Ferrum Technology Services Blog

Smartphones are, in a word, ubiquitous. With 86.29% of the global population owning a smartphone in 2023 (according to Statista), one would think—pretty justifiably—that the smartphone market is doing pretty well indeed. 

The opposite is actually true. Let’s take a quick look at the smartphone market and its decreases, as well as the lack of innovation that is largely blamed for this decline.

Technology is a modern marvel, that much is certain, but it wasn’t that long ago that we were remarkably far behind where we are today. Let’s take a look at data and examine how something so small can be something so incredibly important to the modern business world.

Your typical book holds a lot of data, but now that we have stoked your curiosity and amazement with how much data is held by the Library of Congress, we’d like to put this number into perspective with some everyday explorations. Let’s take a look.

If a business seeks to make important decisions, there is always going to be a little bit of hesitation. After all, the wrong choice could mean financial or operational ramifications. Therefore, the most logical way to approach these decisions is to maximize the value you get out of your investments. Today, we want to focus on how technology can be a driving factor for maximizing your business’ value from major decisions.

Artificial intelligence has become a popular topic to discuss in the business world, and like just about any current technology trend, you know Microsoft has to hop on the bandwagon with its own solution. Microsoft’s new AI-powered image generation tools will be integrated into many of their applications moving forward.

If nothing else is certain, then you can bet that the need to improve circumstances or processes gives birth to innovations of all types. Technology has proven this time and again, as new solutions have emerged to solve previously unsolvable issues and challenges not only in the workplace, but in society as a whole. Let’s examine how economic difficulty has driven innovation, specifically in the technology sector.

We frequently discuss how the solutions we offer can make business processes and procedures more effective, but in doing so, we’ve frequently overlooked how the implementation of these solutions—especially in terms of your digital transformation—have impacted your human resources.

Small businesses have to be very particular with the way they utilize their resources, especially when it comes to technology. If implemented properly, new solutions can increase agility and efficiency, but if implemented incorrectly, they can lead to substantial upfront costs and additional resources dedicated to management, maintenance, and upgrades. Let’s take a look at what small businesses must consider when prioritizing their technology investments.

When looking forward, it’s often useful to consider developing technologies to gauge what you might have access to in the future. Admittedly, a lot of these technologies can sound like a long shot at best (and ludicrous at their worst). However, some of these could very well transition into the business environment. Let’s consider a few out-there concepts that we might see gaining traction at some point in the future.

The workplace can be a stressful place, and studies have been done on this increase, as well as what can be done to mitigate the damage. To combat this increase, Microsoft has filed a patent that suggests new ways to resolve workplace stress might be in development in the near future. But is this technology actually necessary for identifying when you are stressed?

With Bitcoin picking up steam, the technology that fuels it, the blockchain, is being explored as an opportunity for many businesses out there. Let’s take a look at what some of the benefits and shortcomings of this technology are, as well as how they are commonly used.

Automation technology has many workers concerned about the future of their jobs. Computers are one of the many technologies that grow exponentially more powerful with every passing year, and these improvements lead to innovations that can save businesses tons of time and capital, but when applied to automation, does this come at the cost of jobs? Let’s see why workers in certain industries might be concerned about automation, as well as whether or not their concerns are warranted.

Cryptocurrencies--especially those that have recently surged into relevance--rely on blockchain technology, but what many people do not know is that blockchain is far more than a way to exchange digital currencies. In fact, cryptocurrency was just the beginning. Let’s take a look at the other practical uses for blockchain technology, including what it is and how it can help businesses.

Artificial intelligence is one of the most intriguing technologies that has come down the pike. For the small and medium-sized business, it may seem more like science fiction than a solution to their business’ operational problems. Today, AI is more accessible for the SMB than ever, and today, we thought we would share with you a situation where the technology—designed to help out in a bakery—is being used to diagnose cancer. 

In light of the recent successful touchdown of Mars Rover Perseverance, it reminded me of a really fun story I read about a technical issue that NASA had a few years ago, and how it’s an extremely powerful message for anyone who relies on technology for their business.

The Consumer Electronics Show is an annual event held in Las Vegas where manufacturers get to introduce their newest innovations and inventions. This year’s event was a virtual event because of the spread of COVID-19. It was the first time the event has gone completely virtual.

For businesses that are looking to make large shifts in their operational strategies by adding new technology, they may be looking at some problems when the technology doesn’t take as advertised. Today, we will take a look at how technology, as useful as it can be, can also be problematic if the deployment isn’t handled properly. 

The past year has been tough on many businesses. If they’ve learned anything it is the importance of staying flexible. The COVID-19 pandemic has created the need for organizations to move their operations offsite for fears of spreading the virus. With several different pharmaceutical companies now testing and pushing out vaccines for the virus, it seems that offices and other places of businesses will be opening back up, right? 

By now, almost everyone is tired of the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of people are out of work and millions more risk exposure at work. Thousands of businesses have had to close or suspend business. It’s just not a great scene for anybody. Many companies, who can’t just wait around for a vaccine to inoculate enough people for things to go back to normal, have started looking to automation to solve their business’ immediate and long-term problems.

COVID-19 is still a factor that businesses need to consider, especially in terms of their continued operations. With major adjustments required to stay open, many small and medium-sized businesses will need to accept the situation their business is in and implement changes. Fortunately, research that Salesforce summarized in their fourth Small & Medium Business Trends Report suggests that this is happening.