|
|
|||||||||||||
**** NewsBytes **** NewsBytes **** NewsBytes ****
MAD about elevenses
The findings of a 3-year old study, which revealed that small business managers spent twice as much on tea and coffee every year as they did on developing web services and e-commerce, still holds true. Mark Temple, CEO of MAD Productions who carried out the original study says company chiefs need a change in mindset in order to adopt the right Internet business strategy and change their websites into a business asset rather than an overhead. Source: MAD Productions
BB15
Identity theft
With ID frauds costing the UK £1.3bn a year, and identity theft web site has been launched to help victims with card and document. www.identity-theft.org.uk.
Meanwhile, in the US President Bush has just signed the Theft Penalty Enhancement Act that increases to 2 years the sentences for stealing stealing credit card numbers and personal data.
Read about the big ideas for ID cards.Yllw Pgs
The Yellow Pages online service has supersized its search facilities and also compacted the entries for access by mobile phone on http://mobile.yell.com and as text messages on 80248. www.yell.com
Blue bling
Our predictions on wireless-enabled jewellery, made at the end of InfoBulletin's January 2003 article on smartphones comes a step closer with Bluespoon's ear phone. Supposedly the "smallest headset in the world", it's an in-ear Bluetooth receiver that fits snugly inside your lobe rather than clipping on with a spring. At just a penny short of two hundred quid though, it's up to fashion victims to pass off these emperor's new clothes. www.blue-spoon.com/
Global demand for servers
The US market will lead an increasing world-wide demand for both Linux and Windows servers in the the next few years, according to a new report from analysts IDC. Server expenditure for 2004 is predicted to grow by 5%, growing at 3.8% to a market worth $60.8bn in 2008. Windows-based servers are projected to account for 60% of server shipments with Linux at 29%.
MEMBERS 2004 exhibition
A programme of free seminars and demonstrations will take place at MEMBERS 2004 - the Membership Management Technology Exhibition and should interest those concerned with IT within the non-profit sector. The show will be held on Thursday 16 September at The Business Design Centre in Islington, London N1. Exhibitors already signed up include Computer Software Ltd. (Integra), Decisions Express, Thames Information Systems, Accounting Answers, Digital Steps and Associa. http://www.members.it
**** end of NewsBytes ****
| ^ Back to contents ^ | ||||||||||
|
1. VOIP: We're talking digits here
Telephones are about to become Internet devices. Will communications improve as a result? | ||||||||||
| More help at hand. All the back issues just a click away |
For most of us, our first contact with any mention of IP Telephony (IPT) or Voice Over IP (VOIP) probably only raised a spark of interest because of the possibility of cheaper phone calls. Getting to grips with VOIPEssentially this is all about sending live voice communication (telephony) over the existing networks we use for computing (in-house Local Area Networks, Wide Area Networks and Internetworks), as opposed to the traditional phone networks that we lease from BT or your friendly (hopefully) telecoms company.One of the attractions is that getting your voice online can be free and is just a download away.
Beyond this minimal hardware, all you need to do is download some software. We tested two of the free contenders ...
Skype or hype?We found Skype calls were indeed of fairly good sound quality, even over a dial-up modem line. Their claims that it does not require you to reconfigure your firewall or router were also true for us and this above anything else gets you 'hands-on' within minutes.
Once you have done the registration bit, it's just a matter of either searching for another Skype user to talk to (out of the millions who have 'joined the club'), with the one-click search tool, or typing the Skype user name of someone you already know.
Teaming Up
TeamSpeak remedies this somewhat by giving your own server application to run on a computer that you make publicly available on the Internet - almost any machine will do. Plugging into the rest of the networkWhen you have worn out the patience of friends and relatives by dialling them across the Internet for the sheer novelty value, it dawns in fairly short order that the rest of the planet has its own communication networks - terrestrial and mobile telephones - and that none of those are connected to your splendidly isolated setup.
