Archive for the 'Software' Category

by Alex Bates
Why do we need the MIMOSA standard?
In today’s manufacturing software marketplace, there are numerous vendors involved in predictive maintenance (condition monitoring & predictive asset health assessment). This is a true example of a fragmented market, where no clear leader exists with dominant market share. The same situation exists to a lesser degree on the maintenance side; while there are a handful of large vendors, none have dominant market share of the EAM market, estimated at $2.1B.

The end result is that predictive maintenance vendors have rolled some custom interfaces to one or more EAM systems, and a few formal alliances exist. When a customer looks to purchase a predictive maintenance (PdM) product, they have to check to see if the vendor supports their EAM system. Furthermore, they now face the risk that if they upgrade their EAM system the interface could break, and their upgrade options are now limited by the PdM vendor. This is the classic risk of proprietary, point to point integration solutions. his is the pain that open standards help solve.

The MIMOSA protocol standardizes the interface between plant floor systems (including PdM) and EAM systems. The MIMOSA standard is complementary to OPC, which handles the real-time communication aspect of interfacing with plant devices. There is an umbrella organization called OpenO&M, which is collaboration between MIMOSA, the OPC Foundation, and the ISA SP95 committee.

OPC Comparison
A good way to understand what is happening with MIMOSA today is to look at the analogous evolution of the OPC standard in recent history. A decade ago, operations personnel had a problem — they had heterogeneous plant floor equipment, including Distributed Control Systems (DCS), PLCs, motors, valves, and so on down the chain. With so many different device vendors, manufacturers had to worry about which vendors were supported for their HMI consoles, what low-level protocols could be used to bridge the gap. Along came the OPC standard (building on prior successes of the bus standards), which enforced a standardized communications protocol into plant floor devices.

Part of the reason the OPC standard achieved mainstream adoption is 3rd party vendors stepped in and created bridge products to make devices compliant. With these bridges, customers didn’t have to wait around for Allen Bradley PLCs to become compliant; they could by the OPC adapter for that device. The same thing is now happening with EAM systems. While some EAM vendors have dragged their feet, 3rd party vendors have stepped in and built MIMOSA-compliant bridges.

MIMOSA Messaging Protocol
One important step in the evolution of MIMOSA was in its progression from a storage-focused protocol to a messaging-focused protocol. The original version of MIMOSA was based on a data model called CRIS, or Common Relational Information Schema. This was a data model, which included database scripts for SQL Server and Oracle implementations. XSD schemas were created that mapped to the CRIS schemas, but many vendors focused on the storage aspect of the protocol.

Comparing the protocol to OPC, it became clear that there was a need for a messaging protocol to standardize the interface between plant floor systems and EAM systems. OPC standardized the interface to plant floor devices for real-time data retrieval. What was needed for EAM systems was a messaging protocol that could do the same, for use cases like automatic work order creation, uploading meters and measurement points, retrieving asset information, and auditing status of generated work and work history. Since each EAM vendor had their own database implementation, the interest was primarily in the messaging layer, rather than an additional storage layer. The Tech-Xml XSDs and Tech-Xml-Services web services specifications shifted the focus to the messaging layer for integration.

The good news about today’s solutions is that they can leverage Tech-Xml-based web service communication for tying into EAM systems, but also leverage the CRIS database for standardized reporting capabilities. As more vendors build reliability analysis and reporting tools on top of CRIS, they don’t all have to worry about plumbing to connect to each prioprietary EAM database for reporting.

How many Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems are compliant today?
Almost all of the major EAM systems on the market today, including SAP, Maximo, Datastream, and Indus, have MIMOSA-based adapters available (in several cases the adapters are from partner companies). These adapters make the EAM systems MIMOSA compliant, so that predictive maintenance and asset health vendors can focus on their value-add, reducing unplanned downtime and eliminating wasted maintenance, rather than having to focus on plumbing to all the EAM systems. This also benefits the customer, who is shielded from upgrade and migration risk for EAM integration. The customer also benefits from lower cost integration.

