Voice over IP Offers Your Business an Inexpensive Alternative To Toll Free Numbers

New businesses can now let their customers contact them for free or inexpensively with the use of Voice over IP telephony, without having to lease the ever more expensive toll free numbers offered by many telecoms companies around the world. With Voice over IP telephony, local numbers can be setup in scores of towns and cities across a country at relatively low costs. These can then connect to a central Voice over IP service provider, which will allow free or low rate calls to you from your customers.

Internet telephony or Voice over IP as it is more commonly known has been hailed as the next big thing in the telecommunications world for quite some time. In the past it has been plagued with poor sound and connection quality, as well as complex and frustrating installations.

With huge advances in Voice over IP technology in the last few years, you no longer have to sit at your computer in order to make a phone call over the Internet using Voice over IP. It is now possible to use an ordinary phone, connected to a Voice over IP adaptor (gateway). Some specialised Voice over IP phones (IP phones) have this technology built into their circuitry, effectively allowing you to plug and play.

Voice over IP splits your voice into Internet Protocol Data Packets. These packets are then routed over the Internet. This makes it a lot cheaper for Voice over IP service providers to carry your calls. Using this method Voice over IP service providers only have to pay a small termination fee at the point where they drop your call off. This in turn make Voice over IP extremely cost effective for those companies who cannot afford the high costs associated with those of toll free numbers. It would then become possible for example to rent phone numbers in major cities across a country at cheap rates, and people in these cities would then be able to talk to you for just the cost of a local call.

In the past few years Voice over IP has matured and is fast becoming the way to make cheap rate calls both nationally and internationally. In fact most major telecoms companies around the world, are now gearing up to charge us for the amount of data sent or received, as opposed to the length of call time. Many businesses are taking early advantage of the huge cost savings for them and their customers, through the implementation of Voice over IP telephony.

Thanks for reading my article. Please feel free to give it a rating at the bottom of this page.

*********************************************************************************
Jason Morris is co-author, search engine optimization and marketing consultant of Business Phone Systems Direct. An established communications company, offering advice and implementation of high quality business phone systems.
*********************************************************************************

Understanding the Gospel of Matthew and Why it Matters - Part 8

Matthew 3:1-3
The Preaching of John the Baptist

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"

John the Baptist (v.1)

John the Baptist was the cousin of Jesus, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. The first chapter of Luke tells us that the angel Gabriel appeared to the elderly Zechariah in the Temple, and told him that he and Elizabeth were going to have a baby. The baby's name was to be John, and he would "be great before the Lord", turning "many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God." Zechariah doubted that he would be able to have a child at his age, and asked Gabriel for a sign that what had been promised would come true. Gabriel responded, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." Sure enough, Zechariah came out of the temple unable to speak, and remained mute for the entire nine months that Elizabeth was pregnant.

Not long after this, Mary was found to be pregnant with the baby Jesus. She came to stay with Elizabeth for a while, and when she greeted Elizabeth upon her arrival, Elizabeth said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy."

Luke goes on to record that after John the Baptist was born, Elizabeth declared that his name would be John. But all her family and neighbors questioned her, because there was no one else in her family named John. They went to Zechariah, and he motioned for a tablet, and on the tablet he wrote, "His name is John". Immediately Zechariah was able to speak again.

It had been told to Zechariah by the angel Gabriel that his son was to be the one who would "make ready for the Lord a people prepared." It seems reasonable to believe that this was revealed to John by his parents at some point during his childhood, because by the time that we encounter John as an adult, he is incredibly sure of his special identity as the Messiah's forerunner.

Sometime before age thirty, it appears that his parents both died, and John went to live out in the wilderness. There he took on the lifestyle for which he is known, wearing a garment of camel hair and eating locusts and honey. John also began preaching, and people came from all around to hear this gifted and unique orator emerge from his solitude in the wilderness to prophesy to the people of Israel.

John became particularly known for doing something that no other teacher had done in Israel, namely, baptize Jews. Centuries before, if a Gentile had wanted to become a Jew and thus be included among God's people, there were several things that had to take place: First, if it was a man, he had to be circumcised. Second, the proselyte had to come into the Temple and perform his first duty as a Jew, which was to offer a sacrifice. Before he could offer the sacrifice, however, he had to be cleansed by going to the river and "immersing" himself. (The word baptizo, from which we get the word "baptize", means "to immerse".) Once the temple was destroyed, there was no longer any place to offer a sacrifice, and so the baptism became the focal point of the ceremony. Thus, Gentiles became citizens of Israel by being baptized.

