CARY, N.C. — Regional financial services institutions like Bremer Financial Corporation must find ways to keep operations agile and efficient. When Bremer wanted to find a better financial management system, they selected SAS, the leader in business analytics, to more effectively create and analyze financial reports and budgets.
“With six separate databases required to accommodate the changing needs of our organization, we knew our processes needed an upgrade,” said Bob Buck, Chief Financial Officer at Bremer. “SAS® Financial Management provided a single solution for financial management reporting, budgeting, forecasting and consolidation. We found the solution offered the greatest flexibility for a single database of all financial management information.”
Bremer was frustrated by the need to use multiple modules for the budgeting, forecasting and reporting of financial and non-financial data. The processes in place were slow and inefficient. With SAS, Bremer will have a more streamlined and integrated planning and forecasting process, freeing up more time to analyze and improve financial plans across the organization. The added flexibility from SAS Financial Management will help the finance department manage the growing demands of business line profitability reporting and analysis.
“We anticipate increased productivity of our finance professionals with SAS in place. They will be able to focus their attention on higher-level analysis with less time devoted to managing cumbersome mechanics,” explained Ron Hansen, project manager at Bremer. “In addition to better analysis, the new solution will improve morale and retention of our experienced finance professionals, resulting in a more efficient cost structure for our finance division.”
SAS Financial Management improves the accuracy, relevance and timeliness of financial plans, budgets and reports while promoting the alignment and execution of strategy. SAS Financial Management is one component of SAS financial intelligence, a vision for financial performance management that includes solutions for financial management, activity-based management, dashboards and scorecarding, risk management, and advanced analytics such as optimization and forecasting. By combining the hindsight, insight and foresight provided through these powerful solutions, corporate finance departments can build credibility and confidence within other areas of the company.
Bremer Financial Corporation
Bremer Financial Corporation is a privately held, $7.6 billion regional financial services company jointly owned by its employees and the Otto Bremer Foundation. This unique ownership structure is the only one of its kind in the nation. Founded in 1943 by Otto Bremer, the company is headquartered in St. Paul, MN, and provides a comprehensive range of banking, investment, trust and insurance services to more than 100 locations in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. A significant portion of company profits are distributed in the form of charitable grants by the Otto Bremer Foundation to communities served by Bremer. In 2007, more than $30 million in charitable donations were given across the Bremer footprint and employees donated more than 92,900 volunteer hours to their communities. For more information, please visit www.bremer.com.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
CARY, N.C. — Dex has been honored with a 2008 Yellow Pages Publisher Recognition Award by the Association of Directory Marketing (ADM). ADM recently selected Dex for its “Communication Award,” which “recognizes efforts to improve communications between publishers and CMRs (Certified Marketing Representatives).” The award was announced at ADM’s Annual Conference in San Antonio, Tex.
Dex was selected based upon several criteria, including commitment to excellence in facilitating communications between the company and CMRs, who help develop, implement, manage and maintain Yellow Pages programs for national advertisers. Dex was also noted for its provision of high-quality, effective sales materials and marketing collateral and the continuous enabling of easy access to these materials. As a result, ADM recognized Dex’s ability to help CMRs improve efficiencies, solve challenges and implement successful advertising programs.
“Our goal is to provide CMRs with simple, focused communications that make it easier for them to access information and do business with Dex. This award is a reflection of that,” said Stephen Gibbons, vice president of national sales, Dex. “We’re happy to accept this award from ADM, and will continue to provide CMRs with exceptional communications tools that help them implement and manage their advertising programs.”
Dex is the market brand of R.H. Donnelley (NYSE: RHD), a leading print and online local search company. R.H. Donnelley’s products and services include the Dex(R) Yellow Pages; DexKnows.com(TM), a leading online local search site; 1-800-Call-Dex(TM), a free, voice-enabled local search solution; and Dex Search Marketing, which provides web site optimization and paid search advertising solutions.
