Year End Tech Toys and Tips
Terry L. Brock
It is the time of year when we reflect on what has happened. 2005 was a banner year for technology. Here are some tips and toys that you should know about in your final year-end evaluation.
Skype
This is the one that made big news with free calls over the Net. 2006 is going to be a rough year for the traditional telecom companies (telcos) with services offering better quality for free. If you haven’t explored Skype and the many competitors that even Skype now has, you owe it to yourself to check out www.skype.com and download the free software. Free calls are only the beginning.
Spare Backup
This is a service on the web or available for backing up on disk. You can check out their automatic backup services at www.sparebackup.com and find out more. For $9.99 pre month your small business can back up essential files automatically up to 1GB. Each additional GB is $1.99 extra. You can also try the yearly plan for $95.90 per year. Or, why not try the free trial for 6 months. That way you can see if something like this will work for you. Backup is essential. Backup can be a pain in the neck. Making it automated and easy with a service like Spare Backup makes it pain-free, convenient and easy. If your hard disk ever crashes or you lose that important file, you’ll be very glad you made prior preparations.
VoSKY Chatterbox From Actiontec
Actiontec is a company known for innovative, practical concepts that they turn into useful tools for small businesses. The company has a new device called the VoSKY Chatterbox that exemplifies what technology should do. It is simple, easy and affordable. This device is a speakerphone for Skype or other VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephony services. You plug it into your USB port and you hear the other party. They also hear you on the speakerphone. This means you can roam about the office without the headset or microphone attached. Voice quality will decline a bit, just like a regular speakerphone declines in quality when compared to using a handset. However, for quick, free conversations, this is the way to go. The unit is priced at $29.95. Find out more at www.actiontec.com and checkout the VoSKY Chatterbox.
ACT! By Sage
I’ve been a loyal user of ACT! for a long time. It’s ease of use and power features have been very welcome. So, when the new version came out I was very interested in seeing what they have under the hood. However, this version does not support some features that users have grown to know and depend on. Furthermore, if you upgrade one system, all other systems on that computer have to be upgraded. This is a poor oversight on the part of the designers. Several clients of mine have reported problems in the past with upgrades to ACT!. This version looks more like a “wait till next time” version. For the busy small business owner who doesn’t have time for the hassle, it would be better to wait and see what is coming next. Even though there are some nice features added (including linking company and contact info, better linking to Outlook, and viewing all group memberships for a contact), this is a version best left to the dedicated techies with time on their hands to work through the issues. (www.act.com, $149.95 for upgrade, $229.99 for full version).
muvee autoProducer 5
Here’s one designed for home movie production but easily adapted by the smart businessperson to add value and sell more. This software allows you to easily create movies without all the editing hassle. You select a style you like and the footage you want and you have what you need. The $99.95 price tag is reasonable given the amount of time you can save in editing videos for a potential presentation. You can download the product in a trial at www.muvee.com and try it. The quality of production is very good and makes for impressive demos of new products and services that you’d like to make available for clients. You can make these available on DVD, CD or on the Net. To deliver presentations that stand out from the competition consider video and use it for your presentations. muvee (always spelled with lower-case letters!) is a great addition to your marketing tools.
Think Online – Not Computer-Based
The world has shifted. In the past we bought lots of software, installed it on our personal computers and then did our work. Now we are connected through the Internet. More work is being shifted to be done over the Net and we access this through a Net-accessible device. That could be a laptop, a desktop or even a portable telephone. This is a huge shift for businesses and is only beginning. 2006 will continue this trend.
Watch for more applications like MS Office to have a web presence. This means you can get more done, have current versions always, have support from gurus that know the product best and be freer in your use of the application. Think Net. Think mobility. Think success in these areas for 2006.
I wish you and yours a very Happy Holiday Season with lots of good coming your way.
________________________________________
Terry Brock is a marketing coach who helps business owners market more effectively leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their busy days using the right rules and tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.
Copyright © 2005, Terry Brock, All Rights Reserved Internationally. No portion may be reprinted or used in any way without prior written permission.
