What is spy ware? Simple. spy ware is just what it says SPYWARE. Spyware is used buy a lot of hackers today to infiltrate you computer system. Spyware wants to get in and spy around. What does spy ware want? Spyware wants you. Spyware gathers any information about you that can be used by a third party for personal gain of some kind.

Spyware could enter your network by auto-download software that automatically downloaded to your network, even without user’s acknowledgement. It could also enter with software, which is downloaded by user that includes Spyware program. Most common entry of this software is pop-ups, which appears while opening any site. The pop-ups are very attractively designed to allure users to click it.

Spyware is quickly becoming one of the biggest threats to Internet security. It is reported ninty percent of all computers are currently infected with spyware, adware or both. Most people don’t even realize it’s there because spyware and adware is programmed to run silently. Microsoft estimates that spyware is responsible for fifty percent of all PC crashes.

You can detect spyware online using free spyware cleaners and by installing spyware protection software on your computer. It’s a good idea to use free spyware cleaners because these free programs will remove any spyware programs currently running on your computer.

It’s imperative to detect spyware online and get rid of the malicious code in your computer files. This will protect your confidential information and also insure the performance of your PC. Once you see how many of these programs are running silently on your computer you will most likely be surprised.

After you scan your computer with one of the free spyware cleaners I recommended you purchase the full spyware software program from a reputable manufacturer. The software puts up an anti spyware shield for your computer. Professional spyware software not only removes spyware but stops spyware from getting in your files in the first place.

Spyware is a major predator on the internet today. Spyware is harmful to you and your computer system. To find out more about spyware and how to protect yourself from it go to. http://spywarefreez.com Robert Emler

Microsoft Outlook is one of the most widely used software programs for email, but if you’re only using it for email, you’re missing out on a great productivity tool! This month’s column looks at a few ways you can use the Outlook calendar to make scheduling easier.

* Add public holidays to your calendar automatically.

On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click Calendar Options. Under Calendar options, click Add Holidays. Select the check box next to each country/region whose holidays you want to add to your Calendar, and then click OK. Your own country/region is automatically selected. Color code your appointments.

* When you select a label for each appointment, Outlook will assign it a color, drawing attention to your most important activities and allowing you to see at a glance how you are spending your time. The available labels are:

* Turn a message into an appointment or task.

What’s the quickest way to deal with an email inviting you to a meeting or event?

Drag the message onto your Calendar and a new appointment will be created. The entire message will appear in the details section - all you need to do is edit the subject line, location, date and time! Send an RSVP if necessary, and now you can delete the email!

Not sure if you’re going to attend? Set "Show time as" to "Tentative" and the appointment will display with a dashed border rather than a solid one. In this case you should also drag the message onto your Task Pad and a new task will be created. Edit the subject line to be a reminder to register for the event, and set the due date early enough that you won’t miss out if you decide to go.

* Print pages for your paper planner.

If you like the idea of using the Outlook calendar, but are more comfortable using a paper planner, Outlook allows you to print pages in daily, weekly or monthly layouts, formatted to fit a variety of commercial planners. Print the whole year, or just today’s schedule!

* It’s not just about work.

There are many websites that allow you to download schedules right into your Outlook calendar, including sports teams and TV stations, among many others. You’ll never have to miss your favorite team or show, and just think of the time you’ll save!

–

Permission is granted to use this article, as long as the "About the Author" section including the link to http://www.organizedassistant.com remains intact. An email letting me know which article you have used and where would be appreciated.

About The Author

Janet Barclay, Organized Assistant, is a Professional Organizer, Virtual Assistant and Time Management Consultant. For more information visit http://www.organizedassistant.com.

info@organizedassistant.com

Oracle E-Business Suite, also referred as Oracle Applications/Oracle Financials is competing with other high-end ERP products, such as SAP R/3 or mySAP. Microsoft with its Microsoft Business Solutions subdivision is also coming into the competition arena with Microsoft Dynamics AX/Axapta. In this small article we will be concentrating on Brazilian MRP market niche with its specifics, challenges and opportunities.

