What is Cisco ThousandEyes?

Cisco Thousandeyes is a cloud-based platform that allows businesses to measure, monitor, and troubleshoot network performance. It provides a comprehensive view of the entire infrastructure, including public and private networks. ThousandEyes offers visibility into the performance and health of applications, websites, networks, and cloud services. It helps organizations ensure reliable and secure user experience and network performance across the globe.

ThousandEyes provides insights into the performance of applications, websites, and networks, as well as the health of cloud services. It offers network intelligence, visibility, and analytics, allowing organizations to monitor the user experience and application performance. ThousandEyes also provides tools for troubleshooting and diagnosing network performance issues, allowing businesses to quickly identify and solve problems.

Benefits of Cisco ThousandEyes

• Improved network performance: Thousandeyes provides insights into the performance of applications, websites, and networks, as well as the health of cloud services. This allows organizations to monitor the user experience and application performance, and ensure reliable and secure network performance.
• Comprehensive visibility: ThousandEyes provides a comprehensive view of the entire infrastructure, including public and private networks. This allows businesses to visualize the performance of their networks and identify potential performance issues.
• Real-time insights: ThousandEyes provides real-time insights into application and network performance. This allows businesses to quickly identify and troubleshoot performance issues.
• Easy to use: ThousandEyes is easy to use and provides a user-friendly interface. This makes it easy for businesses to monitor and troubleshoot network performance.

Features

ThousandEyes provides a range of features to help businesses measure, monitor, and troubleshoot network performance. Some of the features include:

• Network monitoring: It provides network monitoring capabilities, allowing businesses to visualize the performance of their networks and identify potential performance issues.
• Application monitoring: It provides application monitoring capabilities, allowing businesses to monitor the performance of applications and websites.
• Cloud monitoring: It provides cloud monitoring capabilities, allowing businesses to monitor the performance of cloud services.
• Troubleshooting: It provides tools for troubleshooting and diagnosing network performance issues.
• Analytics: It provides analytics capabilities, allowing businesses to track performance trends and identify potential issues.
• Visualizations: It provides visualizations of performance data, allowing businesses to quickly identify and troubleshoot performance issues.

ThousandEyes Platform Architecture

ThousandEyes is built on a distributed architecture. It is designed to be highly available and scalable, allowing businesses to monitor and troubleshoot network performance in real time. The platform is composed of several components, including:

• Agents: are installed on customer sites and collect performance data.
• Data collectors: are responsible for collecting performance data from the agents and sending it to the Thousandeyes platform.
• Platform: is responsible for collecting, storing, and analyzing performance data.
• Dashboards: provide visualizations of performance data, allowing businesses to quickly identify and troubleshoot performance issues.

ThousandEyes Platform Pricing

ThousandEyes offers a range of pricing plans, depending on the features and services needed. The pricing plans range from basic to enterprise, and the prices vary depending on the number of agents and data collectors needed.

It also offers a free trial for businesses to test the platform. The free trial allows businesses to use the platform for 30 days and access all of the features.

Thousandeyes Platform Integration

ThousandEyes integrates with a range of third-party applications and services, allowing businesses to monitor and troubleshoot network performance in real time. The platform integrates with popular services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Rackspace, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and more.

It also integrates with popular analytics and reporting tools such as Splunk, Grafana, and Kibana. This allows businesses to track performance trends and identify potential issues.

Use Cases

Thousandeyes can be used by businesses of all sizes to measure, monitor, and troubleshoot network performance. The platform can be used to monitor the performance of applications, websites, networks, and cloud services. It can also be used to troubleshoot performance issues and track performance trends.

Thousandeyes can be used by businesses in a variety of industries, including:

• IT and telecom: It can be used by IT and telecom companies to monitor the performance of their networks and ensure reliable and secure user experience.
• Retail: It can be used by retail companies to monitor the performance of their websites and applications, and identify potential performance issues.
• Manufacturing: It can be used by manufacturing companies to monitor the performance of their networks and identify potential performance issues.
• Healthcare: It can be used by healthcare companies to monitor the performance of their networks and ensure reliable and secure user experience.

Comparisons between Thousandeyes and other similar platforms

Thousandeyes is similar to other performance monitoring and troubleshooting platforms, such as AppDynamics, Dynatrace, and New Relic. However, there are some key differences.

• AppDynamics focuses on application performance and provides a comprehensive view of application performance. ThousandEyes, on the other hand, provides a comprehensive view of the entire infrastructure, including public and private networks.
• Dynatrace focuses on cloud performance and provides insights into the performance of cloud services. ThousandEyes, on the other hand, provides insights into the performance of applications, websites, networks, and cloud services.
• New Relic focuses on application performance and provides analytics capabilities. ThousandEyes, on the other hand, provides analytics capabilities, as well as tools for troubleshooting and diagnosing network performance issues.

Services and Support

ThousandEyes provides a range of services and support to help businesses get the most out of the platform. The services and support include:

• Professional services: It provides professional services to help businesses set up and configure the platform.
• Training: It provides training to help businesses learn how to use the platform.
• Support: It provides 24/7 support to help businesses troubleshoot and diagnose network performance issues.
• Documentation: It provides comprehensive documentation and tutorials to help businesses get the most out of the platform.

Conclusion

Cisco ThousandEyes is a comprehensive platform for measuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting network performance. It provides a comprehensive view of the entire infrastructure, including public and private networks. ThousandEyes offers network intelligence, visibility, and analytics, allowing businesses to monitor the user experience and application performance.

It also provides tools for troubleshooting and diagnosing network performance issues, allowing businesses to quickly identify and solve problems. ThousandEyes is easy to use and integrates with a range of third-party applications and services, making it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes.

Web 3.0’s ultimate aim is to move the Internet from centralized model to decentralized model. Currently all big giants hold control over systems and applications and its data. This also makes software vulnerable to security threats and downtimes if the hosting server fails or gets compromised. Decentralized architecture puts an end to these kinds of issues.

It is just like a piece of open-source software which runs transactions on decentralized computing systems having no single authority. No single entity controls the application and data stored on distributed nodes thus making it more resilient to cyber threats. 

Today we look more in detail about decentralized applications (dApps), what are they?, how they are used, what are their limitations and benefits etc. 

What are Decentralized Applications

When you visit a website to reach or fetch its content at the backend it interacts with a centralized server to get you the desired content. Tech giants such as Meta (Facebook), Amazon, Google etc. feed on customer data and generate revenue. Decentralized applications on the other hand brings the freedom from this centralized control in a few hands. Instead of requests going to a centralized server , requests land up to blockchain for information. dApps are applications only without any central control. 

App = Frontend + Backend → Hosted on Centralized Network Servers

dApps = Frontend + Backend + Smart Contracts → Hosted on Blockchain

Decentralized applications are software programs which run on blockchain or peer-to-peer(P2P) networks of systems instead of on a single system. dApps are outside the control and preview of single authority. dApps are built majorly on Ethereum platform and used for a variety of purposes including gaming, social media, and finance. 

Ethereum network has several applications such as Smart Contracts. Smart contracts allow several parties to agree on conditions that will be coded in the self-executing program. This program automatically executes when coding conditions are met. A smart contract eliminates the dependency and trust on third parties, saves constant attention, time, and cost. Ethereum blockchain is an open-source development platform and environment to build Decentralized Applications (dApps) using Smart Contracts capability.

How dApps work

dApps interact with users on mobile or web browsers like a normal web or mobile application only. Users can connect or log in via wallet also to access the application. The dApp hosts are on the blockchain network and source code is available for verification in the network for each node. The front end of an application is coded in HTML, CSS, JS etc. and the backend is written using JS or Python. dApps can run on P2P networks or blockchain networks. Such as BitTorrent , Tor or Popcorn Time applications run on systems that are in a P2P network and allows multiple users to consume the content, feed and content seeding. 

Pros and Cons of dApps

PROS

• No single party is authorized to control the application actions to maintain decentralization and equality 
• Whole network is decentralized hence there is no single point of failure highly redundant in nature
• User privacy is better guarded as in decentralized application users not required to hand over any personal information 
• Enhance possibility to deploy DeFi, which is decentralized finance, a system to ensure anonymous peer-to-peer financial transactions without the need for a middle party or third parties
• Automation of cumbersome processes such as agreement verification etc. 
• Eliminate risks of data breach and hacking of personal data 

CONS

• Might impact user experience and maintenance as no single party is responsible for upkeep
• Once a smart card is deployed in blockchain it is not possible to alter it
• dApps cloud lead to network congestion due to heavy computation
• Skill gap is a major concern for organizations who wish to switch over to blockchain based applications
• Developers cant alter the code once it is live and available publicly to everyone, some coding flaws and loopholes can be exploited by hackers to gain systems access

Uses of dApps

• Facilitate peer-to-peer financial transactions such as exchange currencies and asset transfers
• Tracking movement of goods in supply chain to ensure transparency and accountability
• Used to securely store and verify identity related information such as voter polls, passport applications, driving license applications etc.
• Facilitate buying and selling real estate directly between buyer and sellers and tracking property ownership and related documentation
• Store and track medical health records and facilitate communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals
• Use to create decentralized platforms for learning , allow user interaction and share content without need for a centralized authority
• Create decentralized platforms for predictive market analytics, let them predict on variety of topics 

In today’s digital world, Data is wealth, Data is Power and Data is everything. Thus a business should give large importance to Users and their data. 

The Database monitoring tools can help us to a wide number of variables and keep track of the performance metrics of our database or server. Today in this article you will get to know about the top 10 database monitoring tools that every business should have. 

Okay without further ado let’s get started. 

List of Top Database Monitoring Tools

1.SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer 

It is a database monitor that identifies the problems pinpoint in real-time. 

They offer 14 days free trial and after that, it is available at the price of $1,995. It is suitable for Windows, Linux, Unix, etc… 

PROS:

• Dashboards are highly customizable 
• This database management system is tailored for medium and large-size databases.
• Graphs and alerts in a different color for critical warnings. 

2.DataDog Database Monitoring

It is a SaaS monitoring solution that monitors your cloud infrastructure, applications, and  serverless features. The major advantage of this platform is that it gives a full observability solution with metrics, logs, security, real user, etc…

It gives annual billing and demand billing options. You can also use it free for the first 14 days for an unlimited number of servers. It supports more than 400 Integrations. 

3.OpsView

These database monitoring tools are designed to provide a unified view, which includes both cloud and on premise systems. It operates famous databases like Oracle, IBM DB2, Amazon RDS, etc… 

It offers two types of plans as OpsView Cloud and Enterprise. The former one starts with 150 hosts to 50,000+ hosts and the latter starts with 300 hosts to 50,000+ hosts. 

4.Paessler PRTG Network Monitor

It is a network monitor tool that is compatible with many different databases and can monitor your complete IT Infrastructure. And the interface and dashboards are flexible and customizable. 

It tracks Applications, Cloud Services, Web Services, and other network metrics. You can build your custom configuration or else use the PRTG default ones. 

5.Site 24 x 7

Site 24×7 is a SaaS-based unified cloud monitoring for DevOps and IT operation in both small and large organizations. Site 24×7 is an all-in-one solution that works on Desktop, Linux, Windows and mobile devices.

It is not a specialized tool like the previous one but it is a cloud-based monitoring service, which can help database monitoring. It offers a 30 days free trial and there is also a free version that limits only to five servers. 

6.AppOptics APM

It is also a cloud-based service from SolarWinds, however, there is a lower edition called AppOptics Infrastructure which focuses on Performance and monitoring of databases. 

It has a specialized screen for different application databases and is easily scalable to build as a cloud service. It offers a 14-day free trial. 

7.SentryOne SQL Sentry

It is a database monitoring tool that takes a traditional approach, the user interface is not as attractive as the other products in this list however it gets the job done. 

It is dedicated to SQL, thus it will be a good choice if you have any other monitoring tools, and has more than 100 alerts. It is a little expensive and offers only a 14-day free trial. 

8.ManageEngine Applications Manager

It is an application managing system provided by the managing engine however it works well for database monitoring and server monitoring. It is available with 30-day free trial plans. 

It can map out interdependencies between applications and works both on premise and cloud Infrastructure. 

9.Spiceworks 

If you don’t have any advanced or complex use for your database monitoring tool then Spiceworks will do the job. It is a free tool compatible with SQL Server databases. It is customizable and has simple data visualization.

10.dbWatch

It is a simple and easy-to-install tool. It works well at multiple cross platforms and has a good reporting method. It operates in real-time and historical data. There is also a zoom-in option. 

Conclusion

There are many database monitoring tools out there in the market, and you can choose the one that suits the best as per your requirements. Please share your thoughts and doubts in the comment section below. 

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Top 10 Serverless Compute Providers

Top 10 Cloud Monitoring Tools

Service providers play a major role in providing different kinds of IT services related to Internet, web, applications, email, advertising, cloud, Security etc. Different service providers provide a variety of services to its clients. For example, an ISP (Internet service provider) sells internet services or data connectivity to its users. OSPs (Online service providers) on the other hand sell online services via the Internet to users such as email, advertising etc. 

Today we look more in detail about the basics of OSP (Online service provider) and ISP (Internet service provider), commonalities and key differences between both of them. 

What is OSP

OSP or Online service provider as they called provide more than just basic Internet service when already connected to Internet. They provide extensive unique web services, email services, advertising services and so on. Services coming from OSPs require ISPs support. OSPs provide its customers with online services like email, websites, discussion forums, downloading files, news articles and chat rooms. The services either provide web access to specialized databases or added general purpose Internet access. 

In addition to providing Internet access, OSPs also provide software packages, email accounts and some personal web space. The OSPs make it easy to communicate with others at every corner of the world, work from home by online services using video telephones and shop sitting at home using online shopping websites. OSPs help organizations to save costs by building and maintaining their websites, building databases, collecting and storing large amounts of information, sharing and data exchange with partners and customers, speeding up operations etc. 

Related: ISP vs VPN

What is ISP

An ISP or Internet service provider as they call it provides Internet and other related services to various enterprises and users. It has a telecommunication network and its associated equipment to offer services across geographies and regions. ISPs provide Internet to its clients along with email, web hosting and domain registration services. ISPs provide Internet connections such as cable, fiber, high speed broadband services. ISPs are connected to a single or more than one high speed leased line which enables them to provide services to its customers. Servers are also maintained by ISPs in their data centers to control all customer traffic.

ISPs are grouped into three tiers namely – 

• Tier 1 ISP which manages most of the traffic on its own as they have physical network lines and have maximum geo reachability. They negotiate other Tier 1 networks to pass traffic through other Tier 1 providers and provide access to tier 2 ISPs.
• Tier 2 ISP connects tier 1 and tier 3 ISPs. They possess regional and national boundaries. Access is procured from tier 1 ISPs but teams up with tier 2 ISPs. Majority of commercial and consumer customers belong to them
• Tier 3 ISPs connect customers to the Internet via other ISP networks. They consume higher tier ISP services which are paid and work to provide Internet to local consumer markets and enterprises.

