Small Businesses Email Archiving Requirements Helped By Norada

 

Norada Helps Small Businesses Tackle Business Email Archiving Requirements

One of the hottest technology issues facing professionals today is email and messaging compliance. Unfortunately, most of the systems and services available are complex and expensive. Some businesses operate under the misconception that by simply backing up or saving messages they’re doing enough. Unfortunately traditional data backup processes or manually archiving don't even come close to meeting email archiving policy requirements. Norada has made available a concise new micro-website at http://www.archivingemail.com that helps businesses better understand the issues and solution set surrounding email archiving compliance.

Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) January 31, 2006 -- One of the hottest technology issues facing professionals today is email and messaging compliance. Unfortunately, most of the systems and services available are complex and expensive. Some businesses operate under the misconception that by simply backing up or saving messages they’re doing enough. Unfortunately traditional data backup processes or manually archiving don't even come close to meeting email archiving policy requirements. Norada has made available a concise new micro-website at http://www.archivingemail.com that helps businesses better understand the issues and solution set surrounding email archiving compliance.

As an absolute requirement NASD, SEC, NYSE, and many industry regulators now mandate that all incoming and outgoing email correspondence is archived and monitored. Also, by association many firms who do business with these companies may be obligated to follow the same policies. Email archiving solutions provide control, data storage, retention, and retrieval efficiencies companies desperately need to keep up with the growing role of email within their organizations.

Since the size of an organization is not a factor as to whether or not companies must adhere to the law and / or industry regulations, there is a growing concern among small and medium businesses on how they can meet the email archiving requirements.

“Some businesses operate under the misconception that by simply backing up or saving email they’re doing enough,” stated Steve Ireland, President of Norada Corporation. "Unfortunately, traditional data backup processes or manually archiving don't even come close to meeting the new email archiving policy requirements."

Norada Corporation's email archiving service makes email archive management a breeze and fits the needs and budgets of even the smallest firms. To help "get the word out" Norada has created a specific website at http://www.archivingemail.com to draw attention to some of the issues and its inexpensive solution.

About Norada’s Service
Norada's email archive service is a simple, inexpensive, and reliable way to alleviate concerns posed by SEC & NASD rules, Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, SOA, FSA, IDA, Investment Advisors Act, Legal Discovery and other regulations and guidelines regarding electronic communication retention.

With Norada’s email archiving service all incoming and outgoing email messages are permanently preserved on a non-erasable and non-rewritable professional grade CD-R or DVD-R media. This ensures that information is correctly captured and stored in order to minimize any uncertainty over its integrity and existence so far as is possible.

- The service requires nothing to configure or install making service activation fully transparent to end users
- Ongoing archiving is fully automatic requiring no involvement from end users
- Captures a copy of both incoming and outgoing email transmissions making it equivalent to a "flight-data recorder" for email thereby meeting the demands that are often imposed by a regulatory audit or court action
- The customer can readily access indexes and message archives and copy them to another application or storage medium as required
- Archived messages can be accessed directly by authorized end-users, such as compliance officers or corporate counsel, which significantly reduces the discovery cost and workload for staff

By having Norada manage the archive process customers also benefit from a standardized, arms-length process which provides for high evidential weight in court.

About Norada Corporation (http://www.norada.com)
Norada’s flagship product, Solve360, is an immediately available web-hosted service that enables small businesses to organize, manage, and service their customers, consolidate information, distribute workload, automate activities - get things done.

Solve360 turns familiar software product categories upside down by tightly integrating the functionality of business-class email, CRM contact management, calendar, task, document management, and invoicing into a single, robust, easy-to-use, and extremely useful web-based application.

Since 1998 thousands of small businesses in over 92 countries have entrusted Norada to keep their businesses running smoothly.

For more information contact:
http://www.norada.com
+1 (800) 738-9961
+1 (650) 331-7336

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Press Contact: Steve Ireland
Company Name: Norada Corporation
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 650-331-7336
Website: http://www.norada.com

Open Source Search Technologies Used By Mozdex Search Engine

 

No Secret Formulas - Just Open and Transparent Internet Searches on mozDex.com

mozDex.com uses open source search technologies to position itself in the search engine wars as a fair and trustworthy resource.

Strasburg, PA (PRWEB) January 31, 2006 -- Mozdex.com, a search engine that utilizes publicly available software, APIs, and algorithms, is committed to the freedom of information. Performing searches on Mozdex.com yields results that are not only relevant but fair. Internet users can be confident that they are receiving information that is not manipulated by Mozdex or any other websites using unethical methods to increase their rank. “This new search engine is freshly maintained, fast, and efficient,” said Byron Miller, founder and owner of Mozdex. “Our focus is search. I want Mozdex to be a trusted resource, and trusted for the right reasons.”

The issue of trust has become a key issue as search engines have been thrown into the spotlight regarding user searches, privacy, and censorship. “I don’t think that search engines should record personal information about the user making a search request,” said James, a Software Engineer. “I now find myself wondering what information will be collected and shared with a third party when I perform Internet searches, as well as what results I am or am not receiving in return.”

As the rift continues to grow between privacy groups and Internet search engines, Mozdex positions itself in the search engine wars as a fair and trustworthy resource. “Our promise in being an open search engine is that we respect privacy and freedom of speech,” said Byron. Mozdex does not collect personal information, and that query lists are only held for 30 days for analytical purposes and to track growth and utilization.

Mozdex currently has around 130 million sites indexed. As the search engine grows and evolves, Mozdex continually seeks opinions, feedback, and suggestions from users and the Internet community as to what direction its developers should take to improve Internet searches on Mozdex.com.

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Press Contact: Byron Miller
Company Name: SMALL PRODUCTIONS
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 717-431-5043
Website: http://www.mozdex.com

Free Online Daily Business Newsletter for Physician Leaders

 

HealthLeaders Media Launches Free Online Daily Business Newsletter for Physician Leaders - PhysicianLeaders Daily News

PhysicianLeaders Daily News, a new free online publication offering daily updates on top business news of the day for physician leaders, is now available.

Marblehead, MA (PRWEB) January 31, 2006 -- PhysicianLeaders Daily News, a new free online publication offering daily updates on top business news of the day for physician leaders, is now available.  

Physician leaders need timely, accurate and relevant business information every day. Physicians are trained to sift through myriad bits of information to come up with only what is essential. This same philosophy guides our editors—the same team of journalists who bring you HealthLeaders magazine and HealthLeaders Daily News. We look for the national stories that have implications for physician leaders, as well as some of the local and regional issues that could impact their practice.

“Today’s physician leader is being bombarded with information at the same time that the business side of medicine increases in complexity,” says HealthLeaders editor Jim Molpus. “This newsletter is designed to be a streamlined way for physicians to stay current on the business of healthcare.”

Every issue will feature a handful of links to the top news of the day from newspaper Web sites across the country. PhysicianLeaders Daily News also offers quick, action-oriented insight, from new ways to make the practice more efficient, to updates on policy from Washington. Peer insight comes from contributed columns from experts in the medicine. Plus, the PhysicianLeaders Daily News offers abstracts and exclusive bonus content from the physician practice expert newsletters of HCPro, Inc.

PhysicianLeaders Daily News is delivered to a physician’s inbox every day for free, in an easy-to-read format. Readers may go to www.healthleadersmedia.com/subscribe to sign up.

