Business, economic development - the unofficial Chamber of Commerce

The optimal digital workflow for print begins at the beginningat the content creation stage. When digital files submitted to the printer are correct and complete, the workflow is most efficient and cost-effective.

Printers have led the global print industry through a revolutionfirst, with the
introduction of computer-to-plate manufacturing (CTP), and then with direct digital
imaging. They made these critical changes for the benefit of their businesses and
their customers. But along with the leadership role comes a certain amount of
responsibility. Printers must also be committed to educating their client base on
how to prepare appropriate and reliable digital content files, and equip their
customers with the digital tools and technologies that will enable them to attain the
goal.

Enabling the print customer with digital workflow tools
Beyond simply telling the customers how to prepare the files according to the print
shop’s specifications, printers should also be prepared to promote digital file
verification tools to their client baselow-investment-cost software that will help
their clients ensure that the files are correct and complete before they’re ever
submitted to the printer’s prepress environment.

There are a several “preflighting” or “postflighting” software solutions on the market
todaysome significantly more expensive than others, some better suited for high-
volume printers, others better suited for content creators. Preflighting solutions are
capable of verifying digital files in their native application stagesuch as a
document being prepared in QuarkXPress or Microsoft Wordwhile an application
that postflights is capable of verifying specs in a final exchange format, such as PDF
or PDF/X-1a file.

These solutions electronically look inside the digital file to make certain that all of
the elements are resident, placed properly, and specifications like resolution, color
space and document dimensions are correct. The software will often print out a
report of its findings, so that the content creator can see the problems immediately
and make any necessary changes before the file moves forward in the workflow.

Keeping with the idea that the ideal workflow is one that catches any potential file
problems as far forward in the process as possible, Markzware Softwareone of the
leaders in preflight/postflight softwarehas come out with a new idea, on-the-fly
file verification. This United States-based software developer (best known for its
flagship FlightCheck Professional software) recently introduced a new tool
specifically designed to help content creators and graphic designers avoid file
preparation mistakes from the start.

FlightCheck Studio is a brand-new plug-in application that works alongside the
native application, such QuarkXPress and Adobe’s InDesign. Before they begin
create a document, they can assign certain parameters to the document. For
example, if the document is bound for print, the designer will not want to
mistakenly insert an image that’s 72 dpi. Based on the output specifications,
FlightCheck Studio will sound a visual warning to the designer if any of the
specifications are mistakenly disregarded.

For less than a few hundred dollars, graphic designers can invest in software of this
kind, never have to leave the comfort of working in their familiar native applications,
and never again send a digital file to a printer that’s incomplete or ineffective.
Printers would be served well to introduce their customer base to best practices in
digital file preparation, including recommending software solutions that assist their
customers in content correctly, from the start.

Gretchen Peck is a U.S.-based author who writes about the global printing and
graphic arts industry.

Marketing Professionals try all the resources at their command to get new clients and to retain old clients. Client relations are one of the most important functions of a marketing professional. Here is a suggestion. Use ecards to increase sales by getting new clients and retaining the old. Let me tell you how you can do that.

There are many ecard websites on the Internet. Out of them, few offer ecards for business. You will get free ecards, professionally made that look beautiful. The ecards in business section are generally available in the categories of thank you, Season’s greetings, To clients, Sorry etc. in other sections of the website you will get ecards to wish birthday, ecards for Holidays and other topics.

One of the most important factors that affect the client relationship is communication and making the client feel that he/she is highly valued. During every Festive and Holiday Season, use Holidays ecards. After every few weeks, send an ecard to an old client that says Thinking Of You. After every sale or referral, send a Thank you ecard and for any mistake send a sorry ecard.

Avoid sending single line emails to clients. Send ecards. When they will view the ecard, they would appreciate the care that you have taken to select and send the card. You will win their good will and make them happy. In every business, one needs to be one step ahead of the competition. Use ecards to do that.

CD Mohatta writes for romantic greeting cards, advice on dating and love and dating quizzes.

Do you want to get quality software at a reasonable price? Whether you work at home or just need good software for your personal computer, you are faced with an almost endless selection of computer software. Sorting through the options can sometimes be a major task. However, if you want to get good, quality software there are several things that you can do that will save you money and headaches.

