Intranet Project Names Some Ideas

Intranet Project Names Some Ideas

by: David Viney

กWhatกs in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other word would smell as sweet.ก

In this famous quote from Act II of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet tells Romeo that a name is an artificial and meaningless convention, and the fact he is a Montague and she a Capulet (warring families) means nothing to their love.

However, there is some strong evidence from the UKกs Cranfield University and elsewhere that the name one gives a project does have a marked impact on the behaviour and motivation of the people involved. It may surprise you, but the name you give to your Intranet Project could well be the most important decision you make in the early stages of mobilisation!

The Direct Approach

There is an argument in faour of naming your Intranet Project the wait for it กIntranet Projectก! Often, socalled กsecret squirrelก names (where one has to ferret out from colleagues what Project Banana is all about) serve only to create an unnecessary air of mystique (fit only for secret M&A projects). They can also serve to be divisive, by separating กpeople in the knowก from people outside the immediate project audience.

The functional approach

A functional name focuses on what the intranet does (e.g. search, find, access). This enjoys the same benefits as the direct approach, but affords one a little more poetic license. What about names like กProject Connectก or กProject Gatewayก, which serve to signal the core กmust haveก requirements for the project?

The conceptual approach

There is a problem with the direct or functional approaches; Research from Cranfield has demonstrated that people on projects tend to be very heavily influenced in their actions by the name of the project itself. If you call your project the Intranet project, it is a working intranet (i.e. the technology) that you will get. If your ambition was something much more visionary, such as a wholly new way of working for your people, you are likely to be disappointed!

The conceptual name targets what is achieved by the functionality, rather than the functionality itself. For example, if your company name was BigCo and your purpose was seeking to get everyone in the company working together, you could call the project กProject OneBigCoก or กProject Unityก. For the aforementioned new ways of working objective, you could use กProject Future Workplaceก.

The abstract approach

The abstract approach deals with how the project makes people feel. For example, กProject Blissก (for happiness), กProject Wizardก (for magic) or กProject Pulseก (for fastpacedness). Although one world usually fails to capture all you are trying to achieve with an Intranet Portal, this approach can prove highly effective (particularly where countercultural).

If all else fails

Nothing grabbed you so far? Well there is no saving you, then! I suppose there are always the standard fallback options: names of greek or roman gods, names of planets, names of birds and names of dances. These have the added value that if you spawn followon projects in a sequence you have readymade logical followon project titles. Incidentally, กProject Mercuryก would be my recommendation for planets or gods (as Mercury was the roman god of communications).

For more ideas on project names, why not check out my presentation in the Intranet Portal Guide.

About The Author

David Viney ([email protected]) is the author of the Intranet Portal Guide; 31 pages of advice, tools and downloads covering the period before, during and after an Intranet Portal implementation.

Read the guide at http://www.viney.com/DFV/intranet_portal_guide or the Intranet Watch Blog at http://www.viney.com/intranet_watch.

This article was posted on November 08, 2004

by David Viney

What is Gmail?

What is Gmail?

by: Jakob Jelling

Like most other prime search engines, the ability to freely giveaway an email account is a positive tool that signals to the user community that this search engine is here to stay! Google is no different in this approach. Recently, Google has been beta testing Gmail. Google’s very own email services repository. Best of all, it’s free! Well, it’s going to be free, its currently available only in Beta mode, if you are lucky enough to have received an invitation to sign up for a complimentary account you currently enjoy the benefits of ubiquitous Gmail.

Found at gmail.google.com, users were at a frenzied pace to secure the names and aliases that may be snatched up once the floodgates were open. People are exclusively invited to partake in the beta testing were selling their names and invitations for quite a handsome sum on eBay. Most users will have to wait until Gmail goes live before actually trying it out. However with all the functionality at a price like this, how could anyone refuse?

Unlike MSN and Yahoo! Google’s approach to space was a little more liberal. Google provides 1000 MB of storage space so you would never have to worry about limited space requirements. All messages are displayed intact as well as the replies. Messages can be searched upon as well. Google’s approach was to give as much flexibility to the user so the user in turn would use only Google.

Much like the antipop up ad theory of The Google Toolbar, there will be an antiSpam product built into Gmail that will help thwart out unsolicited email.

Currently, new users can ask for a preview address from Google, although there is no guarantee they will get one. Interested parties should go to http://gmail.google.com/gmail/help/about.html and fill in their email addresses at the bottom of the page.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.

This article was posted on August 23, 2004

by Jakob Jelling

Cisco CCNA Certification: Should You Take The One

Cisco CCNA Certification: Should You Take The OneExam or TwoExam Approach?

by: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

One question I’m often asked by CCNA candidates is whether to take the ขone big examข, or take the two separate exams required by Cisco to achieve the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) exam.

The question comes up because there are now two separate paths to the CCNA certification. Candidates may take a single exam, 640811, or two exams, 640821 and 640811.

What’s the difference? The twoexam approach involves exams with different topics and therefore different preparation techniques. 640821 is the Introduction To Cisco Networking Technologies exam. This course does introduce the candidate to Frame Relay, PPP, and other WAN technologies, but goes into little detail. Emphasis in the Intro course is placed on knowing how Ethernet behaves, how different types of cable are used for different purposes, and knowing what cable to use in a certain situation. The candidate should expect some questions involving binary math as well, but they will involve fairly simple conversions.