CARY, NC — Ultimus, developer of one of the most widely-deployed business process management software suites in the world, announced a strategic global partnership with JFE Systems, a Tokyo-based user systems integrator specializing in the manufacturing sector.
This partnership allows JFE to develop margin-rich revenue streams with the Ultimus BPM solution while utilizing their own manufacturing integration expertise and development teams. Ultimus can now more effectively target the Japanese BPM market, which as part of the larger Asia-Pacific region has demonstrated positive growth.
In a recent report, Gartner indicates that the total software revenue in the portal, process, and middleware software market (including business process management suites) in Asia/Pacific and Japan is estimated to have grown to nearly $2.1 billion in 2006. Gartner forecasts the market will grow to $3.4 billion by 2011, with a five-year compound annual growth rate of 10.4%.
“The growing demand in the Japanese marketplace for workflow automation drove our decision to team with the foremost global provider of BPM solutions,” said Syuji Aoki, General Manager, IT Solution Sales, JFE Systems. “Our product and service portfolio and experience with large enterprise deployment provide a natural extension of the Ultimus BPM solution.”
Firmly committed to the world’s second largest economy, Ultimus has many years of experience in Japan. Ultimus boasts a prestigious Japanese customer base, including enterprise customers such as Ajinomoto, Nissan, Sanyo, Bausch & Lomb, Synthes, Volkswagen Group Japan, Mistui Oil, Yamashita, and Optrex.
“As a pioneer in next-generation information technology, JFE Systems offers our Japanese customer base exceptional customer service and rapid application system development,” said Samuel Bateman, Director, International Business Development, Ultimus. “The award-winning Ultimus Adaptive BPM Suite provides a business process backbone with extensive and adaptive capabilities that set JFE apart from their competition.”
The Ultimus Partner Program aims to forge relationships with leading organizations around the globe. The program empowers partners with access to the tools, information, and resources needed to successfully use, sell, deploy, and support the Ultimus Adaptive BPM Suite on mission-critical, high-value business processes.
About JFE Systems, Inc. (Tokyo Stock Exchange, Second Section/Code No.4832)
JFE Systems, Inc. (name changed from Kawatetsu Information Systems Ltd. on December 1, 2004) was formed as an independent company in 1983 from the former information systems division of Kawasaki Steel Co., Ltd. (the present “JFE Steel Corporation”). In March 2001, it became the first user systems integrator born out of the manufacturing sector to be listed on the second section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. For more information, please refer to http://www.jfe-systems.com/eng/index.html
Read More: CarolinaNewsWire
(NAPSI)-As experts continue to call out the latest signs of an approaching recession, businesses respond by cinching up their budgets. But, for those already tasked with keeping their bottom line lean, new ways of cutting costs require some creativity. So, from remote cities and towns to large metropolitan areas, businesses all over the country are further cutting costs by cutting the cord-the phone cord, that is-and using Internet-based digital telephone service.
Internet telephony technology, otherwise known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), lets companies deploy a full-featured business phone system over their existing broadband network for a fraction of the cost of traditional alternatives. For a small business, this can result in significant cost savings as there is no equipment to buy or maintain, and the monthly service fees-which cover unlimited calling and business-class features-are predictable and fixed.
Technology consultant Joe Rork has seen his home state of Michigan hit hard. Currently serving as chief technologist for Plymouth’s Green Street Fair-an annual event founded to help educate and inform people of all ages about the benefits of green, organic and ecofriendly products and services-he’s turned watching what he spends into an art.
“One of the easiest things I did right off was to be sure we were using Internet technology for our phone systems,” he says. “Not only is it a huge savings for us in terms of cost, it’s the safest and easiest way we can move our office from headquarters to the event location without missing a beat.”
The Green Street Fair has been months in the planning and has used 8×8’s Packet8 Virtual Office digital phone service every step of the way. More than 150 vendors representing the “green” in everything from food and automotive to health and home are recruited, informed, scheduled and personally attended to up to and throughout the two-day event using powerful, customer-driven calling features.
