashing to name a few.   Banks like Capital One and BBVA are aggressively combating the likes of Apple, Google, and many m-payment and fintech startups.  More examples of what companies are doing to reinvent themselves  can be found in the this  article.  

Is there a cool new service that your business could be offering with the use of technology?  Are your competitors offering a more enchanting experience to their customers with technology? Is there a pain point that a nimble startup could exploit to gain marketshare in your sector?   Allow DAF Technologies to help you embrace emerging technology for the benefit of your business.

Wearables are becoming the norm in society. You are no longer shocked or surprised when you see your mother wearing a fitness tracker.  The wearable space is simply exploding with new innovation, and the possibilities are endless.  There are companies working on smart-shirts, smart-sneakers, smart-hats, and any other form factor you can imagine. 

Inevitably, in November of 2014, we saw the first known lawsuit involving data from a fitness tracker in a personal injury case in Canada.  The outcome of this case has yet to be determined but the implication of wearable data into courts is now on the table.  With the treasure trove of data available from wearable sensors, attorneys must assess how they can use this information to the advantage of their client.    

Moving forward, lawyers will need to really understand how wearable devices work, what data is available, and where the data goes in order to assess the impact of the devices on litigation. We recommend hiring an expert to give your client the edge needed.  The expert will be up to date on wearables as they evolve.  This includes knowledge of novel form factors and the typical sensors that are available like motion, position, and environmental sensors.  Contact DAF Technologies to find an innovative way, leveraging emerging technology, to win your case.

We have seen the internet completely disrupt how business is done. Then we have seen these same experiences completely re-imagined with mobile.  We’ve seen hailing a cab go from  waving one down on the street, to reserving it online, to calling it to your specific location in real time.   Another example  is movies.    We’ve seen movies transition from going to a physical store to pick up a movie, to watching it on your computer, to streaming it anywhere anytime including your mobile phone.  These major disruptions have seen the creation of businesses that didn’t exist and also large dominant business cease to exist that didn’t embrace the new technology to improve available product or services.     

The next trend getting traction is the Internet of Things (IoT).  This is all about making it feasible for any physical object to transmit data via the internet.   We are seeing moves by major players like Samsung with the investment and partnership with SigFox to provide connectivity to all devices through a narrowband cellular network.  Microsoft with the inclusion of Alljoyn open source framework in Windows 10, is championing interoperability across a variety of platforms and advancing the vision of IoT. 

Providing any physical object with internet connectivity opens up plethora of business opportunities.  Most people only think of businesses that have assets in the field as good candidates for IoT.   This new paradigm of everything connected could lead to increased efficiency for business processes with automation, new products or services that weren’t imagined.  The chart below summarizes some of the sectors and applications with opportunities for innovation with IoT. 

As you can see this list is quite extensive.  Intelligent buildings is an area where great improvement can be made through HVAC monitoring for energy savings or smarter security systems.  Another sector with a lot of traction  is consumer electronics. (i.e smart home,  security, etc)

Does any of this sound overwhelming?   DAF Technologies is here to assist you in defining your IoT strategy.  We have developed expertise over 13 years in this space to help you business discover how the internet of things concept can aid your organization in reaching their goals.  Contact us today to get started.  Don’t be one of the case studies of a business that was left behind that didn’t innovate.