Tucson, Arizona– August 24, 2004- NextWest, Inc., the leading provider of IP-based business telecommunications and contact center systems, today announced the appointment of Richard De Soto as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for NextWest, Inc.
In his role, De Soto will oversee all of NextWest’s Sales and Marketing efforts, including managing worldwide sales channel revenue objectives, identifying strategic direction, and engaging the sales and marketing team in identifying new business opportunities in key market segments.
De Soto has over 20 years experience in the telecom and Internet communications industry. He has held positions as a marketing and sales executive with Nortel Networks, US WEST (now Qwest) and a variety of successful startups including AltiGen, Entera, and FreeGate.
“Richard has a wealth of experience developing and executing targeted sales and marketing strategies, and we’re very excited to have him on board,” said Sarah Hightower, CEO of NextWest. “With his results-oriented attitude and demonstrated record of success, we have the greatest confidence that NextWest has gained a strong leader that can take our team to the next level.”
De Soto’s startup track record includes successful IPO’s and acquisitions ranging from $25M to $440M. As Senior VP at AltiGen, a leading IP PBX company, De Soto led the company through continual revenue growth in spite of the economic downturn of 2001- 2003. As a direct result of that revenue growth AltiGen was named as the 111th fastest growing company in the U.S. by the Deloitte Touché Fast 500 Program and as the 8th largest IP PBX Company in the world by IDC.
“My goal here is clear,” DeSoto remarked. “I will position our company to be the leading IP PBX and Contact Center company marketing to small to mid-size enterprises.”
De Soto holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Public Relations from San Jose State University is a graduate of the Cambridge Information Technology Center and successfully completed the MBA equivalency program at MIT. He has been a designated speaker at number of telecommunications forums, radio and television interviews and broadcasts and is widely considered an industry expert.
About NextWest, Inc.
NextWest, Inc., headquartered in Tucson, AZ., is a leading manufacturer of IP-based business telecommunications and contact center systems. Our rock-solid, fully-integrated, IP and converged communications systems help small to mid-sized businesses, government agencies and other institutions to meet their growing telecommunications needs.
With cost-effective solutions that are flexible, scalable, reliable and easy to manage, NextWest delivers uncompromising quality and features resulting in the some of the fastest ROI times in the industry.
NextWest’s award winning PCXi and NextContact Call Center Solutions are backed by the world class service and support of NextWest Certified Engineers.
For more information about NextWest Business Phone Systems, IP Phone Systems, Advanced Voicemail, Conferencing Solutions, ACD, Reliable VoIP ( Voice over IP ), Advanced IP Predictive Dialers, IP Telephony, Blended Call Center Solutions, VoIP Call Center Systems, VoIP Phone Systems, IVR, Auto Attendants, CTI, Advanced PBX Features, NextWest PCXi, NextContact or any of our industry specific solutions call 1-877-I-GO-NEXT (446-6398), or visit our website at http://www.nextwest.com .
Note: NextWest products and services are only available through NextWest Authorized Resellers.
Public liability indemnity is suggested as all corporations are at risk to some quantity. Even though nothing bad has yet occurred to your companies premises, will not mean that it will not at some point in near the future. If someone is wounded, or their property lost, it is your contractual requirement to appropriately compensate them. This cost can easily be shockingly expensive, depending on the exact case.
Fortunately, you do have a chance to guard yourself for this likelihood. Getting public liability insurance permits you to breathe a touch easier. If a customer claim is pricey, the insurance corporation will be there to supply you with a protection net. Its their legal duty to guarantee that you are covered from any claims and legal expenses. This leaves you available to concentrate on actually doing business, instead of thinking about what may possibly happen. Following are numerous examples of times when public liability cover have in the past come in handy. Looking for business insurance? Contact Insured Risks for Professional Indemnity Insurance.
Directors of plumbing firms as a rule get the job finished quick and right. Although, from time to time something may possibly go seriously wrong. If you smash up a customer’s gas pipes while on the job, affecting property for example personal computers & carpeting, public liability cover will be there to pick up the invoice.
Another illustration is that of a promotions company. If a customer were to break an ankle in your place of work, even if it’s not your fault, you would be held legally answerable. Nonetheless, with public liability insurance you would not have to resolve the claim at all.
In a comparable example, injury caused to a passerby by a worker on a construction site is the liability of the organisation’s director. This sort of claim can easily get very pricey indeed, unless you obtain the right insurance cover.
