PSPINC Official Company Blog

What is Smart Technology?

Oct

4

The most commonly used term when it comes to smart technology is smartphones. But in recent years, smart technology has only gotten more popular. Now, many people own some kind of smart device, whether it’s just a smartphone or a voice assistant device like an Amazon Echo or a Google Home. In fact, the global smart home platforms market reached $20.5 billion in 2021, and it’s only expected to continue rising, according to Future Market Insights.

But what exactly is smart technology? According to Netlingo, smart technology originally stood for “Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology”. But in recent years, it’s widely associated with inanimate objects talking back to users and guiding their behaviors. Currently, there are three types of smart technology:

1. Smart Devices

a woman's finger pushing down on the toaster s there's two slices of bread inside

Smart devices are programmed for a specific use and can provide a level of automation. Examples include microwaves, coffee makers, and toasters. But more of these devices are connecting to a network, which only makes it hard to distinguish smart devices from smart connected devices.

2. Smart Connected Devices

someone looking at the smartwatch on their wrist

Smart connected devices are like smart devices except they’re connected (hence the name) to a network. Users can then control and monitor them via Bluetooth, LTE, Wi-Fi, and/or cellular connectivity. Examples include smartphones, smart doorbells, and smartwatches.

3. IoT Devices

a person holding up their phone next to the lock on the door, which signifies it's a smart lock

Lastly, IoT devices are software-defined products that are a combination of product, application, analytics, and the internet/network. Examples include smart locks, AI, security cameras, and irrigation sprinklers.

Regardless of the type, many consumers appreciate the sustainability aspect of smart technology. There’s also the added convenience people gain as users can tap a button or use voice command to turn off the lights and automate processes like grocery deliveries. Using all of these processes, smart devices can even analyze your habits, make them more efficient, and reduce overall costs for things like heating. So, because of all the benefits it provides, it’s no surprise that so many consumers have bought into the smart technology trend.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#ai #blog #bluetooth #business #convenience #efficiency #internet #iot #lte #mobile #network #smallbusiness #smartdevices #smartdoorbell #smartlocks #smartphone #smarttechnology #smartwatch #sustainability #tech #technology #trend #web #wifi

What is Apple’s New eSIM?

Sep

20

Last week, Apple released its newest iPhone model, iPhone 14. Among the new features listed was the eSIM, a digital SIM that eliminates the need for a physical SIM card. SIM cards are small data cards that tell phone service carriers more about who's using the phone and, SIM stands for subscriber identity module.

However, an eSIM isn’t a new concept. When Apple released the iPhone X, it supported what Apple calls Dual SIM, allowing users to use a physical SIM card and/or an eSIM. And every model following it supported it as well. With the iPhone 14, Apple eliminated the SIM tray, forcing customers to use an eSIM.

The Benefits of an eSIM

iPhone on a black table with a nano sim card and insert on the side

For starters, eSIMs eliminate the pesky task of inserting the nano SIM card. It became enough of a chore that Apple started adding the metal ejector tool with their iPhone products in 2010 after teaming up with Liquidmetal. Additionally, eSIMs allow users to install multiple phone lines. According to Apple, you can store at least eight eSIMS on one device, two of which can be active at any time. And it can all be done under one mobile data network.

As far as security is concerned, eSIMs need to be registered with a phone plan. With that being said, it makes it easier for law enforcement to trace phones back to their owners. Port out scams, where thieves steal SIM cards and swap them to gain access to all the data on a victim’s phone, also become infinitely harder. It’s still a possibility, but thieves will have to steal the entire phone to get to a person’s data on an eSIM.

The Fallbacks

Charming woman talking on smartphone in airport<br />

While an eSIM sounds great, there are also some disadvantages. Because users have to register with a phone plan, there’s no way to remain anonymous. Therefore, it’d be impossible to use an eSIM-only phone as a burner. For travelers, eSIMs may also pose a significant obstacle. Unless their phone plan supports unlimited international texting, calling, and data capabilities, they’ll have to pay more for disposable phones, if they’re available, or pay more for roaming fees.