The 640811 exam, Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices, goes into much more detail on WAN technologies. Routing and switching behavior are covered, and the candidate is expected to answer difficult questions involving binary math and subnetting as well. The candidate may also have to demonstrate ability to configure a router or switch via a simulator. Since the ICND exam goes into more detail, it’s generally considered the more difficult exam.

The approach I recommend to a CCNA candidate depends on their background. If the candidate is a relative newcomer to networking, or hasn’t taken a certification exam before, I recommend they take the twoexam approach. This allows the candidate to focus only on the Intro topics, and gives them a strong sense of confidence after passing the Intro exam. That confidence flows over into the ICND exam.

For those who have networking experience, and are very familiar with Ethernet behavior and cable types, I recommend the oneexam approach. This allows the candidate to focus on the more advanced topics they’ll be seeing in the single exam, while spending just a little time reviewing their Introlevel knowledge.

Regardless of the approach you choose, the path to true CCNA success remains the same. Get some real handson experience, either by renting rack time online or by putting together your own home lab. Understand what’s going on ขbeneath the commandข; don’t use router commands when you don’t understand what they’re doing. Add to that a true mastery on binary math, and you’re on your way to having the magic letters ขCCNAข behind your name!

Chris Bryant

CCIE #12933

www.thebryantadvantage.com

About The Author

Chris Bryant, CCIE (TM) #12933, has been active in the Cisco certification community for years. He worked his way up from the CCNA to the CCIE, and knows what CCNA and CCNP candidates need to know to be effective on the job and in the exam room.

He is the owner of http://www.thebryantadvantage.com, where he sells his popular CCNA and CCNP study aids, including his unique Flash Card Books. He also teaches CCNA and CCNP courses to small groups of exam candidates, ensuring they each receive the individual attention they deserve. Classes are offered over the Internet and in person in select cities. Chris has customwritten the Study Guide and Lab Workbook used in each course no thirdparty training materials or simulators are used. You’re invited to visit our site and check out our CCNA and CCNP Courses, Flash Card Books, and to sign up for our weekly newsletter written personally by Chris. Chris is always glad to hear from Cisco certification candidates at [email protected].

This article was posted on November 16, 2004

by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

Internet Affiliate Marketing 101 Itกs All About

Internet Affiliate Marketing 101 Itกs All About Relationships

by: Glenn Beach

So youกve found the perfect affiliate program, youกve signed up and they gave you a website….now what? ‘theyก say that กall you have to doก is drive traffic to your site…but you don’thave a clue where to begin…
Never fear, Affiliate 101 is here…hereกs a list of a few simple,free or inexpensive tasks you can accomplish today. Detailsfollow, first just the list:

Send emails to friends and family;
Make new friends on the internet;
Print out and distribute posters, business cards, and/or postcards;
Write articles and post free ads.

First of all, don’t panic. You don’t have to do ALL of these, just whatever you feel comfortable with. But I do heartily suggest that you push the envelope a little on your comfort level…
Email Friends and Family
If you’re uncomfortable with contacting family members (they CAN be your sharpest critics) first scan the options, maybe one of the less obtrusive ones would work.
Be sure to write ONLY to friends. Anything else will be considered spam; any worthy company will drop you like a hot potato when they receive legitimate spam complaints.
Consider the friends and family you might write to and decide the best approach for each:
1. The Second Opinion Approach: save this for the hard nuts to crack, flatter them with กIกve signed up for this opportunity and would really like to hear your opinion…ก
2. The Beating Around the Bush Approach: กIกm making some extra money doing this biz, do you know anyone who might need a few extra dollars?ก
3. The Direct Approach: for those close friends that you KNOW could use some financial miracles in their lives… you can lead with the business opportunity or with the products. I think itกs Avon that has a nice promo these days, กproducts you can buy and sellก. Simple and to the point…
4. The Chummy Letter Approach: just write a letter to a friend as you usually would and casually mention what you are doing, that itกs on กwait and seeก, or already is making you a little money, or whatever.
5. The NoMention Approach: just add a signature to all your emails that includes your websiteกs URL and your email address, maybe the name of your company. Subtle, letกs them explore if they want.
Getting to Know You…
How do you currently meet people on the internet? Game chat rooms, forums, optin email lists, Yahoo groups, messenger services…these are only a few ways to meet people. Many sites such as Yahoo, AOL, or ICQ let you create a profile including favorite websites, etc. While direct advertising is often frowned upon or prohibited, usually signatures at the bottom of posts is allowed. Many friendships formed in forums and chat rooms lead to email and website exchanges.
Stuffing Envelopes…
Printed fliers can be distributed everywhere you go, posted on your car…be creative. Include a business card or flier in every piece of mail you send including bills, on tables in restaurants, in phone booths, stick them in business books in the library. Make it fun! If you have mailing addresses rather than email addresses of anyone who might be interested, send them a flier or postcard.
Become a Famous Author
Anyone can write an article, everyone is good at something or has an experience that would help someone else out. Article writing helpsbuild trust and over time will brand your name and drive traffic to your website. And itกs free. Submit your articles to individual webmasters and editors as well as article directories.
Banner Swapping and Text Linking
Some say that banners are not very effective in getting traffic to your website, but hey, itกs free and it doesn’t hurt to try. Itกs best to spend some time finding a high traffic site or two and not fill your site with banners. Text links are still your best bet.
There you have it, lots of good ideas for beginning promotion of your website.

