As originally published by Peggy McEwan in Connection Newspapers.
For a complete look at our 2017 technology predictions, see our other Connections feature here.
As 2016 drew to a close and 2017 loomed in the future, Heinan Landa, CEO of Optimal Networks in Rockville, considered the changes in technology he thought would most affect businesses, and home computer users, in the near future.
After all, that is what Optimal Networks does, providing IT services. Landa said they offer IT consultation from basic service to complete care of networks.
“We help our clients succeed by consistently offering thoughtful recommendations, white gloved support and an unyielding zeal for solving business problems with technology,” the company’s website mission statement reads.
Landa grew up in Potomac after moving to the United States from Israel when he was two years old. He went to Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, then to Johns Hopkins University and on to an advanced degree at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
He has degrees in electrical engineering and computer science and concentrated on entrepreneurship from Wharton.
“I always wanted to have my own business,” Landa said. “My parents ran their own business and it was always the topic of conversation — it fascinated me.”
He liked the idea of setting his own course, he said.
“I was fascinated by management,” he said “And then honed in on the culture [of companies]. That is how the people within the company interact. I wanted a lot of respect and a lot of integrity.”
His idea is that if people enjoy what they are doing they will be more productive and stay with the company longer. The plan must work because, he said, Optimal Networks has a low turnover rate.
The company employs 38 people and is always looking for good people interested in technology, he said.
“We’re growing and always hiring,” he said.
As for his predictions for 2017, Landa offered five trends and predictions for 2017.
Number one is a play on words, “Microsoft Picks up the Slack.” Slack is a collaborative software allowing groups the ability of collaborate instantly and in real time. For 2017 Microsoft released Microsoft Teams, a “Slack Killer.” It too is collaborative software but offers, according to Landa, “all that Slack has to offer and more.”
Two is “Not Just Time on Our Hands,” a short description of Apple’s attempt to best the competition by upgrading the first generation Apple Watch.
“All in all,” Landa wrote, “wearables have certainly come a long way in their short lifespan. While they have been previously adored mostly by tech-savvy early adopters and fitness junkies, this could be the year that the average Joe joins the fan club with more options on the market.”
Three predicts “Virtual Desktops for Virtually Everyone.” This includes the elusive “cloud” – easy to explain, Lands said, “It’s somebody else’s server.” With this technology, users can work on any device from any location.
“There’s simply no better solution for maximizing productivity and creating a seamless user experience for employees everywhere,” Landa said.
Number four of Landa’s predictions, “What the Hack,” suggests that people and companies will “begin to take their security more seriously in the new year.”
Landa believes companies will make it a priority to educate employees on how to identify potential hacking risks.
Finally, Landa suggests “Cutting the Cord.” Wireless will be the way in 2017 and beyond.
More information on Optimal Networks, including employment opportunities and what Landa calls “a gem of a company” can be found at www.optimalnetworks.com.