How to Activate an eSIM

According to Apple’s website, iPhone 14 users will be prompted to activate their eSIM when setting up their new device. For those with older models (iPhone X and up) that want to activate their eSIM, users will need to have iOS 14.5 or later, as well as a wireless carrier that supports eSIM. Then, Apple gives instructions on activating the eSIM manually or using eSIM Carrier Activation, eSIM Quick Transfer, a QR code, or a carrier app.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

The term "QR Code" is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.

#apple #appleevent #benefits #blog #business #carriers #cons #dualsim #esim #fallbacks #ios #iphone #iphone14 #iphones #iphonex #liquidmetal #mobile #phone #phonecarriers #pros #scams #security #sim #simcard #tech #technology #update

Announcement: DENREI’s 5th App Release Out Now!

Sep

6

We’re excited to announce that we’ve updated our mobile app for our secure online community platform, DENREI! For users in both the U.S. and Japan, the app's available for download in the App Store. If you already have the app, please update the latest version from the app store.

In this fifth app release, we’ve made the following updates:

Added a push notification to inform members about new followers and follow requests. If a user has the "Require approval for members to follow your emails" setting on, a follow request push notification will appear. This allows users to be aware of new followers without having to open the application.

Made various UI improvements and bug fixes.

To learn more about DENREI's amazing features, head over to our blog announcement blog post. To sign up, download the free DENREI app today! Only available for iOS users.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#app #apple #appstore #appupdate #blog #business #community #communitybuilding #denrei #ios #iphone #mac #mobile #pspinc #smallbusiness #tech #technology #update #web #webtools

What is Experiential Marketing?

Sep

6

Experiential marketing is, in essence, marketing your product, service, or brand through an experience. In today’s digital age, many consumers hate ads. They disrupt their overall experience and keep them from the content they wanted to see. There’s a reason why ad blockers have gained so much popularity in recent years. Experiential marketing counteracts that by promoting your brand in a non-intrusive way. The perfect example is Coca-Cola’s Happiness Machine campaign from 2010. The overarching idea behind it was that happiness is contagious. And they proved their point when people shared their various items with people from the otherwise ordinary Coca-Cola vending machine.

Framing your brand’s marketing strategy with an experience is a completely different approach from traditional advertising. Many marketing tactics aim to get the most amount of viewership. But experiential marketing focuses more on customer engagement. To do that, brands need to focus on evoking an emotional response from people and using technology to make that experience memorable. The best way to do that is by telling a captivating story while incorporating relevant brand elements. And around that story, the visual details need to reflect the brand’s overall vision and deliver a stimulating customer experience.

Benefits of Experiential Marketing

two coca cola vending machines placed next to each other

For businesses, experiential marketing differentiates them from their competitors. And for truly great experiences, customers will not only remember your brand, they’ll perceive your brand in a positive light. And customers feel special about experiencing something unique that many people haven’t experienced before. If they enjoy the event, they’ll recommend your brand to others, essentially creating brand advocates. And even with all the different marketing avenues out there today, word-of-mouth is still one of the most effective marketing tactics. Additionally, the customer engagement that experiential marketing provides leads to increased return on investment (ROI), customers, and sales.

With so many distractions out there today, experiential marketing breaks the traditional marketing mold of disrupting customers’ experience. Instead, it elicits an emotional response through engaging visual storytelling. And while traditional methods strive for increased reach and awareness, experiential marketing aims to grow engagement and maintain interest memorably. In the end, customers are happier throughout the entire customer journey, and it results in higher retention rates. For small businesses looking for more long-term marketing success, experiential marketing is worth a try.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#advertising #blog #brand #brandadvocates #branding #brandperception #business #businesstips #cocacola #customerengagement #digitalmarketing #engagement #experience #experientialmarketing #marketing #marketingdigital #smallbusiness #tech #technology

