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The Most Common Cyber Attacks: What They Are And How To Defend Yourself

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The Most Common Cyber Attacks What They Are And How To Defend Yourself

A cyber attack is an unauthorized and intentional attempt by an individual or even an organization to breach another person’s or company’s information system.

Cybercrime And Cyber Attacks

How many times have you wondered … Why do cyber attacks exist?

A cybercriminal tries to take advantage of the discovered vulnerabilities of corporate systems. The cybercrime rate is increasing yearly; in most cases, cybercriminals are trying to get a ransom. According to a statistic, 53% of cyber attacks cause damage of over $ 500,000.

ALSO READ: The Hardware Alternative To Softiron’s Public Cloud

What Are The Most Common Cyber-Attacks?

Below I give an overview of the most common types of cyber attacks.

Phishing

As we have seen in previous articles, phishing consists in sending fake emails containing fraudulent communications that appear to come from a natural source.

This attack aims to steal the victim’s sensitive data, such as credit card and login information, install malware on the computer and then take possession of it.

Malware

Malware is defined as malicious software, such as spyware, ransomware, virus and worm.

The malware’s job is to breach a network by exploiting a vulnerability, usually after a user clicks a malicious link or opens an attachment within the received email, installing malicious software.

When software is installed, malware can block access to core network components, install malware or other malicious software, and obtain information undetected by transmitting it to the attacker.

Man in the Middle attack

The Man in the Middle (MitM) attack, translated into Italian, the man in the middle, is a type of attack that intercepts information between two parties; once traffic is stopped, cybercriminals can sort and steal data. Usually, the entry points for this type of attack are unsecured public Wi-Fi networks; the cyber criminal intercepts data or scans connected devices for vulnerabilities and installing malware.

Once the device has been hacked, the cybercriminal can do whatever he wants with it.

SQL Injection

The SQL injection technique “Structured Query Language” occurs when a cybercriminal inserts malicious code into a server that uses an SQL database, forcing it to disclose information that should remain confidential. The SQL injection can be done directly from the site URL or through specific tools, such as the famous Sqlmap.

DNS Tunneling

DNS tunneling uses the DNS protocol to transmit “non-DNS” traffic on port 53; it also uses DNS to send traffic with the HTTP protocol.

DNS tunneling was born to use the DNS tunneling services on VPN for work and private purposes, but unfortunately, they are also used for malicious purposes.

By malicious use, DNS requests are manipulated to exfiltrate the data intercepted by a system (obviously compromised) and divert the data to the attacker’s infrastructure.

Denial-of-Service Attack

Another potent type of attack used by cybercriminals is the “Denial-of-Service“, through which vast flows of requests are sent to the target systems to exhaust their resources and bandwidth.

The system under attack can no longer satisfy all the requests received and goes down.

Zero-Day Attacks

A “zero-day” attack exploits a newly discovered flaw and has not yet been made public or reported to the manufacturer. This flaw awaiting a resolution, leaves the door open to attacks by cybercriminals.

Botnet

A botnet is a network of computers infected with malicious software. Cybercriminals can control a botnet as a group without the owner noticing.

The goal is to increase the range of the attacks. A botnet is often used to carry out the famous “distributed denial-of-service” DDoS attacks.

What Is A Framework? And Its Types

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What Is A Framework And Its Types

A system for programming improvement and programming indicates the basic design and the programming structure for the product to be made. It makes the software engineers’ work more straightforward and upholds article and part arranged improvement draws near.

The term structure is often utilized in IT, particularly in programming improvement and programming. German expressions for the system are essential to design, improvement structure, administrative procedure, or programming system. There is no widespread, outright meaning of the structure. At times there are various translations and uses of the term. As a rule, a system indicates the actual construction and programming structure for an issue or to be customized.

It makes the software engineers’ work more straightforward and upholds object-arranged, and part-based programming improvement draws near. The designers use pre-modified, reusable structure blocks, capabilities, and system parts. This is how the structure decides the essential engineering of the projects. A structure itself is not a completed application. The developer makes the application inside the request structure determined by the system. The upside of utilizing a system is that the structure blocks, capabilities, and parts don’t need to be recently created for every application and back given issues or use cases. Structures exist for the vast majority of advancement undertakings, for example, work area and versatile applications, web applications, web administrations, test applications, or front-end and back-end applications.

ALSO READ: Cloud And 5G, How Technologies Will Revolutionize Companies’ Business Models

Structure And Components Of A Framework

Due to the many different types and use cases of frameworks, the structure and components can vary greatly. Architectural specifications and content are domain-specific or limited to specific use cases. Frameworks consist of different classes whose interactions are defined. The design patterns and components of the framework determine the order and design structure of the programs to be created.

Frameworks are partly designed in such a way that they contain permanent and changing parts. Permanent parts form the basic functionality and are expanded with changeable, individually designed elements for specific program logic. Concrete components of the frameworks are, for example, runtime environments, templates, standard modules, APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), and libraries. Programmers can access the components flexibly. However, use is only possible within the framework of the specified architecture and interaction pattern.

Attempt To Define The Terms Framework, SDK, Stack, And Library

In the IT and programming environment, terms such as framework, SDK, stack, and library are often used. The transitions are partly fluent and not generally defined. Manufacturers themselves sometimes call programming platforms Framework or SDK. The following is an attempt to differentiate between the various terms.

SDK stands for Software Development Kit. While a framework is a basic structure and an ordered structure for implementing a program for a specific application or problem, an SDK provides the tools required for programming on the platform. These tools can be used for programming in the given framework but do not provide specific specifications for the architecture and basic structure of the programs to be created.

A stack, also known as a software stack or solution stack, consists of abstract, logically stacked technologies. You take on specific roles and provide the functional components to solve a task. The lowest part often communicates with the hardware and is, for example, an operating system. Above these are server software, databases, compilers, libraries, runtime environments, and others. The flow of information in a stack occurs between the components via defined interfaces.

An example of a well-known stack is LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP). It is used for developing and operating web applications and services and consists of the Linux operating system, the Apache web server, the MySQL database system, and the server-side script interpreter PHP. A library is a collection of ready-made subprograms, subroutines, or functions that can be called up to solve a problem within a program code. The subprograms, subroutines, and parts of a library are thematically related. Libraries provide the subroutines for programming languages ​​​​that can be used, for example, to solve mathematical problems, create graphic outputs, or parse texts.

Different Types Of Frameworks

There are many different types of frameworks. A distinction is often made between these basic framework types:

  1. Application Framework: Framework for a specific type of application.
  2. Domain framework: a regulatory framework for solutions to a particular problem area.
  3. Class Framework: Classes and methods to support a larger field of application at a given level of abstraction.
  4. Component Framework: Framework for the development and integration of software components.
  5. Coordination Framework: Regulatory framework for device interactions and seamless interoperability.
  6. Web Framework: For developing web applications, dynamic websites, and web services.
  7. Test Framework: Basic structure for test-driven developments and automated software tests.

