VoIP (Computer Phone) Warning

VoIP (Computer Phone) Warning

by: Dee Scrip

Never before in the history of telecommunications has a more important warning been needed for current and potential VoIP (computer phone) users who have joined, or will be joining, in the inevitable paradigm shift from telephone to VoIP.

Warning! Warning! Warning!

Beware of VoIP internet service providers that operate on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols because they are PUBLICLY OPEN and INTERPRETABLE! This also includes, but is not limited to, peertopeer (P2P) networks.

In plain terms, this means, if you subscribe to, or considering subscribing to a VoIP internet solution provider who operates on these industry standards – and over 90% do you have inadvertently made yourself vulnerable to the criminal activities of hackers. Regardless of the type of anti virus software you have on your computer, the publicly accessible industry standards provide a pathway by which these criminals can access your computer to plant viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and/or steal your identity.

Like sharks in a feeding frenzy, unscrupulous criminal hackers view systems operating on these industry standards as their personal ขCash Cowข because of the ease by which they can access your computer and gather your information to sell to other criminals.

Did you know that some hackerfriendly providers offer processor chips that are only sold on the Internet?

Did you know that hackerfriendly providers actually offer hacker software that enables these criminals to deliberately disable security on computers, access your personal and confidential information, as well as inject their viruses, worms, and/or Trojan horses?

For instance, ขVomitข is a free download software that was designed to convert VoIP phone conversations into a wave file which could be played with standard sound players. Hackers gleefully interpret this as a tool they can utilize to attack unsuspecting victims.

Hacker manuals are also easily accessible via the Internet. One of these manuals shows how to DoS other sites. DoSing (Disruption of Service) involves gaining unauthorized access to the ขcommand promptข on your computer and using it to tie up your vital Internet services. When a hacker invades your system, they can then delete or create files and emails, modify security features, and plant viruses or time bombs onto your computer.

ขSniffข is another tool (originally intended to help telecommunication professionals detect and solve problems) that criminal hackers use to tamper with the protocol and ขsniff outข data. When hackers sniff out a data packet from Internet traffic, they reconstruct it to intercept conversations. This enables them to eavesdrop on conversations, gather information, and sell it to other unprincipled criminal entities.

Identity Theft

Identity theft is one of the most sinister of vulnerabilities you can inadvertently be subjected to. Identity theft is defined by the Department of Justice as

ข…the wrongful obtaining and using of someone else’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.ข

Identity theft is the byproduct of unscrupulous criminal individuals obtaining your social security number (including those of your spouse and children), your bank account, your credit card information, etc. Your information is then sold to other criminal entities for profit. Using your information, these criminals can then:

access your bank account funds

create new bank accounts with your information

create driver’s licenses

create passports

Attorney General Ashcroft stated that,

กIdentity theft carries a heavy price, both in the damage to individuals whose identities are stolen and the enormous cost to Americaกs businesses.ข

Don’t be naïve enough to think it won’t happen or couldn’t happen to you!

A group hosting a website known as shadowcrew.com was indicted on conspiracy charges for stealing credit card numbers and identity documents, then selling them online. While this group allegedly trafficked $1.7 million in stolen credit card numbers, they also caused losses in excess of $4 million.

According to a Press Release issued by the Department of Justice on February 28, a hacker was convicted of several counts of fraud, one in which

ข…he fraudulently possessed more than 15 computer usernames and passwords belonging to other persons for the purpose of accessing their bank and financial services accounts, opening online bank accounts in the names of those persons, and transferring funds to unauthorized accounts.ข

If you are using a VoIP internet service provider and do not want to be a victim of Identity Theft, then take the first step to protect yourself don’t use VoIP internet service providers operating on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols.

Viruses, Worms, and Trojan Horses

On January 28, a press Release issued by the Department of Justice reported that a 19 year old was convicted for his criminal activity by ข…creating and unleashing a variant of the MS Blaster computer worm.ข Christopher Wray, Attorney General – Criminal Division stated that,

‘this … malicious attack on the information superhighway caused an economic and technological disruption that was felt around the world.ข

On February 11, in a Press Release issued by the Department of Justice, reported that another criminal was sentenced for circulating a worm. This worm,

ขdirected the infected computers to launch a distributed denial of service (DOS) attack against Microsoftกs main web site causing the site to shutdown and thus became inaccessible to the public for approximately four hours.ข

March 7, Symantec.com posted discovery of a worm named ขW32.Serflog.Bข that spread through filesharing networks and MSN Messenger – networks that operate on publicly open and interpretable industry standard codec and protocols, including P2P systems, as well as Instant Messaging systems—none of which are protected, regardless of the anti virus software on your computer. The W32.Serflog.B worm also lowers security settings and appears as a blank message window on the MSN Messenger.

