Check Point is a big security for small business

With limited resources, small businesses often are not equipped to deal with an attacker's experts. 600 Devices to solve this problem and to offer small businesses a low-cost, comprehensive security solution that provides secure access to critical resources anywhere at any time, while minimizing the risk of data. "
Key features of the Check Point appliances 600:
Affordable enterprise class security, starting with the $ 399One device to access the Internet, connect to the network and Firewall, IPS securityPowerful, next generation firewalls and preventing the threat of capabilitiesSimple and intuitive Web-based management for small businessesMultiple wireless access networks, allowing guest access to the Internet, limiting access to the corporate network

Pricing and availability

Check point 600 devices suitable for small offices up to 100 employees and come in three models (620, 640 and 680), starting at $ 399. Every model can be equipped with Wi-Fi as an option. For more information about product functionality and specifications, please visit: www.checkpoint.com/smb/.
600 Devices are available immediately from Check Point partners around the world: http://partners.us.checkpoint.com/partnerlocator/.
1Verizon, "data breach investigation report by 2013, April 22, 2013
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About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com), a world leader in Internet security, provides customers with uncompromised protection against all types of threats, reduces security complexity and lowers total cost of ownership. Check Point first pioneered the industry with FireWall-1 and its patented stateful inspection technology. Check Point today continues to develop new innovations based on blade architecture software, giving customers flexible and simple solutions that can be fully customized to meet the exact security of any organization. Check Point is the sole supplier to go beyond technology and define security as a business process. 3D Check Point security policy that uniquely combines men and for greater protection of information assets and helps organizations implement a security plan that aligns with your business needs. Customers include tens of thousands of organizations of all sizes, including all of the Fortune Global 100 companies. Check Point's award-winning ZoneAlarm solutions protect millions of consumer PCs from hackers, spyware and identity theft.

Diet Secret: Small Pieces of Food More Filling

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AppId is over the quota

College Students, Rats Eat Less When Food Is in Small Pieces

By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

July 10, 2012 -- Call it the cut-up-food-diet: We feel full faster, and eat less later, when our food is served in small pieces.

It works in both college students and lab rats, according to a study by Devina Wadhera and colleagues at Arizona State University.

"Cutting up energy-dense foods into smaller pieces may be beneficial to dieters who wish to make their meal more satiating while also maintaining portion control," Wadhera says in a news release.

The researchers first tried this on lab rats. The animals were trained to run through a maze. Then the animals were offered a reward for running quickly through the maze. For 20 rats, the reward was a single chunk of food. For another 20 rats, the reward was 30 small pieces of food weighing the same as the large piece offered to the other rats.

After 12 trips through the maze, the result was clear. Rats preferred -- and worked harder for -- the same amount of food served in smaller pieces.

Okay, it's easy to fool a rat. But what about college students?

Wadhera's team split 301 male and female students into two groups. One was offered a whole bagel covered with cream cheese. The other group was offered the same kind of bagel, cut into four pieces and covered with the same amount of cream cheese.

The group that got the whole bagel ate a little more of it than those who got the cut-up bagel. But the real difference came 20 minutes later, when all of the students were offered a free meal.

Those who'd eaten the cut-up bagel -- even though they'd eaten a little less -- ate less of the free meal.

"Perhaps cutting up foods into multiple, bite-sized pieces may perceptually look like more and therefore elicit greater satiation than a single-piece food portion," Wadhera and colleagues suggest.

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, held this week in Zurich, Switzerland.

These findings were presented at a medical conference. They should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the "peer review" process, in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal.

SOURCES: Annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, Zurich, July 10-14, 2012. News release, Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior.

©2012 WebMD, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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For the first time it right-get selection guide software for small business

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Finding The Best Small Business Scheduling Software

