Available Technology - For Professionals

CRM - What CFOs and Controllers might want to know - Part 1

2007-07-24T06:46:00Z

When the investment in CRM question comes before a CFO or sophisticated buyer they will sometimes try to understand the financial arguments helping to justify the investment. We have often looked at Return on Investment (ROI) cost justifications. Typically with sales managers ROI is a persuasive argument however CFOs and Controllers may take another deeper look. Consultants, Sales Managers and Internal Champions need to understand why ROI doesn't always answer the whole question.

ROI is important as it sheds light on the total money the investment will bring in. For example if a Sales department forecasts one extra close per salesperson per year at a profit of $10,000 we can quickly calculate the ROI. With 10 salespeople, the ROI is $100,000 per year. If your project promises an acceptable ROI, it will merit attention..ROI alone won't deliver you the win. Investors will evaluate your project using several other considerations. Gaining confidence in the revenue estimate is a key to understanding the value it will holds for the company.

We should expect questions of this nature:

What is the basis for your return stream?
What is the likelihood your projections are accurate?
How do you expect the system to generate one extra close per year?

Some sales managers persuaded by the value of CRM will understand that the efficiencies will lead to more closes and will potentially say why not two or three extra closes. They will then multiply the ROI projections. But the underlying question is not answered even though the answer seems intuitive to some.

The question is, exactly how does a CRM solution will deliver one more close per year, much less two or three?

A deeper look will help the conservative "one close more per sales rep" and give justification the the business can buy into.

Increase Customer Contact: Salespeople historically have spent 17 percent of their selling cycle in front of the client, and performing administrative functions consummes over 35 percent of their time. By automating the administrative work, more time will be available to reach and service customers. With greater visibility in to your buy and sell cycles, you will be able to better qualify these time savings. When raising this point it is imperative to demonstrate exactly how the time saved can be used to make more contacts.

Decreased Closing Cycle: Many CRM solutions provide Quote and Proposal enigines and more that can decrease the time necessary to generate an accurate proposal. By working with your CRM vendor, you should be able to put together a demonstration of the proposal process on the new system. Comparing your existing process with the new process will go a long way in supporting your estimated ROI. Point out to descision makers that a common tendency a common tendancy is to cut margins to close deals . By accelerating the delivery of key information the customer can use, the company can shorten the sales cycle and this tendency can be reduced, This will result in both in better margins and decreased the sales lost to no decision.

Decrease training time and Increased Information Retention: In most organizations, the ROI on bringing a new salesperson up to speed is measured in months, quarters and sometimes years. When sales people leave the lose of company information creates a vacuum in the sales process. The learning curve is even steeper when a salesperson takes over a territory that has no current account or lead information. The sales process repeats questions of current customers that the departing person already asked with the same likelyhood of error jeopardizing customer satisfaction. Your CRM solution can capture this critical information, allowing new hires to come up to speed much more quickly, saving the client the frustration of having to retrain your company on their business.

This concludes Part 1, Part 2 will follow shortly.

Jeff Loucks - Available Technology

http://www.availabletech.net

888-474-2237

TechEd 2007 Orlando - See you there

2007-04-19T14:30:00Z

I am really looking forward to speaking with people at TechEd. If you are going and want to arrange a time to meet send me a note. (jeff at available tech dot net).

I will be presenting three topics this year.

Code	Title	Date/Time	Room
	ARC319	Small Business Server 2003: How to Configure and Optimize the Infrastructure for Line-of-Business Applications	6/8/2007 2:45PM-4:00PM
Small Business Server (SBS) provides a great foundation for deploying line-of-business applications. During this session, we cover the techniques and methodologies for configuring this uniquely powerful server in a high performance architecture. Deploying SBS as the foundation for line-of-business applications delivers high return on investment, simplified management and a solid basis for future technology usage. Themes: 1) Understanding the unique Hardware needs of Small Business Server when coupled with a line-of-business application 2) Optimizing Database and Exchange configuration 3) Deployment of Client side programs In addition to the above I will cover: Overview of Configuration Hardware Configuration Techniques Diskpar/Diskpart Sector Alignment of Hard Drives Database and Log File placement including SQL and Exchange Overview of Testing Tools and Methodology SBS hosted applications RAID Level Testing using Perfmon Exchange Testing using LoadSim CRM Testing using CRM Performance and Stress Toolkit Rule of Thumb Configuration Advice

Co-Presented with none other than Microsost's Ben Vollmer
	BAP303	Implementing Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Delivering Value through Simplified Integration with Microsoft Technologies	6/8/2007 9:00AM-10:15AM
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a Web application. During this session, we cover how this archtecture allows integration with other business applications using simplified Webforms and Iframes. This session is geared to all levels of users and shows the power a Web-based architecture can offer using the basic customization features of Microsoft CRM. We show how to integrate a Project Site, a SharePoint Site, and a Great Plains site.