With the arrival of online marketing, you have more choices than ever. There are a large number of reputable software companies that sell software at significant savings. With a little homework and thought on your part, you can get good quality software that will accomplish your specific task.
In order to save both time and money on computer software, here is a list of twelve things you should do.

1. First, make sure you know as closely as possible the exact task you want your software to accomplish. The more specific you are the better. For example, do you want a very general word processing program to write occasional letters or a more sophisticated word processing software program to run the marketing for your business?

2. Check out the minimum requirements necessary to run the software. You want to make sure it will run on your computer equipment. You should find out how much memory the program takes, what operating systems it will run on and how much disk space is required. Is there any other computer accessory required to use the software?

3. Talk to friends and associates that have used the specific type of software you’re searching for. Ask them where they got the software, how much they paid, how long they’ve used the program, what type of guarantee came with the program, etc. If you have a task, which involves a deadline, like a payroll program, ask them how they were able to get answers to their questions and how long did it take.

4. Search the Internet for reviews on the software. Look at user groups or bulletin boards to see what users are saying about the software. For example, if you’re looking at the QuickBooks business program, type in “QuickBooks Software Review” to locate review information about the program.

5. You should always test the software program before you purchase it. Many reputable companies will allow you to download their software and test it out before you buy. Take advantage of the opportunity to test the program. Enter some data, print some reports, and give the program a real workout. Try as many options as possible. Don’t always follow set procedures. Try to experiment on your own. You want to know what the software does in a real world setting. You want to know what happens when you make a mistake.

6. If the software provides support, you should think of a question about the program that may not be too obvious and ask support for help. You’re much better off to try out support before you truly need help than to wait until you’re in a “must have help” situation. See how long it takes to get an answer. Check out how clear the response is. Ask yourself, “Did this completely resolve the problem for me?”

7. Check out the software warranty and company guarantees. A software company that stands behind their program will usually guarantee their products for a specific period of time. You should get at least a 30-day money back guarantee after purchasing the product. A 90-180 day guarantee is better. Usually, the longer the product warranty, the better the software.

8. Find out how often the company provides updates to their software. Check out the cost for getting the updates. For example, many companies will include updates for a specific period of time with the purchase price of the software. Companies that actively listen to their users update their software. If a computer program has not been updated for a long time, you probably won’t get further updates.

9. If you get a “Freeware” software program, you need to know four things:
First, freeware is a software program that does not cost you any money. That means you will not be able to receive support from the author. You are basically on your own. Sometimes that is good. However, if you have a time sensitive task and run into a software problem, free software may not be your best option. If you miss a deadline and have to pay a penalty of some type, that free software isn’t so cheap after all.

Second, many times freeware is an “introductory” version of a program. That means you may still have to pay for the “complete” program or the ability to use all the program options.

Third, if there is no charge for a program, the program may include software options that gather information about you, your computer, your surfing habits, etc. and then return this information to the company via the Internet. This is sometimes referred to as “Spyware” and can cause some real problems with your computer. When you use a program to eliminate the spyware on your computer, your “free” software program may no longer work.

Finally, if you are fairly computer literate, have no specific deadlines and know that a freeware program does not contain spyware, then, a freeware computer program can be a great bargain.

10. If you get a “Shareware” software program you need to know three things: First, shareware is a software program that lets you try it out before you buy it. The author is “sharing” the program with you. If the computer shareware program does what you want it to do, then the author expects you to pay for it.

Many shareware programs allow you to use the program for a set period of time. After that period of time, the program (or at least some of the program options) will not continue to work. Don’t make the mistake of entering a lot of important data and then decide you “don’t want to pay” for the program. You could be left high and dry.

Finally, some shareware programs will continue to operate regardless of how long you use them. If you come to rely on a shareware computer program, it is wise to pay the author the nominal fee they usually request. This will help the author continue to develop and enhance the program. Besides, you’ll probably get support and help from the author if you need it.

11. Beware of companies that send you unsolicited emails offering “name brand” computer software at huge discounts. These are often overseas companies selling “illegal” software. You will not get support, but you could get a letter from the company’s lawyer telling you that you’re using a pirated copy of their software. Some people have even reported giving their credit card information to purchase these “great bargains” only to learn weeks later, they had paid for software they never got.

12. Last but not least, always order your computer software from a reputable online company. You’ll experience the best service, the best warranty and the best computer products available.

Larry Andrew is an educational consultant, author and publisher of http://www.ez-software-review.com. Learn how to purchase cheap, reliable and quality software for your home, school and business.

Major ERP/MRP vendors, such as Oracle. SAP, Microsoft Business Solutions are present on Brazilian market, in this small article we would like to highlight MBS Navision, especially in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, plus the economy situation in Rio and its ERP/MRP market

• Economy. Rio’s harbor is deep enough for the largest vessels to come alongside the wharves, which lie near the city center. Through the port flows the major portion of Brazil’s imports and exports (iron ore, manganese, coffee, cotton, meat, and hides). Rio is also a distribution center for the coastal trade. The city’s manufactures include textiles, foodstuffs, household appliances, cigarettes, chemicals, leather goods, metal products, and printed material. There are two major airports.

• Manufacturing. Navision traditionally is considered as strong MRP & production automation platform. Considering high number of manufacturing facilities in Rio de Janeiro - manufacturing module implementation is critical.

• Distribution. Microsoft Navision, together with Microsoft Great Plains, Axapta, Solomon are currently under evolution - so-called Project Green should result in these ERPs interconnection and probably interface unification. Recently Microsoft renamed its products and Navision is now Microsoft Dynamics NAV (more likely NAV will be dropped when Project Green is realized). From the Distribution needs perspective - Microsoft Navision is now and will be even more exposed through web portal, plus it will be integrated with Microsoft CRM (please be aware that Navision also has its own CRM module), where Microsoft Sharepoint should play the role of workflows, approval cycles, etc. All these facts make cargo tracking and delivery control automation naturally implemented on the Navision and CRM platforms

• Brazilian Localization. Navision is translated into Portuguese and adjusted for the compliance to Brazilian tax code. From the localization standpoint, if you represent multinational corporation and set up manufacturing facility in Brazil, you should know that other vendors have localized solutions: SAP - SAP Business One and Oracle: Oracle E-Business Suite

• Customization. Navision has its own proprietary language C/Side and currently Microsoft recommends MS SQL Server as the database platform. Plus the future customization directions will be focused on XML web services and developers will be deploying Microsoft Visual Studio.Net

• Integration. Considering MS SQL Server platform - software programmers have all the spectrum of integration technologies: ODBC, JDBC, Microsoft will be moving more functionality to business portal - where Navision logic will be called through the sets of stored procedures and be exposed through SDK. Open MS SQL Server technologies gives you SQL based reporting, you can deploy such industry standard tools as Crystal Reports, MS SQL Server Reporting services, etc.

Please give as a call So Paulo 55-11-3826-3449, USA 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew is Great Plains specialist in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) - Oracle, SAP, Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, Microsoft CRM Partner, serving clients in So Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Salvador, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Manaus, Lisboa, Coimbra, Porto, Cascais and having locations in multiple states and internationally: Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand.

Later versions of Microsoft Windows include an Accessibility Wizard and Magnifier for those with partial vision, and Microsoft Narrator, a simple screen reader. Web browsers, word processors, icons and windows and email programs are just some of the applications used successfully by screen reader users. This season Anthony Loeff nonprofit worker is reporting digital tools for people who are blind The rest have some vision, from light perception alone to relatively good acuity. This interpretation is then represented to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a braille output. The movement towards greater web accessibility is opening a far wider number of websites to adaptive technology, making the web a more inviting place for visually impaired surfers.

More and more, screen readers are being bundled with operating system distributions. A screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the screen. Screen readers can be assumed to be able to access all display content that is not intrinsically inaccessible.

Screen reader choice is contentious: differing priorities and strong preferences are common. While Apple Mac OS X includes VoiceOver, a more feature-rich screen reader.

The open source GNOME desktop environment long included Gnopernicus and now includes Orca. However functionality remains limited compared to equivalent desktop applications, the major benefit is to increase the accessibility of said websites. Only a small fraction of this population, when compared to the sighted community, have Internet access.

Near 21 percent of those deemed legally blind, by any measure, have no vision. A persons choice of screen reader is dictated by many factors, including platform and the role of organizations like charities, schools, and employers.

Further, using a screen reader is, according to some users, considerably more difficult than using a GUI and many applications have specific problems resulting from the nature of the application. Access technology such as screen readers and Screen magnifiers enable the blind to use mainstream computer applications. The primary audience for such applications is those who have difficulty reading because of learning disabilities or language barriers. There are also open source screen readers, such as the Linux Screen Reader for GNOME and NonVisual Desktop Access for Windows.

Recent versions of Microsoft Windows come with the rather basic Narrator. Screen readers are a form of assistive technology potentially useful to people who are blind, visually impaired, or learning disabled, often in combination with other AT such as screen magnifiers. Most legally blind people 56 percent do not use computers. The latter developed in part by Knopper who has a visual impairment. The console-based Oralux Linux distribution ships with three screen-reading environments: Emacspeak, Yasr and Speakup. Experimental approaches in sensory substitution are beginning to provide access to arbitrary live views from a camera.

The Macintosh OS also comes with a built-in screen reader, called VoiceOver. Linux distributions for the blind include Oralux and Adriane Knoppix.

Spyware is a vide group of software programs designed to spy on computer users, and report back to the owner of the Spyware program. If your computer becomes infected with Spyware, the Spyware will take control of parts of your computer without your knowledge or consent. The information that is gathered and sent back to the spyware owner can include very sensitive information about you, such as details regarding online purchases, credit card details and lists over all your web searches. Fortunately, there is a way to protect your self from such digital intrusions of privacy. You can find a lot of Free Spyware Removal Programs online. Simply download one of them from a reputable site, and your computer will have a much higher lever of protection then before. Keep in mind however that all Free Spyware Removal Programs, as well as those that comes with a fee, require regular updates to keep up with all the new types of Spyware that is constantly being created. Regardless of whether you choose a free Spyware Removal Programs or one that you have to pay for, you should make sure that the company offers an easy way of regularly updating your Spyware Removal Program. Most Free Spyware Removal Programs will make it possible for you to access all necessary updates for free. You can often set these Free Spyware Removal Programs to automatically down updates as soon as they are made available.

When you choose between different Free Spyware Removal Programs you should ideally choose one that do not only hunt down and remove existing Spyware from your computer. Instead, choose a high-quality Free Spyware Removal Programs that is capable of alerting you as soon as a Spyware program tries to download it self to your computer. Good Free Spyware Removal Programs will also offer you the possibility to let the program block all such download attempts automatically without bothering you.

Using a Free Spyware Removal Programs is a good and easy why of protecting your self from several types of problems on the Internet. Spyware is not only used for sending unsolicited commercial e-mails or showing you annoying pop-ups. Spyware has been involved in cases of identity theft and online credit card frauds, and they can also slow down the overall performance of you computer. Most Spyware programs will however try not to be irritating. Unlike a lot of computer viruses, Spyware will not delete information from your hard drive or hijack you e-mail program. Instead, the Spyware will do its best to stay hidden and undetected inside you computer for as long as possible. This way, the Spyware can keep on sending out information about you every day for months and months. It is therefore highly advisable to take advantage of the Free Spyware Removal Programs that are available online. Free Spyware Removal Programs are specially designed to detect and remove Spyware programs, and will keep your computer clean. Downloading and installing a Free Spyware Removal Programs is a very simple and totally free way of protecting your privacy online.

New forms of malicious Spyware and Adware are constantly created and in order to protect your computer from infestations you must choose a high-quality program and keep it updated. Supportcave.com offer a selected number of the very best free spyware removal programs programs available for immediate online download

Proper and regular maintenance of your computer system is simply smart computing. With regular use system folders get cluttered up, files get scattered around and lost, and the registry gets full of unneeded information. Without proper upkeep, simply using your computer normally and properly can end up reducing its performance. Just like your car, your PC needs a regular tuneup in order to work at peak performance.

Norton CleanSweep is a set of tools help you do this regular maintenance quickly and easily. It lets you free up disk space and manage applications on your computer from one simple to use control panel. It is designed to allow you better and safer control over what gets deleted and cleaned from your computer and when. Many people don’t realize that Windows doesn’t do the best job of removing and deleting files and applications. Often files are left on your machine and end up using valuable disk space which impacts drive performance. Worse, often files are often left in the system directories which leads to poor computer performance.

Norton Clean Sweep helps manage both items you manually and those that you remove through Windows’ Add/Remove Programs. By doing this you keep you machine working more smoothly and at a much better level of performance.

Here is a partial list of some of the benefits Norton CleanSweep provides:

Uninstall Cleaners:

* Uninstall Wizard — Clean Sweep safely removes programs for the safest and most complete removal.
Fast & Safe CleanupSearches your system finds and deletes specific file types that are known to be safe to remove
Internet Cache and Cookie CleanupQuickly frees up valuable disk space by removing files from your internet cache and Internet cookies. For example files from websites you visited months ago but never visited again

System Cleaners:

Registry Sweep — The Windows Registry is a database of configuration information about your computer, programs, and user settings. Many uninstallers do not remove their registry entries. This dramatically reduces performance. The registry sweeper cleans and optimizes your registry

Duplicate File Finder — Often applications create duplicate copies of files. Often people do it too, quite by mistake. These waste disk space and can impact performance. Norton Clean Sweep finds these and then lets you choose what to do with them (keep, move, or delete).

Safe Cleanup — This allows you to set certain file types that will be placed into a special ‘holding’ area before being deleted. So if you are a web developer you can tell it to ‘hold’ .html pages rather than directly deleting them. This lets you review files one more time before actually deleting them. You can tell clean sweep any number and kind of files to protect (.doc, .jpg, .mp3, .xls) If you are in an office this is a great way to protect valuable files from accidental deleting.

Overall Norton Clean sweep is a nice addition to the Norton Utilities suite of applications. It is now an integrated part of Norton Utilities and/or Norton System Works. If you are a heavy computer user or run a business, it is well worth the investment.

Eric Koshinsky created the layman’s guide to antivirus and PC protection after helping too many people deal with simple PC problems. Norton Clean Sweep and other utilities are one part of a complete approach to PC security and maintenance.

It is hard to imagine anyone in today’s age of computers not being able to
scan a document, let alone know what to do with it once it is scanned. Yet,
there are countless services offering to do just that–scan, upload and make
your file as you want. Whether you want it simply stored on your computer,
changed into a PDF, converted into c.d. form or simply sent out as an email, these services will do it. The question is: are they actually needed? Do you have to have someone else scan and create your documents?

The answer is both yes and no, and below we will offer the advantages and disadvantages of using such services.

Why To Use It:

Most companies suffer from poor storage. They have row after row of filing cabinets, all stuffed with documents and important papers. What most services will do is offer to convert all of these into computer files, saving you the time of 1) having to scan all the papers yourself or 2) continually rummaging through the cabinets in hopes to find what you are looking for. They will go through your mountain of paper and organize them on the computer. This can save you a great deal of time both now and later. Now since you don’t have to spend your time organizing, as opposed to focusing on current projects. Later since you won’t have to try and find what you need in a messy file cabinet.

Another reason to use a document scanning service is the quality. These companies guarantee that you will have perfectly scanned and organized files. They will do whatever you need to be done, so you won’t have to waste your time guessing against a piece of equipment that you swear hates you since it never seems to work.

Why Not To Use It:

Ultimately, most–if not all–office workers know how to scan. It’s routine. To pay someone else to do it can seem wasteful and, since the prices can be expensive, it can also seem foolish. Scanning and organizing are traits that any worker should have, and employers may hesitate to send for someone else to do what is, essentially, your job.

Also, since the prices can be expensive, it has to be viewed from an objective point: is it better to spend the money and save some time, or just have a worker come in an extra day? Employers may look toward the latter.

Is It Worth It:

Depending on your situation, document scanning services can either seem very appealing or very pointless. If you are unfamiliar with how to fully use your computer (perhaps you can scan but the rest is just guesswork), then using a service might be an excellent way to learn and get yourself organized. If you are competent with scanning, however, you may see this as a waste of money and time. It all comes down to how much faith you have in your skills and how much money you are willing to spend.

Richard Cussons is a prolific and diverse writer. You will find out more about scanning services at the Document Scanning Advice website.

The most important part of software development is the testing. Before you implement new software into a system you must be sure it won’t crash and that the proper bug checking has been done. Testing ensures that your system is running properly and efficiently and meeting all the requirements you have of it. To fully ensure that your system is free of defects, testing should follow a system test plan and must be thorough and complete. All too often people rush to implement a new program and then spend hours repairing the system losing many hours of productivity. The experts prevent this by using a system test plan. Basically, a system test plan is a systematic approach to testing a system whether it is a machine or software. The plan contains a detailed understanding of what the eventual workflow will be. This will help keep the project on schedule and make the integration of the new system as smooth as possible. We wouldn’t build a house without blueprints nor should we run a new system without having created a proper system test plan.
Creating and running effective tests requires time and resources. These are not assets most businesses have in abundance. What are the options? Do the job in house and stress out your IT group and possibly lose a lot of hours of productivity or spend a small fortune and hire a software development company to build you a system test plan and help you implement it. Typically I have found that the best solution is to turn it over to the pros. Find a company that delivers full-featured testing services. A company I consulted tried to implement a new system using GPS to track their delivery vehicles. They like most small business lacked the technical skills to implement or repair their system but also lacked a lot of extra funds. The result was the loss of many hours and temporary black outs that prevent the recording of new deliveries. Business was at a stand still. You often don’t go amiss spending a little extra in order to be careful. Before you blindly implement a new system at least consult a software development company and have them create a system test plan. Let’s look at some benefits of using a testing solutions professional.
Before you can begin developing an effective system test plan, you need to know where you are starting from. Many companies jump into a completely new system without really examining the existing one. In some cases they could have tweaked a few things and improved the efficiency and performance of their system to a satisfactory level. A testing solutions professional can deliver quality assurance assessments which evaluate your current processes. This will create a detailed map of where the current system is dropping the ball and exactly where the new system can improve performance. These professional consultants will analyze the data, make recommendations for improvements, and even assist in the development of a system test plan. This way you are not left on your own to execute the testing. This is a solid cost effective alternative to having a big firm come in and overrun your IT services while still maintaining the proper safety.

A system test plan is the smartest thing a business owner can do when implementing a new system. Don’t blindly rush into the process. Make sure you know the current status of your system and where the hang ups are. Be sure to look over the recommendations made by the consultants and see if they will create the desired improvements. Allowing professionals to support and to monitor the testing of a new system will speed up the process and keep your business running smoothly.

Mark Keller is an Account Specialist for 10x Marketing, an internet marketing company. Learn how a system test plan can help your business check out Aculis at http://www.aculis.com/testing/system_test_plan.html.

Why Paper to CAD Conversions?

In today’s high tech world one needs to save time, to utilize it for better resources.

In the present era of computers, managing your Paper documents can really be easy. All your architectural, mechanical or engineering drawings or Drafting can easily be converted into digital format.

With the help of CAD, computer aided design; one can address all issues regarding 2D, 3D drawings, raster image scanning.

CAD can convert manual paper drawings into digital format. You just need to lay confidence in the present technology & see what all wonders can be done.

CAD conversion are useful to many industries as they convert paper to digital format. With CAD, existing manual hardcopy drawings get easily converted into Electronic CAD files. These become professional record drawings.

Paper to CAD Conversion offers various benefits as converted drawings give more professional look to your work

All kinds of Engineering Drawings, Mechanical Drawings, Architectural Drawings, and Scanning of Documents can be done with computer aided design.

CAD has found its application in various industries including architectural, engineering and in building industry.

So, utilize this service, to cut down on your paper documents. As this will give an edge to your business over others.

Webmaster -http://www.bluentcad.com