• Localization. ERP localization includes two parameters: local tax compliance and local language support (in our case Brazilian Portuguese). The most challenging one is taxes – Brazil, being very large country has unique tax requirements and ERP compliance is challenging. Currently, among recognized international brands, the following ERPs have Brazilian tax compliance: Oracle E-Business Suite, SAP Business One/SAP R/3 mySAP, Microsoft Axapta/Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Navision/Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Language support is not a problem nowadays, however this was a big question in the past – all the systems, mentioned above have Portuguese translation.

• Corporate Clientele. Oracle Financials is targeting large clients and also upper mid-market. The interesting statement is this – in the case of Oracle Financials – it is easier to sell it to corporate clients, who have corporate headquarter in Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand. If large company has 100% Brazilian ground – it probably tends to deploy one of the “local” solutions, such as Microsiga. Both scenarios have reasonable arguments – local MRP is good – it is advanced in compliance to local regulation, at the same time Oracle Applications would allow your corporation have and retain control over its Brazilian subsidiary, simply by deploying one or another Oracle E-Business Suite consulting partner – which is now a commodity.

• São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro markets. This is probably where you plan your penetration to begin. Here we would like you to read our publication on these two gateway markets specifics

Please do not hesitate to call or email us: São Paulo 55-11-3444-4949, USA 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918 help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com http://www.greatplains.com.mx http://www.enterlogix.com.br ) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.

We are serving Brazil: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Manaus, Brasilia

Introduction

PHP can be used for a lot of different things, and is one of the most powerful scripting languages available on the web. Not to mention it’s extremely cheap and widely used. However, one thing that PHP is lacking, and in fact most scripting languages are, is a way to update pages in real-time, without having to reload a page or submit a form.

The internet wasn’t made for this. The web browser closes the connection with the web server as soon as it has received all the data. This means that after this no more data can be exchanged. What if you want to do an update though? If you’re building a PHP application (e.g. a high-quality content management system), then it’d be ideal if it worked almost like a native Windows/Linux application.

But that requires real-time updates. Something that isn’t possible, or so you would think. A good example of an application that works in (almost) real-time is Google’s GMail (http://gmail.google.com). Everything is JavaScript powered, and it’s very powerful and dynamic. In fact, this is one of the biggest selling-points of GMail. What if you could have this in your own PHP websites as well? Guess what, I’m going to show you in this article.

How does it work?

If you want to execute a PHP script, you need to reload a page, submit a form, or something similar. Basically, a new connection to the server needs to be opened, and this means that the browser goes to a new page, losing the previous page. For a long while now, web developers have been using tricks to get around this, like using a 1×1 iframe, where a new PHP page is loaded, but this is far from ideal.

Now, there is a new way of executing a PHP script without having to reload the page. The basis behind this new way is a JavaScript component called the XML HTTP Request Object. See http://jibbering.com/2002/4/httprequest.html for more information about the component. It is supported in all major browsers (Internet Explorer 5.5+, Safari, Mozilla/Firefox and Opera 7.6+).

With this object and some custom JavaScript functions, you can create some rather impressive PHP applications. Let’s look at a first example, which dynamically updates the date/time.

Example 1

First, copy the code below and save it in a file called ’script.js’:

var xmlhttp=false;/*@cc_on @*//*@if (@_jscript_version >= 5)// JScript gives us Conditional compilation, we can cope with old IE versions.// and security blocked creation of the objects.try {xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");} catch (e) {try {xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");} catch (E) {xmlhttp = false;}}@end @*/if (!xmlhttp && typeof XMLHttpRequest!='undefined') {xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();}function loadFragmentInToElement(fragment_url, element_id) {var element = document.getElementById(element_id);element.innerHTML = 'Loading …‘;xmlhttp.open("GET", fragment_url);xmlhttp.onreadystatechange = function() {if (xmlhttp.readyState == 4 && xmlhttp.status == 200) {element.innerHTML = xmlhttp.responseText;}}xmlhttp.send(null);}

Then copy the code below, and paste it in a file called ’server1.php’:

echo date("l dS of F Y h:i:s A");?>

And finally, copy the code below, and paste it in a file called ‘client1.php’. Please note though that you need to edit the line that says ‘http://www.yourdomain.com/server1.php’ to the correct location of server1.php on your server.

