CrossTalk

AudioCodes and Microsoft to present “Migrate to UC with Microsoft Lync” educational webinar series

2012-01-24T07:49:00.000-08:00

Monthly webinar series to feature presenters from Microsoft and industry-experts

AudioCodes, a leader in voice-over-IP technology, media gateways, session border controllers, mobility and other communication network elements today announced the dates for a eight-part monthly educational webinar series focused on enterprise migration paths to Unified Communications (UC) with Microsoft Lync.

“The goal of the eight-part webinar series is to educate businesses and the partner community on various Lync deployment options, best practices and technical “tips” on how to effectively make the migration to a full Unified Communications environment with Microsoft Lync”, said Alan D. Percy, Senior Director of Strategic Marketing and the event host. “This series is created together with industry experts, VSPs, VARs, and Microsoft in response to feedback from previous event attendees who continue to ask for more in-depth sessions with greater technical detail, more “how to” content and additional customer case studies”.
Webinar series abstract:

Unified Communications with Microsoft Lync offers to dramatically improve employee efficiency and reduce communications costs. But how does the typical business make the migration from existing PBX or IP-PBX systems to a complete UC platform with full mobility enabled? It's a complex process that we've broken down into eight easy-to-understand steps. Join us for this webinar series to hear guidance from Microsoft, AudioCodes and a number of guest speakers that have made the transformation from a "we've always done it this way" legacy environment to a cutting-edge, UC-enabled business on the move.

Schedule of Dates and Topics:
Session Topic (one each for partners/end-users) Partners End-Users
1 Implementing IM/Presence/Voice & Video 2/14/2012 2/16/2012

2 Emergency Services and E911 with UC 3/13/2012 3/15/2012

3 Moving off the PBX / Moving SIP Phones to Lync 4/10/2012 4/12/2012

4 SIP Trunking – Turning on the Cost Savings 5/15/2012 5/17/2012

5 UC Mobility - Taking it on the Road 6/12/2012 6/14/2012

6 Branch Office Deployments and Survivability 7/17/2012 7/19/2012

7 Call Recording and Compliance with UC 8/14/2012 8/16/2012

8 Unified Messaging - Integrating the Desktop 9/11/2012 9/13/2012

Guest Speakers
The UC Migration webinar series will feature presentations from:
Thomas Binder, Architect Voice CoE, Microsoft
Michael Nelson, Vice President of Integrated Access Solutions (IAS)
Pascal Menezes, Senior Program Manager, Microsoft
François van Hemert, Architect Voice CoE, Microsoft
Kam Toor, Senior Program Manager Lead, Microsoft
Jon Morrow, Senior Program Manager – Unified Communications, Microsoft
…and others to be announced

Participation Drawings with Nine Chances to Win
In appreciation for attendee’s participation in a post-event survey, AudioCodes is holding a drawing for an iPad 2 after each event and a vacation voucher at the completion of the entire series.

AudioCodes manufactures a number of important network elements that enable Microsoft Lync implementations, including:
• Media Gateways – providing interfaces to existing PBXs and TDM trunking telephone lines
• Enterprise Session Border Controllers (E-SBCs) – providing interoperability and security for SIP Trunking and integrating Lync to IP-PBXs or other manufacturer’s call servers.
• Survivable Branch Appliances – simplifying deployments at branch offices by combining local gateway functions with embedded server features that allow branch offices to continue to function when WAN services fail.
• Mobility – delivering voice-enabled mobile clients and management server for Lync that off-load voice traffic from the cellular network to local WiFi or 3G data networks.
• SIP Phone Integration Software – allowing existing SIP or analog POTS phones to be used in Lync deployments
• Fax Server Integration – enabling integration to leading third-party fax server software packages alongside Microsoft Lync.
• Call Recording/Logging – solving required call recording compliance issues in the financial, health care and other industries.
More Information and Registration
For more information or to register for the event, visit the webinar information page at: http://www.audiocodes.com/uc-migration-series

Microsoft Lync Customer Case Study - Real Life - Real Savings - Real Benefits - Killer App

2012-01-24T05:35:00.000-08:00

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Every product looks for "killer apps" or looks to be a killer app. Lync is a new emerging product with many fans and a wide diverse audience of installations. However, users still struggle or rather are in "no rush to judgment" to replace their PBXs and many PBX vendors are thriving as Lync does not fit all circumstances, nor likely to ever fit all. One of my fav grocery stores when with ShoreTel as it works simple to use and fits the need. A school district is tired of their old PBX but Lync is not ready (their words) to be tested in the hopefully never-to-happen-again situation such as Columbine or others. However, the case study below from Broward University is a cool "killer app" which simplifies communications, solves problems and saves lots of money. That is, look where Lync can offer the greatest benefit with minimal disruption for the maximum impact. Circle and surround existing applications and bring new ideas and innovation to both the current customer and show skeptics that Lync multi-dimensional product for now and in the future.

Real Life - Real Savings - Really Simple - Lync Case Study

Background
Broward College is the sixth largest college in the US with 65,000 students of three main campuses and eight satellite campuses found itself with six different vendors of audio and video conferencing spending $250,000 a year and sought new cost-effective and improved management solution.

Challenge
Talking with Kenneth Libutti, Assistant Director for Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, "Before we had Microsoft Lync 2010, we have been using Microsoft OCS-office communications for instant messaging (IM) purposes and initially that's all we wanted to do was replace the legacy conferencing bridge systems we were using and that business driver behind our decision. Our initial goal was to first eliminate as much travel and the challenges of meeting scheduling. The priority came from the top down, from the President and cabinet members to reduce travel and downtime. Second, we wanted better ways to serve students like "cyber-advising" which is designed to make online students accessible to academic advisors like on-campus have. Third, we wanted to explore options to replace our NEC PBX and other PBXs looking to industry standard SIP solutions as we are already using VoIP between campuses."

Essentially Ken added, "We wanted to eliminate six different communications solutions from different vendors of webseminars services, conferencing services and others. In addition, our LMS-learning management system provider Desire-to-Learn (http://www.desire2learn.com) was going to integrate Lync integrate into their LMS and we wanted to know more about how we could benefit from that. Our immediate focus right now is to replace the legacy conference bridge of 48 channels. Right now we finished our pilot phase where we had 65 folks evaluating the AudioCode conferencing bridge solution with very positive results. Our long-term goal is to replace the NEC PBX with Lync or open industry-standard session initiation protocol (SIP)."

Ken went on to say, "The results of the AudioCodes pilot which has been up for three month and full audio-visual conferencing for a month is that the audio quality with the AudioCodes is better than we have ever had before. The evaluators are the 65 IT staff and the instructional developers including elearning group and many power users. Because it has gone so well, we will be migrating all users into Lync and eliminating the legacy conferencing system and using only the AudioCodes conferencing system. We have enabled all users to use the AudioCodes, however they must complete a brief training course first. We just added the second T-1 card to the AudioCodes system to give us 48 channels.

Success & Future Plans
Ken summarized efforts by saying "all faculty and staff will have access to new Lync conferencing and they are absolutely loving full integration with Microsoft Outlook with excellent audio and video quality as well as embedding PowerPoint. Our support staff really likes the desktop sharing for remote support and assistance. Also, we have already trying Polycom VoIP conference phones for conference rooms and look to eliminating all conferencing from the NEC PBX. The reason why we looked at AudioCodes for audio conferencing was the tight integration with Lync including FAX, pricing was relatively inexpensive. Since then, both sales and support staff from AudioCodes have been excellent. In addition, there have no problems and now looking forward to utilizing SBA-survivable branch appliances and Lync for other locations.

Postscript - Day in the Life
Ken was asked about what are some of the other challenges he faces on a daily basis. "I am constantly reminded that certificates have been the bane of my existence. The complication of certificates is a huge thing, there are so combinations and the split-brain domain name service (DNS) of internal and public IP addresses doesn't help at all. We are using separate uniform resource indicators (URI) for our SIP dial plans that makes constant battle to get them all correct. We are working through the other working on the dial plans trying to make intelligent decision to do the number manipulations through existing PBX and Lync. It takes a talented brain put it all down on paper and talk through the variations of dialing and then from the inside the College and then again from the outside. The integration of Lync and audio is really cool and to see the Lync answer the conference call and sounds awesome also to find out FAX over IP from the get-go and a lot more powerful. Lastly, we are constantly discovering new features which is every exciting."

Editor Note: This is solid example of how Lync can benefit most organizations with or without any PBX replacement.

Innovations in Developing and Delivering Channel Partner Training - Customer Case Study

2012-01-23T14:03:00.001-08:00

The Training Associates (TTA) Solution:

Performed:

- Extensive industry, market and product research.

- Interviewed company staff in US and overseas.

- Reviewed more than 30 instructor-led training (ILT) and eLearning courses.

- Evaluated wide array of delivery options currently available and those needed to be leading edge education and industry player.

- Considered internal and external source options.

- Considered various learning management system (LMS) options

- Considered various content management system (CMS) options.

Business Problem: Client was faced with aging legacy development and delivery educational methods as well as siloed corporate management involvement in sales and product training. In addition, eLearning solutions were not current or accessible in mobile and/or portable environments. Nor was there any flexible approach to content management systems (CMS) development, use (distribution to instructors) and delivery.

Background

Storage area network (SAN) market leader faced with rapidly changing domestic and global training needs for customer and channel partners.

Business Results: Here are just a few of the many actions taken by the client:

- Develop new Chief Learning Officer (CLO) responsible for all product, sales, support and management content.

- Implement a new “core content” approach for mobile, portable and actionable “just enough, just-in-time” approach to all content.

- Implement improved search engine optimization (SEO) to “trace and track” Google search as well visitors coming to corporate website.

- Performed Google/Bing search engine and internal search.

TTA Success Story —Technology Case # 204 Data and Information Management Company www.TheTrainingAssociates.com phone 1.800.241.8868 fax 508.890.8658 info@TheTrainingAssociates.com or Barry@TheTrainingAssociates.com

Lync Edge Security - Lync Security - "Must Have"

2012-01-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

The next wave of hack attacks will be against SIP-based systems. Since Lync is SIP-based, you must-have some protection and highly recommend advanced protection. Here is one part of the puzzle. Companies that allow employees to remotely sign in to Microsoft Lync Server 2010 communications software from the Internet can be susceptible to denial-of-service (DoS) (click here for a tutorial on DOS)
and brute-force attacks. Both types of attacks involve guessing users' passwords or locking out user accounts when too many incorrect password attempts are made to a valid Active Directory Domain Services user account when a password policy is enforced. Although internal security is not compromised, both types of attacks can be disruptive to users and consume internal server resources. To help prevent your organization from such attacks at the network perimeter, the security filter for the Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Edge Server monitors sign-in attempts and enforces account lockout at the network perimeter.

The Security Filter is a server application that inspects all inbound sign-in requests on the Edge Server. The remote user is not authenticated at the Edge Server, so the sign-in request is passed to the director or directly to the internal pool. This is where the authentication process happens. The response is then passed back to the Edge Server. The Security Filter inspects both the request and the response. If the sign-in fails, the Security Filter tracks the number of failed attempts for each user account.

The next time a client attempts to sign in to the same user account, and the number of failed attempts exceeds the maximum number of allowed sign-in attempts, the Security Filter immediately rejects the request without passing the request along for authentication. By enforcing account lockout at the Edge Server, the Security Filter blocks DoS attacks at the edge of the network perimeter and protects internal Lync Server resources.

To uniquely identify the user attempting to authenticate, the security filter reverse engineers the authentication protocols (NTLM v.2 or TLS-DSK) used in Lync Server. In the case of NTLM v.2, the security filter extracts the domain and user name from the GSS data. In the case of TLS-DSK, the security filter extracts the client certificate used to authenticate the user. The security filter uses this unique identifier to track the number of failed login attempts, and blocks any further login attempts regardless of whether the attacker spoofs the user's SIP URI or other identifier to outsmart the security filter.

Product Versions
The Security Filter is available in two versions: Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition. The Enterprise Edition is targeted to customers with more than one Edge Server. The difference between the Standard Edition and the Enterprise Edition is the use of a SQL Server database to centrally track all the failed login attempts across a bank of Edge Servers.

Product Features:

- Monitors every client login request crossing the Edge Server.
- Uniquely identifies each login request based on domain credentials submitted by client.
- Recognizes different username formats, UPN (rui@maximo.ws), Netbios (maximo\rui), or hybrid (maximo.ws\rui) as the same user account.
- Tracks number of failed login attempts and source.
- Blocks client login requests when the number of failed login attempts exceeds administrator configurable threshold.
- Ability to block NTLM based login requests (Lync Server version only).
- Ability to centrally store failed login information across a bank of Edge Servers into a SQL Server database.
- Provides logging information to Application Event Log (verbose mode available).

Click here for more information and purchasing - mention LUF909 for a discount.

Social Media Marketing Communications for Professionals

2012-01-13T02:23:00.000-08:00

Presents

Social Media Marketing Communications
for all professionals
______________________________

Formats
• Executive Presentation - 1-3 Hours
• All Day Onsite & Online Course
______________________________

This course is also approved by Colorado Supreme Court
Board of Continuing Legal and Judicial Education
Area of Law Codes: Communications-INT, Legal Advertising-ETH and Computers-INT

Note: The Real Estate version of this course is also approved by
State of Colorado DORA Division of Real Estate #3573.

Call 303-594-1694 or email cross@gocross.com for scheduling and customizing
www.socialbusinesscollege.com
________________________________________________________

Social Media: Top-10 Success Strategies
1-3-Hour Executive/Keynote Presentation/Webinar

Social Business College announces the Top-10 Success Strategies for Social Media Marketing. This presentation is designed for a corporate meeting, association event keynote or webinar (webseminar) or other event. Topics can be customized for vertical markets, however include the following:

1 - Starting Out - Soup, Sizzle or Sinkhole
2 - Solutions - Search-SEO versus Social-SEM
3 - Social Business Models - Industry-Market
4 - Successes - Always Seeking-Searching
5 - Stories - Sales, Support & Sabotage
7 - Soapbox - Followers and Following - Speaking or Just Standing-in
8 - Systems - App-etizer and Optimizer
9 - Security - Compliance & Consideration
10 - Strategies - Market/Business Assessments

Social Media Top-10 is a new introduction to those new to social media, wake-up call to those sitting on the sidelines and ROI focused for those who wonder "where the money" seeking more revenues or seeking lower costs. It is a companion course with the six-eight hour full-day program which is called Social Media Business Solutions. To schedule either, please email cross@gocross.com or call 303-594-1694.

Eight (50 minute) sessions onsite/online anywhere in Colorado and other locations or customized for special uses.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR MORNING SESSION
• Understand the fundamentals of social media, social media marketing, social media business functions and other marketing information and strategies for the professional.
• Explore different social media functions, features and benefits to a professional.
• Grasp complex subjects such as computer internet search engine optimization, website key word searching and search engine functions as well as copyright, brand Protection and other IP (intellectual property) concerns.
• Understand different business customer applications, internet computing and business models.
• Understand why social media communications and computers is critical to any business implementation and why this step cannot be overlooked.
• Address the issue of integrated social media strategy in a professional management setting.
• Understand the functions of the new communications solutions from email, blogs, wikis, group and other communications paradigms and copyright issues. Review the benefits and risks of social media communications improve business operations both internally and externally.
• Learn to Assess the Top-10 issues why social media represent change in the business model of even the smallest enterprise. Discuss and explore new ways to improve fundamental business processes.