It is the time of year when we reflect on what has happened. 2005 was a banner year for technology. Here are some tips and toys that you should know about in your final year-end evaluation.
Skype
This is the one that made big news with free calls over the Net. 2006 is going to be a rough year for the traditional telecom companies (telcos) with services offering better quality for free. If you haven’t explored Skype and the many competitors that even Skype now has, you owe it to yourself to check out www.skype.com and download the free software. Free calls are only the beginning.
Spare Backup
This is a service on the web or available for backing up on disk. You can check out their automatic backup services at www.sparebackup.com and find out more. For $9.99 pre month your small business can back up essential files automatically up to 1GB. Each additional GB is $1.99 extra. You can also try the yearly plan for $95.90 per year. Or, why not try the free trial for 6 months. That way you can see if something like this will work for you. Backup is essential. Backup can be a pain in the neck. Making it automated and easy with a service like Spare Backup makes it pain-free, convenient and easy. If your hard disk ever crashes or you lose that important file, you’ll be very glad you made prior preparations.
VoSKY Chatterbox From Actiontec
Actiontec is a company known for innovative, practical concepts that they turn into useful tools for small businesses. The company has a new device called the VoSKY Chatterbox that exemplifies what technology should do. It is simple, easy and affordable. This device is a speakerphone for Skype or other VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephony services. You plug it into your USB port and you hear the other party. They also hear you on the speakerphone. This means you can roam about the office without the headset or microphone attached. Voice quality will decline a bit, just like a regular speakerphone declines in quality when compared to using a handset. However, for quick, free conversations, this is the way to go. The unit is priced at $29.95. Find out more at www.actiontec.com and checkout the VoSKY Chatterbox.
ACT! By Sage
I’ve been a loyal user of ACT! for a long time. It’s ease of use and power features have been very welcome. So, when the new version came out I was very interested in seeing what they have under the hood. However, this version does not support some features that users have grown to know and depend on. Furthermore, if you upgrade one system, all other systems on that computer have to be upgraded. This is a poor oversight on the part of the designers. Several clients of mine have reported problems in the past with upgrades to ACT!. This version looks more like a “wait till next time” version. For the busy small business owner who doesn’t have time for the hassle, it would be better to wait and see what is coming next. Even though there are some nice features added (including linking company and contact info, better linking to Outlook, and viewing all group memberships for a contact), this is a version best left to the dedicated techies with time on their hands to work through the issues. (www.act.com, $149.95 for upgrade, $229.99 for full version).
muvee autoProducer 5
Here’s one designed for home movie production but easily adapted by the smart businessperson to add value and sell more. This software allows you to easily create movies without all the editing hassle. You select a style you like and the footage you want and you have what you need. The $99.95 price tag is reasonable given the amount of time you can save in editing videos for a potential presentation. You can download the product in a trial at www.muvee.com and try it. The quality of production is very good and makes for impressive demos of new products and services that you’d like to make available for clients. You can make these available on DVD, CD or on the Net. To deliver presentations that stand out from the competition consider video and use it for your presentations. muvee (always spelled with lower-case letters!) is a great addition to your marketing tools.
Think Online – Not Computer-Based
The world has shifted. In the past we bought lots of software, installed it on our personal computers and then did our work. Now we are connected through the Internet. More work is being shifted to be done over the Net and we access this through a Net-accessible device. That could be a laptop, a desktop or even a portable telephone. This is a huge shift for businesses and is only beginning. 2006 will continue this trend.
Watch for more applications like MS Office to have a web presence. This means you can get more done, have current versions always, have support from gurus that know the product best and be freer in your use of the application. Think Net. Think mobility. Think success in these areas for 2006.
I wish you and yours a very Happy Holiday Season with lots of good coming your way.
________________________________________
Terry Brock is a marketing coach who helps business owners market more effectively leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their busy days using the right rules and tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.
Copyright © 2005, Terry Brock, All Rights Reserved Internationally. No portion may be reprinted or used in any way without prior written permission.
posted by Terry Brock @ Friday, December 23, 2005
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