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What are 800 Numbers?

2006-10-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

A Freephone telephone number is available in almost every country in world. It is a special number where the caller is not charged by the service provider. It is also called as a toll-free number or 800 Number in North America. In Australia, this number is also referred as Freecall number.

The called party pays for this call which depends of number of factors like amount of usage, the number experiences, the cost of the trunk lines to the facility and possibly a monthly flat rate service charge. Usually, government services are linked with toll free numbers and also some big companies provide toll free numbers as a support for their customers. You can also get a toll free number for your residence of cell phone.

The called party recovers these charges in the following ways:

• They might charge the customers for providing technical support.
• They can generate sale out of this call.
• There sales might have increased with the inclusion of this toll free service.

Toll free numbers are also referred as 800 Numbers in North America because of their numbering system. One had to dial these numbers after the original area code. Some of the area codes that had to be dialed were code numbers were 800, 888 (since 1995). Code number 877 (since 1997), code number 866 was included in the year 2000. Also, there were other numbers like 855, 844, 833 and 822 which are not yet active but are reserved.

There is a difference in the way we use a normal telephone number and the way we use a toll free number. The general way of writing a telephone number is "+" sign attached with the country code, followed by area code and then the local number, for example: +1 (666) 123-1234. But, when we use a toll free number which are not accessible from other countries, we should eliminate the "+" sign and the round brackets, for example: 1-800-123-1234.

About the Author
Jatin Chawla is a freelance journalist. Jatin writes for http://headings.internettollfree.com/, offering the latest information on 800 Number Directory . By Jatin Chawla

The Digital Punch!!!

2006-10-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

Make an impact. Knock them out. Ever pondered about the criticality of your presentations? You might have a great product or service; excellent branding; backed by killer campaigns; and a never-say-die marketing team. Yet, when you make a presentation on your product or service, so much depends on the presentation itself. And usually, you get only one chance to make an impression.

So how exactly does one ensure maximum impact? Docket folders are prehistoric. OHP slides are obsolete. PowerPoint is passé. What's next?

The answer lies in leveraging the magic of movies to pep up one's presentations. Ever since its inception, cinema has captured the human imagination like no other medium has (except television, which is again a cinematic format). Movies are known to arouse emotions, build empathy, evoke intense involvement and ensure high levels of recall.

Just imagine, if one could leverage all of these for one's presentation, what an impact it would make!

That's exactly what New Media seeks to do. Using digital technology, the visual appeal and grandeur of movies can be created at a fraction of the cost involved in conventional (celluloid) film-making. And it's quicker too. The result: your presentation comes alive with sound, music, voiceovers, graphics, animation and special effects — delivering a digital punch, maximising the impact.

To conclude, here are the key advantages of using digital movies to create presentations:

• Cost-effectiveness: Digital technology is geared to deliver significantly lower costs as compared to traditional media. Hence, the solutions are highly affordable.

• Speed: The production process requires a shorter time cycle as compared to conventional film-making

• Versatility: Once the master version is ready, one can adapt it to various uses at a very low cost. Thus, a product presentation can be edited into a curtain raiser for events, an audio-visual loop for trade fairs, an attract loop for a touch screen kiosk, and so on.

• Impact: The medium offers maximum impact and consequently, high recall levels. So the next time you make a presentation, go digital — and knock them out!

Ref:-http://www.istrat-india.com

Handheld Devices: Client Security and Connectivity Issues

2006-10-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

Because many handheld devices or PDAs have the ability to connect to your clients' LANs (either directly or indirectly), you need to consider PDA remote access, just as you would any other remote device, such as an employee's home computer or a company-owned notebook.

This also should include a thorough discussion of what sensitive data can be stored on a handheld device, given that the pocket-sized PDA devices are inherently vulnerable to theft.

Establish Backup Procedures

In the same context of data security, be sure to establish some kind of backup procedures. We've all heard the horror stories of handheld device users losing three years of appointments and 2,000 customer names that were stored on their PDA and not backed up anywhere else. Don't let your clients become one of these statistics.

Desktop Connectivity

Also think about how your clients' internal gurus or your consulting firm will assist users in connecting their handheld devices to their office PCs. Yes, your clients could adopt a policy banning PDAs from the office entirely, or making users responsible for their own PDA-related support issues, but these extreme approaches may not be practical.

