Microsoft Great Plains In Metal Distribution Implementation Amp Customization Consultant Overview

Writen by Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains serves to the wide spectrum of horizontal markets and could be also considered as generic ERP/MRP/Accounting platform for light and advanced customization to fit verticals. In this small article we describe distribution sector with the example from metal distribution - Dealer/broker of industrial nonferrous by-product scrap, de-tins and de-oils industrial by-product scrap and finished parts. It might sound a bit complex – but we think this is typical for this horizontal market niche. The language of the article is targeted to primarily technical consultant and in-house programmer/software developer. In our opinion – ERP applications should be implemented with the leveraged help and support of internal IT people – we are entering into the epoch of technical specialists and IT departments – smile.

Industry specifics:

• Cost / Price with 5 decimals of the dollar. Well – if you sell thousands of pounds with the price per pound – then every tiny fraction of the cent makes a difference in vendor selection. In Microsoft Great Plains you have reserved 5 digits in the currency datatype to be able to track 5 decimals of the $. In case of Euro or other currency in multi currency environment – this should be applicable to your local currency: Rand, Peso, Real, Pound, Yen, Chinese Yuan.

• Settlement Report. This report is typical for distribution and logistics type of business. In case of metal distributor – this report shows either monthly transactions log or HBL (House Bill of Lading) /MBL (Master Bill of Lading). Again we should implement 5 digits fractioning of the main currency. This report is classical Great Plains Dexterity or Crystal Report – depending on the level of integration with Great Plains screens (Dexterity gives you seamless integration – Crystal requires Modifier/VBA scripting to call Crystal Reports engine)

• Historical Customer Orders. When order taker gets order by phone she/he should have instant access to customer's recent purchases and comparisons with average recent sales for the specific alloy or metal item. The customization you need is Great Plains Dexterity sales pad and instant item sales inquiry. Both should pull info from Sales Order Processing (SOP) module and have item lookup to Inventory Control (IV)

• Compliance Reporting. We recommend you to use Crystal Reports – this tool should stay for five years and plus. These reports should publish Great Plains company database data at your will and the requirements of the federal or state authority

• Customization & Modification. You should consider using these tools: Great Plains Dexterity (requires some training and experience), Crystal Reports, Visual Studio.Net web publishing, MS SQL Server stored procedures for data integration and feeding.

Good luck with localization, customization and integration and if you have issues or concerns – we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-630-961-5918 or 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Author is a Great Plains specialist in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving clients in Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, New Orleans, Toronto, Montreal and having locations in multiple states and internationally

Custom Software

Writen by Teodor Sava

For any company, software solutions represent an important factor for the business success. This is why you should be very careful when you buy software for your company. In most cases it is very hard to find a software solution that has all the features you need. This is why it is better to have your own custom software.

When you have to chose a custom software development company you should know very well what you need and what you are asking for. Most of the custom software development companies will develop your software exactly as you asked for without any project analysis. In this case the software may depend on the platform it is installed and many other factors. This is not good for the business. Custom software development needs a complete project analysis, based on the client requirements, to be used anytime, anywhere.

On the net you can find many custom software development companies but only few of them will match your criteria. And fewer will give you warranty and full technical assistance for the software developed.

Please visit Custom Software Development to find a programming team that can make the perfect custom software solution for you.

Getting Patched With Windows Service Pack

Writen by Demetria Zinga

Are you one of those people that keeps track of recalls, just in case one of your most recent purchases gets recalled? Well, some of us do, but many of us don't.

For those of us who don't keep up with recalls in general, it's just as easy to be unaware of the fact that Microsoft Windows offers us this wonderful service called a Service Pack, which is essentially a recall service for Microsoft Windows. Most people are not aware of service packs, what they're for, and how to use them. Let's talk for a minute about how service packs can help save or even lengthen the life of your PC.

First, you'll need to set up your PC to receive those service packs on a regular basis. This keeps your computer safe from hackers. Oftentimes, Microsoft discovers faulty code or loopholes in the operating system which also, unfortunately, gets detected by hackers. If your computer is not serviced and updated, you open the door for hackers to step in and take over.

They way to set up your service pack for automatic updates is to open your Control Panel, and then open System. You will then select the Automatic Updates tab. You can also choose to have your updates downloaded but not installed automatically. Be sure to check this often to make sure you still have your automatic updates for service pack selected.

Service Pack by Microsoft will speed up and automate your critical tasks, fix bugs, install updates to Microsoft applications, repair compatibility problems with third-party software and hardware, add pop-up protection and firewalls, add protection for communication tools such as Outlook and Messenger, and improve user interface features.

You literally have nothing to lose by making sure you keep your PC patched, and it only takes a moment to be sure that your automatic updates for service packs is selected. This is a great way to protect the life of your PC and relieve your mind of hackers, which, of course, preserves your own sanity! So patch away!

Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of http://www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the founder of http://www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog, and podcast for Christian women.

Small Business Manufacturing Software

Writen by Eric Morris

Small business manufacturing software is software which is of prime importance in small business production and distribution. Small business manufacturing software is an ideal solution for midsize companies, which aids in issues such as successful running of the company, turning customer data into customer information, understanding the needs of the customers, suppliers and partners. Advanced enterprise application software solutions and professional services have now been created by various software developers to solve these concerns.

Small business manufacturing software systems should ideally connect sales, support, manufacturing, distribution and finance sections with customers, suppliers and partners. This will enable better customer relations, and thereby encourage repeat sales. Small business manufacturing software includes the tools to keep production running smoothly and efficiently, including powerful inventory management tools, and job costing tools. Ideal examples of small business manufacturing software are the various shop management software which guarantee the flexibility and control businessmen need to manage their businesses on a day to day basis.

Shop management software handles the functions of creating quotes, handling and scheduling jobs, managing material, and tracking labor cost. These software packages have outstanding accounting features and cost analysis tools. Core business functions such as materials management, job management, sales management, financial management, service management and administration are focused on.

The intention of small business software developers is to provide custom software solutions to small business. They understand the needs and working of the company and provide software customized to their need. Some of the best software in this regard can instantly confirm the availability of products and the shop's ability to produce specific order delivery requests.

The best small business manufacturing software has the features of controlling the five main manufacturing processes, namely inventory control, sales and purchase orders, bill of materials, RFQs, and material requirements planning. The fast pace of the modern world lays tremendous pressure on businesses, the smooth functioning of small businesses is facilitated to a great extent by the small business manufacturing software packages.

Manufacturing Software provides detailed information on Manufacturing Software, Manufacturing Inventory Software, Manufacturing Business Software, Manufacturing Management Software and more. Manufacturing Software is affiliated with Free CAD Software.

Why Pegasus Opera Ii Is The Best Accounting Software

Writen by Carolyn Clayton

Pegasus Opera II is the best accounting software on the market. Why? Well for one it is one of the leading providers for financial management. It is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses. Obviously choosing the right type of accounting software can make a huge impact on any business. And also choosing the wrong software can have devastating effects on your business. Pegasus is the fastest selling accounting systems in the UK, within a couple of years it had reached over 20,000 users. Obviously if you purchase accounting software only to find out it doesn't offer what you need for your particular business this can be quite disastrous. You may notice a few months down the line as your business expands that the software cannot handle all the extra accounts, so it is good to be aware of the future of your business needs. Every businesses needs are different and this needs to be taken into consideration when buying accounting software. Pegasus is ideal for companies wanting to install new accounting software or for existing businesses to upgrade from an existing system. It is software that grows and adapts as you and your business do which is what makes it unique and the best on the market. Opera II enables users to select the components that match their current business model, whilst also making it possible to add further functionality as business requirements change.

Compared to other software Pegasus is more flexible, more adaptable and it can be built to match the requirements of your business exactly. With Pegasus software they are always evolving because of their active involvement in future technology and the development on modern day businesses. So with Pegasus you can be happy in the knowledge that they are always looking to better their products and they are always taking into consideration the requirements of the individual users and new legislation.

Pegasus Opera II is based on Pegasus Opera which is one of the leading modular accounting software solutions. Each module includes features that will give you the ability to use additional functionality if required, these features are, sales history, multi-currency Sales, multi-currency purchase, multi-location stock, multi-currency nominal purchase history, purchase invoice register, advanced POP, electronic payment and stock traceability. Other impressive features include eCommerce web trading, comprehensive security facilities and budgeting. It is also email and internet enabled so that statements and remittances, sales/purchase documents and also reports can be emailed to suppliers, customers or employees.

Another great feature is the Pegasus instant messenger (PIM). It is an easy to configure instant messaging facility which provides organisations on-line collaboration by allowing PIM clients to discuss and respond to business issues and forward pop-up messages, which enables organisations to increase efficiency and levels of customer service.

The software has been completely redeveloped and is totally Microsoft Windows compatible. It can be completely integrated with many other areas of your business and Microsoft based office products. With Pegasus you can be sure that it is giving you concise and accurate data so you will know exactly what's going on in your business at any time.

