Tag Archives: ability

John Basso’s 2012 Technology Predictions: Prediction: Sensors Everywhere

Whenever the subject of “sensors everywhere” comes up, people usually have one of two responses:

A. George Orwell’s “1984” and omnipresent monitoring

B. Efficiency, knowledge and omnipresent monitoring

The advances we have seen recently have been pretty remarkable, and as those inventions make their way into business and consumer markets we’ll be able to do some really neat things that haven’t been possible or economical.

Like most innovations, the ability to place and monitor sensors in almost anything is really a combination of multiple innovations and changes. Specifically:

• Capable low powered devices

• Low powered networks

• IPv6

The first two are pretty obvious. Miniaturization of devices, as well as the ability to work at very low power means that we can put them almost anywhere. Also, low powered networks means that you can easily and wirelessly connect to them which makes installation and maintenance very affordable.

As a part of the networking capability, IPv6 makes it much easier to connect these devices to the internet. We explained IPv6 and its business implications in a previous post, which may be worth checking out if you have any questions about IPv6. As for its implications for sensors, IPv6 basically could give a unique web address to every atom in the galaxy. By comparison, the current system (IPv4) does not even have enough addresses for every person on the planet.

The ability to place sensors everywhere means that you can monitor and control things with more precision, and it has home, business and government implications. Using data collection software and data management applications, users can use the data to make informed and effective changes to improve performance or reduce the cost of whatever they are monitoring.

For home uses, you could easily and remotely monitor power usage, reducing your monthly utility bill. You could monitor when doors and windows are left open, the water table around your house (for basement flooding), weather and rainfall, or pretty much anything else you would want to monitor. Of course, there are hundreds of practical medical uses, including the ability to wear or implant sensors that could tell if you fall or lose consciousness and automatically call for help.

For businesses, the uses are pretty much limitless, but the short description is it gives the ability to monitor key indicators that might otherwise be more challenging to monitor. Sensors help to improve efficiency as well as improve safety and performance. We see these in manufacturing and production already, but most other industries are less capable of accurately monitoring workflows and outcomes.

For governments it will help ensure the safety and maintenance of infrastructure, including roads and bridges. It also means that traffic patterns could be more accurately determined and planned for, rather than relying on static timers and quantized car groupings.

There are some security and privacy concerns related to this which will be discussed later. However the biggest potential concern is that people will set up their own sensor networks at home and fail to secure them properly.

The Fundamentals of Managed Document Review

Finding a compatible and efficient managed document review firm can be a daunting task. Managed document review is a complex system of tracking and security, the ability to quickly and efficiently find them, track changes to documents, and give specific people or firms access to those documents. Security is a large part of managed document review, especially in controlling who can see a document and make changes to it.

The Various Kinds of Managed Document Review

As many law firms are moving to electronic documents, legal documents range in type from electronic communication to paper contracts. Different firms serve different needs, and all kinds of documents can be included in a managed document review, from simple divorce papers served to litigated case files and research.

Fees for a Managed Document Review

Different law firms have different needs, so fees associated with managed document reviews will vary. While US law firms often charge between $25 and $55 per hour, international, outsourced firms will often charge a flat fee for services, or a fee per document reviewed.

How to Choose a Managed Document Review Firm

When choosing a managed document review firm, most companies are searching for good, solid security first and foremost. As each law firm requires different specialties from their particular document management groups, there are particular things to consider when choosing the best firm for you. Security is usually critical for companies needing secure documentation, with different security requirements for a range of documentation requests.

External security often involves locked file cabinets and notarized documents outlining access for those working on the documents. External security is the lockdown of documents that should not be shared. These documents should be placed carefully, with specific, written instructions for who can view and change them.

For documents that need to be tracked and managed internally, internal security is actually much more difficult to manage. Many law firms are e-filing documents, making them susceptible to cyber attack and viruses. The ability to track changes to documents long-term, deciding who can have access to documents, and who can make changes are all challenges of internal security for a managed document review.

The ability to quickly understand where a document is, who has accessed it, and who has changed it is critical to the success of the firm. Thus, traceability of documents is another key feature of a solid document management review organization.

Document searching is also important for success with a managed document review. The ability to quickly and accurately search for a document or even a phrase in a document is essential to any cases that require large volumes of documents to be used.

A professional managed document review company can help particular law firms decide how to manage the security of their documents, how to give or deny access, how to track changes, and how to appropriately manage their security funds. With the advent of e-documents, many firms are finding success in outsourcing their managed document review firms to places like India.

The Fundamentals of Managed Document Review

Finding a compatible and efficient managed document review firm can be a daunting task. Managed document review is a complex system of tracking and security, the ability to quickly and efficiently find them, track changes to documents, and give specific people or firms access to those documents. Security is a large part of managed document review, especially in controlling who can see a document and make changes to it.

The Various Kinds of Managed Document Review

As many law firms are moving to electronic documents, legal documents range in type from electronic communication to paper contracts. Different firms serve different needs, and all kinds of documents can be included in a managed document review, from simple divorce papers served to litigated case files and research.

Fees for a Managed Document Review

Different law firms have different needs, so fees associated with managed document reviews will vary. While US law firms often charge between $25 and $55 per hour, international, outsourced firms will often charge a flat fee for services, or a fee per document reviewed.

How to Choose a Managed Document Review Firm

When choosing a managed document review firm, most companies are searching for good, solid security first and foremost. As each law firm requires different specialties from their particular document management groups, there are particular things to consider when choosing the best firm for you. Security is usually critical for companies needing secure documentation, with different security requirements for a range of documentation requests.

External security often involves locked file cabinets and notarized documents outlining access for those working on the documents. External security is the lockdown of documents that should not be shared. These documents should be placed carefully, with specific, written instructions for who can view and change them.

For documents that need to be tracked and managed internally, internal security is actually much more difficult to manage. Many law firms are e-filing documents, making them susceptible to cyber attack and viruses. The ability to track changes to documents long-term, deciding who can have access to documents, and who can make changes are all challenges of internal security for a managed document review.

The ability to quickly understand where a document is, who has accessed it, and who has changed it is critical to the success of the firm. Thus, traceability of documents is another key feature of a solid document management review organization.

Document searching is also important for success with a managed document review. The ability to quickly and accurately search for a document or even a phrase in a document is essential to any cases that require large volumes of documents to be used.

A professional managed document review company can help particular law firms decide how to manage the security of their documents, how to give or deny access, how to track changes, and how to appropriately manage their security funds. With the advent of e-documents, many firms are finding success in outsourcing their managed document review firms to places like India.