Intranet Software: New Challenges, New Technologies

It started with intent to give more freedom to a common user and steadily, web emerged as a great platform to emancipate the very concept of the freedom of expression – welcome to a world of opportunities. This is the emergence of Web 2.0, which has plainly altered the virtual landscape and made it a complete user driven medium. In fact, it has brought forth significant changes in the way people perceive their virtual identity. Similarly, an Intranet design has the capability to bring the much needed transparency on corporate level. Besides synchronizing assorted processes under one umbrella, Intranet has also brought forth many document management tools such as AJAX tree navigation, tagging, breadcrumbs and versioning. The basic idea behind the creation of Intranet is taken from Internet. While Internet is a global network of computers, Intranet is used on a corporate level. In fact, many of the popular Intranet applications are taken from Internet to provide a compatible platform to employees of an organization. At the same time, Intranet has been updated by new tools and technologies to give more options to users.

Nowadays, social media has been doing wonders and Intranet has also embraced this highly effective networking application. Thus, new wish list of corporate world is enriched by Facebook, MySpace and Twitter social networking sites. This is another big endeavor to empower the Intranet with the popular social media features. Besides that, employees can also make the most of other related applications. There are electronic application forms, which can be filled online. Hence, you can submit them easily. It saves a lot of money. At the same time, it has become a lot easier to disseminate information without spending too much money. On the other hand, most of the Intranet applications revolve around major enterprise solutions. Hence, the purpose remained the same, but it is further bolstered by new applications – as per the modern needs and challenges. Consequently, social media is also incorporated in Intranet to give refined applications to users.

To make it viable on Intranet level, social media has been regulated by using the innovative Intranet software. Thus, document management can be collaborated with social media tools to make it an easy and fascinating affair for the users. Employees can also share their comments and ideas. On the other hand, users can also use videos and HTML editor. The way things have been moving, it would be apt to say that these are just the early days of Intranet – a lot is yet to come very soon.

How to Get the Right Computer Software

Computer software is a vast term used to describe a collection of computer programs, procedures and documentation that all perform tasks on a computer system. Computer software is the applications that we use on our computers such as office programmers and even windows it. Computer software is any programmer that we load onto and install on our computers.

Computer software is usually brought in CD format and is then installed onto our computers from this. Any new programs etc that you buy for your computer can be classed as a form of software. Without software you wouldn’t get very far with the use of your computer. For more details go to  .When software is placed or opened on your computer it is loaded into the RAM and executed through the central processing unit (CPU) it is then available for you to use.

Software comes in three main types, the first being system software. This helps to run your computer hardware as well as your computer system. The second is programming software. This provides tools to assist programmers in writing computer programs, such as text editors, compliers, interpreters and linkers. The last form of software is application software. This allows end users to accomplish one or more specific tasks. Typical applications include industrial, business, educational, medical databases and computer games; businesses being the biggest users of application software.

There are many avenues in which you go approach in order to buy computer software such as you can buy it new from retail stores; however many people find it difficult to find the exact software that they need from a retail store and often turn to buying software online.

The Internet in itself is a bigger competitive market. You have more chance of finding what you need by using the Internet. This applies to the purchasing of computer software. There are many Internet sites that primarily focus on the selling of computer software giving you more of a chance of finding what you want as well as giving you more choice of brands and the power of a software. It can also be cheaper if you buy it online as there are a number of good deals around that will enable that you get the most for your money.

One good site that appears on the Internet is called kelkoo. This site is a price comparison site specifically for computer parts and software. Again this demonstrates that by using the Internet you are more likely to get a good deal on the software that you purchase. Also the Internet can sometimes give you the option of online downloads meaning that you can purchase and download your product at any time and from anywhere in the world. For more information .  One thing that you need to be aware of however if you are hoping to use the Internet to purchase your software is fraud. In order to ensure that you are buying a genuine copy you should find out about the site that you are buying your software from or stick to retailers that you are aware of. This makes sure that you don’t spend money on something that could potentially harm your computer and that is also illegal.

