Thursday, November 18, 2010

Spectrum Resources

The future wireless broadband will provide the users high speed of data access and multimedia business with its improvement. The shortage of spectrum resources is always concerned by people, which is becoming more and more serious nowadays. The spectrum resources shortage of the 3G wireless service is serious in Asia; therefore, the operators are facing the heavy pressure. Currently, the Federal Communications Commission in America has promulgated the white paper to illustrate the coming spectrum crisis. The white paper also suggests distributing 500MHz new spectrum to the wireless broadband within ten years.

With the rapid development of wireless communication, the distribution of these resources is becoming frequent. On one hand, the 3G wireless business is increasing; on the other hand, the broadband has a bottle-neck. This situation is unfavorable to the development of internet of things. Therefore, the economical operation of these resources is one of the methods. Governments should advocate the corporations to share the spectrum.

Under the explosive growth of internet all over the world, the LTE is becoming the common choice of the operators. How to implement the largest LTE effect with the limited spectrum resources is the issue of the operators all over the world. In order to meet users' increasing demand of data processing, most of the network and frequency channel are overloaded running. Experts maintain that the internet of things uses most of these resources. Apart from the family usage, the internet of things has other applications which are more than the scale of communication. There are fifty billion terminals should be connected together with the wireless method after the internet of things is implemented officially. The distributed spectrum can not meet the demand. The spectrum crisis will happen quickly if no action is taken by people. How to solve the problem of spectrum resources shortage is the common problem in the communication industry all over the world. The related integrated circuit is SA2005P.

Li O Na is the freelance writer for e-commerce website in the integrated circuit. SeekIc.com offers the buyers around the world to find quality supplier of electrical components globally. We try our best to aggregate leads in the integrated circuit business world, and let these leads benefit the entire business person.

Registry Cleaners

Every single day, your machine is exposed to the risk of damage from a range of collection sources, which include malware, badly coded software programs, and even basic issues like accidentally turning the personal computer of when it is really not supposed to be switched off. All of these issues can result in the registry with the laptop to end up damaged, that may be bad news since the computer registry is the heart with the computer itself.

With out the registry, all of the important settings from the programs would not be saved effectively. An error in this location ways that all of the diverse software programs working in your computer system will use the incorrect setting, or basically failed to work. Like a result of this, an error inside the computer registry can trigger your total personal computer to become unstable.

Usually, when the desktop computer totally stops working, or shows a blue screen of death instead of starting up appropriately, it's normal to believe that some component inside the personal pc, some physical piece of hardware, is broken. Usually, it may in fact be because of the registry.

This scenario is made worse since the computer registry error can bring about the notebook to consider that the hardware is at fault, as many from the settings concerning the hardware or stored within the personal computer registry.

There may be a tool built into Windows known as regedit which you'll be able to use to browse as a result of the personal computer registry file. It turns the registry into a sort of tree view, so you can then dig down to find the exact setting you would like. And if you know the name from the setting in advance, you can use the search feature to get there swiftly. Editing the value in there may be quite uncomplicated, we really have to do is click it and then driving the new worth will stop you may even add new key value pairs. This is a truly helpful tool if you know exactly what you're doing, so you just want to make 1 little change to a method which you have operating on your method.

The difficulty is, when you don't know what benefit may want to be entering into personal computer registry, even an easy edit can make your complete home computer unusable. So you have got to truly know what you are dealing with here. It can be definitely not advisable for inexperienced users.

Manually repairing the computer registry would mean looking by way of millions of different settings, and realizing when you spotted an error, and understanding what to change it back to. Even when you had the laptop or computer abilities to make this happen, as you'll be able to see, this wouldn't be practical.

Luckily for all of us, there exists a plan which you may use which will fix this, and it really is commonly referred to to be a registry scanner, or personal computer registry cleaner. These sorts of software programs which folks can use to clean up the personal computer registry and make their system run rapidly again.

