Speedgeeking! 5 Demos To Keep Your Career Heading UP @ Interconnect

Yes, I am a self proclaimed Girl Geek.  In fact, Geek Girls are very chic!

So for my top 5 Picks at IBM's Interconnect Conference in Las Vegas on Feb 22-26 -- here you will find my top choices!  And Yes, I want to go to all of them!  How about you!?

You can register here:   http://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing/us/en/interconnect/devat/

Top 5 Speedgeeking Demos

  • Startup in 15 Minutes Using Bluemix -- Disrupt or be disrupted is the mantra of IT today. Watch this demonstration where we take an idea and turn it in to a prototype for a real business and take it to a pilot stage. We will use a variety of services on Bluemix including Cloudant, dashDB, Twillio, Analytics for Hadoop and Node-Red.
  • Real-time Sentiment Analysis of Twitter during Brazil World Cup soccer games - FAMA was implemented for real-time sentiment analysis of streaming Twitter data during all matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This engine included the sentiment about each player, the coach and the teams. We have implemented a Machine Learning-based classifier to identify the polarity of each tweet during the games in real-time using IBM InfoSphere Streams over Softlayer cloud infrastructure. The system provided a report of the most frequent topics, terms and their co-occurrences and the corresponding volume of messages classified with positive, negative or neutral polarity. These results were made available to a major nation-wide television network mobile app and at a ESPN hotsite.
  • From Nothing to a Running App in the Cloud with IBM Bluemix DevOps Services - You want to develop something quickly but you don't have days or weeks to set up an environments? No worries, Bluemix DevOps Services is here to help you be more productive. Come to this hands-on demo to see how to create a new app (Node.js), manage source code (Git),  or configure automated builds and deployments (continuous delivery) in the cloud.  The demo will also introduce DevOps Services capabilities to manage agile product development (Product Backlog, Sprint planning).   When cloud computing is so easy with Bluemix DevOps Services, you can focus on what really matters: Develop your next brilliant idea.
  • Building a Living Heart - (Just in time for Valentine's Day!!)  - Dassault Systemes, an IBM Business Partner and Silver+ sponsor, is building a heart simulator by working with experts in medicine, device manufacturing, academia and regulatory agencies.  This is a short demo of the The Living Heart Project announced by the FDA and Dassault Systemes for a Living Heart collaborative research project with crowdsourcing and ability to project IP and share outcomes.
  • Let's Build a Start-up In 30 Minutes Using Bluemix and IoT - In this workshop we will show you how to quickly develop a new line of business using the IoT technology provided by Kiwi Wearables and the IBM Bluemix platform.    As telco executive is trying to target the under-served market of senior citizens. They don't carry smartphones so they sign very inexpensive contracts that barely generates any profit. The new business idea is to create a plan where they receive a smartphone with the Kiwi app pre-configured, a data plan and an automatic fall detection service.    The attendees will build the fall detection service that will be running on IBM Bluemix and will use the services provided by the platform to store and analyze data and automatically notify a caregiver of the fall.

Girls Who Code Partnering with IBM! Summertime fun in 2015!

I'm so excited to announce that IBM is sponsoring Girls Who Code, a national non-profit dedicated to empowering teenage girls with computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities! GWC collage I love it! Being a mother of two girls, I know how important it is to nurture girls to embrace STEM-type skills, like coding! And, even better, the girls love it! This Summer, IBM and Girls Who Code will host a group of 20 young women each day for 7 weeks as they learn everything from mobile app development to robotics to web design and ultimately get a chance to build the app they want to see made available. Applications are now being accepted for the 2015 Summer Immersion Program. Current 10th and 11th grade girls with a passion for tech are encouraged to apply. The program is free for participants and no prior experience is necessary.

This is sure to be a life-changing experience! We hope you will spread the word about this fabulous opportunity and encourage the 10th and 11th grade young women in your life to apply today at http://www.girlswhocode.com/applynow.

Here are some tweets you can use to help spread the word! And be sure to follow them on Twitter @GirlsWhoCode!