COURSE OUTLINE FOR MORNING
1 - Introduction - What is Social Media Marketing? - 08:00-08:50 - 50 minutes
- Why Marketing, Why Not Just Selling?
- What is Marketing?
- Social Business Models
- B2B-Business-to-Business
- B2C-Business-to-Consumer
- P2P-People-to-People
- Social metrics and ROI-Return on Investment and TCO-Total Cost of Ownership
- SEO/SEM-Search Engine Optimization/Marketing
- PPC-Pay-Per-Click and other Analytics
- Crowdsourcing - right sizing, new business development models
- Four Key Human Communications Paradigms - 1-1, 1-X, X-1, X-X
- Four Key Communications Technology Paradigms - Machine and Artificial Intelligence
- Corporate, Internal & Organizational Social Networks - Communications/Collaboration, Process & Business Intelligence, Individual, Content Management
- Social Media Business Corporate Integration
- Enterprise Content Management - Complex Document Content Management - Departmental Groupware
- Process & Business Intelligence
- Groupware - Communications & Collaboration - Wikis, Blogs
- Organizational Marketing - Internal Social Networks - SharePoint, Yammer, Newsgator, etc.
- Contact Center Integration and Response - "Constant Courtesy"
Coffee/Discussion Break 08:50-09:10 - 20 minutes
2 - New Social Media Tools - Acquire, Connect, Engage, and Grow - 09:10-10:00 - 50 minutes
- 5 Key Customer Types
- #1 Rule in Customers
- Top-10 Reasons for Social Media Marketing such as:
- Start selling
- Upsell
- Pitch-sell
- Re-sell
- Cross-sell
- Followup selling
- Shorter selling
- Outselling
- Support selling - "constant courtesy"
- Cool selling
- Today's technology is not tomorrow's technology
- Ways "pads" support mobile marketing communications
Social Media Technology - new or renewed
- New Social Media Technology - Tablets, Machines, Kiosks, AI
- Social Media Mobile Apps - iPhones/iPads and others
- Age and Social Media – “You are when you were when”
Coffee/Discussion Break - 10:00-10:10 - 10 minutes
3 - Getting Started in Internet Computing & Communications Media - 10:10-11:00 - 50 minutes
- In the beginning - domain names
- Search - Search is NOT Social
- 3 Key Google Search Spaces
- Search Advertising Google Adwords
- Getting to be #1 and, Most Importantly, Staying There
- Search Analytics - Exact or Rocket Science?
- The "New" Google UI-User Interface
Coffee/Discussion Break - 11:00-11:10 - 10 minutes
4 - Websites & Social Media Experience - 11:10-12:00 - 50 minutes
- Why Most Websites Suck - "If your website sucks, they think you do to"
- #1 Rule of Websites
- Social Media Communications Integrated Websites
- Integrated Social Media & Contact Centers
- Top-10 Strategic Customer Assessments

1 – Customer
2 – Content
3 - Media Channels
4 - Channels of Distribution
5 – Apps
6 – Technology
7 – Organization
8 - Brand
9 – Random
10 - Vision

Lunch 12:00 - 12:40 - Lunch Break - 40 minutes
LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR AFTERNOON SESSION
• Review the details of various social media solutions such as email marketing, blogs, video, surveys and others.
• Explore different social media content strategies - what to say and when to be an effective professional.
• Grasp complex subjects such as "how to" twitter, blog and producing video content and submissions to maximize key word searching and search engine functions.
• Understand different "time management" techniques for maximizing productivity for the business professional.
• Probe the issues behind social media for B2B, B2C, P2P. Understand when and why different customer strategy is needed for social media marketing.
• Understand why blogging is very important to demonstrating the breadth and depth of knowledge of the business professional and why it is critical in today's complex business marketplace.
• Develop a social media strategy for a business setting.
• Understand the functions and anatomy of Facebook websites. See how the benefits of social media communications can be organized to aid in communications with customers.
• Assess the Top-10 Benefits of Twitter and how daily communications with customers and the world-at-large enhances the reputation of the management professional.
• Explore how social media is important for regulatory compliance and professional reputation management as well as potential security attacks.
• Probe the issues behind social media. Understand when and why business organizations need a social media marketing and compliance plan and legal issues arising from use of social networks at work.
• Review exciting new social media technologies and how to maximize the benefits to the business professional of Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google, website design, key work tagging and the vast array of home, pad, mobile and other emerging technologies.

COURSE OUTLINE FOR AFTERNOON
5 - Social Media Marketing Defined - 12:40-13:30 - 1 Hour
- Social Media "Word of Mouth"
- Social Media Shortening & Closing Sales - Endorsements to Purchase Cycles
- It's Free but Your Time is Not Free
- Place - One of the Four Marketing P's - Place, Now Online
- Timing is Everything - Integrated Communications Calendars
- Benefits of Sharing
- Social Media Marketing - Best Practices
- Goals
- Dis-engaging "Lurkers"
- Creating a Social Media Presence
- Where are Your Customers?
Coffee/Discussion Break - 13:30-13:40 - 10 minutes
6 - Social Media Marketing Types - 13:40-14:30 - 1 Hour
- Email Marketing - Functions it fulfills for Social Media
- Email Marketing Metrics - Measuring What You Mail
- Newsletters
- Events & Event Marketing
- Online Surveys
- Investor/Stakeholder/Community Relations
- White Papers
- Webinars
- TradeShows
- Print & Magazine Ads
- Billboards
- Podcasting
- Conference calls
- Press Conferences
- TV advertising
- Press Releases
- Video - YouTube
- Apps
- Twitter
- Linkedin
- Facebook
- Blogs - Setting up a Blog - Writing for a Blog - Marketing a Blog - Blogs - Why They Fail
- Wikis and Why They Fail
- Your First Words - Content is Everything - Not the Media But the Message
- Focusing Your Presence
- Building Your Presence
Coffee/Discussion Break - 14:30-14:40 - 10 minutes
7 - Tech-Tips & Technologies - 14:40-15:30 - 50 minutes
- URL Shorteners
- Stock Photo-Video-Image Services - Picture is worth a lot of words
- Facebook
- Basic Facebook Page
- Facebook Timeline - Things You Need To Know - Blog Meets Scrapbook
- Facebook for Business
- Contact Center Facebook Integration
- Facebook Advertising and Marketing
- Facebook business case studies
- Creating a Presence on Linkedin
- Linkedin Page Basics
- Linkedin Integration with Email Marketing
- Twitter - What is it and Top-10 Benefits
- Basic Anatomy of Twitter
- Creating a Presence Using Twitter
- Avoid Being a "Twit" on Twitter
- Google+ - Google Circles and 1+
- "Other" Social Media Technologies - so many, so little time.
- URL Shorteners
- Stock Photo-Video-Image Services - Picture is worth a lot of words
- Facebook
- Basic Anatomy of Facebook Page
- Facebook Timeline - Things You Need To Know - Blog Meets Scrapbook
- Facebook for Business
- Anatomy of Contact Center Facebook Integration
- Facebook Advertising and Marketing
- Facebook business case studies
- Creating a Presence on Linkedin
- Basic Anatomy of Linkedin Page
- Linkedin Integration with Email Marketing
- Twitter - What is it and Top-10 Benefits
- Basic Anatomy of Twitter
- Creating a Presence Using Twitter
- Avoid Being a "Twit" on Twitter
- Google+ - Google Circles and 1+
- "Other" Social Media Technologies - so many, so little time.
Coffee/Discussion Break - 15:30-15:40 - 10 minutes
8 - Building Your Social Marketing Network - 15:40-16:30 - 50 minutes
- Integrating Twitter with Newsletter (Email), Facebook, Blogs, etc.
- Growing Virally, not Socially
- #1 Rule of Content is …..
- Being the Expert and "Thought Leader"
- Social Media Don'ts
- Reuse, Reuse, Reuse
- Real Life Case Studies - What Really Works?
- Measuring Your Own Success
- Like Exercise Do It Daily
- Let Tools Help Manage
- What To Monitor
- Responding to the Negative
- Social Media Marketing Success
- Social Media Success for SMB - B2B, B2C, P2P
- Ethics in Corporate - Security and Compliance
- Ethics in Social Media Security & Cyber/Digital Security
- Ethics in Social Media Compliance - Regulatory and Common Sense Rules - SEC-FINRA, PCI, SOX
- Ethics in Compliance - SEC Rules 17a-3 17a-4 & NASD Rule 3110
- Future Trends, Solutions and Technologies
End

INSTRUCTOR:
Tom has successfully taught this class many times with Excellent Evaluations and no complaints.

THOMAS B. CROSS - B.S. M.S.
2525 Arapahoe Suite E4 – Boulder, Colorado 80302 - 303-594-1694
Email cross@gocross.com - Blog - http://crosstalk-techtionary.blogspot.com
LinkedIn for References & Recommendations - http://www.linkedin.com/in/techtionary
Twitter - http://twitter.com/techtionary
Web sites http://techtionary.com, http://socialbusinesscollege.com

Senior-level Technology Marketing-Communications and Business Development Executive with a proven track record for creating and sustaining growth.
Tom has three decades of experience in startups and consulting advisor with leading providers and venture capital companies in market planning and development, hardware/software design and development, project management, intellectual property in telecommunications, information technology, conferencing, teletraining, telecommuting, groupware, networks, call centers, internet, artificial intelligence and other fields. He has managed the successful development of more than 10 software, hardware and internet products to market and received industry awards for this work. He has authored 13 books including Teleconferencing (TelePresence), Telecommuting, Intelligent Buildings, and Knowledge Engineering – Business Applications for Artificial Intelligence. He has authored/scripted, produced and directed 15 commercial videos and created more than 3,000 of online e-learning Flash tutorials on telecommunications, internet, routing, wind power, electricity, smart grid, RF-radio frequency SIP-session initiation protocol, RFID-radio frequency identification, VoIP-voice over internet protocol, IPT-internet protocol telephony, VoIP security, artificial intelligence, networking, WiFi-wireless fidelity, TMDA-time division multiple access, CDMA-code division multiple access and hundreds of other technologies. He has been the Technology Columnist - Telecommunications Magazine, Technology Columnist - Converged Solution Providers Network, Contributor - Phone+ Magazine, Contributing Editor to Web Hosting Magazine, Security and Emerging Technologies Columnist, Member Board of Technical Advisors - VoIP Security Alliance and Technology Columnist for National Association of Telecommunications Dealers, Federation of Internet Solutions Providers of America, Association of Service and Computer Dealer International. He is the writer, animator and producer of the World's Largest Animated Knowledge Source on Technology – www.techtionary.com – recipient of Web Hosting Magazine Editors Choice for Best Technical Help.
Some of the key highlights are:
• Executive Management – negotiated legal, financial contracts, performed due diligence and guided merger/acquisition negotiations for Bellcore and others.
• New Business Strategy – conceived and designed new products and new markets in commercial legal, higher education, GIS-Geographic Information Systems and economic development for BellSouth, grew Bellcore multi-media (e-learning, CBT-Computer-Based Training, web-based online and teleconferencing) products from $100,000 to $7 million in three years and others. Self-funded and grew software company from zero to $700,000 in three years, hired/fired/managed staff of 25 sales, support, engineering and other staff.
• Business Strategy Consulting – successfully completed many strategy planning projects for TimeWarner. Wrote and designed virtual office telecommuting strategy for CableLabs and others.
• Business Case – conceived, wrote, developed financial projects and presented business cases for new products and markets for BellSouth and venture capitalists (under NDA).
• Competitive Intelligence – researched, analyzed and presented competitive matrix on competitors, channels, customer configuration and customer needs (under NDA).
• Onsite & E-Learning – instructor-led and e-learning course development on IBM RUP-Rational Unified Process, Rational RequisitePro/Web, Requirements Management-Use Cases, SharePoint Essentials, Wiki/Blogs, SharePoint 101, Function Point Analysis and other Qwest specific courses of business process, project management, software development, leadership and other topics.
• Technical Writing – research, wrote, edited and published hundreds of complex documents and documentation for telecommunications, building systems, internet security, smart grid, sales, HIPAA, software, wireless, internet and other topics and recipient of “Outstanding Author” from IFMA-International Facility Managers Association.
• E-Learning – instructor-led and e-learning course development on Microsoft OCS-Office Communications Server 2007 R2, SIP and other courses.
• Business Development – created and built multi-level channel partner distribution for BellCore, BellSouth, Qwest and others.
• Regulatory – wrote and presented testimony before PUCs and Congress on communications policy and regulatory issues, working knowledge of FCC, state and local regulatory tariffs, procedures and issues including CATV franchising.
• Marketing-Communications (marcom) – designed advertising, campaigns, public relations, packaging, pricing and promotional concepts for Carrier Access, Bellcore, BellSouth and others in IP Telephony, Telecommunications and other companies. Directed staff of five in proposals, website design, website promotions, graphics, public relations, Wall Street investor meetings and investor relations for public company. Designed, managed, and analyzed PPC, SEO, strategies for internet marketing.
• Public Relations & Corporate-Investor Presentations – research, wrote, designed graphics and directed long-term public relations press releases, investor and board of director presentations distributed and managed magazine relations.
• Revenue/Sales Development – designed and delivered technical, sales and channel partner training for Qwest (trained more than 2,000 channel partners throughout the US), TimeWarner (sales and marketing staff), Cox (sales, marketing, support and others), Microsoft and many others.
• Account Management – cold-called and built strategic/major, OEM, wholesale, channel partner, national and international distributor accounts. Created software/hardware distribution through TechData, Ingram Micro and European distributors.
• Sales Training –designed and delivered Consultant and Channel Sales classroom training courses for Deloitte Consulting Internet Academy (US and Europe), ICG, Qwest, Cox, TimeWarner and many others as well as developed and delivered CRM/SFA/ERM Course for Dale Carnegie.
• Software Development – designed, performed project management, tested and successfully delivered award-winning software to USWest called NETTALK a LAN-Local Area Network multi-user IM-Instant Messaging, CTI-Computer Telephony Integration, email, calendaring, and activity management system. Designed and built many LAN communications software systems for clients ahead of schedule and under budget.
• Software Management – designed, managed, tested and wrote documentation for many software products including CROSS-CONNECT a remote control and modem sharing system with network management features, CROSS-POINT – an electronic mail, bulletin board, conferencing (groupware) and office administration system.
• Web Software Development – managed, tested and wrote documentation online e-learning tutorials for Flash and other software formats – achieved Editor’s Choice for Technical Help from Web Hosting Magazine and designed and produced other web sites.
• Enterprise IT Management – evaluated, configured and implemented international voice/data/IT system for Fortune 500 Company. In addition, designed and delivered “Internet Academy” hands-on course on cabling, internet, LAN switches and routers for Deloitte Consulting.
• Hardware/Software Product Development – designed voice/data products for Carrier Access, Storage Technology, United Technologies, Lanier, and other companies.
Speaking, Books and Publications
He has delivered more than 200 speeches worldwide on IT, telecommunications, internet, forecasting, trends and other topics to industry associations, executive retreats and private events. He has written more than over 300 articles on telecommunications topics including but not limited to teleconferencing, artificial intelligence, telecommunications management, organizational management, intelligent buildings, CENTREX/ISDN, internet security, VoIP, wireless, telecommunications, internet, telecommuting, electronic mail, groupware, and other issues. He has authored/co-authored Teleconferencing - Linking People Together Electronically (Prentice-Hall), Teleconferencing - State of the Art Report (Pergamon Press), The Softside of Software (John Wiley & Sons) on software documentation, Networking: Electronic Mail Handbook (Scott-Foresman), Intelligent Buildings (Dow Jones), Networking Personal Computers in Organizations (Dow Jones), Telecommuting - The Future Technology of Work (Dow Jones), Knowledge Engineering-Business Applications for Artificial Intelligence (Simon & Shuster), Chief Technology Officer (Cross Market Management), Split Second Society (Cross Communications), Lan$ell-Desktop Guide for the Connectivity Sales Force Automation Professional (written for Novell/Qwest), LANCOM - LAN communications solutions (Cross Communications), Net-Tips (Cross International). Principal Author and Research for published industry reports on: CENTREX - Strategic View (I and II), Intelligent Buildings and Information Systems (IBIS I and II), and Telecommunications Outlook.

Education and Professional Development
B.S. in Business and M.S. in Telecommunications from the University of Colorado. Tom has senior-level “hands-on” working knowledge of Flash, HTML, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Visio, Camtasia, Captivate, Dreamweaver, TEDS LMS, Learning Composer, SharePoint, Illustrator, Microsoft Lync & Office Communications Server, PhotoShop, Framemaker, and other programs. He has taught Global Knowledge five-day courses for SIP-Session Initiation Protocol & Office Communications Server (Microsoft Lync). CompTIA Security+, CCNA, VoIP and Checkpoint Security. Tom holds CompTIA Certified Security+ Professional, Green IT and IT Technology for Sales certification and Pearson Vue Certified Test Administrator.

5 High-Tech Devices That Will Turn Meeting Madness Into a Raging Success

2012-01-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

5 High-Tech Devices That Will Turn Your Meetings Into a Raging Success
Forget boring slide shows. Today’s technology makes it possible to turn any meeting into a show right out of a science fiction movie.

CloudFTP is the first adapter available that allows you to access USB hard drives or flash drives directly from an iPad. Before CloudFTP, any files or presentations you had stored in a USB mass storage device could only be accessed through a computer. That meant a lot of hassle and quite a few headaches making connections between your iPad and a computer. No computer available? Well, you were out of luck. The CloudFTP is an adapter that reads any USB storage device and then makes those files available to any WiFi-enabled device in the vicinity. That means your iPad will be able to read those files and use them as needed. This is currently the ONLY way available to access large files that you couldn’t otherwise access from your iPad.

v-OSK is a touch-screen presentation tool. It consists of a large-size iPad-like screen that connects to a projection screen or video wall. Whatever you do or touch on the small screen shows up on the large screen. Think of v-OSK as the high-tech alternative to an overhead transparency projector, except that you can also make screen changes, add last-minute text or choose only parts of the screen to show to the audience. The v-OSK can optimize web content, flow charts and even 3D graphics for more eye-catching presentations.

