saas http://www.artwoo.com Returned search results for saas Copyright 2008 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:29:29 +0000 http://www.artwoo.com/rss/saas Software As A Service Plans Significantly Lower Terminal Emulation Costs http://www.artwoo.com/article/software-as-a-service-plans-significantly-lower-terminal-emulation-costs http://www.artwoo.com/article/software-as-a-service-plans-significantly-lower-terminal-emulation-costs#comments Mon, 11 Jun 2007 22:30:00 +0000 unix terminal emulationterminal emulation softwaresaaszephyrmainframe systemsupfront costsattachmate http://www.artwoo.com/article/software-as-a-service-plans-significantly-lower-terminal-emulation-costs
Licensing terminal emulation using a "Software as a Service" () plan can drastically lower the cost of accessing legacy applications. This is especially true for large organizations that either require or favor having their terminal emulation users covered by a maintenance and support agreement.

SaaS licensing plans are also ideal for organizations that plan to retire their at some point in the future, but short term require updated terminal emulation.

specializes in SaaS licensing for organizations that require either or IBM compatible terminal emulation. Both desktop and browser-based terminal emulation can be licensed through the Zephyr SaaS program.

The primary benefits of the Zephyr SaaS plan includes:

- lower in comparison to traditional license model - may be treated as a lease versus a capitalized asset

- software, support, maintenance and upgrades included in one fee

- predictable annual expense can be easily budgeted

- escalation of license fee can be negotiated upfront

- ideal for organizations that plan to retire mainframe systems at some point

For example, an enterprise with 10,000 users that pays $75 for a one-time terminal emulation upgrade and a maintenance and support plan of 15% of the license fee, could save over 50% during a 10 year period with an all inclusive plan that features the , maintenance, support and major upgrades. Organizations with greater numbers of users have the opportunity to save even more.

Zephyr specializes in SaaS licensing for customers that require desktop or browser-based IBM 3270, 5250 or for Microsoft Windows using TN3270E, TN5250E, VT, SCO ANSI or Wyse 60 protocols. Six years after the Zephyr SaaS program was introduced, the large majority of its customer base now licenses the Zephyr PASSPORT terminal emulation software and support services on an annual basis using a Software as a Service plan. Zephyr Development Corporation is a highly respected developer of advanced terminal emulation and host integration solutions for Microsoft Windows. More information is available at http://www.zephyrcorp.com ]]> Why Software-As-A-Service (SaaS) CRM Is Here To Stay? http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-software-as-a-service-saas-crm-is-here-to-stay http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-software-as-a-service-saas-crm-is-here-to-stay#comments Thu, 17 Aug 2006 20:27:12 +0000 mailmedium sized businessservice level guaranteesaasmaintenance free solutionshare informationcustomization http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-software-as-a-service-saas-crm-is-here-to-stay
However, managing, tracking and reporting on this information was, until recently, accomplished by either enormously expensive custom solutions such as Siebel, SAP or Oracle, or by using out of the box software that offered limited capabilities, required heavy , integration and constant maintenance.

This left many small to in the dark, working off of spreadsheets and paper trails combined with the power of e- to manage their business processes. This expansive market needed a solution that could work from multiple locations, in real time, integrate with current systems and websites, yet still remain cost effective in today's demanding business market.

The solution, Software as a Service (), a platform from which a business can manage its customers and relationships in a centralized online location, share information in a real time environment, and access it from anywhere in the world. The SaaS model caters to the small to medium sized business looking for that is easy to use, customizable, continually upgraded, backed by a , and most importantly affordable.

In hindsight, the out of box, in house supported network systems of years past appear to be rendered powerless against the strength of a single hosted solution shared be everyone within the organization over the Internet. The Software as a Service model has propelled on demand Customer Relationship Management software to the forefront of software innovation. Given the power and flexibility that SaaS offers, from customization to integration, the increasing rate of migration to the on demand platform is no surprise. Collin Duffy enjoys writing about CRM subjects and on demand CRM software vendors such as Salesboom (http://www.salesboom.com ) ]]> Why Software-As-A-Service (SaaS) CRM Is Here To Stay? http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-software-as-a-service-saas-crm-is-here-to-stay http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-software-as-a-service-saas-crm-is-here-to-stay#comments Sun, 27 Aug 2006 04:27:12 +0000 mailmedium sized businessservice level guaranteesaasmaintenance free solutionshare informationcustomization http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-software-as-a-service-saas-crm-is-here-to-stay
However, managing, tracking and reporting on this information was, until recently, accomplished by either enormously expensive custom solutions such as Siebel, SAP or Oracle, or by using out of the box software that offered limited capabilities, required heavy , integration and constant maintenance.

This left many small to in the dark, working off of spreadsheets and paper trails combined with the power of e- to manage their business processes. This expansive market needed a solution that could work from multiple locations, in real time, integrate with current systems and websites, yet still remain cost effective in today's demanding business market.

