What You Should Ask Before You Buy Your Next Software

Writen by Aaron Colman

There's nothing worse than buying the software you need for your business and finding out there's a catch. Remember to ask about these key details.

1 - Return policy

What if the package doesn't do what you need? Or something suddenly changes and you can't use it? Are you stuck with it or can you return it?

2 - Support

What if the installation is tricky and you need help? Can you find some? What if there's a problem and you need some help along the way, is there someone to contact? Is it a telephone number or just an email address?

3 - System requirements

If it requires PHP 4.0 and MySQL 4.0, will it also work on PHP 5.0 if that's what your server has? If it needs to install a crontab, do you have access to that? If it needs 512mb of RAM and you only have 256mb will it work? Make sure you detail each requirement and that you have each.

4 - Updates

How are updates handled? Are there any at all? If a new version comes out will it cost you money to upgrade, or will it be available for download somewhere? Will the download automatically install itself or will you need to handle it yourself?

5 - Copyrights

Do you have the right to use the software as you choose or will you suddenly find yourself limited by legalities? Does the person selling the software to you have the rights to do this? A lot of 3rd parties sell software on a discount, but when it shows up you find that the keys are pirated. Not only are you out of luck when it comes to calling the helpdesk, you're also exposing yourself to legal problems. If you're purchasing software that grants you a license to use it, what does that license entail?

6 - Does it do what you need?

You get a new bookkeeping program only to realize that it doesn't support the method you're using. Does it specially have what you need?

7 - What's it cost?

Cost is always an issue, usually the first question that comes up. But in reality you might find that paying an extra

$20 now saves you $100's later on. More often than not "cheap software" is worth what you pay for it. Of course you can't pay thousands for something that should only cost afew hundred, nor should you pay hundreds for something that can be had for $29.95 on some other site. Naturally you should do your homework, but provided you've asked the questions above you can be a little less concerned about risking your hard-earned money.

Hopefully armed with the right information you'll be better prepared to avoid the pitfalls and risks and scammers while getting what you need when you need it.

Aaron is the owner of an exciting new site that helps find the software you need for your web business. Free classified ads area, link exchange, article submission area and more. http://www.mysoftwaretoys.com

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How To Identify Cure And Prevent Spywareadware Infections

Writen by Zahid Saddique

Just when you thought you were Web savvy, one more privacy, security, and functionality issue crops up — spyware. Installed on your computer without your consent, spyware software monitors or controls your computer use. It may be used to send you pop-up ads, redirect your computer to websites, monitor your Internet surfing, or record your keystrokes, which, in turn, could lead to identity theft.

Many experienced Web users have learned how to recognize spyware, avoid it, and delete it. According to officials at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, all computer users should get wise to the signs that spyware has been installed on their machines, and then take the appropriate steps to delete it.

The clues that spyware is on a computer include:

- a barrage of pop-up ads

- a hijacked browser — that is, a browser that takes you to sites other than those you type into the address box

- a sudden or repeated change in your computer's Internet home page

- new and unexpected toolbars

- new and unexpected icons on the system tray at the bottom of your computer screen

- keys that don't work (for example, the "Tab" key that might not work when you try to move to the next field in a Web form)

- random error messages

- sluggish or downright slow performance when opening programs or saving files

The good news is that consumers can prevent spyware installation. Experts suggest that you:

* Update your operating system and Web browser software. Your operating system (like Windows or Linux) may offer free software "patches" to close holes in the system that spyware could exploit.

* Download free software only from sites you know and trust. It can be appealing to download free software like games, peer-to-peer file-sharing programs, customized toolbars, or other programs that may change or customize the functioning of your computer. Be aware, however, that some of these free software applications bundle other software, including spyware.

* Don't install any software without knowing exactly what it is. Take the time to read the end-user license agreement (EULA) before downloading any software. If the EULA is hard to find — or difficult to understand — think twice about installing the software.

* Minimize "drive-by" downloads. Make sure your browser security setting is high enough to detect unauthorized downloads, for example, at least the "Medium" setting for Internet Explorer. Keep your browser updated.

* Don't click on any links within pop-up windows. If you do, you may install spyware on your computer. Instead, close pop-up windows by clicking on the "X" icon in the title bar.

* Don't click on links in spam that claim to offer anti-spyware software. Some software offered in spam actually installs spyware.

* Install a personal firewall to stop uninvited users from accessing your computer. A firewall blocks unauthorized access to your computer and will alert you if spyware already on your computer is sending information out.

If you think your computer might have spyware on it, take these three steps: Get an anti-spyware program from a vendor you know and trust. Set it to scan on a regular basis — at least once a week — and every time you start your computer, if possible. And, delete any software programs the anti-spyware program detects that you don't want on your computer.

For the latest news, articles and resources related to spyware, head over to http://www.No-More-Spyware.com and http://www.No-More-Adware.com. You can also download a trustworthy spyware remover, the PAL Spyware Removal tool, to run an absolutely FREE spyware scan on your system and see if you have spyware residing on your PC !

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10 Programming Tips

Writen by Som Dutt Tripathi

(1) Avoid using the same variable again and again for different purposes.

This happens with us that we think that more and more memory will be wasted if we declare seperate variable for each purpose. But, if any debugging is about to be done and program is quite a typical. Then, debugger will get confused and Dry-Run will also not work in such a scenario. So, if your program is small then, you can use the same variable. But, if it is complex, then do not use the same cheap practive.

(2) Use capital letter to variable name for global variables.

You should use capital letters because, there should be distinguishable difference between a local variable and global variable. There should not be any confusion while dry run or debugging.

(3) All the variables should be declared at one place.

This helps the programmer to analyze whether some variable is yet declared or not. If we declare them at different locations, then, a proper manner can not be acheived in your programming. The variables should normally defined just below the function declaration.

(4) There should be proper indenting in whole program.

Indenting helps you understand the program and the logic behind the statements well. This is cheap practice to write the functions, iterations and conditional statements without indenting. It looks like a junk also. There should be a proper demarkation in your mind and the same concept should be followed in all the portions of your program.

(5) Commenting.

Commenting is very much important. Although, there is no relation of them from your logic and programming. But, once you debug your program or new amendments are done, it becomes tedious to understand the logic behind that coding section. That is why, commenting is very neccesary in programming.

(6) Do not use labels.

In some programming languages like BASIC, there is scope of providing labels. Experts say that using such labels produces extra burden in the operating system. So, you should avoid them.

(7) Do not declare unused functions or variables.

This practice is also prohibited. You should not declare such a variable which is not getting used anyewhere. You should check it out when you are going through dry-run also.

(8) Coupling should be avoided cohesion should be increased.

Coupling comes to picture when the output of a function is input to other. This produces a sort of ripple effect and debugging becomes a problem and error-prone programming is found in such state.

(9) Always write the program or check the logic then, come to type.

This is a general practice that people directly sit on system and try to build logic and all the necessary corrections are done. But, such anactivity may produce problems like unused variable (regular declaration and descarding) , unused functions (declare and forget to call or just checking), moving in the wrong direction of logic. So, you should decide things before you come to portray them.

(10) Do not learn programs, try to develop your own logic.

Each person has logic but, there should be flow in that logic. If flow is absent then your ideas can not reach the destination. So, instead of learning an old algorithm, try to your own program based on your logic.

Som Dutt Tripathi is an IT personality. He wants to express many things and want to share his ideas with the world.

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Enduser Programming Modelling Of Information

Writen by Peter Hale

An important area of research is a technique for End User Programming, that of allowing visual modelling of information. This corresponds to the type of work normally undertaken using spreadsheets. This research involves using Semantic Web technologies to enable end user programming.

The work involves allowing non-programmers to model complex problems visually and without having to use programming languages. Information is created in a visual tree using an Ontology editor, the information is then transformed, and all calculations performed. Further transformations can be performed into any programming language or open standard information representation language, and this can be displayed on the web. Also transformations can be performed between a tree representation and other styles of representation e.g. an interactive CAD style representation, using SVG.

A related area of research is that of Semantic Web and Web 2.0 techniques to enable online interaction with the results visualisation. The intention of this is to enable end user programming, by always allowing the person to see the context of the information and to get immediate feedback on any changes.

The theory behind this is that of showing examples of a program in whatever way most puts across the information in an understandable way. This must illustrate the concept that the information represents. This allows a user to manipulate the information and get immediate feedback on what has changed. This is related to Programming by Example, which is explained below.