However, this situation may not remain for much longer as a string of telecoms companies are poised to (or have plans to) launch Voice Over IP services, effectively connecting their large private telephone networks to the Internet. How much?Although they won't be offering their private networks for free, the arrival of younger companies competing in the Internet telephony stakes may cause charges to drop - you only have to look back at the last 2 years of broadband price cuts to make a comparison.The larger traditional telcos, like Alcatel, Avaya, Mitel, Nortel, Siemens and of course BT, are naturally keen to emphasise that their own IPT services sound better are more feature-rich and inherently secure than budget versions, but new starters like GossipTel, Skype and Vonage are nipping at their heels and scooping the market. Just as with mobile phone rates, a jumble of varying tariffs and options present themselves, but the simpler ones will win most customers in these early stages. Certainly the promise of cheaper international and national calls look attractive on paper (or web site), but beware if your organisation needs to place a lot of calls to mobiles, since these can often work out more expensive. It's all about what deals the new VOIP telecom companies can negotiate with their older rivals in order to connect to the traditional phone networks on which most of us still depend. 
Adapt and surviveA quick and accessible method of attaching your new VOIP service to the traditional network is by placing a grey box between your broadband line and a BT-style handset or cordless phone.A bonus is that you may effectively get a second line by connecting two handsets, allowing two conversations simultaneously. The alternative is either an "IP Phone" - a physical portable handset already configured for VOIP use - or the adaptation of some computing device, like a portable PDA, with additional VOIP software. Playing the numbers gameAlthough considered technically difficult and undesirable at first, the dialling of a traditional telephone number to make the connection was a feature absent in Internet telephony. However, companies like GossipTel and Vonage are now attaching phone numbers to their customer accounts, with the former offering 0870 UK numbers and the latter implementing virtual US area codes.Press 1 for a virus, 2 for a Trojan ...The ability, indeed, necessity of some softphones like Skype to bypass firewalls to make for easy configuration has concerned those who deal with network security, particularly where the possibility exists of inviting viruses as a side effect.
Furthermore the universal H.323 protocol on which much VOIP phone software relies is argued by industry pundits as being flawed because of its inherent malleability. SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) looks like the protocol of preference if viruses and security holes in IP-based telephones are to be avoided. Benefits of VOIP
Drawbacks
Emergencies - cover your back!Analogue lines are old style lines as used by your fax line or at home. As many organisations upgrade to all singing and dancing ISDN30 or even IP phone systems, bear in mind an analogue line needs to be maintained by law for safety reasons. If the power goes off, the modern phone system will go dead and you still need the ability to reach the emergency services (or maybe even us!) It's also a handy, basic, low-cost fallback to let people know that your phone system is down.Contacts
-IB-
|
Good read? Rate this article | ||||||||
| I | B | |||||||||
All you need is a computer (and that can be a Windows- or Linux-based one) and something to talk and listen with. That's best achieved with a headset with a boom microphone already attached, like those used in call centres or on your favourite insurance TV ad. 
| ^ Back to contents ^ | ||||
|
2. Ringing the changes: BT Feature Line
First we were introduced to the idea of a mobile phone without the hardware. Now you can have a whole exchange without the hardware - well practically. | ||||
| More help at hand. All the back issues just a click away |
Faced with taking over ownership of an ageing telephone exchange and all its attendant costs, campaigning group Operation Black Vote decided to look around at the choices.
Their alternative to the traditional PABX - or Private Automated Branch Exchange - turned out to be not to have one at all!
I spoke to Rafiq Maricar, who looks after IT matters at OBV. He cites cost as a major penalty for going down the conventional phone-exchange-on-the-wall route. "A 'proper' exchange was going to be £3,000 plus calls plus line rental plus maintenance plus handsets. Also some other services like group setup were charged as extra. The company also offered a company mail server, but we didn't want the IT side integrated with the phone system."
The happy alternative came to the rescue in the form of BT's Feature Line - effectively a hardware-free phone exchange. OBV had set out their relatively modest requirements as being :
How they did itIt took one or two weeks to set up, but that included the time for BT to install a new line (OBV previous shared with another organisation and split a share of the bills) but there was no installation charge (normally around £69).A distribution point was installed within their building, as normal, but that box still belongs to BT. 
The only additional cost (and it's a once off) is that you have to buy the actual handsets that you are going to make and receive calls with. However, even that has a feelgood factor in that you can go out choose anything you like as long as it's 'BT compatible' or BABT approved.
Perhaps you fancy a Karma Chameleon phone as seen on the BT ad?
