The Little Geeni

The Basics:

If one wants to put his/her web site online, Web hosting offers the opportunity. For making a site go online, no matter it is having large or small content one has to go onto a web server. Thus a web server is simply a larger and much more powerful computer than user’s own computer. On these servers one’s Internet content simply sits for people to access and view the information available. These web servers are stored within data centers; all what is required is simply renting some space on the server.

Why to use a web hosting service?

The first reason to choose is its affordability. The work of the web hosting companies includes looking after and updating all software required to maintain one’s site, adding security patches making sure that one’s content is safe from hackers/viruses and unwanted Spam. The first step after registration of web site’s name is hosting it with the web server. In case there comes any difficulty with the web site, full technical support is supported by the hosting company. In chases one chooses to host by own, it will cost too much on hardware, bandwidth and ongoing software updates.

What is shared web hosting?

While searching for a web host Company one will find that many are offering shared web hosting. Shared web hosting is simply a server that has a number of different web sites sitting on it simultaneously. In case of shared web hosting one will be allocated a certain amount of disk space on the server and this allows user to have a number of web sites hosted on one server. It is a very secure service even though one is sharing the server with many different companies, as no other company will have access to other’s files. There are many people having wrong opinion that using a shared service will make the web site act slowly. In case of shared web hosting the information will be displayed and downloaded equally as fast as if it where on the server on it’s own. The concept used by Web host companies is that they offer shared hosting simply to use up all the space on the server, there is no benefit to user or them having empty hard disk space.

Why good hosting is required?

If one has developed a web site for business opportunity or to sell merchandise online what all is needed is reliability as downtime costs much money. Therefore less downtime means the better chance of making money by the user. One is required to compile a whole list of questions to ask the web host company when it comes to hosting his/her site. It is necessary to have a guaranteed response time if any problem occurs with the site or if it goes offline. One needs to have 24-hour access to his/her files with 24-hour support if the site is in business of selling products online, as most of the sales could be made in the evening or nighttime. Thus it is very important to have support all time for any issues that could arise. Not only that to check the effectiveness of site it is also important to look for Statistics i.e. how many unique hits (people visiting one’s site) one is getting so that one can see the trend of people just visiting to those who are buying. Thus one should check in advance the stats offered by different companies as some web host companies offer very substantial stats while others can be less informative, so one should always ask for a demonstration before finalizing any host.

Mouth publicity is a great way to hear as to who are a good host and a bad host. One should ask his/her colleague or who is already taking the experience of that host. There are several good as well as bad hosts in the market, therefore one should ask the questions and make sure that he/she is confident with the replies before signing up.

Will hosting in own country or another, effects the web site?

It is quite interesting to know if the company is providing 24 hour support to allow for time differences, then one should have the same level service as if the web host company was based just down the road. Thus it makes no difference if the host is of same country or of another. There are many people thinking hosting their website outside of their registered country will lead to losing their domain identity, which is totally wrong example if one is based in Ireland and is having a computer website it would be something like www.computerparts.ie The. I.e. is the identity of Ireland but if one wants his site hosted in the US then he/she would still keep the. I.e., and there is no need to change to. Com. Thus the great thing about web hosting is that the world is oyster and one can shop online globally until one is satisfied with the service.

Domains and Hosting Affordable, Cheap, Choosing, Domains and Hosting, Tips, Webhosting

SEO Optimization is a popular internet marketing technique. SEO Marketing or SEO Optimization is a popular internet marketing technique. SEO Marketing or Optimization is the success secret behind several successful internet/online ventures.

You will spot several hundred websites which are devoted to SEO Marketing, but the real question is “What is the Best and Affordable Search Marketing SEO Strategy?” This question intrigues every single business owner.

Different types of Marketing Channels available:-

There are probably several techniques using which you can effectively promote your business online, offline, or you can use a combination of both online and offline marketing channels. However, if your business clients access your services through your business website, then you must genuinely consider SEO promotion for your website.

Some of the established marketing strategies are as given follow:-

1. Marketing Offline – Take for example if you are an owner of a food joint/restaurant then you will consider promoting your restaurant using various marketing channels available offline. Here you can target newspapers, hoardings, popular radio channels, and television.

2. Online & Offline Marketing – In some businesses you will find equal proportion of customers who visit your business online as well as offline. You can take an example of a travel company website which receives booking request online as well as offline.

Therefore these companies will consider promoting their websites using both offline as well as online marketing channels.

3. SEO Marketing – Some businesses are purely internet based for example web hosting companies, job sites, Ebay etc. In these businesses there is more probability of getting an online customer as compared to any other source. These businesses can avail full benefits of SEO marketing. If their business services/products are accessible by users while searching on Google, Yahoo, AOL, and MSN, then it is highly likely that users will contact them to enquire about their services. In several internet based websites you can actually purchase the product online without leaving your room.

If you intend to promote your business website on search engines, then you should avail services from an affordable and economical seo company India. It will give you double benefits as compared to hiring a full time SEO Manager or hiring a dedicated team of SEO professionals.

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As a reseller of Untangle for Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, Futuregen is proud to highlight the top of mind questions about the affordable network security software from Untangle.

Why do you need a network security software to secure your network?
If your network is connected to the internet, chances are you are being attacked, spammed, spoofed, or your enterprise assets are being compromised…without you even knowing it! It’s scary.

Securing your network not only protects your enterprise assets, it also ensures that your web facing applications are available to users when they need it. To learn more, here is a short video on the Untangle Network Security Software http://www.untangle.com/video_overview.

If network security is so important, why aren’t other businesses securing their network?
Two factors: Cost and expertise. Top of line security products do cost a lot. It comes with esoteric commands that require a highly trained security professional to operate.

But these are things of the past. Untangle’s solution is not only free to download, it is also easy to use. The graphical interface enables you to set options and then wait for the executive summary reports to arrive via email!

With Untangle’s solution, there really are no excuses for not protecting your network.

What can Untangle do as a Network Security Software?

Well a lot! Here is a list of what it can do, and we call the term in the security industry:

Router. Provides basic routing functionality, and DHCP and DNS servers. It may already be installed depending on the selections made during the setup wizard. If there is already a router on the network, there is no need to install the Router unless replacing the current firewall/router. Router makes the Untangle Server act like a router that by default serves DHCP and DNS with an internal IP of 192.168.1.1, much like a Linksys or Netgear router.

Firewall. You can define what types of traffic can enter your network. So it enables your network to show a ‘smaller attack footprint’ on the internet. In short, it limits the points of entry that are open to hackers.
Web Filtering. It blocks your employees from time-wasting and unproductive surfing. You control what sites are allowed and not allowed for users inside your network. Best of all, you can just select categories like violence, hacking, sex and the software will do the rest!

Spam Blocker. Uses all sorts of spam technologies like blacklists, bayesian filters, signatures, and optical character resolutions to scan email and detect spam. After installing Spam Blocker, it scans SMTP, POP3, and IMAP traffic and can block spam as it enters your network. Users won’t even need to download the spam, and frees them from having to delete it! 

Virus Blocker. Scan all network traffic for viruses and drop them. No software is required on the end user desktop: all the scanning is done on the traffic as it transits through the Untangle server. Virus Blocker provides a great solution for those without virus protection on the end user desktops or for those wanting an extra layer of virus protection. Virus Blocker is completely configured by default and requires no extra tinkering or configuration.

Spyware Blocker. Protect users from websites and files that install malicious codes. Spyware Blocker uses numerous techniques to stop spyware from entering your network and stop users from going to places which infect them from spyware. This can save numerous hours of tracking down weird problems and slowness issues caused by malware and spyware.

Intrusion Prevention System. Protects the network from known attack signatures by preventing them from reaching their targets. Using snort signatures, Intrusion Prevention can detect, block, and log attacks. Intrusion Prevention is preconfigured with good defaults to maximize protection and minimize false positives. It gets zapped at the gateway!

Attack Blocker. It is a heuristic based intrusion prevention application which blocks attacks like floods and port scans based on reputation. Attack Blocker also requires no configuration.

OpenVPN. VPN solution that provides remote connectivity directly into the network over an SSL connection. Install OpenVPN and configure the OpenVPN application as a server and go through the setup wizard. In the exported address step, add any addresses to the list which users should be able to reach remotely. In many cases, this is the entire internal subnet, but it can be limited to only a few servers for security reasons.
 
If it’s a free Network Security Software, how does Untangle make any money?
Untangle sells commercial add-ons for advanced networks. These are sold as subscriptions.  Commercial Add-ons include live support, advanced management features and applications for additional security and remote access.

How much does the Untangle Network Security software cost?
Many will get everything they need for free, but with Commercial Add-ons starting at just $5/mo anyone can afford Untangle.  The Professional Package with live support is the best value and it starts at just $25/mo.  Full price list available online.

Does it cost anything to join?
Nope. And training is free too. If you’ve got customers with spam, spyware, web filtering or remote access needs, we’d love to work with you.

How does subscription licensing work, if I have multiple offices and want to install an Untangle Server with the Professional Package at each one?
The software license is governed by each Untangle Server and the network it services.  We have four pricing tiers based on the number of personal computers on the network.  The tiers are 1 – 10, 11 – 50, and 51-150, and 151+.

Let’s look at an example:

You have a main office with 78 employees and two branch offices with 25 and 7 employees respectively. You install an Untangle Server in each office and want to run the Professional Package on all three servers.  Your subscription would total $225/month broken out as follows:

$150/mo for the main office with 78 employees (51 – 150 license)
$50/mo for the branch office with 25 employees (11 – 50 license)
$25 for the branch office with 7 employees (1 – 10 license)
Additional discounts are available for longer commitments.

What is the difference between personal computers on the network versus employees?