In the mid 1970s Smith introduced the technique of Programming by Example with a program called Pygmalion. This demonstrated the need to describe algorithms through concrete examples rather than abstractly. 'Example-based Programming: a pertinent visual approach for learning to program' University of Poitiers explains and expands on Smiths work with an example demonstrating how numbers fail to reveal the concept behind them. The example is a numerical representation of a triangle. This representation is 'fregean' because it does not show the concept of a triangle. Next to this is a diagram of the triangle that does show the concept.

Programming by Example - Links

Alan Kay, Allen Cypher - http://www.acypher.com/wwid/FrontMatter/index.html - Watch What I Do - Programming by Example.

Cypher A. (1993) Watch What I Do: Programming by Demonstration, The MIT Press

Example-based Programming: a pertinent visual approach for learning to program (2004) - University of Poitiers - Nicolas Guibert - Patrick Girard - Laurent Guittet - Proceedings of the working conference on Advanced visual interfaces - Pages: 358 - 361 - ISBN:1-58113-867-9.

Programming by Example - http://web.media.mit.edu/~lieber/PBE/index.html - Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT Lab.

Pygmalion: A Computer Program to Model and Stimulate Creative Thought. Stuttgart, Basel - http://sern.ucalgary.ca/courses/SENG/611/F99/ConceptMaps/slides/tsld004.htm - University of Calgary Summary - Smith, D. C. 1977.

Smith, D. C. (1977) A Computer Program to Model and Stimulate Creative Thought. Basel: Birkhauser. 187p.

I am a Researcher in the final year of my PhD. I specialise in applying Semantic Web techniques. My current research is on a technique of 'User Driven Modelling/Programming'. My intention is to enable non-programmers to create software from a user interface that allows them to model a particular problem or scenario. This involves a user entering information visually in the form of a tree diagram. I am attempting to develop ways of automatically translating this information into program code in a variety of computer languages. This is very important and useful for many employees that have insufficient time to learn programming languages. I am looking to research visualisation, and visualisation techniques to create a human computer interface that allows non experts to create software. I am a member of the Institute for End User Computing - http://www.ieuc.org/home.html. My Home Page is http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale/.

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Five Top Tips For Microsoft Excel

Writen by Mike Seddon

Like many users of Excel, I've found a few really useful features which I use quite often.

Here are my top five.

Keyboard Shortcuts
Try the following Excel keyboard shortcuts. They can really make your life easier.

Ctrl + A Select all cells
Ctrl + Home Go to cell A1
Ctrl + End Go to last cell in the range
Ctrl+ Shift+ End Select from active cell to last cell in the range
Ctrl+Shift+Home Select from active cell to A1
Ctrl + Page Down Go to next worksheet
Ctrl + Page Up Go to previous worksheet

Speed copying in Excel
To quickly copy a cell across a row or down a column simply select the cell you want to copy and then move the mouse cursor until it is placed above the bottom right corner of the cell. The cursor will turn to a plus (+) sign.

Now hold down the left mouse button and drag across either the row or column until you have selected all the cells you want to paste into. Release the button and your first cell will be copied to all the chosen cells.

Instant Charts in Excel Spreadsheets.
Fancy a quick chart from a table of figures in Excel?

It's so easy. Just select any of the cells in the table of numbers and press F11.

Try experimenting with it – It's a fast easy way to get a quick chart.

Headers and Footers on Excel Spreadsheets.
Did you know you can print your Excel spreadsheets with Headers and Footers?

Simply click on the File menu and select Page Setup. Now select the Header/Footer tab. Try experimenting with the Custom Header and Custom Footer options as well.

Quick calculator in Excel
How many times have you been working in Excel and you have reached for the calculator in Windows. Usually to check something Excel is telling you!

So, why not put a button in Excel which will fire up the calculator for you.

Simply select View/Toolbars/Customize in Excel.

On the Customize screen, select the Commands tab and then select Tools from the Categories list.

Scroll down the list of icons until you see the calculator. It's labelled Custom (no I don't know why either!). Drag it to your toolbar and there you have it.

Mike Seddon is the founder of Freewordtips.com which he founded initially to offer tips for Microsoft Word. It has now become so popular that he also provides free tips on all the Microsoft Office applications. Find out more at http://www.freewordtips.com/

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Quickbooks Training Reconcile The Credit Card Statement

Writen by Jennifer A. Thieme

Many QuickBooks users are unaware that QuickBooks allows you to reconcile many types of accounts, including credit card accounts. It's important to reconcile the credit card account each month, as soon as you receive the statement. Here's why:

• Finding Errors. Credit card companies don't often make errors, but if they do, you only have a certain amount of time to alert the company if there are any.
• Verifying Entries. Reconciling the credit card statement is one way to ensure your entries are being recorded properly in QuickBooks.
• Takes Less Time. The longer you wait, the more transactions you will have to examine, making the reconciliation process take longer than necessary.

Before beginning, look over the credit card statement and make sure all items that appear on it also appear in QuickBooks. Often, there will be one or more items on the statement that are not in QuickBooks. Enter those before beginning the reconciliation process. Then:

1. Open QuickBooks. From the top menu, select Banking, then select Reconcile. The Begin Reconciliation window opens.

2. From the Account drop-down box, select the credit card account you wish to reconcile.

3. Enter the Statement Date as shown on the credit card statement.

4. Verify that the Beginning Balance in QuickBooks is the same as the beginning balance on the credit card statement. If these amounts are not the same, you may have changed or deleted a previously reconciled transaction. See #b below.

5. Enter the Ending Balance as shown on the credit card statement.

6. Enter any Finance Charges as shown on the statement. From the Account drop-down box, select a Finance Charges account.

7. Click Continue. The Reconcile window opens.

8. Place a checkmark next to each entry that appears on the both the credit card statement and in the Reconcile window. Notice that there are two columns-—one for Charges and Cash Advances, another for Payments and Credits. Under normal circumstances both of these columns will have checkmarks in them when you are finished. The Payments and Credits column will almost always have fewer entries than the Charges and Cash Advances column.

9. While doing this, verify that the amounts recorded in QuickBooks match the credit card statement exactly. If an amount in QuickBooks is incorrect, double click the entry to open and change it.

10. If all entries were made correctly, when you are finished checking off everything, the Difference (located in the bottom right corner) will be zero. If it is zero, click Reconcile Now.

11. QuickBooks will ask if you want to write a check to make a payment now, or enter a bill to make a payment later. Either way, you may elect to pay whatever amount you wish--the entire balance, a portion of the balance, or the minimum payment. If you don't want to do any of those at this time, click Cancel.

12. IMPORTANT: print a Detailed report and staple it to the back of the credit card statement. If you are running QuickBooks Pro, the printed Detailed report will be your only record should you ever need to go back and see a previous reconciliation.

If the Difference is not zero, errors were made. Verify the following:

• Checkmarks may be placed next to items that do not appear on the credit card statement statement, or some items may not have been checked that should have been.
• Carefully verify that all amounts in QuickBooks match the credit card statement amounts exactly, and that all entries on the statement are also in QuickBooks.
• It's possible, although unlikely, that the credit card company made a mistake by recording an item incorrectly. If this is the case, in order to continue you will need to enter the transaction into QuickBooks as it appears on the statement. Don't forget to contact the credit card company to resolve the issue. The next statement should show the correction - be sure to enter it into QuickBooks at that time.
• Always try to make the Difference amount zero before clicking Reconcile Now. If you absolutely cannot make the difference amount zero, see #c below.

Situations Requiring Outside Help:

a. Pro versions of QuickBooks allow access only the last month's reconciliation. Premier versions allow access to all previous reconciliations. If you need a previous reconciliation report and are running QuickBooks Pro, ask your accountant if he/she is running Premier. If so, have your accountant upload your file to his/her computer, then generate the necessary reports.

b. Never delete or change a transaction after it has been reconciled. If you do, it alters the subsequent reconciliation, making it much more difficult. If the beginning balance in QuickBooks was not the same as on the statement, or if the Difference is not zero because a previously reconciled transaction was deleted, contact your bookkeeper or accountant to help resolve the issue.

c. If the difference amount is not zero when you click Reconcile Now, in order to finish the reconciliation QuickBooks must make an adjusting entry in both the credit card account, and the account called Opening Bal Equity (OBE). This will need to be cleared out of OBE, because OBE should always have a zero balance. Contact your bookkeeper or accountant if you ever have a balance in OBE.

