The History Of Cellphones(Telecommunication)

The History Of Cellphones; Telefonos Moviles Just Began With Simple Telephones

Here, with the extract of the book THE HISTORY OF THE TELEPHONE by Herbert N. Casson, we show where moviles, cell phones and pdas began. In that somewhat distant year 1875, when the telegraph and the Atlantic cable were the most wonderful things in the world, a tall young professor of elocution was desperately busy in a noisy machine-shop that stood in one of the narrow streets of Boston, not far from Scollay Square. It was a very hot afternoon in June, but the young professor had forgotten the heat and the grime of the workshop. He was wholly absorbed in the making of a nondescript machine, a sort of crude harmonica with a clock-spring reed, a magnet, and a wire. It was a most absurd toy in appearance. It was unlike any other thing that had ever been made in any country. The young professor had been toiling over it for three years and it had constantly baffled him, until, on this hot afternoon in June, 1875, he heard an almost inaudible sound--a faint TWANG--come from the machine itself.

For an instant he was stunned. He had been expecting just such a sound for several months, but it came so suddenly as to give him the sensation of surprise. His eyes blazed with delight, and he sprang in a passion of eagerness to an adjoining room in which stood a young mechanic who was assisting him.

"Snap that reed again, Watson," cried the apparently irrational young professor. There was one of the odd-looking machines in each room, so it appears, and the two were connected by an electric wire. Watson had snapped the reed on one of the machines and the professor had heard from the other machine exactly the same sound. It was no more than the gentle TWANG of a clock-spring; but it was the first time in the history of the world that a complete sound had been carried along a wire, reproduced perfectly at the other end, and heard by an expert in acoustics.

That twang of the clock-spring was the first tiny cry of the newborn telephone, uttered in the clanging din of a machine-shop and happily heard by a man whose ear had been trained to recognize the strange voice of the little newcomer. There, amidst flying belts and jarring wheels, the baby telephone was born, as feeble and helpless as any other baby, and "with no language but a cry."

The professor-inventor, who had thus rescued the tiny foundling of science, was a young Scottish American. His name, now known as widely as the telephone itself, was Alexander Graham Bell. He was a teacher of acoustics and a student of electricity, possibly the only man in his generation who was able to focus a knowledge of both subjects upon the problem of the telephone. To other men that exceedingly faint sound would have been as inaudible as silence itself; but to Bell it was a thunder-clap. It was a dream come true. It was an impossible thing which had in a flash become so easy that he could scarcely believe it. Here, without the use of a battery, with no more electric current than that made by a couple of magnets, all the waves of a sound had been carried along a wire and changed back to sound at the farther end. It was absurd. It was incredible. It was something which neither wire nor electricity had been known to do before. But it was true.

No discovery has ever been less accidental. It was the last link of a long chain of discoveries. It was the result of a persistent and deliberate search. Already, for half a year or longer, Bell had known the correct theory of the telephone; but he had not realized that the feeble undulatory current generated by a magnet was strong enough for the transmission of speech. He had been taught to undervalue the incredible efficiency of electricity. Nothing so far to the current PDAs and cell phones(moviles) that work without plug-in to the socket and last hours, days and even weeks.

Telecommunication & History

Telecommunication

Telecommunication is the assisted transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. In earlier times, this may have involved the use of smoke signals, drums, semaphore, flags, or heliograph. In modern times, telecommunication typically involves the use of electronic transmitters such as the telephone, television, radio or computer. Early inventors in the field of telecommunication include Alexander Graham Bell, Guglielmo Marconi and John Logie Baird. Telecommunication is an important part of the world economy and the telecommunication industry's was estimated to be $1.2 trillion in 2006.

History

For more details on this topic, see History of telecommunication.

Early telecommunications

Early forms of telecommunication include smoke signals and drums. Drums were used by natives in Africa, New Guinea and South America whereas smoke signals were used by natives in North America and China. Contrary to what one might think, these systems were often used to do more than merely announce the presence of a camp.[27][28]

In the Middle Ages, chains of beacons were commonly used on hilltops as a means of relaying a signal. Beacon chains suffered the drawback that they could only pass a single bit of information, so the meaning of the message such as "the enemy has been sighted" had to be agreed upon in advance. One notable instance of their use was during the Spanish Armada, when a beacon chain relayed a signal from Plymouth to London.[29]

In 1792, Claude Chappe, a French engineer, built the first fixed visual telegraphy system (or semaphore line) between Lille and Paris.[30] However semaphore suffered from the need for skilled operators and expensive towers at intervals of ten to thirty kilometres (six to nineteen miles). As a result of competition from the electrical telegraph, the last commercial line was abandoned in 1880.[31]

Homing pigeons have occasionally been used through history by different cultures. Pigeon post is thought to have Persians roots and was used by the Romans to aid their military. Frontinus said that Julius Ceasar used pigeons as messengers in his conquest of Gaul.[32] The Greeks also conveyed the names of the victors at the Olympic Games to various cities using homing pigeons.[33] In the early 19th century, the Dutch government used the system in Java and Sumatra. And in 1849, Paul Julius Reuter started a pigeon service to fly stock prices between Aachen and Brussels, a service that operated for a year until the gap in the telegraph link was closed.[34]


Telegraph and telephone

Sir Charles Wheatstone and Sir William Fothergill Cooke invented the electric telegraph in 1837.[35] Also, the first commercial electrical telegraph is purported to have been constructed by Wheatstone and Cooke and opened on 9 April 1839.[citation needed] Both inventors viewed their device as "an improvement to the [existing] electromagnetic telegraph" not as a new device.[36]

Samuel Morse independently developed a version of the electrical telegraph that he unsuccessfully demonstrated on 2 September 1837. His code was an important advance over Wheatstone's signaling method. The first transatlantic telegraph cable was successfully completed on 27 July 1866, allowing transatlantic telecommunication for the first time.[37]

The conventional telephone was invented independently by Alexander Bell and Elisha Gray in 1876.[38] Antonio Meucci invented the first device that allowed the electrical transmission of voice over a line in 1849. However Meucci's device was of little practical value because it relied upon the electrophonic effect and thus required users to place the receiver in their mouth to “hear” what was being said.[39] The first commercial telephone services were set-up in 1878 and 1879 on both sides of the Atlantic in the cities of New Haven and London.[40][41]


Radio and television

In 1832, James Lindsay gave a classroom demonstration of wireless telegraphy to his students. By 1854, he was able to demonstrate a transmission across the Firth of Tay from Dundee, Scotland to Woodhaven, a distance of two miles (3 km), using water as the transmission medium.[42] In December 1901, Guglielmo Marconi established wireless communication between St. John's, Newfoundland (Canada) and Poldhu, Cornwall (England), earning him the 1909 Nobel Prize in physics (which he shared with Karl Braun).[43] However small-scale radio communication had already been demonstrated in 1893 by Nikola Tesla in a presentation to the National Electric Light Association.[44]

On March 25, 1925, John Logie Baird was able to demonstrate the transmission of moving pictures at the London department store Selfridges. Baird's device relied upon the Nipkow disk and thus became known as the mechanical television. It formed the basis of experimental broadcasts done by the British Broadcasting Corporation beginning September 30, 1929.[45] However, for most of the twentieth century televisions depended upon the cathode ray tube invented by Karl Braun. The first version of such a television to show promise was produced by Philo Farnsworth and demonstrated to his family on September 7, 1927.[46]


Computer networks and the Internet

On September 11, 1940, George Stibitz was able to transmit problems using teletype to his Complex Number Calculator in New York and receive the computed results back at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.[47] This configuration of a centralized computer or mainframe with remote dumb terminals remained popular throughout the 1950s. However, it was not until the 1960s that researchers started to investigate packet switching — a technology that would allow chunks of data to be sent to different computers without first passing through a centralized mainframe. A four-node network emerged on December 5, 1969; this network would become ARPANET, which by 1981 would consist of 213 nodes.[48]

ARPANET's development centred around the Request for Comment process and on April 7, 1969, RFC 1 was published. This process is important because ARPANET would eventually merge with other networks to form the Internet and many of the protocols the Internet relies upon today were specified through the Request for Comment process. In September 1981, RFC 791 introduced the Internet Protocol v4 (IPv4) and RFC 793 introduced the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) — thus creating the TCP/IP protocol that much of the Internet relies upon today.