To sponsor PhysicianLeaders Daily News contact Sara Law at 800.639.7477.

About HealthLeaders Media
HealthLeaders Media, a division of HCPro, Inc, is the premier publisher of information resources for senior executives at healthcare organizations. Each month, more than 100,000 healthcare executives and key decision makers nationwide turn to HealthLeaders Media for timely industry information and practical advice on trends and innovations, strategy, case-study solutions, and opinions. As an integrated media company, HealthLeaders Media consists of the monthly HealthLeaders magazine, several healthcare business e-mail publications, live events, and a state-specific healthcare business news service. Advertising vehicles include print ads, online sponsorships, banner ads, e-mails, Webcasts, roundtables and custom publishing products. For more information, visit them online at www.healthleadersmedia.com.

Contact:
Matt Cann, Group Publisher
Phone: 781-639-1872 ext. 3233

Mark H. Hollister, General Manager
Phone: 888.834.4678

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Press Contact: Matt Cann
Company Name: HCPRO
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 781-639-1872
Website: www.healthleadersmedia.com/subscribe

Ad Execs to Offer Super Bowl Commentary on Adholes.com

 

For Second Year, Ad Execs to Offer Super Bowl Commentary on Adholes.com

Adholes.com is the only place where ad execs collaborate through blogworking to offer their takes on the best, worst ads.

New York, NY (PRWEB) January 30, 2006 -- Adholes.com (registration required), a blogworking for the advertising industry, has started an annual tradition by making a special blog available for members of the ad industry to offer real-time Super Bowl critique to this year’s newly launched commercials. (superbowl.adholes.com) Started last year, in the site's first months, it contained 42 comments from industry leaders.

For example, after seeing last year's sub-par offering of creative spots, one user remarked "Wow... looks like there's going to be a whole slew of accounts in review after this year's Superbowl commercials. How do you justify $2.4 mil in media spending alone for one 30-second spot with that kind of lame creative?" Another user writes "The Diet Pepsi commercial, while you may argue that it is funny, had absolutely no call for action." These are the types of insights the general public is unable to provide the media in their typical surveys. Last year's blog is up at 2005superbowl.adholes.com.

With blogworking, a level playing field exists for everyone from juniors to senior execs to weigh in their opinions in blog format that encourages ideas over industry clout. This blog will allow the industry to gain immediate feedback on its spots from its own experts, contrasting with the typical Monday morning feedback offered by consumers.

“What makes this interesting is consumers tend to show a bias towards brands they already know when they pick their favorite ads. Industry insiders will spend more time dissecting each ad to determine if their strategy worked and what the long term effects of their upcoming campaign might be.” Said site founder Marc Lefton.

Members of Adholes regularly contribute to blogs and there are currently over 1400 different user created topics ranging from ad critique, job searches, industry trends, and feedback on new ideas. The site allows a user regardless of stature in the industry to offer insights and opinions to their peers, something that can be difficult or discouraged in large agencies.

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Press Contact: Marc Lefton
Company Name: HALF FICTION LLC
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 646 723 1415
Website: http://superbowl.adholes.com

Merchandising Software Enhanced By Lawson

Lawson Enhancing Merchandising Software

 

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 30, 2006--Lawson Software (Nasdaq:LWSN) announced today that it is working with a consortium of leading grocery customers to develop Lawson's next-generation Merchandising software suite.

"Our ongoing investment in Merchandising reflects our continued commitment to this industry," said Dale Christopherson, director, Retail Product Development, Lawson Software. "Based on the feedback provided by our retail customers, we're focusing our product development resources on Merchandising enhancements that will help save our customers time and help deliver a significantly lower total cost of ownership."

Lawson is updating seven applications within its Merchandising suite, including Category Review, Distribution, Retail Channel Order Management, Costs and Deals, Replenishment, Business Organizer and Reference Maintainer.

Lawson's industry-focused software solutions help retailers integrate the systems they use to run and grow their businesses. Lawson customers include five of the top 10 U.S.-based retailers, eight of the top 20 apparel retailers, seven of the top 25 grocery chains, 23 of the top 100 restaurant chains and 20 of the top 100 specialty chains.

About Lawson Software

Lawson Software provides business application software and consulting services to services organizations in the healthcare, retail, government and education, banking and insurance and other markets. Lawson's software suites include enterprise performance management, distribution, financials, human capital management, procurement, retail operations and service process optimization. With headquarters in St. Paul, Minn., Lawson has offices and affiliates serving North and South America, Europe, and Africa. Lawson Software and Lawson are registered trademarks of Lawson Software, Inc. All rights reserved.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that contain risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements contain statements of intent, belief or current expectations of Lawson Software, Inc., and its management. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the potential results discussed in the forward-looking statements. The company is not obligated to update forward-looking statements based on circumstances or events that occur in the future. Risks and uncertainties that may cause such differences include but are not limited to: uncertainties in the company's ability to realize synergies and revenue opportunities anticipated from the Intentia International acquisition; uncertainties in the software industry; global military conflicts; terrorist attacks in the United States, and any future events in response to these developments; changes in conditions in the company's targeted service industries; increased competition and other risk factors listed in the company's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and as included in other documents the company files from time to time with the Commission.

Contacts

Lawson Software, St. Paul
Terry Blake, 651-767-4766
terry.blake@lawson.com
or
Weber Shandwick
Jenny Myers, 217-649-2965
jmyers@webershandwick.com

At A Glance

Lawson Software
Headquarters: Saint Paul, Minnesota Website: http://www.lawson.com CEO: Harry Debes Employees: 1354 Ticker: LWSN  (NASDAQ)

SharePoint Content Management Extended For Law Firm Portals

 

XMLAW Announces New SPxConnect Module That Extends SharePoint Content Management

SharePoint Module Enhances Information Sharing and Collaboration with Support for both Distributed and Centralized Management of SharePoint Content

Canton, MA (PRWEB) January 30, 2006 – XMLAW announces the availability of the SPxConnect SharePoint Module which extends SharePoint’s Content Management capabilities, supporting both distributed and centralized management models. The Module combines content from multiple sites and areas into an aggregate, big-picture view and delivers content from centrally managed sites or areas throughout a portal environment.

SharePoint-based applications are becoming more prevalent in law firm portals because they are easy to create and use. This Module extends the use of lists, libraries and galleries, including documents, announcements, tasks, calendars and custom lists, to created dynamic, easily deployed and highly usable business solutions.

For example, a client team can have real-time access to aggregate views of content from matter sites or workspaces relating to their client. Conversely, matter teams can have access to content managed by the client team within the context of their matter workspace. SharePoint content from these areas, sites and workspaces can then be further extended to client extranet workspaces, providing secured access to aggregate views or filtered views of the same information.

“The SharePoint Module represents a strategic addition to our SPxConnect product line,” said Rob Saccone, President & CEO of XMLAW. “By adding SharePoint content to the list of information sources SPxConnect integrates, our customers can combine the capabilities of SharePoint list and library management with the content and functionality of other SPxConnect-integrated systems such as document management, time and billing or CRM applications. This greatly extends our customer’s ability to create enterprise class, integrated portal applications that span business systems and processes.”

The SharePoint Module is built on XMLAW’s SPxConnect v2.1 application framework, providing a complete foundation for quickly building applications with integration of content and functionality across line-of-business systems and custom-built applications. With this Module, firms can now connect information from both inside and outside SharePoint, taking full advantage of SharePoint while leveraging existing technology.