If you operate a business where you schedule appointments, class attendance, consultations, seminars, workshops, or any other type of event from which you earn revenue, it is critical that you use easy-to-use, yet powerful and interactive small business scheduling software.
I also encourage, if it's possible with your business, to look for scheduling software that enables your customers to schedule themselves.
This not only makes your life easier, but is an outstanding website conversion tool. What I mean by this is new customers to your website can instantly book themselves for your service. No phone calls or any other obstacles that might lose the sale.
Ask Yourself:
When you book a customer, how much time does it take? Yeah, scheduling customers and clients takes time - yours and/or your staff's time. How about the time you spend playing phone tag just to book an appointment?
That's why if you can set up software where your customers can book their own appointments, you'll free up a great deal of your time. You'll also be offering a very worthwhile customer service (and impress them). Even if only 1/3 of your bookings do it themselves, you'll be way ahead - and probably book more clients than otherwise.
The fact is in today's fast-paced world, customers want immediate gratification. If your phone line is busy or you have to put customers on hold, you could lose that booking. Why not eliminate those losses and poor customer service with implementing online scheduling?
How Does Online Scheduling Work?
It's simple, and you don't have to worry about giving up control of your schedule with the right business scheduling software.
There are different uses of scheduling software - it depends on your business
1. Simple Schedule Viewable Online
Some businesses, such as yoga studios, dance studios, martial arts schools, and health clubs may simply wish to display class schedules on their website(s).
The key is getting scheduling software that makes it incredibly easy for you to change the schedule in one central location - which changes then appear on your website(s). Let's face it, class times, instructors, etc. change regularly.
Instead of displaying your schedule in a fixed table on different pages in your website(s), which is inconvenient to change, use a central schedule dashboard where you can easily make changes.
Have you ever forgotten to change the schedule on your website? When you maintain separate schedules, it's very easy to forget to update your schedule on your website(s). I don't have to tell you how customers feel about being misinformed and relying on an out-dated schedule.
Solve this problem by using scheduling software you manage in one easy-to-access location - which updates all your schedules wherever posted.
Moreover, look for scheduling software that let's you present pop-up descriptions of your classes and perhaps brief bios of the instructor teaching particular classes. The more information you place where it's easy to find for your customers, the better service you're providing.
2. Self-Booking Capability
Other businesses require customers to schedule appointments or reserve rooms/facilities. Examples of these types of businesses include hair salons, spas, tattoo parlours, massage therapists, physical therapists, etc. Take yourself as much as possible out of the booking process by getting scheduling software that enables your customers to book their own appointments.
The process is simple with the right software. Your customers register and you provide them log-in information to your online scheduling system. Once logged in, your customers see only availability and then book in available time-slots. Moreover, you then add a contact to your database.
Online booking puts the scheduling power into your customers' hands. If they need to change an appointment, they can easily do so without taking up your time.
What Other Features to Look for With Business Scheduling Software?
1. Look Only For Cloud Computing Scheduling Software
Without a doubt, the most important feature to look for with business scheduling software is that it's cloud-based. This means the software you use is hosted with the service provider.
A classic example of cloud-based software is Google Docs. You simply log in to your Google account and use their fleet of document-producing software (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.).
I've used desk-top scheduling software and like most desk-top software, it costs much more in the long run, and is very difficult to add new users (i.e. adding computers to the network).
The bulk of the long-term cost with desk-top software is paying a tech consultant to network the software among your computers. Moreover, your scheduling software is not available anywhere - only on computers on which it's installed. Don't even think about the cost when you upgrade computers or if you use a server.
Cloud computing solves all these problems because all you need is an Internet connection in order to access your software dashboard. You don't have to pay for networking, installation, and/or have a server. Instead, most cloud-computing software services simply require a monthly payment for access. It's easy to scale up - you simply add new users to your account. Your cost only increases as your business grows.
2. Get E-Commerce and Credit Card Payment Processing Integration
Wouldn't it be fantastic if you could have customers pay upon self-booking their appointments? This frees up you and your staff from two time-consuming activities - booking appointments and taking payment.
Moreover, you can book appointments if you're busy, thus reducing lost appointments. Often saving one booking will pay for an entire month's software cost. Not to mention gain you another potentially loyal customer.
If you're looking to get top-of-the line scheduling software, look for software that can process payments automatically upon a booking.
3. E-Mail and Text Messaging Reminders & Notices
Do you and your staff send out appointment reminders via e-mail and/or text messaging? This too is time-consuming. Maybe you don't do this because you're too busy - but wish you had the time or resources to send out reminders to reduce no-shows.
