6 Benefits of Using ERP Software correctly

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The need for a company to compete globally is ever increasing, with this the demand for accurate accessible data is on the rise. Businesses are now relying on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems more than ever to enable them to have the ability to access their company’s data effortlessly; this is now a software application that has become priceless to many small, medium and global organizations around the world. ERP software allows users to manage large quantities of data on the internet, providing access to files around the globe, regardless of user’s destinations.

The need for ERP systems in different industries has grown over the past decade with more and more industries now defendant of the software, the software is now used as a single and multi-department tool in online sales, accounting, customer relations and manufacturing. The software is only as good as the user using it, but a good system is not just great for a business; it can be great for their customers also. Take a look at the benefits of using Enterprise Resource Planning software correctly:

1)Promotions 

A great way to attract your audience to your product or website is to undertake some promotional activity. Not many business utilise the promotional aspects of ERP’s as they feel that it is more suited to important tasks such as inventory managements and payroll, however the use of an ERP system can be beneficial to many departments such sales/marketing department. The system holds all your customers data enabling you to manage loyal customers and potential customers promotions easily. The software provides you with a platform to guarantee you remind your customers that you exist and you have goods they desire/need. Whether you use direct mailing or email marketing, you can have the customer information readily available to let them know about any future promotions or press releases.

2) Data Organization 

The failure to organize data can cause someone a major headache if you staff are reliant on that unorganized data, it can distract users from their current work as they have to spend time smoothing out that bumpy data. Unlike traditional methods of data management ERP allows users to have all of your businesses invoices or tax information in one place, making it easy for multiple users to check, manipulate and cross reference vital information and data. All businesses are reliant on their accountants or accountancy departments to keep all the books in order and have all your invoices stored correctly at your fingertips to make the hassles of invoicing disappear.

3) Payroll 

An essential and vital role of a business, usually undertaken by the HR or in smaller businesses he accountants department. Having an effective Enterprise Resource Planning system in place enables your responsible department to streamline with the different documentation that they work with every day, making payroll and other HR related tasks easier and stress free. ERP systems can also help with any 401k options, benefits and diversity within your business.

4) Supply Chain

Keeping track of customer orders is vital, especially when you are operating online, nationally or internationally. The supply chains in many businesses are complicated and without daily organization they can become inefficient and unmanageable, leading to lost business and unsatisfied customers. Knowing when a special order needs to be sent or when goods need to re-ordered are just a few essential activities that need to be managed to keep your business running smoothly. If you don’t know when you’re receiving your deliveries, how much stock costs or you are failing to send out shipments you don’t have an affective system in place. Multidepartment ERP systems need to be effectively used and managed to ensure your supply chain is running efficiently, having someone who is competent with the system is highly advisable.

5) Inventory

You may find that not many employees like to do inventory, but it’s a necessary requirement for many business. If the process is not carried out correctly your business can suffer dramatically, knowing what you have in your store/warehouse and what you need will keep you and your employees happy. The ERP’s system can provide your business with reports if you require data of specific products or if you need to order new stock, this can cut down on the time it takes to gather inventory information by hand.

6) Accuracy

The need for accurate information in accounts management and inventory management is essential, without accurate data your business will be left to estimate inventory or invoices, potentially leaving your business to suffer. The ERP software gives businesses the potential to project sales and data aids when you are looking to expand your business or look into your products or services. If you have different departments dealing with money, an ERP system can combine all of the departments so everybody is on the same page.

The Revolution of Email

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Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the same time, in common with instant messaging.

Today's email systems are based on a store-and-forward model. Email servers accept, forward, deliver and store messages. Neither the users nor their computers are required to be online simultaneously; they need connect only briefly, typically to an email server, for as long as it takes to send or receive messages. An email message consists of three components, the message envelope, the message header, and the message body. The message header contains control information, including, minimally, an originator's email address and one or more recipient addresses. Usually descriptive information is also added, such as a subject header field and a message submission date/time stamp.

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Forrester Overview: the Rise and Fall of Information Security Technologies

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The popularity of the individual technologies for information security sometimes increases and sometimes decreases. Forrester Research in its report TechRadar bets on five technologies that are at the stage of growth, and five of those, that are dying.

Here are five technologies the popularity of which according to analysts from Forrester will grow in the future years.

