What Will Become of BlackBerry? Inside Research In Motion, reports say cockiness, paranoia and heated arguments among the executive team are clouding a coherent vision of the future. New carrier agreements and a slew of product releases in coming months may help turn the tide, but RIM continues to see its smartphone territory invaded not only by the iPhone, but by dozens of Android-based competitors in both the consumer and business markets. Boy Genius Report Cisco Ready To Lay Off Thousands: Networking giant Cisco Systems is weeks away from announcing one of the biggest workforce reductions in its history. It could cut as many as 10,000 jobs, depending on which of several reports turns out to be most accurate. A cutback of that size would reduce the company's operating expenses by more than $1 billion per year. This would in turn add 8 percent to Cisco’s expected per-share earnings in the 2012 calendar year. All Things D High-Tech Cleveland Gets Hotter: In Cleveland, IT jobs are plentiful and qualified candidates are often so in demand that companies find themselves having to woo applicants. Northeast Ohio's technology sector is emerging as a hub capable of holding onto highly sought candidates. The region has more than 2,500 tech companies. The largest, Hyland Software, employs some 1,100 people. The North East Ohio Software Association says the bulk of the companies have between 25 and 200 workers, and based on the association's recent first-quarter survey, a majority of the 80 companies responding are currently hiring and plan to add staff over the next year. Cleveland.com Smartphone Growth Is Explosive: A report from the Pew Research Center found that 42 percent of adult Americans with a mobile phone now have a smartphone of some kind. A Nielsen study last year found just 21 percent had a smartphone. Pew also found that 87 percent of the smartphone owners used their device to access the Web or e-mail at least once a day. Interestingly, 25 percent said they go online on their smartphone more than they do with a regular computer. The New York Times Retailers Will Spend More on Tech: Nearly half of 100 top retail executives said they plan to spend their cash on technology, a survey by KPMG found. IN 2012, 47 percent will invest in analytical tools to improve company growth, expansion and planning. Fifty six percent said they only expect a modest improvement in the economy, revenue and hiring next year. Retailers and their suppliers will spend money on analytical tools to examine the enormous amount of data captured online and at the cash register. Reuters Startups Use Tech, Rather than Employees: A Kauffman Foundation Study, called Starting Smaller, Staying Smaller: America’s Slow Leak in Job Creation, suggests technology firms are most familiar with productivity tools that let employers get more work done with lower headcounts. “Clearly technology is at play because you need fewer people to run a company nowadays,” say authors E.J. Reedy and Robert E. Litan. “And one of the most prominent places you see that is in the tech sector.” During the 1990s, the average new business establishment opened its doors with about 7.5 employees compared to about 4.9 today. Moreover, the number of new businesses that hire employees has contracted by more than 27 percent since 2006. Xconomy Upcoming Tech Events IDC's Tech Outlook 2011 Emerging Markets July 19—New York With continued pressure to succeed, many companies, and the investment community covering them, are looking to emerging markets to grow their business. Emerging markets can offer hypergrowth opportunities, but often amidst hypercompetition and a widely diverse customer landscape. Emerging markets are only a growth opportunity if you know what you're getting into. Let IDC help hone your strategy and target your growth goals, before you invest further. Green Data Center and Cloud Control July 19-21—Boston This conference will foster an educational environment that allows you to analyze new techniques that not only help our environment, but also save your organization time and money. Topics include: Reducing Energy Consumption & Improving Efficiency, Management Best Practices, Evolving Innovations and Deployment Strategies, and Storage, Automation, and Virtualization. Fortune Brainstorm TECH July 19-21—Aspen, CO Come to this marketplace of ideas that assembles the world's top technology and media thinkers, operators, entrepreneurs, innovators, and influencers. Campus Technology 2011 July 25-28—Boston Searching for actionable information to help address your IT and institutional challenges? Look no further than this conference, led by pioneering campus technology experts who will provide you with a level of in-depth information and practical advice in an interactive, collegial environment. Update: Turmoil at RIM, Layoffs at Cisco