The solution, Software as a Service (), a platform from which a business can manage its customers and relationships in a centralized online location, share information in a real time environment, and access it from anywhere in the world. The SaaS model caters to the small to medium sized business looking for that is easy to use, customizable, continually upgraded, backed by a , and most importantly affordable.

In hindsight, the out of box, in house supported network systems of years past appear to be rendered powerless against the strength of a single hosted solution shared be everyone within the organization over the Internet. The Software as a Service model has propelled on demand Customer Relationship Management software to the forefront of software innovation. Given the power and flexibility that SaaS offers, from customization to integration, the increasing rate of migration to the on demand platform is no surprise. Colin Duffy enjoys writing about CRM subjects and on demand CRM software vendors such as Salesboom (http://www.salesboom.com ) ]]> Why Small Businesses Choose CRM As A Service? http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-small-businesses-choose-crm-as-a-service http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-small-businesses-choose-crm-as-a-service#comments Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:27:15 +0000 crm software solutionscrm solutionscrm solutioncrm technologyinternet based servicesaasinternet based application http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-small-businesses-choose-crm-as-a-service internet based service to provide their customers with greater accessibility and versatility to battle their brand at a level beyond their current means.

are every where you look on the web and they come in all models and offerings, however, the model of choice for small businesses has been, and continues to be, the . The hosted internet model, also known as Software as a Service (), caters to the small business in so many ways that it leaves buyers/users with few reasons to look elsewhere for a .

Running a small business requires one to wear multiple hats and manage all facets of the operation. As a result small business owners turn to the versatility of the SaaS model to facilitate their multitasking needs. From marketing automation and sales management to customer service and support, the standard entry level on demand such as http://Salesboom.com offer a simple and intuitive platform to manage ones customer relations. Also, the SaaS model ensures fewer computer and IT headaches, no up front costs, and access to the latest , as the whole solution is managed and maintained by the provider. This affords the small business owner and employees greater time to really focus on the goal at hand.

Furthermore the SaaS model offers the end user greater flexibility of business management as they can access their customer info from any where with an internet connection. This enables on demand CRM users to work with their customers on more than one clock, with customer support features that can automate case routing and escalation, users are able to service customer needs around the clock. In addition, CRM as a service improves employee collaboration as customer information and employee activity is recorded and maintained in real time.

SaaS for the small business market is clearly more than just a business trend with CRM revenues expected to eclipse 12 billion by year's end 2007. What we are witnessing here is a full out transformation of the way businesses are managed today and in the future. Gone will be the in house systems and IT teams of today, replaced by entirely supported software systems hosted by the vendor and integrated in any manner to meet specific customer needs. SaaS is the beginning of what will likely be the biggest change to business development and standards since the industrial revolution. Colin Duffy enjoys writing about CRM subjects and on demand CRM software vendors such as Salesboom ( http://www.salesboom.com ) ]]> Can I.T And SaaS Live Without One Another? http://www.artwoo.com/article/can-it-and-saas-live-without-one-another http://www.artwoo.com/article/can-it-and-saas-live-without-one-another#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:30:00 +0000 large software vendorssales force automationforrester researchmedium sized businessessecurity compliancethere have been many casesserver enterprise http://www.artwoo.com/article/can-it-and-saas-live-without-one-another
SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) is a rapidly growing way of delivering business applications in companies. Today, there are over 120 vendors providing solutions across more than 40 business areas, everything from to accounting, web development to dispatch management.

Initially, SaaS appealed to small and medium-sized businesses that were constrained by people resources and the level of investment required by . However, a recent showed that SaaS is no longer just an SMB play; large enterprises show significant interest in SaaS. Around 15% of SMB and Enterprise companies across North America and Europe are already using one or several SaaS solutions. The era of the ship it on a CD, load it on a software is over

Its popularity is growing because companies can be up and running in a matter of weeks not years, running costs are predictable and business units can eliminate dependence on I.T.

However, the first wave of SaaS adoption was driven by end-users, not IT. Next wave will need an end-user and IT message.

Why is I.T Uneasy About SaaS?

For many reasons is the short answer. Perhaps the biggest of all is the perceived loss of authority, control or importance because the rest of the business can potentially by-pass I.T altogether.

I.T would also have other concerns; security, compliance, integration with other systems and the rest.

I.T leaders want to ensure their teams are seen to add value to the businesses they support, rather than be the hurdle that their colleagues have to jump over to get things done. They have aligned their work to business strategy and do everything to prevent being associated with another failed or late IT project.

Understandably they feel threatened that they will be blamed yet again if others make a mess of a SaaS implementation. Quite rightly so, because where business went ahead and started using a SaaS solution without even involving I.T only to demand integration or support services 6 months down the line.

Why I.T Needs To Fully Embrace SaaS

The role of I.T is changing rapidly. Long gone the days when "keeping the lights on" justified existence. Business wants more and they want it faster. Outsourcing and off-shoring have had mixed results in keeping up with business demands.