1. Audit tools

According to a Forrester research the current implementations of audit tools are not changing too much, but in three or five years they will be widely used because of the growing number of data leaks. Mainly the rising popularity of these tools contributes to the emergence of standards for information security. That's why massive introduction of such decisions is expected in the nearest future.

2. Analysis of malicious software (malware)

The fact that such an analysis is used in incident response and vulnerability management, suggests that in the nearest future (3-5 years) the adoption of such tools will increase. In particular, some more thorough analysis of network traffic is needed due to the constant threats.

3. Network Encryption

Although the function of network encryption is present in the IT-infrastructure devices such as routers and switches, Forrester notes that because of the numerous requirements of standards for information security including encryption and data protection, demand for a separate application is now at the stage of growth. In one to three years, we will see a qualitative change in this area (a new stage of development), but without pressure from regulators this technology will be implemented only by large organizations, according to Forrester.

4. Intelligent modeling of threats

This is rather new concept that deals with analyzing the right way to protect sensitive data through proactive threat modeling. After 3-5 years there may be the next stage of technology development, although the cost and complexity of currently available modeling tools creates a barrier to threats adapting this new technology.

5. DDoS mitigation controls

Although the market has an anti-DDoS solutions, Forrester points out that the market is still extremely small recently. However, due to the growth of hacking (hacktivism - in the terminology used by Forrester), the market for solutions that provide protection against DDoS attacks will grow over the 1 - 3 years. Especially rapid growth of this will be in the SaaS model.

And here are the technologies which according to Forrester will face death in the coming years.

1. Network Access Control

According to Forrester the market for individual proposals to control network access will disappear within the next 5-10 years.

2. Applications for secure data transmission

The need for secure data transfer and providing file sharing between business partners, of course, is still high, but in 3-5 years all these services will be implemented through cloud services rather than applications.

3. Solutions for unified threat management (UTM)

Although these solutions are widely implemented in both small offices and branch offices, the technology of integrated threat management faces the fact that the focus of attention is shifting to the new security gateways with more integrated functions and determination of the invasion.

4. The traditional network firewall

The traditional firewall market is stagnating due to the wide adoption of the next-generation firewalls. The research company predicts that in 5-10 years a new generation of firewalls will replace today's traditional firewalls.

5. Preventing network intrusion (some solutions)

Forrester believes that the market of individual intrusion prevention systems (IPS) is at the stage of decline, and it will disappear within 5-10 years) despite its success in the world's largest companies for now. Instead there will be some new multifunction gateways and firewalls (especially the new generation of firewalls), which will include IPS and will be used instead of a separate IPS equipment.

The article was written and provided by Andrew Smith, QArea Company. Read about the company here.

Laptop vs. Tablet

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The question whether a tab can be used instead of a laptop has been around for a while now. I’m not exactly sure that a tab was every supposed to do that by design, but I tried to use my tab instead of a laptop. I mean I used it in situations when I would normally use a laptop.    Disclaimer: I was testing this approach with my Samsung GT (Galaxy Tab) P-1000. So, I do realize that it can be different on other tablets.    As is   Initially, I  tried to use it as is. I mean without any additional items such as keyboards, docks, mice, etc. And this is the first win by virtually any laptop out there, because you can easily use one without any extra stuff.    

BERLIN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 01: Visitors try out a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 tablet at the Samsung hall at the IFA 2011 consumer electonics and appliances trade fair the day before the fair's official opening on September 1, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. The IFA 2011 will be open to the public from September 2-7. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

Sure thing, it’s really hard to do that if you make actual phone calls because it looks clunky and weird when you talk with someone using the loudspeaker of the device . But that’s “understandable” inconvenience because it was designed to be used primarily as a tab and the phone feature seems to be just an addition to all the stuff it can do. In any case, a tab wins over any laptop in this aspect because as far as I am aware none of the laptops designed until now can make phone calls. Right? I mean real ones. Not via Skype.   In terms of typing It kinda works but when I need to type a really long email message, it’s slowing me down quite a bit and that starts to irritate me a big deal over time. But if it’s for some quick Skype chat, then it’s pretty much a convenient thing to do. In this aspect, any laptop beats a tablet device, because the convenience of a full QWERTY keyboard just does the trick.    