Dreamersi UI Update

Aug

31

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve now updated the user interface (UI) user panel for the non-admin users of our web hosting service, Dreamersi.

screenshot of the new user panel in dreamersi that shows the offers and services section and the online tools section

In this update, we've:

Organized and updated the "Offers and Services" section

Added "Web Design"

Added "Custom Development"

Dreamersi is our premiere hosting service that we’ve designed in-house that is perfect for your web and email hosting needs. If you need help setting up your site with our hosting services, we have an incredible support team who'd be happy to help. To contact our support team, you can call us at 800-232-3989 or email us at support@pspinc.com.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#blog #business #businesstips #businesstools #customerservice #dreamersi #email #emailhosting #hosting #pspinc #smallbusiness #softwaredevelopment #tech #technology #update #web #webdesign #webdevelopment #webhosting #website #websites #webtools

What is Machine Learning?

Aug

30

People commonly use the terms machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) interchangeably. But they aren’t technically the same. Machine learning (ML) is just a subset of AI that refers to computers learning and adapting to new data without humans assisting them. Over the last ten years, ML has become one of the most critical parts of how AI works. And it’s only become more popular as Deloitte predicts the cloud ML market will reach $13 billion by 2025

Simply put, ML uses gathered and prepared data, be it numbers, photos, or text, and finds patterns and/or makes predictions. The more data human programmers provide, the better the program will be. After programmers supply the data, they then choose which ML model they want to use, and the computer trains itself. Then, programmers can also encourage more accurate results by altering the model and changing its parameters if needed.

There are three types of ML:

1. Supervised ML

Supervised ML uses past data to make predictions. As the most common type of ML, it uses labeled data sets and will become more accurate as the model learns over time. A widely used example is an email spam filter. It uses algorithms to predict which emails are spam and which aren’t after looking at data like past received emails. Email services that use ML for their spam filters include Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook.

2. Unsupervised ML

Unsupervised ML finds hidden patterns in unlabeled data. An example of this would be Facebook’s facial recognition. When users post a new image, Facebook will predict who’s in this photo by looking at their friends’ profile pages, available images, and other available data. Then, users can tag those people in the image, if they want to.

3. Reinforcement ML

a man watching a youtube video on a tablet

Reinforcement ML goes through trial and error to make the best decision by training machines. This type of ML is generally used to increase overall efficiency. An example of reinforcement ML in practice is the recommendations a user gets after finishing a video on YouTube. Just like other ML types, the more data it receives, the more accurate it is. If users click on the recommended video but don’t finish it until the end, the machine understands that it wasn’t a great match.

While the benefits vary across industries, businesses can gain an overall increase in efficiency when investing in ML. And many ML tools are relatively inexpensive as well as easy to use. For businesses, both big and small, investing in ML can help save valuable time and money. So, it’s no wonder why so many businesses are already taking advantage of everything ML has to offer.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#ai #artificialintelligence #benefits #business #businessideas #businesstips #data #email #facebook #labeleddata #machinelearning #ml #programming #smallbusiness #spam #spamfilters #tech #technology #unlabeleddata #youtube #youtuberecommendations

3 Ways Businesses Can Protect Themselves Online

Aug

23

Cybercrime has only increased over the past few years. And the average cost of cybersecurity for businesses has also climbed. Cybersecurity, according to IBM, is the practice of protecting critical systems and sensitive information from digital attacks. For businesses, it’s important to have a sound strategy in place to keep your company and employees safe.

The pandemic has intensified our reliance on technology, making it easy for hackers to gain access to sensitive information like client and customer information. So, it only makes it that much more important for businesses to protect themselves. And that goes for all businesses, regardless of size or type. With the added challenge of new technology, businesses must adapt to keep themselves safe. Here are three ways you can keep your business safe online:

1. Keep Your Software Up to Date

The simplest way for businesses, as well as individuals, to protect themselves online is by updating their software regularly. Not updating leaves users vulnerable to attacks and compromises their account information. Even though it’s easy, many people still choose not to do it. While devices already have built-in security features, it’s not enough. Cybercrime is constantly evolving and the only way for devices to keep up with them is through updates.