Carolyn is the webmaster of Synergy Technology a leading UK reseller of Pegasus Opera accounting software. This article is free to republish provided this resource box remains intact.

Free Timesheet Software

Writen by Elizabeth Morgan

The term "open source" is usually associated with software that is made available to the public free of charge by software developers. One good example of such is the Linux operating system, which is provided to the public for free, unlike some of its rivals that includes Windows OS and Mac OS. In the past, given that the software industry is mainly profit driven, most of the open source software that was made available to the public was software with simple applications like playing mp3-format songs. However, this is not the case today because people can gain access to open source or free software that in the past was only accessible to individuals and companies that had a lot of resources. One example of that is timesheet software, which is now widely available online.

There are a number of open source timesheet software programs that businesses can access online, which include Compiere, Fisterra, ERP5, and CK-ERP. The good news is that almost all of these different kinds of software provide excellent features that can help companies effectively manage their cash flow. One of these includes the customer-billing feature that allows businesses to keep track of the accounts of their customers. Another common feature among different timesheet software is that they also allow companies to have a system that could help them manage their inventory and purchase processes. This helps companies keep track of the transaction they make with their suppliers.

Another important feature that most free timesheet software has is that it can help business owners effectively manage their human resource areas, which include being able to maintain an employee database, an attendance management system, and performance evaluation systems. In addition to this, gaining access to this kinds of software is a fairly easy process, as a simple search online can provide business owners with a number of leads on where they can get them.

Nowadays, there are a number of open source of free software that people can access online for a number of applications. One of these includes timesheet software, which business owners can now download from a number of sources. The free timesheet software that is available also has the excellent features that could be found in the software that is for sale, which now makes it possible for business owners to have access to an affordable and practical way to improve their company's operations.

Timesheet Software provides detailed information on Timesheet Software, Web Based Timesheet Software, Free Timesheet Software, Excel Timesheet Software and more. Timesheet Software is affiliated with Payroll Time Clock Software.

Fix It Utilities 60

Writen by Christian W

Fix it utilities is a suite handy tools for your PC. The most recent version is Fix it Utilities 6.

Fix it utilities is great for novices because it is an All in One security package. You get anti virus, anti spyware, registry repair, and a bunch of other neat system tools all in one package. If you are willing to do a little work there are free ways to do what fix it utilities does. I'll mention more on this later.

V-com Fix it Utilities is available as a download or a boxed CD.

Fix it 6 Pro comes with several key features.

Spyware Protection software that detects and removes adware and spyware viruses. Virus Protection that detects and removes virus threats. Pc Diagnostics which allows you to test your sound card, motherboard, memory, DVD, network card and much more. Free Solution.

4 One stop solutions: Speedup and optimize your hard drive improve performance, Cleanup unnecessary files to regain space, Fixup that diagnoses and fixes system problems, and All In One which is a one stop solution to clean, optimize and fix your system. Jetdefrag optimizes your hard disks speeding up your entire computer. Free Solution. Recovery Commander is a self booting CD that can restore a computer that is having startup or boot problems. Free Solution.

Emergency Response Manual is a manual that will guide you in the event your computer wont boot or startup properly. Free solution. Smartcheck detects when your hard drive is having problems so that you can take steps to protect your valuable data before vanishes. Registry Tools speeds PC performance by defragging the registry. It also fixes broken links within the registry Clock Synchronize your PC with a reliable time source.

Windows Error Message logs all windows error messages in case you need them for troubleshooting in the future.

To download and learn more about fix it utilities click here

Windows Error Reporting

Writen by Meryl K. Evans

Bet you get the following message from time to time: "The system has recovered from a serious error" message from time to time with two buttons: "Send Error Report" and "Don't Send" regarding sending the report to Microsoft. The error message appears when an application runs into a problem it can't handle. When this happens, XP stops the app and the error report prompt appears so you can send the error report to Microsoft if you're connected to the Internet.

In the case of hardware or a driver (software managing hardware) attempts something that could cause problems, XP puts up that annoying BSOD (blue screen of death) and the computer is either restarted or you have to turn it off and back on. System error reports go to the Microsoft Online Crash Analysis Web site, aka MOCA. Go figure - the Web site drops the 'M' in the URL.

When one of them error report windows pops up and you decide to let it send a report to Microsoft, be sure you're connected to the Internet before hitting the "Send Error Report" button. Behind the scenes, XP creates a short message describing the error and provides additional information such as operating system version, failure type, language, cause of the problem, etc. to help Microsoft resolve the problem. The message is encrypted.

In the error report window, there is a link "click here" for seeing what the data report contains. After you send the report, you'll get a message from MOCA with the steps on how to solve the problem and other information depending on the problem. Such information could be links to downloading updated drivers and how to prevent the problem from happening again.

What about when getting errors from a non-Microsoft application or hardware? MOCA reports these errors to the company behind the application or device, so it can be helpful to send these forward. So those of you who never send non-Microsoft-related errors might want to reconsider.

You can also use MOCA to track errors when you get BSODed. This Microsoft Knowledgebase article shows how to use error reporting.

Many people don't use the reporting at all because of privacy concerns. We've heard plenty of jokes about how Microsoft knows everything about everyone who has a computer. You can read Microsoft's error privacy information to get exact details on what Microsoft learns about your computer when getting such reports.

Error reporting is not just for Microsoft, but pays off for you since it can help reduce the problems with your computer when you get the error resolution messages back from MOCA. You can turn off error reporting, but I don't recommend it.

Some saud they've never received resolutions to their problems when submitting an error report. I don't know if this happened or not, but it may not be obvious that Microsoft is providing a possible solution.

I got an error after writing this report and submitted it to Microsoft. After it finished, the following window appeared. Click on "more information" to get details about the problem and a possible solution. When I clicked on it, it takes me to the Microsoft Online Analysis Web page and provides the following information.

Clicking on "Word Quits..." takes me to a knowledgebase article for details. Some problems probably have multiple possible solutions and there would be a bulleted list of other knowledgebase articles.

Maybe instead of "more information," it would be better for the link to say, "More information and possible resolution." "More information" might lead people to believe it's tech speak about the problem and people don't have time or interest to read that, so they close the box instead of clicking on it to see what is really behind the link. I've been guilty of that before.

Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl's notes, eNewsletter Journal, and The Remediator Security Digest. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn't wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.

Microsoft Word Templates Will Save You Time In Your Small Business

Writen by Chris Le Roy

One of the issues that most small business owners overlook when starting out in business is the use of technology. Whilst computer technology may require a significant investment when starting out; Overtime, if your systems are built correctly they will in fact save you very large sums of money, in particular in the area of staff wages.

When I first started my business, One-on-One Personal Computer Training, I started out with a $3,000 Credit Card, which when you talk to any business adviser or business-coach is absolutely the worst thing you could do. One of the issues I have been most conscious of is the cost of having a large number of staff. The way I achieved a high level of efficiency in such a competitive market was to automate as many of the day-to-day tasks as I could. The best tasks for business automation are those that are repetitive.

As soon as I mention the word Business Automation, most technophobes will put up a barrier and go into a minor or major fit. Business automation can be as simple as creating just a few Microsoft Word templates. Business automation doesn't necessarily mean hiring a huge plethora of software developers and toiling day and night to build some monsterous and complex system. It can and should be simple so that you as a business owner can in fact do it yourself. Let me explain!

Microsoft for all its good and bad issues, has provided business one of the most awesome tools - Microsoft Word allows you to build templates that you can reuse as many times as you wish.

What Is A Microsoft Word Template?

Essentially, a Microsoft Word Template is like any traditional word document, the difference is that it is designed to be reused as many times as you require. Why not create a normal word document then. Well, the difference is that when you use a Microsoft Word Template, you can store the template under the New dialogue box, so that each time you want to use the document you go to that one point and it will be available.

Did you know that you can even create your own folders in the New dialog box? If you didn't know this, all you have to do is to simply create a new folder where all your templates are stored. On each of our company's computers we have a special folder called one-on-one where we store each of our templates for use by our staff

What Sort Of Templates Might You Need?

This is one of the key questions I get asked the most. The most common templates I see small businesses require are items like Sick Leave Forms, Leave Applications, Order Forms, Sales Letters, Purchase Order Forms and so forth.

One of the reasons why I chose to build Microsoft Word Templates in my business was to ensure a level of continuity of contact with our customers. By building a series of Templates such as:

- A Company Letter Head

- A Company Fax Sheet

- A Company Leave Application

- A Company Thank You Letter

- A Company Weekly Timesheet

- A Company Sales Letter

- A Company Visitor Sign-in Sheet

- A Company Purchase Order Form

- A Company Order Form

By having these forms in a central place I have ensured that my staff don't need to be recreating these styles of documents each time they have to send a letter or fax. Further to this, I know that certain sales letters used by my staff will achieve the sales outcomes that I am looking for. By using a Microsoft Word Template, they know that when they get and enquiry that they can simply fill-in the customer details and the letter is done.