Now let’s tackle the music aspect. For the most part it’s a-OK but the volume level is not that high as in most laptops out there. In terms of sound quality the device works pretty well if you are not going to the extremes in turning up. :)   Games seem to be pretty raw on the tab, because the operating system and partially CPU (or whatever they call it) cannot cope with too high game requirements. So, you can only play pretty simplified games. At the same time I’d like to point out that the fact that you can actually touch stuff while playing adds quite a bit of a specific flavor to the whole gaming experience.    Apps work pretty cool, but only in case they’re compatible with your particular device. Plus they should be optimized (like screen resolution and stuff like that). I found using the Google maps app particularly beneficial when I got to a city that was new to me. 

Benq laptop (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Using that app, I got to my destination pretty easily owing to the excellent work of the Google Maps app for Android. I can’t really imagine how I would use it on a laptop. So, the Galaxy Tab is an absolute winner in this nomination. :)   Checking email is easy and simple as well, but like I said above, you don’t want to reply with a long message. The game changer is the fact that it’s way more easier to check your email inbox on a tab rather than using a laptop. Plus the odds are that your tab is always with you. And that’s really hard to keep a laptop at your disposal all the time.    The best way to use a 7-inch tab is for reading books. I’m starting to think that it’s gonna be its main use in my case just because you can’t sit in a cozy position reading an e book on a laptop. And that’s because of the size of any laptop. It’s just too big....    

Keyboard   

Connecting a keyboard to your Android device will speed up your text typing a great deal, but since you’re still using a tab, you can’t use it as a full-fledged device that can replay a laptop. For one, You can’t open two text files in Google Drive. You can open just one of them and that’s a real problem if you need the other for reference or something along those lines.     

Headset   

This addition will make your sound quality really amazing. I’m personally using the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset and I’m just loving it. Apart from that, you can use it for talking on the phone, because the device has a built-in mike.     

The verdict   

You definitely can’t use a tab instead of a laptop, because it just lacks some very vital features, but it also has its advantages, which makes using tabs a pretty good idea as well. The problem with a tab is that the device is primarily for consumption. And I personally like creating stuff. Not just consuming... What do you say?

I'm Kenneth from WebDesy.com. I can explain how to make a website or just create it for you. Plus, I'm crazy about all the things web and mobile. 

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A Grocer’s Testaments To POS Systems

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As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The first impression given to the potential buyer will determine if the store-owner has gained a client for life or lost a potential long-term buyer. Recent studies state that most in-store purchase decisions are made in the store at the time of purchase; it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. Putting more emphasis on the shop’s design, shopping environment, in-store promotions; will increase the influence impulse or mood purchasing.

Point Four Touch Point of Sale Till (Photo credit: Cyberslayer)

There are so many qualities that you need to have if you want to run a successful retail business. You need to make sure that you’re in a position to make your store a success.  In these tough economic times, many businesses are struggling to make it or to stay afloat.  You need to have the right place, timing, business sense and tools to succeed. One of the tools that any retailer need are POS systems.  I know because I own a medium sized grocery and having a POS system has greatly increased the productivity, efficiency and made the job of managing the store easier.

What are POS systems? Point of sale refers to the software solution that is used at the point of purchase by the sales clerk. It allows the store to have a simple checking process.  POS systems usually include a computer, monitor, cash drawer, receipt printer, customer display, a barcode scanner and a debit/credit card reader. The system, particularly the software is easy to use and understand. The POS software speeds up the process by calculating sales and change and adding in the sales tax.  It has greatly increased the efficiency of our store and we can spend more time on the floor servicing to customers and it made the customers feel that they are important and well cared for.

The POS systems record each transaction and helps manage the inventory. Updates allow accurate records of sales to be pulled out at anytime of the day. Transactions are time stamped that help products sold together to be identified. It’s really handy and gives me useful information to keep tabs of our sales. Taking inventory is one of the most time - consuming and labor intensive task every storeowner face and one of the most crucial. Having too much stock or too little of it is very costly. Although having a POS system track my store’s inventory, it does not substitute for a physical inventory count but it reduces the number of times each year I have to conduct this time consuming task. Good thing I have wireless portable scanner programmed to the system that saves me hours and footsteps in the process. Really nice.

POS systems have the ability to provide immediate and accurate assessment of my inventory. Each time an item is sold, the item is immediately subtracted from the inventory list. It lets me know when a given item or products are in its reorder point. . As a retailer, I don’t want my sales unrecorded; or my inventory doesn’t match the tallies and spending time correcting mistakes. The system is a good investment because it solves many operational tasks and record keeping headaches. This type of system was only available to major retail stores and thankfully, it’s now readily available to small and medium businesses. Some say that most point of sale software and systems are just sophisticated cash registers, which I say is true but as a user of this system, I can say that its more than just a sophisticated cash register. POS systems are a complete solution.  