However, not all important developments were made through the Request for Comment process. Two popular link protocols for local area networks (LANs) also appeared in the 1970s. A patent for the token ring protocol was filed by Olof Soderblom on October 29, 1974 and a paper on the Ethernet protocol was published by Robert Metcalfe and David Boggs in the July 1976 issue of Communications of the ACM.

Who Is Running Your Business?

How many times have you heard, "I couldn't make the meeting. My customer needed me." On the other hand, one of my favorites is, "I jump through hoops for my clients."-and then after four months of jumping, the client doesn't call back. I often hear "The client will not return my calls" from vendors. What is the answer? It may come from the question "Who is running your business?" Would the vendor have better maintained the customer if he were a little less available?

This article is special, as it addresses the entrepreneur: those of us in business who have chosen to leave Corporate America behind for the good life. What is the good life? Many describe the good life as having more flexibility, being able to come and go as we please. Most entrepreneurs I interview go out on their own because the values they acquire during a lifetime of experience (15 to 20 years) are different from when they started their corporate jobs. We are taught that the customer is always right. Often we're so eager to please that we compromise the very reasons we start our own business. We attempt to satisfy our customers by compromising our values. Who is running your business?

We say, "I'll slow down as soon as I make it." We continue to work at a harried pace, never really learning how to enjoy the life we attempt to produce. We drive ourselves crazy in an attempt to satisfy our clients. Often we end our business careers never satisfying the client or ourselves.

Many entrepreneurs make the decision to become self-employed to gain quality time with family. Others want more time to spend in the community, giving back to the systems that support their lifestyles. I often chuckle to myself by the idea of the deathbed question, "What would you have done differently?" None will ever answer, "I wish I had worked harder." However, because we're taught that the customer is king, we now decide to jump through the proverbial hoop to satisfy. We lose sight of the fact that now our customers are running our business.

You might equate success as a time in the future when all your business is by referral, and people are lined up at your door waiting for you to be open. That would be nice! What if I told you that you could have that business right now? The only thing that you have to change is how you react to your clients. You need to take charge of running your business.

People want to do business with busy people. Now is the time to become busy. It is important to "couch" your time with a busy-person attitude, even with an empty plan book. If you are running your business, your plan book is full in anticipation of appointments. Many of us who have started businesses from scratch will tell you that initially we'd take any client that came along. However, as time moved on those of us who were fortunate enough to build a successful practice became more selective as to whom we chose for new clients. Being selective is a very important lesson to learn if you want to survive as an entrepreneur-and maintain any form of sanity. When booking appointments you need to pause and evaluate your plan book, even if it's empty. You are in control. Don't just jump at the first empty space. You may consider this deceitful, but reconsider. You are in control, so take control by being in charge of your time and your business time.

How do you pay the bills with no appointments? Consider this, especially if you are just getting by or working harder than ever to make sales: become a strictly referral business today. It is as simple as changing your. Sales reminder: People naturally want what they cannot have. This applies to every sale and every referral. Think about something you once wanted and now have. How about that car that was just too expensive? What about your dream home? OK, maybe not your dream home, but one that was just a little out of your price range. How about that special person? Remember the first kiss? How satisfying was it? It was great. The same thing can happen when selling. It's up to you. Do you want to continue on the same wheel, running in place or just staying ahead? Or would you prefer to be in control of your life? Make the choice today to run your business. When you do, it truly will be the start of a wonderful life.

Long Distance and Phone Systems

Telecommunication cost is always an obstacle for small business owners, especially if you need to call domestic or international long distance. The long distance cost factor alone, depending on the type of business you're in, can make the difference in the success of any small business.

The telecommunication market today is one of the most competitive. Rates for both local, domestic long distance or DLL (long distance in the same country) and international long distance (ILD) are going down every day.

The new player in small business phone systems, VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), puts big guns like MCI, AT&T and others in competition with smaller providers. Although the quality of VoIP from the big telecommunications companies are usually better, it's the smaller companies that are proving to offer better rates at an acceptable quality. Business owners have to choose for themselves based on the tradeoff between quality and cost.

Before choosing the proper phone system for your business, you need to figure out exactly what your business needs. If your business relies on the phone for prospecting customers, providing customer support, or giving out important information through the phone, then you should opt for better quality.

If you use the phone for short communication with your business partners or agents, or any other reason which is NOT your main business function, it would be better to save a little and go with the low cost option. The difference in quality is not very apparent in most cases.

If you are just starting you small business, phone cards also provide some sort of temporary solution until you can get enough financing to develop a better system. Phone cards usually let you dial international and national long distance at a lower cost because they use either VoIP as the back end provider or through a special promotion or arrangement between telecommunications companies.

Regardless of which phone system you choose for your small business, make sure you are getting the most out of the money you spend for these long distance or international plans. Forget the bells and whistles. The purpose of having a good phone system is, and always should be, to communicate and express yourself.

Driving Factors to Upgrade Your PBX

Your PBX system has served you well in the past and with a bit of upkeep and maintenance will continue to meet your needs in the future. However change is on the horizon.

It’s not so much that the PBX features have changed, it’s the technology delivering those features and your co-workers interaction that is changing.

In the end the choice to upgrade your voice communications system may not even be yours. Many PBX manufactures are embracing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and the newest technology, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) as their new flagship systems while limiting the support of their Legacy TDM (Time Division Multiplex) systems.

Whether you have a small system or a large system, it’s imperative as a Telecommunications manager that you understand the latest technologies and begin to blueprint when a system upgrade would make sense for your company.

Many managers are put off by the fact that they have to upgrade their telecommunication system – after all it’s worked fine for many years. They are even more upset when they are notified or find out that the system they have is reaching or is end-of-life and will no longer be supported by the manufacturer.

What’s the driving factor behind these changes? The short answer - Convergence.

Convergence views voice communications and data communications as a comparable information nucleus – they are doing basically the same function. Passing data from an originating point to an end point. Voice communications uses dedicated paths to connect parties and data communications uses non-dedicated paths and protocols to send and retrieve information.

Is this the first convergent of seemingly different technologies? Not at all, the fax revolution of the 80’s was produced by a convergence of telecommunications technology, optical scanning technology, and printing technology. There are countless other examples of convergent technologies on the market today.

When should you begin planning for your upgrade? The simple answer is of course; there is no time like the present.

As with any project you will need to make a presentation case for the project, outlining the immediate and future benefits to your company’s business culture and the company’s bottom line. I’ll discuss three common driving factors, End-of-life schedules, culture/business shift and company reorganization.

I’ll use Nortel’s SIP Multimedia PC Client as an example.

1. Identify your current systems End-of-life schedule.

A. Pbx systems are comprised of software and hardware. In some system configurations, the hardware will follow a different end-of-life schedule than the software and vice versa.

B. You should review all aspects of your telecommunications system from the software, to the cards, to the telephone sets and catalog all concerns.

C. Upgrading your system outright to the latest and greatest may make more sense to the bottom line than continually upgrading the various parts of the system.

2. Determine if new systems features will improve your company’s telecommunications culture.

A. Nortel’s SIP Multimedia PC Client as an example offers many features beyond traditional telephony. It supports video calling, instant messaging, call screening, real-time call disposition, conferencing, file sharing, and white-boarding.

B. Advanced Web communications include pushing Web pages and co-browsing the Web with customers, co-workers, and associates

C. Virtual Office is always an exciting feature of the newer VoIP and SIP systems.

3. Company growth, downsizing or related projects.

A. Company growth is a good time to analyze your telecommunications systems. It might be cost-effective to embrace the new system features and create Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that in turn, reduce your requirements on T1’s.

B. If your company is downsizing in property. It might prove fruitful to allow the older systems to convey with the property, while focusing on re-growth and the newer systems.

C. If you company is engaged in related projects (Infrastructure upgrades, IT system upgrades, etc.). It is crucial that you as the Telecommunications Manager are part of the process to ensure that newly installed systems will communicate with your vision of the future for your Pbx department.

Of course there are other driving factors that are unique to each and every business and this article briefly touches on only a few factors. More important are the key factors in planning that can be categorized into anticipation on your part and the effective management of information, quality, and scope.

Anticipating changes in the telecommunications sector and taking advantage of those changes to benefit your company are paramount to a competent, executable plan. In addition, effectively managing the information, ensuring quality research and developing a scope of action will assist in the creation of a sound telecommunications project.

Whether you’re just beginning the research process of upgrading your Pbx system or are well along in the process – a great place to perform research, post questions and get answers about a wide array of systems.