The current date is .

Now go to http://www.yourdomain.com/client1.php and click on the button that says ‘Update date’. The date will update, without the page having to be reloaded. This is done with the XML HTTP Request object. This example can also be viewed online at http://www.phpit.net/demo/php%20on%20the%20fly/client1.php.

Example 2

Let’s try a more advanced example. In the following example, the visitor can enter two numbers, and they are added up by PHP (and not by JavaScript). This shows the true power of PHP and the XML HTTP Request Object.

This example uses the same script.js as in the first example, so you don’t need to create this again. First, copy the code below and paste it in a file called ’server2.php’:

// Get numbers$num1 = intval($_GET['num1']);$num2 = intval($_GET['num2']);// Return answerecho ($num1 + $num2);?>

And then, copy the code below, and paste it in a file called ‘client2.php’. Please note though that you need to edit the line that says ‘http://www.yourdomain.com/server2.php’ to the correct location of server2.php on your server.

Use the below form to add up two numbers. The answer is calculated by a PHP script, and not with JavaScript. What’s the advantage to this? You can execute server-side scripts (PHP) without having to refresh the page.

 +  = 

When you run this example, you can add up two numbers, using PHP and no reloading at all! If you can’t get this example to work, then have a look on http://www.phpit.net/demo/php%20on%20the%20fly/client3.php to see the example online.

Any Disadvantages…?

There are only two real disadvantages to this system. First of all, anyone who has JavaScript turned off, or their browser doesn’t support the XML HTTP Request Object will not be able to run it. This means you will have to make sure that there is a non-JavaScript version, or make sure all your visitors have JavaScript enabled (e.g. an Intranet application, where you can require JS).

Another disadvantage is the fact that it breaks bookmarks. People won’t be able to bookmark your pages, if there is any dynamic content in there. But if you’re creating a PHP application (and not a PHP website), then bookmarks are probably not very useful anyway.

Conclusion

As I’ve shown you, using two very simple examples, it is entirely possible to execute PHP scripts, without having to refresh the page. I suggest you read more about the XML HTTP Request Object (http://jibbering.com/2002/4/httprequest.html) and its capabilities.

The things you can do are limitless. For example, you could create an extremely neat paging system, that doesn’t require reloading at all. Or you could create a GUI for your PHP application, which behaves exactly like Windows XP. Just think about it!

Be aware though that JavaScript must be enabled for this to work. Without JavaScript this will be completely useless. So make sure your visitors support JavaScript, or create a non-JavaScript version as well.

About The Author

Dennis Pallett is a young tech writer, with much experience in ASP, PHP and other web technologies. He enjoys writing, and has written several articles and tutorials. To find more of his work, look at his websites at http://www.phpit.net http://www.aspit.net and http://www.ezfaqs.com

dennispallett@gmail.com

The table design/architecture of Microsoft Dynamics GP, as we write the current version is Microsoft Great Plains 9.0, was done back in 1990th by Great Plains Software and what we are discussing here is applicable to the majority of Great Plains Dynamics / eEnterprise versions for MS SQL Server: 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0 and now 9.0. With so-called ‘Project Green’ Microsoft is enabling Microsoft Dynamics GP objects for Visual Studio C# or VB.Net developer via web services interface, while the middle-level set of stored procedures is known as eConnect. However you can still use old-good-way of creating your own set of stored procedures to feed in or pull data from Microsoft Great Plains 9.0 databases. If you are new to the subject – please be aware that you are not allowed to make a change to existing Great Plains tables – the reason is – Great Plains Dexterity (now referred as Microsoft Dexterity) uses DYNAMICS.DIC as metadictionary, where all the tables are described and if you make a change to the table – it will conflict with what table is known in DYNAMICS.DIC.

