Virtua Team Talk

At the beginning of a new year I always think it is a good time to reflect on the achievements and frustrations of the previous year and more importantly to look ahead at what 2012 might bring.

It’s also interesting to also look at what the so-called ‘experts’ think 2012 holds in store for us in terms of the technology that drives business and the likely direction it will take over the next twelve months.

I don’t necessarily believe in ‘predictions’ but there’s no harm in listening to what some media commentators think. So here’s what the experts think is 2012 will bring…

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One of the most interesting activities we have been working on over the last couple of years is “Network Testing”.  Essentially it means having engineers driving or walking and monitoring existing network coverage levels for the mobile operators.  It is a vital service because the ability to measure what a wireless network subscriber experiences in any specific area, allows the MNO’s to make direct changes to the network, providing better coverage and service to their customers. The MNO’s also have large corporate clients who like to ensure they have good coverage and capacity at their offices/facilities.  This means we then walk around these buildings which can range from small offices to large sports stadiums and busy train stations. We undertake the testing either in heavily customised vehicles or on foot carrying the necessary equipment.  The customisation of the vehicles is quite complex – outside it’s a Ford Focus… inside it’s a network of test phones, computers and highly modified, ultra sensitive equipment.  Above all, it ensures our drivers concentrate on the road whilst the engineers concentrate on the results.

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All employers want dedicated and loyal employees and sometimes employee loyalty to an organisation can reveal much more about the organisation than a host of financial statements ever could.

But employees who ‘stay put’ should not be confused with those who ‘stay loyal’, according to a new comprehensive study of worker attitudes. “Walker Information”, a research company specializing in loyalty and satisfaction measurements recently released a workplace loyalty report and the study distinguishes the “truly loyal” employees from those who stick around only until a better job comes along.

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As more and more people start to use their mobile phones as hand-held computers the amount of data being moved around is growing exponentially. What many do not realise though, or think about, is the real bottom-line cost of accessing and transmitting data as it becomes more common for people to download big files, like videos for example, onto mobiles.

As a result pressure has been steadily mounting for greater clarity and transparency of the true costs of mobile data. The Communications Ombudsman has already raised his concern about this matter and said that mobile phone operators must do more to help people avoid getting unexpectedly large bills after going online. Similarly, the complaints watchdog has confirmed that the so-called ‘data download bill shock’ is a serious and growing problem.

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An EU directive that sets thirty days as the “standard payment term”, and which labels anything more than sixty days as potentially “grossly unfair”, will take effect in 2012, a year earlier than expected.

The new regulations have been drafted to set thirty days as the standard terms for public and private entities to pay invoices. This can however be extended to sixty days when suppliers have specifically agreed to give customers a grace period to review and acknowledge receipt of goods. In addition small companies can also charge 8% interest on overdue invoices and as well as a levying a £35 fee for costs.

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The recent transition from traditional mobile phones into handheld computers has obviously revolutionised the mobile phone industry but sometimes the ramifications of rapid change are not always anticipated.

Take the issue of patents for example… The patent system was obviously created to encourage innovation and to protect intellectual property but today it seems to be sparking some serious disputes between some of the world’s leading mobile phone companies.

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It seems like that almost every week another innovative use is found for mobile phones but it is always gratifying to find uses that are of social benefit rather than for just entertainment or ‘social media’ purposes.

For example a new mobile messaging scheme has just been trialled which could revolutionise the way the NHS interacts with patients. The technology – known as ‘Florence’ (after Florence Nightingale) – is being prepared for national roll out and has already been commissioned for use in nineteen NHS Care Trusts.

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If we are to believe the latest BBC Science news then self-repairing computers, a popular prediction of science fiction enthusiasts, could soon be a reality. It seems that future microchips may have only one type of component which is capable of ‘rewiring itself’ to do different jobs.

According to a report in the journal ‘Nature Nanotechnology’ researchers from ‘Northwestern University’ in the US have developed a material that is capable of radically changing its electronic properties. In other words a resistor made from it could become a transistor or a diode. The discovery could lead to cheaper, smaller and more powerful computers.

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Working in technology has some advantages. Sometimes it’s quite fun, as well as quite challenging, working at the forefront of technology – particularly in the world of mobile phones! But technology is such a wide canvas that it’s virtually impossible to keep up with everything – and when it comes to the so-called ‘Supercomputers’ it’s a whole new ball game.

According to some recent reports I’ve been reading from research in the US it now seems that feeding a supercomputer with news stories could actually help predict major world events. Science fiction? Or is there a grain of truth?

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It might seem like stating the obvious but it’s absolutely true – the way your employees feel about their job and their workplace determines how motivated they are. In other words there is an undoubted link between job satisfaction and productivity.

Sure, job satisfaction depends partly on tangible rewards like how much a person is paid and what benefits they receive.  But job satisfaction also depends on many other factors like the culture of an organisation – the things that make your business distinctive and make the people who work there proud to do so.

So an important part of any manager’s job is to motivate their people and there are a number of ways this can be achieved. For example:-

• Provide varied and interesting work
• Provide high-quality training and development and encouragement to study for professional qualifications
• Provide an ‘open door’ culture in which managers are approachable
• Provide consistent and genuine leadership
• Respect the need for a good work-life balance – e.g. offering the opportunity for flexible working wherever possible
• Ensure fairness at work, including promoting equality and diversity
• Ensure proactive and regular communication
• Give regular appraisals and positive feedback – restating business objectives and recognising your staff’s contribution
• Request feedback, either in person or via staff surveys, on how employees feel about their roles, the support they get, and ideas for improvements to the business
• Provide the opportunity for staff to socialise with their colleagues at organised events
• Incorporate recognition and reward for ideas

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