For several decades executives have recognized the significant cost and productivity advantages associated with remote workers. In the 80s and 90s, the expense of providing full support and integration of telecommuters into the corporate environment offset much of the projected cost advantages.
Today, with the high penetration of broadband in the home coupled with advances in internet-based telecommunications systems such as Hosted PBX solutions, migrating employees from office workers to remote workers is not only cost-effective, it has also become a high priority with a large percentage of companies. Getting employees out of the office workspace and into their home office workspace can yield immediate savings according to a study by the International Telework Association and Council. If you walk into almost any business office, you can generally find empty desks. An empty desk is a sure sign that you have a remote worker candidate. The study by the Telework Association found that a company could save about $10,000 per year for each recovered desk space.
Businesses with remote worker initiatives also benefit from increased productivity and improved employee satisfaction. The European Union’s ‘SusTel’ (Sustainable Teleworking) study, the largest European investigation to date into the impact of remote working, was conducted between 2002 and 2004 in five European countries. The study revealed that two-thirds of remote workers felt they achieved higher productivity, and that the quality of their work had improved. The study also showed that absenteeism was reduced by 70%. In Germany, 94% of BMW’s remote workers reported increased job satisfaction, and in the UK, around 90% of remote workers said they had an improved quality of life despite working longer hours.
Telecommunications is an important ingredient in the creation of a successful remote workforce. Most experts agree that the best system to support a remote worker environment is a VOIP Hosted PBX. This system’s architecture allows geographically separated employees to work together as if they were in the same physical workspace. A VOIP Hosted PBX breaks down the barriers of isolation and enhances the sense of belonging to one corporate culture, and also serves as an enabler to promote teamwork and cooperation.
In addition to hard dollar savings, increased productivity, and enhanced job satisfaction, the business case for deploying a remote workforce becomes almost insurmountable when you also consider that telecommunications expenses drop by about 40% when a traditional PBX is replaced with a VoIP Hosted PBX.
For businesses thinking about remote workers, the best departmental candidates for a VOIP Hosted PBX supported remote workforce are: Sales, marketing, and call center staff.
VOIP Hosted PBX Call Center is a powerful tool that can tie together employees across multiple locations under one unified call center. Incoming calls are held in queue and routed to the next available agent - regardless of their geographical location. Nightly reporting is available on both the agent and overall group level showing average hold time, average time spent per call, number of minutes an agent was logged in and logged out, plus other management features.
Advanced VOIP Hosted PBX features that surpass those available on a traditional PBX also support each remote worker. These features include such things as a custom auto attendant, unlimited local calling, long distance minutes, directory Assistance calls and reserved DID phones numbers. All remote workers receive their own phone number so callers don’t have to worry about busy signals or getting an outside line. Each remote worker on a Hosted PBX system also receives advanced calling features like simultaneous ring, Find-Me/ Follow-Me, Click-to-Call computer-assisted phone handling, and Outlook Integration.
Even though most companies initially begin investigating a remote workforce initiative in order to generate cost savings and rely upon ROI as the pivotal decision point, in reality it is the soft dollar benefits created by a Hosted PBX solution that ultimately generate the greatest expense reduction over the life-cycle of their investment. The VoIP Hosted PBX solution integrates widely diverse remote workers into a seamless, supervision-friendly work environment that is comparable to that of workers collocated in the same office space or building.
If you are seriously considering a remote workforce, or if you are merely looking for a better way to integrate existing remote workers into your business environment, then you should definitely investigate the advantages offered by a VoIP Hosted PBX solution.
Bill Casey is the VP of Marketing for Reignmaker Communications, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Reignmaker has over 11,000 business VoIP Hosted PBX installations and provides true end-to-end support
VoIP offers a great way to help you save money on your phone bill. With a few simple steps, you can be on your way to utilizing this new technology. Here are some tips that will help you find the best options for your needs:
Your Internet Connection - Shop around for the best deals on broadband service. There are many companies who offer either DSL or Cable Modems. Some people want to get the highest speed possible, even if it costs more. Others are concerned more about price than speed. There are enough options to satisfy your needs. Check out Comcast (www.comcast.com) and Verizon (www.verizon.com) for starters.