If you don’t want to be the next victim of the devastation created by worms, STOP using services that operate on industry standard codec and protocols, and/or services that incorporate P2P systems.

Anti virus software does not incorporate protection for Instant Messaging services. In addition, Instant Messaging services, in and of themselves, do not include protection for their users.

If you like the convenience of text chatting via Instant Messaging, then use a VoIP internet service provider that includes the Instant Messaging feature one that does not operate on industry standard codec or industry standard protocols that are publicly open and accessible.

Optimally secure VoIP service providers that incorporate a secure Instant Messaging feature, operate from their own proprietary high end encryption codec on patented technology that is hosted in a professional facility. Simply put, when a VoIP internet service provider operates on optimally secure platforms, the Instant Messaging feature on the VoIP softphone, is also protected with their technology.

A Trojan horse is a program that internet criminals use to interrupt and interfere with your security software and produces the following results

Terminates processes

Removes registry entries

Stops services

Delete files

Hackers, who have gained access to your computer, because of the programs and software as mentioned above, are having a field day incorporating this nasty little program into their arsenal of weapons.

As recently as March 4, a new Trojan horse was discovered that modified settings in Internet Explorer. Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP were the reported systems that could be affected.

Here’s the bottom line.

If you are currently using a VoIP internet solution provider that operates on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols that are publicly open and interpretable, you need to make a decision:

Continue enticing criminal hackers and remain on their service, or

Take immediate corrective action.

If you are currently using Instant Messaging of any sort, you need to make a decision

Continue enticing criminal hackers and remain as a user of their service, or

Take immediate corrective action.

If you decide to take immediate corrective action:

Find a VoIP internet solution provider that has their own proprietary high end encryption codec

Find a VoIP internet solution provider that has their own proprietary patented technology

Find a VoIP internet solution provider that hosts their proprietary patented technology in a professional facility

Find a VoIP internet solution provider that includes the Instant Messaging feature in their proprietary patented technology

Here’s a place you can look over to see what a VoIP internet solution provider looks like that operates on their own proprietary high end encryption codec with their own proprietary patented technology hosted in a professional facility, AND that incorporates the Instant Messaging feature.

http://www.freepcphone.com

By Dee Scrip © All rights reserved

**Attn Ezine editors / Site owners **

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include the resource box as listed above.

About The Author

Dee Scrip is a well known and respected published author of numerous articles on VoIP, VoIP Security, and other related VoIP issues. Other articles can be found at http://www.freepcphone.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 11

by Dee Scrip

What is Podcasting?

What is Podcasting?

by: S. Housley

Podcasting is quickly becoming a buzz word among the techie crowd. So what is podcasting, anyway? Podcasting is online audio content that is delivered via an RSS feed. Many people liken podcasting to radio on demand. However, in reality, podcasting gives far more options in terms of content and programming than radio does. In addition, with Podcasting, listeners can determine the time and the place, meaning they decide what programming they want to receive and when they want to listen to it.

Listeners can retain audio archives to listen to at their leisure. While blogs have turned many bloggers into journalists, podcasting has the potential to turn podcasters into radio personalities.

Podcasting can be used for:

SelfGuided Walking Tours Informational content.

Music Band promotional clips and interviews.

Talk Shows Industry or organizational news, investor news, sportscasts, news coverage and commentaries.

Training Instructional informational materials.

Story Story telling for children or the visuallyimpaired.

Podcasting is the syndication of audio files using RSS. Podcasting works the same as a standard RSS feed reader or news aggregator, the only difference is that the feed you subscribe to contains an audio file in it. Instead of reading content in your RSS feed reader or aggregator, you can listen to the contents of your feed using a reader or aggregator that supports podcasting, or you can listen to them on an iPod or similar device. While podcasting was named for the iPod, you do not have to have an iPod to listen to a podcast. Podcasts can be displayed on websites with clickable links to audio files and many of the standard RSS readers, like FeedDemonกs latest beta, have begun supporting audio enclosures.

The audio file that makes the feed a podcast rather than a standard RSS feed is contained in the กenclosureก tag. The easiest way to think of this is as an email attachment.

Although the กenclosureก tag is not new to RSS feeds and has been included in the RSS v2.0 specification for about four years, podcasting has only really been around since August of 2004.

Webmasters are finding creative ways to provide mediarich content. The syndication aspect and potential increase in audience size are an attractive lure. Listeners benefit from podcasting because, like RSS, podcasting is a means to publish content that ultimately gives the recipient the control over the information they want to see or hear.