About the Author:

Do you have a specific accounting or QuickBooks problem? Would you like to see an article written about it? Contact Jennifer A. Thieme today with your article suggestion. Resolving accounting or QuickBooks issues is her specialty.

She's the owner of Solid Rock Accounting Services and has been in the bookkeeping, income tax, and payroll business for nine years. She's a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor, and a Registered Tax Preparer. Her clients receive QuickBooks training, general bookkeeping, income tax, and/or payroll services.

Visit http://www.jenniferthieme.com today for contact information.

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Oem Software The Todays Phenomenon

Writen by Mike Zhmudikov

Specialists in the IT sphere as well as other people are always potential clients of any software manufacturer. Engineers, accountants, architects, designers, programmers, people who start home-business and other specialists in any sphere today use a computer. But the hardware is not enough in order to work on a PC or Mac. People need software but only a minority can afford buying full versions together with necessary plugins and add-ons. Great if you work in a corporation on in a firm where "everything [software tools] is already installed". But where is an exit from the situation when you have to buy, say, Windows XP or Mac OS, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop and other? Away with questions – let's look through possible variants of solving this issue:

1) Buy any software you need directly from a manufacturer;
2) use trial versions of a brand-name company software limited in functionality;
3) try to find a similar software tool at a less famous manufacturer;
4) download pirated software from "underground" hacker-sites (illegal);
5) download cheap oem software from manufacturers' affiliates or third-party suppliers.

The first option requires a "fat purse" of a client. Ideally in order to operate a PC or Mac, to make presentations, write and send letters, watch films, burn data CD's, listen to music and so on you need to spend thousands of dollars even if you limit yourself in your desires as well as the functions of your computer. A license even for your operating system costs more than 500$. Are you able to afford this? Yes? Then go on and enjoy fully functional brand-name software, receive free periodical updates, get a discount for a later version and receive technical and software support.

Trial versions of software from the great manufacturers like Adobe, Microsoft, Corel and other are available for download free of charge. Though you get a limited functionality and a trial period of working (from 15 till 60 days from the 1st launch), you may then decide whether you really need these programs or not. Trial software is demo programs – no great difference.
The third option is also a possible variant if you say "No" to the first two. Some software tools have open sources and any firm can make their own "brand" and money by a transformation of it. Such software is cheaper than from "the giants" of software development. But the functions are few and the new versions of software come out very rare.

It's not a secret to anyone anymore that in the Internet you can find everything… This applies even to high cost brand software - you can get it for free! together with viruses, trojans and other harmful programs. Moreover, this is illegal and be ready then to dreadful consequences.

Consider one more option – OEM software. First of all, what is "oem software"? OEM means Original Equipment Manufacturer . In general it is 100% fully functional software. But it lacks manuals, promo-discs and bulk-boxes. Consider if you really need them. It may lack live support as well as registration from a manufacturer because the license for this software has "already expired of wasn't intended for second-hand buyers". So, you may conclude that firms that sell oem software get it from other sources, not directly from a manufacturer. But where does it come from? Well, for instance, oem software comes from auctions, from special resellers of older versions of software, from other users who do not need this software anymore. That is why it is so cheap. Sometimes the price for oem software is no more than 5-10% of a nominal manufacturer's price. And at the same time you may be sure that it is really LEGAL though you can't register it anymore and receive updates, but for such a low sum – it is really marvelous.

Many people sometimes do not believe in legal oem software and they have grounds for it: some web-sites that are selling software products name them oem but in reality they are selling pirated non-working software or trial versions that you may get for free. Beware of such firms!

Mike Zhmudikov is a copywriter of Software Sales Ltd. - the leading oem software store that sells downloadable oem software at the lowest price worldwide.
http://www.ankhsoft.com

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How To Avoid Getting Hooked By Pfishing

Writen by Cavyl Stewart

"Pfishing", sometimes spelled "Phishing", is a word that's used to describe a method of identity theft where con men use fake e-mail that looks like it comes from legitimate sources. This e-mail is designed to hoodwink you into giving out personal and financial information. Once the scammers receive your information they use it to either clone your identity or to empty out your bank accounts and run up your charge cards. Here are some tips on how to avoid becoming the next victim.

1. Never respond to an e-mail that looks like it came from your bank or any of your credit card issuers no matter how official it appears. Phishing scam e-mails will tell you that there is some problem with your account and that you have to click on an embedded link to correct that problem. They may threaten to close your account, or report you to the credit bureau, if you do not respond. DON'T DO IT. Don't call the telephone number that appears in the email either. Get out one of your old bank or credit card statements and call the number that appears there. Explain what the email says and follow the directions that you receive from the actual employee. Chances are they'll tell you its a scam.

2. Never give your bank account information, credit card numbers, Social Security number, passwords, personal identification numbers (PIN), or Date of Birth to anyone who asks you for that information by email. No legitimate company will expect you to reveal sensitive information via email. Also, no company that issues you a PIN will ever ask you to reveal that PIN to any of their employees.

3. Never respond to any offer to buy anything by clicking on the link in the e-mail. Even if the e-mail looks like it comes from your favorite department store it might be a scam. To avoid being hooked by Pfishing, type in the URL to the department store by yourself. Go to Google.com to look it up if you don't already know it.

4. Forward copies of any Pfishing email to the actual company or bank that is being imitated by the scammers. You can usually send any email to postmaster@ and then the bank or company name.

5. If a Pfishing e-mail seems particularly threatening or worrisome to you, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ifccfbi.gov), a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.

6. If it's too late and you already provided any of your personal information, account numbers, or PINs then you should immediately contact your banks and credit card companies to make arrangements with them to protect your financial interests. These companies and institutions are familiar with these scams and they know what needs to be done.

7. If you receive evidence of identity theft, such as unauthorized charges on your credit card bills, or unexplained transactions in your bank account, contact the police and file a report. Be sure to get a copy of the report for your own records and to send to the companies that are involved in the transactions. You also need to contact all three major credit bureaus (Equifax at 800-525-6285, Experian at 888-397-3742 and TransUnion at 800-680-7289) and tell them that you need a fraud alert placed on your credit file.

8. You can get information on ID theft and Pfishing at the Federal Trade Commission Web site at www.ftc.gov or calling toll-free 877-382-4357.

Copyright © 2004 Cavyl Stewart. Discover 52 Ways To Do More With Software by signing up for my exclusive Free ecourse. Get resources, tips, reviews and recommendations you can use right now to help you achieve more, easier, and cheaper! 100% Original content. Visit: http://www.find-small-business-software.com/52ways.html

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Microsoft Great Plains Jewelry Implementation Amp Customization Overview

Writen by Andrew Karasev

Each Industry and market niche has business specific and unique requirements to ERP/Accounting System. Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is ERP platform, ready for third party modules additions and customizations, plus being SQL Server-based system it opens you wide spectrum of integration options and tools. In this small article we'll give you Microsoft Great Plains implementation and setup highlights, typical for Jewelry retail network.

• Fixed Assets. Jewelry retailer owns the network of jewelry retail outlets and each one has relatively expensive set of fixed assets: counters, holders, computers, etc. Company has to track each individual Fixed Asset item and depreciate it accordingly: for IRS, State and probably several internal company management accounting depreciation scenarios and methods: straight line, DDB, etc. Due to the fact of reselling precision metals: gold, silver, gem stones and diamonds – you should expect regular audit from IRS and State authorities. Depreciation plays substantial portion of company's non-cash expenses and so should be 100% accurate. Additional challenges – bonus depreciation, introduced several years ago. Plus you must have comprehensive reporting on FA locations by store and region.

• EDI purchasing. In Great Plains you should be able to order your inventory via Electronic Document Interchange (EDI) mechanism. You have multiple options to realize EDI – the simplest would be Purchase Order creation in Great Plains Purchase Order Processing/Receiving module and then exporting them into text EDI-fixed-length compliant format. This text file should be forwarded to your supplier and in Great Plains POP you set flags for POs being sent to your vendor

• Retail Management System integration. In the case when you use Microsoft RMS Store Operations and Headquarters – you should consider seamless integration of your daily transactions into Microsoft Great Plains Sales Order Processing (SOP) or Receivables Management (RM) modules. The integration is realized as a set of MS SQL Server stored procedures. The other way would be implement both Purchasing and Inventory count on RMS Store Operations/Headquarters level and integrate General Ledger transactions only. If you have only one Great Plains Company – you can deploy RMS->GP integration utility, coming to you with RMS purchase and support CDs.