Examples Of Well-Known Frameworks

The following are some examples of well-known and commonly used frameworks:

The .NET framework is intended for developing and running programs for the Microsoft Windows operating system. It unifies and structures the methodology of application development on Microsoft systems. For users, the .Net framework acts as middleware, without which the programs that use the framework cannot be run. Bootstrap is a front-end framework for designing the user interfaces of web applications and websites.

It includes HTML and CSS-based design elements. For example, you can use them to create forms, navigation bars, login windows, buttons, tables, and much more. A well-known example of a web framework is Django. It is implemented in Python and offers a variety of options for dynamic programming websites and accessing SQL-based databases. Angular is a front-end web application framework under open source license. It was developed by Google and is based on JavaScript. Dynamic web applications can be created with Angular.

Other examples of frameworks are:

  1. Qt: a framework for creating graphical user interfaces.
  2. Apache Spark: a framework for cluster computing.
  3. Drupal: a content management framework.
  4. Robot: a framework for performing automated software tests.
  5. Zend: a web framework for PHP.

Frameworks For Cloud Computing

Frameworks can also be found in the cloud environment: a cloud framework usually includes a collection of relevant tools, such as middleware or development and database tools. An individually adaptable cloud framework is the basis for developing applications or systems.

With the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (AWS CAF), Amazon offers proven methods to drive digital transformation and develop a roadmap to accelerate and steer the cloud transformation process. The Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure provides proven guidance for accelerating the journey to cloud adoption.

A collection of documentation, implementation guides, methodologies, and tools proven by Microsoft actions to expedite the trip to the cloud. A guide to the Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) provides corresponding instructions. The Google Cloud Adoption Framework takes a more hands-on approach and helps identify critical activities and goals to reliably accelerate cloud adoption. The focus here is on the areas of people, processes, and technology and the respective degree of maturity. The Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Cloud Adoption Framework provides a collection of cloud resources, best practices, tutorials, and enablement tools designed to help define a sound cloud strategy.

This also includes successful workload migration and ensuring full manageability of cloud environments. Unlike the frameworks above, which largely focus on the transition to public cloud environments, the Edge-to-Cloud Adoption Framework addresses broader transformation scenarios across private and public cloud-to-edge computing. These areas include Strategy & Governance, People, Operations, Innovation, Applications, DevOps, Data, and Security.

T-Systems offers a cloud migration framework with which a reliable cloud migration strategy can be set up and implemented step by step.

 In addition to the cloud assessment of the existing IT landscape, the main focus here is on defining a suitable digitization strategy for carrying out the migration based on the Scrum methodology. IBM Cloud for Financial Services focuses on compliance and security and how these can be implemented in financial workloads in the IBM Cloud. Overall, IBM is also concerned with reducing risk for the cloud journey and building a transparent public cloud ecosystem. Some other individually adapted frameworks are also aimed at specific cloud adaptations.

Optimize WordPress Projects With Google Analytics

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Optimize WordPress Projects With Google Analytics

To implement professional web projects, you have to measure success. Only with good analysis can you uncover weak points, identify potential and carry out optimizations. Google Analytics has established itself as the standard for this – also for WordPress websites. Especially if you create WordPress websites on behalf of third parties, you need a sound data basis to justify decisions.

How Do Large And Medium-Sized Projects Benefit From Google Analytics?

Every project has its challenges. To meet these well-founded – and not just from a gut feeling – you need data. Google Analytics is the right tool to collect and evaluate this information. It’s not just about seeing the raw traffic but also about getting to know the users better. This way, the presented web offer can be better tailored to the target group, and the website’s success can increase.

Google Analytics is particularly well suited because the tool provides excellent-grained information. These also help better to understand the stay of visitors on the website. How do users move through the individual pages? Which elements do visitors interact with the most? Is the site more likely to be accessed from mobile or desktop?

ALSO READ: How To Plan Target-Oriented Email Marketing Campaigns

Working with Google Analytics brings the following advantages :

  1. monitor traffic
  2. Optimize keywords
  3. Improve page structure
  4. revise technique
  5. recognize target group
  6. Check campaigns

Thanks to the ease of use of WordPress, changes can be implemented very quickly. Some tasks can even be handed over to customers directly. The backend of the most popular CMS is so simple that even lay people can create and edit content.

Opportunities For Optimization Thanks To The Analysis

Google Analytics is a very comprehensive tool for monitoring a web project. In principle, every website – large or small – can benefit from the findings. But not every key figure is attractive for every project.

One Pager

So-called one-pagers – i.e., websites with only one HTML page – are very well suited to running small campaigns or conveying information quickly. However, Google Analytics has a problem with this website structure: Normally, the tool can track visitors’ movement based on clicks on links and the loading of new pages. Other ways must be found for a website that only consists of a single page.

So you can also use a one-pager navigation with links that lead to the different sections as jump marks. A click on the link expands the URL with specific parameters, which Google Analytics can register. In addition, classic information such as the bounce rate is also very interesting for operators of a one-page website: You can quickly see whether visitors are satisfied with the offer or leave directly disappointed. So keep a close eye on whether visitors are happy with the content and, if necessary, improve it at short notice.

Magazine

Whether it is an independent magazine or a company blog, Google Analytics helps optimize the web project. Above all, information about the target group helps deliver the right content. See precisely the successful published content and how readers are brought to the site.

The Google tool is precious for the latter. In the analyses, you can see exactly which keywords were entered in the search engine to get to your articles. This can be valuable search engine optimization(SEO) information for new content. For independent magazines that depend on advertising revenue, the findings from the analysis tool can be interesting for other reasons: data helps to find the right advertisers and to convince them of your offer.

Corporate Appearance

A website with several subpages, such as a typical company website, is one of the standard cases of web design. In the best-case scenario, visitors to the website click from one subpage to the next. Google Analytics can show these movements well as a user journey. This way, you can see which connections are working well and which parts of the website are dead ends.

The knowledge gained can then be implemented to optimize lead generation. Guide visitors through the website in such an intelligent way that they end up storing their contact details, for example.

Ecommerce

Online shops are complex web projects that pursue a simple goal: to generate revenue through sales. To achieve this as effectively as possible, data from Google Analytics can help you. The conversion rate is critical in this context. So the Google tool can tell you how many visitors complete a transaction, making it a cornerstone of conversion optimization. With the data from Google Analytics, you can also understand at which point users cancel the purchase or which website entries and paths through the website work very well.