Podcasting Resources

Podcasting Tools http://www.podcastingtools.com

Podcast Alley http://www.podcastalley.com

PodcastBunker http://www.podcastbunker.com

Podcasting News http://www.podcastingnews.com

It will be interesting to see how this publishing medium develops. Currently, only the technical crowd has endorsed podcasting as a new audio medium, but the potential is real and the process is not overly complex. With a little time I think this field will develop and prosper.

About The Author

Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net a wireless text messaging software company.

This article was posted on January 19

by S. Housley

Redefining Distance to Market your Company

Redefining Distance to Market your Company

by: Lee Traupel

The recent terrorist attacks here in the US have caused many companies and individuals to rethink how they want to market to and work with others. As a result, webenabled presentations and or collaborations are finally coming of age – the technology works with a minimum of hassle, it’s an efficient way to give marketing presentations, hold meetings, provide training and do product demonstrations. The cost savings can be significant, especially when contrasted with all of the burdened costs of holding conventional meetings; i.e. travel, hotel, transportation, facilities and “time out of the office issues.” Here is a quick primer on some baseline issues to consider when weighing the effectiveness of virtual marketing presentations and meetings.

1. There are a broad number of vendors, although the “virtual presentation and meeting” market segment has undergone consolidation in the last few years. I’d recommend assessing these four market leaders: www.webex.com (well established with diversified terms of services), www.placeware.com (corporate focused), www.centra.com (provides a good client plug in that enables Voice over IP (“VOIP”) communications, www.raindance.com (emphasizes teleconferencing).

2. PC configuration, Internet access and firewall issues all need to be considered when your assessing the effectiveness of this process and technology. Port settings need to be “tuned” or optimized, the PC must have multimedia capabilities if your using VOIP, just about any speed of internet connection will work, but the experience for the attendee can vary depending on the connection speeds and how “heavy” your presentation is with graphics.

3. Web presentations offer a lower cost model versus traditional presentations or meetings, but there are burdened costs for webenabled marketing – phone conferencing can be anywhere from $.1535 per minute per user, presentation uploads for a standard power point presentation (which is the defacto app for virtual presentations), can cost $1030. per presentation, costs per attendee can vary tremendously but average $50500. per session, depending upon the number of users.

4. One of the most expensive parts of virtual meetings is always the teleconferencing component. All of the market leaders have some VOIP component (voice over IP) but most are not publicizing this technology or service, as they don’t want to cannibalize a significant contribution to their revenue streams. One exception is Centra – they are offering VOIP integrated services with their standard web presentations or meetings. The audio quality is good, analogous to voice quality of a standard cell phone call – but there is a client download (small under 250K) to deal with and you must have a multimedia enabled PC.

5. Some webenabled presentation challenges include the need to keep people involved – you can do this easily by leveraging the chat capabilities, dynamic polling, and standard Q&A components built into the application. The higher their interest level (as in real world meetings) the better your meeting or presentation will be.

6. Marketing presentations can be easily archived and made available to others on a 24/7 basis – this archiving can include the standard presentation, enhanced with video or audio components, depending on the sophistication of your presentation. Be prepared to pay an extra charge for this – but the marketing ROI can be significant, especially when you factor in how little most companies charge for an archiving service versus your front end costs.

7. Virtual marketing enables a whole set of webenabled processes – you will have the ability to easily capture your prospect/customer’s email address and standard contact points via a registration process, involve them and capture preferences via polling in your presentations and “push” follow up communications during your presentation/meeting or later. But, it’s very important to include standard “privacy” statements in your materials and adhere to them as you move forward through your business processes.

8. How does video conferencing impact your assessments of webenabled presentations or collaborations? This depends on your budget, number of people attending the presentation, presenter and attendee locations and other intangible that are specific to your business. In general, video conferencing works better for very small (under five people) presentations or meetings, due to some of the inherent challenges of this medium.

About The Author

Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and marketing experience he is the founder of Intelective Communications, Inc., http://www.intelective.com, a resultsdriven marketing services company providing proprietary services to clients encompassing startups to public companies. [email protected]

[email protected]

This article was posted on July 25, 2002

by Lee Traupel

Microsoft Great Plains on Ctree or Pervasive SQL –

Microsoft Great Plains on Ctree or Pervasive SQL – what to do – tips for IT manager

by: Andrew Karasev

As you probably know, when Microsoft purchased Great Plains Software – the whole strategy for Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise line was changed. Initial GPS strategy was to maintain DB platform independence – via it’s Cwritten engine Dexterity, based on the believe that C programming language is platform independent. So – Great Plains was running on MS SQL Server, Ctree (Faircom – if you remember 199596 Macintosh era), Pervasive SQL (Btrieve). Microsoft obviously had no plan to keep this multiplatform capability and Great Plains was optimized to MS SQL Server and with the introduction of MSDE – the need to keep entry level Dynamics on Ctree/Btrieve disappeared.