2. Use a Password Manager

woman wearing a hijab on a laptop with a phone on the desk nxt to her

To keep your account information safe, use a password manager. Many on the market have free accounts available, including ours. Pass Wizard makes it easy to not only store passwords securely but also to generate strong and unique passwords. Plus, managers can use Pass Wizard Pro to better manage shared passwords among employees securely.

3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication (2FA) confirms your identity through two different methods and keeps your accounts secure. It’s especially helpful when password managers give the option of 2FA, which is why Pass Wizard does. While there are many forms of 2FA, the most common are by email, mobile device, or both.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#2fa #blog #business #businesstips #businesstools #cloudcomputing #cloudservices #cyber #cyberattacks #cybersecurity #data #databreaches #hacking #passwizard #security #smallbusiness #softwaredevelopment #tech #technology #web #webdevelopment #webtools

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 129 “Good Marketing Takes Time”

Aug

18

Business-to-business (B2B) marketing can be a hard task sometimes because it regularly takes time for results to occur. In fact, it takes longer than it would in a traditional business-to-customer (B2C) marketing campaign. But the key to any marketing effort is being patient. Marketing, in essence, is all about experimenting and figuring out what works for your business. While there are many industry-proven tactics and strategies, what works for one company won’t necessarily work for another.

For business owners, that can be a frustrating process. It’s tempting to give up altogether because it’s hard waiting to see if your efforts will be worth it in the end. But it’s essential. To truly find success, marketers need to find the right balance between all marketing facets like your audience, channel, timing, promotional offer, and more. In trying times, look at what’s working and what isn’t. It’ll help you figure out where to pivot your strategy and how to proceed. So, no matter how difficult it can be, just remember to be patient. You’ll figure it out, eventually.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#b2b #b2c #blog #business #businesstips #businesstools #digitalmarketing #maretingtips #marketing #marketingdigital #newsletter #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #smallbusiness #technology

The Difference Between Sales and Marketing

Aug

16

Sales and marketing are commonly used interchangeably in business, but they don’t mean the same thing. Sales and marketing work in tandem to increase revenue. When both strike a perfect balance, businesses benefit in the long run. So, it’s an understatement to say that those in sales and marketing can learn from each other.

Although they are different, it’s not surprising that many people think they’re the same. Mostly because they have the same end goal, and that is to generate revenue. What makes them different is how they go about it and what parts of the customer journey they affect.

Marketing Professionals and Salespeople

In short, marketing is how potential customers become aware of the company and what it’s selling. Those efforts, when done effectively, encourages customers to engage with the company to purchase or at least show interest in the product. Sales, however, pushes them across the finish line. Neither can work without the other.

Marketing efforts target much larger groups of people who may be or become interested in what the company’s trying to sell. Therefore, marketing professionals focus on long-term strategies, and they aim to meet customers’ demands. Those efforts are all done through indirect methods like advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, etc. Then, it creates a trigger that will lead customers toward sales.

Salespeople, however, are more often working directly with customers after they’ve already made contact with the company. Sales aims at understanding and meeting customers’ demands and desires. While their goals are generally more short-term, arming the company with more information about what customers are looking for only helps with future sales efforts.

