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Next Generation Access Permitting Fast Internet Connections

Do you remember the time when connecting to the required using your phone line? We would hear that strange dialling tone, wait for a few more odd tones and clicks and if all went to plan we would sooner or later be connected to the internet. Often, it was later and sometimes scarcely worth the wait as the connection broke down and the dialling process had to begin all over again. next generation access is changing all of that drastically, because developments in ICT infrastructure mean that our internet connection is passing through new kinds of wires that permit us to connect more quickly and for greater lengths of time. Previously, internet access was only possible through the copper cables that were already serving our telecommunications network. But these days copper is being replaced by optical fibre capable of transmitting data over longer distances, faster. These improvements represent some undertaking and do not come cheaply so the big cities have been first to benefit. Obviously, there is more at stake economically in the city but this doesn’t mean that the rural areas of Britain deserve a worse internet service. Indeed, bringing rural areas up to speed has recently become a priority and local councils are doing their utmost to emphasise the need for community broadband.

South Yorkshire is one of the areas in the UK that is making great strides in the community broadband stakes. East Sussex County Council and the Highlands and Islands Enterprise have also been working hard on the ICT infrastructure providing for their residents. Local loop unbundling schemes have had a considerable impact so far and it is hoped that uneven access to the internet in the UK will shortly be a thing of the past. We consider that the economy is more dependent on technology in the cities but it would be a dear and naive mistake to think that industries in rural areas could get along well enough with a second-rate internet service. In fact, in our current age of austerity it is crucial that we focus on manufacturing, communication and the generation of wealth in all regions. Local businesses cannot afford to trade only locally, they need to be open to as many markets and clients as possible.

In actuality, even the simplest business set up by an individual from his or her house needs next generation access. Correspondence concerning products and services must be facilitated via email, and website visibility is essential too. ICT infrastructure investors are well aware of this and community broadband projects are getting us all up to speed.

Please visit http://www.broadbandvantage.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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School Uniforms Aren’t All You Need For The Start of Term…

It’s the summer, which means that parents are enjoying a few weeks off with their children, or else wondering how they are going to keep going until school starts again. Between now and then there is at least one possibly very large glitch: the great annual purchase of school uniforms for the new term. The yearly voyage into town for school clothes is etched into the minds of many parents as a trauma to be shied away from; unfortunately, that’s easier said than done as children grow, uniforms cease to fit and there are always other items to be purchased before term begins – stationary, bags, and the stuff required for all the many and various kinds of hobbies and extra-curricular activities they may sign up for. The good news is that a London schoolwear supplier will let you buy everything you need through their site, thereby side-stepping that terrible journey to the high street, when you will trudge miserably around shop after shop to find the required clothes for your progeny.

Shopping for school clothes online doesn’t have to be cause for problems. As long as you measure up carefully before you start and pay attention to the store’s size guide, you should be able to match your child to the sizes for sale. If, for any reason, the clothes turn up (usually within four working days – only a bit more than one of those awful trips to the high street…) and they don’t fit properly, you can return them for a refund or exchange. Just ensure you leave yourself enough time to do this and you can rest easy that your search for school uniforms will be a little easier this year.

It’s not just school uniforms, though. Children will need stationary of various kinds, calculators and other gadgets. Most or all of this can be bought on the same site – a one-stop-shop for all your school kit needs. And, unlike clothes, there’s no chance of your HB pencils turning up in the wrong size.

All in all, a London schoolwear supplier can be a boon that takes the trouble out of buying school uniforms. If you need the odd thing and you happen to be in town anyway then dropping into the right shop might be worthwhile; if you’re looking to buy in bulk and get all of your school clothes delivered in one fell swoop, then this is definitely the way to do it.

Please visit http://www.uniform4kids.com/

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BACS Payments: 46 years of change at the cutting edge of financial transactions

“The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” – So says Leo Colston, the subject of L.P. Hartley’s famous novel The Go Between. Most of all, this is true of the worlds of business and computing when we look back to 1968 from the vantage point of the present day. Despite the inroads into the popular imagination made by shows like Mad Men, the overwhelming impression one has of business life in the 1960s is of a rather more innocent, simpler time: the image of men in tailored suits conducting business deals in a formalistic and gentlemanly manner, their days punctuated by long and boozy lunches. This world, in which old boys’ networks rather than social networking sites were the order of the day; when computers were frequently bigger than the plant machinery they counted or controlled; when ‘bugs’ in computers more often than not were literal bugs nestling in the works – seems to be separated from the ruthless, iconoclastic, fast-paced and carnivorous world of post-1980s economic life by a whole lot more than 46 years.Â

But one thing has remained constant in those 46 years: BACS payments. Invented in 1968 by Dennis Gladwell of the Joint Stock Banks Clearing Committee, BACS began life as the Inter-Bank Computer Bureau, it cut out the time-consuming and irrational process of paper-based transfers between banks. Today, thanks to constantly-improving BACS software, BACS is continuing to cut down on paper usage, and make payments more reliable and rapid, for thousands of businesses around the world. Since 2005 the service has been moved from a telephone-based system to BACSTEL-IP servers, and BACS has really come into its own as an online service, making for even faster transfers.Â

Even though some other services are challenging for its crown as the world’s biggest payment transfer service, over 5 billion BACS payments are made every year, and while some services may claim to have faster systems than the BACS software, the majority of all the wage-earners in the UK still receive their wages via BACS.