After all, handheld devices are becoming a major competitive force that others in your clients' industries may be rushing to integrate into their information technology toolkit.

Employees Can Cause Other Damage

In addition, your clients probably don't want to leave employees to install and support their own PDA desktop connectivity, unless they are very PC savvy. All too often, a user inadvertently will break a multitude of key software configurations while accepting default installation settings.

If your clients are determined to have users tap the power and flexibility of handheld devices or PDAs, they'll need someone PC savvy (your firm or an internal guru) managing these installations.

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting 101. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

About the Author
Joshua Feinberg, co-owner of Computer Consulting 101, gets computer consulting businesses more steady high-paying clients. Now you can too with your free access pass to proven computer consulting secrets at http://www.computer-consulting-101.com/

Computer-to-Plate: The Future for Pad Printing

2006-10-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

Computer-to-plate (CTP) technology is used on a daily basis in offset, flexography, and screen-printing workshops. As for pad printing industry, computer to plate equipment – laser plate-etching systems – have been introduced only recently. However, with latest developments, laser-based systems have the potential to conquer pad printing market over the next couple of years.

CTP benefits

Laser systems enable the user to convert a digital graphic file to a highest quality etched image in just 1 to 5 minutes. Costs of films, chemicals, consumables shipping, exposure units and removal of hazardous materials are eliminated, as are maintenance contracts on processing equipment and costs of outsourcing steel plate making.

There are four steps to make a plate: import the graphic file into the system's software, apply the halftone pattern to the image, specify the etch-depth parameter in the laser's operating software, and press start. Laser-imaged graphics are first generation so there is no loss of resolution. Etch depth and halftone pattern can be accurately fine-tuned to match the type of image you want to print, the viscosity and rheology of the ink used, the speed of the printing machine, and the durometer of the printing pads used. As specifications can be stored on the computer, resulting image quality is completely repeatable. Laser-based CTP systems can accommodate operating settings for fine, combination fine/bold, and bold graphics. Laser-engraved plates have a straight-walled etching and more precise inkwell than polymer cliches and thin or thick steel plates. In addition, CTP users enjoy a number of cost-saving benefits: double-sided laser-etched plates can accommodate up to four images, which reduces plate usage;

Choosing a CTP system

1. Laser type

Today, three types of lasers have been used to make pad-printing plates: diode-pumped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG), Ytterbium fiber laser (YAG wavelength), and CO2. The primary differences between these units are maintenance, spot size, and ability to etch various materials.

Maintenance – The diode-pumped YAG has a diode bar that heats up and can warp after about 10,000 hours of use, requiring costly replacement. The Ytterbium fiber and CO2 lasers have no diode bar so they have no maintenance requirements for up to 70,000 hours of operation.

Spot size – As the wavelength of a YAG laser (1.064 microns) is ten times smaller than the CO2 wavelength (10.64 microns), the former is able to produce more detailed graphics than CO2.

Materials – YAG lasers are ideally suited for metals. A CO2 laser beam is better absorbed by organic materials – wood, paper, plastics, glass, textiles, and rubber.

2. Software

To ensure seamless integration into the workflow of the target company, laser software must be able to import are .ai (Adobe Illustrator), .dxf (CorelDRAW, AutoCad), and .bmp (bitmaps, gradients, process-color images) files.

To achieve halftone or dot pattern, the software must be able to apply different hatches (or separation between the laser lines) to the image. For fine line graphics a small hatch can be applied, for bold graphics a larger hatch will prevent "scooping".

The power and frequency of the laser must be variable to finely tune the plate depth to provide the best printing plate for the type of ink, production speed and substrate. The target depth of etch in the plate is .001"

3. System features

The CTP systems have several available features to consider:
Size of system footprint – stand alone or benchtop system
Vector-tracing software
Micro-adjust focal distance
Plate registration systems
Particulate evacuation systems
Pre-etch laser pointer
Availability of auto-load
Availability of future expansion

For more information please visit http://www.inkcups.com/

About the Author
Benjamin Adner is the president of Inkcups Now Corporation – a specialty manufacturer of pad printing and screen printing supplies, equipment, and laser engravers. With over 15 years in the pad and screen printing industry and 3 major industry patents, Mr. Adner attempts to find innovative solutions to pad printing and screen printing issues. His Mechanical Engineering and MBA degrees are applied daily to move Inkcups forward with new products and strategic relationships.Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/36032.html

By Benjamin Adner

Plasma TVs at high altitudes

2006-10-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

An interesting factor to consider when planning your purchase of a new plasma television is altitude. Plasma TVs use millions of tiny, gas-filled chambers to create a picture. When you move to higher altitudes, the constant pressure in the chambers and the now lower ambient air pressure create a buzzing sound reminiscent of a halogen beer sign.