	BAP16-TLC	Using Microsoft Dynamics CRM Custom Entities to Manage form Jscript (Microsoft CRM Customization)	6/7/2007 2:45PM-4:00PM	Green Theater 7
Much of the advanced customization of Microsoft Dynamics CRM lies in using JScript in the clients side forms. In this session, we show how to manage scripts using a custom entity to allow better source control and simplify code changes.

See you there,

Jeff Loucks
Available Technology
888-474-2237

SBS and VISTA/Office 2007

2007-02-10T06:57:00Z

SBS 2003 R2: Vista and Office 2007 compatibility update

An update will be sent through the Microsoft Update to Windows SBS 2003 with SP1 and Windows SBS 2003 R2 customers in the March timeframe. If you need the update before then, it can also be downloaded. For more information on how to download, please read the Vista and Office 2007 FAQs.

The download will be available as of February 9^th in the following languages:

· Brazilian

· Chinese (Simplified)

· Chinese (Traditional)

· Dutch

· English

· French

· German

· Italian

· Japanese

· Korean

· Polish

· Russian

· Spanish

· Swedish

· Czech

· Hungarian

· Portuguese

· Turkish

· Greek

For additional details, please see the following resources:

· Vista and Office 2007 FAQs

· Related Knowledge Base Articles

KB 926505 – Update for Windows Small Business Server 2003: Windows Vista and Outlook 2007 compatibility

· KB 911829 – Outlook Web Access (OWA) update

· KB 929556 – Firewall Client for ISA Server

· KB 930414 – ISA Server 2004 update package for Vista 64-bit editions

· KB 930955 – Vista User Profile WMI Provider

KB 931095 – Regarding Outlook users; note: this is a catch all KB for someone who has XP with Outlook 2007 – a separate update is not required, it is the same update as mentioned in KB 926505

· Microsoft Download Center - Using Windows Vista and Outlook 2007 in a Windows Small Business Server 2003 Network:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=46E95C56-1A4C-45BD-8D69-5F41FF8F1F22&displaylang=en

· Related Microsoft Blogs:

· http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/

· http://blogs.msdn.com/sbsdocsteam/default.aspx

· http://blogs.technet.com/kevin_beares/default.aspx

Understanding what can go offline with the CRM Laptop Client

2007-01-25T12:25:00Z

This article covers some default feature of what can be taken offline with the CRM Laptop Client for Outlook. In the first section it discusses what is not available offline. In the second Section it describes the prefined filters for specifying what data can be taken offline. Finally it concludes by indicating where you change the criteria for going offline in Outlook.

First off here is a list of what is Not available offline:

Assigning records (except activities and cases)
Reports
Sharing
Workflow

Cannot be edited offline

Articles
Sales literature

Here is some background about working offline:

Selecting Local Data to Take Offline

When you go offline, instead of taking a copy of the whole Microsoft CRM database, you can select specific subsets of data to work with offline. Up to 2 gigabytes of data can be stored on your local hard drive. Data filters define which records are taken offline. You can use a set of predefined filters, such as My Active Accounts, My Active Cases, and My Recent Activities, or you can define your own set of data in the Local Data dialog box using the same filtering methods that are common throughout Microsoft CRM.

A list of the default local data groups provided

Default Local Data Group	Description

All open Campaign Activities owned by me

Open campaign activities and their children that are owned by you.

All open Campaign Responses owned by me

Open campaign responses and their children that are owned by you.

All recent active Campaigns

All campaigns that have been updated in the last 120 days.

All recently changed active Lists owned by me

All lists that are owned by you, and have been updated in the last 30 days.

Competitors

All competitor records.

My Accounts

Accounts and their children that are owned by you.

My Contacts

Contacts and their children that are owned by you.

My Contracts

Contracts and their children that are owned by you.

My Recent Appointments

Appointments and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 30 days.

My Recent Cases

Cases and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 30 days.

My Recent Emails

E-mails and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 30 days.

My Recent Faxes

Faxes and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 30 days.

My Recent Invoices

Invoices and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 120 days.

My Recent Leads

Leads and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 120 days.