Neil Adams is a father to three boys, a hardworking funny man that enjoys Conan O’Brien, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell and Jack Black. Neil has been in the retail business for 10 years now and thankful that POS systems were invented.

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Significance of Data Backup in Protecting Precious Information

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Many of us are guilty of not making backup copies of our important work. We keep on delaying the work of backing up our work on this or that pretext thinking we are safe and any data loss will not happen to us. We are not that unfortunate or that bad times are still far away are the thoughts we tend to have. But bad times do not come with warning signs and one day suddenly we are horrified to find that our hard disc has crashed or the system has stopped working. You try frantically to recover what you can but you know that the worst has happened and you will lose not only all unsaved data but also your time and money causing a lot of stress and worry. 

English: Backup batteries for UPS (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What Will You Do If Bad Happens to You? 

You are hoping against hope that you can somehow retrieve some information and ask for your technician to solve the problem. If this fails, you are ready to pay the company that specializes in this task but are horrified to know their price that is many more times the price of your hard disc, leave alone your important data. But the fact they give no assurance of 100% recovery make you apprehensive and uncertain. To add to your woes, you have kept no records to know what exactly the data that you have lost is. 

Acknowledge the Significance of Regular Data in Online Activities 

But there is a silver lining amidst all the dark clouds and that is developing a good habit of regularly making backup copies of your data. Do not worry; there are many easy ways of doing this. You can choose to make a copy and store it on any other computer at office or home or you can transfer the data on to any external hard disc. There are also cloud based services providing space online to keep your data safely. You are at a liberty to choose any medium for storage but making backup copy pays rich dividends. If you are hard pressed for time, you can direct your juniors to do it for you. If you are regular in making a backup copy, you can have peace of mind all the time. Remember, if things have to go wrong, they will go wrong. But if you are prepared, you can face the worst with a smile on your face.

Hire Services of Online Backup Providing Companies

We understand that data backup can be a tedious process and can make you stay away from this good habit so the best way to solve this problem is to consider online backup facilities which you can hire in less then $5 with reliable security system and almost unlimited storage for all types of files. Yes it is possible! Many companies offer online backup services with synchronization of multiple computers with excellent data security within this low price range. It will help you protecting your precious data at affordable price tag while saving a lot of time and effort required to do it yourself. 

People interested in protecting their precious data through online backup and storage facility must visit http://filestorageonline.net/ to have a look at reviews about top ten companies providing the best packages to cater the growing need of online data protection.

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Mobile Working in the Private Sector

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Mobile and remote working have become important assets to businesses that are looking to improve productivity, increase flexibility and secure long-term growth.

However, there is an understandable reluctance amongst some organizations in the private sector when it comes to adopting the tools that are necessary to support mobile working. This is largely due to the fact that companies want to ensure that data security is still a paramount concern and that by letting information outside of an internal set-up it is not going to be abused.

High-profile cases of data loss resulting from misplaced laptops and smartphones have made headlines and caused embarrassment for public sector organizations. In the private sector, however, such incidents can be terminal for companies involved.

It is worth noting that remote access to business-critical information is only going to increase in the coming years. The IDC estimates that 70 per cent of employees will be able to get at this kind of data outside the physical constraints of the workplace, but it is important to state that while the formality of the traditional office space may be being eroded, the ability to make this new mobile world a safe place for business data to exist is not out of reach.

Patching Leaks

Almost a third of data leaks occur as a result of meddling from an internal agent, which means that disgruntled or misguided staff with the right kind of access privileges can cause havoc. While this does indicate that there is a need to ensure that the proper security checks are carried out before people are employed, it speaks to a wider need for training and education.

Accidental data loss is just as damaging as malicious breaches, so instructing employees on how best to handle business data when it is remotely accessible will help to prevent disasters.

Device Security

While it is impossible to completely eliminate the loss of devices like laptops, smartphones and tablets, some of the most problematic circumstances arise when it becomes apparent that a business did not properly protect the information stored on these gadgets.

There are a variety of options when it comes to device security that can help make the mobile working environment safe and acceptable. Data encryption is now seen as a basic precaution and there is absolutely no excuse for a lack of adequate password protection for individual devices.