Veering towards less extrovert options, Rafiq comments: How it works for themSo how does this all magically tick without seeming to have any equipment running it?The answer is that you effectively lease a portion of your local BT exchange.
Or in techspeak .... Thus when you dial another of your phones from within your organisation via Feature Line, the call routes out to the local exchange and back into your office again. However, you are not charged for these internal calls.
Rafiq explains with an example: "We rent 9 Feature Lines from the local Mile End exchange (PBX).
There is no contract on the line rental, but there is on call tariffs. Long term contracts can attract discounts of up to 20%. Top three benefits
Main drawbacks
Bills - the bottom lineBills are itemised on line via a web site. You get basic billing for up to five phones plus paper bills for free (unlike many mobile companies who charge for paper records).Each line is invoiced separately (unless you request for them to be combined) which is useful as it allows group costs to be allocated to projects or departments.
OBV now has a phone system that can grow with them and if there are any software upgrades, BT takes care of those 'invisibly'. "It does everything we wanted it to. We don't have any complaints." ... the most valuable feature you could want! How to make it happenVisit www.bt.com/featureline/Contacts
Paul Craig -IB- Operation Black Vote is the first initiative to focus exclusively on the Black democratic deficit in the UK and campaigns for a strong political voice for African, Asian, Caribbean and other ethnic minorities. |
Good read? Rate this article | ||
| I | B | |||
| ^ Back to contents ^ | ||||||||||
|
3. Big ID(ea)
David Blunkett has got a big ID(ea).
It's going to cost big money and have big implications for your privacy and freedom. But is it just dangerous grandstanding and will it work? | ||||||||||
| More help at hand. All the back issues just a click away |
In November last year David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, announced he was going to have another go at introducing a national identity scheme - based on a National Register and an ID Card. He had previously abandoned such a scheme (then styled an Entitlement Card) as it was "ill-advised" and probably would not work. So what has changed? The September 11th Twin Towers attack and the Morecambe Bay incident where 19 Chinese workers died have highlighted fear of both terrorism and illegal immigration. Although a US State Department report "Patterns of Global Terrorism" says there is a 25-year low in terrorist attacks - the UK Government has to be seen to be doing something. This time the Government intends to phase the scheme in over nine years. They expect 80 per cent of the adult population to have an ID Card by 2013. This card will be linked to a national database with at least basic personal information, a digital photograph and a "biometric" - which may include fingerprints, an iris scan and facial recognition. The Government estimates that this will cost at least £3 billion from the taxpayer - plus a fee comparable to (or more expensive than) a passport every five years instead of ten. This assumes that there is no function creep and that the IT project comes in on budget. The idea is for the scheme to be 'voluntary' but the Government wants to reserve the right to make it compulsory with very strict penalties of law at an unknown future date. Critics say: if it is so useful and necessary why not compulsory and why not now? If there is £3 billion plus on the table to fight crime, terrorism and illegal immigration isn't there a better way to spend the money than on something that may or may not work a decade from now? This scheme is intended to assist in the fight against illegal working "giving employers a recognisable secure way of ensuring people are entitled to work - and making it easier to prosecute those employers who break the law." It is also assumed that the UK's lack of internal ID is why so many illegal immigrants come here - although most data suggests that we get few more than any body else. Entitled to your own id?Another reason given is to "disrupt the use of false and multiple identities by terrorists and organised crime groups such as money laundering which supports their terrorist or other criminal activities. Using multiple identities is one of the most common practices of those involved in terrorist activity." The use of the term 'disrupt' is interesting. The Government has admitted that the use of an ID Card will have little effect on crime or terrorism - although when the tabloids claim it will work they are not quick to correct them.As for multiple identities, - terrorists usually use their own names - consider that married women, people with alternative name spellings and Cliff Richard (born Harry Webb) have legitimate alternative identities and will now become criminals under the proposals. The Government also hopes its scheme will serve as an 'entitlement card' to prevent 'health tourism', but doctors will not be expected to enforce this - indeed some have refused. And finally it is assumed that a national ID register and card will eliminate identity theft. The reasoning here is that other definitive lists - such as Social Security numbers have become compromised - one estimate suggest there are as many as 80 million in a population of 60 million. The Government is pinning its hopes on the integrity of a new list that they assume they can keep 'clean'.