This buzz is a combined result of the increased power consumption necessary to overcome the pressure differential, and the increase in fan use because the high power consumption heats the unit. This change in noise is really the only difference between operating a plasma television at sea level and one operating at extreme (above 6,000 ft) altitudes.

This noise increase provides a hint as to the more serious reason to avoid using a plasma television: lifespan. The life of a plasma screen is dependent on how hard it works through the course of its life. Operating these televisions at altitudes above what they were designed for puts an excess strain on their various components. Using a plasma TV above 6,000 ft. is more likely to annoy you with additional noise than anything else, but it's a bad choice in the long run. This pressure change is why airplanes chose to use LCD screens over plasma screens on flights that offer video entertainment.

LCDs use crystals instead of gas filled chambers, and are thus indifferent to altitude changes. That said, there are manufacturers who have designed plasma televisions for use at altitudes up to 9,000 ft. You'll pay for this upgraded design, so you must decide if the price difference is worth it. So, check the elevation information for your city to determine if this should concern you, because it's not always obvious.

Denver is just under the 6,000 ft. window for operating a regular plasma screen. You may see a slight difference in the lifespan of the unit here when compared to an identical television located closer to sea level, but this is likely to be very small. If you're not sure what your local elevation is, or if you're close, but still below the 6,000 ft. recommended ceiling, do some firsthand research. Go to an electronics store and test out the various plasma TVs on display.

Listen closely for a buzzing or humming. You may find that your local air pressure is low enough to affect the performance of a plasma unit. So you've done your research and planning, and you're ready to buy your plasma television? Now make sure you check your local conditions and, if necessary, invest in a high altitude plasma unit.

What Home Spy Camera Do You Want?

2006-10-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Many regular homeowners want a spy camera to protect themselves from thieves and burglars. Another reason is that they may want to spy on some of their family members. Such homeowners usually do not know exactly what they want and need.

There are so many (maybe even too many…) options on the internet so a newbie could easily get lost in the online spy world. In this article, we'll try to find out what are the options on the internet and what home spy cameras should you choose.Outdoor Spy Cameras
If you want to protect your house from the outside, then outdoor spy cams would be your best shot. Of course, they'll be quite obvious and people will see that your house is secured. That's actually one of the reasons to put a spy camera outside. It will let burglars know that your house is protected and they'll less likely want to intrude.

If you're thinking about an outdoor camera for your house, then you'll want to consider a few options. Is it weatherproof or waterproof? If you'll use it outside, then make sure that bad weather won't break it. Also, you should think about night surveillance. Your outdoor cameras should be infrared so it could capture view in the night.

Wired spy camera will be harder to install, because of the wires. You might need to call a professional to drill the holes in your walls and place the wires conveniently in case you don't know how to do that. Wireless cameras are much easier to install outside. They don't require any cables, but you'll still need to mount them on walls or under the roof somehow. Wireless CCTV camera transmitters and receiver will do the rest.

That's very basic information about using home spy cameras outdoors. Now, let's see if you'd prefer using such cameras indoors.

Indoors Hidden Cameras

Spy cameras inside the house are also used for security purposes. In case burglars sneak in the house, your home spy cams will detect the burglars and record their moves. There are even home security systems that have alarm functions built-in.

These security systems (with or without spy cameras) have motion detection devices. These devices guard and when they detect something or someone moving, they'll turn on the alarm. It might be a sound signal, flashing lights near the house, both combinations; it might be an automatic phone call to you or your neighbors in case you're away, it might be an email to your PC or laptop. Such systems will warn you or your neighbors in case of burglary.

If you don't want to buy the whole system, you may manage with webcam and a PC. Webcams are pretty cheap. Software used to control cameras, which also have motion detection built-in are also inexpensive. Connect a camera to your PC, leave it online so you could connect to it and watch what's going on any time when you're away, and you have pretty powerful, yet cheap solution for basic home protection.

