iTechSpeak :::...

by Bruce Newman

Affiliate marketing is usually defined as the reward for each customer brought to a target website; in short, an Internet-based marketing method of driving traffic to a particular site. To clarify this further, let’s say I’m an affiliate for a website that sells pet products. For each customer who I bring to that website, I will receive some reward – usually money. (This may also require that they purchase at least one item.)

Is it worth my while?
The answer is both yes and no. It depends on the terms of the affiliate agreement and the amount of effort you are willing to expend. If it was so easy for these companies to just bring in business, they wouldn’t need an affiliate program. However, every company knows that generating new business is hard; it’s expensive, time consuming, exhausting and a slow process. They have calculated that it helps to have an unpaid (or minimally paid) sales force providing them with leads (and customers). The question for you to determine is, “Are the rewards worth my effort?”.

What is required from me?
Sometimes being an affiliate can initially be very easy and profitable. If you have a network of friends with a need for the affiliate product or service that you represent – such as pet supplies, you can easily make a few dollars. But what happens then? What is required for you to continue to provide new customers? And, how will you do it? These are questions you must be able to answer before becoming an affiliate of any program.

How much money can I make?
You can make a lot of money as an affiliate, particularly if you are an affiliate member for several websites and have an effective operating strategy. Having a solid networking tree is also quite helpful. Unfortunately, few affiliates fall into this category. Some affiliates enjoy a solid secondary income stream. However, most affiliates make little to no money, usually because of a lack of effort or difficulties with the company they are an affiliate for. We will discuss this further in another article.

Why become an affiliate?
Being an affiliate can supply you with a secondary source of income. Even if you are employed in a job, an affiliate income can make a significant difference in your total income. Possibly, as you continue to refine your strategies and affiliate agreements, it can even become a primary source of income. In any case, it requires work on your part. Just remember, money won’t come rolling in once you sign up as an affiliate without your effort.

Next week, we will discuss how to select an affiliate program(s) from the many programs currently available.

Bruce Newman is a long-term ETP Network member and Vice President at The Productivity Institute, LLC which matches the specific software products and services needs of companies to rated outstanding consultants who can meet those needs. It has an extensive and well-supported affiliate program that offers up to $225 for each company that registered by an affiliate which signs a contract with one of its referred consultants. Additional product and service information is available at: http://www.prodinst.com

Video Affiliate Marketing Part 1

Are you ready for this? Now you can thumb your nose at all suppliers of oil around the world. No more reliance on Mobil Oil, Exxon, Citgo, Hess, British Petroleum (BP), Venezuela, Middle East, OPEC or any other oil cartels. Ethanol fuel is ethyl alcohol, the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. As a fuel, it is a biofuel alternative to gasoline, and is widely used in cars in Brazil. Because it is easy to manufacture and process, and can be made from very common materials such as sugar cane, it is steadily becoming a promising alternative to gasoline throughout much of the world.

How about having your own gas pump in your own back yard or driveway? Does fuel at around $1.00 a gallon sound good? And the U.S. Treasury Department actually provides a free permit to allow small property owners to make up to 10,000 gallons of their own fuel.

Drum roll please . . . Efuel100 is taking orders for 2008 4th quarter deliveries of the first home ethanol micro fueling system. Efuel100 is also offering money making opportunities for people to become dealers or investors. The EFuel100 Microfueler apparently works by mixing table sugar with ethanol yeast mix. The MicroFueler has a distillation-only mode, which allows the consumer to convert discarded beer, wine or distilled drinks into ethanol. Any combination of discarded alcohol can be poured directly into the MicroFueler fermentation tank to be converted into ethanol.

Beyond the prospectus, do your homework before investing in any emerging technology. I will, because what Efuel100 is offering provides 3 exciting opportunities. I want in.