Microsoft Great Plains Business Solutions, later renamed to Microsoft Business Solutions was sending multiple signals to Dynamics customers to migrate to SQL Server, later on to upgrade to Great Plains Standard on MSDE. Recently it promoted all the clients who own Great Plains on Ctree/Pervasive – so now they technically own so called Great Plains Standard. All they need to do is pay for Migration (around k$3 + consulting fee to whoever your MBS VAR is).

Unfortunately MBS did several rough turns in the process of this migration from ctree/Pervasive to SQL/MSDE.

Until early 2004 you could see support expiration date for Great Plains 7.5 on Ctree/Pervasive was July, 31. In about April, 2004 – Microsoft roughly changed it to December 31, 2004. This actually exposed all the clients with regulationrelated modules (such as US Payroll – where you rather do not risk with printing W2s without support) to serious problems

Clients who migrated to Great Plains standard are now in the feeling that they paid for something that is free now. See above – all the low price GP clientele now technically owns GP Standard

Ctree/Pervasive clients with high volume of employees count in GP Payroll/HR now have to cut it to 500 employees due to the cap for GP Standard. You can imagine frustration, especially due to the fact that a lot of midsize and big companies were running very cheap Dynamics on Ctree for just Payroll/W2 filing. This was a very nice alternative to products like Abra HR – not any more.

What to do. Well, if you plan to stay with GP – the only alternative is to migrate to MSDE. Contact your MBS VAR (or call us directly: 18665280577). You will be given Migration Tool quote – then install MSDE and Great Plains with exactly the same accounts structure that you have on Pervasive/Ctree. Tune Migration Tool, select all the tables in all the modules, click the button and wait a few hour – and you are in the SQL World!

If you want us to do the job give us a call 18665280577! http://[email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, Illinois, California, Texas, Florida, New York, Georgia, Colorado, Minnesota, Washington and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is CMA, Great Plains Certified Master, Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer. You can contact Andrew: [email protected]

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 10, 2004

by Andrew Karasev

Laptops Guide: Choosing a Laptop that is Right for

Laptops Guide: Choosing a Laptop that is Right for You

by: Jonathan Chase

Most of us tend to think of laptops in the same way: a fairly small portable computer that can open and close like a suitcase, with all of the capabilities of a desktop. In fact, the term ขlaptopข is really very generic. There are currently four main styles of these portable PCs, each offering something a bit different, depending upon your specific needs.

Ultralights – Also known as subnotebooks or ultraportables, this style of laptop weighs up to – but no more than – four pounds, making them ideal for travelers. The upside of an ultralight is that it doesn’t burden those who have to spend a lot of time carrying them with aching muscles, as its larger cousins often do. The downside, however, is that – in order to cut down on the size and weight – this type of laptop is so small that there’s no room for a network card or internal CD drive. In order to reap the benefits of these types of ขattachments,ข you’d have to bring an external CD drive and port replicator. Another negative in the scenario is that ultralights tend to be on the expensive end of the laptop spectrum.

Notebooks – This is basically just a regular laptop, but is slightly less heavy, weighing in at four to six pounds. While it’s heavier than the smaller ultralight, it also offers more options with less fuss. Offering the flexibility of a combo bay, notebooks are designed with a large opening on the side which allows the user to plug a CD drive, floppy disk or extra battery – allowing you to access the features that you need without the burden of making room for those that aren’t needed.

Standards – Commonly referred to as ขregular laptops,ข these weigh between six and eight pounds and offer a full range of benefits. This technological packmule is the best buy – dollar for dollar – when you consider the cost/performance ratio. Due to their popularity, combined with their design and usability, it’s not uncommon to find discounts on these from major manufacturers. Other types of laptops, which fall into more specialized categories, tend to be in the higher price ranges. The bottom line is, of the four main types of laptops, the standard is the most economical for the most reasonable amount of money.

Extra Large – Although this type of laptop doesn’t yet have a technical name, it’s best to simply refer to it as ขextra large,ข since they weigh between eight and ten pounds and have a screen that measures at least 17 inches. In addition, the keyboard is much larger than a standard laptop, making it a more comfortable fit for those who find the keyboard of the standard laptop rather inhibitive. There are a couple of downfalls to owning this type of unit, not the least of which includes its weight. There can be a four pound difference between the weight of a standard and an extra large laptop – and that’s quite a bit, when you think about lugging it around all day. The other negative factor is the cost of this type of laptop. It offers a price tag that’s every bit as hefty as its weight and size.

The purchase of a laptop comes down to personal preference, and there are enough styles in the laptop community to please just about everyone. For those who can’t decide and just want ขa laptop,ข then it’s probably better to stick to the standard model.

