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Category: Technology

  • Utilizing Agile Performance Testing

    Utilizing Agile Performance Testing

    Agile performance testing is a critical component in the software development process. Throughout each stage of the agile management process, performance testing needs to be a priority for both testers and developers.

    Therefore, project managers and developers must know how to integrate such testing methods in an agile workflow.

    Why Do We Need Agility?

    The market needs high-quality apps within a short time periods, so organizations are motivated to use the Agile methodology throughout the development process. Through a waterfall model, performance testing occurs during the end of the development cycle.

    When it comes to Agile, the process is the opposite; performance testing starts at the beginning of app design stages. This method makes sense – the design determines the robustness and the function of the app, so using this process ensures that the app behavior and quality are tested and verified throughout the project. Design, coding, and analysis takes place simultaneously.

    Types of Testing Methods

    On Demand: This is a starting point for small companies that want to fuse agile processes with performance testing. Developers are responsible for tuning and testing for all levels, under a dedicated tester’s supervision, which helps with the performance evaluation.

    On Retainer: A tester is designed for each app development project, who might not be committed to any task, but they’re on standby whenever developers need additional bug resolution or technical assistance.

    Full Immersion: This method is important for companies who are serious about the quality of the app’s delivery. Testers are there to monitor each development stage, and also to orchestrate and manage the performance activities from start to finish.

    Continual Analysis

    In agile performance testing, continuous analysis is important.

    Both stakeholders and contributors need to monitor the progress of a project, especially when it comes to app performance and functionality. To create a clear view on what is needed, performance analysis needs to be comprehensive and continual.

    With this ongoing analysis, your team can spot any problem within the application. Analysis takes place on the daily scrums that include performance testers as application stakeholders and contributors.

    Contributors are active members on the team who complete daily scrums, which lets stakeholders see the status of the development effort. When all of the team members know the performance of each project sprint, they can keep the application’s quality high. The faster problems are found, the easier it is to fix them.

    Automated Testing

    Using automated testing tools can speed up the performance testing process. With the correct software, you can make a script, allow it to be reused, and you can schedule it to be tested during the off hours when you developers aren’t changing the code that’s tested.

    Automated testing helps you meet your performance testing and regression objectives within a 2-4 week sprint. This is more important when developers hold off 60% of their work during the sprint until its time for build testing. This doesn’t give you enough time for testing.

    Conclusion

    With agile performance testing, you’ll have a streamlined way of solving problems as they arrive. By doing it early in the development process, your IT team will be able to remove any discrepancies with your app before it launches. Thus, use it to ensure that your app is delivered to the utmost quality and please your stakeholders as a result.

  • How Can I Use NIST-800 53 For My Business?

    How Can I Use NIST-800 53 For My Business?

    Nist 800-53 is a system that has security controls for federal organizations and systems, except those that are created for national security.

    The system was started by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which promotes the standards that are supported by the FISMA (Federal Information Security Act) and manage programs that are designed to promote information security.

    This means that you’ll have to make sure your business is compliant to ensure longevity and improvements within your business. And you can learn how to utilize NIST 800-53 and understand its importance right here.

    Analyze

    First, you have to establish a level of understanding. There are threats that face your information and security systems that are currently at risk. We suggest that you use solutions that can help monitor the NIST 800-53 series compliance. The solutions in this space will protect and analyze regulated data such as PCI, PHI, and PII.

    Educate

    You need to educate your employees on the procedures needed to become NIST compliant. There are a few management controls in NIST-800 53 that your team has to be aware of the controls listed.

    Also, your operations team should know the operational controls that are available. Otherwise, there are solutions that can help you train your employees with the best practices. These prompts will help keep your employees on their toes and eliminate negative actions that can threaten your organization’s security.

    Assess

    A lot of companies talk about the importance of data security, but if there is no way to measure your security protocol and policies, how can you improve them? You need to deploy tools that can create a mechanism that will assess and measure your security process. Then you’ll need to continuously improve security standards against the threats that are out there.

    Discover and classify sensitive data

    You need to gauge the quality of your company’s data. Some of it is useful, while the rest can be harmful if it’s leaked. With NIST-800-53, you’ll have a system that can find sensitive data and protect it from outside hackers.

    Map permissions and data

    You can identify groups, file permissions, users, and folders via NIST-800 53. This makes it easier for you to determine who has access to data. Thus, making it easier to organize your data and give your permissions to the right members of your team.

