Green Government IT Solution
Government computer rentals, together with short- and long-term leasing arrangements, are key components in governmental strategies that will lead to more efficient and greener delivery of government services. As both government and private industry increasingly focus their attention on the impact their operations have on the environment, federal, state and local governments are all focusing more attention on how they can deliver services in a manner that is equally or more efficient, while reducing energy consumption. Renting or leasing computer hardware to increase flexibility in delivering programs where demands for computer and technology resources fluctuate is an environmentally and fiscally responsible ‘green IT’ solution for governments at all levels.
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution for greening government, however, due to the size and multiplicity of government agencies and departments, each using separate applications and IT systems. “Federal agencies are rife with non-standardized and manually intensive processes supported by a patchwork of legacy IT applications performed in multiple geographies and remote locations,” according to consultants from Booz Allen, in McLean, Virginia. However, the size of the challenge in making government greener and more efficient only increases the scale of the energy and fiscal savings available. “The size of the cost savings opportunity available to the U.S. government is orders of magnitude larger than that available to even the largest corporation,” notes Booz Allen’s consultancy in their paper on How the U.S. Government Can Cut Overhead.
In a recent piece on greening government IT systems, Citrix Systems’ area vice-president of federal systems, Tom Simmons, discussed how governments can reduce power requirements and green their operations through ‘virtualization’ – moving government operating systems and software applications from desktops to more energy efficient data centers where arrays of cheap dedicated servers more efficiently store and process information. He cites estimates that calculate the federal government “can reduce power consumption by the equivalent of 1.3 million barrels of oil a year,” solely through the virtualization of its IT systems and more efficient use of its existing data centers. He notes that, “with the price of oil [north of] $125 barrel that’s a not-insignificant cost savings.”
Moreover, through virtualization governments can move away from using numerous redundant PCs each solely dedicated to one employee and hosting his or her operating systems, applications and data files. Having numerous dedicated desktop PCs, many of which are idled at any given time, is not only fiscally inefficient but leads to an environmentally precarious waste disposal problem when computer hardware becomes obsolete. “For a long time,” Simmons notes, “the federal government was on a three- or four-year life cycle for desktop PCs and a three-year life cycle for servers. Green IT extends those life cycles in a lot of cases and reduces the waste.” He estimates that turning to computing virtualization through the use of optimized servers at more efficient data centers will extend the life of the typical government desktop to the five- to seven-year range. Of course this means less surplus equipment in landfills across the country.
Virtualization, where operating systems, applications and data are stored offsite at more energy-efficient data centers also means that the desktops and laptops that access and run the stored systems and applications do so on an as-needed basis. Government departments and agencies can then acquire PCs and laptops on an as-required basis during peak seasons and for special programs.
With increasing virtualization, a process that is already a functioning business reality in the private sector, government computer rentals and short- and long-term leasing arrangements help streamline operations, reducing the need for permanent, dedicated computer resources. The cost-savings and reduced environmental impact achieved by extending the life cycle of existing computer hardware by filling peak periods of demand through rental or leasing arrangements can then make government computer rentals a key component in finding a ‘green IT’ solution for all levels of local, state and federal government.
Does anybody have a technical solution for the following web service?
I want to have something looks like the following: It is similar to a mailing-list, except that only me, as the administrator can send out mass-emails to the subscribers, i.e. it is a one way communication. The recipients are passive receivers. When the subscribers subscribe to the mailing-list, they will enter some of their personal information. Among the personal information are some key words. These keywords are used for my search. When I send out some emails, I will first search relevant keywords, and send out emails only to those selected recipients…How do I do this? What kind of technical solutions are available to me? I am mostly looking for some existing tools and hopefully the solutions are simple to use — because I am a green hand and have not been doing web-hosting stuff before. Basically, I have no idea about how to set up a dedicated server, etc. So I am hoping that there are easy and existing solutions that can help me. Hopefully they are free. I can give up the search part.
3 Steps to Online Sucess
Online commerce numbers are sky rocketing. Literally billions of dollars are being made. Almost every good or service imaginable is available over the internet and businesses are fighting furiously to position themselves to get their share. The problem is how. How do businesses set themselves up for success online?