About The Author

Jonathan Chase runs an computer repair business and is a contributing writer to All Cheap Laptops. Learn more about laptops at http://www.allcheaplaptops.com/HowLaptopsWork.htm

This article was posted on April 19

by Jonathan Chase

What Should You Know About Search Engines and Pay

What Should You Know About Search Engines and PayPerClick?

by: Chet Childers

Here’s a fact for you, 85 to 95% of Websites are found through a search engine. You may have the most incredible Website on the Internet, but it will receive little or no traffic without search engine visibility and ranking. Can you imagine a billboard in the Sahara desert? Who sees it?

So, how will searchers find your website? What types of search engines could they use?

Search engines fall into two categories. The first is referred to as natural, organic or standard. The second is called payperclick, paid inclusion or paid placement.

Natural, organic and standard are interchangeable terms describing a search engine that bases its search rankings on a ranking algorithm. The algorithms involve a number of criteria and parameters, all relating to the content of the website, the website’s size, the number of incoming links to the website, and the content’s relevancy. You will hear terms such as keyword relevancy and keyword density to describe various components of the algorithms.

For the standard search engines, you, your webmaster or hired search engine optimization specialist could spend considerable time optimizing your website to achieve top rankings. The goal is for your website to appear on the first or second page of the search engines’ results when your target user searches keywords or keyword phrases.

The good news is rankings on standard search engines are free. The downside is the tremendous amount of time and effort required to achieve exceptional search engine rankings. Let’s confess to each other that top rankings on standard search engines can be tough and timely to achieve!

The interchangeable terms payperclick, paid inclusion or paid placement describe a search engine that bases its search rankings on a กbid for positionก basis. Simply stated, you กbidก a price to be in a specific position of the search rankings for a particular search keyword or keyword phrase. For example, the #1 position on the search phrase กpay per clickก recently required a bid of $3.55 per click, whereas the 15th position required only a bid of 55 cents. As a result, your differential website advertising costs between position #1 and #15 can be considerable.

With payperclick search engines, your ability to bid high can dramatically impact your websiteกs search engine ranking when the search results display website domain names or URLกs for the search keyword or keyword phrase. The benefit is your website gains visibility with the searcher, but you are not charged the payperclick กbidก until a searcher actually clicks on your website domain name or URL displayed in the search engine results. The selection of your website in the search engine results is called a clickthrough.

In general, clickthrough rates range from 1% to 5% of the number of impressions. What is all of this? A click is when a searcher selects or กclicksก your payperclick ad. An impression is one display of your payperclick ad on the search engine results. So, the clickthrough rate is a measure of the total number of ad clicks versus the total number of impressions in a period of time:

ClickThrough Rate % = Total Number of Ad Clicks / Total Number of Ad Impressions * 100

Letกs do the math for our #1 position bid of $3.55 per click. In September, 2004 there were 21,535 searches for กpay per click.ก First, let’s assume a 1% clickthrough rate. The top bidder spent $764.49 (21,535 * 1% * $3.55). Now, at a 5% clickthrough rate the top bidder spent $3,822.45 (21,535 * 5% * $3.55). Budgeting and controlling marketing expenses with such a broad range of potential costs could be tough. Plus, such costs could be the tip of the iceberg. We still must consider derivatives of the keyword or keyword phrase. So, was being #1 worthwhile? That depends on your website’s cost per visitor, conversion rate and profit margin of your product or service.

>From what we’ve covered so far, you should realize you can achieve a top or high ranking through the payperclick search engine. But, a high ranking will cost money and these costs can be volatile. Meanwhile, the standard search engine remains free.

However, payperclick offers one significant advantage. It enables you to achieve website visibility with a high ranking instantaneously or overnight. If you want to draw traffic to your website fast for any reason, payperclick can make that happen. Remember, maximizing the standard search engine process takes time!

Let’s summarize the pros and cons of payperclick marketing:

Pros

Improves your website’s ranking and traffic quickly.

Tests the marketability of your product or service swiftly.

Determines the ability of your web site to convert visitors to a call to action or make a purchase promptly.

Identifies which keyword phrases will provide the best conversion rate rapidly.

Provides complete control of the search engine campaign, both position and cost.

Cons

Cost

Many individuals criticize payperclick because of the costs involved. But, have you really thought about the cost issue? Unless you or someone in your organization has expertise in search engine optimization, you’ll probably pay several thousand dollars in fees to a search engine optimization specialist to improve and optimize your website to achieve higher rankings in the standard search engines. So, my question to you is. Are the standard search engine rankings really free?

At the end of the standard versus payperclick search engine debate, it’s like the old saying, ‘there is no such thing as a free lunch.ก Or, it’s like the old commercial, กYou can pay me now or you can pay me later.ก The reality of the debate is you must evaluate your specific website situation and utilize the search engine approach that maximizes your website promotion goals and investment.