Over the years, these types of program have turn out to be much more sophisticated, and they can now check a whole assortment of system files additionally towards the pc registry files, so if there's an error in any in the other technique files like the DLLs or in the normal settings, it is actually achievable for this type of software packages to spot it and correct it. You'll find a few unique well-known brands, and they all provide distinct features.

Nowadays you really will need to use the personal computer registry scanner which were resulting from identify malware, and also invalid program settings, and also you also have to have a single which will back up the registry so if anything does go wrong is straightforward to repair. The much better versions also come with added applications which can help you to keep your process working smoothly.

Although most men and women just think about the protection setup of their computing device to contain anti-virus software programs, and perhaps a firewall, I believe that is certainly additionally essential to add a pc registry cleaner into the mix since it could possibly assist you to against different kinds of software programs for instance spyware and Adware, which wouldn't necessarily be called by your antivirus system.

Computer Repair

If you are a technically progressive person with a good job or even if you are just a college/university student about to work on your major thesis you need a regular, solid and smooth interaction with the machine that you call computer. When you are busy running this awesome piece of technological ingenuity there are deadlines to be met almost every day. Whether you are in office on job in Eastern Long island or a college student at home working on your assignment in the South Shore side you know the importance of meeting deadlines and how it effects your on-going life in your respective area. You just cannot imagine being let down by your computer. But if that unfortunate situation arises you can be relaxed to know that Long Island computer repair services are nearby.

The best thing is that you just don't get any ordinary service around town because you simply don't deserve this. There are a variety of repair shops that offer you not only quality service, but train you to keep an open eye on faults and equip yourself with some proactive knowledge. This in turn is because of the quality of certified technicians that have graduated or earned diploma from the various Long Island Computer repair training programs available. It doesn't matter which locality you belong to. Long Island computer repair services cover Long Beach, Oceanside, Baldwin, Rockville Centre, Woodmere, Garden City, Hewlett, Atlantic Beach Island Park, East Meadow and all of Nassau & Suffolk County.

Even better is the opportunity to get technical computer repair courses from Long Island computer repair institutes. You may wish to earn a complete degree in computer science to not only solve your personal problems, but also earn an increasing source of income by joining lucrative field of IT industry. The growing use of computers is associated with urgent small and big needs of computer repair. These services give you a choice of problem solvers ranging from individual experts or Geeks who do it as part-time or full-time, depending on their interests and capability.

If you are running a full form business you may wish to hire a well known IT service company who sends its experts to your workplace. Mostly computer repair experts are available online and you can ask guidelines from them to repair some small problems in your software. Plus, many computer services offer the facility of coming to your place to repair on the spot. Imagine how hassle-free that can be. You don't have to go to the trouble of taking your whole system off the hook and maneuvering it to an unknown place and then wait for its recovery.

Amongst the Long Island computer repair services you a lot of get technical support at your place. This ranges from hardware installation and upgrades including printer, PC/ MAC LAPTOP repairs, mother board, processor upgrades, disk drive space enhancement to software compatibility problems, troubleshooting of windows, data recovery, booting problems, LAN/WAN setup, virus i.e. malware/spyware removal etc. You may even be given reactive solutions as well as pro-active advice by tutoring your employees on how to keep your system trouble-free in future. What are you waiting for just Google search the shop of your choice and dial in their phone number.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Mobile Phone Services

There are several readily-accessible phone networks in the United States today. These include landline services and mobile phone, or cellular, services. Someone looking to purchase such a connection has many different companies to choose from, depending on what service they select.

Providers such as Qwest, Comcast, Verizon and AT&T offer landline connections, which were traditionally used as home and business phone lines. Landlines connections have a physical connection between two communication devices, such as a telephone or fax. In order for a connection such as this to function, the phone must be connected to a physical wiring. For example, a traditional phone is plugged into the wall via a phone jack, which connects it to a more vast system of cables and relays owned by the telephone company.