Holographic Projectors are a great way to catch the eye of prospective clients or exhibit attendees. Holograms work particularly well on trade show exhibits and on open trade show booths, where you depend on attention-grabbing gimmicks to attract attention. Musion Eyeliner is a company that specializes in high-quality projectors that can produce life-size three-dimensional images. In the past, holograms could only be seen from the front or back but now they are truly three-dimensional –This means somebody can move around them and never lose sight of the display. This is especially useful for sports/fitness presentations, which require a dynamic approach.

Presentation Link is an iPad app that allows you to create and combine interactive presentations. With this app, you can import existing presentations and integrate them into a single presentation experience. The app can handle PDFs, photos and charts, videos and hyperlinks to help you create non-linear presentations. You can drag and drop files to organize the information any way you want. You can then connect your iPad to an external projector or wall screen during company presentations, conferences, lectures and trade shows. The app also has a feature that allows to connect directly with iTunes shared folder, so you can share or send the presentation to others in just seconds.

Hyperjuice Micro is the ultimate iPad accessory. This pocket-size external battery can provide up to five additional hours of power, no matter where you are. Created by the Sanho Corporation (which also sells the HyperShield and the 3-in-1 Smart Pen, Hyperjuice Micro allows for pass-through charging and has a built in overcharging/temperature protection. A great tool to have if your presentation is long and you want to make sure you have enough “juice” to power through it.

And, for every meeting or event, a comprehensive communications and collaboration system like these:

Click here for iReCal and CrossPinPoints.

Energy Faucet - Energy Point Marketing Discussion and Forum

2011-12-21T14:21:00.001-08:00

Energy Faucet

Energy Point Marketing Discussion and Forum

Send us your ideas for Gas Pump, Fuel Station, Electrical Power Point Marketing

http://www.energyfaucet.com

Gold Systems Announces New Website and Expanded Editorial Coverage on Unified Communications (UC) & Communications Enabled Business Processes

2011-12-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

Contact/Call for demo: Sales
Email: websales@goldsys.com
Telephone: 303-447-2774
Twitter: @GoldSystemsInc
Website: http://www.goldsys.com/

Gold Systems Announces New Website and
Expanded Editorial Coverage on
Unified Communications (UC) &
Communications Enabled Business Processes (CEBP)

BOULDER – Gold Systems, a leader in self-service customer communications and unified communications (UC) and Communications Enabled Business Processes (CEBP) solutions announced its new website and expanded content coverage on unified communications. "As a Gold Unified Communications Partner we were faced with an aging website. As a result after many months of design and development we are pleased to show our new face to the public," noted Terry Gold CEO. "Our new communications development platform Vonetix 7 Voice provides an agile development system for improved business processes such as CEBP," Gold added.

"Our goal in 2012 is to expand our editorial coverage on UC and CEBP as we have a strong professional services group that is skilled in both the migration from traditional PBX systems as well as the implementation of new Lync green field installations and innovative voice solutions," Gold noted. Gold systems has also partnered with other unified communications industry leaders to provide - start-to-finish, side-by-side and over-the-shoulder professional services. Gold has indepth knowledge of media gateways, session border controllers, IVR, ACD, contact centers, end points, SIP trunking and other options to maximize the range of customer settings from SMB to large-enterprise. For more information on Gold Professional Services, please email websales@goldsys.com.

About Gold Systems
Gold Systems is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Unified Communications and speech recognition technology. For two decades, Gold Systems' award-winning contact center and IVR software applications have handled billions of phone calls and customer interactions for the world’s largest enterprises.

Developed by Gold Systems, Vonetix™ 7 (a trademark of Gold Systems) is software that UC enables contact center, interactive voice response (IVR) and voice enabled password reset systems. V7V is a complete design, development and deployment environment that is a viable business solution for both cloud and premises deployments, and platform portability without rewriting the application. Earlier versions of Vonetix are in service around the world in thousands of contact centers. Vonetix 7 is a completely new product written to compliment Microsoft UC and speech platforms.

Gold Systems offerings include customized contact center solutions, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) self-service systems, and Communication-Enabled Business Processes (CEBP) applications that improve customer satisfaction, raise productivity, empower mobile users and reduce the cost of customer communications. Gold Systems is based in Boulder, Colorado. For more information visit: http://www.goldsys.com.
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

Integrated Research announces an innovative solution to ensure Microsoft® Lync™ is real-world ready

2011-12-20T06:38:00.000-08:00

Sydney, Australia, 19 December 2011 – Integrated Research (IR), creator of market-leading Prognosis® performance and availability management solutions for Unified Communications (UC), today announced support for Microsoft Lync.

Prognosis for UC is the first solution in the market that provides proactive insight into a Lync environment through the real-time and historical visibility of server performance, call activity, infrastructure capacity and voice quality.

The adoption of Lync has been rapid, with nearly 3 million enterprise users* now relying on Lync. Many organizations are able to access Lync licenses through their existing Microsoft purchasing arrangements, making adoption of Lync a compelling proposition, and a strong propellant for UC market growth.

Paul McNamara, IR’s Head of Unified Communications, said “A successful Lync environment requires the server, network and telephony teams to work together to provide a complete solution. Prognosis bridges the gap between these teams, providing visibility of the whole Microsoft Lync ecosystem, through a single pane of glass.

“When a business deploys Lync it is quite likely introducing new Unified Communications capabilities to existing telephony platforms, which may already include multiple vendors. Prognosis is highly scalable and unites information presentation across all these platforms to ensure end-to-end quality of service.”

Tom Cross, CEO of TECHtionary.com and LyncUserForum.com recently interviewed McNamara. He said “Of the critical things you "must-have" in your Lync toolkit, Prognosis is one of them. It's value is in the way it helps you manage your entire infrastructure, in support of your UC portfolio. This is a critical way to ensure new technology success through a quality user experience and satisfaction with new Lync technologies.“

McNamara added “Incorporating Microsoft Lync monitoring capability into Prognosis builds upon our industry-leading UC management technology. It provides a simple transition and leverages a robust, scalable and proven solution. This means our customers can ensure new technology success as Prognosis support for Lync will fit into existing processes, tool kits and team structures. “

* per Kirk Gregersen, Microsoft’s General Manager for Lync

About Integrated Research
Integrated Research is a leading global provider of high-definition performance monitoring, diagnostics and reporting software. The creator of award-winning Prognosis® and PowerMinder® – IR builds scalable, customizable solutions designed to manage continuity-critical IT infrastructure, payments and communications ecosystems. IR provides real time solutions that give customers the insight they need to run their business, reduce their operating costs, minimize risk, and gain competitive advantage. For further information on our solutions please visit www.ir.com

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

SIP 2012 Business Applications Planning Guide Course & Optional Introduction to Lync Communications Server Training

2011-12-17T06:49:00.001-08:00

This class is available starting January 2012 and anytime throughout the year.
Effective 1-1-2012. For access to 3,000+ animated tutorials, click here: http://techtionary.com
_______________________________________
SIP 2012 Business Applications Planning Guide
SIP-Session Initiation Protocol
& Optional Introduction to Lync Communications Server
2-5 Days Onsite, Via Webseminar or ~32 hours online.
NEW for 2012 - Designing and Planning Scalable SIP Networks

© TECHtionary Corporation – all rights reserved
________________________________________
For more information and scheduling, please call Tom Cross 303-594-1694
or cross@gocross.com

Volume discounts are available. All major credit cards are accepted. Special SIP Forum Member discounts are available. Additional discounts for multiple sessions are available. For more information on SIP Forum go to www.sipforum.com
Reference Promotional Code - SIPF8203
________________________________________
What Providers, Agents and Users are saying about these courses:

According to Matt Jolly IT Consultant, “SIP Business Executive course training to a new higher level. For example, there is nothing like the tutorials SIP available anywhere or from anyone. For the channel partner or customer, this course provides critical insights for successful implementation and management. The new user interface speeds learning allowing viewers to grasp complex concepts faster than ever before. With this course, SIP/VoIP providers can rapidly accelerate the learning process for their channel partners which in turn accelerate revenues. Now is the time for users and providers alike to make this course an integral part of their business operations.”
Matt Jolly - Consultant
............................................
“I am writing regarding Tom Cross and the online training and VoIP/SIP course. By far this is the best program in place, as Tom is one of the most recognized trainers in the United States for VoIP/SIP. It might be worth to add this course to your sign-up package for agents around the country not only as a profit center but something that you could co-brand and have a "leg-up" on your competition.”
Bill Bowyer - CEO – VoIP in America
..........................................
“The SIP/VoIP courses are more than a superb primer on VoIP/SIP technology; they are an indepth business plan for a VoIP/SIP implementation. In addition, the VoIP/SIP diagnostic and troubleshooting guide is the most thorough approach to VoIP QoS available. I need information that informs but does not overwhelm. Information that guides but not drives you away. The courses provide insights and actionable information that has helped me get the technology we need sooner but saved me a considerable amount in understanding what we didn't need. The SIP course especially is a valuable one which provides much needed information in a readily understandable format.”
Paul Daubitz - President – ATI-TeleManagement
________________________________________

Who Should Attend: - This online course is designed for enterprise executive and technical managers, channel partners, VAR-Value-Added Resellers, SI-Systems Integrators, telephone interconnect, agents, master agents and consultants. In addition, this course will benefit corporate technical, staff marketing, training business development, sales, channel managers, operations, engineering, support and other corporate managers for SIP-VoIP providers, carriers, software developers and hardware manufacturers.

What You Will Learn:
• Review the fundamentals of IP-Internet Protocol and platforms required for high performance SIP-VoIP systems. This includes soft switches, gateways, routers, services and other critical components.
• Explore business applications and opportunities. Review what customers are buying today and why they are buying. In addition, emerging “killer applications” will be explained in depth.
• Quickly grasp complex subjects such as H.323, MGCP and SIP. As SIP-Session Initiation Protocol emerges are the key VoIP communications protocol, discover how this technology will impact all voice communications systems from key, PBX, IP-PBX, hosted, managed and other systems.
• Understand basic and advanced SIP-VoIP concepts features. From hosted, managed, IAS, and IP-PBX, quickly understands “what’s-what” for different customer applications and business models.
• Probe the issues behind Integrated and Converged Access. Understand when and why organizations need a converged access solution.
• Understand why “network assessment” is critical to any SIP-VoIP implementation and why this step cannot be overlooked.
• Address the issue of QoS-Quality of Service by overcoming jitter, echo, noise and other network problems. Review the role of RTCP and other tools to monitor and maintain high performance VoIP networks.
• Understand the functions of the new communications “toolbar.” See how the benefits of “unified communications” as they improve business operations.
• Assess the Top-10 issues why SIP trunking and hosted VoIP is more than “dial-tone,” and how it can represent change in the business and business model of even the smallest enterprises. Discuss and explore new ways to improve fundamental business processes.
• Explore how a SIP-VoIP call is processed and review potential security attacks. Discover how SPIT, VOMIT, Calljacking, DOS and other terrorist attacks can target not just data, but voice packets.
• Review SIP and SIP Trunking and all the implications and applications from TCO-Total Cost of Ownership to QoS-Quality of Service. SIP Trunking is the most profound new form of telecommunications since POTS.
•  Explore Microsoft’s Lync Communications Server features, concepts, call flows, configurations and other issues for evaluation and implementation.
________________________________________

Quick Overview
Day 1 is optional for students who are less familiar with IP and VoIP networking.
In other words, look at the outline for the SIP course and if the students are not knowledgeable of the key concepts, then Day 1 is recommended.

Day 2 & 3 is the indepth SIP course.

Day 4 is optional Lync intro course.

