Why the 'E' in CES Means Enterprise
|
Businesses may dismiss the Consumer Electronics Show because of the "C." That would be "S" for short-sighted. |
CES has greatly changed over the past five years, as computing's prominence has increased and newer products embrace changing home and work lifestyles. The show also is showcase for once enterprise-only technologies entering the consumer and small business markets, such as RAID or 64-bit operating systems.
For example, Microsoft is expected to announce new home server software at this year's CES. Home servers could open up new service opportunities for the channel and connected services sales for software or Web providers.
While traditional consumer electronics companies like Panasonic, Sony or Toshiba continue to have a strong CES presence, computing companies increasingly carry influence. The chairmans of Cisco, Dell, Microsoft and Motorola will make keynote presentations during the four-and-a-half-day event.
Convergence of home and work lifestyles will be a reoccurring theme in presentations, on the show floor and in new product announcements. The gulf that once divided consumer and business products is rapidly closing.
Role Reversal
In the 10 years since Microsoft started the browser wars with Netscape, how people work has immensely changed. A decade ago, location defined work role. Outside of some services and sales positions, the workday ended when the employee walked out of the office.
Today, role often is defined by interaction rather than location, particularly as worker mobility increases. People carry their work with them, on laptop computers, BlackBerrys and other portable devices. A product manager can go from work role, if his boss or subordinate calls, to home role, if a child jumps on his lap, all from his living room.
High-tech companies embrace these converging, and often conflicting, roles in different ways. Microsoft hawks Office Communicator and Office Live Communications Server as mechanisms for creating more definition between work and home roles.
Similarly, Windows Vista Enterprise includes media centeric capabilities, which are more typically for consumers. Business users are consumers, too. The business executive or sales person flying cross country can change roles in a single interaction, going from spreadsheet to recent episode of "Lost."
Converging roles lead to a commingling of behavior, device uses and the data on them. Microsoft's definition is as good as any: the digital lifestyle, which refers to overlapping personal and professional use of technology and commingling of data.
Microsoft's consumer services and software, extended to businesses, are among the mechanisms by which the company seeks to solve the digital lifestyle problem--of providing in the same product benefits affinity for personal and professional uses.
Commingling behavior creates privacy, security and regulatory problems, and it often violates longstanding IT policies. Randomly chosen example: 1997 U.S. Census Bureau document, "Handbook for Information Technology Security," is explicit. "Do not commingle Census Bureau data," referring to the outside sources, such as contractors. The government agency enacted such a policy long before the explosive use of notebooks and other portable devices.
Mobile workers sometimes lose these notebooks--and valuable data with them. Much of the data loss has focused on the consumer impact. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse tracks data breaches, many related to lost or stolen mobile devices, such as laptops.
Laptops aren't the only mobile devices of concern, just the ones more likely to capture news headlines. For example, Transport of London's Lost Property Office handles about 150,000 lost items a year, with as many as 40,000 on shelves at any time. Lost BlackBerrys and other small devices, such as iPods (as many as 60 a month), are recovered from London's transportation system.
A lesser focus, in part because the impact is harder to quantify, is security breach of these portable devices. One area of risk is Bluetooth, as a November Microsoft Developer Network primer explains. Mobile Bluetooth devices set to "discoverable" are vulnerable to data theft, for example. In a recent trip to the local mall, I counted 50 different people wearing bluetooth headsets over a period of 40 minutes.
Then there is the risk of data commingling leading to spyware, Trojan or keyloggers snatching value data, network credentials or passwords. A work laptop and lone teen hitting the P2P and torrent sites is vulnerability enough.
What's In Show
Some of the solutions for the problems created by converging work and home lifestyles will come out of CES. Ahead of the show, some high-tech companies have made announcements relevant to businesses. Among them:
- Toshiba external, portable hard drives
- Biometric readers from AuthenTec
- Extension of Hitachi's database management system to a new platform
- Hitachi 1TB hard drives
- SX-Gen Ultra-Mobile PC from Seamless Internet
- SpectraLink Wi-Fi IP phones
- Lexar showcase of removable storage for mobile devices
- Windows Vista notebooks (from most manufacturers; Sony announced new models today)
- LaCie external and network-attached storage devices
IT organizations should look for new consumer devices that may soon be connecting to their networks. Because business end-users also are consumers, many new gadgets enter enterprises through individual use, as was the case with Wi-Fi network hubs, cell phones or PDAs. Additionally, some devices created for consumers eventually find a role among businesses. CD burners and flat-panel monitors are examples, in the mass market, even if early, specialized products touched some businesses.
With respect to the digital lifestyle, rumors ahead of the show put new cell phones and smart phones in the queue--many of them corporate e-mail capable--from Palm and Samsung, among others. Newer, better, lower-cost projectors--streamlined for both home and the office--are expected this year, too.