The Allure of Dividend

Investors wanting to pick undervalued stocks need to look closely at dividend. For one thing, dividend drops money straight into your pocket. Your stock price do not have to rise to make profits. Another thing is that only company that have extra cash will give dividends. This requires them to be highly profitable. Investing in profitable companies will breed success if investors buy them at the right price. Finally, once initiated, management will fight its best not to abolish its dividend. Case in point was Schering Plough Corp. (SGP). It spotted $ 0.22 dividend per share while it hasn't been profitable in 2003.

One final allure is the possibility of capital appreciation. A lot of times, companies with a high dividend yield, has a lower valuation than others. For example, some companies are offering a dividend yield as high as 6%, which is higher than the yield of treasury bond. One such company is Flagstar Bancorp (FBC) with 6.1% dividend yield. The common stock gives $ 1 in dividend, while its earning per share is predicted to be $ 1.70 in 2005. Earning was as high as $ 4.00 per share in 2003. Assume that FBC can earn $ 1.70 per share forever, then its share price can rise to above current price of $ 16.50.

Having said that, investors should be careful of dividend trap. Some companies may cut future dividend due to deteriorating condition of their financials. That is why it is extremely crucial to predict the fair value of the common stock before investing in them. Dividend is just part of the equation. Case in point was the former AT & T Corp. (formerly traded with symbol T). It used to be valued north of $ 100 Billion and was giving out decent dividend. Now, it has fallen to less than $ 20 Billion, while the dividend too has been cut.

Here are several dividend payers that might spike your interest:

SBC, Bellsouth and Verizon Communications. They are all in the telecommunication sectors and offer dividend yield of 4.4 to 5.4%. Stock price has been going nowhere for the past year due to investor skepticism of competitors undermining their dominance in the telecommunication market.

Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb and Merck. The pharmaceutical sector has been battered in recent years. Merck's legal problem with Vioxx also creates negative sentiment towards the sector. These three companies have a dividend yield of between 3 to 5.6%.

Bank of America, Citicorp and Washington Mutual. The banking sectors have been known to give generous dividends. Currently, they are all have a dividend yield of between 3.90% and 4.8%. But with the federal reserve still in tightening mode, I feel that bank stocks can be bought at an even cheaper price sometime in the future.

Purchasing Agents of Big Corporations

Now business owners and sales professionals can develop a Faster and Easier method of selling to big corporations, Hospitals and Universities, Government Agencies (State, County levels), and other medium enterprises... as well as K-12 (Kindergarten through 12th grade).

This Sales Lead Database will link you directly to the purchasing, procurement, and materials managers/agents of

• Corporations
• Universities
• Hospitals
• States
• Counties
• K-12

This is not a "how-to.." information, this is not one of those sales & marketing "ideas", this is NOT in any way one of those "12 million" (or is it 13 million now?) business leads, or useless bulk free e-mail addresses, direct mass mailings, faxing, internet advertising, and so on....

This is DIFFERENT. It is what every Sales-Professional DESPERATELY SEEK (and NEED):

"The DIRECT CONTACT INFORMATION of Purchasing Agents and Managers of HARD-TO-REACH CORPORATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS"

If you sell IT products, telecommunication products, pc hardware or software, office supplies, and other business commodities listed above, then this Sales Lead Database is for you.

..

Our typical database record includes the following vital information:

• Purchasing Staff Names and Titles
• Their Mailing Addresses
• Their Direct Phone Numbers
• Their Fax Number
• Their E-mail (yes, their direct e-mail addresses)
• The organizations that provide free bid notification services are noted, so that you may register with them to receive their bids for your products.

Also...

1. A Professionally-written Sample Letter that can be customized for your business. This is for those who do not have the time to create one (or just simply do not know how to write one).

2. An attention-getting, non-intrusive simple vendor inquiry e-mail letter.(some of our clients were able to contact over one thousand purchasing agents within a day by using those bulk-email senders - of course, we do not recommend this. One reason is that if you do not have enough manpower, you will be overwhelmed with their responses.)

...

About "THE TOP-DOWN APPROACH". . .

If you're a strong believer of speaking to C-Level executives, so were we. We were trained to do so as well during our hey-days as sales reps.

See if this seems familiar:

You (or your sales rep) successfully mastered getting through the gatekeepers. You've been successful in obtaining the "right" contact information of the person to speak with...the CTO's, CIO's, etc...

Do you know what happens next? These Very Important folks pass down your message to their Vice Presidents, then the VP's pass down your message to their Directors, and in turn they pass down your message to the Managers.

You'd be VERY LUCKY if you'd ever get a SINGLE Response from them.

And when they do call, it's just to get some basic information from us.

We were ADDICTED to "HOPE-ium" (We hoped and wished we'd get a good response)

After all was said and done, guess who we had to "establish" a rapport with... Yes, you've guessed right, the Purchasing Managers. But wait, aside from the PMs, we also had to communicate with their assistants, who assisted with all the paperwork, the contracts, and everything else in-between.

To many of you this may sound familiar, and to those of you who had NEVER approached Corporations or other Large Organizations ...But are used to dealing with end-users, retailers, distributors, and SMB's - Small to Mid-Size Businesses ...

This is EXACTLY what you experience.

We are sure each of you have several huge house accounts under your wings. We are also sure that it must have taken you months, or maybe even years to develop these accounts.

But WHAT IF you have ten of these accounts? What if you have twenty? Thirty? ...

Well, with a list of over 2,000 companies and organizations with volume purchasing power contained within this database, there is a decent chance that it might take you places.

We all know that The bigger the customers, the bigger the Purchase Orders.

..

Work Hard, and Work Smart.

Imagine for a moment, if you will...

with a quick single phone call (or e-mail), you can pin-point exactly who to speak with to introduce yourself and your company, and establish that point of contact...

..PROFESSIONALLY.

(without ever being thought of as a typical "Spammer" or a "Nuissance" or heaven-forbid, one of those "newbie" telemarketers/sales reps).

After all... your company's image, reputation, and revenue is on the line. You have just ONE shot to start this relationship on the right track.

With this database, you can now CONNECT DIRECTLY to the right person from big corporations and top-name universities such as...

• ABC
• American Express
• Chevron
• Coca-Cola
• Lockheed Martin Space Systems
• Marriott International
• NBC
• Qwest Communications
• Turner Broadcasting Company
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Columbia University
• Harvard University
• New York University
• Yale University

With this Database you'll have the knowledge and direct information that your competitors don't want you to have.

No More Searching the Internet For Leads... Ever, EVER AGAIN.

If this is STILL the way you or your sales reps find leads, you can STOP Right NOW.

Find a buyer for your products or services in a matter of minutes...By using this database. You and your sales team can focus more on developing relationships with purchasing managers without having to spend a couple hours a day surfing the internet for new leads - which will no-doubt exhaust you and minimize your full sales potential.

No More Wasted Time! NO MORE USELESS COLD CALLS!!

Why should YOU do all the grunt work just to find your contacts when it's already available for you here and NOW? ... Why should you and your sales team waste the company's time cold calling?

Believe us when we say this... ALL Sales Pros have gone through the bump-n-grind of lead generation - either through the internet, cold calls, fax blasts (which is now ILLEGAL), direct mail campaigns, trade shows, and so on...

These methods are just too TIME CONSUMING and EXPENSIVE with very little or no results at all.

We all know, by contacting the right targeted customers you will be able to eliminate most (if not all) the tedious and painfully boring (and un-productive) repetitive tasks of establishing new leads.

Would you like to speak to the purchasing and procurement managers of AT&T, Chevron, Coca Cola, American Express, World Bank, Target Corporation, Verizon Wireless, and more?

It is YOUR job to find them, and where else can you conveniently find them?...

NOWHERE ELSE BUT HERE.AND BEST OF ALL, IT IS FREE OF CHARGE.

Jersey Recruitment

If you always wanted a job which brought interesting experiences every day, got you the chance to work in stunningly beautiful locales and yet gave you the living style of a small community, think Jersey. Jersey recruitment can help you find your dream job.

Jersey is a small island lying to the south of Great Britain. It enjoys a great variety in geography ranging from long coastlines to rolling hills. Unending stretches of walks and cycle paths lined with flowers and trees makes it a haven for tourists. The temperate weather is a bonus. No wonder, travelers tired of living with deadlines and stress make a beeline to Jersey. This influx of tourists has led to a well-developed base of job opportunities in hospitality, communications, finance and retail industries.