The bottom line is, when rolling out a condition based maintenance or predictive maintenance program, look to see if the vendors support the MIMOSA standard protocol.– Alex Bates

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by Chris Derenberger
Let’s talk a little about the impact of viruses, Internet related threats and how they effect your computer and privacy.

First off, is it really necessary to have anti-virus and firewall software installed on your computer? Afterall, with only 200 new threats created daily, who really cares? Is it really that big of a deal if hackers are able to access your computer, look through your data, user names, passwords, and account information? Seriously, is identitiy theft really that important to you? Or what about the viruses that cause your computer to go so slow you think you will never be able to load your Internet browser. Why should you worry about malware that can cause your system files to be destroyed or your favorite family photos stored on your computer to disappear in an instant? Does it concern you that your email can be sent to thousands of spam sites and pop-ups are all over your screen offering you software to fix your computer?

Any idea what causes these types of issues? How about malware, which broken down is short for malicious software such as viruses, trojans, worms, rootkits, spyware, adware, I think you get the point. Oh wait, I forgot, you have a customized super sized computer that is not vulnerable to viruses. When I hear people tell me this, I tend to wait and act surprised when they come back saying, “oh no, I got a virus”.

It does not matter how sophisticated your computer is, you are vulnerable to malware! If you don’t have internet security software installed on your pc, you are at risk of being infected with viruses, spyware and even hackers that want nothing more than to steal your information.

So what should you do now that you already have viruses on your computer? Well you could download the latest internet security software and hope it will detect, delete or repair the infected files. Many times you will have to do a re-format of your harddrive which will cause you to lose everything on your computer so be sure to save what you want first. If you do a re-format, it has to be done properly, or it will not delete the viruses. I would recommend you to contact your local computer shop.

Although Internet security software will protect you against these threats, no software is guaranteed to block 100% of all malware. Many of these threats are found on websites that you visit and files that you download such as video’s, music and pictures. If you use peer to peer file sharing, I am sure you already know all about viruses and spyware. Want a hint? Stop downloading from those sites and you will stop getting viruses.

Okay, here are a couple programs I recommend that offer the best protection, features and support. First is Security Shield 2008, this is a rebrand of F-Secure and is absolutely amazing and easy to use. Another is Kaspersky Internet Security, another well designed software program with hourly updates.

Learn more or review our recommended Anti-Virus and Internet Security Software

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by Qube Global Software
Defence Estates, users of Qube Global Software’s Horizon Property Management Software, are to upgrade to the latest version. The upgrade will allow them to take advantage of improved key end user functionality, such as advanced reporting capabilities and task management.

In addition, the upgraded Horizon system will be running on the Oracle 10g database and application sever platform.

The project is due to be completed in spring 2008.

A spokesperson for Defence Estates said ‘It is crucial that we are on the latest version of Horizon in order to run our property portfolio effectively. Horizon is a user friendly asset management solution and I’m sure that this upgrade will continue to assist us in ensuring our assets are fit for purpose’.

About Qube Global Software

Qube Global Software is one of the most significant suppliers of property and facilities management software in today’s marketplace.

The company was created from the merger of Fraser Williams Commercial Systems, FDS Advanced Systems and Estate Computer Systems. Their portfolio of products includes the Horizon, Planet and Qube software systems.

Over the last 30 years they’ve helped thousands of clients, from small investors through to global corporations, manage every aspect of their property portfolio. Their solutions can bring increased revenue and efficiency, reduced costs and full access to vital information for each and every sector of the property industry.

Qube Global Software has offices throughout the United Kingdom, United States, Middle East and Australia. More information about Qube Global Software products can be found by visiting www.qubeglobal.com.