The SPxConnect SharePoint Module features:

o Simplified deployment and configuration – all through the browser.

o Central creation and management of views, characteristics and functionality, including context menus and navigation.

o Advanced parameter management to dynamically set web part properties and values within a user’s context using globally managed parameters, site properties, connections between web parts and query string parameters.

o Customizable tool pane, a recent enhancement to SPxConnect application framework. Web parts can be configured to expose configuration and parameter options in the standard SharePoint tool pane, allowing users with appropriate access rights to customize web parts without exposing advanced configuration options or technical information.

o A consistent and common user interface that adheres to SharePoint functional standards, styles and themes, reducing the need for training on separate applications.

About XMLAW

XMLAW is the leading provider of SharePoint products and services to the legal market. SPxConnect, XMLAW’s flagship product, provides quick creation of dynamic and integrated SharePoint collaborative workspaces with real-time, feature-rich access to practice, client and matter information. SPxConnect provides application and search integration with legal systems such as document management, practice management and CRM as well as custom-built applications.

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Press Contact: Jeffrey Wolf
Company Name: XMLAW
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 781-838-1900 202
Website: www.xmlaw.net

New Board of Directors At Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA)

Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA) Announces New Board of Directors

Interactive marketing association changes leadership for 2006.

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) January 30, 2006 -- The Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA, http://www.mima.org) welcomes 15 local interactive professionals to its board of directors.

The new board welcomes Kristina Halvorson as its new president. Halvorson has been on the MIMA board of directors since 2002 and is the founder and president of Brain Traffic (http://www.braintraffic.com). MIMA’s outgoing president is Bret Busse, the CIO of Evantage Consulting (http://www.evantageconsulting.com), who began his term in 2004.

“It’s been fantastic to watch MIMA grow and I really appreciate all the hard work the board and volunteers have put in to make these past two years a success,” Busse says. “Now I’m excited to be able to focus on developing our executive advisory board.”

Halvorson accepts her new role with a sincere appreciation of what has been accomplished while Busse was president, “During Bret’s tenure, our membership doubled. Event attendance tripled. Throughout this time of enormous change, Bret has led with a cool head, a steady hand and a killer sense of humor.”

The 2006 MIMA board of directors includes:

• Brad Borg, treasurer. (CFO, Ciceron, http://www.ciceron.com)

• Bret Busse, executive advisory board chair.

• Chris Beltmann, membership chair. (manager of e-marketing development, Carlson Hotels Worldwide, http://www.carlson.com)

• Courtney Remes, co-vice president and web & technology chair. (principal, Synthetic Kit, Inc., http://www.synthetickit.com)

• Curt Olson, member at large. (senior business development manager, ExactTarget, Inc., http://www.exacttarget.com)

• Emily Small, event planning chair. (principal, senior project manager, The Small Company, http://www.thesmallcompany.com)

• Greg McGee, sponsorship chair. (director of business strategy, b-swing, http://www.b-swing.com)

• Joe Rueckert, programming co-chair. (director, digital direct marketing, MRM Partners, http://www.mrmworldwide.com)

• Julie Vollenweider, secretary and communications chair. (communications editor, Greater Minneapolis Convention & Visitors Association, http://www.minneapolis.org)

• Kate McRoberts, programming co-chair. (senior consultant, Evantage Consulting, http://www.evantageconsulting.com)

• Kelly Burkart, co-vice president and marketing & branding chair. (principal, senior copywriter, 5th Street Communications, http://www.5thstreetcomm.com)

• Kristina Halvorson, president.

• Lee Odden, online marketing chair. (president, TopRank Online Marketing, http://www.toprankresults.com)
• Michael Kraabel, development chair. (interactive creative director, Gage, http://www.gage.com)

• Nagesh Shinde, creative studies chair. (assistant professor, University of Wisconsin – Stout, http://www.uwstout.edu)

To best serve MIMA’s 300 members, the board strives to provide quality events, like the upcoming February seminar, “The Big Picture: Putting the User Experience in Context.” For information on this and future events, visit: http://www.mima.org/events

ABOUT MIMA
Founded in 1998, the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA) is a networking and professional development forum for interactive marketing professionals. Members include professionals from all disciplines of design, media, promotions, content development, product development, publishing, marketing, usability and experience design. At MIMA, we connect, educate and partner with our members and guests to elevate the quality of interactive marketing practiced here and around the country.

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Press Contact: Julie Vollenweider
Company Name: MIMA Media Contact
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 612.767.8044
Website: http://www.mima.org

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Security Expert Witness

Application for Medicare Deeming Authority Published By Federal Register

 

Federal Register Publishes TÜV Healthcare Specialists’ Application for Medicare Deeming Authority

Healthcare quality firm TÜV Healthcare Specialists (TÜVHS) today announced that its application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for deeming authority has been published in the Federal Register.

Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB) January 30, 2006 -- Healthcare quality firm TÜV Healthcare Specialists (TÜVHS) today announced that its application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for deeming authority has been published in the Federal Register.

The CMS request for public comments in the Federal Register is a key administrative milestone in the months-long process to achieve CMS hospital deeming authority for Medicare. TÜVHS completed its formal application for deeming authority in December. Posting in the Federal Register (http://www.gpoaccess.gov) moves the process into the public domain as a way to inform and involve healthcare leaders and the general public.

“January has been a significant month for us,” says Rebecca Wise, CEO of TÜVHS. “In addition to expanding our ISO 9001 and accreditation teams, we have been undergoing a rigorous evaluation of our operations by CMS. We want to be ready when CMS issues their decision.”

If granted deeming authority, TÜVHS will become the first new option for CMS hospital accreditation in 40 years, and the only service to integrate the ISO 9001 Quality Management System into the accreditation process.

About TÜV Healthcare Specialists

TÜVHS (TÜV America Healthcare Specialists TÜV SUD Group LLC) is an experienced healthcare quality company dedicated to improving safety and patient outcomes in America’s hospitals. TÜVHS is a subsidiary of the international quality management and product testing company TÜV America. TÜV America is a Registrar for the international ISO 9001 Quality Management System. For more information visit: www.tuvhs.com.

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Press Contact: Peter Greer
Company Name: TUV Healthcare Specialists
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 978-462-8042
Website: www.tuvhs.com

Patient Flow System Integrates with Physician Office Practice Management System

 

MediComm Patient Flow System Integrates with Centricity Physician Office Practice Management System

Visionary Systems announces new Reception Desk Software that integrates its MediComm exam room management system with Centricity’s Patient scheduling module.

(PRWEB) January 30, 2006 -- Visionary Systems announces new Reception Desk Software that integrates its MediComm exam room management system with Centricity’s Patient scheduling module.

Centricity, the industry's leading practice management software, can now forward patient information to Visionary System's MediComm exam room management system.

When the receptionist checks a patient in using Centricity, the patient's name and the name of their physician are automatically sent to the MediComm system. The MediComm system then keeps track of patients as they are assigned to exam rooms, taken to the x-ray suite, or to the lab for blood work. Throughout these movements within the office, the MediComm system maintains the proper priority of the patient relative to other patients.