Wireless mobile telephone services are quickly outstripping landlines. Between cellular phones and VoIP (Voice over IP) services, very few people opt for the more traditional home or business line. There are more providers for these modern services, and they are much easier to use and more convenient.

Cell phone service providers include Virgin Mobile, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. These services allow calls to be directed to a wireless mobile device or cell phone. As long as a user is within range of a cellular tower, they are able to have access to their service and call from anywhere in the country. Millions of Americans carry cell phones for convenience and emergency use, and many more have decided to use them as their primary means of communication.

Vonage, Lingo, Broad Voice, Packet8, and Skype are all examples of VoIP providers. VoIP works by enabling phone calls over an internet connection. Voice Over Internet Protocol communication requires an active internet connection to use. Most packages include unlimited calls to and from your line, which can add up to enormous cost savings for many individuals and businesses. Unfortunately, electricity is required in order to connect to the internet, so in event of a power outage all phone connectivity will be lost.

Although VoIP services can allow unlimited calling, it is important to verify whether or not this includes international calls. The United States country code is Ò1,Ó so any numbers preceded by that should be included in the unlimited package. This includes 1-800 numbers. However, if the number is not Ô1Õ it means the number is to a location outside of the nation and may be subject to additional fees, some of which can be rather exorbitant.

What They Offer

The history of this company is an interesting one. This wireless giant was created in 1984 as a subsidiary of Racal Electronics Plc, In September of 1991 Vodafone Group Plc. emerged and became and independent company from Racal Electronics Plc. On 28 July 2000 in a merged with Air Touch Communications, Inc. Key milestones in the development of the companyÕs progress have been the keys to its success. In 2001 they introduce instant messaging the networks. This became a faster and more efficient way to communicate. They launch their first 3G service in Europe with their mobile connect 3G/GPRS data card in 2004. And, in February of 2007 Vodafone, Microsoft and Yahoo! together to bring Instant messaging services to the mobile world which can be accessed from both the PC and mobile handsets. Today they have become a wireless giant.

Offered is a variety of voice, messaging, data and fixed broadband services. The use of the data services continues to grow, driven by the continuous advances in their 3G networks and handset capabilities. Customers can benefit from the complete experience in and out of the homes and offices. Customer can enjoy email with We offer a suite of products that, starting with voice calls that can be the alternative to having a traditional home telephone line. Also there is the opportunity to sign up with an easy-to-use mobile service. You can combine it with low-cost fixed telephone line and DSL broadband. Your mobile service has a variety of billing options. Such as: month to month, prepaid and even contract. So this gives you the option to choose what fits your needs. With instant messaging, data plans, video calling, international rates, voice mail, PXT services, and even the ability to access Windows Live Hotmail along with Yahoo. Your experience will be unbelievable. They make if convenient for you. They now also offer Vodafone Mobile Broadband for connecting your laptop computer to the internet via 3G or HSDPA networks.

Which came first, the customer service or the customer? Customer service seems to be one of those things that everybody complains about, and it is also something that doesnÕt seems to get better. This Wireless Giant has had some good service reviews. Some of the customers that have had to either deal with agents over the phone or Face-to-Face say that the agents are friendly, caring, empathetic, and even act like they want to talk to you . People feel that the employees are willing to go above and beyond their job requirements to make sure that a problem gets solved. It seems that that the employees and a very good working knowledge of the products and service available, and that something that patron enjoy. Another review that has been mention was that of a customer calling to purchase and set up new service. This particular person was not familiar with the company or the mobile services that it offered. The customer said that the agent was very helpful. Even thought the young lady on the phone had a lot of questions the agent didnÕt seem to get upset or frustrated with the amount of questions that were being asked. By the end of the call the you lady decided that this mobile company would definitely service her mobile needs.