About The Author

Chet Childers is a successful Internet marketer utilizing both payperclick marketing and search engine optimization to increase website traffic. His clients’ websites promote products such as window treatments, furniture, medical uniforms, swimming pool tiles, capital equipment, computer software and much more. To learn more, visit http://www.ThePayPerClickMarketer.com and enroll in our free ecourse.

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 30

by Chet Childers

Microsoft Great Plains: Dexterity vs. eConnect – F

Microsoft Great Plains: Dexterity vs. eConnect – FAQ

by: Andrew Karasev

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics/eEnterprise was originally written in IDE and programming language – Great Plains Dexterity. Currently Microsoft is on the way of transforming its ERP applications: Great Plains, Navision, Solomon, Axapta and MS CRM to be better integrated and fit into the future of its .Net platform. As a result we see new development tools: eConnect, Extender, etc. These tools should probably succeed Dexterity in the long run. From time to time we see complications on this way – for example on recent MBS worldwide conference – Dexterity Source code partner program, closed several years ago for new partner, was tentatively promised to be reopened. In this small article we would like to answer on the typical questions we are getting from IT strategists and lead developers.

• eConnect Overview. This SDK tool, which addresses existing and creates new Great Plains objects: Master Records (Customer, Vendor, Employee, Account, etc) and work documents: Sales Order, Invoice, Purchase Order, GL transaction to name a few. This is excellent tool and is very popular among web developers – it was originally created for eCommerce programmers who wanted to deploy Great Plains as back office/ERP/Accounting.

• eConnect Limitations. First of all – we saw numerous clients, who were disappointed in the fact that eConnect can not automate posting and SOP Orders transfer to Invoices. You should understand the rules of ERP system – first you create socalled work documents: quote, order, invoice and then you post it – documents should be approved for posting and this should be done through standard ERP fat client interface, not eConnect or other standard integration tools. Second important limitation – if you have dexterity customization – eConnect can not address custom logic – it works with standard Great Plains objects only. We understand that this is difficult to foresee when you ask questions to your Microsoft Business Solutions VAR, and also that each ERP has specifics you need to know: say Oracle Financials world has its own mustknow bellsand whistles – when you work with specific large ERP – you should invest a lot of time in analysis and decision making.

• Dexterity Overview. Dexterity itself is a shell/IDE/programming language written in C back in earlier 1990th. You probably remember olddaysbelieve that C will secure database and graphical platform independence, plus it will direct you to the way of computer platform independence. But the matter of fact is – Great Plains Dexterity dictates the rules of customization – each GP customlogic table must be created in Dexterity to be viewed via GP standard interface,

• Dexterity Limitations. Of course – Dexterity is kind of legacy IDE and it was created in the days when nobody could predict internet and thin clients future. So – you can not use Dexterity in your web application, you have to stick to stored procedures or eConnect.

You can always appeal to our expertise. Give us a call: 16309615918, 18665280577, [email protected]

About The Author

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

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 12

by Andrew Karasev

Valuable Tips for Catalog Printing

Valuable Tips for Catalog Printing

by: Maricon Williams

Basic knowledge is a vital factor to save you money and avoid delays in your printing needs. So to give you this familiarity with basic information and to keep you away from printing dilemmas, here are some valuable tips that you should consider.

Let us start with the press types and their distinctions. A web press, which is specifically designed to print rolls of paper, can print extensively faster than a sheet fed press. On the other hand, the intricacy of the web press means more effort to setup and run. If your catalog or book can meet certain minimums of quantity and page count, along with using paper formats available in web form, you can take advantage of the savings the faster web press allows. In general, catalogs of 16 printed in a quantity of as low as 5,000 will be costeffective on a web press.

With regards to the page count, if you can finesse your page count to increments of 32 pages for standard format (83/8ก x 107/8ก) or 64 for the digest format (53/8ก x 83/8ก) you can save substantial cost by printing on an eightunit web press which is competent of running two webs simultaneously. It means that the labor time will be slashed to 50%. Standard four to sixunit web presses can only print single webs or 16 pages in standard format. You must use 60# or lighter basis weight stock for utmost efficiency.

In connection to page size, you can save a substantial amount of money on your printing by designing for a somewhat smaller page width. A 73/8ก page width instead of the standard 83/8ก page width means the printer can buy 31ก rolls of paper instead of 35ก rolls. Your job will need about 10% less paper. Since paper is a large percentage of your printing cost, your savings on it can be momentous. Your freight and mailing costs should also be lessened.

Perhaps the most advantageous and cost effective catalog size is the standard format (83/8ก x 107/8ก) with 32 pages. Outside of this format, the next most cost effective formats are standard format catalogs with page counts in increments of 16 pages, such as 48, 64 or 80 pages.