When deciding on scheduling software, be sure to opt for the capability for automated reminders. Yes, this is available. Once you have a customer's contact information in your system, and a customer books an appointment, you can set up the software to automatically send e-mail reminders and text messaging reminders about upcoming appointments.
This serves three very important functions:
You'll provide a great service reminding your customers about their upcoming appointment; You'll reduce no-shows; and If a customer realizes they can't make an appointment, they can re-schedule. This frees up appointment space which you can fill from your wait-list.
Speaking of wait-lists - with the right software, you can configure it so that once an appointment slot becomes available, e-mail notices are sent to your wait-list giving them an opportunity to take up that time - all done automatically.
4. Additional Sale Opportunities
Recurring Bookings:
Most small businesses earn the bulk of their revenues from loyal, repeat customers (especially service-based businesses that book appointments). With the right software, you can make it extremely easy for customers to book recurring appointments.
Perhaps they like to visit your business on the same day of each month. Instead of having to enter in their booking information manually for each month, use software to automate recurring bookings. Better yet, with self-scheduling, make it easy for your customers to book their own recurring appointments.
Packages:
Many small businesses that are appointment-based offer a variety of services. If you do, make it easy for your customers to create customized booking packages or you can create pre-arranged packages they can easily choose and book. This is a powerful up-selling option to earn more revenues per customer.
Gift Cards:
Gift cards are a very powerful sales tool. Not only do you make sales, but it's a way to attract new customers. If you're looking for powerful scheduling software, look for the ability to sell gift cards within the system.
Referral Tracking:
Do you offer referral incentives to your existing customers? If not, you're missing out on using an extremely powerful sales tool. If you don't, it's probably because it's a hassle to track referrals. You can automate referral tracking with some business scheduling software.
When a customer makes a referral, the software tracks that referral and credits the referring customer with whatever incentive you offer (i.e. discounts, free services, gift cards, etc.).
Online Point-of-Purchase Opportunities:
If you get scheduling software that has e-commerce capabilities, you automatically have a shopping cart available with which your customers can access while booking an appointment.
Point-of-purchase works both in-store and online. Why not increase sales by making it easy for your customers to buy your services and products online while they're already in your system booking an appointment?
5. User-Friendly
If your customers can't figure out how to book their appointments online or read your class/event schedule, then you've wasted your money. Sure, automated scheduling software will save you time - but the main goal is serving your customers. Look for a user interface that is extremely easy to use and pleasing to the eye.
6. Centralized Contact Database
Integrating your scheduling software with your contact database is absolutely crucial in order to get the most out of your scheduling software. Why? Because you can then use that contact database to manage your operations, financials, and of course leverage it for marketing.
When a new customer signs up with your business, you want scheduling software that automatically adds their data and profile to your contact database. Once in your database, you can leverage that information throughout your entire business' operations from client management, report generation (to track your sales, attendance, etc.) to your marketing campaigns.
Impress Your Customers with Your Scheduling Software
If you offer self-booking capability and/or extremely informative up-to-date schedules on your website, you'll impress new and existing customers. When they get reminders, they'll be delighted. When you send them notices for openings, they'll think the world of you and your business.
Even if you're a small business, the right software doesn't need to break your bank in order to appear and offer a level of service large, resource-rich companies offer. When you deliver a high level of customer service, you'll build trust and make dealing with your business a pleasure.
Look for scheduling software that makes it extremely easy for your customers to use your services - and you'll not only get more customers, but you'll get regularly attending customers.
How Much Should You Pay for Business Scheduling Software?
This will depend on the size of your business and how many users you'll need. Most cloud computing software pricing is based on the number of users. If you're looking for some or all of the capabilities set out above, expect to pay at least $40 per month for a starter package.
I know getting desk-top software, which usually is a one-time payment, seems more attractive cost-wise. However, you'll give up features, and in my experience, the cost for maintaining and upgrading desk-top scheduling software costs much more than the initial purchase cost.
I know, because I've used desk-top scheduling software and the cost alone for my tech consultant over the years is staggering.
Think of your "on-the-cloud" scheduling software as an investment. Better yet, if your software, because of its automation in booking and sending out reminders saves you one sale, that sale likely pays for your entire month's cost of the cloud-computing solution.
As you can tell by reading much of the other content on this site, I'm in-tune with a great deal of software applications available for small businesses. I'm a small business owner and am always looking for ways to improve my customer service with technology (and automate processes to save me time).
I've used many business scheduling software applications, including Google's online calendar. The problem with many scheduling software services is they are limited in features.
Sure, you might be able to integrate it with other software applications you have, but the ideal software is one that has all the features you're looking for built-in the system itself. Integration sounds great on paper, but can be a real nightmare in practice.