Contemporary smartphone operating systems offer a number of security features that can help give businesses peace of mind if they are lost or stolen. You can remotely wipe information from the integrated memory and SD card of popular handset types like BlackBerry, as well as having the option to track the location of the missing device using GPS so that it can be recovered if necessary.

The value of lost devices will be far lower than that of the data which is stored on them, meaning that money spent on safe, secure devices and platforms will not need to be spent many times over further down the line after loss or theft.

 Access Management

The use of virtualization and the cloud can help to improve the security of the mobile working environment. By running apps and storing data remotely, not to mention making it accessible on a temporary basis from portable devices, you minimize the amount of precious information which is actively held on said devices.

In addition, taking a tiered approach to access, so that employees are granted admission to particular services based not only on their position in the company but also their location and the device they are using, will help with any security concerns. 

Daisy Group plc are leading providers of Unified Communications to private and public sector companies across the UK for over 12 years.  As communications specialists Daisy are able to advise companies on the most secure ways of allowing remote access to business-critical information through cloud services.

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What to know about Active Archive?

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All business demands archiving their information to get a selection of factors which includes legal provisions, business policy, and inner company necessities. And these information files ought to remain practical for many years to arrive. Therefore, you will find definite cause corporation demands to think about whilst selecting information files elements. The primarily substantial obligation would be to select on an information storage medium that completely fits their company necessities. Based on the corporation’s funds and information storing necessities, one must desire to decide on their information files. An additional element which you have to think about will be the information usability. You have to shop the knowledge for a number of many years and using the fast technological modifications its utmost essential to adopt suitable gadgets and methods.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8DyM-DdbGA

Because 50 many years ago magnetic tapes have already been utilized for information storage. The dilemma with this particular procedure of information storage was that this didn't permit the metadata to become held inside a type which was merely accessible. Also, when stored in magnetic tapes, archive couldn't be saved inside a prearranged way with suitable file-names or directories. But IBM distorted this scenario using the launch of revolutionary technologies known as LTFS (Linear Tape File Method).

IBM 305 RAMAC (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

LTFS is really a tape method that's self describing. An LTFS-formatted tape doesn't seem dissimilar from any typical file method. Like a difficult drive and thumb-drive, even this tape may be merely mounted. It's enormously consumer pleasant simply because it permits customers to drag and drop files from and also to LTFS-formatted tape that is mounted. This new technologies provides numerous advantages. 1 of its advantages is the fact that like energetic archiving, it permits storage that is effortless and entry that is easy.

With tape and disk hardware energetic archive merges with open method programs. It subsequently makes use of this mixture to propose its customers, effortlessness of entry on each, the trouble-free storage also as managing information. Some may be baffled with Energetic Archive with HSM or hierarchical storage managers. In contrast to HSM, this technology permits customers to entry their creation information, irrespective of how aged or fresh it's. It even reverses the occurrence of entry since the information is retrievable on-line. Energetic Archive is really a joint item that is accessible by each software program also as hardware retailer. It even produces primarily the current gear from the customers. Based on expert analysts within the area, this technologies coupled has turn out to become an important element with reverence to corporate storage amenities. Energetic archiving options really are a must for businesses which need to handle soaring quantity of digital assets and information. Generally these businesses also observe a huge improve in information storage necessities and therefore, can make use of energetic archiving like a storage technique.

These days, numerous producers who propose archiving software program also consist of LTFS within their options. This information method has created to become important with regards to production of energetic archives in storage setting. It supports medium and substantial phrase filing and this assists the customers to alter to newest files software program or hardware with out linking huge costs.

Mike Smith from www.crossroads.com enjoys writing on LTFS Active Archive Software

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The Best Augmented Reality Apps – Expanding the Definition

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Augmented reality is one of those big 'buzzwords' at the moment along with 'cloud computing' and 'social search'. It's a big buzzword because all the industry experts are expecting it to kick off in a big way any time soon, and a big buzzword because potentially it could change the way we do things on the web and in our day to day lives in quite a big way.

So what is this augmented reality? And what does it have to do with you right now? Well the idea is basically that augmented reality combines real world information with pictures and information from a device. It's basically reality that has been 'augmented' by digital media.