Jersey recruitment agency is an organization dedicated to provide men and women who wish to seek a career in hospitality administration. With a rising demand for qualified professionals thanks to the boom in tourism, the agency has been able to find rewarding careers for many. It is a member of the Jersey Hospitality Association, which consists of nearly 300 members.

Besides attracting tourists, Jersey has always been an attractive hub for offshore investment banking operations. Hence, talented individuals could find work as accountants, financial advisors and secretarial assistants. Jersey's local state government has been quite receptive about creating jobs in various sectors so that there is all round economic development of the island. As a result of these initiatives, jobs are aplenty in sunrise areas like telecommunication, financial services, retail, graphic design and fashion design. The official government job site lists the available opportunities. There are many external Jersey recruitment agencies as well. The tax laws and employee relations policies are tailored in favor of the job seekers.

Log on to one of the Jersey recruitment agencies and you could be sailing to a life of excitement and financial freedom.

VoIP (Computer Phone) Warning

Never before in the history of telecommunications has a more important warning been needed for current and potential VoIP (computer phone) users who have joined, or will be joining, in the inevitable paradigm shift from telephone to VoIP.

Warning! Warning! Warning!

Beware of VoIP internet service providers that operate on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols because they are PUBLICLY OPEN and INTERPRETABLE! This also includes, but is not limited to, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks.

In plain terms, this means, if you subscribe to, or considering subscribing to a VoIP internet solution provider who operates on these industry standards – and over 90% do -- you have inadvertently made yourself vulnerable to the criminal activities of hackers. Regardless of the type of anti virus software you have on your computer, the publicly accessible industry standards provide a pathway by which these criminals can access your computer to plant viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and/or steal your identity.

Like sharks in a feeding frenzy, unscrupulous criminal hackers view systems operating on these industry standards as their personal “Cash Cow” because of the ease by which they can access your computer and gather your information to sell to other criminals.

Did you know that some hacker-friendly providers offer processor chips that are only sold on the Internet?

Did you know that hacker-friendly providers actually offer hacker software that enables these criminals to deliberately disable security on computers, access your personal and confidential information, as well as inject their viruses, worms, and/or Trojan horses?

For instance, “Vomit” is a free download software that was designed to convert VoIP phone conversations into a wave file which could be played with standard sound players. Hackers gleefully interpret this as a tool they can utilize to attack unsuspecting victims.

Hacker manuals are also easily accessible via the Internet. One of these manuals shows how to DoS other sites. DoSing (Disruption of Service) involves gaining unauthorized access to the “command prompt” on your computer and using it to tie up your vital Internet services. When a hacker invades your system, they can then delete or create files and emails, modify security features, and plant viruses or time bombs onto your computer.

“Sniff” is another tool (originally intended to help telecommunication professionals detect and solve problems) that criminal hackers use to tamper with the protocol and “sniff out” data. When hackers sniff out a data packet from Internet traffic, they reconstruct it to intercept conversations. This enables them to eavesdrop on conversations, gather information, and sell it to other unprincipled criminal entities.

Identity Theft

Identity theft is one of the most sinister of vulnerabilities you can inadvertently be subjected to. Identity theft is defined by the Department of Justice as

“…the wrongful obtaining and using of someone else’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.”

Identity theft is the by-product of unscrupulous criminal individuals obtaining your social security number (including those of your spouse and children), your bank account, your credit card information, etc. Your information is then sold to other criminal entities for profit. Using your information, these criminals can then:

• access your bank account funds
• create new bank accounts with your information
• create driver’s licenses
• create passports

Attorney General Ashcroft stated that,

"Identity theft carries a heavy price, both in the damage to individuals whose identities are stolen and the enormous cost to America's businesses.”

Don’t be naïve enough to think it won’t happen or couldn’t happen to you!

A group hosting a website known as shadowcrew.com was indicted on conspiracy charges for stealing credit card numbers and identity documents, then selling them online. While this group allegedly trafficked $1.7 million in stolen credit card numbers, they also caused losses in excess of $4 million.

According to a Press Release issued by the Department of Justice on February 28, 2005, a hacker was convicted of several counts of fraud, one in which

“…he fraudulently possessed more than 15 computer usernames and passwords belonging to other persons for the purpose of accessing their bank and financial services accounts, opening online bank accounts in the names of those persons, and transferring funds to unauthorized accounts.”

If you are using a VoIP internet service provider and do not want to be a victim of Identity Theft, then take the first step to protect yourself -- don’t use VoIP internet service providers operating on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols.

Viruses, Worms, and Trojan Horses

On January 28, 2005, a press Release issued by the Department of Justice reported that a 19 year old was convicted for his criminal activity by “…creating and unleashing a variant of the MS Blaster computer worm.” Christopher Wray, Attorney General – Criminal Division stated that,

"This … malicious attack on the information superhighway caused an economic and technological disruption that was felt around the world.”

On February 11, 2005, in a Press Release issued by the Department of Justice, reported that another criminal was sentenced for circulating a worm. This worm,

“directed the infected computers to launch a distributed denial of service (DOS) attack against Microsoft's main web site causing the site to shutdown and thus became inaccessible to the public for approximately four hours.”

March 7, 2005, Symantec.com posted discovery of a worm named “W32.Serflog.B” that spread through file-sharing networks and MSN Messenger – networks that operate on publicly open and interpretable industry standard codec and protocols, including P2P systems, as well as Instant Messaging systems—none of which are protected, regardless of the anti virus software on your computer. The W32.Serflog.B worm also lowers security settings and appears as a blank message window on the MSN Messenger.

If you don’t want to be the next victim of the devastation created by worms, STOP using services that operate on industry standard codec and protocols, and/or services that incorporate P2P systems.

Anti virus software does not incorporate protection for Instant Messaging services. In addition, Instant Messaging services, in and of themselves, do not include protection for their users.

If you like the convenience of text chatting via Instant Messaging, then use a VoIP internet service provider that includes the Instant Messaging feature -- one that does not operate on industry standard codec or industry standard protocols that are publicly open and accessible.

Optimally secure VoIP service providers that incorporate a secure Instant Messaging feature, operate from their own proprietary high end encryption codec on patented technology that is hosted in a professional facility. Simply put, when a VoIP internet service provider operates on optimally secure platforms, the Instant Messaging feature on the VoIP softphone, is also protected with their technology.

A Trojan horse is a program that internet criminals use to interrupt and interfere with your security software and produces the following results

• Terminates processes
• Removes registry entries
• Stops services
• Delete files

Hackers, who have gained access to your computer, because of the programs and software as mentioned above, are having a field day incorporating this nasty little program into their arsenal of weapons.

As recently as March 4, 2005, a new Trojan horse was discovered that modified settings in Internet Explorer. Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP were the reported systems that could be affected.

Here’s the bottom line.

1. If you are currently using a VoIP internet solution provider that operates on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols that are publicly open and interpretable, you need to make a decision:
   1. Continue enticing criminal hackers and remain on their service, or
   2. Take immediate corrective action.
2. If you are currently using Instant Messaging of any sort, you need to make a decision
   1. Continue enticing criminal hackers and remain as a user of their service, or
   2. Take immediate corrective action.

If you decide to take immediate corrective action:

1. Find a VoIP internet solution provider that has their own proprietary high end encryption codec
2. Find a VoIP internet solution provider that has their own proprietary patented technology
3. Find a VoIP internet solution provider that hosts their proprietary patented technology in a professional facility
4. Find a VoIP internet solution provider that includes the Instant Messaging feature in their proprietary patented technology

Time to Redefine Telecom

Telecommunication, according to Wikipedia, is the extension of communication over a distance. In practice, it also recognizes that something may be lost in the process; hence the term 'telecommunication' covers all forms of distance and/or conversion of the original communications, including radio, telegraphy, television, telephony, data communication and computer networking.

While defining telecom gets more and more difficult, the profit and ethics behind the business keep on diminishing. SBC spent $16B to a company whose revenue stream is declining more than 10% year over year. Verizon bought MCI, and in order to make deal lucrative, they say they will layoff over 7,000 people.