In our sales letter templates we use Microsoft Word's Fill-in field to prompt our staff for key information like the Customers Name, Address and Company Name ensuring that the information does get put into the letter. Once they have completed that they simply press the Print button and its ready to go to the customer. As a business owner, knowing that that's all my staff have to do to achieve the sales makes me feel far more comfortable than them having to write their own customised letters each time a customer enquires about our training.

Microsoft Word templates are an incredibly useful tool in automating common documents that your staff maybe creating and I believe that this is the first process that all business owners should be using in automating their business.

About The Author
Chris Le Roy This article was written by Chris Le Roy, Managing Director of One-on-One Personal Computer Training. Chris's company focuses on helping small to medium businesses develop automation tools using Microsoft Office, as well as providing Microsoft Office Specialist Accreditted Training Programs. If you would like to learn how to build your own templates, our company provides a number of training courses that cover using Microsoft Word in this way. Our website at http://www.1-on-1.biz also has Microsoft Word Training kits available that will help you learn how to use Microsoft Word. These training kits are designed as self-paced training kits.

Navision Attain Database Access Via Codbc In Aspnet Application

Writen by Boris Makushkin

Navision Software was purchased by Microsoft and now it is supported by Microsoft Business Solutions together with Microsoft Great Plains, Axapta, Solomon, Microsoft Retail Management System and Microsoft CRM. Navision has extremely strong position on mid-size European and US markets, plus it has excellent manufacturing solution. Our goal is to help IT departments to support and tune Navision with in-house expertise and skills. The topic of this article is Navision database access from ASP.NET application via C/ODBC interface. Our goal will be ASPX page accessing Navision Customers.

Let's begin

1. In our case we will use Navision Attain 3.6 with Navision Database Server, Navision Application Server and Navision Client. These components are installed on Windows XP. You also need to install C/ODBC component form Navision Attain CD.

2. Let's create ODBC DSN for Navision data access. Select Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Data Sources (ODBC). Then select System DSN tab and press Add button. We'll use C/ODBC 32-bit data access driver. We'll name Data Source Name Navision, Connection leave Local. As the database (Database button) select \Program Files\Navision Attain\Client\database.fdb (demo database). Then click Company button – we'll use CRONUS demo company. It is important for C/SIDE correct database access to setup proper options for C/ODBC connection. Press Options button and look at the options available – we'll need Identifiers parameter – it defines identifiers types, which will be transferred to the client application. In order to work correct with MS SQL Server 2000 with C/ODBC source we need to use these type: "a-z,A-Z,0-9,_". Now DNS is done. Let's create Linked Server.

3. Open MS SQL Server Enterprise Manager. Open server tree for the server, which you plan to use, for this server open Security folder and Lined Servers. With right click select New Linked Server in context menu. In the dialog box opened in the Provider Name select Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers. Let's name our Linked Server NAVISION. In Data Source string enter ODBC DSN name - NAVISION in our case. Linked Server is ready! Let's select tables list and look at the data from Navision Attain database.

4. Next we need to create small stored procedure for sales data selection. Here is the text of the procedure: SET ANSI_NULLS ON SET ANSI_WARNINGS ON GO

CREATE PROCEDURE NavisionCustomers AS

DBCC TRACEON(8765) SELECT No_, Name, Address, City, Contact FROM OPENQUERY(NAVISION, 'SELECT * FROM Customer')

RETURN

Let's clarify some points here. TRACEON(8765) directive allows us to work with the data of variable length, returned by C/ODBC driver. Without it we can not select Navision tables fields – we will have these errors:

OLE DB error trace [Non-interface error: Unexpected data length returned for the column: ProviderName='MSDASQL', TableName='[MSDASQL]', ColumnName='Ship_to_Filter', ExpectedLength='250', ReturnedLength='1']. Server: Msg 7347, Level 16, State 1, Line 1 OLE DB provider 'MSDASQL' returned an unexpected data length for the fixed-length column '[MSDASQL].Ship_to_Filter'. The expected data length is 250, while the returned data length is 1.

OPENQUERY command opens linked server and gives it execution request, and returns record set selected. Directives ANSI_NULLS and ANSI_WARNINGS are required – they provide the possibility of the execution for heterogeneous requests. To test the procedure you can give its name in MS SQL Query Analyzer – EXEC NavisionCustomers

5. Now we need to create ASP.NET application. Let's use free RAD environment ASP.NET WebMatrix. You can get infor and download it at http://asp.net/webmatrix . You need .NET SDK 1.1 installed, before WebMatrix installation.

6. Launch WebMatrix, select creation of the Data Pages -> Editable Data Grid in the wizard screen. Let's keep all the defaults suggested. On the access page created we'll change the header to Navision Attain Customers, select Verdana font and the font size desired. Next place on the page the component SqlDataSourceControl and tune it's – Connection String : server='(local)'; database='Alba';trusted_connection=true (change server and database name to your actual names), and SelectCommand – as EXEC NavisionCustomers

7. For our Data Grid, which will show customers, define DataSource as SqlDataSourceControl1, and DatKeyField – as No_

8. Next switch to code edition mode and make these changes:

• In the DataGrid_Delete method let's correct the request for the customer deletion to the one we need

• Change DataGrid_Delete code, base on the fields we plan to use

9. Launch our application and test it. This is it!

Happy customizing, implementing and modifying! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918! help@albaspectrum.com

Boris Makushkin is Lead Software Developer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, serving Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Moscow, Europe and internationally ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Microsoft CRM SDK, Navision, C#, VB.Net, SQL, Oracle, Unix developer.

Choose Your Java Wisely

Writen by Shashank

Java has come along a long way.  Many would agree with this.  I did not until the Java 1.5 "Tiger" hit me.  The tiger had several new features, and more importantly, it has new syntax.  Six major upgrades that the tiger presents are certainly the generics, enhanced for loop, autoboxing (unboxing), improvement on Typesafe enum, Static import and the metadata.  Of course there are many more, which can be found at java's official site.  Out of these six, at least four would be used in my daily "programming" life.  From java 1.1 to 1.4, it seemed more like new frills were simply added.  It felt like earning more brownie points when you downloaded the newer version.  But should I start using 1.5 immediately, maybe not.

The developers and programmers (if you distinguish between them) are left with one great dilemma (me too).  It certainly is as to which version to use when preparing software in java.  This problem hides itself under the carpet when you are programming for a specific client with a specific system where you can get it upgrade on site, but when the app is going to be used by Mr. Williams from South Africa and Ms. Lee from Japan, you really have to give a thought as to whether your app is going to run on both the systems (that is why java was made in the first place, isn't it?).  I've always had the latest version of the sdk, yet I would try and target compiling in a lower possible version, so that even those people would be able to use the apps, who were, well, frozen in time and didn't go up the "version ladder".  For e.g., ordinary applets, by me and my company, in most of the cases would be compiled in java 1.1, so that no user ends up waiting for an hour before the plugin for the latest version is downloaded and installed (get yourself a coffee if your yawning).  For e.g., once on a tour, I happened to visit some site in a cyber café, which said that I needed to install java plugin 1.4 to view the page correctly (apparently, cyber cafes don't bother much about upgrading java), and when I did, it turned out to be a stupid advertisement (Ahhh! What agony!).  Of course, over a period of time, you expect the users to have gone to a level of higher java plugin courtesy other company's applets, but just to be sure…

Well, so this "dilemma" is real and has to be looked after (you don't stand a chance if you don't).  Many a times in java forums, you'll find beginners with the problem of "applet not initializing" and when the compiling is targeted for 1.1, it runs.  Preferably, developers should have the latest version (despite the huge bandwidth it's going to cost you to download it) and they should try and keep their apps designed, if possible, for lower versions for a universal application.   Although, this might not necessarily be imposed for a long time, but certainly try and keep your apps designed by the java 1.4 specifications for a few weeks, till most of the users catch on with the tiger.  This should also give you sufficient time to upgrade your programming ability version also.  A recent survey about java's versions had about 260 respondents out of which about 15% didn't know that java had versions, 8% preferred java as the good old java (can't believe it, me neither), 29% were happy, 32% wanted newer versions but wanted the syntax of older versions to remain and only the bugs being killed and the rest were too confused to have an opinion. 

On this note, its now entirely up to you to decide which is your cup of java.  I've just got a book to learn to tame the tiger and I'll be using java 1.4 till I tame 1.5 good.  So, I think it'll be around October, when I start using 1.5 hoping (with crossed fingers) that most of the users by then would be roaring with it.

I hope that this small article would help you make a decision about which version of java to use.

Shashank is the founder and administrator of the java apps rating site - thejavahub.com.  To know more about this venture with java, please visit his site at http://www.thejavahub.com

Stock Option Software

Writen by Eddie Tobey

Every day, thousands of traders use a variety of stock option software to make more informed trading decisions. Stock option software is a full suite of cutting-edge tools, which brings a very high level of accuracy and precision to the trades. These packages provide traders, analysts, portfolio managers and other professional users with entirely open admission to real-time and historical time-series information and the company's most powerful econometric, math, and statistical tools.