NOTE: All content can be re-organized or customized to suit specific learning needs. Call to discuss.
________________________________________
Day One - Fundamentals of Data/Internet Telecommunications
NOTE: Day one is recommended for those wanting an update in internet technologies, data networking and network services (bandwidth).
- Fundamental Network and IP Technologies – the IP in SIP
• 1 – Voice-to-Digital-to-Packet Transmission
• 2 – Back To Basics – Cabling, Conduit and Electrical Systems
• 3 – Transmission Concepts – DSL, T-1/E-1, ISDN-PRI, SIP Trunking, GIG-E
• 4 – Optical Fiber & Bandwidth
• 5 – Integrated Access Services – Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation – BOD-Bandwidth On Demand
• 6 – Introduction to IP-Internet Protocol and VoIP-SIP , MPLS-Multi-Protocol Label Switching, DiffServ-Differentiated Services, DSCP Differentiated Services Code Points and Packet Priority Classifications, TOS-Type of Service, EF-Express Forwarding, MPLS Uniform mode, MPLS Pipe and Short-Pipe modes, WRR-Weighted Round Robin, TCB-Traffic Conditioning Blocks - Marker, Meter, Shaping, Droppers and PHB-Per Hob Behavior.
• 7 – TCP/IP and other Protocols and Layers – RTP, RTCP, SDP, SOAP, SALT
- Call processing with Route, Image, DHCP, DNS, Image, Configuration servers
• 8 – Hardware – Routers, Switches – MAC-Media Access Control, WiFi-VLANS-VPNS
• 9 – Protocols “Rules of the Road” – H.228, H.323, MGCP, SIP, and Desktop “Softphones,” “Toolbars” and other end points (desksets)
• 10 – IP-PBX and Hosted VoIP/SIP – Integrated/Unified/Homogenized
- Top-10 Critical Technologies to SIP
1 – IP protocol, IP networking and a VPN
2 - The difference between IAS-Integrated Access Service versus Converged Access Service
- Enhanced IAS with MPPP-Multi-link Point-to-Point Protocol, PPP Multilink Protocol (MP), L2TP-Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol
- VPLS-Virtual Private LAN Service - new name for metro-Ethernet
- Switching Versus Routing - key benefits of VPLS
3 – SIP-Session Initiation Protocol Trunking -
- SIGTRAN (Signaling Transport)
- SCTP-Stream Control Transmission Protocol
4 – Justification for an IP PBX – options and approaches
5 – Technical difference between IAS-Integrated Access Service, Hosted and Managed VoIP
- Call processing with Route, Image, DHCP, DNS, Configuration servers
- Media Gateways replace PBXs - the following tutorials are some examples of customer applications of MG-Media Gateways:
- Connection of IP-PBX to PSTN
- Connection of IP-PBX to PSTN & SIP trunk provider
- Survivable connection to SIP trunk provider
- Connection of PBX & IP-PBX to PSTN & SIP trunk provider
- Connection of IP-PBX to Hosted VoIP provider
- Connection of IP-PBX & PSTN to Microsoft Lync Server
- SC-Session Controllers or SBC-Session Border Controllers are access devices operate at Layer 5 Session Layer, whereas routers operate at Layer 3 Network. Some of the key SBC/SC functions are:
- Secure network peering - private and public to enhance performance
- Topology hiding - using various types of inter-AS-Autonomous System features as well as separating media (voice) and hide signaling (IP addresses) and data streams (traffic)
- Border call routing - routing at AS level rather than with interior protocols
- Interoperability - access/restrict to reduce voice spam
- QoS & Call Admission Control - load/jitter correction
- Billing systems interoperability - reduce billing errors
- NAT-Network Address Translation - routing for maximum performance
- CALEA-Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act
- Compatibility with billing
- Dialect conversion
- Protocol conversion
- Codec conversion
- Firewall restrictions
- Wholesale and Transit peering
6 – “Open Source” PBX options
7 – QoS-Quality of Service importance - how to measure it and fix it
8 – Softphones – Where they make sense - user benefits
9 - The difference between IPT-Internet Protocol Telephony and VoIP - Cisco, Broadsoft, Lync and other platforms
10 - Unified Communications – Mobility Applications
________________________________________
Day Two - Introduction to SIP-Session Initiation Protocol
- SIP Planning - SIP Introduction and Overview
- SIP Definition – IETF (RFC-3261) and Manufacturers
- CPL-Call Processing Language
- AOR-Address Of Record – q-values
- Location Service - DNS-Domain Name Service
- CPL-Call Processing Language
- B2BUA-Back-2-Back User Agent
- Session Initiation Protocol for Telephones (SIP-T): RFC 3372
- SIP-SS7-Signaling System 7 call processing including – IAM-Initial Address Message, Routing label, CIC-Circuit Identification Code and Message Type Code. Examples of Message Type Codes include: Called Number, Calling Number, DPC-Destination Point Code, OPC-Origination Point Code, SS7-ISUP ACM-Address Complete Message, ANM-ANswer Message, CPG-Call ProGress Message, COT-COTinuity Message, SUS-SUSpend Message, RES-RESume Message, FOT-FOrward message Transfer, INR-INformation Request message, INF-INFormation Message, RELease and other messages.
- SIP – Applications Layer 7 Protocol – Peer-to-Peer protocol
- SIP – Before and After
- SIP and Hosted – Better or Worse or Both
- SIP Signaling – Introduction, URI-Uniform Resource
- SIP & SBC-Session Border Controllers, servers, gateways,
- SIP with and without IADs-Integrated Access Devices
- SIP and SIP Phones, Softphones, Mobility,
- SIP Signaling Basics – Inbound/Outbound calling
- UC-SIP Bandwidth Planning - Critical Concepts for PC Video, data and voice
- SIP Trunking - Four types and counting of SIP Trunking offerings
- SIP Trunking – Incremental “Slope” Growth
- CODECS-COmpression-DECompression signal processors – issues and answers
- SIP Trunk Replacement & Disaster Planning
- SIP & Open Standards
- SIP and Trunk Replacement – same or different thing
- SIP and Proxy ARP-Address Resolution Protocol
- SIP and HSRP-Hot Standby Routing Protocol
- SIP and MPLS-Multi-Protocol Label Switching – COS and QoS
- SIP QoS – oxymoron or critical concept
- SIP on-net and off-net issues – overflow call processing
- SIP TCO-Total Cost of Ownership – Top-10 Benefits
- SIP Technology - Indepth
- SIP – OSI-Open Systems Interconnection - "If you do not know where you are going, what difference does it make which path you take".....Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland)
- SIP “Methods” – Writing call processing as easy as email – invite, ACK, bye, etc.
- SIP Signaling “commands” – 1xx-6xx
- SIP Inbound and Outbound call processing
- SDP-Session Description Protocol - headers, Via, Max-Forwards, To:, URL-Uniform Resource Locator, URI-Uniform Resource Identifier, call-ID, Cseq, Contact, Content-Type, Content-Length, Security and others
- Session Description Protocol Security Descriptions (SDES)
- SIP Features - Forks, SIP Proxy, Redirect, Presence, Forking – parallel-sequential-mixed, loops, spirals
- SIP Network devices - UA-User Agent, UAC-User Agent Client, UAS-User Agent Server
-Proxy Server, Redirect Server, Registrar Server, B2BUA-Back-to-Back User Agent
- SRTP-Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (RFC-3711)
- Authentication Tag and the Master Key Identifier
- Encryption
________________________________________
Day Three - Advanced SIP Planning and Security
- SIP Security – “Best Practices” – Reality Check
- SIP Security “Best Practices” – overview
- SIP Firewalls and Security – SPIT-SPam over Internet Telephony, DOS-Denial Of Service, VOMIT-Voice Over Misconfigured Internet Telephony and other emerging problems
- SIP Security and “Access Policy” – Stateful IP Filtering and Inspection, Static and Stateless IP Filters, TLS-Transport Layer Security, NAT-Network Address Translation, Persistent connection, Multi-homed hosts, etc.
- SIP and MIM-Man-In-the-Middle attacks – Understanding wireline and WiFi wireless attacks
- Telephone Numbers – North American Numbering Plan and International ENUM-E.164
- SIP Security Architectures – Building Blocks
- SIP Security Architectures – eight different VoIP configurations evaluating SIP-Aware Firewalls and other security options:
- Type 1 – Dedicated IP Pipe for VoIP
- Type 2 – Merged MPLS-Pipe with LER Tagging VoIP
- Type 3 – Merged IP pipe with SIP-Aware Firewall (SAFW)
- Type 4 – Separate IP Pipe for VoIP with Existing Non-SIP Firewall and SIP-Aware Firewall (SOFW)
- Type 5 – Merged IP Pipe with Incumbent Non-SIP-aware Firewall, No DMZ Port and SIP-aware Firewall (SAFW)
- Type 6 – Looks like Type 5 but Merged IP Pipe with Incumbent Non-SIP-aware Firewall, No DMZ Port and SIP-aware Firewall
- Type 7 – Merged IP Pipe with Incumbent Non-SIP-aware Firewall with a DMZ Port
- Type 8 – Merged IP Pipe with Incumbent Non-SIP-aware Firewall
- Other approaches to SIP Security - Proxy/Gateway Inside the Firewall, Proxy/Gateway in Co-Edge Mode and Proxy/Gateway Outside the Firewall, how Firewalls add time delays to TCP/IP
- 50-Point Comprehensive SIP Security Checklist - more than 50 different security concepts to review and include in the implementation and ongoing network management program
- SIP Security-Privacy Lifecycle Management - key planning for capturing, storage, users, and disposition (archiving/destruction)
NEW for 2012 - Designing and Planning Scalable SIP Networks
The five areas of discussion presented (with modifications I added) are:
Here are the highlights in text format:
1 - Benefits of Server Virtualization aka Abstraction
- Distributed user endpoints and application servers
- Scalable growth with QoS control abstraction
- MACS* via signaling "abstraction"
*Moves, Adds, Changes & SAS-Stand Alone Survivability - SAS enables backup for SIP devices by the multiple "abstract" local or cloud Media Gateway(s)
2 - Benefits of SIP Trunking
- Session and Signaling control layers for:
- On-net (IP PBX to IP PBX)
- Off-net (IP PBX to local PSTN)
- Off-net (IP PBX to LD/IDDD PSTN)
- SPOC/SMOC-Single/Multiple Point of Connection
- National control points for access (vendors) - Migration path to ALL-SIP & IMS-3GPP
3 - Benefits of Number Transparency
- End-to-end media control (transparency) for voice or other media types
- Access to SS7 applications for text messaging, mobility or call center routing
- Enterprise control over call completion whether PSTN or SIP rather than provider
- Migration path to E.164 & IMS-3GPP
4 - Benefits of SIP Routing
- Eliminates "mesh" network mess
- Add intelligent Session Layer 5 routing - Maintains end-to-end media transparency
- Add media CoS-Classes of Service - Adds SPOC NOC-Network Operations Center
- Migration path to ALL-SIP & IMS-3GPP
5 - Benefits of SIP Proxy Peering Networks
- Platform for multi-vendor services
- Ensures multiple CoS & QoS options
- Migration path to ALL-SIP & IMS-3GPP
- Foundation for any future network needs
- SIP Class of Service & Quality of Service
- SIP COS-Class Of Service and QoS-Quality of Service – Ethernet meets “smart” IP
- Managing “real-time” voice with RTCP-Real-Time Control Protocol – MRB-Metrics Report Blocks
- Inside MRB – what’s what with all the info
- SIP Applications and Future Outlook
- SIP Applications
– IM-Instant Messaging call screening
- SIP Presence Communicated by IM-Instant Messaging
- Click-to-call and others
- SIP for Call Centers – calling options and pricing benefits
- Event Notification
- On demand Conferencing
- Integration of additional "third-party" developed SIP-enhanced services provides additional business and enterprise justification for SIP trunking.
- UDDI-Universal Description, Discovery and Integration uses standards-based services such as XML, HTTP, SOAP, TCP/IP (define above) uniform service description and service discovery protocol. Discovery services provide a consistent publishing interface and allow programmatic discovery (registration) of services. Description services provide the means for internet registration - to be found but not advertisement or placement on search engine listings. UDDI file structures are designed using a "publish-once-read-by-many" concept. That is, web site URL-Uniform Resource Locator can be designed using UDDI standard file structures which can be published to the UDDI server network. The UDDI network can be accessed (discovered) by search engines, customers and other list builders in a standard published (register) format. UDDI Registries and protocol servers with:
- White Pages - Names, Address, Contact and Vcard information
- Yellow Pages - Industry categorizations and taxonomies
- Green Pages - Technical information including internal URL file discovery structures
- UDDI is also designed to replace the robot.txt search engine web site document structure concept. Here are some of the web site description-discovery-registry information retrieved by search engine spiders/bots and other retrieval programs.
- Voice-driven yellow pages - SALT-Speech Applications Language Tags adds voice commands to web applications. SALT is an extended set of markup (meta) tags based on XML-eXtensible Markup Language though compatible with HTML-Hyper-Text Markup Language and others.
- SIP – exciting new applications
- SIP Total Tutorial with Future Outlook – IMS-IP Multi-media Systems – content servers, wireless integration, media gateways, etc.
- Top-10 Steps to a Successful SIP Implementation
1 - User Needs Assessment
2 - Network Assessment
3 - Systems Upgrade
- Indepth POE-Power Over Ethernet & Comprehensive Disaster Planning Tutorial
4 - Pre–Installation Planning
5 - Data Systems Integration - VLANs, VoWLANS, Planning for WiFi, WiFi and IP Wireless "Roaming," WiFi Security and more
6 - Installation and Cutover
7 - Managing Change - Training
8 - Ongoing Use and Expectations
9 - Billing
10 - Managed Services - TCO-total cost of ownership, monitoring, remote support, training, business development and others & Future Applications
- Diagnosing & Tools for Troubleshooting SIP Networks
1 - Problems:
- Delay
- Jitter
- Equipment Configurations
- Clipping & Dipping
- VAD-Voice Activity Detectors -
- Connection Issues
- Echo
- Signal-Noise Level and & Loss
- Comfort Noise
- Packet Loss Concealment
- Zero Insertion
- Waveform substitution
- Model-based methods
- Crosstalk - Nearend and Farend
- Serialization
- Packet Payload Delays
- Packet Sizing Problems - Take the "Vo-eye-P Test"
- Transcoding Problems
- Asynchronous Transcoding Problems
- Electrical Interference - Surges, Sags, Shared Neutrals
2 - Testing for Problems
- RTCP-XR-MRB-eXtended Reports - Metrics Report Block
3 - More than 30 Problems & Solutions - like "CarTalk" bring your problems to "Nettalk"
4 – Best Practices - review of concepts such as Resiliency & Reliability – QoS in VoIP-SIP
5 – Vendors of Technical Solutions for VoIP Network Management
6 - Conclusions and the Bottom Line
NOTE: Course contents are constantly being update, please inquire about special requirements.

________________________________________
Day Four - (with optional add-on day of labs) - Introduction and Demonstration of Lync Communications Server
Here are just some of the terms used in Microsoft Lync Communications Server. Each of these terms and others are explained in this Lync Special Edition:
• Architecture – Front End, AD-Active Directory, Conferencing, Perimeter and Applications Servers
• PBX Co-existence
• UC-Unified Communications
• Advanced Telephony Features
• PBX Integration Initiative – UC-Compatible, Non-UC-compatible
• Media Gateway Servers – Forking
• SIP – Microsoft SIP “Standard” – Inbound/Outbound Calls, OnHold, Making a Call Via a PBX, Answering a Call Via a PBX, Call Forwarding – Always, DND-Do Not Disturb, Call Transfer, 3-Way Conferencing
• SIP-to-PBX
• SIP-to-PSTN
• Microsoft Management Console (MMC)
• Administrative Tools "Snap-in"
• Call Detail Records
• Phone Management and Usage
• IM-Instant Messaging, Chat, Chatrooms, etc.
• Video Conferencing Polycom "Roundtable" - Planning and Compliance
• Saving of IM conversations for compliance
• Planning for Lync
• Troubleshooting
• Trunking – bandwidth, delay, echo
• Telephone deskset issues
• IP routing check
• PBX interoperability
• Third-party integration – open discussion
• LCS-Live Communications Server and Lync coexistence
NOTE: This session is constantly changing due to new releases coming from Microsoft such the release of Microsoft Lync.
In addition, there may be "LIVE" demonstration of IM, video conferencing, call processing and other features from a live Lync system. NOTE: The topics presented may not be the complete list of issues discussed at time permits. An optional five-day or half-day is available for custom training.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
________________________________________
Course Leader - Thomas B. Cross – CEO TECHtionary.com has three decades of experience in startups and consulting advisor with leading providers and venture capital companies in market planning and development, hardware/software design and development, project management, intellectual property in telecommunications, information technology, conferencing, teletraining, telecommuting, groupware, networks, call centers, internet, artificial intelligence and other fields. He has managed the successful development of more than 10 software, hardware and internet products to market and received industry awards for this work. He has authored 13 books, wrote, produced and directed 15 commercial videos and creator and producer of the World's Largest Animated Knowledge Source on Technology – http://www.techtionary.com – recipient of Web Hosting Magazine Editors Choice for Best Technical Help. Tom is a columnist for many leading publications such as Telecom Reseller Newswhere he is the Technology Editor and columnist on Lync User Communications Newsletter with a http://crosstalk-techtionary.blogspot.com/. He is a member of the Technical Board of Advisors for the VoIPSA-VoIP Security Alliance. Tom holds CompTIA Certified Security+, GreenIT and SalesIT Professional certifications and Pearson Vue Certified Test Administrator. Tom has passed Microsoft Partner Network Sales and Marketing Competency Assessment for Unified Communications. Tom is also CEO and Managing Editor of Lync User Forum – http://www.lyncuserforum.com.

These are the evaluation scores from Tom’s Presentation to Microsoft Partners & Staff Called “Top-10 Tips for Success” Part 3 of 3 on Telecommunications Networks
Instructor Courseware Overall Satisfaction Business Results Learning Effectiveness Job Impact Environment Average
Average 8.73 8.38 8.73 8.64 8.45 8.45 8.91 8.59
• The score is out of 9.0 and that’s the highest score I have ever seen ! Great job Tom – Mike Zeim – Microsoft US Partner Skills Development
• Wow!!!!!! I didn’t think beating your survey score last time was possible - and look at those results! Great job, Tom! Jessasym West - Microsoft US Partner Skills Development
•
• "I personally have sat through a number of Tom's sessions and found every one of them to be well organized, interactive and informative - OCS Forum and TECHtionary.com are highly recommended resources to bring your organization up to speed on SIP and Microsoft Lync." - Alan Percy the Director of Market Development at AudioCodes.
•
• Tom Cross is exceptionally technically astute - the most technically proficient individual I know of in the industry. Yet he has the rare ability to deliver the message in a way the laymen can understand. Tom has done a great job for TBI in the past and he is well respected within the industry. I would recommend Tom for any job or project.” Geoffrey Shepstone – President - Telecom Brokerage, Inc – 847-353-1842 - Master agency for Qwest, XO, Global Crossing and 30 other companies
•
• “Tom Cross’ speech on “Why Businesses are Buying VoIP” is certainly one of the top presentations ever given at CTA. The presentation was insightful, indepth and innovative. In addition, the presentation was lively, energetic and engaging. He has the great ability to take complex subjects and make them exciting and understandable. Mr. Cross is a very popular speaker among CTA's membership and superb communicator.” Gary L. Witt – Former Executive Director - Colorado Telecommunications Association
•
Scheduling & Classroom requirements
To confirm delivery dates, fees including estimated travel and expenses are required. Purchase Orders (P.O.) are accepted but do not confirm dates. Final expenses are due within 15 business days after completion of class. Please note that payments received for delivery dates are subject to final approval by Techtionary. Final student attendance is set 30 days prior to the first day of class with additional student payment due on the first day class. Techtionary will provide access to the online course at no extra charge. Client will provide room, computers for lab access, high-quality video projector, desks, power strips, beverages, food service and other amenities. Classes are conducted each day (subject to mutually agreeable changes) from 0900-1600 with one hour for lunch. Access to training room will be available from 0800-1700 each day.
Course content and terms are subject to change without notice. All course content delivery may not be completed due to time restraints such as student questions and special explanations of concepts presented. Content is wholly-owned by Techtionary Corporation, a Colorado corporation which provides invoice/billing. Corporate and shipping address is 2525 Arapahoe E-4-313, Boulder, Colorado 80302.

Social Media Marketing For Real Estate Professionals #3573 - Colorado RE Commission Approved Continuing Education Course

2011-12-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

Questions or to schedule onsite, please contact Tom Cross - Instructor
303-594-1694 - cross@gocross.com

Approved Continuing Education Course

Social Media Marketing For Real Estate Professionals

Evaluations of Online Version

Tom Cross’s course is comprehensive and detailed, but it won’t overwhelm even the total novice. His guidance will surely help you, and your business, keep up with the lightning-speed trends of social media effectively – and you might even have some fun!” - Maria W.

“Tom Cross has again raised the bar in relevant, mission critical training with his Social Media class. Tom's years of work in this emerging field are of help to the beginner and the seasoned entrepreneur or business person alike. The depth of this course allows for one to build a foundation of knowledge from which to learn more about the revolution of adopting social media to drive business and personal growth. Great course!” - Robert S.