In addition to the analysis data, which is also helpful for other web projects, Google Analytics can provide information specific to e-commerce. The tool offers you data on the sales generated and can even include shipping costs and taxes. This is how you link the website’s tracking with sales data and draw interesting conclusions from it.

Use It Correctly: 4 Tips For Google Analytics.

The findings must be used correctly for the collected data to lead to a successful improvement. The following tips will show you how to ensure your efforts don’t fizzle.

Set Smart Goals

As the creator or operator of a website, you are responsible (possibly in cooperation with stakeholders) for defining goals yourself. It is not helpful for anyone to aim for an unclear “as good as possible.” This leads either to frustration among those involved or to a project that hardly progresses. To set meaningful goals, selecting the correct vital figures is first essential.

  1. User numbers: The easiest way to measure the success of a web project is via the number of hits on a website. The more people visit the site – so the thought goes – the more successful the project will be. From the perspective of the web designer, this is initially correct. For the client company, such success is only the first step.
  2. User behavior: It is beneficial if visitors spend as much time as possible on the website. This reduces the bounce rate – i.e., the bounce rate – and shows you that you are providing interesting content. If, on the other hand, visitors leave the page immediately or only spend a few seconds there, this is an indicator that you need to do more work on the design and content. 
  3. Conversions: Companies usually want to generate profit from their investments. Leads – for example, contact data collection – have a high value for this. In Google Analytics, you can count a piece of information gained, for example, by tracking the URL of the thank you page displayed to visitors after registering for the newsletter. But sales can also be tracked in this way.

You can define the goals directly in Google Analytics and see how your web project is performing at a glance. The feature can be found in the administration area of ​​the platform.

Interpret Key Figures Correctly

Many webmasters tend to collect a lot of data but do not evaluate it properly. First of all, the distinction between page view, session, and user must be understood:

  1. Page view describes every page view – whether the visitor is landing on your website for the first time or clicking from subpage to subpage.
  2. Session: The page views of a single visitor are combined into a session. So if you click on the About page from the home page, it’s a new page view, but within the same session.
  3. User: Each user can, in turn, conduct several sessions over time.

Google Analytics also shows you how visitors come to your website. For example, if you hardly have access to search engines, you should improve your content in search engine optimization. If you have placed ads via Google Ads but, as a result, hardly get any visitors to the website, you can turn this screw. It would help if you also got visitors from other websites (e.g., blogs or forums). If not, you need to put more effort into building backlinks. Finally, it would help if you also looked closely at the demographic details that Google Analytics provides. For example, you can see where your visitors are coming from. The so-called affinity categories even show you what general interests your visitors have. This helps to make the content of the website more target group-oriented.

present Results

The amount of data provided by Google Analytics can be overwhelming – especially if you’re not directly involved. If you work on behalf of a client, you may have to present successes to them regularly. Information provided by the analysis tool is ideally suited for this. But you have to be shown correctly. It is of little help to outsiders if you work with absolute numbers. The values ​​are only meaningful in context. Therefore, always present a chronological progression. This can be represented visually in graphs. 

If you have relevant data from competitor sites (some of which you can collect using other tools), you can easily compare your performance with the competition. So, work with examples. It doesn’t help anyone if you present too much – and above all, too much general – data. Find content that has performed exceptionally well and derive benchmarks from that. So, don’t be afraid to point out failures. In the best case, you will then also present a strategy to better master this challenge in the future.

Note Data Protection

By using Google Analytics, you collect user data. In any case, make sure that you behave by data protection regulations. Especially with the introduction of theGeneral Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have to pay more attention to the protection of users when using the Google tool. There are various measures for this:

  1. Data protection declaration: In the web document, which is necessary anyway, you make it clear which information you analyze and for what purpose you do this.
  2. Order processing contract: The data of your visitors are stored and processed by Google. Google is an external service provider that collects user information on your behalf. This relationship should be contractually defined.
  3. IP anonymization: Set Google Analytics so that no data is collected that can be used to identify a specific person.
  4.  Opt-out/opt-in: Give users the option to opt-out of being tracked by Google Analytics right at the beginning of their visit to the website – or even better, leave tracking switched off by default unless visitors agree to the analysis.

Helpful Tools Presented

Google Examination alone is, as of now, a convenient device. You can see the primary data through the web application. You can, in any case, consolidate the examination device with different arrangements. This improves dealing with or gets considerably more out of the site examination.

Google Label Supervisor

Utilize the Google Label Administrator, so you don’t need to physically enter the site label on each HTML page. Different following marks can be overseen utilizing this Google apparatus.

Google Examination Module 

Google fostered the Site Unit for WordPress. This assists you with interfacing different Google administrations to your WordPress project. Moreover, the modules” GA Google Investigation” and “MonsterInsights” are additionally suggested.

WordPress Search engine optimization: To carry out the essential data from Google Investigation, you ought to manage Website design enhancement modules for your site. These assist you, for instance, to all the more likely advanced substances for web search tools.

Google Information Studio

This Google device assists you with handling the information gathered. The Information Studio can give you essential administration, particularly assuming that you need to make reports for clients.

Conclusion

Google Analytics offers a lot of important information for website operators and especially for web design professionals. With the tool, you can effectively improve the performance of the web project and, at the same time, provide your customers with attractive, vital figures. But the Google tool is not the only way to conduct website analytics. Some Google Analytics alternatives score points when it comes to data protection.

Cloud And 5G, How Technologies Will Revolutionize Companies’ Business Models

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Cloud And 5G, How Technologies Will Revolutionize Companies' Business Models

The new 5G standard and the advent of cloud-based solutions will change companies’ business models. Here’s how and what opportunities they offer.

The impact of new technologies, and innovation in general, on the business models of companies is becoming increasingly evident and widespread: from the primary sector to the tertiary sector, the profusion of the new 5G mobile communication standard and the advent of solutions entirely cloud-based computing, networking and storage are slowly sweeping away the classic technological solutions based on physical connections and hardware structures installed locally in company offices, so-called on-premises. 

Start Magazine is collecting various contributions that mention the different impacts, direct and indirect, of the advent of the new 5G network standard: some concerning the implications on society, others concerning the strategies of the companies supplying the technology. At the same time, here we give voice to the possible opportunities companies can seize to adapt or change their business model.

The Interaction Between 5G And Cloud Network

Although two different technologies may appear, 5G and Cloud Networks not only start to go through various stages of development in parallel but, above all, they intertwine to allow companies to ground business solutions that, before now, no one had ever imagined. In recent years, companies have seen an increasing demand for flexibility from industries and the market.

The flexibility has often translated into resilience, or the ability to change operational plans on the run following particular positive or adverse events. The step that led from the request for flexibility by companies to the offer of services that, in the face of offers of “pay as you go” instruments or payment methods based on actual consumption, was short. Resources allow you to change corporate business models.