    Monitor user behavior, file activity, and data

    Audit reports are required to make a business able to meet its yearly compliance requirements. You’ll need to use NIST-800 53 to help reduce the time to make audit reports (you can schedule them monthly, weekly, or your own specified time).

    This helps you monitor your employee’s behavior as well. This ensures that they are well equipped to prevent them from tampering with sensitive information, making your business more effective at stopping insider threats.

    Conclusion

    To conclude, every growing business should use NIST-800 53. Not only does it help improve your daily operations, but it also makes you able to have better access to your data. So think about using to ensure that your business is more successful in the near future.

  • 5 Tips for Getting Started with a Career in I.T

    5 Tips for Getting Started with a Career in I.T

    The present world is a fast-paced digital environment, and employers are always looking for professional experts to stay in tune with technological trends. Whether you are a tech enthusiast just looking for your first job, or you are thinking of switching careers to earn a high salary, landing your first job can be a challenge.

    Below are five tips to help you improve your prospects of getting into the I.T industry.

    1. Get your resume updated

    Your resume is the first point of contact between you and your potential employer. It is a chance to showcase your skills, experience, and suitability for the job and should, therefore, be well thought out.

    A good tech resume should be clear, be of appropriate length and highlight your strengths. Ensure that all the dates are accurate and the language used is simple enough without much technical jargon. You can find resume examples to guide you in coming up with the best resume for your career in tech.

    2. Build meaningful relationships through networking

    Networking may seem intimidating, but it is one of the most successful ways of landing a job. Developing connections and meaningful relationships with people in the tech industry improve your prospects by providing support, advice, referrals, and recommendations.

    You can build contacts with I.T professionals either by attending networking events, technological forums and volunteering at events. The internet is also a great way to connect through social media as well as job sites and career websites.

    Joining sites such as LinkedIn gives you access to both job opportunities and career networking where you can connect with people with similar interests.

    3. Boost your skills

    Tech careers require industry-specific skills in addition to impressive academic credentials. For individuals with no experience, apprenticeships and internships are great ways to kick-start a career in I.T. They give you job exposure and help you develop and practice the necessary skills for your field of interest.

    As much as technical skills like coding and programming may be compulsory, soft skills are equally important. According to a report, 57% of senior leaders prefer candidates with soft skills. Careers in tech require creativity, problem-solving skills, communication skills, and adaptability to name a few. Always be open to learning as gaining and mastering new skills gives you the upper hand in landing an I.T job of your choice.

    4. Stay updated on industry trends and news

    A good way of staying informed on current developments will help you know what is on demand and what isn’t. It also enables you to prepare for the future by predicting technological trends.

    You can decide to go the standard way of reading industry specific magazines and listening to the news, or you can leverage the internet for information.

    Email alerts are the most convenient sources for the latest news and trends as it notifies you when there are updates on your subject of interest. It also gives you the option to filter content so that you get specific updates.

    Google Alerts, for example, will keep you informed on new products, services and even changes in the I.T industry which can help you in your interviews.

    5. Acquire marketable certifications

    Certifications prove to your potential employers that you have the required knowledge and skills in your field of interests. They also open doors for career advancement and better salaries. While it may not be necessary for some jobs in I.T, some employers may require relevant certifications from applicants in addition to a bachelor’s degree.

    There are several like Microsoft Certified Network Engineer (MCSE) that you can pursue to improve your knowledge and skills for entry into the I.T industry.

    However, it is essential to research the best certifications to go for with regards to current skills in demand. For example, more businesses seek individuals with skills in cloud computing and cybersecurity, which makes these certifications the most rewarding in 2019.

    A career in I.T offers a wide range of specializations ranging from SEO and data analytics to Artificial Intelligence. It also cuts across many industries and provides numerous opportunities to career growth and acquisition of new skills.

    Implementing the above tips will give you a competitive edge and make your job hunting experience smoother and more promising.

  • How to Get the Best Use of Technology in Education

    How to Get the Best Use of Technology in Education

    Technology has been an overpowering area. An effective use of technology in education has been one of the prominent options that the educationists around the world have been thinking over. Teachers have been trying to understand the essence of technology in educational pursuits.

    The advantages of Technology in education

    Well, technology is all pervasive. What advantages does it offer you? Let us check out in a finer detail.

    It removes the boundaries of education

    Technology makes online learning easy and simple. In sharp contrast to the traditional learning process, you stand to gain access to the flexible learning experience. The advanced technology in the realm of virtual technology has been efficient in providing a face to face communication between the students and mentors.