Sky Broadband

Sky Broadband is a company that provides high speed internet broadband connections for computers to customers through a satellite communication provider called Sky Digital whose parent company is BSkyB. Both services are offered to customers only in the U.K. and Ireland. The company was founded in the year 2006 and by October 2007 had reached the homes and businesses of over 1million customers. By the first part of 2008 the company reports to have over 1.4 million customers and was able to offer service coverage to as much as 70% of the U.K. James Murdoch who is the current chief non-executive chairman of BSkyB has said that there are future plans to put broadband together with a Sky+ HD to give their customers on-demand services.

Being an award winning company allows it to offer its customers fast connection speed with the customerÕs option to choose the package that will best fit the their lifestyle. Some of the benefits customers can get from using the company are:

1. High Speed internet packages that range from a Base package which offers up to 2MB, Mid package with up to 8MB and the Max package that comes with up to 16MB. The base package is free as long as you subscribe to their program called Sky Talk; otherwise there is a fee for the base package. All other packages offered have monthly fees associated with them.

2. Wireless router is included free with your service along with wireless broadband connection

3. Consistent internet speed without any downtime or slow connections during peak usage hours

4. Ability to watch the same channels in another room (with added box)

5. Customers can bundle broadband service with internet telephone service through Sky Talk

6. Ability to play online games via a personal gaming console (like PS2, Xbox, as well as other brands)

7. 12 months free online security offered to new customers with McAfee

8. Ability to use Sky Email that is offered to customers with up to 10 email addresses

There are many online opportunities for help via their online help page. Their online help page allows their customer to access broadband online help articles to try and self diagnose trouble. The online Help Centre offers customers help with getting online with their system, help with connection problems, help with equipment problems or issues as well as help with security. Customers also find it very useful to be able to call the company directly to talk to a live customer service representative and there is a help page that lists a telephone number for contact to the company for help as well as an email address for online direct contact. Customers uniformly say Sky Broadband offers exceptional service and technical support 24/7 all year long. The company also won the BroadbandChoices, co.uk customer satisfaction survey that was taken in conjunction with PointTopic LtdÕs Broadband User Service in 2008. They have also been voted as ÒBest Deal for YouÓ in 2008 through uSwitch and their Broadband Awards.

They Offer In The UK

TalkTalk Broadband received its network in November 2002. They begin offering the communities unlimited free calling amongst all of their customers. In November of 2004 they added Broadband and offered unlimited broadband along with the unlimited home phone. TheyÕve been servicing other parts of Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands) since 2004. Their first unlimited international calling began in the UK and Ireland, during 2005. In 2006 they began offering free broadband and became one of the top 3 broadband providers in the UK. They are now striving for increased free international calling all over Europe.

TalkTalk Broadband offers great prices for their telephone and Broadband services. You can build your own package or start one that has already been created. Whether you just want a telephone or internet connection, it is available.

The essential package comes with broadband and telephone service. The package offers unlimited UK calls during the evenings and weekends and 40gig of downloading from the internet. You can boost your package by adding additional features.

Speed boost increases the speed of your internet connection, allowing you to navigate and download much faster. Download plus will give you an additional 40gig of downloading if you need it. Security boost will provide protection for you when you send personal information via the internet on 3 computers of your choice.

You can add calling feature boosts such as ring back, call divert and call waiting. Anytime UK calls boost allow you to call throughout the UK anytime. Also, the half price calls to mobiles boost offer half off each call made to UK mobile phones.

You also get free nectar points, calling circle and free voicemail with your service. They will give you 2 nectar points for every dollar you spend on your bill once a month. Nectar points can be collected through participating retailers as well. Your points can be redeemed through numerous companies. The calling circle feature gives a 10% discount on up to 6 international home and cell phone numbers, 33% on one 0845 number, 10% on up to 11 home or cell phone numbers in the UK and an extra 10% discount on any number in your calling circle. The free voicemail is available for you to receive messages when you are way from your phone or screening calls.

If you need a home phone only, you will pay a line rental fee and receive unlimited night and weekends to the UK, free local calls and free calling to other customers. There is a slight higher charge to customers who want unlimited calling at all times. Customer service representatives are available around the clock to help you through phone, e-mail or chat.

