Musato Technologies Blog

Low-Code Development

Published November 12, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

How low-code development makes building mobile apps easier

Low-code tools let nearly anyone build mobile applications quickly and efficiently. Here’s why these development tools will continue to grow in popularity.-Low-Code Development

A new category of mobile software developers is coming, and, surprise, they’re not actually developers. Thanks to a growing number of low-code development platforms, nearly anyone with some enthusiasm and patience can build mobile and web applications today. And they can do it quickly.

These new tools essentially do the hard work developers had to do — from data management and integration to visual configuration of business logic tools, built-in rules for development and delivery, and emphasis on drag-and-drop elements, according to the Forrester Research Wave report, “Low-Code Development Platforms, Q2 2017.” This is a way companies can “bring people into the development organization and rapidly drive innovation and compete with the unicorns,” said Robert Stroud, principal analyst for infrastructure and operations professionals at Forrester. With these new platforms, Stroud said so-called citizen developers are for the first time “really able to leverage IT.” Continue reading →

Posted in Application Development, Creating App, Enterprise Computing, Enterprise Software, Mobile application, Mobile Apps, Musato Technologies, Software Design, Software Designing Tools, Software Development, Software Development Tools | Tagged Application Development, low-code development, Software Development

Lean Software Development

Published November 4, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Lean Software Development

Lean software development is a concept that emphasizes optimizing efficiency and minimizing waste in the development of software. This approach has its roots in the lean manufacturing movement of the 1980s but is now considered an integral part of the Agile software development methodology.

Seven principles of lean software development

Lean principles center on the idea that less is more, and they aim to streamline every part of the software development lifecycle.

The concept is that efficiencies can be applied and waste can be managed at all levels: each individual, every department, interdepartmental operations, the organization as a whole, and the relationships of the organization with customers and suppliers.

When it comes to waste, the lean philosophy has a very broad definition that includes anything that doesn’t add value to the product. A lean product development team should focus on learning and, because of the strong demand for software applications today, should decide on features as late as possible to eliminate the need to redo work as the market changes. At the same time, there is equal pressure to deliver as fast as possible. Continue reading →

Posted in Application Development, Enterprise Software, Information Technologies, IT, Mobile application, Musato Technologies, Programming, Software Design, Software Development | Tagged Application Development, Lean Software Development, Software, Software Development

IT Troubleshooting at Remote Locations

Published October 27, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

6 Steps for IT Troubleshooting at Remote Locations

IT problems at a distance can be hard for IT to solve. Here are the steps to take to fix them quicker.
The essential trouble with troubleshooting remote locations is that they’re remote. The term “remote location” can mean a lot of different things. Some may be typical branch offices away from company headquarters, while others may be banks, retail stores, university campuses, doctors’ offices or hospitals.
Whatever the case, these locations are away from the main office or data center, which makes it hard for you in IT to easily diagnose any problem. Between you and any remote location, there are likely multiple networks served by multiple ISPs. The users at those locations may be accessing company resources over the VPN, SaaS applications, and cloud-hosted workloads or files. These layers of technology add a lot of complexity to the IT troubleshooting process. Continue reading →

Posted in IT, IT Troubleshooting | Tagged IT Support, IT Troubleshooting

Content Management System

Published October 20, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

What to look for in web content management system software?

A Content management system can help an organization support the entire content creation process, from production to delivery — but there’s much to consider in WCM systems.

Web content management describes a class of software for creating and maintaining content for websites and mobile applications. From an IT perspective, content management tools have a simple business purpose — support line-of-business users and ensure that they can manage all the information they need to produce compelling digital experiences. With web content management software, nontechnical users can effectively manage the volume, velocity, and variety of digitized information to do their jobs.

WCM software explained – Content Management System

Anyone maintaining a website manages content. Once a site is set up and running, nontechnical users need to be able to create, organize, store and distribute content on their own, without depending on day-to-day support from IT specialists. Similarly, anyone supporting web-based or native mobile apps must have the ability to create, source and produce content. In fact, many firms now begin with applications to support mobile content delivery first. Continue reading →

Posted in CMS, Content Management System, Online Business Strategy, Online Presence, WCM | Tagged CMS, Content Management Software, Content Management System, Web Content Management, Web Services

SQL Server Integration Services

Published October 20, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Microsoft SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services)

Microsoft SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services) is an enterprise data integration, data transformation and data migration tool built into Microsoft’s SQL Server database. It can be used for a variety of integration-related tasks, such as analyzing and cleansing data and running extract, transform and load, or ETL, processes to update data warehouses.

SSIS can extract, transform and consolidate data from multiple relational databases, as well as sources such as XML data files and flat files, then load the processed information into an enterprise data warehouse or other target systems. It includes a set of tools for developing and testing integration programs, called SQL Server Data Tools, plus a server component for deploying and running the programs. In addition, Microsoft’s SQL Server Management Studio software is incorporated into SSIS for managing and monitoring integration routines. Continue reading →

Posted in Big data, Big Data Systems, Database, Database Management, DBMS, Servers, SQL, SQL Servers, Windows Servers | Tagged Microsoft SSIS, SQL Server 2016, SQL Server Integration Services, SQL servers, SSIS

Ubuntu Linux

Published October 20, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Ubuntu Linux will never be the same after version 17.10

The latest version of Ubuntu Linux is here with the GNOME desktop as its new interface, as Ubuntu bids adieu to its own takes on the Linux desktop.

Ready for a really new Ubuntu Linux desktop? Then start downloading Ubuntu 17.10 today. Canonical has abandoned its Unity interface in favor of the new GNOME 3.26 desktop and has replaced its homegrown Mir display server with Wayland.