Norma Morrison, vice president of operations at Foundry Sports Medicine and Fitness in Providence, Rhode Island says “One of our concerns coming to our new office was the communication from the front desk to the patient treatment area. The MediComm system handles this without extra steps or wasted time in walking up front, and eliminates confusion if a medical assistant/x-ray tech is busy and does not hear an overhead page. The MediComm system is foolproof and has exceeded our expectations.”

The heart of the MediComm system is an LCD touch screen mounted at the back nurse's desk. Along with a full floor plan of the exam room status, the MediComm system displays a list of patients in the waiting room. Using the touch screen, a staff member assigns patients an exam room, which alerts the doctor that the patient is ready. Modules outside each exam room display the name of the patient in the room, as well as which room the doctor should go to next. User defined pushbuttons on the modules allow the doctor to call for additional services such as an x-ray, medical assistant, or lab tech.

Morrison added “We no longer use paper charts. But without the chart on the door, the doctors wouldn't have known the name of the patient in the exam room. The MediComm system not only lets the doctor know who is in the room, but also the order of rooms to visit - even if a patient left the exam room for an x-ray, and is now back and awaiting the results. Our staff always knows what to do and where to go next.”

About VISIONARY SYSTEMS and MEDICOMM.
The MediComm is a sophisticated and user-friendly communication system. It allows doctors to request specific staff assistance, and directs doctors to their next patient. It is the ultimate exam room signaling system.

A central display panel gives an overview of the entire office, while modules at each exam room allow quick data entry and focused information display.

MediComm can streamline traffic and information flow in your office. MediComm:

Indicates which rooms are free.

Tells the doctor which room he has patients in – and keeps them in order so he knows which room to go to next.

Allows the doctor to call a particular nurse or tech service with enough detail so that the assistant arrives prepared.

To learn more visit http://visionary-systems.com or call 401-643-1765.

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Press Contact: Marshall Huggins
Company Name: Visionary Systems
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 401-643-1765
Website: http://visionary-systems.com

Small Business Capital Search Engine

Business Loan Matching Service For Small Business

Press Release by: 4eStrategy LLC

Published on openPR 01-27-2006 09:12 am - CET

(openPR) - Foothill Ranch, CA - January 26, 2006 -- Finding the right sources of financing for a small business can seem like an impossible task. But it doesn't have to be that way. Now there is a business capital search engine that has categorized the lending and investing criteria of over 4,000 U.S. based funding sources.

Business owners who are seeking business loans can enter information about what type of loan they are seeking and are quickly matched to what lenders have to offer. There is no obligation to apply for the business loans and business owners are given a free list of the funding sources they have matched.

The matching is done based on information provided by the business owner such as time in business, industry, location, revenue, credit scores and other specifics. This is then matched to the lending requirements provided by the funding sources. This gives both the business owner and the lender the best chance that a match will turn into a funded transaction.

The "business capital search engine" is found at http://www.businessfinance.com.

U.S based funding sources, with capital to place, can be listed in the business capital search engine for free. Likewise businesses in search of capital can use the matching service for free.

BusinessFinance.com matches businesses in search of capital with funding sources that have capital to lend or invest. Once a business in search of capital has completed a search and received their match list, they are given tools that instruct them how best to go about getting approved and how to prepare and present their request for funding.

Contact Corey Pierce for more insights into business finance. Direct line: (949) 305-2380 Email: info@businessfinance.com Other helpful information regarding the can be found at: http://www.businessfinance.com

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Other business loan sources listed by industry served:

 

Auto Repair Industry
Motor Home and RVs
Go Kart Racing
Construction and Heavy Equipment
Home Medical Equipment
Medical Equipment
Photography Industry
Auto Racing
Restaurant Equipment
Vending Machines

Credit Repair Companies Sued By FTC

FTC Sues “Credit Repair” Companies

Companies Targeted Spanish-speaking Consumers

Two companies targeting Spanish-speaking consumers with claims that they could improve consumers’ credit ratings have violated federal laws, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC has asked a federal district court to halt both companies’ illegal business practices.

January 27, 2005 - According to separate FTC complaints, Florida-based Sunshine Credit Repair, Inc. and Service Brokers Associates, Inc. use Spanish and English-language advertising to induce consumers to pay up-front fees for the defendants’ “credit repair” services. The FTC alleges that Sunshine Credit typically charges a $198 fee for its services, while Service Brokers typically charges $300 to $400. Under the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA), it is illegal to charge consumers money before performing the promised credit repair services. The FTC also charges that Sunshine Credit deceptively claims it can permanently delete accurate, negative information from consumers’ credit reports.

“When it comes to credit repair, only time, a conscientious effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit report,” said Brad Elbein, Director of the FTC’s Southwest Regional Office. “No credit repair company or consumer has the right to remove accurate, current information from a credit report.”

The FTC further alleges that both companies violated other provisions of the CROA. According to the complaints, prior to their signing of a contract, both companies fail to provide consumers with required statements informing them about their rights under federal and state law to dispute inaccurate information themselves and explaining the limitations of credit repair. In addition, the FTC charges that both companies fail to inform consumers they have the right to cancel their contracts without penalty.

According to the FTC, consumers can remove inaccurate information from a credit report themselves – credit repair companies have no greater power to do so. If consumers notice errors on their credit reports, they should contact the credit bureau to dispute that information. The credit bureau will then conduct an investigation and, if the entry on the report is found to be inaccurate, it will be removed. The FTC’s consumer education brochure, Credit Repair: Self-Help May Be Best, offers advice for consumers looking to go through this process, as well as indicators that a “credit repair” offer may be a scam. The brochure is available at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/repair.htm.

The FTC alleges that Sunshine Credit and Service Brokers have violated the CROA by: (1) charging consumers money before performing promised services; (2) failing to provide consumers with written statements concerning their credit file rights; and (3) failing to inform consumers of their right to cancel a contract. The FTC further charges that Sunshine Credit violated the CROA and the FTC Act by making deceptive claims about the company’s ability to remove accurate, negative information from consumers’ credit reports.

The FTC has asked the court to halt the companies’ illegal business practices and award consumer redress.

The FTC’s complaint against Sunshine Credit names Sunshine Credit Repair, Inc., and Gabriela Etchevarne as defendants. The complaint against Service Brokers names Service Brokers Associates, Inc. and Daniel Gonzalez as defendants.

The Commission vote authorizing staff to file the complaints was 5-0. The complaints were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on January 26, 2005.

NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendant has actually violated the law. The case will be decided by the court.

Copies of the Commission’s complaint are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jen Schwartzman
Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2674

STAFF CONTACT:

Susan Arthur
FTC Southwest Region
214-979-9370

(FTC File No. 032-3200 – Sunshine Credit Repair)
(FTC File No. 032-3201 – Service Brokers Associates, Inc.)

Strategic Partnership Provides Legal Validity and Enforceability for E-mail

 

Group Technologies Enters into Strategic Partnership with RPost and Provides Legal Validity and Enforceability for E-mail

GROUP Technologies, provider of E-mail Lifecycle Management (ELM) software, today announced its entry into a strategic partnership with the software firm RPost. Under the new partnership, e-mail delivery confirmation functionality provided by RPost's Registered E-Mail technology will be integrated into GROUP's iQ.Suite for Lotus Domino. The integration, which will result in a comprehensive ELM solution that provides e-mail with legal evidential value and enforceability, will be jointly sold throughout Europe

Karlsruhe, Germany (PRWEB) January 28, 2006 -- GROUP Technologies, provider of E-mail Lifecycle Management (ELM) software, today announced its entry into a strategic partnership with the software firm RPost. Under the new partnership, e-mail delivery confirmation functionality provided by RPost's Registered E-Mail technology will be integrated into GROUP's iQ.Suite for Lotus Domino. The integration, which will result in a comprehensive ELM solution that provides e-mail with legal evidential value and enforceability, will be jointly sold throughout Europe.