You may also buy a few wireless home spy cameras, which are connected to a VCR or DVR or PC. Multiple cameras are great if you want to secure every inch of your house. You couldn't do that with only one camera.

Hidden Home Spy Cameras

Lastly, you may want a home spy cam that isn't for security, but for spy and surveillance purposes. People use spy cameras in their houses to spy on their nannies, spouses to see if they aren't cheating, kids or guests.

In that case, you don't want you home cameras to be seen. So there are mini spy cameras used for this purpose. Such small cameras can be hidden anywhere, a baby toy, in a teddy bear, behind the book shelf, near the computer, etc… They can also be wired or wireless.

Or you may want to choose already made hidden cameras, meaning that they're already stuffed into some regular everyday objects. Such spy cams may look like lamps, flowers, books, speakers, clocks, mirrors and so on. You don't need to worry and think where to hide your cam in this case.

Well, there you go. Here are some options for home owners looking for spy cameras. If you've familiarized yourself with basic home spy camera information, you may want to go out and learn some more details about these surveillance gadgets online.

About the Author
Are you looking for more information before buying a home spy cam? Or maybe you'd like to know more about DVR security system for home protection? Then head towards Vedosoft at:http://www.vedosoft.comArticle Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/36739.html

By Dan Crane

The Evolution of Project Management - Part 3

2006-10-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

...continued from Part 2

Why Project Management? There is no doubt that organisations today face more aggressive competition than in the past and the business environment they operate in is a highly turbulent one. This scenario has increased the need for organisational accountability for the private and public sectors, leading to a greater focus and demand for operational effectiveness and efficiency. Effectiveness and efficiency may be facilitated through the introduction of best practices that are able to optimise the management of organisational resources.

It has been shown that operations and projects are dissimilar with each requiring different management techniques. Hence, in a project environment, project management can:

(a) support the achievement of project and organisational goals; and
(b) provide a greater assurance to stakeholders that resources are being managed effectively. Research by Roberts and Furlonger

[2] in a study of information systems projects show that using a reasonably detailed project management methodology, as compared to a loose methodology, improves productivity by 20 to 30 percent. Furthermore, the use of a formalised project management structure to projects can facilitate:

(a) the clarification of project scope;
(b) agreement of objectives and goals;
(c) identifying resources needed;
(d) ensuring accountability for results and performance;
(e) and encouraging the project team to focus on the final benefits to be achieved. Moreover, the research indicates that 85-90% of projects fail to deliver on time, on budget and to the quality of performance expected.

The major causes identified for this situation include:

(a) Lack of a valid business case justifying the project;
(b) Objectives not properly defined and agreed;
(c) Lack of communication and stakeholder management;
(d) Outcomes and/or benefits not properly defined in measurable terms;
(e) Lack of quality control;
(f) Poor estimation of duration and cost;
(g) Inadequate definition and acceptance of roles (governance);
(h) Insufficient planning and coordination of resources.

It should be emphasised that the causes for the failure to deliver on time, on budget and to the quality of performance expected could be addressed by the application of project management practices. Furthermore, the failure to deliver on time, on budget and to the quality of performance expected does not necessarily mean that the project was itself a failure.

At this stage what is being discussed is the effectiveness and efficiency of project execution and not whether a project is a success or failure. Conclusion Project management should be viewed as a tool that helps organisations to execute designated projects effectively and efficiently. The use of this tool does not automatically guarantee project success. (project success will be discussed in a subsequent issue).

However, in preparation for the next issue, I would like you to think about the distinction between project success and project management success. This distinction will provide further insight to the questions: Why are some projects perceived as failures when they have met all the traditional standards of success, namely, completed on time, completed within budget, and meeting all the technical specifications? Why are some projects perceived to be successful when they have failed to meet two important criteria that are traditionally associated with success, namely, not completed on time and not completed within budget?

About the Author
Sandro Azzopardi is a professional author who writes several articles on various subjects on his web site and local newspapers and magazines. You can visit information about this article and others on: http://www.theinfopit.com/technology/theevolutionofprojectmanagement-3.phpArticle Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/38488.html

By Sandro Azzopardi

The Evolution of Project Management - Part 2

2006-10-06T08:09:00.000-07:00

...continued from Part 1
Four periods in the development of modern project management.

