Feb
26
Every minute of every day some new form of technology is being invented. Technology is popping up all over the place and it does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Every year companies try to out do each other by coming up with the biggest and best product and knock their competitors out of the water. Now, if you buy a computer, IPod or any other electronic device, it is practically out of date before you even walk out the door of the store because a new company came up with a better idea. This is why the career field of computers and technology continues to grow making room for individuals with a technology degree.
When the IPod was first marketed, people all over the world rushed out to the nearest electronic store to purchase the latest technological craze. As soon as they took that product home and got used to the features, Apple was pushing out a new product, the IPod Nano. This IPod was smaller than the first and had more memory, making it more portable and easier to use. Similar to Apple, video game companies are coming out with new game systems and games before customers are used to the one they already have. With the high turn around of computer games and electronic devices, the need for experts with a technology degree continues to grow. That makes the technology career field one of the fastest growing career fields today.
With a technology degree, individuals can work in many different places and hold various jobs. These jobs include computer programming, network engineering, information technology, database technologies, network security and management information systems. All of these fields offer numerous jobs and opportunities for students. Because of the diverse curriculum and the wealth of knowledge available in these technology programs, students are not stuck in one dead end job for their whole life. Receiving a degree in a technology field allows students flexibility and the ability to adapt to any computer or electronic related career.
There are numerous institutions in the United States that offer a technology degree, but not all of them offer certification in certain programs as well. Not only do employers look for employee candidates who have a degree, they also look for candidates who are knowledgeable, have real world experience and are certified in certain programs. Gaining a certification will set students apart from other candidates who do not have these certifications or real world experience. By obtaining a technology degree, students can become a Cisco Certified Network Associate, a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, a Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator or a Microsoft Certified Application Developer among other certifications.
While obtaining a technology degree, there are also many opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in the field of computers and electronics. Since there is a large job market in this particular career field, there leaves open the opportunity for a large internship market. Internships are important to students because employers look for individuals with real world experience. This career field is so fast paced that one minute an individual can be programming a computer game and the next minute they can be coming up with a new database. This makes it important to gain as much real world experience as possible before attempting to break into the work force. It is also important for individuals to stay on top of the current technology that is out there. New products come out every day leaving room for new improvements and advancements in technology.
Video related to technology
[article:450] Click here to read more.. »
Feb
25
Modern hospitals depend heavily on medical technology to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases. A typical mid-sized hospital has hundreds of items of medical equipment, from simple stethoscopes and blood pressure monitors to highly sophisticated MRI machines and linear accelerators. Hospitals are complex enterprises with entire departments dedicated to technology planning, assessment, acquisition, maintenance, upgrade and replacement at the end of the product life cycle. They have elaborate systems, programs, policies, procedures and protocols in place for purchasing new medical equipment.
To sell successfully to healthcare providers, marketing and sales professionals have to be well versed in the buying processes that healthcare providers use. Medical device marketing is quite different from any other marketing. Typically, hospitals have a review process to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate their medical technology needs. The review’s scope depends on the cost of the technology, and may involve many departments. For expensive equipment, the review most likely will be elaborate. For less expensive and disposable items, the review may simply assess the department’s current needs, and the proposed purchase’s operational and financial impacts. In either case, a market survey and literature search take place to some extent, and this is supplemented with extensive data collection and analysis when needed. This is why white papers and case studies published by medical device manufacturers are very useful during the review process – the decision-makers look for every bit of information they can find. Hence, white papers and case studies can significantly influence the decision-making process. A typical review process includes the following phases:
1. Strategic planning 2. Assessment 3. Acquisition 4. Utilization 5. Repair and maintenance 6. Replacement and disposal
The process starts with strategic planning. In this top-level phase, the relevant stakeholders (e.g., Directors, Professors, Managers, Doctors, Engineers, Purchasing, etc.) review key issues, success factors and resource allocation, and assign responsibilities for sustained improvement in technological performance. They identify the services their facility provides, and the technologies that would complement their existing services. The typical questions to answer are: Where are we? Where do we want to be? How are we going to get there?
Because medical technology greatly impacts the cost and structure of healthcare delivery, hospitals include technology assessment in their planning process, which typically includes cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses.
Cost-benefit analysis calculates the costs of applying the technology and compares them to the benefits resulting from its application. It provides criteria upon which to base decisions of whether to adopt or reject a proposed device. The device is adopted if its benefits exceed its costs. However, one limitation of this analysis is that it expresses all benefits, including therapeutic effects, in monetary terms. Hence, hospitals also conduct cost-effectiveness analyses to quantify therapeutic effects in terms of reduced patient hospital stays, and compare these to the costs of the technology’s implementation. Although at first glance the chosen technology may seem to have limited impact on other facility operations, stakeholders also examine the likely effect of the new equipment on existing services.
Other aspects of cost-effectiveness analysis include assessment of long-term replacement strategies and identification of emerging technologies. Since medical devices have finite longevity, hospitals have replacement plans to minimize the effects of unforeseen capital replacement. By identifying emerging technologies that fit into the projected plans of the hospital’s service area, the hospital tries to avoid investing in nearly obsolete technologies.