With Packet8 Virtual Office, businesses are doing away with their expensive PBX system and the costs that come along with it. The system installs in minutes and is loaded with standard features like auto attendants, unlimited conference calling, music on hold, ring groups, one number dialing and more-all of which can add a big-business feel to an otherwise small-business setup. And because it uses a business’ existing high-speed Internet connection and can be managed on- line by the customers themselves, the cost of making calls-and of doing day-to-day business-is considerably less.
Business owner Bert Hamilton of Harvey Software, Inc., in Ft. Myers, Fla., can’t go a day without being reminded of the recession’s increasing impact. His company writes shipping software designed to give customers more control over their shipping costs. And, like Rork, Hamilton uses new technology to keep ahead and keep his customers happy.
Although it took Hamilton a few years to finally switch over to Packet8, he and his customers have been instantly rewarded for making the change. And, by moving his phone systems away from traditionally architected services, he has sealed the deal on an even greater gain-business redundancy. “Hurricanes are a big threat to our livelihood here,” remarks Hamilton. “The ability of Virtual Office to allow for redundancy in our communications plan isn’t just convenient. It’s a necessity.”
Packet8 isn’t the only thing connecting Hamilton’s 25-year-old software company and Rork’s two-day show. It seems they’ve both been able to “go greener” by making the change-for greater energy efficiency and a smaller carbon impact.
Using the Internet to make calls is a technological marvel to some. For others, it comes down to simply making the smart play. “As to the future of the Internet and its use as a business tool, we’ve barely scratched the surface,” says Bryan Martin, CEO of 8×8, Inc. “What really matters is the choice that businesses have in front of them right now.”
A growing number of small businesses are saving money through Internet-based phone service.
Raleigh, NC – Business Technology Solutions, a Raleigh based business consulting firm, announces today that the firm was named in the Business Leader’s Top 100 North Carolina Small Businesses. The rankings were published in the June issue of Business Leader Magazine.
“We are delighted to be included along with these other great organizations on the list of North Carolina’s Top 100 Small Businesses,” states Lissa Johnsen, President / CEO. “We feel this honor affirms our commitment to providing small and medium sized businesses exceptional services to solve their unique needs in accounting systems, business management, technology management and human resource systems.”
The rankings for the top 100 small companies were decided primarily on company growth and community involvement. Other criteria included staff size and the percentage of work completed within the state of North Carolina.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
GARNER, N.C. — ASC Signal Corporation, (formerly Andrew Corporation Satellite Communications Group), today announced an agreement with Globecomm Systems, Inc. (GSI) to supply commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) antenna products. As GSI’s strategic partner and supplier, ASC Signal was selected to provide antenna products that support the recent major award to GSI by a global multilateral organization, which offers a potential revenue of $30 million over a three-year period.
ASC Signal’s antenna products allow Globecomm Systems to deliver a range of enhanced services and offer further support to their global customer. ASC’s antenna products will be supplied under a three-year IDIQ (Indefinite-delivery / indefinite-quantity) contract. These products include:
- 3.9 Meter F-1 compliant C-band Trifold® transportable antenna product
- 4.9 Meter Intelsat E-2 Ku-band type approved motorizable antenna
ASC Signal’s 3.9 meter antenna features a wide range of adjustment with the ability to view geostationary satellites, horizon-to-horizon, from any location worldwide. Its unique Trifold® reflector panels are cut from a single piece of precision spun aluminum.
Additionally, the innovative 4.9 meter Intelsat E-2 type approved Ku-band earth station antenna was developed for maximum accuracy and versatility. This low-maintenance antenna features a dual reflector Gregorian system that provides excellent pattern characteristics and high gain. Equipped with a self-aligning main reflector, it is also capable of reception and transmission for quad-band C-band, X-band, Ku-band and Ka-band configurations.
Previously, ASC Signal has supplied antenna products to GSI for the company’s other global projects. ASC Signal was selected by GSI due to its strong reputation and industry leading product line.