[1] Prior to 1958: Craft system to human relations. During this time, the evolution of technology, such as, automobiles and telecommunications shortened the project schedule. For instance, automobiles allowed effective resource allocation and mobility, whilst the telecommunication system increased the speed of communication. Furthermore, the job specification which later became the basis of developing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) was widely used and Henry Gantt invented the Gantt chart. Examples of projects undertaken during this period as supported by documented evidence include:
(a) Building the Pacific Railroad in 1850's;

(b) Construction of the Hoover Dam in 1931-1936, that employed approximately 5,200 workers and is still one of the highest gravity dams in the U.S. generating about four billion kilowatt hours a year; and

(c) The Manhattan Project in 1942-1945 that was the pioneer research and development project for producing the atomic bomb, involving 125,000 workers and costing nearly $2 billion.

[2] 1958-1979: Application of Management Science. Significant technology advancement took place between 1958 and 1979, such as, the first automatic plain-paper copier by Xerox in 1959. Between 1956 and 1958 several core project management tools including CPM and PERT were introduced. However, this period was characterised by the rapid development of computer technology. The progression from the mainframe to the mini-computer in the 1970's made computers affordable to medium size companies. In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft. Furthermore, the evolution of computer technology facilitated the emergence of several project management software companies, including, Artemis (1977), Oracle (1977), and Scitor Corporation (1979). In the 1970's other project management tools such as Material Requirements Planning (MRP) were also introduced. Examples of projects undertaken during this period and which influenced the development of modem project management as we know it today include:
(a)Polaris missile project initiated in 1956 that had the objective of delivering nuclear missiles carried by submarines, known as Fleet Ballistic Missile for the U.S Navy.

The project successfully launched its first Polaris missile in 1961;

(b) Apollo project initiated in 1960 with the objective of sending man to the moon; and
(c) E.I du Pont de Nemours chemical plant project commencing in 1958, that had the objective of building major chemical production plants across the U.S.

[3] 1980-1994: Production Centre Human Resources. The 1980s and 1990's are characterised by the revolutionary development in the information management sector with the introduction of the personal computer (PC) and associated computer communications networking facilities. This development resulted in having low cost multitasking PCs that had high efficiency in managing and controlling complex project schedules. During this period low cost project management software for PCs became widely available that made project management techniques more easily accessible. Examples of major projects undertaken during this period that illustrate the application of high technology, and project management tools and practices include:

(a) England France Channel project, 1989 to1991.

This projectwasan international project that involved two governments, several financial institutions, engineering construction companies, and other various organisationsfrom the two countries. The language, use of standard metrics, and other communication differences needed to be closely coordinated;

(b) Space Shuttle Challenger project, 1983 to 1986.

The disaster of the Challenger space shuttle focused attention on risk management, group dynamics, and quality management; and

[4] 1995-Present: Creating a New Environment. This period is dominated by the developments related to the internet that changed dramatically business practices in the mid 1990's. The internet has provided fast, interactive, and customised new medium that allows people to browse, purchase, and track products and services online instantly. This has resulted in making firms more productive, more efficient, and more client oriented. Furthermore, many of today's project management software have an internet connectivity feature. This allows automatic uploading of data so that anyone around the globe with a standard browser can:

(a) input the most recent status of their assigned tasks;
(b) find out how the overall project is doing;
(c) be informed of any delays or advances in the schedule; and
(d) stay "in the loop" for their project role, while working independently
at a remote site.

An example of a major project undertaken during this period is the Year 2000 (Y2K) project. The Y2K Project, known as the millennium bug referred to the problem that computers may not function correctly on January lst, 2000 at 12 AM. This was a global phenomenon and was highly problematic because resolving the problem at one's organisation did not guarantee immunity, since a breakdown in the organisation's supply chain could affect the organisation's operating capability. Many organisations set up a project office to control and comply with their stakeholders regarding the Y2K issue. Furthermore, use of the Internet was common practice that led to the establishment of the virtual project office. The goal of this virtual project office was:

(a) to deliver uninterrupted turn-of-the-century;
(b) monitor Y2K project efforts;
(c) provide coordination;
(d) develop a risk management plan; and
(e) communicate Y2K compliance efforts with various stakeholders.

Thus, the virtual project office was a focal point for all the project works, and it increased the awareness and importance of risk management practices to numerous organisations.