• SOP, Sales Order Processing module. This is usually where all eCommerce developers start – you need to move the order from your e-Commerce application to Microsoft Dynamics GP SOP tables. Here the advice is – if you can’t afford eConnect – create Sales Order and Quote only (do not create Invoice). These documents do not require GL account distribution. Here are your tables: SOP10100 – SOP Header and SOP10200 – SOP work table. Another advice is – have your Great Plains guru setup special SOP Order type, where it doesn’t allocate inventory items on the fly. This second advice is not relevant if you are selling services and they are not tracked in inventory module.

• Inventory Control. If you deal with so-called inventoried items (sales items, where you track quantities on-hand/allocated/committed by inventory site and across the company). Inventory tables are IV00101 – Item master and IV00102 – item QTY master table. Usually you have to deal with these two tables only, however in complex cases you can go deeper – our recommendation to purchase eConnect licenses if your logic in Inventory module is more complex

• Receivables Management. From this module you just need customer record: RM00101 – Customer master and RM00102 – Customer Address Master

• Payable Management. This usually goes beyond eCommerce sales process. In some cases you want to trigger purchasing side of it. If you know Vendor/Item association, take Vendor Master file: PM00200 and then if needed – but this is too complicated without eConnect – work with Purchase Order Processing module

• Distribution Analyzing technique. Ask your GP operators to enter typical transaction and watch how it is distributed in SOP tables.

• Posting process. This is usually the duty of the GP end user and in order to do posting – you have to go over the borders of eConnect limitations – eConnect creates Work documents as a rule

Please do not hesitate to call or email us: USA 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918 help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com - http://www.greatplains.com.mx - http://www.enterlogix.com.br ) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.

We are serving USA Nationwide: CA, IL, NY, FL, AZ, CO, TX, WI, WA, MI, MA, MO, LA, NM, MN, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, San Diego, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Minneapolis, Washington, Baltimore, New Orleans, Austin

1. What determines the software price? Is it Per Seat or Per User or Per Processor?

The cost of software is determined in many ways. The two most popular ways are Per Seat or Per Concurrent User. Per Seat is determined by how many seats in your business will be using the software at any given time. On the other hand, Per Concurrent User is based on a set amount of users that can access the software at one time. (Example: concurrent users means a program with a license for 5 users can be installed on 100 machines but only a maximum of 5 people can use the system at once.) Per Processor is calculated on how many machines (PC’s or servers) the software will be running on. Many larger enterprise software applications use this method to determine their prices.

2. What types of on-site services are included in the purchase?

Many programs that are higher in price should include some amount of on-site services or support. If it does not, ensure that both (service & support) are built into your contract before purchasing. But, beware that this is the area where companies make most of their profit. Some companies count on your returning with requests for customizations of the software. Now that you have the software and have spent significant time purchasing hardware and dedicating resources, they know you are already “half way in the pool”; they also know that you will have trouble refusing to pay extra money to get what you want. These services can include anything from training classes, customizations, or help with installation issues. In the case of local software companies, keep in mind they should automatically provide some sort of on-site services (at a minimum) before purchasing. This can only help to streamline your implementation process and increase the likelihood of your success, with the added benefit of a higher return on investment (ROI). Who wouldn’t like to have that?

3. Is there a guarantee of satisfaction with their software?

This is most widely overlooked when purchasing software. Sometimes unsatisfied users will expect a refund after deciding that it is not what they want. My experience has been that once the developer receives payment for software, it can take next to a miracle to get a refund of any kind. Prior to purchasing your next piece of software, be sure to find out their return policy and number of days that you can have the software in your hands and still be able to send it back to get a full or partial refund. With custom-developed software it can be even trickier for the buyer, you will need to build this into the contract before work begins. It goes without saying how important it is to determine this up front in case you change your mind.