Purchase of a new technology is justified only when an increase in equipment’s cost-effectiveness is clearly demonstrated. The typical questions asked during the analysis are:
* Will the new medical device increase the volume of the service? * Will it raise the costs of the service? * Will the device generate additional revenues and, if so, how much? * What is the new device’s expected lifespan? * What is the device’s reliability and the costs associated with its repair and maintenance? * How reliable and reputable is the manufacturer? * What impact will the new device have on routine operating costs? * What will the disposal cost be? * How easy is the device to operate?
Once the technology has been assessed and the decision to purchase has been made, the next phase in the process is technology acquisition, which typically includes the following steps:
* Preparation of general and functional specifications * Clinical, technical and cost evaluations * Review of proposals and evaluations, and making a final decision on a device manufacturer * Contract negotiation for the device’s acquisition * Preparation and issuance of a purchase order * Contract award
A contract award is the green light for the medical device company to deliver and install the product.
Video related to technology
[article:450] Click here to read more.. »
Jan
19
Commercial buyers of information technology products and services are locked into a self-defeating pattern of behavior when it comes to negotiating contract terms and conditions with technology vendors, and it is time to move on to a better approach. Better technology vendor negotiations produce better contracts for a technology project, and better contracts produce better project outcomes. So, break the mold and move on to a better way of negotiating contract terms and conditions for your next technology project.
Vendor Contracts – Timing Is Everything
Let us assume that by now you have done a lot of planning and information gathering for your proposed technology project, you have completed a vendor selection process, and now it is time to document your deal with your chosen vendor.
At this stage in the technology procurement process, the most common practice—indeed the almost-universal practice—is to distribute the vendor’s proposed contracts to your project team for review and comment. Then, as if by instinct, everyone starts looking for vendor bias in the contracts. No one has been given this specific directive. You simply assume and expect that everyone knows the drill. Folks on your project team begin striking certain biased provisions and scribbling notes about amending others. For sure, removing or limiting vendor bias in the contracts is a worthwhile exercise, but now is not the time to perform this exercise.
Light bulb on
I had to get several technology deals under my belt before I realized this, but at this early stage of the contracting process, you really need to focus first on terms and conditions that are important to you, not the terms and conditions that are important to your vendor. We know your vendor has included in its specimen contracts (as modified prior to presentation to you) all the terms and conditions of your deal that are important to your vendor. In fact, they are very easy to identify. They are all the contract terms with vendor bias. These provisions are so important to your vendor that it has purposely added bias to them, often with obvious exaggeration and redundancy. Even if your vendor has to bargain down somewhat from these provisions, your vendor is still in a safe position because the starting point was so extreme.
What you should do instead
At this initial stage of contracting, you should ignore your vendor’s proposed contracts. Simply set them aside for the time being, and do this for two reasons.
First, in order to express in writing the terms and conditions that are most important to you, you must actually think of what those terms and conditions might be. Likeable as your vendor may be, your vendor will not have already added to its proposed contracts the terms and conditions most important to you for your particular project. You will have to come up with this stuff on your own.
Second, until you know what terms and conditions are most important to you
for your particular project, you are in no position to challenge your vendor’s biased provisions except in attempt to remove or limit the bias. “I don’t know exactly what impact this provision has on our project, but I know it’s not a provision that helps our cause.” Challenging these provisions in a vacuum does not really help you.
The big picture
Now is the time to start with a fresh, big-picture perspective, and then fill in lots of detail. Circle back to earlier stages of your procurement process and revisit your decisions, your assumptions, and the various things you have learned. As a result of your many meetings and discussions, there may be things that you are now taking for granted: special vendor qualifications, how a particular piece of your project will be orchestrated, acutely risky aspects of your project, and so on. Bring to mind other similar projects within your organization and apply what you learned from those experiences.
Re-acquainting yourself with prior thought processes, discoveries, assumptions, and experiences will help you remember aspects of your project that you previously deemed important—whether because they are critical to project success, they pose a substantial risk within your project, or perhaps both—and it will force you to consider the importance of other elements for the first time. This process will help you build out the terms and conditions for your deal that benefit and protect you, terms and conditions that maximize the probability of project success and minimize project risk.
As part of this process, make a detailed list of list of terms and conditions that are important for your particular project, and:
1) Categorize them by subject matter.
For example, requirements development and prioritization, data mapping, business process issues, software development, application integration, database integration, system integration, testing, implementation, buyer protections, vendor management tools, warranties, etc. When you get around to negotiating the items on your list with your vendor, your project team will have important reference points. “Does this contract item touch implementation? If so, let’s look at our implementation items.”
2) Add qualifiers for each item.
Among other things, qualifiers can include a ranking of particular item’s relative importance within your project (critical to project success, represents substantial risk, wish list, etc.). When you get around to negotiating the items on your list with your vendor, your project team will be less inclined to treat all items on your list as equally important. Almost certainly, not all will be equally important. Your team will have a sense of how hard to push on a particular item, and in terms of the give and take that occurs in any negotiation process, they will have sense of what items to compromise (and by how much) or concede outright if met by strong resistance from your vendor.