• Reporting. In both cases – Great Plains and RMS compliance reporting should be realized in Crystal Reports and the best way and design style is creating SQL views and stored procedures and basing report on these views and procs.

We encourage you to analyze your alternatives. You can always appeal to our help, give us a call: 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), serving Microsoft Great Plains, CRM, Navision to mid-size and large clients in California, Illinois, New York, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan

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Firewall Hot Stuff For Stomping Out Spyware Malware And Adware

Writen by Christina Bultinck

Firewalls are software programs for your computer that are comparable to exterior doors to your house or apartment since they keep potential intruders out. What is a thief strolled past that open door, when no one was home, and robbed you of anything of value including personal information? That is probably the time you'd kick yourself for not having a door! A firewall is the "door" to that offers computer internet security and if you don't have one, well, enjoy your time with your computer because it won't last long. According to AOL, the average computer that connects to the internet using DSL has a lifespan of two-weeks unless firewall and virus protection are used.

Imagine if your house didn't have doors and instead of checking each home on foot, a thief could just send out a signal worldwide that would list the addresses of houses without doors that could easily be robbed. On the Internet hackers use malicious code such as viruses to go forth and find vulnerable computers, except instead of reporting back to the creator about people with no computer internet security, the viruses can attack on the spot! With a firewall, your computer will not be detected by viruses. Many people without protection have a false sense of security and think it is too much work for a hacker to figure they are personally not using a firewall, when in fact it is quite easy as you've just seen. To see well your computer would hold up to an attack perform a free internet security test (perfectly harmless) at AuditMyPC.com.

Some of the actions taken by viruses, spyware, malware and adware are meant to annoy you by changing your browser settings or adding a new toolbar. Without the computer internet security offered by a firewall you could also encounter malicious programs that delete files, steal personal information or destroy computers. If you currently do not have a firewall and need free internet security to get you buy, check out CyberGuard which will rid your computer of adware.

The type of firewall you use depends on how many computers are in your household and which operating system are used(Windows, Linux, Mac, etc.) Windows users will want to upgrade their system to Windows XP which comes with a firewall that is turned on by default. If you are already running XP you have the firewall, but make sure to install the Service Pack 2 which offers solid computer internet security and can be found at Microsoft's update site. If you are running Windows 98 or 2000 and would rather not upgrade to XP you can install a software firewall on each computer you have. If you are unsure which version you have go to and then click then type in winver and click . This will tell you what version you are running and will let XP users know if Service Pack 2 is installed. Computer upgrades are recommended for those using outdated systems and by doing so you'll also receive the latest firewall protection. Mac users can either purchase firewall software such as DoorStop, or upgrade to Mac OS X which has a built-in firewall.

By BuyContentOnline.com

Christina Bultinck is a published author/writer with ten years experience. She sells original and affordable content through BuyContentOnline.com.

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Why And How To Use Protection In Microsoft Excel

Writen by Chris Le Roy

One of the unsung hero's in the Microsoft Office suite of applications is in fact Microsoft Excel. It is one of the most widely used applications in business but yet it hardly gets a mention due to its lack of sex appeal compared to other Microsoft Office applications like Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Project. If you are in business you cannot survive without Microsoft Excel as it allows you to model your business and identify when things go wrong. It also allows you to build templates for your team and then have those team members enter data into the templates to be correlated at a later time.

For example, if you are working in a large corporation and you are a Senior Manager, one of the responsibilities you will have is to create budgets each year. Now if you are like me, this can be a major task and a major source of frustration, in particular because you will have some people in your team that will know better and want to modify your templates …

Sound Familiar …

Well, here a couple of things to consider. Why not lock off the cells you do not want your staff to be playing with. That's right, you can control what people can modify. You can even control which cells they can click on and which ones they can't. My outline in this article will cover setting up protection for Microsoft Excel 2003. The reason I have chosen this version is that it provides far more security options compared to previous versions.

Okay so let us begin…

The first step you must take in protecting your workbook in Microsoft Excel is in deciding what cells you want to protect. By default, every cell in Microsoft Excel is setup with the cells being protected however, the function is not enabled until you actually protect the worksheet. So, to protect and unprotect cells, the first step is to select the cells that you want to unprotect, then select the Format menu and choose Cells from the drop down menu, alternatively you could have used the shortcut keystroke [Ctrl] + [1].

In the Format Cells dialog box simply choose the Protection tab. You will now see a check box that says Locked and it should have a tick next to it. This tick means that when you set protection for this worksheet it will not be available for editing. That means we need to deselect it by clicking on the check box once. To complete the process simply choose the OK button.

So at this point you need to go through and follow this process for all the cells that you want to have your staff entering data for…

The next step once you have completed this process is to protect the worksheet. Now the interesting thing about this is that to enable protection of the cells you must individually protect each worksheet. So, now choose the worksheet you want to protect then go to the Tools menu and choose Protection from the drop down menu, and then finally choose Protect Sheet. At this point the Protect Sheet dialog box will appear and will ask you to enter a password. Now, this is where you need to be very careful. If you enter a password, make sure that you make a note of it because if you don't and you forget the password, you will have problems reusing this sheet or in particular changing this sheet in the future.

You also have some other options available in the Protect Sheet dialog box. The main one we are concerned about is deselecting the option Select Locked Cells. If you deselect this option it means only the Unprotected cells can be selected by your users. It also means they can use the tab key to go from one Unprotected Cell to another.

If you have multiple worksheets in your spreadsheet you will have to go to each individual sheet and protect them. The reason that Microsoft has done this is to ensure that you can have different people modifying the data on differing worksheets, rather then each person being able to modify everything.

One of the other elements you can protect is the ability to change the workbook. The previous examples protected the individual worksheet but you also need to be able to protect your workbook. You can do this by going to the Tools menu, choosing Protection and the choosing Protect Workbook. The application will then allow you to protect the structure and windows. You can also enter another password as well. Keep in mind you need to be documenting these passwords in a separate workbook in a secure location on your server. The Password Excel Spreadsheet should be put in a secure location by your IT Department with no password on the individual file. If the IT Department puts it into a secure location without a password, it means if something happens to you in the future, the IT Department will still be able to recover your work.

Finally, the last set of protection we need to consider is whether we need a password to modify the workbook or to open the workbook. To set these parameters we simply go to the the Tools menu and then choose the Options command from the drop down menu. In the Options dialog box choose the Security tab. From here you can now set a password to open the file and to modify the file.

You will in all areas where you are entering passwords be required to enter the password twice. This ensures that you do not incorrectly type the password and cause the file to be inaccessible.

Protecting your workbook, worksheet and cells allows you to take control of your spreadsheet and to prevent people from playing with your data and the structure of your spreadsheet. Keeping control of your spreadsheet can save you hours of rework ensuring that you maintain your efficiency and productivity and the bottom line is that it will save you money.

Chris Le Roy is a Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor and has available Microsoft Excel Shortcuts to help you with Microsoft Excel. He also offers a correspondence course where you can earn yourself Microsoft Excel Certificates issued by his company without evening leaving home - Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Training

Tips on Microsoft Excel are also Available

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Do You Know How To Defeat The Browser Hijacker

Writen by Tom Jenson

Your browser now has a new start page and a new search page. Every time your browser loads a page that doesn't exist, you end up at some strange site, probably filled with popup ads or worse - pornography. Nothing you do, from resetting the home page in your options menu to rebooting your machine gets rid of the problem.

If you're really unlucky, the first new page you try to load has called up so many pop ups that your machine will virtually lock up until professionally serviced.

Browser hijacking is a very real and annoying problem. If the hijacker program starts sending you off to pornography websites - there's a real chance it might have caused pornography to be downloaded onto your hard drive. Porn on a work computer has the potential to get your into real trouble.

Spyware, the generic term for software that installs itself and records your movements, information and other bits to send back to its source, is a general nuisance. Browser hijacking is a form of spyware that subverts your browser settings and leaves you in a bind. If you don't have something that can prevent or at least detect and reset it, you could be in for some trouble.

Many savvy users who discover the problem find it very difficult to repair. Critical files like "Internet Options" are missing from the control panel of the operating system. So, now it's time to sort through the various .dll files or .ini file extensions - looking for a configuration that was altered.

Next, the person experiencing the problem becomes so frustrated that they delete their browser and try to reinstall or the worst yet, completely reformat the hard drive - convinced that it is irreparable.