Have you ever come across power problem where once you switch on the power supply and the fuse blow? You have checked all the components in the power (primary) and secondary section and all the components seems to be ok! Where is the fault? A fuse blown are usually caused by a shorted bridge rectifier, defective posistor, power transistor or FET, shorted primary winding of switch mode power tranformer, shorted secondary diode and etc. But in this article i’m gone to show you another secret of electronic troubleshooting tips.
I got frustrated as to where is the cause of power problem. Everytime when i switch on the power supply the fuse blow immediately (the fuse became dark color and this indicate that there is a major short circuit in the power supply). I have checked all the components in the power supply and can’t find the culprit! What i do is i desoldered all the suspected parts one by one and replaced with a known good component. I eventually found the caused of the power supply problem. Guess what? It was the main filter capacitor (220 microfarad 400 volt). After replacing the filter cap the power supply worked perfectly fine. I begin my detective work to find out why this capacitor can caused the fuse to blow eventhough i already confirmed it ok with my meters.
The meters that i used to check the filter cap were analog meter, digital capacitance meter and esr meter. In this article i will not explain about how to check capacitor or testing capacitor and how capacitor work. I believed most of you know how to check capacitors and also generally using this type of meters. Measured with analog it showed capacitor charging and discharge, with digital capacitor tester it showed around 220 microfarad and with esr meter it showed low esr reading!
This proved that the bad capacitor breakdown when under full operating voltage. Then, how do i confirm that this filter capacitor is faulty? By using an analog insulation tester. When i connect the faulty cap to the meter and press the go button-it showed a very low resistance and this is the proved of short circuit between the plate when voltage applied! There is nothing to do with bad electrolyte. A good capacitor will just showed a charge and discharge in the insulation meter just like you are checking a capacitor using analog multimeter. In the market there is quite a number of ranges that you can buy. It has the range of 50v, 100v, 250v, 500v, 1000v and even 5000v! If you want to test a capacitor of 100 microfarad 160v then you have to select 100v. If you select 250v, it will blow your capacitor that is under test.
If you have the SENCORE TEST EQUIPMENT such as the sencore lc meter LC102 OR LC103, these meters have the capabilities of checking any type of capacitors with four test; -testing for capacitor values -checking for leakage -equivalent series resistance (ESR) and -Dielectric absorption It can check aluminum electrolytic capacitor, film capacitor, ceramic, high voltage capacitor and etc.
Conclusion-Different capacitor manufacturer produced different type of quality of a capacitor. Perhaps the bad capacitor that i encountered are from the lowest grade one. A capacitor failure when under load is very rare. Using ESR capacitor meter alone can solve most of the electrolytic capacitor problem.
Pattern Equipment & Prototype (PEP) in Windsor, Ontario, is a division of Tooling & Equipment International (TEI), Livonia, Michigan. TEI is a leader in Design, Engineering and Manufacturing of Tooling, Prototype, Pre-Production and Mass Production Equipment for the Metal Casting Industry.
PEP selected Encompix (www.encompix.com) ETO ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software because it has filled the manufacturing software requirements of Engineer-to-Order companies since 1992. The company name reflects the commitment to developing business application solutions that encompass the complex areas of project-based and job-based manufacturing.
Engineer-to-order (ETO) and project-based manufacturers face business challenges that simply cannot be resolved by traditional manufacturing systems. Engineer-to-order companies need to be able to provide accurate cost estimates to customers, manage all aspects of complex projects, deliver on time and on budget–all while keeping a close eye on cash flow. There is intense pressure to reduce costs, shorten cycle times, while maintaining high quality. Finally, engineer-to-order companies need an accurate picture of the profitability of each project in order to comprehend the impact on the business.
In the increasingly competitive world of engineer-to-order and project-based manufacturing, companies have to operate at maximum efficiency to compete with not only domestic firms, but also the growing number of overseas competitors. The companies that will thrive in this environment are those that are continually looking for improvement.
According to Thomas R. Cutler, spokesperson for the ETO Institute (www.etoinstitute.org), “Encompix has experienced strong levels of success because this year few other manufacturing software companies truly understand the specific issues and nuances facing the engineer-to-order segment of the manufacturing market.” Encompix provides ETO manufacturers with a competitive advantage by improving bottom line results. Encompix www.encompix.com Roger Meloy 513-733-0066
I’m not really a very religious person and the answer to the question is definitely not religiously related, but want for another word “soul” will have to do. What I refer to is that bit of the artist which goes into the artwork bringing it ‘to life’. No! Not all pieces have this; the artist has to coax it. Once he has nurtured it out of materials and medium, and agonized for hours, his or her creation will come alive.