Other rumored products and services to watch for:
- Cingular mobile video calling
- Intel Core 2 Quad and Xeon quad-core processors
- New Cisco devices and branding for Linksys
- New Wi-Fi "N" gear, from multiple manufacturers
- More WiMax hype (and maybe a few products)
- Second-generation Ultra-Mobile PCs, from multiple manufacturers
- Bluetooth gear, such as mobile earpieces, from various manufacturers
- VOIP (voice over IP) technologies, from various manufacturers
Microsoft will have huge presence at the show, in part because of Windows Vista. With CES as Microsoft's kickoff for consumer marketing of the operating system, manufacturers and software developers will announce or release updated products. Some of the software updates, particularly hardware drivers, will matter to businesses testing Vista.
However, Microsoft's presence will extend beyond consumer products, in part because of the company's focus on the aforementioned digital lifestyle. The company's small business and server divisions will have staff in Las Vegas, as well as the Automotive Business Unit. Microsoft products on display that would have some business appeal cover categories of embedded technologies, the mobile office, telephones, video, VOIP and wireless technologies.
Note: Typo corrected 01-07-07.
Comments (49)
Just replace the word "Microsoft" with the word "Apple" and Vista with OSX, and media center with Frontrow and this actually makes more sense.
XBOX and Windows Live are MS's best chance to get involved with the Post 90's world. Any info on how those are doing? (O.K, I know Live sucks, what about the X-Box)
BTW Joe, you're right about the Home Server? Who's idea was that? The "Trend Setters" are already backing up their content on networked servers like Flickr. Just a matter of time before somebody figures out you can store your MP3's out on all those Innernet tubes.
Keep up the good work Joe! Keep up with the analysis and business news and keep the MS marketing materials off of MS Watch. Thanks.
Posted by JoeFan | January 5, 2007 10:14 PM
How much did Wilcox pay you to write that?
Bring back Peter Galli, please!!!
Posted by HoFan | January 6, 2007 9:48 AM
Mostly 'cause everyone is so hard on Joe. He's just making a living and welcome to his opinions. I think of him as an "everyman". Lets face it, most people don't even know that there is an option to Microsoft (sadly).
He's way better than say "Stuart J. Johnston" from Redmond Mag.(and ENT mag.) I'm not even sure Stuart is a real person and not some made up person by the MS marketing machine.
BTW, I'm a Hofan too.
Posted by JoeFan | January 6, 2007 5:05 PM
Mostly 'cause everyone is so hard on Joe. He's just making a living and welcome to his opinions. I think of him as an "everyman". Lets face it, most people don't even know that there is an option to Microsoft (sadly).
He's way better than say "Stuart J. Johnston" from Redmond Mag.(and ENT mag.) I'm not even sure Stuart is a real person and not some made up person by the MS marketing machine.
BTW, I'm a Hofan too.
Posted by JoeFan | January 6, 2007 5:05 PM
Mostly 'cause everyone is so hard on Joe. He's just making a living and welcome to his opinions. I think of him as an "everyman". Lets face it, most people don't even know that there is an option to Microsoft (sadly).
He's way better than say "Stuart J. Johnston" from Redmond Mag.(and ENT mag.) I'm not even sure Stuart is a real person and not some made up person by the MS marketing machine.
BTW, I'm a Hofan too.
Posted by JoeFan | January 6, 2007 5:07 PM
Lol Enterprise does NOT contain Media Center....this site is soooo flop.
Posted by Anonymus | January 6, 2007 11:52 PM
%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fstormloader.com%2Fmembers%2Fadderall%2Fbuy%2Dadderall%2Donline.html+%3Ebuy+adderall+online%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fstormloader.com%2Fmembers%2Fadderall%2Fadderall%2Dside%2Deffects.html+%3Eadderall+side+effects%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fstormloader.com%2Fmembers%2Fadderall%2Fadderall%2Ddosage.html+%3Eadderall+dosage%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fadderall.da.cx+%3E+Adderall+%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fstormloader.com%2Fmembers%2Fadderall%2Fgeneric%2Dadderall.html+%3Egeneric+adderall%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fstormloader.com%2Fmembers%2Fadderall%2Fbuy%2Dadderall.html+%3Ebuy+adderall%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fadderall.da.cx+%3E+Buy+Adderall+%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fstormloader.com%2Fmembers%2Fadderall%2Fadderall%2Dpill.html+%3Eadderall+pill%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fstormloader.com%2Fmembers%2Fadderall%2Fadderall%2Doverdose.html+%3Eadderall+overdose%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fstormloader.com%2Fmembers%2Fadderall%2Fadderall.html+%3Eadderall%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0Aa
Posted by Andorra | January 20, 2007 4:12 AM
buy+allegra++%5BURL%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fbuyallegra.da.cx.com+%5Dbuy+allegra%5B%2FURL%5D+++%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fbuyallegra.da.cx.net+%3Ebuy+allegra%3C%2Fa%3E+++http%3A%2F%2Fbuyallegra.da.cx.org+buy+allegra+%0D%0AAloha%2Cgreat+page.+Congratulations+and+keep+on+the+work+good.