3) Add relevant notes and comments for each item.
Among other things, relevant notes to attach to your list items include comments about accountability. Who within your project will be accountable for accomplishing the particular item: your vendor, your internal staff, or some combination? And what should happen if the party with accountability drops the ball?
With this kind of list in hand, you are in a much better position to review your vendor’s proposed contracts. Perhaps most important, you are no longer reviewing the contracts in a vacuum. You are equipped to conduct a truly meaningful review of your vendor’s proposed contracts.
Is there a gap in the vendor’s proposed contracts; that is, an item from your list has not been addressed at all? Is there an inaccuracy in the vendor’s proposed contracts; that is, an item is addressed, but its present treatment does not match your understanding, preference or requirement? Are topics within the contracts miscategorized? Are interrelated items not treated as such? Are accountabilities not clearly established?
An even better approach
Although breaking the mold and adopting the above approach to technology vendor contracting will certainly help you produce better contracts for your next technology project, which contracts should facilitate a better project outcome, there is a way to help yourself even further.
Instead of starting with and working from your vendors’ proposed contracts for your next project, think about developing your own standard agreements to include within your technology procurement process (usually at the RFP stage).
First, develop a neutral or somewhat buyer-favorable Software License Agreement. Find a standard Software License Agreement and neutralize or remove the elements of vendor bias. Then add the buyer-side content that you would normally find yourself negotiating with a typical vendor (were you working from the vendor’s standard Software License Agreement). Next, find a standard Consulting Services Agreement and do the same thing.
You can add your newly-developed standard agreements to your next technology RFP and request that responding vendors either approve your standard agreements as-is, or cite alternative language for provisions they do not find acceptable.
By incorporating your standard agreements into your technology procurement process, you will achieve two important things. First, you will be able—probably for the first time—to evaluate vendor candidates based on one of the most important factors for project success, terms and conditions. You can guage a prospective vendors appetite for terms and conditions that are important to your for your particular project BEFORE you have selected a vendor. It is much harder to win favorable terms and conditions AFTER you have selected the vendor for your project. And second, you will greatly reduce negotiation cycle times.
More and more commercial information technology buyers—of all sizes—are using this approach. It may surprise you to learn that many reputable technology vendors will not only entertain the possibility of working from your standard agreements instead of theirs, they may even welcome the prospect because it saves them time and expense as well.
A word of caution
When you develop your own standard agreements, exercise some discipline. Do not convert a terribly vendor-biased agreement into a terribly buyer-biased agreement. This will not help your cause. Instead, shoot for balance. Software developers, for example, have to protect their rights in their intellectual property, and there a certain limits beyond which they will not venture; for example, an excessively broad license grant. Understand vendor limitations and be fair. Add buyer bias judiciously and only if it is truly important to your organization.
Meet Nuckles at http://www.NucklesLaw.com or visit the firm’s sister site at http://www.TechnologyBuyersAdvocate.com.
© 2008 All rights reserved. Olive Consulting Group LLC / Nuckles Law Firm
Video related to technology
[article:450] Click here to read more.. »
Jan
8
From the heavy cordless phones of the 1980′s to the smart phones of today, cellular phone technology has undergone a incredible change. But have you ever wondered how you can call to your well wisher in the whole world with the usage of a mobile phone? You also have knowledge about the main features such as WAP and GPRS from the cell phone vendors and service providers. But you must aware of what they really mean?
There are numerous mobile technologies. So next time, when you are going to purchase a phone, you should know what technologies it has.
Generations of mobile communications
In the late 1970s, the first generation (1G) of mobile communications was introduced; it was primarily used for voice transfer. Second generation (2G) systems came into existence in the early 1990s and was further developed to 2.5G, which includes high technologies such as TDMA, GSM and CDMA. These technologies were used for voice and data.
The next generation of mobile communications is 3G which delivers data speeds from 384 kbps to 2 Mbps and over wireless interfaces such as GSM, TDMA and CDMA.
Mobile phone access technologies
Frequency division multiple access (FDMA)
The first-generation analog mobile access method; for each call, FDMA uses separate frequencies. For instance, if there are four stations, each will receive their own frequency. So there is no interference between them. It reduces interference, but limits the number of users.
Time division multiple access (TDMA)
TDMA allocates unique time slots to each user within each channel, thus allowing many users to access the radio frequency without anyone’s interference. Each mobile conversation uses only a particular frequency slot of the time.
Code division multiple access (CDMA)
Commercially introduced in 1995 by Qualcomm, CDMA quickly became one of the world’s fastest-growing wireless technologies. 3G CDMA networks provide more capacity for voice traffic with high-speed data capabilities, hence many cellular service providers are now building or upgrading to it.
CDMA is used in both 2G and 3G wireless technologies. Indian Cell operators such as Reliance IndiaMobile, TATA Indicom, BSNL and MTNL’s Garuda all use CDMA2000 technology and its variant CDMA1x.