Web based or PC based option software can make thousands of calculations in a second, something that was not conceivable only a few years ago. In the past, by the time an initial round of computations was made, market circumstances would have altered a number of times. Today, the stock option software helps one to look at the market change in real time, and focus on sticking to individual trading plans.

The first category of stock option software packages helps to manage trades as well as keep track of the trading gain or loss one has accrued. From the information traced, appropriate decisions can be taken in the options strategy. Many brokers provide this category software either free or at a reasonable price.

The second category includes a broader range of stock option software that actually suggests trades. A pointer of the potential price movement of an option, execution of this type is based upon some data entered, such as one's goals, risk tolerance, investment time frame, and an analysis of current streaming market data. Besides, the packages provide a ranking of various options trades for one to consider, based on mathematical analysis.

The important point to remember when using standalone stock option trading software or signing into a similar service is that the software itself is not a golden goose. The entire business demands exercise of diligence and discretion.

Stock Options provides detailed information on Stock Options, Stock Option Trading, Employee Stock Options, Stock Option Software and more. Stock Options is affiliated with Stock Broker Career.

Ajax The Future Of The Web

Writen by Diarmuid Ryan

AJAX is a set of technologies that has been around for quite some time but only maturing and being taken advantage of now. In true geek speak it stands for Asynchronous Javascript And XML. What it really translates to layman's terms is being able to dynamically update a partial section of a web page without having to refresh the entire page.

Google Maps, Wikimapia and most of Google's webmaster tools are built on AJAX. Pages are built with DHTML, such as DIV elements that can be filled with content by creating an XMLHttpRequest object with Javascript. A request is sent to the remote server to retrieve either a snippet of XML or text which can be interpreted and displayed on the web site.

For example, if you wish to have your visitor select the region they are from, when they select their country a list of regions for that country could be displayed on the page in a DIV element which is dynamically filled with content from the XMLHttpRequest object without the need to refresh the entire page. There are many possibilities for this technology and it is taking the web a step closer to the responsiveness and type of applications previously dominated by traditional desktop software.

A fine example of AJAX at work is Google's spreadsheet application at spreadsheet.google.com. Many more will follow and over time the underlying desktop operating system will become less significant as most of our everyday desktop tools are migrated into an AJAX equivalent.

The term Web 2.0 has been coined by Tim O'Reilly and other leading figures in the Internet marketplace, AJAX is more or less the foundation of this new craze that's spreading through the web like wildfire.

Diarmuid Ryan Managing Director Blue Star Web Design Ireland

Pdf Scraping Making Modern File Formats More Accessible

Writen by Joe Broderick

Data scraping is the process of automatically sorting through information contained on the internet inside html, PDF or other documents and collecting relevant information to into databases and spreadsheets for later retrieval. On most websites, the text is easily and accessibly written in the source code but an increasing number of businesses are using Adobe PDF format (Portable Document Format: A format which can be viewed by the free Adobe Acrobat software on almost any operating system. See below for a link.). The advantage of PDF format is that the document looks exactly the same no matter which computer you view it from making it ideal for business forms, specification sheets, etc.; the disadvantage is that the text is converted into an image from which you often cannot easily copy and paste. PDF Scraping is the process of data scraping information contained in PDF files. To PDF scrape a PDF document, you must employ a more diverse set of tools.

There are two main types of PDF files: those built from a text file and those built from an image (likely scanned in). Adobe's own software is capable of PDF scraping from text-based PDF files but special tools are needed for PDF scraping text from image-based PDF files. The primary tool for PDF scraping is the OCR program. OCR, or Optical Character Recognition, programs scan a document for small pictures that they can separate into letters. These pictures are then compared to actual letters and if matches are found, the letters are copied into a file. OCR programs can perform PDF scraping of image-based PDF files quite accurately but they are not perfect.

Once the OCR program or Adobe program has finished PDF scraping a document, you can search through the data to find the parts you are most interested in. This information can then be stored into your favorite database or spreadsheet program. Some PDF scraping programs can sort the data into databases and/or spreadsheets automatically making your job that much easier.

Quite often you will not find a PDF scraping program that will obtain exactly the data you want without customization. Surprisingly a search on Google only turned up one business, (the amusingly named ScrapeGoat.com http://www.ScrapeGoat.com) that will create a customized PDF scraping utility for your project. A handful of off the shelf utilities claim to be customizable, but seem to require a bit of programming knowledge and time commitment to use effectively. Obtaining the data yourself with one of these tools may be possible but will likely prove quite tedious and time consuming. It may be advisable to contract a company that specializes in PDF scraping to do it for you quickly and professionally.

Let's explore some real world examples of the uses of PDF scraping technology. A group at Cornell University wanted to improve a database of technical documents in PDF format by taking the old PDF file where the links and references were just images of text and changing the links and references into working clickable links thus making the database easy to navigate and cross-reference. They employed a PDF scraping utility to deconstruct the PDF files and figure out where the links were. They then could create a simple script to re-create the PDF files with working links replacing the old text image.

A computer hardware vendor wanted to display specifications data for his hardware on his website. He hired a company to perform PDF scraping of the hardware documentation on the manufacturers' website and save the PDF scraped data into a database he could use to update his webpage automatically.

PDF Scraping is just collecting information that is available on the public internet. PDF Scraping does not violate copyright laws.

PDF Scraping is a great new technology that can significantly reduce your workload if it involves retrieving information from PDF files. Applications exist that can help you with smaller, easier PDF Scraping projects but companies exist that will create custom applications for larger or more intricate PDF Scraping jobs.

Do you have questions, comments, or concerns? Make your voice heard on our new forums! http://www.pdfscraper.com

Download the Adobe Acrobat software free!

In Depth Software Development Strategies Tip 3 Conditional Statements

Writen by Graham McCarthy

The third tip in the series is about Conditional statements

A neat suggestion was posted as a comment on my last article, suggesting a really good way to prevent logic errors from creeping into your code. Logic errors being the hardest type of errors to find in computer code today.

If presented with an if statement: if(num == 0)
{
//do something.
}

Now, if you forgot to put the double equals in the condition like:
if(num = 0)
{
//Do something
}

An error might not be catched, the suggestion put forward was to declare the constant first, and then the variable after.
for example:
if(0 == num) {} , this way if you forget one of the equals, the compiler will catch it.

You can take this step further, by declaring the 0 as a constant:
public final int ZERO = 0;
if(ZERO == num);
This just gives your code that extra step to insure good coding practices.

Thank you Jeff, for that great tip!

Lets continue,
Since white space is never compiled into your program, you should never worry about making your code extra readible with space. A lot of the code that I have tested, has been really hard to traverse through because the authors havn't left white space between actions, let me demonstrate:

public class MyTestClass{
public final int SIZE = 5;
public static void main(String [] args){
for (int i = 0; i<>
public doJob() {
for (int i=0; i
if (i%2 == 0)
System.out.println("number: " i);}}}

Confused? Frustrated? Good!
Make your code clear to read; the clearer the code, the easier it is to find errors later. And also dont forget to add comments!
//MyTestClass.java Author: Graham.
//Desc: Prints out numbers, then the even numbers
public class MyTestClass
{
___//Variables
___public final int SIZE = 5;

___//Main Method, prints numbers o - 4, then runs doJob() method
___public static void main(String [] args)
___{
_____for (int i = 0; i < SIZE; i++)
_____{
_______System.out.println("number: " + i);
_____}
____doJob();
___} //End Main

___public doJob()
___{
_____for (int i=0; i < SIZE ; i++
_____{
_______if (i%2 == 0)
_______System.out.println("number: " i);
_____}
___}//End doJob
} //END Class

Now, if I was going to critique my own code here, I would say that the method doJob() is pretty ambiguous, I should have called it countEvenNumbers().

Hope you have found this article useful! Thanks you.

Graham McCarthy, has 6 years experiance developing software for both educational and business oriented purposes.
Website:
http://concisecoding.blogspot.com/
Certification:
- A College Diploma in Computer Programming Analysis from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario Canada.
- A University Degree in Information Technology /w Honours from York University in Toronto, Ontario Canada.

Using Help Desk Software To Improve And Boost Efficiency

Writen by Sara Jenkins

The computer age has broken many barriers and has a finger in almost every aspect in our daily lives. It has made life easier for so many businesses and has eliminated the need for countless hours of manual labor. In the world of customer service, computers have provided efficient and expeditious service in catering to all the customers needs. The assistance computers have provided has been irreplaceable and with the development of newer software with more features has provided companies the opportunity to increase their affectivity and their productivity. Such in the case of providing information and assistance to many clients, help desks have been provided a tremendous boost with help desk softwares.