When e-mail is used for business purposes, legal controversy over its delivery and content can sometimes arise. The business risks associated with this ever-present legal liability can be significantly minimized by the ability to provide bulletproof, legally valid evidence of what has transpired in e-mail communication. The ability to verify the integrity and authenticity of e-mail also helps organizations adhere to regulations concerning tamper-proof e-mail archiving.

RPost's Registered E-mail technology allows an e-mail sender to receive confirmation that a message has been delivered, independent of the return receipt functionality provided by the recipient's e-mail system and without having to implement a special PKI. This electronic "receipt," which contains a digitally signed delivery confirmation including delivery time, as well as a time-stamped copy of the entire original message, constitutes legally valid evidence that an e-mail has been delivered to a recipient and precisely what that e-mail said (including attachments). Archiving such confirmations with iQ.Suite then provides an additional level of audit security. "The integration of our Registered E-mail technology with iQ.Suite will create a high-performance e-mail management solution that can incontrovertibly verify what has transpired in e-mail. This is especially critical to processes found in the public and financial sectors. Working with GROUP Technologies, we believe the combined solution will quickly become recognized as a standard solution for legally valid e-mail communication," said Zafar Khan, CEO at RPost.

"The integration of RPost's innovative technology into iQ.Suite's ELM
process allows us to offer existing 2,000 customers and new customers a compelling new feature," said Jürgen Wege, GROUP's Chairman and CEO.

About RPost
RPost is the Registered E-mail company. The Registered E-mail system provides the sender of an e-mail with legally valid proof of authorship, content, and delivery to any Internet address. The Registered E-mail system does not require the recipient to have any special software or take any compliant action to prove delivery. RPost services provide the sender with a tamper-detectable e-mail receipt that contains all the information required to prove delivery and content, but RPost does not retain a copy of the message. For more information, visit their website at http://www.rpost.com

About GROUP Technologies AG
GROUP Technologies AG is a leading provider of E-mail Lifecycle Management (ELM) solutions. The intelligent, interlocking products found under the name "iQ.Suite" work together to enable robust security and the effective organization of e-mail from encryption, virus protection and anti-spam, to content-based classification and secure archiving. The products are available for the Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange, and SMTP platforms.

Respected organizations like Deutsche Bank, Ernst & Young, Honda, Heineken and Miele are just a few of the over 2,000 customers and more than 6 million ELM users worldwide.

GROUP Technologies is headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany and operates a subsidiary in the USA. Its products are sold worldwide, both directly and through business partners. For more information, visit their website at http://www.group-technologies.com

For further information contact:
P-Age die Presse-Agentur
Ursula Schemm
Fürstenriederstrasse 275
D-81377 Munich
Phone: 49-89-790860-0
Fax: 49-89-790860-10
http://www.p-age.de

GmbH GROUP Technologies AG
Markus Goss
Ottostrasse 4
D-76227 Karlsruhe
Phone: 49-721-4901-0
Fax: 49-721-4901-199
http://www.group-technologies.com

Contact Name: Alex Khan
Contact Phone: 1-617-532-0063
Web Address: http://www.rpost.com/

# # #

Press Contact: Alex Khan
Company Name: GROUP Technologies
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 1-617-532-0063
Website: http://www.rpost.com/

2006 National Conference for Certified Professionals

 

PMI Announces the 2006 National Conference for Certified Professionals to be held in San Antonio, Texas

Practice Management Institute (PMI), a leading provider of medical office continuing education, today announced its National Conference for Certified Professionals, to be held on May 18 & 19, 2006 on the River Walk in San Antonio.

San Antonio, TX (PRWEB) January 27, 2006 -- Practice Management Institute (PMI), a leading provider of medical office continuing education, today announced its National Conference for Certified Professionals, to be held on May 18 & 19, 2006 on the River Walk in San Antonio.

“This conference is jam-packed with information critical to the physician’s office. Topics such as: ‘EMRs -- Should you Implement a Paperless System?’, ‘Pay For Performance and Consumer Driven Healthcare’ and ‘Making Sense of the New Competitive Acquisition Plan’ will be profiled at this year’s conference,” said Lynn Ballard, Conference Chair and VP of Professional Services for Practice Management Institute. “These sessions will be presented along with 20 other classes highlighting critical administrative issues that impact today’s physicians and their practices.”

PMI’s veteran faculty team will present the program, along with guest presenters, including Stan Luke, Deputy Chief, U.S. District Attorney’s Office, Civil Division, Department of Justice, and Michael Brown, Contributing Editor for Medical Economics. Round table discussions, customized breakout sessions and networking luncheons are planned to promote group interaction with conference participants and faculty members.

Participants are encouraged to register early, as the conference will be capped at 300 participants. This year, PMI celebrates 25 years of coding, reimbursement and practice management training. The federal government recently recognized PMI’s Certified Medical Coder (CMC) program. In 2004, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) named PMI’s Certified Medical Coder program as an example coder certification programs that could be utilized to fulfill its coding certification requirement of Medicare Contractors. The requirement stems from implementation guidelines for the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA). This recognition reinforces PMI’s position as a top provider of certification for medical office staff.

PMI training and certification classes are currently presented to physicians and their staffs in 400 of the nation’s leading hospitals, health care systems, colleges and medical societies. For more information, visit www.pmiMD.com or call 800-259-5562.

###

Press Contact: Nancy Clements
Company Name: PRACTICE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 210-691-8900
Website: www.pmimd.com

MD-IT Adds Operations Executive

 

MD-IT Adds Operations Executive

MD-IT, an industry leader in integrating automated tools with medical transcription to assist physicians in documentation of medical care, announced today that Michael Murphy has joined the Company as Vice President of Operations.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) January 27, 2006 -- MD-IT, an industry leader in integrating automated tools with medical transcription to assist physicians in documentation of medical care, announced today that Michael Murphy has joined the Company as Vice President of Operations.

Mr. Murphy brings twenty-five years of leadership and management experience with both start-up and Fortune 500 firms in software and services businesses. He has distinguished himself as an effective leader with a strong customer service orientation. After beginning his career at Verac, Inc. and later Ball Corporation, Mr. Murphy co-founded Colorado-based Requisite Technology and has been a key member of several successful Colorado startup companies. Most recently, Mr. Murphy served as the Vice President and COO of CTEK, a Colorado-based organization that helps entrepreneurs launch and develop new growth businesses.
“I’ve had my eye on MD-IT for the past couple of years,” said Murphy, “and I’m impressed by the cutting-edge technology it has developed and is now deploying to deliver state-of-the-art medical transcription services. I’m excited to be joining the company at this juncture, as it accelerates its growth to apply its medical transcription solutions more widely.”