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by Andrew A Karasev
Microsoft Dynamics GP has a set of SDK and programming tools to enable business logic customization for software developers. You can utilize Extender, VBA with Modifier, direct SQL scripting as well as eConnect object calls from Microsoft Visual Studio C# or VB projects. However if the modification should be seamlessly integrated in Great Plains user interface, you should consider Microsoft Dexterity tool. Regardless of the tool, you need to understand which GP objects should be modified and where to find their description:

1. Great Plains Tables description. You can install Microsoft Dynamics GP SDK or Software Development Kit, which has comprehensive overview of GP tables and their relations. If you work closely with GP users, you can get tables snapshot in GP interface: Microsoft Dynamics GP->Tools->Resource Description->Tables.

2. SOP tables, often participating in modification. GP design distinguishes work, posted and historical tables. In the case of Sales Order Processing module you see Sales Work Documents: SOP10100 — Sales header and SOP10200 — Sales lines tables (to name key tables, there are other tables as well, outside of the scope of this article); and historical tables: SOP30200 — Sales header and SOP30300 — Sales lines

3. Modification technique. You actually never change original GP tables; instead you add your new custom tables and link them one-to-one with GP original tables. In the case of Sales header table, you link your custom table by these two fields: SOPTYPE and SOPNUMBE — Sales document type and Sales number respectively

4. Typical modifications in business logic. Imagine — you have return and you would like to associate it with invoice. Custom logic may have custom screen, where you select invoice number and click Create Return button. The logic copies all the items and qty from chosen invoice and creates reversing return. This is one of the typical scenarios, where your business has special automation requirements, not available in GP or any other generic ERP application. The example above is very good candidate to be considered and implemented in Great Plains Dexterity

5. Additional Considerations. As we are talking about mid-size MRP application, where Great Plains Dynamics GP belongs, altered business logic is not a five minutes change. GP objects model is relatively complex, plus if you decide on Dexterity programming — it requires several years of extensive software development to get enough under your belt to consider learning curve to be finally behind. In any case — do not hope on short cuts or easy ways to get by

Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum Group, http://www.albaspectrum.com http://www.pegasplanet.com , help@albaspectrum.com , 10866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, serving Microsoft Dynamics GP Great Plains customers in USA/Canada nationwide. Local service is available in Houston, TX: Richmond, Sugar Land, Katy, Rosenberg, Missouri City, Pearland, Friendswood, Meadows, Mission Bend, Jersey Village; Chicago, IL: Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Joliet, Wheaton, Lisle, Downers Grove, Schaumburg

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by Andrea Dilea
If you’re willing to spend a little time, you’ll learn a lot by researching and buying an appropriate computer for your needs. Most everyone needs to consider price in making their decision, but keep in mind that if the computer you buy doesn’t do what you want it to do, the money you spend will be wasted.

The main use of the computer must be determined first. Will it be used for business and require additional data storage and complex functionality? Will it mainly be used for personal use for video and entertainment? This would require upgraded video cards and additional RAM. If you know the software you will be running on your computer you will be able to compare it against the hardware on the computer you purchase.

Once you have determined on your needs and desires, it’s time to go shopping! There is no need to get dressed up and put on your shoes and coat. Shopping online is the best way to compare brands, price and functionality. You can visit as many large chain sites as you want to find out if they have special discounts for online shoppers. Then it’s best to check out the online retailers like Tiger Direct for comparison.

When you have decided on the computer that you want, it is important to make sure that you buy any accessories that you need. You might need to purchase cables, extra connectors, or other accessories. Sometimes these are part of the package. If not, you can always add them to your online order to avoid any problems when you install.

Before placing your order, please read the seller’s returns information about damaged items in transit and defective merchandise. Don’t hesitate to ask the seller for more information. Understanding the policies will prevent misunderstandings later on. Also make sure to keep any receipts or paperwork you may receive.

After your new computer arrives in your home, take the time to read the instruction manuals that come with the computer telling you about installation and registration procedures for your new machine. By spending a few minutes up front, you can save yourself hours of frustration later. If you have storage room available, save all packing materials and paperwork in case something goes wrong during the first few days you’re operating the computer.