The continued dominance of this banking behemoth means that the BACS-accredited training schemes offered by Bottomline’s dedicated educators, who know the BACS system inside and out, are of irreplaceable value for businesses – and the same goes for the BACS and Faster Payments software which Bottomline services have developed. When it comes to the leading worldwide payments system, Bottomline Technologies lead the way in BACS software.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Document processing -€“ creating a paperless office

At its simplest document processing just means migrating paper-based files to online form, at which point they can be kept in a document management system. In practice, every business is different, and so the solution that makes best sense for one might not work well for another. There are many ways of going about changing a paper-reliant office to electronic files, and perhaps different reasons for doing so. Certainly there will be varying budgets. The cheapest way of going about things is simply to scan existing files, which can then be kept on a network as pdfs or other convenient documents. More sophisticated methods involve optical character recognition (OCR), creating Word or other files than can be edited – even if the source paperwork is hand written. Invoice processing does the same for your accounts systems.

There are several ideas behind the collection of technologies known as document management. The main one is simply that a paperless office tends to be a more efficient one. Whereas one memo might end up on someone’s desk or even accidentally shredded, it’s harder to lose a copy on a network (especially if regular backups are made). A secondary benefit is that without printing, costs are lower and your office has a decreased environmental impact.

With these come the advantage of more effective working habits, with benefits for your reputation. Invoice processing makes a great difference in this context. It moves all of your payments onto the same track, so that different suppliers and clients aren’t treated differently. The danger is that a business that tries to use both paper-based and electronic accounts will prefer one over the other, either because its personnel are more familiar with one or because they are better set up for one.

This tends to mean that someone sooner or later falls between the cracks; invoices aren’t settled, or else aren’t sent – either way it makes you look bad, and leads to bad feelings when the mistake is finally realised and put right. Invoice processing prevents this kind of problem, and also has the advantage of helping to stamp out other accounting errors than can be very costly to a small business. document processing and thoughtful document management can therefore pay for themselves in the long run, and make for happier employees, suppliers and clients. However, it’s worth consulting with an expert to make sure the answer you choose is the right one for your company.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Powerpoint presentations are more significant than ever

Many university students have to give powerpoint presentations as part of their courses. This obligation tends to be highly beneficial: placed in the shoes of the teacher as someone who must deliver content and ideas to one’s classmates, the student has to judiciously digest the required reading, gaining a sufficient understanding of the material in order that he or she might present it engagingly. Innovation is key: a student who shows initiative will benefit from the exercise. The idea is to begin with independent learning and to progress through the sharing of ideas and the discussions they engender. Altogether Powerpoint design must be taken seriously at school. These are really just another form of sales presentations, albeit for a different audience.

Of course, the young graduate has time to redress his or her failings. But the job market is tough, and clients are not easily convinced by those who cannot raise their enthusiasm through a medium with the potential to truly appeal. Powerpoint is a fantastic programme when it comes to presenting alluring images and even short excerpts of film. In fact, though many people rush to disparage Powerpoint, the more savvy technophiles know that it’s a very flexible tool, and one that is before its time when we think of what a very image-obsessed world we now occupy. Of course, Powerpoint can also be used for the presentation of text, but often it is better to distribute text via printed hand-outs. Certainly, a mixture of images and oral presentation will keep your audience on its toes: they will have to pay attention or risk losing the information. And if you say something noteworthy your audience can jot it down, which is much more environmentally friendly than assuming everyone wants a paper copy of all the material presented.

powerpoint presentations really shouldn’t induce yawns. Everyone has attended boring seminars and seen badly-constructed slide shows, but smart Powerpoint design counts for a lot. Putting a halt to this will make for clients who will enthusiastically embrace sales presentations and endorse the ideas and products. That’s the same whether the market is a lecture hall full of students or a room full of sales reps. Powerpoint can be used to engage and inspire, or else to switch off and send to sleep – and the line can be a fine one.

Please visit https://www.eyefulpresentations.co.uk/ for further information.

