mrc's Cup of Joe Blog

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

Author name: Joe Stangarone

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

mrc

7 things experienced web developers wish they knew earlier

By / ,

EducationWe just passed our 30th anniversary of software development earlier this year. As I reflect back over that time, it’s largely positive…but there are things I know now that I wish I knew starting out. After all, the more time you spend in any profession, the more you learn (hopefully).

That got me thinking: I’m sure everyone is like that. I’m sure everyone could name one or two specific pieces of advice that they wish they knew earlier. Wouldn’t that advice be useful to those just starting out? I think so.

Problem
photo credit: andy.brandon50 via photopin cc

Today, I’d like to explore that topic from a web application development angle. What do experienced web app developers know now that they wish they knew starting out? If developers could go back in time, what advice would they give to younger versions of themselves?

We posed those questions to some experienced web app developers, and they provided some excellent advice–which can help web application developers of any skill level. I’ve outlined their advice below, along with a few of my thoughts under each point. Here are 7 things that experienced developers wish they knew earlier:
…

7 things experienced web developers wish they knew earlierRead More »

15 must-have features of a good reporting solution

By /

EducationA few weeks back, we examined the question, “How can you buy business software that you won’t regret later?” While that article is loaded with great advice for software purchasing, the points are all very general.

What if you need a specific type of software, like reporting, Business Intelligence, or a development platform? While the points in that article still apply, how do you know what essential features to look for in each type of software?

Today, let’s answer that question from the reporting side of things. What features must you look for in an enterprise reporting solution? While your needs will (of course) vary depending on your company, all enterprise-class reporting solutions must include certain essential features. Buy software missing any of these features, and you’ll soon regret that purchase.

What are these features?

We’ve put together a handy little reporting checklist that lists and explains which features you must look for in any reporting solution. You can find it here: mrc’s 15-point reporting checklist.

7 things every IT leader should know about mobile

By / ,

EducationCan you believe that smartphones (as we know them today) have only been in existence for slightly over 6 years? Yet, despite their relatively short existence, user adoption in the U.S. has already surpassed 50%. That sort of growth is absolutely incredible.

The mobile trend isn’t confined to the consumer world either. Over the past couple of years, we’ve really seen mobile usage and mobile apps gain traction in the enterprise. This will only increase in the coming years.

The explosive growth of mobile puts CIOs and IT leaders in a tricky spot, as they’re forced to adapt to this major trend on the fly. They’re stuck figuring out how their companies can best capitalize on the advantages of mobile while avoiding the drawbacks.

So, what must IT leaders understand about mobile? Today, I’d like to help answer that question. I’ve compiled a list of things every IT leader should understand about mobile, which you can find below:
…

7 things every IT leader should know about mobileRead More »

m-Power: The modern CIO’s trump card

By /

ProductivityThe modern Chief Information Officer (CIO) faces a daunting task. Gone are the days of simply supporting the business. Gone are the days of hard-to-use technology that’s controlled solely by the IT department.

These days, the expectations placed on the IT department are at an all time-high. CEOs and business executives now demand more business value from the IT department. Tech-savvy end users now bring personal devices and consumer applications into the workplace. All the while, technology continually evolves at a quickening pace.

These days, the modern CIO faces a growing list of challenges. For instance–while their challenges vary by company–most modern-day CIOs must: …

m-Power: The modern CIO’s trump cardRead More »

4 common myths of web application development platforms

By / ,

EducationToday, let’s address a current trend that’s been building steam over the past few years: The increased use of web application development platforms.

Why are web applications development platforms becoming more popular? Because they address many of the growing issues surrounding CIOs and IT leaders these days. For instance, development platforms help CIOs and IT leaders…

  • Automate the development of mobile web applications that work across all devices and platforms.
  • Give end users the self-service options they require while giving IT full control over the data and user access.
  • Bring the most up-to-date and cutting edge development skills to their current staff.

However, while all of those advantages sound great, there’s a problem that make some businesses shy away: Many developers and IT leaders hold a misguided view of web application development platforms. Some confuse them with code generators. Others think of them as IDEs. Worse yet, others make assumptions about development platforms based on their own bad experiences with past code generators or IDEs. For example, many (falsely) believe one or all of these development platform myths:
…

4 common myths of web application development platformsRead More »

How to buy business software you won’t regret later

By /

Save MoneyIt’s a sinking feeling. You realize that you’ve lost countless hours. Thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of dollars are simply gone. Everyone blames you.