Will IT work?When it comes to public IT projects, the Government has a poor record. When children were required to have their own passports the system came to a grinding halt. In the course of researching this article sources within the Civil Service were approached to find out what Government IT projects came in on time and on budget to find out what kind of schemes had worked to plan and which had problems. At the time of publication, a government IT project that came in on time and on budget has yet to be found.
Who are you (kidding)?One of the big questions over all this is the use of 'biometrics'. There we all are on this über-database of names and addresses, pictures, fingerprints, iris scans, and perhaps even DNA records. All held digitally. If the computer says you are David Blunkett - then you are David Blunkett - even if your mum says "That's my Jimmy". Even the Government admits that some people may fool the system, but if they do they "will be the wrong person for the rest of their life" says Blunkett.
But if they get it right it will be unforgeable - right? It will be difficult - but not impossible. Commercially available software and a PC in the hands of someone who knows what to do will inevitably open up possibilities for a whole new industry of forgers. Given time and incentive, all systems can be subverted.
Even if the whole thing works it will only be useful if the information is useable. When teaching assistants had to go on a register, schools around the country had a delayed school year because of the time it took to check all the records. Inputting all the data in the first place would be a mammoth task. Keeping it up to date will require enthusiastic co-operation from everyone on the database telling the Government where they live, when they move and cheerfully surrendering all information future governments will subsequently require. What about privacy?Of course there is talk of "safeguards" but it is not entirely clear who will have access to this data. If police superintendents and chief executives of local authorities need to sign off before a clerk or lowly police constable can check your personal records against your tax records and employment history, then that seems at least a reasonable safeguard in some people's eyes. But it brings into question how such people having this information about you will prevent crime, terrorism or illegal immigration. On the other hand, if any ordinary local government or central government officer can access this data freely - then the information might as well be on a public website where at least we can check for errors about ourselves - because journalists and organised crime will certainly have ready access under these circumstances.
The National Registration scheme represents a major shift in the relationship between the citizen and the Government. If it goes ahead we will only exist if the Government says we do. Corruption or deletion of the data - whether malicious or accidentally - will have major repercussions for real people. In the middle ages retreating armies used to burn their own territory to deny it to the enemy. This was called a 'scorched earth policy'. In the 21st century the Government seems to be proposing that we protect our freedom from terrorists, criminals and 'Johnny foreigner' by destroying it ourselves. Related articles
-IB- About the author Andy Robson is an Internet consultant and journalist with Working Websites www.working.co.uk. He is also an advisor on Internet strategy and marketing to the NGO sector - including the No2id campaign www.no2id.net. |
Good read? Rate this article | ||||||||
| I | B | |||||||||
| ^ Back to contents ^ | ||
|
4. Email: the spoofing trick
One of the most common questions we receive at present is "I am getting email bounces or people are complaining about mails I haven't sent. Is our email security compromised?" | ||
| More help at hand. All the back issues just a click away |
Mails of this sort come under a huge variety of undesirable headings: from porn through trickery to plain old commercial junk or the spreading of email-borne viruses. Unless you have an insecure wireless network or a disgruntled employee who's about to walk, the quick answer is almost certainly not.
Now that over three quarters of global emails constitute junk mail, you are even more likely than before to receive adverts and viruses by email, or even the one kind purporting to be the other.
Is it spam? How to tellExamining closely the To: field of the message (in Outlook, right-click and select "Options"), you typically see addressees such as: jbloggs@hotmail.com, jblogges@hotmail.com, jblueberry@hotmail.com, etc. It then moves on to the other common domains like aol.com, yahoo.com with similar prefixes, dumbly stabbing at potential prey by covering all the possibilities, so you can tell the names are likely to have been harvested automatically, for instance, from web sites that list your email address.Even where your own domain (after the @ symbol) appears in an ordered alphabetical list - in this case blitzing the "J"s - then it's a blatant case of spamming. Where your email address has apparently been employed in the From: field as well, then sadly, you have been doubly abused. Protection racketSpammers do this to protect themselves from the noisy barrage of complaints from irate recipients (and in the case of the more IT-militant, returned email bombs). By substituting false email addresses, perhaps from innocent third parties like you, the culprits hide their own return e-mail address.Not in my name?Where your own domain (yourorg.org.uk let's say) starts to appear several times among the addresses, then straight spamming is less likely to be the culprit, and neither is it a concerted effort to attack YourOrg plc.