Spy Optic – Microsoft Dynamics Gp Case Study

Spy Optic

Midsize Business Case Study

Sunglasses Manufacturer Confidently Eyes Global Growth with Resource Planning Solution

Story at a Glance

Spy Optic is a fast-growing manufacturer of action-sports sunglasses and goggles. Eager to expand globally and stay ahead of the competition, Spy Optic replaced an outdated enterprise resource planning system with Microsoft Dynamics® GP business software. With a more robust and flexible financial backbone feeding data to all parts of the company, Spy Optic managers have been able to automate paper-bound processes, reallocate employees to higher-value activities, and steer the company with hard data instead of guesswork. Management has better insight into the financial health of the company, and workers are more productive.

Stodgy Processes

Spy Optic was facing every company’s dream – healthy growth – and every company’s nightmare – processes and systems that couldn’t scale. The Carlsbad, California – based manufacturer of high-performance sunglasses, goggles, and accessories had carved out an enviable position in the dynamic, youth-focused action-sports market. Spy Optic’s products are in more than 5,000 United States retail locations, and the company was poised to expand across Europe and Australia. But old technology and manual business processes threatened to hobble those plans.

Spy Optic’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, MAS 200, was never set up correctly, and the company’s IT staff spent hours each day fussing with it. The database had been corrupted so many times that customer, inventory, and sales data were untrustworthy. “We need to be able to show auditors, shareholders, and regulators that our books are in order. We couldn’t trust the numbers our old system provided,” says Jerry Collazo, Chief Financial Officer for Spy Optic.

Financial reporting was limited and time consuming; Collazo’s staff spent hours each month creating and checking financial statements. There was no way to create consolidated financial reports across the business. And visibility into general ledger and cash flow was unsophisticated. The upshot of these limitations was that managers managed by instinct, not facts.

Also, key business processes were manual and involved many people, which meant that they wouldn’t scale. “Because we had no real-time insight into inventory, order fulfillment was cumbersome and slow. Our warehouse staff spent a lot of time running around, searching for product instead of shipping orders,” Collazo says. “We were usually late getting product to customers, which impacted customer satisfaction.”

Integrated Software

Management brought in Erik Quade as Vice President of Information Technologies to bring the company’s technology in line with its cutting-edge business vision and products. The team evaluated a field of ERP systems, including products from Epicor, Full Circle, and SAP, and settled on Microsoft Dynamics® GP business software as its financial backbone.

“Microsoft Dynamics NAV was being implemented in the Italian manufacturer that we had just purchased, and we liked the fact that all the Microsoft Dynamics products integrated easily,” Collazo says. “Microsoft Dynamics GP was also scalable, easy to deploy, and came with the assurance of long-term Microsoft support.”

FMT Consultants, LLC, a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner, helped with the implementation. “FMT Consultants was critical to our successful deployment,” Collazo says. “They helped us make the transition to the new systems completely seamless.

Unfettered Business Growth

With key business processes supported by Microsoft Dynamics GP, Spy Optic is set for unlimited growth. “We now have the data integrity, integration, and insight needed to manage our business proactively,” Collazo says. “Everyone in the company is looking at the same data, which makes us much more efficient and trustworthy to our customers. And everyone can instantly see what’s going on in every department, which makes for better communication and faster decisions.”

Using standard reports from Microsoft Dynamics GP, Collazo has both broad and deep visibility into the company’s finances. Business users can create their own reports rather than waiting for the IT staff to do it for them. “Reports that took one or two months now take minutes,” Collazo says.

Paperless Processes

By moving to paperless business processes, Spy Optic has been able to reduce its order fulfillment staff from three to one, reduce order processing time and SKU setup time by up to 50 percent, and streamlined purchase order processing from four days to four minutes. New credit card automation may save up to 30 labor hours per month by reducing data entry of cash receipts by 30 percent. Spy Optic is also using the new software in its warehouse, where integration with handheld scanners has increased the same-day shipment rate from 50 to 100 percent. Management and salespeople, too, know precise inventory levels when ordering product and making commitments to customers.