The simplest solution that businesses pursue is pay-per click advertising. For one this can become outrageously expensive. Worse than that, we’re seeing more and more that users have learned to ignore pay-per click advertising on the major search engines. This is a by product of the user evolving and usability. Basically, web users have spent so much time online that we now instinctively know what links are advertising and what parts of the page to not even look at that. If that’s hard to believe ask yourself this: do you click on the pay-per click advertising on the search engines? If you’re like most people the answer is no or almost never.
The next route businesses take is to develop advertising and buy space along popular sites. This is slightly better than pay-per click. If someone is really excited about a product they occasionally click on these ads. Take look at the most popular ads though. The most prevalent ads you see online are for games. The rest our specific online based industries such as online education and hosting companies. The exception to this is Fortune 500 companies that can purchase space on the Yahoo homepage. In short, these ads need to be designed extremely well and are typically successful in targeted industries. This is again because of usability and the web user’s extreme hesitation to click on advertising. Worse than that, we’re discovering that viruses have made their way into online advertising and as they are imbedded in Flash or JavaScript that there is no software to scan for it.
So how does your business stake their claim online? There is a 3 step process. First your site needs to be optimized. This means doing detailed keyword research so you know what your target market is typing into the browser and tweaking pages to hone in on those words including geographic markers. Second, you need to increase popularity through links. The number of one-way links (sites that have a link to you) is a huge factor in determining your site’s rank. Three you need to leverage PR and social media. You do this by distributing articles, press releases and in appropriate cases implementing viral marketing campaigns. These steps make you visible, popular and generate positive buzz.
Once your site is easy to find and tuned up people will come. Think about your own web searching behavior. You go to your favorite search engine (Google or Yahoo) and type a phrase that you think matches what you’re looking for. If you don’t like your results you go back to the search box and refine your term until something looks appealing. Interactive marketing does just that, makes your business appealing to your target audience.
Plonka.com
I want to set up a website and i’m very green and don’t know how i need step by step directions on what to do?
I’ve heard pick domain name and you have to pay for web hosting I don’t know what that is, but i want to make sure I do it in the correct order and at a very reasonable price i want to profit not plumit thanks!!!
Internet Home Business – Where Do I Start?
Starting a home based internet business does not require a huge monetary investment or highly specialized computer and internet expertise. In fact, it is surprisingly easy and inexpensive to create a money-making website. While you do have expenses when starting a home based internet business, they are very minor when you compare them to the expenses involved in starting a traditional business.
For example, for a traditional business you need a location or storefront and there are lease or rental fees associated with the building, which could cost you thousands per month. With an internet business, you have the cost of monthly hosting which can be as low as $10/mth.
If you are feeling overwhelmed or frozen with fear of the unknown, then you need to read further. It is not that scary or overwhelming if your break it up into smaller pieces. The following list will help you gather your thoughts and move you in the right direction.
1. Determine how much money you will have to invest in your online business. You will need to budget for the services, products, tools, and educational resources required for your business. At a minimum, you need a domain name, a web host, and a website to start.
2. Decide on your niche, theme, product or service. You have many options such as creating a website or blog, promoting affiliate products, or selling merchandise in online auctions just to name a few. If you are going to sell products on your own website, you will need a supplier and shopping cart software. If you want a theme-based website, then you need a gather a database of articles and information to present to your visitors. You will need to do some market research to find out how much interest there is in your product or service. Start thinking about how you can set yourself apart from the competition.
3. Starting an online business without educating yourself is not advisable. It is fine to be eager and excited about getting started, but you are jeopardizing your chances of success by jumping into an internet business without a good foundation. Get all the information you can, but also invest in the best information and education products. The more you learn the easier the process will be for you. Do not feel like you have to learn everything before you get started. You just need to get a good foundation because after that, you will learn by doing.
4. By educating yourself, you will be able to identify which tools you will need to start and promote your business. Understand that probably the most important aspect of your business will be the marketing of your website. An incredible website is nothing without visitors. Without the visitors, you have not even a remote chance of making sales. Every website owner will need traffic and marketing tools, such as autoresponders and pay per click advertising. Learn all the options for marketing your website to increase traffic and sales.