ALSO READ: Ideas For Successful Startups: The Secret To Choosing Them Well (+25 Examples)

Nowadays, every company that faces a market, be it B2B or B2C, has an internal IT department, which corresponds not only to a part of its value proposition but also to a part of its operating costs. So how would companies react if they were offered a solution allowing their developers to design applications without pre-provisioning all the hardware they need? And again, how would they react if they were also shown to work remotely, with the same security that one would typically have? 5G is offering an innovative proposal on the market, namely the possibility of bringing the same innovations to the enterprise networking sector that the cloud has brought to data centers. 

Therefore, the case is to use an enterprise network service with the same ease and flexibility you have when buying a cloud-based IT service. Of course, the parallelism must be considered net of the critical structural differences and timing for the advent of the two technologies but what unites them is the security of the proposed solution, which, in the case of 5G, is ensured by its ability to create virtual networks. Isolated from each other and distinct from the core of the network. This, or network slicing, guarantees the required flexibility and security and makes 5G a pivotal technology for innovations in the coming years.

The Around Business Case

In setting up the business case of Around, the project I dealt with during my journey at the 5G Academy, for example, the issue of the possible creation of a private network based on public but dedicated resources was often addressed.

Faced with a potential investment in physical hardware, we have always believed that an optimal solution: on the one hand, because a company that starts from scratch needs flexibility and on the other because this also guarantees greater possibilities for scalability, which is a requirement that must be kept in great importance if one wants to rely on external financing.

This trend is also confirmed by the acquisition of Affirmed Networks by Microsoft, which, already with the creation of Azure, has shown a strong interest in the possible developments that 5G and Cloud can bring in the coming years. In this way, Microsoft will be able to offer companies solutions capable of guaranteeing cloud services to operators in the telecommunications sector, enabling the operation of their networks even in hybrid environments, thanks to network virtualization.

How To Add An App To Microsoft Teams

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How To Add An App To Microsoft Teams

Apps allow Teams to go far beyond organizing video conferences or creating Chats and Channels: here’s how to add them quickly and intuitively.

Teams are the video conferencing program included in the Microsoft 365 suite, which until a few years ago, was known as Office 365. It allows you to schedule Meetings, organize conversations in Channels and even share Calendars and tasks. 

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To further increase the range of operations available, you can add an app: another software developed by Microsoft or perhaps an external program. The many apps available allow you to reach the most disparate objectives.

The procedure to add an app in Teams is particularly intuitive but can only be completed by holders of a Premium account. Just locate the entry called App to access a screen full of products. 

They range from programs dedicated to improving Productivity to those related to Education, Images, Videos, or Project Management. Similarly, another video conferencing software, Zoom, can be integrated into Teams. 

How To Add An App To Teams

  • The ability to add apps in Teams is one of the premium features of the program. Therefore it is available to holders of a paid account or those who use Teams through a subscription to Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365). 
  • The procedure is straightforward. To start, look at the left part of the screen: more precisely, the vertical column that allows you to access Activities, Chats, Meetings, Calendar, and so on. Scroll down to the bottom of the list and see an entry called App.
  • Just click on it to access a new main screen dedicated to the presentation and organization of the applications available. These can be tools and products related to the Microsoft galaxy and devices made by third parties. 
  • The apps are presented in thematic categories: ranging from those dedicated to Education or Productivity to the so-called Utilities. From those designed for Project Management to those focused on Images or Videos. 
  • Special categories are also usually located at the top of the screen. Teams typically place the most popular apps of the moment in the foreground: these can be the most downloaded apps and those that have just entered the store. 
  • Finally, there is a further selection of programs dedicated to the user. The platform allows adding to the program apps already installed by the organization to which you belong or most of your colleagues. 
  • When you find an app from the list, click on it with the mouse to open a descriptive screen of a lower level. There may be different sub-sections here that will explain all the software features in question. 
  • Also, in this area, there may be a video showing the App already configured and operational within Teams: a quick and effective way to get an idea of ​​its actual use. 
  • To add the App in question, select Add and choose one of the options available. Apps can also be added to a single Team, a single Chat, or a single Meeting. 

Other Ways To Add An App To Teams

  • Teams offer other ways to add an app that bypasses the list screen described in the previous paragraphs. For example, you can add an app directly within a Chat or Channel. 
  • To do this, you must open the Chat or Channel in question and select the Add a tab + item. From here, you can choose the App in question but also add specific files to the account. 
  • In the same way, you can add an app to a meeting: you can do it before the meeting and when the session is in progress. The important thing is that the user who adds the App plays the role of Organizer or Speaker. 
  • To add an app before a Meeting starts, you need to open it, select Add +, and then choose the App. During a meeting, click on More actions (or on the three corresponding horizontal dots) and then click on Add an app +.
  • Some apps also allow you to insert their content directly into Teams messages. To check the availability of this function, select the Message extension item, represented by three asterisks ( *** ). 
  • Finally, a Teams function called Connector allows you to insert notifications from the various apps installed in the Channels. In this case, the configuration starts from the desired channel and passes through the item Other options ( *** ). 
  • Then click on Connectors and choose the desired App. From here, the user has two paths: he can configure the notifications of an app already added in Teams or add new ones. 

The Best Apps For Microsoft Teams

The apps installed in Teams are classified by category and allow for very different results. Therefore, it isn’t easy to establish a priori which are the best, considering that everything depends on the individual user’s needs. 

For example, many people often switch from video conferencing on Teams to video conferencing on Zoom. In this case, installing the Zoom app directly inside Teams makes it possible to use both programs, avoiding conflicts, slowdowns, or problems of any kind. 

Those used to working with Task Manager-type software might think about installing Trello. In this way, team members will have the possibility to organize their activities without even having to leave the Teams window.

That said, there is something for everyone. Users who receive many messages and are afraid of missing important information might think of an app like Remind to set reminders. Users or teams interested in increasing their Productivity might instead think of a time tracking App.

Which iPhone Has Dual SIM? Overview Of All Models

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Which iPhone Has Dual SIM Overview Of All Models

For a few years now, you have been able to use dual SIM as a practical feature on modern iPhones. However, there is a slight limitation: Apple cell phones do not have a classic dual SIM card slot. This article will give an overview of all iPhones with the feature. We’ll also tell you how it works and what advantages Apple’s implementation has for you.

Do you want to use your iPhone with two contracts and two SIM cards? There are many good reasons for this: For example, if you want to be available for work with a second number, if you have two mobile phone contracts with different networks or data tariffs, or if you are often abroad and need an additional surcharge there.