Send your mailing list to your printer or mail house at least 7 days before the scheduled binding/addressing date so that estimated postage may be calculated and the list analyzed to prevent delay. Send your postage check at least two business days prior to the mail entry date.

Scheduling is a critical factor because web presses normally run 24 hour a day, 67 days a week. If you see that your disks and other concerns may not get to your printer on time, be sure to tell them right away. You can prevent delay if you file delays in advance. Web presses may still have the flexibility to make alteration in the schedule that will allow you to meet your deadliest deadlines.

Additional Information about the articles can be found at http://www.catalogprintingexperts.com

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.

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 29

by Maricon Williams

Midsize Business ERP – Great Plains Standard vs. P

Midsize Business ERP – Great Plains Standard vs. Professional

by: Andrew Karasev

If you are in the growing mode and reach the point when you need to move away from old accounting application and incorporate something, which could be considered as industry standard ERP, you should know general direction and where to look for additional information. Microsoft Business Solutions gives you several ERP packages to choose from: Microsoft Great Plains Standard/Professional/Small Business Financials, Microsoft Navision, Microsoft Axapta, Microsoft CRM. In this small article we will concentrate on Microsoft Great Plains selection options.

• Pricing. Microsoft Great Plains Professional price is about two times higher than Microsoft Great Plains Standard. You should probably know the history. Current Great Plains Standard was formerly available on Pervasive SQL and ctree and the product line name was Great Plains Dynamics. This product was targeted to midsize and small businesses (with growing potential, for tiny business you should consider MYOB, Peachtree, Quickbooks, etc.)

• Database. Currently both products (since version 7.5) are available on MS SQL Server. Standard is also available on MSDE and MS SQL Select 2005. Here we are talking about midsize business and MS SQL Server 2000/2005

• Additional Modules. Obviously both products have standard set of modules: General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, SOP, POP, Inventory Control, Payroll, HR – Human Resources. However if you are large/midsize business you may need additional modules: Customer/Vendor Consolidation, Intercompany Transactions, Manufacturing, Service Suite and others.

• GP Standard Limitations. Number of GPS users has cap 10 users. Also in Payroll/HR you are limited to 500 employees

• eConnect. Large corporation usually has inhouse web and software developers. In this case you can consider creating web interface for multiple users (and doing so avoid numerous and expensive GP users licenses). eConnect is available for both GPP and GPS. In our opinion, however – this is temporary gap – when Microsoft Business Solutions will decide that eConnect should be userlicensed this might be stopped. eConnect is currently not available for Small Business Financials.

• New Version. MBS Great Plains Standard and Professional version 9.0 is scheduled to be released in September 2005

• Industries. Great Plains Professional should be considered as ERP platform in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Beverages, Apparels, Conglomerates, Textile, Services, Nonforprofit, Transportation &Logistics, Warehouse management/Shipping & Receiving, Distribution, Wholesale & Retail, Government, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Placement & Recruiting, Healthcare & Hospitals.

• CrossPlatform integrations. Combining Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains ERP with nonMicrosoft Business System or CRM: Lotus Notes Domino, Oracle, DB2

Good luck and you can always seek our help in customization, implementation, integration and support. Call us: 18665280577 or 16309615918, [email protected]

About The Author

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

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 02

by Andrew Karasev

Why Over 90% of VoIP (Computer Phone) Services are

Why Over 90% of VoIP (Computer Phone) Services are Vulnerable to Attack

by: Dee Scrip

You are in the crosshairs as a primary target of computer hackers if you own a computer or operate on unsecure VoIP (computer phone) services.

John Ashcroft, Attorney General, in remarks at the High Technology Crime Investigation Association 2004 International Training Conference held on September 13, 2004 stated, ขWe have seen worms and viruses attack…disrupting basic services…And with the increased use of the Internet and especially peertopeer networking, we have seen malicious code spread more quickly and infect more personal computers than ever before. The cost of these worms, viruses, and denialofservice attacks…reaches into the billions of dollars.ข

In an article written by Daniel A. Morris, Assistant US Attorney, Computer and Telecommunications Coordinator with the District of Nebraska stated in ขTracking a Computer Hackerข, that the ขThe modern thief can steal more with a computer than with a gun. Tomorrow’s terrorist may be able to do more damage with a keyboard than with a bomb.ข

Ralph Echemendia, head of Intense School which trains executives regarding network security risks, stated that ขTelecom providers are one of the main targets for malicious attackers because they control communications for everybody.ข

Sophisticated hackers have learned how to tap into sensitive information traveling on the Internet, and their focal point is communication.

How is this possible?

