Posts Tagged ‘Tips’

5 Tips to Understanding Audio Visual Technology

Audio visual technology can be extremely beneficial in most environments, it can cut costs and help improve productivity because at the end of the day, it’s all about improving communications. In order to utilize AV technology, you must understand it. Video Conferencing:Video conferencing is one of the most effective ways to cut costs and improve productivity. Face to face communications is often needed to strengthen business relations but if your client isn’t local this may cause problems. Video conferencing is not a new technology but it is becoming more advanced and more affordable. An important half an hour meeting at the other end of the country can easily consume a whole day in travel alone, a video conference maybe just as effective and consume just a fraction of the resources. Video conferencing can also help improve communications in-house, particularly if an organisation has several offices, although telephone conferencing may be more acceptable in this circumstance, video conferencing can offer several advantages over telephone conferences including the ability to make presentations. Digital Signage:Digital signage is similar to video conferencing in that it is still communicating through a visual tool except digital signage is just one way. This can also be a highly effective tool. A reception area of an organisation may have a plasma or LCD screen displaying a welcome message and information about that organisation. A call centre providing services for several organisations may have screens to display stats like call waiting times etc. An organisation that has several screens throughout the offices can be handed over to the CEO to deliver important messages or presentations to the employees. Costs:Although new technology is often associated with a high price tag, this is not necessarily the case with AV technology. When you think of your return on investment, how much is the time you spend traveling to meetings worth to you and your organisation? How effective is your current form of mass communication to your employees or customers? If you just need AV technology as a one off, for a trade show for example, it may prove more cost effective to rent the required technology through a trusted event management company. AV Specialists:Like any industry you’re not sure of, it can be difficult to know whom to trust. Although there is no required accreditation scheme in the UK, an organisation in America called InfoComm, the have an accreditation system called Certified Audio Visual Solutions Provider (CAVSP), most reputable AV specialists in the UK have gained accreditation from this scheme, which assigns either a bronze, silver or gold level to their certificates. As with any new supplier, check for references, they should be proud to show examples of their previous work. Make sure they provide a full service. Although you can buy audio visual solutions over the internet, a specialist AV supplier or consultant will be able to understand exactly what you want to achieve from your new technology and design and build a system around that need. They will then integrate and project manage that system for you as well as providing any after care needed. Although you can buy your new technology in box form or over the Internet and it maybe initially cheaper, your long term ROI would benefit from an AV specialist. Future:One of the biggest worries an organisation might have when it comes to investing in any new technology is its shelf life. With new technology being developed all the time how do you know your new technology won’t be obsolete tomorrow? The best way to combat this is research, if you employ an AV consultant it’s their job to not only know today’s market inside out but tomorrow’s market too. The market is expanding, nowadays web cams are commonplace in the home, and the Internet is not only expanding the market in general but is developing global collaboration too.

Cell Phones Tips : How to Send a Message to a Cell Phone

Send a message on a cell phone using text messaging by creating a message from the phone menu and selecting the number for the message to be sent. Be straightforward and brief when sending a text message with tips from the store manager of a cell phone broker in this free video on cell phones. … cell phones phone reviews cellular telephones bluetooth text messaging blackberries

Cell Phones Tips : How to Use Proper Text Message Etiquette

Using proper text message etiquette requires sending straightforward messages, limiting messages to 160 characters and using abbreviations when applicable. Avoid spelling out numbers and easily shortened words in text messages with advice from the store manager of a cell phone broker in this free video on cell phones. … cell phones phone reviews cellular telephones bluetooth text messaging blackberries

Cell Phones Tips : What Is a Smartphone?

A smartphone is a cell phone that has more capabilities than a typical phone, such as Web browsing, full keyboards and e-mail. Check out different smartphones, such as pocket PCs, Palm Treos or Blackberries, with information from the store manager of a cell phone broker in this free video on cell phones. … cell phones phone reviews cellular telephones bluetooth text messaging blackberries

Cell Phones Tips : How to Stop Getting Chain Text Messages

Stop getting chain text messages by contacting the wireless provider and having them block the number from sending outgoing messages to your phone. If chain text messages continue, contact the authorities to report the harassment with advice from the store manager of a cell phone broker in this free video on cell phones. … cell phones phone reviews cellular telephones bluetooth text messaging blackberries

Cell Phones Tips : How to Sell Your Cell Phone

Sell your cell phone by bringing it to a cell phone broker or by posting pictures and information on Internet classified Web sites. Make sure personal information has been erased from a cell phone before selling it with advice from the store manager of a cell phone broker in this free video on cell phones. … cell phones phone reviews cellular telephones bluetooth text messaging blackberries

Cell Phones Tips : How to Terminate a Cell Phone Contract Without an Incurring Early Termination Fee

There is no way to terminate a cell phone contract without incurring an early termination fee. Wait until a cell phone contract is over or pay the termination fee to get out of the contract with advice from the store manager of a cell phone broker in this free video on cell phones. … cell phones phone reviews cellular telephones bluetooth text messaging blackberries

Cell Phones Tips : How to Sync Your Cell Phones Text Messages to Your PC

Synching cell phone text messages with a PC is difficult and generally requires e-mailing the text messages directly from a cell phone that is enabled to send e-mails. Follow instructions for e-mailing a cell phone text message to a computer with help from the store manager of a cell phone broker in this free video on cell phones. … cell phones phone reviews cellular telephones bluetooth text messaging blackberries

Cell Phones Tips : Where to Buy Prepaid Phones

Buy prepaid cell phones at a local electronics store or any cell phone store. Find the cheapest option for prepaid phones by visiting a store that sells for all different cell phone companies with advice from the store manager of a cell phone broker in this free video on cell phones. … cell phones phone reviews cellular telephones bluetooth text messaging blackberries

7 Technology Transfer Officer Tips For Tough Economic Times

There is no doubt that these are tough economic times. Unemployment is high and credit is tight. Key indicates show that is the worse economy in a generation. Many technology transfer offices have seen potential business partners reduce their innovation portfolios and expenditures. This coupled with a reduction in funding sources, from grants and investors to university sources are blowing the technology transfer research commercialization efforts into the perfect storm. There are difficulties and challenges, but these times also create opportunities. Here are seven tips to help your technology transfer office succeed in these tough economic times. 1. Maintain a list of problems that are relevant to the research and technologies in the pipeline. Technology transfer offices typically get involved in research commercialization efforts late in the research and testing process. Get involved earlier in the process and start developing a list of problems of which the research can be applied. This is really an early brainstorming exercise. Don’t just talk to the researchers. Get business input from those who are not involved with the research or the research teams. Independent ideas can be worth their weight in gold. 2. Develop long-term business relationships. ”Dig the well before you are thirsty. “ -Chinese Proverb Start developing business relationships with business leaders from a wide range of industries. Do this even before you have any applicable research or solutions for them. These relationships will pay off in two ways. • You will have a better understanding of the types of challenges that these businesses face. • When you do have promising research technologies and solutions you already have a relationship with the business or their contacts. 3. Pair researchers with business mentors. Researchers think like researchers. Business people think like business people. Getting the two to communicate with each other versus talking to each other is a common technology transfer office challenge. Providing a business mentor to promising research leaders will help alleviate this common problem. This continuous conduit will go a lot further than a long forgotten entrepreneurial seminar. 4. Develop alternative commercialization strategies early. Good business people know that there is always a chance that their efforts may fail. Technology transfer officers know this too. Unfortunately, many researchers and inventors do not think about this, much less plan for it. Most inventors think that their invention is world changing and worth millions. They have visions of establishing a company based on their research or technology, selling it for millions, and retiring in the lap of luxury. The truth of the matter is that nine out of ten spin offs and startups will fail. You, can as the technology transfer officer can improve these odds. I sit on the advisory board for some start up focused investment funds. One of the strategies that we have developed recently is to go for the big distribution partnering deal with large companies. When that doesn’t work – we find out why and have alternative proposals available. This alternative could be limited distribution agreements on licensing deals. It really doesn’t matter what the alternative is. What does matter is that you get to stay in the game and get a return on the sunk costs. 5. Reduce risks for all involved. It wasn’t that long ago that many universities shunned the entire technology transfer process. They wanted their faculty teaching and doing research, not commercializing their intellectual property. My, how times have changed. Now universities love the revenue that comes from royalties and equity distributions and sales that are associated with intellectual property commercialization. Businesses are always looking for a competitive advantage and right now innovation is the soup de jour, except for one thing . . . RISK! In order to get more businesses interested in potential technology look for new ways to reduce their potential risks. Right now cash is king. Instead of negotiating a lower royalty percentage, offer your potential licensor a deferred royalty agreement at a higher percentage. This is the business innovator’s version of “no interest payments for 3 years”. This approach allows the business to conserve cash today and the university to reap more money in the long run. It’s better than the technology sitting on the shelf waiting to become obsolete. 6. Teach bootstrapping to your startups. All technology startups need money. That is a known fact. The truth is that many could get by with less money than they think that they need. There in lies the art of bootstrapping. Bootstrapping basically means to start and operate a business without lots of investment funds. It requires the entrepreneur to focus on sales and to hold fixed costs to an absolute minimum. Bootstrapping requires a unique mindset that few lead researchers turned entrepreneurs can relate to. It takes a special entrepreneur to be able to successfully bootstrap a business. Help your lead researchers and startup teams. Get some experienced bootstrappers on your advisory and consulting teams and pass the knowledge on to your startups. 7. Partner with other technology transfer offices. Technology transfer offices provide a valuable service to both the university and their research communities. They play a vital role in the economic development of their respective communities and states. Unlike many organizations involved in the invention commercialization process they do not compete. Some technology transfer offices such as Stanford and MIT are the envy of their peers, however most technology transfer offices do not reside in a geographic area that harbors entrepreneurship in its DNA. Partnering with other technology transfer offices offers many unique benefits that cannot be found though other means. It opens up dialogue and support for represented research and technologies to new areas and new commercialization ideas. It develops relationships with other potential business partners and fosters potential research synergies. Targeted TTO partnerships can lead to specific research pairing with higher degrees of commercialization potential. This focused effort will, in the long run, yield a high degree of return on investment. These 7 technology transfer officer tips can help you reduce your operating costs and increase your revenue generation success rate. It’s a win for society, the researcher, the business community, the university, and YOU!