Get enterprise-level analytics on a startup-level budget: IBM Analytics Starter Program

You know one of the biggest obstacles as a startup is having the revenue to buy or get access to software that could enhance your solutions. It gets even tougher when your clients are clamoring for analytics solutions to address their business challenges. You've got to get the solutions they need and fast!

We have the solution!
That’s why we’ve created the IBM Analytics Starter Program for startup ISVs! It can help you break through barriers and integrate proven, enterprise-strength software in the solutions you deliver to your clients!

Start-ups don't have additional funds to invest in software. The IBM Analytics Starter Program takes away that barrier to entry! We offer software for no charge and no royalties for 18 months.

Who qualifies for the program?
If you are a member of IBM Global Entrepreneur, you’re already most of the way there! In addition, you must meet these two criteria:
•Company must integrate IBM software into their application
•Company’s application charge is less than $150,000 USD for one on-premise license

Great, where do I sign up?
To apply and learn more about the IBM Analytics Starter Program, visit our website or reach out to starter@us.ibm.com. You can also contact your assigned Global Entrepreneur Relationship Manager. The program will be offered to qualified Business Partners in the US on 20 Jan 2015 and available worldwide in mid-February.

We look forward to helping you deliver better value to your clients with the power of business analytics!

Not a member of the IBM Global Entrepreneur? Now is a great time to become a member!

Helpful links:

  • IBM Analytics Starter Program -> https://www.ibm.com/partnerworld/page/isv_com_smp_startup_analytics_starter
  • IBM Global Entrepreneur Program -> http://www.ibm.com/isv/startup

Do you have a Young Spirit? Try it on Social Networks!

I heard many people say that they are "too old" for social.   I don't buy this at all.   Social has nothing to do with age..... but a young spirit.    We all need to keep a youthful attitude instead of not changing or adapting.  This works in life as well as with Social Networks!

Social networking is not just used by the young and the restless. Which age groups are using social media?

Did you know that: 

  1. 72% of all internet users are now active on social media
  2. 18-29 year olds have an 89% usage
  3. The 30-49 bracket sits at 72%
  4. 60 percent of 50 to 60 year olds are active on social media
  5. In the 65 plus bracket, 43% are using social media

(You can see more stats at:  http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/01/17/20-social-media-facts-and-statistics-you-should-know-in-2014/#V5IbWy4JKG1D2bpu.9)

Also per Pew Research:

stats age

Some tips!

1.  Learn some tools like Facebook, Twitter, or whatever your "crowd" leverages.   Do this in person at social classes that are offered for free (our library did free classes this weekend!) or online.   You can do it!

2.  Set goals.    That means we need to chase our dreams and work toward our goals.   It could be personal like keeping in touch with friends or grandkids.   Or it could be work related.   When you wake up with something to accomplish, and you don't settle for watching the world go by, you keep that spirit young and fresh!

3.  Keep laughing!   If you ever watch a child, they laugh and have fun.  You may not get it right away but don't get down on yourself.   Keep moving -- have a laugh and collect the stories.

We know that digital natives love technology and social networks but the fastest growing group on social today are those digital immigrants.   Immigrants always take risks and drive forward!

Start today!

 


BlueMix is a Developer's Dream!

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It's not always about you!

How many brands discuss nothing but themselves in social networks?   About 62%.   Too many brands do nothing but talk about themselves.   But the millennials and Gen Z want to be part of the "sharing" culture!   They want this "relationship" to be a win - win.

Look for opportunities to comment on your clients comments and POV.   Set up ways you can have them participate.   I love what Taylor Swift does in her Social Media empire.  She fills up up Tweets with undiscovered artists singing her songs, fan collages, and wedding videos using her songs. This past Christmas she did #SwiftMas and sent out gifts to those fans out there engaging and documented their openings of the presents on video.    TD Bank did a ATM - Automated Thanking Machine - to say thank you to their clients documenting their responses.
What will you do to recognize and talk about your clients and their interests?