It’s not difficult to accept and it’s not wimpy, it’s what makes the investor or the lover want to purchase or drool over the artwork over and over again. It’s that feeling when you walk past the piece and you have to return, and return, until you are so frustrated that you do not own it and someone else does! When you just cant let it go.
At a little country art show, you walk around checking it out, and see something that warms you up. From the depths you remember that you are here not only to mingle with the local art and cultural elite; or, to help prop the visitor numbers for your fellow local artists. You are here because you like art, it does something to you. You are primed, a bit out of practice maybe as it’s been so long, to buy that diamond in the rough, or help discover the next Picasso.
You see something in the corner of your eye, it’s good. Something warm, something frustrating, something good; what is it? Yes, I like this piece; in fact I love it, but why?
You have to ask yourself why you can rush past so many artworks but this one grabs you with enough emotion that it can make you feel sick. In fact… when you see the red dot (sold), damn, you feel robbed, “If only I was here earlier.” you say.
You know that picture was sold when the first person saw it.
The artist in his studio doesn’t know you, he is not sitting there or standing there thinking, “What will they like, I know, I’ll use this color.” Well maybe there are a few that do! The artist sees something in their picture, it’s not right… agony, agony: till finally they work the problem through and are so happy that they start bouncing around the studio all happy planning another wonderful week. This is the point when the artwork has ‘come to life’.
The artist enjoys his or her work, though enjoyment is probably too small a word to capture all the feelings they go through. They must have their creation near them; there may be a brief moment they want to hide it from view. Just a while, as it did strain, it did hurt. But they must take it out again, after a day, or an hour, and never hide it again. The more works he or she creates the more their previous creations will hide away, until they move to a bigger studio, just for more space to show their favorites, permanently.
BUY THESE PIECES!! These contain part of the artist’s soul. These are the first to be sold in any art show, the show stopper in any gallery and finally: the pieces that end up in the State Gallery, and only either: because the artist has died, or they have donated it (not wanting it to be spoilt by the callous association of the coin).
This is truly what the buyer or viewer is experiencing. If you are not an artist you will not understand, the birth of their creation, the moment soul starts to enter the ‘nothing’ in front of them, is to the artist: the elation they experience. They do NOT want to sell it to anyone. If they didn’t have to eat and pay bills, believe me, the true artist would never sell anything with soul. Think about it, the only pieces you could buy would be the works they didn’t really care about, and neither would you.
When coming across a piece that really hits your spot, think for a minute. It affects you because it’s real, it’s got soul. The artwork is loved by its maker, as one of their children. Of all those paintings you browsed past in the local art show, you had to return to this one, you had to have it. Listen to your body, there is always a reaction to the living and the “attractive”; it’s probably the time when you should buy, or at least savor the moment.
Remember, if you feel a great overwhelming desire to keep admiring the artwork, and the artist will not let it go, you have discovered a winner.
Video conferencing hardware and software allows users to see and hear the person they are communicating with.
A videoconference allows you to take part in live audio/video presentations in your classroom, and to collaborate through them. Calls can be made between 2 classrooms in the same town, or between 2 classrooms in different parts of the globe. It is also possible for multipoint conferences to take place, where more than 2 schools take part in the same call.
Live video conferences have lots of advantages over other multimedia resources, such as video recordings or television presentations, but the main benefit is that they are interactive, allowing you to talk face to face with someone else in ‘real time’, but in a different location. This is great for for gaining high levels of engagement from your students.
Multipoint videoconferencing
Simultaneous videoconferencing among three or more remote points is possible by means of a Multipoint Control Unit (MCU). This is a bridge that interconnects calls from several sources (in a similar way to the well-known audio conference call). All parties call the network ID number of the MCU unit or the MCU unit can also call the parties which are going to participate, in sequence. There are MCU bridges for IP and ISDN-based videoconferencing. There are MCU which are pure software, and others which are a combination of hardware and software. A MCU is characterised according to the number of simultaneous calls it can handle.
MCUs can be stand-alone hardware devices, or they can be embedded into dedicated TVC units.
The technology of video conferencing
The core technology using in a videoteleconference (VTC) system is in digital compression of audio and video streams in real time.
There are basically two kinds of VTC systems:
Dedicated systems have all required components packaged into a single equipment, usually a console with a high quality remote controlled video camera on its top. These cameras can be controlled at a distance to move in the horizontal and vertical directions (pan and tilt, respectively) as well as to perform image zooming, so they are called PTZ cameras. The console contains all electrical interfaces, the control computer, modem, and the software- or hardware-based codec. Omnidirectional microphones are connected to the console, as well as a monitor TV with loudspeakers and/or a video projector. There are several types of dedicated VTC devices:
(a)Large group VTC are non-portable, large, more expensive devices used for large rooms and auditoriums. Use of PTZ cameras is practically mandatory.
(b)Small group VTC are non-portable or portable, smaller, less expensive devices used for small meeeting rooms (e.g., up to 10 people) and PTZ cameras are usual
(c)Individual VTC are usually portable devices, meant for single users, have fixed cameras, microphones and loudspeakers integrated into the console.
Desktop systems are add-ons (hardware boards, usually) to normal PC’s, transforming them into VTC devices. A range of different cameras and microphones can be used with the board, which contains the necessary codec and transmission interfaces. Most of the desktops systems work only with the H.323 standard. Video conferences carried out via dispersed PCs are also known as e-meetings.
When natural disaster hits there are usually more questions than answers. Why did this happen? Can something like this be prevented from happening again? What does this all mean? In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, people are asking these and many other questions. As people come to grips with what has occurred it is natural for there to be curiosity about previous natural disasters in our planet’s past.
There are a number of audio books that deal with the subject of natural disasters and can help give people context and understanding during tragic times. Often the best way to prevent future disaster is to understand what happened in the past and take action to prevent mistakes that might have led to the event or increased its impact. Here are some resources that you may want to consider listening to.
“Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded” is the incredible story of the 1883 eruption of the volcano and the subsequent tsunami that killed almost 40,000 people. Simon Winchester narrates this tale of disaster and the ramifications of it on the surrounding area. On the other side of the world, a less catastrophic but more recent disaster is detailed in “Fire on the Mountain”, the tale of a forest fire in Colorado on July 3, 1994. This fire claimed the lives of 14 firefighters and ranks as one of the deadliest days in the history of firefighting.
Blizzards and snowstorms are often tragic causes of death. “Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America” recounts the blizzard of 1888 that hit the Eastern Coast of the United States. This blizzard resulted in the death of 400 people, the sinking of 200 ships and snowdrifts that reached 50 feet in height. Climbers that challenge the world’s highest peaks often come face to face with Mother Nature as well. Iconic climber Anatoli Boukreev’s “The Climb” and Jon Krakauer’s “Into Thin Air” both tell the haunting story of the 1996 attempts to scale Everest during which weather conditions contributed to the death of eight climbers.
There are even podcasts related to natural disasters. The Disaster News Network (DNN) puts out a regular podcast which has covered recent events such as the Indonesian earthquake and of course Hurricane Katrina. Another podcast that has covered the hurricane from a scientific perspective is the Science Friday podcast which is a production of NPR. Both of these podcasts are free to listen to and provide an alternative view of recent events.
Listening to audio books about natural disasters can’t take the sting of these disasters away but it can help to give us a better historical perspective and show us the remarkable resilience of human beings even when the worst possible scenario has unfolded.
A series of graduation caps and gowns introduced in a row depicts newly graduated students in any graduation party. For Your graduation day, you certainly need to wear a dress that represents the importance of this day. Graduation caps and gowns have long history, in the ancient days it was a reason that student needed to warm themselves in unheated rooms. Nevertheless, all traditions have their history that does not affect its current utility; so is for graduation gowns and caps.
History
Graduation gowns and caps are a necessity for current era. No matter how those are originated but those are required for any graduation party, whether it be college graduation party, a high school graduation party or even kindergarten graduation party. All it started with the grade schools and organized education system. Organized education systematized everything and further it came to uniforms and dresses. A particular dress code for graduating students came in existence after education systems getting highly organized. It had been basic fundamental of management that equality must reflect it through everything. It applies for dress code and caps. That is how and why we use Graduation gowns and caps in modern days.
Buying graduation gowns or caps is easy. Everywhere graduation are going on somewhere in the world; everyone needs to have a graduation gown and cap. Your selection of graduation gown and cap must be sober and formal; it is not something that you have much diversity in. basic styles are traditional. However, when you need to buy a complete lot of such gowns and caps then you can hope for same variety and texture. Nevertheless, if you are buying it personally and you need to select texture and style for your personal graduation gown and cap. You can check out through the availabilities.
Ultimately, most of the gown and caps looks same at graduation party, but it must fit your size, it should contain good quality cloth and it must look sober. Our site offers one of the best available facilities for buying such items; surfing on Internet, you can easily find out your shape, size color and texture. There is availability in every type because graduations take place very frequently.
You can surf through our WebPages to find out your preferences and select a best-fit graduation gown or graduation cap. If you need to find out one perfect match for your size and simultaneously you need to be assured for good quality then we assure you that your search ends here.
That huge elephant, I thought to myself for the 100th time, tethered on that tiny stake. They can weigh up to 7 tons, and there was this huge elephant rocking back and forth, kept from moving more than a few feet by … an electric fence? 25 armed men? No, by a small chain on a tiny stick.
How can this happen? How has it forgotten what it’s capable of? This can happen to any mammal, including you and me, and here’s how.
Reptiles have only the reptilian brain, the primitive brain that keeps the heart beating, regulates instincts, pumps oxygen through the lungs. They’re born miniature adults and already know all they’re going to learn. So there’s no need for parents to teach. Reptiles don’t bond with their young; in fact they’ll eat them if they don’t scurry away.
But the little elephant calf is well cared for. This is where the limbic brain comes in, the one we share with all mammals. It’s how we bond and where emotions come from.
The young calf is cared for by all the females in the herd. They gather ’round to celebrate its birth, trumpeting, and spinning, with temporal secretions running down their temples. They feel the bond.
Meanwhile, the mother must get the baby up on its feet to nurse, or it won’t survive. It already has to learn something. And in this process, too, all the young females are learning about mothering. The hormones and the limbic brain drive it all.
Childhood lasts a long time for the elephant, as it does for the human. They have much to learn about survival and their culture. They’re dependant on their mothers, emotionally and physically, for 3-5 years, and often aren’t weaned til their 10th year. Why this long dependency? Because they aren’t born knowing how to survive, they must learn it. Similar to humans and apes, much of the elephant’s brain development takes place after birth. This allows for (and demands) learned behaviors, not just instinctual behavior.
Like humans, the elephant is born with minimal “innate” knowledge. For instance, it’s only through watching adults the elephant learns its trunk can be used to pick things up, or scratch or drink with.
Now what if the young elephant calf, with it’s new brain (“impressionable”) is captured and its leg chained to a stake in the ground that he can’t pull away from no matter how hard he pulls? And at the same time, he’s scared. Scientists are discovering that fear and the memory get stored together in the cells for a long time. Once coupled with fearful events, they continue to fire in unison long after the original event is over. At an early age, the elephant has learned “helplessness,” that when that thing’s on its leg, no matter what it does, it can’t get away, so eventually it gives up and quits trying. And there stands that 7-ton animal tethered by nothing, really, except its fearful memories.
Has this happened to you? (Think about it.) Could coaching help? (Think about it.)
In a recent survey by the Mercury Consulting Group it stated that some British boards had frozen ICT budgets because they were seeing insufficient evidence of a return from their investments (ROI).
Typically, to prove an ROI, ICT departments need analysis, management and monitoring tools and resource BUT sometimes no budgets are available for this either.
A slight Catch 22 situation!!
To make matters worse the Economist Intelligence Unit demonstrated in their survey that a gap between the business heads and ICT executives or suppliers still remained, and this gap needed to be addressed to improve the success of ICT projects and set expectations correctly.
Improving customer relationships and cost control were some of the main business drivers while ICT was identified as pivotal to risk management and achieving these drivers.
Bottom line is, ICT is a must have (and must be done right) in order for businesses to be competitive….
Don’t believe me….
Well, recently I spoke with an MD for a famous West Midlands based manufacturer and innovator who told me during an Enterprise Networking event that his business was no longer a manufacturer, it was a marketing company and the only way they could stay competitive is with their ICT investments.
Unbelievably, ICT was the second biggest spend (after patents) within their business and unsurprisingly they are doing very well indeed against their cheaper competition.
But how do businesses make the right investment when they are limited by the available finance or a gap exists between ICT and the business or they have limited resources and in-house expertise.
Well there is a solution…
Let’s address the financial element. Most businesses have already invested or continue to invest in a range of communication and information technologies and services. With advances in technology there are now new ways of providing the same or similar services at a much reduced cost.
New technology itself may bring about changes within the business that in turn brings about cost reductions.
And finally making smart use of finance makes any investment easier to budget and spreads the outlay, achieving a faster return typically.
If done correctly this can result in a system or complete solution at no additional cost to your business!!
What is the catch….
Well, you’ve got to find the right business partner. Somebody that can be trusted, that has the knowledge of the complete sphere of ICT and where its going, that can take a consultative business approach (underpinned by technology) and provide you with a strategy to ensure the success of the project and your business.
Happy hunting…
Copyright 2005 Nicholas Windley
About the author:
Nicholas Windley is a strategic ICT consultant with Comz4Biz and business owner