Let's be honest here, if your organisation were a multi-national household name with a domain name to match, then spammers would be plaguing you night and day - but then you'd have an IT army and budget to compensate! Many viruses now combine their own SMTP mail server and an ability to analyse address books stored on a PC, and then to jumble up the address prefix and suffix - in effect an automated spamming tool that spreads. But the focus of these viruses is not email per se - that's just a transmission medium - the idea is to infect more computers with their payload, be that a tool for corrupting documents or a gateway to invite more viruses. Thus, disguised attachments like aboutyou.doc.exe or documents.zip frequently accompany the emails to entice recipients into opening the payload. As the virus sends out its payload to addresses it has cobbled together, the naive owner of the infected PC may (or worse may not) notice that their Internet connection is going like the clappers, even when they're just writing a document, but feels powerless to understand why. Until someone points out their lack of anti-virus software, that is. Hence, a virus is even less fussy about whose email it appears to be sending from and will even patch one together up out of the handy directory it finds on the nearest host machine. So, another clue in the To: field is that you find 'cobbled' addresses, eg francois@yourorg.org.uk and yet no "Francois" ever passed through your offices. Like family trees and soap operas, the answer is probably that Francois is friend of a colleague within YourOrg, with both of their addresses residing in the PC of a third common party - the infected machine. Although technically more difficult to achieve, even IP addresses can be 'spoofed' so even searching for the IP number behind the email is no guarantee of finding the rogue machine or the guilty spammer. Mind over matterUnfortunately, while locating this 'third party' and their disruptive equipment isn't always a ready solution, simply knowing that YourOrg does not have a security problem and definitely is not the culprit puts you in a sufficiently relaxed stated of mind to bin the offending email with any further cares.Some of the nastier side effects is that it is less easy to trust blocking lists (blacklisting services), but while the infected rogue machine is a problem that can eventually be solved, the long term problem of spammers one that must be solved ultimately by political and legal means. Contacts
Learn more about combatting spam and viruses. -IB-
|
Good read? Rate this article |
| I | B | |
| ^ Back to contents ^ | ||
|
5. Are you getting enough hits?
Visibility, accessibility and interactivity are the keys to building an online community | ||
| More help at hand. All the back issues just a click away |
Generating traffic and repeat visits are the cornerstones of web strategy in the charity and NGO sectors. In order to do this you need to ensure that your site is not only accessible to those that want to visit it, but also interesting and captivating enough to persuade them to come back, again and again. There are a number of techniques you can employ, some simple, others a bit more sophisticated, which can be used to create a vibrant community spirit around your website.
Web PresenceThe best designed website is of little use if no-one can find it! Apart from advertising your domain, the most common method potential visitors will use to find your site is via search engines such as Google, Yahoo, AltaVista etc. It is essential, therefore, that your site is indexed on these databases. Submitting your site to the literally hundreds of search engines is time-consuming and tedious - while there are applications which allow you to mass submit to dozens of engines at once the more popular engines require elaborate forms to be completed before they will spider your site. However it is a crucial chore that must be undertaken if you are to achieve presence of the web.Ensuring optimum visibility on the search engines is an even more complex process as each has different ways of ranking 'relevance' in search listings. Some companies, for whom positioning in search results is of paramount importance, employ consultants to analyse access logs to find the optimum configuration for their website. However, there are a number of routine due-diligence procedures which will ensure that your website is as prominent as it should be. These include the indexing of all pages with the requisite 'meta tags' such as page titles, descriptions and keywords. Again, this work takes time and involves entering keywords and descriptions into the "head" section of your website pages, creating descriptive page titles which make use of your keywords, tailoring the first paragraph of text on each page to include one or two keywords, adding "alt" tags to all images and where possible including keywords. You can also insert code, which instructs the search engine robot to spider the site at regular intervals to ensure information on search engine indices is kept up to date. More lateral marketing techniques to divert surfers to your web address include banner advertising, the formation of strategic partnerships with related websites such as the exchange of reciprocal links and participation in web rings and newsgroups. Indeed, most search engines take into account the number of 'inbound' links to your site from other sites - in general the more hyperlinks to your site which appear on the web the higher you will be ranked.