My Recent Letters

Letters and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 120 days.

My Recent Opportunities

Opportunities and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 120 days.

My Recent Orders

Orders and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 120 days.

My Recent Phone Calls

Phone calls and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 120 days.

My Recent Quotes

Quotes and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 120 days.

My Recent Tasks

Tasks and their children that are owned by you, and that have been updated in the last 120 days.

Notes

Notes attached to records that are copied to your local data.

Products

All products.

Sales Literature

Sales literature attached to records that are copied to your local data.

Sales Literature Documents

Files attached to sales literature records that are copied to your local data.

The first time you go offline, it can take a significant amount of time to synchronize your computer with the Microsoft CRM server. It is best to plan your first time. While the Microsoft CRM client for Outlook is synchronizing, Microsoft CRM is not available, including all of the Microsoft CRM buttons and menus. You can view the progress of the update in a dialog box. The progress information includes specific information about the quantity of each record type that is updated, and the dialog box displays any errors. After the update is complete, you can continue to work in Microsoft CRM client for Outlook.

To adjust the criteria for Offline Data choose the "CRM" Menu and then modify the setting under Local Data.

Jeff Loucks
Available Technology
availabletech.net
888-474-2237

Notes for Mobile Clients with CRM 3.0

2007-01-25T02:39:00Z

If you are using the CRM mobile client keep an eye out for issues related to forms and reports being too large, The following postwill help you adjust the size of the UploadReadAheadSize property.

Typically you will see "http Error 413 Request too Large"

This problem occurs because the UploadReadAheadSize property on the
remote SQL Server Reporting Services server is set to a value that is too small.
The default value for this property is 48 kilobytes (KB). Many of the
reports in Microsoft Dynamics CRM exceed this size.

To resolve this problem, increase the size of the UploadReadAheadSize
property. To do this, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type
cmd, and then click OK.
At the command prompt, type the following: cscript adsutil.vbs set w3svc/1/uploadreadaheadsize 204800 - Note This command changes the UploadReadAheadSize property to 200
KB (204,800 bytes).
Press ENTER.

By running this command, you update the Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) metabase so that you can upload files that are as large as 200 KB. Note In certain situations, you may have to set the UploadReadAheadSize property to even larger than 200 KB.

For more information about the UploadReadAheadSize property, visit the
following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/WindowsServer2003/Library/IIS/7e0d74d3-ca01-4d36-8ac7-6b2ca03fd383.mspx
(http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/WindowsServer2003/Library/IIS/7e0d74d3-ca01-4d36-8ac7-6b2ca03fd383.mspx)

Jeff Loucks
Available Technology
availabletech.net
888-474-2237

Restricting Visibility to CRM Reports

2007-01-18T02:43:00Z

There are five types of report-related access you can control:
a.. Who can export data to Microsoft Office Excel.
b.. Who can add, delete, rename, and upload reports, and modify report
properties and default filters.
c.. Which data each user can see. Because the data in each report is based
on the user's security role, make sure each user has the correct security
roles assigned.
d.. Where reports are displayed in Microsoft CRM. By default, all reports
are visible in the Reports area, reports related to a record type are
visible from the area for the record type, and reports that can be run from
a record are available from the record. To reduce the possibility of users
running reports that are not relevant to their jobs, you can remove each
report from the Reports area.
e.. If the Microsoft CRM 3.0 Report Scheduling Wizard is installed, each
user who creates a snapshot definition can control who has access to
snapshots created with that snapshot definition.
Control who can manage reports   Required security role
      This task requires the System Administrator security role ( A defined
set of access privileges. The security role assigned to a user determines
which tasks the user can perform and which parts of the user interface the
user can view. All users must be assigned at least one security role in
order to access the system. ) .

To manage reports, a user must have the Microsoft CRM Manage Reports
privilege. By default, this privilege is assigned to the Microsoft CRM
System Administrator and System Customizer security roles.

If you have one user who needs Manage Reports privilege, you can create a
new security role with Manage Reports privilege and assign the new security
role to the user. If you have a group of users who share an existing
security role who need Manage Reports privilege, you can assign the
privilege to an existing security role.

       Add the Manage Reports privilege to an existing Microsoft CRM
security role
          1.. In the Navigation Pane, click Settings.
          2.. In the Settings area, click Business Unit Settings, and then
click Security Roles.
          3.. Open the role you want to edit, and then click the Business
Management tab.
          4.. In the Miscellaneous Privileges section, change the Manage
Reports privilege from None Selected   to Organization .
          5.. Click Save or Save and Close.