Posted by tvagdibr | February 15, 2007 4:17 AM
You%27re+website+looks+very+good%2C+it+was+a+pleasure+to+be+on+you%27re.+Keep+on+the+good+work+%3A%2D%29%2B
Posted by vgecmeat | February 15, 2007 2:07 PM
Did+u+ever+heard+about+CSS...%3F+it+will+help+your+site.S
Posted by umuddivl | February 16, 2007 6:17 AM
Aloha%2Cgreat+page.+Congratulations+and+keep+on+the+worka
Posted by yolbaxji | February 16, 2007 8:33 PM
If+u+don%27t+want+to+see+this+message+again+please+write+me+your+website+link+at%3A+tuxcop%40yahoo.co.uk+Your++url+will+be+immediately+removed+from+Data+Base%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fbuyallegra.da.cx+%3E+Buy+Allegra+%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0Ae
Posted by vgaghyur | February 17, 2007 12:20 AM
If+u+don%27t+want+to+see+this+message+again+please+write+me+your+website+link+at%3A+tuxcop%40yahoo.co.uk+Your++url+will+be+immediately+removed+from+Data+Base%0D%0A%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Favandia.da.cx+%3E+Buy+Avandia+%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0A%3D
Posted by wuyxwegh | February 17, 2007 8:20 AM
%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fbuyalprazolam.da.cx+%3E+Buy+Alprazolam+%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0AIf+u+don%27t+want+to+see+this+message+again+please+write+me+your+website+link+at%3A+tuxcop%40yahoo.co.uk+Your++url+will+be+immediately+removed+from+Data+Base%0D%0A%2B
Posted by okucryja | February 17, 2007 8:33 AM
%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fambienbuy.da.cx+%3E+Buy+Ambien+%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0AIf+u+don%27t+want+to+see+this+message+again+please+write+me+your+website+link+at%3A+tuxcop%40yahoo.co.uk+Your++url+will+be+immediately+removed+from+Data+Base%0D%0A%2B
Posted by yatamjil | February 17, 2007 3:10 PM
%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fativanbuy.da.cx+%3E+Buy+Ativan+%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0AIf+u+don%27t+want+to+see+this+message+again+please+write+me+your+website+link+at%3A+tuxcop%40yahoo.co.uk+Your++url+will+be+immediately+removed+from+Data+Base%0D%0Ab
Posted by djyqwexn | February 17, 2007 7:46 PM
If+u+don%27t+want+to+see+this+message+again+please+write+me+your+website+link+at%3A+tuxcop%40yahoo.co.uk+Your+URL+will+be+immediately+removed+from+Data+Basea
Posted by hlajduvr | February 21, 2007 5:04 PM
If+u+don%27t+want+to+see+this+message+again+please+write+me+your+website+link+at%3A+tuxcop%40yahoo.co.uk+Your+URL+will+be+immediately+removed+from+Data+Base5
Posted by ezguohbu | February 22, 2007 12:59 AM
If+u+don%27t+want+to+see+this+message+again+please+write+me+your+website+link+at%3A+tuxcop%40yahoo.co.uk+Your+URL+will+be+immediately+removed+from+Data+Basea
Posted by bribhagi | February 22, 2007 8:48 AM
Hello+stupid+pendosegi.g
Posted by Sveta | March 7, 2007 5:08 AM
how%2Dto%2Dstop%2Dmasturbating++%5BURL%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fhow%2Dto%2Dstop%2Dmasturbating.yourofe.com++.com+%5Dhow%2Dto%2Dstop%2Dmasturbating%5B%2FURL%5D+++%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fhow%2Dto%2Dstop%2Dmasturbating.yourofe.com++.net+%3Ehow%2Dto%2Dstop%2Dmasturbating%3C%2Fa%3E+++http%3A%2F%2Fhow%2Dto%2Dstop%2Dmasturbating.yourofe.com++.org+how%2Dto%2Dstop%2Dmasturbating+%0D%0Ahow%2Dto%2Dstop%2Dmasturbating%0D%0A0
Posted by Katie | March 7, 2007 6:41 AM
Fascinating+site+and+well+worth+the+visit.+I+will+be+back%21
Posted by Hillari | March 20, 2007 10:56 PM
Sentimental+and+nostalgic.+Great.i
Posted by Keno | March 28, 2007 10:05 PM
Excellent+site+%2D+do+keep+up+the+good+work.w
Posted by Smit | April 11, 2007 1:24 AM
Interesting+web+page+is%2C+i%5C%27ll+see+you+later+one+more+time
Posted by Bill | April 25, 2007 8:55 PM
Hi%2C+all.+Nice+site...I+really+like+your+site+%21+Good+job+man.p
Posted by sveta | May 11, 2007 11:28 AM
I+like+it+and+the+background+and+colors+make+it+easy+to+read%22
Posted by Bill | July 6, 2007 11:34 PM
Hello
Very interesting information! Thanks!