Mobile Efficiencies

Soon, Spy Optic will give field representatives handheld devices that they can use to input orders directly into Microsoft Dynamics GP, scan inventory, and replace nonstarters with hot sellers. “We’re using software to speed up all of our business processes, work more efficiently, and provide better customer service,” Collazo says. “We can now grow as much as we want.”

Lessons Learned

-Select software that will flex to meet your business needs.
-Choose a solution that can be easily customized.

GPS Tracking Device To Take Control Of Your Vehicles

Many vehicle owners are turning towards a GPS tracking device to keep themselves aware about their vehicles at all time. It is a very simple way of keeping track of exact location and position of your assets. You need to install a small device on the vehicle which acts as a hardware data mapping control. It uses satellite based global positioning system or GPS to execute current co ordinates and send them to a central server. You can view the entire database on the server itself, or using electronic maps on the internet. The device is easy to install and provides accurate data to help owners and authorities all over the world. If you want to be updated constantly, GPS is the best solution to your needs.

There are active and passive modes based on your choice. You can either set the device to feed information upto a certain location or send continuously. For passive tracking, the recorded data is taken off from the device after a certain point. The data is transferred to the server and the device is again reset to perform its next operation. Active tracking involves continuous sending of data to a cell phone network or a satellite server. It is a complex process, but the GPS tracking devices handle it quite well. The software part communicates in a simple manner with the end user. The final details are placed in front of you in an easy to understand way. Anyone without high technical skill can still operate the software and stay connected.

If you want frame by frame details of your vehicle or fleet, the system can update you co ordinates at different times of the day using time stamps. You can even by guided to the exact location if your car has a breakdown or meets with an unfortunate accident. The GPS Tracking Software would provide you the speeds, trigger actions and the closest landmarks to the exact spot. You can use all the information to determine the cause of damage. If your vehicle has to travel for long distances everyday, you can keep a track to see the time and pace maintained in the journey. This would help you calculate alternate routes to chart your progress better.

The device is used by everyone, from parents keeping a track of their kids on the street, to the authorities to stop rash drivers. The devices have also become affordable reaching out to more people. The bundled software is compatible with most computing devices and works flawlessly. It has a simple approach and is extremely easy to install and maintain. There are very few technical glitches, reducing the cost of repairs to a great extent. If you are planning to buy a device for yourself, go with one that can provide both active and passive tracking abilities. You can also choose the means of sending information and the storage server. It is wise to select known brands that have all the required certification and licenses. Install a GPS tracking device and never lose touch with your vehicle again.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz – Unmatched Coolest Gadget

Sony Ericsson Vivaz is gaining popularity these days among different mobile users throughout the world because of its trendy look and special features. This phone has the best modern features and is eco friendly.  The body of this handset is made up of recycled plastic material.

Important Features of Sony Ericsson Vivaz are:

Colors and Camera

This gadget comes in very attractive colors, including Silver moon, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue and Venus Ruby. Customers have different options to select any one according to taste or to match their personality.It has a camera of 8.1 mega pixel autofocus with 720p HD video recording, image stabilization, face detection and smile detection. This handset provides an option to record video clips in High Definition quality, with a resolution of 1280 by 720 and the video recorder supports continuous auto focus for the perfect video clips all the time.

Size/Display/Weight

The size of this new gadget is very compact and a person can easily put it in the pocket of a jacket or shirt. It has a 3.2 inches WVGA touch screen with Wi-Fi, 3G, and A-GPS system. It is short, slim and narrow to carry very comfortably. This device has measures 107 by 52 by 12.5mm and its weight is only 97 grams.

Connectivity

This gadget has the best connectivity features that are very helpful for businessmen to stay in touch with every one from every corner of the world. It has a Quad band GSM phone for full roaming coverage in all GSM countries of the world. For the storage of data it uses HSPA with a function of uploads at up to 2Mbps and down loads at up to 10.2 Mbps. This hand set has features that offer support for social networking and imaging web sites suck as Face book, Twitter, My Space, You Tube, Flickers, Picasa and many others of this kind.