Thursday, August 31, 2017 - 10:27
">
•
By Peter Winston, Stephanie Van Ness
•
IoT, Embedded, cybersecurity
Nearly half of all companies in the US using an Internet of Things (IoT) network have been the victims of at least one security breach. Forty-eight percent. That’s according to a recent survey of 400 IT decision-makers across 19 industries conducted by strategy consulting group Altman Vilandrie & Company.
What kind of breaches? Here are just two examples:
An attack on a Vegas casino reported by cyber security firm Darktrace in July 2017. In that event, hackers swiped 10 gigabytes of data by accessing the casino’s network through a recently installed smart fish tank.…
Tuesday, August 15, 2017 - 14:16
">
•
By ICS Development Team
•
AR, VR, touchscreen, interactive games
Our customers often mention virtual reality (VR) when they are looking to do something unique and eye-catching at conferences. They’re not exactly sure how VR could be used to present their product or tell their story but they know the technology is trending and they don’t want to get left behind. Maybe you’re also considering including VR in your marketing mix.
But is VR the right choice? What about augmented reality (AR)? Or a touchscreen game?
While touchscreen games create a community experience, VR and AR alter our perception of the world. They’re typically used for gaming, simulations…
div#infographic {
background-color: #e7e7e7;
padding-bottom: 20px;
}
.data p {
font-size: 2em;
line-height: 1.3em;
color: #595959;
font-family: Roboto;
}
.data {
padding: 10px;
background-color: #e7e7e7;
}
.number {
font-size: 7em;
font-weight: bold;
font-family: Droid;
}
.number.purple{
color: #71469b;
}
.number.blue{
color: #4094b6;
}
.number.darkblue…
Thursday, May 25, 2017 - 10:43
">
•
By ICS Development Team
•
gamification, interactive games, trade shows, web
Have you ever watched the DVD extras where you get a peek at how a film was made? See a camera on a dolly moving in synch with the actors as they walk down the street? Or glimpse the behind-the-scenes process as a make-up artist transforms a regular guy into a cyborg? That’s what this blog is about.
Ok, maybe no cyborgs. But, I will give you a backstage look at how my team created a custom interactive game for medical device company Boston Scientific.
About the Game
Boston Scientific wanted to showcase one of its products at an industry trade show, using a game format to engage…
You only have a few seconds to connect with customers in a meaningful way. So how do you lower the barrier so it’s easy for them to interact with your content? By employing the interface on the device the user is on. But, how do you do it across many platforms?
You build a digital ecosystem for sharing assets and data.
Digital Ecosystems
Technology is finally catching up to digital ecosystems, an idea that been around for more than 10 years. According to Wikipedia, a digital ecosystem is a distributed, adaptive, open socio-technical system with properties of self-organization, scalability…
In my last few blogs I discussed the skills gap — that chasm between the skills and expertise within a team, and the skills that are actually needed to successfully execute a particular project.
This gap is created by advances in industry and technology. No matter how far out in front of your market you are, changes in adjacent spaces create opportunities for you, as well as your competitors.
It’s important understand that this gap is chronic, rooted in the changing nature of our economy, and not simply a result of a particular person leaving or a specific project’s requirements.
Thus, the…
In my last blog I outlined how the skills gap negatively impacts product development, particularly in terms of protracted timelines or cost overruns. Now, I want to help you most effectively close this gap.
Specialists are Key
By enlisting the help of specialist providers like Integrated Computer Solutions (ICS) to bridge the skills gap between your own internal expertise and your goal to manufacture and deliver a quality product, you’ll be well-equipped to successfully manage the entire project development lifecycle, for your current project and future endeavors.
The quality and expertise…
Skills gap. It’s a phrase in vogue these days as employers complain they can’t find workers with the technical chops necessary to excel in the digital age. The Wall Street Journal calls it a “significant gap between an organization’s current talent capabilities and the skills it needs to grow or remain competitive” and it’s a key concern to 73% of CEOs.
This skills gap obviously impacts tech companies, which struggle to find an adequate corps of employees experienced with the most leading-edge technologies. But, it also extends well beyond to even the most traditional, old-school businesses…
Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc. (ICS), which provides custom software development and UX design for touchscreen, mobile, embedded and desktop applications for Fortune 1000 companies worldwide, has relocated its Boston-area headquarters from Bedford to Waltham, Mass. The company’s new office at 230 Second Avenue is situated just off Route 128, often referred to as America’s Technology Highway.