Make Your Own Ethanol At Home with the Efuel 100 MicroFueler


More Efuel100 Videos

Introduce Your Child to Business with Hotshot Game
Forget those shoot em up, aliens and race car games. This is a fun fast paced game that gives kids skills they can use for life. Hot Shot Business is a simulation game for budding entrepreneurs, where kidscan open their own spa, skateboard factory or comic shop.

Teenagers and Young Adult Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Gazillionaire is the award-winning simulation game. Explore new worlds, build your business, and make a fortune. Gazillionaire is full of memorable characters and exotic places to visit. You'll run your own company, manage a feisty crew, and, if you're clever enough, make billions of kubars!

JA Titan
Test your skills running a business in this ultimate business simulation! As CEO, you will match wits in the competitive, technologically advanced industry of the Holo-Generator.

JA Worldwide™ (Junior Achievement) partnered with the Best Buy® Children’s Foundation to launched JA Titan. Set in the year 2035, JA Titan creates a world in which players are CEOs of their own companies. Originally conceived in the 1980s as the Management and Economic Simulation Exercise, or MESE, JA Titan is a widely recognized business simulation for high school students.

JA Titan version 3.0 incorporates the concept of charitable giving, challenges students with sub-decisions, and adds voices to the characters, among other improvements.

Cashflow Game by Robert Kiyosaki
This is a game for Tweens or Young and Mature Adults. earn how to get out of the Rat Race and onto the Fast Track where your money works for you instead of you working hard for your money. Use this game to practice real world investing with play money!

CASHFLOW® 101 is an educational board game that teaches accounting, finance, and investing at the same time - and makes learning fun.

"Move over Monopoly. A new board game that aims to teach people to be rich is gaining fans the world over." -The New York Times article on the CASHFLOW games



Adult Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Informist Business Simulation Game
Informatist is a revolutionary online multiplayer Business Simulation -- a business game with a difference. Informatist is ideal for budding entrepreneurs and veteran tycoons alike. Test your business skills against hundreds of other players running thousands of companies.

The Informatist Game will sharpen your business skills as you play to win in five different categories. Experience the ups and downs of 16 dynamic business areas. Hire employees, set salaries, set product price, manage inventory, buy and sell land, trade stock, make business deals and dominate markets by applying the right resources at the right time. Do you have what it takes to succeed against cutthroat business competition? Find out in this unique business simulation!

SimVenture
SimVenture is ideal for anyone wanting to learn about business and enterprise. The software can be used in a range of environments where people are learning about business and want to develop entrepreneurial skills.

I'd rather have 1% of the effort of 100 men than 100% of my own effort. - J. Paul Getty

Having $1.00 come from 3 different sources (CEO, Me Inc.) is far better than having $3 come from 1single source (employee). If 1 source stops paying (no job), at least 1 or 2 other sources of income still maintains basic living solvency. Our board of directors (family) still have a roof over their head, food on the table and the lights stay on and there's gas in the car. We just can't have all the extras 3 sources of income provided.

Take a look at your LinkedIn.com profile. Scroll down a little. No, not there. Right there; where LinkedIn allows you to add three (3) web site links. Those 3 web links are 3 checks with your name on it. All you have to do is "set it and forget it". This is an opportunity to create passive income. It may not be major money, but it could still be a dollar more than you had yesterday. It's still way better than adding cutsie web links that just go to favorite web sites we like. Are those sites paying you for the referral? Probably not, but they are still making money from the referral.

People are Googling you to get to your LinkedIn profile. If the searcher still does not hire you or continue a conversation, there is still a potential to make a $1 either way. If searchers trace out your links that take them to useful web sites, that works in your favor as an enterprising solution provider. Thats way better than linking to Twitter, MySpace or Facebook. The searchers will find you on those sites anyway.

There is a plethora of affiliate programs that pay for referrals to their web site. Upon registering you are provided a customized web link with a unique identifier. Every purchase from your referral web link(s) is a commission check paid directly to you.

We can provide you with some affiliate program recommendations. We are continuously developing agreements with strategic business partners that provide affiliate programs. Send an email to SavvyIntrapreneur@gmail.com for further information.