5. Manage your time wisely. This is a constant challenge for a lot of home based business owners. It is so easy to become distracted when you are at home, more so than in the traditional workplace. Set a schedule and set goals for what you want to accomplish and when. Write down the goals you need to accomplish for the day and cross them off as you finish them. This may sound simplistic but it really does help to keep you on track.
6. Make a commitment and do not treat this like a hobby. Do not get into your internet home business thinking it is okay if you do not succeed. Instead, move forward knowing that you will succeed. Commit to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Keep focused on your goals and have the belief and confidence in yourself that you can achieve them.
You see, it is not difficult at all to start a home based business. Building a home based internet business is achievable for almost anyone who has the desire and willingness to do what it takes to make it happen. The information, resources, and tools are all available to help you succeed. It is just a matter of what you are going to do next. You can walk away or you can take some action now. Success is up to you!
With Hollywood becoming environmentally-friendly?
Will this lead to the end of big-budget, blockbuster movies and the end of action movies. Will they be replaced by smaller, more family-friendly films that don’t require a huge amount of money and resources to produce?
By GARY GENTILE, AP Business Writer
LOS ANGELES – From “green carpets” at awards shows to organic fruit
served to actors on sets, Hollywood is going all out to promote itself
as being environmentally hip.
But is it all just show?
No amount of public service announcements or celebrities driving
hybrid cars can mask the fact that movie and TV production is a gritty
industrial operation, consuming enormous amounts of power to feed
bright lights, run sophisticated cameras, and feed a cast of
thousands.
Studios’ back lots host cavernous soundstages that must be air-
conditioned to counter the heat produced by decades-old lighting
technology. Huge manufacturing facilities consume wood, steel, paint
and plastic to build sets that are often torn down and tossed out
after filming ends.
The energy guzzling continues on the exhibition side, too, with
multiplexes drawing millions of kilowatts to power old-school popcorn
makers and clunky film projectors that cash-strapped theater owners
are reluctant to replace.
A two-year study released last year by the University of California at
Los Angeles concluded that special effects explosions, idling vehicles
and diesel generators make the entertainment industry a major Southern
California polluter, second only to the oil industry.
Still, financial and public pressures have resulted in many studios
expanding their environmental efforts, doing everything from using a
biodiesel fuel mixture to run the generators on the set of the Fox
show “24″ to converting Warner Bros.’ enormous set-building facility
to solar energy.
“Public consciousness on this issue has changed dramatically,” said
Kyle Tanger, a principal at Clear Carbon Consulting. “The talent
themselves are requesting it from some of the studios. And a lot of
these things make economic sense.”
Economic benefit can come to studios directly, by switching to more
efficient lighting or cooling systems or driving hybrid cars on
location, which can save gas. Other projects, such as installing solar
power, can take decades to pay off.
But there are other benefits that are harder to quantify. Besides the
public relations angle, many performers and other employees want to
work with eco-friendly companies, so it also helps in recruiting and
retaining employees, Tanger said.
Form and function merged at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards show.
To symbolize its commitment to energy conservation, Fox had wanted to
replace the traditional red carpet with a green one.
The tradition-bound Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which
gives the awards, politely said “no.”
But the carpet that ended up cushioning the heels of such stars as
Sally Field and America Ferrera was made from recycled plastic bottles
and later cut into pieces and donated to several local schools.
“No doubt some efforts have been window dressing. But I actually think
Hollywood is doing far more than people are giving it credit for,”
said Terry Tamminen, who served as an adviser to Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger before starting his own environmental consulting
company.
One convenient yet controversial method is the purchase of carbon
credits by studios and producers to offset the greenhouse gases from
their production activity. The credits attempt to counter such
pollution by investing in environmentally friendly projects such as
planting trees or funding wind power.
Studios and a growing number of other industries calculate their
emissions, then write a check to one of several brokers who funnel the
money to projects around the world. The goal is to become carbon
neutral by funding activities that reduce an equal amount of
emissions.
The 2004 Fox film “The Day After Tomorrow” and last year’s Al Gore
documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” offset all or some of their
pollution. This year’s “Evan Almighty,” from Universal, donated money
to the Conservation Fund to plant 2,000 trees, enough to “zero out”
the greenhouse gases produced.
But the practice has come under fire by some who say it is an easy way
to avoid the hard work of directly reducing pollution. Others question
whether carbon credit payments are actually going to projects that
make that much of a difference.