About The Author

Glenn Beach is a home entrepreneur in Nova Scotia, Canada. He has written extensively about affiliate marketing, and sells products that he trusts at:

http://www.workathomebusinessopportunitycanada.com

email: [email protected]

This article was posted on June 05, 2004

by Glenn Beach

Ecommerce The Bop Approach

Ecommerce The Bop Approach

by: Arvind Kumar

For centuries and most of the decades in the 20th century (i.e when computer was invented) access and communication was the tool of rich and ultra rich people, prohibitively expansive to ‘not so rich’ and ‘not at all rich’ people. All marketing research and development was focused on the 20% of the market based on the management principle 80:20, ignoring the vast 4 billion people who are at the bottom of the pyramid( read Fortune at the Bottom of Pyramid by C.K. Prahalad, Wharton Publishing).

In 1990s, Internet came along and change the paradigm of whole global market. Because here we have a great tool ขInternetข a very efficient, very potent to penetrate the earlier thought impregnable market sec. For most if the time it is the exposure to the outer world and information is necessary to make any decision and growth of any section of society or part of world. Internet is playing that role very efficiently.

Internet is a Mass product. Here power lies in the hand of individuals, rich or not so rich(This terminology is taken from Fortune at the Bottom of Pyramid by C.K. Prahalad, Wharton Publishing).

General theory of market states

Top end market is value driven.

Bottom end market is volume driven.

Through these two anomaly, we can clearly recognize that Internet companies are focusing on the second approach and that is what CK Prahalad call Bottom of Pyramid(BOP) approach in his path breaking book Fortune at the Bottom of Pyramid.

I can give a big list of such companies, but for instance take some shining stars of today Internet economy.

ebay.com

aol.com

clickbank.com

Google.com

We will study the Mother of all search engine Google and its approach to BOP.

Lets compare the Google strategy and its behemoth competitors( well not today, but in formative days of Google when it matter most.) Google is a search engine based on Pay per click(PPC) approach to the internet economy. In formative days, Google done exactly what others thought and well recognized by the Gurus that the model is not viable and Google will be doomed to graveyard.

Most of Dot Coms or brick and mortar companies on internet were making money for advertising. They charge for the advertising space they provide to the advertiser and charge them for a fixed duration and also all these prepaid only. This approach was already imminently followed in TV advertising and to some extent very successful. Advertisers did not had any options. For them it was dark space to jump into. They did not had any control even after paying handsome sum for space on Net.

See the other side of the coin. The consumer( technically visitor) were not part of revolution. Even if they were, they were used to be only exploited for generating huge profit for firms operating on the Net.

Google came to foray with a refreshing style and a very uncommon approach to the market.

No Images on its main page. ( there is option available in other pages but not very popular.)

Tool and services for the common people.

Free for all( even sometime for advertisers also)

See where is the money? I guess 90% would not see any or many.

Google spread its wings on net through wordofmouth marketing and keeping a intense focus on the common people using internet. In the process Google developed it owns marketing and revenue generation model with empowering the common people, who worship Google( I can be counted one of them).Google invented many new model which was never thought before.

Google adsense

Google Adwords

Froogle (similar to ebay.com but free for all.)

Google Search

Seeing deep into Google strategy and approach to net economy we can define two things.

Focus on common people in big volume in terms of purchasing power

In the process give more control in their hands, empower them to generate more purchasing power and habit to help yourself as well as the industry.

See two very bottom level examples.

Jon Gales, the owner of the www.mobiletracker.net makes close to $5000 per month just by using Google adsense. Take notice, he is merely a happy go lucky child of 19 years.

For small time people who want more sales to be generated for their small time business uses Google adwords and Froogle. Even if they do not any business product, they can sale someone else product and have a handsome money in exchange for working for someone else at their own home.

Does it make a company commercially viable? Do not ask me. Watch it.

Seth Gobin a well known online advertising consultant and former Yahoo employee, used to be dubious about Google’s prospect. Not anymore ข They have created the first new and effective Ad medium in last 50 years. It’s brilliantข He says.

Napolean hill, author of Law of success state in his book,ข No man can rise to fame and fortune without carrying others along with him. It is simply can not be done.ข

It takes continuous hard work with great series of innovation in product designe, process innovation and marketing and a long period to reach ( in mature economy or market) where Google is today.

