French companies seek to address security issues

Two French security contractors are preparing to dive into the mobile security space after the revelation of widespread government surveillance in 2013. The companies have identified a need for comprehensive security solutions in the mobile space, but are not only looking to mitigate government surveillance. There are made threats in the mobile world that extend well beyond the issue of surveillance, especially as mobile commerce becomes more popular. Both companies believe they can address these issues effectively in the near future.

Bull launches new mobile solution for businesses

Bull SA is one of the companies entering into the mobile security space. The company has launched a new mobile-centric solution for businesses called Hoox m2. The solution is available for the Android platform and has been engineered with hackers in mind. It is meant to secure communications made over mobile devices and remove the need for business professionals to speak in “unnecessary coded language.”

Thales aims to make business and personal communications safer

Thales SA, a defense contractor owned by the French government, is also breaking into the mobile security space. The firm has released an enterprise solution called Teopad. The solution is meant to make a digital mirror image of whatever device it is used on. One of the instances created by Teopad will be used for personal communications while the other will be used for business purposes. The business instance will be secured by Teopad’s encryption so as to prevent sensitive information from being stolen.

Businesses fall behind when it comes to mobile security

Mobile security is quickly becoming a top priority for businesses. Mobile technology has grown quite important to consumers and many businesses have fallen behind in terms of ensuring that they are secure against the threats that exist in the mobile space. Both Bull and Thales believe they can offer businesses solutions that can help them catch up to the growing popularity of mobile technology and protect themselves against malicious groups and mobile exploitation.

The experts in the industry are seeing a bit of a bumpy ride for advertisers and promoters using this channel.

Now that 2013 has come to a close, analysts are scrambling to assemble their data to help them to decide what 2014 social media marketing is likely to involve, including the most effective trends and the changes that will occur regarding actual usage of the networks.

The results of these efforts are already coming in and are helping marketers to rethink their strategies.

Following the trends from last year, the shape of 2014 social media marketing trends is starting to become clearer. There have been a number that have already been identified and that have been making technology news headlines since the start of the year. What is clear is that it will certainly hold a position of notable importance within any successful online and mobile strategy.

The evidence and data from last year are helping to provide a more solid shape to 2014 social media marketing campaigns.

Among the strongest predictions for this year have been the following:

• Images supporting statements generate the most attention, with comments accompanied by pictures receiving 53 percent more likes than image-free posts on Facebook. On Twitter, tweets with supporting images received 18 percent more clicks and150 percent more retweets and 89 percent more favorites than text alone.

• Snapchat and Instagram will carve out a bigger share for themselves in terms of business uses for reaching consumers. Instagram is already the fastest growing network with every day bringing 40 million photo uploads from its 150 million users.

• Mobile marketing will be a vital part of an online strategy. Simply having a website that is smartphone or tablet friendly will not be considered enough for the necessary impact. Features that can be used in store – such as mobile coupons, product reviews, etc – will be among the most popular efforts in this direction.

• 2014 social media marketing will become a serious effort for a growing number of brands. These techniques are already being used by 93 percent of marketers, but the actual focus on the presence they hold on the networks will increase considerably.