Here are five things about technology that happened last week and how they affect your business. did you miss them?
1-Google Meet tightens the noose on free users by imposing an appointment limit of 1 hour.
Google now limits group video calls to one hour for its free users, officially ending the company’s advertising during the pandemic, previously limiting group video calls to 24 hours. Initially, Google Meet 2020 was supposed to offer unlimited video calls from its launch in April till the end of September last year. However, Google extended the deadline twice. The free version of Google Meet allows more flexibility than the free version of Zoom, allowing a meeting of 100 participants per hour, while Zoom has a limit of 100 guests per 40-minute meeting. (source: Ars Technica)
Why it is important to your business:
I used all video conferencing a lot last year and now I will tell the public that Google Meet is the best for its simplicity and quality of connection for both video and audio. Zoom is even better and currently offers more tools for meetings than Google. Microsoft Teams is, in my experience, less consistent and harder to deal with, especially when my corporate clients initiate meetings that require a Microsoft login.
2 – Twilio has released new tools for streaming live audio and video.
Twilio this week unveiled a new release for the cloud-based site that will allow businesses to embed interactive, live video and audio streaming directly into their apps. A new offering called Twilio Live is currently available in beta and will focus more on customer engagement for the company. (source: ZDNet)
Why it is important to your business:
Twilio has become a popular news service for many of my small business customers, and in partnership with these additions it is becoming a very powerful platform for a business that wants better customer service – it now includes both video and audio streaming. Are included. Twilio Live focuses on a variety of industries such as education, gaming and retail.
3-Square is planning a new iPod POS for payments, according to a report.
According to a new report, Square is developing a new point of sale (POS) system for the iPad, which will have a payment function. The latest version of the Square Stand connects directly to the technology, allowing for better operation than the previous version that required an external device. Retailers pay a 2.6% fee per transaction, plus an additional 10 cents each time a consumer dips, plates or swipes. Square is now $169, though the cost of the latest setup isn’t included in the report. (Source: Beammonds)
Why it is important to your business:
Square has gone from a credit card payment platform to a fully-fledged gaming point-of-sale technology industry that is used by thousands of small businesses around the world. These updates will certainly be among the leaders and its offering should be considered by any business looking to implement or replace an existing POS system.
4 – Launched business intelligence site translated into Zoho AI.
Last week, Soho announced a new AI-embedded business intelligence platform that includes tools to help generate data, negating the need for businesses and organizations to get the tools in person. Zoho Business Intelligence Platform – The new site, called Zoho Analytics, integrates the Zoho Site Portal Builder with an enhanced version of Zoho Show Presentation and Zoho Dataprobe. The company aims to facilitate data sharing and analysis using visual dashboards, while allowing users to build and run queries with the data using ZIA’s AI operating system or graphic tools. (Source: Venture Feet)
Why it is important to your business:
Full Disclosure: My company is a partner of Zoho. We sell their products, I am a fan of the company. Regardless, this news is just another example of another popular small business software company doubling down on its reports to provide analytics and better data for its users, wherever they are. My clients have accumulated terabytes of sensitive data over the years and all of them have complained about the lack of reporting tools to actually use that data. It will definitely help.
5 – Microsoft puts the cloud in the cloud and adds integrations and many other applications to Dynamics 365.
Microsoft introduced Windows 365, a new service that works on any updated web browser, allowing businesses to access cloud PCs from a variety of devices. Only businesses can use Windows 365 for a monthly subscription fee per user. The service will launch on August 2 and pricing details are not yet available. Microsoft Dynamics 365 includes new panel features. (Source: Margin and XDA)
Why it is important to your business:
This is great news for Windows users, because you can use it on any device, regardless of Windows installation, and have the full experience of sitting on your Windows desktop and your desk with Microsoft’s cloud service. The new integrations establish collaborative processes for businesses, allowing users to resolve issues, share information, and collaborate on group chats.