The addition of Mr. Murphy is an important commitment to ensure timely, world-class customer support and service. MD-IT’s goal is to make it easy for physicians to use twenty-first century technology in their medical practices without complicating their workload or distracting from physician-patient interactions. “Physicians have enough time demands just keeping up with medical advances in their specialty area, much less having time to research and apply the latest advances in information technology,” noted Thomas Carson, president and CEO of MD-IT. “Our business is to integrate new technology seamlessly into the medical transcription process, so that when an individual physician is ready to try a new tool, such as automated voice recognition, we can switch on that function as part of their existing transcription service. The best part is that the more technology is used, the less expensive documentation becomes, so we can actually help a medical practice decrease operating costs over time while creating an electronic record.”

About MD-IT
MD-IT provides Intelligent Transcription services and products to over 300 physicians in 90 clinics and group practices. Intelligent Transcription uses new technology to transform old services by providing a full range of automated tools that enable fast and easy document creation and exchange among physician offices, medical transcriptionists and information systems, while retaining personalized service to support individual physician preferences. Located in Denver, Colorado, the company is financed by equity investments from strategic partners and private investors. Additional information can be found at www.md-it.com.

Intelligent Transcription - New Technology Transforming Old Services

Media Contact
Thomas Carson President and CEO, 720-932-6262 x411

# # #

Press Contact: Thomas Carson
Company Name: MD-IT
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 720-932-6262
Website: www.md-it.com

Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs

 

“Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs” Technical Paper from Baxa Corporation Now Posted on PublicRelationsNewsroom.com For Media Access Discussions from a scientific advisory board on the impact of USP 797 and the NIOSH Alert for guiding the safe handling of hazardous drugs in healthcare settings are the topics of a new technical paper posted at the Public Relations Newsroom Web site. This posting joins a related page at the Expert Information for Journalists Web site (Expert411.com) featuring James Jorgenson, RPh, MS, and Martha Polovich, MN, RN, AOCN, industry experts on the subject of safe handling. Denver, CO, December 22, 2005 --(PR.COM)-- With hazardous drug handling brought to the forefront of public scrutiny by USP 797 and the recent NIOSH Alert, a new technical paper has been posted at http://www.PublicRelationsNewsroom.com for media access. Baxa Corporation manufactures devices and systems for safe handling. packaging and distributing fluid medications. The new safe handling technical paper is found at: http://publicrelationsnewsroom.com/_wsn/page13.html The “safe handling of hazardous drugs” expert information page is found at http://www.expert411.com/_wsn/page9.html. The Journal of Community Oncology article featuring Marty Polovich and detailing hazardous drug handling risks is found at: http://www.communityoncology.net/journal/articles/0203277.pdf The NIOSH Alert, "Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic and other Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings," reflects years of work by physician, nurse, pharmacist and scientific experts in collaboration with members of the broad-based NIOSH Hazardous Drug Safe Handling working group. Among the findings in the Alert are warnings that previous workplace precautions for containing hazardous drugs have been inadequate. Examples include: * "Sessink and Bos noted that 11 of 12 studies detected cyclophosphamide in the urine of healthcare workers tested, indicating continued exposure despite safety precautions." (page 17) * "Considering all the data, the weight of the evidence in occupationally exposed cohorts demonstrates an association between exposures to hazardous drugs and increases in various measures of genotoxicity..." (page 19) * "Recent evidence summarized in this Alert documents that worker exposure to hazardous drugs is a persistent problem. Although most air sampling studies have not demonstrated significant airborne concentrations of these drugs, the methodology employed in the past has come into question...and may not be a good indicator of environmental contamination of the workplace. All studies that examined surface wipe samples have determined that surface contamination of the workplace is common and widespread." (page 41) The Alert recommends that employers improve environmental and employee protection where hazardous drugs are handled. The specific benefits of closed systems were called out: * "An investigation conducted in the US demonstrated a reduction in both the percentage of urine samples with measurable levels of cyclophosphamide or ifosfamide present and the concentration of the drugs in the urine following use of a closed-system device for six months..." (page 18) * "Transfers from primary packaging such as vials to dosing equipment (i.e., infusion bags, bottles or pumps) should be carried out using closed systems whenever possible. Devices that contain the product within a closed system during drug transfers limit the potential for aerosol generation, as well as exposure to sharps." (page 35) A leading provider of devices and systems for the preparation, handling, packaging, and administration of liquid medications, Baxa Corporation manufactures and markets a wide range of healthcare products for use in hospitals, critical care units and alternate-site pharmacies. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, Baxa has subsidiaries and sales offices in Canada, the United Kingdom and Denmark, and distribution partners worldwide. Further information is available at http://www.baxa.com. Click the following link to view a presentation by Jim Jorgenson, "Using a Closed System Device to Reduce Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Drugs." Jorgenson is Director of Pharmacy for the Huntsman Cancer Institute and Associate Dean for Professional Affairs at the University of Utah: http://www.isips.org/presentations/PhaSeal/player.html ### Contacts: Marian Robinson, Vice President, Marketing Baxa Corporation: 800.567.2292 ext. 2157 or 303.617.2157 Email: marian.robinson@baxa.com Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR Absolutely Public Relations 303.984.9801, 303.669.3558 Email: maggie@absolutelypr.com

Contact Information

Baxa Corporation Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR 303.984.9801 or 303.669.3558 maggie@absolutelypr.com http://www.baxa.com

When it Comes to Debt, Children Are Indeed the Future

New Study From LendingTree Reveals:
When it Comes to Debt, Children Are Indeed the Future
 
Conducted by Recognized Consumer Finance Expert, Study Highlights Changing View of
Debt Across All Life Stages

 

New York, NY - October 26, 2005 - An important new research report called "LIVING WITH DEBT: A Life Stage Analysis of Changing Attitudes and Behaviors" was released today at a press conference in New York City. The report, which was commissioned by LendingTree, examines how attitudes and behaviors related to consumer debt have changed between generations, and also how these attitudes and behaviors progress throughout the various stages of adult life. In recognition of the particular financial pressures and debt triggers that occur within certain groups, the study examines:

 

• College Students
• Young Singles
• Young Families
• Mature Families
• Empty Nesters
• Seniors

 

The full report, as well as the executive summary of highlights, can be downloaded at
www.lendingtree.com/livingwithdebt.

 

In underwriting this research, LendingTree hopes to contribute to the national dialogue about the state of debt in our lives, and, most importantly, to mobilize consumers to arm themselves with the financial literacy skills they need to make smart borrowing decisions.

 

The author of the report is Robert D. Manning, Ph.D., economist and professor of finance at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and author of Credit Card Nation. Dr. Manning is a specialist in consumer finance, socio-economic trends, and retail banking deregulation, and has testified before Congress on the use of credit.

 

Research Highlights

 

Overall, the study underscores several universal themes that appear consistently across life stages:

 

• Living with increasingly higher levels of debt has become an accepted and normal state of affairs - considered an inevitable and likely permanent feature of everyday life. The social stigma of high levels of debt is largely gone.

 

• Many people attribute their willingness to go into debt - or to take on additional levels of debt - directly to a dramatic increase in spending on children and grandchildren. Even older life stage groups, who more typically adhere to the "traditional" financial values of thrift and frugality, report using credit much more freely when spending on what they feel are "socially expected" lifestyle activities and accessories of their kids. Consequently, as families save less for college and rely more heavily on student loans, this contributes to higher debt levels among their children, who enter young adulthood with more debt (both student and consumer) than previous generations.

 

• Attitudes toward home ownership have changed, from simply providing necessary shelter to satisfying both a need and a tangible, secure (and considered near perfect) investment. Home ownership has become a much more important piece of the overall personal finance equation, with the real or expected appreciation in home equity often considered a financial stabilizer or "way out of trouble."

 

• Many participants feel ill-equipped to make prudent financial decisions, expressing an explicit desire for practical personal finance education, information and services. Long-term financial planning, with the exception of buying a house, is largely absent. Few have developed, let alone adhere to, a personal budget, although older groups were more likely than younger groups to do so.

 

Additional highlights for each life stage can be found in the executive summary at:
www.lendingtree.com/livingwithdebt.

 

Methodology
The study uses a life stage approach based on the assumption that the experiences of the different groups illuminate current and future trends related to consumption and saving/borrowing patterns. This approach helps to distinguish the unique influences of particular household dynamics, drawn from behaviors and experiences that vary across historical periods, or what is commonly referred to as "cohort effects." Therefore, each life stage group is specified as a methodologically and sociologically discrete category; two focus groups comprised of randomly-selected members of each of the six specified life stage groups were conducted on consecutive days over the summer of 2005 in three distinctly different geographic regions: Rochester, NY; Washington, D.C.; and Orlando, FL.

 

More information about the study's methodology can be found at:
www.lendingtree.com/livingwithdebt.

 

The LendingTree Commitment to Borrower Education
As part of its ongoing mission to empower borrowers, LendingTree also announced today it has launched a multi-year education and advocacy program around smart borrowing with the goal of inspiring consumers to make informed and savvy borrowing decisions.

 

Starting today, a reader-friendly and information-rich resource -The LendingTree Guide to Smart  Borrowing:  How to Use Credit Wisely Throughout Your Life - is available at no cost to consumers. The guide can be ordered in hard copy or downloaded electronically at:
www.lendingtree.com/livingwithdebt.

 

Also through the Smart Borrower education initiative, the LendingTree.com Web site offers an extensive library of articles, information, interactive tools, calculators and expert advice, all of which assist borrowers in making informed decisions about managing their debt. In addition, the company offers a free monthly educational newsletter and a series of comprehensive loan product guides designed to help borrowers understand and compare loan products and offers. They also provide helpful questions to ask during the borrowing process.

 

About LendingTree, LLC
LendingTree, LLC is the nation's leading online lending exchange, providing a marketplace that connects consumers with multiple lenders that compete for their business. Since inception, LendingTree has facilitated more than 16 million loan requests and $109 billion in closed loan transactions. LendingTree provides access to mortgages and refinance loans, home equity loans/lines of credit, auto loans, personal loans, and credit cards via
www.lendingtree.com and 800-555-TREE.

 

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, LendingTree, LLC is part of IAC Financial Services and Real Estate, an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI), which also owns or operates LendingTree Loans, LendingTree Settlement Services, LLC, GetSmart LendingSM, RealEstate.com, Domania, and iNest.

 

Media Contacts:
Gil Isenstein
Mullen PR
(978) 468-1155
gil.isenstein@mullen.com

 

Marcia Morphy
Rochester Institute of Technology
(585) 475-4951
 mpmuns@rit.edu

---

The Coalition for Economic and Social Research (CESR) was founded in 2005 by Dr. Robert D. Manning and Harvey Warren in response to the worsening consumer debt crisis in America. CESR brings into constructive dialog all of those around the issue of excessive consumer debt, helping consumers find relief while respecting the debt owed. Tragically, as new bankruptcy legislation is being enacted, regulators are dismantling counseling options in their difficult effort to protect consumers in trouble from being abused.

 

Responsible debt relief can be a viable and vital last stop for consumers before a court ordered Chapter 13. How to safely assist and fairly qualify consumers who seek a dignified alternative to bankruptcy is an issue of shared concern for debtors, lenders, collectors, and consumer advocates. CESR is poised to be an effective listener and powerful voice addressing the needs and concerns of all within the coalition.

 

 

Online Courses From PLATO Learning

PLATO Learning Releases Online Courses; Whole Semester Courses Help Schools Meet Diverse Learning Needs for Distance Learning and Credit Recovery

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 2006--PLATO Learning, Inc. (NASDAQ:TUTR), a leading provider of K-adult computer-based and e-learning solutions, today announced the release of PLATO(R) Courses. These semester-long online courses provide schools and districts a way to deliver rigorous credit recovery solutions, alternatives for students not succeeding in the traditional environment, credit-granting distance learning programs, and home school curricula.

PLATO Courses--available in Algebra 1A and 1B, Algebra 2A and 2B, English 9A and 9B, English 10A and 10B, Biology Semesters A and B, Physical Science Semesters A and B, Geography Semesters A and B, and American History Semesters A and B--are aligned to national standards in each subject area. Each course provides a comprehensive course curriculum, including exemptive assessments, instructional content, cumulative final exams, and state standards coverage reports. To promote the successful use of PLATO Courses, PLATO(R) Education Consultants provide both onsite and electronic professional development sessions.

Each PLATO Course includes teacher support materials--a Teacher's Guide and Implementation Guide. The Teacher's Guide includes pacing charts, grading sheets, offline assessments, and a scope and sequence; the Implementation Guide helps schools plan for evaluations and access best practices in instructional strategies, coaching, and mentoring.

"Districts across the country are quickly adopting distance learning, virtual schools, and credit recovery programs as part of their high school reform efforts," said Mike Morache, PLATO Learning President and CEO. "PLATO Courses are rigorous and designed to be used by schools to offer their students alternative ways to complete academic and graduation requirements. By keeping these students within the school system, districts realize an added benefit--keeping the funds they lose when students drop out."

Major school districts such as Columbus Public Schools, Ohio; Memphis City Schools, Tenn.; and Aldine ISD, Tex., have reduced dropout rates and helped students recover credits through long-standing partnerships with PLATO Learning. In just one summer session, Memphis City Schools granted over 3,500 credits to students in grades 7-12 using PLATO(R) Instructional Solutions. Steve Oldham, program coordinator at Columbus Public Schools said, "The Yea! Program (using PLATO Instruction for Credit Recovery) was the most valuable thing I did in my entire education career. Without this program, 80 percent of our over-age students would have dropped out. With the program, 76 percent of those over-age students are on track to reach graduation."

About PLATO Learning, Inc.

PLATO Learning is a leading provider of computer-based and e-learning instruction for kindergarten through adult learners, offering curricula in reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, and life and job skills. The company also offers innovative online assessment and accountability solutions and standards-based professional development services. With over 6,000 hours of objective-based, problem-solving courseware, plus assessment, alignment, and curriculum management tools, we create standards-based curricula that facilitate learning and school improvement.

PLATO Learning is a publicly held company traded as TUTR on the NASDAQ. PLATO Learning educational software, delivered via networks, CD-ROM, the Internet, and private intranets, is primarily marketed to K-12 schools and colleges. The Company also sells to job training programs, correctional institutions, military education programs, corporations, and individuals.

PLATO Learning is headquartered at 10801 Nesbitt Avenue South, Bloomington, Minnesota 55437, 952.832.1000 or 800.869.2000. The Company has offices throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as well as international distributors in Puerto Rico, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. For more information, please visit http://www.plato.com.

PLATO(R) is a registered trademark of PLATO Learning, Inc. PLATO Learning is a trademark of PLATO Learning, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Contacts

PLATO Learning, Inc.
Michael Morache, 952-832-1000
or
Larry Betterley, 952-832-1000
or
Terri Reden, 952-832-1000

Healthcare Costs Battle Involves Use of Technology At University of California

 

University of California Uses Technology to Tackle Rising Healthcare Costs

California’s 2nd largest employer selects CompassCare’s Clinical Information System.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 26, 2006 -- The University of California’s (UC’s) Office of the President selects CompassCare’s Clinical Information System, which will be provided to its occupational health clinics on a system wide basis. CompassCare provides software to manage healthcare information and delivery.

“A top priority for UC is to ensure that all employees have access to quality healthcare when they need it. Technological innovation helps us advance the delivery of care while stemming the tide of rising costs,” says Dan Nicholson, Workers’ Compensation Manager, UC Office of the President.

The State of California has seen workers’ compensation (WC) costs more than triple from 1995 to 2003. Total medical treatment costs are estimated to be 50 to 100 percent higher in WC than treatments paid for by private health insurance. Although medical costs have decreased with recent reforms, the overall cost of workers’ compensation in California remains significantly higher than in other states.

“As the 2nd largest employer in California with more than 175,000 faculty and staff, it is important that we take proactive measures to ensure our people’s access to high quality care,” says Nicholson. “CompassCare enhances our ability to monitor and measure performance system wide, increasing our visibility into the entire care process. It will help us standardize clinical documentation electronically, capture information on a real-time basis, transmit appropriate levels of information to the correct parties (e.g., claims administrator), and automate clinical and operational functions using a rules-based engine.”

UC comprises 10 campuses and 5 medical centers. The Office of the President is responsible for UC's system wide activities and programs including the coordination of all workers’ compensation claims made throughout the UC system. The CompassCare system will be used by UC to link together its Occupational Health clinics on a common, electronic platform, creating seamless networking and information flow.

The CompassCare clinical information system integrates practice management, EMR, billing and communication processes on top of a rules engine driven architecture – all accessible from a secure, HIPPA compliant, web-interface.

“Effectively managing the delivery of Occupational Healthcare services is paramount for employers like the University of California who serve a broad patient community. We designed CompassCare with the intent of improving the delivery of care on a massive scale. This is being validated at UC as it is with several other hospital systems that use our software,” said Rick Valentine, CEO of CompassCare Inc.

“The CompassCare system helps hospitals reduce the costs associated with processing claims, ensure compliance with regulations, eliminate redundant data entry, manage the delivery of care, and improve communication flow between key stakeholders such as the healthcare provider, the employer and the insurer, all to ensure the injured worker gets the required treatment quickly and efficiently,” says Valentine.

UC represents Chicago-area CompassCare’s 3rd customer in California, others include Dameron Hospital in Stockton, CA and Sutter Health based in Sacramento, CA.

About University of California
UC’s ten campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara. The UC’s 5 medical centers and 10 health centers comprise one of the largest health care systems in the state, and one of the most respected in the country. Each year the University provides care to more than 135,000 inpatients, 239,000 emergency room visitors and more than 3.6 million outpatients. In 2004, the UCLA and UCSF medical centers were ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, in the entire by U.S. News and World Report.

About CompassCare
CompassCare Inc. provides occupational healthcare stakeholders (employers, care providers, and TPA/ case managers) an integrated management system that connects all parties together in "real-time” via the Internet. It provides instant access to HIPAA-compliant information on an injured worker so all parties have the tools they need to manage the information and activity associated with workers' compensation. The result is improved quality of care and better financial and operations management. With more than 25 million electronic medical (patient) records accurately processed to date, CompassCare is one of the leading suppliers of healthcare information technology. The following are copyrights of CompassCare: CompassCare, MedTRAK, FasTRAK, ClaimTRAK, CaseTRAK, For more information please visit: www.compass-care.com.

Media Contact:
Stewart Dixon
847.604.9800

# # #

Press Contact: Stewart Dixon
Company Name: CompassCare
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 847-604-9800
Website: www.compass-care.com

Health Industry News Resource for Medical and Pharma Sectors

 

Wisdomatics Launches Health Industry News - Comprehensive Resource for Medical and Pharma Sectors

Wisdomatics, publishers of the successful consumer health websites BreakThroughDigest.com and Search Cancer.com, announces the launch of a new business information portal for the medical industry: Health Industry News.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) January 26, 2006 -- Wisdomatics, publishers of the successful consumer health websites BreakThroughDigest.com and Search Cancer.com, announces the launch of a new business information portal for the medical industry: Health Industry News (www.healthindustrynews.com).

"This website is about the business of medicine", says Wisdomatics president and executive producer, Gary Bryant. "There are financial information sources out there that offer highlights of the health industry, and there are consumer health sites that allude to the business side of medicine. But Health Industry News is nothing but Health Industry News."

Wisdomatics is no stranger to the Web and health content in particular. Launched in 2003, their flagship website Breakthrough Digest now receives millions of visitors each year.

"Consider the challenges this industry faces today: drug companies have a public image problem, a deepening health insurance crisis as more and more employers cut health benefits, a nursing shortage, dissatisfaction with the new federal prescription drug plan, and of course, product safety." Says Bryant, "This is a fragmented business sector that screams for visionaries."

One feature to be introduced in April of 2006, Health Industry Leaders, will present editorial content written by the leadership of the industry. Health Industry Leaders will be an opportunity for a company's visionaries to provide high-level perspective on the issues facing the healthcare industry today- a perspective that can only come from a company's unique position in the marketplace.

Other site highlights include daily news updates, interactive event scheduling, a sizeable resource directory and additional features available to registered users. The entire site's offerings are free. Health Industry News can be found on the Web at http://www.healthindustrynews.com

Wisdomatics is a web site publishing enterprise. Since 1994, has created, developed and managed a number of award winning web sites including BreakThroughDigest.com and Search Cancer.com.

# # #

Press Contact: Gary Bryant
Company Name: WISDOMATICS
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Professional Open Source Consulting & Support Services

InfoAxon launches Professional Open Source Consulting & Support Services packages to enable enterprise embrace professional open source solutions while mitigating risk

Press Release by: InfoAxon Technologies Limited

Published on openPR 01-25-2006 12:52 pm - CET

(openPR) - 2005 was a year with a greatly accentuated interest in Open Source technologies and the benefits it provides to businesses world wide. However most businesses keen to explore Open Source based solutions have remained on the fringes as they are uncertain about how to adopt Open Source within their IT strategy and how to manage the risks involved.

To bridge this gap and help businesses introduce Open Source technologies within their enterprise architecture, InfoAxon Technologies Limited, a leading provider of Outsourced Product Engineering services has launched its Professional Open Source Consulting & Support Service packages to help enterprise integrate professional open source technologies into their current architecture.

“We are excited to augment our expert technical know-how on open source technologies with professional consulting and support packages which would eliminate risk out of the challenges that open source software model introduces into organizations, so that they can most effectively mange open source as an integral element of their long term IT strategies” says Shubham Nagar, Director and Professional Open Source Evangelist, at InfoAxon.

Shubham places lots of emphasis on the term ‘Professional’. According to him, “not all open source technologies & solutions are mature and robust to be used within the enterprise”. There also seems a deep interest in the open source model but also a genuine need to adopt a more risk-free, professional route to adopting open source as an alternative to proprietary solutions. InfoAxon distinguishes ‘Professional’ open source from any other open source technologies and solutions by defining a set of criterion that any open