Apple has also recognized this need, but unlike many Android manufacturers, it does not install a second nano card slot in the phone. To register a second number, you must use eSIM. This is a built-in chip in the iPhone that can digitally store the data of a classic SIM. A second physical SIM card is not necessary.

iPhone With Dual SIM: All Models At A Glance

Here you will find a clear list in advance of which iPhones offer dual SIM as an optional feature and in which form the function is available to you. We have divided the models into the currently existing variants. Find out below whether the second “card slot” is a single eSIM or whether you can also use two completely digital SIM cards.

Dual eSIM or SIM + eSIM:

  • iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • iPhone 14 Pro
  • iPhone 14
  • iPhone 14Plus
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13 Pro
  • iPhone 13
  • iPhone 13 mini
  • iPhone SE (3rd generation)

SIM + eSIM:

  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • iPhone 11
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone SE (2nd generation)

Set Up The Dual SIM Function On The iPhone 14 – This Is How It Works

The eSIM has been around since the iPhone models Xs, Xs Max and iPhone XR and, of course, also in the iPhone 14 as well as the iPhone 14 Plus , the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max . To register the eSIM on your contract, contact your mobile phone provider – all significant providers have detailed instructions online on getting or activating an eSIM.

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Even smaller providers now support the function. However, please inquire in advance whether this is the case with you. Once complete, you can use the eSIM with your iPhone 14 as if it were a classic SIM card in the corresponding slot.

To switch between the SIM cards after registration, you choose the following steps on your iPhone 14 :

  1. Go to ” Settings “.
  2. Click on “Cellular “.
  3. Under “Mobile phone tariffs”, you now select the one you want to use and confirm with ” Activate this line “.

You can assign the two mobile phone tariffs to individual apps or functions from iOS 13. For example, you can specify that you always want to use FaceTime with one number and iMessage with the other number. Necessary: You can be reached on both numbers simultaneously via iPhone dual SIM.

If one mobile phone tariff (depending on the location) offers a higher bandwidth or a better network, you can let your phone try optimally for yourself what it can connect to. But you must allow this beforehand by activating ” Allow mobile data switching ” in the settings.

Dual SIM On The iPhone: This Is How You Assign A Phone Number

You must set one of the two mobile networks as the standard number for making calls. When you call someone from your phone book for the first time, the connection will be made using this default number.

You can also assign one of the two phone numbers to contacts. Your iPhone will then continue to call these people using exactly this phone number in the future. This is particularly useful if, for example, you do not want to call professional contacts from your private number.

Are eSIM Cards The End Of The Standard SIM Card?

You have been able to use iPhones with two mobile phone contracts since 2018 – provided that one of these two contracts is linked to the eSIM in the iPhone and you use a nano-SIM in the corresponding compartment of the iPhone for the second contract. Apple took the next step with the iPhone 13: Dual SIM is possible for the first time without using a physical SIM card.

This applies to all variants of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 as well as the iPhone SE (2022)): In addition to the existing slot for a nano SIM, these devices also have two eSIMs installed inside the phone – and that will pretty much realistically be standard for most smartphones in a few years. All smartphones from major manufacturers such as Samsung, Google and Co. are already eSIM-enabled. It’s only a matter of time before a physical SIM card is no longer necessary.

In the US, Apple has already omitted the corresponding slot in the iPhone 14 series. Most mobile service providers allow you to switch to an eSIM without problems. However, to be on the safe side, you should inquire in advance whether your provider supports the eSIM option.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Dual SIM Mean?

Dual SIM means that you can use two SIM cards in one smartphone at the same time. This can be done via two physical card slots or a built-in chip and a digital SIM (eSIM).

How To Use Two SIM Cards On The iPhone?

With the iPhone, dual SIM differs depending on the model. The card slot and eSIM can be used together, starting with the iPhone XS. Beginning with the iPhone 13, Apple evenT offers Dual-SIM with two eSIMs simultaneously.

Does The iPhone 14 Have Dual SIM?

Yes, the dual SIM is, of course, also supported by the iPhone 14 and its sister models.

Ideas For Successful Startups: The Secret To Choosing Them Well (+25 Examples)

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Ideas For Successful Startups The Secret To Choosing Them Well (+25 Examples)

In this article, I will explain how to choose the perfect idea for your startup, even if you have no experience.  Everyone knows that finding a successful startup takes a great idea. 

But how do you make it come? And how can you be sure it’s an excellent innovative idea worth developing? What makes a startup successful? Read on, and you will find the answer to all these questions.

The Idea For A Startup: Where It All Begins

First, I want you to know that I know how you feel … You are tired of working for someone else (your boss or clients) and being a slave to the system. You want to be your boss, set your schedules, and live the lifestyle you want. But starting your own business seems like a crazy challenge to you. You can’t afford to quit your job right now, so you must wait to save enough money.

And in the meantime, design your startup down to the smallest detail. That’s why I created this blog: with my help, you will learn proven methods to build a business quickly… All while making the lifestyle you’ve always wanted!

And all this without you having to make the classic mistakes that 95% of startuppers make, leading to failure within the first five years. To start this path, access my FREE GUIDE; you will find everything you need to launch your startup in a simple and step-by-step way. The first research phase for those who want to open a startup involves identifying a need for a new product or service. If you think about it, all startups are in the problem-solving business. So it is essential to ask yourself: what are the problems the market is facing now, and what are the issues that my product or service could solve?  There are two types of problems:

  1. those that have already been fixed
  2. those who are not yet

Business Ideas Based On An Already-Solved Problem

You must understand that the solutions to the problems that have been solved are the most common. Since man has existed, there have been tons of problems to solve, and for 99% of them, a solution has already been found (which was then sold and made someone rich)

So if you want to deal with problems that have already been solved, you need an excellent innovative idea for your startup that:

  1. solve the problem better
  2. translate it in the same way but costing less
  3. translate it in the same manner but in an easier and faster way

I always like to give the example of the washing machine.

Until a few decades ago, the only way to wash clothes was to go to the washroom and use soap and hands. The clothes were as clean as now … but you want to put your hands in the ice water in the middle of winter? And then the waste of time going to and from the washroom? And the fatigue? When the washing machine arrived, the dirty laundry problem had already been solved … but it did it in a new way, faster and far more accessible.

ALSO READ: The Hardware Alternative To Softiron’s Public Cloud

So think about the following:

  1. Does your startup solve a new or old problem?
  2. Does it solve it better than the senior solutions if it is old?

Startup Ideas Based On An Unsolved Problem

The other category of problems is those that have not yet been solved. If your business idea falls into this sector, paradoxically, you have a problem. Yes, because even if it seems easier to solve a new trial, it is much more complicated.