Business software purchasing mistakes are expensive (and embarrassing) lessons. Especially if you’re the one making the decision. For you, it’s more than a software purchase. You stake your pride and reputation to that purchase. If the software doesn’t meet expectations, it’s on you.

What makes a software purchase go south? The reasons vary. Maybe the software didn’t live up to the hype. Maybe it became prohibitively expensive over time. Maybe it couldn’t meet your company’s future needs. I could go on. Whatever the reason, it’s always an expensive, embarrassing lesson.

The question: How can you avoid these mistakes?

If you’re in charge of software purchasing, I’d like to help. While every business and situation is different, there are a few areas every business must consider before purchasing business software. To help you identify those areas, I’ve solicited input from experts on the subject and compiled their advice below. Here are 10 tips that will help you purchase software that you won’t later regret.
…

How to buy business software you won’t regret laterRead More »

Mobile apps aren’t the future

By /

Education
With 52% of the market, Android currently rules the mobile OS world. But, can you predict what the mobile OS landscape will look like in just two short years?

Before assuming that iOS and Android will still lead the pack, consider these facts:

  • Canonical (creators of the Ubuntu OS) is working on creating a super-phone that will function as both a smartphone and a PC. So far, they have over $6 million from contributors backing the project.
  • Mozilla (creators of the Firefox browser) has created their own mobile OS. In fact, a smartphone running the brand new Firefox OS was recently released in Spain.
  • Samsung and Intel have partnered to back the development of an open-source mobile OS, called “Tizen”. They recently put together a $4 million system to attract app developers.
  • A group of ex-Nokia employees joined forces and started a company named “Jolla”. They’re working on creating the “Sailfish OS”, a reincarnation of the Meego OS.

That’s right. Shortly, the mobile OS landscape will have some new, well-backed players.

What does this mean for business? Mobile (native) apps aren’t the future. At least not for the business world.

The web is the future.

Think about it: The mobile platform landscape is becoming even more fragmented. Do you want to spend time and money building mobile apps for a platform that may or may not be popular in a few years? What if another platform emerges? Do you build new apps for that platform?

Or, do you build applications for the web?

A mobile web app works on all platforms, both now and in the future. There’s no need to worry what OS changes the future holds. I don’t know about you, but I like to limit risk in my business decisions. Mobile web apps let me do just that. I can reach all mobile devices with little or no risk.

If you’d like to learn more about why native mobile apps aren’t the future, we put together a white paper that explains everything in more detail. You can download it right here: Native mobile apps: The wrong choice for business?

7 key Business Intelligence trends of the near future

By /

EducationIBM estimates that “90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone.” While I can’t imagine how they came up with that number, the point is clear: We’re now creating more data than ever before.

At the same time, we’re seeing a fundamental shift in technology itself. In just a few short years, smartphones and tablets have become mainstream. We’ve seen consumer technology and software catch, and surpass traditional business technology. We’ve become an always-connected, mobile society that requires instant answers.

At the intersection of these technology shifts and data output lies some fascinating changes in the world of BI. Like what? I’ve compiled what I believe to be some of the biggest BI trends of the near future, and listed them below: …

7 key Business Intelligence trends of the near futureRead More »

Weekly recap: 10 strategic CIO issues for 2013, $100,000 mobile apps, and more…

By

EducationEvery week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on strategic CIO priorities for 2013, the shocking cost of mobile app development, and more. I hope you find them useful:

25% of enterprises spend over $100,000 to build a mobile app
I knew the native mobile app approach was expensive, but…wow! The really scary part about this story: What happens if a new mobile platform emerges or their platform of choice disappears in the next few years? Seems like a big investment for such a volatile market. It’s one reason I push the mobile web app approach. It leaves you with cross-platform mobile apps that work on any device, both now and in the future. Also, they’re far cheaper. …

Weekly recap: 10 strategic CIO issues for 2013, $100,000 mobile apps, and more…Read More »

6 tips for building applications that last

By / , ,

EducationLet me make a wild assumption: You probably don’t want to replace your business applications every few years. You’d like to build applications that last. You want to build applications that grow with your company and adapt to changing technology.