...continued in Part 3

By Sandro Azzopardi

The Evolution of Project Management - Part 1

2006-10-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

Importance of Project Management is an important topic because all organisations, be they small or large, at one time or other, are involved in implementing new undertakings. These undertakings may be diverse, such as, the development of a new product or service; the establishment of a new production line in a manufacturing enterprise; a public relations promotion campaign; or a major building programme.

Whilst the 1980's were about quality and the 1990's were all about globalisation, the 2000's are about velocity. That is, to keep ahead of their competitors, organisations are continually faced with the development of complex products, services and processes with very short time-to-market windows combined with the need for cross-functional expertise. In this scenario, project management becomes a very important and powerful tool in the hands of organisations that understand its use and have the competencies to apply it.

The development of project management capabilities in organisations, simultaneously with the application of information management systems, allow enterprise teams to work in partnership in defining plans and managing take-to-market projects by synchronising team-oriented tasks, schedules, and resource allocations.

This allows cross-functional teams to create and share project information. However, this is not sufficient, information management systems have the potential to allow project management practices to take place in a real-time environment. As a consequence of this potential project management proficiency, locally, nationally or globally dispersed users are able to concurrently view and interact with the same updated project information immediately, including project schedules, threaded discussions, and other relevant documentation.

In this scenario the term dispersed user takes on a wider meaning. It not only includes the cross-functional management teams but also experts drawn from the organisation's supply chain, and business partners. On a macro level organisations are motivated to implement project management techniques to ensure that their undertakings (small or major) are delivered on time, within the cost budget and to the stipulated quality. On a micro level, project management combined with an appropriate information management system has the objectives of: (a) reducing project overhead costs; (b) customising the project workplace to fit the operational style of the project teams and respective team members; (c) proactively informing the executive management strata of the strategic projects on a real-time basis; (d) ensuring that project team members share accurate, meaningful and timely project documents; and (e) ensuring that critical task deadlines are met.

Whilst the motivation and objectives to apply project management in organisations is commendable, they do not assure project success. However, before discussing the meaning and achievement of project success it is appropriate at this stage to provide a brief history of project management. Brief History of Project Management Project management has been practiced for thousands of years dating back to the Egyptian epoch, but it was in the mid-1950's that organisations commenced applying formal project management tools and techniques to complex projects. Modern project management methods had their origins in two parallel but different problems of planning and control in projects in the United States.

The first case involved the U.S Navy which at that time was concerned with the control of contracts for its Polaris Missile project. These contracts consisted of research, development work and manufacturing of parts that were unique and had never been previously undertaken. This particular project was characterised by high uncertainty, since neither cost nor time could be accurately estimated.

Hence, completion times were based on probabilities. Time estimates were based on optimistic, pessimistic and most likely. These three time scenarios were mathematically assessed to determine the probable completion date. This procedure was called program evaluation review technique (PERT). Initially, the PERT technique did not take into consideration cost. However, the cost feature was later included using the same estimating approach as with time. Due to the three estimation scenarios, PERT was found (and still is) to be best suited for projects with a high degree of uncertainty reflecting their level of uniqueness.

The second case, involved the private sector, namely, E.I du Pont de Nemours Company, which had undertaken to construct major chemical plants in U.S. Unlike the Navy Polaris project, these construction undertakings required accurate time and cost estimates. The methodology developed by this company was originally referred to as project planning and scheduling (PPS). PPS required realistic estimates of cost and time, and is thus a more definitive approach than PERT. The PPS technique was later developed into the critical path method (CPM) that became very popular with the construction industry.

During the 1960s and 1970s, both PERT and CPM increased their popularity within the private and public sectors. Defence Departments of various countries, NASA, and large engineering and construction companies world wide applied project management principles and tools to manage large budget, schedule-driven projects. The popularity in the use of these project management tools during this period coincided with the development of computers and the associated packages that specialised in project management. However, initially these computer packages were very costly and were executed only on mainframe or mini computers.

The use of project management techniques in the 1980s was facilitated with the advent of the personal computer and associated low cost project management software. Hence, during this period, the manufacturing and software development sectors commenced to adopt and implement sophisticated project management practices as well. By the 1990s, project management theories, tools, and techniques were widely received by different industries and organisations. ...

continued in Part 2

By Sandro Azzopardi

Looking for the best webhosting package ? 2006 reviews(Part 2)

2006-10-06T05:48:00.000-07:00

Then some people say that you can always start with a budget hosting under 6$ and then expand or upgrade when their site takes off. This is not practical as in reality these hosting providers do not usually have a better offer (for speed and support) , moving to another host is a very tricky situation and even if upgrade is available, it is usually much more expensive .