Because either you have found the cure for cancer … and then you will indeed become a billionaire, as well as a benefactor remembered in history for many centuries, or you must ask yourself if the problem you want to solve makes sense. For example, if you wanted to solve the problem of designing an envelope that collects dust when you drill holes (I swear that a client proposed this project to me), then maybe you better put the idea aside and start doing a severe market analysis.

What Sets A Good Business Idea Apart?

At this point, you are probably wondering: How do I know if mine is a good idea?

To help you, I’ve prepared this checklist, which you’ll need to apply to your business ideas to determine which ones are best. Ask yourself:

  1. Does my startup idea solve an urgent and felt problem in the market?
  2. Compared to another existing notion, does it do it in an innovative, faster, more efficient, and cheaper way?
  3. Does it have a clear value proposition? Can it articulate its value proposition better than the competition?
  4. Can you describe how your product/service/solution will improve the lives of potential customers?

These are critical questions if you want to be successful in the market. And they are all interconnected. 

How To Choose Between Different Startup Ideas?

Maybe you are the volcanic type and have written a lot of ideas on paper. You can’t figure out which ideas to pursue because there are so many promising startups… You are afraid to commit money or time until you have a solid idea. Also, you don’t want to start your own business without having a clear idea of ​​what you want to do and what type of startup it is suitable for.

How Do You Choose Among These The Best Ideas To Focus On?

As already mentioned, I recommend that you access my FREE RESOURCES. You will find all the answers you are looking for. The key here is to look for an opportunity with a high market demand that you can fill with your offer. This will be your first challenge. If you want to be the first to solve a problem, then the most important thing to ask yourself is:

  1. How big is the problem? The bigger it is, the greater the chances of success
  2. Do I need my product or service?
  3. Do I have experience in this area?
  4. If so, how do I compare with others?
  5. Are there other people doing similar things in my industry?
  6. If so, how big is the market? Is it a crowded market or a virgin market?

To answer this question effectively, you should do a market analysis with great attention to current trends in the Italian market.

25 Examples Of Startup Ideas

To give you further help, I want to provide you with 30 examples of innovative startup ideas that could become a success: List of possible great ideas selected for startups:

  1. A subscription service for dog owners sends a supply of dog food directly to their doorstep.
  2. A market for on-demand services, such as housekeeping, transportation, babysitting for hire for mothers or seniors, etc.
  3. An App that connects the supply and demand for home services, such as plumbers, carpenters, and electricians.
  4. A service for people with chronic diseases puts them in contact with trainers who help them learn how to manage their symptoms better.
  5. An app that helps people search for more than just short-term rentals.
  6. An app that shows people what various career opportunities are available based on their skills.
  7. A range of services for college students to connect with other people in their university and create study groups.
  8. A comparison shopping site for beauty products, so people know how different beauty brands compare on price and quality.
  9. A startup that brings together doctors and patients to produce medicines for rare diseases.
  10. A company that creates incredible virtual reality experiences to help people with mental health problems.
  11. An app that provides location-based recommendations for fun activities in your city.
  12. An app that uses augmented reality to explain the history of the various monuments to the tourists of each city
  13. A service that provides valuable tips for managing your money.
  14. A website that helps you find the best deals for your next vacation.
  15. A portal that reviews neighborhood shops and high-quality food trucks nearby
  16. A startup that makes it easier for people to buy and sell local art.
  17. A business-to-business platform that connects investors with startups that are raising funds.
  18. A company that helps commercial consulting firms automate their operations.
  19. A platform for schools to better help their alums find employment.
  20. A company that uses artificial intelligence to help developers build apps.
  21. A platform that allows users to read news and provide feedback.
  22. A mobile application that connects travelers with locals to deliver unique and authentic travel experiences. 
  23. A platform allows users to manage their time more efficiently by connecting all their devices.
  24. A startup that stores fashion design ideas on a blockchain, allowing fashion artists and creators to offer their designs on the market. 
  25. A market for teachers who offer tuition to students.

These are some examples that I have thrown away quickly and that you can use to get ideas. However, if you continue to follow me and read me, you will develop a successful startup idea. And you can put this idea into practice without spending a single penny. I invite you to understand my free resources.

Conclusion

I hope this article has given you a lot of inspiration and new ideas for your startup. 

To succeed, you need to identify and fill a real need. The more people feel the need, the greater the potential for success. You can also ask your friends and family or friends for help and ideas on social networks. Success is guaranteed if you have a good idea and the right people to put on your team.

Manufacturing And IoT: The Trends Of 2022

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Manufacturing And IoT The Trends Of 2022

The innovations linked to the birth and development of the Internet of Things have a disruptive effect within all market sectors. The ongoing revolution is transforming many companies’ business strategies, positively influencing how people work.

What Is The Internet of Things?

Internet of Things (IoT) is a term that has recently been introduced into the vocabulary of all languages ​​following the evolution of web 3.0. Experts have not yet been able to identify this new reality’s exact date of birth as opinions are different and conflicting. One of the numerous theories claims that its origins can be traced back to 2008 and 2009 when the number of objects connected to the internet officially exceeded that of human beings.

This new concept is identified with the literal translation of the words that make up the term: internet of things. Although it may seem a perfect example of a macaronic translation at first glance, this is actually the best version to fully express the concept linked to neologism.

ALSO READ: Modern Orchestration For IoT And Industry 4.0 Security

Through the internet of things, a series of concrete objects previously unrelated to this type of context have been the protagonists of development in the form of digital identity that has enabled them to interact with all other connected devices and IoT technologies.

What are the advantages attributable to this breaking of the mold? The benefits of the IoT network are innumerable, and their specifications vary according to the market environment.

Sectors Where The Internet of Things Is Present

In this article, we will focus on the role of the Internet of Things in the manufacturing sector. Still, before delving into this field, it is necessary to highlight other of the most critical areas in which IoT devices are making history by creating new money trafficking that is already worth billions of euros:

  • Home automation sector – Smart Home
  • Construction sector – Smart Building
  • Automotive industry – Autonomous Smart Cars
  • Urban planning sector – Smart Mobility and Smart City
  • Health sector – Smart Health
  • Security sector – Smart Surveillance Systems

The common factor that unites every market corner is evident: human life tends to be increasingly directed towards a bright, intelligent future. This technology makes it possible to establish real-time dialogues within the Cloud, drastically reducing the time required to analyze data, make decisions and perform operations.

Internet of Things For The Manufacturing Sector

The manufacturing sector includes all the industrial activities carried out, starting from processing raw materials and then transforming them into finished products destined for consumption. In recent years, this field has been one of the leading players in terms of technological innovation.

With the birth of the IoT, numerous changes have made the manufacturing sector one of the most avant-garde in our country. The synergy that unites these two worlds has created a balanced combination of innovation and tradition.

