New Zealand Approves Drone Deliveries

There's a major buzz encompassing some companies utilizing drones for delivery-related tasks. A few companies have begun actualizing and testing drone delivery services. Whatever the situation, more often than not this thought is looked upon as just a dream not prepared to be satisfied soon enough. It has become a reality for some cities in the world and drone delivery has been used in those cities for some time now, as delivery time is drastically reduced when compared with using drivers that often get stuck in traffic. Companies that are already using drones for delivery have their productivity to show for it since more customers can receive what they ordered for within the shortest possible time. To further look into drone delivery, let's consider some major providers of the drone delivery service today.

Drone Delivery in New Zealand

New Zealand has approved the use of drones for delivery, and the first drone delivery was over Auckland, which most people were amazed by. Although it was the coordinated efforts of two companies to make it possible, the successful delivery has given a new meaning to drone delivery in general; since it was only seen in theory in the past. Actualizing this dream is a step in the right direction because now more companies are beginning to appreciate the possibility of integrating drone delivery services to their delivery processes, which is guaranteed to reduce cost and save time.

The Amazon Prime Air

Amazon has been handling orders from millions of people from all over the world for several years now. The company has become a household name for online shopping and also in Information Technology with products such as the Amazon Web Services (AWS). The company has Prime Air, where packages are sent to online shoppers using drones. Like any other company utilizing this delivery method, Amazon has been reaping the benefits. With the approval of the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), Amazon was able to expand its delivery services using drones, which deliver packages than delivery vans.

Google X Venture Wing

Google is another company that is taking a shot at automated delivery using flying vehicles. Google has been doing this for some time now, with the first announcement in August 2014. The drones used by the Venture Wing project take off vertically and carefully rotate to a stable horizontal position for flying around in the city. The drone hovers and drops the package to the specified address.

The future of drone delivery

Delivering packages using drones is a process that is here to stay and although there are some challenges that come with it, the benefits overweigh those challenges. Using drones to deliver packages to your customers simply means you need to get approval from the authorities, depending on the country you wish to carry out drone delivery. Tall buildings and skyscrapers are often seen as obstacles to drones, considering the fact that there is a limit to how high they can fly. Generally, the process makes things easier for the delivery companies since delivery time is drastically reduced, keeping the company more effective and the customers happy.

How to Make an Interactive Voice Response System More User-Friendly

An Interactive Voice Response system (IVR) is very useful to both customers and businesses. It is the system that is used when you make a call and hear, “To reach billing, press 1; to reach accounts, press 2…”

To clients, the system is usually fast, can be accessed at any time of the day or night, and simple to follow. To the business, the system is cost-effective, effective, accurate, and solves the problem of how to sort through high volumes of calls.

However, a large number of clients still prefer interacting with live personnel as opposed to an IVR system due to the following:

• It can take a while to arrive at the right option
• They seem not to understand what the voice prompt is saying
• The solutions offered do not match with their needs

Most of the IVRs have so many prompts that can be confusing, which make impatient callers irate. Moreover, some have to repeat the verbalized menu due to poor voice quality or forgetting which number to press. To eliminate the problem, most press the ‘0’ button to talk to customer service members. Unfortunately, they are put on hold for several minutes or moved from one department to the other, as their call is not sorted by the IVR. They end up hanging up in anger after wasting several minutes. These customers later vent the anger on the social media and forums messing up the brand reputation.

Organizations can escape the problem by designing an IVR system that is able to meet the needs of all the publics including the clients, customer service agents, and the IT personnel. Here are some easy ways to achieve this.

• Know what the customers need most and design a menu that captures the needs accordingly. Get rid of menu options to problems for which they rarely seek assistance.
• Do not automate all solutions. Overstuffing your system with an IVR only makes it confusing and cumbersome. Have call center agents to deal with more complex and creative problems with your products.
• Keep the voice prompt language simple. Use a friendly tone in the voice prompt. Avoid the industry jargon as well as unfamiliar acronyms. Moreover, use concise sentences for menu items and following explanations.
• Identify the callers by name. If callers use numbers stored in the database, have the IVR address them by their names. If not, design an IVR system that can capture their names when they identify themselves.
• Go visual in IVR selection. Customers are more likely to use the IVR when they get a visual interactive menu either on the website or on their phones. It makes it easier to navigate through a complex menu. Include an option to have them called by an agent later.

7 Biggest Challenges Entrepreneurs are Bound to Face

Entrepreneurship is a wonderful option for those who are driven and dedicated, and that is why there are about 50 million new startups every year. However, it is not always a smooth ride once the business has started. Here are common challenges faced by startup entrepreneurs.