It is fairly simple. First, you should be aware that email services operate off of email servers, and web services operate off of web servers. Both email servers and web servers are built for data and not for voice.

Because VoIP has voice, it requires a system that will convert the voice into data packets to travel across the Internet, and then convert back to voice at destination. However, VoIP should not be considered just another application residing on a data network, as it necessitates a real time service due to performance expectations (e.g., quality of sound).

The majority of VoIP computer phones require a minimum of 20 kps (kilobytes per second) of bandwidth (information carrying capacity) for data packets to travel across the Internet, which is why most require a minimum high speed Internet connection in order to function without corrupting the quality of the voice.

Although in the minority, a few VoIP computer phone providers, some of which are reputable, require a minimum of less than 10 kps (kilobytes per second) of bandwidth (information carrying capacity), which is why their services can be used with dialup connections or high speed (e.g., cable), satellite, and wireless connections.

Over 90% of VoIP services operate using industry standard codec (encryption codes) and industry standard protocols.

Computers are assigned a different numeric Internet Protocol (IP) address while on line, which is analogous to mail where you would have an identity location with your street number, city, state and zip code.

Relative to a protocol, the IP (Internet Protocol) address is a number that identifies the user and their computer. Industry standard codec and industry standard protocols are open and interpretable to the public. Unscrupulous hackers frequently launch their attacks against VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services that operate on these publicly open and interpretable standards.

Peertopeer services, as well as over 90% of all VoIP computer phone services, operate on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols. In other words, their lines are not secure.

IM services also create targeted vulnerability to vicious hacker attacks by a simple monitoring program made available that enables electronic eavesdropping.

The above information is an excerpt taken from an indepth and exclusive Report entitled ขWhy Hackers Love Computer Phones – A Shocking Report You Must Read!ข by Dee Scrip available only at http://www.whypay4calls.com/gtp/to.pl?l=ART03

**Attn Ezine editors / Site owners **

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed above

By Dee Scrip

© All rights reserved.

About The Author

Dee Scrip

The above information is an excerpt taken from an indepth and exclusive Report entitled ขWhy Hackers Love Computer Phones – A Shocking Report You Must Read!ข by Dee Scrip available only at http://www.whypay4calls.com/gtp/to.pl?l=ART03

This article was posted on February 05

by Dee Scrip

Would You Like An Extended Warranty With That?

Would You Like An Extended Warranty With That?

by: John San Filippo

Should you buy an extended warranty with your laptop? You may not want to think about it now, but sooner or later, something is going to break down on your laptop. When it happens, the big question will be who gets stuck with the bill, you or the manufacturer.
The standard (standard in this case meaning free) warranty on a new laptop typically runs anywhere from 90 days to a year. That probably doesn’t seem like much when you consider how long you expect to own your laptop. What happens when your laptop poops out on the 91st day?
First of all, even if your laptop only includes a 90day warranty (and assuming you’ve purchased a reputable brand name system), the chances of your laptop dying on the 91st day are very, very slim.
Manufacturers don’t offer a 90day warranty with the expectation that their product will malfunction shortly thereafter. A shorter warranty is likely, at least in part, to be a marketing ploy to push you toward an extended warranty.
All major laptop manufacturers offer a long menu of extended warranty options, each menu item with its own price tag. The two biggest components that factor into the cost of an extended warranty are duration and location.
Through extended warranty, you typically have the option to extend the duration of the standard warranty from one to three years. The first extra year is always the most expensive, with each subsequent year costing significantly less. The longer the extended warranty, the better the deal.
As for location, the least expensive extended warranties require you to ship your laptop (at your expense) to a remote repair facility. With the most deluxe extended warranty packages, a service technician will meet you at your own front door to attempt the repairs. This type of coverage tends to be on the expensive side.
At this point, you might decide to research manufacturer websites to determine their standard warranty policies. Don’t bother, because most laptop manufacturers don’t have standard warranty polices. Warranties vary from line to line and product to product. Even with a particular model in mind, it’s still going to take some digging.
So how do you decide whether an extended warranty is right for you? Your best bet is to consider your anticipated usage:
If you’re buying a laptop as a second computer for occasional use when you need to travel, you can probably pass on the extended warranty and still feel relatively safe.
At the other extreme, if you use your laptop day in and day out as your primary system, with half your life spent in airport terminals, you should consider adding as much extended warranty as you possibly can. Fortunately, unlike automobile warranties, laptop warranties don’t put any restriction on mileage.

About The Author

The author, computer journalist John San Filippo, has written the definitive guide for buying a laptop computer at: http://HowToBuyALaptop.com You can also pick up your complimentary ebook titled กComputer Tips From The Expertsก at: http://howtobuyalaptop.com/laptoptips.htm

This article was posted on May 19, 2004

by John San Filippo