The reason for scaling-down in telecom is that the technological advancement has terribly been focused on communications. We all owe a thank to nineties for that... Lots of technical people has seen the future in Telecom and made huge amounts of mind investment to the business. Today, we are forced to live in an overly competitive industry where telecom is forced to be cheaper everyday. To make matters worse, a company called Skype appeared. This global P2P Telephony Company decided to make old fashioned definition of telecom a commodity through its software, which allows you to make free calls over the Internet. Other emerging companies like Net2Phone and 8x8 also flocked customers to make cheaper (sometimes free) calls.

Some traditional telecom companies have kept an awry eye on those start-ups while adopting technologies like VoIP. They mostly thought those new technologies are something to monitor and investigate. In other words, they are disruptive. Some assumed the danger and started firing QoS bullet, as those startups do not provide top-notch service like incumbents do.

The fact of the matter is, none of those business plans will hold true should they are based on making money on calls. Like Michael Powell said, “I knew it was over when I downloaded Skype...”

So, can we say that telecom is a commodity?

My answer would be no, if network providers accept to change their musty mindset. Three things are important if the full background of this new notion is to be understood. First is, telecoms exist to provide infrastructure. The rest needs to be handled by networking and computing companies.

The need for voice, video and data are going hand in hand. There is no value in them when there is no Internet. That’s why, the second is, the new business plan should be based on the Internet access. If telecoms want to survive, charging customers packet-based with the guarantee of excellent QoS is the only way to go. MPLS is their material to make this happen.

This way, optimization, the biggest concern of telecom industry, can be solved as the packet usage can be approximated. Demoting VoIP into an application to where it originally is can be doable in packet-based model. This new model will also disallow fighting against free-of-charge models and bring a fresh breath to network providers to generate more revenue.

Third is, not only the ability of optimization but also the prioritization and security of the traffic, if needed, will let network providers to put extra cash to their pockets. The money behind the content will not be their ball game.

Some may argue that there is no incremental cost of extra usage of packets to a network so the value behind tracking the traffic is nonsense. However, what is unseen is that it forces network providers to upgrade their systems quicker. They can also build their cost /profit structure easier.

Perils to the model would be the evolution span of MPLS and anti-spam systems. MPLS, as an immature technology, is welcomed with high expectations. Addressing all needs in such a short period of time needs a lot of investment. The story is almost the same for anti-spam solutions too. No customer would like to pay extra for spam as this is adding to the traffic that a user is using. That would force network providers to unify on an MPLS/ anti-spam model where they and their customers can rely on.

Once this new role of incumbents is well assumed with solid technology, then converting the so-called threat of telecom commoditization into an opportunity is feasible.

Senior Citizen Calling Tips

The AARP, American Association of Retired Persons, ( http://www.aarp.org/ ) conducted a survey in 2000 entitled, “Consumer Understanding of pricing Practices and Savings Opportunities in Long Distance Telephone Industry.” This report was an update of an earlier survey conducted in 1998. As the title implies, the survey examines the pricing issues surrounding long distance calling plans in the market and the public’s awareness, with a particular focus on people over 50, of these types of savings plans. Only one-quarter of those interviewed 65 and older, looked for long distance calling plans that would save them money. More alarming was the fact that only a little more than 40% knew that the best rate was not the standard rate. To read the complete report, click here. ( http://research.aarp.org/consume/d17192_longdis.pdf )

Since deregulation, there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of calling plans available in the market today. This has been a windfall for consumers but unfortunately all of the various plans and options can become very confusing for most consumers – particularly our elderly who grew up during the AT&T only reign. Please read on if you or one of your family members fall into this category. We offer these tips to help cut through some of the confusion and ease the burden (pain) of selecting a calling plan that will save them considerable sums over time.

• Telemarketing Issues:

Telemarketers and receiving spam email are one in the same, as far as I am concerned. With unwanted email you can hit the delete key; with telemarketers simply hang up. Besides, selecting a calling plan should be done with full knowledge and disclosure and reading the fine print. You cannot do that over the phone and you can rest assured that the telemarketer is not going to be terrible forthcoming. As the drug commercials say, just say no – then hang up.

• Peak versus Off-Peak Rates:

You need to look for a calling plan that delivers the same low price, any time and all of the time. Although there are numerous plans out there that offer different rates for different times and weekends, they have the tendency to mystify and bewilder mere mortals such as you and me.

• First Steps:

Start with people you know and trust; family members, close neighbors and business associates if appropriate. Ask who they use and why; what their rates are and if there are any limitations. Check with them on whether there are monthly fees and minimums with their calling plan and most important, whether they are satisfied with their service and would recommend their carrier to others. Answers to these types of questions will get you pointed in the right direction at least. Also, if you hear the same company recommended by more than one friend then you need to look into their plans first.

• Primary Considerations:

Unfortunately, getting the right calling plan requires a little work on your part. You need to study your telephone calling behavior, check for patterns, times, particular cities that you call more frequently and so forth. Do you make most of your calls locally, within the State or State-to-State? Are you a large consumer of International calls? Once you understand your personal calling habits and patterns you can begin to focus your attention on which carrier will best meet those need and meet your expectations with the most competitive price. Match your calling pattern with the recommendations you received from others in the first step above. Is there a good fit? If so, pursue them further.

• Monthly Fees:

There are many calling plans available in the marketplace that does not force you to pay a monthly fee. Avoid monthly fees if at all possible. Even more so if you do not make many calls. One more word of caution, do not buy in to the hype about low state-to-state rates because in some cases, lurking in the fine print may be a monthly fee. It’s like spotting an attractive lady across a dimly lit room, once the makeup and wig comes off you discover the true ugliness lurking beneath.

• Leasing versus Owning the Phone:

There is no reason today to lease a telephone from your local carrier. Check your telephone bill and see if there is a line item for leased equipment. If there is, head down to your local retailer that sells telephones and pick up a phone that suits your needs. Chances are you will be able to purchase a telephone with more features and at a cost that will save you a tidy sum every year. There are many retailers that sell phones for well under $100 with some below $50. There are many telephone carriers that charge leasing fees up to $20.00 per month or $240 per year. Today that is just a waste of money.

• Cramming:

Get into the habit of reviewing your telephone bill every month. Although reputable telephone carriers do not indulge in the spurious practice of cramming, they do occasionally make a mistake. Cramming is the practice of placing additional charges for goods and services on your telephone bill that you did not authorize or purchase. It is illegal. In the case of a mistakes or suspected cramming, you need to contact the company and ask them, politely initially, to explain the charges. If you didn’t authorize the purchase then ask your carrier to remove it from your bill. If they fail to remove the charge from your bill, and you feel that the charge is wrong, then contact your local office of

Public Utilities or go to the FCC web site and file a complaint.

• Added Features:

There are many fine features that can be added to your telephone service to enhance its functions and permit a broader range of useful information. But if you are like me, and could care less about the fancy bells and whistles, remove those services that you really don’t need or want. Unfortunately, there are many seniors that are sold a package of goods and services when they sign up for a new service or when telemarketers call with the latest gizmo. If you don’t need it, don’t get it. If you have it and don’t use it, remove it. All of these little “extras” increase your bill and could be a waste of money.

• Saving on Calling Plans with Fixed or Low Income:

The Federal Government is committed to providing telephone service to all Americans. The Federal Universal Service Fund includes the low-income program; which provides discounts on telephone installation and basic monthly service to qualifying consumers. There are two components to the low income program, Lifeline Assistance (“Lifeline”) and Link-Up America (“Link-Up”). Lifeline and Link-Up are available to all qualifying low-income consumers nationwide. The FCC’s enhanced Lifeline and Link-UP programs, however, which offer additional discounts, are available only for qualifying consumers living on Tribal Lands. Check with your local provider and ask about these programs in order to earn discounts on the basic telephone service. For more information about these low income programs click here. ( http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/tribalfactsheet.pdf )

• Changing Long Distance Carriers too Much Trouble:

Many people feel that switching carriers is just too much trouble and a bit too confusing. They are probably right. But in any event, if you decide to keep your existing carrier then at least check with them to make sure you are getting the best value for your money and the cheapest rates they offer. Do some of the other tips we suggest here, such as getting rid of leased equipment and extra features and you will be able to trim your bill substantially.

Undiscovered Tactics Of An Injury Claim

Don't you just hate it when your phones constantly ringing with telesales staff asking if you have an injury claim? Teams of 2 to 3 people roaming the streets, smartly dressed and groomed, with black leather folders limping in their arm... these college leavers will knock on your door!

What is it they're selling? Is it insurance, electricity, gas, telecommunication services? Or is another company patrolling your area 'informing' people, they can claim injury for an accident, which wasn't their fault?