Well, reformatting will work - but only until the hijack software has been downloaded once more from wherever it was retrieved from in the first place. Most anti-spyware software contains code for detecting and removing browser hijackers; it requires activation of the software to detect it for some programs. Other pay versions include real time blockers that will actually prevent a browser hijacker from installing itself.

Unfortunately, spyware and its associated brethren are here to stay. The best defense is to employ protection that will guard against unexpected software additions and installs. Hijacking your browser may not seem as criminal as a virus that eats files, but if you've ever experienced your browser being hijacked, then you're aware with the frustration it causes.

Discover all you ever wanted to know about spyware. Latest discovery methods, latest incoculation treatments, latest removal techniques. Click for useful info and daily updated blog of spyware news and articles. Click http://www.spyware-revealed.com

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Ingredients For Great Computer Training Software

Writen by Natalie Aranda

When it comes to talking about Computer training software, a new world of possibilities is available for those who want to improve their skills, learn more about certain subjects or obtain an IT certification.

A few of the basic ingredients that make computer based training programs great computer software is high quality, easy to understand and follow, not requiring boring books to read or attendance to expensive classrooms, but a video training designed by professional skilled trainers running on your own computer.

Computer based training may help you to develop a more sustainable career achieving your professional goals by mastering any software application. Some training software includes courses for Microsoft products, DreamWeaver, Flash, Illustrator, Lightwave, and many others.

Portability is another essential ingredient for excellence and success of computer based training; most courses, including IT Certification, come in CD's with all that you may need to learn, step by step from your own computer anytime you desire.

You can learn faster than you ever thought possible with the aid of computer training applications, but not only just the basics in training but also a number of professional IT certifications, computer based training, including:

Cisco CCNA / ICND, CompTIA A + Certification, CompTIA i Net+ Certification, CompTIA Linux Certification, CompTIA Network + Certification, CompTIA Security + Certification, CompTIA Server + Certification, Implementing Managing Exchange Server, Introduction to Oracle SQL and PL / SQL, Oracle Database Admin 1Z0-032, Oracle Performance Tuning 1Z0 - 033

As well as most of the computer based training and IT certification for Microsoft:

Managing a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network, Managing Windows 2000 Security, Microsoft Designing Active Directory Server 70 -297, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Organization 70 - 285, Microsoft MCDST Certification, Microsoft Server 2003 70 - 290, Microsoft Server 2003 70 - 299, Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services, Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 70 - 291, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 70 - 294, Microsoft Windows XP Admin.

One of the many benefits of computer training is that it can be accelerated by an entire team at no extra charge most of the time, and some great computer training is designed to offer computer based training by modules, or by specific products and procedures, all accomplished in just a few hours.

Computer based training can also be developed by a company in behalf of another requiring their expertise and e-learning technology.

Natalie Aranda writes about learning, technology and learning. One of the many benefits of computer training is that it can be accelerated by an entire team at no extra charge most of the time whether you want to gain Microsoft Certification or Cisco Certification.

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The 5 Minute Guide To Preventing Detecting And Removing Spyware

Writen by Kevin Nelson

If you don't periodically scan your computer for spyware, you may unknowingly be leaving your personal information at risk or causing damage to your computer.

Spyware is a growing threat that all of us have to face as computer users in our more connected world. However, there are a few things you can do to help avoid this troublesome, sometimes dangerous software.

Preventing Spyware:

The best way for you to mitigate spyware is to simply avoid it. Sure, that sounds obvious, but to do so, you have to know how spyware gets onto your computer and what steps you can take to effectively avoid it. Spyware usually gets onto your system via some other program you download. This can be any software application but usually you only need to worry about the free ones, like those available on freeware download sites or peer-to-peer networking software. If you use Internet Explorer, spyware can get onto your system via free toolbars available all over the web. When in doubt, just pass on these toolbars or other software that integrates with your web browser unless it's from a known and trusted source. Finally, be careful of the sites you visit and don't allow sites to automatically add themselves to your web browser or automatically install applications, especially via the Active-X control.

Detecting Spyware:

If you think you might have spyware on your computer, the first step is identifying what you have. You should keep an eye out for warning signs, like random toolbars added to your browser like I mentioned earlier. Other red flags are lots of popups, even when you're not online, slow system performance all of a sudden or a computer that seems to be working like crazy even when you're not doing anything on it. In addition, if your computer starts to perform unreliably, restarts, or freezes up, it's probably a good time to scan for spyware and see what might be on your system. The good thing is that there are several choices for spyware scanners, both free and paid options. While the free ones will do the trick, the paid alternatives usually have more features so I tend to favor those, even for the casual computer user. The paid options almost always have a free trial or offer a free scan, so you can check out the software and scan your system before you buy. That way, you don't pay for software you don't need if your system turns out to already be spyware-free.

Removing Spyware:

Once you decide to scan your computer, you can probably use your spyware software to remove the offending programs as well. Most programs that scan for spyware double as spyware removers, either out of the box or after paying a small fee for the upgrade from the free version to the full version. You should run the spyware program twice and ideally, you'd run two programs. This doesn't have to be two paid versions though, instead one of the freebies and one of the others. The reason for this is that with so much spyware out there and with it being so hard to get rid of, it helps to have two programs pulling info from two different spyware databases to ensure everything that's on your system is found and removed.

Once you get rid of the spyware on your system, pay close attention to the sites you visit and the programs you download and install. The same applies for others that use your computer. By understanding these simple concepts, you'll be well on your way to ensuring your computer stays clear of spyware, both now and in the future.

For a limited time, get exclusive access to our anti spyware mini-course - protect yourself from this growing threat. A $29.00 value, yours free if you sign up now. Click here for our free Spyware Removal Mini-Course.

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Software Testing And Quality In Real World

Writen by Karthikeyan Pappaiyan

Why Sofware Testing?

To reduce risk:

Customer dissatisfaction
Decrease of market share
Higher service costs
To verify
To ensure that the system operates according to the requirements
"Passive" testing; the positive attributes of the system are tested
To validate
To ensure that the software is free from defects
"Active" testing; let's try to break the system!

QA and Organizational Culture

On average, proper software testing takes up as much time as designing and building a software application
After you have written and compiled your software application, you don't throw away the source code: that is your investment.
However, after testing, not much of your testing environment, test cases, test scripts, test results and logs are saved.
If testing software takes as much time as building it, why are we so careless about our investment in testing?
Introducing new tools and imposing new techniques will not change the process.
Everyone involved in the delivery of the software, including business users, analysts, designers, programmers, testers, managers, executives, systems personnel and quality assurance people, must understand that you are fundamentally changing the way you build and test software.

TEST PLANNING

Master Test Plan
Defines the overall project's test strategy
Defines the project's test objectives
Estimates effort
The 40% Rule
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Should be prepared as part of the requirements of the system
Detailed Test Plans
Dependent on knowledge of the system
List Test Cycles
Entry Criteria
Exit Criteria
Expected Results
Test Cases
Roles and Responsibilities
Resource Requirements
Business and technical people
Software for Testing Environment and Automation
Reporting Requirements
Test Plan Change Control

Developement Methodologies
V" Model Development -
Attempts to address the problems associated with the waterfall model by making sure that testing occurs earlier in the development life-cycle
Test planning takes place in conjunction with design documents
In theory, you are ready to start running the tests as soon as you have the software

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The Purpose Of Antivirus Software

Writen by James Hunt

Anti-virus software is software that you install on your computer so that you can be alerted when you have a virus. Anti-virus software will help to keep your computer safe against worms, viruses, Trojan horses, and other uninvited programs.

The software can also help you clean your computer if you should happen to have a virus. The important thing to remember about anti-virus software is that you make sure to update it often so that you get the latest computer virus definitions installed into the software program. There is no point in having the anti-virus software if you're not going to update it. You'll be able to get updates from the vendor that sold you the anti-virus software, such as Norton.

Many times you may already have anti-virus software on your computer in which case you be sure to uninstall it before installing your new software. To find out if you have virus software check under your Start menu to see if you one listed, such as McAfee or Norton. Keep in mind that just because you have anti-virus software already installed on your computer that it (1) might not be working, and (2) hasn't been updated for a long time.

Once you've installed anti-virus software on your computer you're going to want to make sure that you use it correctly. Make sure that the settings in your computer automatically turn the anti-virus software on when you boot up your computer. You always want to be protected. If you're downloading something off the Internet your anti-virus software will let you know if there is a problem.