Global system for mobile communications (GSM)
GSM is now the worldwide standard technology for mobile communications. It is developed on TDMA protocol in Europe. GSM provides a high level of security, globally accepted technology standards and superior sound quality.
For any GSM phone to work, it needs a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), a card which contains your telephone account information. So, an Indian GSM phone can be used in any part of the world.
Wireless technology platforms
1) GPRS
GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) is an enhancement to GSM technology that integrates GSM and IP technology. GPRS offers to access the Internet at the very high speed. So you can check your email on the move and surf the Web at very high speed. Currently BPL Mobile and Hutch (Orange in Mumbai) offer GPRS services in India.
2) WAP
In this high technology age, people on the move need any-time access to the Net. This is where WAP comes in. It facilitates us to Internet access from cell phones. It is an open standard for wireless protocols that is independent of the service providers. The cell phone must have a WAP browser to display Web content. Now-a-days, cell phones often come equipped with WAP browser and GPRS technology.
WAP and GPRS also enable the user to download games, send mail and even transfer your messages to your PC.
3) EDGE
The new EDGE (Enhanced Data GSM Environment) interface has been developed specifically to meet the bandwidth needs of 3G. This technology is promoted by Ericsson, it also offers high-speed data transfers over GSM networks with just a software upgrade to the handset. EDGE technology allows speeds up to 384 kbps.
Video related to technology
[article:450] Click here to read more.. »
Jan
5
by: David R. Wetzel
Computer technology schools offer a range of degrees and programs. Schools that teach computer technology include technical schools, colleges and universities. Degrees in computer technology are offered at three levels for beginning students; bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree and specialized computer certifications.
Technical schools offer computer technology degree programs year round, while colleges and universities offer summer courses for earning a degree quicker or part-time programs for busy students.
Typical programs offered by computer technology schools such as ITT Technical Institute include information security systems, data communication systems management, computer science, software engineering, web development, networking and software applications. Degrees from other schools of computer technology include computer gaming design, interactive media develop, http://train4careerincomputertechnology.com/paths.cfm?article_id=118″ target=”_blank”> web development, and systems administrator.
Computer technology schools offer courses focused on the architectures of operating systems, network systems, user interface construction, C + + language, data bases types and formats, programming standards, etc. These courses are designed for those who wish to earn degrees in computer software and computer information systems. Courses focused on web design and development includes Internet hierarchy, authoring tools, scripting designs and more.
Bachelor’s degree computer technology upper-division courses focus on data storage advanced warehousing techniques, management of technology projects, multiple computer programming languages, graphical interface design, software development methods and more. The advantage of a bachelor’s degree in computer technology is a wider selection of employment opportunities.
Computer degrees lead to earning certifications in computer technology. Many courses in computer programs prepare students to pass tests for computer technology certifications. According to About.com’s article Computer Certification’s Top 10 Certifications for 2009, the top two certifications are Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert and Certified Information Systems Auditor. Their pass rates are low; however, average annual salaries are high.
Someone considering a computer technology education needs to first determine the type of degree they want to pursue. This decision helps narrow the search for a computer technology school. Computer technology bachelor’s degree can be completed in four years, associate’s degree programs can be completed in two years and certification programs range from few months to a year.
Video related to technology
[article:450] Click here to read more.. »
Dec
29
Traditional business management has had to make room for a new facet of business: technology. Through the years traditional business management has had to marry its strategies with the proliferation of technology where every business owner from Starbuck’s to Jim’s Auto has had to incorporate technology into its everyday operations.
The problem is that in the late nineties business believed technology was going to be the solution for every business problem, but it wasn’t until recently that business managers realized that technology will fail if not implemented properly. That is, traditional business management must seamlessly marry itself with technology.
Traditional business management is pretty self-explanatory; it’s managing business through traditional methods that have been used for many years. Traditional business management takes into account all aspects of running a business, large or small. Whether it is a million-dollar company or a billion-dollar company, all companies run the same. Those traditional methods incorporate three aspects of business: sales and marketing strategies, efficient operation and production methods, and manageable finances (SG&A). I believe all businesses should pay attention to these areas of business management.
So, now you have this traditional business model to think of, and you also have to think that the model has incorporated technology. You see, managing a business is not as easy as it sounds, and I know you have never looked at your business in this way before.
Believe it or not, graduate schools teach this stuff and larger companies obviously have the money to pay someone to think of this stuff. But most businesses do make the mistake in believing technology will solve all of their business problems. This is simply not true; technology cannot solve every business problem.
Many large corporations install and implement technology as quickly and arbitrarily as they would a new desk or a new lamp, not taking into consideration the stress new technology places on both business processes and human nature. Humans inherently do not like change, especially at the work place where they might feel as they might lose their job or were not consulted in helping determine which technology is best for their task or function.