Customers have been giving TalkTalk phone and broadband great reviews. They like the customer service, pricing and availability. The site offers them a member forum to post or read comments and/or questions from other members. It also has the latest news about TalkTalk phone and broadband, plus whatÕs new with technology around the globe. Finally, they enjoy the help topic which states general questions and answers asked on a regular basis.

Virgin Media

Founded as TeleWest in 1984, they are now known as Virgin Media. In 2006 the company became the first quadruple-play media company in the UK offering service packages of television internet, cell phone and land line phone services. It is now one of two top UK companies at the top of the market in broadband services. Although headquartered in the United States operations are solely for United Kingdom customers.

Virgin Media offers a variety of services and packages to meet customer needs and interests. They also have a global mobile phone network provider currently servicing over 4 million users. They offer traditional landline telephone service packages. Their digital television service is a mix of British and American television channels many owned by the company. There are plans to expand this service to include new channels in the near future. Packages also include services for high definition, gaming, video on demand and services to cabled and non-cabled areas in the UK. Pay to play gaming website is also offered.

Virgin Media Broadband specializes in broadband internet service. This service is offered through cable modem or set- top boxes. Dial up internet is still also available with several packages options and various discounts for dial up users. Unlimited broadband and broadband and talk are both popular service packages, simplified to allow users the benefit of having a simple yet effective package. Customers can choose from bundle one or bundle two or broadband only depending on their usage needs.

Their user friendly website allows customers to browse through information to find the answers to common questions and keep up to date on contract changes, alterations to rules and regulations and policies relating to their service contracts. Contracts are offered on a 12 month basis.

Internet customers through Virgin Media have been provided generous discounts and package options in the past including upgrades, free routers, warranties and discount cards and newsgroup access. Wireless kits and zero tariffs are also available in some circumstances depending on package and contract choices. These ongoing customer appreciation efforts have both increased user satisfaction and allowed a variety of cost savings to many customers. As an additional benefit to their Virgin also announced that there is no longer a cost associated with utilizing the customer technical support lines. This benefit allows customers to get their needs met without worrying about being off line or incurring costs.

Most customers who use the broadband service experience a high level of satisfaction with both service and products. The reasonable contracts, quality of service and the technological support available continues to make this one of the top choices in Broadband throughout the UK. The cost savings, discounts on sales and services and the versatility of the service packages available that can be customized to meet the changing needs of the customer base is one of the key factors in customer satisfaction. Voted the number one broadband company in the UK, most internet users in the UK will continue to look to this great provider for their digital needs.

O2 Broadband

The company started in 2001 as a breakaway company from BT wireless. It quickly became one of the leading companies in the UK for internet, phone, video games, and other digital services. O2 was one of the first companies to offer a broadband service in the UK. They are part of the larger Telef—nica company that spans over all of Europe. In 2006 they purchased the Be network and expanded its borders to include the service area of the Be network. This makes them have one of the largest access areas in the whole United Kingdom. Since 2007 Telef—nica has over 40 million customers of which O2 has 18.4 million. They offer one of the fastest forms of broadband Internet in the UK and they offer it for a great price. Currently their focus is on Internet service for phones and other wireless devices. They are offering discounts to people who use multiple aspects of their services such as mobile phone and broadband usage. It is likely that in the future the broadband service will continue to grow and expand in popularity because they are a large and highly rated company.

O2 broadband offers 8Mb download speeds on the ADSL2 network. The network covers over half of the entire UK, which means that it is easy to find connection spots. They are currently trying to get mobile phone customers to use their broadband for their phones and on-the-go devices. However, they also offer home Internet connections as well. There is a fair use policy that O2 requires, however, they are more lenient than many other broadband provides. Heavy broadband users should consider using the service for their Internet provider. With initial set up customers receive free installation and a free wireless router with their service. The cost of the service is around £12.23 per month, but if you are also a mobile phone customer system, then Internet prices are £4.89. The minimum contract required is twelve months. 100 free texts can be sent from your computer to your phone, and you can also send 1000 e-mails to your phone with this plan.