You can also use the anti-virus software to specifically scan any downloads, or files, that that have been sent to you via e-mail. If you are alerted that you have a virus your software will guide you with the right steps to removing it. Make sure that you don't continue to use your computer until the virus, or worm that you have, is removed. You don't want to send e-mail to friends and help in the spreading of the virus.

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at http://www.anti-virus-software-guide.com

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Artificial Intelligence Students On The Wrong Track

Writen by Lance Winslow

There have certainly been incredible strides made in the field of artificial programming and how these systems can interact with humans. Unfortunately the results as good as they are do not work as good as they need to. In fact a human who is asked to consider if they are discussing information with a machine or a human online can usually always pick out which is which. So is this a litmus test? No, but if we are going to have computers and robotics interact with people, we must do better than we are currently.

In fact what I see as a major problem currently is that many of the Artificial Intelligence grad students and their professors are making errors in their assumptions of how best to design these artificial intelligent systems. Therefore their programming efforts are not succeeding as well as they should at places like Carnegie Mellon, MIT and Berkeley. Is this to say I am criticizing their efforts entirely? No, however their mirroring theories of mimicking the human when interacting are not enough. Humans do not always want interaction with like minds of other humans. As we know opposites attract.

It is for this reason that I am calling for some interactive personality programs which run over one another to be integrated into the AI systems with some mirroring which has already been developed to remain and thus we will be better to simulate human behavior in machines which will be interactive robotic assistants. Consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

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Unwanted Files

Writen by Robert Farey

A LOT OF UNWANTED FILES.

When you uninstall an item of software, there are generally a number of redundant files left behind to clutter up your hard drive. Over the course of a year or two they can be using valuable hard drive space that would be better reserved for more important things.

These files are backups that are generated when software is installed, the reason is not important. All that we need to know is that when the software is un-installed they are no longer required.

To remove them and free up drive space is a simple procedure.

If you are using Windows 98 - ME - or 2000.

Click on Start>Search>For files or folders. Enter your search criteria in this case it is .bak (don't forget the dot before bak)

Click on the 'Find now' button.

When the search is finished you should see a number of .bak files in the results window.

Look carefully for any files marked as 'Config.bak' or 'System.bak' It is not advisable to erase these files unless you know what you are doing.

It is now safe to erase the remaining files using your right mouse button and 'Delete'.

If you are using Windows XP.

Click start>search.
Click 'Documents'
Enter 'bak' in the search field.
Click 'search'.
When the matches appear in the results window, as above look out for 'Config.bak' and 'System.bak' files. The remainder may be safely deleted. Don't be scared of your computer. You are in charge.

All the best. Bob...

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Powerpoint To Dvd Creator

Writen by Lu Lu

Microsoft PowerPoint has dramatically changed the way in which academic and business presentations are made. Suppose you need to create PowerPoint DVDs, aside from being very popular, the most common reasons that users want to burn PowerPoint slides to DVD are usability, portability, and storage. Since DVD is fast becoming the preferred video format for all kinds of consumer applications, as well as computer peripherals, saving ppts to DVD makes good sense for storing and sharing them with others. PC-created DVDs can be shown on other PCs that support DVD or on consumer DVD players (and, of course, create some for your own archiving and enjoyment.)

Here I recommend presenters to use the PowerPoint DVD authoring and burning software. What I mean by this is that instead of simply packing their presentation to a CD or DVD and thereby needing to transfer or install it to another laptop in an emergency, burn a true DVD movie disc with most of your content and narration record, so that your boss or your friends can show it on a standard DVD player or leave it behind for a client or audience after the show.

The DVD movie disc can include an interactive menu linked to any video you want to present, and after you output your PowerPoint slides as still images (File > Save As and change the file type to BMP, JPG or TIF), you can import these into the DVD as slideshows. And with DVD/VCD, you can attach music and narration to accompany your slides show, which will really add to the ambience.

A disc burned correctly like that in a DVD burner will play through most consumer DVD drives and is easy to set up connected to a computer monitor or even a large-screen TV.

Many programs will enable you to create and burn such a PowerPoint DVD disc. At the low end there's ProDVD's PowerPoint DVD Maker. If you want a more practical tool, I recommend Wondershare PPT2DVD (http://www.ppt-to-dvd.com)

Lu Lu, teaches, trains, and consults on business and professional presentations and eCommerce related matters.

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Microsoft Crm Integration With Great Plains Overview For Consultant

Writen by Andrew Karasev

Initially this integration was created for Microsoft Great Plains 7.5 (now Microsoft Dynamics GP), later on Microsoft released the patch, which enables integration between GP 8.0 and MS CRM 1.2 (now Microsoft Dynamics CRM). Integration is created on the BizTalk platform and requires dedicated computer: Windows2003 server with MS SQL instance. You access settings forms via web interface. We will briefly review integration capability and give you some technical insights, based on our experience.

• Customers/Accounts. When you create account in MS CRM – integration automatically creates account in Great Plains Dynamics GP. It is a bit challenging to make all the features and settings work, especially if you plan to use default class, address, etc. At the same time it works as it should if you provide parameters, such as credit amount value in MS CRM – then this number goes seamlessly into GP. Somewhat non-elegant – it is difficult to design automatic increasing numbering for Great Plains customer record. Out of the box – integration generates CUSTNMBR from Account name in CRM – this means that you should take off CUSTNMBR from all the printed forms in Great Plains.

• SOP Sales Order. When you release sales order in CRM – it goes to Great Plains. The most common question is – why Order doesn't integrate if Customer doesn't have credit limit setup in Great Plains. You should find procedural way to deal with this problem.

• Historical customers. This is another common problem. When you launch/implement MS CRM – you import your existing customers from Great Plains into CRM. Then you typically want to move sales quote and order generation process to MS CRM, where you have nice mailmerge mechanism to print quote for customer in the form of Microsoft Word contract or quote template. When you import customers via MS CRM import tool – they will be automatically duplicated by MS CRM GP Integration. You need to delete new customer records in Great Plains and then update Integration records in MS GP CRM Integration database. We provide script below (please use this script only if you first analyzed it and if you are very comfortable with SQL scripting for MS GP and MS CRM, GREATPLAINSSERVER is linked server – you create it from GPCRM integration server side):

update IntegrationEntityInstance set EntityKey=b.CUSTNMBR from
IntegrationEntityInstance a
join [GREATPLAINSSERVER].[GPCOMPANYDB].dbo.RM00101 b on
left(a.EntityKey,8)=left(replace(CUSTNAME,' ',''),8)
where EntityType='Customer'

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

Please do not hesitate to call or email us: USA 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918 help@albaspectrum.com

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Inventory Tracking Software

Writen by Jason Gluckman

In view of the close interrelation between inventory level and customer service level, inventory control definitely involves a compromise between cost and service. These two factors are the main ingredients of inventory tracking software.

The different functions of physical distribution such as transportation, handling, warehousing and inventory management interact constantly with one another. As the functions are interdependent, the costs are also closely interrelated. Very often, one function offsets the other. For example, if the firm is prepared to incur increased cost on transportation, it may be in a position to reduce its warehousing/inventory cost. This is because when there are no curbs on transportation costs, the firm can use faster modes of transport and rush the stocks to the desired warehouse, and thereby keep inventory at reduced levels. The opposite is also true when warehousing/ inventory holding is unlimited, slackness in transportation does not cause damage to sales.

This means that none of the physical distribution functions can be handled in isolation. They have no separate identities. They need a high degree of coordination and common direction. If the functions are scattered in an arbitrary manner among different departments of the company without a common direction, control will become fragmented and effectiveness will be adversely affected. In fact, under such a situation, the very objectives of inventory tracking software get fragmented and distorted. The different functions would pull in different directions. The transportation people would go all out to reduce the cost of transportation unmindful of the effect of such a policy. They would settle for less reliable and slower modes of transport. The sales people, on the other hand, would opt for large inventories in several locations with a view to maximize customer service.

Inventory Software provides detailed information on Home Inventory Software, Inventory Accounting Software, Inventory Management Software, Inventory Software and more. Inventory Software is affiliated with Fleet Maintenance Software Reviews.

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Introduction To C Programming

Writen by Arvind Gupta

This article gives you an introduction to C++ Programming from ground level. This article won't teach you all the fundas of C++ programming rather it gives you the base to learn C++ programming, remember that for further learning, the base should be strong and this is what this article tries to do. It would let you know many fundas which will help you in further learning of the the language. C++ was developed in 1980s in the Bell Laboratories by Bjarne Stroustrup as an object oriented programming language. This language is considered by many as an extension of the programming language C. The extension of programming language C to create C++ is obtained by adding classes to C. This is why C++ was initially called "C with Classes". The C++ programming language derives its name from the increment operator used in C, which increments the value of a variable. The symbolic name of C++ rightly indicates that this language is enhanced version of C.