Comparison: OSP vs ISP

Download the comparison table: OSP vs ISP

Every organization, be it small, medium or large are impacted by third party risks. This risk is exponentially increased as more and more providers are building and using AI technologies in their products which resulted in apart from security but privacy concerns also. 

In today’s topic we will learn about top 10 TPRM Tools (third party risk management tools) available in the market.

List of TPRM Tools

Upguard 

Upguard has seven key features to detect threats at multiple levels. It covers security risks associated with Internet facing third party assets. Auto detection happens using third- and fourth-party mapping techniques. 

Key features of Upguard 

• Evidence gathering involves combining risk information from multiple sources to get complete risk profile
• Monitoring third party attack surfaces via automated scan 
• Third parties trust and security pages to showcase information about their data privacy standards, certifications, cybersecurity programs 
• Elaborate security questionnaires to assess risk posture of third party
• Third party baseline security posture 
• Vulnerability model of third party 

SecurityScore card 

SecurityScore card detects security risks associated with third party vendors.

Key features of SecurityScore

• Detection of security risks associated with internal and third-party attack surface mapped to NIST 800-171 
• Projected impact of remediation tasks and board summary reports 
• Third parties risk management via Atlas to manage security questionnaires and calculate third-party risk profiles 
• Third-party monitoring via security score feature and track performance 

Bitsight

Bitsight multiple third-party risk identification techniques work together to present a comprehensive risk profile from third-party exposure. 

Key features of Bitsight 

• Automatic identification of risks associated with alignment gaps with regulations and cyber frameworks such as NIS 2 and SOC 2 
• Track third-party cybersecurity performance using security ratings
• Monitor emerging cyber threats across cloud, geographies, subsidiaries and remote workers
• Multiple threat sources are used to create a risk profile

OneTrust

OneTrust identifies risks across onboarding and offboarding phases of third-party vendors.

Key features of OneTrust 

• Predictive capabilities to gather insights about privacy and security , governance risks 
• Maintain updated vendor inventory but workflow automation across vendor onboarding / offboarding
• AI engine (Athena) to expedite internal and third-party vendor risk discovery 

Prevalent

Prevalent point in time risk assessments with automated workflows to monitor third-parties and track emerging risks in real time. 

Key features of Prevalent 

• Impact of third-party risks on organization and security ratings from 0-100
• Point in time risk assessments with continuous monitoring capabilities
• Identification of common data leak sources, dark web forums and threat intelligence feeds 

Panorays

Remain informed of third-party risks with built-in risk assessment workflow for risk assessment creation quickly. But it does not support threat and risk intelligence into supply chain data. 

Key features of Panorays

• Detection of common data breach vectors
• Library of questionnaire templates mapped to popular standards and frameworks
• Combining data from security ratings and questionnaires to support third-party risk attack surface
• Workflows customization with external applications using JSON based REST API 

RiskRecon

Third-party risk exposure assessments with deep reporting and security ratings. 

Key features of RiskRecon 

• Uses risk analysis methodology having 11 security domains and 41 security criteria to get contextualized insight into third-party security posture
• Security rating scoring system 0-100 
• Standard API to create extensive cybersecurity ratings  

CyberGRX

Expediting third-party risk discovery during vendor due diligence. More frequent risk assessments are supported coupling third-party risk data streams.

Key features of CyberGRX

• Security questionnaires to establish vendor security posture
• Continuous updates to library of point in time assessments to map current risks to threat landscape
• Monitor emerging risks related to phishing, email spoofing, domain hijacking, and DNS issues

Vanta

Focuses on detection of risks associated with misalignment to frameworks and standards. 

Key features of Vanta 

• Intuitive dashboard to monitor third-party risks related to compliance and track their progress
• Alignment tracking with security frameworks and standards such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR and HIPAA.

Drata

Full audit readiness assessment by security tools monitoring and compliance workflows to streamline operations 

Key features of Drata 

• Policy builder to map specific compliance requirement for third-party risk analysis
• Maintain compliance across 14 cybersecurity frameworks
• Continuous monitoring of compliance controls 

Every company is dealing with increasing volumes of unstructured data and information, which makes it difficult to automate processes. There are plenty of Robotic Process Automation RPA tools that have made it easy for businesses to tackle this complexity. Using RPA tools helps companies cut costs, accelerate time to market, and improve operational efficiency while reducing manual intervention. These RPA tools help businesses streamline their operations by enabling them to conduct tasks in a more automated manner than ever before. These software programs remove the need for manual tasks by identifying and repeating actions that can be codified as rules.

List of Top Robotic Process Automation RPA tools

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular RPA tools below:

Automation Anywhere

Automation Anywhere is a business process automation platform designed to help organizations improve their operational efficiency and transform their businesses.

The company’s RPA platform allows organizations to streamline business processes, increase operational efficiency, and operationalize their business. It uses a rules-based approach to perform tasks that are typically manual or repetitive, which can be codified as rules. Features include:

• a visual programming environment,
• a workflow engine, and
• a process analytics engine.

This RPA tool offers a number of benefits to its users. For example, it can help with process standardization, process compliance, process excellence, and process optimization. It also enables integration with existing systems and applications. Automation Anywhere is one of the most popular RPA tools in the market today.

Blue Prism

Blue Prism is an RPA platform that enables business transformation by helping organizations achieve high levels of automation while optimizing the investment in people. The company’s RPA solution enables organizations to change the way they do business by automating manual business processes.

It uses a rules-based approach to capture and automate routine manual tasks through a user-friendly graphical user interface.

Blue Prism offers a complete solution for organizations that want to automate their processes with minimum effort. It is one of the most well-known RPA tools in the market today. Some of the key features of this RPA solution include

• the ability to connect to any data source and
• real-time visibility into business processes.

UiPath

UiPath is an RPA tool that is used to automate business processes across industries. Its robust platform allows businesses to maximize their efficiency by automating the manual, repeatable tasks that have been a constraint for organizations for a long time.

• The platform efficiently manages the entire automation lifecycle, from design to run time.
• It also enables the creation of business rules, which can be applied across different processes.

UiPath is one of the most comprehensive RPA tools available in the market today. It enables IT, business analysts, and process owners to automate their manual tasks and processes. This RPA solution is used by large enterprises across various industries.

Kofax

Kofax is one of the leading providers of solutions for capturing, managing, and transforming information. It has a number of RPA tools that help organizations automate their operations and processes. With these tools, companies can achieve

• real-time visibility and operational efficiency,
• reduced cost, and
• improved customer experience.

This RPA solution allows businesses to digitize their operations by creating digital workflows and automating manual tasks.

It can be integrated with existing applications and systems to eliminate manual operations. Kofax is currently one of the top RPA tools in the market today.

NICE

NICE is a business operations management company that provides solutions that enable organizations to optimize their internal processes. A few of its solutions include Automated Workforce Management, Collaborative Business Process Management, and Automated Intelligent Real-time Root Cause Analysis.

NICE’s Automated Workforce Management solution enables organizations to automate their workforce and gain real-time visibility into their business processes.

• This RPA solution allows companies to streamline their manual business processes and scale their operations.
• It also enables real-time visibility and operational efficiency for a lower cost.

NICE is one of the most popular RPA tools in the market today.

Keysight’s Eggplant

Keysight’s Eggplant is a business process automation solution that enables organizations to achieve operational excellence.

• It uses a rules-based approach to digitize manual business processes and execute them in a predictable manner.
• Eggplant can be used to automate both structured and unstructured data.
• It also allows users to build and test their processes before actually implementing them in the live environment.

This RPA tool is currently one of the most popular RPA tools.

Pega

Pega is a business transformation platform that enables businesses to achieve operational excellence. The company’s RPA tool is used to automate business processes and integrate operations. It uses a rules-based approach to capture and execute manual business processes.

Pega is one of the most comprehensive RPA tools available in the market today. It has plenty of features that make it easy for organizations to automate their operations. It has a visual programming builder that enables users to create their automation without writing a single line of code.

Kryon

Kryon is a visual programming language that can be used to automate business processes. It helps organizations reduce the time and effort required to create automation by up to 90%.

• This RPA solution enables businesses to create visual workflows using a drag-and-drop interface.
• It provides an easy way to create automation without writing code.
• Its simple drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for business analysts and non-technical users to create automation.

Kryon  is currently one of the most popular RPA tools.

Inflectra Rapise

Rapise is a business process automation solution that enables organizations to achieve operational excellence.

• It uses a rules-based approach to capture and execute manual business processes.
• Rapise can be used to automate both structured and unstructured data.
• It also allows users to build and test their processes before actually implementing them in the live environment.

This RPA tool is currently one of the most popular RPA tools.

Rocketbot

Rocketbot is a business process automation solution that enables organizations to achieve real-time visibility and operational efficiency.

• It uses a rules-based approach to capture and automate manual business processes. Rocketbot can be used to automate both structured and unstructured data.
• It also allows users to build and test their processes before actually implementing them in the live environment.

This RPA tool is currently one of the most popular RPA tools.

Summing up

Using an RPA tool can help any organization automate its operations and processes. However, you should know that not all RPA tools are created equal. To find the best RPA tools, you should consider factors such as cost, ease of use, scalability, and integrations with other systems and applications.

Continue Reading:

RPA – Robotic Process Automation

Automation vs Artificial Intelligence: Understand the difference

As per Gartner prediction 72% of the enterprises will be working with Robotic process automation (RPA) in next two years and Digital process automation (DPA) is identified as major component for digital transformation with DPA market worth $6.76 billion and expected to rise to $12.61 billion by year 2023. 

So, what is this buzz about RPA and DPA? Process automation has always been a key driver to run business efficiently with simplification of complex manual tasks to speed up operations. It has three major functions namely streamlining processes, centralizing information, and reduction in human touch points. 

Today we look more in detail about Robotic process automation (RPA) and Digital process automation (DPA) concepts, how they differ from each other, what are the advantages of both and use cases. 

What is RPA (Robotic Process Automation)?

The use of software which mimics human behaviour and carry out repetitive high volume basic administrative tasks which are time consuming. The monotonous tasks taken over by RPA which frees employees to focus on more high value activities, including the ones which require emotional intelligence and logical reasoning. It can be used to automate queries and calculations as well as maintaining records and transactions. It is easy to deploy over existing applications. 

Benefits 

• Effective use of staff resources
• Enhanced customer interactions
• Reduction in costs
• Improvement in accuracy
• Elimination of human errors
• Completion of automated tasks faster with less effort 

Use cases

• Automating service order management, quality reporting etc.
• Automating reports management and healthcare systems reconciliation
• Automation of claim processing in insurance
• Automation of bills of materials generation
• Automation of account setup and validation of meter readings in energy and utility field
• Automation of hiring process, payroll, employee data management 
• Automation of general ledger, account receivables and payables etc.
• Automation of requisition to issue purchase order, invoice processing etc. 
• Automation of customer services activities 
• Building, testing, and deploying infrastructure such as PaaS 
• Mass email generation, archival and extraction
• Conversion of data formats and graphics

What is DPA (Digital Process Automation)?

DPA automates processes that can span across applications. It has more to do with Business process management (BPM). It takes the entire infrastructure of an enterprise business processes and streamlines them to improve efficiency and cost reduction. It evolved out of the need of enterprises to automate business processes to achieve digital transformation.

Its aim is to extend the business process to partners, customers, and suppliers to offer a better experience. DPA are usually used to automate tasks like customer onboarding, purchase orders, credit approvals and many other similar business processes. 

Benefits 

• Time savings
• Cost savings
• Efficiency gains
• Improved customer experiences

Use cases

• Customer onboarding including auto checks, data entry across multiple applications, login credentials generation, setting up accounts and sending welcome email 
• Procurement functions such as copying data between ERP and ordering systems, data entry into tracking systems, auto invoice post order placement etc.
• Order fulfilment – automate various back-end tasks associated with order fulfilment of new products, estimation of fulfilment and delivery times, local taxes calculations, shipping manifest generation, order status tracking and receipt of package by customer 

Robotic Process Automation vs Digital Process Automation

Below table summarizes the difference between RPA and DPA:

Download the comparison table: RPA vs DPA

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RPA – Robotic Process Automation

10 Most Popular Robotic Process Automation RPA Tools

Prior to DNS, host files needed to be managed manually but with larger networks it became difficult to manage updated copies of hosts mapped to their IP addresses. DNS has another flavour called multicast DNS or mDNS which is also used for same purposes but at local network level. 

In today’s topic we will learn about multicast DNS used in local networks, how it works, its limitations and benefits. 

What is Multicast DNS?

mDNS or multicast DNS resolves name to IP address in local networks and works in conjunction with DNS-SD (service discovery) protocol in zero configuration networks. Zero configuration networks do not require manual operations moreover they do not rely on DNS server and DHCP for its operations.

DNS-SD let clients discover named list of service type and its instances and resolves these services to hostnames using standard query language of DNS. The mDNS protocol is mentioned in RFC (6762) and DNS-SD protocol is specified in RFC (6763). There are several implementations of mDNS which is Avahi, windows and Bonjour.

Multicast DNS (mDNS) operates at link level and every node is reachable without routing and mDNS packet is not forwarded by routers. It is also possible to use hierarchical names by users such as ‘c.printing.local’. the domain local is the same as any other domain which appears in the DNS search list but only used locally. If domain name is suffixed with local that means it is processed by mDNS. 

It uses the same packet format, programming interfaces and protocol semantics as of standard DNS. mDNS uses UDP (user datagram protocol) packets. mDNS cannot be used for web address resolution as it does not process hostnames with top level domains (TLDs). mDNS packet size is up to 9000 bytes. It uses UDP port 5353 instead of 53 port. UTF-8 is used by mDNS to encode resource record names. 

Pros of mDNS Protocol 

Key advantages of multicast DNS are:

• mDNS do not require configuration or specific administration 
• mDNS do not require any additional infrastructure to operate
• It works even if system infrastructure is failed
• It is cost effective to resolve global domain name
• It does not require error detection mechanism explicitly
• It is meant for smaller networks and quite useful for such scenarios
• It does not require a server or directory establishment
• Additional devices import can be done in quick and dynamic manner 

Cons of mDNS Protocol

Key challenges of multicast DNS are:

• It is not suitable for large size networks
• Its performance is not up to the mark as compared to convention DNS in networks having large number of systems / nodes
• Large number of queries and responses generated by mDNS due to its nature of operation, which could result in significant traffic in local networks
• Not meant to be used for multiple IP subnets
• It burdens processing power due to large number of query and response generation 
• Data confidential could be a concern as it can be found via open mDNS 
• It is prone to be used by cyber criminals for DDoS (Distributed denial of service) attacks 

Use Cases for mDNS

• General purpose operating systems run Zero configuration protocols 
• Dedicated hardware devices support mDNS such as networked printer, laptop, desktop, digital camera etc. 
• iTunes/ iPod 

Continue Reading:

How to Configure mDNS Gateway?