The big problem: Technology is evolving faster than ever, which makes business application development even more challenging. If built incorrectly, a modern application today might be outdated in just a few short years. Obviously, businesses can’t afford to replace their applications every few years.

How can you build applications that remain relevant for years to come? How can you build applications that scale with your company and adapt to changing tech trends?

To help you answer those questions, I’ve compiled a short list of tips that will help you build applications that last. Now, I’m keeping this relatively high-level. We could write pages and pages on how to implement each point below. Rather than get into all of the details, here are the key aspects to consider when building applications for the future. …

6 tips for building applications that lastRead More »

Weekly recap: How mobility can change the economics of IT, free BI guide, and more…

By

EducationEvery week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on how mobility will change the economics of IT, a free BI guide that will help you cut through the confusion surrounding the topic, and more. I hope you find them useful:

Confused about BI? Get this Feature Guide
Here’s a nice write-up about…us! Okay, so the article isn’t technically about us–it’s about our recently released Business Intelligence Guide. The free BI guide helps you cut through the confusion surrounding the topic, and pick the right option for your business. …

Weekly recap: How mobility can change the economics of IT, free BI guide, and more…Read More »

A CIO’s guide to alienating business users

By /

EducationBack in the 80’s and 90’s, major record labels essentially owned the music industry. They controlled the production and distribution of music, leaving limited options for consumers. If you wanted music, you bought a tape or a CD.

Then, digital music emerged and threatened the record label’s business model. Users could bypass the record label altogether, and instead download music online. The record labels didn’t like this one bit.

How did the record labels respond? They feverishly fought to maintain their business model. They went after those who downloaded music online, suing them for outrageous sums of money.

Meanwhile, other companies (like Apple) swooped in and gave these consumers what they actually wanted: A cheap, legal way to download music. While the record labels were busy fighting to maintain an outdated business model, other companies profited off of their customers.

I give this example because I see parallels with the current shift happening within IT departments. In the past, IT departments controlled technology within an organization. End users had no choice but to go through the IT department for their tech needs.

Then, mobile devices exploded onto the scene. Cloud-based software emerged. Now, users have options. Users are increasingly bypassing IT, and instead using their own devices and third party cloud applications for business purposes.

As a result, CIOs and IT departments are slowly losing control of the technology within their company.

How can CIOs address this growing trend? Some try to fight it. They enforce strict rules within their organizations. They attempt to maintain the former IT model.
…

A CIO’s guide to alienating business usersRead More »

Weekly recap: 6 warning signs your technology is headed south, mobilizing desktop software, and more…

By

EducationEvery week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on warning signs your technology is headed south, how to mobilize your desktop software, and more. I hope you find them useful:

Taking the road less traveled to mobilize desktop software
Sooner or later, most companies will come to the same realization: We need mobile versions of our applications. When that day comes, how will you approach the project? While many companies choose to outsource the job, the article above outlines another approach: Teach your current developers how to create mobile apps. If that isn’t an option, or sounds too difficult, here’s another approach to try.
…

Weekly recap: 6 warning signs your technology is headed south, mobilizing desktop software, and more…Read More »

Confused by Business Intelligence? Read this.

By /

EducationAre you confused by all of the Business Intelligence options and terminology? If so, you’re not alone.

In fact, this confusion is actually hurting the BI industry as a whole.

According to the research firm, Gartner, the Business Intelligence (BI) software market slowed slightly in 2012. One of the reasons for this slowdown: Confusion surrounding BI technology terms.

The fact is, despite having more options than ever before, businesses face a growing problem: With an ever-increasing number of BI vendors touting their own solutions and terminology, choosing a BI solution is now a confusing process.

If you’re dealing with this issue, I’d like to help. We’ve put together a free BI guide entitled, “Essential features of a good BI solution.” The free guide helps companies cut through the BI confusion and understand which features and capabilities they must target in a BI solution. I hope you find it useful.

