mrc's Cup of Joe Blog

Join us in exploring the world of modern development, evolving technologies, and the art of future-proof software

Month: December 2013

10 most popular articles from 2013

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EducationAs 2013 draws to a close, I’d like to thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this blog over the past year. Of course, if there are any topics you’d like me to cover in 2014, please share them in the comments.

Over the last 12 months, I’ve written many different articles covering a variety of topics. Today, I’d like to highlight the most popular of those articles and share them with you. In case you missed any of them, here are the most popular posts I’ve written over the last year, as determined by the readers of this blog. I hope you find them interesting:
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6 free white papers and guides for IT leaders

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EducationWhat are the most pressing issues facing your business as we head into 2014? What technology problem(s) is your company facing that you plan to address in the coming year? I’m curious–feel free to share in the comments.

That being said, working in the IT industry, we see many of the most pressing issues facing companies on a daily basis. Over the past year, I’ve seen certain problems mentioned time and time again. For example, going into 2014, many companies are currently dealing with issues like these:

  • Mobile: From what we’ve seen, many companies are still trying to figure out how they can best take advantage of mobile apps. They’re trying to determine which approach works best for their needs.
  • Data accessibility: Another common issue, many companies still can’t easily access the data stored in their database. They need better reporting and BI tools that makes their data more accessible to even end users.
  • Legacy applications: An all-too-common issue, many companies are stuck to outdated applications and systems. They’re looking for ways to modernize their legacy applications, or breathe new life into their existing systems.

If your company is dealing with any of those issues, or plans on addressing them in 2014, I’d like to help. I’ve compiled some of our most popular white papers and guides that relate to the common issues mentioned above, and outlined them below. Here are 6 free white papers and guides that might help you address your company’s pressing issues as you head into 2014. I hope you find them useful:
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Weekly recap: 9 common mistakes developers make, mobile predictions for 2014, and more…

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EducationEvery week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on common mistakes developers make, mobile predictions for 2014, and more. I hope you find them useful:

Why native apps no longer add up
When native mobile apps first broke onto the scene, competition was sparse. Simply placing an app in the app store gave you a good chance of success. Today, that’s no longer the case. The app store now contains over a million apps. Producing an app that even gets noticed is a longshot. Combined with the fact that native apps are more costly and time consuming to create, this further reduces the practical value of the native approach.
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What is HTML5 and how does it help?

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EducationOver the last couple of years, HTML5 has dominated the tech headlines. Set to become the new standard in 2014, this buzz will only grow louder in the months and weeks leading up to that time. The only problem: HTML5 is still surrounded with misinformation.

Everyone wants HTML5, but outside the developer world, few actually know what it is. Some view it as a brand new tech trend. Others think they’ll need to convert their current applications to HTML5. Still others equate HTML5 with mobile web apps. In reality, none of that is accurate.

HTML5Today, let’s clear up some of the confusion. In this article, I’ll walk you through a high-level overview of HTML5 and briefly explain some of its most important features. Hopefully, this provides you a clearer picture of the new HTML standard, and helps you better understand how it can help your company. Sound good? Let’s get started:
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Happy Holidays (plus, mrc giveaway winner announced)!

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HappyHolidaysFirst, I’d like to start off with a sincere “Thank You” to everyone who has taken the time out of their days to read this blog over the past year. I hope you’ve found it useful and informative. If there are any topics you’d like to see covered in the coming year, please feel free to let me know in the comments.

Secondly, I’d like to congratulate this year’s winner of the mrc Giveaway: Michael Bennett! Michael will soon be the proud owner of a brand new iPad Mini! Thank you for all those that entered the giveaway this year, and make sure you stay tuned right here for the 2014 Giveaway, which will be announced in early-mid 2014.

Finally, from all of us here at mrc, we wish safe travels and a very happy holiday season!

Weekly Recap: Challenges in moving to the cloud, mobile tech predictions for 2014, and more…

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EducationEvery week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on the changing IT department, challenges with moving to the cloud, and more. I hope you find them useful:

Avon’s failed SAP implementation a perfect example of enterprise IT revolution
Enterprise IT is undergoing a transformation. End user’s expectations have risen. They’ve learned that software can be both intuitive and powerful, and expect the same from their business software. If enterprise IT can’t deliver these type of solutions quickly, they’ll lose the business to software companies who can.
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5 ways IT will change in the next 5 years

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EducationThe death of the IT department has been greatly exaggerated. I remember seeing predictions back in 2007 that the cloud would eliminate IT departments by 2012. Over the last several years, I can’t even count how many similar predictions I’ve seen.

The fact is, much has been written regarding the effect of mobile usage and cloud computing on the IT department. Many say the IT department will disappear. Others say it will shrink.

Will any of that happen? I doubt it. We’re living in an era where technology plays a larger role in business than ever before, and it’s only growing. Is this the time to scale back on the department that best understands technology? Not for businesses that hope to succeed.

photo credit: Phillie Casablanca via photopin cc
photo credit: Phillie Casablanca via photopin cc

However, while I don’t see the IT department disappearing, I do see it evolving. As consumer-owned mobile devices and third-party cloud applications work their way into the business, the IT department’s role is changing.

Today, let’s focus on that evolution. How is the IT department changing? What will it look like in 5 years? We’ve queried some experts in the area and have compiled their advice, along with some of my own below. Here are 5 ways the IT department will change in the next 5 years:
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Weekly Recap: 5 trends that will make or break the CIO in 2014, benefits of BI, and more…

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EducationEvery week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on trends that will make or break the CIO next year, benefits of BI software, and more. I hope you find them useful:

6 Enduring truths about selecting enterprise software
This is a great topic, and one that I covered earlier this year. In my experience, the most important aspect you can consider when purchasing enterprise software is…architecture. Why? Architecture plays a role in nearly every other aspect, like security, scalability, portability, and more. Look for enterprise software that’s built on an open foundation, rather than a something built with a proprietary language.
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10 security mistakes web application developers should never make

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EducationJust when you thought that the healthcare.gov debacle was finally on the uptick, a “white hat” hacker just testified on Capitol Hill that security was never properly built into the site. He claims that fixing the critical-to-high exposures could require up to a year of work.

Not exactly what you want to hear about a website that stores your most sensitive information.

I bring this up to highlight an important point: Despite the rising importance of proper security, best practices are often ignored. Basic security mistakes still plague many web applications…including healthcare.gov.

photo credit: elhombredenegro via photopin cc
photo credit: elhombredenegro via photopin cc

As more development shifts to the web, and more data is stored on the cloud, security is a critically important topic. A single security misstep can compromise confidential business data or your customer’s personal information.

Today, let’s get back to the basics. While web application security is a broad topic, I’d like to focus on the security mistakes that web application developers should never make. These are the “basic” security principles that should never be ignored.

So, what are these security principles? What security mistakes should you never make? To help you answer those questions, we’ve compiled advice from some experts in the field (as well as some of my own) and listed everything below. Here are 10 security mistakes you should never make when developing web applications:
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New m-Power interface makes web app development more intuitive

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EducationIf you’re looking for an intuitive way to develop enterprise web applications (without programming), here’s some news you’ll love: We just released a brand new m-Power user interface, and it’s the most intuitive one yet! You can find more information about it below, or–if you just want to try it for yourself–feel free to sign up for a free Trial.

m-Power's re-designed interface
m-Power’s re-designed interface
Why did we rebuild the m-Power interface? Because we realize that web application development is evolving. As I explained in this article, new trends have emerged that will forever change the world of web application development software. Two of the most important of these changes include:
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