Help desk softwares provide lots of benefits, they can: reduce customer downtime, reduce support call numbers, improve efficiency, increase customer satisfaction, improve communications and identify problems in your products and services to name a few. These help desk softwares are easy to install, very simple to use, compatible with most operating systems and an employee doesn't need a degree in computer programming or have to be an expert in computer software to operate it. Only minimal training is required and anyone can use it. They can also provide reports on the performance of your help desk and your products and services. This is a great convenience for any company.

There are many help desk software available in the market. The internet has many sites that offer help desks software that presents the features stated above and much more. Technical teams from these sites will help you in setting up the system and provide training on how to use them. Managing your help desk for your customers or for your employees has never been easier. This is an investment that can pay for itself in just a short time.

But just what is a help desk? A help desk is the term called for a team wherein they provide information, assistance and solutions to problems that may concern anything. They can be for in-house where employees can ask for assistance regarding their computers or such, or they can be for outbound and inbound calls, where services may range from marketing to providing information and assistance. Many companies know have help desks in their structure, they can be accessed via a toll-free number where their customers may call for assistance or via the internet where they can email their issues and concerns. These help desks usually consists of levels wherein the first level is the front line wherein they receive the frequently asked questions or common problems. If issues are not resolved or a solution is not brought in, they are transferred to a higher level until the issue has been cleared.

To help facilitate these help desks, help desk softwares are needed. These help desks softwares manage all the calls and operations done electronically to automatically divide the calls and make the delivery of service efficient. The help desk software also records all the transactions and keeps a record for future reference like reports or as a precedent for similar problems. Aside from that, many help desk softwares are coming up with more features to make help desks more efficient and productive.

Make your company a competitive force and use help desk software to boost your help desks efficiency. Watch your sales grow and your productivity soar, help desk software are here to help you.

Online entrepreneur Sara Jenkins, is dedicated to helping others and their needs to succeed in life by offering free tips everyday. To learn more about her free tips program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to articles and FREE bonus how-to books and resources, visit http://www.HelpDesksWare.com

The Xp Firewall Isnt Enough

Writen by Steve Blampied

You might think you don't need a firewall because windows XP has one built in, but read on for a plain-english explanation why this isn't enough.

Before broadband and cable connections were common most people didn't need a personal firewall because they weren't connected to the Internet for extended periods of time.

Every computer that connects to the internet has an IP address. This is like a sort of phone number, and is issued either to an individual computer or to a "gateway" that connects a private network to the 'net.

Domestic dial-up internet connections normally use a system called Dynamic IP Addressing where people are issued with a sort of "new identity" every time they connect, so it's difficult to find and attack an individual computer - Dynamic IP addressing is a bit like having your phone number change every time you use the phone, which makes it difficult for the bad guys to find you.

But the longer you keep a particular "phone number" the more chance there is of someone finding you and that is why high-speed always-on connections need handling with care.

In particular, with "always on" DSL and cable connections you are connected for extended periods of time which give the attackers more chance of finding you if you've got an unprotected connection.

In these days of identity theft and with more and more security holes being uncovered in commercial software it is vital that you have a good firewall if you use a high-speed connection.

You may already have a firewall, either in a device called a "Broadband Router" which goes between your computer and the Internet or the very basic firewall built in to Windows XP Service Pack 2 and you might think that's all you need.

But there's another reason that you won't have thought of.

Basic firewalls will tell you, and hopefully protect you if someone is trying to get in.... but they won't tell you if something is trying to get out!

That's right! Certain spyware and viruses can gather your personal information and send it out of your machine without you knowing.

A good firewall will spot these attempts to send stuff out and will warn you, quite possibly before your Antivirus or Spyware application notices the problem. Which gives you time to get the problem fixed.

Steve Blampied lives in Jersey in the Channel Islands and has been an independent IT consultant for around 10 years.

He is currently putting together a web site solely about free software.

http://www.freesoftwareadvice.com

He also has a small IT company in Jersey.

Technology.je Limited

Registry Cleaners Why Do You Need One

Writen by Joseph Tierney

The registry is the place where your computer stores the configuration information about your computer and your installed programs so that your operating system can use them.

Maintaining the registry is an important step in keeping your computer healthy. Registry problems can include slow performance, computer crashing, and the annoyingh Microsoft Windows error messages.

If any of these describes you as a computer user:

- Has old drivers on their system that have not been removed.

- Installs or uninstalls software very often.

- Have third party programs running such as Spyware and Adware (you can't stop these from being installed)

- Remove software by deleting them from the Program Files folder.

- Installs or Uninstalls hardware.

Then you absolutely need to be repairing your Microsoft Windows registry regularly! All of the above leave traces in your registry that will only hurt your computer in the long run. If you don't clean your computer to fix your registry than you are going to be in a whole world of trouble.

Make sure that you backup your registry before you try to clean or fix anything. Most registry cleaners have registry backup automatically for you, but be sure to check them out. Remember, don't try to edit anything in the registry yourself unless you are very computer savvy.

Why do you need a registry cleaner? Registry cleaners are important because it protects your PC from harmful processes. Is your computer slowing down for no apparent reason? Are you having errors that are not solved by your anti-virus or anti-spyware program? Your PC might be affected by applications that are running without your knowledge. Registry cleaners are a must! Registry cleaners ensure that your registry is clean.

Some errors are just a quick registry fix, while others could be more problematic.

If you keep your registry clean, free of viruses and spyware your computer will last much longer. Spend the time or money now for a registry cleaner to save you even more time or money later down the road.

If you are short on cash then there is a free registry cleaner available that I use exclusively. The program is called Error Nuker and it is a free ware registry cleaner. Error Nuker works on Windows XP, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT4, and Windows 2000. Microsoft Windows does NOT come with a registry cleaner.

Joseph Tierney is a surfer and 2005 high school graduate. To learn more about Error Nuker and other free registry cleaners, please visit Free Registry Cleaner - http://www.cflwaves.com/free-registry-cleaner.htm

Crystal Reports Can Be Substituted By Pivot Table And Ms Query

Writen by Jason Khoo

When crystal report was launched, it created a lot of excitement in the market. It was hailed as THE tool for business people to pull data from databases. With it, business people no longer have to depend on their IT team to extract those data required for decision making. They can tap into databases that used to be accessible only to the IT team in the company. With crystal report, business users no longer have to wait for days or weeks to get hold of that report for decision making. It even allows users to prepare reports that can be used for management reporting.

Crystal report also allows users to perform customised calculations by setting up formulas in the report. The application can perform the calculation based on the pre-defined formula and return only the results to the report. It also allows users to send just the report template to other users. The report pulls the data required from the database only when users open the report. It also allows users to present the report in multiple levels, i.e. organise and present data by sub-categories. For example, the data can be present first by division, then by product group, product type, etc.

Crystal report is very useful for large databases, particularly those which are stored in database servers. When it comes to small databases as MS Access, Dbase and other desktop databases, using crystal report would be an overkill. The cost of owning and maintaining crystal report is too high for smaller scale applications and databases. For smaller databases, use pivot table and MS Query. It works like crystal report. And this option is free if you own Microsoft office. This option is not known to a lot of Excel users because the installation of MS Query must be installed manually. And it does not come with the standard installation of MS Office.

MSQuery pulls out data from databases. In fact, it can be used to pull out data from database servers too, just like crystal reports. The only limitation in using MSQuery to pull out data is memory. However, I have not really encountered any problem when using MSQuery to pull data from SQL Server. After the data is pulled out from the database or database server, it can be output to a pivot table. Once this is done, you can drag and drop the fields and present the database you want easily. It can also present the data in multiple dimensions like the crystal report. The functions and features provided by pivot table is very similar to those offered by crystal report. Once you know how to use pivot table with MS Query, you may not take a look at crystal report or other reporting tools again.

Jason Khoo is the author of advanced excel resource centre. Currently he is running his own business in Singapore, providing solutions to business problems, primarily using MS Excel macro programming or VBA. He also provides advanced excel training to excel business users, online and offline.

Adware Protection My Big Lesson

Writen by Kelvin Watersford

Working in an office all day, connected to an open network I need to be very protective of my computer. I don't look at those sites I shouldn't be looking at, I don't download music, and I have an adware and virus protection plan I stick to religiously. Each Monday upon startup, while I'm downloading my weekend mail and listening to the weekend dramas of my colleagues I update my virus definitions and proceed to scan every inch of my computer for invading viruses.

If I've made it through the working week I deserve a treat, so I drag my best friend out of her office and off we go to this quaint sushi bar down the street. Fire, dancing and fantastic sushi made in front of my eyes is just enough to make me forget the work piling up back at the office.

Anyway by the time I pulled myself out of sushi mode, up the stairs, and back to the office my weekly spyware scan was complete, and was congratulating me on having a "spyware and adware free computer."

Working on the net all day every day, competent adware protection software is important. I'm always skeptical when colleagues offer me a new, free adware software. So for the last 2 months I've been using not just one adware protection program, but the 2 best anti-adware software packages I could find… everything was going great until….