Get it Right the First Time - A Small Business Guide to Software Selection

Introduction
What to Buy - That is the Question
Buying decisions are the essence of life in the commerce-driven 21st century. From everyday decisions like selecting lunch from a restaurant menu, to getting a new car, to major company acquisitions, much of our time is spent "buying".
And these choices are anything but simple. Each marketer professes to be the sole champion of our consumer rights and pummels us with enticing advertising messages, about how their wares are "the best". Seductive as these messages are, no product or service is quite the same. The difference may be glaring - that of "better vs. worse", or a subtle tradeoff between price, quality, feature set, customer service, or durability.
It is therefore important to keep our wits about & develop a systematic approach to the buying decision. Our view should be broad & farsighted, rather than buying based only on what immediately meets the eye. Hasty decisions leave us with flashy features never used, or hefty repair bills of products that came cheap.
A good example of a systematic approach is when you buy a car. A myriad of factors are considered & weighed, which impact the owner for the next decade. This includes brand, performance vs. style, price, safety, terms of finance, mileage, maintenance, resale value & so many other factors.
Selecting Software
In our new "wired" modern reality, software is no less important than products & services in our everyday lives. Whether it's a personal email program, chat software for instant connection, collaboration software to organize scattered employees, or an ERP implementation to manage company processes - there's no surviving without them!
But we're somewhat more used to buying products & services than software, which is a relatively recent phenomenon. In many ways, selecting software is no different from selecting a product or service. Although intangible, software, also address a very real need, on which personal & professional success often depends. Naturally, some of the same purchase factors apply - brand, service, & maintenance costs.
In spite of the patronizing obviousness of the above, software selection is a grey zone; an underdeveloped arena. This accounts for the high incidence of "shelfware" - software that are bought with grand intentions, but end up on dusty shelves. This is because unlike products & services, it is not so intuitively evident that software have "life cycles" & need to be "maintained", "updated", & "repaired".
Therefore, purchases are made based on what immediately meets the eye - technical features. This mistake is understandable, because technical features are well documented & advertised, & easy for the buyer to use as decision criteria. But with this approach, factors that are just as pertinent, but not so immediately obvious, get left out. Some research & serious thinking is needed to gauge these "hidden" factors.
Key Factors To Consider
1) Company History & Experience
The vendor needs to be sized up before we even go on to consider the software itself. Company background is essential because, unlike traditional companies, software companies are often small, & often beyond national boundaries. Since these companies would likely be handling our sensitive data, we need to do a background check. Some related questions are:
How Long Have They Been Around?
As in most cases, we can reasonably assume that past record is a good indicator of future performance. Important questions are - How long have they been around? How long have they been in the field? If they're offering business collaboration software, have they been in this industry long enough? Even if the software is new, do they have experience developing related software?
What is Their Niche?
Does the company know your niche well enough to know your needs? If you are a small/mid sized business, a company mainly serving the Fortune 500 is not for you. If you work from home, it is unlikely a solution serving large offices will meet your needs.
The Ultimate Testament - The Customer
The ultimate judge of software is its users. To get a true picture, it is important to look at how customers are using the software & what their comments are. Does their site include a client's list or page? Check out what customers say under testimonials, or you could even get in touch with the customers yourself for comments.
Dangers
There are certain things about the software industry that a buyer should be wary of. Software startups have shorter life spans than traditional companies & ride high on a success wave, but go "pop" when the industry bubble bursts. This was exemplified by the "dot com burst" of 2000. Whether the current spate of "Web 2.0" companies constitutes another expanding bubble which will inevitably burst is debatable, but it makes sense to be wary & bet your money on dependable companies with proven track records.
2) Cost
