(This column originally appeared in Forbes)
Here are five things in technology that happened this past week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
1- ChromeOS Flex has finally arrived and it’s giving new life to old Macbooks and PCs.
ChromeOS was designed to revive computers that have been outdated. Google has announced that this program can be installed on either Mac or PCs just by simply downloading this feature. After many trial runs, anyone is now free to download this program. However, Google intends for schools and businesses to get the most use out of it. (Source: Engadget)
Why this is important for your business:
This looks like a great tool for cost-wary small businesses, especially nonprofits. ChromeOS could offer a longer life for these old devices and save on the expense of replacing them.
2-Never before seen 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks may be coming this fall.
Apple had announced last year that the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks were coming out in the spring 2023, but they are coming sooner than we think. Apple is already working on the M2 versions of these laptops which will look roughly the same as the original versions. The new changes were only to add more charging ports and better displays. However, the release may get delayed to Spring 2023 due to supply chain issues. (Source: Engadget)
Why this is important for your business:
These are updates to add more graphical power to the already existing line of MacBooks. “Look for much of the focus to be on the graphics side, just like with the standard M2,” a spokesman said. According to Engadget, on the 2022 MacBook Air, graphics performance is about 35 percent faster if you go with the 10-core GPU variant.
3- According to a new study, small and medium-sized businesses need to use technology.
Web hosting provider Bluehost just released their third study on small and medium-sized businesses which focuses on digital adoption for business growth. They focused on businesses in the United States, New Zealand, India, and Australia. They concluded from their findings four key points: sentiment is starkly different across regions and favorable in growth economies, SMBs know going digital is key to survival, the need to harness digital tools, and the importance of managing transactions from a distance. (Source: PR Newswire).
Why this is important for your business:
I have seen, written and reported on countless small businesses who are doubling down on technology — robotics, self-service kiosks, AI, workflows, drones, internet of things — in order to get more productivity out of their existing staff, reduce overhead and keep payroll levels under control.
4-PYMNTS conducted a survey on what small businesses really need and how financial institutions can help them out.
PYMNTS, an economic data and news website, conducted a survey which concluded that of 260 corporations, 83 percent said they expect their company’s bank to provide the latest technological tools. The survey also found that mall business owners want help with back-to-back payments and digital tools that are helpful and easy to use.
(Source: PYMNTS)
Why this is important for your business:
This message is particularly important for smaller financial institutions, such as community and independent banks. The Paycheck Protection Program pushed many of these firms into changing their online processes for onboarding, loan approvals and customer service and the best ones are continuing down this road. Of course there are internal benefits to be realized. But more importantly it’s what customers are expecting.
5- Syrius Robots collected millions this year from investors around the world.
Warehouse robots startup Syrius Robots recently collected $7.4 million in a Series B rounding fund. The autonomous robots help with moving around heavy machinery in factories, warehouses, and have piqued the interest of many foreign investors such as Harvest Capital, Tiktok and Bytedance. These robots are mainly on the Asian continent, but the startup plans to expand soon. (Source: Techcrunch)
Why this is important for your business:
As mentioned above countless small firms are doubling down on technology and nowhere have I seen this happening more predominantly than on the factory floor. Syrius Robots is one of a number of startup and small tech firms that pushing this acceleration.