An insight in to the history of personal injury claims

It didn't exist a decade ago… well not to the likes of people being injured. You have an accident and nobody really cared besides the obvious family and friends. 'Take some medicine' or 'have some rest'. Even if you end up in hospital or the doctors surgery... 'just takes these and you'll be fit as a bear in a couple of weeks'. And that's it! Nothing dramatic ever happened.

Today's Generation

There's advertisements everywhere you turn, billboards, newspapers, magazines, radio and TV. Someone knows someone who has a personal injury firm or a brother knows a mate, even 'my chick's brother has a firm'. So dramatic and competitive people fall for their tricks. Remember before, nobody's interested, but now they’re your best friends. 'Don't worry, we’ll sort it out'.

Now, If your mates firm messed up your case, what can you possibly do? Report him to his superiors? It's probably his partner's firm. Your brother-in-law has taken your case and now can't find the essential paper work. You'll ring the company and want to speak to the consultant who took on your claim? Is he/she still working there? You want an update, but all you get is 'we're stilling waiting for your medical report' or 'your file has been transferred to another department, I'll just find out?'

Complications after complications...

Remember in the early years, the slogan 'no win no fee'? 'If we lose you don't pay anything?' You sign a couple of pages and sorted, your injury claim is up and running. Brilliant.

Now after months have gone by, you hear nothing. 3 months later, you call to hear what status your claim has reached. 'Your file's up and running and you should be attending a medical specialist soon.'

6 months go by finally your medical arrives. 4 months later you receive a cheque of £400 and eyes the size of golf balls?! What the hell is going on???

Frustrated with the settlement cheque, you ring the company for questioning. They pull out your file and take you through the charges and how they reached a final settlement. 'But, you... 'Yes, it's all in black and white and you signed it!' But guess what, you're too late, and now you'll learn from that mistake...

Now For The New Trick…

100% Compensation! Yes, you get all of your compensation. Amazing, finally a dream come true...

What does it mean?

Once your claim is settled, you will receive the 'full' compensation money, without deductions. Now this is the clever bit... the specialist will payout 100% Compensation, but that does not mean the claim management company will not!

At the end of the claim, the management company (owned by your mates friend) will charge you a kick back after you have received your 100% Compensation. Effectively, you receive 100% Compensation, but once you received it, the claim management company will now take out their fees. Smart eh???

You still, by law, got 100% Compensation from the specialist. Which is what they claimed, however, the deductions kick in afterwards.

You've taken enough beating as it is. It's time to be smart! Beware of the 100% Compensation slogans flying around. How do you avoid them?

VoIP and the Communications Industry

Are you worried about the costly long distance phone rates? Do you want to find some ways on how to call your loved ones in a cheap way? Are you a student who finds it hard to make a call with your parents? Is your company paying too much for long distance call? Have you heard how VoIP contributes in communication business? The waiting is over, VoIP is the answer.

VoIP can eliminate all those expensive long distance rates. To further discuss, VoIP is the newest and most advanced audio communications technology.

VoIP stands for Voice over internet protocol. This latest communication innovation which has a variety of different applications and features in order to give a clear and affordable conversation all over the world.

How does VoIP work?

Many people are quite amazed on how VoIP works. Well, its features work on a revolutionary technology. It has a communication method that streamlines the sending analog audio signal. The signal is converted into a sound to be sent digitally over transmission lines through the internet.

According to the service providers of VoIP, by using this technology the user can have free “by minute charges”. That is one of the great things about VoIP plans.

If the “by minute charges” is consumed, the user will have to pay the monthly fee and make all the calls they want over the computer.

The VoIP procedure is very simple but an elegant and simplistic way of communication. It can be the greatest solution for long distance call problems that everyone is waiting for.

The VoIP works on several ways, in communication, like circuit transmitting, data pocket exchanging and retrieval of information by using the computer.

This communication system can also send the information by finding the open channels that are available rather than out-and-out lines. The information transmitted simply assembled at the source location. Comparatively VoIP works more efficient.

In order to be aware of how VoIP works, it is first important to know the basic concept of traditional analog audio communication. The analog audio communication can be very helpful in terms of VoIP communication.

The basic analog phone calls are actually made on the fiber optic communication network. These networks can make a voice communication by collecting voices communications. The voices are delivered directly to the destination, while the signals are also converted to analog.

VoIP can assure a cheap or even free telephone call for the users. For some companies, it also means generating income. This is good news for the companies who want to cut some of their expenses. Most of the companies spend thousands of dollars per year just because of long distance calls alone.

Now, if the company would like to have far-reaching consultation call, VoIP can make more sense when it comes to that issue. It can also combine conference options like sharing of documents and multiple conversations.

According to some statistics, most of the companies that patronize VoIP has earned 80 percent of its revenues compared to other telecommunication that only gives 55 percent.

The great shift of VoIP is starting to hit top rating national telecommunication industry and international mobile corporations.

As a conclusion, VoIP is indeed a very interesting breakthrough when it comes to communications. It is the most well-organized, accurate, efficient, and much less expensive way of talking to the people you need to communicate to. Why not try VoIP? It can be the answer to all of those communication hindrances.

Senior Citizen Calling Tips

The AARP, American Association of Retired Persons, ( http://www.aarp.org/ ) conducted a survey in 2000 entitled, “Consumer Understanding of pricing Practices and Savings Opportunities in Long Distance Telephone Industry.” This report was an update of an earlier survey conducted in 1998. As the title implies, the survey examines the pricing issues surrounding long distance calling plans in the market and the public’s awareness, with a particular focus on people over 50, of these types of savings plans. Only one-quarter of those interviewed 65 and older, looked for long distance calling plans that would save them money. More alarming was the fact that only a little more than 40% knew that the best rate was not the standard rate. To read the complete report, click here. ( http://research.aarp.org/consume/d17192_longdis.pdf )

Since deregulation, there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of calling plans available in the market today. This has been a windfall for consumers but unfortunately all of the various plans and options can become very confusing for most consumers – particularly our elderly who grew up during the AT&T only reign. Please read on if you or one of your family members fall into this category. We offer these tips to help cut through some of the confusion and ease the burden (pain) of selecting a calling plan that will save them considerable sums over time.

• Telemarketing Issues:

Telemarketers and receiving spam email are one in the same, as far as I am concerned. With unwanted email you can hit the delete key; with telemarketers simply hang up. Besides, selecting a calling plan should be done with full knowledge and disclosure and reading the fine print. You cannot do that over the phone and you can rest assured that the telemarketer is not going to be terrible forthcoming. As the drug commercials say, just say no – then hang up.

• Peak versus Off-Peak Rates:

You need to look for a calling plan that delivers the same low price, any time and all of the time. Although there are numerous plans out there that offer different rates for different times and weekends, they have the tendency to mystify and bewilder mere mortals such as you and me.

• First Steps:

Start with people you know and trust; family members, close neighbors and business associates if appropriate. Ask who they use and why; what their rates are and if there are any limitations. Check with them on whether there are monthly fees and minimums with their calling plan and most important, whether they are satisfied with their service and would recommend their carrier to others. Answers to these types of questions will get you pointed in the right direction at least. Also, if you hear the same company recommended by more than one friend then you need to look into their plans first.

• Primary Considerations:

Unfortunately, getting the right calling plan requires a little work on your part. You need to study your telephone calling behavior, check for patterns, times, particular cities that you call more frequently and so forth. Do you make most of your calls locally, within the State or State-to-State? Are you a large consumer of International calls? Once you understand your personal calling habits and patterns you can begin to focus your attention on which carrier will best meet those need and meet your expectations with the most competitive price. Match your calling pattern with the recommendations you received from others in the first step above. Is there a good fit? If so, pursue them further.

• Monthly Fees:

There are many calling plans available in the marketplace that does not force you to pay a monthly fee. Avoid monthly fees if at all possible. Even more so if you do not make many calls. One more word of caution, do not buy in to the hype about low state-to-state rates because in some cases, lurking in the fine print may be a monthly fee. It’s like spotting an attractive lady across a dimly lit room, once the makeup and wig comes off you discover the true ugliness lurking beneath.