Decide on a service provider - Both Comcast and Verizon offer VoIP services. Other companies such as Vonage (www.vonage.com) or Lingo (www.lingo.com) only provide VoIP and its related products. Decide whether your connection is for business or home and pick the company and plan that makes the most sense. Companies such as Verizon offer a lot of options for a business of any size. Other companies only accommodate small businesses.
Do you use long distance on a regular basis? This is another thing to consider when choosing a provider. Most companies let you call throughout the US and other parts of North America as part of their rates and have a list of per-minute fees for long distance. Other companies, such as Lingo, also allow you to call countries in Western Europe as part of their packages.
Decide whether you want an IP phone or not. Do you want to keep your existing phone? Well, thanks to the analog telephone adapter you can. You can also purchase an IP phone. These come with the software already included inside. Just plug the Ethernet connection into your router and you are on your way to getting VoIP service.
Mike Bell is the webmaster of http://www.VoIP-Journal.com, a site devoted to providing users with VoIP news and information.
Aberration.
The inability of a lens to produce a true image, particularly at the edge of a photograph.
Usually, the more expensive the lens, the better its optical quality and the fewer aberrations.
Angle of View
The area of a scene that a lens can cover. The focal length of the lens determines the angle of view. A wide-angle (short-focal-length) lens includes more of a scene than a standard (normal-focal-length) lens or telephoto (long-focal-length) lens. Angle of view is basically the angle at which light rays can pass through the lens to produce an image on the film.
Aperture
The aperture is the opening formed by the blades of the iris or diaphragm in the lens, through which light passes to expose the film. Aperture size is usually given in f-numbers, the larger the number, the smaller the opening. Aperture size together with shutter speed determine the amount of light falling on the film (exposure). The aperture is sometimes called the “stop”.
Aspherical lens
A lens with a curved, non-spherical surface. Used to reduce aberrations and achieve a more compact lens size. With a spherical lens, rays travelling from the lens periphery create the image before the ideal focal point and give a blurred image centre. With an aspherical lens, even the rays travelling from the lens periphery converge at the ideal focal point, thus producing a sharp image.
Chromatic aberration
The inability of a lens to bring all light wavelengths (particularly red & blue) into the same plane of focus, thus causing overall blur. Usually found in regular large-aperture telephoto and super-telephoto lenses. Not improved by reducing aperture size. Can be corrected with low dispersion (ED, LD SD) glass.
Colour temperature
A method of expressing the colour content and quality of light and measured in Kelvin (K). “Photographic daylight” has a colour temperature of about 5500K. Photographic tungsten lights have colour temperatures of 3200K to 3400K depending on their construction.
Depth of Field
The distance between the nearest and furthest objects in a photograph that are considered to be acceptably sharp. Dependant on aperture, focal length and focused distance. The smaller the aperture, the wider the lens and the further the focused distance, giving a greater depth of field and vice versa.
Electronic flash
Designed to provide light where the lighting on the scene is insufficient. Electronic flash requires high voltage, usually obtained through batteries and a voltage-multiplying circuit which discharge a brief, intensive burst. Generally considered to have the same photographic effect as daylight. Modern flash units have multiple TTL exposure control functions and auto focus control.
F-numbers or F-stops
Numbers on the lens aperture ring and the camera’s LCD (where applicable) that indicate the size of lens aperture. The lower the number the larger the aperture. As the scale rises, each number is multiplied by a factor of 1.4. Standard numbers are 1.0,1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32, etc., each change resulting in a doubling or halving of the amount of light transmitted by the lens to the film.
Film Speed
ISO stands for International Standards Organization and numbers such as ISO 100 or ISO 400 etc. give the sensitivity of film to light. The higher the number, the more sensitive or faster the film. Basically, the slower the film (low ISO No.) the sharper and clearer the photograph. Grainy effects can be achieved with fast films (high ISO No.).