4. What is the turnaround time for getting “bugs” fixed?

Some companies will say that they will fix software issues as soon as you find one. There are others that will compile the list of “bug” fixes and release it on a scheduled basis convenient for them. This can happen either monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or yearly. Neither path is better or worse, as long as you are dealing with a reputable software company that stays true to their word. Knowing this before purchasing the software allows you to better handle your software end-users and enables you to provide a more accurate time frame of when your users will see changes or have their issues resolved.

5. How often do program updates go out and do they notify customers?

This is another widely overlooked key item. There are two lines of thought that companies can use for updating customers. The company might decide not to notify its customers at all when updates rollout. They may think that if the customer has a problem they will contact them. At that time would they inform the user of an available update? Beware of this method of service, or lack there of. Steer clear of companies that do not provide this as an option to their clients. The second line of thought would be for the company to notify its customers regularly about updates. They may also offer an option of including the customer on a mailing list. In this case be sure that they have multiple contacts that are on the email distribution list so that everyone who should know will not be left out of communications loop. If the software company does not offer either one of these options, you might want to reconsider your decision.

6. Is the proposed software scalable in design?

Software that is scalable in design simply means that it can easily grow with your business, at minimal cost to you. Factors include end user customizations, current database structure, and inputs and outputs like reports, and connectivity to your other database systems. Scalability is very important for small businesses, because they are dynamic in growth. No one wants to jump through hoops of testing, development, customizations, and training, to purchase software only to find out a year later that you have outgrown it and you need to replace it. With proper planning at the time of purchase only you can increase your chances for a successful software experience.

7. Can the system be customized to meet your business needs?

If you require customizations to the software to meet a specific need, a good rule of thumb is that it should be no more than a 1/3 of the price of the software price. Never forget that many times software companies will negotiate with you on customization. As a customer any software company worth your time should want to keep you happy. In some cases there may need to be some give and take by both parties. A good rule of thumb would be to always discuss your needs with management directly. Gatekeepers tend to drag their feet at times. Purchasing software knowing that you will need to make major changes should be a sign that you really need to take a step back and look at all of your options including: in-house development, outsourcing, and partnering with software developers to cut the price.

8. What are the typical hurdles that you can expect with your planned installation?

No matter what generation (e.g. 1yr 2nd version, 10 yrs 4th version, etc…) the software is currently in, the software company should at least be able to warn you of the hurdles that they have experienced in implementations they have done. If not, this should raise a red flag for you. The software company should be keeping track of this type of information, especially if they are constantly attempting to improve their products. You will find that they sometimes run into the same issues 2 or 3 times before they take notice and take action to investigate and resolve it before future installations.

9. What are the hours of support and how does their support department operate?

Whether you are across town or on the other side of the world, if you need help and support is not available to you, the only option will be to take the system down for an unknown length of time and wait for help. Before getting married to a software company by purchasing their product, find out where the company is located and if the company has what I define as a “passive” or “active” customer support system. Follow up with pointed questions like, ”Will you only return my call at certain hours of the day?”, “Will I have to leave messages and wait at the phone for your callback?”, “Will I have a direct callback from a representative or will I be reassigned to someone different every time I call?”. Finding this information out earlier rather then later should give you peace of mind when an urgent situation or quick answer is needed.

10. Ask if there is a list of items that have been requested to be included in the next update of the software. If possible also request a date of completion for the items on the list.

Before they say no, put them at ease by letting them know that your goal is to find out what features they might be including so that you can plan ahead for your business. Chances are that if someone requested something, you will also be able to make use of this feature. Also obtaining this list will benefit you in three other ways:

About The Author

Brett Johnson is the principal advisor for Johnson Advisory Group. His company specializes in providing impartial purchase assistance to individuals and businesses looking for software to meet their specific needs. Utilizing his insider’s knowledge to ask the right questions, get the right answers, resulting in the right decision. If you would like to learn more about purchasing assistance for your business software and our supporting workshops or other technology services for your business, don’t hesitate to contact Johnson Advisory Group, or e-mail Brett Johnson at brett@johnsongroups.com

Windows is Your Friend!