In the following paragraph, we will analyze the various cases in which the Internet of Things has proved to be a fundamental element capable of revolutionizing the business processes in which it was introduced.

The Trends Of 2022 In The Manufacturing Sector

As we have already mentioned in previous articles ( Smart Manufacturing for a Connected Factory, Remote Maintenance with Augmented Reality ), the adoption of IoT applications and the use of special sensors inside the machinery allow you to always have the status under control. Of production plants. 

This possibility of detailed monitoring allows workers and maintenance technicians to prevent equipment failures and always guarantee absolute compliance with safety requirements. In addition to this way of using the Internet of Things, however, the manufacturing industries are characterized by new and constantly growing trends:

  • Logistics And IoT Activities

IoT technologies allow workers to constantly be updated in real-time on the warehouse situation and receive alerts when some materials are about to run out. Even the inventory preparation, which previously required many hours of work, has undergone a drastic upgrade thanks to the modern and advanced systems’ immediate response. 

  • Market Forecasts And IoT

Always having the production plants and warehouse situation under control translates into a large volume of data collected (big data). IoT technologies analyze this traffic every moment, thanks to their Machine Learning, allowing us to analyze and predict market trends, even anticipating the fluctuation of demand.

  • Work Safety And IoT

Implementing repair operations for which a high degree of expertise is required is an action that the IoT has made significantly safer. Thanks to wearable devices, the worker can be helped remotely by a team of experts who have a complete vision of the situation and will guide the worker step by step to resolve the problem. 

Furthermore, in some areas of the sector, it may be essential to constantly be updated on the position of some materials or machinery. In this case, the Internet of Things allows you to activate a 24/7 tracking system that shows their status and geolocation in real time.

The Future Is Smart; Are You Ready?

It is now clear for a company operating in the manufacturing sector, it is becoming increasingly advantageous to invest in the Internet of Things to maintain its market competitiveness and anticipate the competition that has not yet made this type of decision.

The Hardware Alternative To Softiron’s Public Cloud

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The Hardware Alternative To Softiron's Public Cloud

Not everyone is happy with what hyperscalers are offering. But there are alternatives. One example is the provider Softiron, which implements an integrated, multi-client capable, and environmentally friendly approach with its “Hypercloud.”

Many security-conscious companies, managed service providers, or medium-sized public cloud providers, do not benefit from the infrastructural advantages of hyperscalers. They need other infrastructures to implement their business models optimally. It is not yet clear which hardware will prevail in the emerging edge market. However, edge locations still need a lot of flexibility.

Above all, they should be easy to maintain and scale since they are often located in inaccessible areas. An example of a hyperscale independent cloud infrastructure is “HyperCloud” by Soft iron. The manufacturer chooses a very unusual way of designing and manufacturing its hardware for its “intelligent cloud fabric.” It runs its own minimalistic and hardened operating system.

Simple And Multi Tenant

The head office designs adapt to the user and are manufactured close to the customer to save delivery costs and anchor themselves in the local economy. In addition to being close to the customer, the aim is also optimal recyclability of the components. The supply chain should be as short and transparent as possible.

Simple management, resilience (up to nine nines, 99.9999999 percent availability), simple and theoretically limitless scalability, and multi-client capability are other features claimed by Soft iron. The multi-client capability is expressed, for example, in the supplied customer-specific usage measurement of the individual resources with an interface to billing and customer- or group-specific access rules. It can be defined for each customer how much of which aid he is allowed to use.

ALSO READ: Digital Transformation Is An Ongoing Journey

Turn Key Installation

Soft iron Hypercloud is installed and ready for use by customers. Virtual machines, LXC containers, and multi-VM services can be provided via a virtualization layer. An infrastructure can consist of several cooperating on-premises zones and private and public clouds.

A single image provides stateless servers, storage, and networking on bare metal. For stateful applications, there are guest volumes that hold the data. Guest instances can be imported, uploaded, or created manually, but they can also be downloaded from a marketplace like an app marketplace. Other options include Docker Hubs, Linux containers, and operator-specific marketplaces. Working VMs can be saved via snapshot and integrated into the market.

Compute Node

Compute nodes have eight or 16 cores, 64 and 512 or 1024 (16 cores) GiB memory, and a maximum of two 10/25 Gbit/s interfaces. The power supply is available twice on request, and the power consumption is 110 or 165 watts. Heat dissipation is 375 and 563 BTU/hr, respectively. BTU (British Thermal Unit) is a caloric unit of measurement.

1 BTU is the heat needed to raise one liter of water by one degree. The value, therefore, indicates how much cooling is required as a result of the implementation of the system.

Storage

Storage nodes are available in four variants: Value (48 TB), Density (48 to 144 TB), Performance (53.78 TB) and Performance + (2.2 to 51.2 TB). The respective power consumption varies between 100 (value) and 230 watts (density), and the heat output is between 341 (value) and 784 BTU/hr. Data is placed directly from the compute nodes onto the media using a deterministic hash algorithm. There are features for journaling, caching, snapshots, and cloning.

Networking

The individual components fully mesh where possible, otherwise connected to hierarchical leaf-spine networks at 10, 25, or 100 Gbit/s. The control plane automatically configures the network. There are also cloud and hyperx-cloud management interconnects. The cloud interconnects module has 48 ports with 10 or 25 Gbit/s, plus four QSFP28 uplink ports with 100 GbE.

The power consumption is a maximum of 550 watts; the heat output is 1876 BTU. The management interconnects module manages 48 connections at 1 Gbit/s each. It has a 1Gbps uplink port, consumes 150 watts, and generates 512 BTU/hr of heat.

Widely Usable Reference Designs

The manufacturer specifies four reference designs: two minimal configurations with or without resilience and two other resilient arrangements with particular tasks – one geared towards performance and one geared towards large amounts of data.

The non-resilient minimum configuration has single points of failure in the compute and network area. The storage area is also redundant here so that no data is lost in the event of a loss. Areas of application are simple edge applications, crypto mining, development, and testing. 

The configuration includes a cloud and management interconnects module, a compute node with 64 GB RAM for eight VMs, and 48 ​​TB double redundant storage (three modules), which consumes six rack units. The minimal resilient configuration has at least two cloud interconnects, one management module, two computers, and three storage nodes. According to the manufacturer, it is the configuration for beginners who want to withdraw some or all of their workloads from the public cloud. The connection to the fabric is redundant for the compute nodes.

Data And Performance-Intensive Configurations

The resilient configuration for data-intensive purposes should feel like consuming cloud storage for files, blocks, and object storage. In an entry-level design, in addition to two redundantly connected compute nodes, you need two clouds, one management interconnect, and 42 storage nodes, each with 144 TB.