A computer that fits your budget and your needs is a perfect fit for you. Online shopping will help you compare the prices of different models and also help you find the perfect model for your needs. This can all be done with a minimum of fuss on your part.

You can get the latest discounts on plus size clothing by clicking here: Plus Size Discounts News. Andrea writes about Women’s Plus Size Clothes Fashion

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by A Singh
What Do You Mean By Spyware?

Spyware is also known as adware. While installing some software and downloading some document or wallpaper from the internet, you unintentionally download spyware on your computer. This harmful program gets downloaded itself and works secretly in your computer, leaking all your personal and professional information on the internet to other people. These information can be regarding the software you downloaded, sites you visits, you bank account number and your credit card number etc.

Who Generates Spyware?

Spyware can be created mainly for the two reasons which are:

1. For hacking other’s account information.
2. For research and marketing.

Various companies offer you different types of free download options, and you unknowingly get in to their catch by downloading those software. By agreeing to their user agreements, you unknowingly agree to a spyware download. And these spyware works secretly in your computer by transferring information to the host and the collected information is further sold to marketing companies. These moves are legal by nature. Sometime spywares are programmed to gather the information related to person who works on secure sites related to stocks and banking. This information is further mailed to the person who uses or creates spyware; this is called hacking which is illegal by nature.

Spyware cannot be treated as virus, as it never deletes or destroy your important file but yes it can misuse them by sharing it with various people. You can easily know about the existence of a spyware on you computer as it steadily slows down the speed of internet and your system.

How Does The Spyware Come Into Our Computer?

Spyware or adware are designed in such a way that it comes bundled along with the download or installation process that you do on your computer. It is secret agents better known as spy likes thieves who secretly passes on you personal information to others. To avoid these spyware, it is really necessary for you to read the user agreement carefully or you can also go for simple and faster solution which is better known as anti-spyware or a windows registry spyware cleaner.

How to Get Rid Of Spywares?

This is the indeed most important question you want to know. Removing spyware is not tough task as most of you think, all you need is to download the anti-spyware software, which scans and delete all the spyware and adware from your computer making it bug free.

Author is admin and technical expert associated with development of computer security and performance enhancing software like Registry Cleaner, Anti Spyware, Window Cleaner, Anti Spam Filter. Learn how spyware can effect integrity of your system. Visit our Home or informative Resource Center to read more about products.

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by deep raj
Content Management System, is a computer software system which helps in assisting users in the process of content management. This technology facilitates the control, and publication of a large body of documents. It consists of two vital elements: content management application (CMA) and content delivery application (CDA). The CMA element facilitates the content manager, to handle the creation, alteration, and elimination of content from a website. On other hand CDA element compiles information to update the website. A content management system (CMS) helps in the formation, managing, allocation, publishing, and detection of corporate information. Today, the market value of global CMS is worth billions of USD and expected to increase in the coming years.

In this era, e-Businesses content flow is more or less as crucial as cash flow in the market and economy. Looking at the present scenario, it is very vital to upgrade the information present on the website on a regular basis. If you are not capable of revising the information regarding the products/services you offer online then the probability of loosing your potential customer increases and this leave a terrible impression. So in order to overcome from this issue, content management system is one important technology whose significance can’t be ignored by any websites.

Websites that practice repeated modifications, with CMS you can evade problems and save your valuable time. You can create links to internal pages and external websites quickly. Its user interface feature further permits simple glance and click facility to create hyperlinks. This system is just right for businesses that desire to sell goods on-line. In addition to this, if you want to insert new snaps, modify costs, edit descriptions or include shopping cart facility in any web-page, CMS is worth-full and can also help in keeping yourself up to date with your competitors.

You cannot stand still in any business and website can add real value to your business. A content management system makes life much easier in numerous ways. It provides you with a simple and useful way of updating your web content. In addition to this, it further helps in supporting an organization’s business processes for obtaining, sorting, and controlling access to information.