While this has yet to take off in the huge way that it probably one way will, it nevertheless is already available in some rather impressive ways – and nowhere is it more present than on your phone. Here we will look at some of the best augmented reality apps available for iPhone and Android so you can start to take advantage of this exciting new technology.

Layar: Layar is an app that has people very excited but that doesn't quite yet deliver on its promise. This is augmented reality as most of us imagine. A kind of 'heads up display' for the rest of us which allows you to hold your phone up to a highstreet and then to get information on the shops and things you are looking at. The only problem is that the GPS on most phones isn't yet that accurate, and for the most part the information doesn't quite overlap onto the buildings you think it should. Furthermore the information doesn't really tell you anything you couldn't have gotten from Google Maps and without holding your phone up. Still though, it's exciting in terms of what it represents and when the technology is there and someone taps it properly this is how we're likely to see the concept being employed.

Google Maps: Google maps essentially I augmented reality – taking real world information i.e. your location, and using this to inform something stored on the system, i.e. your map. This is a piece of augmented reality that has been around since before the word was so well known, but it's something that has found its way into our every day lives and which genuinely makes things a lot easier for many of us who would now be literally lost without our phones.

RJDJ: This is an example of how augmented reality needn't necessarily be a 'visual' thing, nor a practical thing. This is an artistic and musical app that focusses on sounds in order to provide us with augmented soundscapes so that noises in the real world get warped, increased in volume and combined with other sounds to create music. This works through the headphones and mouthpiece in order to create a world where every clink of a glass and every rustle of a bag becomes incredible music. It's a very interesting app and definitely worth trying.

Marvel AR: This is an AR app from Marvel which basically allows you to get more from your comics by pointing your camera at certain pages in order to 'bring them to life' with video, sound or additional pictures. This can be used to provide a behind the scenes look at how the comic was made, or additional information to supplement the story. It's very clever as a way to give comic readers more value from their comics, and to bring comics into the 21st century and it also has a lot of potential as an advertising platform.

Gray Rollins is android lover and blogger. Recently when he lost his mobile Android phone tracker was life savior in finding mobile back.

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Effective project management in your company: myth or reality?

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Some of us still believe in business miracles and think that effectiveness of project management depends on certain luckiness or astrological circumstances. I do not believe in mythology and trust practical approach in project management. Thus I will try to characterize the inner world of any project or task taking into consideration all the necessary abilities of a manager as the head of the project. The reality of project management is based on the principle of well-customized workflow process within the execution work coupled with reliable team, clear veritable outcome, and financial solutions of the company and business opportunities of project stakeholders.

Project Management

How to start and how not to go astray 

One of the most important things in the very beginning of the flow is strict realizing of its process. Each member of the team has to know for sure what to do and how to do it fast and effectively. But at the same time strict execution of manager’s tasks or sub-tasks should be comprehended and the responsibility of a certain task inside the project must not be a lot of a manager only. The so-called micromanagement won’t be appropriate in this situation, and the way out lies in organizing meetings, sharing ideas, requests, and thoughts. Such an operative solution is useful to analyze workflow phases and conduct a possible risk that is profitable in the beginning of a project. 

Hold the rhythm and move to the goal! 

Effective project management needs to be strictly regulated and its normal functioning has to pay respect to formalized workflow process framework. All the time remember about the veritable outcome and be an arbiter between stakeholders and team members. Your goal is not to run or pursue inner events leading to any result, but customize the flow and hold it in the effective condition for the project in general. Discussion forums, chats and blogs create the foundation of the communication and encourage collaborative relationships to desirable result. Visualizing of the team’s activity is also important element, which allows you to see what’s going on and what you need to achieve the goals you have planned at any segment of the workflow process. 

Use workflow automate software for seamless customizing and visualizing of the flow. Nowadays flexible collaborative software is worth our attention. Comindware tracker and FREE task management would be an appropriate solution for the company. Seamless using, effective work and customizing workflow process within any project or task let you feel confident during the workflow. Simplifying issue tracking, collaboration and the execution of sub-tasks, creating separate work-spaces within the main project help to build flexible system of project management. Comindware applications have a clear interface and are easy to use: hit play, and your project is started.

Author's bio: Ryan Hardy currently works in Project management insights, Sydney, Australia, project-management-insights.com. He likes to test various software and mobile applications and share his experience with the others. Years of productive analysis and tests showed him the right vector in using task management software, so he began writing for other blogs from around the world about it and not only.