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Bacs: fast, secure, automatic

Since bacs came onto the scene in the late 1960s, it has increased in popularity until now, some 44 years later, when it is used by the majority of organisations in the UK. Bankers automated clearing services allows financial transactions to be carried out electronically, meaning that cash and cheques are no longer necessary for the vast number of large payments – anything from wage packages to bills. Bacs software allows businesses, charities and other groups to enjoy the benefits of this, which are numerous. Consequently, those groups which do not make bacs payments are becoming fewer and fewer in number. One of the obvious benefits of bacs is security. Transferring funds electronically means that money does not have to be handed over in person, and cheques do not have to be filled out or cashed. The potential issues of online processing notwithstanding, this makes for safer payments. This is of particular use to employers with large numbers of staff; pay day would entail keeping significant quantities of cash on the premises, or else writing large numbers of cheques.

Speed is another benefit. Bacs clears within a maximum of three working days, but in reality it is often much faster. FPS (faster payments service) is almost instant, meaning that cash appears in the recipient’s account almost immediately after it has been transferred.

But one of the most significant benefits to businesses and other institutions is the automation of accounting processes that bacs allows. Bacs software can be integrated with accounting software. This results in a far higher degree of predictability for finances and a greater oversight of cashflow. Payments can be scheduled for a particular point in the month – pay day being the perfect example – and so surprises due to unexpected payments are less likely to occur. This means that overdrafts and interest charges are less likely to be used and applied.

All in all, there are numerous reasons why organisations have adopted bacs payments and are continuing to do so. The main benefit of bacs comes down to convenience – and the peace of mind that results from that. bacs software allows payments to be automated, as well as being carried out safely and swiftly. Speed is still arguably an issue, but FPS has circumvented this in the vast majority of cases (some 95 percent). In any case, CHAPS and SWIFT processing are available for an extra fee, and these have a guaranteed (same day) time frame.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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External louvres for just the right amount of light

In modern cities it has become commonplace for many buildings to be presented in long, smooth expanses of glass. They look chic, futuristic and practical, though in many ways they are reminiscent of the designs of early modernist architects such as Le Corbusier, continued in many aspects by the likes of Jean Nouvel and Renzo Piano (the men behind the superbly designed and instantly recognisable Villa Savoye, Centre Pompidou and Institut du Monde Arabe). Certainly, the newest buildings by Nouvel and Piano are well equipped to deal with the changing light that the coming and going of different seasons brings about. In older modernist buildings, however, there is a pervasive tendency for overheating or other temperature control issues to become problematic. In the summer, for example, the sun enters buildings from a much higher angle than it does during the rest of the year. And this means that the building has to either confront the subsequent rise in temperature inside the building or be faced with unhappy residents or workers who are simply too hot for comfort. Brise soleil can be added to buildings to deal very precisely with this problem. Glass louvres and external louvres meanwhile can provide tailored sun shading techniques at the same time as adding aesthetic value to a less attractive building’s façade.

When you think of the positive benefits sun shades can bring to commercial offices, the value of investing in brise soleil will be very apparent. From an external point of view the building should seem sufficiently appealing – that is to say unique, interesting and memorable so that it boosts your brand’s identity – to inspire as many business partners as possible and keep their loyalty many years down the line. From an internal point of view, the focus should be on your workers: a building whose indoor temperature is comfortable is more conducive to high levels of productivity because happy workers are more efficient workers than hot and flustered ones who can’t wait to get on their lunch break or go home to cool down and relax.

Brise soleil will not simply encourage employees to do more work, however; the possibilities are more exciting than than only increasing profits and output. One surprising plus point that sun shading devices bring is in their capability to add aesthetic interest.

Please visit http://www.maplesunscreening.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Keeping up-to-date with your invoice processing will rapidly save your business money

Even if it’s not down to you, there will be someone – or several people – within your business who are charged with the task of keeping on top of filing and storage. If this is a manual process, not only will it be time-consuming, but as we all know humans are fallible and oversights can occur. A document may easily be filed wrongly, and never found again. There is a much more efficient way to process your important files, and that is to use an electronic document management system. This will save your business energy, time and money. This is especially vital when it comes to financial processes. Making sure your invoice processing is punctual and accountable will impress clients and ensure you do not infringe regulatory requirements. Invoice processing is in-built in a document management system, along with the processing of the rest of your documents, and so all elements of your documentary administration will run more effectively.

There are many good reasons for implementing an electronic DMS. To begin with, normal but necessary procedures including indexing and archiving are quickly simplified and made, most importantly, shareable. Whereas before, information was stored only in individual’s heads or email exchanges, document management systems create an accessible and shareable pool of information that is comprehensively searchable. Unlike paper and microfilm, DMS data can deploy fast, full search functions and multiple indexing which will facilitate the smoothness of daily internal operations. Centralising your resources in this way makes the very most of your data as a valuable business asset.

