Latest Articles
Using Cloud Computing to Innovate at InfoSpace
October 20, 2011 By Stacy
In an article published recently on Forbes.com, contributor Joe McKendrick wrote about a study that claims that cloud computing makes it easier to innovate. In the Accenture-sponsored study titled, “A new era of innovation: Cloud and the future of business,” the study’s authors identified the adoption of a company’s use of cloud computing in three stages:
1. Technology and operational changes – McKendrick describes this level as, “The one-of-one exchange of traditional applications and resources for those offered as services through the cloud, such as Software as a Service (SaaS).”
2. Business process changes – This stage allows companies the capability “of delivering market innovations that enhance existing products and services, create new ones and enable entry into new markets.”
3. Innovation in business design – The final stage is considered the stage that a company reaches when the commit fully to cloud computing, and “may provide a platform for radical innovation in business design.”
Through this article and study, we’re able to gauge where InfoSpace is positioned among these stages.
For the first level, an example of where InfoSpace made an exchange from traditional software to cloud computing services is with our WebPosition SaaS Reporter product, as referenced in an earlier blog entry.
We have been using cloud computing services, such as those described in the second phase, to enhance our current portal service offerings for our distribution partners. Our new content experience platform, which expands our portal offering to include access to content using mobile phones, tablets and readers, was developed on the Heroku platform (Platform as a Service or PaaS), which, in turn, is hosted on Amazon’s Web Service (Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS).
Despite its current popularity, cloud computing hasn’t entered the technology space without concern. InfoSpace CTO Travis McElfresh is well aware of the potential risks of relying completely on cloud providers, yet considers the public cloud to be an important part of the company’s IT strategy.
“We are at the beginning of reaching the third stage,” he said, “with a considerable amount of attention dedicated to ROI and risks associated with a transformative move towards a deeper leverage of a cloud strategy”, he said. “Still, we expect to be well into this stage by the end of 2012.”
McElfresh shared this and more of his thoughts on cloud computing as a panelist at a recent Harvey Nash CIO Forum.
InfoSpace CTO Travis McElfresh talks a bit about the public cloud before sharing his viewpoints with a panel of other CTO/CIOs.
Whether your company is in the first stage of cloud computing, fully embracing it, or not using it at all, there is still a lot to be discussed over cloud computing, including privacy and security issues to name two. To continue the conversation, or to share how your company is using cloud computing, please visit us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/infospace.
Responding to Trends in the Portal Experience
June 17, 2011 By Stacy
We’ve been busy the last couple of days at the National Cable Show in Chicago presenting the Content Experience Platform (CEP) and our new Start Page Portal solution. Now that the show is winding down, I wanted to take a few moments to share some of the background on our new product for those who missed the conference.
Sr. Product Manager Nathan Rohm taking a break at the Cable Show to blog about CEP
When we started this project, we identified trends in the portal world that we wanted to incorporate within the next version of our own solution. Those trends include:
1. Content is becoming more interactive, localized, and targetable. This means portal providers need systems that can ingest any type of content and deliver a highly optimized user experience.
2. Devices are offering completely new content interaction models. Your portal needs to feel modern, fresh, and full-featured in the way that it takes advantage of the device it is being presented. This includes smart phones, tablet PCs, and laptops.
3. Users are more sophisticated than ever. A generic solution is not an option. Portal providers need to provide a service that is pleasing and simple, consistent and adaptable, and flexible, while still being useful to the customers.
4. There are more opportunities to maximize value. At InfoSpace, we are always looking for new ways to effectively monetize traffic for our partners. The Content Experience Platform presents a host of new opportunities for our partners to maximize the value of their portal customer base. That maximized value is found in both revenue generation and cost containment. Both are ultimately necessary for our customers.
With these trends in mind, we developed the Content Experience Platform. It is capable of delivering a compelling Start Page Portal solution that will engage your audience from the very beginning.
While the product won’t officially launch until later this year, we are currently running several pilots for new and existing partners, and we are actively recruiting new partners as we go along. If you are interested in testing the beta or in learning more, contact us at contentexp@infospace.com.
Best,
Nathan and the CEP Team