Google 6 year $321mn

EBay 9 year $322mn

Yahoo 10 year $260mn

Amazon 9 year $114mn

In his book ข The fortune at the Bottom of Pyramidข C.K. Prahalad state,ข…..what is needed is a better approach to help poor, an approach that involves partnering with them to innovate and achieve sustainable winwin scenarios where the poor are actively engaged and at the same time, the companies providing product and services to them are profitable.ข

I accept common people on net are not poor. But see into deep meaning of C.K. Prahalad statement,ข ……where the poor are actively engaged and at the same time………..ข. That’s what ecommerce model I am talking all about. They are not poor but they are active ready to change their buying behavior. Buying behavior change is the most awesome milestone still to reach in the ecommerce to really blast off the internet economy. According to Napolean Hill, you need to help the common internet folk to see what internet can do for them.

Gil Penchina, vicepresident, eBay International state,ข It’s all about getting more people on the system(eBay). People on net follow very simple system. They get online almost always because they want email, then they start reading news, then they shop. Once they value in shopping, they shop repeatedly. That’s when they realize they can sell too.ข

By actively involving common folk they will get more trust into ecommerce. To achieve this amazing rate of growth, ecommerce community has to accept the ขinclusive Capitalismข approach. Common Internet people need to be given a big opportunity to tap into the awesome big time opportunity on internet. According to CK Prahalad, to tap into BOP segment ข Trust is prerequisiteข. Big corporate or small one need to build this bridge of trust to tap into this big volume market segment.

In case of Google, it is famous for it unconventional approach and infamously trusted for unorthodox management approach of its founders Lary Page and Sergey Brin. Google just do not comprise on integrity for profit in its search results. Its user can always trust Google for its integrity to receive full support from Google for their small or big business.

Am I seem too madly in love with Google? Believe m, I am not alone.

This research work for this report is done by Mr. Arvind Kumar, founder, www.Nuttymarketer.com. You may reach him at [email protected].

You can access the same article at Nuttymarketer.com website at :

http://www.nuttymarketer.com/green/gorilla_marketing_ecommerce1.htm

About The Author

Arvind Kumar is an Electrical Engineer from a premier Institute , Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India. He has 3 years experince in marketing business consulting services and marketing services. He is founder and CEO of nuttymarketer.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 17, 2005

by Arvind Kumar

Use Collaborative Approach and Get Leveraged Ear

Use Collaborative Approach and Get Leveraged Earnings

by: Sanjay Johari

By helping others to grow their business you ensure growth of your own business. I have seen this theory work even while dealing with competitors. This confirms one of the golden rules you get what you give to others.

I have been involved in building and running factories to generate profit and credibility right from constructing foundations for machines and buildings up to the point of developing customers and retaining them. In the process I have had to deal with many agencies suppliers, customers, consultants, government officials, licensing firms and many others.

Whenever I negotiate a deal with these agencies, I always have two considerations at the back of my mind. One of them is cost reduction and the other one is the prospect of entering into longterm relationship. It is often possible to resort to armtwisting to get a deal which appears better for you. But there is a better approach the collaborative approach.

Collaborative Approach Let us take the case of a supplier or a vendor. While it is possible to force a deal in your favor, collaborative approach makes that unnecessary. In this approach you actually work with the vendor as a consultant to help him to reduce his cost of sale, and then get the savings passed on to you. This creates a winwin situation, good relationship develops and longterm source of supply is ensured.

Similar approach works with customers also. Customers can be helped in growing their business, in solving their technical problems and other issues. This may not give immediate monetary benefit, but there are longerterm advantages. One obvious benefit is that loyal customers are developed. Another equally important benefit is that customers actually advertise for your products. This is a nocost advertisement endorsed by actual user of your product.

Network marketing uses a collaborative approach that makes it really appealing. It is unfortunate that network marketing or multilevel marketing is not really considered as respectable as it deserves to be. This may be because many network organizations have disappeared because of faulty systems or unethical practices. Many programs did not have any products to sell; their business was only recruiting down line members. Such programs and associated legal issues should be totally avoided.

PERSISTENCE PAYS One of the reasons why new affiliates give up too early and too easily is that they were probably lured by some getrichquick scheme to join the program which did not materialize as they were led to believe. In any good network marketing program it is important to realize that results will be forthcoming only thru persistence. Building any business which can yield returns sufficient to support a family takes time.

Good Affiliate Programs While many organizations have disappeared in thin air, there are also organizations that are growing and growing. Many programs offer unlimited earning potential. It is important to join only good programs with proven track record. New affiliates are often new to the Internet business and join with the hope of making some extra cash working parttime or working from home. They need support from the organizations operating the programs by way of training, sales promotion material, discussion forums etc. Many programs provide such support to their affiliates.

Personal Guidance While all these material can help a new affiliate, there is no substitute for personal guidance. Apart from other benefits it can provide, it at least assures the new affiliate that she is being taken care of and is not left alone. This is where collaborative approach comes into play. Generally the person who sponsors the new affiliate works as a guide. The guide has more experience in this field and helps the new affiliate to grow her business.

Leveraged Earnings The programs that have a system of providing leveraged earning to its members particularly take advantage of this situation. In leveraged earning, a member earns from the efforts of the downline members. Suppose you have members in your downline just below you, and these members have their own downline members. Like this there are several layers of members below you. Depending upon the program you have joined, you can earn leveraged earning when your downline members in several layers below you earn their commission.