Weekly recap: 7 reasons why IT won’t disappear, closing the IT talent gap, and more…

By

EducationEvery week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on reasons why IT departments won’t disappear, how to close the IT talent gap, and more. I hope you find them useful:

When it doesn’t make sense to go to the cloud
We constantly see articles touting the advantages of the cloud (usually from cloud vendors). But, is the cloud the best option for everyone? No. Some companies are better off keeping their data and applications in house, while others are better off moving all or parts of it to the cloud. The important thing: You must prepare your company for any scenario. How? Build cloud-ready applications that run anywhere. …

Weekly recap: 7 reasons why IT won’t disappear, closing the IT talent gap, and more…Read More »

Rules for modern web application development

By / ,

EducationWeb application development has experienced a fundamental shift over the last 5 years. Mobile devices have exploded. Consumer applications have largely surpassed business applications in both capabilities and overall simplicity. Development libraries, frameworks, languages, etc… have evolved.

The fact is, development standards have changed, yet many companies are stuck developing applications based on outdated standards and technology. If they don’t adapt, these companies will only fall further and further behind as technology rapidly evolves.

The big questions: How has development changed? What rules must developers follow when building modern web applications? What current development principles will help ensure success?

To help you answer those questions, here’s a short list of guidelines that you must follow when developing modern web applications. Of course, if you’d like to add anything to the list, please do so in the comments. …

Rules for modern web application developmentRead More »

7 strategic CIO priorities for 2013-2014

By /

EducationModern IT departments have an amazing opportunity. The speed at which technology currently evolves combined with the rising importance of technology in the business puts IT departments in a prime position to impact their companies more than ever before.

Unfortunately, that’s not happening in most companies.

In fact, the research firm, Gartner, estimates that, “Enterprises realize on average only 43 percent of technology’s business potential.”

The big question: How can IT departments drive that number up?

If IT departments hope to maximize their impact in this day and age, they must focus their attention on the right priorities–which falls squarely on the CIO’s shoulders. So, what key areas must CIOs focus on in the near future? To help you answer that question, I’ve solicited feedback from industry experts and compiled their advice (as well as some of my own) below. Here are a few strategic priorities that CIOs must focus on in the near future. …

7 strategic CIO priorities for 2013-2014Read More »

Weekly recap: 10 productivity tips for developers, how enterprise IT gets creative, and more…

By /

EducationEvery week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on productivity tips for developers, how enterprise IT gets creative, and more. I hope you find them useful:

If You Can’t Sell to Me on My iPhone, Best Buy, You Can’t Sell to Me at All
I noticed two key points in this article that businesses can’t ignore: First, the author expects to receive a mobile-optimized experience when viewing a site on his smartphone. Second, he purchased an item from Amazon, using his smartphone, while standing in a Staples store. This ties in perfectly with the article from last week: 3 new trends created by mobile (that you can’t ignore). …

Weekly recap: 10 productivity tips for developers, how enterprise IT gets creative, and more…Read More »

3 new trends created by mobile (that you can’t ignore)

By / ,

EducationAs I’ve mentioned in the past, mobile is the fastest growing trend in history. In fact, I just read a study that puts smartphone adoption in the U.S. at over 50%.

When you consider that the iPhone was first released in 2007, that is an absolutely mind-blowing statistic. In nearly 6 years, smartphones (as we know them today) have gone from 0 – 50% adoption.

Today, I’d like to go a step beyond the growing mobile trend. I’d like to examine trends created by the rise of smartphones and tablets. Specifically, I’d like to focus on ways mobile is changing business.

So, how does the rise of smartphones and tablets change business? What new trends are cropping up? While I’m sure there are more, here are 3 big business trends created by mobile: …

3 new trends created by mobile (that you can’t ignore)Read More »

Turn your green-screen apps into web apps (in 3 minutes)

By /

Save TimeIs your company still using those character-based, green-screen programs like this?

Edit Quantities

If so, what’s keeping you from moving to the web? Are you holding off because your company relies on these old programs? Are you worried that the project is too difficult and/or expensive?

If so, here’s a short video you’ll want to watch. It walks you through the process of turning a green-screen program into a modern web app…in under 3 minutes! Breaking free from your green screens may actually be easier than you think…