It is now a given that Google and other search engines are used more often to check out people and companies. Work that to your advantage. The Internet provides an awesome fertile platform for growing your business or career. The internet allows you to always be marketing.

Become an Internet farmer. Like growing a crop, your Internet web presence must be nurtured, watered and maintained. So you have a profile on LinkedIn, Monster, Career Builder etc.. Or your business web site is featured in a couple of Internet articles and it has some reciprocal links from other web sets. As far as search engines are concerned you're still only as good as your last home run.

Search engines work against you, if no new content is added. Your name or company name slowly gets pushed down on search engine results, unless you're continuously fertilizing the Internet with your presence.

Here's 5 ways to grow and maintain your web presence:

1. If you have a resume posted on any job boards, make Sunday night your time to feed your web presence. Open your resume in "edit" mode. Press the space bar any where in your resume. Then press the back space key. Now save Your resume. The search engine spiders will sense the change and push your resume up for higher visibility to recruiters and hiring managers. Successful Project Manager, Terry Opalka, provided this brilliant technique at a recent ETP Network event "Sunday night I would update my resume on the job boards, by pressing the space bar and saving it. By Monday my inbox would contain emails from people contacting me about my resume."
   
2. Participate in group forums that cover topics of interest. When replying to a topic thread, insert your full name, company name, web site and contact email address, in your signature. This is referred to as your tagline.
3. Maximize your reading of news articles. At the bottom of each article is usually a comment section. If you agree with the reporter or have something "positive" feedback, go for it. Add your tagline.
   
4. Add "key words" to your Linked profile, resume and web site. This seeding process should include the names of companies or clients where you previously worked. Add your skill set, services or products as key words. Add the names of high profile people related to your industry in your key words.
   
5. Start a blog or comment on blog articles, with your tagline. Search engines love blogs more than web sites. Content on blogs is updated more often. This provides exponentially better results when people are searching for you or your company. Google has a dedicated search engine just for blogs http://blogsearch.google.com .
   

Virtual Worlds Review describes a virtual world is an interactive simulated environment accessed by multiple users through an online interface. Virtual worlds are also called "digital worlds," "simulated worlds" and "MMOG's." There are many different types of virtual worlds, however there are six features all of them have in common: 1. Shared Space: the world allows many users to participate at once. 2. Graphical User Interface: the world depicts space visually, ranging in style from 2D "cartoon" imagery to more immersive 3D environments. 3. Immediacy: interaction takes place in real time. 4. Interactivity: the world allows users to alter, develop, build, or submit customized content. 5. Persistence: the world's existence continues regardless of whether individual users are logged in. 6. Socialization / Community: the world allows and encourages the formation of in-world social groups like teams, guilds, clubs, cliques, housemates, neighborhoods, etc. Read more . . .


Virtual Worlds Review Directory lists quite a few different types of virtual worlds to live by such categories as:

• Children
  
• Technocrats
• Free Access
• Tweens
• Virtual World Newbies
• 20 & 30 somethings
• Graphic Artists
• Trend setter Ages 40+

Some of the popular virtual worlds are Second Life, There, The Sims Online. The media has been giving an extraordinary amount of coverage to Second Life. There have been reports of a young lady making $1million dollars selling real estate within this virtual world.

There was another story in the Wlall Street journal that asked the question "Is This Man Cheating on His Wife?". This is a bizzare question, because this man has a wife in real life, but has married and is playing house with his virtual wife in second Life. He has never met the actual woman in real life playing his virtual wife. He is maintaining his virtual marriage in

Time is our most valuable commodity. If we don't place a value on our time, then people won't value it either. Over time we each gain a certain amount of expertise, which we usually give away for free. Then there are clients or customers who call on a whim for information, which benefits them or the profits of their company. After the call, we scratch our heads trying to figure out how we can recoup the time we lost by not charging for telephone time.