“If you’re going to drive around in a big ol’ Hummer and then buy
carbon offsets to mitigate that, that’s like getting drunk on the
weekends and throwing some money through the window of an AA meeting
and thinking you’re doing something,” said Ed Begley Jr., who was a
poster child for energy conservation long before Al Gore made it
trendy.
The Federal Trade Commission, meanwhile, has begun examining claims
made by the nascent multimillion-dollar carbon credit industry.
Warner Bros., which bought carbon credits for the 2005 film “Syriana,”
has also become more aggressive at reducing emissions during all
phases of production.
In addition to solar-powered set-building, the studio is recycling
sets, using recycled plastic lumber in the construction of some
buildings, and printing double-sided scripts where feasible.
Pieces built for the 2001 film “Ocean’s 11″ now sit in the Santa
Monica offices of the National Resources Defense Council. Sets from
this year’s sequel “Ocean’s 13″ were donated to decorate the halls of
local community colleges.
“You have to start by measuring your own footprint, then reducing it,
whether through using alternative fuels, reducing electrical loads or
combining trips,” said Shelley Billick, vice president of
environmental initiatives at Warner Bros. Entertainment. “It’s too
easy to write a check, pay thousands of dollars and say, ‘I’m climate
neutral.’”
Last year, Fox parent News Corp. set a goal of being carbon neutral by
2010.
To further that goal, Fox Broadcasting chose its popular “24″ series
as a case study and to serve as a model for other television
productions.
Diesel generators that power the show’s lighting were switched to a
mixture that uses 5 percent biodiesel fuel. That percentage will be
increased in coming years. The show also has secured energy from solar
and wind generation from a local utility for its soundstages.
But News Corp. has a more ambitious goal than simply reducing its own
carbon emissions.
“We knew from the beginning that if our goal is to make as many carbon
reductions in the world as possible, probably the best way we can do
that is through our audiences,” said Rachel Webber, director of energy
initiatives for News Corp.
The company concluded that worldwide, it produced the equivalent of
641,150 tons of carbon dioxide. But a rough estimate revealed that the
people who read its newspapers, watch its TV shows and browse its Web
sites use about 7 billion tons.
“That’s the greatest potential to reduce carbon, but we have to get
our own house in order first,” Webber said.
To reach the wider audience, Webber and a climate expert from Harvard
University met with show writers and executive producers earlier this
year to brainstorm on ways to integrate environmental messages into
show plots.
But Webber said Fox is not forcing “tacked on” messages into its
shows, but rather offering resources should writers choose to address
the issue.
“We can’t use this in a way that doesn’t fit into the show,” Webber
said. “It can’t be Jack Bauer driving in a car he otherwise wouldn’t
drive in.”
Ultimately, any steps Hollywood takes, big or small, to reduce
emissions are positive, Begley said. “There are different shades of
green.”
What is causing my Comcast internet to slow down?
I have comcast connection through a Motorola Surfboard SB5120 modem and a Linksys wireless router. My internet has always been fast up until a few weeks ago. It seems as though every time it storms or rains excessively, my internet becomes really slow. All of the green lights on my modem stay solid and my connection seems fine, but when I open up my web browser, the internet is really slow. I have tried plugging my modem directly to my computer (w/out the router), I have tried plugging the cable directly into the wall (w/out cable splitter), I have replaced the cable splitters, I have tried switching the host computer, and nothing seems to work. The internet sometimes becomes fast again, but for example, last night there was an electrical storm, and the internet is slow again this morning. I am starting to think it is the Motorolla Surfboard modem, even though I have had it for only 2 years. Can someone please give me some advice about my problem. Thank you.
Angels Dancing on the Head of a Pin
A restaurant critic’s moral acrobatics: critics who advertise their arrival by reserving in their own name…critics who do not pay for dinner…Is there anyone who does not find this as shocking and unprofessional as I do? True, it isn’t often I am seated more than a few minutes in a restaurant when someone does not recognize me…although I get to be anonymous more often these days with absentee owners and absentee chefs.