In this situation it will be to your advantage to help other downline members earn commission for themselves. They are also happy to earn for themselves with your help. This collaborative approach works out a winner for all concerned.

Apart from monetary benefits, there are other issues involved in the collaborative approach. In my opinion the most important aspect is that the new affiliate does not feel neglected. There are now plenty of free information available in the Internet, most of which can be obtained by visiting websites or thru autoresponders. All the secrets of running successful business are out there. Yet only a few people are able to succeed and earn back their investment. With so much of oftenconflicting information people get more confused than educated. If there is a person to guide you it will at least give you a sense of relief.

There are awards also for those who guide others to realize their dreams. This is the sense of satisfaction they get in helping others and earning their lifelong gratitude. Other bonus gift is opportunity of building your credibility and gain trust of your business partners.

The sense of belonging, which develops in collaborating with others for overall growth of all, is the real beauty of leveraged earning.

Copyright 2004 Sanjay Johari

About The Author

Sanjay Johari helps in operating online small businesses.

Experience the power of leveraged earning.

For top business opportunity, information, ebooks, articles and more, visit

Http://www.SanjayJ.com

Subscribe to Home Business Tips newsletter with hundreds of tricks and tips for Home Business. Send a blank email to [email protected].

This article was posted on December 05, 2004

by Sanjay Johari

How To Profit From HOT Niche Markets Every Time!

How To Profit From HOT Niche Markets Every Time!

by: Melvin Ng

Do you want to learn two proven niche marketing business models that are virtually guaranteed to succeed – in all niches? So do hundreds of my clients. They ask me every day. Beg me to share them. Demand that I reveal them.

So I did. In a short article. This one. Iกm sharing it with you, so you can benefit from this powerful insight too.

There are TWO approaches to niche marketing:

Following your PASSION

Following the MONEY

Both can lead to wild success – if the finer points are managed correctly. Letกs talk about them.

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION

This route is popular among beginners and experts alike – because itกs easy! You already are (or can quickly become) an expert. And as you love what you do, youกll be good at it.

Hereกs a niche marketing model you can adopt to succeed using this approach… Building your กContent Siteก.

Your niche website will be chockfull of valuable content. Articles, special reports, ecourses, audio tutorials, video presentations, information products – anything your audience will find useful.

Your revenue models will include:

ADVERTISING – Relevant, high quality content sites are an advertiserกs delight.

DIRECT SALES – Incontext selling of related products and services is easy on a niche content site

MEMBERSHIP SITES – Your content itself can be your product, and you can sell access to it… onetime, or on an ongoing basis as a subscription.

LICENSING DEALS – You can license your content to other users for a fee.

The drawback to this approach is that youกll first need to invest a lot of time, effort and money to build your content site – even if you have fun doing it!

FOLLOW THE MONEY

Your field of interest – even passion – may not be lucrative. While itกs fun, you won’t get rich!

So some prefer the alternative approach of going where the money trail leads… even if it doesn’t excite you, the financial rewards are greater.

If you’re considering this route, remember – the approach is different too. Hereกs what youกll need to do:

Research hot niches which are highly in demand.

Find what keywords prospects are using to search for information.

Design websites optimized to rank high on search engines.

Put up as many web pages as possible on related keywords so you reach as large an audience as possible in this niche.

Your revenue model will include:

TRAFFIC BROKERING – Direct the traffic hitting your site to others who want this audience – and are willing to pay you for it.

PAY PER CLICK ADVERTISING – Display ads that earn you money each time a visitor clicks on them.

LIST BUILDING – You can later offer list members relevant products and services your own, or as an affiliate.

DIRECT SELLING – You could sell on the website itself, though the results may not be as good as on a content site.

The major drawback to going this route is the need for expertise in niche research, search engine optimization and the ability to create multiple web pages quickly. Some products offer a readymade, offtheshelf solution to speed up the process.

Whichever path you choose to your niche marketing success, one thing is abundantly clear.

Thereกs money in niches. BIG money. Grab your share of it TODAY!

All success

Dr.Mani

About The Author

*** How To Profit From HOT Niche Markets Every Time! ***

Copyright (c) 2005, Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian

Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian is a niche marketing expert and webmaster of Instant Niche Business. His breakthrough กQuick Niche Profitsก newsletter – offers nearinstant กFollow the Moneyก niche marketing solutions… Get started in hours!

* FREE details:

http://www.QuickNicheProfits.com/artmel.htm

* FREE email course:

mailto:[email protected]?SUBJECT=Art

This article was posted on April 03

by Melvin Ng

CCNA ICND & CCNA INTRO or 640801: How to Choose?

CCNA ICND & CCNA INTRO or 640801: How to Choose?

by: SemSim CCNA Training

With the latest version of the CCNA exam, Cisco offers two possible exam track options of either one or two exams.