Wouldn't be nice, if we could charge for the time we spend on the telephone to provide useful information to people? How about being able to charge for exclusive vidcast, podcast, or eBooks, separate from the free ones we give away? How about charging people for valuable information you send in an email?

Adding a button to a web site or blog adds credibility.

Over the last couple of years I have spoken to many associates who design web sites. I ask them if they are incorporating blogs into their client web site design strategies. Dead silence, a deep breath, a latent cough and then comes the questions from them. What's a blog? How does it work? What's the benefit to the client? Is it profitable?

Yesterday, there was a practical application news item about Walmart getting cozy with bloggers "Wal-Mart Enlists Bloggers in P.R. Campaign" By MICHAEL BARBARO

Steve Rubel presents ongoing stories of blogging as a "prime time" public relations and marketing tool, which compliments a web site.

Any web developers need help incorporating blogs into their web designs? Do you want your client's web site to explode with visitors, which translates into more potential sales? Do you want more client referrals?

Adding a blog to a web site is definitely the way to go.

Post a comment, if you need assistance from a professional blogger.
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In any industry, higher incomes are granted to people who specialize in their field. Specialists usually create their own niche market.

Finding a niche market is as easy as looking in the classified of a reliable newspaper, with a national circulation. My favorite is the Sunday NY Times classifieds. I've cornered many a profitable niche market in the information technology arena.

The trick is to look at the classifieds, but not as a job hunter. Change your perspective to that of an investor. Which technology would you invest in? Trend the classifieds for 3-5 months to identify your target niche market. You may need some additional training. It's an investment, which will pay huge profits with your new found specialty skills. Now you have a niche market.
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If business is a little sluggish or you need an idea for a new profit center, Entrepreneur Magazine has a no investment solution. AmeriVault is looking for partners and consultants to provide referrals for their data protection services.

A recent article in The Journal of New England Technology talks about a recent tactical strategy, with AmeriVault adding another data center in Chicago.

Although I'm not making an endorsement, this is still worth considering. AmeriVault has been around since 1998. It started its dealership program in 2005.

Data protection is better than buying insurance. Insurance replaces tangible items. Company information is priceless. These days, many companies are looking for alternative back up solutions. The best data protection solutions are those where the distance of stored data should be far away from the source of a disaster.
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In the mid 1980s I was laughed out of the room by mainframe COBOL developers; not once, but several times. My crime was spouting blasphemy about personal computers being a good marriage for mainframes via local area networks. I suggested my peers adjust their skills accordingly to ramp up for personal computers. I wonder how they made out in IT their careers? I hated programming in COBOL. It was like kicking a dead whale across the beach. I saw it as a dead end. I took my own advice by plunging into the PC arena with both legs and arms. You know what happened in the 1990s. Next . . .

Laugh, if you will. History will repeat itself. Blogs will create very profitable opportunities on an even larger scale. The November/December 2004 issue of Foreign Policy struck a nerve to clue me in. Their article Web of Influence By Daniel W. Drezner and Henry Farrell gave the media fair warning way before the Dan Rather episode.

If 35,000 people say it can't be done and 1 person accomplishes it, who's right? The "Blogs to Riches" article in the February 20, 2006 issue of New York Magazine mentioned AOL purchasing Peter Rojas' blog Engadget for $25million. Everyone will not become a millionaire blogging. There is a potential for people to make 6-figure incomes blogging.

The explanation of the long tail theory in the same Blogs to Riches" article is definitive proof of what the future holds.

Grab on to the Tail . . .
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June 4-6, 2006 is the Home Entertainment Show at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.

Products manufactured for the audio/video home entertainment market, make it easier for people to reproduce movie theatre quality experiences. Many products require specialized knowledge to setup and operate. Something as simple as tuning the right TV picture coloration, may not be that straight forward.

In walks many opportunities for home entertainment professionals. There are various aspects to installing the home entertainment, which may not be obvious. Setting up a system requires consideration for room layout design, correct cabling as well as engineering skills. A project manager may need to be hired for elaborate home entertainment systems, which can cost upwards to over $200,000.