Currently, every business around the world is overwhelmed with the need to produce more content at quick pace for customers and media than ever before. Every business needs to control their venture content and decide how to leverage their web content to deal with all their consumers. Now as an organization’s content is ever changing, you need to realize that the CMS solution you decide must be flexible enough to support not just today’s requirements, but also tomorrow’s.

The two vital factors you must consider before your organization make a decision to invest in a CMS. The prime factor is an organization size. An organization’s size and geographic dispersion must be considered particularly if that organization has its presence in several countries. In this case the organizations with geographic dispersion have to face lots of difficulty during the transition to CMS. Secondly, the multiplicity of the electronic data forms used within an organization must be considered. In case an organization uses text documents, video, and diagrams to transmit information, the content will be further tricky to manage.

However, in past few years, there has been major change in content management software market. It is thus becoming a part of the core IT infrastructure investment. Implementing a CMS offer a wide range of business advantages like improved site navigation, reduced duplication of information and reduced site maintenance costs. These days, where information is considered as an asset, content management system is proving to be the only real method of storing and retrieving information. With the boom in CMS market, content management system needs to be observed not at a business unit level but at an enterprise level.

Icreon communication is a Leading CMS Solutions Company in India offering the Content Management Systems india and Content Management Development India

Dot Net development company India

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by Jeff S Anderson
CA Antivirus by Computer Associate has been around the anti-virus software business for quite some time. But with so many other anti-virus programs on the market, it is very hard to know whether CA Antivirus should become your choice when it comes to protecting your computer. In this article, we would take a look at what current CA Antivirus users have to say about their purchase.

The Good:

1. You have a choice on what feature YOU want to use in the CA Antivirus program. You can, for example, turn off the Automatic Email Scanning if you don’t feel that you need it. There will not be any graphics and messages on your system tray that would “warn” you that you don’t have all the features turned on.

2. It won’t slow down your PC. This is a common problem among anti-virus programs. A slow PC is the last thing you want while having your computer protected and CA Antivirus is well-known in occupying very few resources.

3. Fast Scanning speed. CA Antivirus has been praised for its fast scanning speed. The time it takes to scan the entire computer is lower than most major competitors in the anti-virus market.

The Bad:

The CA Antivirus website seems to lack detailed information for troubleshooting the software. Though it would be useful to have such information, it appears that CA Antivirus was designed to be a “set it and forget it” kind of program that does not require much hands-on tweaking from the user.

The Ugly:

Some people criticize CA Antivirus for its lack of graphics, dull interface, and lack of blinking messages. However, others seem to find that welcoming with less disturbance from their anti-virus program and a user-friendly interface.

Overall, though it appears that CA Antivirus could improve its technical support, it has been favored as a good choice of antivirus program. Considering its solid protection without sacrificing the computer’s resources and performance, CA Antivirus could very well be a favored choice of anti-virus program this year. For more in-depth reviews, please visit my site.

Jeff S Anderson is a software reviewer who specializes in reviewing the latest computer softwares. His new reviews on CA Antivirus are now available. For more information, please see www.caantivirusreview.com

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by Sam Miller
Compare folder tools can be easily downloaded from various online software application vendors. But what exactly are these tools for? And why do many users consider them indispensable?

Compare folder tools are software applications that can be used to compare two folders that may or may not contain various files. In the context of computers, a folder is an electronic object where multiple electronic documents can be kept. These folders are often used for the purpose of organizing information. In DOS and UNIX operating systems, folders are termed directories. Compare folder tools are programmed to identify which of the files contained in the compared folders are new and which of them have already been modified. This saves the user from the hassle of individually opening and looking over each of these documents. Compare functions are generally done in three stages which begins in the creation of file lists contained in folders. These file lists are then compared. Subsequently, contents of files that have common file names are compared. These comparison utilities are especially useful when a user has multiple copies of certain folders. By using these tools, files that needed to be kept are identified. These files can then be renamed and reorganized for future reference.

