Misrelate

Microsoft CRM has built-in conversion tool, however you should probably first try third party conversion tool, such as Scribe. It is relatively expensive and has bunch of importing capabilities, that you might never use and need. Scribe allows you to map objects in source and target, when source is ACT! for example. If you are just realized the need to load data into CRM - please research Microsoft CRM import tool and Scribe. Here we will describe other option and possibilities

• Master records import - you can import via MS CRM integration tool. Tools->Import and select contacts or leads

• Duplication dilemma. In version 1.2 as well as in 3.0 (as far as we know) you do not have duplication check and you can import duplicate leads or contacts.

• MS CRM SDK custom data migration. If data import is critical and you have reasonable budget for the migration - you can appeal to MS CRM customization partner who specializes in the complex data import. In MS CRM SDK you can program duplication check, special rules for security settings. We have to stress here, that this is not one thousand dollars project and if you are small company, you should stick to Scribe or native MS CRM import tool

• Large Scale MS CRM implementation. For corporate business security might have top priority and migration should be programmed in MS CRM SDK.

• Some technical tips. Post-call-outs. In MS CRM 3.0 which should be released in earlier 2006 there are so-called pre-call outs (in version 1.2 we have only post-call-outs). Pre-call-out should allow to check for duplication, based on your duplication recognition criteria and cancel record if it is duplicate contact, account or lead

If you have a need in large scale data import, you can always have us help you with MS CRM SDK data conversion. Give us a call: 866.528.0577 or 1.630.961.598, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.

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The console-based Oralux Linux distribution ships with three screen-reading environments: Emacspeak, Yasr and Speakup. Experimental approaches in sensory substitution are beginning to provide access to arbitrary live views from a camera.

The Macintosh OS also comes with a built-in screen reader, called VoiceOver. Only a small fraction of this population, when compared to the sighted community, have Internet access.

More and more, screen readers are being bundled with operating system distributions. A persons choice of screen reader is dictated by many factors, including platform and the role of organizations like charities, schools, and employers.

Later versions of Microsoft Windows include an Accessibility Wizard & Magnifier for those with partial vision, and Microsoft Narrator, a simple screen reader. Near 13 percent of those deemed legally blind, by any measure, have no vision. Web browsers, word processors, icons and windows and email programs are just some of the applications used successfully by screen reader users. Comming month nonprofit worker Anthony Loeff is reporting software applications for blind people Screen readers can be assumed to be able to access all display content that is not intrinsically inaccessible.

Most legally blind people 61 percent do not use computers. Nevertheless, using a screen reader is, according to some users, considerably more difficult than using a GUI and many applications have specific problems resulting from the nature of the application. Linux distributions for the blind include Oralux and Adriane Knoppix. The open source GNOME desktop environment long included Gnopernicus and now includes Orca. While Apple Mac OS X includes VoiceOver, a more feature-rich screen reader. The rest have some vision, from light perception alone to relatively good acuity. The primary audience for such applications is those who have difficulty reading because of learning disabilities or language barriers. The latter developed in part by Knopper who has a visual impairment. Recent versions of Microsoft Windows come with the rather basic Narrator. Screen readers are a form of assistive technology potentially useful to people who are blind, visually impaired, or learning disabled, often in combination with other AT such as screen magnifiers. Access technology such as screen readers and Screen magnifiers enable the blind to use mainstream computer applications. A screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the screen. There are also open source screen readers, such as the Linux Screen Reader for GNOME and NonVisual Desktop Access for Windows.

This interpretation is then represented to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a braille output. Indeed functionality remains limited compared to equivalent desktop applications, the major benefit is to increase the accessibility of said websites. The movement towards greater web accessibility is opening a far wider number of websites to adaptive technology, making the web a more inviting place for visually impaired surfers. Screen reader choice is contentious: differing priorities and strong preferences are common.

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Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics and eEnterprise was designed in earlier 1990th as ERP, which can be easily transferable to the winning Database and OS platform and it was originally available on Mac and PC - Mac OS and Microsoft Windows respectively. Graphical platforms battle is pretty much over and now with eCommerce demands, we should look at Great Plains Dynamics tables structure:

• Naming Convention. Great Plains was designed to be ready to move to the winning database platform and probably this is why we see this a bit complicated naming convention in place: SOP10100, RM00101, IV00101 - these are samples: SOP header, Customer master, Inventory master. First - we see module prefix: SOP - Sales Order Processing, RM - Receivables management, IV - Inventory control, etc., then 0 stays for the master files, 1 - so-called work files (before transaction being posted), 2 - open files (after transaction is posted) and 3 - historical files (when you close the year in General Ledger - transactions are moved from open to history files). So as you see - logic is present and structured, but it is not friendly to the developer, who never seen and worked with Great Plains Dynamics.

• Tables Groups. Great plains was designed to first serve mid-size businesses and then with the availability of third party modules - the intention was to compete on corporate ERP market with Oracle, PeopleSoft, SAP and others big players. This is why we see the whole cluster of tables to store, say Sales Invoice: SOP Header, SOP Lines, SOP Distribution, RM Key file, etc.

From the Forms side (or screens) you can see more human-readable names: SOP Entry, RM_Customer_Maintenance, POP_Entry or the like. But these legacy Great Plains Dexterity names do not help eCommerce developer - only probably as the reference on which table works with specific screen.

