Probably the hottest news abuzz this year is the looming merger — some say hostile takeover — between Microsoft and Yahoo. Earlier, it was about the resistance on the part of Yahoo to capitulate to the software giant. Lately, the focus has shifted to Redmond and the perceived motive behind their bid to acquire the second largest search engine.

Very recently, two analysts from Gartner, a research services firm, asserted that Microsoft is now on shaky ground due to the state of Windows Vista, which they described as “collapsing”. The analysts, Michael Silver and Neil MacDonald, practically assessed the latest version of the Windows OS as a failure due to disappointingly low market acceptance. According to a rival firm, Forrester Research, by the end of 2007, only a little more than 6% of enterprise-level PC users had migrated to Vista.

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WHICH BROWSER DO you use when you surf the ‘Net? Chances are, it’s Internet Explorer, because most of us use Windows, and this browser comes bundled with Microsoft’s operating system. Here’s a breakdown of browser usage all over the world (Jan.-Feb.2008 figures. Source: TechCrunch):

Internet Explorer (“IE”) is now on version 7. And I must say––without prejudice against the other browsers––it’s a huge improvement over its previous release. But there’s a problem here: too many people are still using Interne Explorer 6 (“IE6”). If you take a look at the table above, more than a fifth of Internet users around the world are still stuck at version 6.

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One of the things that sets large corporations apart from the rest is the attention they pay to their customers. Plus: the tools with which they accomplish this. Up until recently, only such companies could afford sophisticated — and expensive — systems that enable them to keep track of customer relations.

In the Internet Age, consumers are now vastly varied and have access to a world of information regarding products and services. So much so that industry-strength software is necessary for a business to be on top of what its customers currently want. In the cutthroat world of sales (actually selling stuff) and marketing (generating leads for future sales), dispensing with the necessary tools would be tantamount to suicide. •••Read on»

In a previous post, I talked about the entry and acceptance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software systems among Davao companies. This is a boon to the city’s industries and the local economy, because it is one sure sign of our local companies’ coming of age.

However, is this a threat to local software developers? Yes and no.

For one, there are still many companies who won’t shell out the P1.5 million cash price on an entry-level ERP system. So these companies remain the bread and butter of local I.T. companies. •••Read on»

In the last few years, industry watchers have seen the increased adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software systems — especially from SAP, Oracle and Microsoft — by Davao-based companies. And I’m not referring to multinational companies, but to homegrown, medium-sized corporations that software providers call their “mid-market”.

In the past, Davao companies relied on either internally-developed systems (making use of off-the-shelf software products), or systems created by third-party providers in the city. Smaller operations entrusted their internal data processing requirements to freelance programmers — even today.

But with the increasing trend of globalization, and the shrinking of the international marketplace, Filipinos have begun to realize the need for more robust and sophisticated software systems. Such systems would have to address management’s demand for up-to-the-minute information, which the latter needs for making informed decisions. •••Read on»

In the electronic world, Filipinos are known for spending an inordinate amount of time on computer games, mobile phones (SMS, MMS, ring tones, what have you), YouTube, and other newfangled digital stuff. I guess it’s due to our penchant for communication, for keeping in touch, but especially for letting our friends and family know what we’re up to.

The perfect answer to the Filipino’s thirst for multimedia solutions might just be this new service that I found on the Web: AVS4YOU. Basically, it’s a set of software that lets you create and manage digital video & audio, as well as do multimedia processing. •••Read on»

After Aileen Apolo’s presentation to Davao’s SMEs on Google AdWords & Google Apps last Tuesday at DTI, I finally gave the latter a test run. So I’ve come to the conclusion that Google Apps is a web presence creator. It has, among other things, community-building tools for allowing all of your organization’s members to collaborate online.

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Is it due to age that I’m talking about “memory” in two consecutive blog posts? No, it’s my long experience in Internet-delivered virus infections, hard disk crashes, what have you…. I’m sure everyone who’s been online long enough can relate to this.

In an effort to protect my data from harm, I’ve gone through several solutions: from freeware to shareware to expensive software, all in an effort to prevent malware. Now, just how do you evaluate anti-virus software?

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Business owners looking to automate their company’s accounting system are in for a treat. How does a US$150 software package sound? A back-office solution that incorporates GL, AP/AR, inventory, banking, payroll… could something so comprehensive cost only $150? Actually, on Amazon.com it retails for only $72.99! •••Read on»