There's no denying the importance of cost effectiveness in buying decisions across the board. Yet costs should be seen in a broad perspective, because low entry costs may well result in higher total costs along the product's life.
Features vs. Price
A cost-benefit analysis makes sense, & costs need to be compared with the software's range of features & functionalities. A document management system may not be the cheapest, but it may allow you to also set up a virtual office. Going for loads of features also constitutes a trap, because users never get around to using half of them.
Needs vs. Price
Another question is whether there is an overlap between features & needs at all. Many features may not relate to needs sought to be addressed. You should clearly define your needs, & classify features as "needed features" & "features not needed". Another possible scheme of classifying features could be "must have", "nice to have", & "future requirements".
3) Ease of Use/Adoption
An adoption & learning curve is involved with every new software purchase. It needs to be integrated with current systems & software, & the end users have to be brought up to speed using it. If the software is chunky & too complex, adoption resistance can occur.
Ease of Use
The software should have an intuitive interface, & use of features should be pretty much self evident. The shorter the learning curve training a new user, the better. The software should also have the ability to easily fit into the existing systems with which it will have to communicate. For example, a collaboration software might allow you to use some features from your Outlook itself or even share Outlook data.
Adoption
To get a measure of "shelfware", i.e., software that is purchased but never used, some studies peg the number of shelved content management solutions at 20-25%. At a million dollars per implementation, that's pretty expensive shelfware! According to another study in the US, 22% of purchased enterprise portal (ERP) licenses are never used.
No doubt, "Shelfware" is a result of ill thought out purchase decisions. These studies clearly underline the importance of making an educated purchase. One possible way to protect against shelfware is the new concept of software as a service (SAAS) hosted software. The software is hosted by its developer, & buyers have to pay a monthly subscription, which they can opt out of anytime.
Support
No matter how good a software is, there are bound to be times when one can't find out how to work a particular feature or a glitch crops up. Some software solutions may require you to hire dedicated support staff of your own, while others may be easy to use, and no specialized staff may be needed, and still others may offer free support. The cost of hiring support staff needs to be factored into the buying decision.
Provider support may be in the form of live human support, or automated help engines. In case of human help, the quality of solutions, availability & conduct of support executives matter. Support can also be in the form of an extensively documented help engine, or extensive help information on the company site. This form of support is often more prompt & efficient than human help.
Training
Training is another form of support which deserves special mention. Free training seminars or their new avatar - webinars (online seminars) - greatly help in getting up to speed with the software at no extra cost. In some cases the company might offer paid training, which may be essential, & hence this cost needs to be factored into the purchase decision.
Maintenance
Maintenance costs & efforts have a major impact on the performance & adoptability of software, & hence form important criteria of the buying decision. In case the software is hosted at the company's end, it is of utmost importance that the software be available online at all times, or the "uptime". Uptimes are covered under the "service level agreement" & range from 98% to 99.99%. A minimum uptime of 99% is what one must look for.
The company's upkeep is also important. Efforts to constantly improve upon the software underline a commitment to providing quality service. Are bugs fixed promptly & on an ongoing basis? Are they just releasing software & not updating it? One should develop a habit of keeping up with the company newsletter, release notes or the "what's new" section on their site. Periodic newsletters & a "what's new" section are indicative of a dynamic company.
4) Familiarity
The "feel" of the software is another important criterion. The software should keep with the basic layout & navigation schemes we are used to. This makes for quicker transition.
One good way is to compare with the OS in which we would use the software. Does it have the same basic schema as the OS environment? A software with Mac schema on Windows wouldn't sit that well. Or we could compare it with other software which we are used to. If you are switching to a low priced solution from an expensive one, choosing software with a similar "feel" would make sense. Does it retain most of the main features you are used to?