Business processes do not like change either as the processes a business must go through to operate are much more complex than people might think. Most technology consultants want to “go live” with their implementation as soon as they can so they can share the praise of a successful launch. What most technology consultants don’t realize is that their eagerness to “sell” the job puts a business in a precarious operational bind.
It only makes sense to understand that as technology can be customized and most business processes cannot, basic technology implementations will hurt a business’ process as opposed to helping.
Some of the technology solutions out there can be very complex and some can be very simple. For example, I recently helped a client realize that developing a method of capturing labor time per phase of each of their projects allowed them to better understand and account for costs associated to labor and materials, per project. This allowed their sales team better cost data related to profit margins required per project. Initially the client was looking to spend money on purchasing one of those electronic card readers that each of his employees would have to swipe as they moved from station to station. We were able to solve his process issue at half the cost of that electronic clock by simply creating a custom process document from Microsoft Excel. The fact that the clock was not customizable would require the business processes to change just to accommodate the clock.
In this case we are trying to convey the importance of understanding your business and its processes before you move into technology. It is less expensive and less burdensome on your business processes. What we accomplished in the case above was that we were able to ‘tweak’ the business processes at will, where had we purchased the clock, we would have been forced to comply with what the clock required, not the business.
In the late nineties the hype of technology and the Internet fueled the belief that plugging technology into your business or developing your business around technology was the best way to run a business. A great example was WebVan and HomeGrocer.
These companies spent over a hundred-million venture capital dollars building the infrastructure that was going to give them the warehouse space to buy food products to fill all the customer orders that were to come via the Internet.
The mistake was that the company put all of its money into the assumption that its idea would work because the American grocery shopper was ready to buy groceries online via state-of-the-art technology. The orders never came.
Actually, the orders did come; the problem was that both companies were in so much debt because they couldn’t generate interests in their business model and they went out of business.
Today, the traditional grocery chains such as Albertson’s and Vons in the western U.S. have capitalized on earlier business models and realized their traditional way of doing business could was a great foundation to build their technology around their current processes.
I had the privilege of touring the WebVan warehouse in Oakland, California. It was impressive. If I remember correctly, it was an 80,000 square foot building equipped with a technologically advanced conveyer belt system worth millions of dollars. It looked like the inside of a United Parcel Service (UPS) warehouse, but much more expensive. For those who have never seen the inside of a UPS warehouse, it is just a bunch of conveyer belts.
Interestingly, about 50 people were milling around the WebVan warehouse; their main task was making sure the computers were pulling the right products and putting them on the conveyer belts. Great operation, but they ran out of money after just a little over a year.
So, what failed here, technology or money? Lack of money failed at WebVan, and lack of money fails almost every business that goes out of business. Lack of money fails business due to lack of business knowledge.
Business owners, make sure that you understand technology and that it can be customized and should be customized to meet your business process requirements. You can see the most successful implementation of technology in companies such as Wal-Mart and Toyota and we can see failures in technology such as WebVan.
We make sure we know how our business operates and what those operations require when making your businesses more efficient and effective. We look at understanding what your business requires before we recommend technology.
In the long run, you’ll spend less and profit more.
Watch the video related
Help answer the question
technology
Dec
29
As news of a weakened economy continues to saturate the media and bombard business owners with negative messages, one company has found a creative way of adapting its services to fit within the current economic conditions and help businesses succeed.
Miles Technologies, a provider of business technology solutions, has created Monthly Budget Plans that allow customers to budget their technology-related expenses without having to commit to a long term contractual agreement.
According to Chris Miles, Chief Executive Officer of Miles Technologies, the company’s Monthly Budget Plans integrate separate services into one managed services package. In a single plan a customer can select business services that include IT Help Desk & Support, Business Software Support, Website Updates, and Online Marketing and Public Relations, as well as strategic consulting for all services.
Miles says that the Monthly Budget Plans were developed as a way to help customers continue productive business operations within the unsteady economic conditions by making managed services more cost effective.
“The Monthly Budget Plans were specifically designed with flexibility in mind,” explains Miles. “Most managed services providers require that customers sign a contract committing them to a certain monthly fee with a two to three year contract term. They lock in the customer which lowers the need to provide exceptional service in order to retain the customer. We’re different in that we do not require any specified length to the contract and they can cancel at any time. This way, the customer is using our services because we add value and not because of a contract term. We also allow for month-to-month flexibility in the plans in terms of both the level of services provided and the costs for those services.”
To further ensure the practicality of its monthly budget plans, Miles Technologies offers a one hour guaranteed response time for all budget plan customers 24 hours a day and seven days a week. In addition, customers may roll over any unused monthly budget time from month to month.
“We customize each budget plan in order to empower our customers with the best technology available for their businesses,” says Miles. “These plans are meant to provide a complete realm of services, from supporting a custom software application to identifying and resolving network issues before they result in downtime.”
According to Miles, the costs of outsourced IT services are easily justified when compared with the costs of a full time IT staff or the costs of unnecessary system downtime. He emphasizes that the predictability of the newly developed Monthly Budget Plans make the services especially realistic in the current economy.
