Computer Technology Support

WiMAX is designed as a wireless alternative to DSL and cable for last mile broadband access and as way to interconnect Wi-Fi hotspots into a Metropolitan Area Network. Although, the actual uses for WiMAX overlaps those for Wireless Local Area Network up until the mobile Wide Area Network level. Telephone and cable companies are closely probing the potential of WiMAX as a “last mile” connectivity option. This will result to a better-priced service for both home and business customers and not to mention the elimination of the “captive” customer bases for both telephone and cable networks.

In theory, WiMAX can provide connectivity to users within a 31 mile radius even if there is no direct line if sight. However, actual field tests show that the practical limits seem to be just around 3 to 5 miles. According to WiMAX proponents, the technology can provide shared data rates up to 70 Mbit/s. This is enough to connect 60 T1-type connections simultaneously and over a thousand homes running at 1 Mbit/s DSL level connectivity. Practical maximum data rates in actual field tests show can only go between 500 kbit/s to 2 Mbit/s and is quite dependent on the conditions at a given site.

Despite the numbers given, there are a lot of ways to improve the speed and range of a WiMAX connection using pre-existing technology. One interesting option for companies with analog cellular network is to let WiMAX “share” a cell tower since it will not interfere with any of the function of the cellular arrays while utilizing the licensed radio frequencies of the analog cellular network to increase its speed and range. A WiMAX antenna can also be directly connected to an Internet backbone using a fiber optic cable. This is one of the means to increase bandwidth for data-intensive applications running across a wireless network or as a back-haul for cellular phone and Internet traffic from a remote area back to a backbone. WiMAX can effectively improve a wireless infrastructure in a decentralized, inexpensive and deployment-friendly manner.

WiMAX is seen as a very good alternative to expensive urban deployments of T1 back-hauls in developing countries with limited wired infrastructure and cruel geography. The cost to install a WiMAX station as a single hub or using an existing cellular tower will be very small compared to a wired solution. WiMAX’s 31-mile diametrical range also works well with the low population density and the wide flat areas common to developing countries. Some areas have skipped wired structures due to inhibitive costs and WiMAX can easily fill the gap in-between with its low-cost wireless solution.

There is no global license assigned for WiMAX although it has a very wide RF spectrum under the IEEE 802.16 specifications. The primary band used in the US for WiMAX is around 2.5 GHz although majority of the band is already assigned to Sprint Nextel. In other parts of the world, the bands used are usually around 2.3/2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz and 5 GHz where the 2.3/2.5 GHz is widely used in Asia.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to networking.for-home-and-office.com/ Networking

Some believe that there is no point in reasoning without data. Others cannot accept this and instead get by on reasoning based on intuition and even simply the belief that they should instinctively know. Many of the greatest theories in the world have come thru very little data or none at all. So many of these theories of past periods are later proven with data in subsequent future periods, thus proving you can reason without data.

Speaking from my own point of view and often working on intuition I believe that it is dangerous for innovation and the forward progression of the species to accept the notion that there is no point in reasoning without data. Often, I myself have no data for many of the concepts that I come up with. Indeed this may not mean they are always correct, in fact although many of my concepts or innovation could be said to be outright brilliant, some completely irrelevant, while others absolutely and utterly worthless. Of the ones, which are brilliant most are derived on “gut instinct,” perhaps maybe based only slightly on observation and experience. If you work in a job, which requires innovative decision making; you may have enjoyed the same scenario. I have noticed that some of my best innovations that come from just thinking out in the blue in hindsight of the innovative thought in fact could not have been reasoned with data, for many times no data exists or worse of they are contrary to popular belief of current data.

So with this said, it might be reasoned without data that nothing completely out of the blue or a revelation type event in a completely new concept can ever be created if we do not allow ourselves to think and reason without data. Because no data has been created on something we do not know, to prove it would work or not work? If these folks who say you cannot reason without data really believe that it is not possible, then we ought to move them out of the way, as they are a barrier of nay Sayers which are impeding the forward progression of mankind. If they were right, and thank god they are not, then we would never create anything new at all.
Think on that.

“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0, as well as Microsoft CRM 1.2 has so-called MS Outlook client snap-ins. Also it uses MSDE installed on local machine (usually meaning laptop of the traveling MS CRM user) to store replicated MS CRM data for using it offline. It is probably true statement for each MRP, ERP or CRM system implementation, that it is not an easy process, part of the complexity and challenge comes from the need for users to get used and accommodate themselves to new user interface of the system, being implemented. In this small article we will show the ways how Microsoft decides this problem.

• Microsoft Outlook users experience. This would not be a big paradox to say that “normal” office computer user spends a lot of her/his time working in Microsoft Outlook: sending/receiving/reading/replying emails, working with calendar: appointments, to-dos, etc. And spending so much time working with MS Outlook, user can now intuitively accept new snap-ins.

• Intuitive User Interface. It is probably not winning by being overall intuitive, but considering huge number of Outlook users and their familiarity with the interface – the idea to capitalize on the user skills comes natural. Looking back to 1999, when beta versions of MS CRM were in the popularization mode among Microsoft partners, the idea of having Outlook client for MS CRM was not met with applauding, but now we are slowly realizing the envision and foundation strategy. So, the idea is – save on user training (or even nullify user training cost) – users will naturally understand how to use Microsoft Dynamics CRM Outlook client interface.

• SAP & Microsoft Office. SAP has a project with Microsoft, where Microsoft is bridging mySAP & R/3 with Microsoft Office. As Microsoft Project Green (or current name is Microsoft Dynamics NAV, AX, GP, CRM, SL) the integration with Microsoft middleware, meaning MS Office, including Sharepoint, SQL Server and other technologies nowadays attributed to MS Windows platform, other leading ERP vendors realized the game rules. Microsoft CRM is obviously ahead of competition in this direction, being among the first Microsoft applications, staking on MS Office integration.

• Competition with SAP Business One. There are analytical prognoses, pointing out to the fact that such brightly designed applications as SAP Business One could be losing the ground if the owning software vendor doesn’t invest into the background technologies. The situation is kind of funny, because Microsoft holds the majority of the market of these technologies, and SAP Business One needs to be a friend to Microsoft to integrate with MS Office platform.

• CRM Market of the Future. On the wave of CRM vendors acquisitions and consolidation we could expect asymmetric answer from Microsoft competitors, where the market might be dramatically taken over (or retaken back from Microsoft CRM successes)

You can always have us help you with the implementation & customization. Call us: 1-866-528-0577 , 1-630-961-5918.

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( albaspectrum.com albaspectrum.com) – Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials, SAP Business One and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.