Dr. Russell Dearnley - Vice President, Earth Station Antennas and Solutions for ASC Signal, stated, “Being selected by GSI validates our shared goals of sustaining excellent customer service on a worldwide level.” He continued, “We are proud to provide GSI with our products. As we continue our dynamic growth, we are looking forward to building upon our existing synergistic relationship and collaborating with GSI on future projects.”
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
(ARA) – What do a recent global crackdown on Internet child pornography and the arrest of Dennis Rader, the infamous “BTK” serial killer have in common with the Sept. 11 attacks on America? All are high profile crimes investigated not only by conventional police investigators, but by those specially trained in computer forensics, a new area of crime fighting.
Computer forensics is a branch of forensic science pertaining to legal evidence found in computers and digital storage mediums. Experts in this field investigate data storage devices such as hard drives, USB drives, CD-ROMS, floppy disks, etc., identifying, preserving and analyzing documentary and other digital evidence.
While most of the attention given to people working in this field comes from the work they do with police to help solve high profile crimes, that is not the only role they play. Individual companies are hiring forensic computer experts to perform such roles as determining the root cause of a hacker attack, collecting evidence legally admissible in court, and protecting corporate assets and reputations from crimes such as white-collar fraud.
Andrew Hildebrand, CPA, CVA, JD and dean of business programs at DeVry University in Fort Washington, Penn., offers this example of just how important a computer forensics expert’s role is in a corporate investigation of financial crime. “First a CPA would be contacted by an attorney to work on proving financial fraud. The CPA would need to have financial records and data, some of which may be in electronic format,” he says.
“Many times in these types of fraud cases, the suspect has attempted to cover-up the crime by deleting various documents, such as MS Word memos and MS Excel spreadsheets,” Hildebrand adds. “Once the accountants have some idea of what they are looking for, we can work with the computer forensics professional to recover the deleted material. During every step from seizure of the computer through to court testimony, the computer forensics professional will use their expertise to ensure that the data is recovered and the laws of evidence are respected.”
Realizing the growing need for trained professionals with this area of expertise, schools such as DeVry University, one of the country’s largest, publicly held, degree-granting higher education systems in the U.S., have developed special degree programs to train the experts of tomorrow. DeVry University offers an accelerated bachelor’s degree program in Computer Information Systems with a specialized track in computer forensics that can be completed in three years. As they are pursuing their degree, students learn how to follow the trail of computer clues that are left behind when someone commits a crime of technology. They also learn how to document evidence and how to coordinate with law enforcement to track the movements of the bad guys.
“Students will be prepared for jobs such as security auditor, security specialist, security administrator, security analyst, Web security manager, security director, digital forensic investigator, privacy officer and compliance officer,” says Rajin Koonjbearry, an instructor at DeVry University in Dallas. “These jobs are in high demand and will continue to grow because of new and changing regulatory requirements.”
Among the career avenues available for students graduating with a specialization in computer forensics:
* Law Enforcement. Police departments and sheriff’s offices nationwide are looking for computer forensics professionals to help them investigate computer-related crimes.
* Corporate. Those with a computer forensics background can help companies protect their computer systems from outside attacks.
* Private Organizations. Any private organization with its own network needs computer forensics professionals to maintain surveillance on their systems.
* Software Programmers. The advice that the computer forensics degree holder can provide a software company about the stability of their programs is always welcomed.
“We are responding to the changing IT industry in order to ensure DeVry University graduates are prepared to excel in emerging industry areas,” says Eddie Wachter, Ph.D., dean of academic affairs at DeVry University Central Florida. “Professionals who know how to protect companies and consumers from cyber crime will be in great demand in our increasingly networked world, and the new specialized options give our students the edge in this evolving industry.”
To learn more about DeVry University’s Computer Information Systems (CIS) degree program, log on to http://www.DeVry.edu .
New search engines that don’t rely on keywords could revolutionize the way that users find information on the Internet.