5) Security
Security is a top consideration because he software company will likely be handling information critical to us - business, financial or personal. We need to be well assured of our data's security & there are no risks of it being compromised. This needs research, & the extensiveness of which depends on the sensitivity of our data.
What safety features does the provider have?
Encryption, or coding of information, is used by most companies to protect the integrity of their clients' information. There are different types of encryption, each of which is associated with a different level of security. DAS is one, once popular but now known to have loopholes. SSL 128-bit encryption is associated with top notch security. Password protection is another important facet. Is the software equipped to withstand manual & automated attempts to hack your password? The ability of the system to detect a hacking attempt & lock up in time is important.
Data Backup
In extreme cases of system breakdown caused by a facility fire, natural disaster or technical glitch etc, it is important that your data is frequently & adequately backed up. Data backup should be frequent & adequate.
Certain factors are to be considered in backup practices. The first is the frequency of backups. If there is a long gap, there is a possibility of data being lost in intermittent periods. Secondly, what are the security arrangements at the facilities where your data resides? Is it manned & guarded by security personnel? What other safeguards are in place? Is there a good firewall? What is the protection against virus attacks? What procedures are in place for disaster management?
Track Record
As with company background, a little research on the security track record makes sense. Has the company ever been vulnerable to attacks before? What were the losses? How did the company react? How many years has the company had a good record? New companies will have a clean record, but that isn't necessarily indicative of good security.
The Server System
The server system where the sensitive data actually lies is very important. Is it state-of-the-art? The server infrastructure could be owned by the software provider themselves or outsourced to a dedicated company providing hosting solutions. Outsourced hosting is a good thing because hosting companies have extensive expertise & infrastructure for security, & this frees up the software provider to concentrate on the software itself. The company might not have an elaborate setup at all, running the software & processing data through computers set up in the garage somewhere acting as servers. This should get your alarm bells ringing!
Conclusion - A Systematic Selection Approach
Now that we have discussed all the relevant factors in detail & have a better perspective of the subject, it is important to develop a systematic approach to analyzing these factors.
What factors are important to me?
Although all of the above factors are relevant, their relative importance may differ from customer to customer. For a company with deep pockets, price comes lower in the list. For a company using collaboration software to process business information, security is high priority. Again if a solution forms an important part of a company's business, it is important that it integrates well with existing systems. For dynamic industries like real estate, short training times are important.
Know Thy Software
By this step you would have selected software. But that is still not the end. For all our theorizing & researching, the software still has to pass its toughest test. Most software allows you a free trial period. It would be a good idea to seriously use this period to analyze the software.
It is important to stay focused during this testing period because the impact is going to be long lasting. Follow systematic planning. Identify objectives & needs, develop a testing plan, lay out the timelines and designate people from different departments to try out different features. Set responsibilities & goals so that testers take their job seriously.
THE DECISION!
Don't hesitate to put the burden onto the company to prove itself. Let the company prove to you the features that seem important to you. For example, if security is of prime importance, ask the company to display how their solution scores high on security. Don't hesitate to call them if you have questions.
Test their service levels to see if it lives up to their promises. If you submit a ticket, is it promptly responded to? Is a good solution provided? If the problem requires live help, do you get it fast enough? When you call in with a problem, is it a live person or an automated message you converse with?
This is as extensively as you can analyze software. You're educated enough to make a choice which will most likely not fail you. You shall surely not be disappointed in your decision.