Miles reports that the Monthly Budget Plans have been met with significant enthusiasm from customers. “Our main goal is to exhaust all possible options for helping our customers thrive in these conditions,” Miles says. “We are looking out for their businesses and trying to help them understand technology’s full potential so that they can make the best business decisions possible. In short, if our customers succeed, then we have succeeded.”
Watch the video related
Milow – Ayo Technology (Copyright 2008 Homerun Records) Buy it on iTunes: itunes.apple.com
Help answer the question
technology
Dec
27
Can your small business get both affordable professional-class IT service and peace of mind? The secret lies in having a technology services provider handle your technical solutions.
To stay competitive, small businesses must make the most of current technology. But it’s expensive, time consuming, and inefficient to maintain a full-time IT department like larger companies. A true Professional Technology Services Provider offers on-demand talent, depth of experience, deep resources and huge economies of scale. Here are the top 10 benefits you’ll see.
Benefit #1: Stay Focused On Core Business Functions
People are happiest doing what they do best. And they get frustrated by tasks that distract them from it. Researching solutions, implementing new technology and fixing IT-related problems are extremely inefficient for non-IT professionals. Free up internal staff for revenue-generating functions and the business of business.
Benefit #2: Tap Economies Of Scale And Purchasing Power
Due to a single focus on IT, sechnology services providers achieve greater efficiencies and economies of scale. They consolidate purchasing power and have access to deep and broad knowledge bases. Using developed best practices, tasks are completed more efficiently than small businesses can do on their own. The means real cost savings– both in time and money.
Benefit #3: Reduce Cost and Control Operating Expenses
The business value of technology services providers results in very hard dollar savings. In almost all cases, small businesses will spend 25% to 50% less than the cost of even one mid-level IT professional. Then take recruiting, training, vacation, sick days, turnover and other management issues out of the equation to see even more savings. Costs are budgeted, predictable and controlled.
Benefit #4: Access Highly Specialized Talent
Small businesses cannot cost effectively achieve the scale and flexibility to properly support their technology environments. Even a very experienced and dedicated IT employee has limits to skills and avenues for help. Professional technology services providers offer access to teams of IT specialists that deliver the cross-sectional IT knowledge needed to provide both on-going and critical support for small business networks.
Benefit #5: Get Services On-Demand
Many small businesses face the challenges of growth and the burden of scaling back. Both cases present a genuine HR problem when relying on in-house IT resources. Small businesses need the agility of just-in-time resources for emergencies and the flexibility to adjust technology support levels. With a professional technology services provider, sudden changes won’t affect the livelihood or morale of employees.
Benefit #6: Help Employees Innovate and Stay Productive
Communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing allows employees to innovate. These capabilities are delivered through a multitude of technologies including file servers, central databases, broadband connectivity, mobile platforms, email communications, and many others. However, true productivity and business benefit can only be realized when this complex technology is properly planned, implemented and maintained. The best practices and comprehensive experiences around planning, implementing and maintaining such systems allow technology services providers to successfully deliver these productivity improvements.
Benefit #7: Reduce Downtime
Even a few minutes of systems downtime carry enormous business costs. Maximizing uptime must be a high priority. Small businesses can longer afford issues with internet connectivity, email communications, corrupt data or systems failure-the cost of reacting to these events is just too high. Professional technology services providers offer planned, measured approaches to pro-active systems maintenance, security, backup and disaster recovery.
Benefit #8: Get A Technology Edge Over Competitors
Don’t just level the playing field: take advantage of new technologies for a competitive advantage. Technology services providers keep up with the latest solutions through ongoing training and real-world experience. They know how to implement the latest hardware, software, and network applications available. Just as important: they know which technologies are not worth the investment.
Benefit #9: Attract and Retain Employees
Employees want to work in an environment where their computers are up and running. Employees want to be competitive with their rivals and they want the technology tools that really help them deliver. Potential new talent will weigh your company’s technology prowess. Utilizing a professional technology services provider allows small businesses to meet these expectations and increases the ability to attract and retain employees.
Benefit #10: Access Otherwise Unavailable Vendor Support
Access to manufacturers is crucial in effectively supporting complex technology. When available, technology manufacturers traditionally provide basic or unreliable direct end-user support. With a well-established professional technology services provider, small businesses enjoy the benefits of priority access to Microsoft, Cisco and thousands of other technology vendors.
Watch the video related
Help answer the question
technology
Dec
21
Introduction
Advances in both cognitive science and information technology have the potential to transform education and training in ways previously unimaginable.To lay the groundwork for Federal leadership in learning technology innovation, in September 2002, the Commerce Department published Visions 2020: Transforming Education and Training through Advanced Technologies. For Visions 2020, a number of distinguished individuals and teams from a wide range of technology and education fields were asked to look out into the future, and describe what technology-enabled learning experiences could be like. They responded with a rich collection of visions, some of which are excerpted in this report. Visions 2020 identified potential technologies, their application for learning, and how the learning environment would need to change to take full advantage of them. With a future vision in hand, the Commerce Department convened a Summit on the Use of Advanced Technologies in Education and Training. At the Summit, stakeholder groups identified ways to encourage technology-enabled transformation in U.S. education and training. The U.S. Departments of Commerce and Education (who co-chair the NSTC Working Group) and Net Day formed partnership aimed at analyzing K-12 student views about technology for learning. These views are analyzed in this second report, Visions 2020.2: Student Views on Transforming Education and Training Through Advanced Technologies. In October-November 2004, NetDay sponsored its “Speak-Up Day for Students” which offered online questionnaires, which asked K-12 students across the country about their use of technology.