• Leasing versus Owning the Phone:

There is no reason today to lease a telephone from your local carrier. Check your telephone bill and see if there is a line item for leased equipment. If there is, head down to your local retailer that sells telephones and pick up a phone that suits your needs. Chances are you will be able to purchase a telephone with more features and at a cost that will save you a tidy sum every year. There are many retailers that sell phones for well under $100 with some below $50. There are many telephone carriers that charge leasing fees up to $20.00 per month or $240 per year. Today that is just a waste of money.

• Cramming:

Get into the habit of reviewing your telephone bill every month. Although reputable telephone carriers do not indulge in the spurious practice of cramming, they do occasionally make a mistake. Cramming is the practice of placing additional charges for goods and services on your telephone bill that you did not authorize or purchase. It is illegal. In the case of a mistakes or suspected cramming, you need to contact the company and ask them, politely initially, to explain the charges. If you didn’t authorize the purchase then ask your carrier to remove it from your bill. If they fail to remove the charge from your bill, and you feel that the charge is wrong, then contact your local office of

Public Utilities or go to the FCC web site and file a complaint.

• Added Features:

There are many fine features that can be added to your telephone service to enhance its functions and permit a broader range of useful information. But if you are like me, and could care less about the fancy bells and whistles, remove those services that you really don’t need or want. Unfortunately, there are many seniors that are sold a package of goods and services when they sign up for a new service or when telemarketers call with the latest gizmo. If you don’t need it, don’t get it. If you have it and don’t use it, remove it. All of these little “extras” increase your bill and could be a waste of money.

• Saving on Calling Plans with Fixed or Low Income:

The Federal Government is committed to providing telephone service to all Americans. The Federal Universal Service Fund includes the low-income program; which provides discounts on telephone installation and basic monthly service to qualifying consumers. There are two components to the low income program, Lifeline Assistance (“Lifeline”) and Link-Up America (“Link-Up”). Lifeline and Link-Up are available to all qualifying low-income consumers nationwide. The FCC’s enhanced Lifeline and Link-UP programs, however, which offer additional discounts, are available only for qualifying consumers living on Tribal Lands. Check with your local provider and ask about these programs in order to earn discounts on the basic telephone service. For more information about these low income programs click here. ( http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/tribalfactsheet.pdf )

• Changing Long Distance Carriers too Much Trouble:

Many people feel that switching carriers is just too much trouble and a bit too confusing. They are probably right. But in any event, if you decide to keep your existing carrier then at least check with them to make sure you are getting the best value for your money and the cheapest rates they offer. Do some of the other tips we suggest here, such as getting rid of leased equipment and extra features and you will be able to trim your bill substantially.

Instant Messaging

Instant Messaging – Expressway for Identity Theft, Trojan Horses, Viruses, and Worms

Never before with Instant Messaging (IM) has a more vital warning been needed for current and potential IM buddies who chat on line.

John Sakoda of IMlogic CTO and Vice President of Products stated that,

"IM viruses and worms are growing exponentially….Virus writers are now shifting the focus of their attack to instant messaging, which is seen as a largely unprotected channel into the enterprise."

Because Instant Messaging operates on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, it spawns an irresistible temptation for malicious computer hackers. P2P networks share files and operate on industry standard codec (encyrption codes) and industry standard protocols, which are publicly open and interpretable. Anti virus software does not incorporate protection for Instant Messaging services.

Like sharks in a feeding frenzy, these hacker mercenaries view Instant Messaging clients as their personal “Cash Cow” because of the ease by which they can access your computer via the publicly open and interpretable standards, unleash a Trojan horse, virus, or worm, as well as gather your personal and confidential information, and sell it to other depraved reprobates.

Please, don’t be naïve enough to think it won’t or couldn’t happen to you!

Want to see how easy it is for hackers to access your Instant Messaging chat and what can happen to you as a result?

Did you know that some hacker-friendly providers offer processor chips that can be bought on the Internet? (I guess it would be pretty hard to walk into a store and ask the clerk to help them find a processor chip that could be used to illegally hack into a victim’s computer for the sole purpose of spreading malicious code or stealing someone’s identity!)

Did you know that hacker-friendly providers actually offer hacker software that enables these criminals to deliberately disable security on computers, access your personal and confidential information, as well as inject their Trojan horses, viruses, and worms?

Hacker manuals are also conveniently accessible via the Internet. One of these manuals shows how to DoS other sites. DoSing (Disruption of Service) involves gaining unauthorized access to the “command prompt” on your computer and using it to tie up your vital Internet services. When a hacker invades your system, they can then delete or create files and emails, modify security features, and plant viruses or time bombs onto your computer.

“Sniff” is a tool (originally intended to help telecommunication professionals detect and solve problems) that reprobate hackers use to tamper with the protocol and “sniff out” data. When hackers sniff out your IM data packet from Internet traffic, they reconstruct it to intercept conversations. This enables them to eavesdrop on conversations, gather information, and sell it to other depraved criminal entities.

Don’t set yourself up to be the next Identity Theft Victim because you like to chat using Instant Messaging.

Identity theft is one of the most sinister of vulnerabilities you can inadvertently be subjected to. Identity theft is defined by the Department of Justice as

“…the wrongful obtaining and using of someone else’s personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain.”

Identity theft is the by-product of hacker mercenaries obtaining your social security number (including those of your spouse and children), your bank account, your credit card information, etc., from the Internet. You become a virtual “Cash Cow” for hackers as your information is then sold to other felons for financial gain. Using your information, these criminals then:

• access your bank account funds
• create new bank accounts with your information
• create driver’s licenses
• create passports

Attorney General Ashcroft stated that,

"Identity theft carries a heavy price, both in the damage to individuals whose identities are stolen and the enormous cost to America's businesses.”

A group hosting a website known as shadowcrew.com was indicted on conspiracy charges for stealing credit card numbers and identity documents, then selling them online. While this group allegedly trafficked $1.7 million in stolen credit card numbers, they also caused losses in excess of $4 million.

According to a Press Release issued by the Department of Justice on February 28, 2005, a hacker was convicted of several counts of fraud, one in which

“…he fraudulently possessed more than 15 computer usernames and passwords belonging to other persons for the purpose of accessing their bank and financial services accounts, opening online bank accounts in the names of those persons, and transferring funds to unauthorized accounts.”

Trojan Horses, Viruses, and Worms – The Toxic Trio

According to Dictionary.com, a Trojan horse is “…a subversive group that supports the enemy and engages in espionage or sabotage---an enemy in your midst.” The toxic cargo of Trojan horses can include viruses or worms.

A Trojan horse is a program that Internet criminals use to interrupt and interfere with your security software and produce the following results

• Terminates processes
• Removes registry entries
• Stops services
• Deletes files

Hackers, who have gained access to your computer, because of the easily accessible programs and software as mentioned above, are enthusiastically incorporating this venomous little program into their arsenal of weapons.

As recently as March 4, 2005, a new Trojan horse was discovered that modified settings in Internet Explorer. Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP were the reported systems that could be affected.

On January 28, 2005, a press Release issued by the Department of Justice reported that a 19 year old was convicted for his criminal activity by “…creating and unleashing a variant of the MS Blaster computer worm.” Christopher Wray, Attorney General – Criminal Division stated that,

"This … malicious attack on the information superhighway caused an economic and technological disruption that was felt around the world.”

By the way, “malicious” is defined by Webster as “…intentionally mischievous or harmful”.

On February 11, 2005, in a Press Release issued by the Department of Justice, reported that another criminal was sentenced for circulating a worm. This worm,

“…directed the infected computers to launch a distributed denial of service (DOS) attack against Microsoft's main web site causing the site to shutdown and thus became inaccessible to the public for approximately four hours.” March 7, 2005, Symantec.com posted discovery of a worm named “W32.Serflog.B” that spread through file-sharing networks and MSN Messenger – networks that operate on publicly open and interpretable industry standards administered by P2P systems that host Instant Messaging clients—none of which are protected, regardless of the anti virus software on your computer. The W32.Serflog.B worm also lowers security settings and appears as a blank message window on the MSN Messenger.

SOLUTION

Avoid at all costs, P2P file sharing networks as they operate on publicly open and interpretable industry standards. (Instant Messaging services run on P2P file sharing networks.)

If you like the convenience of text chatting via Instant Messaging, then why not consider an optimally secure VoIP (voice over internet protocol), also known as a Computer Phone, that incorporates the Instant Messaging feature. Make sure the VoIP internet service provider does not operate on P2P file sharing networks that use industry standard codec or industry standard protocols that are publicly open and accessible. (Don’t forget, these standards create the vulnerability which hackers are capitalizing on because of their easy accessibility.)