The service level that customers receive while using O2 broadband is one of the best among Internet service providers. There is a 30 day money-back guaranteed trial period that users can try before they sign any contracts. Most reviewers give four or five star ratings for customer satisfaction and service. The set up is free, which is a great benefit to customers and there are many free items that come with the package such as free router, free text messages, and free e-mail. Customer service for the company is excellent as well. They offer many different kinds of support. You can call their customer service line with any questions at any time of day. If there is a hardware issue they will send someone out to fix it within a day or two. Overall, the internet service is one of the fastest and best on the market. If you already have mobile phone with them, then their broadband Internet is an even better deal. This is a company that should not be overlooked.

AOL Broadband

AOL broadband was created sometime around the year 2003. It was created to compete with other broadband Internet services and the, at that time, more popular DSL connections. AOLÕs customer base had shrunk because they did not offer a broadband connection. Their broadband connection service at the time that they did start offering it was more expensive than competitorÕs prices which hurt them as well. However, since then they have created multiple marketing techniques and pricing options to make their service more appealing to their current and new customers. The broadband service was introduced in the UK and the US around the same time. By 2004 there were over half a million people in the UK using that service for their Internet needs. Part of this had to do with price cuts that were introduced in 2004. Since then they have continued to be one of the most popular Internet service providers in the UK.

AOL offers several different broadband packages for their customers. The basic package starts at around £14.00 per month. This includes just the broadband Internet. There are several different speeds of broadband that can be purchased as well. This particular package comes with an 8MB download speed which is very fast. There are few Internet providers that offer higher download speeds than that. There are other packages that are offered as well. There are also packages that combine the wireless Internet along with phone service. There are packages for night and weekend calls and unlimited calls. They also offers what they call ÒflexiÓ packages which require no contract of any kind. Customers just pay month by month. There are also special rates that are offered from time to time such as a lower monthly fee for the first three months. Another service that AOL offers along with their broadband is free connections and free wireless routers. It is possible to use their phone connection and Internet connection at the same time. This feature is highly useful for families and home business owners.

The service level has remarkably good reviews by current customers. Most customer reviews give AOL broadband 3-4 stars out of five. This makes them one of the most reliable and recommended Internet service providers in the UK. The speed that is offered by the service is about average of what other companies provide. The specials and free services they provide make them one of the highest rated companies for value for the money spent. The reliability of the service and product is one of their best features. The high speed connections are almost never out of commission. Customer support is about average for most other Internet service providers, but they do help out when necessary. If a piece of their equipment goes out of commission for a while, you can expect someone to be out to fix the problem within a day or two. Sometimes they are able to come out the same day. It all depends on how busy they are, where you are located, the problem that occurred, and what time of day you called in.

Cloud Hosting

Cheap dedicated hosting is hard to find. Many a times the dedicated hosting packages are designed in such a way that webmasters fear to go for such expensive plans. Most dedicated hosting services, dedicated web hosting or dedicate server packages start from around $100 per month. And there are generally additional overheads of maintaining and managing the software on a dedicated server. Managed hosting services are one answer for this but again the cost becomes a deterring factor. On the other hand the shared hosting options have their own dark side. The hosting providers who promise unlimited domain and unlimited bandwidth are helpless when a client overloads there infrastructure with millions page requests. As a result of which other customers sharing the same infrastructure suffer.

In such a landscape webmasters looking for Cheap dedicated hosting options often get lost in search results. Deepak Nanda, who works as a Senior Technical Analyst in a software development company in India ( is a webmaster when he is back at home) says, in his last 10 years of experience with website hosting he has seen a very ugly face of shared hosting services companies online. He goes further in launching his own hosting service at an interestingly named website http://www.Ihatethiswebhost.com where is provides affordable cloud hosting packages. He further says, if cloud hosting packages start from $100 or even $50 per month then it might not be of solutions for many webmaster who are looking for cheap yet dedicated hosting service which is many folds superior to shared hosting but with in a manageable cost.

One particular thing that might be of interest to the readers is the actual chat transcripts that Deepak has posted on his site under story behind ihatethiswebhost.com. The transcripts describe the shared hosting blues he has faced and what motivated him to start Ihatethiswebhost.com. The story behind this cloud hosting site link is one of thousand experiences that he has had with such shared hosting providers, Deepak explains.

Cloud sites is a concept where a huge, multiple infrastructure is inter connected in such a redundant fashion that a particular site served from multiple nodes at the same time, so if a particular node gets more load then automatically other nodes come into play and join hands. That is a 10000 miles view of the cloud computing concept. Hopefully, Cloud sites will be an answer to the webmasters who are looking for Cheap Dedicated Hosting.

EDI - Part 2

Electronic Data Interchange is an effective tool for more and more of today’s businesses. However, just like any other technology system, EDI has benefits and disadvantages that must be weighed before deciding to implement an EDI system. In Rookie’s Guide to EDI: Part I, we outlined the basics of what EDI is and how it works, in this installment, we’ll look at the advantages and drawbacks of EDI.

Advantages of Implementing an EDI System

Implementing an EDI system has three main advantages:

1. Increased Speed
2. Higher Accuracy
3. Cost Savings

Speed

One of the most obvious benefits of implementing an EDI system is an increase in productivity thanks to the lightning quick speeds of data transmission provided by the system. Processing an order or request no longer takes days; with an EDI system, orders are often processed and shipped the same day they are received.

In many businesses, EDI can be set up so that data flows directly into the accounting or ERP system This makes data entry, tracking, analysis, and production efficient and nearly effortless. It also produces a reduction in man-hours in nearly every department, including marketing, shipping, and quality control.

Accuracy

A second major advantage to EDI is accuracy. Because EDI transmits the same data to multiple destinations after a single data entry session, there are less data entry errors. The data is entered once, double-checked, and put to work. There is no need to enter the same data multiple times, opening the door to human error.

Cost

Many businesses take an in-depth look at the cost effectiveness of implementing an EDI system, and in most cases, executives decide in favor of implementing the system. An EDI system not only saves money by reducing costs related to paper consumption and postage, but the increased productivity that results from the use of an EDI system has far-reaching effects.

EDI systems often reduce the necessary numbers of data entry personnel required prior to the initiation of the system. This reduces the number of man-hours paid out by the company.

In addition, because EDI streamlines productivity and processes requests in a fraction of the time necessary with traditional methods, customer satisfaction is greatly increased This results in more repeat business and business acquired through word of mouth recommendations as the company gains a reputation for quick delivery of goods. Fewer errors in processing information guarantees a greater percentage of customers receive exactly what they order, when promised.

Because EDI systems integrate with other departments within a company, critical information is accessed in nearly real-time results. This ensures that information gathered for analysis, tracking, and marketing is accurate, up to date, and reliable, making marketing and analysis efforts more effective.

EDI is often ideal in inventory control and the ordering of raw materials used in production. Because these requests are processed as soon as an order is placed or a product is sold, inventory and material counts are more accurate, resulting in less resources collecting dust on shelves. This makes better use of the company’s resources and keeps production flowing smoothly.

Other advantages may include environmental friendliness since paper consumption is greatly reduced by using an EDI system. In addition, utilizing an EDI system may enable a company to do business globally, since data is transmitted in minutes, around the globe if necessary.

While EDI systems have a multitude of desirable benefits, they do have a few drawbacks to consider as well.

Drawbacks of EDI

Expense

Instituting an EDI system has the obvious drawback of an added up-front expense of obtaining the software, installing the system, and training personnel. This cost can be compounded if additional software currently utilized by the company must be altered to integrate with the new system. In addition, some businesses may need to upgrade their infrastructure to accommodate the increased strain of an EDI system. There is also the obvious necessity of purchasing and maintaining compatible systems or web services to enable EDI.

Resources

Regardless of the EDI system used a company will need to build up expertise in EDI processing in order to accommodate customer requirements and changes.

Regulations

For some businesses, EDI systems have recently resulted in an increase in supervisory employees and committees to oversee the EDI process. These companies, which are subject to the United States’ new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA),must ensure that information transmitted over an EDI network is secure and kept confidential. This presents new challenges for laboratories, physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers and their associated healthcare institutions.

EDI is a powerful and valuable tool for many businesses. Utilizing today’s technology enables various companies to reach business goals that were only dreams before implementing EDI.

While EDI offers attractive benefits in the forms of saving time and money, and increasing productivity, efficiency and customer satisfaction, it also poses a significant problem for some businesses. EDI implementation is right for many businesses, but must be considered on an individual basis.

Electronic Data Interchange is a complex business tool with the power to transform the way you do business.

Rookie’s Guide

If you are new to EDI and wondering how it can help your business or corporation, you’re not alone. Electronic Data Interchange is a rapidly growing industry.

EDI has helped countless companies streamline productivity and save time and money. For these reasons and more, many businesses are looking at EDI as a possible investment to help reduce overall costs and make productivity more efficient. But before you can decide if EDI is a good fit for your business, you need to know what EDI is, how it works, and the major advantages and drawbacks of an Electronic Data Interchange system.

So, What is EDI Anyway?

EDI is "an enabling technology that provides for the exchange of critical data between computer applications supporting the process of business partners by using agreed-to, standardized, data formats”.

Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI, is the electronic transmission of information within network. Strings of information separated by delimiters are shared between computers. (This may or may not take place with the use of the Internet.) Bite-sized nuggets of information such as purchase order details or laboratory results are grouped together and defined as separate chunks of information by a delimiter, such as a comma, and sent electronically to a set destination. This is done with the assistance of an EDI software program.

EDI systems have traditionally been expected to transmit information quickly, but today’s EDI systems also provide dynamic, critical transactions that form the backbone of business. Today’s EDI systems are often responsible for replenishing stock, shipping products, scheduling production, and replenishing raw materials in addition to reliably sending data in seconds.

This fast electronic transmission eliminates the need for paper purchase orders that must be delivered through the traditional postal mail system, making communication fast and cost-effective.

How Does EDI Work?

EDI systems transmit data electronically with the aid of computers. This transmission process can be done via the Internet (AS2), or through another system of networks such as an LAN, FTP, or any another system preferred by the connected parties.

EDI works similarly to email, but this process actually pre-dates the popular use of the Internet. All data is transmitted in a standardized format. In the United States, this agreed upon format is called ASC X12 or ANSI ASC X12, in Europe the standard is EDIFACT.

EDI is similar to the process of doing a mail merge in Microsoft Word. The object is to get revenue-related documents (sales orders, invoices, etc.) from one computer system to another electronically. The sender exports the data of a sales order for example to a supplier. A “translator” application is used by the supplier to “map” the incoming data into a format that your computer system will understand so that it will end up in your system as if you typed it yourself.

In order to trade EDI documents you must have translation software, and either a Value Added Network (an EDI mailbox service) or software that allows you to send EDI documents using your Internet connection.

Another way to do EDI is to use a web based EDI system in which you log in to your EDI mailbox and get your EDI documents just like you would email. You must then type the data into your business system. If you must send EDI data, you then type invoice information for example into a form that resides on the web based EDI system.

EDI utilizes technological advances and standardized information systems to streamline business and reduce waste. When business moves at the speed of light, EDI is often running in the background to keep production in motion.

In Rookie’s Guide to EDI: Part II, we’ll cover the benefits and drawbacks of implementing an EDI system to help you better understand how EDI is used in today’s business world.