What is Split Domain Name System (Split DNS)? 

The method of using familiar semantics of operating, packet formats and interfaces of DNS programming in small network without a DNS server is termed as Multicast DNS or mDNS. Every network node with mDNS reserved multicast address of 224.0.0.251 is sent with IP packets and response to the same is given with service capabilities by devices.

Multicast DNS or mDNS is a combined effort by DNS Extensions and Zero Configuration Networking working groups’ participants. While the working group Zeroconf drives the requirements, DNSEXT group has its chartered work item as details implementation. mDNS has most of its working team as people who are participating actively in both the working groups.

Related – DNS vs mDNS

While a completely zeroconf name resolution demands, the better method for giving this functionality is taking the existing standard DNS protocol and making minimal changes in it. The application programmers are saved with this from the need of learning new APIs, writing code of application in two diverse methods. In other words, it states that no changes are needed in most of the existing applications so that they can correctly work in Zeroconf network using mDNS.

Engineers are also saved with this from the need of learning a protocol that is completely new. Also, no updates are needed for understanding formats of new packets since DNS packets could already be displayed and decoded by the exiting tools of network packet capture. Over port 5353, the UDP queries could be used for contacting with the mDNS service.

Multicast DNS uses suffix of .local, like http://abc.local. Let’s say my mDNS capable PC wants to send a request to domain name with suffix of .local, it will be a multicast query to all the devices on the LAN that (devices should be supporting mDNS), asking the device with that specific domain name (via suffix) to identify itself. The correct device then responds with another multicast and send its IP address. This way, since the computer knows the IP address of the device, it can therefore send normal requests.

DNS is presently supported on Windows, Linux, iOS and OSX, however not by Android.

Vulnerabilities:

Your server information could be collected by hackers when the service is queried in case of exposure of your mDNS to Internet. This information includes device MAC address, services that are running on the machine etc. For an attack preparation, hackers can make use of this information.

Also, the UDP dependence of mDNS makes it vulnerable to exploitation for performing the attacks of amplification. In this, the target IP address of the attacker could be spoofed for saturating it with your server’s mDNS replies.

How to check the vulnerability of the server?

For the purpose of querying mDNS service, following is the command that could be used as root from remote machine:
# nmap -Pn -sU -p5353 –script=dns-service-discovery <Your-server-IP>

Resolution:

The design of Multicast DNS is intended to be used inside local network. This reflects that direct exposure of this service should be avoided to Internet. In other words, it should not be exposed to the environment where it could be accessed directly by the untrusted clients.

For this issue mitigation and server protection, availability of different options is there such as:

• If the mDNS service is not in use then it should be disabled. This solution is both effective as well as easiest one.
• Firewall should be configured so that inbound connections could be filtered to the server UDP/5353. Also, only the hosts/ network IPs that are trusted ones should be allowed that demand access to mDNS service by contacting it.

Related – DNS Interview Q&A

In today’s topic we will learn about mDNS gateway and understand how to configure it. 

What is mDNS Gateway?

Traditional networking is based on TCP/IP, network devices must know the IP address of each other before they could talk or communicate. Remembering numbers could be cumbersome compared to names so a network administrator can configure a DNS service which maps IP addresses to host names. A device must be configured with a DNS server for IP address resolution to the named host. 

In order to reduce manual configuration efforts, zero configuration networks terminology came into existence. Zero configuration networks are used widely in residential wireless networks and small office setups. This allows devices to automatically obtain IP addresses, resolution of domain names, and discover services in local networks.

Apple Inc. Bonjour is mDNS and DNS-SD based Layer 2 service. Most Apple products such as iTunes, iPod, iPhone, Apple TV use Bonjour. Bonjour implements only Intra-VLAN service. To implement service discovery across VLANs, a mDNS gateway is proposed. 

The mDNS gateway records a list of all available printing and other services and responds to requests of terminals so that service discovery can happen across network segments and VLANs.

Configuring mDNS Gateway  

Step 1

Create a service for mDNS gateway using mdns-sd service command. No mdns-sd disable mDNS gateway on VLAN interface. Multiple services IDs can be grouped into a single service.

Switch1(config)# interface vlan 20

Switch1(config-if-vlan)# mdns-sd

To disable use 

Switch1(config)# interface vlan 20

Switch1(config-if-vlan)# no mdns-sd

Provide description for each service using description command. No description deletes service description.

description <SERVICE-DESCRIPTION>

no description <SERVICE-DESCRIPTION>

Step 2

Create unique service IDs with id command. The service ID configured here should be the same as the service ID that is in the packet. no id removes service ID from service

id <SERVICE-ID>

no id <SERVICE-ID>

Step 3

Create a profile to be applied to a VLAN using mdns-sd profile command. Profile has a set of rules to define match parameters – service-name and service-instance-name.

Switch1(config)# mdns-sd profile test

Step 4

Add rules to profile using sequence-number command. This command adds a filter rule to the service profile. The configured sequence number determines the priority of the rule match. Lower sequence number indicates higher priority 

Filter match has two parameters:

• Service-name – matches against the service IDs the mDNS packets configured under the service name
• Service-instance-name – matches against the service instance name of the mDNS packets present in the mDNS packets.

Any mDNS packet will be matched if no match criteria is specified. Packets will be denied or permitted based on action defined in the rule. The no form of this command delete filter configured in this service profile. 

<SEQUENCE_NUMBER> {permit | deny}

 {service-name <SERVICE-NAME> | service-instance-name <SERVICE-INSTANCE-NAME>}

no <SEQUENCE-NUMBER> {permit | deny}

 {service-name <SERVICE-NAME> | service-instance-name <SERVICE-INSTANCE-NAME>}

Step 5

Enable mDNS gateway on VLAN using mdns-sd command 

Switch1(config)# interface vlan 20

Switch1(config-if-vlan) # mdns-sd

Step 6

Apply profile to VLAN with mdns-sd apply-profile tx command

Switch1(config)# interface vlan 20

Switch1(config-if-vlan)# mdns-sd

Switch1(config-if-vlan)# mdns-sd apply-profile test tx

You can view configuration of profile for an interface using show running-config interface command.

Switch1# show running-config interface vlan10

interface vlan20

    mdns-sd

    mdns-sd apply-profile test tx

    ip address 11.2.2.2/24

Step 7

To enable mDNS gateway globally use mdns-sd enable command

Switch1(config)# mdns-sd enable

Step 8

Type show mdns-ds summary command to view mDNS enabled at VLAN interface.

Switch1# show mdns-sd summary

global mdns-sd status: enabled

————————————-

VLAN-Id Status   Tx-Profile

————————————-

1       enabled test

2      disabled dev

In today’s topic we will learn about Microsoft 365 Copilot, its key features, requirement of Copilot, how to use Office 365 Copilot? 

What is Microsoft 365 Copilot

Microsoft 365 Copilot is a generative AI tool which leverages Large Language Model (LLM) capabilities with data stored on Microsoft graph and Microsoft office 365 applications. The integration of advanced language models and access to relevant data enhances efficiency of Microsoft 365 applications environment.

Microsoft Copilot collaborates seamlessly with Microsoft office 365 productivity suite of applications such as word, excel, PowerPoint, access, Teams, outlook etc. it also works as a Copilot graph grounded chart or business chart. Business charts work with Large language models (LLMs), Microsoft office 365 applications and business data such as email, chat, documents, contacts and meetings. A natural language processing prompt and Copilot for Microsoft office 365 generates updates on status based on meetings, chats and emails. 

Using Copilot for Microsoft 365

With Microsoft 365 Copilot one can have access to latest models (GPT 4 and GPT 4 turbo) having integrated seamlessly with MS word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and MS-Access, outlook and Teams. All are interconnected with data in Microsoft graph for productivity boost, up level skills and creativity. Copilot has enterprise grade protection of data, it inherits existing security of Microsoft 365, privacy, identity protection and compliance policies.

Microsoft Copilot includes a studio, enabling organizations for Copilot experience with custom Copilot and plugins. Copilot in Power platform lets you automate repetitive tasks, building chatbots etc. 

Features of Copilot for Microsoft 365

• AI-powered chat having protected access for organizational graphs 
• Access seamlessly within Microsoft 365 applications
• Expansion and personalization of Copilot with Microsoft Copilot studio preview
• High end security features, privacy and compliance 

Requirement of Copilot for Microsoft 365

Supports seamless integration of users in Copilot and Microsoft 365 such as word, excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Loop, Microsoft Whiteboard, OneDrive, SharePoint, MS Exchange. 

Activate Copilot for Microsoft 365 Applications

With the license of Copilot for Microsoft office 365 you need to login using Microsoft 365 credentials and from the settings menu activate Copilot. 

In Microsoft Word, Excel or any other application the Copilot panel will be on the right side of the screen. 

• Copilot in Word edit, summarize, and create a first draft bringing information across organization. Adding content to existing documents, summarization of text, and rewriting of sections or complete document, tone suggestions. 
• Copilot of Excel works to help to analyze and explore data. It helps to reveal correlations, what if scenarios, and suggests new formulas based on questions – generation of models based on your questions which help to explore data without changing it. 
• Copilot of PowerPoint helps to convert ideas into interesting presentations. Copilot transforms written documents to decks with speaker notes and source or a new presentation from simple prompt. 
• Copilot in Outlook works on inbox and messages so one can spend less time on emails and communicating in a better way. Summarization of lengthy mails, response to existing mails, quick notes conversion into professional messages etc.
• Copilot in Teams helps in having more effective meetings, speed up conversations, organize key discussion points for team members. Copilot gets answers to specific questions or notifies if something missed out. Creating meeting agendas based on chat history, identifying right people for follow-ups, scheduling a follow up meeting etc. are some common tasks which can be handled efficiently with Copilot. 

What is a Project Management Tool?

A project management tool, also known as a PM Tool, is specifically created to aid project managers and teams in consolidating, organizing, and overseeing their projects. It provides project managers and their teams with a centralized platform that promotes collaboration, tracks progress, and manages tasks effectively.

These tools are crucial components of any project management approach to guarantee timely completion and adherence to budget constraints.

A compact project management tool combines excellent features for handling projects, managing resources, and tracking progress. Without the right tool, you will struggle to manage team burnout and effectively utilize resources. Stay with us until the end to gain real-time insights into the top seven project management solutions. Let’s explore which software will best meet your needs.

List of Best Project Management Tools Available

Some of the best PM Tools available in the market are:

Jira

JIRA is widely utilized as a project management tool by numerous organizations that operate based on the Agile SDLC methodology.

Key Specs

• The teams have the ability to generate Kanban boards and customized scrum boards.
• They have access to real-time reporting capabilities.
• Tracking and resolving bugs is made effortless.
• Numerous features are specifically designed for software development teams.
• Issues serve as the central representation of the team’s current tasks. Organizing issues into a backlog is a simple and straightforward process.

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Agile work management is achieved through the implementation of Scrum and Kanban methodologies.
• Enable teams and organizations to maintain alignment by utilizing Jira roadmaps.
• Jira provides ready-to-use dashboards and reports that offer real-time work information and valuable insights.
• This ensures that teams have visibility into their DevOps processes.

Cons

• Not for first time users
• Lacks cost and risk management features
• Lacks a communication tool for sending direct messages from Jira.

Wrike

Wrike, an efficient solution known as a comprehensive hub for teams, offers a multitude of features. This powerful software provides limitless adaptability and customization options. It effectively handles project management, facilitates task organization, fosters collaboration, improves team synchronization, and offers various other benefits. Ultimately, it optimizes workflows and ensures no loose ends are left behind. Notably, Wrike also supports strategic endeavors, motivating teams to achieve their objectives with better cohesion.

Key Specs

• AI content creation and the prediction of risks
• Cross-referencing
• Plans for projects
• Creating a budget and tracking billable hours
• Analyzing perspectives

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Enhances responsibility
• Optimizes team productivity
• Sustains comprehensive visibility
• Establishes automated endorsements and replicable frameworks

Cons

• The chat option is not available.
• There is no feature for taking notes.

Oracle Aconex

Oracle Aconex is a system for managing construction projects, designed to promote effective collaboration among team members by eliminating communication obstacles. It provides project teams with the ability to track and report on performance, while also maintaining a comprehensive record of the entire project lifecycle. One of its standout features is an advanced process management engine, which streamlines both on-site and in-office operations.

Key Specs

• Data Ownership Model: A framework for the ownership of data that outlines the rights and responsibilities of individuals or organizations in relation to the data they possess.
• Audit Trail: A record of events or actions that provides a chronological account of activities, ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Process Management: The coordination and control of activities to ensure efficient and effective execution of processes within an organization.
• Document Management: The systematic organization, storage, and retrieval of documents to facilitate easy access, collaboration, and version control.
• Time Tracking: The process of monitoring and recording the time spent on specific tasks or activities to measure productivity, efficiency, and resource allocation.

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Verified project completion
• Guarantees responsibility
• Promotes responsibility
• Incorporated model synchronization

Cons

• The speed of the system is extremely slow and can be quite frustrating.
• There are frequent instances of system crashes and occasional outages.

Dock Software 

Dock is a customer-focused solution that aims to efficiently arrange your workspace. This user-friendly platform fosters valuable customer experiences by offering customizable workspaces for clients. As a powerful B2B software, Dock enables smooth client engagement through project plans and sales proposals. Additionally, it revolutionizes customer interactions through digital sales rooms.

Key Specs

• Integrating Salesforce and Hubspot
• Content management for sales
• Plans with multiple phases
• Checklists for onboarding
• Action plans with templates and various perspectives

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Generates customized work environments
• Efficiently oversees projects and clients with commitment
• Enhances business return on investment
• Integrates seamlessly with external software solutions

Cons

• Creating efficient workflows can be a complex task.

WorkSuite

WorkSuite is an exceptional freelancer management system that provides immense benefits for both contractors and organizations. It cultivates workspaces that are conducive to remote work, enhancing team connectivity. Worksuite promotes collaboration, monitors project progress, facilitates global payments, and offers many other valuable features. Additionally, it simplifies the process of sourcing and onboarding employees, reducing administrative burdens. Moreover, it encourages teams to abandon cumbersome spreadsheets by centralizing the database.

Key Specs

• Effective utilization of creative assets
• Analysis of employee data and metrics
• Processing payments on a global scale
• Managing and organizing editorial content
• Verification of personal identification information

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Saves a significant amount of time on administrative tasks.
• Efficiently handles the relationships between contractors and freelancers.
• Consolidates all workforce data in one central location.
• Identifies and highlights the most skilled freelance professionals.

Cons

• Sometimes, the project tracking tools available can feel cumbersome or inefficient.