    Online education takes the level of education to a new level. In fact, most of the universities around the world have been blending the online education with the traditional mode of education. This can help you learn from anywhere.

    Simplified resource options

    Technology can be one of the options for having access to diverse resources with ease. The customessaymeister custom essays can be one of the good examples from this perspective. This kind of resources is under the public domain and can be accessed in the form of e-books, digital libraries and educational videos.

    Even video hosting services like YouTube can be quite helpful in arriving at the best quality of educational benefits. What’s more, there are specialised educational packages in the form of mobile apps that are specifically based on the technological milestones.

    Motivational powers

    Technology motivates. Computers and other technological innovations assist in developing an interest in students. In fact, difficult concepts in science and maths can easily be explained with the help of animated videos.

    Teachers of prominent educational background publish blogs, and that is another area where you can find it extremely motivating and inspirational. In fact, unlike in the traditional mode of learning – there is no fear of mistakes. The technology can also help you gamify the process of learning.

    Improved reading and writing skills

    Computers can be helpful in letting you learn how to create meaningful and well-composed writeups. The auto correct functionality will be helpful in making you learn the common grammar mistakes and other spelling errors.

    There are several websites that help you learn English language skills. In fact, these apps can be helpful in learning many new languages. You can also get access to the grammar guides for improving your reading and writing skills. In fact, students themselves can learn to blog and sharing their skills globally.

    It promotes individualised learning skills

    How about the flexibility of learning anytime anywhere? That is exactly what smartphones and computers let you achieve. In fact, finding the right content themselves and learning in a flexible manner is what would be helpful for you in the long run. The interactive skills and specific technology that these tools let you learn to make it a great option by almost every standard.

    For instance, Photoshop and similar tools can be a great option for those involved in art and allied fields. In fact, self-learning will promote them in becoming self-reliant in the best possible manner. Ability to learn from your own mistakes is what can be one of the impressive options.

    Increased Collaboration

    Technology involves advanced communication tools. This can go a long way in promoting your collaboration as a student with your teachers or mentors. There are emails, texting applications and groups of like-minded people who can improve the level of collaboration.

    You can also make use of the social media sites specifically designed for the educational purposes. These sites connect educational experts with the students. It provides you access to the interactive communication between the teachers and students.

    The concluding thoughts

    The use of technology lets you improve an innovative and creative approach. This will enhance the levels of engagement of the students in the educational activities. In fact, this is evident through the tech exhibitions and workshops being carried out for the students. Robots, smart devices and mobile applications are a few of the innovative products/ items that these students can focus on.

    In essence, technology has a huge say in the student development in particular and education in general. Ensure that your institute believes in the developments and ensures that a tech-driven approach is followed for the overall development of the students.

  • The Next Big Things in FinTech

    The Next Big Things in FinTech

    FinTech is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. With both large financial companies and small tech start-ups increasing their investment into FinTech, here’s a few of the next big things to keep an eye on.

    Automatic savings and round-up apps

    Opening a savings account is something often drilled into us as a ‘must-do’ in our twenties; but for most, the idea of saving can be a chore. Thankfully, for those people there is now a solution! A range of banking apps have been looking at upgrading their features to make saving easy and automatic.

    These apps help you to effectively manage your money and allow you to round up your transactions to the nearest pound. The app then saves the difference into a savings or investment account, so you hardly notice that you are saving at all.

    Voice technology

    With 10 percent of UK households now having virtual home assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, it’s no surprise that voice technology is changing the way we bank too. Many of us already operate our music, lights, TV and other home technology by speaking, so keep your eyes peeled as you may soon be able to send payments this way as well.

    Banks are beginning to roll this functionality out slowly, however the tasks you’ll be able to do with your voice are set to be fairly limited. You should be able to do things like find out your latest transactions soon enough, but with the added security risks, features like transferring money and applying for mortgages might take longer to develop.

    Digital-only banks will continue to grow

    High street banks are set to continue to feel the heat from digital-only banks who provide simple, innovative products and services. As today’s tech-savvy person requires information in an instant, traditional banks are set to disappear due to the availability of functions and services being more readily available via digital banks.

    A common misconception about online banking is that it’s not as safe as traditional banking. This isn’t the case. Online banks take the same (if not more) security measures to protect your money and your data, including the use of one-time passcodes and additional security questions.

    If traditional banks and banking services aren’t prepared to embrace FinTech, they will likely get left behind, and quickly. This incredibly fast-moving sector is in the midst of changing the way we do many things when it comes to our money. Will you be embracing the advancements?

  • Why Choose a Phone Contract with Unlimited Data?