1) The Single Exam Approach

Exam Number: 640801 CCNA

The exam consists of 5565 questions over 90 minutes and covers all CCNA exam topics

The topics covered on the exam include:

Planning and Designing

Implementation and Operation

Troubleshooting

Technology

2) The Two Exam Approach

Exam Numbers: 640821 and 640811

The two exam approach consists of 640821 exam (Introduction to Cisco Networking Technologies, or CCNA INTRO) and 640811 (Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices, or CCNA ICND)

640821 CCNA consists of 4555 questions over 75 minutes and covers the topics:

Planning and Designing

Implementation and Operation

Troubleshooting

Technology ·

640811 CCNA consists of 4050 questions over 60 minutes and covers the topics:

Design and Support

Implementation and Operation

Technology

Either approach will allow you to successfully become a CCNA after passing the required exams. There are advantages to taking either of the exam tracks and these include:

Single Exam Approach (640801 CCNA) Advantages:

Only one exam required to become a CCNA and it covers all topics

More time efficient than taking two exams

More cost effective than taking two exams. Exam cost when taking this approach is $125.00 US versus $200.00 US for the Two Exam approach.

Who Should Take The Single Exam Approach?

Take the Single Exam Approach to the CCNA if:

You cannot afford the expenses of the two exam approach

You are looking to reduce the time spent obtaining the CCNA

If you are well prepared for the exam topics on the CCNA exam than the single exam approach is the way to go. This approach is generally recommended for more experienced candidates such as those who have experience with networking technologies.

Two Exam Approach (CCNA ICND & CCNA INTRO) Advantages:

Exam is broken up into 2 smaller sections of CCNA exam topics

Allows more time to learn and understand topics of each exam

Excellent for candidates new to Cisco technology

Who Should Take The Two Exam Approach?

Take the Two Exam Approach to the CCNA if:

You can afford the expenses associated with the cost of the two exams

You are new to Cisco technologies and networking basics

You will be successful following either approach if:

You have a complete understanding of all CCNA exam topics

Have experience with router configuration/simulation

Have completed numerous configuration examples and questions on CCNA topics

The CCNA exam is the precursor to other higher level Cisco certifications. Successfully completing the CCNA exam will allow a candidate to pursue other Cisco certifications such as:

CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional)

CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional)

CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert)

About The Author

SemSim.com provides training resources for Cisco certification exams: CCIE, CCNP, CCNA, CCDP, CCDA. It offers FREE learning resources to students such as study guides and router simulation labs at itกs online learning center located at: http://www.semsim.com/ccna/learn.html

http://www.SemSim.com : Making Cisco certification easy!

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 04

by SemSim CCNA Training

How To Find Ideas For Creating Your Own Profitable

How To Find Ideas For Creating Your Own Profitable Products

by: Charles Kangethe

(c) 2004 Charles Kangethe

In this Article we look at the third competitive advantage of successful Internet Marketers Creating Products.

The main problem with creating products is not in the build process, but rather in the กIdeas Process.ก

Product Ideas Come From NEEDS

* New Knowledge

Research at centres of learning gives rise to new theories that provide a wealth of ideas, for new products.

* Emulation

Modification and copying of existing products and services is the most common source of new ideas for products.

* Ego

Most inventors of products have big egoกs that are only satisfied by the กcreative process,ก from invention to production.

* Difficulty

Hardship in terms of effort required to do any work or activity is a rich source of new ideas for products.

* Scarcity

Shortages of necessities and luxuries very often give rise to new ways and products to overcome the shortages.

Product Development

Products can be developed in one of two ways :

* Product Centric Approach

This is where the idea and the product are the drivers of the process.

Prototypes and initial production runs are completed before research to find out whether or not the product has a chance of commercial success.

* Market Centric Approach

In this approach the Market is the driver.

It focuses on identifying clear market needs and then finding very specific products to satisfy those needs.

With this approach you know your product will succeed before you commit money to the production process.

The Research

The two main purposes of research are :

* Technical Viability

In this step you analyse the process and cost of manufacture.

The aim is to find an answer to the question Can the product be made in commercial quantities for reasonable cost ?

* Commercial Viability

This step determines the likelihood of commercial success when the product hits the shelves. You determine how much competitor products sell for and the expected return on investment.

A Practical Exercise In Creating Your Own Product

Step #1 Developing NEEDS

Decide on which NEEDS you want to create a product for. For this exercise we will use Difficulty.

Step #2a Idea Development Using a Market Centric Approach :

Using a directory of Internet Newsgroups join a few groups and lurk. Understand the groupกs purpose and etiquette, and when you feel comfortable post a simple question. For instance :

=>

Hi Forum

I am doing some research and would like to know what is the single biggest difficulty you have with x ?

Name

Hi Forum

I have an idea to resolve difficulty x. Would this be of interest to you ? If so what specific features you like to see in the solution to x ?

Name

http://tile.net/news/

=> http://groups.google.com/

Market Research Techniques and Resources www.sbaonline.sba.gov/starting_business/marketing/basics.html

Set up an affiliate program Simply Easier Marketing Part 1

=> http://www.simplyeasier.com/afiliates.htm

Traffic and Op’tIn Lists Simply Easier Marketing Part 2

=> http://www.simplyeasier.com/traffic.htm

For an ebook on creating specific Info products and a report on Market Research Before Building Your Products send a blank mail to

=> [email protected]

(c) 2004 Charles Kangethe

About The Author

Charles Kangethe of http://www.simplyeasier.com is a leading new wave Netpreneur and a published author from Suffolk. The กSimply Easierก brand name is your guarantee of high value, quality Marketing Products, Services and Resources.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 02, 2004

by Charles Kangethe

Are You Choosing Your Website Colors Safely?

