mrc's Cup of Joe Blog

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

Author name: Joe Stangarone

Joe Stangarone is a 40+ year veteran of the IT industry and president of mrc—the software company behind the award winning development platform, m-Power. Joe shares his leadership and technology insights through the Cup of Joe Blog, focusing primarily on ways businesses can save time, money, and increase productivity using technology.

5 (more) tips to maximize the value of your business data

EducationSummary: We’re in the middle of a data explosion. The modern business has access to more data than ever before, and it’s only growing. However, not every business knows how to use this data to its fullest potential. In the second part of this two-part article, we explore a few more ways to get more value out of your data.

5 (more) technologies that CIOs can’t ignore in 2017/2018

EducationSummary: As technology evolves, it plays an increasingly important role on the business world. More than ever, the modern CIO must stay ahead of the ever-changing technology curve, and understand how new technologies might affect their business. What technologies could have the biggest impact on the business world in the coming year? In this article, we explore a few more technologies that the modern CIO cannot afford to ignore.

The surprising benefits of custom ERP reporting

EducationSummary: ERP systems rarely provide a perfect fit for your company’s unique reporting needs. While this may seem like a minor problem, it leads to serious issues. These issues not only waste time, they can even halt business growth. Learn how one company created custom reporting over their ERP system–and the surprising benefits they saw as a result.

5 technologies that CIOs can’t ignore in 2017/2018

EducationSummary: As technology evolves, it plays an increasingly important role on the business world. More than ever, the modern CIO must stay ahead of the ever-changing technology curve, and understand how new technologies might affect their business. What technologies could have the biggest impact on the business world in the coming year? In this article, we explore a few such technologies that the modern CIO cannot afford to ignore.

Solving the Top 10 Application Security Threats

EducationSummary: Cyberattacks are increasing. Attacks are more sophisticated and frequent than ever. Yet, application security still lags behind. Through poor security practices, businesses unwittingly expose themselves to reputation damage and massive revenue loss. Why is security still such a big problem, and how can you address it? This free paper will help you answer both questions.

5 (more) hidden costs of mobile app development

EducationSummary: As more and more businesses jump into mobile app development for the first time, many make a crucial mistake: They go into the process with a limited understanding of the true costs of developing a mobile app. In fact, many falsely believe that development cost starts and ends with the developer. In this article, we highlight a few more important costs that you should anticipate before starting your mobile app development project.

One way to improve your current software (without buying an off-the-shelf solution)

Save MoneyHere’s a quick exercise to try: Make a list of all the ways you wish your company’s software or systems were better. It could be anything. Maybe you just don’t like the interface. Or, maybe you want modern features, like mobile apps or web-based reporting.

Now, what keeps you from actually addressing those issues?

In my experience, many companies face the same problem: They’re tied to their current software/system. They don’t want to bring in third party software, but they don’t have the time/resources to build the new features into their current software.

In short, they need a way to improve their current software quickly, without spending an arm and a leg.

If you’re in that situation, here’s a story you’ll want to read. It explains how a company added a much-needed web-based ordering system to their current enterprise system. The best part: They found a way to improve their current software quickly, without buying an off-the-shelf, generic solution. You can read the whole story here.

8 hidden costs of mobile application development

EducationSummary: As more and more businesses jump into mobile app development for the first time, many make a crucial mistake: They go into the process with a limited understanding of the true costs of developing a mobile app. In fact, many falsely believe that development cost starts and ends with the developer. In this article, we highlight a few important costs that you should anticipate before starting your mobile app development project.