Flash sync speed
Exposure time with a focal-plane shutter is measured from the moment the first curtain is released until the moment the second curtain is released. The instant the first curtain closes, the electrical contacts for X sync close and instantly fire the flash.
Focal Length
The distance from the film to the optical centre of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. Focal length on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimetres on the lens mount. On 35mm-format cameras, lenses with a focal length of 50mm are called normal or standard lenses. Lenses of 35mm or less are called wide angle lenses and lenses of 85mm or more are called telephoto lenses. Lenses which allow varying focal lengths without changing focus are called zoom lenses.
Lens
One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and transfer rays of light to form a sharp image on film, paper or a projection screen. In practical photography, compound lenses made of a number of elements of different types of glass are used. This enables the manufacturer to correct most of the faults (aberrations) found in simple lenses and provide images that are sharp across the whole picture.
Lens Speed
The largest aperture(smallest F-stop) at which a lens can be set. Fast lenses transmit more light and have larger openings than slow lenses. Determined by the maximum aperture in relation to focal length. Lens speed is relative: a 400 mm lens with a maximum aperture of F/3.5 is considered extremely fast, while a 28mm F/3.5 lens is considered to be quite slow.
Perspective
Perspective is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional scene. In photography this can be achieved by viewing 3-D objects from an angle rather than head-on. A photograph is also given perspective if there are objects in the foreground, middle distance and background, giving the whole scene “depth”.
Single-Lens-Reflex (SLR) Camera
Light entering the camera through the lens is reflected up by a mirror behind the lens onto a ground glass screen above. This screen is viewed through the viewfinder and a glass pentaprism which turns the image the correct way up. Other camera functions such as light metering and flash control also operate through the camera lens.
Zoom Lens
A lens which can be adjusted to a wide range of focal lengths without a change in focus, thus an alternative for a number of individual lenses of various focal lengths. A difficult type of lens to design and manufacture, but very useful for the photographer who likes to travel light.
My name is Rene Waish, I am a hobbiest Photographer. I have intrest in photography snice my childhood. If you want to know more about me and photography please visit my blog at http://reenez.blogspot.com/
At a Photo Club meeting I attended recently, the President made a comment on another meeting he had attended, where someone in the audience asked the presenter where to find good subjects to photograph. The presenter in question started giving specifics instead of identifying the core issues in question, Attitude and Perspective.
Clients often ask me the same question about ideas, “Where or how does one come up with a good idea for a business or service, for a new product to develop or a theme for an ad?” Oddly enough, the answer is the same; it depends on your attitude and perspective because inspiration is everywhere. Everywhere around you, there are clues to great ideas but you have to be receptive to see or hear them. Once you are open to really listening and observing, you tend to notice things you weren’t aware of in the past. It’s sometimes uncomfortable to look at the world around you and respond to it differently than others do, but it can be very rewarding.
Is the world around you a place of abundance and opportunity or a difficult barren place? Do you think of life as a constant struggle or an adventure?
Take a look at www.MixZup.com. This retail concept is an idea that originated in a three-year-old’s mind. The important point is that Julia’s mother Lynne was someone who did not patronize her daughter by saying, “Isn’t that cute.” and then telling her to put on socks that match. She really listened to her daughter, considered the factors that prompted Julia to express her individualism by wearing socks that do not match and recognized it as an opportunity. Children, with their ability to think outside of the limitations most of us have developed and placed on ourselves as adults, are great at coming up with innovative, unconventional ideas.
To get back to the example of the photographer; often businesses tell me they need photos and their son, daughter, or spouse has an expensive camera…that’s great, but it’s not about the equipment. It’s about the eye behind the camera and the ability to be open to recognising a great shot.
It doesn’t matter how much business training or ability you have if you use it as an excuse to stop listening and observing. If you close your eyes and ears to the opportunities around you, you are limiting your life, not just your business opportunites.
How many successful businesses would never have gotten off the ground if the owner considered the fact that they had no business experience or no money?
Today, make a decision to think of business as a series of adventures and ideas waiting to be implemented.