Also this only works if you plan to host 1 domain and 1 domain only – otherwise you end up paying per domain and it will cost you more than the “Mainstream” shared hosting which usually allows you to host multiple domains while paying the same monthly fee

Budget shared hosting main players are :

* Godaddy http://www.godaddy.com/ (3.99) : good space and bandwidth, slow, support is notoriously slow, they will try to sell you a lot more features, bad control panel

* 1and1 http://www.1and1.com/ (2.99) : good space and bandwidth, slow, support is notoriously slow

* Oxito (for French speakers) http://www.oxito.com/ (2.99 Euros) – little space and bandwidth – they tolerate nudity

* Ace-Host http://www.ace-host.net/ can be 4.99 if you take 2 years or more – offer a lot of features including many templates and cpanel.

beware of their CPU and bandwidth overlimit policies – support may be questionnableThere also many small or regional players.

Check the webmaster forums such as http://www.ozzu.com/ or http://www.webmaster-talk.com/ to see many small companies offering their services.Important Note: beware not to use these providers if you plan to publish a newsletter as any email sent from an application running on a domain hosted there will be sent to the bulk mail folders of Aol, Gmail , hotmail and yahoo. I’ve had a bad experience there Also do not trust an offer if it looks too good.

Too many people have seen their website vanish as the startup in India, China or the US disappeared after 15 days, having charged them for a full year !Mainstream shared hosting (highly recommended)Some people are looking for a good reliable hosting package, to host a serious project such as an online community, a popular free site (jokes, gallery, forum), an e-commerce site, a portal , a corporate website, are looking for a serious uptime and good support yet don’t want to spend a fortune on hosting !These hosting providers will offer you the most “bang for the buck” and you can usually count on them as your website gets more traffic.

The usual offers include multiple or unlimited domains hosting, unlimited sub-domains, 5000 or more mailboxes, good speedy support, a good control panel and many updated one-click installsMany of these providers will offer you a reliable email system that you can use as a professional mail and will allow you to send newsletter and mailing list that will not be rejected by main email providersThe budget usually varies between 8 and 20 $ / month, and get usually cheaper when you take a 1 or 2 years long plan instead of a monthly plan – which is usually a good idea as you end up saving a good deal of money.

These providers will also usually allow you a refund for up to 3 months if you are not satisfiedSome of the most popular hosting providers include :

* Site5 : between 8 and 10$, 11Gb space, 400Gb traffic, 5 domains and sub-domains, 1 free domain registration, good support, good email system. Site 5 has an excellent reputation for support, speed, scalability . They also have other packages

* DreamHost : between 8 and 10$, 20G space, 1 Tb traffic, unlimited domains and sub-domains, 1 free domain registration, good support, good email system, updated one-click installs, nice community, automatic backup and daily snapshots. They also have other packages – I recommend this one although others may work for your

* HostGator : this is well recognized hosting provider in the industry. Between 7 and 10$, they offer unlimited domains/subdomains, 5 Gb space, a site builder, full control panel, good support, many updated one-click installs

* BlueHost: this is a popular hosting provider. Between 7 and 10$, they offer 15Gb space, 6 domains, unlimited subdomains, full cpanel, good email system , many one-click installs, good support and more.“Expensive” or Premium shared hosting (for special needs)Some hosting providers are still offering “1990s” rates nowadays.

It is not uncommon to find companies trying to charge 20 to 50 $ for very little disk space, bandwidth, features or even supportIf you are looking for these examples, try the articles on main.addfreestats.com , you can find many ways to get ripped off by a hosting company !The worst I found was a provider based in Belgium, which charged about 60$ per month for 100 Mb space…. For the same money Dreamhost or BlueHost would offer you more than 100 Gb, so they are more than 1000 times more expensive !!!The only reason you could legitimately pay more for a hosting package is that if you need to host an adult site , or if you need to pay for webmaster services.

For many reasons, I will not list such providers, but contact me by email if you need more information (see end of article)Hosting Promo codesWhen you are set on choosing your hosting providers, you can make some serious savings by using Promo Codes.