What Will Become of BlackBerry? Inside Research In Motion, reports say cockiness, paranoia and heated arguments among the executive team are clouding a coherent vision of the future. New carrier agreements and a slew of product releases in coming months may help turn the tide, but RIM continues to see its smartphone territory invaded not only by the iPhone, but by dozens of Android-based competitors in both the consumer and business markets. Boy Genius Report Cisco Ready To Lay Off Thousands: Networking giant Cisco Systems is weeks away from announcing one of the biggest workforce reductions in its history. It could cut as many as 10,000 jobs, depending on which of several reports turns out to be most accurate. A cutback of that size would reduce the company's operating expenses by more than $1 billion per year. This would in turn add 8 percent to Cisco’s expected per-share earnings in the 2012 calendar year. All Things D High-Tech Cleveland Gets Hotter: In Cleveland, IT jobs are plentiful and qualified candidates are often so in demand that companies find themselves having to woo applicants. Northeast Ohio's technology sector is emerging as a hub capable of holding onto highly sought candidates. The region has more than 2,500 tech companies. The largest, Hyland Software, employs some 1,100 people. The North East Ohio Software Association says the bulk of the companies have between 25 and 200 workers, and based on the association's recent first-quarter survey, a majority of the 80 companies responding are currently hiring and plan to add staff over the next year. Cleveland.com Smartphone Growth Is Explosive: A report from the Pew Research Center found that 42 percent of adult Americans with a mobile phone now have a smartphone of some kind. A Nielsen study last year found just 21 percent had a smartphone. Pew also found that 87 percent of the smartphone owners used their device to access the Web or e-mail at least once a day. Interestingly, 25 percent said they go online on their smartphone more than they do with a regular computer. The New York Times Retailers Will Spend More on Tech: Nearly half of 100 top retail executives said they plan to spend their cash on technology, a survey by KPMG found. IN 2012, 47 percent will invest in analytical tools to improve company growth, expansion and planning. Fifty six percent said they only expect a modest improvement in the economy, revenue and hiring next year. Retailers and their suppliers will spend money on analytical tools to examine the enormous amount of data captured online and at the cash register. Reuters Startups Use Tech, Rather than Employees: A Kauffman Foundation Study, called Starting Smaller, Staying Smaller: America’s Slow Leak in Job Creation, suggests technology firms are most familiar with productivity tools that let employers get more work done with lower headcounts. “Clearly technology is at play because you need fewer people to run a company nowadays,” say authors E.J. Reedy and Robert E. Litan. “And one of the most prominent places you see that is in the tech sector.” During the 1990s, the average new business establishment opened its doors with about 7.5 employees compared to about 4.9 today. Moreover, the number of new businesses that hire employees has contracted by more than 27 percent since 2006. Xconomy Upcoming Tech Events IDC's Tech Outlook 2011 Emerging Markets July 19—New York With continued pressure to succeed, many companies, and the investment community covering them, are looking to emerging markets to grow their business. Emerging markets can offer hypergrowth opportunities, but often amidst hypercompetition and a widely diverse customer landscape. Emerging markets are only a growth opportunity if you know what you're getting into. Let IDC help hone your strategy and target your growth goals, before you invest further. Green Data Center and Cloud Control July 19-21—Boston This conference will foster an educational environment that allows you to analyze new techniques that not only help our environment, but also save your organization time and money. Topics include: Reducing Energy Consumption & Improving Efficiency, Management Best Practices, Evolving Innovations and Deployment Strategies, and Storage, Automation, and Virtualization. Fortune Brainstorm TECH July 19-21—Aspen, CO Come to this marketplace of ideas that assembles the world's top technology and media thinkers, operators, entrepreneurs, innovators, and influencers. Campus Technology 2011 July 25-28—Boston Searching for actionable information to help address your IT and institutional challenges? Look no further than this conference, led by pioneering campus technology experts who will provide you with a level of in-depth information and practical advice in an interactive, collegial environment. 