Let’s take a look at the tools available:

• eCommerce - together with eOrder, and other eXXX products it should be considered as legacy and phase out product, based on Microsoft eCommerce server and ASP technology, today Microsoft has new paradigm - .Net and ASPX World

• eConnect - was specially created for eCommerce developers, who integrate Microsoft Great Plains with eCommerce web interface. This tool covers a lot of Great Plains objects creation and retrieving functionality, however it does have restrictions, because it was not intended as replacement to Great Plains Dexterity shell. For example - if you create Orders in SOP via Web interface/eConnect - it is difficult manipulate these orders (transfers to Invoices, backorders, reallocations, etc.). Another issue with eConnect - developers are kind of used to the fact that Microsoft provides free SDK to its products, Microsoft CRM for example has freely downloadable Microsoft CRM SDK. For eConnect you have to pay license and be on Microsoft Business Solutions annual support to get version upgrades. Also if you are ISV and develop your GP integration to your customers - you have licensing issue with Microsoft.

• Custom SOP/AR stored procedures. Microsoft Business Solutions partners in their practice usually have several Great Plains integration projects implemented where integration is realized on the stored procedures level and transactions are created and manipulated in Great Plains SOP. So - you may end up seeking this type of help

Good luck with implementation, customization and integration and if you have issues or concerns - we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 866-528-0577 or 630-961-5918! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew is Great Plains specialist in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) - Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Microsoft CRM Partner, serving clients in
San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Orlando, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle, Minneapolis, Detroit, Los Angeles

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Vince Lombardi once said that, “The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.” If this is the case, then what do we need to do in order to insure success in our companies? How can we combine the efforts of each individual as Mr. Lombardi said was so key to the success of a particular organization? While there are many possible solutions to these questions, I have found something that will help your company become more organized, and your employees more unified in their work. I am talking about groupware.

What is Groupware?

Groupware is software that facilitates the communication between the members of a network workgroup. It allows people within a company, whether they are physically in the same location or in several locations all over the world, to share documents, information, and data. It allows them to collaborate on ideas and projects, by allowing them to essentially work on the same page at the same time. With groupware there is no limit to the number of people that can work on the same project without creating duplicate ideas and work. Since groupware can track all document information, you will never wonder if you are using the latest version of a document.

What about CSCW?

If you have ever heard anything about groupware, you have probably also heard of CSCW. CSCW stands for Computer Supported Cooperative Work and is the study of groupware, i.e. how it is designed, developed, adopted, and used. People that are involved with the study of CSCW not only include software designers and computer scientists, but also researchers and people that study organizational behavior.

How does Groupware differ from the Traditional User Interface?

Where a traditional user interface generally focuses on the use of only one person, groupware relates to groups and understanding how people work and function in a group. Groupware is also more focused on the ease of use for the user because the system must be more responsive as the pace of a particular application is generally driven by the pace of the conversation. Other factors, such as the size of the group, and the roles that people play are taken into consideration when designing groupware.

What can Groupware do for you?

Groupware has many functions and can be a very useful tool to keep your company organized and your employees working in unity. While there are many advantages to using groupware I have listed a few key ideas below. By having some sort of groupware in your company you can allow your employees to:

• Share information

• Keep common schedules

• Manage e-mail

• Maintain bulletin boards

• Have several people work on one document

• Write Collectively

• Hold real-time network meetings

• Share files

• Share calendars

• Share database access

• Share spreadsheets

• Have electronic conferencing

• Have cooperative project management

As you can see, there are several advantages to using groupware to keep your company more organized and unified. Groupware will allow your employees to collaborate on information, ideas, and many other facets of their work and allow them to be more effective, productive, and organized. We already know that when we combine the efforts of each individual in an organization, we will see greater achievements and more success. If your company could benefit from groupware, then I encourage you to find out more about it and explore different possibilities to see which one will fit your needs the best. It will be one of the best decisions you will make with regard to the organization of your company documents, ideas, and information.

Mike Nielsen is a client account specialist with 10xMarketing - More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For more information about groupware, visit NextPage.com.

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We have all heard about spyware. Spyware is regularly featured in various news media and is a topic of much discussion in computer circles. The reason for this is the constant bombardment of spyware related material, that infiltrates computer systems. Spyware has a hidden agenda.

The Internet is loaded with information on every conceivable subject. There are ebooks, software, photos, file sharing and a host of giveaways that are very enticing to computer users, especially those that have a hobby or special interest. The desire to take advantage of the vast internet resources and to download files or to share files, photos, software etc. is growing at a very fast pace. Advertisers and marketing specialists are aware of this trend and they focus their attention on providing online surfers with software, ebooks and other giveaways that cater to individual interests. These “Giveaways” are the “Passage way” used by promotional companies to get entry into the internet users computer.

Spyware “Piggybacks” on very innocent and legitimate looking file downloads. It can be likened to a passport that allows a person to enter a country, only in this case it is to enter an individuals computer, without the user fully understanding the implications of such file downloads.

Spyware introduced into a computer system loves the environment. It has gained entrance into the system and feeds on the information the system contains. Its prying eyes feasts on the “Goings on” and learns all of the habits, interests, chats, discussions and shares this information with its buddies on the other side of the internet line. Who are its buddies? You guessed right, it is the promotional companies. This approach enables promotional companies to become fully aware of peoples interests, needs and desires. In turn, they will direct their wares to the individuals whose system was infiltrated by spyware.

People treasure privacy, be it at home or on the internet. It is easy to enjoy privacy at home, it is not as easy to enjoy computer privacy. A Loss of privacy on the internet can bring about numerous hardships, financial losses and of course can lead to identity theft.

People linked to the internet need to install spyware removal software. Spyware software will enable a scan, of all the files on ones computer and allow for the removal, of unwanted files, that pose a risk to privacy.
You can get a Free Spyware Scanner at http://www.DeleteSpyware.net
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Julian Pereira enjoys the internet and has devoted his attention on computer privacy issues and spyware in particular. His website can be viewed at www.Deletespyware.net

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