Final Words

Selecting the most suitable project management application for your organization can be challenging due to the diverse options available. While these tools may offer similar features, their packaging sets them apart. It is crucial to consider various factors such as team size and task management software features before making a decision on which project management app to choose.

Continue Reading:

Agile vs Lean: Software Development Methodologies

Top 10 Trends of Software Development

Internet service providers are organizations which provide internet connection to end users and other organizations which can be customer businesses, individuals. ISPs have made it easier and affordable to connect to the internet. ISP acts like a gateway to connect the device to the Internet. ISPs are conceptually organized into tiers or three layers based on the type of Internet services they provide. We will learn more about these three tiers and layers in this article. 

Most of the internet service providers own physical infrastructure (fiber, cables, etc.) to provide internet access. ISPs that can can take advantage of their large network reach to strike up deals with other ISPs. Transit, peer, and customer are the three most important types of traffic exchange agreements.

• Transit: A computer network allows network traffic to cross it by providing transit services. Typically, transit is paid for by smaller networks to gain access to the rest of the internet.
• Peer: Network owners may see a mutual benefit in allowing each other access to their respective networks. In this situation, neither party has to pay for the exchange of traffic, which is referred to as a settlement-free exchange.
• Customer: An internet service provider pays another network for internet access, and provides internet access in return.

Today we look more in detail and understand about tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 of ISP or internet service providers, how they are different from each other, which are the most prominent ISP providers in each tier etc.

What is a Tier 1 ISP?

Tier 1  Internet service providers are on the top of the hierarchy and have global reach and do not pay for Internet traffic through their network. These ISPs connect at the same level and allow free traffic passing to each other. These ISPs are also known as Peers. 

These ISPs are not just having established network lines at regional level but also lay Internet cables under the sea to provide internet connections to other countries. They build infrastructure such as Atlantic Internet sea cables, and provide traffic to all other Internet service providers but not to end users. 

They provide coverage at international and national level. Some most prominent ISPs in this category are

• Cogent Communications,
• Hibernia Networks,
• AT&T, Tata,
• Bharti  Reliance and
• VSNL. 

What is a Tier 2 ISP? 

Tier 2 ISPs are service providers who connect between Tier 1 and Tier 3 Internet service providers. They are regional or country based and act like Tier-1 ISP for Tier-3 ISPs. Tier 2 ISPs are larger compared to Tier 3 ISPs and sometimes own their own cables and other network hardware. 

These ISPs do not cover the entire globe but still they need to reach a bigger network to allow a signal to reach to any place on Earth. Tier 2 ISPs buy services from Tier 1 ISPs which own intercontinental cables such as AT&T, Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier who will sell their services to Tier 2 ISPs. They provide coverage at regional level. Some of the ISPs in this category are

• Vodafone,
• Easynet,
• Jio,
• Airtel,
• BSNL

What is a Tier 3 ISP?  

Tier 3 ISPs are closest to end users and help them to connect to the Internet and charge them for their services. These ISPs work on purchasing models and they pay a cost to Tier 2 ISPs based on traffic generation. 

These ISPs don’t usually own hardware required for actual transmissions; they purchase connectivity from Tier 2 ISPs (also known as transit) . They provide local coverage. Some examples of Tier 3 ISPs are

• Comcast,
• Deutsche Telekom,
• Verizon wireless,
• MTNL,
• SITI cable,
• Spectra etc. 

Comparison Table: The Three Tiers of ISPs

Below table summarizes the key points of differences between the three tiers of Internet Service providers:

Download the comparison table: 3 tiers of ISPs

Continue Reading:

ISP vs VPN: Know the difference

ISP Terms & Terminologies

This article will explore how these two technologies are revolutionizing the way businesses approach e-commerce and what they can do to take advantage of them.

What is Composable Commerce?

Composable commerce is a cloud-based platform that enables retailers to build tailored shopping experiences from prebuilt APIs, components, and services (it would help to find out what is PWA). With composable commerce, retailers can quickly create engaging and personalized e-commerce storefronts for customers on any device.

Composable commerce makes it easier for retailers to create a user-friendly shopping experience. By using prebuilt components and services, retailers can create pages faster and get them up and running quickly. Retailers can focus on other aspects of their e-commerce business, such as marketing or customer service, without worrying about creating a complicated website. Composable commerce allows retailers to integrate third-party services, such as payment systems or analytics.

What is FEaaS?

Frontend as a Service (FEaaS) is a cloud-based platform that allows retailers to create and customize the user interface of their websites with minimal effort. FEaaS enables companies to quickly design, deploy, and manage the look and feel of their digital storefronts without relying on developers or other technical resources.

FEaaS makes it easier for retailers to customize their websites and create a more personalized customer experience. With FEaaS, retailers can quickly design, deploy, and manage the look and feel of their digital storefronts without relying on developers or other technical resources. This allows companies to focus on creating better experiences for their customers instead of spending time learning how to code.

How composable commerce and FEaaS are driving growth in online retail:

Composable commerce and FEaaS are revolutionizing how online retailers approach e-commerce, allowing them to quickly build tailored shopping experiences for customers at scale. By leveraging these platforms, businesses can deliver personalized experiences that drive engagement and sales while providing valuable insights into customer behavior.

By using composable commerce, retailers can easily integrate third-party services, such as payment systems and analytics, which can provide valuable insights into customer behavior. This, in turn, helps businesses better understand their customers’ needs and create better experiences for them.

FEaaS also makes it easier for companies to customize their websites and create a more personalized customer experience. With FEaaS, retailers don’t have to worry about coding or learning how to design a website from scratch; they can drag and drop elements onto the page with an easy-to-use interface and be done in minutes. This speeds up the process of creating engaging digital storefronts that drive customer engagement and sales growth.

Challenges with transforming to a composable ecosystem

Although composable commerce and FEaaS provide a powerful platform for businesses to create tailored shopping experiences, some challenges still need to be addressed. Integrating legacy systems with these new technologies is one of the most significant difficulties. Companies must ensure their existing systems are compatible with the new platforms to take full advantage of them. In addition, companies must also consider data security when working with third-party services and scalability when building or managing large amounts of data.

Another challenge is that these technologies are relatively new and still developing. As a result, businesses must be aware of the risks associated with using them and ensure they have strategies to mitigate any potential problems.

Tips for implementation and optimization

To take full advantage of composable commerce and FEaaS, businesses must adopt the following best practices:

• Leverage customer data – Companies can create personalized experiences that drive engagement and sales growth by leveraging customer data.
• Utilize third-party services – Integrating third-party services can provide valuable insights into customer behavior and help businesses better understand their customers’ needs.
• Invest in testing – Testing is critical for ensuring that websites are compatible with the new technology and functioning correctly.
• Focus on scalability – Companies must ensure that their systems can handle large amounts of data as they grow their digital presence.
• Prioritize security – Businesses must prioritize data security when working with third-party services to ensure customer safety and information privacy.

All in all

Composable commerce and FEaaS are revolutionizing how online retailers approach e-commerce, allowing them to quickly build tailored shopping experiences for customers at scale. By leveraging these platforms, businesses can deliver personalized experiences that drive engagement and sales while providing valuable insights into customer behavior. 

For companies to take full advantage of these technologies, however, they need to consider legacy system compatibility, data security, and scalability challenges and implement best practices such as leveraging customer data and utilizing third-party services. With the right strategy, businesses can unlock the potential of composable commerce and FEaaS to drive growth and success in online retail.

Continue Reading:

Top Tips for Building a Successful E-Commerce Business

Types of Web Developers

Oracle EBS automation is the process of automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks. In this blog, we will discuss the ultimate guide to Oracle Cloud EBS automation.

Oracle EBS: Why Automate?

One of the main reasons why organizations want Oracle EBS automation is to save time and reduce errors. A lot of tasks undertaken by Oracle EBS are redundant and require a lot of human effort. Automation can help to reduce the amount of time and effort required to perform these tasks, freeing up staff to focus on more important activities.

Automation can also help to reduce errors. Manual processes are prone to errors, especially when there are many steps involved. Automation can help to reduce the risk of errors by ensuring that each step is completed accurately and consistently.

Finally, automation can help improve compliance. Many organizations are subject to judicial compliance and are required to follow specific processes and procedures.

Lastly, compliance can be improved with automation. There are a lot of regulations that force many businesses to follow certain processes and procedures. Automation can help to ensure that these requirements are met consistently, reducing the risk of non-compliance.

Types of Oracle EBS Automation

Batch processing

It involves automating the execution of a batch of jobs, such as running a report or generating an invoice. Batch processing can be scheduled to run at specific times, such as overnight, to minimize disruption to normal business operations.

Automation of Workflow

Automating the transfer of tasks between various departments or individuals is necessary for this. For instance, when a receipt is recorded,  the framework can consequently route it to the proper department for handling.

Scripting

This involves automating specific tasks, like data entry or creating reports, and pre-written scripts. Complex tasks that would otherwise require a lot of manual effort can be carried out with the help of scripts.

RPA, or Robotic Process Automation

This involves the use of software robots to automate tasks that would normally be done by humans. For example, a software robot could be programmed in Oracle EBS to generate a report

Steps of Oracle EBS Automation

• Identify the tasks you want to automate: Start by identifying the tasks that are most time-consuming or prone to errors. These are the tasks that will benefit the most from automation.
• Choose the right tools: There are many software tools available for automating Oracle EBS. Some of the most popular include Oracle SOA Suite, Oracle Integration Cloud and Opkey.
• Define your processes: You will need to define your workflows after selecting your tools. This involves figuring out how each process’s steps will be automated and mapping them out.
• Test and improve: It is essential to test your workflows thoroughly and make any necessary adjustments after they have been implemented. This ensures that the EBS is ready for the throughput and will be able to smoothly perform the task.

Tools for Oracle EBS test automation

Opkey

It is a no-code test automation tool and is considered to be the leading tool for Oracle EBS automation testing. Opkey being a no-code automation tool easily plugs into the Oracle EBS and runs tests to check the functionality and performance of the EBS.

Oracle  Application Testing Suite (OATS)

This is a comprehensive automation tool designed for Oracle EBS  automation. Its primary functions are  functional testing, load testing, and performance testing.

Selenium

Selenium is an open-source testing structure that can be utilized for a variety of testing tasks, including Oracle EBS test automation. It has an architecture that is adaptable and extensible, making it simple to modify to meet your specific requirements.

Appium

Oracle EBS mobile applications can be tested with the help of the mobile testing tool Appium. It supports a wide range of mobile devices and platforms, making it a versatile choice for mobile testing

Tosca’s Tricentis

Tricentis Tosca is a comprehensive test automation tool that works with Oracle EBS among other applications. Test data management, test execution, and test design are a few of its features 

QTP/UFT

QTP (Quick Test Professional) and UFT (Unified Functional Testing) are two test automation tools that can be used for Oracle EBS testing. They offer a range of features, including keyword-driven testing, data-driven testing, and object repository management.

Final Thoughts!

When selecting a test automation tool for Oracle EBS, ease of use, adaptability, and scalability are crucial considerations. You should also think about your budget and technical needs, as well as the particular capabilities and features of each tool are also important while considering EBS automation testing. For those looking for a no-code automation testing tool, Opkey is the first preference for EBS automation testing.

Continue Reading:

Introduction to Backbox Automation Tool

Impact of Automation on the IT Sector

There has been a steady development of mobile tracking technology throughout the years. Brands of mobile phone trackers nowadays offer a plethora of extras to their products to give customers more bang for their buck. Features such as location tracking, textual analysis, image/video retrieval, and social media notifications are included. All of these functions are useful, but they won’t be much help unless the user understands how the mobile tracking app works.

How Does Mobile Tracking App Work?

Mobile device tracking software utilizes the device’s Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate the phone or other mobile device of interest. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is an interconnected satellite-based navigation system. In turn, these satellites provide accurate position information on the various devices scattered around the globe.

In order to function, these GPS satellites relay signals to the ground below. After connecting to this signal, the GPS device will analyse the difference in time between transmission and reception. As a consequence, we can calculate how far away the satellite really is from the actual receiver. With this information, the GPS receiver can pinpoint the precise position of the sought-after device.

Top 5 Best Mobile Location Tracking Apps 

It is important not to overlook the fact that a tracking tool might play a significant part in determining the location of your phone. Below mentioned location tracking tools or apps are considered highly beneficial to track your mobile conveniently.

• AirDroid
• FamiSafe
• Google Find My Device
• Glympse
• 360 Security

How to Track Mobile Devices?

The Android Device Manager is what has to be activated in order to start tracking a phone. Yet, Apple’s “Find My iPhone” feature does the same thing for iOS devices.

Not only may this be done using the aforementioned techniques, but there are also a number of third-party apps available. These applications are designed to track not just the position of a phone, but also its contacts, messages, and other information stored on it. There are a plethora of options available for this sort of app, and it is often referred to as a “mobile phone spy app.” There is a wide gap in quality and functionality between different app packages. 

3rd-Party Tracking Applications

Mobile monitoring applications developed by third-party developers are the best option for spying on iOS and Android smartphones. Not only can this software track the device’s physical position, but it can also keep tabs on the user’s communications, media files, emails, and social media profiles.

Nevertheless, in order to monitor the target phone, you’ll need to install these applications on it. You may or may not require physical access to the phone you want to monitor in order to install the tracking application. If the device in question is an Android, for instance, you’ll need physical access to it in order to install the app. Remote application activation is possible if the device is an iPhone. To finish the setup procedure, you’ll need the Apple ID and password associated with the device. Tracking may begin after all other steps have been completed satisfactorily.

What’s Wrong with 3rd-Party Apps?

The lack of privacy that comes with third-party spy apps is its major drawback. Users are expected to be aware of and abide by any applicable privacy regulations in their jurisdictions. In particular, privacy concerns arise when tracking a mobile phone without the owner’s knowledge and consent. As parents are their children’s legal guardians until they turn 18, they are the only ones who may legally supervise their child’s mobile phone use.

The Last Word

So, that’s the basic function of a mobile phone tracking app. If you ever find yourself needing to keep an eye on a mobile device, we recommend using reliable 3rd-party apps as they provide sophisticated tracking capabilities and can keep tabs on all sorts of data sent by the target device. 

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What are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)? A Comprehensive Guide

The Best Podcast Apps You Should Know About

What is Configuration Manager (SCCM)?

SCCM, is a tool developed by Microsoft that is used to manage and deploy software, hardware, and other resources across an organization’s network. It is part of the Microsoft System Center suite of products, and is a powerful and versatile tool that allows IT professionals to streamline their operations and increase efficiency.

It allows IT professionals to remotely install, update, and manage software, hardware, and other resources across their networks. It also provides tools for monitoring and reporting on the health and performance of their networks. Additionally, it can be used to deploy operating systems, applications, and patches on a large scale, and to manage the security and compliance of the network.

