The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music is Miles Davis's mellow Some Day My Prince Will Come. No, we're not playing any Abba or Genesis. If the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame wants to turn itself into a joke by enshrining them that's their business. Finally letting The Stooges in cancels out Genesis, but there's no way to salvage Abba's induction:
Announcing a conclusion to its career in beta, Zoho has announced the production release of Zoho Reports, its online reporting and business intelligence application.
After its beta release, Zoho Reports has what company officials describe as "new features designed to further enhance users' ability to visually analyze their business information." Wanna know what they are? Take this magical mystery video tour.
Rodrigo Vaca, director of marketing at Zoho, knows his sweet spot when he says with Zoho Reports, users can create and share reports "with no help from IT." Oh they promise it's as full-featured as Jayne Mansfield: "Users can upload or synchronize data from spreadsheets, Web or traditional applications; build reports and charts in minutes via the drag-and-drop interface; and then share their reports and dashboards with key performance indicators."
Graduation from beta, new features, you know what all that means -- that's right, new pricing has also been announced. Relax, in addition to the free version, Zoho Reports offers paid plans starting at fifteen bucks per month, it's not a bank-breaker.
With the new 'n' improved dashboard view, users can collate similar reports and view them all on a single page, company officials say: "For instance, a dashboard page consisting of 10 reports can be displayed in a five rows and two columns format."
Rodrigo Vaca, director of marketing at Zoho, knows his sweet spot when he says with Zoho Reports, users can create and share reports "with no help from IT." Oh they promise it's as full-featured as Jayne Mansfield: "Users can upload or synchronize data from spreadsheets, Web or traditional applications; build reports and charts in minutes via the drag-and-drop interface; and then share their reports and dashboards with key performance indicators."
Graduation from beta, new features, you know what all that means -- that's right, new pricing has also been announced. Relax, in addition to the free version, Zoho Reports offers paid plans starting at fifteen bucks per month, it's not a bank-breaker.
With the new 'n' improved dashboard view, users can collate similar reports and view them all on a single page, company officials say: "For instance, a dashboard page consisting of 10 reports can be displayed in a five rows and two columns format."
Yes, there's an iGoogle gadget for that -- users can embed the gadget version of Zoho Reports in their iGoogle home page,
Using Zoho Reports, users can upload spreadsheets and tabular data, such as .CSV, .TSV, .XLS or .HTML files. Of course, users can also add data directly using the spreadsheet-like interface. Zoho Reports also lets you push data from any application.
"We had people tracking data and reports with Excel spreadsheets and passing them around," says John Kubenka, CMMS administrator for CH2M Hill, an engineering and construction firm. "Needless to say, some people would not update their spreadsheet to the current and then use old data to make changes. We lost control of the data and reporting. I needed a reporting database in which everyone could access the information and reports, but one person could control."
Using Zoho Reports, users can upload spreadsheets and tabular data, such as .CSV, .TSV, .XLS or .HTML files. Of course, users can also add data directly using the spreadsheet-like interface. Zoho Reports also lets you push data from any application.
"We had people tracking data and reports with Excel spreadsheets and passing them around," says John Kubenka, CMMS administrator for CH2M Hill, an engineering and construction firm. "Needless to say, some people would not update their spreadsheet to the current and then use old data to make changes. We lost control of the data and reporting. I needed a reporting database in which everyone could access the information and reports, but one person could control."
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Cincom Systems has announced that it has entered into a contact center agreement with Syrex Information Services.
Cincom, an IBM Premier Business partner, replaced Syrex's existing dialer with Cincom Synchrony Express on the IBM Smart Business Platform. Express is intended to be a way to provide Syrex with an all-in-one contact center software suite, replete with multi-channel inbound/outbound interaction management, universal queuing, skills-based routing, predictive dialing, campaign management all the bells and whistles.
It also has pre-integrated and pre-configured firewall and backup and recovery services .
Naresh Kakkar, Director of Syrex Information Services, said his company's goal was to increase the efficiency of operations "by automating our processes with the flexibility to meet future needs." He noted that they liked Synchrony's "simplicity and manageability with IBM as a single point of contact."
Cincom officials bill the product as "a contact center without the cost and complexity of traditional IT." They say it provides departmental-level or small to medium contact centers with an all-in-one contact center that improves customer experience, agent performance and overall business operations, along with such goodies as a unified agent desktop, multi-channel interaction management, reporting and analytics.
Cincom Systems has announced that it has entered into a contact center agreement with Syrex Information Services.
Cincom, an IBM Premier Business partner, replaced Syrex's existing dialer with Cincom Synchrony Express on the IBM Smart Business Platform. Express is intended to be a way to provide Syrex with an all-in-one contact center software suite, replete with multi-channel inbound/outbound interaction management, universal queuing, skills-based routing, predictive dialing, campaign management all the bells and whistles.