Sales and Marketing Working Together

To remember the difference between marketing, think of them as the internet and email. They both use the same technologies, but one can’t exist without the other. Bringing awareness to products and driving interest through marketing efforts lead potential customers closer to the purchase stage. Sales comes in at the end to meet customers’ needs. Therefore, facilitating both to work well together will allow businesses to reach prospects no matter where they are in the customer journey.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#advertising #blog #branding #business #businesstips #customersupport #digitalmarketing #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingprofessionals #marketingtips #sales #salespeople #smallbusiness #tech #technology

How Voice Assistants Are Changing Marketing

Aug

9

Are you one of the many people who use a voice assistant like Siri, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant? Insider Intelligence predicts that 123.5 million adults will use a voice assistant at least once a month in the U.S. this year. While this technology isn’t particularly new anymore, it is still rife with opportunities from a marketing perspective that many are unaware of as well as not taking advantage of.

For example, people largely use voice assistants to get quick answers to their questions. Voice assistants, as a result, emphasize what’s called featured snippets. If you type a question into a search engine, you’ll get an immediate answer. And that’s because, at the top, there will be some bolded text that should answer your question. But that text is pulled from a specific website. That whole section is the featured snippet. And for voice assistants, that’s where they pull their answers from. And website owners, in turn, will get a bump in website traffic.

How It Affects Marketing

From a marketing standpoint, this only enforces the need for great search engine optimization (SEO) for your site. If your site is well optimized, it’s more likely it’ll pop up as the first search result, making it the most relevant to Google’s algorithm. If you’ve optimized your site well enough, it’ll show at the top when users search certain queries and you’ll receive better results. And luckily, we here at PSPINC have a lot of experience helping customers with their website SEO.

But voice assistants have more marketing potential for business as well. For example, did you know you can order a pizza from Domino’s using Amazon’s Alexa? Well, you can. And with it being an Amazon product, you can also order products off of Amazon with just your voice. The biggest benefit that voice assistants offer is convenience. And it's a convenience that’s just unmatched when compared to other platforms.

So, while voice assistants have gained popularity over the years, it still isn’t used as a marketing tool on a wide scale just yet. But those who are, reap the benefits they provide. And advertisers predict this will change in the next few years. While it doesn’t exist yet, voice assistants could integrate sponsored ads by having advertisers pay to be mentioned first when users ask a question like, “what Italian restaurants are near me?”. With Spotify already personalizing its ads based on what users listen to, it’s not too big of a stretch.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#advertising #amazon #amazonalexa #blog #business #businesstips #cortana #digitalmarketing #google #googlehome #marketing #searchengineoptimization #seo #siri #smallbusiness #tech #technology #voice #voiceassistants #web #website #websites #webtools

PSPINC Official Company Blog

freespace

What is Smart Technology?

1. Smart Devices

2. Smart Connected Devices

3. IoT Devices

What is Apple’s New eSIM?

The Benefits of an eSIM

The Fallbacks

How to Activate an eSIM

Announcement: DENREI’s 5th App Release Out Now!

What is Experiential Marketing?

Benefits of Experiential Marketing

Dreamersi UI Update

What is Machine Learning?

1. Supervised ML

2. Unsupervised ML

3. Reinforcement ML

3 Ways Businesses Can Protect Themselves Online

1. Keep Your Software Up to Date

2. Use a Password Manager

3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 129 “Good Marketing Takes Time”

The Difference Between Sales and Marketing

Marketing Professionals and Salespeople

Sales and Marketing Working Together

How Voice Assistants Are Changing Marketing

How It Affects Marketing

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1. Smart Devices

2. Smart Connected Devices

3. IoT Devices

People Who Wowed This Post

The Benefits of an eSIM

The Fallbacks

How to Activate an eSIM

People Who Wowed This Post

People Who Wowed This Post

Benefits of Experiential Marketing

People Who Wowed This Post

People Who Wowed This Post

1. Supervised ML

2. Unsupervised ML

3. Reinforcement ML

People Who Wowed This Post

1. Keep Your Software Up to Date

2. Use a Password Manager

3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

People Who Wowed This Post

People Who Wowed This Post

Marketing Professionals and Salespeople

Sales and Marketing Working Together

People Who Wowed This Post

How It Affects Marketing

People Who Wowed This Post

introduction

bloguru friends

calendar

latest comments

hashtags

history