What are the components of SCCM?

SCCM is composed of multiple components that work together to provide the desired functionality. These components include the following:

• Console, which is used to manage and configure the system; 
• Site server, which stores configuration data and provides access to the SCCM console;
• Client, which runs on each managed device; 
• Database, which stores information about the managed resources; 
• Distribution points, which are used to deploy applications and patches; 
• Management points, which provide access to the SCCM console; 
• Reporting services, which generate reports about the managed resources.

How does SCCM work?

We will now go through the process of how the System Center Configuration Manager functions step-by-step.

1. In order to put the app into use, you must make packages in the SCCM console that contain the instructions to be followed and the files to be run.
2. A Configuration manager administrator creates virtual applications in a package form and then replicates them to the specified Distribution Points (or file servers).
3. Instead of connecting to the SCCM main server, a user can directly get an application from its distribution sources if they desire to download it.
4. Next step is to set up the SCCM agent which will enable a device to interact with the SCCM servers.
5. At this step, the SCCM agent continues to look for the latest policies and deployments. With the help of these updates, the SCCM administrator can create a deployment where a particular app is directed to a group of machines.
6. After the policy is sent to the final machine, the SCCM agent assesses it and establishes contact with its relevant regional distribution points to download the packages.
7. After the files have been downloaded into a temporary folder, users can put them into their own machine. Then, the status of the file is transmitted back to the SCCM server so that it can be documented.

Features 

It provides IT professionals with a wide range of features that can help them streamline their operations and increase efficiency. These features include the following:

• Centralized management – It allows IT professionals to manage and configure their networks from a single console, making it easier to track and manage resources.
• Automatic deployment – It can be used to automatically deploy software, hardware, and other resources across the network, eliminating the need for manual deployment.
• Remote control – It allows IT professionals to remotely control and manage managed devices, making it easier to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
• Software inventory – It provides an inventory of all the software installed on managed devices, making it easier to keep track of licenses and ensure compliance.
• Monitoring and reporting – It provides tools for monitoring the health and performance of managed devices, as well as generating reports on the same.
• Security and compliance – It can be used to manage the security and compliance of the network, making it easier to ensure that all managed devices are secure.

Benefits 

SCCM provides numerous benefits to IT professionals, including the following:

• Increased efficiency – It allows IT professionals to streamline their operations and increase efficiency by managing and deploying software, hardware, and other resources from a single console.
• Improved visibility – It provides IT professionals with visibility into the health and performance of their networks, making it easier to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
• Reduced costs – It can help IT professionals reduce costs by automating the deployment of software, hardware, and other resources, eliminating the need for manual deployment.
• Improved security – It can be used to manage the security and compliance of the network, making it easier to ensure that all managed devices are secure.

Deployment Options

SCCM can be deployed in a variety of ways, depending on the needs of the organization. The most common deployment options are as follows:

• On-premises deployment – It can be deployed on-premises, on the organization’s servers. This is the most common deployment option and is suitable for organizations that have the necessary resources and infrastructure.
• Cloud deployment – It can also be deployed in the cloud, using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. This is a good option for organizations that do not have the necessary resources or infrastructure to deploy SCCM on-premises.
• Hybrid deployment – It can also be deployed in a hybrid model, with some components deployed on-premises and some components deployed in the cloud. This is a good option for organizations that have a mix of on-premises and cloud-based resources.

Best Practices 

SCCM is a powerful and versatile tool, and there are several best practices that should be followed when using it. These best practices include the following:

• Plan carefully – Before deploying SCCM, it is important to plan carefully and consider all of the available options.
• Test thoroughly – Before deploying SCCM, it is important to test it thoroughly to ensure that it meets the organization’s needs.
• Monitor closely – Once it is deployed, it is important to monitor it closely to ensure that it is running smoothly.
• Train users – It is important to train users in how to use SCCM so that they can make the most of it.
• Update regularly – SCCM should be updated regularly to ensure that it is running the latest version.

Tools and Solutions

SCCM provides a wide range of tools and solutions that can help IT professionals streamline their operations and increase efficiency. These tools and solutions include the following:

• Software catalog – It provides a catalog of all the software installed on managed devices, making it easier to keep track of licenses and ensure compliance.
• Patch manager – It can be used to deploy patches to managed devices, ensuring that they are kept up-to-date.
• Remote control – It allows IT professionals to remotely control and manage managed devices, making it easier to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
• Security and compliance – It can be used to manage the security and compliance of the network, making it easier to ensure that all managed devices are secure.
• Operating system deployment – It can be used to deploy operating systems on a large scale, making it easier to manage the network.
• Application deployment – It can be used to deploy applications on a large scale, eliminating the need for manual deployment.

Conclusion

Using Configuration Manager is a great way for IT professionals to streamline their operations and increase efficiency. If you are looking for a powerful and versatile tool to manage and deploy software, hardware, and other resources across your network, then SCCM is a great option.

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SecOps vs DevOps: Understand the difference

What is CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker)?

This has definitely been one of the reasons behind the massive demand for an app for the podcast. So, if you have also been on a hunt to find yourself an app that is perfect for accessing a wide range of podcasts, then keep reading this article because we have listed below some of the great podcast apps, just for this purpose. 

In order to download these apps on your devices and use them seamlessly, you will be required to have a dependable internet connection, preferably one with greater bandwidth so that you can stream podcasts without running into any problems. 

For this, providers like Xfinity can be a great option since its internet subscription comes with impressive speed which is ideal for heavy streaming, and endless downloading, and you can also stream the content on multiple devices at the same time. 

Best Podcast Apps

Keeping this in view, now that you have the basic utility at your disposal, let’s move forward and talk about the best podcast apps you should have on your device. 

Spotify

Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming apps. You can get access to over 3.6 million podcasts. This app was already quite well-known for its music collection, however, it soon started to catch the attention of people all across the world for its podcast library. 

The app is free to use (ad-supported) but you can always opt for subscription plans that are super affordable. Spotify Premium further unlocks more podcasts for you and gives you access to more exciting features. You can use it on any device; whether it is a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, Spotify works smoothly. You can search both podcasts and episodes easily in the search bar and you can also make your own customized playlist. 

All in all, the app is a great way for you to listen to some of your top picks. So, don’t wait any longer and download Spotify for an excellent experience of listening to podcasts. 

Audible 

You have certainly heard of Audible, after all, everyone these days seems to rave about this super impressive app that not only provides you with an extensive library of audiobooks but it also comes with a large array of podcasts. Although its library of podcasts may be a bit more limited than the other apps, it does come with its own perks. 

You can organize the library in the order of your liking. You can also get access to exclusive podcasts along with Audible Originals, which of course, you cannot find anywhere else. What’s more, the app does not require membership or subscription. In fact, you can still get your hands on several amazing titles without having to pay a single penny. However, you can upgrade to the premium package to get access to a larger number of titles. 

Needless to say, Audible can be your go-to place for audiobooks as well as for listening to some of the best podcasts there are. 

Pocket Casts

Pocket Casts has been making rounds on the internet for its fantastic features and user-friendly interface. Plus, it is worth mentioning here that the app is absolutely free.

Pocket Casts is easy-to-navigate and it allows you to look for your favorite podcasts easily. You can browse through recommendations and from there on, you can either subscribe or listen to the podcasts directly. You can download the episodes to listen to later offline or you can choose to listen to them online. 

You also get speed control, silence trimming, a sleep timer, and a volume booster. All this combined makes Pocket Casts one of the best podcast apps you can find. If this is not reason enough, then how about we tell you that for only $1 per month, you get to enjoy 10GB of cloud storage. 

Conclusive Remarks

Podcasts are increasingly becoming popular and this has definitely contributed immensely to the demand for decent podcast app that is solely dedicated to listening to such content. So, if you have been keeping your eyes out for  podcast apps, then your search is over because the above-mentioned apps are going to provide you with an excellent collection of podcasts, and that too with dope features. 

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What are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)? A Comprehensive Guide

Cloud App vs Web App : Detailed Comparison

Many of the top DDI providers give a business the resources required to quickly and efficiently manage IP address management (IPAM), DNS, and DHCP services across the network. In this article we will discuss the steps to succeed with your DDI solution:

1. Develop a comprehensive strategy

In order to succeed with your DDI (DNS, DHCP and IPAM) solution, it’s important to develop a comprehensive strategy that takes into account your organization’s specific needs and goals. This should include identifying key stakeholders, understanding the current state of your network infrastructure, and identifying any pain points or areas for improvement.

2. Avoid using DIY fixes

Adopting commercial solutions is the first step towards a successful DDI strategy. In today’s complicated networking environments, a do-it-yourself strategy that depends on spreadsheets or open-source software for IPAM and free or open-source software for DNS and DHCP services simply won’t cut it.

IT companies should aim to use the most advanced solution possible.

The optimal method is a DDI management platform that manages DNS, DHCP, and IP address space across all networks. However, if a company is unable to combine various DNS providers, they may discover that an IPAM overlay is the best option. BlueCat offers some specific questions you should put to a potential DDI solution vendor if you’re not sure which solution is ideal for your business.

3. Prevent the usual pitfalls

The adoption of a DDI solution within an organisation can also encounter a few frequent problems.

More than 52% of organisations, according to EMA data, struggle with budget. The significance of DDI solutions is frequently underappreciated by those outside of networking. Therefore, getting higher management’s support for the budget can be difficult. Network engineers must explain why proper DDI is essential from an operational and security standpoint.

According to EMA study, more than 52% of firms deal with network complexity. The Internet of Things, software-defined data centres, multi-cloud, and software-defined WAN are just a few of the diverse platforms that modern networks span. All of this leads to increased complexity. A DDI solution should interface with the several systems that control these settings to lessen it.

4. IT management should coordinate with technical teams

EMA discovered numerous instances of executive IT management and technical experts having radically divergent viewpoints on the state of DDI at their respective firms during the course of its inquiry.

People who work on networking engineering teams, for example, were more likely to describe being at a mid-stage of maturity. This could involve a for-profit IPAM system that incorporates outside DNS providers into an overlay. While this was going on, respondents who worked in the IT executive suite were more likely to say that their company used a fully developed DDI management solution.

The real specialists in DDI are usually network engineering teams. The CIO’s office may not be fully aware of the extent to which external DNS services are used in their organisations.

5. Choose the right DDI solution

Once you have a clear understanding of your organization’s needs, you can begin evaluating different DDI solutions to find the one that best fits your requirements. Consider factors such as scalability, security, and ease of use. It’s also important to ensure that the solution is compatible with your existing network infrastructure.

6. Implement and maintain the solution

Once you’ve chosen a DDI solution, it’s important to implement it in a way that minimizes disruption to your network. This may include testing the solution in a sandbox environment before rolling it out to the entire organization. Once the solution is in place, it’s important to maintain it by monitoring performance and addressing any issues that arise. Regularly review the solution and make adjustments or improvements as needed to ensure it is meeting your organization’s needs.

It’s important to keep in mind that DDI is a critical part of your network infrastructure and should be treated as such. It’s essential that your solution is robust, secure, and scalable. A good DDI solution can help you to automate and streamline your network management, and can be a key factor in ensuring that your organization is able to meet its goals.

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When does DNS use TCP or UDP?

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What are Progressive Web Apps?

Progressive web apps (PWAs) are a type of web application that combines the best features of both web and mobile applications. PWAs are built with modern web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These applications are designed to look and feel like mobile apps, but they can be used on any device with a web browser. PWAs are developed using progressive enhancement techniques, which allow them to be used on any device, regardless of its capabilities.

Characteristics of PWAs

• PWAs are designed to be fast, reliable, and engaging. 
• They use modern web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and are designed to be responsive, meaning they are optimized for different screen sizes.
• PWAs are secure, as they are served over HTTPS and are built with the same security principles as regular websites.
• PWAs are discoverable, meaning they can be found and indexed by search engines. This makes them easier to find and use, which can help boost user engagement. 
• PWAs are installable, meaning they can be installed on a user’s device with just a few clicks.
• PWAs are  linkable, meaning users can easily share them with their friends and family. 
• They are also designed to be re-engageable, meaning they can send push notifications to users even when they are not actively using the app. 
• Finally, PWAs are designed to be integrated with other services, meaning they can be used with other services such as Google Maps or Facebook.

Differences Between PWAs and Native Apps

PWAs and native apps are similar in many ways, but there are some key differences between the two. 

• The most obvious difference is that PWAs are built with web technologies, while native apps are built with platform-specific languages and frameworks. This means that developers need to create separate versions of their apps for each platform.
• Another difference is that PWAs are designed to be discoverable, meaning they can be found and indexed by search engines. This makes them easier to find and use, which can help boost user engagement. Native apps, on the other hand, are only available on the app store, which can limit their reach.
• Finally, PWAs are designed to be future-proof, meaning they can be updated easily and quickly. This makes it easier for businesses to keep their apps up to date with the latest features and bug fixes. Native apps, on the other hand, require users to manually update them, which can be time-consuming and can result in users not getting the latest updates.

The Best Tools for Developing and Managing Progressive Web Apps

There are a number of tools available for developing and managing PWAs. 

• Google’s Lighthouse is an open-source tool that helps developers create and test PWAs. Lighthouse can be used to test the performance, accessibility, and usability of PWAs, and can help developers identify and fix any issues.
• Chrome DevTools can be used to inspect, debug, and optimize PWAs. The Chrome DevTools can also be used to measure the performance of PWAs, as well as to test their responsiveness on different devices.
• Finally, there are a number of frameworks available for developing PWAs. Frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue are popular choices for developing PWAs, as they provide developers with a set of tools and libraries to quickly build and deploy PWAs.

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8 Common Web Application Vulnerabilities

Cloud App vs Web App : Detailed Comparison

The BackBox Automation Tool is also a helpful resource for businesses that frequently deal with natural disasters or other calamities that might force employees to work from home during recovery efforts. To learn more about how you can use the BackBox Automatic Tool in your business, keep reading.

What is the BackBox Automation Tool?

The BackBox Automation Tool is an enterprise-grade remote access application. It’s designed for IT administrators who need to provide remote support to employees on a large scale. The software has a wide range of features including secure file transfer, real-time collaboration, centralized visibility, single sign-on and much more.

It’s compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux devices, allowing you to provide support from virtually any computer. The BackBox Automation Tool is a managed service, which means it’s hosted in the cloud. This means you don’t have to worry about purchasing, installing and maintaining expensive hardware. It’s also compatible with most virtual private network (VPN) solutions and firewall software.

How will the BackBox Automation Tool help you run your business?

The BackBox Automation Tool will help you run your business by providing support to your remote users. You can use the remote access feature to securely connect to employees’ computers and provide the guidance they need. This will let you troubleshoot issues, access files, run remote applications and install the software.