“First Ponder, Then Dare”
Nancy Fraser is the President of Nota Bene Consulting. Her business experience encompasses over 20 years in media sales and management, ownership of a retail store and involvement in the real estate industry. Free marketing information and tools are available in Notable News http://www.notable-marketing.com
Underwater digital cameras are fun and easy to use under the water and great above the water as well. Use your underwater digital camera in all kinds of weather, for many activities and in a variety of locations that could be either wet or wild.
Are underwater digital cameras better than the film underwater cameras? It’s up to you to decide. The digital camera cannot run out of film. It has the ability to delete bad shots or change to a lower resolution if you need extra shots.
They have better (up to 4 times) depth of field. This is also great for wide-angle photography in low light conditions. Shooting with film at f4 would typically produce fuzzy backgrounds and edges. The same scene shot in digital will give you sharp photos
When using a strobe, most film cameras are limited to shutter speeds of 1/60th - 1/250th of a second. The new consumer digital cameras don’t have mechanical shutters and will sync at speeds up to 1/800th of a second. Therefore, you can shoot in bright shallow water where high f-stops would make strobes ineffective. Higher shutter speed options allow you to keep your f-stop at a better setting. These high shutter speeds are also great for freezing light rays and fast action.
35mm zoom lenses don’t do well underwater. They are bad at close-focus. The built-in lens in the new digital systems offer a large zoom range with minimum focus ability to 8 inches or less. So if you had a new digital camera and a high quality aspheric housing port, you could take a 100degree wide-angle shot and zoom into 1:3 macro shot without changing lenses. Who likes to change lenses all the time?
Underwater digital cameras are small and lightweight, and the quality is comparable to film if you go for the higher resolution shots. Scans and digital camera images require a small amount of sharpening in Adobe PhotoShop®. Just apply the “”unsharp mask”" filter for an instant improvement.
Underwater digital cameras are not perfect, however and like video, the cameras have a tough time with high contrast scenes. Also, it’s fairly expensive to transfer your digital files to slides if you are interested in having your images presented in slide shows. However, most digital cameras allow you to plug directly into a television for image display. And there are digital projectors on the market that produce brilliant images and even professional presentations complete with audio tracks.
Unfortunately the underwater digital camera has not fixed the one worst digital camera problem: when you press the shutter release, the camera will not immediately take the picture. This shutter delay could be a problem–fish swim fast.
If you’re just starting with underwater photography, it would probably be best to purchase a digital underwater camera instead of a film underwater camera. The instant feedback of digital imaging will take years off your learning curve. With the 5 megapixel cameras, print qualities are great.
Regardless of your photo experience, think about your goals with underwater imaging. Shooters looking for instant results, quick web posts and prints of 11 in. x 14 in. and smaller will be thrilled with digital. Digital is probably the best solution for all new shooters that are comfortable with computers. Instant feedback is always great.
If you are still not sure, however, try out the equipment before you buy it. Take a class with demo gear and instruction. Then buy something wonderful and go out and have a great time with your new digital underwater camera.
Underwater Cameras Info provides detailed information on underwater cameras, including underwater digital cameras, underwater video cameras, and underwater fishing cameras, as well as underwater camera housing and cases. Underwater Cameras Info is the sister site of Disposable Cameras Web.
The most annoying part of a receding hair line for lads is that there is no miracle. Baldness has been a major problem for men around the country but there are fantastic treatments that will often reduce further baldness.
There is a lotion based treatment for hair loss called Minoxidil that should be taken in capsule or topical lotion form and can often help lads regrow their hair and minimise further baldness. The baldness lotion comes in a variety of strengths with two percent being the most popular. The hair loss treatment is used under the guidance of a nurse and should be made aware that it is not an exciting miracle cure. However, the super success of this loss of hair treatment is approx fifty percent. The hair loss treatment medication course is a minimum of 4 months before fabulous results will often show and all girls are recommended to continue the hair loss treatment for at least eight months.