Get it Right the First Time - A Small Business Guide to Software Selection

Introduction
What to Buy - That is the Question
Buying decisions are the essence of life in the commerce-driven 21st century. From everyday decisions like selecting lunch from a restaurant menu, to getting a new car, to major company acquisitions, much of our time is spent "buying".
And these choices are anything but simple. Each marketer professes to be the sole champion of our consumer rights and pummels us with enticing advertising messages, about how their wares are "the best". Seductive as these messages are, no product or service is quite the same. The difference may be glaring - that of "better vs. worse", or a subtle tradeoff between price, quality, feature set, customer service, or durability.
It is therefore important to keep our wits about & develop a systematic approach to the buying decision. Our view should be broad & farsighted, rather than buying based only on what immediately meets the eye. Hasty decisions leave us with flashy features never used, or hefty repair bills of products that came cheap.
A good example of a systematic approach is when you buy a car. A myriad of factors are considered & weighed, which impact the owner for the next decade. This includes brand, performance vs. style, price, safety, terms of finance, mileage, maintenance, resale value & so many other factors.
Selecting Software
In our new "wired" modern reality, software is no less important than products & services in our everyday lives. Whether it's a personal email program, chat software for instant connection, collaboration software to organize scattered employees, or an ERP implementation to manage company processes - there's no surviving without them!
But we're somewhat more used to buying products & services than software, which is a relatively recent phenomenon. In many ways, selecting software is no different from selecting a product or service. Although intangible, software, also address a very real need, on which personal & professional success often depends. Naturally, some of the same purchase factors apply - brand, service, & maintenance costs.
In spite of the patronizing obviousness of the above, software selection is a grey zone; an underdeveloped arena. This accounts for the high incidence of "shelfware" - software that are bought with grand intentions, but end up on dusty shelves. This is because unlike products & services, it is not so intuitively evident that software have "life cycles" & need to be "maintained", "updated", & "repaired".
Therefore, purchases are made based on what immediately meets the eye - technical features. This mistake is understandable, because technical features are well documented & advertised, & easy for the buyer to use as decision criteria. But with this approach, factors that are just as pertinent, but not so immediately obvious, get left out. Some research & serious thinking is needed to gauge these "hidden" factors.
Key Factors To Consider
1) Company History & Experience
The vendor needs to be sized up before we even go on to consider the software itself. Company background is essential because, unlike traditional companies, software companies are often small, & often beyond national boundaries. Since these companies would likely be handling our sensitive data, we need to do a background check. Some related questions are:
How Long Have They Been Around?
As in most cases, we can reasonably assume that past record is a good indicator of future performance. Important questions are - How long have they been around? How long have they been in the field? If they're offering business collaboration software, have they been in this industry long enough? Even if the software is new, do they have experience developing related software?
What is Their Niche?
Does the company know your niche well enough to know your needs? If you are a small/mid sized business, a company mainly serving the Fortune 500 is not for you. If you work from home, it is unlikely a solution serving large offices will meet your needs.
The Ultimate Testament - The Customer
The ultimate judge of software is its users. To get a true picture, it is important to look at how customers are using the software & what their comments are. Does their site include a client's list or page? Check out what customers say under testimonials, or you could even get in touch with the customers yourself for comments.
Dangers
There are certain things about the software industry that a buyer should be wary of. Software startups have shorter life spans than traditional companies & ride high on a success wave, but go "pop" when the industry bubble bursts. This was exemplified by the "dot com burst" of 2000. Whether the current spate of "Web 2.0" companies constitutes another expanding bubble which will inevitably burst is debatable, but it makes sense to be wary & bet your money on dependable companies with proven track records.
2) Cost
There's no denying the importance of cost effectiveness in buying decisions across the board. Yet costs should be seen in a broad perspective, because low entry costs may well result in higher total costs along the product's life.
Features vs. Price
A cost-benefit analysis makes sense, & costs need to be compared with the software's range of features & functionalities. A document management system may not be the cheapest, but it may allow you to also set up a virtual office. Going for loads of features also constitutes a trap, because users never get around to using half of them.
Needs vs. Price
Another question is whether there is an overlap between features & needs at all. Many features may not relate to needs sought to be addressed. You should clearly define your needs, & classify features as "needed features" & "features not needed". Another possible scheme of classifying features could be "must have", "nice to have", & "future requirements".
3) Ease of Use/Adoption
An adoption & learning curve is involved with every new software purchase. It needs to be integrated with current systems & software, & the end users have to be brought up to speed using it. If the software is chunky & too complex, adoption resistance can occur.
Ease of Use
The software should have an intuitive interface, & use of features should be pretty much self evident. The shorter the learning curve training a new user, the better. The software should also have the ability to easily fit into the existing systems with which it will have to communicate. For example, a collaboration software might allow you to use some features from your Outlook itself or even share Outlook data.
Adoption
To get a measure of "shelfware", i.e., software that is purchased but never used, some studies peg the number of shelved content management solutions at 20-25%. At a million dollars per implementation, that's pretty expensive shelfware! According to another study in the US, 22% of purchased enterprise portal (ERP) licenses are never used.
No doubt, "Shelfware" is a result of ill thought out purchase decisions. These studies clearly underline the importance of making an educated purchase. One possible way to protect against shelfware is the new concept of software as a service (SAAS) hosted software. The software is hosted by its developer, & buyers have to pay a monthly subscription, which they can opt out of anytime.
Support