    Why Choose a Phone Contract with Unlimited Data?

    A few years ago, mobile network providers started by offering unlimited texts to their clients. Soon, this was followed by unlimited minutes, before culminating in unlimited data packages.

    Today, five networks are offering unlimited data to their clients in the United Kingdom. These are Virgin Mobile, Three, Smarty, Lycamobile, and GiffGaff. However, is it possible to offer unlimited mobile data to network customers?

    The short answer is Yes.

    How Unlimited Is Unlimited Mobile Data?

    If you want to enjoy unlimited mobile data, you do not have much choice. GiffGaff and Three are the leading options. However, Virgin TV and Media broadband clients also get to enjoy unlimited data via the Virgin Mobile deal.

    You should note that there are two main options to choose from are:

    1. Sim Only—Here, you will find Virgin Mobile, Three, and GiffGaff. GiffGaff offers a thirty-day goody bag contract while Three has two sim versions. Users get to choose between the thirty-day rolling contract and a twelve-month contract. Virgin Mobile only has a twelve-month contract. All the above do provide unlimited data coverage on their networks.
      You should note that all three providers mentioned above also offer unlimited texts and minutes. Clients, therefore, get to enjoy an unlimited phone deal covering all aspects of their phone usage.

      2. Phone—GiffGaff does not have any SIM and phone plan in place. Thus, Three is the only viable option for a client looking for a phone that also comes with an unlimited data plan. Virgin Broadband and Media TV customers also get to receive a new phone whenever they subscribe to the unlimited data plan.

    Clients need to understand that the monthly price often varies depending on the handset device chosen by the client.

    What Do You Need to Consider When Looking for an Unlimited Data Plan?

    Customers thinking about taking unlimited data deals need to consider a few factors. For instance:

    GiffGaff began to offer unlimited data deals to all customers back in 2015. But as part of the 4G unlimited standard data deal, only the first 20GB portion of the data worked at full 4G speed.

    • As soon as a user has eaten through this, the browsing speed gets automatically limited. Clients are thus forced to browse at speeds of 384kb between eight in the morning and midnight each day.
    • Additionally, this deal does not work well for clients who travel regularly. When a client eats through the 20GB, GiffGagg begins charging £6 per Mb for any additional data used up when traveling or roaming through Europe. When you look at Three, you will find that their data tends to be consumer-friendly regardless of whether one is at home or abroad traveling.
    • Both sim cards offered by the company are truly unlimited. Clients get 4G data without any accompanying usage caps. Download speeds do not have any limits.
    • Customers can use part of their unlimited data package as a Wi-Fi hotspot when within the UK. Three did away with tethering in 2016.
    • Clients can use their data when traveling abroad by activating Go Roam. This means clients can text, call, and use their data in a total of 71 countries without incurring any additional costs. 4G surfing is, however, unavailable on Go Roam, forcing customers to use the much slower 3G network.

    Why Choose an Unlimited Data Plan?

    Large data allowances are the reason. Apart from providing the unlimited deals covered above, many suppliers also make it a point to provide incredibly big data allowances.
    Even though the data supplied by the networks is technically not unlimited, the allocation is more than enough for most people. The data allocated to them by the suppliers is more than enough for one month’s use.

    Do You Need Unlimited Data Deals?

    The reality today is that more and more people in the UK are using their smartphones more than they did in the past.

    For instance, a survey conducted by Deloitte established that 87% of the Mobile Consumer Survey owned a smartphone. Of this, 95% had made use of the phone within the last few hours.

    A majority reportedly used the phones to access the web, with 76% using as much as 1.9GB in a month. It is important to point out that some respondents switched to home and office Wi-Fi usage on arrival at either of these two places.

    So, do you need unlimited data? The question itself is indefinite depending on who you ask. Some will say no, while others will answer in the affirmative. If you like to stream many hours of video via your smartphone each day, then an unlimited data plan will sure come in handy.

    The same applies to people who like to download music or play online video games for many hours on a single day. Heavy users can benefit from unlimited data deals. Consider your average data monthly usage before making a decision.

  • Why Digital Technology is So Vital for Business Marketing

    Why Digital Technology is So Vital for Business Marketing

    We all know that the digital revolution has had a huge positive impact on our lives in many ways. Advancements in digital technology have totally revolutionized our personal lives, making it easier, faster, and more convenient to do all sorts of things. This includes everything from communicating with loved ones through to accessing entertainment, doing your shopping, and even learning new skills.