Removing Visibility to Reports.
If you remote the Display in settings the reports will not display.
The following shows where the display in section is on the Account Summary
Report, you would remove the entries.
http://availabletech.net/images/blog/reportsNoShow.jpg

As for sharing a report. This was an error on my behalf. I was
reffering to sharing Views.

Jeff Loucks
Available Technology
availabletech.net
888-474-2237

Initial - International Niagara Information Technology Influencers and Leaders

2005-11-13T12:43:00Z

http://theinitial.com

About Us: We are a group of IT Professionals, Academics and Vendors looking to broaden our impact through the pursuit of knowledge, professional development and community involvement.

Our membership is geographically centered on the two Niagara regions of the US and Canada while drawing from Northwestern New York and Southern Ontario. We hold twelve meetings per year with visiting speakers on topics of interest to our membership, six meetings in the US and six in Canada.

INITIAL is guided by by-laws, managed by volunteering professionals and internationally associated. We share best practices with IT Pro user groups around the globe. This is an opportunity to be associated with the world of change while making contact with those who change IT.

Who Should Join: Our membership is free. If you are an IT Professional, Academic or Vendor looking for opportunities to collaborate, network, stay a head of the curve, make a broader impact on the community in which you live, then membership is for you.

How are we funded: INITIAL is funded through Vendor sponsorship and the fund raising efforts of our members.

Contact: For more information about INITIAL, please call
(888) 474-2237 or (905) 646-1927.

email:

Stable Tech... Manure In Equals Manure Out

2004-11-07T18:32:00Z

Are you frustrated by technology in your business? Are you the IT contractor or IT person in a small business that can’t get the boss to focus on the businesses technology needs? You are not alone and here are a few tips on how to address these issues.

Strategies for Dependable Small Business Computing -

Sending the Hens to Campbell’s

In just about every culture around the world the egg is a common food. We raise chickens for what they produce with the understanding that one day the productivity will drop off and the chickens are sent to noodle soup. As brutal as it is, the reality is you spend money to feed chickens but they aren’t producing like a new round of chickens will. Ask a commercial egg producer how long they keep their chickens and they will tell you what the cycle time is and how they plan accordingly so they are not caught off guard. After all, the demand for eggs is very predictable and a successful producer never lets his productivity drop.

So what is the point of raising a chicken and egg conversation in an article about dependable computing? Well consider your business something that consumes productivity. An egg eater if you will. Consider your computers the chickens with a life span of usefulness and finally consider how Egg producers plan to maintain the highest levels of productivity. If an egg producer were to run your business, do you think he would wait for the computer to crash before it was replaced? Or do you think he would have a consistent cycle that related to the productivity of his business?

Let’s take a look at how the employees of a business fit in. After all when a business gets busy the tendency is to hire more people. What happens if everyone is busier than ever but the amount of business you are doing hasn’t changed. Really the employees are the food that keeps your business going.

Chicken feed and an employee’s effort are similar in that they are fairly consistent business resources. If we look at the chicken example again, increasing the amount of employees to raise a business’ productivity is really like feeding your chickens more to get more eggs. With young chickens, you give them the same amount of feed and they produce more eggs. With computer and software, an employee can apply the same amount of effort and produce more. There are two points to this line of thought. First, if you need more people you need more technology to make the use of effort efficient. Second, replace your computers on a schedule so that your employee’s effort remains efficient.

Dependable computing is really about applying the same principles humanity has used for thousands of years. Planning actually reduces complexity and increases predictability of your businesses computing needs. Finally it increases productivity.

It is much easier to go into each year understanding that you are going to make an investment in technology. Budget for replacing units and strategic initiatives where you implement new productivity enhancements.

The Barn Raising

We have all seen the pictures of fifty settlers helping to raise a barn in a show of community. It is a big project and many hands make short work. Each neighbor not only contributed her effort but also her expertise and experience. When it comes to raising barns, you only want to do it once so any expertise and experience is welcomed and sought after.

All it took was letting the neighbors know that you were raising a barn and they would show up to help. Wouldn’t it be great if this applied when you are implementing an IT project? Well, in fact it does.

What would happen if you told all your neighbors you were having a barn raising but you only had the clap boards to cover the building and none of the timbers to make the structure? Like all projects planning is a part of it. If you are going to build a barn you have to plan the year before to cut down the timbers so that the wood has time to cure.