Optimally secure VoIP service providers that incorporate a secure Instant Messaging feature, operate from their own proprietary high end encryption codec on patented technology which is hosted in a professional facility. Simply put, when a VoIP internet service provider is optimally secure, the Instant Messaging feature on the VoIP softphone is also incorporated in their optimally secure technology.

Here’s the bottom line.

If you are currently using Instant Messaging of any sort, you need to make a decision:

1. Continue enticing hacker mercenaries and remain as a user of an Instant Messaging service, or
2. Take immediate corrective action.

If you decide to take immediate corrective action:

1. Find an optimally secure VoIP internet solution provider that includes the Instant Messaging feature in their proprietary patented technology.
2. Find an optimally secure VoIP internet solution provider that has their own proprietary high end encryption codec.
3. Find an optimally secure VoIP internet solution provider that has their own proprietary patented technology.
4. Find an optimally secure VoIP internet solution provider that hosts their proprietary patented technology in a professional facility.

Here’s a place you can look over to see what an optimally secure VoIP internet solution provider looks like--one that operates on their own proprietary high end encryption codec with their own proprietary patented technology hosted in a professional facility, AND one that incorporates the Instant Messaging feature.

The Demise of the Dinosaur PTTs

Telecommunications is the most important physical infrastructure in the modern world. It is more important than roads because it can replace them. It is more important than office buildings because it allows for the formation of virtual offices. It is more crucial than legal and institutional systems because it surpasses national borders and undermines and subverts fossilized political structures.

Telecommunications eliminates distance and allows for the transfer of voice and other forms of information (data) virtually at the speed of light. It is the foundation for the future industries and the industries of the future: information, knowledge and intelligent data processing industries.

Telecommunications today is not limited to handsets, phone lines and telephony equipment. It incorporates computers and other media technologies. All these are an integral part of the new age of telecoms.

Telecommunications was partly responsible to the geopolitical sea changes of the last decade. It is enough to recall the role of satellite telephones in the media coverage of the televised Gulf War - or the anti Ceaucesco revolution in Romania.

These are precisely the reasons why regimes all over the world - in other words, politicians - strove to maintain unmitigated control of the PTT services in their countries and to block foreign and domestic competition. National telecommunication service providers and carriers became monopolistic monsters, operating highly inefficiently, charging exorbitant prices, employing far too many people at unreasonably high salaries and serving to boost the political fortunes of ministers and the like.

But all this is changing. The new World Trade Organization (WTO) set of agreements will force governments throughout the world to privatize their telecoms giants and to deregulate this industry. The deadline is 2003 with a few exceptions (Latvia has until 2013 to do so). There is a new realizations that telecommunications is too important an industry to be left to the devices of politicians - or to the flawed management of state organs.

A few privatization models have evolved over the last 20 years, or so.

In the more developed countries (the West, South East Asia), some countries have chosen to introduce free for all competition. This entails the sale of part or all of the state owned telecoms provider to shareholders through stock exchanges. A small part is usually also allocated to the workers and management of the company at favourable prices. Concurrently the industry is deregulated and licensing requirements are gradually abolished.

Initially, in this model, only certain services are open to competition, mainly the international calls segment and the mobile and wireless telephony (including paging).

But, ultimately, all types of services are opened to competition - both domestic or foreign.

The most extreme example is Finland, where competition is completely free, no licensing is required and 52 companies compete for the heart (and pocket) of the customers. They are all allowed to offer any kind of telecommunications service imaginable.

Still, very much the same situation is developing in Israel, Britain, Australia, Hong Kong and - with the 1996 Telecommunications Act - in the USA. This 1996 Act allows providers and carriers of international phone calls and of local phone calls (until now separated by regulation) to enter each other markets and compete. The result was a major spate of mergers and acquisitions as companies scrambled to offer combined, international and local, services.

The second alternative is to break up the national carriers into functional units, one dedicated to international calls and the other to local traffic. NTT in Japan is undergoing this surgical restructuring now. In the wake of this break-up, competition is allowed in certain services (again, mainly international calls and GSM and mobile telephony).

The other - less efficient - option is to sell minority stakes in the national carrier to investors (domestic or foreign), or, through the stock exchanges - while effectively preserving the monopoly of state owned provider. This was the case in Israel, until lately and is the case in Greece. In Israel, when the British Cables and wireless tried to gain control of Bezeq (the Israeli phone services provider) - it encountered the staunch opposition of the Israeli government, replete with threats of legal action.

Still, the benefits of privatization are enormous.

Prices drop. That is the most evident and immediately visible effect. The prices charged for international phone calls in Israel dropped by 80% in real terms with the introduction of two additional competitors. In Britain, prices went down by 25%.

There is a leap forward in the quality of service: waiting periods for new installations, second and third phone numbers, business dedicated lines, maintenance, fixing problems, times between faults, troubleshooting, hotlines, meter reading, detailed and allocated accounts and so on. The average wait for a new phone has been reduced in Israel and in Hungary, to take two notable examples, from months to days.

Naturally, overall economic efficiency is improved by cost savings and by more productive allocation of time previously spent on tackling bureaucratic hassles.

Last, but by no means least, is the marked improvement in technology, its upgrading and the introduction of novel, low cost alternatives.

In the less developed and developing countries, privatization has been achieved mainly through the introduction of foreign strategic partners - usually other telecoms firms from more developed countries. This necessitates the temporary preservation of the monopolies. No profit minded foreign investor will invest in infrastructure - and let future competitors reap the benefits. An investor wants to be assured that he will continue to rule the market and overcharge the customers for a proscribed period of time. Foreign investors like monopoly situations because this way they have a captive market and thus they can force their clients to defray their development costs through overcharging. But, this can be seen as the cost of modernization and integration into regional and global telecoms alliances. Once competition is allowed, everyone (especially the clients) will reap the benefits of modern information highways.

To my mind this thinking is flawed. The direct and indirect damages incurred by monopolies are immeasurable. Monopolies must be dismantled - and the sooner, the better. The transfer of part of a monopoly from domestic to foreign hands does not alter its economically cancerous nature. Monopolies are guilty of over or under optimal investments, of overcharging clients, of distorting the allocation of economic resources, of market rigging, corruption and other criminal activities, of providing poor service, of selecting the wrong technologies. Only the threat of competition - actual and fierce - can change all that. Even so, long after competition is introduced, monopolies seem to continue to control their markets. British Telecom still controls 72% of its markets - despite more than a decade of competition.

Despite these considerations - and due to rampant corruption and cronyism - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Yugoslavia-Serbia, Estonia, Latvia and Russia chose this path. Bulgaria and Romania will follow them next year and it seems that Macedonia might follow suit, more out of lack of choice of alternatives - than out of careful selection of them.

The other way is by selling shares to investors in the stock exchanges - local and foreign. Poland has adopted this path after years of foot-ragging. It will sell shares of its carriers early next year. This, however, is not a solution available to small countries with an undeveloped stock exchange and low liquidity. To float the local PTT in the Macedonian Stock Exchange would be absurd. Even to attract domestic capital in sufficient quantity would be unthinkable.

Some countries avoid privatization altogether. They regard the fix of privatization as a fad, or a passing craze (which, in its more extreme forms, it is). They declare the telecommunications sector to be a matter of national strategic importance (again, to a very limited extent, it is). Slovakia has introduced a law in 1995 to actively prohibit the privatization of its PTT.

But experience disproves the Slovak stance. Admittedly, privatization does have its unpleasant side effects: redundant workers are fired by the thousands and unemployment goes up, for instance. Another result, cutely felt by every potential voter, is the radical increase in the price of local phone calls which used to be subsidized by the outlandish charges imposed on international calls. Once cross - subsidization ceases and more realistic pricing is introduced - prices shoot up.

But the price of all other services drop as sharply and there is a dramatic improvement in the quality and speed of the services provided.

The technological aspect is not to be sneered at, either.

The current infrastructure is insufficient in all Central and East European countries. It is partly incompatible with European Union standards and networks. The existing backbones will, of course, still be used but they will be gradually replaced by fibre optics and digital switchboards.

Technologies like cable TV and broadcasting networks, satellites and above all, wireless and GSM networks will serve to bridge the capacity and compatibility gaps and deficiencies. They will also reduce the dependence of new market entrants on the infrastructure and services provided by local PTTs - and this is good news.