Tech of the Week | Tap-To-Pay Smartphones

Despite credit card companies' inability to popularize 'tap-to-pay' technology built into credit cards, Caribou Honig wrote an article for Forbes predicting that smartphones have an opportunity to employ tap-to-pay technologies and do it successfully.

"Apple will include Near Field Communication (NFC) in the next iPhone, embed a digital wallet as part of iOS, and enable Tap to Pay. 3rd party developers will create innovative, value-added “spokes“ to plug into the mobile wallet “hub.” This will be the watershed event that prompts merchants, motivated by a mix of fear and greed, to upgrade their point-of-sale terminals to support NFC, and as a consequence even competing mobile wallet platforms will benefit," Honig predicts. 

What this could mean for consumer purchases, expense tracking, money transfers, account management, and guided purchase decisions is not to be taken lightly. Not to mention the waterfall of data security concerns that will be on every users' minds. But if the value propisition is done right, in ten years, your smartphone will be that much more useful, but that much more terrifying to lose. 

Click here to read more about Tap-to-Pay technology in smartphones

Tech of the Week | SmartCompliance | Asus Padfone

Finally. A laptop/tablet/phone in one. We all knew it was coming eventually, whether in Transformer form or something less dramatic. 

"The Padfone slides into an optional tablet accessory to become an Android tablet with a 10.1-inch display. Then, the tablet can connect to a keyboard dock to become a small Android laptop. It’s modularity to the extreme."

There's not much more to say except: Step up your game, Apple. 

Click here to learn more about the Asus Padfone technology

Tech of the Week | SmartCompliance | IBM Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices

"IBM Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices helps organizations support and protect the growing mobile workforce.  Through this software, firms can use a single solution to secure and manage smartphones and tablets, as well as laptops, desktop PCs, and servers.  It manages Apple iOS, Google Android, Nokia Symbian, and Microsoft Windows Mobile and Windows Phone devices. 

The software extends security intelligence to deal with the growing threats from mainstream adoption of the BYOD trend. Organizations can install the IBM software in hours, remotely set policies, identify potential data compromises and wipe data off the devices if they are lost or stolen.  The software helps configure and enforce passcode policies, encryption and virtual private network settings.

"As the BYOD movement accelerates, it presents new opportunities and challenges for organizations.  In order for them to take advantage of this trend, it is important that organizations have mobile security and management policies in place," said Bob Sutor, vice president, IBM Mobile Platform.  "The new offering from IBM will help organizations manage personal and enterprise-owned mobile phones and tablets across IT networks in order to minimize risk, increase productivity and enhance innovation."

Read more about IBM Endpoint Manager here