kinetik IT blog spot

In a recent TED Talk, Educational researcher Dr. Sugata Mitra shared the idea behind his "Hole in the Wall" experiments which have shown that, in the absence of supervision or formal teaching, children can teach themselves and each other.

The investigation began simply enough, by installing a computer in a wall, three feet off the ground, in a slum in India. With nothing but a computer screen and mouse to assist them, and with no prior experience, a handful of local children—whose native language was not English, the only language available for use on the PC—learned to use the computer on their own, all within a few months. Based on this initial trial, Dr. Mitra hypothesized that: 


The acquisition of basic computing skills by any set of children can be achieved through incidental learning provided the learners are given access to a suitable computing facility, with entertaining and motivating content and some minimal (human) guidance. 

Mitra’s website touts an old adage, but one which is eternally true: Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. The research and work that ensued won Mitra’s organization the first-ever $1M TED Prize at TED2013, giving them the resources to develop their dream: to build a school in the cloud. More importantly, the organization hopes to break the traditional confines of a school, by making learning more like play, employing a unique collaborative learning approach and encouraging children to explore, learn and simply enjoy themselves. 

Similarly, at Kinetik I.T., we’ve developed a system of collaboration, using creativity and fun to reach excellence in all that we do. We make great things happen, and we know how to help you when your idea’s time has come. Whether it’s custom website design, web application development, custom software development, or mobile app development you’re looking for, we can help make your dream a reality. 

To learn more about our Kinetik I.T.’s Digital Superheroes, visit www.Kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik I.T. on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

After nearly 25 years in the biz, we’ve developed a bit of a reputation—for excellence, a great company culture, for volunteer work and charitable giving. And now, we’re looking to expand our tribe! 

On September 24, we’re hosting a job fair in conjunction with Dice.com. By partnering with Dice—the leading career site for technology and engineering professionals—we’re connecting with you, the talented I.T. pro, on your own turf. 

Why work with us? So many reasons. We offer great perks:

•  Personal days 
•  Fifty percent-paid health- and dental-insurance premiums (employee, dependents)
•  Section 125 plan (for pre-tax contributions to medical insurance premiums)
•  401K
•  Profit sharing
•  Direct deposit

Our purpose statement, "Evolve with Passion," describes not only what we do, it encapsulates our attitude about the work we do, the clients we serve, and the custom-designed products and outcomes that result. Love to give back? So do we—our team strives to evolve to be their personal best through volunteer work and charity giving.

We’re looking for the pros who go above and beyond. Our president, Josette von Stiphout, sums it up this way: “It's not just coming to work because there’s work to do. We’re a team of amazing people, driven by creativity and fun to strive for excellence in all that we do. If we foster an environment that's passionate, that will be the differentiating factor for our clients.”

For the I.T. pro who is passionate about sales, web design, or programming; has experience in the full software development life cycle; and who isn’t timid about showing initiative, getting the job done, Kinetik I.T. will feel like home. 

Open positions include:

• Web Designers,
• .NET Developers,
• Software Developers
• Project Management
• QA Tester/.Net Developer
• Customer Service/Account Rep
• IT Support 
• Junior Systems Engineer

Visit our Job Fair page for all the details. 

Think you’ve got what it takes? Don't waste another minute—we want to hear from you! All digital superheroes can submit a resume to hrmail@kinetik-it.com, or contact by phone at 602-957-0058.

The recently-released book by Canadian journalist and editor Michael Harris, The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We've Lost in a World of Constant Connection, goes in-depth about a topic many of us think about on a regular basis: our predilection for staying connected. Whether by social media, email, various apps, or texting, our days are filled—from the moment we wake up until we sleep—with information and communication.

In the book Harris writes, "Every revolution in communication technology -- from papyrus to the printing press to Twitter -- is as much an opportunity to be drawn away from something as it is to be drawn toward something. And yet, as we embrace a technology's gifts, we usually fail to consider what we're giving up in the process. Why would we bother to register the end of solitude, of ignorance, of lack? Why would we care that an absence had disappeared?" And, while the questions are valid ones, how much of the information we gather from our connectedness is valuable, or even useful?

Toward the end of the book, Harris takes a month-long media sabbatical. He doesn’t have any great epiphany, nor does he lament the current state of affairs. Rather, he simply names the thing that’s happening, and puts his own spin on it by calling attention to the generation that understands the Before and After Internet (a birth year of 1985 being the cutoff), and discussing their unique characteristics.

While there may be things we’ve lost in our world of constant connection, there’s also much to be gained. In the end, technology is simply a tool to be utilized to the best of our ability, but how we use it can make all the difference. By spreading information and raising awareness, our connectedness can change the world, or many lives—or even just one life.

At Kinetik I.T. we understand the importance of this “connectedness”.  Most of our clients rely on it to not only do business with their customers, but also to improve the quality of services they provide.  We know the information data era we live in will only grow larger as people become more dependent on the tools used to interact with each other.  Finding the value and usefulness in this technology to positively enhance the world we live in is the only way we want to do business. We strive to do inspiring work for the companies and individuals who entrust their own inspiring work to us.  

To learn more about web hosting, and a wide array of other services and products, visit www.Kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik I.T. on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

As reported on NYT.com earlier this month, “when deciding whether Google should spend millions or even billions of dollars in acquiring a new company, its chief executive, Larry Page, asks whether the acquisition passes the toothbrush test: Is it something you will use once or twice a day, and does it make your life better?”

The author continues to say, “The esoteric criterion shuns traditional measures of valuing a company like earnings, discounted cash flow or even sales. Instead, Mr. Page is looking for usefulness above profitability, and long-term potential over near-term financial gain.”

While most businesses aren’t making decisions on the same scale as Google, the toothbrush test is an important way to gauge making improvements to your company’s own operation—whether it’s adding services to offer clients, or making changes in your I.T. space. It also translates to how you make improvements to your website.

In today’s economy, the website is often the first point of contact for your customer. In the name of cost-effectiveness, many organizations have begun to lease their website, utilizing a proprietary Content Management System (CMS). It may seem a good idea in the moment because the initial cost may be less and the site management is left to someone else.  If the company then doesn't like the hosting, or they want to go somewhere else, they can't take the website with them.

When using a proprietary CMS, the website is developed at a competitive price but the website will not run unless it can reference that specific CMS. Additionally, most proprietary CMS systems will have limitations to design and features that could prevent an online business from growing. Should a company want to move to another vendor, or make changes to the website, but prefer to have someone else do it, their hands are tied—it cannot be done unless the site is completely reinvented, creating more expense.

In the long run, leasing your website doesn’t pass the toothbrush test. Yes, it’s a useful, short-term decision; however, on the flip side, it doesn’t improve a company’s bottom line, instead it creates dependence on an outside vendor that will eventually get in the way of business growth.

Be sure to weigh all the options when considering upgrades to your website. To learn more about web hosting, and a wide array of other services and products, visit www.kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik I.T. on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.