You can also use the file transfer feature to securely share files between employees and partners. The real-time collaboration feature will allow you to share audio, video, documents and other files with your team members. It’s an excellent way to boost productivity by enabling employees to collaborate remotely.

The centralized visibility feature will allow you to see what devices employees are using to access your network. You can also view their operating system and software versions to ensure all employees are running secure devices and software. This will help you manage risk and protect sensitive data in your network.

The single sign-on feature will let you create a central account for all employees. This will allow you to quickly and easily grant remote access to all employees with a single click. This will save you a lot of time and effort in manually managing and controlling remote access.

Benefits of the BackBox Automation Tool

The many benefits of the BackBox Automation Tool include: 

• Increased productivity – You can increase productivity by letting employees work remotely. This will let you assign tasks based on each person’s skill set, letting you save money by hiring the right people for the job. 
• Improved collaboration – You can improve collaboration by letting employees work together without having to travel to each other’s offices. This will save time and money, enabling people to get more done in less time. 
• Simplified IT management – You can simplify IT management by setting up a secure, centralized remote access solution that lets you view and manage every device. This will let you geotag devices and track your remote employees’ locations in real time. 
• Reduced travel costs – You can reduce travel costs by letting employees work remotely. This will let you assign work based on employees’ skill sets, letting you save money by hiring the right people for the job. 
• Improved security and compliance – You can improve security and compliance by adding a remote access solution to your network. This will let you control access and manage devices centrally to prevent unauthorized access.

Installation and Setup

The installation and setup process for the BackBox Automation Tool is quick and easy. You can sign up for a free trial and get started immediately.

• Once you create an account, you’ll receive an invitation email.
• This will let you log in to your account and get started with the installation process. The installation process is straightforward and should take about 10 minutes.
• You can quickly and easily set up users, groups and access permissions.
• Once you set up your remote access solution, you can start using the features right away.
• During the installation process, you should select the appropriate radio button based on your company’s needs.
• You’ll want to choose the option that’s most suitable for your business.
• You can also add additional features, like File Transfer and Chat, to improve productivity and enable real-time collaboration among your team members.

Conclusion

The BackBox Automation Tool is a powerful remote access solution that will help you boost productivity and efficiency. It’s perfect for businesses that need to provide support to employees working remotely.

This software has a wide range of features to simplify IT management and improve collaboration. The BackBox Automation Tool is easy to install and easy to use. This software is an excellent solution for companies of all sizes.

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Traditionally, all resources within a company were accounted for and handled by separate departments. There was minimal central oversight because this central oversight would be extremely hard to facilitate while each department was using different software and collecting different kinds of data. Data silos, misrepresentation and a general tendency towards interdepartmental ignorance was the likely result of these fractured systems. 

Enterprise Resource Management System

Enterprise resource management systems are designed to give business leaders an increased level of oversight – creating a central hub where all information is visible. This software not only allows people to keep a better track of their company: it also permits the generation of more statistically sound strategic forecasting. This article is a very brief guide to the areas in which enterprise resource management systems can make a difference. 

Business Intelligence

Business intelligence is a field concerned with the acquisition of data and the transformation of that data into actionable sets that can be used to influence strategic planning. Enterprise resource management systems make the collection and quantization of business intelligence data far easier than in more fractured resource management environments.

This is because of how they centralize data and make it easy to access. No modern business can expect to survive and grow without making the most out of business intelligence data. The simplest answer to the question ‘what is ERP software?’ is this: it is a tool for centralizing data. 

Inventory 

A company’s inventory is usually defined as being the products, materials and tools that it keeps in stock. It is immensely important to keep track of inventory data in an accurate and reportable way. Most companies seek to have small inventories – bringing in products just before they sell them to save space and money.

In order to create a lean inventory system, a company needs lots of information about movements in and out of their company. Enterprise resource systems have the potential to help companies streamline their inventories and save money. They can be used in conjunction with modern inventory automation tools to create a truly up to date system. 

Accounting 

Balancing the books is essential in any business context. Incomings, outgoings, equity and liabilities need to be accurately worked out and used to create an environment that fosters growth and stability. Enterprise resource management tools are often purchased primarily for their ability to help create transparent and reportable accounting data. If accounting data is not centralized, it will often stay hidden within an accounting department. ERP systems typically create accounting reports that are distributed centrally in order to make them more useful.

To make accounting work for a company as an agent of growth, a great deal of data analysis needs to take place. Companies can use accounting data to assess where money is being wasted and where it might be better spent. Enterprise resource management systems make it easier to make proper use of the large amounts of data created during the regular accounting process. 

Customer Relationship Management 

In many businesses, customers are rightly seen as the most important resource connected to an organization. Enterprise resource management tools often include some kind of customer relationship management function. This allows a company to keep track of all interactions that each customer has with their organization. These interactions can include sales, complaints, social media comments and returns.

By giving a company easy access to this data, an enterprise resource management system is essentially empowering the company to use customer interaction data to improve its own performance. Customer interaction data can be used to develop new user experience and customer relationship models. 

Field Service Management 

Companies often need to send operatives out into the field to interact directly with customers and clients. Delivery drivers, tradespeople, customer service operatives and many more kinds of employees are required to work in the field. Businesses need some way of effectively communicating with their staff regardless of how many there are or where they are.

Enterprise resource management systems allow companies to distribute jobs and communications while collecting important data about the performance of their field operatives. Mobile friendly interfaces help operatives to effectively use these systems on the road. 

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Business Intelligence vs Data Warehouse

What is BPM (Business Process Management)?

Web hosting services let organizations and persons publish on the Internet or Internet page and plays a critical role in online presence. These websites are stored on systems hosted over the web or Internet. There are several web hosting providers which let you publish content on the Internet. Web hosting lets organizations and people make their content available on the Internet and many additional services are also offered such as FTP (File transfer protocol) service to upload files from the system. 

In today’s article we would look more in detail about different types of web hosting services provided by hosting providers, what is the difference among them, pros and cons of each type of hosting service and so on.

Types of Web Hosting 

1. Shared Hosting 

It is an entry level hosting service. Websites are stored with many other websites on shared servers. When initially people begin online businesses they can opt for a shared hosting scheme as it is cheaper as the same server would service multiple websites and CPU and memory is used by all hosted domains. Ideal for small start-up businesses 

Pros 

• Sharing servers cost with larger number of consumers so operating costs are spread among all users of the services.

Cons

• Resources limitation as CPU, memory and disk space of hosting system is shared among all domains using it also referred as ‘Poor neighbour effect’.

2. VPS hosting

VPS hosting or virtual private server is one of its kind of internet hosting accounts. Your database and files will be on a webserver to have a website on the Internet. The physical servers are split into various other shared VPS servers. 

Pros 

• Less costly compared to dedicated servers.
• Hosting environment is more controlled.
• Provides more flexibility and customization within a virtual machine.
• Has supporting staff to help customers in their technical issues.

Cons

• Price is on bit higher side.

3. Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting is the most popular hosting service. Cloud hosting providers provide within its infrastructure services hosting organization computing and storage resources. There is no physical entity in the cloud which you label as cloud it is all virtual. 

Pros 

• Scalability is uttermost benefit.
• Increased data delivery speeds.
• Reduction in delays and page load times as it works on principle of identifying server closest to customer to deliver services.

Cons

• Risk exposure is high as files and data is stored on external supplier infrastructure.
• Costs cannot be fully estimated.

4. Dedicated web hosting 

Dedicated web hosting is where you pay for a server and it is dedicated to you. It has your full control as site owner; including root access. High traffic scenarios demand this kind of web hosting environment. Managed and unmanaged servers both types of offerings are available in a dedicated hosting model.

Pros 

• Dedicated server can be used as you want to.
• Very secure as it is not shared among others.
• Freedom to choose most suitable server according to your requirements.

Cons

• Most expensive type of hosting model.
• Hard to manage if required technical skills are in paucity.
• Software installation, day to day maintenance and daily operations could be an overhead.

5. Managed WordPress Web Hosting 

Managed WordPress Web Hosting is used only for WordPress. The host handles everything instead of using ePanel, Plesk etc. This plan is ideally suitable where the client is not keen to manage technical aspects of hosting.

Pros 

• Quick availability.
• Continuously optimized to maintain speed.

Cons

• Costlier as compared to shared hosting as WordPress handles technical issues.
• Such sites do get hacked via a backend or using defensive plugins or topics.
• Web designers and website owners with technical interests might not be very happy about particular plugins they don’t have access and also advanced server functionality access as well.

6. Free web hosting

It is a free service. Many Internet service providers give subdomains to make websites. Blogger and WordPress are quite popular among them. Sites can be named as your.blogspot.com and you.wordpress.com when you create free website with them.

Pros 

• It is free of charge.
• Your website is used to create an ad, banner, and other advertising media to get profit when free website is created.

Cons

• Ad income is sometimes not shared with website holder.
• No domain name is provided in free hosting plans only subdomain name is provided to owner.
• No customer support provided to resolve technical issues.

7. Cluster web hosting 

Clustered web hosting increases hosting reliability and performance on servers. Websites are hosted on many clustered sites, which enhances traffic handling performance of website.

Pros 

• High processing capacity is achieved.
• Multiple servers connect to front end server providing more capacity to consumers when needed.

Cons

• Costs are very high.
• Requires perfect hardware and design.

8. Reseller web hosting 

This allows selling various shared plans. Control panel on seller plans helps to control shared accounts for billing, storage, memory etc. Many web designers use reseller hosting model to track their customers.

Pros 

• More flexible model.
• Saves money.
• At low price can earn more income.

Cons

• Require lot of knowledge.
• Build a trust level through branding.
• Limited access to servers and primarily dependent on hosting company.

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What is Self Hosting?

What Is The Difference Between Cloud and VPS Hosting?

Businesses around the world work hard to improve their management skills and stay competitive in a business world that is increasingly evolving. Presently, technology is by far the most utilized in the world of business. Various technologies allow businesses to complete various tasks at lightning-fast speeds, and allow them to focus more on the areas that generate profit.

One of the many gifts that technology offers to the business world is employee time tracking software. This type of software allows business owners to keep a close eye on the increase and decrease of their employee’s productivity and help them when they deem fit to do so.

However, the benefits of using time tracking software can help you passively. Even if you are not monitoring your employees per se, if they are aware that the system is in place, they will spend less time slacking.

Benefits of using Time tracking Software

Let’s explore some of the main benefits of using employee time-tracking software below.

Maximizing Productivity

If you measure the time it took an employee to complete a certain task, you will have a better idea of how you can organize the whole workforce. Employees that log their activity will inadvertently help your whole business grow on a daily basis.

In addition to that, you will minimize “time theft” and ensure that all of your employees are earning their pay. Going on, with the help of work time tracker software, all of your employees will have a much better time understanding the complexity of their current and upcoming tasks.

In addition, if you notice that some employees are experiencing difficulties and are spending much more time on certain tasks than others, it might be time to talk to them and try to work with them to find the right solution for both parties.

Generate more profit

You can track the time it takes to complete a project from start to finish, and this information will allow you to give extra work to those who exceed expectations and provide training to those who are not performing up to the set standards.

By establishing a competent and carefully dispatched workforce, you will quickly start to generate more profits than you used to, and all thanks to carefully managed time. 

Accurate Hour Logging

Keeping track of how much each and every employee has produced during the whole month can be an extremely tedious and boring task. However, if you have the right tools at your disposal, you can just press a button and generate a whole detailed report for the employee in question.

This can be extremely beneficial for businesses that pay hourly as they can ensure error-free payment.

Reward the top performers

Knowing who does most work is always a plus. You can shower the top performers with various rewards which will in turn motivate other employees to try and step up their game.

At the end of each month, you can use the software to pinpoint who performed the most tasks and award them accordingly. You can do this by having an employee of the month type of competition where each month one of the most productive employees will receive some type of award.

More sustainable remote work

After the pandemic, the remote work model has attracted top recruits who are looking for more flexible working situations to cut costs by not maintaining office space for every single employee.

Of course, you must keep track of the hours that your remote workers are working from home, particularly if they are hourly employees. Time tracking software makes this simpler and offers more possibilities for companies that want to include remote work in their business plans.

Things to know before implementing time tracking software

Even though the software will only bring you benefits in the long run, there are some aspects you will have to consider in order to avoid certain problems. For instance, some employees might not want to be monitored and will consider the software intrusive.

To completely avoid that, communicate what you are planning to achieve with the software and that it’s only business related. You should make it clear right from the start that you are planning to use this type of software so that there are no dips in morale.

Lastly, if you don’t find the right tool, you might lose a lot of money and fast. So, try to read all the testimonials and reviews thoroughly and make sure that you are getting the right software for your business.

Bottom line

Using the right software in the right circumstance can make all the difference in the world. However, finding that tool will take a lot of dedication and research. If you are interested in boosting the productivity of your employees and ensuring that no one is slacking while on the job, time-tracking software is the right tool for you.

Still, as many benefits as the software brings, beware of some of the drawbacks we mentioned above in order to avoid misunderstandings.

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Top 10 Application Monitoring Tools (APM)

Nessus: Network Vulnerability Scanner

SaaS providers host their applications online so that customers can access them from anywhere at any time. These providers charge users regularly instead of charging for each software license upfront. We have compiled this list of the top SaaS companies to help you know them better and expand your knowledge about the industry.

Many people consider these companies as leaders in this segment because of their large market share, a high number of users and a high number of partnerships with other players in the same field.

Before going to the list of SaaS providers, lets enlist and understand the benefits of SaaS.

What are the benefits of SaaS?

SaaS applications are hosted remotely, which allows businesses to use a single application for multiple purposes.

This can reduce the number of applications you have to manage, and it can be easier to access compared to installing software on your servers. There are also several other benefits to choosing SaaS, including:

• Business continuity – Businesses will never lose access to data if one location experiences a power outage or natural disaster.
• Security – Hosted applications are better protected from security breaches because data is stored on remote servers.
• Scalability – You can add more employees or off-hours workers as needed, and you can also remove access as needed.
• Lower risk – SaaS providers typically offer service-level agreements in case something goes wrong.
• Ease of transition – If you transition to a new employer or if your company acquires another company, you can continue to use the same applications.
• Support – SaaS providers offer customer support over the phone, email, or online chat.
• Subscription cost – SaaS providers typically charge a monthly fee rather than requiring a large upfront investment.

List of Top 10 Software as a Service (SaaS) Companies 

Salesforce

With revenue of $11 billion, Salesforce is the world’s largest SaaS company. It is an enterprise cloud computing company that sells a suite of software products with the most prominent being Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and SalesforceIQ. These services are aimed at improving the way businesses and organizations manage their customers, sales, and business processes.

Salesforce’s customer relationship management (CRM) and business process management (BPM) software provide organizational insight that helps companies increase productivity through streamlined tasks and real-time analytics. Salesforce was founded in 1999 by former Oracle product managers Marc Benioff and Parker Harris.