A conventional CRM or ERP implementation requires significant resources to define business requirements, design, develop, test, acquire hardware and network infrastructure, operate, support and of course project manage the whole thing. Costs invariably exceed budget. Deadlines become missed milestones. Users struggle to adopt new ways of working. More than 50% of projects fail to deliver benefits on time or the planned ROI. This cycle starts again during major upgrades and releases. Often minor but important changes have to wait until they can be consolidated into the next release

On the other hand, SaaS implementation places a dramatically reduced demand on the most valuable IT resources who can focus their efforts on ensuring rapid configuration and deployment actually enables their businesses to win more business faster and at less cost.

No need to buy or lease hardware. Security is taken care of. Do you have enough system and database administrators with right skills? Well, who cares? It's all done for you. Reliability? Most well-established SaaS solutions offer 99% uptime or above. There is no need for additional backup storage. Someone else worries about designing and developing enhancements and upgrades or retaining expensive programmers or expert support staff.

Software-as-a-Service lets companies use their valuable resources on simplifying business processes, building interfaces to other systems and most importantly on proper change management. Investment can be channelled to improve user experience and adoption and eliminating inefficient workarounds.

With careful planning and execution, implementing a SaaS business application across the company is much faster. Partnering with business will help IT to shake off its labels like 'bottleneck', 'slow' or 'unsupportive'.

A SaaS deployment for around 100 users takes 2-3 months to set up and costs =A3250,000 over 4 years including upgrades. ROI greater than 100% are commonplace. This is compelling when compared with the convention of =A31 million internal custom application development or packaged software deployment which delivers an order of magnitude savings and benefits don't start appearing under 12 months.

Act Now - Recommendations

I.T must treat SaaS like on-premise deployments - collaboratively working with the business to define requirements, redesign business processes, selecting vendors to make sure integration and customisation capabilities can meet the needs, and doing business justifications for new projects.

But I.T must also adjust to the unique aspects of SaaS when thinking about:

- Re-skilling. This is a clear win-win for both I.T team members and the company. Moving away from traditional infrastructure skills and support model to business analysis and project management significantly increases the value-add of I.T and gets staff closer to the people who drive the business.

- Contracts. IT departments experienced with ISV and outsourcing contracts will be in a better position than most business users to negotiate with SaaS vendors, but additional considerations apply. Because SaaS solutions are usually down for maintenance and upgrades, firms must specify whether the SLA covers total downtime or only downtime outside the vendor's planned downtime windows. Firms must also consider data ownership issues. Make sure you get your data back for free at the end of the relationship, and make sure that you can get data dumps as needed for backup or analytics.

- Integration. Don't reinvent the wheel. Many vendors offer prepackaged integrations to systems like Oracle, SAP, and Siebel, including some integration-as-a-service offerings. Ask the vendor to provide customer references for integration and learn from their mistakes and successes. Also take advantage of online developer communities when you have questions. Most importantly, find out whether the solution can support the type of integration you need before you make a buying decision. Most customers that we've spoken with are not doing integration in real time but are doing nightly or weekly updates instead.

- Customisations. Unlike on-premise or outsourced software where you own the code and have full liberty to modify it. But design and testing can take a long time, needs high skills and carries some risk. With SaaS you are limited to the customization tools exposed by the vendor, add-on solutions, and custom scripts that the vendor supports. SaaS applications are less configurable than the packaged applications most enterprises run in-house, but changes can be implemented and tested very quickly. That's often a blessing in disguise because it forces the business to use standard processes rather than invest resources in customizations that have no real value.

Summary

SaaS will account for an increasing proportion of IT implementations. It will change the profile of skills that IT has to deliver and reduce operational overhead. A strategy to adopt SaaS will require an internal programme to change IT organisations. Alp is an internationally experienced senior executive with a track record of successful creation of I.S strategies and delivery of global/regional/local I.S solutions and change management programs. He is the Professional Services Director for Xenogenix: http://www.xenogenix.co.uk ]]> How A Holistic CRM Solution Will Increase Overall Business Performance http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-a-holistic-crm-solution-will-increase-overall-business-performance http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-a-holistic-crm-solution-will-increase-overall-business-performance#comments Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:27:19 +0000 crm vendorscrm solutionsholistic approachcustomer relationship managementpertinent customersaasfurthermore http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-a-holistic-crm-solution-will-increase-overall-business-performance CRM solutions built on the Software as a Service () model are beginning to incorporate more than just . This newly developing multifunctional on demand solution is widely perceived by many to be part of the evolutionary process of the SaaS model, and a direct result of customer desire to have an all in one solution, without heavy integration and customization.

Holistic CRM is the future of the SaaS model, while some have elected to support niche markets, the bigger more robust CRM vendors of today are positioning themselves to provide their customers with one final solution. From front office to back office, on demand CRM vendors are revolutionizing the way we do business today and for generations to come.

By taking this to on demand business management, current CRM providers such as Salesboom Inc. are opening their doors to a larger customer base, as well as providing their current customers with the tools to meet their growing business needs. , the holistic CRM approach will improve your company's customer reach, and enable greater collaboration between employees to meet the diverse needs of customers.