This is actually a feature built in to all versions of Windows, a free gift from Microsoft. The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is there to help you. Sometimes people work too hard, and they need a break from the computer. Windows automatically senses this (although sometimes it is fooled by excessive cursing and/or pounding on the keyboard), and forces you to take a break by displaying the BSOD.

Most people find that if they shut down the computer, consume a mind-altering substance, and then resume working, things work pretty much better for the rest of the day. However, if you find that the BSOD is popping up even when you’re NOT over-worked or over-stressed, there may be a hardware and/or software issue involved.

What Causes the Blue Screen of Death?

Sometimes bad or flaky memory (RAM memory, not your hard drive) can cause seemingly random system crashes. If you have just the right combination of programs open and system memory in use, and your computer tries to access a "bad spot" on a RAM chip, the results can be unpredictable. Or they can be the Blue Screen of Death. You can try replacing your RAM sticks one at a time to see if the problem goes away. This involves opening up the system unit and looking at scary wires and stuff, so for some people just living with the problem may be a workable option.

More likely, you have a software problem. Some programs just don’t get along… they trample on each other’s memory spaces and confusion (or the BSOD) results. And it seems that Windows just gets old and cranky the longer you have it installed. You may solve the problem by re-installing the Windows operating system and/or your software packages. If the problem seems to be limited to one particular program, try re-installing just that one first.

Time For a New Computer?

And sometimes, bad things just happen to good computers. If your computer is more than three years old, it may be functionally obsolete. Read How to Buy a Computer article for help in determining if a new PC is the right solution for you.

BOB RANKIN… is a tech writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and sharing the fruit of his experience with others. His work has appeared in ComputerWorld, NetGuide, and NY Newsday. Bob is publisher of the Internet TOURBUS newsletter, author of several computer books, and creator of the http://LowfatLinux.com website. Visit Bob Rankin’s website for more helpful articles and free tech support.

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains was purchased from Great Plains Software and Great Plains Software itself had strong international marketing plans and campaigns. If we look back to 1990th – we’ll see that GPS had Multilanguage support and Great Plains Dynamics / Dynamics C/S+ was localized and translated into multiple languages, including Spanish. Localization means not only the translation, but also adaptation to specific local country tax rules (Sales Tax versus Value Added Tax VAT, GST, specific payroll taxes, etc.). Let’s consider typical case when we see international company with headquarters and distribution centers in the US and manufacturing and purchasing in Mexico

• Multicurrency. As we expect to do the business in Mexican pesos – all the Purchase Orders, Vendor Invoices, Some sales invoices (what we sell to the parent company in the USA, for example) will be stated in Peso. But the Mexican company will report in USD and its financial statements will be in US$ for consolidation and reporting in the USA. Nowadays you usually see this work done in FRx financial reporting, where Mexican facility will be a leaf of the FRX reporting tree. In any case – all the historical exchange rates will be recorded (you can also create Web Service, updating these rates from the published exchange rates). In Great Plains you do it by setting USD as functional currency and issuing docs in Peso and then revaluating and posting Gain or Loss on multicurrency transactions to GL

• Sales Tax/VAT. Mexico uses VAT, which is very common also in Europe. However if in Europe it is usually incorporated in the price list – Mexico may use both approaches. Great Plains has pretty comprehensive VAT support.

• Spanish Alphabet. Is supported and you can have both English version in the US and Spanish version in Mexico working of the same Great Plains environment

• Central Location. You can host your Great Plains installation in the US and have Mexican users connected over the remote desktop connection. Consider Windows 2003 Terminal server licenses. Some functionality could be realized through Microsoft Business Portal – which is web-based application. The other way is to have server in Mexico and have relatively inexpensive Microsoft Great Plains data be consolidated with Oracle, SAP, PeopleSoft based system in the USA.