For women that do not note any regrowth with Minoxidil they may try hair transplants. Hair loss surgery is a permanent solution and involves transplanting the hair follicles on the scalp to prevent bald areas. Hair plugs can be pricey and involves a surgical procedure so may not be for every lad. Check out the latest Hair Loss treatments at Advanced Hair Studio.
Hair removalis becoming very popular even among men and probably, in the years to come, we will see more and more applications that will help people to get rid of unpleasant and undesired hair.What only a few years ago was a matter of women shaving their legs,today we can really talk about a trend that seems not to stop and actually keeps on involving more and more people. There are many ways of removing hair, but it seems that regardless of the technique that sometimes may be painful, society today is calling for a hairless look.
Based on this, a lot of men are getting very serious about hair removal, especially in places where women complain:back hair and hair of the neck are usually the first ones to go, also facial hair is becoming an issue as well.Even men now like to work on their eyebrows, almost reaching the level of women.Probably one day people will look at our times and laugh, but at the moment hair removal is taken very seriously.It’s not a joke or a makeup fab. Many beauty centers are offering these services and it is clear that the demand is huge.
More on bikini waxing, removing armpit hair on those sites.
For those people that have never been on a safari in South Africa might often find it hard to imagine the outstanding wildlife you will often see. The folks who come to a safari are regular holiday makers like you and me, some are into photography, some are into wildlife but all of them are interested in a new tremendous experience.
The superb thing about a walking safari is the fact it is so different from a package holiday to Ibiza, there are very little kids. Each corporation will provide an English speaking safari guide to take you through the beautiful areas of Africa. The most popular animals you will probably see are tigers. All the above phenomenal animals are not tame and of course don?t touch them. If you are interested in taking wildlife photos of the hippos you should make sure you turn off the flash as you do not want to scare the wildlife. The spectacular wildlife in Southern Africa will often put a huge grin on your face.
If you would enjoy to ascertain more about astonishing safaris in South Africa you could use the search engines like Yahoo to get a safari company that offers safari holidays from the UK, the prices should range from 500 pounds to six hundred pounds. Kaingo are one of the UK’s newest African Safari providers.
You will hear of people talk about “RAW” files. What are they and what use are they to you?
With film, when you take the photo, the basic image detail is contained on the negative. It is in its original format but can be manipulated afterwards.
With digital imaging, the camera itself can manipulate and change the file so that the image data is different to that which entered the camera. The changes the camera makes includes changing white balance, changing ISO and compressing the file into a specific format.
Many cameras can discard all of these manipulations and shoot RAW files - that is, a file that has not been changed in any way and is in it’s basic, virgin, format.
The RAW file can be uploaded onto the computer for further processing and adjustments.
The advantages of RAW files are:
- no data is lost
- the original image is preserved
- further manipulations can be made
- improved images
The disadvantages are:
- RAW files are bigger and take longer to upload
- more work is needed
- greater storage space is needed
The main problem with RAW files is that they are large. This means they will take longer to write to your card and computer and fill your memory card more quickly. Having the basic image data available, however, means that data is not lost and, if saved as a master copy, will always be there for future use and manipulation.
Has your house lost power? Did you notice if your refrigerator broke last night? Are you worried about the food you had in the freezer?
Relax ,in that case you can use some easy tips for handling food safely.
Food that thaws completely or gets as warm as room temperature should be discarded. If your food has been setting out for more than a couple of hours, it needs to be thrown out.
If the food is mostly thawed, but still cold, cook it immediately. The cooked foods can either be consumed or put in the refrigerator to eat later.
The food can be refrozen if there are still ice crystals visible on it. You can put it in a cooler with some dry ice if there is no freezer available to you. The food will need to be cooked, because it won’t last as long as with a normal freezer.
Anything showing signs of freezer burn are also candidates for immediate disposal.
Sudden power outages cannot be avoided, but there are things you can do to prepare for them.
If your existing fridge or freezer has seen better days, the best advice that anyone can give you is you invest in a new one. A new American Style fridge freezer is a great option if you have the amount of space needed. This can make a dramatic change to any kitchen. A broad selection of American refrigerators and freezers is available for viewing at this site.