The out and out benefits of this evolution will not only include greater capabilities, but also increased efficiency and collaboration on all fronts. Your organization will also stand to benefit from greater accessibility to information and history from all areas in order to deal accurately and prudently with new requests/concerns. In addition, the holistic CRM will also remove the cost and need for integration with other stand alone in house systems, ensuring that all your employees/users are focused on doing business rather than supporting it.

Having this fully integrated system will provide your workforce with the tools to manage your business more effectively and give you access and clarity into all facets of your organization in real time. While many are content with present on demand CRM solutions, the potential for rapid business growth could leave them looking for a new CRM solution in less than a year.

The evolution of the holistic CRM solution is inevitable, with a few industry leaders already having laid the foundation to fully integrate their front office CRM features such as Marketing, Sales and Customers support, with back office Enterprise Resource Planning and Human Resource Management tools. This hybrid software as a service solution is set to absorb the unilateral CRM solutions we have grown accustomed to seeing today. Colin Duffy enjoys writing about CRM subjects and on demand CRM software vendors such as Salesboom ( http://www.salesboom.com ) ]]> Software Pricing: Getting Back to Growth http://www.artwoo.com/article/software-pricing-getting-back-to-growth http://www.artwoo.com/article/software-pricing-getting-back-to-growth#comments Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:57:22 +0000 boom softwaresoftware investmentscustomer segmentsconscious buyersprice strategyheart of the problemprice administration http://www.artwoo.com/article/software-pricing-getting-back-to-growth conscious buyers and by their own entrenched culture of deep-discounting. Vendors of packaged software are battling runaway SKU complexity and channel partners' demands. And both groups are still grappling with software-as-a-service model -- as both threat and opportunity. What is needed now is a disciplined approach to pricing that combines rules-based process standardization and controls with the flexibility to offer different prices to different .

Top-line growth has never been harder for software vendors--or more necessary. are growing much more slowly and many vendors are relying on acquisitions for growth. Furthermore, venture capital is no longer flowing into the sector. The is that organic growth will never reach the height of the industry's "go-go years," and capturing value will become more critical as the breadth of products, customers and channels continues to expand.

Yet, software vendors are proving to be their own worst enemies by continuing to encourage their customers to buy at the last moment when products are "on sale" and the sales representative can be counted on to over-discount. They bring very little discipline to discounting.

Recent research by Accenture found substantial opportunities for pricing to drive top-line growth in a post- market. Well-planned and execution are integral to profitable growth. Recent efforts to expand the use of segmentation have yielded positive results but software providers now need to demonstrate they can take their pricing capabilities up several levels.

To arrive at this higher level, vendors are encountering several areas of difficulty. They struggle with the challenge of the initial price setting and the subsequent and publishing. And, there are the formidable challenges to the mechanics of sales activities -- understanding customers' changing requirements in order to sell on value, identifying and planning for conversations with new economic buyers, and much more.

These areas are complicated further by price-point proliferation. On the packaged software side this stems from an increasing number of SKU's receiving different treatment from different vendors. On the enterprise software side, undisciplined deal management results in different customers paying widely varied prices for the same solution.

Software as a service (SaaS) is adding a new element to the pricing challenge. Most providers are still struggling on how to price these products--by user, minute month or some other metric. Furthermore, it is not clear how the user perceives the pricing position and the vendor must determine how to sell these products with out the customer feeling "nickled and dimed" and ultimately becoming resistant to new services and upgrades.

In work with a range of software companies, Accenture has identified several key best practices which companies can begin to develop immediately:

1. Review the core business mode in light of the potential impact of new offerings, term licenses and SaaS components.

2. Standardize pricing approaches (not necessarily pricing strategies) across product lines.

3. Implement "formula" or rules-based pricing to help salespeople construct deals.

4. Use pricing applications to enable best-practice pricing.

5. Focus on organizational improvement.

There can be no question of the urgency to take pricing capabilities to the next level; the costs of doing nothing are prohibitive. What is needed now is a break from traditional approaches and a move from reactive to more rules-based and disciplined pricing. With these fact-based approaches entirely practical today, software providers should be quick to adopt them wholeheartedly to unlock new growth opportunities.Accenture's Electronics and High-tech industry group offers management consulting, technology-strategy and implementation services to all segments of this exceptionally dynamic industry. Read the full article on Software Pricing: Getting Back to Growth. Send an email to Patty Crawford if you would like one of our US sales and marketing specialists to meet with you.]]> Web 2.0? Or Is It More Like Web 16.0? http://www.artwoo.com/article/web-20-or-is-it-more-like-web-160 http://www.artwoo.com/article/web-20-or-is-it-more-like-web-160#comments Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:35:00 +0000 web solutions companyfree online encyclopediatim berners leesocial networking sitesdie hard 4double digitsreilly web http://www.artwoo.com/article/web-20-or-is-it-more-like-web-160 web solutions company is using this phrase to sell its stuff. So to the average Joe who's not a geek, what is "Web 2.0"?