Untangle’s subscription licensing is by personal computers on the network. If your employees share a set of common computers, you should base your license on the number of computers, not the number of employees. Likewise, if your employees have more than one personal computer each, the license is still based on the total number of personal computers.

If you are as excited as we are at this point, your next action should be to download the Network Security software and just try it out! You can also email marketing[at]futuregen.sg for any support or pre-sales inquries. Or visit BNS Hosting and talk with an online hosted solutions expert.

Computer Security Affordable, Network, Security, Software

Franchise operations manuals may seem daunting, especially for a company that has never written an operations manual before. Bewildered by the new business of franchising, with its legal requirements, franchise disclosure documents, operations manuals, training programs, etc., many companies delegate responsibility to a high-priced franchise consultant.

But using someone to write your franchise operations manual who knows literally nothing about your business, never makes any sense when everything is considered objectively. And, besides a hefty price tag of $20,000 or more to write the manuals, using franchise consultants brings another, expensive result – legal risk. Here are some drafting tips and strategies from a recognized, international franchise expert.

Why Franchise Consultants Are Risky Business
Paying someone who knows nothing about your business, and having them learn it from scratch at your expense is really just common sense. Using franchise consultants for what is a relatively easy and straightforward task has never made any sense – except to the franchise consultants who charge exorbitant amounts to write an operations manual. It’s one of those little franchise secrets that the consultants don’t ever mention or discuss.

Using a franchise consultant to write a franchise operations manual also carries legal risk. The principal legal risk comes from including inappropriate topics, chapters and policies that are commonly found in company-owned, chain operations manuals.  If these are included, as they often are in franchise operations manuals, very significant franchise liability issues arise. Because the franchise consultants are not franchise attorneys or experts, they are entirely oblivious to this risk. They don’t know where the bullets come from in franchise litigation. As a testifying and consulting franchise expert, I routinely find franchise operations manuals drafted by franchise consultants and do-it-yourself manuals containing inappropriate chapters or topics. And, because they rely on boilerplate manuals used for other clients, where (hopefully) all instances of burgers, for example, are searched and replaced with tax returns, the end result is not only dangerous – it is also very mediocre. Giving a mediocre operations manual to a franchise owner who has invested hundreds of thousands (or in some cases millions) of dollars in your franchise model is definitely not the best way to start or ensure a smooth franchise relationship.

The Best Practice Approach To Drafting Franchise Operations Manuals
Besides the expensive and legally risky approach there is another, best franchise practice approach based on almost three decades of writing, editing and reviewing hundreds of franchise operations manuals. The essence of this approach is also common sense – letting the true expert in your business write the manual. Typically that person is the founder of the business, or a small team of management personnel who know business operations inside and out. While a franchise expert should be involved in the process, the expert’s role should be limited to a planning and editing capacity.

Three Easy Steps For Drafting A Franchise Operations Manual
The drafting process begins with planning and developing the Table of Contents for the franchise operations manual. This includes making sure all the appropriate chapters and topics are included, and the inappropriate ones are not. Knowledge of franchise management best practices is essential here, and that’s why a franchise expert’s input and planning is so important. Because most franchise operations manuals are incorporated by reference in the franchise agreement (which is a franchise industry best practice)  the franchise contract is also  reviewed.  Some operations-specific information may be inadvertently included in the contract by the attorneys, which is not a good thing. This needs to be moved out or appropriately amended.

The second step is giving the person(s) within your company who have drafting responsibility samples of operations manual writing styles, guidelines and instructions. With these, they can begin drafting each chapter of the manual using their extensive operational knowledge of the day-to-day, week-to-week, etc. aspects of your business.

The third and final step is having the franchise expert review each chapter as it is drafted and comment on the professionalism and sufficiency of the chapters from a franchise industry best practices and franchise operator perspective.

Summary
The first couple chapters are typically the hardest to draft, as you or your management personnel learn and apply operations manual drafting techniques under the guidance of a professional editor. But after that, it’s smooth sailing through the balance of the document. This approach produces a professional, easy to use and update franchise operations manual. It also ensures the most efficient use of resources and talent, and eliminates having to pay a franchise consultant $20,000 or more for this relatively simple task. Whether or not a company ultimately franchises, the process of planning, documenting and implementing standardized operating procedures and systems via operations manuals, like blue chip franchise and non-franchised companies do, makes any firm operate more efficiently and competitively. In a franchise environment, it ensures consistent and uniform operations, helping personnel with different skills learn to perform tasks in a consistent manner throughout the franchise network. Finally, it’s important to realize the process of writing a franchise operations manual never stops. As the business model evolves, so must the operations manual – the ultimate reason why writing the manual yourself to begin with makes imminent common sense. As one franchise company executive observed “I found that not only was writing my own operations manual a cost savings; it was imperative.”

copyright 2008-2009, Kevin B. Murphy, B.S., M.B.A., J.D. – all rights reserved

For further information, visit the Franchise Foundations website

Operating Systems Affordable, Easy, Franchise, Manual, Manuals, Operations, Steps, Three, Write