“This course not only raised my competency level in Social Media areas I thought I was already competent in, it also brought to my attention many concepts in which I was unfamiliar. I now have a clear understanding of how important it is for me to focus more of my time and attention on Social Media for my business to thrive!” - Adam S.

8 Hour Course Onsite

LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR MORNING SESSION
• Understand the fundamentals of social media, social media marketing, social media business functions and other marketing information and strategies for the Real Estate professional.
• Explore different social media functions, features and benefits to a Real Estate professional.
• Grasp complex subjects such as search engine optimization, website key word searching and search engine functions.
• Understand different real estate professional customer applications and business models.
• Understand why social media marketing is critical to any Real Estate business implementation and why this step cannot be overlooked.
• Address the issue of integrated social media strategy in a Real Estate setting.
• Understand the functions of the new communications solutions from email, blogs, wikis, group and other communications paradigms. See how the benefits of social media communications improve business operations both internally and externally.
• Learn to Assess the Top-10 issues why social media represent change in the Real Estate business model of even the smallest real estate enterprise. Discuss and explore new ways to improve fundamental business processes.

COURSE OUTLINE FOR MORNING - (4 Hours)

1 - Introduction - What is Social Media Marketing for Real Estate? - 08:00-09:00 - 1 Hour
- Why Marketing, Why Not Just Selling?
- What is Marketing?
- Social Business Models
- B2B-Business-to-Business
- B2C-Business-to-Consumer
- P2P-People-to-People
- Social metrics and ROI-Return on Investment and TCO-Total Cost of Ownership
- SEO/SEM-Search Engine Optimization/Marketing
- PPC-Pay-Per-Click and other Analytics
- Crowdsourcing - right sizing, new business development models
- Four Key Human Communications Paradigms - 1-1, 1-X, X-1, X-X
- Four Key Communications Technology Paradigms - Machine and Artificial Intelligence
- Corporate, Internal & Organizational Social Networks - Communications/Collaboration, Process & Business Intelligence, Individual, Content Management
- Social Media Business Corporate Integration
- Enterprise Content Management - Complex Document Content Management - Departmental Groupware
- Process & Business Intelligence
- Groupware - Communications & Collaboration - Wikis, Blogs
- Organizational Marketing - Internal Social Networks - SharePoint, Yammer, Newsgator, etc.
- Contact Center Integration and Response - "Constant Courtesy"

Coffee/Discussion Break 09:00-09:15 - 15 minutes

2 - New Social Media Tools - Acquire, Connect, Engage, and Grow - 09:15-10:15 - 1 Hour
- 5 Key Customer Types
- #1 Rule in Customers
- Top-10 Reasons for Social Media Marketing such as:
- Start selling
- Upsell
- Pitch-sell
- Re-sell
- Cross-sell
- Followup selling
- Shorter selling
- Outselling
- Support selling - "constant courtesy"
- Cool selling
- Today's technology is not tomorrow's technology
- Ways "pads" support mobile marketing communications
Social Media Technology - new or renewed
- New Social Media Technology - Tablets, Machines, Kiosks, AI
- Social Media Mobile Apps - iPhones/iPads and others
- Age and Social Media – “You are when you were when”

Coffee/Discussion Break - 10:15-10:30 - 15 minutes

3 - Getting Started in Internet Media - 10:30-11:30 - 1 Hour

- In the beginning - domain names
- Alexa
- Search - Search is NOT Social
- 3 Key Google Search Spaces
- Search Advertising Google Adwords
- Getting to be #1 and, Most Importantly, Staying There
- Search Analytics - Exact or Rocket Science?
- The "New" Google UI-User Interface

4 - Websites & Social Media Experience - 11:30-12:30 - 1 Hour

- Why Most Websites Suck - "If your website sucks, they think you do to"
- #1 Rule of Websites
- Social Media Communications Integrated Websites
- Integrated Social Media & Contact Centers
- Top-10 Strategic Customer Assessments

1 – Customer
2 – Content
3 - Media Channels
4 - Channels of Distribution
5 – Apps
6 – Technology
7 – Organization
8 - Brand
9 – Random
10 - Vision

Lunch 12:30:13:00 - Lunch Break - 30 minutes

LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR AFTERNOON SESSION

• Review the details of various social media solutions such as email marketing, blogs, video, surveys and others.
• Explore different social media content strategies - what to say and when to be an effective Real Estate professional.
• Grasp complex subjects such as "how to" twitter, blog and producing video content and submissions to maximize key word searching and search engine functions.
• Understand different "time management" techniques for maximizing productivity for the Real Estate professional.
• Probe the issues behind social media for B2B, B2C, P2P. Understand when and why different customer strategy is needed for real estate social media marketing.
• Understand why blogging is very important to demonstrating the breadth and depth of knowledge of the real estate professional and why it is critical in today's complex Real estate marketplace.
• Develop a social media strategy for a Real Estate setting.
• Understand the functions and anatomy of Facebook websites. See how the benefits of social media communications can be organized to aid in real estate communications with customers.
• Assess the Top-10 Benefits of Twitter and how daily communications with customers and the world-at-large enhances the reputation of the Real Estate professional.
• Explore how social media is important for regulatory compliance and professional reputation management as well as potential security attacks.
• Probe the issues behind social media. Understand when and why real estate organizations need a social media marketing and compliance plan.
• Review exciting new social media technologies and how to maximize the benefits to the real estate professional of Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google, website design, key work tagging and the vast array of home, pad, mobile and other emerging technologies.

COURSE OUTLINE FOR AFTERNOON - (4 Hours)

5 - Social Media Marketing Defined - 13:00-14:00 - 1 Hour
- Social Media "Word of Mouth"
- Social Media Shortening & Closing Sales - Endorsements to Purchase Cycles
- It's Free but Your Time is Not Free
- Place - One of the Four Marketing P's - Place, Now Online
- Timing is Everything - Integrated Communications Calendars
- Benefits of Sharing
- Social Media Marketing - Best Practices
- Goals
- Dis-engaging "Lurkers"
- Creating a Social Media Presence
- Where are Your Customers?

6 - Social Media Marketing Types - 14:00-15:00 - 1 Hour

- Email Marketing - 6 Functions it fulfills for Social Media
- Email Marketing Metrics - Measuring What You Mail
- Newsletters
- Events & Event Marketing
- Online Surveys
- Investor/Stakeholder/Community Relations
- White Papers
- Webinars
- TradeShows
- Print & Magazine Ads
- Billboards
- Podcasting
- Conference calls
- Press Conferences
- TV advertising
- Press Releases
- Building a Presence
- Video - YouTube
- Twitter
- Linkedin
- Your First Words - Content is Everything - Not the Media But the Message
- Focusing Your Presence
- Blogs
- Blogs - Why They Fail
- Setting up a Blog
- Writing for a Blog
- Marketing a Blog

Coffee/Discussion Break - 15:00-15:15 - 15 minutes

7 - Tech-Tips & Technologies - 15:15-16:15 - 1 Hour
- URL Shorteners
- Stock Photo-Video-Image Services - Picture is worth a lot of words
- Facebook
- Basic Anatomy of Facebook Page
- Facebook Timeline - Things You Need To Know - Blog Meets Scrapbook
- Facebook for Business
- Anatomy of Contact Center Facebook Integration
- Facebook Advertising and Marketing
- Facebook business case studies
- Creating a Presence on Linkedin
- Basic Anatomy of Linkedin Page
- Linkedin Integration with Email Marketing
- Twitter - What is it and Top-10 Benefits
- Basic Anatomy of Twitter
- Creating a Presence Using Twitter
- Avoid Being a "Twit" on Twitter
- Google+ - Google Circles and 1+
- "Other" Social Media Technologies - so many, so little time.

8 - Building Your Social Marketing Network - 16:15-17:15 - 1 Hour
- Integrating Twitter with Newsletter (Email), Facebook, Blogs, etc.
- Growing Virally, not Socially
- #1 Rule of Content is …..
- Being the Expert and "Thought Leader"
- Social Media Don'ts - At Least if you're Not a Rock Star
- Reuse, Reuse, Reuse
- Real Life Case Studies - What Really Works?
- Measuring Your Own Success
- Like Exercise Do It Daily
- Let Tools Help Manage
- What To Monitor
- Responding to the Negative
- Social Media Marketing Success
- Social Media Success for SMB - B2B, B2C, P2P
- Corporate - Security and Compliance
- Social Media Security
- Social Media Compliance - Regulatory and Common Sense Rules - SEC-FINRA, PCI, SOX
- More Compliance - SEC Rules 17a-3 17a-4 & NASD Rule 3110
- Future Trends, Solutions and Technologies
End

Registration and matriculation (certification and tracking) provided by BVSD

INSTRUCTOR:

THOMAS B. CROSS - B.S. M.S.
2525 Arapahoe Suite E4 – Boulder, Colorado 80302 - 303-594-1694
Email cross@gocross.com - Blog - http://crosstalk-techtionary.blogspot.com
LinkedIn for References & Recommendations - http://www.linkedin.com/in/techtionary
Twitter - http://twitter.com/techtionary
Web sites http://techtionary.com, http://socialbusinesscollege.com

iSportsCal - Top-10 User Applications of Team Training-Communications Calendar

2011-11-20T14:20:00.000-08:00

This article developed in support of iSportsCal an integrated communications and collaboration calendar.
For more go to http://isportscal.com

Abstract: This article is about: Training, Timing, Tasking, Tracking, Time Management, Team, Transaction, Trending, Tooling-Tailoring and Total Cost. A marcom communications calendar is an online tool designed to assist, guide, track and manage all marketing activities in a timely manner. I use the term edcomcal rather than just edcal which implies just editorial or comcal which doesn't convey that content (or message) is critical to any communications. Whatever term you prefer, CrossPinPoints is an online communications-collaboration calendar for marketing communications and other activities.

1 - Training - this was put this first as if you don't you know what you are doing; you won't be do it right or even at all. That is, marketing may be perceived as a both an art and science. Training is often a matter of knowing what works and what doesn't, then guiding the student/team member to be able to complete the task or prepare them for other unknown tasks. Training is elusive as many think you should already know what you are doing.

At the time training is also perceived as molding a student into a particular set of behavior. Training should create guides not dictate behavior. It should also be the means to know and what you should be avoided for political, demographic, social and regulatory reasons. Training also reviews what has occurred and with iSportsCal you can put your ideas, comments, even suggestions in the comments area as the means to provide training tutorials for existing or newbies. This way the newbie can jump in, review activities and get "up to speed" more quickly than ever before. Briefly, with iSportsCal there can be an unlimited number of calendars, users and Events (tasks).
2 - Timing - seasonal events are timed to the moment and with concert events even to the hour or minute, any later can be devastating especially if there is no talent or power. The key point of the iSportsCal approach is to give everyone a "visual view" of the events at hand, now or in the future. Annual conferences, board meetings and other events often need to have a long-range view. Other projects need to have this week's view and get a quick review of today's events. Each event, team training, meetup and practice/task has an iSportsCal priority (ontime, delayed, at risk) which can be adjusted to meet changing demands.

3 - Tasking - to the right person to the right task is often very hard as the person who is good at the task is already assigned or otherwise unable to help. They may also not have time to train the new person. This means that with already tight schedules, too few team members and skill shortages, events and individual tasks are poorly equipped to succeed. Outsourcing generally exacerbates the problem. With iSportsCal any team member can jump in and aid/guide as they are able to add comments in any event and guide those in need.

4 - Tracking - ever heard a boss say, "Where are we on this project." Managers probably have that idea and others already in their genes, however, it's more than just tasking, it's more of tracking the progress through the timeline. The visualized approach to iSportsCal gives managers, trainers and players the ability to add tasks, review activities, change status and more efficiently track any task anytime from anywhere.

All too often with global time zones and personal time schedules, managers who may be morning types (those who are up early and done by 4PM) can get going and review progress activities of those who may be night people (late nighters who generally stay up to 11 or beyond). With iSportsCal, progress tracking can be accomplished not based on just on time but when people are most productive.

5 - Time Management - is separate from timing. Timing is setting the specific event, arranging activities time management is organizing the resources, overseeing the progress, completing the event and evaluating the event. Time management, among other functions, is all about the time it takes each to complete each task. In addition, it is separate from tracking which is a reporting activity. Time management is also about the challenge around the use of your time effectively and efficiently. I can say one word that is considered by most to be a complete waste of time. The word is meetings. One expert once said, "When people are in meetings, nothing is being accomplished in or out of the meeting."

Time management means organizing yourself to get the job done ahead of schedule and under budget. I have worked for truly incredible leaders who were able to get jobs done on time and on the money. However, for many, like the similar adage "if you are boring face-to-face, you will still be boring via video conferencing. In time management, if you are disorganized now, there are no tools to get you organized if you don't want to be. However, iSportsCal is designed by a team of experts with decades of experience in time and player-trainer management and the features are designed to facilitate and to visualize your priorities and, hence, have better ways to get organized.

6 - Team - as they say like "herding cats" is another common problem as team members who don't know exactly what they are supposed to do they will not be doing the needed task. Being on a team is also all about team communications and collaboration. However, to be a real team member means an honest and earnest effort at clear, consistent and quality communications.

Too often team members hold back what they really know or feel either wanting the project to fail or not wanting to expose their own failures. It is the ultimate responsibility of the team leader to get the team communicating clearly and honestly. With iSportsCal, each person/player can add relevant information, allowing the trainer/manager/leader to add their own comments guiding and directing team members to the desired result.

7 - Transactions - managing signs, travel, even name cards and thousands of other details is a matter of managing transactions and outside/support services. With iSportsCal all activities can be visually tracked, updated, revised and viewed. In each iSportsCal Event, lists can be maintained and updated with all the relevant and required information. That is, in the iSportsCal Library, content of all kinds can be placed and used with any Events (Event is the common iSportsCal term for all tasks).

The value of the corporate content Library is that slide decks, videos, files and other documents can be in a shared folder to be archived and stored. Rather than team member keeping content in their own personal devices, they can be placed for all to share. iSportsCal was used to share training content for more than a dozen training courses, and when a new slide was needed in a few but not all of the courses, it was easily and rapidly updated for all the trainers who were located globally. In addition, each team member can review changes and comments are shared by all team members. In addition, files of all kinds can be stored in the iSportsCal library for current or historical use in the case of departing team members.

8 - Trending - in this instance refer to stepping back and seeing what social media trends are following along with your project. One of the ways to use iSportsCal is as a social media planning and event promotion tool. You can add Events to track social media efforts rather than just as a random posting.

Use the iSportsCal Event feature to add comments to track social media posting and evaluate posts for improvement as needed. In addition, the Event comment page provides the means to organize posts "prior" to posting. That is, use the Event comment page to create the social media Twitter/FB/Blog posts for the week or even longer. This allows others to participate and add their ideas or comment. Once posted it, a typo or misused word is often hard or impossible to un-do or remove.

9 - Tooling & Tailoring - is an old term for rebuilding or redesigning. It is used here to suggest that one of the more interesting aspects of iSportsCal is as a simulation, modeling or design tool. All too often teams are so task focused they seldom get the time to step back and see the big picture. iSportsCal gives such a great visual approach to all events allowing entire iSportsCal Calendars to be duplicated and then used to provide alternate scenarios. That is, as a team exercise each team member can take an Event underway or a previous one and re-tool it as they would like to have seen it done. This way alternative Calendars can be easily tooled or modeled.
These models can be presented to the team for evaluation of current or future Events. This is especially important to have disasters and other crisis iSportsCal Calendars already tooled up. This kind of Event tooling can get upper management involved at any point to make sure when these crises do occur; the special tooled events are ready to go. Tailoring is the fact that all too often even after an Event is underway, upper management; pertinent Events or un-anticipated events change the original Event efforts. With iSportsCal, each Calendar and all its Events can be duplicated in multiple versions easily and quickly tailored to suit many different needs without necessarily disrupting any ongoing progress.

10 - Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is put last as the critical tool needed to summarize each Calendar and all of its Events for all involved as to what the project cost. However, without good tools many projects overlook many of the costs involved and may not reflect the TCO. In addition, if there are no tools for all the team to place their activities, then splitting/sharing time and costs are not possible. Spreadsheets and timesheets often capture in general terms, relative activities, however, design, collaboration, deliberation and other communications activities are not numbers. iSportsCal allow everyone to enter their thoughts and ideas as well as spreadsheets can be placed in the iSportsCal Library as a file or template for any project. This provides some great benefits as archive for historical tracking or future budgeting.

Summary - Sports and team management success is all about communications and communications is all about the message. Whether you are classic strategist that the medium is the message or that the message will create its own medium, communications is and will always be challenge. We are building iSportsCal to help organize, classify, facilitate team communications and collaboration more rapidly, precisely and exactly than ever before.

This article developed in support of iSportsCal and CrossPinPoints an integrated edcomcal-editor communications calendar also known as a marcom-marketing communications calendar.
For more go to http://crosspinpoints.com or http://isportscal.com

Rockit Media’s CEO Roger Toennis To Present at Invest Southwest

2011-11-03T05:09:00.000-07:00

Rockit Media
Contact/Call for Demo: Sales
Telephone: 720-432-5395
Email: sales@rockit.me
Website: http://www.rockit.me

Rockit Media’s CEO Roger Toennis To Present at Invest Southwest

BOULDER – Rockit Media is being introduced into the mainstream technology investment community at Invest Southwest November 3, 2011 in Phoenix Arizona. Rockit Media, a leader in delivering all-in-one marketing solutions for businesses, is one of 14 to present at Invest Southwest conference. “Our Rockit Service provides just what the Businesses need to promote their business to their best customers. Your best customers deliver most of your profit and help you grow your businss.” Roger Toennis, CEO.
“Rockit revolutionizes how we engage with our best and most profitable customers. It closes the loop on loyal customer engagement like no other solution we've looked at over the past year.” Lisa Voss, Tilted Kilt Denver.

ABOUT ROCKIT MEDIA:
Rockit Media’s patent-pending Rockit service allows businesses to effectively promote their business using a variety of media channels including text, email, voice, mobile application and social media. Rockit is an all-in-one package that integrates key technologies into an easy-to-use Software-as-a-service (SaaS) package and allows the businesses to focus on key messaging. Rockit takes care of all of the complex technology issues. Thru Rockit’s SmartFind technology, messages are sent from a business to its best customers on the media channels on which they are most likely to respond. Rockit goes beyond one-way marketing blasts to complete two-way engagement between businesses and their best customers. Hard ROI is driven by the business successfully growing their loyal customer base and influencing them to visit just one more time per month. Find out more at http://www.rockit.me.

All product and company names may be trademarks of their registered owners.

Gold Strengthens Leadership Taps Richard Stansbury as VP - Sales & Marketing

2011-10-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Contact/Call for Demo: Sales
Email: websales@goldsys.com
Telephone: 303-447-2774
Twitter: @GoldSystemsInc
Website: http://www.goldsys.com/

Gold Strengthens Leadership Taps Richard Stansbury as VP - Sales & Marketing

BOULDER – Gold Systems, a leader in self-service customer communications using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) solutions, announced the addition of Mr. Richard Stansbury to its senior level management team as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "Richard is a proven leader who brings great experience delivering both software and services to customers. He understands that Gold Systems strives to truly partner with our customers to deliver the best solutions to their problems, and I’m excited to be working with him on our leadership team," noted Terry Gold CEO. Richard will focus on gaining and retaining customers Gold Systems has worked with for more than twenty years. He will also be critically involved in all aspects of strategic directions in innovative voice solutions including Vonetix 7, Microsoft Lync, Microsoft Tellme and others.

“I am thrilled to join Gold Systems to contribute to its vision and efforts to merge data and voice business processes for our customers,” noted Mr. Stansbury. “Gold Systems’ twenty years of consistent delivery of products and services to its customers and partners impressed me; it has created an incredibility skilled organization. I look forward to adding my efforts to identifying and providing unified communications solutions that deliver true business advantages," he added.

Stansbury’s thirty-year technology experience has been focused in both Sales and Operations. He has led sales teams and branch operations in Denver and Atlanta for BORN Information Services; he was responsible for regional sales in the Southeast for Fujitsu Consulting’s ERP offerings after Fujitsu acquired BORN in 2005. Most recently, Stansbury led Atlanta’s Racemi, Inc. as CEO. Racemi offers innovative solutions for a wide range of cloud migration and data center automation use cases.

Stansbury joined Gold Systems in September after returning with his family to Colorado after 13 years in Atlanta, Georgia.

About Gold Systems
Gold Systems has Microsoft Unified Communications Gold Competency specializing in Unified Communications and speech recognition technology. For two decades, Gold Systems' award-winning contact center and IVR software applications have handled billions of phone calls and customer interactions for the world’s largest enterprises.

Developed by Gold Systems, Vonetix™ 7 (a trademark of Gold Systems) is software that UC enables contact center and IVR systems. V7V is complete design, development and deployment environments that support both cloud and premises deployments and platform portability without rewriting the application.
Earlier versions of Vonetix are in service around the world in thousands of contact centers. Vonetix 7 is a completely new product written to compliment Microsoft UC and speech platforms.

Gold Systems offerings include customized contact center solutions, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) self-service systems, and Communication-Enabled Business Processes (CEBP) applications that improve customer satisfaction, raise productivity, empower mobile users and reduce the cost of customer communications. Gold Systems is based in Boulder, Colorado. For more information visit: http://www.goldsys.com.

Social Media Pic-Pedia Glossary Announced - PictaPedia

2011-10-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2011
CONTACT: Tom Cross
Email: cross@gocross.com
Twitter: @techtionary
Phone: 303-594-1694

PictaPedia - Social Media Pic-Pedia Glossary Announced
Largest (we've seen so far) and First Picture Glossary with more than 360 Terms

BOULDER – Social Business College (http://socialbusinesscollege.com) announced the immediate availability of PictaPedia, an online illustrated-picture social media glossary covering such topics as "social media, social business, media applications, social business products, social platforms, social gadgets-apps, social business futures, marketing-communications and other topics (see list of glossary terms explained below). "Social media technology and concepts are exploding so rapidly that it is really hard to keep up with all the terms and concepts as a result we explored more than 20 social media glossaries and found them particularly lacking," noted Tom Cross CEO.

The purpose of PictaPedia is fourfold.
First, the purpose of this glossary is not to explain all the hundreds and growing number of social media sites, bloggers, programs, tools, apps, devices and other content. In addition, many of the major social media providers are evolving as well as changing the names and features of their products daily.

Second, the purpose of this glossary, in our modest effort, was to fill a gap in the more than 20 different social media glossaries available. Some were simple, some confusing and others not relevant to social media. Most importantly, where possible add pictures, graphics and illustrations to increase a viewer's understanding of social media, social marketing and social media technologies.

Third, some of the terms are not really related to social media but were asked by students in the social media course and in support of Social Media Marketing onsite and webseminar course for all audiences available from Social Business College http://www.socialbusinesscollege.com and Social Media Marketing For Real Estate Professionals (special course) available at http://www.iREcal.com

Fourth, social media marketing is constantly evolving, this glossary will also. If you have suggestions, modifications or comments, send them to cross@gocross.com.

Here are the terms in PictaPedia as of this writing:
Adware, Asynchronous, Beta, blook, channel partner, control panel, cookie, CRM, customer relationship, management, keylogging, library, linkbait, poisoning, GUID, Global Unique Identifier, middleware, Multimedia Messaging Service SPIT, spyware, XSS, Cross-Site Scripting, Above the fold, Alerts, A-list bloggers, Aggregation, Always-on, Anonoblog app, application, API, applications programming interface, Archive, Authentication, Authorization, autodiscovery, avatar, Badge, back channel, Bliki, Blog post, Blogroll, Blog snob, Blog storm, Blog roll, Boardreader, Bookmarking, Bulletin board, B2B, Business-to-Business, B2C, Business-to-Consumer, Captcha, Canvas, Channel, Chat, Chicklet, Cloud computing, Cluster, CMS, content management system, CSR, corporate social responsibility, Corante, Cloud, Context ads, cost per action, CPC, cost per click, CPM, CPI, cost per install, Collaboration, Crowdsourcing, Cross-selling, Pitchselling, dashboard, direct message, Domain name, Dooced, Download, ebook, Edublock, Embedding, Email, Enterprise Content Management, blog, weblog, Eye rest, Eyeballs, F2F, face-to-face, Fair Use, Faceosphere, facebook, Fan, Feed, Feedk, Feedbliz, Feedburner, FTP, file transfer protocol, Flash mob, Flog, fake blogs, Forums, Follow-up sales, Geotagging, GPL, general public license, GPS, global positioning system, Groundswell, handle, Hash, hashtag, Hosting, Hits, HTTP, hyper text transfer protocol, HTML, Hyperlink, Internet, interconnection of networks using IP-Internet Protocol, IM, instant messaging, Intranet, Analytics, Lifecasting, lifestreaming, Lists, Lurker, lurking, Like, Link building, machine-to-Machine, Machine-to-Person, Mashup, Metatags, Mapping, Moblogging, monetization, Metadata, Microblogging, Moblog, Newsvine, News reader, Net neutrality, News reader, Nptech, OpenID, Open media, Open Platform, Open Source, Page, Paid search marketing, P2P, People-to-People, Person-to-Person, pingback, Multi-media concall, Person-to-Machine, Permalink, Personal media, Photosharing, Platform, Plug-in, Podcast, Podsafe, Poke, Post-posting, Presence, Process & Business Intelligence, Profiles, Public media, real-time search, Remix, RSS, really simple syndication, ROI social media return on investment, retweet, Rich media, Screencast, Search engine marketing, Search engine optimization, Search, Semantic web, SAAS, Share, Short code, SMS, short message service, Sidebar, Social remixing, SOAP, Social bookmarking, Social media optimization, Social media, Social media marketing, SPAM, Splogs, spam blogs, Spambot, Status, Startpage, streaming media, Synchronous, Tabs, Tag cloud, Tags, Taxonomy, Team Site, terms of service, Threads, Timeline, Trackback, Trending, Troll, Tweet, Unfriending, URL, uniform resource locator, Upload, Usenet, UGC, user generated content, version Control, Videoblog, Viral loop, Viral, Vlog, video blog, Viralocity, VoIP, wall, Walled garden, Warm traffic, Web analytics, Web conferencing, Web seminar, Webinar, Webcasting, Widget, Wiki, WiFi, wireless fidelity, Website, XML and others.

About Social Business College
Social Business College (http://socialbusinesscollege.com) is an independent forum on Social Media Communications Training, MARCOM-Marketing-Communications Applications, Contextual Communications, Media Communications, Social Business Applications, Artificial Intelligence, UC-Unified Communications and next-generation media. Related links include http://socialbusinesswire.com. Solutions include: iREcal - real estate professional communications and collaboration solutions http://irecal.com, CrossPinPoints - MARCOM-marketing-communications online calendar (http://www.crosspinpoints.com) , Pictagrams - iPhone/iPad apps (http://pictagrams.com), TECHtionary (http://techtionary.com), iMakeupModel (http://imakeupmodel.com) and others.

Social Business College sponsors the Social Business College Summit and other educational events.
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Social Media Marketing For Real Estate Professionals #3573 - Colorado RE Commission Approved Continuing Education Course

2011-10-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

To schedule, please contact Tom Cross - Instructor
303-594-1694 - cross@gocross.com

Approved Continuing Education Course

Social Media Marketing For Real Estate Professionals

8 Hour Course Onsite

LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR MORNING SESSION
• Understand the fundamentals of social media, social media marketing, social media business functions and other marketing information and strategies for the Real Estate professional.
• Explore different social media functions, features and benefits to a Real Estate professional.
• Grasp complex subjects such as search engine optimization, website key word searching and search engine functions.
• Understand different real estate professional customer applications and business models.
• Understand why social media marketing is critical to any Real Estate business implementation and why this step cannot be overlooked.
• Address the issue of integrated social media strategy in a Real Estate setting.
• Understand the functions of the new communications solutions from email, blogs, wikis, group and other communications paradigms. See how the benefits of social media communications improve business operations both internally and externally.
• Learn to Assess the Top-10 issues why social media represent change in the Real Estate business model of even the smallest real estate enterprise. Discuss and explore new ways to improve fundamental business processes.

COURSE OUTLINE FOR MORNING - (4 Hours)

1 - Introduction - What is Social Media Marketing for Real Estate? - 08:00-09:00 - 1 Hour
- Why Marketing, Why Not Just Selling?
- What is Marketing?
- Social Business Models
- B2B-Business-to-Business
- B2C-Business-to-Consumer
- P2P-People-to-People
- Social metrics and ROI-Return on Investment and TCO-Total Cost of Ownership
- SEO/SEM-Search Engine Optimization/Marketing
- PPC-Pay-Per-Click and other Analytics
- Crowdsourcing - right sizing, new business development models
- Four Key Human Communications Paradigms - 1-1, 1-X, X-1, X-X
- Four Key Communications Technology Paradigms - Machine and Artificial Intelligence
- Corporate, Internal & Organizational Social Networks - Communications/Collaboration, Process & Business Intelligence, Individual, Content Management
- Social Media Business Corporate Integration
- Enterprise Content Management - Complex Document Content Management - Departmental Groupware
- Process & Business Intelligence
- Groupware - Communications & Collaboration - Wikis, Blogs
- Organizational Marketing - Internal Social Networks - SharePoint, Yammer, Newsgator, etc.
- Contact Center Integration and Response - "Constant Courtesy"

Coffee/Discussion Break 09:00-09:15 - 15 minutes

2 - New Social Media Tools - Acquire, Connect, Engage, and Grow - 09:15-10:15 - 1 Hour
- 5 Key Customer Types
- #1 Rule in Customers
- Top-10 Reasons for Social Media Marketing such as:
- Start selling
- Upsell
- Pitch-sell
- Re-sell
- Cross-sell
- Followup selling
- Shorter selling
- Outselling
- Support selling - "constant courtesy"
- Cool selling
- Today's technology is not tomorrow's technology
- Ways "pads" support mobile marketing communications
Social Media Technology - new or renewed
- New Social Media Technology - Tablets, Machines, Kiosks, AI
- Social Media Mobile Apps - iPhones/iPads and others
- Age and Social Media – “You are when you were when”

Coffee/Discussion Break - 10:15-10:30 - 15 minutes

3 - Getting Started in Internet Media - 10:30-11:30 - 1 Hour

- In the beginning - domain names
- Alexa
- Search - Search is NOT Social
- 3 Key Google Search Spaces
- Search Advertising Google Adwords
- Getting to be #1 and, Most Importantly, Staying There
- Search Analytics - Exact or Rocket Science?
- The "New" Google UI-User Interface

4 - Websites & Social Media Experience - 11:30-12:30 - 1 Hour

- Why Most Websites Suck - "If your website sucks, they think you do to"
- #1 Rule of Websites
- Social Media Communications Integrated Websites
- Integrated Social Media & Contact Centers
- Top-10 Strategic Customer Assessments

1 – Customer
2 – Content
3 - Media Channels
4 - Channels of Distribution
5 – Apps
6 – Technology
7 – Organization
8 - Brand
9 – Random
10 - Vision

Lunch 12:30:13:00 - Lunch Break - 30 minutes

LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR AFTERNOON SESSION

• Review the details of various social media solutions such as email marketing, blogs, video, surveys and others.
• Explore different social media content strategies - what to say and when to be an effective Real Estate professional.
• Grasp complex subjects such as "how to" twitter, blog and producing video content and submissions to maximize key word searching and search engine functions.
• Understand different "time management" techniques for maximizing productivity for the Real Estate professional.
• Probe the issues behind social media for B2B, B2C, P2P. Understand when and why different customer strategy is needed for real estate social media marketing.
• Understand why blogging is very important to demonstrating the breadth and depth of knowledge of the real estate professional and why it is critical in today's complex Real estate marketplace.
• Develop a social media strategy for a Real Estate setting.
• Understand the functions and anatomy of Facebook websites. See how the benefits of social media communications can be organized to aid in real estate communications with customers.
• Assess the Top-10 Benefits of Twitter and how daily communications with customers and the world-at-large enhances the reputation of the Real Estate professional.
• Explore how social media is important for regulatory compliance and professional reputation management as well as potential security attacks.
• Probe the issues behind social media. Understand when and why real estate organizations need a social media marketing and compliance plan.
• Review exciting new social media technologies and how to maximize the benefits to the real estate professional of Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google, website design, key work tagging and the vast array of home, pad, mobile and other emerging technologies.

COURSE OUTLINE FOR AFTERNOON - (4 Hours)

5 - Social Media Marketing Defined - 13:00-14:00 - 1 Hour
- Social Media "Word of Mouth"
- Social Media Shortening & Closing Sales - Endorsements to Purchase Cycles
- It's Free but Your Time is Not Free
- Place - One of the Four Marketing P's - Place, Now Online
- Timing is Everything - Integrated Communications Calendars
- Benefits of Sharing
- Social Media Marketing - Best Practices
- Goals
- Dis-engaging "Lurkers"
- Creating a Social Media Presence
- Where are Your Customers?