Are You Choosing Your Website Colors Safely?

by: Maricon Williams

Many designers are overlooking the vitality of colors in creating a web site. Why is it vital? It is because it creates a mood – it can annoy, irritate or interest and uplift the spirit of the visitors. Your site can end up plain and boring or chaotic if you don’t take a look at your colors minutest details.

If you are not an expert in colors, you can consult the color wheel to achieve safe colors. You can opt for complementary colors, those that are found across another color, for safe choices. Orange and blue implies excitement. Green and blue on the other hand, implies unanimity and agreement. You can also opt for monochromatic colors or in the web design parlance – the monolithic approach. It is the approach which uses different shades of the same color. Experts are saying that monoliths is best suited for business sites because of their classy and subtle appearance. Just a word of caution to web designers, this approach can sometimes result to boring colors and may in turn, need an addition of black or other solid colors.

As a general rule, use colors that are pleasing to the eyes and will complement to the subject matter. Thus, it can be concluded that rich, classy and traditional colors like blue, gray, brown and burgundy can be best suited for business websites.

You can also use the conventional black texts with white backgrounds to ensure readability. To grab attention to the subject matter, you can use the bold color red. In order to make your website dynamic yet still readable, you can use contrasting colors. You can have the trial and error method to get best results.

To further guide you with what colors can do. Here are some of their portrayed identities:

Blue means water, peaceful, sad and masculinity.

Red means passion, love, hot and fire.

Yellow conveys happiness, caution, construction, and slowdown.

Green connotes jealousy, envy, beginner, fertility and spring.

Purple may mean royal, grand and comedy.

Orange conveys warmth, Halloween, fall and seasons.

Brown may mean warning, dirty, fall, earthy, environmental and grounded.

Pink entails femininity, cute, softness and weakness.

Your choices of color represent you. It must also represent your products or services. It must be used as a tool to attract visitors and not to irritate them. Another rule of thumb that you must consider is that you MUST use web safe color. What do I mean web safe? It means that the colors must appear sound and clear on the monitor. That way you can be assured that what the visitors are seeing are the exact colors that you want to convey thus, the exact identity.

Indulge in the enthralling world of the powerful colors and you will be delighted with the positive output.

About The Author

Maricon Williams

I love reading. Give me a book and Iกll finish it in one sitting. Reading is the chance to be transported to a different world and so is writing. Iกm more enthusiastic about writing however, since you can relay your ideas to someone else. I can only imagine that feeling when I hear a complete stranger talking about my ideas which read on an article somewhere. To relay my message to as many people is the same as touching people with music. Only mineกs less harmonic. I try to make up for it with the color I bring with words. And most of the time, it’s more than enough.

For Comments and Questions about the Article you may Log on to http://www.printingshoppers.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 22

by Maricon Williams

The Correct Approach To Online Marketing

The Correct Approach To Online Marketing

by: David Bell

At the risk of sounding sensational, if you understand the concepts introduced in this article it could literally mean the difference between miserable failure and insane online profits for your business. Iกm not talking about a magical formula that will guarantee success, but itกs something that all online marketers need to understand…

If you spend $50 on advertising and it generates more than $50 in net profits, thatกs a good investment.

Simple right? Well, through the use of proper testing and a กscientificก approach to advertising, thereกs no reason you can’t turn your original $50 ad into millions of dollars in profits. Itกs just a matter of developing a system that creates a profit, and then reinvesting your initial profits back into your business in order to further expand your advertising.

Assume that through proper tracking of your website traffic you’re able to determine that 1 out of every 100 visitors to your site buys กProduct Xก. Letกs also assume that on the sale of every Product X you make a $50 profit. Do you see that any ad you buy which delivers more than 100 visitors to your site per $50 spent is a profitable investment? Promoting a site should be approached with this type of a scientific or mathematical attitude. Any advertising you do is either profitable or not, and you need to know which it is so you don’t waste time and money.

Hereกs a somewhat simplistic strategy that you could use to get started:

Use a combination of free or lowcost strategies to promote your web site, generating initial traffic which will serve as a starting point.

Through proper tracking of your site, determine the exact กvalueก of a visitor in terms of dollars and sense. This is absolutely critical.

Utilize paid advertising that proves to be profitable according to step 2, based on the value of a visitor and the number of visitors generated.

Through ongoing testing, tracking, and tweaking, try to increase the value of a web site visitor as well as response to your advertising.

Repeat steps 24 as necessary or forever.

The power of this scientific or mathematical approach to web site promotion is that once you have completed the steps you will have an almost automated advertising campaign that can literally send you all the traffic you need. Rather than spending hours and hours each day promoting your site, you simply buy more advertising.

The bottom line is that there are only 24 hours in a day and thereกs only so much you can do during that time. Free advertising strategies can be effective, but normally, anything thatกs กfreeก is going to กcostก you time.