Bye
Posted by tredinertok | July 10, 2007 7:04 AM
Nice+site%21+Big+thanx+to+webmaster%21+
Posted by Bill | July 14, 2007 3:18 AM
This+website+is+Great%21+I+will+recommend+you+to+all+my+friends.+I+found+so+much+useful+things+here.+Thank+you.
Posted by sveta | July 14, 2007 3:58 AM
Hi%2C+good+morning+to+all+of+you...+Nice+Guestbook+%3B%2D%29+%21%21%21+
Posted by Bill | July 14, 2007 7:22 PM
Hi%2C+everybodye
Posted by sveta | July 30, 2007 1:36 PM
Excellent+site+%2D+do+keep+up+the+good+work.+
Posted by Bill | July 30, 2007 6:50 PM
Great+site.+I+will+bookmark+for+my+sons+to+view+as+well%21%21%21
Posted by Hillary | August 10, 2007 3:23 AM
I+have+been+looking+for+sites+like+this+for+a+long+time.+Thank+you%21m
Posted by sveta | August 24, 2007 2:26 AM
Hi%21+Definitely+nice+and+neat+site+you+got+there.%22
Posted by Bush | September 6, 2007 1:47 PM
Greetings%21..w
Posted by Bill | January 18, 2008 4:59 AM
Interesting+web+page+is%2C+i%5C%27ll+see+you+later+one+more+timer
Posted by Helga | February 7, 2008 3:14 AM
Nice+site...+Cool+guestbook...n
Posted by sveta | February 7, 2008 3:16 AM
s+prazdnikov+vasa
Posted by Bill | February 7, 2008 2:11 PM
The+site%5C%27%5C%27s+very+professional%21+Keep+up+the+good+work%21+Oh+yes%2C+one+extra+comment+%2D+maybe+you+could+add+more+pictures+too%21+So%2C+good+luck+to+your+team%21%0A
Posted by Bush | February 7, 2008 5:36 PM
Thanks+for+your+project.+I+like+this+site.+KEEP+IT+UP..a
Posted by Bill | February 7, 2008 8:50 PM
Great+Site+%2D+really+useful+information%21+
Posted by Hillary | February 8, 2008 12:54 AM
This+is+very+interesting+site...%3E
Posted by john | February 22, 2008 7:37 PM
I+have+always+wanted+a+compendium+of+novena+prayers.+Thank+you+for+sharing+all+these+prayers+with+us.+It+brings+joy+and+happiness+to+everyone.+I+know%2C+I+do+feel+that+way.
Posted by Willem | February 22, 2008 7:54 PM
Thank+you+for+your+site.+I+have+found+here+much+useful+information...g
Posted by Robert | March 21, 2008 11:13 AM
+%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fallrek.info%2Fhydrocodone+%3Ehydrocodone%3C%2Fa%3E+%0D%0A+%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Faltbestbuy.info%2Fbuy%2Dtracfone%2Dminutes+%3Ebuy%2Dtracfone%2Dminutes%3C%2Fa%3E+%0D%0Akeep+up+the+good+work%21%0D%0A+%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fzarcz.info%2Feasy%2Dpayday%2Dloan+%3Eeasy%2Dpayday%2Dloan%3C%2Fa%3E+%0D%0A
Posted by Albert | March 21, 2008 11:43 AM
+%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fryoeu.info%2Fcustom%2Dmotorcycle%2Dhelmet+%3Ecustom%2Dmotorcycle%2Dhelmet%3C%2Fa%3E+%0D%0A+%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fopanh.info%2Fprescription%2Ddrug%2Dbentyl+%3Eprescription%2Ddrug%2Dbentyl%3C%2Fa%3E+%0D%0AHi%2C+everybody%0D%0A+%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fnocguide.info%2Fphentermine%2Ddiet%2Dpill+%3Ephentermine%2Ddiet%2Dpill%3C%2Fa%3E+%0D%0A+%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fopaic.info%2Fmonogram%2Dmagic+%3Emonogram%2Dmagic%3C%2Fa%3E+%0D%0A+%3Ca+href%3D+http%3A%2F%2Fmeinopa.info%2Felectric%2Dfireplace+%3Eelectric%2Dfireplace%3C%2Fa%3E+%0D%0Am
Posted by jammarlibre | March 25, 2008 12:28 PM
free+sex%0D%0A0
Posted by Rosina | April 25, 2008 1:19 PM