Well according to Wikipedia, the =85

"[T]he phrase Web 2.0 can refer to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services =97 such as social-networking sites, wikis, and folksonomies [collaborative tagging schemes] =97 which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing between users. The term gained currency following the first O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004. Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but to changes in the ways software developers and end-users use webs. According to Tim O'Reilly, 'Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.' Some technology experts, notably Tim Berners-Lee, have questioned whether one can use the term in a meaningful way, since many of the technology components of 'Web 2.0' have existed since the early days of the Web."

There is no doubt the www has advanced significantly since inception, but there really is no new version of the www. It is simply much more useful to the everyday person.

However, if we counted each major innovation as a whole number and each minor revision as a tenth, we would already be into . So why are we calling it "Web 2.0"?

If you have seen the latest Die Hard movie, or ever bought software for your computer, you will understand why we are not in Web 2.0. Even if we call it .0 or MS Office 2007, it's still basically the same movie or tool. So what we are really experiencing now is more like Web 16.0.

If you have an in-depth, honest conversation with your web designers, they will tell you that Web 2.0 is a myth. So to explain how we got to Web 16.0, here's a history of the most significant events on the www.

WEB 0.1 -- 1958 =96 SAGE =96 Radar systems are first networked WEB 0.2 -- 1960 =96 Packet switching is first created

WEB 1.0 =96 EMAIL =96 "A New Way to Send Unsolicited Mail Is Born"

Although the exact history of Email is a tad murky, it is generally accepted that it appeared in 1965, and was created so that people accessing a mainframe could communicate with each other. This was the first step in the interconnection of people, facilitating almost instant communication at no cost to the user.

WEB 1.1 -- 1967 =96 Markup language is created < / end > WEB 1.2 -- 1969 =96 ARPA =96 A link is established between computers WEB 1.3 -- 1696 =96 ARPA Net =96 First packet-switched network created

WEB 2.0 =96 WYSIWYG =96 "What You See Is What You Get (sometimes)"

With the invention of WYSIWYG in 1970, users could now be presented with a basic display of what their finished product would look like, as they were working on it. This removed the need to memorize complex code.

WEB 2.1 -- 1970 =96 ASP =96 First Application Service Provider (SAAS) WEB 2.2 -- 1970 =96 Style sheets are created WEB 2.3 -- 1971 =96 @ is created to separate hosts and users WEB 2.4 -- 1973 =96 TCP/IP is created to simplify networking WEB 2.5 -- 1973 =96 First connection to another country established WEB 2.6 -- 1974 =96 The term "Internet" is adopted WEB 2.7 -- 1976 =96 X.25 =96 The first network standard is approved WEB 2.8 -- 1978 =96 International packet switching service created

WEB 3.0 =96 USENET=96 "The Black Market of the Internet"

Usenet was established in 1980 to offer mail and file transfers as well as give personal users access to news. Usenet is in fact a large network of servers all in communication with each other; a user posts something to the local server and that item is passed along to the other servers. Usenet was a major turning point because users could finally have an open conversation with anyone on the net, without needing to specifically know the user (unlike Email). The downside is that with a sometimes un-policed net capable of file transfers, the Usenet of today is a haven for piracy of all types, where anything you can imagine is accessible.

WEB 3.1 -- 1979 =96 Email is made available to personal computer users, millions of Nigerian Princes suddenly need public help

WEB 4.0 =96 REAL TIME CHAT =96 Going Outside Deemed "Obsolete"

Real-Time Chat was created in 1980 following users' frustrations with Usenet articles sometimes taking 24 hours to be updated. This signaled a turning point: online conversations became instant, albeit isolated into segregated groups.

WEB 4.1 -- 1980 =96 First ISPs created providing dialup internet WEB 4.2 -- 1981 =96 TCP/IP becomes a standard WEB 4.3 -- 1981 =96 US/Europe/Canada/Hong-Kong/Australia connect WEB 4.4 -- 1983 =96 TCP/IP becomes the only standard WEB 4.5 -- 1983 =96 First wide area network using TCP/IP operational WEB 4.6 -- 1985 =96 FTP =96 The File Transfer Protocol is created WEB 4.7 -- 1988 =96 IRC =96 Internet Relay Chat is created WEB 4.8 -- 1988 =96 Bulletin Board Systems and Forums created

WEB 5.0 =96 HTML/HTTP/Web Pages =96 "It Has Begun=85"

Around 1980, many researchers were using the internet, but they had no single way to create/display "documents" (web pages). Physicist Tim Berners-Lee and his colleagues needed a simple system for creating/displaying documents, but found that existing systems were too commercial, platform-specific or complicated for the average user. So they created their own relatively simple system, consisting of browsing software called "WorldWideWeb," a protocol for transmitting the information (HTTP) and a document annotation convention called "Hyper Text Markup Language" (HTML). This meant anyone could now create web pages using their simple language.

WEB 5.1 -- 1989 =96 Images can now be animated, oh the horror! WEB 5.2 -- 1990 =96 The network now covers the entire world (publicly)

WEB 6.0 =96 Search =96 "Did You Mean: Google?"