Promo codes are offered from time to time as special offers to helpSince web hosting is really at core a “recurrent business”, these providers will tolerate to lose money on the first year as they know a satisfied customer will stay there for years and refer many people, so they use “promo codes” as a marketing tactic to help convince an undecided customer to choose this “special offer”.

Some of the promo codes examples:Godaddy : gdh0109 will save 10% off the domain name or hosting planDreamhost : FIVE5 will take off 55 $ of your 119$ yearly plan or will waive the setup fee of the monthly planMany other providers offer promo codes from time to time, such as SITE5, or others. Entering “provider promo code” on your search engine before buying is usually a good idea

About the Author

Yasser Chemaytilly is an experienced Web and IT consultant since 1996. He is the co-founder of Ace Multimedia and Consulting, http://www.acemmedia.com , a leading web design and development provider

Looking for the best webhosting package ? 2006 reviews(Part 1)

2006-10-06T04:56:00.000-07:00

So why am I writing another article about choosing a web hosting package ? Isn’t hosting becoming a commodity these days ?

Well first, from my experience as a beginner a few years ago I was not able to find a reliable article or review (most of them are just paid advertising or Adsense place-holders !), and with so many offerings I didn’t have a clue on who to choose and why could two providers offer the “same” service for 2$ or 50$ per month.

So if you are building your first web site, or are looking to change hosting providers, I am quite confident this article will be beneficial for you.As a first thought, there is no such thing as an overall “best web hosting provider”.

Your needs are unique and so are the service providers, so the idea is to find the best hosting provider for your own unique needs .In this article, we assume you are looking for Shared hosting. Shared hosting is Web hosting in which the service provider serves pages for multiple Web sites, each having its own Internet domain name, from a single Web server.

Most Web hosting companies provide shared hosting. Although shared hosting is a less expensive way for businesses to create a Web presence, it is sometimes not sufficient for Web sites with high traffic.In the early days, shared hosting plans were limited in Disk space and Monthly bandwidth, however these days it is not common to find 20 Gb disk space or more on shared hosting, making it a viable option even for medium-to-large websites.In contrast , Dedicated hosting is basically renting a whole server solely for your use. It is much like having your own server but the biggest difference is you do not need a large initial investment to set it up.

“Budget hosting is usually offered for less than 5$ per month, some companies even offer packages at 1 or 2 $ / month, and is usually limited”

Dedicated hosting will not be covered in this article. What you need to know about it is that it gives your more firepower, more bandwidth and CPU, and costs a lot more than shared hosting (serious dedicated servers start between 200$ to 600$ / month)This article is provided for your convenience by Ace Consulting and Multimedia : web design, logo and graphic design, SEO and e-marketing experts.You may report this article elsewhere if you retain the link to us only and email us the linkShared hosting options and reviewsFree hosting:Some companies offer to host for free a small website, under a sub-domain such as yourname.webhost.com, and may offer you 10 mb or 50 mb free space. They will be placing distracting ads and banners on your site and are betting on the success of your website to force you to upgrade to a paid service.

They would also not provide any support, backup or warrantee. For a list of providers , pros and cons see our other article about paid vs free hostingThe bottom line : DON’T USE FREE HOSTING – unless you’re under 13 and are creating a page to tease your sister… These services are simply not useable for a real website project. Besides, hosting is becoming really affordable these days, so if you want to cut costs, you may want to try to cut costs elsewhere.

Free hosting providers will always offer you the option to “upgrade” to a paid service, but in practice their paid services are usually much more expensive and have much less features than the main shared hosting players.Budget shared hosting (I can’t really recommend except for small dead-end websites)Some people are looking for “the cheapest possible hosting”, if this is you, then you need to look fore budget shared hosting.

Budget hosting is usually offered for less than 5$ per month, some companies even offer packages at 1 or 2 $ / month, and is usually limited. Limited in diskspace (a few dozen megs to 1 or 2 Gb), limited in power and speed as your website is likely to be found as well as hundreds of others web sites. Limited in terms of mailboxes, domains you can host under 1 account (usually 1), sub-domains you can create (usually no real sub-domains can be created), ftp users , they usually do not allow certain type of content (nudity, gamling…)

This type of hosting is usually fine for a personal website, a small company website, a club, association or such. It is usually not recommended if you want to perform e-commerce, host a large on-line community or portal.

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