No matter how good a software is, there are bound to be times when one can't find out how to work a particular feature or a glitch crops up. Some software solutions may require you to hire dedicated support staff of your own, while others may be easy to use, and no specialized staff may be needed, and still others may offer free support. The cost of hiring support staff needs to be factored into the buying decision.
Provider support may be in the form of live human support, or automated help engines. In case of human help, the quality of solutions, availability & conduct of support executives matter. Support can also be in the form of an extensively documented help engine, or extensive help information on the company site. This form of support is often more prompt & efficient than human help.
Training
Training is another form of support which deserves special mention. Free training seminars or their new avatar - webinars (online seminars) - greatly help in getting up to speed with the software at no extra cost. In some cases the company might offer paid training, which may be essential, & hence this cost needs to be factored into the purchase decision.
Maintenance
Maintenance costs & efforts have a major impact on the performance & adoptability of software, & hence form important criteria of the buying decision. In case the software is hosted at the company's end, it is of utmost importance that the software be available online at all times, or the "uptime". Uptimes are covered under the "service level agreement" & range from 98% to 99.99%. A minimum uptime of 99% is what one must look for.
The company's upkeep is also important. Efforts to constantly improve upon the software underline a commitment to providing quality service. Are bugs fixed promptly & on an ongoing basis? Are they just releasing software & not updating it? One should develop a habit of keeping up with the company newsletter, release notes or the "what's new" section on their site. Periodic newsletters & a "what's new" section are indicative of a dynamic company.
4) Familiarity
The "feel" of the software is another important criterion. The software should keep with the basic layout & navigation schemes we are used to. This makes for quicker transition.
One good way is to compare with the OS in which we would use the software. Does it have the same basic schema as the OS environment? A software with Mac schema on Windows wouldn't sit that well. Or we could compare it with other software which we are used to. If you are switching to a low priced solution from an expensive one, choosing software with a similar "feel" would make sense. Does it retain most of the main features you are used to?
5) Security
Security is a top consideration because he software company will likely be handling information critical to us - business, financial or personal. We need to be well assured of our data's security & there are no risks of it being compromised. This needs research, & the extensiveness of which depends on the sensitivity of our data.
What safety features does the provider have?
Encryption, or coding of information, is used by most companies to protect the integrity of their clients' information. There are different types of encryption, each of which is associated with a different level of security. DAS is one, once popular but now known to have loopholes. SSL 128-bit encryption is associated with top notch security. Password protection is another important facet. Is the software equipped to withstand manual & automated attempts to hack your password? The ability of the system to detect a hacking attempt & lock up in time is important.
Data Backup
In extreme cases of system breakdown caused by a facility fire, natural disaster or technical glitch etc, it is important that your data is frequently & adequately backed up. Data backup should be frequent & adequate.
Certain factors are to be considered in backup practices. The first is the frequency of backups. If there is a long gap, there is a possibility of data being lost in intermittent periods. Secondly, what are the security arrangements at the facilities where your data resides? Is it manned & guarded by security personnel? What other safeguards are in place? Is there a good firewall? What is the protection against virus attacks? What procedures are in place for disaster management?
Track Record
As with company background, a little research on the security track record makes sense. Has the company ever been vulnerable to attacks before? What were the losses? How did the company react? How many years has the company had a good record? New companies will have a clean record, but that isn't necessarily indicative of good security.
The Server System
The server system where the sensitive data actually lies is very important. Is it state-of-the-art? The server infrastructure could be owned by the software provider themselves or outsourced to a dedicated company providing hosting solutions. Outsourced hosting is a good thing because hosting companies have extensive expertise & infrastructure for security, & this frees up the software provider to concentrate on the software itself. The company might not have an elaborate setup at all, running the software & processing data through computers set up in the garage somewhere acting as servers. This should get your alarm bells ringing!
Conclusion - A Systematic Selection Approach
Now that we have discussed all the relevant factors in detail & have a better perspective of the subject, it is important to develop a systematic approach to analyzing these factors.
What factors are important to me?
Although all of the above factors are relevant, their relative importance may differ from customer to customer. For a company with deep pockets, price comes lower in the list. For a company using collaboration software to process business information, security is high priority. Again if a solution forms an important part of a company's business, it is important that it integrates well with existing systems. For dynamic industries like real estate, short training times are important.
Know Thy Software
By this step you would have selected software. But that is still not the end. For all our theorizing & researching, the software still has to pass its toughest test. Most software allows you a free trial period. It would be a good idea to seriously use this period to analyze the software.
It is important to stay focused during this testing period because the impact is going to be long lasting. Follow systematic planning. Identify objectives & needs, develop a testing plan, lay out the timelines and designate people from different departments to try out different features. Set responsibilities & goals so that testers take their job seriously.
THE DECISION!
Don't hesitate to put the burden onto the company to prove itself. Let the company prove to you the features that seem important to you. For example, if security is of prime importance, ask the company to display how their solution scores high on security. Don't hesitate to call them if you have questions.
Test their service levels to see if it lives up to their promises. If you submit a ticket, is it promptly responded to? Is a good solution provided? If the problem requires live help, do you get it fast enough? When you call in with a problem, is it a live person or an automated message you converse with?
This is as extensively as you can analyze software. You're educated enough to make a choice which will most likely not fail you. You shall surely not be disappointed in your decision.