As strange as it is, many small business have no idea what technology they are going to need in two years let alone for the next five. As a result, often IT projects get started without the foundations in place and they have a high failure rate. Really what has happened is the neighbors show up but the timbers are still in the forest.

A strategic IT plan is really a blueprint and a materials list that covers your goals and how you plan to get there. It is also notice to the neighbors of your intentions. Finally, it sets your expectations for costs and justifies the expenses. With today’s small business the neighbors are vendors and consultants as well as the employees of your business. If you give them notice and prepare accordingly, they are going to show up for the raising and your IT projects will bring you the fruits of your labor.

Circling the Wagons

The more things change the more things stay the same. Since the dawn of humanity our survival has hinged on our ability to predict and plan for the future. Although you can perpare a strategic plan internally it is often best to use a consultant that focuses on technology and can bring expertise to the table. As a business owner, a strategic IT plan that includes a budget, should be a high priority for this fiscal year.

Those small businesses that think of technology strategically and prepare accordingly will take the manure out of their stable technology platforms. If you think ahead you can bet the farm on IT.

Jeff Loucks
Available Technology
www.availabletechnology.com

Technology for Small Businesses - 3 Questions Owners Should Ask

2004-10-28T16:11:00Z

Entering the mind of a small business owner you will find a tactical and strategic thinker. This is a person who has chosen to put their livelihood in their own hands and accepts complete responsibility for pleasing enough customers and clients every month to pay the bills and put food on the table. Perhaps small business people understand best what a technology solution costs as any significant investment may come directly from their pocket.

Three Questions Small Business Owners Need To Ask -

Why is it important for a small business to leverage technology?

Empowerment is the catch word of the technology industry. In a sales organization, the time it takes to process an order for example competes directly with the time someone spends getting the next order or talking with the client. In a construction business, having the right information at your disposal allows you to inform your crew of the plans for the day, required equipment and materials which in turn will decrease down time. Having the right information at the right time can reduce mistakes, decrease the need to clarify and streamline your daily tasks.

Although every business is different suffice it to say that small businesses are loaded with information and how that business uses or communicates information can bring strategic advantage. Some tasks take longer while others are short and repetitive. All businesses handle information in one way or another. Technology Empowerment is all about maximizing the ability to handle information in a way that adds efficiency to your business.

As much as some small business people may think this does not apply to their business, there are no exceptions. Once you as the business owner or business influencer realize that technology is about efficiency and professionalism you will have realized why you need to make strategic investments in technology.

What does it mean to make strategic investments in technology?

“So a guy shows up at the door one day and he has got a hot technology solution for my business, industry references and a Return on Investment (ROI) model that shows I am going to pay for the entire thing in six months with all the efficiencies I am going to gain. Everything looked good but six months have come and gone and the investment hasn’t panned out yet. In the mean time we have had to invest in additional technology and the costs are out of control. What happened?”

Unfortunately some technology can be great for your business but your business is not yet a perfect match for the technology. Buying technology because you are introduced to it by a sales representative is often not the best course of action.

Businesses need an independent look at where they stand and where they want to go. Using a technology consultant will insert expertise helping you understand what is available and what you should look to accomplish. Businesses need to plan strategically taking into consideration their budget, the technologies needed to support other technologies and evaluating which technologies will maximize their competitive advantage.

Like the foundation of a house supports the house itself, technology needs to be laid down in layers with each layer supporting the next. Unlike housing there is no building code for technology solutions so the small business owner takes on the responsibility of ensuring that they are making the right choices for their “Technology House”. These are big decisions with big potential returns and like lawyers and accountants have their place in their fields; technology consultants are a valuable new resource for small businesses.

Why does a small business need to look at technology as an investment?

“I have $10,000. Do I put it in the bank, hire a new person, buy another truck or buy that software?”

The question above identifies four forms of investment. Each one will have a business benefit and our job is to try to determine a way to evaluate them equally. As a business owner you should ask yourself the question related to a business problem like “We are too busy and I have $10,000 what should I do?” Write your answer down because it is important to understand what your tendency is going to be.

Each can be broken down into cost, maintenance costs and increased productivity which generates more revenue. If you work through the exercise with each, often you will find that Software and another truck (or other tool) provides the best return on investment because they increase productivity and have low on going maintenance costs. Software generally wins since its productivity increases affect the greatest number of people.

When technology projects get started in a small business it is important that the return be calculated so that the right projects are implemented and IT dollars are maximized.

Small Business Server 2003 Premium Establishes A Technology Baseline.