(NewsUSA) - People now use search engines so often, the word “Google” has become a verb.
Search engines help students find statistics, cooks locate recipes, and politicos spot blog updates. But today’s most popular search engines still have limitations.
Search engines use words. But searching for one word or phrase might not yield every relevant result.
For example, Alexander the Great goes by other names -; Alejandro Magno, Büyük Iskender, Lissandru la Granni. A student typing the name “Alexander the Great” into a search engine might miss the information needed to give her project an “A.”
Instead of word-based search engines, companies want to develop entity-based Internet searches.
An entity-based search engine would recognize Lissandru la Granni as Alexander the Great, even if a surfer didn’t know to search for him under that name.
One Hungarian-based technology company, Power of the Dream Ventures, Inc., has developed an entity-based search engine that will start running in late 2008.
The search engine and integrated online content manager, iGlue, will not only make understanding information on the Internet easier, it will also help the Internet adapt to its users.
iGlue can manage entities, not keywords, that appear in Web content. It can find information about a topic even when Web sites present that topic in different terms.
Today, most Web pages connect through hyperlinks, which connect documents to documents. If a user clicks on a hyperlinked image, he won’t go straight to that picture on another page, but to an entire Web site.
iGlue uses a hyperdata model instead. Words, images and pieces of data can all be used to establish relationships among different information sources. Relationships among people, places and events become clear.
Users will not download iGlue but will access the program on the Web. iGlue will always be available in its newest version.
For more information, visit www.powerofthedream.com. Power of the Dream trades under the symbol PWRV on the OTCBB exchange.
(ARA) – The ideal of a “paperless office” is still more fantasy than reality for many of us – whether we’re working for someone else or running our own business. In fact, since the arrival of the Internet and e-mail – the two vehicles that were supposed to make the paperless dream a reality – paper use in offices has actually increased.
In “The Myth of the Paperless Office,” authors Richard Harper of Surrey University and Abigail Sellen of Hewlett-Packard report that offices are now using 40 percent more paper than before the Internet. Even so, large companies do recognize the value of less paper, as evidenced by the millions they pour into document management systems.
Smaller offices, however, have been slower to pursue the dream, in part because the technology to reduce paper has been costly and geared for use by large companies. Yet small offices would seem poised to reap the most benefits from document management. Organization expert Eileen Roth, author of “Organizing for Dummies,” has said 80 percent of the papers people file is things they’ll never use again.
“Time is their most important asset for many small businesses,” says document management expert Jeremy Petty, developer of Dymo File document management software. “Small companies can save time – and dollars – with digital document management. And new software makes it easier than ever for a small office to go digital, even if they don’t have a document management expert or IT specialist on staff.”
If you’re not sure that digital document management will work for you, consider this:
* In 2006, more than 1.5 billion pages of documents were printed, according to industry analysts Lyra Research. Every man, woman and child in the United States uses 700 pounds of paper per year, and the average office worker generates 2 pounds of paper waste every day.
* Paper documents can be hard to find when needed. Software like Dymo File, a document management system specifically designed for use by small offices, converts paper documents to digital files that can be retrieved quickly and efficiently. DymoFile actually allows the user to search for a file with no more than a keyword that might be found in the text of the document.
* Paper documents require storage space. Digital document management eliminates the need for filing cabinets, boxes or any other filing system that takes up physical space in your office. Documents reside in your virtual office, where they create no clutter.
* Disaster recovery for paper documents can be difficult. If your office experiences a fire or flood and your paper documents are destroyed, you’ll have little recourse for recovering them. Digital documents, when backed up properly on a regular basis, allow for much quicker, more reliable recovery. Back up your documents daily to a zip drive that you can take with you at the end of the day, or, better yet, use an online service that allows you to back up your documents to the provider’s server.
* Sharing paper documents with clients or vendors via fax or courier can be costly and cumbersome. Digital documents can be shared and sent via e-mail with a few mouse clicks, for no cost at all.
