Exercise - select five applications that you have not heard of before from Popular URL's Web 2.0 awards or the webware awards and describe on your blog page how they could be useful to a business.
After looking at the webware awards there were plenty of applications which I had not heard of. Web 2.0 has expanded over the years and become rather popular. Such applications as Safari, Firefox and internet explorer are internet browser which has emerged. Internet explorer has been a dominate application for the internet but over the past few years other applications have emerged. The five applications which I have chosen to discuss are:
· Skype
· Mint
· About.com
· Pandora
· Hi5
Skype is a program which allows people to communicate through text, voice and video-chatting through the internet (Skype, 2009). Skype can act as a device to communicate to other people by using the internet. Skype allows people to “call outside numbers, both long distance and international” (Skype, 2009). This would be useful for a business because it would be useful for meetings over the internet. By having meetings using Skype this would be more effective and efficient if a business has clients overseas or interstate. With having a function which allows people to communicate through video chatting this makes meetings easier and more convenient.
Mint acts as a financial function system. Mint manages your finances by keeping people up to date on their finances. Mint keeps track of clients spending by sending emails or mobile alerts when ‘bills are due, the clients account drops to a certain level, large purchases paid on credit card or any other high financial transactions’ (Mint, 2009). Mint would be beneficial for companies because this is a good way to stay on track of spending or owing. By having alerts send emails to the company of money due or transactions this would keep the company more informed. Mint also gives advice which could help the company (Mint, 2009).
About.com is an application which acts as a “how to guide and informational pages” (About.com, 2009). About.com has paid credible sources who have written the guides (About.com, 2009). About.com also allows people to discuss articles and topics through forums (About.com). About.com could be useful for a company if the company wanted to know an answer to a question. With About.com having credible sources who write about topics this allows companies to read topics from credible sources.
Pandora is a music service. Pandora acts as a music and recommendation service by recommending songs which Pandora thinks the client might like (Pandora, 2009). This service allows clients to pick which songs they like and dislike. When a client decides they like a song the application then puts up songs which they think the client might also enjoy because there from the same genre (Pandora, 2009). Pandora could be useful for a business because it could act as a way to keep the employees motivated. By introducing music into the workplace this creates a calm atmosphere and encourages the employees to work harder. Pandora acts as a type of playlist which allows clients to play songs which interest them.
Hi5 is a social networking site which has over 60 million users (Hi5, 2009). Hi5 is a network which allows users to create their own profile and upload pictures (Hi5, 2009). This application is similar to Facebook and Myspace which has similar types of functions although Hi5 over 80% of users are not in America (Hi5, 2009). This application could be useful for a business because it allows the business to be recognised in another country. Hi5 would give a business more recognition especially if the company wanted to break into a foreign market. By having a profile on a social networking site gives more recognition and is a great way to communicate.
References:
About.com.(2009). Webware 100 winner: About.com. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237656-29.html
Hi5.(2009). Webware 100 winner: Hi5. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237639-29.html?tag=mncol
Mint.(2009). Webware 100 winner: Mint. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237665-29.html
Pandora.(2009). Webware 100 winner: Pandora. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10236913-29.html
Skype.(2009). Webware 100 winner: Skype. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13546_109-10237739-29.html
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