Good luck with support and if you have issues or concerns – we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-630-961-5918 or 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew is a Great Plains specialist in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving clients in Mexico-city, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, New Orleans, Toronto, Montreal and having locations in multiple states and internationally

Software Wants to Be Free…

…but users want it to be safe. Free software is everywhere, which makes it incredibly difficult these days to find the best of any particular kind. And then there’s the fact that "freeware" is not always free. Some freeware is just poorly written and may cause your computer to crash. Some are a conduit for spam and other system invasion techniques. Others are illegal copies of commercial software that can land you in legal trouble.

Nevertheless, there are several excellent software packages that are truly free, high quality, and useful. For general computer tasks and other fun stuff, here are some of my favorite sources:

Practice Safe Computing

Here’s some advice to keep in mind when looking for good freeware downloads:

Elaborating on that last point, there are some rogue sites in cyberspace that appear to offer free software, but the downloads contain spyware, adware, trojan horses and viruses. Here are some dependable freeware sites you can trust:

www.download.com

www.pcworld.com/downloads

www.nonags.com

www.majorgeeks.com

One final tip: Add to caution a dose of prevention. Make sure your system is up to date and keep it free of malware. See my article How can I avoid computer viruses? for details on how to protect yourself from viruses and other nasties.

BOB RANKIN… is a tech writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and sharing the fruit of his experience with others. His work has appeared in ComputerWorld, NetGuide, and NY Newsday. Bob is publisher of the Internet TOURBUS newsletter, author of several computer books, and creator of the http://LowfatLinux.com website. Visit Bob Rankin’s website for more helpful articles and free tech support.

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has substantial market share and strong support by Microsoft on the US market. Currently we see the trend in the vertical markets when companies with custom-built accounting application, usually written on legacy platform are switching to standard and proven ERP solution and customize or tailor it to fit their vertical market requirements. We’ll be publishing series of vertical articles: Logistics, Distribution Centers, Warehouse Management, Barcoding, Shipping/Receiving, eCommerce, EDI, Wholesale. Today we’ll give you Wholesale tailoring scenario

Sales Order Processing improvements to work with large number of wholesale order takers:

1. Sales Order Processing stand alone Great Plains Dexterity application, which works with Microsoft Great Plains SQL databases to feed in orders. This application, written as from scratch Dexterity application doesn’t requires hundreds of Great Plains user licenses and will work with SOP tables with improved functionality

2. Online Sales History by Customer. If you are order taker and this is wholesale business – each customer has certain level of negotiated price, which it is comfortable to pay. Also this customer is ordering known set of products from you. It is nice to have list of historical items he ordered in the past several months and their negotiated prices

3. Recommend Items to your customer. You can easily design items to recommend logic, when you link your new items or related items with the items your customer is usually ordered. This is how Amazon book sale works!

4. Sales People Competition. In addition to the above online sales tools you can have average profitability of the item per period and by sales person (assuming negotiation scenarios). Here you can have logic implemented allowing certain level of negotiation room and variable commission, related to strong negotiation and sales skills

Considering Microsoft Great Plains – majority of the logic above is implemented and could be implemented in Great Plains Dexterity. Alternative platform would be Microsoft C# or VB.Net ASPX web programming with Microsoft Great Plains at the back end. You can use such tools as eConnect to work with Great Plains object creation and retrieving or go ahead with direct SQL Stored Procedure. To certain level you could use legacy technologies, such as Great Plains Modifier with Continuum for VB, VBA scripting, etc.

Good luck and you can always seek our help in customization, implementation, integration and support. Call us: 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving Chicago, California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, Australia, UK, Canada, Continental Europe, Russia and having locations in multiple states and internationally ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK