Business Software Solutions: Google Apps vs. Microsoft Office 365

Microsoft Corp. today announced new organizations have selected Microsoft Office 365 for improved communication and collaboration after having deployed or piloted Google Apps. The organizations include Sensia Hälsovård AB, SEPCOIII, and Arysta LifeScience.

These companies join other recently announced customers, such as Caltex Australia, FHI 360, and Santa Clara County, which chose Office 365 for its enterprise-class capabilities, compliance, security and privacy features, all delivered in a cloud service with a 99.9 percent financially backed uptime guarantee from Microsoft.

ARE THE BIG SIX BANKS STILL TOO BIG TO FAIL?

Former Fed attorney Cornelius Hurley Is photographed and quoted, "Bond buyers prove too big to fail still exists," Bloomberg markets magazine. Essentially, it seems bond buyers are willing to accept lower rates of return from six big banks because they believe there would be another bailout if the banks fail. Call me the contrarian, but bond buyers do not convince me that too big to fail still exists.

In 2010, Pres. Barack Obama said, "The American taxpayers should never again rescue a failing bank". This was just before signing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The act can be summarized as, "To promote the financial stability of the United States by improving accountability and transparency in the financial system, to end "too big to fail", to protect the American taxpayer by ending bailouts, to protect consumers from abusive financial services practices, and for other purposes". However, it is a lengthy and confusing bill.

Airbus Pilots are Going Paperless, Thanks to Dell OEM Solutions

Dell OEM Solutions has partnered with  Airbus, to support A320 Family airliner operators worldwide by providing an end-to-end Electronic Flight Bag (EFB*) solution supported by Dell Latitude solutions. Dell laptops, which adhere to strict regulatory standards, will be pre-loaded with FlySmart with Airbus software and installed as Class-2** EFB equipment. This EFB approach eliminates the need to carry paper based flight documentation while digitizing information in a way that supports local specifications. This initial announcement will cover EFB Class-2 solutions for Airbus’ Single Aisle aircraft, though the agreement includes scope to extend application to other aircraft types.

Consider the Heart of Amish Country for a Family Vacation

Amish Country is a fabulous place for family vacations. There is plenty to do, yet the whole time you're there will feel calm and relaxing as time seems to stand still. The glorious countryside gives a sense of peacefulness, while the Amish way of life sends you back in time.

Now that you know how you'll feel, let's talk about what you can do as you venture out into this relaxing family vacation destination.

Corvette Stingray to Pace 97th Indianapolis 500

The all-new, seventh-generation 2014 Corvette Stingray will serve as the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car, leading the field to green at the start of the 97th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” on Sunday, May 26, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

It marks a record 12th time the Corvette has served as the Pace Car, starting in 1978.  

“It is an honor to help inaugurate the all-new Corvette Stingray at the hallowed Brickyard and further the legacy between Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500,” said Jim Campbell, GM vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The 2014 Corvette Stingray’s performance was influenced by racing, making this prestigious assignment even more fitting.”

To Address new HIPPA Requirements Microsoft Updates Business Associate Agreement

Microsoft Corp. announced the release of a new, revised version of its HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for the company’s next-generation cloud services. This enables customers in the healthcare industry to leverage cloud solutions to coordinate care, improve patient health outcomes, and maintain compliance with privacy and security regulations issued under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. Addressing HIPAA is embedded in the DNA of Microsoft’s cloud solutions, and Microsoft updated its BAA to help healthcare organizations address compliance for the final omnibus HIPAA rule, which went into effect March 26. Microsoft’s updated BAA covers Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Windows Azure Core Services.

Pepsico Declared the 41st Consecutive Dividend Increase and Looks Solid

Pepsico is a company I perceive as the most diversified company in my portfolio. First and foremost, Pepsico distributes food and beverage products to more than 200 countries across the globe. Additionally, Pepsico distributes an array of products in varies groups. They reach health conscious consumers with some of the biggest names in Juices like Tropicana, Dole, and one of my favorite new Juices, "Naked Juice". To coincide with Pepsico's healthy Juice, they distribute convenient and healthy snack foods through their Quaker Brand. The diverse array of foods Pepsico distributes through Quaker ranges from good-old-fashioned Quaker Oats to there delicious and lean Go Bars. We can't forget the people engaged in Sports and Fitness. Nothing replenishes the human body after a vigorous workout like Gatorade Products. After all, the Brand was conceived when a Football Coach (From a hard playing hot region -- Florida) sat down with a group of Doctors. Today they peak the sports industry with Carb Drinks and Snack Bars for an energy primer, Active-Workout Endurance Drinks that maintain vigor, and Recovery Drinks with Protein and Potassium and low Carbs for Post-Workout/Exercise recovery. Finally, Pepsico distributes their traditional food and beverage for general consumers through their Soda and Snack brands like Pepsi and Frito Lay. This is why I see a stable and growing company and dividend in the future.

Can you Work for a Small Business or Should you Work for a Large Company

Working for a small business is very different than working for a large corporate entity. I have worked for both and they both have advantages and disadvantages and what you see as each of these, is really a personal aspect. What I like about an environment, you may dislike and vice versa. That is okay, that is what makes the world such a great place. It would be boring if we all liked the same things. Here are some things to consider if you have a big company background and are now looking to work for a small entrepreneur. It won't be the same, and as an entrepreneur, we want you to understand ahead of time what our work environment is like to ensure that you are aware of the environment you will be entering. True, not every small business operates in the same way, but there are some similarities that demand recognition for those wanting to leave the "corporate environment" for a small entrepreneurial one.

3 Unique Methods of Controling Your Anger

The ideal way to manage a bad habit is to become aware of the triggers, whether it is stress or anger and take preemptive actions before one has a complete meltdown or one engages in a course of action that has far reaching consequences.

Anger never just springs upon us, it is preceded by irritation and if one is aware of the indicators, which may differ from person to person, the immediate first-aid approach would include walking away from the distressing situation, counting to ten and even drinking a glass of water to calm one's emotions. For some, saying a quick affirmation helps.

But what if one did not have to rely on first-aid measures? What if one could build one's resilience and ability to remain calm in an anger provoking situation?

Boston Magazine Gains Attention From Historic Cover Photo

Boston Magazine paid tribute to the Marathon with an eye-catching photo on the cover of their May issue. Captured in a colorful heart-shaped arrangement are 120 pairs of sneakers surrounding the headline, "We Will Finish the Race". According to Boston Magazine's Blog, the photo concept was conceived by design director Brian Struble and deputy design director, Liz Noftle after collaborative brainstorming.

The collection of sneaks was not easy to obtain. In addition to making art from any old pair of sneakers, this photograph has a much deeper and personal relationship with the Marathon. The staff collected actual sneakers from participants. Utilizing Social Media, they turned to Facebook and Twitter asking runners to submit their sneaks.

Involuntary IT Managers are Costing Small Businesses $24B a Year - Study Shows

Small businesses are losing more than US$24 billion in productivity each year when nontechnical employees, referred to as involuntary IT managers (IITMs), are tasked with managing their companies’ IT solutions. This loss is a direct result of IITMs taking time away from primary business activities, according to an AMI-Partners small-business study commissioned by Microsoft Corp.

The Involuntary IT Manager study takes a broad look at the prevalence of the IITM role in nine countries in North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia, focusing specifically on the adverse business productivity impact of IITMs in small business in five countries: Australia, Brazil, Chile, India and the United States. Surveying 538 IITMs across nationally representative samples of small businesses with 100 employees or less in the five countries, the AMI-Partners research study determined that approximately 3.8 million small businesses managed internal IT by IITMs. Although such small businesses spent US$83 billion on IT and communications, paradoxically they lost US$24 billion in productivity trying to manage their internal IT. The survey also found that small businesses’ IITMs think cloud-based solutions can help alleviate some of the burden of managing IT.

To Celebrate Earthday Dell Opens Eco-Learning Center

Dell today announced it is piloting a team member garden and sustainable living facility on its global headquarters campus. The Dell Eco-Learning Center, launched in conjunction with Earth Day 2013, will highlight sustainable landscaping and food cultivation, and serve as a gathering place for team member fitness activities and seminars on healthy eating.

The center will feature a dozen gardening beds to demonstrate concepts such as using native flowers for landscaping, growing seasonal herbs and vegetables, and composting. It will feature sustainable horticulture methods such as drip irrigation and organic pest control. And team members will use a pavilion for activities including gardening lectures or yoga classes.

AT&T Recognized for Cyber Security Leadership

AT&T* announced today it has been recognized by the National Association of Counties (NACo) for its work to promote cyber security public-private partnerships with local county governments.

At NACo’s annual legislative conference, AT&T was honored with the association's 2013 Award for Corporate Excellence, recognizing the company’s work and support for advancing NACo's efforts on cyber security, serving as a member of the association’s Cybersecurity Task Force and supporting on-going education efforts with their members.

Chevy Cruze Diesel Sets MPG Benchmark: 46 MPG

The new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel, delivers an industry best EPA-estimated 46 MPG on the highway – better than any non-hybrid passenger car in America. It will be available in certain cities this spring and nationwide and in Canada in early fall.

Equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, the latest addition to the Cruze powertrain family has an estimated range of 700 highway miles on one tank of diesel fuel based on the EPA highway estimate and the vehicle’s fuel tank capacity. That’s about 10 hours of highway driving.

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

The following is a list of nominations from President Barack Obama to the Senate

Henry J. Aaron, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Social Security Advisory Board for a term expiring September 30, 2014, vice Jeffrey Robert Brown, term expired.

Henry J. Aaron, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Social Security Advisory Board for a term expiring September 30, 2020. (Reappointment)