6 - Social Media Marketing Types - 14:00-15:00 - 1 Hour

- Email Marketing - 6 Functions it fulfills for Social Media
- Email Marketing Metrics - Measuring What You Mail
- Newsletters
- Events & Event Marketing
- Online Surveys
- Investor/Stakeholder/Community Relations
- White Papers
- Webinars
- TradeShows
- Print & Magazine Ads
- Billboards
- Podcasting
- Conference calls
- Press Conferences
- TV advertising
- Press Releases
- Building a Presence
- Video - YouTube
- Twitter
- Linkedin
- Your First Words - Content is Everything - Not the Media But the Message
- Focusing Your Presence
- Blogs
- Blogs - Why They Fail
- Setting up a Blog
- Writing for a Blog
- Marketing a Blog

Coffee/Discussion Break - 15:00-15:15 - 15 minutes

7 - Tech-Tips & Technologies - 15:15-16:15 - 1 Hour
- URL Shorteners
- Stock Photo-Video-Image Services - Picture is worth a lot of words
- Facebook
- Basic Anatomy of Facebook Page
- Facebook Timeline - Things You Need To Know - Blog Meets Scrapbook
- Facebook for Business
- Anatomy of Contact Center Facebook Integration
- Facebook Advertising and Marketing
- Facebook business case studies
- Creating a Presence on Linkedin
- Basic Anatomy of Linkedin Page
- Linkedin Integration with Email Marketing
- Twitter - What is it and Top-10 Benefits
- Basic Anatomy of Twitter
- Creating a Presence Using Twitter
- Avoid Being a "Twit" on Twitter
- Google+ - Google Circles and 1+
- "Other" Social Media Technologies - so many, so little time.

8 - Building Your Social Marketing Network - 16:15-17:15 - 1 Hour
- Integrating Twitter with Newsletter (Email), Facebook, Blogs, etc.
- Growing Virally, not Socially
- #1 Rule of Content is …..
- Being the Expert and "Thought Leader"
- Social Media Don'ts - At Least if you're Not a Rock Star
- Reuse, Reuse, Reuse
- Real Life Case Studies - What Really Works?
- Measuring Your Own Success
- Like Exercise Do It Daily
- Let Tools Help Manage
- What To Monitor
- Responding to the Negative
- Social Media Marketing Success
- Social Media Success for SMB - B2B, B2C, P2P
- Corporate - Security and Compliance
- Social Media Security
- Social Media Compliance - Regulatory and Common Sense Rules - SEC-FINRA, PCI, SOX
- More Compliance - SEC Rules 17a-3 17a-4 & NASD Rule 3110
- Future Trends, Solutions and Technologies
End

Registration and matriculation (certification and tracking) provided by BVSD

INSTRUCTOR:

THOMAS B. CROSS - B.S. M.S.
2525 Arapahoe Suite E4 – Boulder, Colorado 80302 - 303-594-1694
Email cross@gocross.com - Blog - http://crosstalk-techtionary.blogspot.com
LinkedIn for References & Recommendations - http://www.linkedin.com/in/techtionary
Twitter - http://twitter.com/techtionary
Web sites http://techtionary.com, http://socialbusinesscollege.com

Use Wireless Data to Provide VoIP Access - Bits Rather than Minutes - BroadSoft to resell AudioCodes VoIP Mobile Access Solution,

2011-10-13T06:03:00.001-07:00

Graphic by Tom Cross to explain VMAS

Contacts
Shirley Nakar
AudioCodes
Tel: +972-3-976-4000
Shirley@audiocodes.com

AudioCodes and BroadSoft Sign Resale Agreement for Mobile Unified Communication Solution

BroadSoft to resell AudioCodes VoIP Mobile Access Solution, an integrated mobility infrastructure and client for BroadSoft’s hosted Unified Communications offering

Lod, Israel and Phoenix, Arizona, BroadSoft Connections 2011 – October 13, 2011 – AudioCodes (NASDAQ: AUDC), a leading provider of Voice over IP (VoIP) technologies, today announced it has entered into an agreement that allows BroadSoft, Inc. (NASDAQ: BSFT), the leading global provider of software that enables mobile, fixed-line and cable service providers to deliver real-time communications over their IP networks, to resell AudioCodes VoIP Mobile Access Solutions (VMAS).

As part of the agreement, AudioCodes and BroadSoft® will collaborate to customize and integrate VMAS to BroadSoft’s BroadWorks®and BroadCloud platforms, creating a Unified Communications (UC) client that delivers instant messaging, presence, audio and video that can be accessed by personal computers, smartphones and tablets. The VMAS for BroadWorks solution, which will be offered to BroadSoft’s service provider customers, also incorporates AudioCodes Client Management System (CMS) for centralized and secured distribution, authentication and policy enforcement of VMAS clients.

“AudioCodes is pleased to be selected by its long-time partner BroadSoft to deliver Unified Communication Mobile VoIP applications,” said Sharone Ben-Levi, vice president of marketing for North America, AudioCodes. “Enterprise mobility is an important pillar of on-premise and hosted UC solutions, which increases efficiency while reducing costs. Using the seamless integration of VMAS with BroadSoft’s BroadWorks server, hosted service providers can now offer additional value to their business customers including enhanced UC and VoIP experiences over PCs, smartphones and tablets.”

“BroadSoft is committed to providing our service provider customers with mobile VoIP solutions that enable them to offer new value added services and increase revenues,” said David Bukovsky, vice president products, BroadSoft. “With AudioCodes VMAS for BroadWorks solution, we believe our customers will be able to meet the growing demand for new applications and services for their mobile devices.”

This agreement expands the close collaboration between AudioCodes and BroadSoft. As a BroadSoft Premium Access Solution Partner, AudioCodes has developed advanced product offerings for the BroadSoft hosted VoIP solutions, including a broad range of media gateways, enterprise session border controllers and, multi-service business gateways – that can simplify deployments and management of BroadSoft’s hosted VoIP service solutions.

AudioCodes will demonstrate the VMAS BroadSoft solution at BroadSoft Connections 2011: Crush It! at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, Arizona, October 16-19. For more information, visit: www.broadsoftconnections.com.

About VMAS
AudioCodes VMAS is a mobile VoIP solution comprised of a Client Management System (CMS) for convenient distribution and back-office management, and a variety of mobile VoIP clients for smartphones and notebooks that are working over Wi-Fi or Cellular Data connectivity. VMAS supports devices running on all major mobile operating systems, including Android, Apple iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry and Symbian. In addition to VoIP, the VMAS for BroadWorks solution includes instant messaging, presence, short message service (SMS) server, integration with BroadWorks corporate directory, call control features and an intuitive graphic user interface.

About AudioCodes
AudioCodes Ltd. designs, develops and sells advanced Voice over IP (VoIP) and converged VoIP and Data networking products and applications to Service Providers and Enterprises. AudioCodes is a VoIP technology market leader focused on converged VoIP & data communications and its products are deployed globally in Broadband, Mobile, Cable, and Enterprise networks. The company provides a range of innovative, cost-effective products including Media Gateways, Multi-Service Business Gateways, Session Border Controllers (SBC), Residential Gateways, IP Phones, Media Servers and Value Added Applications. AudioCodes’ underlying technology, VoIPerfectHD™, relies on AudioCodes’ leadership in DSP, voice coding and voice processing technologies. AudioCodes High Definition (HD) VoIP technologies and products provide enhanced intelligibility and a better end user communication experience in Voice communications. For more information on AudioCodes, visit http://www.audiocodes.com

Statements concerning AudioCodes' business outlook or future economic performance; product introductions and plans and objectives related thereto; and statements concerning assumptions made or expectations as to any future events, conditions, performance or other matters, are "forward-looking statements'' as that term is defined under U.S. Federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in such statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to: the effect of global economic conditions in general and conditions in AudioCodes' industry and target markets in particular; shifts in supply and demand; market acceptance of new products and continuing products' demand; the impact of competitive products and pricing on AudioCodes' and its customers' products and markets; timely product and technology development/upgrades and the ability to manage changes in market conditions as needed; possible disruptions from acquisitions; the integration of acquired companies’ products and operations into AudioCodes’ business; and other factors detailed in AudioCodes' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AudioCodes assumes no obligation to update the information in this release.

©2011 AudioCodes Ltd. All rights reserved. AudioCodes, AC, AudioCoded, Ardito, CTI2, CTI², CTI Squared, HD VoIP, HD VoIP Sounds Better, InTouch, IPmedia, Mediant, MediaPack, NetCoder, Netrake, Nuera, Open Solutions Network, OSN, Stretto, TrunkPack, VMAS, VoicePacketizer, VoIPerfect, VoIPerfectHD, What’s Inside Matters, Your Gateway To VoIP and 3GX are trademarks or registered trademarks of AudioCodes Limited. All other products or trademarks are property of their respective owners. Product specifications are subject to change without notice.

Gold Systems Achieves Microsoft Unified Communication Competency - Providing Lync Professional Skills Migration and Implementation

2011-10-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Contact/Call for demo: Sales
Email: websales@goldsys.com
Telephone: 303-447-2774
Twitter: @GoldSystemsInc
Website: http://www.goldsys.com/

Gold Systems Achieves Microsoft Unified Communication Competency
Providing Lync Professional Skills Migration and Implementation

BOULDER – Gold Systems, a leader in self-service customer communications using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) solutions announced that they have achieved the Microsoft Unified Communications Gold Competency. "We have certified Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCP's) who have passed new UC competency evaluations. In addition, our sales experts have passed the sales and marketing assessment to achieve this goal as well as the required number of customer recommendations," noted Terry Gold CEO.

"We have a strong professional services group that is skilled in both the migration from traditional PBX systems as well as the implementation of new Lync greenfield installations," Gold added. Gold systems has also partnered with other unified communications industry leaders to provide - start-to-finish, side-by-side and over-the-shoulder professional services. Gold has indepth knowledge of media gateways, session border controllers, end points, SIP trunking and other options to maximize the range of customer settings from SMB to large-enterprise. For more information on Gold Professional Services, please email websales@goldsys.com.

About Gold Systems
Gold Systems is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Unified Communications and speech recognition technology. For two decades, Gold Systems' award-winning contact center and IVR software applications have handled billions of phone calls and customer interactions for the world’s largest enterprises.

Developed by Gold Systems, Vonetix™ 7 (a trademark of Gold Systems) is software that UC enables contact center and IVR systems. V7V is a complete design, development and deployment environment that supports both cloud and premises deployments, and platform portability without rewriting the application.

Earlier versions of Vonetix are in service around the world in thousands of contact centers. Vonetix 7 is a completely new product written to compliment Microsoft UC and speech platforms.

Gold Systems offerings include customized contact center solutions, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) self-service systems, and Communication-Enabled Business Processes (CEBP) applications that improve customer satisfaction, raise productivity, empower mobile users and reduce the cost of customer communications. Gold Systems is based in Boulder, Colorado. For more information visit: http://www.goldsys.com.
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

Top-10 Unified Communications (UC) Planning - "Best Practices"

2011-10-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

Top-10 UC Planning - "Best Practices"
By Thomas B. Cross
The weekly Cloud/Skype/Lync Newsletter can be found by clicking here.

We begin a two part series "best practices" - guidelines and real world answers. As you may know, I don't really like the term UC or unified communications. I prefer SC or simplified communications as both the user and the administrator want features for users and systems for administrators that are simpler more integrated to manage. However, not always wanting to fight the trends, there is a considerable amount of research into this presentation along with at least one real-life administrator's comments. This presentation will be expanded to include others being written and if you have your own answers, we would be delighted to include them here. The animated version can be found by clicking here. Here is the text version:

Guideline: 1 - Locate IP-PBXs physically close to your IP gateways.

Real world answer: Good point. That we did. In all but one location, we are co-located with core network routers (Cisco 65XX) We are directly connected from the PBX to the port on the router. No patch panel in between for less chances of someone accidentally unplugging the wrong patch cord. Our sites were set up like this before the upgrade, so it wasn't a big step, but it did allow us to pool resources. We supplied -48vdc power to the routers rather than the network guys trying to manage their own UPS systems, (which they had a very poor track record of). We also were able to air condition only one space, rather than two. In addition, our PBX has a couple of alarm inputs that we normally use for monitoring our external rectifiers. By having these alarm indications, we can tell them that the power is out at a specific location. In the past, all they would know was that a site had dropped off the network with no information as to the cause.

Guideline: 2 - Locate IP gateways and Unified Messaging servers on the same VLAN (with 802.1p and q) and the same physical site.

Real world answer: Did that too. The processors in each cabinet are all on the same subnet. The gateway cards are on their own subnet. This allowed for easy security control and monitoring of traffic. As we start deploying IP phones, we'll be visiting the VLAN issue too. Our AVST voice mail system is co-located with our main site, and on the same network, DC power, etc.

Guideline: 3 - Locate Unified Messaging servers within the same physical site as
other servers that have Exchange 2007 server roles installed, including Mailbox, Hub Transport, and Client Access servers.

Real world answer: We don't use Exchange, but we are across the hall from our main data center.

Guideline: 4 - Terminate your WAN network connections physically close to where all SIP/IP equipment is located with both diverse (separate trench/aerial) and redundant physical routes.

Real world answer: All in the same room as our main site. The network guys really jumped on board with the DC power stuff. They had a very poor record of maintaining UPS's and had no UPS systems capable of running their equipment for more than a few minutes. By placing their core routers, WAN connections, ISP connections at our main site, and utilizing a second site for back up ISP connections. All ISP connections, core routers and WAN connections, as well as some microwave links are on our DC power system. We sized for either 4 or 8 hours of run time based on the availability of on site fuel storage for the generators. All sites with the exception on 2 very small locations, have back up generators. With the generators and our long term DC power capabilities, it's rare that power outages affect our systems. We do get occasional generator failures.

All core routers are dual homed. ISP connections are redundant using alternate paths. Remote sites (off the main campus) usually have at least two diverse paths back to the main campus.

Guideline: 5 - In branch office scenarios or over WAN connections, create VLAN set routers to prioritize voice and use the G.729 codec where feasible instead of the G.711 codec to minimize voice network traffic.

Real world answer: Got that too. Some of our network guys are still a bit sore that our traffic is "prioritized" on "their" network, but they are slowly getting over it. We are using G.711 on all our inter-site links, but will likely use the G.729 for everything else. We are currently only running traffic between sites over the data network. Actual roll out of IP telephones will begin next year. VLAN for that is in the works.

Next week, Guidelines #6-10 and all Top-10 Guidelines are online now buy clicking on any of the graphics. The "real world answers" will be posted next week. If you have anything you want to share or say, then by all means, we don't have all the answers, just some of the questions.

Epitaph to Steve Jobs - Marketing, Marketing, Marketing

2011-10-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

Of course the news, the really big news this week was the lackluster showing of the iPhone4s which I Twittered "a mind is a terrible thing to waste and so is a global media frenzy, does the "s" stand for stupid. Certainly Apple blew it and you should read what others have to say. Having stood in line for the first iPhone3 back when and certainly drank from the firehouse of media hype and "sneak peaks" as what the iPhone5 was going to look like. Not sure if Tim Cook has feet big enough to fill the shoes of Steve Jobs.

Then Steve Jobs dies. My epitaph for him was that he gave all of us the "desire to inspire." Of course, marketing, marketing and more marketing IMHO was truly the greatest thing he did so very well. He knew how to do marketing and create a global frenzy and how to nurture it and care for it. He knew how to do retail marketing with his stores always full of thoroughly excited staff and extraordinary customer experience. He knew how do really "do it."

I just wanted to highlight what I think was his greatest innovation. My sister had a Nano before I did which was quite surprising as i have always been the techy, geek, propeller head in the family into electronics, ham radio, etc. I had one of the first cassette player and so when she got a Nano I was going WTF is that and why shouldn't I have one. I indeed had an MP3 player but the Nano was different.
The Nano is sleek, chic and total designed for the feminine touch and look. My compliment to Steve is that he designed the Nano in "pastel" colors which up until then was MP3 players in black and white for boys. He make tech chic for girls and as they say the "rest is history" because girls could have cool stuff just like the boys and if you walk around a college campus, you see most all the girls and boys with Apple everything. Steve may have also got his inspiration for design from Buckminster Fuller of "bucky ball" fame who spent his like (and I did see and hear him) living in designing a better world. Steve, did indeed, design us a much better world to live in.

Stop Thinking About IVR as Voice Only Webinar

2011-10-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

Contact/Call for demo: Sales
Email: websales@goldsys.com
Telephone: 303-447-2774
Twitter: @GoldSystemsInc
Website: http://www.goldsys.com/

Stop Thinking About IVR as Voice Only Webinar
Sponsored by Gold Systems Announced

November 9, 2011 TIME: 2PM ET

Hear how Gold Achieves 50%+ Lower TCO with Gold Systems IVR & Voice Solutions and much more.