Typically, these compare folder tools utilize a customized comparison algorithm that is based on the user’s chosen settings. They are programmed to look at the attributes of the items being compared. They determine the differences in items compared. These differences are then sorted and comparison result is displayed to guide the user. Some compare folder applications perform comparison functions based on text which make them effective in comparing different files in various encoding formats, be they HTML files, binary files, Microsoft Word documents or Excel spreadsheets. Some of these tools are also equipped with automatic synchronization software which allows the merging of the contents of common files. A user may also choose what action to take after the files have been compared and differences are identified. The user can choose to copy or restore certain files while the others could be moved or immediately deleted. The resulting files could also be programmed so that they would appear in the Get Info or Finder features. Other compare folder versions also allow a user to print the contents of the files being scrutinized. This feature benefits those who want to have hard copies of their electronic files.

Compare folder tools can be used by just about anybody since they can be integrated into any workflow. They can be used by web designers, computer software engineers or software developers since these people usually keep track of new and modified files concerning an ongoing project. Nevertheless, if there is an established need for this kind of utility, make sure that the software you have chosen is compatible with your operating system. Reading user reviews of certain compare folder tools will definitely be helpful. Moreover, time trial versions could be availed of to take advantage of free use of software application at no cost.

If you are interested in compare folder, check this web-site to learn more about file comparison.

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by Sam Miller
Computer users, usually managers, sometimes need to compare spreadsheet data in order to make an accurate analysis of the relationship between data categories and to monitor numerical changes.

A spreadsheet or worksheet consists of rows and columns where numerical or financial data are often recorded. These are used in various areas or fields especially in budgeting, accounting, financial analysis and sales forecasting. Traditional spreadsheets exist only in paper format. However, technological innovations have paved the way for them to be available in computerized formats. The latter is similar in appearance to that of the paper spreadsheet. Certain software applications have made computerized spreadsheets more easy to use because of their ability to update numerical data and perform quick calculations. The pioneering spreadsheet software was VisiCalc which was initially designed for Apple Computers. Various commercial computerized spreadsheet software exist today and most of them can be used in any operating system including Microsoft Windows. Two of the most popular spreadsheet applications are Microsoft Excel and Lotus 123. Microsoft Excel, in particular, was created for computers with Microsoft Windows and Mac operating systems. Currently, it is a part of the Microsoft Office package. It has a macro programming language which is termed Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). This programming lingo enables Excel tasks to be automated. Moreover, it features pivot tables, graphing and calculation tools. It was originally marketed back in 1982. However, at that time when MS-DOS systems were common, it was deemed inferior to Lotus 123.

In computerized spreadsheets, numerical figures are recorded in cells which are the intersection of rows and columns. Generally, rows are identified through numbers while columns are identified through letters. A cell, therefore, is identified as a combination of a letter and a number depending on its location in the spreadsheet. Formulas may be encoded in certain cells for it to perform automatic calculations. When there are changes in the contents of the cells included in the formula, automatic recalculation occurs. Different graphs and charts may also be created using the data entered on spreadsheet cells. This feature makes this application more convenient in illustrating the relationship between two or more factors. For some people, setting up a spreadsheet is complicated and time-consuming. This is why many software packages are sold featuring templates and sample spreadsheets that are tailored to the needs of the user.

Another common dilemma for spreadsheet users is the difficulty in comparing spreadsheet data especially concerning updates. Some spreadsheets feature a lot of rows and columns so comparing two large documents would really be physically tasking. In response to this, various software developers came up with compare spreadsheet tools that would allow comparison between Excel files and will provide a comparative report on changes in the details of these files. These tools save spreadsheet users from the time-consuming task of thoroughly looking and comparing similar templates to tell if there had been changes in the data or not. Some of these programs can be used for free within a time trial period. License for the software could be purchased when one is satisfied of its performance.

If you are interested in compare spreadsheet, check this web-site to learn more about compare excel.

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