Features of C++ Programming Language:-

1. C++ programming language is highly flexible, versatile and very powerful

   programming language for developing any software specially the system software

   namely operating system, compilers etc.

2. C++ is most ideally suited language for development of reusable programs,

   which is very important to keep the production cost minimum.

Comparison of C++ Programming Language

Let us see how C++ compares with other programming languages. All the programming languages can be divided into two categories:-

1. Problem oriented languages or High-level languages: These languages have

   been designed to give a better programming efficiency, i.e. faster program

   development. Examples of languages falling in this category are FORTRAN, BASIC

   etc.

2. Machine oriented languages or Low-level programming languages. These languages

   have been designed to give a better machine efficiency, i.e. faster program

   execution. Examples of programming languages falling in this category are

   Assembly Language and Machine Language.

C++ stands in between these two categories. That's why it is often called a Middle level language, since it was designed to have both: a relatively good programming efficiency (as compared to Machine oriented languages) and relatively good machine efficiency (as compared to Problem oriented languages).

Getting Started with C++ Programming

Communicating with a computer involves speaking the language the computer understands, which immediately rules out English as the language of communication with computer. However, there is a close analogy between learning English language and learning C++ language. The classical method of learning English is to first learn the alphabets or characters used in the language, then learn to combine these alphabets to form sentences and sentences are combined to form paragraphs. Learning C++ programming is similar and much easier.

Therefore, instead of straight-away learning how to write programs, we must first know what alphabets, numbers and special symbols are used in C++, then how using these, constants, variables and keywords are constructed, and finally how are all these combined to form an instruction. A group of instruction would be combined later on to form a program. Character SetCharacter set is a set of valid characters that the language can recognize. A character represents any letter, digit or any other sign. C++ has the following character set:
Letters A-Z, a-z
Digits 0-9
Special Symbols space + - * / ' " ( )[ ] etc.
White Spaces blank space, horizontal tab, carriage return, newline etc.
Other Characters, C++ can process any of the 256 ASCII characters as data or as literals.
The alphabets, numbers and special symbols when properly combined form constants, variables and keywords. Let us see what these are:-

• Constants: Constants are data items that never change

  their value during a program run. C++ programming language allows several

  kinds of constants.

• Variables: Variables are quantities that may vary during

  program execution. Variable names are names given to locations in the memory

  of computer where the value is stored.

• Keywords: These are the words that convey a special meaning

  to the language compiler. Keywords are the words whose meaning has already

  been explained to the C++ compiler. The keywords cannot be used as variable

  names because if we do so we are trying to assign a new meaning to the keyword,

  which is not allowed by the computer. Examples of keywords are if, void, for,

  switch etc.

Data Types in C++

Data types are means to identify the types of data and the associated operations to handle it. In C++ data types are broadly of two types:-

1. Fundamental Data Types: These are predefined to the C++

   language itself. there are at least five fundamental data types.

   • char- represents that the declared variable of this type can store

     characters

   • int- represents integers
   • float- represents floating point numbers
   • void- represents valueless data

2. Derived Data Types: These are constructed from the fundamental

   types. I will not give you the details here because this is a bit high-level.

Instructions in C++ Programming Language

Now that we seen the different types of constants, variables and keywords the next logical step is to learn how they are combined to form instructions.

• Type declaration instructions: to declare the type of

  variables used in the program.
  

  Eg:- int num;
  

  Here a variable num is declared of type int(eger).

• Input /Output instructions: to perform the function supplying

  input data to a program and obtaining the output results from it.
  

  Eg:-
  

  cin>>a;
  

  cout<<"Hello";
  

  In the first line input is taken from the keyboard by the function cin and

  is assigned to a pre-declared variable a. In the second line 'Hello'

  is printed using the function cout.

• Arithmetic instructions: to perform arithmetic operation

  between constants and variables.
  

  Eg:- c=a+b;
  

  Here c is assigned a value which is the sum of the variables a and b.

• Control instructions: to control the sequence of execution

  of various statements in a C++ program.
  

  Eg:- if (a>b) func1();
  

  Here it is checked whether a is greater than b, if it is, then program execution

  goes to a user defined function 'func1'.

The first C++ Program

Armed with the knowledge about the types of variables, constants, keywords etc. we would write down our first C++ program.
Each instruction in a C++ program would comprise of a series of statements. These statements must appear in the same order in which we want them to be executed.
The following rules are applicable to all C++ programs no matter ho long or complicated they are

• Blank spaces may be inserted between two words to increase readability

  of the statements. However, no blank spaces are allowed within a variable,

  constant or keyword.

• Usually all statements are entered in small case letters.
• C++ has no specific rules for the position at which a statement is to be

  written. That's why it is often called free-form language.

• Any C++ statement always ends with a semicolon (;).

Now, let us have a look at a program which calculates the sum of two numbers given by the user.

//To calculate the sum of two given numbers

#include

main()

{

int num1; //declares a variable num1 of type int(etger)

int num2; //declares a variable num2 of type int(etger)

int sum; //declares a variable sum of type int(etger)

cin>>num1; //takes input and stores to the var num1

cin>>num2; //takes input and stores to the var num2

sum= num1+num2; //adds vars num1 & num2

cout<

}

A few useful tips:-

• Any C++ program is nothing but a combination of functions, main() is one

  such function which is always there in a C++ program in one form or the other.

  Empty parentheses are necessary after main.

• The set of statements belonging to a function is enclosed within a pair

  of braces
  

  Ex.
  

  main()
  

  {
  

  statement1;
  

  statement2;
  

  statement3;
  

  statement4;
  

  }

• Any variable is declared before using it.
• Any C++ statement should always end with a semicolon.
• iostream.h is the file needed to use the functions cin and cout, which

  is included in the program with the include keyword.

Summary

After going through the article you have got an introduction to C++ Programming, you now know what C++ is and how it is used. You now know the C++ language and have learnt some of the most fundamental parts of C++. you have learnt how to declare variables and how to use them in arithmetic operations. In one sentence you have got an introduction to C++ programming which will help you in further learning of the language.

Original article by Arvind Gupta. You are free to republish this article in any form you like, as long as this Resource Box with the ALIVE LINK to the related article is there. Related article written by Arvind Gupta:- http://learning-computer-programming.blogspot.com

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Technology Acceptance Issues In Pakistan

Writen by Rabia Wajeeh

Technology, a term frequently used now-a-days which usually refers to a method or process that is made for facilitating people's work or to benefit them in their particular circumstances. Speaking of technology, we see that the term Information Technology is being very popular in almost every aspect of our lives. From E-shopping to E-Banking, we perform so many transactions daily which involves computer systems interactions somehow. Even when we make a phone call, it's log is maintained at the telephone department's database using an information system.

Information Technology is shaping itself as a backbone for the growth and development of our country. Government of Pakistan has launched its IT policy to keep pace with technologically developed countries. And some of the companies in Pakistan have enhanced their services by deploying information systems in their departments and providing their best to satisfy their customers. One good example is of 'Pakistan Post Company'. In the past, this company was considered to be the slowest and unreliable source of delivering one's important documents and people used to send their documents using some private postal services which in their opinion was more reliable and fast. But now after the implementation of information systems technology, they are providing enquiry and reporting facilities relating to the movements of mail items, receptacles and dispatches and have enabled a web-based inquiry facility within time. In other words they have improved their overall operations and increased productivity. And they have joined the IT world to keep pace with the current market and their competitors.

Despite of all these benefits of Information Systems, there are still so many companies and organizations in Pakistan both in public and private sectors, that are still being operated manually. They are using the same old file-based system which makes processing very slow and inefficient at the operational level which also affects other levels of organization. At present, there are many reasons of not deploying Information systems even though they are beneficial. Reason of not deploying an information system is because some companies are running small businesses and they don't have more budget to deploy such systems.

In case of such organizations that can afford technological developments, the most important and significant issue is Technology Acceptance. And resistance to this issue becomes complex when examined in the light of how technology has been used in the past, how it may be seen as a tool of oppression, and how these experiences affect employees' emotions and attitudes about the proposed new technology in the workplace. For instance, in the year 1997, around 7,600 employees from United Bank Limited were retrenched mandatory on account of overstaffing of the bank and in order to achieve its objective of "right sizing" which in other words was the deployment of new technology which forced them to cut down the size of staff.