It also has pre-integrated and pre-configured firewall and backup and recovery services .
Naresh Kakkar, Director of Syrex Information Services, said his company's goal was to increase the efficiency of operations "by automating our processes with the flexibility to meet future needs." He noted that they liked Synchrony's "simplicity and manageability with IBM as a single point of contact."
Cincom officials bill the product as "a contact center without the cost and complexity of traditional IT." They say it provides departmental-level or small to medium contact centers with an all-in-one contact center that improves customer experience, agent performance and overall business operations, along with such goodies as a unified agent desktop, multi-channel interaction management, reporting and analytics.
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Boy, wouldn't Annette have loved this: Owners of several Chevrolet models can transform their vehicle into a rolling Wi-Fi hot spot with Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile.
Boy, wouldn't Annette have loved this: Owners of several Chevrolet models can transform their vehicle into a rolling Wi-Fi hot spot with Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile.
This dealer-installed system, Autonet officials say, enables full Internet access inside the vehicle - and up to a 150 feet radius around the vehicle - with a laptop or mobile Wi-Fi device.
It's designed for use by passengers, or by the driver when the vehicle is parked. The system requires no special software and, according to company officials, achieves speeds up to 1.5 mbps. It uses TRU Technology to maintain Internet connections over the 3G network while the vehicle is in motion.
Annette was a friend of First Coffee's who lived in her car for a year after high school graduation, while she was "figuring things out." Not that we had Wi-Fi back when First Coffee was in high school, President Harding hadn't approved it yet, but it would have made Annette's life a whole lot easier.
"Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile enhances commuting, family vacations and work," says Chris Rauser, Chevrolet Accessories Manager, noting that "its uses are almost endless." Chris is correct about this.
Autonet Mobile is the world's first Internet service provider designed exclusively for vehicles. As a GM Officially Licensed Product, Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile is certified to work with the Equinox, Traverse, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Avalanche and Express models.
Hm, we don't see "Vega" on there, so maybe Annette would have been out of luck anyway.
According to JiWire's Mobile Audience Insights Report, eight percent of all public Wi-Fi users log-in while traveling on subways (three percent) and ferries or cruise ships (five percent). This same report found that the number of total public Wi-Fi users jumped 18 percent from December 2008 to June 2009.
The Internet connection can support several devices at once, which should forestall some rather grisly fights on long car trips with more than one teen in the car. Additional docking stations are available, enabling customers to move the Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile router from vehicle to vehicle.
Through Dec. 31, it's available for $199 ($399 retail price, less $200 mail-in rebate with two-year service agreement). Go to for more information.
According to JiWire's Mobile Audience Insights Report, eight percent of all public Wi-Fi users log-in while traveling on subways (three percent) and ferries or cruise ships (five percent). This same report found that the number of total public Wi-Fi users jumped 18 percent from December 2008 to June 2009.
The Internet connection can support several devices at once, which should forestall some rather grisly fights on long car trips with more than one teen in the car. Additional docking stations are available, enabling customers to move the Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile router from vehicle to vehicle.
Through Dec. 31, it's available for $199 ($399 retail price, less $200 mail-in rebate with two-year service agreement). Go to for more information.
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Parature, a vendor of on-demand customer service software, has announced integration between its customer service software suite and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Parature, a vendor of on-demand customer service software, has announced integration between its customer service software suite and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Parature's integration, with the catchy name of ParaConnect for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, offers what Parature officials describe as "a customer service suite for Microsoft customers... a one-stop shop for all service and support needs."
Parature's products let companies support customers through its Software-as-a-Service delivery and design: "The integrated suite of Parature Customer Service software modules allows organizations to effectively manage all of their support needs without additional hardware, software and IT expenses," company officials contend, since "Parature integrates everything in one system -- customer support, operations, development and sales."
Parature Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Duke Chung, said ParaConnect for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online "opens a new world of visibility and intelligence for organizations."
Founded in 2000, Parature received the 2007 and 2008 Product of the Year Award from Customer Interaction Solutions magazine, and has been named to both the Washington Business Journal's list of Best Places to Work and The Washingtonian list of Great Places to Work.
Parature's products let companies support customers through its Software-as-a-Service delivery and design: "The integrated suite of Parature Customer Service software modules allows organizations to effectively manage all of their support needs without additional hardware, software and IT expenses," company officials contend, since "Parature integrates everything in one system -- customer support, operations, development and sales."
Parature Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Duke Chung, said ParaConnect for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online "opens a new world of visibility and intelligence for organizations."
Founded in 2000, Parature received the 2007 and 2008 Product of the Year Award from Customer Interaction Solutions magazine, and has been named to both the Washington Business Journal's list of Best Places to Work and The Washingtonian list of Great Places to Work.
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Iridium Communicationshas reported that its Iridium OpenPort marine satellite system is winning "an enthusiastic reception" from commercial fishing fleets around the world.