It was Friday morning, just one more day till the weekend, the boss couldn't keep quiet about this weekends' date, blonde, funny, the complete package.

Anyway, I was listening with amusement to the excited rantings while my inbox filled with this mornings messages, and suddenly everything went blue. Not just my screen, but everyone on the network… Everything was down, no work today…

Monday morning came around and the boss wasn't happy, he missed his date trying to sort out the network, no date and no second chance.

I was in the bad books, turns out one of the "Adware Protection" software programs I had downloaded had secretly filled mine, and every computer on the network with spyware. Not Good At All!

A weekend without sales, without a date, and more than enough stress, all because of my one mistake. Needless to say I am no longer in charge of spyware and adware protection at the office. The techies who had to spend the weekend fixing my mistake have now installed a new adware program on my computer, one program to take care of the lot, I don't touch it, I don't change any settings, and I'm happy with that.

Finally the boss has calmed down and everything's under control again, luckily I've got a great boss that can see the funny side of things … and I still have a job! A lesson learned is the way I'm looking at the whole situation.

My advice to anyone working online is be aware of what you are downloading to your computer, sometimes software that should be protecting is actually infecting!

You can find the Adware Protecter we now use at http://www.realtimesolutions.info

Kelvin has been successfully building his portfolio in the design & IT industry for the last 3 years.

Real Estate Investment Software

Writen by Richard Romando

Real estate investment software provides a clear picture to investors about their investing options and if used efficiently it can predict the end result of investment based on current market values. The cash flow tools in the real estate software help the investor to choose the right investment properties. The real estate investor can increase or decrease the rent amount and can see the effects on the bottom line. Using the real estate investment software, the investor can determine the value of the property and can avoid overpayment.

The real estate investment software allows the investor to prepare estimates based on modified purchase price, percent down, loan interest rate, vacancy rate, appreciation growth rate, expense growth rate and reinvestment. The blank entry form in this software allows the investor to gather and enter property's input financial data. Each screen in this software has a help facility and a word document. The software handles partnership analysis for those involved in group investments. Some real estate investment software contains several other features like the handling of federal taxes. The real estate investment software allows the investor to prepare for state income tax rate and state capital gains rate. The software is ideal for individual investors and real estate investment groups.

The real estate investment software is a menu driven, point and click software. It is easy to use and can run on any computer. Real estate investment software is designed to assist the decision making process and for helping the investor to increase the real estate investment knowledge. This software provides apt real estate analysis with many reports and graphic presentations. Through this program the investor can examine the current profitability and future potential of commercial and residential income properties. The real estate investment software has a better graphics interface which helps to understand financial data.

Real Estate Investments provides detailed information on Real Estate Investments, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Real Estate Investment Loans, Real Estate Investment Financing and more. Real Estate Investments is affiliated with Buying Investment Properties.

How To Guarantee Employee Adoption Of Cost Cutting Measures

Writen by Gregg Hall

A software program for Timesheet management and productivity management purchased by a company for cost cutting measures is only effective if the employees actually use it. A program's adoptability rests on how easy it is to implement into the existing system with the least amount of resistance in regards to business as usual.

It is sometimes difficult to get employees to integrate a new system, but if a new software system ensures easy implementation and simple data entry, they are more likely to adopt that system. The company's management team and its employees need to access information in real time to make informed decisions and optimize productivity. Employees need solutions that make their jobs easier. The right software ensures these solutions are easily adopted by employees and become part of their daily routine. The right software also provides employees with fast access to data, and integrates to popular software like Microsoft Project and QuickBooks.

Think you are too busy for change? Many companies feel they are too busy to train. Learning new software is not productive for your employees and can be very costly for your corporation. Finding the right software company that will offer a sixty-day money back guarantee, the implementation of training and personalized training resources available in the form of web-based teaching materials, one on one or even seminar formatting, is a choice of excellence.

The software should incorporate single server installation that allows you to simply provide a URL to all your staff members and should not require you to start from scratch if your company is already tracking manually. It should be as simple as the importation of your existing data to save on initial data entry or bringing over your existing data from Microsoft Project, Microsoft Project Server and/or Intuit QuickBooks (Jobs, Tasks, Resources etc.).

The right software for project time and time management, Time Sheet and Project Tracking Software, is key to your company's productivity and of course, your bottom line profits. Finding a software company that can deliver ease in transitioning from the old system to the new cost effective system; software that delivers BIG on benefits of use and high adoptability versus the time loss of adopting a new program is imperative. Sharing with your employees the benefits this "new" system, like access to data in real time to resolve real time issues in productivity, will inspire adoptability.

Time management and the ability to access report history on a similar project to better implement cost effective changes will have a direct correlation to your company's bottom line. The readily available web timesheet employee data will help your company compare Time management to project management objectives. Ultimately this will lead to better overall management, placing accountability for time management where it belongs; through time tracking, overall company time management and project reassessment.

A company should adopt a software program based on the credibility of the company that designed the program, as well as the ease in which the program may be implemented. This ultimately insures that employees will use the program; truly a Win-Win for all.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as time managment software at http://www.dovico.com

Artificial Intelligent Software Cross Pollination

Writen by Lance Winslow

Many computer programmers of artificial intelligent decision matrix software end up specializing in a specific industry or endeavor. Yet as we look at such completed application software we readily see how many potential applications there are. Programmers who design such systems should have their minds wide open and be on the look out for the killer applications that exist. They should ask themselves; "Can this system be modified or used as a template for decision making for other things?"

What sorts of other applications should be looked at? Well for instance such things and industries as education, health care treatments, transportation routing, distribution channel decisions, simplifying component costs in manufacturing, replacing bureaucrats, communication transmission type routing, computer bandwidth routing, infrastructure material decision making, energy distribution channels, battlespace future force strategy, monetary flows, predicting human behavior thru intake and brain waves, predicting types of species a planet might contain, predicting language patterns of other species, choosing of weather control levers to move, etc.

Of course to do this one has to also think in the abstract and understand the industry they are targeting for such applications; applications, which will be intrinsically valuable to those who partake in them and whose careers teeter in their ability to make the right decisions. What level of thought is needed for a quick look see into the industry often varies, yet here are some possible abstract thoughts which could help you in designing and programming the next killer application for decision matrix software;

Monetary, economic, currency and trade flows;

Transportation, distribution, routing and scheduling decisions;

Making Rain, Weather Control and Predicting Wind Patterns;

Or perhaps you need the ultimate challenge?

You see cross pollination is the key to finding the next killer application for those who study the game and design and program the worlds most important software of all; Artificial Intelligent Decision Matrix Software. Think on this.

Lance Winslow

Manufacturing Solutions For Microsoft Great Plains Overview For Consultant

Writen by Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has full-featured manufacturing set of modules. In this small article we would like to give you highlights on what kinds of light customization you could deploy, before jumping into Microsoft Great Plains Manufacturing realm. Great Plains Manufacturing is targeted to discrete manufacturing clientele, which is opposite to process manufacturing – food processing, mining, including precious metals/gold/platina, oil and gas / chemicals / agriculture. Manufacturing from accounting stand point is moving inventory into work in progress and then into finished goods. And this is where we have fundamental difference between discrete and process manufacturing.

• Barcoding – this would be the help in allocating your inventory to the manufacturing activity. We saw clients who were asking about full-featured manufacturing, but later on we realized that they were envisioning barcode scanning people walking through their warehouse

• Bill of Materials – well if barcoding doesn't do the job for you – you should look if Bill of Materials module will automate your operations. In Bill of Materials you could program light manufacturing. We saw the machinery manufacturing/assembly client in Chicago area who asked us to help them phase out Kiwell manufacturing, because of high annual maintenance cost. So – our opinion is if you are manufacturing client in the USA – you should probably first look at the outsourcing part of the business – if 90% of manufacturing of going to China – you should consider Great Plains Bill of Materials module implementation only with light manufacturing extensions

• ERP/ Capacity planning - well this is were you have to consider manufacturing suite. Great Plains Manufacturing has complete set of discrete manufacturing modules: Bill of Materials, ERP Capacity Planning, Cost Center.

• Reporting. In our opinion the best way to save software money is to replace highly priced module with similar reporting. Reporting is rather static, but in its prints outs it allows you to avoid expensive license fee (if you decide on SAP or Oracle Financials – this will triple your software expenses)

Good luck and you can always seek our help in customization, implementation, integration and support. Call us: 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving Chicago, California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, Australia, UK, Canada, Continental Europe, Russia and having locations in multiple states and internationally ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK

Medical Billing Solving The Problems Part Ii Patient Billing

Writen by Lori A Anderson

Medical billing in the United States is fraught with many challenges and problems. The primary goal of medical billing is to receive fair compensation for the work that was performed in a timely manner. However, this is rarely the case. This series will explain those challenges and suggest possible solutions to these problems.

Patient Billing

Most practices today find it more time consuming and more costly to attempt collection of fees from patients then insurance carriers. For those practices that do take patient collection seriously, they may underestimate the toll on resources to complete the task.