Microsoft

Microsoft is one of the best SaaS companies and is a pioneer in the application-as-a-service model. It is a multinational computer software corporation that is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Microsoft’s fiscal year is from July 1 to June 30 and the company has a market cap of $820.8 billion and is run by Satya Nadella. Microsoft offers a wide range of products and services for individuals and businesses. It operates in three segments:

• Productivity and Business Processes,
• Intelligent Cloud, and
• More Personal Computing.

The company’s portfolio of products and services includes Operating Systems, Security, Developer Tools, Business Process Tools, Office products, Gaming, Consumer and Office services, Productivity services, Microsoft Azure services, and Other products and services.

HUBSPOT

HubSpot is a marketing and sales software SaaS provider with a focus on inbound marketing. It offers a marketing automation tool, a CRM, an analytics dashboard, and a sales automation tool. The company also provides training programs and certifications to help organizations adopt its tools.

HubSpot was founded in 2010 by Dharmesh Shah and Jared Newman. It is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. HubSpot has raised $664 million in funding and has more than 17,000 customers.

Adobe

Adobe is a multinational software company that provides services in the areas of digital marketing and creative software. Its services include web and mobile applications, advertising and marketing services, video and audio content, and software and security solutions. Whether you want to learn how to make a profile picture to build your brand, create stunning visual content, or manage digital marketing campaigns, Adobe provides a suite of tools and resources to support your creative and professional goals. The company was founded in February 1982 and is headquartered in San Jose, California, with facilities around the world.

Adobe has more than 50,000 customers in over 90 countries, including 85 of the Fortune 100 companies. Some of Adobe’s best-known products and services include Adobe Digital Marketing, Creative Cloud, Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Analytics, Adobe Sign, and more.

Google

Google is an American multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products, which include online advertising technologies, search, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. Together, they own 16.3% of their shares and control 56.7% of the stockholder voting power through special voting shares.

Google is the world’s largest Internet corporation, as well as the world’s largest Internet search engine. The company also analyzes Tiktok user data and offers other services involving the Internet. Google is the parent company of several Internet-based services and products, including

• the search engine,
• the advertising service AdWords,
• the cloud service Google Cloud,
• the online knowledge market Google Search,
• the online email service Gmail,
• the online video sharing service YouTube,
• the online translation service Google Translate,
• the online map service Google Maps,
• the online shopping service Google Shopping,
• the online office suite Google Docs, and
• the social network Google+

Slack

Slack is an online workspace where teams can communicate, collaborate, and complete their work. It offers messaging, file hosting, and video conferencing tools. Slack was founded in 2013 and has a current valuation of $15 billion. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Slack has over 10 million daily users and has raised over $800 million from investors, including Sequoia Capital, GGV Capital, Kleiner Perkins, and Thrive Capital.

Slack’s first product was an internal communications tool called Tiny Speck developed for Atlassian’s office in Sydney, Australia. In March 2013, the company launched a beta version of Tiny Speck to the public. In September 2013, the company raised $42 million in a Series B round of funding led by Greylock, including investors Marc Andreessen, Kleiner Perkins, and Sequoia Capital.

Freshworks

Freshworks is a cloud-based software SaaS company that makes products for sales and service organizations. Freshworks offers a suite of products, including Freshdesk, Freshservice, Freshcaller, Freshmeet, Freshmail, and Freshsales. Freshworks was founded in 2011 by Subramanian Venkat and Ramanand Chandrasekaran.

The company has raised more than $205 million in funding from investors including Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners, and Sands Capital. Freshworks has over 8,000 customers in more than 50 countries, including Adidas, Tesla, and Adobe.

Freshworks was previously named Freshdesk, an online help desk software. The company changed its name to Freshworks in 2018. Freshworks has more than 500 employees, with offices in San Francisco, Chennai, Sydney, and Hyderabad.

ServiceNow

ServiceNow is an enterprise SaaS company that provides cloud-based IT service management and IT operations management software. The company’s products include ServiceNow Service Automation, ServiceNow Config Automation, ServiceNow IT Operations, ServiceNow IT Automation. ServiceNow was founded in 2003 by Fred Gillo, Vikram Krishnan, and John Morules.

The company has raised $1.37 billion from investors including Southeastern Asset Management, Blackrock, Capital Group Companies, and GIC. ServiceNow was the first cloud-based enterprise IT operations management software and IT service management platform that could be accessed from any device.

The company also offers a hybrid cloud hosting model and a multi-tenant model. ServiceNow has over 6,400 customers, including Avis, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HP Inc., Hitachi, Intel, Qualcomm, and VMware.

Atlassian

Atlassian is an Australian software company that provides collaboration tools for software developers and project managers. It offers a suite of software products including Jira (project management), Confluence (knowledge management), BitBucket (source code management), HipChat (team communication), and Stride (workplace chat). The company’s products are used by software teams to track issues, assign work, and collaborate.

Atlassian was founded in 2002 by Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar. The company has raised $3.3 billion from investors including Accel Partners, BlackRock, Google Capital, Kleiner Perkins, and TPG. Atlassian’s products are used by more than 100,000 organizations, including 84% of the Fortune 100 and 75% of the Fortune 500. The company has over 8,000 customers, including Adobe, Amazon, Cisco, eBay, NASA, Netflix, Spotify, Tesla, and Etsy.

Dropbox

Dropbox is a file hosting service that enables users to share and store files online. It is a cloud computing service that allows users to store files online and access them from a web browser or mobile device. Dropbox was founded in 2007 by Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi.

The company is valued at $10 billion. Dropbox has raised $439 million from investors including Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners, Technology Crossover Ventures, and Dragoneer Investment Group. Dropbox has over 500 million users and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

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How to make a career as a SaaS Developer?

5 Top Cloud Service Providers

The first thing that springs to mind when considering international websites is website translation, a key component of the localization process that you need to master for global success.

Tips for Website Translation

Let’s have a look at the steps you need to make to make the most of both translation and localization to expand the global footprint of your business.

Adapt every bit of written content

Sadly, many authors produce original content without considering localization, which strains the translation process and frequently results in longer translation periods and greater prices.

Granted, this recommendation may not always apply if your website’s content was created many years ago. However, if you intend to translate your website in the future and are generating new content for your website, there are a few considerations to bear in mind.

First, simplicity is essential. Keep your writing straightforward, as this will make it easy to translate it. Avoid confusing wording and the use of unfamiliar vocabulary that certain readers may not understand.

All target language versions of ambiguous, jargon-ridden material will inevitably require modifications. If you want to decrease turnaround time and increase the quality of target language content, ensure that your source text is grammatically perfect, clear, and concise.

Consider localization

Before you begin translating, it‘s essential that you have a solid understanding of the geographical context of your audience. When you localize your website, you are tailoring it to a certain location or culture, rather than simply concentrating on a particular language.

Companies should exercise caution because they’re responsible for ensuring that the translation is appropriate for the target nation’s context. That’s why localization is becoming a very popular concept.

If you want to sell your product in Mexico and translate your website into Spanish, for instance, you need to be sure that the Spanish you convert into is the Mexican variety of Spanish.

Be careful with images and colors

Using culturally appropriate visuals and colors on your multilingual websites will allow them to be warmly received by your worldwide audience.

Imagine a family relaxing in a pool, for instance. People in nations where it’s unacceptable for women (and/or children) to expose skin may view this differently. In such situations, the image must either be modified to be more acceptable to the target culture, or it must be replaced with a more culturally appropriate image.

The same reasoning applies to colors. Red, for instance, is associated with love in North America and Europe, fortune, happiness, and longevity in China, and purity in India. However, the color red is connected with danger throughout the Middle East. So, when designing multilingual websites, it’s crucial to determine which colors are inappropriate for your target market and avoid them accordingly.

Have a glossary by your side

When translating a website, it will be helpful to have a dictionary of important website words, especially considering how frequently website content is changed or how frequently new website content is added over time.

Once this glossary has been compiled, translating the words of the glossary first and then using those translations when translating the actual content of the website makes it possible to achieve greater uniformity while also reducing the amount of time needed to complete the translation.

In the event that translated glossary terms are updated at some point in the future, the updated translations can also be applied to the rest of the information on your website (using translation technology).

Tread lightly with humor

It’s important to be careful with humor, especially when developing content for audiences all around the world. Keep in mind that humor is different in different cultures, and if it is not properly used, it can cause damage to a business.

Putting aside the possibility of cultural bias, humor can be both topical (the amusement value of a joke may diminish over time) and difficult to convey in another language. It’s possible that not all of the people in the target audience will appreciate even the best translation.

As a result, the usage of humor in digital content should be done so judiciously, if at all. Sometimes it’s best to keep humorous jokes away from your business and website.

Final words

More than 70% of online shoppers are more likely to buy from a website that is in their own language than from a website that isn’t. In and of itself, this is a big enough reason to do your best to provide great translations and maybe even localize your website for new markets you are targeting.

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Top 10 Most Common Website Error Codes

7 Essential Security Precautions for Your Website’s Server

Are you curious about using the internet more securely and remaining anonymous online? Have you been considering getting a VPN? Selecting a trustworthy VPN provider is the first step. In this article, we will show you how you can use a free VPN download.

Download a VPN for Free in 3 Steps

Do you want to begin right away? To download a VPN, follow the instructions below. 

• Pick a trustworthy VPN provider. 
• Visit the official website of the VPN service you like. Use the appropriate website at all times to prevent unintentionally downloading a risky cracked VPN. 
• Install the VPN software. You only need to activate the VPN program after downloading it to be able to browse the web freely, securely, and secretly.

Choose a Reliable VPN Provider

Making your judgment regarding which free VPN to select could be dangerous if you are new to cyber privacy. Understanding the variations in encryption methods, logging regulations, and tunneling protocols can be challenging. 

The following is what you should research if you’re determined to find the finest free VPN on your own:

• Privacy: Find out what information the VPN stores and how it uses it. There aren’t many free VPNs with stringent no-logs regulations, but you can get something close. 
• Reviews: View the opinions of others regarding free VPNs. If you want to know what real people think about particular providers, going to Reddit might be a good choice. 
• Features: Find the free VPN that provides the most features for free. Check whether a VPN has specialized servers and capabilities if you require it for a particular need.
• Limitations on bandwidth: The majority of free VPNs have monthly data usage restrictions. Choose a VPN that gives the greatest data if you want to use it frequently. 
• Speed: The experience is improved by a fast VPN. Although the majority of free VPNs won’t have as excellent speeds as commercial companies, you can still locate one that is fairly quick. 

Remember that just because a website advertises a free VPN doesn’t always indicate that the service will be free. If all it provides is a 30-day money-back guarantee, you’ll still have to pay for the service upfront.

Why Should You Download a Free VPN?

A free VPN performs nearly as well as one that has a subscription-based pricing model. Using a free virtual private network offers several advantages, such as: 

• Browser History Stays Confidential 

Who desires that another individual be aware of their browser history? Using a VPN prevents your browser history from being shared online, even if it’s just with your data or Internet provider. Utilizing a separate IP address, as previously noted, will mask your location and keep your history with you where it belongs.

• No ISP Tracking

Your internet service provider (ISP) can view your unencrypted network activity when you access the internet without a VPN. As a result, your ISP may have a lot of information on you, including the websites you visit and when you visit them. 

Your ISP cannot observe your browsing activities if you use a VPN to encrypt all of your network data. By utilizing a VPN, you can visit websites that would otherwise be restricted or loaded slowly by your ISP, in addition to having your privacy protected. To monitor your browsing habits or impose speed limits on the websites you visit, your ISP has to know your precise IP address. Your genuine IP address is concealed by a VPN, making it more difficult for your ISP to monitor your online activity. 

However, not every VPN offers the same amount of security. Once you’ve established a connection with a VPN, that VPN effectively serves as your new ISP and has access to your browser history. Therefore, your VPN provider obtains that information instead of your ISP. In light of this, it’s crucial to employ reliable no-log VPNs exclusively.

• Evade Censorship By The Government 

You have a choice as to which server your traffic is sent through when you connect to a VPN. To surf as if you were in another country, you can use a VPN to tunnel your network traffic through a server. The websites you can access shouldn’t, in our opinion, be based on your location. You may get around government censorship and access geo-restricted information by utilizing a free VPN that allows you to choose the nation from which you are browsing. 

This government censorship stifles free expression and political activism by preventing citizens from accessing objective information on the internet.

• Secure Your Computer From Hackers 

Anyone who accesses the internet has the potential to become a hacker target. Hackers may be searching for vulnerabilities in a company’s network to commit fraud or searching for personal identifying information to perform identity theft. The stakes are much higher for political dissidents or journalists who have been targeted by state-sponsored hackers. 

By sending your network traffic through an encrypted tunnel, a VPN protects your surfing activities even if it won’t completely shield you from hackers.

Conclusion: Download a VPN for Free

One must conduct thorough research on the type of VPN he should install before diving into VPN technology. 

There are many premium VPN services available that provide top-notch security measures and ensure consumers’ online safety. For beginners, it’s worthwhile to test a solid free VPN. Just keep in mind that several VPNs exist. And the greatest way to ensure your safety is to use the internet safely and sensibly.

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Is It Legal To Use A VPN?

What is a Kill switch in VPN?

Low-code software is great for users who want to perform complicated tasks quickly and efficiently. In this blog post, you will learn about ten best low-code platforms that you can use for your next project. These solutions are all designed to help users access complex data, complete tasks quickly and efficiently, and simplify development processes.

Read on to see why each of these solutions might be right for you!

List of Best Low-Code Platforms

Below is the list of some of the best low-code platforms available in the market:

Appian

Appian is a flexible, full featured low-code platform that can help businesses build powerful applications quickly. The platform comes with built-in connectivity to a variety of data sources, a library of pre-built components, and a user interface builder, so developers can get up and running quickly with little needed effort or training.

Some other features of the platform include

• an intelligent process engine,
• built-in security features, and
• an advanced analytics and reporting engine.

What makes Appian unique is its “adaptive” approach to development, which means that the platform adjusts to the needs of the business, regardless of how the application is being used. Appian also comes with built-in integration with many popular business tools and features, including JIRA, G Suite, ServiceNow, and Salesforce.

Mendix

Mendix’s low-code platform helps businesses create custom applications quickly and easily. With the platform, users can create applications based on a drag and drop user interface, and they can connect to a wide range of data sources, including databases and APIs.

The platform is also highly scalable and can accommodate high volumes of traffic and large numbers of concurrent users.

Other features of the platform include

• built-in collaboration and version control,
• real-time analytics, and
• a robust user experience.

What makes Mendix unique is its emphasis on user experience. The platform includes design tools that help developers focus on the design of the application while letting business users take charge of specifying the functionality. Mendix is also integrated with other business tools, including JIRA, Salesforce, and G Suite.

OutSystems

OutSystems is a robust, full-featured low-code platform for building enterprise-grade mobile and web applications. The platform comes with built-in connectors that allow businesses to connect to a variety of data sources and a drag and drop user interface builder that lets users create applications quickly.

Other features of the platform include

• a “visual programming” environment,
• real-time user interface design,
• a responsive template library, and
• an integrated testing and debugging tool.

What makes OutSystems unique is its visual programming environment, which helps developers create complex applications quickly and efficiently by snapping together components like Legos.

The platform also includes pre-built components that help developers get started creating applications quickly. OutSystems is also highly scalable and can accommodate high volumes of traffic and large numbers of concurrent users.

Quick Base

Quick Base is a full-featured low-code platform designed for businesses who want to create custom applications quickly and easily. The platform is easy to use and lets users create applications based on a drag and drop user interface.

Plus, the platform is fully customizable and comes with built-in integrations to a variety of business tools and data sources. Other features of the platform include

• real-time collaboration,
• built-in security, and
• a robust API platform.

What makes Quick Base unique is its emphasis on security. The platform includes numerous security features that help businesses protect sensitive data, including role-based security, user permissions, and auditing tools. Quick Base also includes collaboration tools that let multiple users work on projects together.

Visual LANSA

LANSA’s visual development environment lets users create custom applications without writing code. The platform is designed for people who don’t know how to write code and want to create simple applications or automate simple tasks, as well as for developers who want to create more complex applications.

LANSA’s visual development environment allows non-technical users to create application “widgets,” which are essentially pre-built components, and to connect the widgets together to create their applications.

The platform is available in both

• on-premises and
• cloud-based versions.

What makes LANSA unique is its flexibility. The platform comes with pre-built widgets that users can combine to create simple applications, and it also allows developers to create more complex applications with custom widgets. LANSA also comes with built-in integrations to a variety of data sources and business tools, including SAP, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics.

Salesforce Lightning

Lightning is Salesforce’s visual development environment that allows users to create custom applications without writing code. This platform is also designed for people who don’t know how to write code and want to create simple applications or automate simple tasks, as well as for developers who want to create more complex applications.

What makes Salesforce Lightning unique is its similarity to Salesforce’s user interface builder. Developers who are already familiar with Salesforce’s UI can easily transition to Lightning and create more complex applications without having to learn a new coding language.

Lightning also comes with built-in integrations to a variety of data sources and business tools, including QuickBooks and Microsoft Dynamics.

Zoho Creator

Zoho Creator is a robust, full-featured low-code platform that allows businesses to create custom applications quickly. The platform comes with pre-built components that users can snap together to create applications, as well as a library of templates that users can use as a starting point for their applications.

Other features of the platform include

• built-in collaboration features,
• real-time user interface design, and
• built-in security.

What makes Zoho Creator unique is its rich feature set. The platform includes a wide variety of tools and features, including real-time collaboration, advanced security features, and application monitoring tools. Zoho Creator also comes with built-in integrations to a variety of data sources, including Salesforce, Google Sheets, and Dropbox.

Kissflow

Kissflow’s low-code platform allows businesses to create custom applications quickly and easily. The platform comes with pre-built components that users can snap together to create applications and a library of templates that they can use as a starting point for their applications.

Other features of the platform include

• a drag and drop UI builder,
• built-in collaboration features, and
• a robust API platform.

What makes Kissflow unique is its drag and drop UI builder, which lets non-technical users snap together components to create their applications without writing code. The platform also includes pre-built components that users can snap together to create their applications.

Kissflow is also scalable and can accommodate high volumes of traffic and large numbers of concurrent users.

Nintex Workflow Cloud

Nintex’s workflow platform allows businesses to automate processes and simplify workflows. The platform comes with built-in integrations to a variety of data sources, including Salesforce, Office 365, and Google Drive, and a library of pre-built components that users can snap together to create workflows quickly.

Other features of the platform include

• drag and drop functionality,
• real-time collaboration,
• and built-in security.

What makes Nintex Workflow Cloud unique is its robust feature set. The platform includes a wide variety of tools and features, including real-time collaboration, built-in security, and workflow monitoring tools. Nintex is also scalable and can accommodate high volumes of traffic and large numbers of concurrent users.

Microsoft PowerApps

Microsoft PowerApps is a visual development environment that lets users create custom applications without writing code. The platform is designed for non-technical users who want to create simple applications or automate simple tasks, as well as for developers who want to create more complex applications.

PowerApps’ visual development environment allows users to snap together pre-built components to create their applications, as well as to select a “control flow” that determines which components are triggered when.

What makes Microsoft PowerApps unique is its simplicity. The platform is designed to be easy to use, even for people who have no experience with development. Plus, the platform includes pre-built components that users can snap together to create their applications.

PowerApps is also scalable and can accommodate high volumes of traffic and large numbers of concurrent users.

Conclusion

Low-code platforms are great for users who want to perform complicated tasks quickly and efficiently. In this article, you will learn about ten low-code software platforms that you can use for your next project.

Continue Reading:

Top 10 No-Code App Builders

Low-Code vs No-Code Platforms: Detailed Comparison

What is a No-Code App Builder?

A no-code app builder is software that lets non-technical users create their own mobile apps or web widgets without needing to write any code. These tools simplify app creation by guiding users through a visual interface with pre-built templates, allowing them to create fully functional apps almost instantly without needing technical knowledge or experience.

This is great for non-technical founders or product managers who want to build their own app but don’t know how to code, don’t have the budget to hire developers, and/or just want to test out their app idea quickly and cheaply before investing more time and money. Not all no-code app builders are the same, though. They vary significantly in terms of features and functionality, so it’s important to find the one that best suits your needs.

Which no-code app builder is the best?

It’s difficult to say which one is the “best” since they have different use cases and target different users. It’s important to find the no-code app builder that’s the best fit for your specific needs. That said, there are a few leading no-code tools that are worth keeping an eye on.

Some of the most popular no-code app builders include Appy Pie, Airtable, Quixy etc. Some of these have raised tens of millions of dollars in venture capital and are growing rapidly. Others are smaller and growing more organically.

Which no-code platform is the best for your needs?

Before you choose a specific no-code app builder, it’s important to take into account the type of app you want to build. Some no-code tools are better for simple data collection or tracking tasks, building marketing assets like quizzes, or creating interactive widgets. Others are better for building fully functional apps that can be installed on an app store and used for purchases.

Additionally, you should also consider the platforms you want to target with your app. Some no-code app builders make it easy to build your app for iOS, Android, and the web, while others focus on one specific platform.

How to choose between no-code tools?

When you’re comparing no-code app builders, the first thing you’ll want to do is decide which features you need. Do you need to build a full-featured app with a backend? Or will a simple, single-page app be enough? Do you want to create a web widget, or are you looking to build a mobile app? You’ll also want to investigate each tool’s pricing model and support options.

Some no-code apps are free to use, but others charge a small fee or/and have a freemium model with paid upgrades. Some also have paid PRO or Enterprise plans with added functionality. After that, you’ll want to look at each no-code tool’s user reviews and see how they compare. It’s important to read the comments and try to see if the issues raised are fixed or if they still exist. You’ll also want to see if any no-code app builders are missing from your list.

List of Top No-code App Builders

Appy Pie

Appy Pie is a no-code app builder for web and mobile apps. The platform has grown immensely since launching in 2011 and now supports over 300,000 customers from over 170 countries globally. The app builder makes app development easy with its drag-and-drop visual interface builder. You can build your app by simply dragging and dropping pre-built app elements onto the canvas.

Appy Pie features an integrated app store (with distribution capabilities) to launch your app. It also has a full-featured user management system and other features like analytics, user tracking, push notifications, and more. Notable features:

Airtable

Airtable is a no-code app builder and database platform. The app builder enables businesses to organize their data, build apps, and collaborate with team members. Airtable has two products:

• Airtable, its no-code app builder, and
• Table

but the apps are run as separate entities. Airtable also has a database that allows users to edit data through a web interface. The database is designed more for visualizing data in charts and graphs, rather than editing it. Airtable has a free plan with pricing for larger teams. Notable features:

Adalo

Adalo is a no-code app builder that lets you build customized apps for iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. The app builder is designed for education, healthcare, enterprise, retail, and other industries.

Some of the features available in the app builder are

• photo, video, location, and facial recognition.
• Adalo also offers device management and analytics.
• The app builder is priced based on the number of devices and data storage.

Glideapps

Glideapps is a no-code platform that lets you build web and mobile apps quickly and easily. You can use their visual interface builder to create your app. You can also customize your app with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS if necessary.

The app builder features a drag-and-drop editor which makes the app-building process simple. You can create apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. Glideapps provides a visual app builder, integrated app store, and app analytics.

Quixy

Quixy is a no-code app builder that lets you create and publish apps for iOS and Android. Quixy is designed for businesses, teachers, and individuals. You can create your app with their drag-and-drop editor or use their API if you want to customize your app further.

Quixy has a free plan, but it limits you to only one app and one user. The plan also integrates with Google Drive and Dropbox.

ServiceNow App Engine

ServiceNow App Engine is a no-code app builder designed for creating mobile apps for Android and iOS. The app builder connects to your ServiceNow instance to pull and store data. You can create your app with the app builder’s visual drag-and-drop interface builder.

Once you’ve created it, you can publish your app to the Google Play store or the Apple Store. The app builder is meant for organizations using ServiceNow for their business.

ClickUp

ClickUp is a no-code project management and collaboration tool. It’s designed for small businesses and remote teams. The platform lets you create tasks, assign them to team members, and organize progress.

You can use ClickUp to track your project’s progress, collaborate with your team, and stay on top of your to-do lists. The platform has integrations with other apps like Jira, Slack, and Zapier. You can use ClickUp free for up to 5 users.

Bubble

Bubble is a no-code app builder that lets you build apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. Bubble takes care of hosting your app’s backend, so you don’t have to worry about it. This allows you to focus on building your app.

The platform has a drag-and-drop UI builder and lets you bring your visual designs to life. Bubble has a free plan, but it limits your app to only 10 users.

Quickbase

Quickbase is a no-code app builder for creating web and mobile apps. Quickbase also offers a database solution for organizing and storing data. The business app builder is designed for organizations that want to create their own apps without hiring developers to do so.

The platform lets you create your app with its visual drag-and-drop interface builder.

Bravo Studio

Bravo Studio is a no-code app builder that lets you create apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. The platform lets you create your app with their visual interface builder or use their API if you want to customize your app further.

Bravo Studio has a free plan, but it limits you to only one app and one user.

These are some of the top no-code app builders available today. If you’re looking to build an app quickly or prototype an idea, consider one of these app builders. Are you ready to make your next app idea a reality? Let’s go!

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Low-Code vs No-Code Platforms: Detailed Comparison

Low-Code Platform: The New Way to Build Software Applications

No-code and low-code software are both ways of building apps with limited coding experience. But they each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the right one for your team and project can help you create an app faster and with less hassle.

No-code platforms allow users to build apps by dragging and dropping pre-built modules that have simple menus and prompts that guide users to build an app quickly. Low-code platforms take this a step further by allowing programmers to set up functions in pre-made blocks of code that can be dragged and dropped into place, which means less code is needed overall.

Let’s look at how low-code vs no-code software solutions compare:

Low-code Platforms

Low-code platforms are designed for users who know how to code and have programming knowledge. These platforms have pre-made blocks of code that can be dragged and dropped into place to create a desired app. Many low-code platforms also have pre-built modules that allow users to save time by reusing pre-existing code. Low-code platforms are great for people who already know how to code but need an easy way to manage and organize their code.

Pros of Low-code Platforms

• Customizable flexibility – Low-code platforms allow users to create custom apps that can be as simple or complex as needed. This means you can add custom code as needed, but you don’t have to start from scratch.
• Shorter app building times – If a user reuses code from a previous project, the app building process can be quicker. If a user creates a brand new app, low-code platforms may be even quicker than no-code platforms.
• Wide platform scalability – If a user creates a platform and saves the code, that code can be used on other devices and platforms. This means a user can simply copy and paste the code into a different platform to use it again.

Cons of Low-code Platforms

• Higher upfront costs – Low-code platforms can be more expensive than no-code platforms since they require programming knowledge.
• More time to learn – Users with low-code platforms need to spend time learning how to code and how to use the pre-made code blocks. This means more time is needed to build an app compared to no-code platforms.
• Limited to the platform – If a user has to build a brand new app and has no code to copy and paste, they’re limited to the options available on the low-code platform.

No-Code Platforms

No-code platforms are the simplest form of app building software. A user simply chooses from pre-built modules that represent parts of a desired app, such as a video feature or a contact form. The modules can be dragged and dropped in place to create the desired app. The app can be saved, edited, and added to a server for use by different users.

No-code platforms are great for people who want to build an app but don’t want to learn how to code. Alternatively, some no-code platforms can be used for people who know how to code but want to speed up their app building process.

Pros of No-code Platforms

• No upfront costs – No-code platforms are usually free to use. Costs may be incurred if there’s an option to export the app to a server and make it accessible to others.
• Easy beginner-friendly process – No-code platforms are designed with basic technology in mind, meaning they are designed to be easy to understand and navigate through.
• Shorter app building times – Since no-code platforms are designed to make app building quick, they can save you time and effort compared to low-code platforms.

Cons of No-code Platforms

• Limited flexibility – No-code apps have pre-built features that may not fit the needs of your app exactly. This means more time may be spent editing features to fit your needs.
• Fewer control options – With no-code platforms, you’re limited to the features and modules that come with the platform. This means you can’t include any custom code or make changes to the platform itself.
• Limited scalability – No-code platforms are built to be easy to use, which means their apps may not be as scalable as low-code platforms. Scalability in this context refers to how an app can be used on different platforms and devices.

Low-code vs No-code Platforms: The Difference

• No-code platforms are great for people who don’t know how to code. Low-code platforms are for people who know how to code but want an easier way to manage their code.
• Low-code platforms have pre-built code blocks and modules that can be dragged and dropped into place. No-code platforms allow users to create apps by dragging and dropping pre-built modules that have simple menus and prompts.
• No-code platforms are designed to be easy to understand and use. Low-code platforms let you include custom code, but they are still designed to be easy to understand and use.
• No-code platforms are best for apps that don’t need to be highly customized. Low-code platforms let you create apps that are highly customized and meet unique needs.

Comparison Table: Low-code vs No-code

Download the comparison table: low-code vs no-code

Bottom line

No-code platforms are great for people who want to create an app but don’t want to learn how to code. Low-code platforms are best for users who know how to code and want an easy way to manage and organize their code. With no-code platforms, you can build an app with no experience or knowledge of coding. Low-code platforms require at least some knowledge of coding and programming.

Continue Reading:

What is a No-code Platform? Will it replace Experienced Developers?

Low-Code Platform: The New Way to Build Software Applications