1. Fierce competition
   There are very few startups that are joining an industry without competition. Competition is getting tougher each day with companies trying to outdo each other for a bigger chunk of the market. The business owners should be aggressive and innovative in marketing their products.
   
   
2. Cash flow problems
   Every business requires a stable cash flow for survival. Unfortunately, many startup owners struggle to pay their bills and those of the business when clients delay their payments. Business should ask for a down payment and put in place a budget to help maintain a cash flow.
   
   
3. Inability to manage time
   Entrepreneurs have to wear many hats at the workplace. This takes all the time for critical tasks. This often leads to delay in service delivery and not meeting set deadlines. To eliminate the problem, entrepreneurs should set goals and follow them to the T, delegate tasks when possible, and assure every single deadline is met.
   
   
4. Choice of products to sell
   Most startups end up lost in the huge variety of the products for sale in different niches. This often leads poor sales and lack of proper goals. It is important that startup owners do a market research on possible gaps they can fill in line with their strengths and capabilities.
   
   
5. Lack of capital
   Many entrepreneurs have great ideas for the business but have little capital to start the ventures. They end up not starting at all. Entrepreneurs should seek various methods of funding in the business field and go for the less risky options wherever possible.
   
   
6. Management of the business
   Most entrepreneurs are managing an entity for the first time. Thus, they face many challenges when making decisions on various issues concerning the business. Sometimes they make grave mistakes that bring the business down. Consultancies can help in coming up with proper decisions especially in the critical areas of the business.
   
   
7. Hiring the right employees
   The employees are a business’s most important asset. They produce the goods and services and are a market touch point. Thus, having employees with the right qualities is a plus. Unfortunately, most startups do not know what skills and personal attributes are needed at the workplace when hiring. Entrepreneurs could remedy this by seeking the assistance of human resource consultancies in coming up with job descriptions and the hiring process.

5 Reasons Why its Difficult to be An Entrepreneur

Everyone in the working world thinks that entrepreneurship is the way to go. It is a great option until you consider the challenges that entrepreneurs experience in order to put their business together. Here is why it’s difficult to be an entrepreneur.

You do not get time off with yourself
Entrepreneurs do not rest. They are either in their businesses or thinking about the businesses. This is unlike the career people who are able to get some time off after leaving the office for the day. Most entrepreneur’s spouses and families decry the lack of time to spend with their partners as they are always focused on their business.

You have to do everything
Before you have set up a team to look at different functions of the business, you will be forced to do everything from writing sales copy to invoicing customers. Of course, you may not enjoy all these responsibilities but you will be forced to do them.

You will not be able to stop yourself from doing it
It feels so awesome to be an entrepreneur. The idea of running a successful entity is a powerful magnet that gets you up and running each morning. Even in the cases that the business fails, you will find yourself picking up the pieces and trying it once again. It hurts to keep going to the same pain while you cannot stop yourself.

The government does not give you peace
The government will always be on the other side of the coin. It will keep blasting you with healthcare costs and tax increases on almost a yearly basis, permits, workers’ relations regulations, state audits of our business finances, compensation claims and so much more. You will spend much of your time trying to ensure compliance or negotiating with the government who has an upper hand in the negotiations.

There is always uncertainty
The future of your business is never guaranteed. What if there is a great slump in sales in the fourth quarter and you have a loan that you are repaying? What if someone comes up with a better product? What if a client sues me for injuring himself with my product? What if the bigger competitor tries to buy me off? Insurance does not pay for such things as reputation, acts of God, or any other uncontrollable thing that can damage your market. You live with this worry as long as you are an entrepreneur.

Google Green: Leading By Example

Google claims it is the leading private purchaser of renewable energy in the world. This is not an idle boast by the tech giant. Google has committed to buy 2.5 Gigawatts of renewable energy to make it 100% green, and invest a further $2.5 billion in making green energy more accessible for US homes. That is like taking 1 million cars off the road.

This push is largest in Europe where Google has seven agreements to power up its data centers. By the end of 2018 Google is looking to add 236MW of energy to the present 500 MW. This investment has also been seen in the US, where Google has invested in a 114 MW wind power farm, and Chile where it has invested in a solar power farm.

Economic sense
Marc Oman, Google’s head of Global Infrastructure, says that the decision to go green is based on better economic sense as well as concern for the earth’s sustainability. Renewable energy does not fluctuate unlike fossil fuels. In the long term, fossil energy will be become increasingly expensive as the resources dwindle. Google reasons that investing in green energy today will help to avoid more expensive costs in the future.

Efficiency
Google has also led in efficient use of energy. Data centers are designed to use 50% less energy than conventional data centers. The firm shuttles its 4500+ employees on its own shuttle buses named “Google Fleet,” which takes 3000+ vehicles off the road.