Talking about employees' resistance to the technology, we find that such people who used to work manually get bothered by only thinking that how will it be possible for them to work on new systems. Some of such employees usually have a fear of losing their jobs by the introduction of this new technology as i have discussed above. Some people even think that if computers get introduced in our company then there will always be a check and balance of everything they do and they won't be able to hide anything fraudulent. Some employees belong to a category of people who have nothing good to say about anything. They always try to oppose anything new and are negative in nature. Therefore they oppose the deployment and usage of new technology even though it is beneficial for the company but in some cases not for them.

Therefore before the implementation of a new technology it must be kept in mind that the introduction of a new technology will have profound effects on the work lives of employees. New technology always affects the social organization of work, access to resources, formal and informal organizational structures, and companies' control patterns. And to overcome such problems, there must be a firm strategy that ensures the employees that they will not lose their jobs. Secondly there should be an awareness about the technology to be introduced and training programs should be conducted that makes them enable to work with the new systems efficiently. The information technology should make employees feel comfortable and rather than fearing, they should feel confident by having the knowledge about new system.

Hence if we want our country to be technologically developed then the government and private organizations should follow the right strategy of deploying new technology rather than forcibly imposing it on its employees.

http://www.ep.gov.pk http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1997/18Oct97.html#7600

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Microsoft Great Plains Amp Crm In Transportation Amp Logistics Overview

Writen by Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains and MS CRM (client relation management system) are very popular in various industries and market niches. In previous article we described Microsoft Great Plains implementation for transportation & logistics company. Having more material, we would like to share with you how you can leverage Microsoft Business Solutions products to automate your business. We'll try to be both technical and business processes specific and be laconic to comply the rules of tiny article.

• Cargo/Shipment Tracking System. Transportation & Logistics industry is pretty mature and you more likely have industry standard (like Efreight) or custom system. So, if you plan to implement new ERP – it should be tightly integrated with your cargo tracking system.

• Customer Base. This is the question of the core application. If you have to sell to a large number of prospects and track their relatively small shipments – you should first consider Microsoft CRM, which has Sales and Service modules. In this case – you should enable shipment status lookup from MS CRM screens. In the case when you ship to limited number of large customers – you are focusing on the profitability of the shipments and looking at Great Plains as the core system.

• Agent Settlement. This seems to be logistics industry feature. You use agents and settle their AR/AP invoices on the monthly or weekly basis. In Great Plains you should use customer/vendor consolidation, available for Great Plains Professional version. Plus you will need Great Plains Dexterity or .Net customization to link SOP and POP invoices in the settlement process.

• eConnect. Each logistics business has unique business processes and this is why we see software developers in staff plus strong IT department. This makes eConnect (Microsoft Great Plains SDK) very popular among logistics companies. You can create Great Plains objects: Customers, Invoices, Purchase Orders, etc. Plus it allows you to eliminate GP licenses cost – you can have users work with Great Plains through web forms

• Integration Technology. In the case of both Great Plains and Microsoft CRM you use MS SQL Server linked server technology. Then you deploy MS CRM SDK, Dexterity, Heterogeneous Stored Procedures.

• Programming Tools. You use Visual Studio.Net to program MS CRM lookups, in some cases you can use WebMatrix, but we do not recommend tools, which do not have rich debugging features.

• Reporting. Crystal Reports is the tool of choice. You should create heterogeneous SQL view and base you Crystal Report on this view. Microsoft CRM security suggests you to use MS CRM SDK or built-in Crystal Reports Enterprise to comply.

• MS CRM Messaging. Microsoft CRM Exchange connector has relatively straightforward mechanism – GUID in the message header. If you need advanced messaging – capturing emails, based on contact email or domain – you main consider advanced connector, developed and supported by Alba Spectrum Technologies. In some cases you would like to use Lotus Notes Domino as email server – this is also possible.

You can always have us help you, give us a call: 1-630-961-5918 or 1-866-528-0577, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is consultant and CTO in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) – Microsoft Business Solutions partner, serving clients in Illinois, New York, California, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Virginia, Minnesota, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, Asia, Russia. He is Microsoft Great Plains certified master, Great Plains Dexterity, Microsoft CRM SDK C#.Net, Crystal Repots developer.

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What Is Software Piracy

Writen by S. Housley

There are several kinds of software piracy. The bottom line is when software is pirated, the developer does not receive compensation for their work.

Effects of Software Piracy

When software is pirated, consumers, software developers, and resellers are harmed. Software piracy increases the risk consumer's computers will be corrupted by defective software and infected with viruses. Those who provide defective and illegal software do not tend to provide sales and technical support. Pirated software usually has inadequate documentation, which prevents consumers from enjoying the full benefits of the software package. In addition, consumers are unable to take advantage of technical support and product upgrades, which are typically available to legitimate registered users of the software. Pirated software can cost consumers lost time and more money.

Developers lose revenue from pirated software, from current products as well as from future programs. When software is sold most developers invest a portion of the revenue into future development and better software packages. When software is pirated, software developers lose revenue from the sale of their products, which hinders development of new software and stifles the growth of the software company.

Kinds of Piracy

End User Piracy -

Using multiple copies of a single software package on several different systems or distributing registered or licensed copies of software to others. Another common form of end user piracy is when a cracked version of the software is used. Hacking into the software and disabling the copy protection, or illegally generating key codes that unlocks the trial version making the software a registered version creates a cracked version.

Reseller Piracy -

Reseller piracy occurs when an unscrupulous reseller distributes multiple copies of a single software package to different customers; this includes preloading systems with software without providing original manuals & diskettes. Reseller piracy also occurs when resellers knowingly sell counterfeit versions of software to unsuspecting customers.

Indications of reseller piracy are multiple users with the same serial number, lack of original documentation or an incomplete set, and non-matching documentation.

Trademark/Trade Name Infringement

Infringement occurs when an individual or dealer claims to be authorized either as a technician, support provider or reseller, or is improperly using a trademark or trade name.

BBS/Internet Piracy -

BBS/ Internet Piracy occurs when there is an electronic transfer of copyrighted software. If system operators and/or users upload or download copyrighted software and materials onto or from bulletin boards or the Internet for others to copy and use without the proper license. Often hackers will distribute or sell the hacked software or cracked keys. The developer does not receive any money for the software the hacker distributed. This is an infringement on the developer's copyright.

Another technique used by software pirates is to illegally obtain a registered copy of software. Pirates purchase the software once and use it on multiple computers. Purchasing software with a stolen credit card is another form of software piracy. Unfortunately there are many kinds of software piracy that has hampered the software industry.

These types of software piracy have hampered the software industry. For the software industry to prosper and further develop useful software for consumers please support and pay for software. This results in better software for all.

To Report Piracy :

Software Information Industry Association

About The Author

Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com and http://www.small-business-software.net

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Computer Aided Manufacturing Software

Writen by Kevin Stith

Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) is one of the software automation processes that directly convert the product drawing or the object into the code design, enabling the machine to manufacture the product. The CAM system is used in various machines like lathes or milling machines for product manufacturing purposes. It allows the computer work instructions to communicate directly to the manufacturing machines. This saves on time and money, in that the controls can all be routed directly to a computer or laptop system, where changes can be made with the click of a button.

It provides compatibility with any CAD file format including DXF, DWG and DGN Professional 2D Mechanical drafting and design. It allows easy 3D modeling and rendering options. The CAM software provides complete support for milling, drilling and lathing operations. It includes the setup wizard, the tool database and a dialog-free CAM palette.

CAM software has developed in such a way that it has become quick, flexible machining with effective simulation. The 2D and 3D simulation is developed in the real time environment - a major advantage of the software. Load factor compensation for machine and tool, tool paths, automatic optimal tool paths and cumulative time are also major benefits in this CAM software.

Several software vendors like AutoDesk, EDC, PTC, GibbsCAM and CamSoft offer you the software with factors involving high quality, ease of use, and a reasonable price. EDS e-factory, EDS e-Vis, EDC FactoryCAD, PTC Pro/ENGINEER Advanced Assembly, and the API Toolkit are a few of the major software applications that are used in the CAM system.

Computer Aided Manufacturing provides detailed information on Applications of Computer Aided Manufacturing, Cam And Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Design Scanners and more. Computer Aided Manufacturing is affiliated with Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing.

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