AccessibilityNow your visitor has found your site, but are you sure they will be able to find their way around it? An intuitive navigation system, which combines a number of different means of pinpointing the information contained within is an absolute must. A site search engine, site map and the use of drop down menus have become de-rigueur in modern web design and will enable your visitors to effortlessly and speedily find what they are looking for. You should always try, where possible, to adhere to the 'three-click' rule i.e. that every page or file on the site should be accessible within three clicks from the homepage.Over two million people in the UK have a visual impairment, many of whom use screen-readers to surf the web. Guidelines have been published by WWW Consortiums (W3C) under its Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) which describe the procedures which must be used when designing and building websites to make them compatible with screen readers. It is now mandatory that government websites comply with the minimum level of the WAI. To ensure your site is legally compliant, universally acceptable and that you are able to display the WAI logo you should instruct your web designers to follow these guidelines which require the correct use of colour, mark-up language and style sheets tables, textual navigation mechanisms and text alternatives to animations and images. You may also consider developing a 'text only' option on the site and even provide text sizing. Although English is the unofficial language of the Internet, not everyone who visits your site may be that fluent. To ensure that your site does not discriminate against non-English speakers, you may wish to integrate Multilanguage capability which can be database-driven (i.e. you don't have to build a mirror site from scratch) and use automatic translation technology such as Systran.
Interactive FeaturesSo your visitor has found your site and is able to explore it easily and find what they are looking for. How can you make the experience so enjoyable and satisfying that they feel compelled to return back at a later date?There are a number of techniques you can use which can help to provide a dynamic and above all interactive experience for the visitor. Feedback mechanisms such as online forms, email contacts etc. not only give you valuable advice, but also make the user feel they are contributing. An 'email update' facility, in which visitors that register on the site are automatically notified (by email) when a particular section or page is updated is a simple way of driving repeat visits. Organisations which are interested in providing a more immediate feedback mechanism may wish to incorporate a 'helpdesk' facility. Essentially this is a real-time instant message platform which allows visitors to interact with a representative of your organisation online rather like a chartroom. Most business websites have a section dedicated to news. However, it is almost certainly counter-productive to include a news area that is not kept updated. There's nothing worse when visiting an online news section than finding that the last story was posted 18 months ago. It creates a very negative impression of your organisation: either it is so dull that nothing interesting ever happens or you consider the website so unimportant that its not worth updating. Either way, it is unlikely to inspire the visitor to come back. A scrolling area, which displays, say, the three most recent news headlines with links to the stories can be an eye-catching addition to your homepage. Including a 'Members' area on your site is another way of generating repeat visits and a sense of ownership in your site. Protected by a username and password, such areas can offer personalised menus, a place where confidential or personal information can be exchanged and act as a more intimate channel of communication between the organisation and its members, customers or stakeholders. Another method of fostering a sense of community around the website is a message board which allows your visitors to post comments directly to an online forum and from which other users can reply and interact with each other. Contributions can be limited to registered users only and the feature can be set-up to allow you to moderate its content by removing any unwanted or out of date messages. A 'customer review' function in which visitors add comments and reviews of the products or services they have purchased or experienced is another mechanism of creating interactivity. It works in much the same way that reviews of books and videos are posted by visitors to ecommerce sites such as Amazon and Bol. Certain pages can include a 'post your review here' - the link then opens an online form inviting comments from the visitor which can be sent to a moderator prior to being posted on the live site. Not all of these interactive features will necessarily fit the profile of your website. However, incorporating interactivity must be seen as a key ingredient to the overall mix of techniques to build your online community.
-IB- About the Author Fergus McCloskey is Managing Director of London-based web design agency Template Business Support Services Ltd. All of the features discussed in this article have been implemented in a sample charity website which can be explored at www.templatebusiness.com/charity. For further information please contact Fergus on +44 (0) 20 8981 9222, email fergus@templatebusiness.com or visit www.templatebusiness.com. |
Good read? Rate this article |
| I | B | |
| ^ Back to contents ^ | ||
|
6. Beware the "lock in"
The sort of lock-in party you don't want to get invited to! | ||
| More help at hand. All the back issues just a click away |
Who's buyin' ?When it comes to support contracts, a common scenario we encounter is this:
"Charity X enters support contract with supplier Lockin plc.