No, I do not wear wigs. They pinch and can give one a headache. I did buy a sexy Ann Margret redhead number many years ago and wore it once — I looked just like me with red hair. But I do make reservations in dozens of different names with various telephone numbers. I have credit cards in an assortment of names. And I do not wear my signature hats in restaurants. I wear the hat for photographs and television, when I think I may be photographed at an event, or for fun when I’m on a panel or doing a reading.
I love hats. I’ve loved hats forever. So friendly on bad hair days. But when I appeared with a black cowboy hat pulled low over my nose on the back cover of my book Bite: a New York Restaurant Strategy in l972…my hat wearing days in restaurants were finished. (I do show up in a hat now and then for a photo session at my habitual lunch hangout, Jean Georges, where I haven’t been unrecognized for years.)
But there are countless other moral dilemmas. Like how cruel is too cruel? A few friends urged me to be really mean in my critiques now that I’m squaring off against many on-line meanies. I do have space for the first time to revisit a place I loved and report that they’ve raised prices yet again or snipped an ounce or three from a portion or haven’t yet trained the staff to be gracious and apologetic, to accommodate a customer when something unforeseen goes wrong.
I went to a small mom and pop French bistro on an odd street of an offbeat neighborhood because two citizen restaurant critics on some web site found it “just amazing,” “nothing short of spectacular.” I won’t take that level of blogging review seriously again. I wasted three hours and over $200 to discover a truly charming spot with an adorable logo and a cute gamine host and a singularly ungifted cook at the range. I decided not to write about the place.
Why not? Don’t the critics owe it to their readers to save them from wasting time and money? I asked myself how many food-lovers would be racing downtown to this virtually unsung spot. It’s not that learned critics elsewhere are touting it and I could set eager eaters right. I have never thought it worth swatting a fly with a tank. A modest out-of-the-way spot getting no press at all will either find an audience or disappear.
***
And then there are the cleaning bills. A few weeks ago a pal toppled her glass of red wine and it splashed on my jacket, my blouse, my skirt, my shoes, my stockings and my pashmina. It wasn’t totally her fault. She’d set her glass on a sloping edge of the table. Our waiter at Stanton Social swooped in with a paper form for me to fill out for my cleaner instructing him to forward the bill to the restaurant.
A fabulous cleaner has recently come into my life. Apthorp Cleaners does miracles. Red wine on a banana wool jacket is child’s play for the genies of Apthorp. It’s not the most expensive cleaner I’ve ever heard of…but it’s the most expensive I’ve ever been forced to rely on in this era when many cleaners haven’t a clue how to remove a spot or press a lapel. My skinflint side wanted desperately to send the bill to Stanton Social. But I believe a restaurant critic should never ask a restaurant for money. Not even for charity.
For twenty-five years Citymeals-on-Wheels has depended on the extraordinary generosity of chefs and restaurateurs in many of its fund-raising efforts to bring meals to the homebound elderly. James Beard and I co-founded Citymeals. I have been board chair for all its life but the letters seeking restaurant participation are never signed by me. Our annual Corporate Dineout raises more money every year and depends on the exceptional hospitality of New York restaurants. I have no idea who says yes and who says no. I don’t want to know.
For the same reason I will not be sending a cleaning bill to Monkey Bar where a waiter at the first friends and family tasting slipped and spilled a glass of icy white wine all over me. I screamed. I was in shock for a second or two. It was cold. I was soaked. I thought about going home to change, but sopped up what I could with paper towels in the ladies room. I finally warmed up by dessert time.
Which brings me to another moral dilemma. Friends and family tastings. With expense budgets tight and tightening, in some cases, non-existent, it might seem a sensible solution for a restaurant critic to swan in on a friends and family tasting where the house is giving waiters and kitchen a chance to exercise their new muscles. No one gets a check. Everyone is asked to write a critique. Seems like a genius way to cover a new restaurant.
Mea culpa. I have several times done a first tasting column based on a friends and family tasting. Within my usual sometimes inscrutable moral rigidity, I refuse to fill out the questionnaire or write a critique or answer a question on grounds that a critic should not be a restaurant consultant. Is this getting tricky? I was always a dancer. Am I dancing now on the head of that pin?
I feel more comfortable writing about the early experience when the tasting is full of promise. I would rather not try to predict the future when the kitchen and service are still half-baked. Is anyone else feeling uneasy about the rush to judgment? Let me know what you think about these moral dilemmas. Is anonymity essential for a restaurant critic? Is there any point of reserving in another name if you’re likely to be recognized anyway? What do you think of a critic who doesn’t expect a bill, freeloads and brings his friends? What if she quietly accepts extra desserts and doesn’t insist they be added to the check? How about calling in your own name when you’re not working but just want a table in the restaurant you helped heat up?
Am I being silly not to let a restaurateur pay for my cleaning bill? Email me
HostingOn announce 11 new languages in Web Hosting Control Panel
HostingOn (www.hostingon.com) is happy to announce the substantial new improvements added to the Web Hosting Control Panel. The Web Hosting Control Panel is now available in Russian, Ukrainian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and French in addition to English, German, Spanish, and Bulgarian. A completely new theme has also been added to the Control Panel as well. The new theme is available in the following colors: green, blue, sky blue, red and orange. You can change the theme and its color from the “Change Theme” button at the top right of the Control Panel, through the “Account Profile” drop-down many at the top of the page and through the “Change Control Panel Theme” link in the lower part of the Control Panel home page.
An even more significant addition to the Web hosting Control Panel is the introduction of Flash video tutorials for each section of the Control Panel. The Flash video tutorials are accessible from the “Support” drop-down menu at the top of the Control Panel and through the “Video Tutorials” link at the bottom right of the Control Panel homepage. When you access the video tutorials you will be taken to a list containing all available tutorial video and you can watch any tutorial of your choice. You can also choose a section of the Control Panel from the drop-down menus at the top of the page and you will be taken to the respective section of the Control Panel, where next to the “Help” link icon (a question mark) you will see a “Video Tutorials” link and icon (a film strip). If there is a single tutorial video associated with this section of the Control Panel, it will start when you click on the “Video Tutorials” link or icon. In case that there is more than one video tutorial associated with the respective section of the Control Panel, you will see the list of all available tutorials for this section. You can watch the video tutorial that you choose by clicking on the link with its title.
HostingOn.com hopes that the addition of video tutorials will greatly enhance the usability of the Control Panel, while the new theme will raise number of aesthetic choices and the Russian, Ukrainian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and French version will increase the market reach and presence of our services.
Work At Home Opportunity: Can You Really Work At Home
Many hard working people are seduced with the idea of escaping their jobs. But is it possible for the average person?
You wonder if it’s possible to work at home, but how can you do this. Slowly, you begin to realize that unless you’re earning an extremely good income, you may be unable to live the lifestyle you desire.
Here’s where affiliate marketing comes into play. As an affiliate marketer, you’ll be on the lookout for the successful marketplace that gives you the biggest paycheck.
I’ve listed three marketing tips that you can use to create an online income as an affiliate marketer.
3 Income Producting Techniques
1. Use unique web pages to promote each separate product you are marketing. Do not lump all of it together just to save some money on web hosting. It is best to have a site focusing on each and every product and nothing more.
Always include product reviews on the website so visitors will have an initial understanding on what the product can do to those who buys them. Also include testimonials from users who have already tried the product.
Be sure that these customers are more than willing to allow you to use their names and photos on the site of the specific product you are marketing.
You can also write articles highlighting the uses of the product and include them on the website as an additional page. Make the pages attractive compelling and include calls to act on the information. Each headline should attract the readers to try and read more, even contact you. Highlight your special points. This will help your readers to learn what the page is about and will want to find out more.
2. Offer free reports to your readers. If possible, position them at the very top side of your page so they simply cannot be missed. Try to create autoresponder messages that will be mailed to those who input their personal information into your sign up box. According to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospect.
Focus on important points like how your product can make life and things easier and more enjoyable. Include compelling subject lines in the email. As much as possible, avoid using the word -free- because there are still older spam filters that dumps those kind of contents into the junk before even anyone reading them first. Convince those who signed up for your free reports that they will be missing something big if they do not avail of your products and services.
3. Get the kind of traffic that is targeted to your product. Just think, if the person who visited your website has no interest whatsoever in what you are offering, they will be among those who move on and never come back. Write articles for publication in e-zines and e-reports. This way you can locate publications that is focusing on your target customers and what you have put up might just grab their interest.