Friday, 31 January 2014

Payments made via mobile devices surge to about 20% of all transactions, processor says

Apple tablet now in lead but Android devices not far behind, firm's analysis shows

Payments made with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets rose 55% over last year, reaching a total of 19.5% of all transactions processed worldwide in December by Amsterdam’s Adyen.

Apple iPads and iPhones were the most used devices for mobile payments, according to Adyen’s tally, with the iPad accounting for 41% of mobile transactions during the busy September to December holiday shopping period. The Apple iPhone took the second spot with 31.6% of mobile-payment transactions, while Android smartphones stood at 20% and Android tablets at just 6.6%. Microsoft Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices each accounted for less than 1%.

In terms of smartphones used for mobile payments, “Android looks to be steadily closing the gap on the iPhone’s lead,” Adyen stated. The outfit saw iPhone’s share drop from 68.5% in April 2013 to 60% in December, while Android devices rose from 30.7% to 38.6%. Adyen said that shift appears to be due to the increasing numbers of Android devices, particularly those from Samsung.

+ Also on NetworkWorld: Apple reportedly interested in getting into mobile payments | Report: Spy agencies collude to collect personal data from mobile apps +

This trend in payments made via smartphones and tablets will influence how merchants design payment pages, Adyen points out, adding it’s worth noting that tablets are the preferred mobile device among shoppers now for more high-transaction purchases.
Adyen processes over 250 payment methods, including Visa, MasterCard and American Express, and 187 currencies on six continents, for a total of about $14 billion in payments, and its customers include Groupon, Mango, KLM, CityJet and Vodafone.

Adyens’ analysis covered industries that include travel, retail, ticketing, gaming, and digital goods. In retail, individuals are said to be spending more on average through payments made on tablets than PCs. Roelant Prins, chief commerce officer at Adyen, said it’s vital for merchants to keep up with the evolution of mobile devices and consumer behavior and use this knowledge strategically in their planning.




Sunday, 5 January 2014

FC0-U11 CompTIA Strata Fundamentals of PC Functionality Exam


QUESTION 1
You are working with a team that will be bringing in new computers to a sales department at a
company. The sales team would like to keep not only their old files, but system settings as well on
the new PC's. What should you do?

A. Do a system backup (complete) on each old machine, then restore it onto the new machines.
B. Copy the files and the Windows Registry to a removable media then copy it onto the new
machines.
C. Use the User State Migration tool to move the system settings and files to the new machines.
D. Use the Disk Management tool to move everything to the new computer.

Answer: C

Explanation:


QUESTION 2
Which of the following is designed to infiltrate or damage a computer without the consent of the
owner?

A. Shareware
B. Malware
C. Freeware
D. Stealware

Answer: B

Explanation:


QUESTION 3
Which of the following is a circuit board that is used to extend slots for expansion cards and
provides the ability to connect additional expansion cards to the computer?

A. Audio/modem riser
B. Secure Digital (SD) card
C. Riser card
D. Communication and Networking Riser (CNR)

Answer: C

Explanation:


QUESTION 4
Which of the following is a file management tool?

A. Windows Explorer
B. Device Manager
C. MSCONFIG
D. Defrag

Answer: A

Explanation:


QUESTION 5
Which of the following parts of the computer is built-in to the motherboard?

A. Joystick
B. Mouse
C. Sound card
D. CD-ROM drive

Answer: C

Explanation:


ISS-001 Intel Server Specialist Certification Exam


QUESTION 1
Which of the following documents and tools would a technician use to help determine the correct
parts necessary to build an Intel server? (Select TWO).

A. Quick Start Guide
B. Configuration Guide
C. Intel Server Configurator Tool (SCT)
D. Product Change Notification (PCN)
E. Technical Product Specification (TPS)

Answer: B,C

Explanation:


QUESTION 2
Below is a step in the server management configuration process. Which of the following is true
about this command?

A. This SYSCFG command, Reset Factory Settings, can be used to erase all BMC management
settings. This command can be used to reset the management settings to support reconfiguration
of management, without carrying over previous management settings.
B. This SYSCFG command, Refreshes Sensors, resets the sensor values and forces the BMC to
rescan all sensors to update the Sensor Data Records (SDR). This is used when a system error
has been resolved, but the status remains critical in the SDR.
C. This SYSCFG command, Restore File System, is used to restore a backup of the server
management settings. This is an efficient method of restoring the BMC settings if they have been
lost or deleted.
D. This DOS command allows a super user to replace the file system within the BMC, reformatting
the data area down to a low-level format prior to a system restore.

Answer: A

Explanation:


QUESTION 3
A customer has asked an Intel® Server Specialist to provide them with a 1U, 2-socket server. The
customer has concerns about power consumption. Which of the following configurations would
offer the MOST energy efficient solution?

A. Intel® Server System SR1695WB
B. Intel® Server System SR1630HGP
C. Intel® Server System SR1600URLX
D. Intel® Server System SR2625URBRP

Answer: A

Explanation:


QUESTION 4
A customer is designing a security appliance, and has asked an Intel® Server Specialist to supply
them with a 1-socket rack mount server with as many Gigabit Ethernet ports as possible. Which of
the following configurations would be the MOST appropriate to recommend?

A. Intel® Server System SR1695GPRX, with Intel® Quad Port Gigabit I/O module, and an Intel®
Gigabit ET2 Server Adapter.
B. Intel® Server System SR1630GP, with an Intel® Quad Port Gigabit I/O module.
C. Intel® Modular Server System, with additional Gigabit Ethernet mezzanine cards.
D. Intel® Server System SR1625UR, with Intel® Quad Port Gigabit I/O module, and an Intel®
PRO/1000 PT Server Adapter.

Answer: A

Explanation:


QUESTION 5
Why is it important to update the FRU when first building a system?

A. Updating the FRU enables the server administrator to remotely access the server.
B. Updating the FRU allows the server to configure the fan speed correctly.
C. Updating the FRU allows for the relevant part numbers to be programmed into NVRAM.
D. Updating the FRU makes sure the Management Engine is running the most recent firmware.

Answer: C

Explanation:


Thursday, 2 January 2014

hot IT skills for 2014

Help desk staffers are coveted, but developers are the hottest commodity of all.

When it comes to overall job prospects for IT professionals, 2014 will look a lot like this year, with 32% of companies expecting to increase head count in their IT shops, compared with 33% in 2013, according to Computerworld's annual Forecast survey.

But while demand will remain steady overall, there have been a few changes in the skill sets most desired by hiring managers. Unemployment "is probably close to zero for people with high-demand skill sets," says Michael Kirven, founder and CEO of Mondo, a technology resource provider. Employers in search of top skills, he says, need to be prepared to move fast. "If you want them, you can be 100% sure there are at least two other firms that want them, as well," he says.

(Is your company a great firm? Nominate it for Computerworld's Best Places To Work in IT award.)
New hiresWhat changes do you expect in your IT employee head count in the next 12 months?IncreaseDecreaseRemain the same20102011201220132014Year010203040506070Percent
Data from 2014 Forecast Survey (Base: 221; June 2013), 2013 Survey, 2012 Survey, 2011 Survey and 2010 Survey. Mouse over graph to get data details; click on items in chart key to turn them on and off.

Here's a look at the IT skills that will be in demand next year, according to companies with plans to hire IT professionals in 2014.

1. Programming/application development

• 49% of respondents said that they plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months.
• Last year's ranking: No. 1

As it did in the 2013 Forecast survey, programming/application development tops the list of hot skills, although just under half of the 221 respondents said they will hire in this area, compared with 60% last year. Scot Melland, CEO of Dice Holdings, parent of IT jobs website Dice.com, concurs that software developers are the most sought-after technology workers and notes that they enjoy one of the lowest unemployment rates around -- just 1.8%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It's no wonder, then, that respondents to the Computerworld 2014 Forecast survey named developer and programmer job openings as the most difficult to fill. The hottest specialties within that category, Melland says, are mobile development expertise and experience building secure applications.

Carbonite, an online backup service provider, expects to find a tight market for software developers and engineers as it shifts its business model to focus on the needs of small businesses, says Randy Bogue, vice president of talent at the Boston-based company.
How does your salary compare?

Take Computerworld's 2014 IT Salary Survey.

"While there are a lot of experienced software developers in the Boston area, there are just as many technology companies looking to hire them," he says. "We find this while looking for front-end developers, user experience engineers, mobile developers and pretty much any other software development position."

Lucille Mayer, CIO at BNY Mellon, also expects to have difficulty finding developers. The financial services company has several hundred openings, mainly in New York City and Pittsburgh, and about 40% of those are in development. Another 30% are in infrastructure, 20% are for business analysis/project management positions, and 10% are in management.

"Demand is high for skilled developers with three to five years' experience and a service delivery orientation," says Mayer, who is particularly interested in people with object-oriented development experience. Also important is finding people from diverse backgrounds, with diverse ideas and perspectives, she says.

Hospitality giant Hyatt is transitioning from a reliance on third-party service providers and aims to bring more development talent in-house. "We're looking to hire people who embrace agility and speed to move ideas to prototype and production quickly," says Alex Zoghlin, Hyatt's global head of technology.
2. Help desk/technical support

• 37% of respondents said that they plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months.
• Last year's ranking: No. 3

Help desk/tech support remained near the top of the list, moving up from No. 3 last year. Melland says that's an encouraging sign for the economy and the overall hiring outlook. "Organizations mainly add help desk and tech support when they're adding workers and expanding their technology infrastructure," he says. Also contributing to demand for support technicians is the fact that many companies are bringing the help desk back in-house after outsourcing that function; that's partly a response to the proliferation of mobile devices and company-provided Web services. Because of the complexity of such setups, "it's important for support staff to really understand what the company is doing, which argues for having this function closer to home," Melland says.

After several years of running a lean support function, Wolverine Advanced Materials in Dearborn, Mich., plans to hire a few help desk staffers in response to business growth and a decision to provide ITIL-based service management, says James Bland, network manager at the automotive materials supplier. "There is growth in the company, so we're more confident in hiring," he says.
3. Networking

• 31% of respondents said that they plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months.
• Last year's ranking: No. 8

Demand for networking skills jumped to No. 3 from eighth place last year. This correlates with the results of a recent survey by IT hiring firm Robert Half Technology, in which 55% of the respondents named network administration as the skill set most in demand, along with database management.
If you expect your IT employee head count to increase, for which types of skills will you be hiring in the next 12 months?
Programming/application development 49%
Help desk/technical support 37%
Networking 31%
Mobile applications and device management 27%
Project management 25%
Database administration 24%
Security 21%
Business intelligence/analytics 18%
Source: Computerworld Forecast survey; base: 221 IT executive respondents; June 2013

The need for wireless connectivity is probably behind the interest in networking professionals, Melland says. "Demand for people with wireless networking experience is up 9% year over year," he says, and the unemployment rate for network and systems administrators is 1.1%.

Charles Whitby, lead network analyst at the Medical Center of Central Georgia, says growing use of wireless medical devices is definitely fueling his workload. In addition to the increased network traffic they produce, those devices require a lot of troubleshooting -- as is the case when, for example, their firmware needs upgrading but it hasn't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, he says.

Meanwhile, at Wolverine, Bland is looking to offload some networking responsibilities so he can concentrate on more strategic issues.

 
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