The deal looks good and the per annum charge is the going rate for the sector. The following year Charity X's IT needs change. Or the charity discover Lockin actually aren't that bothered in responding to their requests for help.
Charity X seek to end the contract. The answer (unfortunately too late for some) is :
At Co-Operative Systems, our standard contract is just one year unless you request otherwise. Contacts-IB- Philip Anthony |
Good read? Rate this article |
| I | B | |
| ^ Back to contents ^ | ||
|
7. Changes to our Service Level Agreement (SLA)
| ||
| More help at hand. All the back issues just a click away |
Many organisations having to tighten up on policies and procedures (often to comply with legislation or ensure security) and, coupled with increasingly fragmented employment arrangements - fulltimers, part-timers, freelancers, portfolio workers, agency staff, outsourced tasks, partnership agreements - it is very important that any procedures you need people to follow are agreed with everyone involved with your organisation.
Essentially, the law is that people cannot be held responsible for breaching organisational procedures they haven't been informed about or agreed to. With this in mind, we have made following addition to our standard Service Level Agreement (SLA) :
Organisation Policies & ProceduresCo-0perative Systems staff's will act on site and in their dealings with your organisation and staff in accordance with their employment contract with Co-Operative Systems and Co-operative Systems' policies and procedures, these cover issues such as time keeping, dress code, IT acceptable usage policy, communication, confidentiality, etc. If your organisation has any procedures, policies or guidelines that you need our staff to follow, for legal enforcement and practical reasons ie - we can't do or not do, what we don't know about, you must bring them to our attention so that we can verify them and reach agreement with our staff that they understand and are able to meet these guidelines.
-IB-
|
Good read? Rate this article |
| I | B | |
| ^ Back to contents ^ | ||
|
Now we are five
| ||
| More help at hand. All the back issues just a click away |
IB is 5 years old This month we celebrate the 5 years of InfoBulletin (IB) newsletters. When we first started producing this newsletter - emailing it to ourselves, contacts and clients and posting back issues on our website - this mechanism was fairly revolutionary whilst now its very commonplace. The goal of IB is to keep you informed about IT developments with a focus on the third or not-for-profit sector, and occasionally to entertain. Whilst the monthly flow of IT advice, reviews and hot tips from our top engineers comes to you free, we'll admit it's not without an undertone of 'soft-sell', because well-informed clients make for happier clients and we hope that potential new ones with gain an insight into our business ethos.
Over these five years Paul Craig, who works on a freelance basis for Co-Op Systems, has been IB's driving force and editor. On behalf of everyone at Co-Op Systems, I'd like to express my thanks to Paul for all his hard work - even if he doesn't always print my articles ;-). If you don't read anything else IT-related, at least skim through IB ! Back copies and a complete searchable subject index of topics are on our website. www.coopsys.net/ibindex.htm
Philip Anthony -IB-
|
Good read? Rate this article |
| I | B | |
| ^ Back to contents ^ | |||
|
Clicks of the Trade - format column widths in Excel
--- Quick tips for happier clicks! --- | |||
| More help at hand. All the back issues just a click away |
-IB-
|
Good read? Rate this article | |
| I | B | ||
Chances are that whenever you enter data into a fresh Excel spreadsheet, it always spills out over the edge of the column border, while others have plenty of space inside the standard column width.
Select the columns you want to change by holding down either the Shift or Ctrl key and highlighting column headings. Now double-click any boundary to the right of a column heading within your selection. Beginning to get the idea?
^ Back to contents ^Overview of InfoBulletin Opinions expressed within InfoBulletin do not necessarily represent the views of Co-Operative Systems.
E&OEViewing IB Implementation Privacy |
Subscriptions ^ Back to contents ^Contact details
|
|
|
Read recent and past issues of InfoBulletins on the Web at http://www.coopsys.net/ibindex.htm or search our archives and subject index.
We hope you found InfoBulletin useful! If you would like to comment on any of the articles or request particular subjects to be covered, mail us here.
| ||