* It’s difficult to protect the privacy and security of paper documents. “If someone can put their hands on a piece of paper, he or she can walk away with that piece of paper,” says Petty. Digital files can be protected with passwords and security software.
If you’re ready to go digital, Petty offers some advice for getting the process started:
* Don’t go completely paperless right away. Start out with the documents that are most critical to your business.
* Establish who will control the digital process. One person should lead the process and train others.
* Review your equipment. You’ll want to be sure you choose software that is compatible with the software and equipment you already have. If you already own a multi-function printer, you may be able to use the scanning feature to work with software like Dymo File. If your work volume will exceed what your current equipment can handle, invest in new equipment that will be able to keep pace with the work load.
* Consider software that will allow you to back up your software quickly and easily.
To learn more about DymoFile, visit http://www.DymoFile.com .
(ARA) - Most people have come to understand that it is important to choose a complex password and to change their passwords often in order to protect their privacy and information. But security professionals now believe that passwords simply don’t work anymore.
There are too many ways for passwords to be compromised for people to trust this thin layer of protection. The Internet is now filled with technologies specifically designed to capture your password. “Phishing” sites that mimic familiar sites and keystroke loggers that track the information you type are now part of the landscape of the Internet.
People are becoming more aware that it’s not good enough to simply be very careful with the passwords that are used for important accounts or Web sites. Most people use the same or very similar passwords across many Web sites and therefore, when a password is captured, it can be used to access many things.
A recent survey found that 70 percent of IT professionals thought passwords were not secure. These same people admitted that one in five companies had already had a security breach that allowed private information to get into the wrong hands. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission claims that consumers lost more than $5 billion to identity theft in 2007 and businesses lost far more.
“Consumers need to become more aware of the danger of relying exclusively on passwords to protect their personal information; and Web sites need to provide simple and inexpensive ways for consumers to protect themselves,” says Evan Conway, chief identity officer of Positive Networks, a company that specializes in working with companies and Web sites to ensure that privacy and information is protected.
One approach, he explains, to having a more secure site is a concept called two-factor authentication. The idea is that prior to allowing someone access to an account, a Web site or application checks two separate things for identity verification.
“Not only does the consumer need to have the password, but must also have an additional method to prove their identity,” says Conway. Sites that use Positive Networks’ PhoneFactor (www.phonefactor.com) technology, will instantly ring either the customer’s mobile or landline phone when someone signs onto an application or Web site. The password is verified just like normal and then the user must answer an instant automatic phone call to gain access. It only takes seconds and generally comes at no cost to the consumer. In additional to preventing unauthorized access, it proactively notifies a consumer if there is a fraudulent attempt to gain access being made.
Other approaches require consumers to carry a special physical “token” with them that provides a constantly changing additional password to verify. While generally quite secure, this approach can be expensive and requires consumers to carry an extra device. Biometric technologies such as fingerprint readers and retinal scans are no longer science fiction and have been implemented in some cases. While adding appropriate security, they also bring a high cost and require additional devices to be available to make the verification.
While the risk of a breach is expensive for consumers and companies, bad publicity is also driving companies to make these improvements. Stories develop almost daily regarding issues of identity theft and privacy loss caused by failures of businesses to protect their customers. The Wall Street Journal reported on April 29, 2008, that a series of national medical organizations, including health plans and medical facilities, had privacy breaches. Beyond the cost issues associated with these breaches, the loss of trust can provide additional challenges and legal issues for these types of organizations.
What is clear is that it will take a combined effort to protect your identity and privacy. Technology providers continue to offer solutions that are much easier for consumers and businesses. Businesses and Web sites must implement solutions and actively promote them to their users.
In the end, consumers must protect themselves by choosing to do business with organizations that offer solutions that adequately protect their privacy. It is becoming increasingly clear that passwords no longer offer a protection that can be trusted by consumers.
To learn more about the PhoneFactor service offered by Positive Networks, visit www.phonefactor.com.