Collapse of the information float
Not only is information growing quickly, the time lag between discovery and application — the information “float” — is rapidly shrinking. For example, it took many hundreds of years for the steam engine to move from being a curiosity to a commercial product. In contrast, recent discoveries in science and engineering show up in products virtually overnight.
Education must focus on new competencies
Changes of this magnitude require a complete rethinking of education, both in terms of the curriculum, and in the development of pedagogies that insure that every student acquires the high level of skills needed to thrive in the dynamic world of the 21st century. In addition to the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, every learner must also master the “three C’s:” Communication, Collaboration, and Creative Problem Solving. Beyond these are the equally important skills of knowing how to use numbers and data in real-world tasks, the ability to locate and process information relevant to the task at hand, technological fluency, and, most of all, the skills and attitudes needed to be a lifelong learner.
Technological fluency is a basic skill
Technological fluency is a step beyond technological literacy. To be fluent in technology use means that we can sit down at a computer and use it as easily as we can pick up and read a book in our native language. Of the challenges facing education today, preparing students to be fluent in the use of computational and communication technologies is one of our greatest.
Education must prepare students for jobs that have yet to be invented
If our challenge could be limited to preparing people for the kinds of jobs available today, we would still have a lot of work to do. Unfortunately, the challenge is even greater. Many of the jobs that will be available at the turn of the century have yet to be invented.
If you doubt this, consider the following. One of the job categories in great demand today is that of Webmaster — a person who designs, creates, and maintains sites on the World Wide Web. This job did not exist ten years ago. In fact, it did not even exist five years ago! This means that the people who are working in this new field have acquired their skills largely on their own.
ESSENTIAL STUDENT LEARNINGS FOR 2020
•Use the technology to involve the student and parent in assessment.
•Give every student a lifelong e-portfolio.
•Assess team work, collaboration and creativity using the technology, e.g. through games, simulations etc.
Technology will enable us to abandon
•The role of teacher as knowledge transmitter and student as the receiver.
•The “top down”, one-off model of initial and continued teacher training.
•Textbooks.
•Traditional methods of assessment of content in one-time, big exam testing period.
•Fixed times in classrooms
•The traditional notions of school space and school time
Innovations of time
•Flexible working (staff & pupil)
•Learning should be possible all day every day
•Self-controlled time management
•True individualised learning programmes
•Clever use of ICT
•Move away from prescribed ages to start and finish schooling
Technology
Computer-based training represents a period of single-user tools in which the computer made its entrance in education and was brought into use for mathematics, computer-aided design, simulation programs, infinite calculation methods, writing, and presentation skills. Online learning represents multi-user tools, such as communication tools,the World Wide Web (WWW), streaming video and a virtual learning environment for online courses. Lecture notes were digitized and put online, as were video snaps together with references to publications that could be reached via hyperlinks. Underlying tools for two-way communication are used to support this time- and place-independent way of learning. Learning on demand represents the next generation web-based virtual learning environment where learning material, which is broken up into specified learning objects, is initially distributed online for regular educational tracks. The underlying systems will be compound systems with merged technologies and features gathered from several compound learning systems.
Four Changes
Many school managers and school boards do currently recognize the need for fundamental changes in schools and education systems at large. Some of them have already started revolutionary experimental schools. First results from these schools show that students love the new approaches that have been adopted and that learning results are satisfying. In the Netherlands, about six schools have started recently to work along entirely new lines
Future Schools
• 4 hours periods
• Interdisciplinary themes
• Areas for 90 to 120 students
• Continuing individual learning Paths
ENVISIONING THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR 2020
The Learner
•The technology will enable a “new 2020 student” – responsible, independent, exciting.
•We need to identify and agree what we want learners to look like first, then use the technology to make it happen.
“Don’t use technology for technology sake; it must be seamlessly integrated into the curriculum so that it is second nature to the teachers and students”
School Design
Schools as extended learning centres.
•On-line tutoring/mentoring available 24/7.
•Change time structures to allow for immersion in learning and real research.
•Use technology and class design to facilitate individual student progress, giving immediate access to ICT when appropriate.
Intelligent Tutor/Helper
No concept drew greater interest from the student responders than some sort of an intelligent tutor/helper. Many students desired such a tutor or helper for use in school and at home.
The Oracle: Many students expressed interest in an “answer machine,” through which a student could pose a specific question and the machine would respond with an answer. Similarly, some students described a sort of knowledge utility. Through a computer or an Internet web site, students could access all of the world’s knowledge from any location.