That may sound like a radical change, but if you look closely at the new Ubuntu 17.10, Artful Aardvark, desktop, it will look familiar. That’s because while the underlying technologies have changed, Ubuntu’s developers have customized its default GNOME desktop to look and feel like Unity.

At the same time, there is a fundamental change here. Canonical is no longer working on being a desktop leader. It’s using the shared work of other Linux desktop vendors instead of trying to set its own software course. The company’s developers are focusing far more on the cloud, containers, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

If the new Unity-like GNOME interface is not to your taste, you can also get Ubuntu 17.10 with the KDE desktop, Kubuntu 17.10; MATE with Ubuntu MATE; or Budgie with Ubuntu Budgie desktops. If you’re an experienced Linux user, you already know the first two. Budgie, however, is newer. It’s based on GNOME, but it’s been adapted by Solus Linux developers to be extremely easy to use. Continue reading →

Posted in Linux, Open Source Software, Operating Systems, OS, Ubuntu Linux | Tagged Linux, Open Source Software, Operating Systems, OS, Ubuntu, Ubuntu Linux

Cyber-security a business necessity

Published October 16, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Cyber-security is a business necessity

Cyber-security is no longer optional, with 51% of companies have experienced some form of cyber attack, said Wlodzimierz Nowak, chief security, legal and compliance officer at T-Mobile Poland.

Statistics show that 93% of all large enterprises were targeted by cyber attacks in 2016 alone. “But cyber-security has become a complex issue as business has embraced the internet, cloud, and mobile working,” he told the CyberSec European Cyber Security Forum in Krakow.

In developing a cybersecurity strategy, Nowak said organizations need to understand the most common aims of any cyber attack.

These are to stop the flow of data, to disturb the flow of data; modify data; steal data; or discredit the targeted organization, in the public and private sector, including governments.

An important element of cybersecurity, said Nowak, is to ensure that enterprises, governments, and individuals all do their share in terms of keeping cyberspace secure.

“Just like someone who is infected with a virus can pass that on to someone else, any entity not following cybersecurity best practices can create vulnerabilities for others in the cyber community,” he said. Continue reading →

Posted in cyber-security, cyberattack, hacker attacks, Malware, Technology risks | Tagged Computer Security, cyber security, Cyber Space

The 5G core network

Published October 14, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

The 5G core network: 3GPP standards progress

Some folks are saying that the core network will disappear in 5G Core network. From a certain perspective, I don’t disagree with them. However, from a broader perspective, it still remains a rich and essential area of wireless innovation.

The core network has always been one of the front lines in the evolution of cellular wireless technologies. Every generation has brought us a dizzying array of new acronyms in this space. In 2G there were Mobile Switching Centers (MSC), Home Location Registers (HLR) and Visitor Location Registers (VLR). 3G introduced the IP Multimedia System (IMS) and 4G brought the Mobility Management Entity (MME) and Packet Data Gateways (PGW). This parade of apparently physically independent functionality hides a trend of increasing softwarization that has been accelerating since 2G.

In 5G core network, this softwarization trend will very likely reach a nexus blurring any remaining lines between hardware and software. Some folks are saying that the core network will disappear into the cloud in 5G. From a certain perspective, I don’t disagree with them. However, from a broader perspective, it still remains a rich and essential area of innovation that will define a continuing key element of the future of wireless. Continue reading →

Posted in 5G Network, Mobility, Network Services, Networks, Technology, Wireless Technologies | Tagged 5G core network, Mobile Networks

What Executives Need to Know About Cybersecurity

Published October 11, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

What do Executives need to Know About Cybersecurity?

As a leader in your IT organization, you understand that cybersecurity is an issue that increasingly makes its way up to the C-suite. But how do you answer their most pressing questions? How do you present solutions that strike the balance between security and operations?
How do you make the most compelling case for more resources to protect your enterprise? With the costs of just one data breach running in the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, the stakes are high. And as more and more data moves outside of your organization through mobile working and the sharing of information, helping your Board of Directors to understand the risks involved is imperative.
Looking at topics from the need to educate employees on how to manage technology sprawl, our research breaks
through some common myths of building an IT security plan. This data can help you to address some commonly held misconceptions and to focus on the high-value points that will make the best case to your Board of Directors for greater allocation of resources and budget. Continue reading →

Posted in cyber-security, cyberattack, Information Technologies, IT Security, IT Services | Tagged Cybersecurity, IT issues, security software

Big data systems

Published October 6, 2017 | By Gideon E. M

Big data systems put companies on new business paths

Big data systems, for some companies, aren’t just platforms for new types of data processing and analytics applications — they’re the driving force behind entirely new business strategies.

Organizations hungry for more revenue are using Hadoop and other big data technologies to break their existing business molds and pursue new strategies and product offerings.

That’s the case at iPass Inc., which is using a big data environment to fuel a strategic shift from pay-for-use Wi-Fi access to tools for managing and optimizing mobile connectivity for corporate users. Introduced in late 2015, the company’s iPass SmartConnect software includes algorithms that identify Wi-Fi access points and rank them on performance so mobile users can connect to the fastest and most reliable hotspots available. That marks a big change from when iPass gave users a static list of hotspots.

And it wouldn’t be possible without the underlying data management platform built around the Spark processing engine, said Tomasz Magdanski, director of big data and analytics at iPass. “We do need the big data architecture, 100%,” he explained. “There’s no way we could crunch all this data in real time and do all the ranking and measurements without it.” Continue reading →

Posted in Big data, Big Data Systems, IT, Servers, Services, Technology | Tagged Big data, Big data system, Data