You can see why John became known as "the Baptizer". He was unique in that he initiated the revolutionary practice of baptizing Jews. You may wonder why a Jew would need to be baptized, since they were already citizens of Israel. We'll answer that question a little later.

"Repent!" (v.2a)

It is extremely important to notice that the first time we see John open his mouth to preach, his first word is "Repent." Similarly, in Matthew 4:17, we are told that "Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent?'" John and Jesus both began their public ministries with the same word: repent.

Many people try to paint Jesus as a man who came preaching a message of tolerance. That is simply untrue. Jesus' primary message was one of intolerance. His message was that all people are sinners, that God will not tolerate our rebellion against Him. Thus, He called on everyone to repent.

Is your life characterized by repentance? In order to answer that question, we must first examine what repentance is. The ingredients of repentance are 1) an acknowledgment of sin, 2) a hatred of sin, 3) a turning from sin.

The first ingredient of repentance is a recognition and acknowledgment of sin. How foolish would it be for a doctor to tell a patient he has a severe cancer, one which needs to be removed immediately, and then for that patient to say, "No, I don't have cancer. I refuse to acknowledge it." That patient might choose to live the rest of his life pretending he does not have cancer, but it will not be long before the cancer kills him. Thomas Watson once said that your eyes were created both to see sin, and then to weep over that sin. But your eyes can't weep over the sin until they first see it.

It is possible that some people reading this book are living in outright sin against God. Deep down you know that the life which you are living is wrong, but you are doing everything you can to keep from having to acknowledge it. Jesus once said that He had not come to call the righteous, but sinners! No one can have the good news of the gospel until they first accept the bad news that they need the gospel.

I wonder, have you acknowledged your sin before God? David once said "My sin is always before me." Is that true of you? Are you aware of the abundance of sin in your life? What would it look like if all your sins were laid out before you on a table? What would you see? Recently, my wife and I had a large number of pictures developed. We enjoyed sitting together on our couch and going through the pictures. What would it be like if you opened up a set of pictures and each was of a different sin you had committed? Or worse, what if all those secret sins were exposed to the world?

The reality of the situation is that when you stand before God, every sin of your life will be exposed in just that way. Your only hope of salvation is to acknowledge that you are a sinner now, and to seek God's mercy, because on the day you stand before God it will be too late.

The second ingredient of repentance is hatred for sin. To truly repent, you have to feel sorrow for the sin that you've committed, and you have to hate the sin with such a passion that you vow to fight it for the rest of your life. There are many reasons why you should hate your sin. Consider these two:

1. You should hate sin because it is deceptive. Sin is like a fishing worm dangling in front of a hungry fish ? it looks so tempting and inviting, yet what is not seen is the hook embedded in the bait. Sin presents itself as a golden cup, but there is poison inside!

Sin never tells you the true cost of giving in to its enticements. The serpent told Eve, "eat the fruit, you shall certainly not die", but didn't tell her that she would be evicted from the Garden of Eden. She traded paradise for a bite of an apple! So many people find themselves addicted to sins like alcohol, gambling, pornography, gossip, complaining, and lying because they tried it once and found themselves helplessly hooked. Now try as they might, they cannot seem to stop doing these things.

2. You should also hate sin because it keeps you from God. For those who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, there is no comparison between the happiness that is found in sin and the happiness found in Jesus. The Apostle Paul spoke of the "surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord." Is there any greater treasure in the entire world than God Himself? Yet every time we sin, we place a wall between ourselves and God. It is impossible to walk with God and live in sin. You cannot hold hands with God and the Devil at the same time. You cannot serve two masters. If you choose to follow after your sins, you will have to turn off the path of following Jesus.

It is foolishness to expect to have joy in Christ if you're also seeking joy in immoral sex, wealth, or other places. You don't go to a Coke machine and expect to get a Pepsi. In the same way, you cannot spend your time and energy involved in sin and expect to have the joy of the Lord! If you are missing the joy in your life that Jesus promises, it is probably because your time and energy are spent seeking pleasure at the broken fountain of sin rather than the ever-flowing fountain of Jesus Christ.

Christians ought to hate sin like fire hates water. What about you? Do you hate your sin? Have you declared war against your transgressions and vowed to rid yourself of them? There is no repentance without hatred of sin.

The final ingredient of repentance is turning from sin. It does no good to hate sin if we are not going to turn from it. I can say that I hate broccoli, but if I keep on eating it, you're going to suspect that I am telling a lie. In the same way, repentance is never real unless it results in a change. There are many people who at some point in there lives have "repented", but there was not change. Authentic repentance ? which leads to authentic salvation - will always result in a change of heart and a change in our actions. Are you willing to turn from your sin?

The Motive for Repentance (v.2b)

John the Baptist declared, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand." In considering this verse, don't allow yourself to be tripped up by the fact that Matthew uses the phrase "kingdom of heaven", while Mark, Luke, and John all use "kingdom of God." Matthew was a Jew writing to a Jewish audience and followed the common Jewish practice of replacing the name of God with the word "heaven", just as we might say "heaven have mercy". The Jews have always had a great respect for the name of God, and this is just one articulation of that respect.

The word "kingdom" is used here in the sense of "kingship". The emphasis is not on those being ruled, but on the authority of the one ruling?His "kingliness". Put more clearly, the first century Jews who heard John preach would have heard, "Repent, for the reign of God is at hand."

Of course, Jews believed rightly that God was reigning over the whole earth. But they were also looking forward to the promise of the prophets, namely, that God was going to set up a Jewish kingdom and reign over that kingdom in a special way. One example of these prophecies is Ezekiel 37:21-25:

"Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever."

This is the kingdom that the Jews were waiting on the Messiah to inaugurate. Now, along comes John the Baptist proclaiming that the appointed time has come, and that the Messiah is soon to arrive to build this kingdom. However, contrary to the common belief at the time, citizenship in this new kingdom was not inherited by having Abraham as your father, but by having the King as your Master. John the Baptist's message, then, was threefold:

1. God's promised Messiah is coming to build His promised kingdom.

2. You cannot disobey God's commandments and laws and expect to be included in this kingdom.

3. Therefore, repent, and become a citizen of this kingdom.

Now you see why John was baptizing Jews. Just like Gentiles used to be baptized to become a part of the kingdom of Israel, Jews were being baptized to become a part of the kingdom of God!

The Seventh Prophecy Fulfilled (v.3)

Matthew informs us that John's life and message were predicted by the prophet Isaiah seven hundred years before. He is "the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight." In the days of John, good roads were difficult to find. This was even truer in the time of Isaiah. If a king were planning to take a trip, he would often send servants ahead to prepare the roads and to ensure that there were no obstacles that could delay the journey. In the same way, John was instructing the people of Israel to prepare themselves for the arrival of their King by repenting of their sins and turning back to the commandments of God.

An Exhortation to Repentance

Let us close this chapter with three reasons that we should practice repentance. First, we should practice repentance because there is no other way to heaven. It is a tragedy that so many people live completely contrary to God's commands, and yet expect to go to heaven based on family history. Some of these Jews were depending on their ancestor, Abraham, as their ticket to the kingdom of heaven. Some people today are depending on their parents or grandparents. They assume that because their family included a few devout followers of Christ, the whole family will be saved. There are some things in your life that you can never know for sure. You cannot know for sure whether or not it is going to rain tomorrow. You cannot know for sure that tomorrow you will not come down with some sort of sickness. You cannot know for sure that tomorrow ? or today ? will not be the last day of your life. But of this you can be sure: when your time comes, you will stand before Almighty God and give an accounting for your life.

Sometimes, if a man commits the perfect crime, he can fool the cops and escape having to answer for his evil act. It is not so with God. No one will escape having to stand before God. It is as sure as the very existence of God Himself. On that day, no one will be able to say, "O God, my mother was a holy woman," or "O God, my grandmother was a devout follower of you." On that day, the issue will not be the religiosity of your family, but the vileness of your sin. Therefore, repent today! Today is the day of salvation. Only by repentance today will you be able to stand before God with joy in the future.

Second, we should practice repentance because the wages of sin is death. The result of sin is spiritual death, which results in an eternity in hell. Hell is a real place. If you believe in a just God, you have to believe in hell, because God has to have a way to punish sinners who commit the ultimate sin of rejecting Him. Unbeliever, if you continue walking down the road of disdain for God, and if you do not turn around, you are eventually going to get to the end of that road ? and that is a place you do not want to be. I plead with you, for your sake, that you not take another step down that road of sin, but rather turn around and follow Jesus!

Third, we should practice repentance because the longer you go without repenting, the harder it will be to do so in the future. Sin has a side-effect: it hardens your heart. The more a person sins, the harder and more calloused his heart becomes. After just a little involvement in sin, a person no longer feels as bad about his sin as he once did. Sin becomes easier and easier the more you do it, and repenting becomes harder and harder. The further a person goes in sin, the harder it is to turn around. Therefore, repent today, while you still can!

Justin Nale is the pastor of Mount Hermon Missionary Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, NC - http://www.mhmbc.org

The Problem With Technology At The Point Of Sale In Financial Services

Background

There's a conundrum that currently exists between the customer and the seller in financial services. The customer buys and the seller sells. The customer is focused on their wants as much as needs, and whilst the seller often says they are focused on the customer's needs, all too often the focus is on products and profit. Indeed a wider examination of the decline in customer service might also do well to address the issue of remuneration systems which reward sales but not customer service. This latter practice merely confirms the customer's suspicion that the seller has more to gain from any advice or transaction than the buyer. Included in the mix is regulation. Regulation was meant to assist and protect the consumer. Instead, we have witnessed a massive exodus from providing advice whilst compliance costs rocket skywards. The continuation of bad press on sales practices; fines of major firms; and the inability of the industry to speak with one voice leads many to believe that protection for the consumer is a by-product not an aim. In addition the customer is now faced with an overloading of the sales or customer relationship process with paper, which include endless questions to complete even the simplest transaction and massive fact finds covering every conceivable piece of information imaginable. Rather than act as a comfort to customers these processes have merely heightened their suspicions. Yet insofar as technology is concerned, whilst the customer trusts the technology, they do not trust the person operating the technology.

Point of Sale systems

In this scenario it is hardly surprising that Point of Sale systems continually fail to pay back the investment. In most cases it's not that the system doesn't work, it's just that working the system requires different skill-sets and a realisation that the customer is wary of being asked questions. These are behavioural issues and yet whilst Point of Sale systems by design are based upon a customer's past buying behaviours and potential future buying propensity they tend to lack an appreciation of: - a) The reluctance of the seller to use technology at the point of sale b) The physical environment in which customer interactions take place c) The amount of time it takes to learn to operate new technology with confidence in front of a customer

Reluctance of sellers to use technology at the point of sale

Many experienced and qualified advisers now rely heavily on technology. This explosion of the use of technology has led all software and hardware suppliers and IT departments to believe that the future is bright, the future is technology. In the rush to design and implement systems however, some basics have been overlooked:

a) Sellers are as opposed to sales processes as are customers

b) Introducing technology at the point of sale involves a significant change of behaviour on the part of the seller

c) Sellers experience great difficultly in changing their behaviour

d) Most sellers in the type of financial services organisations that can afford to buy Point of Sale systems are junior front-line staff with the consequence that

- their feedback on the reality of using these systems in front of customers is often ignored

- where they provide feedback it is often guarded

- pilot launches are always used with 'champions' who provide a minute insight into the difficulties which will be faced when launching the system to a wider audience. In addition many of the results of pilots are widely exaggerated in order to bolster the confidence of those who have already embarked upon considerable expenditure and of those who will continue to be used as champions

e) The ability of sellers to convince managers that the system is being used when it is not (this in itself is one of the main reasons for Point of Sale systems not realising any return on investment)

f) The ability of sellers to convince managers that customers do not like the new system whereas the opposite is almost always the case. What customers do not like is the behaviour they experience from the seller. Clearly if the seller is reluctant to use the system they will adopt a less than enthusiastic set of behaviours in front of the customer

g) The ability of sellers to convince managers that changes should be made to the system in order to make the customer feel more comfortable

The physical environment

Most Point of Sale systems are information hungry and therefore the programme requires the seller to either input or to read a significant amount of data. This results in the seller and customer seating positions being such that almost always exclude the customer from seeing what is going on. The customer becomes wary. The seller senses the discomfort of the seller and reacts accordingly. The customer senses the discomfort of the seller ? and so the cycle continues.

Time to learn

In all cases, the time estimated and used to teach sellers the new system is inadequate. By the time sellers return to the workplace most will have forgotten 90% of the details of the system. This then requires them to teach themselves how the system works during lulls in normal customer interactions. This fragmentation of learning takes place without reinforcement or feedback and certainly without the practice of using the system in front of a customer. Within a very short time-scale sellers have taught themselves to use the system without the customer being present. When the opportunity then presents itself to use the system live with a customer the leap from theory to practice is too daunting and therefore delayed until the seller feels more confident. This simply never happens.

The solution

In an environment where the cost of Point of Sale is significant the solution is simple but unpalatable ? it requires more time and resource.

DESIGN OF THE CUSTOMER INTERFACE

The system has to be designed with the customer in mind not the seller. The customer has to see what is happening and in this way can be encouraged to take part in the exploration of their needs and wants

DESIGN OF THE TRAINING

The first step for sellers is the need to convince them that the system will work in front of a customer. They have to be shown how it will work. The second step is to convince the user how much effort is required to learn how to use the system in front of a customer. The third step is to provide sufficient time and to ensure that the design of the training balances technical knowledge with physical selling skills

FIELD IMPLEMENTATION

The most critical aspect of field implementing is often overlooked ? the involvement of the line manager. The manager must act as a coach which means they have to be trained to use the system ? but do not need to become experts. They need to experience the learning. In this way they will be able to gauge when sellers are resisting because of learning difficulties or emotional difficulties. They need to taught how to recognise the difference and how to behave accordingly. Coaches need to be taught how to transfer training to the field and the crucial element ? how to improve performance. The whole point of Point of Sale is to improve performance.

Frank Salisbury has worked on a number of successful point of sale implementation projects. If you want to find out how he can help you make a success of your project contact him at: Business & Training Solutions Ltd, 28 Rye Close, Banbury, Oxfordshire. OX16 1XG. Telephone 01295 250 247; Mobile - 07836 267039 frank@btsolutions.ie

Tactics Vs. Endgame - Endgame Wins

It took me a while to see just HOW crucial the behaviors of an organization's key audiences really are to its success, be it big or small, non-profit, business, association or even a public sector enterprise.

Sounds elemental, doesn't it? But the truth is, few organizations can succeed today if those target audience behaviors don't fit the organization's objectives.

Fortunately for those working in public relations, most people act on their own perception of the facts which leads to behaviors about which we can do something. And that means that when we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished.

So, while applying that reality to your operation helps you achieve your objectives AND success, the public relations people still must modify somebody's behavior if they are to help you hit those objectives. Happily, it can be done and done well, as long as you keep your eye on that behavioral endgame.

For example, you may wish to influence people to begin thinking more positively about your organization, thus strengthening its reputation and business potential. It could be as simple as communicating your organization's strengths to a target audience leading them to want to work more closely with you. Or even providing environmental activists with the facts about the company's full compliance with Federal regulations, in the hope they will bring their plant-site demonstrations to an end.

But remember, until you have a solid indication that target behaviors have, in fact, changed in ways that meet your primary behavior modification goal, you DON'T know if your investment has paid off.

So, let's look at ways to increase one's comfort level about that public relations investment. Here are five steps, that can help you hit the public relations goal - desired behavior modification -- on your next public relations venture.

Above all, in my opinion, you must keep your eye on the end-game, and not merely the communications tactics, because the reason we do public relations in the first place is to change the behaviors of certain groups of people important to the success of our organization.

Step 1 Accept the Fact That People Act on their

Perception of the Facts

Most behavioral experts agree that people really do act on THEIR perception of the facts, and that how they react to those facts actually does affect their behaviors. It follows that individual understanding of those facts must be contin- ually informed if those behaviors are to help achieve the organization's goal and objectives.

Step 2 Create, Change or Reinforce Opinion

Here, after assessing opinion among your target audiences through media monitoring, opinion sampling and thought- leader contact, you must decide how you will approach each target audience. Choosing the correct mode - 1) reinforcing existing opinion, 2) creating new opinion from scratch or 3) changing current and possibly long-held views -- is obviously central to your message preparation strategy and its copy approach.

Step 3 Reach, Persuade and Move-to-Action

Now, you must reach, persuade and move-to-action those people whose behaviors will affect your organization. That includes, among others, a variety of stakeholders including customers, employees, prospects, retirees, media, legislators and regulators, and both financial and plant communities.

Reaching these target groups means applying the most effective communications tools available to you. Again, among others, these will include such tactics as media relations and publicity- generating news conferences and press releases, newsletters and e-mails, high-profile speeches, charitable contributions, investor relations and informal opinion surveys.

Persuading these important groups of stakeholders to your way of thinking depends heavily on the message you prepare for each target audience. You must understand and identify what is really at issue at the moment; impart a sense of credibility to your comments; perform regular assessments of how opinion is currently running among that group, constantly adjusting your message; as well as highlighting those key issue points most likely to engage their attention and involvement.

Step 4 Gain and Hold Understanding and Acceptance

By this time, your action program should begin to gain and hold the kind of public understanding and acceptance that leads to the desired shift in public behavior.

Signs that your messages are turning some opinion in your direction should appear. A chance comment in a business meeting, a popular columnist's observations, e-mails from interested parties or co-worker alerts that this political figure or that local celebrity made public references to your topic, should begin to build. Many of these indicators, each reflecting the state of individual perception, will gradually begin to reflect the modified behaviors you have in mind.

Step 5 Modify the Behavior, Achieve your Goal

When the changes in behaviors become truly apparent through media reports, thought-leader comment, employee and community chatter and other feedback, at the same time clearly meeting your original behavior modification goal, your public relations program is a success.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com; bobkelly@TNI.net

A Night Out For Mom & Dad

Is your babysitter watching the kids and your k9 family member?

It is Saturday night and you have planned for a babysitter to entertain and care for your children while you have a date with your spouse. Aaaahhhh adult time! Your sitter arrives and greets the kids and your eager dog. As you go over the rules, meal plan and emergency numbers your furry family member follows your every move. He even almost models how to diaper the youngest one. He is excited and not sure what is going on, but he is thrilled to have a new person to pay attention to him. You give hugs, kiss the kids Goodnight and give a pat to your pup as you head out. In your car you mentally go over the details to be sure you told the sitter everything. You drive off confident you have covered it all.

But have you? What about your dog? Do you know how this babysitter feels about dogs? Have you provided an area where the dog can be put so that they can focus full attention on the kids? What about if there is a thunderstorm? How will your dog react and what should the babysitter do?

It is important that parents learn about safe kid & k9 interaction so that they can help plan and prepare anyone who will be responsible for their children while they are away from home. When parents leave the home the dynamics change. This can create confusion for some dogs. Planning ahead sets everyone up for success. I suggest that parents find a quiet and secure spot for their k9 companion while away from home. Provide a stuffed kong or some kind of unique treat for these times. This will allow your babysitter to focus their full attention on the kids. If confining your dog is not an option then I encourage you to educate your babysitter about safe kid & k9 interaction. Learn about the signs and signals your dog offers to indicate stress.

Dogs and kids often share a unique bond. This is something to cherish. It is important to remember that they are dogs and perceive things very differently then we do. Learning about canine body language and behavior helps you to ensure a safe and loving bond between your canine and all family members.

About The Author

Jennifer Shryock

Canine behavior consultant

For more information please visit www.familypaws.com or email Jen@familypaws.com.

Jennifer Shryock is a canine behavior consultant that specializes in safe Kid & K9 interaction. Jennifer has a duo degree in Special Education/Elem Ed from Kutztown University and is currently enrolled in Cynology College where she will obtain a diploma as a Canine Behavior Theorist. http://www.doggonesafe.com

jen@familypaws.com

3G Technology

A 'third generation' wireless communications technology having evolved from first generation analog, and second generation digital, communication technologies.

Whenever someone asks me to explain what 3G systems are, I tend to think of huge departmental stores. All your basic needs ? plus a few extra items thrown in to spice things up ? under a single roof. A plea to modern man's psychological need for convenience. And that's how it is with the current crop of 3G packages. A simple, all-in-one access to everything users could ever want from a mobile phone (and then some).

But seriously now, what is 3G (or 2.5G for that matter)? Basically 3G systems are meant to be the ultimate upgrade to the current 2G systems that are operating under the Global System of Mobile Communications (GSM). GSM is referred to as the Second Generation (2G) of mobile phone technology, with the old analog mobile phone system being the first. Since current 2G phones send and receive data at only 9.6 Kilobits per second (kbps), the advent of text and multimedia messaging (MMS) has meant that the demand for drastically improved data transfer rates has been very strong.

3G systems are designed to offer increased voice capacity and higher-speed data rates by providing a more robust wireless pipeline. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a regulatory and standards-setting body, states that any system claiming to be 3G must be capable of a minimum speed of 144K bits/second, and theoretically going up to 2 Mbps. Very good, you might say. But why is there such a need for speed?

Well, 3G systems aim to provide faster access to all kinds of data, thus turning your wireless phone (or appliance) into a handier, cooler, tool. This speed is matched with the promise that it will "keep people connected at all times and in all places." What results is the capability to access the Internet as you would at home, mobile instant messaging, enhanced multimedia options, usability as a fax/pager/e-mail tool, as well as the obvious premise of crisper and more stable voice communications. Very impressive, but not without a lion's share of problems.

For starters, 3G services are bound to be 'expensive', especially due to the very high prices paid for 3G spectrum licenses. Secondly, the services offered by 3G are nice, but are beyond the current demands of the average user. So now we have a situation where the consumer is not satisfied with the current level of service, yet is also balking at paying so much for something that resembles overkill.

To fill the void, 2.5G has evolved. 2.5G radio transmission technology is radically different from 2G technology because it uses packet switching. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is the European 2.5G standard, the upgrade from GSM. GPRS overlays a packet-switched architecture onto the GSM circuit-switched architecture. It is a useful evolutionary step on the road to 3G because it gives telecommunications operators experience of operating packet networks, and charging for packet data. Data transfer rates in 2.5G services can theoretically reach 64Kbps.

It is important to note the resulting irony. Because 3G services were too expensive and because the market was not 'ready' for them, 2.5G evolved. Now, as it is said later, the evolution of 2.5G has become an obstacle for 3G services to penetrate the cell phone market.

However, 3G cannot be judged merely on the basis of costs and services alone. The value of any consumer technology can only be truly measured in terms of its worth to the average user. And when it comes to mobile communications, the needs of the 'average' customer are already being fulfilled through 2G and 2.5G. Most people do not need to use video conferencing or browse complete websites through their cell phones. Most of us are satisfied with constant coverage, the provision to check our email and maybe send a voice message or so. With all of this available in quite affordable packages, experts are beginning to wonder whether there actually is the massive demand to match the hype that was created when 3G first came into the picture.

Market analysts are faced with the challenge of accurately predicting how much technology consumers will actually be willing to pay for 3G services. With 3G providing features that are 'cool' but expensive, and with cheaper and adequate alternatives available in the form of 2.5G, the pure cell-phone features no longer hold any 'pulling' power. In fact, some critics argue that 2.5G speeds are just fine, thank you, and provide enough flexibility for most applications.

The rapid development of wireless LANs based on the 802.11 standard and the future 802.11g standard means that 3G systems now have serious competition. Although Wi-Fi support is still patchy (and suffers from the same security issues), and some users prefer 2.5G and 3G systems instead of Wi-Fi due to the widespread coverage, wireless LANs have completely taken over the office environment. Not only that but wireless LAN systems are getting faster and becoming more robust. There are plans to develop 802.11 systems that approach 1.5 Mbps in theoretical speeds. Intel and others are also looking into developing metropolitan area networks (MANs) that expand that 300 feet Wi-Fi bubble to about 30 miles, or across an entire city.

In the U.S, 3G services have been slow to start. Only in late 2003 and early this year did commercial 3G packages evolve to the extent that the general public became interested in them. Compare this with the presence of 3G services in Japan since 2001 and the popularity of 3G networks in Europe since 2000 (Finland launched it's first network in late 2000). Compared to the rest of the developed world, the U.S is lagging behind. And here is why:

A much more developed lower-tier communications infrastructure (2G and 2.5G) has meant that there are more alternatives have been available to consumers.

