(This article 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 -Google Hangouts is shutting down in November.
Google announced this past week that anybody using the Hangouts app will promptly be moved to Chat. Those using Hangouts on the web through Gmail will be required to move over to Chat later this month. Hangouts — however — will continue running on the desktop site until November and Google plans to give advance warning to those users before they need to make the switch. Google shut down Google Hangouts for Workspace users earlier this year. (Source: The Verge)
Why this is important for your business:
I’m not seeing this is a highly disruptive event. There’s plenty of advance warning and from what I can tell the redirect to Chat from Hangouts is pretty seamless.
2 — The top job-search apps are hitting all-time highs.
According to the most recent data by Apptopia, the top seven job search engines have all seen a spike in use rates since March. On average, the number of daily active users for last month has grown by more than half (57 percent) year-over-year. According to the research, the top three apps for job searches are ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, and Indeed, with ZipRecruiter seeing a 37 percent increase in daily active users this year. (Source: Computer World)
Why this is important for your business:
I guess with 11 million unfilled jobs this shouldn’t be such a surprise. The Great Resignation continues and employees continue to leverage job search platforms to check out what’s there. For you, as an employer, you should be leaning on a few of the more popular ones too. But also don’t underestimate the power of using your employees and others you know to refer potential employees. It remains the number one way businesses are finding talent.
3 -OneDirectory is entering the SMB market with a new pricing offer for small businesses.
This past week leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider OneDirectory announced new pricing for its employee directory offering for small businesses. The new small businesses plan costs $79 per month for businesses with 100 employees or less. OneDirectory typically served bigger businesses. However- due to shifts to hybrid and remote work- the company has started to cater to smaller businesses who need access to tools to connect their employees. (Source: PR Newswire)
Why this is important for your business:
Even amongst my smallest clients, I’m seeing platforms like OneDirectory gain in popularity as a way to create employee directories, profiles and organization charts. It’s a great way to share internal information about employees, particularly in these times of remote workers.
4 — Here are 7 handy Microsoft Excel features you may have missed.
Sandy Writtenhouse of online technology magazine How-To-Geek recently summarized seven useful Microsoft Excel features that day-to-day users may have missed. (Source: How To Geek)
Why this is important for your business:
Loved this piece. Those features include Sparklines to help users create mini graphs within spreadsheet cells, Data Validation to help prevent incorrect data entries, the Status Bar to view and copy calculations without the use of formulas, and Flash Fill to make data entry more efficient. You can view the full list of features and descriptions here.
5-Security survives the budget ax.
New data gathered by Morgan Stanley Research has found that- regardless of a potential recession- security remains a critical expense for CIOs. It was estimated that — in 2021-companies spent over $150 billion on security products and they’re expected to spend even more in the coming years. The research confirmed that security is first on the list for being immune to budget cuts, according to the CIOs surveyed. (Source: Info World)
Why this is important for your business:
It’s important for small business owners to understand that big companies may be cutting budgets in some places, thanks to inflation and a slowing economy, but IT security is not one of them. They realize the importance of spending on the tools and people needed to protect their corporate data. So should you.
