Monday, November 21, 2016



November, 2016 Issue
In This Issue
The 2017 Predictions Are Out!  
 


It's November, and the IT predictions for 2017 are rolling in! True, some are over the top, but there are others well worth noting. After checking out several sources, here are some of the predictions that stood out to us:
  1. The Internet of Things: What list would be complete without a "take" on what will happen in 2017 with IoT. What will happen? Growth, to put it mildly. Gartner predicted a 30% increase from 2015 to 4 billion connected devices in 2016. And it's expected to continue its climb up to 20.8 billion by 2020. There's no turning back on IoT. And who would want to?
     
  2. Digital Migration: This continues to be a high priority for about 80% of businesses, according to research sited by voipinnovations.com.
    It will only continue to grow in importance as organizations realize the need to replace aging infrastructures to support the growing need for a digital framework.
     
  3. 5G Technology: Still years away from full deployment, but we will start to hear more about 5G from some of the big guys such as AT&T. They have already ironed out a plan for "Release-15", considered to be the first release that incorporates 5G specification  s.
     
  4. Mobile Payment Technology: Right now, an estimated 20% of consumers are using mobile pay solutions. As security issues are addressed and trust grows, however, that number is expected to rise dramatically.
     
  5. Value Chain Partnerships: Strategic collaborations and partnerships are expected to rise to meet the escalating demands of a more sophisticated user base. Competition will increase and organizations will "team up" to provide best of breed solutions.
     
  6. Security: The issue that never grows old. Network security solutions will be on the rise to address the increased security risks that the growing number of connected devices bring with them. Hacking methods have become more sophisticated, such as DDoS, cyber extortion, etc. Security will remain one of the top issues for all organizations.
What did we miss here? Let us know what your top IT initiatives are for 2017.

The CDR-DATA team of IT/Telecom veterans loves the challenges associated with new technologies. We live and breathe what's "around the corner".
Contact us to find out more about how we can help you address your IT/Telecom challenges, whatever they might be.
Sincerely,

Kevin Young, Founder and CEO 
CDR-DATA   
Emergency Management (COOP) for Local Officials
(Part 2)

by Salvador Marquez, Principle Consultant, CMG Assist

In Part I we looked at making a list of potential hazards. Now, let's look at your emergency management plan.

Every city/county should have an Emergency Operations Center (EOC). This is a central location that enables governments to coordinate policy decisions, manage resources, and respond to disasters and emergencies beyond the scope of an on-scene incident commander (Emergency Management plans should also include an alternative EOC should the primary facility be unavailable).
 
The emergency management plan should also consider the following tasks and delegations:
 
  • Notification and Warning of the Event
  • Direction and Control (who is in charge)
  • Emergency Public Information
  • Search and Rescue
  • Health/Medical
  • Evacuation, Traffic Control and Security
  • Damage Assessment
  • Debris Clearance
  • Utilities Restoration
 
*Each topic will take time to develop. Prepare to provide definition of support functions, systems that will be used, process and procedures, delegate responsibility and include all resources that will be needed.
 
I think lastly the local officials have a responsibility to the community.   Communication strategies should be in place to stay on top of, or even in front of, the disaster.   If you fail to have adequate preparation and organization surrounding your communication back to the public, rumors may be taken as truth and facts may be mispresented, resulting in a distorted public perception of the emergency and what steps are being taken to deal with it. Most local officials use the following three points and format to make it easy for them and easy to understand for the public.
 
  1. What happened? Facts about the situation should be released as soon as possible and when information is confirmed. Updates should be frequent and numerous.
  2. What does it mean to me? Place yourself in the public's shoes. Provide them with information to enhance their safety and address potential concerns. Fear of the unknown is greater than fear of the facts.
  3. What are you doing about it? The public wants to get "back to normal" as soon as possible. Tell them what you are doing to control the situation and return it to order. Explain how the process will work, how long it could take, and what they can expect.
 
There is so much more detail and thought that will go into your overall plan. Make sure you involve everyone in the planning process. Test your plan regularly and take care of yourself. There are several free templates and checklists available to every organization. FEMA and Homeland Security also have a better list of available resources, up to date policies and requirements.
 
CMG Assist is also available to help with free consultations or advice depending on where you are at in your process. We are a disaster recovery organization focused on helping our clients find the best and lowest cost solutions available. We are the creators of CMG Access www.cmgaccess.com, an online planning tool that is offered as a free public service to all companies in the United States and Canada. We recently launched AAA Disaster Recovery Club www.AAAdrclub.com. This service helps our members with the physical resources they will need at the time of the disaster such as office space, generators, technology, internet and phone lines that are independent of the local infrastructure.   We encourage anyone building a plan, to make sure that plan is backed up with the physical resources to make that plan actionable. Otherwise it's like have a manual to tell you how to change your flat tire but with no jack or spare.
 
We hope this information was helpful and it is provided as a reference only, and does not in any way supersede or replace existing county or local emergency policies, plans or procedures.
About CDR-DATA
 
CDR-Data applications are supported by products that, collectively, provide you with all the resources needed to 
effectively manage your communications and personnel expenses without having to add resources.
 
eCDR®: All the reporting options and flexibility needed to effectively manage and allocate telecommunications expense. Easy to use and customizable.  
 
eBill-Back®: Fast, accurate billing system
for business centers, shared-tenant environments, and any business requiring bill back of end users.
Call us or drop us an email: 

cdrinfo@cdrdata.com . Visit us at www.cdrdata.com.  

  CDR-DATA| | http://cdrdata.com
PO Box 41141
Pasadena, CA 91114