ICS’ new headquarters is intended to foster a sense of community and support collaboration. The office features an open-concept design, ample natural light, multiple conference and training rooms,…
A popular concept these days is User Experience or UX. Wikipedia defines UX as “the process of enhancing user satisfaction by improving the usability, accessibility and pleasure provided in the interaction between the user and the product.”
A less-used term is Customer Experience or CX. Wikipedia defines that as “the product of an interaction between an organization and a customer over the duration of their relationship. This interaction includes a customer's attraction, awareness, discovery, cultivation, advocacy, and purchase and use of a service.”
UX is sometimes perceived as kind of…
Wednesday, January 27, 2016 - 17:40
">
•
By ICS
•
ICS HMI Solution, Speech Recognition, IVI, GENIVI, Automotive
Speech recognition has been around for a long time. Products that run on your PC initially required voice training and targeted professionals in vertical industries with highly specialized vocabularies (e.g. doctors). As speech recognition algorithms improved, computer processing got better, and more memory was available to store ever-larger dictionaries of words and phrases, products like Nuance’s Dragon Dictation have eventually gotten to the point where they’re largely general purpose and work very well.Yet speech recognition did not come into wide use until the advent of the smartphone.…
Friday, December 18, 2015 - 13:59
">
•
By Peter Winston
•
In-flight entertainment, in-vehicle, In-vehicle infotainment, IFE, automotive IVI, IVI
ICS is one of a very few companies that has worked on both In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) for passenger airlines and In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) for passenger automobiles. Our experience in both IFE and IVI means that one space informs the other, creating a mutually beneficial cycle of ever-increasingly excellent work.
Given our unique perspective on IFE and IVI, we’re in a unique position to comment on the efforts of the smartphone manufacturers to become the IVI platforms for cars.
Specifically: Google’s Android Auto®, Apple’s CarPlay® and Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Automotive®…
Monday, November 2, 2015 - 13:13
">
•
By Peter Winston
•
Software Development, ICS, supply chain management
There are many challenges when considering software development in general. Adding to that complexity is the need to have and maintain external resources. Many software development projects today are global and require teams of engineers who are versed in the latest technologies and can produce safe, reliable, high-quality products. While no software company is immune from these foundational issues, there are ways in which companies can manage its software supply chain that make good business sense.
In this blog entry, I am going to elaborate more about one of the reasons for an effective…
Monday, October 5, 2015 - 11:51
">
•
By Peter Winston
•
touchscreen, touchscreen interfaces, Interactive Kiosk, IVI
ICS is building large touchscreen kiosks for retailers, through our work on other specialized touchscreen systems such as In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) systems for international airlines and In-Vehicle-Infotainment (IVI) systems for automobile suppliers, we’ve developed an expertise in creating high-performance, compelling and responsive end-user interactive systems. By developing kiosks, we are leveraging that expertise to revolutionize the retail customer experience. With customer experience gaining momentum in many industries, it seems like it’s the obvious natural extension of our…
Friday, May 15, 2015 - 15:23
">
•
By Peter Winston
•
interactive, touchscreen, ICS, UX, ViewPoint, touchscreen interface
Here at ICS demand for our touchscreen-related services has grown by leaps and bounds. Interest in (and respect for) the skills we’ve developed over 25 years of experience has risen as organizations realize the myriad engineering and design elements to be considered that are necessary to truly deliver on a world-class touchscreen interface. The interest and appreciation is coming from both existing and new clients:
Existing clients -- established storied companies with long product pedigrees -- who are transitioning their designs away from using traditional physical controls such as knobs,…
Thursday, April 9, 2015 - 11:55
">
•
By Peter Winston
•
development project, strategy, Agile development, Agile, ICS, Software Development, UX Design, UX
At some point in any extended-length development project -- whether it’s a multi-year project or a multi-month project -- you’re going to need what I’m calling a Surge. What’s going to prompt a Surge?
Here are some examples:
The market shifts and the target customer changes: for example, the successful launch of another product provides insight into your intended customer and a re-alignment of your product vision.
Some opportunity, such as an early customer adoption or the need to demo at a trade show, will force a re-alignment of development priorities.
New product requirements are…
Tuesday, February 24, 2015 - 15:06
">
•
By Peter Winston
•
software projects, development project, planning, Qt
Over many years of developing software and building user interfaces, I’ve seen numerous shifts in technology and been present for multiple evolutions in the way developers craft quality software. Yet, while the development tools and languages available to developers make them increasingly capable, software projects still consistently run into trouble; they miss deadlines, hit intractable technical obstacles and run rampantly over budget.
As an independent software consulting company with broad capabilities and deep domain knowledge, my company ICS often gets the call when a client project…