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Home Workers Should Forget the Old Laptop Balancing Act

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When I first started working from home the only problem I had was that my home office resembled a child’s nursery with a battered old laptop in it.

That is probably because that’s exactly what it was. The only place I could find to work from was my little girl’s old room, and my old computer had definitely seen better days long ago. I sat there with the laptop balanced on my knee and surrounded by Barney the dinosaur, a scary looking doll and assorted ducks as I tried to work. Needless to say, I soon found out that spending a bit of time and money on a good home office is worth it.

home office (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

Find the Right Place

A nursery is no place to work from, and instead I found a nice corner of the kitchen where I could hook up to the internet and munch on yoghurts at the same time. Somewhere with plenty of light and fresh air is ideal and my kitchen fits the bill nicely as I can leave the patio door open when the sun comes out.

Get the Right Equipment

The laptop I used to use was no good at all for working with. It was slow, it crashed when I tried to do too many things on it once and it had no decent music on it. As I was just starting out as a home worker (do they still say telecommuter or does that make me sound old fashioned?) I was a bit worried about spending a lot of money on new machinery. The final straw came one day when the blooming thing didn’t boot up until 10 in the morning. Admittedly I had only switched it on at 10 to 10 but it was still far too long a wait for me. I got a shiny new desktop PC which promised to lead me down the technological highway (that’s another outdated phrase, is it?) at breakneck speed. I couldn’t believe how fast it was and how many games were pre-installed on it. Now my only problem is that I want to spend a bit of time each day poking around it to see what else it does.

Sort the Furniture

My spanking new PC sat on a wonky old table at first, with the speakers on the floor and the keyboard on my lap. My wife asked me why I didn’t buy a computer table at the same time and I honestly don’t know why I didn’t. I quickly got onto the task and before the week was out my computer was perched on a glass topped table with loads of shelves for my cartons of juice and a nice drawer to keep my biscuits in.

Protect Yourself

I had only ever used the internet for fun before; looking up football results, seeing what on Earth that Facebook malarkey was all about and helping my Mum find out what latest contagious disease she is apparently suffering from. Then one day my sister said to me that I should be wary of rookits, spyware and Trojan horses. When she told me that people could grab control of my computer and steal the money I had been working hard to build up I immediately panicked and started looking for all the protection I could find. Thankfully she told me that all I really needed was a good antivirus and that this would protect me against all of the current risks. As a home worker this is one of the most important things I have done and while it might be a less obvious improvement than some of the other ones it is nevertheless something which I am glad I did.

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Every home worker should be sure to protect their data with a good program like the McAfee antivirus.

Three Tips towards Buying a Good Android Phone

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Everyone has an Android phone, and those who do not are looking to get one. If you have not yet bought an Android phone, and are definitely sure that you should get an Android phone, here are three tips that will help you choose a better Android cell phone. 

To begin with, take a look at the processor that will be running the Android phone. A smaller processor may actually have you struggle to use the Android system while someone is trying to call you. Today, a 1 GHz processor is quite good for an Android phone. Anything lesser than that might be a bit obsolete, and with newer Android phones coming out almost every six months, the Android phones that have a processor smaller than 1 GHz are definitely on their way out. There are several phones that have more than 1 GHz available. The best way to find out all the specs of a particular phone is to research information about it online. Most of these sites offer the products at a discount too, so you as well buy the cell phone from a website. 

Another important tip is that you should check out which operating system your cell phone is shipping with. The latest Android OS system is 2.3, but you would be surprised to find that some manufacturers are still putting in 1.8 and other versions. Though the Android phone can be upgraded Over the Air (OTA), not all cell phones have this capability. In some cases, you might have to travel to the phone manufacturer service center, and then have your mobile phone upgraded. To avoid this, all you need to do is to buy the brand and the model which provides you an Android phone with the latest operating system. Also, if you are buying the cellphone online, you should check the manual and the specifications that are provided at the website from which you are buying the cell phone. 

The third tip while buying a good Android phone is to look for a good Android phone with a largish display. There are clutters of cell phones that had the Android operating system, but did not work because they did not have a good display. Remember that the Android is all about the looks and the OS, so you better have a display that does justice to all the games and the apps that the Android device provides. These are the three tips that you should keep in mind while buying an Android phone. 

Author Bio : Aditya Roy is editor at Android Mag. You may want to read info on LG Spectrum at his blog.