Make It A Game
•A way kids could have fun doing their homework. Someone could invent videogame homework.
•Video games that reenact historic events or scientific experiments. People love video games, and what better way to learn than through telling the story, while being able to reenact it.
Take Me There
•Things like virtual reality careers we could do. We would be able to work in an environment in which we would have to work in the future without actually being there, but still be able to explore and see what it would be like.
•3-D simulators to reenact historic events.
•Computer that has a virtual tour on it so, when looking up a country, you can go onto the computer and get a tour of it.
On-Line Classes
•Computer with a built in school system so you can learn at home without going to school.
•Virtual class room, where kids can stay at home and learn. The teacher could be on the computer or on a T.V. screen with a video camera or a web cam. This way, no one would have to miss a day of school if they were sick.
Working Digitally
•IM on school computers and, if a student can’t get up to ask a question or talk, you can just IM someone!
•Website with different subjects and teachers there to teach students different subjects. That way, we can go to school anytime we want and we wouldn’t have to wake up so early in the morning to catch the bus.
•Before the marking period closes, students can see their grades online to see what work and assignments they’re missing or if they failed on an assignment they can improve it.
A Different Kind of Teacher
•Computer that is like a personal teacher that has a lot of patience and that can speak.
•Teacher for every student, but not real teachers. They should be holograms and they should know everything possible
•Robotic teachers so we could learn more stuff and not get yelled at as often.
A Different Kind of Book
•Digital books that read the lesson to you, and teach you specific things. The thing would be voice-sensitive so you could read, and it would correct your reading.
•Dictionary that talks. So when kids find a word they can’t pronounce, they listen to the dictionary pronounce it for them.
Attributes of the Learning Process
•Computers that can produce realistic images of any subject. For example, the operation of machines or human organs.
•3-D simulations in classes such as science because often materials needed are not safe or available.
A Computer for Every Student
•Laptop that didn’t sell for much so that every student could have one on their desk.
•We already have laptops, but to see every student with an updated laptop to use with software that will aid them in their schoolwork will be nice. This could lessen the strain on students because the computers can be used to ask commonly asked questions.
•Laptop computers should be given as a school supply to every student in the future.
The Need for Speed
•Faster modems would help the kids in the future. It would make things a lot easier for them, and they wouldn’t have to worry about not getting stuff done because of the time it takes for everything to load.
•We need new, faster computers.
Want It Wireless
•Wireless Internet everywhere: in the park, at home, hospitals, and everywhere else. That way there will be wireless, trouble-free Internet wherever you go. That will give the child a chance to learn wherever he is.
Make It Safe and Easy to Use
•Easier version of the Internet for the younger people.
•Something should be invented that filters out incorrect information on any website. It is very misleading and confusing to find different facts on different websites, so it would be very helpful if there were a way to filter out wrong information.
24-7 Access:
•Access your school’s network from online at your own home.
•Access to the school websites and information from our houses, because it would help a lot with school projects and homework.
Conclusion
During 2020,Every student would use a small, handheld wireless computer that is voice activated. The computer would offer high-speed access to a kid-friendly Internet, populated with websites that are safe, designed specifically for use by students, with no pop-up ads. Using this device, students would complete most of their in-school, college work and homework, as well as take online classes both at school and at home. Students would use the small computer to play mathematics-learning games and read interactive e-textbooks. In completing their schoolwork, students would work closely and routinely with an intelligent digital tutor, and tap a knowledge utility to obtain factual answers to questions they pose. In their history studies, students could participate in 3-D virtual reality-based historic reenactments.
Watch the video related
Help answer the question
technology
Dec
17
Silverlight Technology developed by Microsoft incorporates the same functionalities as Adobe flash. It helps integrate graphics, multimedia, animation, and interactivity in one runtime environment. The latest version of the technology was introduced in July 2009. The technology gels well with Microsoft windows as well as Mac operating system.
Why use Silverlight?
High definition video files can be viewed with Silverlight Technology and Microsoft will responsible for transferring these files to the Internet. The transfer of large media files is expensive but Microsoft will still take the trouble to stream Silverlight media files. However, the service will be optional. Streaming done by microsoft will save content distribution network fees for small developers. According to Microsoft, 700 kbps throughput will be reliable and the free distribution of network content will last for a year.
In addition, the applications based on Silverlight Technology are delivered to browser in XAML. The advantage of using XAML is that it is easier for the search engines to find scan XAML than compiled Flash applications. The Flash based applications have an added web code which facilitates the search but adding that means extra work for developers. Even if the web code is added to the application, the result will not be as good. This is because Silverlight Technology helps search engines index the actual application instead of just searching for the keywords.
Lastly, Microsoft is marketing Silverlight Technology along with its live services. It is introducing Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for search engine, Virtual Earth, instant messenger and other services. Microsoft networks and resources will be used to create these services which will be supported by advanced online applications. Silverlight Technology will spearhead the development of Rich Internet Applications because of these reasons.
Video related to technology
[article:450] Click here to read more.. »
|