    Technological advancements have also helped to make life far easier for businesses, especially when it comes to matters such as marketing. In today’s competitive world of business, effective marketing is vital if you want to compete with your rivals. Digital technology is an essential part of marketing your brand, services, and goods.

    Some of the Reasons Digital Marketing is Essential

    People use the internet for all sorts of things these days, including access to online education, applying for new jobs, and even to search for people online using sites like peoplefinders.com. Given how much consumers rely on the internet, it is only natural that you should use the same technology for marketing your own business. There are many reasons why you need to ensure digital marketing plays a big part in your overall business marketing strategy, some of which are outlined below.

    One of the key reasons why you need to engage in digital marketing for your business is that it is extremely cost-effective. Many businesses, particularly smaller ones, have very limited funds for marketing these days. By making sure you use online marketing methods such as social media marketing and email marketing, you can slash costs while still benefiting from very effective means of increasing exposure.

    Another major benefit of digital marketing is its total simplicity. In contrast to traditional methods like TV and radio ads, print media advertising, and other offline methods, digital solutions are much easier, and more efficient . It takes up far less time than traditional forms of marketing; and, as all business owners know, time is money. In addition, it takes up fewer resources, as you don’t need a massive team of people working on a digital marketing campaign as you might with a TV or radio ad campaign. All of this makes the marketing process easier and cheaper for your business. TikTok is the leading digital platform these days to get acquainted. You can buy followers for TikTok for better engagement.

    One of the final key benefits is the fact that digital marketing offers extensive reach when it comes to your target audience. With offline marketing, you are very limited in terms of who you can market to. However, with digital marketing, you can raise awareness of your business locally, nationally, and even internationally. Furthermore, your reach can be further extended as a result of people sharing your social media posts or forwarding your marketing emails onto other people.

    Make the Most of Your Marketing

    Digital technology makes it far easier for businesses to make the most of their marketing efforts. This, in turn, means you can look forward to far greater success with your business.

  • TME Education – Learn with Hands On Experiments

    TME Education – Learn with Hands On Experiments

    Everyone who’s paths ever crossed with learning electronics will agree on one thing – there is no better way of mastering this matter than practice. There are of course disciplines, that base mostly on theory supported by some minor research. Electronics, however, needs to be taught with hand on experiments.

    TME Education is a project established by Transfer Multisort Elektronik, a global distributor of electronic components, in 2016 and it aims to promote and facilitate access to technology-related knowledge in regions, where the proper resources are not easy to obtain.

    The programme’s activities are based on cooperation with schools and organizing specialized training conducted by the project’s ambassadors – the local teachers representing TME Education in their regions. After two years after having started in Ghana, TME Education has now such representatives in ten African countries and India.

    One of its main targets is to infuse education with the most practice possible. This is why it creates its own educational kits.

    TME Edu KIT was the first tool designed by TME Education. This Arduino based solution is aimed at those, who would like to start their journey with programming. Its user-friendly design, compact construction and embedded peripherals permit to skip jumper wires and a breadboard. It is enough to simply connect the board to a computer, download free Arduino IDE and start programming.

    The student can easily see the effects of his coding on the device as the board is equipped in various sensors, LEDs, buzzer, switches and many others. Over a year of experience with this tool during dozens of workshops in Africa plus positive feedback from the Lodz University of Technology encouraged TME Education to develop it and create Arduino based TME Educational Board rev. 2.

    The new version got enriched by OLED display, programmable RGB LEDs, microphone and many others. Moreover, it can be controlled by an android application as it can receive commands and information via Bluetooth. As a response to high interest in the first revision of the kit, TME decided to make TME-EDU-ARD-2 an educational product available for sales.

    TME Education is on the verge of releasing its most complex learning tool – The Practical Guide to Electronic Circuits – a complete coursebook that is followed up by a design kit. Its aim is to encourage the user to verify the newly acquired knowledge I real life and solidify it.

    TME Education designed also tools for more advanced learners. TME’s Electronics Experiments Kit is a set of over 300 elements that allow creating several projects at the same time. The inclusion of a breadboard enables prototyping while several pcs boards make it possible to fix the circuits of the users like.

    The possibilities of creating different projects are limitless, however, if the students need some inspiration, the Kit comes with a book that contains eight exemplary experiments to start with.

    TME Education is all about practice. It keeps on developing new tools to make electronics more student-friendly. During the workshops, the students have a chance to conducts experiments with their own hands and see the effects of the codes they are creating. As one of the project’s ambassadors said – “you can only master it if you touch it.”