Have you ever wondered how long it takes your staff to complete the print and mail function of sending out patient statements? Some practices choose to do weekly, biweekly or monthly patient statement processing. Manually processing a patient statement mailing dramatically affects your practice operations and revenue streams. Processing times can be lengthy, and delays are quite common due to lack of time and resources at most physician's practices.

A careful analysis of the costs reveals some surprising numbers.

• $0.39 first-class stamp
• $0.08 envelope with window or label
• $0.08 return envelope
• $0.02 paper
• $0.10 printer ink or toner
• $0.25 labor (assuming $15/hour and 60 statements/hour)
• $0.92 Total

At $0.92 per statement to perform this operation in house, there may be a better solution for you.

Potential Solution

There is a solution; electronic patient statements. The process of sending patient statements can be as easy as sending electronic insurance claims. Electronic patient statements allow your staff more time to focus on your patients. When it comes time to print, fold, stuff, stamp, seal and bundle the statements, you can outsource this menial labor task. With electronic patient statements any patient that has a balance and is eligible to be billed, will automatically be sent a patient statement on time. With this automation, you will improve your accounts receivables timeline. Electronic patient statements also allow you to minimize mis-labeling errors and delays inherent with the in-house print and mailing functions which impacts your ability to bring your money in.

Your practice management software solution provider should have this valuable service available. Additionally, this service usually costs less than the postage and supplies outlined above. Usual automated patient billing service costs for electronic patient statements are $0.62-0.75 per statement.

Lori Anderson is an independent consultant with LAtech working with AntekHealthware on their DAQbilling Medical Billing Software and LabDAQ Laboratory Information System projects.

Appointment Calendar Software 4 Critical Features Part 2

Writen by Olan Butler

Effective appointment calendar software should have the ability to create multiple categories, display a monthly view, create reminders and provide recurrence capability. In this article series I will go in-depth into the above features and show the valuable benefits of each one. In this article the focus is the monthly view.

When your appointment calendar software can provide to you an interactive monthly view, you have the ability to make notes directly onto your calendar page just as you do with paper calendars.

Obviously, the one disadvantage of the paper version is the modification difficulty. With the interactive monthly view of the appointment calendar software, no such difficulty exists you just select, modify and save your notes. Another disadvantage of the monthly view of the paper appointment calendar is the lack of space in which to write your notes. A good monthly view appointment calendar program will alleviate this issue by allowing you to "zoom in" on a particular date.

The "zoom in" capability should expand the calendar block (specific date input box) so that you have plenty of room to make notes. In fact, the "zoom in" feature could zoom the specified calendar block to the size of the monthly view for greatest ease of use and make large data entry a breeze.

To provide quick "zoom in" and "zoom out" capability, the ideal appointment calendar program would allow a click on the box itself to alternate between the zoom states.

The value of an interactive monthly view can be great in respect to time savings and ease of use. If you throw in a zoom feature that provides you with greater utility to make notes, you have a powerful organization tool at your fingertips that will show big dividends in time savings and task accuracy in the near and distant future.

In conclusion, when you bring the power of the monthly view of the paper calendar to the computer world and add the utility features that the computer can bring such as zoom, you can feel confident that you have the tools you need to get the job done better, faster and cheaper. In my next installment (part 3), I will talk about reminders. A definite life saver in this hectic society we live in today. Don't miss it!

(c) Copyright 2005 Olan Butler All Rights Reserved

Olan Butler is the Chief Architect of BHO Technologists, a computer productivity software and service provider http://www.bhotechnologists.com with headquarters in Kansas City. Join his FREE newsletter "Computing Success Secrets" at http://computing.bhotechnologists.com for a steady stream of computer, health and overall life profiting tips. You'll be glad you did! His works also include the Appointment Calendar Software Store

Organize Your Life With Document Management Software

Writen by John Morris

Over the years, it becomes quite a tedious job to rummage as well as sort through your files. This has led to an increasing demand for document management software. It is now a whole lot easier to organize your paper documents from paper format into digital archives.

1. Itaz doQuments

Itaz doQuments document management software is a document management application that can help you create a more centralized, searchable database for all your electronic documents. Saved scanned documents must be in PDF, TIFF or PEG file formats so that the document management software can process them. For easy reference, you can put additional indexing information to your electronic documents so that you will use these information to quickly find as well as group your documents based on whichever criteria that you can come up with.

The document management software is available in three editions: from the Standard edition to the Professional edition to the Enterprise edition. You can choose from these three editions the type of doQuments document management software that can cater to your needs and lifestyle. Each edition of this document management software is specially designed for:

- Individuals
- Small businesses
- Large organizations

Starting from this document management software's Standard Edition, this edition of the doQuments document management software application is especially designed for the home as well as for the use of small offices. It is the easiest one to use out of the three and provides an effective solution in the managing not only of paper but as well as electronic documents.

One of its key features is its ability to provide the multi-user environment - users from multiple computers can have access to the doQuments document management software simultaneously. As for being economical, this document management software is fairly easy to upgrade once you start thinking of getting the doQuments' Professional or Enterprise document management software editions.

2. Advanced Features

Paramaterized search results ensures you can easily locate the documents that you need in just one mouse click. Documents is ideal for companies with large intranet or internet sites as it is possible to integrate them easily.

For more great document management software related articles and resources check out http://www.documentmanagement.infotechhq.com

The Active Observer Bug

Writen by Mauro Molino

Symptoms: a change of behaviour of our code depending on whether in release or debug mode.
This is sometimes referred to as 'Heisenbug', taking its name from quantum physics Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
Someone prefers to call it "the active observer bug", and this is maybe a more appropriate definition. What usually happens is that our debugging code simply interferes with the program. This happens if our debugging code alters the value of some variables, stack objects or pointers. A typical case, for example in Java, is calling the nextItem() method of an Iterator inside a snippet of debugging code to access the correspondig object. This will shift the iterator pointer to its next position, thus altering the flux of the program. The solution in this case is obviously to assign the result of the nextItem() call to an object outside the debugging code, and "observe" this object. Analogous cases are pushing or popping to/from a stack object, and so on. Less frequently it happens that even calling an apparently "innocuous" method on an object, notifications could be sent to listeners, again potentially causing the bug.
Though it may not seem, active observer bugs are much more frequent than one can expect, as we usually don't "debug our debugging code".
The golden rule is to double check that our debugging code is really "neutral" and behaves just like a passive observer and, if possible, always observe primitive data types.

Mauro is a professional developer, platform integration evangelist, free information supporter and owner/webmaster of beanizer.org. When not developing software, he composes music, mainly for the theatre.

Stop Spyware Before It Gets A Chance To Infect Your Computer

Writen by Jason Frovich

Free spyware stoppers are programs capable of stopping harmful software programs known as Spyware from infecting your computer. If your computer becomes infected with a Spyware program, the Spyware will send information about you and your computer habits back to the Spyware owner, without you knowledge or consent. Information sent back to the Spyware owner can often include very private data, such as lists of all your visited websites, details about online purchases, credit card information etcetera. Information gathered by Spyware is usually used for commercial gain, but has been used for much more malicious schemes as well, such as credit card frauds and identity theft. To avoid this from happening to you, you can install one of the many free Spyware stoppers that are available online. Take your time and compare several free Spyware stoppers, since their quality and reliability can vary considerably. Some free Spyware stoppers are available in a more advanced version for a fee.

Unlike computer virus programs and common worms, Spyware programs usually refrain from self-replication. Instead, the computer user is lured into accepting a download of the Spyware program from the web. Spyware can be included in a popular software program, such as game. If you download music from the web without a using any of the Spyware stoppers, you will most likely infect your computer with Spyware sooner or later. Spyware can however download it self to your computer even if you refrain completely from downloading music and programs from the Internet which is one the reasons why it so important to use free spyware stoppers.. A simple click on a fake X when you try to close a pop-up window is enough for a download to begin, without you even noticing it. As of 2005, computer users that are running Microsoft Windows operating systems are most exposed to Spyware, and will benefit most from installing free Spyware stoppers. There are however a few new Spyware programs and worms out there today that can infect Linux and other UNIX platforms. If you are a UNIX user you should therefore also check out the free Spyware programs, to be on the safe side.

Unlike Virus program, Spyware programs will often make an effort not to disturb you. By not interfering with the computers normal tasks, kidnapping your mailbox or deleting any information - typical Virus actions - the Spyware can stay unnoticed inside your computer and continue to send out more and more information about you. This is why you should take advantage of the many free Spyware stoppers that are available online. By simply downloading one of the free Spyware stoppers from a reputable site you can put an end to the Spyware problem and protect your privacy. When you choose between the various free Spyware stoppers, you should ideally pick one that will not only stop all attempts to install Spyware on your computer. Instead, choose one of the free Spyware stoppers that are also capable of scanning your entire computer and removing any existing Spyware from it. Good free Spyware stoppers should also be easy to download and install and hassle free to manage. If you experience problems with your free Spyware stoppers, you should take advantage of the fact that they are free and simply choose a new one among the many free Spyware stoppers that are available today. Since all computer users have their own personal preferences and needs, free Spyware stoppers that are right for your friends might not be right for you.

