Spring can be a busy time for personal fitness trainers. As the summer months approach, more and more people seek their services for that perfect beach and vacation body. Like all small businesses, the number of customers and clients has a dramatic effect on bottom line and overall success. The more clients you have, the greater the profit and satisfaction of helping individuals achieve their goals.
However, an increase in business can also create administrative problems, especially for those trainers who operate solely on their own or have limited staff resources. This is especially true when it comes to scheduling and managing clients' sessions and information. As a necessary component of your overall operations, appointment-scheduling can be the most important factor in determining whether your fitness training business thrives or stalls.
Think about how you currently schedule your clients. Do they call you directly, or do you have a receptionist or staffer take the calls? Can they e-mail you? Do you call or e-mail to remind them of upcoming sessions? Do you receive calls during your clients' sessions? Do you typically follow up and confirm appointments outside of your normal training hours?
If this describes your session-scheduling process, you might want to take a look at online appointment-scheduling software, which can be the perfect partner in your fitness-training business.
WHY SCHEDULING SOFTWARE?
Unless your business has a full-time employee devoted almost exclusively to managing and scheduling your clients and their training sessions, chances are you can benefit tremendously from online appointment-scheduling software. Although functionality and features varies among scheduling providers, most offer standard functionality that's perfect for the needs of today's personal fitness trainers. These include:
.Client Self-Scheduling. This is one of the most beneficial features of online scheduling, as it allows your clients to schedule and manage their own sessions. Because online scheduling software programs are Web-based, your clients can access their account at any hour of the day at their convenience. Your clients will certainly appreciate it, and it can dramatically reduce the number of phoned-in and e-mailed appointment requests.
.Online Payments. Besides the tedious task of manually scheduling clients, fitness trainers must also process their session payments. Online schedulers often give users the ability to securely accept and process credit card transactions.
. Automated Reminders. Studies have shown that any type of reminder is beneficial in keeping appointments; in fact, it can reduce the number of "no-shows" who don't appear at their scheduled time. Online appointment-scheduling systems usually offer automatic e-mail and text message reminders sent to clients prior to their scheduled appointment. Considering the potential for lost revenue and time-slots for other clients, these can be a tremendous benefit in maintaining your bottom line.
.Recordkeeping. Do you maintain several folders and files for client contact information and notes? Online appointment-scheduling software centralizes all inputted information, allowing the user easy and quick access to this valuable information. You can also export information for client reports.
. Accessibility. Most personal trainers are not 9-to-5 workers seated at a desk with a computer in front of them. They're either in their studios, health clubs or at their client's homes for on-site training. As most online scheduling systems are Web-based, they're accessible from any Internet connection. You can access and manage your clients and services from any hour of the day without your home or office computer.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A PROVIDER
Numerous online appointment-scheduling software providers exist on the market. Functionality differs, so it's important to determine your own individual needs before choosing a service. Many offer free trials of their product, which can be beneficial in seeing how it works and if it meets your expectations. It will also make apparent any bugs, glitches or other technical issues that could affect its usability.
Considerations include:
. Reliability. The ability to access and properly utilize the service at any time is crucial for your business operations. Make sure the product is proven before incorporating it.
. Ease-of-use for staff and clientele. Make sure the program you choose doesn't require users to be computer experts to properly utilize it.
. Capabilities. Although they can vary according to your individual needs, features to look for include:
.Calendar Adjustability. The ability to easily set multiple appointments per time slot, block off days and times, set future appointments up to a year out or longer, and determine the status of a scheduled appointment-such as "completed," "rescheduled" or "canceled"-is important.
. Automated E-mail and Text Reminders.
. Packages. If you offer training packages that include numerous sessions or add-ons, this feature is a necessity.
. Point-of-Sale Capability. This allows you to take client payments online.
. Accurate and Robust Recordkeeping. It can be especially helpful when creating client session reports.
. Security. Although almost every Web site ensures the utmost security, look into the site's credentials and safety features before using it as your appointment scheduler.
. Customer Support. You never know when you'll need assistance using your software. Make sure the provider you chose offers exceptional customer service, not just during the initial set-up of your software, but throughout its usage.
Scheduling client appointments has always been a time-consuming task for personal fitness trainers. More and more of them now rely on appointment-scheduling software as their trusted partner in automating and streamlining this important process.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Handle the Recession With Low Cost CRM
Recession doesn't have to mean business disaster, but it does encourage companies to review CRM strategies. Companies should ask, for instance, whether the current business CRM model meets the challenges that lie ahead.
Customer retention
One such challenge is customer retention. In the rush to tighten budgetary control in a recession, companies mustn't forget their existing customers. In fact, these customers can become more important than new ones. After all, a company knows that existing customers already want its products or services.
CRM software can identify customers and provide data about their purchase patterns. A company can use this information to make immediate proactive sales proposals. Alternatively, even basic details such as name, address, phone number and email address are useful. A company can employ these to remind customers that it's ready to help them at any time.
Boosting sales
An effective business CRM model can provide more than this, however. It can give customer order histories that form the basis of cross-selling strategies.
For example, if an analysis of these histories shows common needs, it may be possible to develop sales output. With sales CRM software, a company can identify new products to offer. This type of analysis is significantly cheaper than struggling to find new customers in difficult economic conditions.
Most effective use of resources
This is not to suggest that recession inevitably leads to a drop in new customers. The right CRM software helps a company understand current customers and thereby provides guidance for targeting new ones.
Business CRM software is in effect a sales force automation system combined with a marketing system.A company should therefore make full use of the marketing potential that CRM software offers.
In recessionary times, such strategies help keep sales staff busy, and focus attention on the purpose of their jobs. When times are tough, it's all too easy for these staff to lose motivation and waste time worrying about the future.
Greater staff efficiency
CRM software can also help sales managers identify who among a sales force is working hard, and who needs a helping hand. Furthermore, the right CRM business strategy for existing and new customers can give less productive staff the impetus to start pulling their weight.
Cutting costs
Finally, cutting costs in a recession is still an ever-present reality for all businesses. Even here, CRM has a role to play.
Customer retention
One such challenge is customer retention. In the rush to tighten budgetary control in a recession, companies mustn't forget their existing customers. In fact, these customers can become more important than new ones. After all, a company knows that existing customers already want its products or services.
CRM software can identify customers and provide data about their purchase patterns. A company can use this information to make immediate proactive sales proposals. Alternatively, even basic details such as name, address, phone number and email address are useful. A company can employ these to remind customers that it's ready to help them at any time.
Boosting sales
An effective business CRM model can provide more than this, however. It can give customer order histories that form the basis of cross-selling strategies.
For example, if an analysis of these histories shows common needs, it may be possible to develop sales output. With sales CRM software, a company can identify new products to offer. This type of analysis is significantly cheaper than struggling to find new customers in difficult economic conditions.
Most effective use of resources
This is not to suggest that recession inevitably leads to a drop in new customers. The right CRM software helps a company understand current customers and thereby provides guidance for targeting new ones.
Business CRM software is in effect a sales force automation system combined with a marketing system.A company should therefore make full use of the marketing potential that CRM software offers.
In recessionary times, such strategies help keep sales staff busy, and focus attention on the purpose of their jobs. When times are tough, it's all too easy for these staff to lose motivation and waste time worrying about the future.
Greater staff efficiency
CRM software can also help sales managers identify who among a sales force is working hard, and who needs a helping hand. Furthermore, the right CRM business strategy for existing and new customers can give less productive staff the impetus to start pulling their weight.
Cutting costs
Finally, cutting costs in a recession is still an ever-present reality for all businesses. Even here, CRM has a role to play.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
How to Pick the Best Windows Registry Cleaners
There are many reasons why you need Windows registry cleaners. If you do not get one now, you will realize later on how important it is to have this. One of these days, registry problems will arise and your computer system will crash. Computer systems are prone to getting corrupted and this is something that you need to be prepared for.
Causes of System Registry Errors
One major cause of registry errors is program installation. If you uninstall these programs, you are also likely to get errors soon. This is because these programs, when not completely uninstalled, will leave traces or bits and pieces of files that you do not need. Soon, these files will accumulate and the system will get confused. Another cause of this error is spy ware. Some programs are designed to revive every time you boot your computer, even if you have already uninstalled them. These programs will wreak on your computer soon and the only way to remove them from your Windows operating system is through using Windows registry cleaners.
What to Do About It
If you will buy Windows registry cleaners, you need to have specific guidelines to choose. There are so many variations of this product out there that you are likely to get one that will not be of any value to you at all. As a general rule, you first need to identify what is the error that is actually occurring and make sure that the reg cleaners you get will be able to resolve the issue. The registry cleaner should be able to solve the following: unwanted browser objects; missing and broken Windows applications and paths or link; obsolete shared DLLs and folders. Corrupt application IDs; redundant Start up applications; and obsolete Start Menu items or items you do not use anymore.
To get further information, it is recommended that you read a product review first or consult an expert about the Windows registry cleaners that you want to buy. There are many websites offering the same products or line of products to choose from. What makes the difference now is the support that you will get.
Causes of System Registry Errors
One major cause of registry errors is program installation. If you uninstall these programs, you are also likely to get errors soon. This is because these programs, when not completely uninstalled, will leave traces or bits and pieces of files that you do not need. Soon, these files will accumulate and the system will get confused. Another cause of this error is spy ware. Some programs are designed to revive every time you boot your computer, even if you have already uninstalled them. These programs will wreak on your computer soon and the only way to remove them from your Windows operating system is through using Windows registry cleaners.
What to Do About It
If you will buy Windows registry cleaners, you need to have specific guidelines to choose. There are so many variations of this product out there that you are likely to get one that will not be of any value to you at all. As a general rule, you first need to identify what is the error that is actually occurring and make sure that the reg cleaners you get will be able to resolve the issue. The registry cleaner should be able to solve the following: unwanted browser objects; missing and broken Windows applications and paths or link; obsolete shared DLLs and folders. Corrupt application IDs; redundant Start up applications; and obsolete Start Menu items or items you do not use anymore.
To get further information, it is recommended that you read a product review first or consult an expert about the Windows registry cleaners that you want to buy. There are many websites offering the same products or line of products to choose from. What makes the difference now is the support that you will get.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Advantages of Using a Keyboard Layout Manager
A keyboard layout manager will allow a computer user to choose whatever keyboard layout will suit his need. This flexibility enables him to enjoy and use his personal computer with more ease and convenience.
In the context of computing, a keyboard closely resembles the typewriter keyboard. It is an arrangement of buttons or keys that are engraved or printed with characters. By pressing any of the keys of a keyboard, written symbols are produced. Often, one instance of key press will produce a corresponding character or symbol. However, two or more keys may also be pressed all at the same time or in sequence in order to produce other written symbols. Usually, the letters, numbers, and signs that are printed on keyboard keys are associated with the language of the computer user.
There are numerous keyboard layouts available to computer users. Keyboard layout refers to the arrangement of symbols on keyboards. The existence of different keyboard layouts resulted because different computer users have different needs for easy access to different characters and symbols. Another reason could be the difference in languages used. Moreover, specialized keyboard layouts have also been created especially for those in the fields of computer programming, mathematics, and accounting.
Among all existing keyboard layouts, the most common is the QWERTY layout which had been based on the keyboard layout of mechanical typewriters. Christopher Sholes came up with QWERTY layout because he wanted to prevent jamming from occurring. The jamming resulted when commonly used letters are arranged next to each other. Since then, the QWERTY layout had been the de facto keyboard layout standard, and this had been the case even when the electronic keyboards were produced. Alternative keyboard layouts now exist, like the Dvorak and Colemak layouts, but these are still not as popular as the original. Aside from the layout of the keys, the number of keys in keyboards may also vary. Some have the standard 101 keys while others, like the Windows keyboards, have 104 to 130 keys. Some computer keyboards also feature power management keys that control the power management status of a computer. These keys include the Power key, the Wake key, and the Sleep key. The Power key is pressed when turning on or off the computer. The Wake key, meanwhile, is used to "wake" the computer system from standby mode. The computer is in "standby mode" or in "sleep mode" when the Sleep key is pressed. In these two modes, the computer does not use as much power as it normally does when it is in active mode.
While a keyboard layout may seem very insignificant to many, it greatly contributes to user convenience. With the use of certain tools like a keyboard layout manager, computer users will be able to choose which keyboard layout he is most comfortable with. Moreover, a layout manager will be extremely useful for those who need to use two or three keyboard layouts all at the same time. This need for a keyboard layout manager is more evident for those people who are writing or communicating using two or more foreign languages.
In the context of computing, a keyboard closely resembles the typewriter keyboard. It is an arrangement of buttons or keys that are engraved or printed with characters. By pressing any of the keys of a keyboard, written symbols are produced. Often, one instance of key press will produce a corresponding character or symbol. However, two or more keys may also be pressed all at the same time or in sequence in order to produce other written symbols. Usually, the letters, numbers, and signs that are printed on keyboard keys are associated with the language of the computer user.
There are numerous keyboard layouts available to computer users. Keyboard layout refers to the arrangement of symbols on keyboards. The existence of different keyboard layouts resulted because different computer users have different needs for easy access to different characters and symbols. Another reason could be the difference in languages used. Moreover, specialized keyboard layouts have also been created especially for those in the fields of computer programming, mathematics, and accounting.
Among all existing keyboard layouts, the most common is the QWERTY layout which had been based on the keyboard layout of mechanical typewriters. Christopher Sholes came up with QWERTY layout because he wanted to prevent jamming from occurring. The jamming resulted when commonly used letters are arranged next to each other. Since then, the QWERTY layout had been the de facto keyboard layout standard, and this had been the case even when the electronic keyboards were produced. Alternative keyboard layouts now exist, like the Dvorak and Colemak layouts, but these are still not as popular as the original. Aside from the layout of the keys, the number of keys in keyboards may also vary. Some have the standard 101 keys while others, like the Windows keyboards, have 104 to 130 keys. Some computer keyboards also feature power management keys that control the power management status of a computer. These keys include the Power key, the Wake key, and the Sleep key. The Power key is pressed when turning on or off the computer. The Wake key, meanwhile, is used to "wake" the computer system from standby mode. The computer is in "standby mode" or in "sleep mode" when the Sleep key is pressed. In these two modes, the computer does not use as much power as it normally does when it is in active mode.
While a keyboard layout may seem very insignificant to many, it greatly contributes to user convenience. With the use of certain tools like a keyboard layout manager, computer users will be able to choose which keyboard layout he is most comfortable with. Moreover, a layout manager will be extremely useful for those who need to use two or three keyboard layouts all at the same time. This need for a keyboard layout manager is more evident for those people who are writing or communicating using two or more foreign languages.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Why is My Computer So Slow? Here's 3 Easy Solutions to Skyrocket Your PC Speed Today!
Have you been asking "why is my computer so slow", but you still haven't found the solution to getting your computer fixed? Okay my friend, read on to discover 3 simple solutions you can do right now to get your PC running like it should.
1. The first thing I recommend for you to do is to remove software off your computer that you don't want. To do this step properly, firstly click on start, then control panel, then add/remove programs, and then finally look through the list and determine which programs you don't need and simply click on remove. Now, some programs may tell you to restart your computer: DO NOT restart your computer just yet until the next 2 steps are completed.
2. The next thing I recommend for you to do is to clear up some space on your computer. Removing programs will help, but there are a few other areas that may be robbing a lot of memory and therefore causing your computer to run so slow. So, what I now recommend for you to do is to go and remove files and pictures that you have saved on your computer that you no longer want. After that, go to your recycle bin and click on "remove all".
3. The final step to get your computer running much more faster is to get your Windows registry analyzed and repaired. Over time, this section of your computer WILL become too full and just may end up receiving malware, spyware, Trojans, and more!
If this section of your computer is need of repair, you'll experience some major headaches with your computer. Some of the problems that will occur are error pop-ups, blue screen messages, your screen freezes, slow speed, slow Internet, to shut-down and start-up your computer takes FOREVER, and so much more!
It is vitally important that you get the registry checked out and repaired as soon as possible before further damage may occur. What I recommend for you to do is to download a registry scanner from a trusted registry cleaning program. After the scanner has analyzed your PC, the only thing you have to do now is simply click the repair button!
After you have completed all 3 steps, now restart your computer. Wait until you see how faster it is once it comes back on!
1. The first thing I recommend for you to do is to remove software off your computer that you don't want. To do this step properly, firstly click on start, then control panel, then add/remove programs, and then finally look through the list and determine which programs you don't need and simply click on remove. Now, some programs may tell you to restart your computer: DO NOT restart your computer just yet until the next 2 steps are completed.
2. The next thing I recommend for you to do is to clear up some space on your computer. Removing programs will help, but there are a few other areas that may be robbing a lot of memory and therefore causing your computer to run so slow. So, what I now recommend for you to do is to go and remove files and pictures that you have saved on your computer that you no longer want. After that, go to your recycle bin and click on "remove all".
3. The final step to get your computer running much more faster is to get your Windows registry analyzed and repaired. Over time, this section of your computer WILL become too full and just may end up receiving malware, spyware, Trojans, and more!
If this section of your computer is need of repair, you'll experience some major headaches with your computer. Some of the problems that will occur are error pop-ups, blue screen messages, your screen freezes, slow speed, slow Internet, to shut-down and start-up your computer takes FOREVER, and so much more!
It is vitally important that you get the registry checked out and repaired as soon as possible before further damage may occur. What I recommend for you to do is to download a registry scanner from a trusted registry cleaning program. After the scanner has analyzed your PC, the only thing you have to do now is simply click the repair button!
After you have completed all 3 steps, now restart your computer. Wait until you see how faster it is once it comes back on!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Why is My Computer Slow? Speed Up Your PC in 4 Quick Steps
There are few things more frustrating than a slow-running and frequently crashing computer. Especially for people with less technical ability it can be confusing and downright infuriating to try to figure out what the problem is. Often you might have no idea where to even begin looking while your PC's performance just keeps on getting worse and worse. Let's have a look at the potential causes, as well as what you can do about it. We'll discuss cleaning up and optimizing the registry with cleaning software after covering some basic system maintenance.
1. The first thing you'll probably want to do, if you haven't already, is scan your PC for viruses as well as for malware, adware and spyware. This should help you isolate the problem and determine if further action must be taken.
2. Next, turn off and unplug your computer and clean out all the dust inside the case and carefully make sure all the parts are properly connected. While you're there, inspect each component for any obvious signs of damage, while being careful not to cause any static electricity shocks, which can fry the sensitive equipment.
3. Now you might want to get yourself a defragmenting program and run it on your PC to ensure a bloated hard drive isn't the cause of the poor performance. You may also want to consider adding some memory just to give overall system performance a boost.
4. Now if your computer is still running fairly slowly, crashing or displaying error messages the culprit very well could be errors within the Windows registry. So we are going to want to scan it for errors and fix them with a registry cleaning program. Now the first thing you are going to want to do is check out some registry cleaner reviews, preferably ones that have actually runs tests with each program, to get an idea of which ones are the best performers. Pay attention to which software appears to be the simplest to install, set up and is the overall easiest to use. Finally keep an eye out for any mention of the quality of customer support, which I shouldn't have to tell you is obviously important.
Make your pick and if available, run the free registry scan first to see how many errors are affecting your PC before purchasing the full version. After the scan and repair process is complete, restart your computer and hopefully the problem is solved. Good Luck!
1. The first thing you'll probably want to do, if you haven't already, is scan your PC for viruses as well as for malware, adware and spyware. This should help you isolate the problem and determine if further action must be taken.
2. Next, turn off and unplug your computer and clean out all the dust inside the case and carefully make sure all the parts are properly connected. While you're there, inspect each component for any obvious signs of damage, while being careful not to cause any static electricity shocks, which can fry the sensitive equipment.
3. Now you might want to get yourself a defragmenting program and run it on your PC to ensure a bloated hard drive isn't the cause of the poor performance. You may also want to consider adding some memory just to give overall system performance a boost.
4. Now if your computer is still running fairly slowly, crashing or displaying error messages the culprit very well could be errors within the Windows registry. So we are going to want to scan it for errors and fix them with a registry cleaning program. Now the first thing you are going to want to do is check out some registry cleaner reviews, preferably ones that have actually runs tests with each program, to get an idea of which ones are the best performers. Pay attention to which software appears to be the simplest to install, set up and is the overall easiest to use. Finally keep an eye out for any mention of the quality of customer support, which I shouldn't have to tell you is obviously important.
Make your pick and if available, run the free registry scan first to see how many errors are affecting your PC before purchasing the full version. After the scan and repair process is complete, restart your computer and hopefully the problem is solved. Good Luck!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Security and Internet Browsers - Firefox vs Internet Explorer
Introduction
The Internet is becoming a more and more dangerous place to be, due in no small part to the inherent security risks posed by viruses and spyware. Additionally, applications that access the Internet as part of their normal operations may have errors in their code that allows hackers to launch attacks against the computer on which those applications are running. The safety and integrity of digital assets is further compromised by the fast-growing threat of cybercrooks who devise and implement large-scale hoaxes such as phishing and ID theft.
In the light of all this, it's clear that users need a reliable and secure web browser between them and the Internet, which will be free of these problems and won't let harmful content invade the computer.
The web browser industry continues to be dominated by the Windows-bundled Internet Explorer, with an 85% market share, but in recent years a new breed of free, more functional and resilient browsers has appeared - the most popular being Mozilla/Firefox and Opera. All have received serious security upgrades to help protect against recent scares and safeguard users online.
Internet Explorer is at version 6.0, essentially the same product that was included with Windows XP in 2001. Eighteen months ago, the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 substantially increased IE safety; however, it did not eliminate many of the loopholes exploited by hostile program code. At present, Firefox is at version 1.5, but its very different development history (see next section) means that it can be considered at a similar level of maturity as Internet Explorer.
Currently, Microsoft is preparing its next-generation browser, Internet Explorer 7.0, which it plans to introduce sometime during the first half of 2006. The company has stated that it intends to make the browser stronger and more secure to help protect its users against the many problems that have dogged the software over the years.
We, along with Internet users everywhere, await the final results with interest. In the meantime, we decided to undertake our own security evaluation of both IE 7 (beta) and its closest rival, Firefox 1.5.
History and overview
Internet Explorer is a proprietary graphical web browser developed by Microsoft. In 1995, the company licensed the commercial version of Internet Explorer 3.0 from Spyglass Mosaic and integrated the program into its Windows 95 OSR1 edition. Later, it included IE4 as the default browser in Windows 98 - a move which continues to raise many antitrust questions.
Firefox is an open-source browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation; anyone who is proficient enough can collaborate in writing and improving its program code. Mozilla is known for its stringent approach to security, promising a bounty of several thousand dollars for any major vulnerability found in the product.
Security incidents and threat response
While no browser is perfect, major security lapses happened rather more frequently with IE than with Firefox. To be fair, Firefox has less than a 10% market share and is thus a rather less enticing target than IE; that's probably also why security researchers focus much of their attention on the vulnerabilities of Microsoft's browser, not Firefox's. Some people have argued that if the market shares were reversed, bugs in Firefox would start appearing on a more frequent basis, as has recently been the case with Internet Explorer.
The open-source architecture of Firefox contributes to the overall safety of the browser; a community of skilled programmers can spot problems more quickly and correct them before a new release is available for general use. It's been said that threat response time for Firefox averages one week, while it may take months for Microsoft engineers to fix critical bugs reported by security analysts - an unacceptable situation for users who remain unnecessarily vulnerable to exploits (hacker attacks) during that time.
From the threat response standpoint, Firefox is clearly the winner.
Security features
Phishing safeguard
New protection against financial fraud and identity theft has been incorporated into the new IE. A so-called "phishing filter" now appears on the Internet Options menu, which is intended to protect users against unknowingly disclosing private information to unauthorized third parties. Here's how it works:
If a user visits a spoofed site which looks exactly like a genuine one - usually as a result of clicking on a link in a fraudulent email - the browser senses a phishing attempt and compares the site against a list of known phishing sites. If the filter finds the site is a phishing culprit, it blocks access to the site and informs the user of the danger of leaving his/her personal details on sites like this. The database of known phishing sites is updated regularly, and users have an option to report a suspected phishing instant to Microsoft for evaluation.
We're pleased to report that, even in beta, the filter appears to work quite well, correctly identifying half of the test sites we visited as phishing sites.
In Firefox, phishing protection is delivered through third-party extensions such as Google Safe Browsing (currently in beta for US-based users only (see http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/safebrowsing/index.html); this can be plugged into the browser's extension menu.
As additional protection against accidental phishing, the authors of IE have stated that they plan to make their product display the URL of every visited site. With IE 6, this capability was not available and many pop-ups appeared without displaying an address in the previously non-existent address bar. Unfortunately, in neither browser were we were able to achieve more than a fifty percent URL display ratio; we trust that this percentage will increase as the release of IE 7 approaches and Mozilla continues to work on improving its functionality in this area.
Restriction of executable Web content
In the current version of IE, suspect websites have been free to install almost any software they want on visitors' machines. While XP SP2 has dramatically reduced this possibility, many unnecessary add-ons and toolbars can still be easily installed by inexperienced users. IE 7 should provide more protection for na?ve users, as it will offer to run in protected mode, thus restricting access to the host OS files and settings and making these critical elements of the computer inaccessible to malware.
The default setting for Firefox 1.5 is to have installation of extensions and add-ons disabled; the user must manually change settings in order to enable adding extensions to the browser.
There will always be a tradeoff between security and functionality, but security experts always maintained that letting websites unrestrictedly launch executable code within the browser creates unlimited potential for exploitation. IE 7 will offer much greater flexibility in configuring which external code will be permitted to run within the browser and what impact it would have on the OS.
ActiveX restrictions
Aside from some graphics enhancement of web pages, in most cases ActiveX is more damaging than beneficial. Many sites that serve up spyware and pop-up ads use ActiveX scripting technology, and ActiveX scripting in the Windows environment can be allowed to run unrestrictedly with administrator (root) privileges. Firefox 1.5 does not support Microsoft's proprietary ActiveX technology and so the Firefox browser is more resilient against spyware infection.
In IE6, even with SP2, ActiveX is allowed to run by default, which automatically renders IE users less protected against the threat of spyware. In the upcoming IE 7, it is not yet known whether Microsoft will continue this approach, but early indications point to this being the case. This would be unfortunate, since the current approach is a clear security vulnerability.
Of course, IE users can manually disable ActiveX scripting on a particular website and let ActiveX be started automatically on all other sites visited. Or, vice versa, they can disable ActiveX scripting on most of the sites visited and permit it to run on a particular site. All this can be configured under the Security tab in IE's Options menu. However, it is hardly realistic to expect Internet novices, who need the most protection, to do this.
Java, JavaScript and Visual Basic components
Java and JavaScript can be enabled and disabled by both browsers. Firefox allows users to specify permissions for particular actions performed by these scripts. IE 6 allows users to create a group of trusted sites to which global limitations on these scripts will not apply. In IE 7, more flexibility will be added that will lead users toward a more customized display of web pages belonging to a particular site; it appears Firefox also plans to introduce more flexible parameters.
Internal download manager
IE 7's download manager will be revamped, and feature an option to pause and resume downloads - a feature not available with the current version. Specific actions will be able to be defined following the completion of a download, and users can check the newly-downloaded file with their anti-virus before running it. This approach is already in place with Firefox, so Microsoft appears to be playing catch-up here.
Encryption of data on protected sites
When you submit sensitive information, such as transaction details to a bank or financial institution, it travels in an encrypted form through a secure HTTP (SHTTP) connection. The information is encrypted by your browser and decrypted at the receiving end. The new version of IE will use stronger encryption algorithms to reliably transfer your data without the risk of being intercepted and deciphered by someone in transit. A padlock icon indicating that a user is on a secure site will be placed in a more obvious place than currently, and more detailed information will be provided to help visitors check the authenticity of such sites.
Firefox currently has a better-organized display of security certificates for its users, so clearly Microsoft has a room for improvement.
Updating
Both browsers are updated automatically when new code is ready. Firefox has this update mechanism already in place, and for IE 7, it is expected that updates will be provided through Windows update technology.
Privacy enhancements
IE 7 will have the ability for users to flexibly set what private data will be saved and can be applied to different sites; users will be able to easily remove browsing history and other private details such as passwords, cookies, details submitted on web forms, download history, and temporary files. In IE 6, these files were stored all over the place and users have complained that there is no clear way to delete this information. Firefox 1.5 already provides this capability.
Conclusion
IE 7 promises a lot of interesting security and privacy enhancements that will help users stay more secure. With the final release users will receive a good, solid browser that, if Microsoft promises are fulfilled, will help it to compete well on the security front. As we have seen, Firefox 1.5 is already a role model, and it will be interesting to see what lies ahead for this talented challenger.
The Internet is becoming a more and more dangerous place to be, due in no small part to the inherent security risks posed by viruses and spyware. Additionally, applications that access the Internet as part of their normal operations may have errors in their code that allows hackers to launch attacks against the computer on which those applications are running. The safety and integrity of digital assets is further compromised by the fast-growing threat of cybercrooks who devise and implement large-scale hoaxes such as phishing and ID theft.
In the light of all this, it's clear that users need a reliable and secure web browser between them and the Internet, which will be free of these problems and won't let harmful content invade the computer.
The web browser industry continues to be dominated by the Windows-bundled Internet Explorer, with an 85% market share, but in recent years a new breed of free, more functional and resilient browsers has appeared - the most popular being Mozilla/Firefox and Opera. All have received serious security upgrades to help protect against recent scares and safeguard users online.
Internet Explorer is at version 6.0, essentially the same product that was included with Windows XP in 2001. Eighteen months ago, the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 substantially increased IE safety; however, it did not eliminate many of the loopholes exploited by hostile program code. At present, Firefox is at version 1.5, but its very different development history (see next section) means that it can be considered at a similar level of maturity as Internet Explorer.
Currently, Microsoft is preparing its next-generation browser, Internet Explorer 7.0, which it plans to introduce sometime during the first half of 2006. The company has stated that it intends to make the browser stronger and more secure to help protect its users against the many problems that have dogged the software over the years.
We, along with Internet users everywhere, await the final results with interest. In the meantime, we decided to undertake our own security evaluation of both IE 7 (beta) and its closest rival, Firefox 1.5.
History and overview
Internet Explorer is a proprietary graphical web browser developed by Microsoft. In 1995, the company licensed the commercial version of Internet Explorer 3.0 from Spyglass Mosaic and integrated the program into its Windows 95 OSR1 edition. Later, it included IE4 as the default browser in Windows 98 - a move which continues to raise many antitrust questions.
Firefox is an open-source browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation; anyone who is proficient enough can collaborate in writing and improving its program code. Mozilla is known for its stringent approach to security, promising a bounty of several thousand dollars for any major vulnerability found in the product.
Security incidents and threat response
While no browser is perfect, major security lapses happened rather more frequently with IE than with Firefox. To be fair, Firefox has less than a 10% market share and is thus a rather less enticing target than IE; that's probably also why security researchers focus much of their attention on the vulnerabilities of Microsoft's browser, not Firefox's. Some people have argued that if the market shares were reversed, bugs in Firefox would start appearing on a more frequent basis, as has recently been the case with Internet Explorer.
The open-source architecture of Firefox contributes to the overall safety of the browser; a community of skilled programmers can spot problems more quickly and correct them before a new release is available for general use. It's been said that threat response time for Firefox averages one week, while it may take months for Microsoft engineers to fix critical bugs reported by security analysts - an unacceptable situation for users who remain unnecessarily vulnerable to exploits (hacker attacks) during that time.
From the threat response standpoint, Firefox is clearly the winner.
Security features
Phishing safeguard
New protection against financial fraud and identity theft has been incorporated into the new IE. A so-called "phishing filter" now appears on the Internet Options menu, which is intended to protect users against unknowingly disclosing private information to unauthorized third parties. Here's how it works:
If a user visits a spoofed site which looks exactly like a genuine one - usually as a result of clicking on a link in a fraudulent email - the browser senses a phishing attempt and compares the site against a list of known phishing sites. If the filter finds the site is a phishing culprit, it blocks access to the site and informs the user of the danger of leaving his/her personal details on sites like this. The database of known phishing sites is updated regularly, and users have an option to report a suspected phishing instant to Microsoft for evaluation.
We're pleased to report that, even in beta, the filter appears to work quite well, correctly identifying half of the test sites we visited as phishing sites.
In Firefox, phishing protection is delivered through third-party extensions such as Google Safe Browsing (currently in beta for US-based users only (see http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/safebrowsing/index.html); this can be plugged into the browser's extension menu.
As additional protection against accidental phishing, the authors of IE have stated that they plan to make their product display the URL of every visited site. With IE 6, this capability was not available and many pop-ups appeared without displaying an address in the previously non-existent address bar. Unfortunately, in neither browser were we were able to achieve more than a fifty percent URL display ratio; we trust that this percentage will increase as the release of IE 7 approaches and Mozilla continues to work on improving its functionality in this area.
Restriction of executable Web content
In the current version of IE, suspect websites have been free to install almost any software they want on visitors' machines. While XP SP2 has dramatically reduced this possibility, many unnecessary add-ons and toolbars can still be easily installed by inexperienced users. IE 7 should provide more protection for na?ve users, as it will offer to run in protected mode, thus restricting access to the host OS files and settings and making these critical elements of the computer inaccessible to malware.
The default setting for Firefox 1.5 is to have installation of extensions and add-ons disabled; the user must manually change settings in order to enable adding extensions to the browser.
There will always be a tradeoff between security and functionality, but security experts always maintained that letting websites unrestrictedly launch executable code within the browser creates unlimited potential for exploitation. IE 7 will offer much greater flexibility in configuring which external code will be permitted to run within the browser and what impact it would have on the OS.
ActiveX restrictions
Aside from some graphics enhancement of web pages, in most cases ActiveX is more damaging than beneficial. Many sites that serve up spyware and pop-up ads use ActiveX scripting technology, and ActiveX scripting in the Windows environment can be allowed to run unrestrictedly with administrator (root) privileges. Firefox 1.5 does not support Microsoft's proprietary ActiveX technology and so the Firefox browser is more resilient against spyware infection.
In IE6, even with SP2, ActiveX is allowed to run by default, which automatically renders IE users less protected against the threat of spyware. In the upcoming IE 7, it is not yet known whether Microsoft will continue this approach, but early indications point to this being the case. This would be unfortunate, since the current approach is a clear security vulnerability.
Of course, IE users can manually disable ActiveX scripting on a particular website and let ActiveX be started automatically on all other sites visited. Or, vice versa, they can disable ActiveX scripting on most of the sites visited and permit it to run on a particular site. All this can be configured under the Security tab in IE's Options menu. However, it is hardly realistic to expect Internet novices, who need the most protection, to do this.
Java, JavaScript and Visual Basic components
Java and JavaScript can be enabled and disabled by both browsers. Firefox allows users to specify permissions for particular actions performed by these scripts. IE 6 allows users to create a group of trusted sites to which global limitations on these scripts will not apply. In IE 7, more flexibility will be added that will lead users toward a more customized display of web pages belonging to a particular site; it appears Firefox also plans to introduce more flexible parameters.
Internal download manager
IE 7's download manager will be revamped, and feature an option to pause and resume downloads - a feature not available with the current version. Specific actions will be able to be defined following the completion of a download, and users can check the newly-downloaded file with their anti-virus before running it. This approach is already in place with Firefox, so Microsoft appears to be playing catch-up here.
Encryption of data on protected sites
When you submit sensitive information, such as transaction details to a bank or financial institution, it travels in an encrypted form through a secure HTTP (SHTTP) connection. The information is encrypted by your browser and decrypted at the receiving end. The new version of IE will use stronger encryption algorithms to reliably transfer your data without the risk of being intercepted and deciphered by someone in transit. A padlock icon indicating that a user is on a secure site will be placed in a more obvious place than currently, and more detailed information will be provided to help visitors check the authenticity of such sites.
Firefox currently has a better-organized display of security certificates for its users, so clearly Microsoft has a room for improvement.
Updating
Both browsers are updated automatically when new code is ready. Firefox has this update mechanism already in place, and for IE 7, it is expected that updates will be provided through Windows update technology.
Privacy enhancements
IE 7 will have the ability for users to flexibly set what private data will be saved and can be applied to different sites; users will be able to easily remove browsing history and other private details such as passwords, cookies, details submitted on web forms, download history, and temporary files. In IE 6, these files were stored all over the place and users have complained that there is no clear way to delete this information. Firefox 1.5 already provides this capability.
Conclusion
IE 7 promises a lot of interesting security and privacy enhancements that will help users stay more secure. With the final release users will receive a good, solid browser that, if Microsoft promises are fulfilled, will help it to compete well on the security front. As we have seen, Firefox 1.5 is already a role model, and it will be interesting to see what lies ahead for this talented challenger.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Travel Software - Faster, Better, Smarter
Travel Software - the world moves faster and faster every day... frequent travelers only recourse to travel overwhelm is top quality Travel Software. Those with responsive travel software stay a step ahead of the competition. For example, most busy business travelers use personal travel software for instant and accurate travel management in one handy travel software plan. These savvy travelers know the most important part of the travel software is the part you don't see - the interface and network access for adding new travel destinations, services, payment options and preferences to their travel software..
Travel Software - PC, Laptop or PDA
An ideal marriage between travel software and hardware are the handy travel planning software packages for laptops and PDA's . These not only co-ordinate business and leisure travel, they create more time for work by optimizing people schedules. Updates are ongoing and automatic.
Travel Software - Online Updates
Yesterday's flight schedule is old news... Travel Software today should provide free weekly flight schedule updates and news about technical developments to keep your travel software up to date. The are handled by automatic update travel software maintenance downloads.
Travel Software - Choosing A Provider
As with any major business decision, it pays to research travel software providers and compare the services and tools each offers. An important consideration is choosing a stand alone travel software package installed at your business or home versus a network travel software provide. High traffic business travelers generally prefer the network travel solution with it's "Log On and Book" convenience compared to installed travel software packages that require upgrades and may crash from time to time.
Travel Software - User Friendly & Cheerful
Today travel software is fun, making travel planning more of a game than work. Among the useful travel software capabilities are multi-zone clocks, map, expenses, calendar, currencies converter, packing list, phone prefixes etc. These user friendly travel software wizards features offer cool interface graphics, maps, clocks, time calculators and enhanced digital sound. While these travel software assistants are more fun than a puppy to play with, they offer expert travel management and first class travel.
Travel Software - PC, Laptop or PDA
An ideal marriage between travel software and hardware are the handy travel planning software packages for laptops and PDA's . These not only co-ordinate business and leisure travel, they create more time for work by optimizing people schedules. Updates are ongoing and automatic.
Travel Software - Online Updates
Yesterday's flight schedule is old news... Travel Software today should provide free weekly flight schedule updates and news about technical developments to keep your travel software up to date. The are handled by automatic update travel software maintenance downloads.
Travel Software - Choosing A Provider
As with any major business decision, it pays to research travel software providers and compare the services and tools each offers. An important consideration is choosing a stand alone travel software package installed at your business or home versus a network travel software provide. High traffic business travelers generally prefer the network travel solution with it's "Log On and Book" convenience compared to installed travel software packages that require upgrades and may crash from time to time.
Travel Software - User Friendly & Cheerful
Today travel software is fun, making travel planning more of a game than work. Among the useful travel software capabilities are multi-zone clocks, map, expenses, calendar, currencies converter, packing list, phone prefixes etc. These user friendly travel software wizards features offer cool interface graphics, maps, clocks, time calculators and enhanced digital sound. While these travel software assistants are more fun than a puppy to play with, they offer expert travel management and first class travel.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Business Opportunity - Can RFID Technology Enhance Patient Safety?
One voice in the consulting world of healthcare made the remark that three times the number of patients die as the result of avoidable mistakes than in vehicle accidents. If this perception is anywhere near to being true, a closer and more expansive look at technologies such as RFID should seriously be considered.
This business niche is an excellent opportunity for a systems consulting company with database expertise and requirements gathering experience to offer the service of providing an accurate and well documented pilot study for their clients.
Performing pilots to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of RFID in hospitals could be perceived as an important option to reduce the number of avoidable mistakes and thus increase the safety of patients. So far, only rudimentary applications have actually been examined, given that testing integrated applications is difficult.
Potential areas of success are: tracking and tracing of patients; patient prescription compliance and reducing medication errors; reducing medical errors by linking electronic patient health-histories to tags; retrieving surgical equipment; and blood-quality tracking.
Although the complexities of introducing RFID in the hospital setting itself are already large, involving additional training requirements increases complexity. This often opens up the idea that RFID is not always perceived as the best solution. This perception is almost always the result of poor systems analysis and inadequate systems knowledge because of poor planning and no verifiable feasibility study with recommendations that ring true to the situation at hand.
For example, a number of consultant companies that deal with the supply chain for pharmaceuticals, often deem the 2-dimensional data matrix to be considered a more cost effective solution with less deployment barriers with a similar level of enhanced safety. This assumption varies from company to company but there is no doubt that when this topic is covered using a genuine systems analysis approach the tide turns in favor of a well-designed RFID system tag approach with the data matrix option acting as an excellent backup and replacement in small areas of the supply chain.
These findings are of course not enough to end all study on the subject. The use of RFID technology in conjunction with well-designed databases driving website software interfaces to enhance patient safety should continue to be further explored.
In the mean time the initial effort to install a database driven website to improve the accuracy of many healthcare operations would provide significant improvements even if a feasibility study weighed against a bonafide RFID information collection system.
This again points to the suggestion that a business opportunity exists for you or your company to provide this kind of service and introduce cost savings for your clients and profits for your efforts.
This business niche is an excellent opportunity for a systems consulting company with database expertise and requirements gathering experience to offer the service of providing an accurate and well documented pilot study for their clients.
Performing pilots to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of RFID in hospitals could be perceived as an important option to reduce the number of avoidable mistakes and thus increase the safety of patients. So far, only rudimentary applications have actually been examined, given that testing integrated applications is difficult.
Potential areas of success are: tracking and tracing of patients; patient prescription compliance and reducing medication errors; reducing medical errors by linking electronic patient health-histories to tags; retrieving surgical equipment; and blood-quality tracking.
Although the complexities of introducing RFID in the hospital setting itself are already large, involving additional training requirements increases complexity. This often opens up the idea that RFID is not always perceived as the best solution. This perception is almost always the result of poor systems analysis and inadequate systems knowledge because of poor planning and no verifiable feasibility study with recommendations that ring true to the situation at hand.
For example, a number of consultant companies that deal with the supply chain for pharmaceuticals, often deem the 2-dimensional data matrix to be considered a more cost effective solution with less deployment barriers with a similar level of enhanced safety. This assumption varies from company to company but there is no doubt that when this topic is covered using a genuine systems analysis approach the tide turns in favor of a well-designed RFID system tag approach with the data matrix option acting as an excellent backup and replacement in small areas of the supply chain.
These findings are of course not enough to end all study on the subject. The use of RFID technology in conjunction with well-designed databases driving website software interfaces to enhance patient safety should continue to be further explored.
In the mean time the initial effort to install a database driven website to improve the accuracy of many healthcare operations would provide significant improvements even if a feasibility study weighed against a bonafide RFID information collection system.
This again points to the suggestion that a business opportunity exists for you or your company to provide this kind of service and introduce cost savings for your clients and profits for your efforts.
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