What is more, the central control DMS exercises over your invoice processing greatly improves cash flow. This in itself reduces costs, as do the expunged costs of paper storage facilities which will be no longer needed. Implementing a DMS can dramatically boost your working capital in more ways than one.
As well as increasing the functionality of your data, and reducing costs, your business will gain further security. Unlike vulnerable paper documents, DMS data is protected from the dangers of natural disasters and theft, as well as the damage that can be incurred by constant handling of important documents. Even if catastrophe does strike, data retrieval means that your information will be secure whatever happens. The additional control that DMS provides by making files more easily trackable also means regulatory compliance will be a breeze.

As mentioned above, as well as delivering discernible benefits, from reduced costs and accessible data to improved cash flow and better security, your business will benefit in a less quantifiable way from the creation of a document management system, which is the enhancement of its professionalism. If your employees are better able to render an excellent customer service, thanks to all the knowledge they need being at their fingertips, then your business will have a competitive edge. Well-managed document processing and invoice processing can also help your business to focus its target audience.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Sales presentations can be useful and fun

For a specific generation, the mention of Powerpoint presentations brings up memories of GCSE IT classes; of those days spent, aged fifteen or sixteen, completing simple and apparently useless tasks on software barely understood by the teachers. This generation no doubt remembers making sales presentations for made-up companies for whom posters and other marketing material were also produced using programs such as Corel Draw and Publisher. Market research, meanwhile, was recorded using Access. On the whole, these kinds of information technology classes felt like jumping through a collection of hoops. Powerpoint design often seemed twee and irrelevant in those days and pupils soon tired of its rudimentary visual effects consisting of dissolves, fade-in and out and of various styles and sizes of font.

This same generation is now discovering that Powerpoint presentations do in fact have a wider use. Away from the classroom they can have a real impact in the workplace. In fact, some employees’ career success is dependent upon their ability to communicate ideas to audiences large and small and Powerpoint design skills greatly aid such communication. Especially in domains such as sales, marketing, banking and advertising but also in public sector jobs such as the police, the NHS and teaching, conducting a meeting with the assistance of Powerpoint will often mean conducting a successful meeting. When we talk about the success of a presentation we mean one that instantly captures the imagination of the audience. A great presentation should succeed in boiling its content down to the most simple of formulations, whether they are visually or textually based. It should also expand on its points in a memorable way that sustains the attention won at the start.

This may sound easy, but it depends on having a nuanced technical understanding of how Powerpoint works. This means gaining an awareness of how to make a presentation in the first place – from deciding what material must be highlighted, what tone should be adopted, whether to use images, texts, graphs or a combination of these – as well as an awareness of how a presentation will be received. Employees using Powerpoint presentations will feel empowered when they have mastered the form of giving a good presentation. Powerpoint design does not require artistic or technological genius, but rather a clear-headed approach to communication. Indeed, the most effective sales presentations often demand little in the way of creative expertise: anyone can get ahead using Powerpoint provided they put themselves in the shoes of their audience and turn basic skills to their advantage.

Please visit http://www.eyefulpresentations.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Fast cash companies can offer fantastic interest rates

With many people finding themselves in difficult financial situations since the crash of the credit markets in 2008, unsecured loans offering quick cash are becoming more and more common. Many people are turning to the organisations which offer unsecured personal loans, requiring no collateral and offering fast cash within a few days of taking out the loan, in order to cover holes in their personal financial schedules. Perhaps the day of the month that rent is due comes a few days before the day when the borrower’s salary comes in, or perhaps a sudden and unexpected expense – repairs to a car, home or appliance, a business opportunity too good to turn down, or the deposit for a holiday or tenancy agreement – needs to be covered with emergency cash. This is the point at which borrowers start trawling the internet for cheap loans which they can use to tide them over a few crucial days or weeks, and which won’t cost the earth in interest rates.

It’s the level of the interest charged on loans that makes some people worry about short term unsecured loans. These types of loans are always quicker and easier to arrange than secured loans, as there is no valuation of the property or ‘security’ to be done, and there’s usually a fairly simple standard contract. People who take out unsecured loans will often find the money in their bank accounts within a few days of signing the loan agreement, and some specialist ‘emergency’ lending firms will even make the transfer within a few hours of the contracts being signed. This is great for people who are in a financial emergency. But unfortunately, borrowers can often get carried away with the speed of the lending process, and forget to check the other important factor in loan provision: the level of interest charged on the loan.

This is what people mean when they talk about ‘cheap loans.’ Very few organisations charge a flat fee for borrowing (the exception is some Islamic financial services, as interest is prohibited under Islam), so ‘cheap’ in this context refers to the percentage of the loan charged as interest. Some unsecured loans can be very expensive, with several hundred per cent interest being charged. However, for those wise consumers who shop around, quick cash can be obtained on a relatively low interest rate. And the quicker you repay the loan, the less time the interest will have to mount up – so if you take out a fast cash loan, paying it back equally as quickly could mean that you end up paying very little in interest.

Please visit http://www.cashgenie.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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