Long term analytical and problem solving skills also come into play. This insures a continuous source of referrals. The key is to design home entertainment systems which are scalable. How can the current system be expanded or modified when new technology comes out, with a minimal amount of expense?

This is a profitable niche market for "inspector gadget" types, who have a solid skill level in operating various audio/visual equipment. Training owners of home entertainment equipment means extra money, after the design and setup. Make sure you enjoy working with people, before making the plunge into this market. Your clients may not get it as easily or quickly as you. So, patience is a big plus to making this business profitable.

I would recommend bolstering your skills with some formal training. A starting point can be CNET's Home Entertainment Clinics. As with any industry, people who specialize always make more money, than those who generalize. Identify which products are in big demand, but few people have the required knowledge to setup and operate them.
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With almost 25 years of IT experience I have never wasted time tinkering or learning a new technology, unless I saw a profit potential. Oh I'm inspector gadget just like any other red blooded guy. I'm addicted to my Blackberry. Playing with my Blackberry and learning all aspects of it, including implementing the Blackberry Enterprise Server for Lotus Notes, has paid huge profits in consulting assignments.

I've seen many IT professionals get their feelings hurt and become disappointed , when they tried to sell technology skills that were not in demand. It's marketing 101. Meet a customer at their need.

Don't forget your geography lessons when considering a skill transition. Do your homework to make sure your new skills are in demand. One of the best indicators is being able to decipher "want ads" in a local area. If you trend want ads, this built in radar system will help you decide what direction to learn new technology skills.

Want ads should be used as indicators for where to adjust your skills. They are not necessarily good vehicles to apply for jobs. Using your network of contacts is your best bet for landing opportunities. Click here, if you don't have a personal network.

Keep in mind companies are getting more savvy in their technology staffing requirements. They want more specialty skills. Just like doctors and lawyers, specializing within a technology area still dictates earning potential and minimizing competition. Identify technology skills where the demand is high, but not many people have that skill set (i.e. Linux administrators). This sky rockets income. When you see the market starting to saturate (i.e. MCSEs), change skill gears again.

With IT budgets opening up, 2006 is the year for four hot skills. A recent survey by Computer World indicates the 4 top areas in IT expansion are (in order of survey ranking):

Developers
.Net and Java will continue to be the preferred golden children of skill sets in demand.

Technology Security Specialists
With an increase in identity theft, viruses and the potential threat of terrorists crippling society with computer network infiltration, skilled security specialists can write their own ticket.

Project Managers
There is a back log in projects due to economic factors over the last couple of three years. Companies are demanding PMs have their PMI certification. Specific areas of specialties are Health Insurance portability, Sarbanes-Oxley and accounting compliance. Disaster recovery planning is another hot area.

IT Helpdesk
As the back logged projects swing into high gear along with application/system rollouts from 2005, helpdesk staff are still required to perform more support. There are specialties in the helpdesk arena.
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2007 will be the year when blogging gets a firm "thumbs up" from corporations as a key mainstream business tool and as a professional career track. Similar to the open source arena, where everyone contributes, people already in the blogsphere arena can help shape the future in defining the professional blogger career track. It would be nice, if this happens sooner.

Elisa Camahort's Worker Bees blog previously introduced Earthlink's blogger job description. I agree with Elisa. Earthlink did a great job providing structure in the future for bloggers achieving a corporate identity. Below is another framework to consider, in order to guide the future perceptions for all fellow bloggers.

PROFESSIONAL BLOGGER JOB DESCRIPTION

SUMMARY:
Develop and maintain corporate blogs. Research and write articles in a conversational style, which engages readers. Interface with key departments (executive, marketing, customer service, IT etc.) to insure blog content captures readers' interest, while promoting company message. Use appropriate tools to provide management with metric reports. Use on-line and off-line social networking techniques for collaboration with people inside and outside the organization. Maintain quality assurance, by open information exchange with customer service and marketing departments. Promote company objectives with each blog article.


DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Develop and maintain plan for organization's Internet presence, based on management priorities, policy directions, and goals.
2. Perform continuous enhancements and modifications to blogs.
3. Assess new standards, technologies and trends, and formulate plans for future enhancement to blogging strategies.
4. Use latest syndication and blogging tools with HTML, when appropriate.
5. Ensure blog(s) are accessible from a variety of different environments.
6. Produces a consistent visual image on blog(s) including maintenance of templates and image archives.
7. Ensure images are delivered to the viewer at sufficient high speed and quality.
8. Creates image links and ensure links are up to date.
9. Troubleshoot and repairs bugs and problems.
10. Respond promptly to blog comments and email
11. Provide metrics of traffic statistics, reports and blog comment feedback to appropriate areas.
12. Research, write/edit and create layout for new articles and features.
13. Act as liaison between blog readers and corporation
14. Interface collaboratively with web design team to insure cohesiveness between blog(s) and corporate web site.
15. Perform other duties, as assigned.

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:
Possess engaging "conversational" writing skills with a professional posture. Must have be published by a recognized organization (on or off line) or have published blogs with confirmed reader visit statistics. High school diploma or GED with related experience in achieving company objectives with blogging expertise. Must be computer and definitely Internet/search engine savvy to perform online research. Completed degrees from accredited institutions may be substituted for experience on a year-for-year basis, provided courses were taken in writing, marketing, business and psychology/sociology.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

Technical
* Ability to evaluate new and evolving blog technologies.
* Solid understanding of all sections related to the anatomy of a blog
* Ability to utilize reporting tools for analysis of traffic, referral links and reader demographics
* Ability to use syndication and pinging tools
* Knowledge and understanding of current editing, authoring tools, and related blog technologies.
* Ability to utilize computerized word processing, blogging and internet software.
* Solid foundation in search engine optimization (SEO) and implementing RSS technology
* Knowledge and understanding of internet operations and functionality
* Ability to evaluate new and evolving blogging technologies.
* Skill in the use of computerized blog layout and design software.
* Topical knowledge of the Internet, ftp, telnet and the ability to develop website documents.
* Topical knowledge of html, web development and maintenance.

Writing
* Proofreading and editing skills.
* Ability to create, compose, and edit written materials.
* Ability to write simply with a conversational style
* Writing should be informative, but not verbose

Project Management
* Ability to effectively manage time and schedules.
* Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
* Strategic planning skills.

Business Savvy
* Ability to include corporate objectives and mission throughout blog presentation
* Solicit feedback from internal departments and
* Understand mission of key departments
* Ability to make presentations on blog feedback, metrics and comments at business intelligence meetings
* Assist management in Identifying opportunities, based on new developments in the blogsphere
* Maintain high ethics with blog presentation, content and daily work tasks

Social Networking
* Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
* Present professional, but friendly posture with blogsphere colleagues and throughout the Internet
* Provide management and key departments with intelligence from blog feedback, metrics and external discussions related to blog content
* Collaborate with internal departments to enhance blog features and presence
* Act as ambassador and liaison for company with the Internet community
* Develop collaborative partnerships on-line and off-line
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Before you watch or get involved with FiOS TV, I recommend you put your seat belt on. This technology is the Autobahn of lightening fast broadband services.

Wikipedia seems to provide the most accurate definition as "FiOS (Fiber Optic Services, though the carrier denies this is the source of the acronym in published news stories) is a fiber to the premises (FTTP) telecommunications service offered in the United States by Verizon."

According I4U News, outstanding user reviews indicate FiOS TV is delivering, as promised.

Before those of us who are savvy technology professionals get all dreamy eyed about the employment or consulting opportunities for this new technology, do your homework. Run your career like a business and perform "due diligence". Research the market. Verizon appears to be the only FiOS TV player. Check with the The Fiber Optic Association for referrals to certified training schools.

You will have to crawl (learn standard cabling technology) before you learn how to run (learn fiber optic technology).

For any Spanish speaking IT professionals in New York City, I know a school in the area that provides Free fiber optic classes only in Spanish, if they are a member of LISTA.
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Predictions for 2006 abound on the voice over internet protocol (VOIP) market. The 3 burning questions enquiring minds want answered are:

1. What is VOIP and how does it work?
2. What types of predictions have been made?
3. These predictions are important to me, Why? - WIIFM?


1. If you've never heard of VoIP, get ready to change the way you think about long-distance phone calls. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a method for taking analog audio signals, like the kind you hear when you talk on the phone, and turning them into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet.

How is this useful? VoIP can turn a standard Internet connection into a way to place free phone calls. The practical upshot of this is that by using some of the free VoIP software that is available to make Internet phone calls, you are bypassing the phone company (and its charges) entirely. Read more . . .

3. What's in it for me?

Consumers
According to a Consumer Reports article, . . . "VOIP can be a great way to cut phone bills, increase talk time, and add useful new services. Consumer Reports urges consumers to keep a corded phone (requiring no power) and a landline plan for emergencies. Consumers who spend more than $60 for local and long-distance service may save money with VoIP".

With the dizzying options, like your recent switch from modem dial up to broadband (i.e. cable or dsl) or that famous "triple play", it is highly recommended you hire a technology professional for assistance with installing VOIP home/business telephone service. In considering the cost of hiring a VOIP consultant, remember price vs. cost. The price you pay for doing it yourself may appear as a savings. But what will it cost you [in time and money], if your VOIP installation is not done properly or certain computer hardware or software is not set properly? It may cost more to hire a consultant to resolve VOIP problems, afterwards.

which brings us to . . .

Technology Professionals
Quit whining about outsourcing and create a new income profit center with VOIP skills. Educate consumers on their VOIP telephone options. Help consumers implement VOIP service. Act as the VOIP QA manager to double check carrier VOIP home installations. The consulting market is wide open for helping businesses implement VOIP. Be creative. Learn who the players are and their VOIP product offerings. Register for a VOIP webinar. A quick Internet search will provide a plethora of Free VOIP training, white papers etc.

Investors
As you are probably already ahead [of consumers and IT professionals] in identifying opportunities in the VOIP arena, very little needs to be said. Maybe you want to read just one more report. VoIP: Spending and Trends, a new report from eMarketer, examines the rapidly developing IP telephony market and the impact its growth will have on businesses, consumers and the entire communications industry.
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Before wifi there was hifi. High fidelity referred to sound reproduction equipment that reproduced sound as near to the original sound as possible. It was accurate and faithful reproduction of the original, containing absence of distortion or enhancements.

Keeping within the fundamentals of HiFi, Wireless fidelity (WiFi) is a term for wireless local area networks (WLAN) that use specifications conforming to IEEE 802.11b. WiFi has gained acceptance in many environments as an alternative to a wired LAN. Public locations such as Starbucks, Borders, FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Centers, airports, hotels, and other services offer public access to WiFi networks so people can log onto the Internet. These locations are known as hotspots.

Wireless networks will be mainstream within the next 5 years. The writing is on the wall with all the upcoming wireless events in 2006.

It's primetime for anyone involved in the cabling infrastructure sector of technology to shift skill gears by learning about wireless networking implementations. A great way to start learning is by setting up your own wireless network at home. Wireless network security is and will continue to be in [profitable] demand, as an excellent specialty skill.

There are many reasons why municipalities are interested in installing metropolitan Wi-Fi networks. Three most common applications are:
- Public Safety (emergency responders, surveillance)
- Municipal Interest (more efficient city workers, bridging the digital divide, promoting development)
- Commercial Services (providing affordable residential or business broadband connectivity)

To see a glimpse of what the future will hold for wireless technology, the Pepper Pad is a 2.3-pound, Wi-Fi-enabled device, with a large, high-resolution screen, 20-gigabyte hard disk, built-in speakers and a thumb keypad, providing a powerful, versatile platform for a much wider range of online and off-line activities than any other portable device. Its 8.4-inch display is ideal for viewing full-width Web pages and watching full-screen videos. The Pepper Pad can store hours of music and videos, plus thousands of photos. And, with three forms of wireless communication – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and infrared (IR) – the Pad can access and control a wide range of devices around the home, from Wi-Fi access points, to keyboards and mice, to TVs, set-top boxes, music systems, home theaters and media servers. It's an ideal way for consumers to have Internet and media access plus wireless remote control in every room of their home.
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I have the contact information for a person interested in investing in this technology. If you are interested in making contact and presenting your business plan for first round funding, post a comment.

Can your team develop a system using cell phones and PDAs to definitively ID the person holding the credit card, as they make a purchase? If so, I can put you in touch with a person who is serious about investing in this fraud prevention security technology.

Why would someone want to invest in this technology? Think about it. Credit card fraud is more rampant than ever. Consumers aren't the only ones getting frapped by fraud. Banks are taking great losses due to credit fraud; to the tune of $2 billion in 2004. Using the equivalent of the SecureID system, software embedded into a cell phone creates another layer of security. When a person makes a purchase using a credit card, the merchant sends an email or text message for the person to reply back with a security code, from their mobile device. This extra step would save consumers and banks hundreds of $millions.

If you are serious, have business plan and the technical resources to develop this technology, then post a comment. I'll contact you with the next steps.

Cheers!!

C.E. Reid
Savvy Intrapreneur at your service
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Anyone involved in any aspect of the cabling infrastructure business should seriously consider changing gears. Now is time to get your skills/business into wireless. In today's New York Times there is an article about Airgo Networks called "A Company Looks to Wean Computers Off the Wires" by Michel Marriott. It's a small example which indicates how wireless technology connectivity will virtually eliminate the need for physical cabling of local area networks.

Prepare now, by doing your own homework on wireless technology. Get wireless skills or get lost when the demand for cabling takes a nose dive in 3 - 5 years. Make the decision now, while you still have a choice. To get started today, CWNP has free white papers in wireless technology and training centers around the world. I'm not affiliated with CWNP. I only recommend them, because they appear to have organized a plethora of information in wireless technology.

Cheers!!

C.E. Reid
Savvy Intrapreneur
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Updated 3-24-2006: This Blackberry Center is CLOSED

This just came across my desk from Yahoo! Financial News. It's an excellent opportunity for the right investor. Located in New York City, Break Through Wireless is the 1st RIM endorsed Blackberry Center in the United States. Founded by 2 savvy Latino Entrepreneurs Manny Garcia and Darwin Valencia, Break Through Wireless offers full service solutions for Blackberry Enterprise Server implementations. In addition to complete solution consulting services, this only Blackberry Center offers customized Blackberry handheld training and all Blackberry accessories, as part the corporate package.

With corporate contracts in place and some additional funding, this Blackberry Center is positioned to make handsome profits while providing a value added service that no other wireless carrier currently offers. For example, T-Mobile sells the Blackberry Enterprise Server software, but they provide no consulting services for planning, installation or production rollouts. Break Through Wireless insures their clients get the full Monty for complete and smooth Blackberry implementations.

Investing in this Blackberry Center is a ground floor opportunity. I am personally meeting with Manny and Darwin today to explore investment opportunities in their Blackberry Center. If you are interested in participating with me, send me an email at MyCompass@Success4U2.net

I do not and cannot not give investment advice. I'm just providing information for an technology opportunity. It's up to you to get investment advice from trained and licensed professionals.

Click here for more information on Blackberry handheld technology. RIM boasts 6 million thumbs (3 million subscribers) and counting. There must be something to it, if every wireless carrier on the planet sells Blackberrys.
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