Iridium Communicationshas reported that its Iridium OpenPort marine satellite system is winning "an enthusiastic reception" from commercial fishing fleets around the world.
First Coffee's looking forward to seeing it on one of our favorite shows, The Deadliest Catch.
One specific example is FV Aart Maaskant (UK95), which company officials say was one of the first Dutch commercial fishing vessels to be fitted with Iridium OpenPort. The vessel carries an Iridium high-bandwidth terminal to replace the existing satcom system on the 42.36-meter beam trawler, which operates in the North Sea.
"The captain sets the Iridium OpenPort terminal to receive the weather forecast twice a day," explains Patrick Albers, service engineer, Gannexion BV. "This way they don't need an extra subscription with a third party who will charge them for sending the weather forecast. Iridium OpenPort will also be an ideal solution for transmission of daily catch reports to meet future e-logbook regulatory requirements."
Jan de Boer, the vessel's owner and captain, noted that the Iridium OpenPort is always online: "It sends our e-mails faster in comparison to the satcom system we used previously, and it gives us the possibility to download the latest news to stay up to date with what is happening in the world."
De Boer added that as a bonus, Iridium OpenPort equipment cost and airtime charges are "lower than those of other satcom systems we considered."
The crew is using the free e-mail service offered by Gannexion BV to send and receive messages at sea. The e-mail software also permits them to access Websites to download information on an adjustable schedule.
And Samherji HF, an Icelandic seafood company with vessels operating around the world, has installed Iridium OpenPort on two of its trawlers under a service contract with Siminn and AST.
Jan de Boer, the vessel's owner and captain, noted that the Iridium OpenPort is always online: "It sends our e-mails faster in comparison to the satcom system we used previously, and it gives us the possibility to download the latest news to stay up to date with what is happening in the world."
De Boer added that as a bonus, Iridium OpenPort equipment cost and airtime charges are "lower than those of other satcom systems we considered."
The crew is using the free e-mail service offered by Gannexion BV to send and receive messages at sea. The e-mail software also permits them to access Websites to download information on an adjustable schedule.
And Samherji HF, an Icelandic seafood company with vessels operating around the world, has installed Iridium OpenPort on two of its trawlers under a service contract with Siminn and AST.
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Saying they're "taking a stance on texting and driving as it relates to company-owned vehicles and hand-held communication devices," officials of the Chrysler Group say the car maker will offer text-to-voice/message reader technology in 2011 Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles
As corporate policy, Chrysler prohibits texting while driving to "serve as an industry example." The policy applies to texting while driving company-owned vehicles and texting with company-provided communication devices while driving personal vehicles.
Nancy Rae, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Chrysler Group, says "as an automaker, we expect higher driving standards from our work force" and business partners.
"A driver's primary responsibility is to be in control of their vehicle," says Steve Bartoli, Chrysler's Head of Regulatory Affairs in one of the least contestable statements of the year. "We stand with the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers supporting a ban on hand-held cell phone operation while driving."
Chrysler offers the hands-free, voice-activated uconnect system with Bluetooth technology. The feature, available on most Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles, provides voice-controlled wireless communication between the occupants' compatible mobile phones and the vehicle's onboard receiver.
Uconnect can manage onboard phone-book entries, select radio stations, access the navigation system and retrieve voice mail.
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FlightView has announced the availability of its real-time flight information app for BlackBerry devices, designed to help plan, monitor and "make informed decisions" about travel plans.
FlightView has announced the availability of its real-time flight information app for BlackBerry devices, designed to help plan, monitor and "make informed decisions" about travel plans.
Heaven knows we don't want to be making uninformed decisions about travel. Might end up in Detroit again.
With the application, FlightView officials say they're expanding the company's footprint in the mobile applications market: "FlightView offers full-featured apps for smart phones as well as free flight tracking on its mobile site."
The app aggregates real-time flight data and current weather conditions into one view. It costs $4.99 and can be downloaded from BlackBerry App World. It also helps users plan for delays, not that those ever happen to you, of course: "Flight status updates are integrated with BlackBerry alerts -- as soon as a plane is more than 15 minutes late, a notification will be pushed to the user, even when the app is closed."
With the application, FlightView officials say they're expanding the company's footprint in the mobile applications market: "FlightView offers full-featured apps for smart phones as well as free flight tracking on its mobile site."
The app aggregates real-time flight data and current weather conditions into one view. It costs $4.99 and can be downloaded from BlackBerry App World. It also helps users plan for delays, not that those ever happen to you, of course: "Flight status updates are integrated with BlackBerry alerts -- as soon as a plane is more than 15 minutes late, a notification will be pushed to the user, even when the app is closed."
There's a map to show the plane en route and a radar weather overlay so users can anticipate any weather-related delays. And since FlightView integrates scheduled flights with BlackBerry's calendar, updating gate, arrival, and departure information in real-time it can really cut down on the ol' double-booking.