Before 1990, there was no way to find a page; you had to know the specific location. Around 1991, search engines began indexing (storing) the content they found, giving users the ability to search for a page even if they didn't know the page's location.

WEB 6.1 -- 1991 =96 DNS =96 Dynamic Naming System is created WEB 6.2 -- 1991 =96 The first text-based browser is created

WEB 7.0 =96 DHTML =96 "Because Non-Scrolling Text Is Boring"

The web was static until Dynamic HTML (DHTML) was created. DHTML introduced client-side scripting, allowing authors to include code in their web pages that performed an action upon being downloaded onto a user's computer. DHTML introduced rollover buttons and drop-down menus on web pages. It goes a long way to making the web more personalized.

WEB 7.1 -- 1993 =96 The first graphics based browsers are created WEB 7.2 -- 1993 =96 Screen casts are first created WEB 7.3 -- 1994 =96 Wikis are created; Britannica begins holding its breath WEB 7.4 -- 1994 =96 The World Wide Web Consortium is formed WEB 7.5 -- 1994 =96 CSS =96 Cascading Style Sheets created

WEB 8.0 =96 ONLINE DIARIES =96 "Teens Reportedly Misunderstood"

Online diaries were first created in 1994 as a means for people to store their diaries online for personal or public reading. Writers could now reach almost anyone worldwide at practically no cost, and everyone could create editorials on whatever subjects they liked, without fear of censorship.

WEB 8.1 -- 1996 =96 The first social bookmarking site created

WEB 9.0 =96 RANKED RESULTS =96 "The Online Popularity Contest"

Search engine results helped find things, but many of the results were useless or had nothing to do with the keywords used. As of 1996, search results started to be ranked based on a multitude of things, like how popular a page is. This made searching faster and easier, and significantly less painful.

WEB 9.1 -- 1996 =96 Flash is created, whole websites can now be animated WEB 9.2 -- 1997 =96 The term "Blog" is adopted

WEB 10.0 =96 HIRED BLOGGERS =96 "Wow Isn't Product X Great!"

As of 1997, personal diaries began to evolve to what became known as "blogs." Many corporate websites and personal homepages had (and still do have) news sections, these were traditionally updated manually in a back-end system. With the advent of blogs, the commercial sector jumped in, seeing a new marketing medium.

WEB 10.1 -- 1998 =96 The first audio news site is created WEB 10.2 -- 1999 =96 The first web-based operating system is created

WEB 11.0 =96 RSS =96 "Newspapers Deemed Obsolete"

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) was created due to the lack of a universal feed format. The creation of RSS means that users could now "subscribe" to feeds containing video, audio, text, or graphics. Users no longer had to trawl the web for new information, they could "subscribe" to a feed and have it sent to them directly.

WEB 12.0 =96 REMOTE SCRIPTING =96 "Waiting For 4 Seconds Now History!"

Remote scripting allows scripts running inside a browser to exchange information with a server, so that scripts could be triggered locally, processed remotely and have information returned directly to the browser. This made the web faster and easier to use, and removed the need to refresh the page for simple tasks like sorting.

WEB 12.1 -- 2001 =96 Blogs evolve from online diaries

WEB 13.0 =96 PODCASTING =96 "Now Everyone Can Avoid Listening To You By Choice Rather Than Circumstance!"

Podcasting originated as a portmanteau of the iPod=AE and broadcasting, although "portable on demand broadcasting" has now become the widely-accepted definition. Originally Podcasting was created to allow individuals to distribute their own radio shows, but it has become popular for a wide variety of things, from educational materials to the latest gaming news. Podcasting opens up distribution of audio content to anyone with a server, with users "subscribing" to the RSS feeds that appeal to them.

WEB 13.1 -- 2002 =96 Folksonomy is created, giving rise to "tags"

WEB 14.0 =96 VIDEO PODCASTING =96 "Web-Based One-Sided Conversations"

Shortly after Podcasting became popular, video Podcasting was created as a means to send the equivalent of TV episodes to users. Though similar to podcasting, the content was not limited to just "TV episodes". Video Podcasting opens up the video medium so that making a TV show is possible for anyone.

WEB 15.0 =96 VOIP =96 "High Tech, Dodgy Sounding Free Calls"

With the Voice Over Internet Protocol, telephone audio is sent over the internet, rather than a traditional phone line. This removes almost all cost involved, and also removes the need to have a physical phone line. What this means for consumers is calling becomes much simpler, easier and significantly cheaper.

WEB 16.0 =96 SAAS =96 "The Industry Makes a SaaS of Itself."

Software as a Service (SaaS) is just a new term for a concept that has been around since the dawn of the internet (ASP from 1970). SaaS refers to using a piece of software run/provided through the internet, and instead of paying a large one-off purchase price, you "rent" the software for as long as needed. So while SaaS is the buzzword of the day, the concept is decades old.

....The CONCLUSION?

So if you follow the basic rule that each total upgrade is a new ".0" then we are nowhere near Web 2.0. The story is really one of falling price, increasing reliability and bandwidth, coupled with ubiquitous access.