New forms of malicious Spyware and Adware are constantly created and in order to protect your computer from infestations you must choose a high-quality program and keep it updated. Supportcave.com offers free spyware stoppers programs.

Small Business Software

Writen by Elizabeth Morgan

Small business software is a booming industry. Nowadays, every type of business needs to manage its movements and record every action using computer software. Business software is designed to help with the administration and maintenance of a business. Of course, small businesses are no exception to the rule.

Small businesses and corporations can use general purpose software, a custom implementation that meets their specific needs, or a hybrid that combines both elements. The choice of which approach to use depends on the type of business as well as the size of the economic budget that is going to be spent on organization via computer software.

One of the simplest ways for a business to start operating using computer software would be to use the free Open Office suite of applications, which is similar to MS Office. The difference is that Open Office is free while MS Office (Microsoft Office) costs a considerable amount of money for a small business.

Except for the two alternatives just described, a business can choose to hire a developer to "craft" software that meets the corporation's very specific needs. This approach is the most costly one since the development cost of the application is going to be covered only by the corporation who ordered it.

Finally, small businesses can go about using ready-to-use applications as well as a few very specific custom ones that are developed specifically for the exact needs of the corporation. This approach is located somewhere between the first (less expensive) and the second (most expensive) choices.

Business Software provides detailed information on Business Software, Small Business Software, Business Card Software, Business Plan Software and more. Business Software is affiliated with Construction Contract Management Software.

Free Office Suite Complete With Database Application

Writen by Ugur Akinci

The last time I've checked, just upgrading Microsoft Office Suite cost $329. If you want to buy a brand new copy of MS Office, then you'll have to part with something like $533.

What if I told you that you can keep your precious money in your wallet and still do (almost) everything that you can do with MS Office for FREE -- as in zilch, nada and nothing?

Welcome to OpenOffice, an office suite downloaded by over ten million grateful users around the world.

You can download it too for FREE from http://www.openoffice.org

In case you are wondering what to do with all your MS Word documents, let me tell you right away: OpenOffice opens all versions of Word documents and then allows you to save them again in any Word version you like. It works like a charm because that's what I've been doing for the last year.

OpenOffice (OO) works on all platforms, Windows, Mac, or Linux. It's an open-source application available in over 30 languages and continuously developed by hundreds of volunteer programmers all over the world.

This is what you get for paying nothing:

1) WRITER -- A fantastic word processor with probably more features than MS Word, including built-in images for your HTML pages. Styles, exporting as PDF (without Acrobat!), text frames and linking, autocorrect dictionary, document wizards, are just some of the features of this amazing word program. Click http://www.openoffice.org/product/writer.html for more info.

2) IMPRESS – is the equivalent of MS Power Point. A splendid multimedia presentation tool with Master Pages, different viewing options, slide show animation and effects. You can use your old MS Power Point presentations or even create your own Flash (.swf) files. Click http://www.openoffice.org/product/impress.html for more info.

3) CALC – the all purpose SPREADSHEET program, like MS Excel. Pull in your data from corporate databases with DataPilot technology, use natural language formulas, insert sums with the click of a button, plenty of styles and formatting to satisfy even a graphic designer, plus Design Themes, etc. You can of course import all your MS Excel sheets and work them in CALC. Microsoft compatibility is a feature shared by all OO tools. Click http://www.openoffice.org/product/calc.html for more info.

4) DRAW – An excellent drawing program that combines the best features of MS Visio and Acrobat Illustrator. Perfect for all kinds of organizational diagrams and charts with a Gallery of clipart and styles galore. Import graphics in many formats (including BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and WMF) and export even as a Flash (.swf) document. Arrange and align objects any way you like. Use Smart Connectors to connect your objects in a dozen different ways. Create 3D rings, cubes, spheres. And more… Click http://www.openoffice.org/product/draw.html for more info.

5) MATH – Create complex scientific and mathematical equations for your scientific papers and books. Smoothly integrated with WRITER, CALC and IMPRESS. Click http://www.openoffice.org/product/math.html for more info.

6) BASE – A great relational database, just like MS Access, with everything you need to create tables, records, queries, print reports, and manipulate your data in any way you want. Perform simple (single column) or complex (multi-column) sorts. Create filters to see only subset of your data. Use the Form Wizard and Report Wizard to guide you through the necessary steps. Based on a full version of the HSQL database engine, storing data in XML files. Click http://www.openoffice.org/product/base.html for more info.

So the choice is yours. But you owe it to yourself to download it today and check it out for yourself.

After all it's FREE. What have you got to lose?

If you don't like it, you can always go back and give that $500 to Uncle Bill, as most of us did for decades.

And if, on the other hand, you like your OO, then perhaps you can donate a small chuck of your MS-money to the angelic folks who have brought us this amazing free gift (http://contributing.openoffice.org/donate.html).

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(653 words , Copyright May 2006 Ugur Akinci)

by Ugur Akinci, Ph.D.
Creative Copywriter and Technical Communicator
writer111@gmail.com
www.writer111.com

Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases and hi-tech documentation.

He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 companies for the last 7 years.

You can reach him at writer111@gmail.com for a FREE consultation on all your copywriting needs.

Please visit his official web site http://www.writer111.com for customer testimonials and more information on his multidisciplinary background and career.

The last book he has edited: http://www.lulu.com/content/263630

Microsoft Dynamics Gp Offshore Remote Support Overview

Writen by Andrew Karasev

As you probably heard, in September 2005 Microsoft strategically renamed its ERP applications: Microsoft Great Plains into Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Navision into Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Axapta into Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft CRM into Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Solomon into Microsoft Dynamics SL. As so-called Project Green is rolling out – you should expect more logic to be transferred into Microsoft Business Portal, and into Microsoft Outlook (currently Microsoft CRM has outlook client and Microsoft Small Business Accounting allows you to generate invoices in Outlook directly, plus promote contacts from Outlook to SBA).

As we see and expect new high-tech and business systems market trends – remote and offshore support will be taking substantial market share in 2006-2010. Microsoft event plans to have special partnership models for BPO (Business Processes Outsourcing) partners, who will enter your AP/AR documents into the system and prepare reporting for you. In this small article we'll consider the alternatives and directions of Microsoft Great Plains offshore remote support:

• Technical Feasibility. As we are watching the parade of remote internet-based technologies: Terminal Services, Citrix, Web Sessions, Skype, PCAnywhere, Vonage/VOIP (with US based phone numbers, physically located offshore), we think that this is just a matter of time (let's give it five years – up to 2010) when consultant driving to the client physical location/office will go to history

• Time Zones. Well – yes – you are right. Other countries are located in different time zones, especially Great Plains gurus in Philippines (remember Match Data Great Plains Project Accounting?). Philippines and India are almost 12 hours away from USA. However South America is about at the same time belt – Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico – these are probably smaller clusters of offshore & BPO companies, but the advantage of time zone is obvious

• Pure Offshore vs. Local Consulting. Again – the choice is yours – in our opinion pure offshore is not the best option – offshore consultants and developers should be also experienced in serving clients face-to-face, this means – they should have local consulting practice in their local countries.

• Dexterity, VBA, Web Services. Here we are coming down to IT people – in our opinion the best offshore project is Microsoft Dexterity (or Great Plain Dexterity) software development

• Lovely Islands. If you are in Bermuda, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Palau, Fiji, Tahiti – you are probably underserved and have to overpay to consultants flying from Miami, Manila, Paris, Chicago, NY, LA. The same should be told about USA/Canada rural communities

• ERP Historical Trend. Well, if you stake on Microsoft Business Solutions – you still might have legacy of products: IBM Lotus Notes Domino, Oracle Financials/Applications/E-Business Suite, SAP, PeopleSoft, JDEdwards, Accpac, Siebel, SalesLogix. You might need integration, data conversion, customization and heterogeneous reporting. Again – in our opinion you should consider budget offshore solution for these developers-time consuming projects

• Brazil – rising star of offshore software development. Usually offshore development is attributed to India – in our opinion Brazil has equal or better chances – in Brazil we have Microsoft Navision, CRM and Axapta clientele. From Brazil we can serve you Portuguese (mainland Portugal) and Spanish (Spain-Madrid-Barcelona-Malaga-Bilbao, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Chili, Argentina, Costa Rica, Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Beliz)

• BPO. Currently we offer these services from India. We have investments in our Indian subsidiary and it is strategic for BPO market

Please feel free to call us: 1-630-961-5918, 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.

We are serving USA Nationwide: CA, IL, NY, FL, AZ, CO, TX, WI, WA, MI, MA, MO, LA, NM, MN, Europe: Germany, France, Belgium, Poland, Russia, Middle East (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, OAE, Bahrain), Asia: China, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, South & Central America: Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Chili, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico