Technology news

Editor’s note: Technology is playing an increasing role in the day-to-day business of sales reps. In this department, Repertoire will profile the latest developments in software and gadgets that reps can use for work and play.

The Future of Work and Digital Transformation

More than one year after the global remote work revolution, the shift to work from home (WFH) and work from anywhere (WFA) is already resulting in profound effects on businesses’ digital transformation as well as data security concerns, according to Lenovo, which released the results of its Future of Work and Digital Transformation study in the spring.

According to the study, a vast majority of businesses (83%) expect to work remote at least half the time, whereas 60% of employees not only agree but are happy to do so. These new findings are part of a global survey of more than 8,000 employees and IT decisionmakers (ITDMs) across 14 markets from companies of all sizes on the impact of remote work, including job satisfaction, technology challenges and solutions conducted in early 2021.

Among the key insights is that workers have hit their stride navigating their new WFH lives. Most employees (83%) want a hybrid work model post-COVID, which businesses say are more than happy to accommodate because they know it’s a way to drive employee engagement and attract new talent. Enabling remote work has meant a change in digital adoption, with an increased usage of personal devices for work; wider adoption of collaboration cloud and software; and a heightened focus on data security among IT functions across businesses of all sizes. The study also shows that trusted technology providers will need to play a key role in developing future digital strategies, while Device-as-a-Service

(DaaS) is gaining traction among larger businesses to make it easier to provide employees with up-to-date technology devices and as a way to free up precious resources for more strategic priorities.

“With businesses and their employees both optimistic about a future in hybrid work and remote collaboration, today’s IT departments are faced with the rising resource costs of data security and compliance,” said Gianfranco Lanci, president and COO, Lenovo. “More than ever, businesses need reliable technology partners to fully manage their hardware, software and services to maximize value and boost security.”

Other findings of the study: ʯ Contrary to initial concerns that remote work would lead to a rise in employee burnout within the first year of the pandemic, the Lenovo study showed that most workers have adapted remarkably well to WFH and WFA – 70% say that the flexibility leaves them more satisfied with their job overall. About 60% of surveyed employees now prefer remote work at least half the time, while over onethird want to WFH/WFA most or all of the time.

ʯ With 90% of workers surveyed still wanting the option to go into the office to connect with colleagues and 56% saying they are more productive at home, it’s clear that the role of the office will be changing. “The office is no longer the place where work gets done; it’s evolving into a place where one can connect and collaborate while leaving deep work for focused time at home.”

ʯ Remote work has also led to a new suite of digital hardware, software and services solutions. One’s collection of devices and technology for work has become increasingly personal and collaborative. “Employees are increasingly leaning into the use of their personal devices such as laptops, smartphones and tablets for work, with 79% of employee respondents saying they’re now using their smartphones for work-related tasks such as voice and video calls, email and work chat.”

Dell reports record second quarter

Dell Technologies recorded its best second quarter in the company’s history. Strong demand in the personal computer market was one of the reasons Dell saw record second quarter revenue of $26.1 billion, up 15%. Its Client Solutions Group revenue for the second quarter was up 27% to a record $14.3 billion. Operating income was a second quarter record $995 million, up 39%, and 7% of Client Solutions Group revenue, as the company innovates across the ecosystem to deliver an enhanced experience for customers looking to work and play effectively from anywhere.

“Employees are increasingly leaning into the use of their personal devices such as laptops, smartphones and tablets for work, with 79% of employee respondents saying they’re now using their smartphones for work-related tasks such as voice and video calls, email and work chat.”

Best bets for Chromebooks

If all you’re really looking for in a personal computer is to surf the web and don’t need heavy lifting software, Chromebooks may be your best bet. Fortunately, there are plenty of options of affordable Chromebooks that can get the job done. CNET recently highlighted their top picks in several categories, including: ʯ Best small Chromebook under $300: Lenovo Chromebook Duet. “A great pick if you’re looking for an affordable Chromebook for pure mobility or as a secondary device that can be used in tablet mode.”

ʯ Best Chromebook under $500: HP Chromebook x360 14c. “The Core i3 processor and 8GB of memory keep this HP Chromebook running smoothly even with a couple dozen tabs open and streaming video in the background.”

ʯ Best Chromebook 2-in-1 for multitaskers:

Acer Chromebook Spin 713. “It gives you more vertical room to work in, but it still has the width of a typical 13.3-inch laptop with a 16:9 ratio.”

To read the full list, visit www.cnet.com/tech/ computing/best-chromebook.

Game Day

Bonitatibus family feuds for the camera

They’re loud. They’re competitive.

They’re close. Each one has a giant personality, and no one is afraid to show it.

They are the Bonitatibus family (pronounced bunny-totty-bus) of New York, and at press time, they were awaiting airing of the Family Feud TV show that they taped in May. Two of the Bonitatibus brothers who appeared on the show – Rocky and Nick – are account managers for CME Corp.

The patriarch of the family is Rocco, who, with his brother, Jerry, started Fradeli’s Restaurant in Yonkers, New York, more than 37 years ago. The matriarch is Lori. Originally from Philadelphia, she met Rocco in Wildwood, New Jersey. Today she works for a reinsurance company.

“She is where our competitiveness comes from,” says Rocky, who covers northern New Jersey, Westchester County/Bronx New York, and a small part of Connecticut for CME.

“Our mom is the most outgoing of all of us,” adds Nick, who covers New Hampshire and parts of Massachusetts for CME. “She has the most energy. My dad can get there, but he needs to settle in a little bit first, see what’s going on. He’s feeling the waters, but once he sees we’re all into it, he’s there.”

Growing up in a household in Yorktown, New York, with four brothers provided excellent training for the TV competition. (The other two brothers are Joey, who appeared on the TV show, and Michael, who had to miss it due to another engagement.) Like their father before them, all four boys played lacrosse growing up, and three went on to play lacrosse in college.

“Just growing up with four boys, we were always competing, sometimes to the point of tears,” recalls Rocky. Turkey Bowl football games on Thanksgiving are a tradition.

“’Competitive’ basically sums it up,” says Nick. The three older boys are about a year apart in age, with Nick following about four years after Joey, the next youngest. As the youngest, “you get picked on,” he says. “So you gotta get good at whatever is going on.”

Family Feud

For years the Bonitatibus family has enjoyed watching Family Feud on TV. The show, which is emceed by TV personality Steve Harvey, features two families competing to name the most popular answers to survey questions.

Two years ago, Lori learned that auditions were being held for the show in Stamford, Connecticut. Unbeknownst to the others, she signed up the family. In September,

they auditioned along with hundreds of other families.

“It’s all about being as loud as possible, cheering your family on, and being over the top enthusiastic and excited,” says Nick. “But you also have to be good at the game! We are an extremely competitive family. We do not like to lose, and we wanted to make sure we did everything it takes to get on the show. We were able to stand out among the thousands of families who auditioned.”

Says Rocky, “We made it past the first stage of auditions and were told to go to a separate room where we were individually interviewed. We did everything we could in that interview to get them to love our family and put us on the show. I also feel like the fact that we had all boys and my mom being the only girl made for a great dynamic. taping in August of that year, Rocco Sr. got COVID.

“He was hospitalized for three weeks,” says Rocky. “Thankfully he made a full recovery, but we thought our FF dream was over. A few months later my mom got an email saying that they loved our family so much, they still wanted us to come on the show. They rescheduled us for May 2021.”

Bright lights

The best way to practice is to watch the show, says Nick. “I used to watch an episode almost every day leading up to our taping. We also got a board game and would play as a family when we were all together.

“What surprised me was how many moving parts and how much goes into the taping process,” he continues. “We were at the studio from 8 am to 8 pm, and they only filmed four

“We stood out by just being ourselves. We were very loud and obnoxious. We made fun of each other during interviews and cracked jokes, which made the producers laugh a ton.”

Two months after the audition, the Bonitatibuses got word that they would appear on the show. But because of COVID-19, the producers postponed filming in the spring of 2020. Then, shortly before the family was scheduled to do the episodes during that time span. What also surprised me was how down to earth Steve Harvey is. When sitting in the audience waiting your turn to go, it almost feels like you are at a comedy show. It was about 80% Steve Harvey comedy show, 20% Family Feud. At times you would forget you were filming a show.

“It is nerve racking when the bright lights are on you and the camera starts recording,” he says. “Luckily, we got to see other families play prior to us, and there’s a practice round without Steve Harvey when you arrive at the studio to get the jitters out and show you how it feels to be on the stage with all the cameras. That being said, once it was our turn to film, I was ready to rock and not even the slightest bit nervous.

“The most fun was interacting with Steve Harvey and creating a memory that will last forever with my family.”

Says Rocky, “I was most surprised with how much different the game is when you are under the lights. Anyone can play sitting on their couch, but can you perform when the camera is on, and Steve is standing right in front of you?

“The first couple of questions are hard, just because you need to get your nerves in check. But once we settled in, it was a breeze. Once you start playing the game, everything starts to click. It was like we were at home playing as a family.

“I just loved being around my family for an extended period. We also had a great time hearing some of the crazy answers we each came up with. Some of them will be standing jokes at family dinner for a long time.

“I learned that my family has a bond like no other, and that when we put our minds to something, we can do anything. We are resilient and will do anything it takes to win, whether that be a sport, an illness or a game show. I am super proud of my family and our performance on Family Feud, and I wouldn’t change this experience for anything in the world.”

Adds Nick, “I learned that I have an AWESOME, fun and outgoing family. I also learned we are pretty damn good at the game! All in all it was a great experience, and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world!”