Simply put, "Web 2.0" is just shorthand for the development process outlined above. Bottom line, the web really becoming what the web really always should have been. Article researched and written by: Julian Stone, Sam Law =96 Project and Time Management Specialists from ProActive Software - http://www.proworkflow.com Peter Hodge =96 Editor and Contributor from InfoNews =96 http://www.infonews.co.nz Disclaimer: Facts are as accurate as could be researched at the time. ]]> How To Calculate CRM Total Cost Of Ownership (TCO) http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-calculate-crm-total-cost-of-ownership-tco http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-calculate-crm-total-cost-of-ownership-tco#comments Sun, 27 Aug 2006 18:27:09 +0000 crm systemcrm applicationfree hostingdefinitelyincurredaheaddownloads http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-calculate-crm-total-cost-of-ownership-tco free hosting of information, upgrades year round and greater security of information, just to name a few perks!

For those not using on demand CRM allow me to break down its cost effectiveness versus out of the box or custom built solutions:

For starters you can take your current IT costs and subtract all your hours and dollars spent on system maintenance, upgrades, integration and up keep.

Now further subtract the cost for hosting your current network or . If it is in house then you can deduce server costs, power costs etc... If you host via third party you can go and drop that cost all together.

So things are starting to look a little brighter!

For those who currently use an out of the box , you can go ahead and knock off the costs incurred for support, training, customization and yearly upgrades, and every other hidden fee you incur.

I am sure that by now some of you are probably feeling a little skeptical; and I don't blame you, the potential to save this much money warrants some initial second guessing. But don't let me convince you, see for yourself and put your worries to rest once and for all.

No upfront costs -- with on demand CRM, the software is already built and it is entirely hosted online, all you have to do is subscribe and start using it.

No -- the on demand CRM platform ensures you are never burdened by continual downloads cluttering up your computer and network while slowly eating up your memory.

No hosting fees -- the on demand platform is designed, built and maintained by an expert IT staff, hosted at an external secure location with manned security personnel. Enabling you the user to focus solely on your business and only your business.

Customizable platform -- the on demand SaaS platform is readily customizable by expert developers and product engineers. No longer will you have to fork over thousands of dollars to mash stand alone legacy systems into a tedious and often bug ridden enterprise solution.

Free upgrades -- with the flexibility of the on demand CRM model, top CRM vendors can offer continual and seamless updates and enhancements to their solution.

Security of Information -- a common misconception with the on demand platform is the issue of information security. While many find comfort in having their information hosted on site, they are in fact more vulnerable to intruders or hackers, or disgruntled employees then they would be by using the ASP/on demand platform. A good CRM vendor out sources the hosting of their servers to ISP providers, thus guaranteeing greater security and up time for their customers.

There is no denying the aforementioned facts, on demand CRM offers you greater bang for your buck when compared to the conventional out of the box offerings. On demand CRM removes the headaches of IT maintenance along with its hefty costs, it optimizes your employee work rate and in turn, allows you to bring in more money while spending less. Not to mention your company info could not be more secure! Colin Duffy enjoys writing about CRM subjects and on demand CRM and ERP software vendors such as Salesboom ( http://www.salesboom.com ) ]]> Self-Catering Holidays in Switzerland http://www.artwoo.com/article/self-catering-holidays-in-switzerland http://www.artwoo.com/article/self-catering-holidays-in-switzerland#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:29:35 +0000 valais regionirrigation canalsalpine villagessightseeing vacationdelicious chocolatessaas feetime in switzerland http://www.artwoo.com/article/self-catering-holidays-in-switzerland sightseeing vacation or a city break, you will have an enjoyable .

This European country is brimming with beautiful ski slopes and stunning scenery, and boasts pretty and fascinating cities, as well as a wealth of culture and history and a whole lot more (not forgetting, of course, the and cheese!).

Switzerland also offers a good selection of holiday property rentals, so it's perfect for a self-catering holiday.

For those looking for fun and adventure, you need look no further than Switzerland, which is a skier's paradise. It offers superb skiing facilities for all abilities - and it doesn't matter whether you're looking to learn to ski or if you're an experienced skier.

Switzerland has some fantastic areas where you can take to the slopes. The popular resorts include Arosa, Champery, Crans Montana, Davos, Grindelwald, Gstaad, Klosters, Lenzerheide, Murren, , St Moritz, Verbier, Villars, Wengen and Zermatt.

The offers some good skiing facilities, as well as a host of other activities, attractions and things to see and do. For example, the lovely town of Nendaz, which is in Switzerland's Valais region and in the heart of the Four Valleys ski area, is a great destination to visit both in summer and winter.

In the summer months you can enjoy many leisure pursuits here such as walking, hiking, mountain biking and climbing. If you like the outdoor life, this area will definitely appeal. There is also a sports centre, which offers a variety of sporting activities, such as tennis, squash, football and swimming.

A great way of exploring this area is by foot. You can walk along a network of lovely paths (Bisses) which run along the . Nendaz boasts 98km of walks along 8 bisses. Not surprisingly, there are some amazing views of the valleys, villages and mountains when you pass along this route.

Mountain biking is another way of seeing the sights in Nendaz. You can hire a bike and take to one of the trails available, whether you're an experienced cyclist or just a beginner, there's something here for you!

Paragliding is another popular pastime in Nendaz. You can also play golf in nearby Sion. There are also courses at Crans Montana, Verbier and Villars.

Nendaz has a good variety of shops, supermarkets, banks and plenty of restaurants as well as bars, so it's ideal for a holiday property rental. The town is also a perfect base from which to tour, as there are many attractions and sights to see around the surrounding of Nendaz.

Meanwhile, in the winter Nendaz is a haven for skiers. It is located in the Four Valleys ski area, with its 412km of pistes and 92 ski lifts. There are some great skiing opportunities for all ages and abilities of skier in this area. It's a good family holiday destination too, as there are facilities for children, including a snow garden, ski schools, a nursery, as well as various activities. You can also take part in a variety of winter sports in this area, such as snowboarding, sledging, snowtubing and ice skating.

So if you're looking for adventure or relaxation, why not make Nendaz (or indeed another area of Switzerland) your next holiday destination? It has something to offer everyone, whatever your age, taste or type of vacation. It's a fantastic all year round holiday location and an ideal for a self-catering break too. This is just a taster of what is available in this beautiful European country -- there is so much more to see and do here. Why not check it out soon?Karen Waller is a destination rep for Self Property Rental, http://www.selfpropertyrental.com offering a wide selection of holiday rentals Switzerland!]]> Utropicmedia Offers Colocation Server Hosting and Dedicated Server Hosting http://www.artwoo.com/article/utropicmedia-offers-colocation-server-hosting-and-dedicated-server-hosting http://www.artwoo.com/article/utropicmedia-offers-colocation-server-hosting-and-dedicated-server-hosting#comments Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:29:25 +0000 web hosting solutionscustomizable hardwareweb hosting servicescomplex solutionssecure servicesglobal solutionshardware configurations http://www.artwoo.com/article/utropicmedia-offers-colocation-server-hosting-and-dedicated-server-hosting Global Solutions offers a wide range of internet solutions to its clients. Some of the services that they offer include managed web hosting, managed dedicated servers, corporate colocation, small business hosting and e-commerce hosting.

Managed Web Hosting

The company is a top provider of to corporate clients who require or individual clients with basic requirements. Small and medium sized enterprises are taking advantage of the company's flexible and high performance web hosting services and its affordable packages.

Some of the services offered in managed web hosting include:

- Fully configurations
- Managed for multiple servers
- On site security guards that are present 24 hours
- Present 24 hours technical support
- 100% uptime network guarantee

The company's solutions are among the best in the industry and its packages are very affordable.

Managed Dedicated Server Hosting
Utropicmedia Global Solutions offers managed dedicated server hosting with high--performance solutions for online businesses, heavy web applications, and web games. Its solutions are backed up by dedicated servers that provide 99.9% uptime, speed and optimum performance. All these benefits can be access at an affordable fee and are complimented with a dedicated, user friendly control panel.

Corporate Colocation Services

Utropicmedia Global Solutions offers corporate colocation services for reliable and around the globe. The company is a leader in the industry and offers fast customer support, secure data centers and convenient data locations. Its corporate colocation services are very versatile and include owning of multiple rack cages and renting by shelves. The company's corporate colocation services can adapt to your business requirements whenever you have any changes. Utropicmedia Global Solutions corporate collocations services hands over to you total server control while not compromising on security, speed and reliability like other collocation service providers.

Small Business Hosting

Utropicmedia Global Solutions small business hosting plans make website hosting very easy for small and medium sized enterprises as well as individual clients. The company offers rich, quality and affordable small business hosting plans. The service is very easy to use to the average computer users through its user-friendly control panel. In a very short time, the control panel will enable you to:

- Monitor and review traffic to your suite
- Add new databases to your site
- Manage your email accounts

You have all the control at your disposal. In additions, the small business hosting services are backed up by powerful dedicated servers that provide 99.9% uptime guarantee, very fast speeds and optimum performance.

E-Commerce Hosting

The e-commerce solutions provided by Utropicmedia Global Solutions are one of the best in the industry. Their shopping cart easily integrates with the design of your site and the company fully supports it. The e-commerce hosting package is inclusive of:

- Email pop up accounts
- Spam protection and spam assassin
- Full ftp access
- Auto responders
- MySQL databases
- Free secure directory
- Free shopping cart
- Acceptance of PHP scripts
- Fully customizable options with FrontPage

Additionally, Utropicmedia offeres value-added services such as their anti-spam Enterprise Mail Guard and their backup platform Vaultwise. Vaultwise has the ability to backup corporate databases such as MS SQL and Microsoft Exchange mailboxes.Corporate Server Colocation. Utropicmedia has been providing an array of software and media solutions for clients around the globe. We are able to deliver complete and Managed Dedicated Servers to our clients as well as eCommerce Business Hosting packages. We have assembled a team solely responsible for managing our global network.]]>