On the other hand, if you could spend $1,000 a day on advertising to make $1,000 a day in profits, without spending hours doing it, why wouldn’t you just do that? Itกs not hard at all. Consider Overture.com for example, where you can buy clickthroughs for as little as 125 cents.

That fits the formula quite nicely. Overture alone won’t send you enough traffic to make you rich, but itกs a good example of effectively promoting your site without spending much time doing it. And thatกs just one example of many! Give this 5step scientific approach a try. If you find you just can’t seem to make the formula work, there can only be a few reasons for it; either you’re not advertising in the right places, your web site isn’t doing its job, your profit margins are too low, or your product or service itself is the problem. Figure out which it is and you can’t fail.

I hope this helps in your future marketing decisions.

About The Author

David Bell

http://www.wspromotion.com/

Advertising research and development center

This article was posted on April 12

by David Bell

How to Be Appropriately Pushy

How to Be Appropriately Pushy

by: Suzanne FalterBarns

One of the things thatกs often hard to know is how and when to be pushy appropriately. In these hardscrabble times, perfectly polite people don’t stand much of a chance of getting what they want. However, not enough can be said for making yourself known in a decent and unobnoxious manner. The key is to use your intuition and your brain, both at the same time, and pray for a little luck.
When Lazaro Hernandez was a fashion student at Parsonกs School of Design in New York, he had a chance encounter in an airport with Anna Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue Magazine. In fact, she was getting on his airplane. Lazaro wasn’t so sure he had the nerve to approach, but one hour into the flight, he could stand it no longer.
Lazaro wrote a humble note on an airsick bag, which explained that he was a fashion student who would soon be looking for an internship. He noted that she probably got requests like this all the time, but wondered if perhaps someone had given her a chance at the beginning of her career. He also wrote that he knew she had the power to help him. Then, trembling, he approached.
Lazaro stood before Ms. Wintourกs seated figure, and said her name. No answer. He repeated her name several times. No answer. He even crossed the uncrossable boundary and touched her arm. Still no reply. Finally, he left his plea under her martini glass and crept back to his seat. Several months later, he received a call from a major designer whoกd gotten Lazaroกs letter from Ms. Wintour with instructions that it was not to be ignored. A subsequent interview proved that he had talent, and Lazaro was hired for his first internship.
Lazaro not only had great luck to get on an airplane with the most powerful woman in the fashion industry, he had the savvy to make use of the opportunity. He was ready when his break came with a portfolio of samples heกd worked hard on, making it the best it could be. Then he did the most important thing of all: he sent Ms. Wintour a thank you note, which prompted a fax from the woman herself saying she was glad it all worked out.
This to me is a fine example of wellhandled pushiness, in that Lazaro used the opportunity as much as he could, but then was completely respectful and gracious. It is also evidence that a letter works, especially when delivered under unique circumstances. Designer Michael Kors was a store clerk, he sold Calvin Klein a ski jacket, and stuffed his design sketches into the sleeve as the jacket was en route to delivery. A documentary film director I know who needed a quote from a famous director to help her get grants pulled a similar coup. She found out where Woody Allen lived, then had a copy of her latest film delivered to his door with a handwritten note requesting a favorable comment. He obliged.
Everyone has to start somewhere, even the rich and famous. So if you can approach politely, preferably through some other means than the front office, your efforts will probably not be seen as pushy but as what one does to get a break.
Part of the reason this works is the honesty involved. You are telling them what you need up front. So this is very different than talking up a potential contact at a cocktail party with the sole agenda of having them look at your work, or hanging out a health club frequented by a certain star so you can add them to your list of influential friends. Those would be considered inappropriate ‘covert agenda’ moves that are really looked down upon by the rich and powerful.
Too often we assume that the way to approach an industry or a leader is from the bottom, worming your way up through the ranks. A much more effective approach is just to go straight to the top, where you very well may connect with the person who can make everything happen for you. This is why letters are such a good tool for approaching these people. They can read it in their own time, they’re not too obtrusive, and if wellwritten and delivered in a subtle but attentiongetting way, they can work wonders.
Important people, just like the rest of us, do not like to be used. On the other hand, most people do like to be helpful, and a direct request can be amazingly effective.
©2004 Suzanne FalterBarns. Reprint permission available.

Apply to [email protected]

About The Author

Suzanne FalterBarns is a former media insider who has published articles in Fitness, Self, More, Real Woman, Hers, Woman’s World, Cosmo Girl, The New York Times, as well as a column in New Age Journal. Her websites and books have been featured in The Christian Science Monitor, Self, Woman’s Day, Woman’s World, Time Out New York, iVillage, Cybergrrl, and more than 100 radio and television shows. She used her platform as a creativity expert to land a two book, six figure deal with the world’s largest publisher, and so is the author of How Much Joy Can You Stand? and Living Your Joy (www.howmuchjoy.com). Suzanne has also trained more than 200 people in 27 different countries how to lead workshops with her How Much Joy Can You Stand? Facilitator’s Training, which puts anyone in touch with their own creativity. She also teaches people how to publish self help (www.selfhelpsalon.com).

[email protected]

This article was posted on July 28, 2004

by Suzanne FalterBarns