Tag: mobile technology

Mobile gadgets lead Intel to change its financial reporting

| April 18, 2014

The chipmaker has announced that it would be altering its reporting structure for a better reflection of the tech.

Intel Corp., the chipmaker giant, has now announced that it is changing the structure of its financial reporting so that it will provide a more accurate reflection of two primary areas, which are mobile gadgets and the growing field of interconnected electronic devices.

Starting with the company’s first quarter report, which was released April 15, a new revenues group was created.

Within that report, it provided Internet of Things Group category revenues. This was recently created and concentrates on the growing trend of linking everything from the ventilation systems in high rises to an individual’s bathroom scale. This focus on mobile gadgets and devices will be found within the brand new segment: Mobile and Communications.

The revenue from mobile gadgets such as chips for phones and tablets used to be under Other Intel Architecture.

Furthermore, the results from the company’s set-top box and gateway business will now be worked into the PC Client Group, instead of having also been tucked into the Other Intel Architecture category, said the chipmaker. When it comes to the segment called Data Center, it will now be including the results from the communications infrastructure, which had, like the others, previously been shuffled into the Other Intel Architecture category.Intel Mobile Technology

The Internet of Things Group is not actually something that just came to be. In fact, it was created in 2013 as a combination of the business from Intel that was focused on chips for industrial and commercial devices with Wind River. That subsidiary sells industrial and commercial device software.

The largest segment of the revenue at Intel is found within the PC Client Group. It will now also include the results that are brought in from the set top box and the gateway business.

The release of the first quarter report includes the retrospective results for each of the updated business segments from mobile gadgets to commercial and industrial devices, and everything in between. This is a notable shift in the way that the company has identified its priorities and has clearly shown the direction that it feels the electronics industry is taking.

Wearable technology is coming to businesses

| April 17, 2014

Companies will need to prepare themselves for these devices just as they did for smartphones.

Bring your own device (BYOD) programs in companies of all sizes have become very commonplace and now the introduction of wearable technology could be changing the nature of those strategies.

Although some forms, such as smartwatches, may not change too much, others could require altogether different rules.

The first step that companies will need to take when they are looking into allowing workers to use wearable technology on the job is mobile security. This comes both in the form of adequate protection against malware, viruses, and cyber attacks, as well as in the form of privacy of the company’s information. Smartwatches likely won’t offer too much problem in that second category, but augmented reality glasses such as Google Glass or Smart Specs, for example, could allow video recording and picture taking to occur while being completely undetectable to those around the wearer.

This means that companies will need to seriously consider privacy when allowing wearable technology.

At the same time, there are some wearables that could be seen as beneficial to a workplace environment. For example, the number of fitness and activity trackers that are currently available could help to encourage employees to live healthier lifestyles and to try to come closer to achieving their 10,000 steps every day.Wearable Technology - Business News

Healthier workers mean that there will be fewer sick days required and health insurance claims won’t need to be made as frequently. This also helps people to remain more energized and enthusiastic about their work, creating a much more positive and enjoyable atmosphere overall.

Equally, there is the struggle that could come with actually providing workers with wearables in order to try to enhance productivity. Although it may seem like a good idea to spread these gadgets throughout the workplace, keep in mind that this will add one more thing to the requirements for IT departments that are likely very inexperienced with this tech, considering how new it is to the marketplace.

Companies will need to carefully think through their strategies when it comes to allowing wearable technology to be used by their workers.