'Wi-Fi' has become the latest rage with tech-savvy consumers, and because it became available before 3G systems were fully operational, it has captured a sizeable share of the wireless business market.

U.S companies have several technical and legal issues in acquiring the appropriate spectrum for 3G use from the FCC.

As technology becomes more sophisticated and bandwidth increases, systems become increasingly vulnerable to attack by malicious hackers (known as crackers) unless countermeasures are implemented to protect against such activity. Ensuring secure wireless connections in a pre-requisite to any wireless service provider.

Despite the obstacles, 3G is here to stay. The main issue is to work it into the market in such a way that it becomes useful for the majority of people, and not just a select few. Ideally, we are looking at multi-tiered services that offer a combination of 2.5G, 3G and Wi-Fi capabilities to one, national network. Eventually we would be using multiple networks to check our email, leave a message for a friend and download that bonus music video onto our PDA. Being part of a culture that revels on paying a flat rate for unlimited access, I would expect such a network to offer different levels of service, with customers being charged according to their service package, and not having to pay multiple fees for Wi-Fi and 3G access.

Just as PC users are starting to wonder whether there really is a need for faster computers, the whole communications industry might also be entering a period of transition (not just a few years but perhaps a decade or two) where new technologies would not mean that older technologies become obsolete; rather, two separate consumer groups would emerge who would use the old and new technologies side by side.

Mike Ber is the owner of the Canadian Domain Name Portal called http://www.Every.ca He is also a contributing author to Canadian Computer Magazine and http://www.Developer.ca website.

All About Secured Loans

A secured loan is a loan agreement in which the borrower pledges property as surety for the loan; hence they are also known as homeowner loans. If the borrower continually defaults on loan repayments, the lender may take action to reclaim the debt including selling the property.

Advantages and disadvantages

With something as valuable as your property at stake; lenders know that you are likely to stick to the agreement. Add in the extra financial security provided by your property and it's easy to see why lenders regard you as low risk. As a result you can expect interest rates one or two points lower than with an unsecured loan, you can borrow greater amounts; anything up to 125% of the equity in your property, and you can spread the loan over a longer term.

The main disadvantage of a secured loan is the attendant risk of losing your property. You need to be absolutely sure that you understand the terms and conditions of the agreement and that you can meet loan repayments. If you find yourself in financial trouble most lenders will be sympathetic and do everything that they can to help reschedule repayments. After all, the last thing they want is to face a lengthy court case incurring hefty legal fees. However, it's important to understand that your property is at risk.

Should I take out a secured loan?

Before you take out a secured loan, think carefully about what you need it for. Secured loans can make astute financial sense in the right circumstances, for example: if you want to consolidate a number of smaller expensive debts, such as credit cards, into a single monthly payment. However, if you intend to use the loan for purchase, such as a new car or holiday, it would be wiser to start saving.

There is a convincing argument for arranging a secured loan to pay for home improvements; as this will add value to your property. However, any pay-back will be in the long-term and depends on the buoyancy of the property market.

Finding the best deals

Everybody knows that there are great loan deals available on the Internet; the difficulty lies in finding them. Unfortunately there are no real short cuts and the key is to do as much homework as possible first.

Start by getting in touch with a number of brokers (make sure they are FISA registered) and see what they can offer you. Larger brokerages can be motivated by hitting sales targets and you may find that they try to push a particular lender.

FISA regulations stipulate that lenders may not initiate contact for seven days after sending the initial loan agreement. This 'cooling off' period is to allow potential borrowers to consider their options. Use it carefully to compare brokers. Remember that you are under no obligation until you have signed the loan agreement.

Don't be fooled by unrealistic loan offers made over the phone. Unscrupulous lenders often promise unrealistic rates in the hope of getting their hands on your pay slips. Once they have your documentation; loan conditions are often then revised. If this happens to you; go elsewhere.

If you are still having difficulty finding a suitable loan; consider approaching and Independent Financial Advisor.

Michael Stepney is part of the team at First Aid Finance; one of the UK's leading secured loans brokers. For more advice or a secured loan quotation visit their website at First Aid Finance.