Microsoft has bundled the technology baseline for small businesses into one package. With core functionality that covers Databases, Collaboration, Security, Remote Worker Access, Communications and many more features, SBS is the ideal package for small businesses. And it is extensible, meaning that more software vendors produce software that is designed to work with the technologies included in SBS than any other package out there.

When considering technology investments appropriate for your business ask you technology consultant about Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 Premium.

Jeff Loucks
Available Technology
www.availabletechnology.com

Government Funding for Research and Innovation in Small Businesses.

2004-10-24T19:29:00Z

When it comes to government investment in research and development different countries have different implementations of their incentives to research and development. In the USA, a competitive structure of grants empowers businesses by direct cash infusions. In Canada a system of tax refunds/credits are non competitive incentives to invest in R&D for small businesses.

On the one hand, the US system encourages new ventures who do not have a track record or established business to invest in completely new innovations. Although this is not always the case, the competitive system limits funding based on a specific budget per year.

In Canada, the system is more about innovation within existing business which is perhaps a lower risk approach since businesses have already overcome the hurdles of establishing a business model. The Canadian model also does not limit the amount of money available to small businesses as the criteria are non-competitive and focus on set criteria for funding.

Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) - USA

The SBIR is a US funding program aimed at promoting research and development in the “Small Business” sector. Aimed at encouraging innovation in high risk sectors, the SBIR makes funds available for companies looking to invest in new research campaigns.

SBIR targets the entrepreneurial sector because that is where most innovation and innovators thrive. However, the risk and expense of conducting serious R&D efforts are often beyond the means of many small businesses. By reserving a specific percentage of federal R&D funds for small business, SBIR protects the small business and enables it to compete on the same level as larger businesses. SBIR funds the critical startup and development stages and it encourages the commercialization of the technology, product, or service, which, in turn, stimulates the U.S. economy.

For more information: http://www.sba.gov/sbir/indexsbir-sttr.html

Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) - USA

STTR is an important new small business program that expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development arena. Central to the program is expansion of the public/private sector partnership to include the joint venture opportunities for small business and the nation's premier nonprofit research institutions. STTR's most important role is to foster the innovation necessary to meet the nation's scientific and technological challenges in the 21st century.

STTR is a highly competitive program that reserves a specific percentage of federal R&D funding for award to small business and nonprofit research institution partners. Small business has long been where innovation and innovators thrive. But the risk and expense of conducting serious R&D efforts can be beyond the means of many small businesses.

Conversely, nonprofit research laboratories are instrumental in developing high-tech innovations. But frequently, innovation is confined to the theoretical, not the practical. STTR combines the strengths of both entities by introducing entrepreneurial skills to high-tech research efforts. The technologies and products are transferred from the laboratory to the marketplace. The small business profits from the commercialization, which, in turn, stimulates the U.S. economy.

For more information: http://www.sba.gov/sbir/indexsbir-sttr.html

Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) - Canada

The SR&ED Program is an incentive program designed to encourage R&D in Canada. The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) administers the program.

Each year, the CCRA receives over 11,000 claims from companies participating in the program. Of these, about 75% are small companies whose claims for R&D expenditures generally range from $20,000 to $2,000,000. Qualifying companies get money back as an income tax refund, an investment tax credit, or a combination of refund and credit.

"E.QU.I.P. International is a young company that has grown very rapidly since its beginnings in Chicoutimi, Quebec in 1988.The development costs at E.QU.I.P. have been substantial and there is no doubt that the support that the company has received from the SR&ED Program has been of tremendous assistance in achieving the status currently enjoyed."

David Aston,Technical Director,
E.QU.I.P. International Inc.

For more information: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/taxcredit/sred/publications/rc4290-e.html

Technology Investment for Information Worker based businesses

Information workers see major gains in productivity by using the collaboration systems included in Small Business Server 2003. The collaboration technologies and mobility features allow users the flexibility to form virtual teams and create synergies that traditional technologies did not offer.

Sharepoint Services allow sharing of project data, documents, meeting information, research results, and more through internal websites helping to centralize information while protecting access through advanced security.

Remote Access with Remote Web Workplace, a technology that allow a user to securely log on to his/her workstation from anywhere in the world, allow unprecedented flexibility to continue working from remote locations during seminars, conferences and other business related activities.

Independent researcher have noted Small Business Server 2003 greatly reduces overhead IT costs while empowering Information Workers resulting in extremely fast Returns on Investment. Any company looking improve their bottom line should consider investing in technology that reduces costs and improves operational efficiencies.

Jeff Loucks
Available Technology
www.availabletechnology.com