The performance-optimized version comes in the basic configuration with three particularly powerful NVMe storage nodes, each with 51.2 TB of RAM. They are combined with more enormous compute nodes with 1024 GiB RAM.

Carbon Dioxide Calculator

The “Carbon Calculator” on the Softiron website is interesting for environmentally conscious users. But it only works if all cookies are loaded. The calculator is available in a basic and an extended version, which can be accessed via the “Edit All Working Data” link. The basis is the amount of storage required and a country selection.

In the extended version, data such as the electricity price or the media usage time can be customized. Anyone who experiments with different countries recognizes that expensive electricity and few renewables in the electricity mix make Softiron particularly worthwhile.

It Helps Against Expensive Electricity.

An example, calculated with the simple version: With 1 PByte storage and storage on HDD in Germany in a data center with PUE 1.5, Softiron would save 94,616 tons of carbon dioxide over five years, according to the calculator. Almost 70,000 tons of carbon dioxide would continue to be generated. Electricity bills would shrink by around $83,400 over the same period, roughly the same amount of money in euros. Almost 53,700 euros would still have to be paid for electricity.

In Norway, with its primarily water-based electricity generation, all other things being equal, only 7,277 tons of carbon dioxide would be saved with around 13,700 tons of production. Soft iron would reduce electricity costs by around $24,000 to $15,459.

Digital Transformation Is An Ongoing Journey

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Digital Transformation Is An Ongoing Journey

Realistically, digital transformation is an ongoing journey for a company – not a project you undertake and complete. On the contrary, companies benefit from the possibilities of digitization in different areas: communication, internal processes, and cooperation.

But also in further developing their products and services, addressing customers, collaborating with partners, and a better understanding of markets and customers – just a few examples. These advantages are not unlocked all at once but continuously. More and more aspects are added, each of which is penetrated more and more deeply.

ALSO READ: Google Spreadsheet Header – How To Edit Them!

The direction of this trip is clear, but the specific destination is uncertain. Intermediate goals that are achievable and bring the company forward only slowly appear on the horizon as we move along. It is foreseeable that the path of digital change will not always be comfortable and well-trodden but also difficult. However, the positive insight that travel is educational is just as correct and transferable to digital transformation. Experience can be built on, and the itinerary optimized. With each milestone, you can better plan for the next step and ensure you’re always moving in the right direction—without having the master plan in place from the start.

The change in the corporate world through digital technologies and solutions usually affects the entire company and is not a “one-man show.” Neither the management nor the IT department or strategic consultants will single-handedly devise a disruptive idea that will revolutionize the company and make it a digital champion. Although there may always be such cases, this remains the absolute exception.

Make The Change Positive

One challenge is to get all employees enthusiastic about the digitization journey and to set off together. Suppose the importance and seriousness are recognizable for everyone. In that case, the potential of every employee is activated and resistance to change is overcome; the entire organization moves slowly at first, then faster and faster. This path is continuous and sustainable and permanently integrates the topic of “digitization” into our own corporate culture.

Starting with simple things (an example of potential quick wins is the improvement of internal processes by digitizing them), experience and courage increase. This means that even larger steps – such as flanking your products with additional digital offers or digital interfaces to customers and partners – become realistic, plannable, and turnover tables. The digitization journey works best when everyone goes along with it. Slowly at first, then faster and faster.

Naturally, there is skepticism about changes, and in this respect, also about digitization initiatives in companies. On the other hand, this topic also permeates our private everyday life, so it is not uncommon for employees to have already overtaken their company. Regardless of whether it is shopping via Amazon, selling via eBay, booking accommodation via Airbnb, stock market transactions with an online broker, or exchanging ideas with friends via WhatsApp – many employees already use digital solutions and procedures in their private lives that can easily and advantageously have an impact on the future transfer company. In this respect, an important success factor is actively involving employees in designing the future digital journey and using their specialist knowledge.

Early Involvement Increases The Chances Of Success

“Someone did the math without the landlord” – this phrase symbolizes why only a minority of companies can speak of success when they evaluate their digital change. The international study “Soul Searching: True Transformations Start Within” by the management consultancy Bain & Company found that only twelve percent of companies fully complete their change programs.

According to the study makers, more than two-thirds fall short of expectations and only achieve mediocre results. Over 400 top managers worldwide who have recently extensively restructured their companies were interviewed for the study.

Why is it that the majority of companies miss their digital transformation goals? An important finding of the Bain study is that companies must involve employees at all levels in the change process. Company management should, therefore, not view employees as “herd cattle ” that can be driven in one direction or the other, depending on what the responsible transformation managers and consultants can think of at the moment. The study also shows that the time factor for acceptance and willingness to change plays an important role. Because with early and timely involvement, the chances of achieving the transformation goals double.

Without a doubt, every beginning is difficult: the more complex a matter is – and the journey into the digital future is a particularly complex matter – the more companies deal with themselves first. They first want to be able to assess what to expect and how they can deal with it and have to deal with changes. After all, the topic has what it takes to become a “disruptive wrecking ball.” It usually starts with the first working groups, the first digital lab sees the light of day, or you cooperate with a hip startup. Only then do most companies slowly push digital change into other areas of the company.

In this “project bubble,” however, exactly what the “Soul Searching” study describes often happens: companies overlook that involving employees from the start is a decisive factor for the success of the digitization journey. The company must show its employees why the conversion or change process is necessary and what it consists of. Because if you don’t (recognize) the meaning behind your actions, you won’t get into action either. Digitization is a social transformation – and it starts in mind.

Storytelling And Messages Instead Of Just Changing Facts

How can you inspire your team and activate the team members to follow the path and actively contribute to making the “Mission: Digital Change” a success? The right mindset and the right communication are crucial.

Because a company’s digital transformation is an ongoing journey, it requires a strategic communication approach that is both long-term and far-sighted, with which the company constantly accompanies its workforce on the joint digitalization journey. The content strategy needed for this defines the goals to be achieved with the content and provides an answer as to which channels, messages, and measures should be used to address employees.

The change story is important for communication and is created in content strategy development. It is the heart of change communication, to which all content is geared. It is the basis for strategic topic planning because it defines the topics and stories that will later be communicated. This “story-first” approach requires a mindset shift from channel to topic focus.

Since all areas of corporate communication (internal communication, public relations, marketing communication) are based on the same “basic story” with previously defined messages, communication with employees becomes more consistent because topics and stories are coordinated and generated across departments. With the change from channel to topic focus (“story first, channel second”), the company’s content organization requirements are changing. Topics and stories are initially planned channel-independently and are no longer owned by a single area. This requires a different form of collaboration on content and changed work processes, roles, and responsibilities – this is also part of the content strategy.