There is a serious recycling culture at Google. They do not buy new equipment if the outdated equipment can be recycled. Whatever cannot be recycled is repurposed and put to better use in the outside world.

Global push
A 2010 study by Buck Consultants, a subsidiary of Xerox, showed that more US companies are making an effort to go green. 69% of 120 US organizations interviewed said that they had implemented one form of energy efficiency.

The biggest reasons for going green are creating community goodwill and reduced costs. 90% of these businesses realized cost savings: 68% on heating and cooling and 70% on electricity. Clearly the better returns are making businesses consider going green a good investment.

Excuses
Implementing green initiatives is still a challenge for many businesses. Reasons given include high initial costs, inadequate skills to do it, and greening not being an organizational priority.

Long-term
Experts say that businesses that invest in green energy like Google also encourage more innovation and investment in renewable energy. Green tech startups will be the biggest beneficiaries of this global greening initiative as demand for renewable energy rises.

An Update on the Status of Brexit

While the media buzz around Brexit has dialed down somewhat in recent weeks, the actual events that will lead Great Britain out of the European Union are just now beginning to take effect. Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May has made the official departure a top priority, and while she has taken some criticism for her role in the divorce between the two entities, she seems to be handling things rather well considering. However, in the wake of the Brexit decision, there have been some clear economic consequences, such as lower hiring rates, and the British Pound’s decline, even during the vote to leave. Meanwhile, according to Express (UK), the staffing required in launching the Brexit and International trade departments to make Britain’s departure occur is still in the early stages, with one department having only about 100 of the required 1,000 or more. In order for Britain to have a healthy economy following Brexit, they will need to get more serious about actually cutting ties and getting on their feet. It will not just happen overnight and without hard work.

In addition to the need to swiftly and accurately break with the European Union, Britain will have to take measures to shore up their limping economy. According to multiple Irish news agencies, the actual date of departure from the EU is not likely to be until 2019, nearly three years away. However, the repercussions of the decision to leave the EU are being felt now in the UK. So the benefits of Brexit will not actually come for another three years, meanwhile, the consequences are an issue now. In order to deal with this, the current pace of events will have to be increased, and the British government will need to make a more focused effort on completing the break, as well as mitigating the drawbacks and negative results that are being experienced in the UK right now, in advance of the rift.

While Brexit is not entirely a bad idea, and the United Kingdom does stand to gain from being separated from the European Union, I think the current state of affairs should be considered unacceptable by their government, and they should certainly do something to light a fire under the agencies who are most responsible for the proper execution of their departure from the EU. If the process drags out then it will quickly become a disaster, and there will not be much benefit from Brexit in the first place.

When all is said and done, Britain will be alright, provided they take seriously the task they have taken upon themselves. Without a sense of urgency, what could have been a great success might prove to be just as the critics feared.

Apple's Bug Bounty Program

While many tech companies have established the so-called “bug bounty” as an industry standard, it seems strange that a company like Apple, a true technology giant always years ahead of its time, was so late to the table in this regard. While many large tech companies have offered rewards to users who identified and/or offered fixes to flaws in their products for years, Apple only began to offer the bug bounties on the heels of the incident in San Bernardino, in which the FBI requested Apple create a back-door into the iPhone so that they might be able to access the iPhone of a mass shooter. The controversy over this event made major waves, with Apple refusing to comply with what they saw as a huge threat to the privacy of citizens. On the other hand, they were dealing with a unique incident involving the investigation of a terror attack, which led some to condemn Apple for refusing to assist the FBI. In any case, in the wake of this tragedy, Apple felt compelled to begin a bug bounty program, rewarding those who identified and resolved issues in Apple systems.

One of the huge advantages of the bug bounty system for the company is that it saves them the time and effort of locating bugs themselves. With the inordinate task of locating every bug in every system released, they would be entirely overwhelmed. Instead, the cost of identifying these issues is drastically reduced and, if the bugs are fixed, even more time is saved. It really seems like an easy decision for any company, despite the long time that it took Apple to get with the program. Now that they are on board with the whole bug bounty concept, I am sure they will find it very beneficial and it will help them to focus much more attention on fixes rather than finding the problems.

On the other hand, it is also good for the consumers, as they can actually play a role in solving a problem that they themselves have experienced, as well as many others. When such an act is incentivized monetarily it tends to become more popular, but this is hardly a bad thing. It will also generate more interest in learning how to fix bugs that users might experience, and make users more self-reliant and better capable of handling technological issues they might experience in other areas.

With all of the advantages a bug bounty system creates, it is hard to argue with its implementation. And while it certainly took Apple a very long time to participate in this rather common practice, the fact that they do now is a great sign, and, hopefully, it will prove to be a mutually beneficial arrangement for both Apple and Apple users.