BOULDER – Gold Systems, a leader in self-service customer communications using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) solutions, will present a one hour webseminar called Stop Thinking About IVR as Voice Only on November 9, 2011 at 2PM. Traditionally, customers dial into a contact center IVR and wade through an arduous menu structure trying to perform a routine task. Often they are routed to an agent – perhaps the wrong agent with inappropriate skills, and no context of the caller’s previous experience within the interactive voice response/recognition (IVR). "Gold Systems Vonetix 7 Voice (V7V) and Microsoft Unified Communications (UC) provide a new way of thinking about and interacting with your customers that goes beyond a simple voice dialog," noted Bo Molai, Gold Systems CTO and lead webinar presenter.
Gold Systems V7V combines the efficiencies of a traditional IVR and the satisfying customer experience gained by presence aware, multi-modal communications. In this webinar, Gold Systems will show you how V7V can enable the more fulfilling experiences that your customers and agents deserve while costing significantly less than comparable solutions and platforms.

What Attendees will gain:
• Introduction to Microsoft Unified Communications (Lync), Microsoft Tellme and Vonetix 7 Voice.
• See a demo of an integrated contact center experience, enabled by V7V and Microsoft Lync.
• See how the combination of V7V and UC revolutionizes the experience for the caller, agent and manager.
• Learn how V7V and Microsoft Lync can dramatically lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) when compared to traditional voice platforms.

Who should attend:
• Any IT manager or administrator who is looking to implement UC.
• Any contact center manager who is responsible for their company’s IVR solutions.
• Any business manager who wants to improve operations, reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction. Any C-level executive who wants to learn the competitive advantages an integrated UC/IVR solution brings to their business.
Presenter: BoJames Molai, CTO – Gold Systems - Bo has been with Gold Systems for over thirteen years working with enterprises to create world class voice based contact center applications and Microsoft Unified Communications deployments. In his years in the industry he served as a Software Engineer for custom voice application development, an R&D Engineer creating automated voice based mobility solutions, a Product Operations Manager for voice based product solutions, and currently leads the Microsoft Unified Communications deployment practice at Gold Systems.

Register via this link: http://www.webeventsonline.com/webevent/GOLDSYSTEMS1192011

Gold Background:
Some of the key benefits to V7V are:
- Lower TCO-total cost of ownership with speech recognition and text-to-speech licenses included - V7V is an innovative, cost-effective design, development and deployment environment. We use only Microsoft speech engines, which means no extra costs or high maintenance fees for third party speech or text-to-speech engines.
- Works with all Microsoft Speech Platforms — V7V applications not only work with Microsoft Tellme, Lync and Speech Server, but applications built on one platform can be moved to another Microsoft platform without rewriting the application.
- Highly Scalable & High Performance — V7V provides the tools and implementation methodologies that allow us to achieve significant performance benefits now and in the future.
These are just a few of the many benefits of V7V; contact Gold Systems for a demonstration today or see a demonstration at SpeechTek.

About Gold Systems
Gold Systems is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Unified Communications and speech recognition technology. For two decades, Gold Systems' award-winning contact center and IVR software applications have handled billions of phone calls and customer interactions for the world’s largest enterprises.
Developed by Gold Systems, Vonetix™ 7 (a trademark of Gold Systems) is software that UC enables contact center and IVR systems. V7V is a complete design, development and deployment environment that supports both cloud and premises deployments, and platform portability without rewriting the application.
Earlier versions of Vonetix are in service around the world in thousands of contact centers. Vonetix 7 is a completely new product written to compliment Microsoft UC and speech platforms.

Gold Systems offerings include customized contact center solutions, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) self-service systems, and Communication-Enabled Business Processes (CEBP) applications that improve customer satisfaction, raise productivity, empower mobile users and reduce the cost of customer communications. Gold Systems is based in Boulder, Colorado. For more information visit: http://www.goldsys.com.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

UC - IP-SIP Troubleshooting Guide

2011-09-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

Click here for indepth tutorial on SIP/UC/IP Troubleshooting Guide.

If you are having problems whether it be Lync or any other SIP-IP voice device, don't blame the vendor blame all the other "parts" and there are a lot of moving parts. In addition, in a recent webseminar, the end-user mentioned they spent a YEAR in pre-planning before implementing Lync. Of course, depending on your size, it may not take a year. However, pre-planning should be a prominent part of your plan (say that really fast and you will also win a prize - yet another "p"). In a recent survey, there were more the a dozen of technical problems listed with SIP. The purpose of this presentation is to review the most frequently mentioned problems and present potential (though certainly not all) solutions available. In addition, we will also present some other problems that have been encountered and solutions for them as well. The ones highlight with a + or ++ are those even more frequently found. They are not listed in any particular order and include the following:

- Poor QoS - delay/jitter/packet lost ++
- QoS issues due to mis-configuration ++
- One way audio ++
- SIP registration failures
- Firmware updates
- SBC failure
- Trunks "dropping" intermittently +
- Trunk registration failure - signaling +
- No audio
- Incoming call transfer failure
- ITSP SIP Server failures
- Call conferencing with "external call" failure
- Calls to PSTN blocked

These will all be included in a Troubleshooting Flash Tutorial which can be found here. However without delay, here is the text version and let's begin with Delay. Here are some but certainly not all of the various types of delay (queuing) that can occur in a VOIP network:
- Coding-CODEC-compression/decompression/decoding - DSP-Digital Signal processing - compression and analog-to-digital processing - this means your chipset or your device whatever it may be may not be able to provide sufficient "transcoding" depending on the voice protocols you are talking to or from. Everybody thinks that all G.711, G.723, G.729 CODECs are all implemented the same way. Not really and not often do they really match up. The only way to be sure is to have your own "Bell Labs" and test all the potential devices in your own shop. Personally not a fan of third-party or even vendor testing. These companies really don't know or will never know how "hard or soft" you are on the products you buy, so how in the fondue would really be able to help you when you are having a melt-down.

- Queuing delay - network administrator router priority queues/router configurations
- here's a real world answer - This (VOIP) was met with some friction, but we've worked all that out. We now regularly get consulted on most network changes just in case there is any impact on our services that they may not realize by placing core routers, WAN connections, ISP connections at our main site, and utilizing a second site for back up ISP connections. All ISP connections, core routers and WAN connections, as well as some microwave links are on our DC power system.

- Variable packet sizes - different packet sizes - separate various types of IP traffic and route according to QoS policy

- Packetization - encapsulation of Layer 5 RTP/SRTP -- Layer 4 UDP -- Layer 3 IP -- Layer 2 Ethernet/Frame Relay/ATM/PPP/ISDN -- Layer 1 Dialup/T-1/SONET - there is no one answer to this, however, by upgrading and continuing to upgrade your network including all the wire, you can begin to isolate problems. Here's a real world practical problem from the telecom manager, "Network routers could no longer be restarted at will for upgrades, but had to be coordinated with the telecom group, as well as emergency services since 911 calls could be affected." Nice "gotya" if you are not buying coffee for the IT side of the house.

- Serialization - computer processing delays - there are simply too many processors in the mix and this is likely to increase with firewalls, SIP Proxy servers, mobile devices and more.

- Network Propagation - speed of light divided by distance or ~60 milliseconds across the continental U.S. plus multi-hop (router) delays - oh, referring this one to "Q" on Star Trek as he can change the speed of light for you.

- Memory Buffers - memory overflow and out-of-order packet processing/reprocessing - this one is often found when you have too many different carriers and many of their own internal IP via MPLS-Multi-Protocol Label Switching policies can impact the packet flow. Test and test often.

Next week, we will dig into other issues to help you, as one Lync engineer said when he asked what he most wanted was - sleep.

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I Hate Marketing - Marketing through "Thought Leadership” - A Few Thoughts on "How To" Be a Thought Leader

2011-09-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

I Hate Marketing - Marketing through "Thought Leadership”
or a Few Thoughts on "How To" Become a Thought Leader

By Thomas B. Cross
http://crossnetpoints.com Email cross@gocross.com or 303-594-1694

Abstract: This paper was inspired by a blog post by Brad Feld of the Foundry Group, a venture-capital firm in Boulder. I don't know Brad but the idea of thought-leadership hits home to my own views of the "compelling argument" which I used in former teaching a graduate class at the University of Colorado for nearly a decade. What Brad does not say but alludes to, what does it take to become a thought leader or "how to" which is the premise of this piece. Certainly like cooking recipes there will be many, many ways how to be a thought leader. If, as Brad also suggests that thought-leadership is really what marketing, then explore what some of the key elements are in creating and maintaining it. Also if becoming a thought leader rings a bell with those who struggle with how to do marketing at all, then so be it and so here goes. Click here for Brad's blog.

Here are some of the highlights from Brad's blog post. "And yet, when I see how Foundry Group approaches marketing and when I look across your portfolio companies, I see a very common thread around how you guys approach marketing. I would characterize the theme as “marketing through thought leadership.” In more basic terms it is expressing marketing ideas via “this is why we are doing what we are doing and why it is important” instead of “hey, look at me.” Have a new product feature? Sure blog about the feature, but spend way more time on why the feature is important to your overall purpose and beliefs.

To illustrate the point, I’ve recently talked to/interviewed a few current/former people from Rally and ReturnPath. When I ask them “what is the most significant thing you did from a marketing perspective to accelerate the business” the answer across the board has been “we focused on being a thought leader in our space.” As you well know that is the same approach we are taking at Gnip and I see it in many of your other portfolio companies too. Not sure it is always a conscience effort by the companies, but it seems to be pretty consistent across the portfolio. If I were going to create the Brad Feld sound bite for Marketing it would go something like this “Don’t do marketing. Focus on becoming a thought leader in your space. Talk everyday with your customers, perspective customers, partners, and the world about why you do what you do and why you think it is important. The reality is you can only talk about what you do one or two times before people think ‘got it’ and stop listening. But, if you talk about what you believe and point to countless examples that exemplify your beliefs, you can build real engagement with people who care/believe the same things.”

Premise: The focus of this article is to use an approach called a strategic customer assessment to provide the basis for becoming a thought leader or rather building "thought content" or if you prefer "thoughtful content." That is, there are far too many white papers, articles, case studies and other content pieces that focus on a particular mission, task, POV-point of view to promote and sell products or services. The process of building thought content to demonstrate your ability as a thought leader is the process of analysis and presenting a topic in a "why should I care about this" approach. People care about so many thing so it is hard to get their attention to your particular plight or point-of-view (POV). Thirty years ago I was quoted in Lotus Magazine and I compared a particular technology to sex. Not surprisingly it was the "most read" article in the entire issue. Spring forward to this week, there was a study of successful rock-and-roll songs and those that had the highest number of references to sex were the most popular and likely the most profitable. No doubt certain products like fashion, beauty, health, even cars and others can be embellished with sex, however, many of the products that you market would be ill-received or even litigated if there were such inferences. Armed without the use of sex, what are you left with? Pain is often used to describe a particular situation which motivates a buyer to consider or acquire your product. Finding the customers pain is particularly a great challenge and it represents the opportunity to make a difference in the life of your customer.

The approach from my class and from other research is what I call crossnetpoints. Crossnetpoints is a systematic evaluation of ten key factors and presenting the findings in a means for action and deliberation. Focused on key customer trends, uses, mobile applications, technology and vision, strategic assessment they are designed to yield specific corporate tactical and strategic strengths and weaknesses. Once completed, specific tasks, functions, organizational, marketing, operational and technical tasks will be created. Certainly you can build your own cube, circle or other shape, concept, theory to fit your own thought leadership approach. There are many really cool ideas build your own is always a good approach.
This is the CrossNetPoint Model before Assessment, results are also shown later in this article. The point is to look at the ten "points" and evaluate your own company, market, personal or product position in terms of thought leadership. Through this process you can see areas in need of improvement or leadership.

Here are the Top-10 Areas of Focus in a Strategic Customer Assessment:
NOTE: Each assessment is unique to the customer and hence these comments are designed to provide an introduction, not indepth analysis of the each topic.

1 - Customer - customer and customer - it is now and will always be about the customer. The simplest way to understand customer is that if you are not talking, being with, helping with your customers, your competitor will be. Or worse, customers will do nothing, not buy anything, think ill-will of you or and the absolutely worse possibility is to not think about you at all. If you don't know anything about your customer or would-be customer, then go ask them and not, as a focus group, just as individual people.
Rather, ask them as individual unique and most-valued people as well, not just customers. What do they like, dislike, want improved upon and what-when they want to buy next. Everything that follows in this paper "circles back," intersects or crosses back to the customer. The process is to really understand not through a series of True-False, Multiple Question or even focus groups, what the customer is saying. You will often be surprised to find the difference between what they tell you what they mean is often completely different. I have personally found this to be true more times than not. Oddly in a thought leadership world, we often forget that the real thought leaders are our customers, we are just the Jimmy Olsen's reporting the news back to Perry White and hopefully reporting accurately. However, what thought leadership could also be is something also of my own persuasion; you cannot react the trends, you cannot predict them either, you must direct your customers to your own strategy. IBM, Apple, Starbucks and so many others epitomize this in the way their listen and build but also extend their products as to where they both want the customer to go and also the customer wants go there already. Therefore, truly great thought leadership is understanding, almost reading the mind of the customers and then building a platform on which to create successful solutions for them. As a result you will become the thought leader they look to, listen to and want more from.

Assessment Process: Contact ten or more customers (including channel partners) at their location, not with survey's or focus group but individually and personally by a senior consultant. That is, go see them and listen to what they have to say and most importantly, not sell them anything. Certainly ask about what they like, want improved but this is not a selling meeting but an information gathering session. After analysis of interviews you will be in a better position to determine their present and future needs.

2 - Content/Context - is simply the words or messages you use to communicate to the customer and the setting of these messages. Brand is the concept/image you present to them and will address that in a moment. Content or in this context thought leadership is the message, the way you use the message and the way, the customer uses and thinks about what you are saying is the meaning of content. "Four score and seven years ago" sets the tone as an introduction to the message and "shall not perish from the earth" sets the tone for the end of the message. Your job is to say something like "Never was so much owed by so many to so few" and be as remembered by so many who have read these most famous citations. Thought leadership in the form of content development explores the way management (C-level, full-disclosure, community and leadership), organizational (uses in web, print, etc.), distribution (via media channels and channel partners) and diffusion (common understanding and experience) uses information critical to "lift all boats" and ensuring common understanding by all involved. Some also argue context is more important than content. It is really both and without context, it would be like the episode of Star Trek Next Generation called Darmok where Picard and the alien captain tried and tried to understand each other. Each spoke English but each could not understand the setting or context or the words. Something like "cats car eating peace" each valid words but without a context is rather meaningless. The only thing I know about human communications is "communications will always fail except by chance."

In other articles I have explored the impact of contextual communications on human interaction. I will leave you with something to ponder. In the past few years, there has been considerable growth in the use of business strategy games for management study and other problems, such as examining business applications, communications or political and social processes. Gaming entails using scenarios, games, simulations, or models to provide a background or environment in which a set of individuals, usually referred to as the players, can interact. The environment is almost invariably a simulation or a model of a real environment. For example, in a business game, the communication simulation model provides insights into strategy. The application of machine intelligence to communication is, indeed, leading to the development of expert systems. How this applies to a tool like thought leadership is similar to the computer scientist that is faced with a complex philosophical dilemma similar to Goedel's theorem/sentence that some propositions can neither be proved or disproved. The criteria for understanding might be rather in the area of having the appropriate response, depending on the context or condition. For example, just because you call the fire department does not mean that your house is on fire. Just because you are hungry does not mean that you will eat stale bread. And so on. .
Hyde Park "Speakers Corner" - Photo Courtesy The Guardian.co.uk

Assessment Process: Review and evaluate all relevant content in use and under development. The approach is to take an independent view "outside the forest" or if you prefer "not out of the box but rather what's a box?" approach to analyze messages and determine key words/tags that are used internally and externally to develop "model messages." Step back from who you are, your company, industry and look at what you are saying if you just landed from outer space. The benefits of doing this are illustrated in the example of one company that used a term so ingrained to them they didn't realize the industry had moved passed the term and customers really didn't understand what the term actually meant. In order to be thought leader, you need to also look over the mountains and see what is beyond.

The following and others are examples of findings after the Assessment. Assessment findings show Acceptable performance levels and Alert areas for improvement.

3 - Media Channels - Once was used to mean TV, radio, print, yellow pages and other traditional means. Now it means Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, websites, search and hundreds of other "social media" channels. It may not be easy but some of you may remember the days when there were just three broadcast networks. Now there are literally millions of broadcast sources with their own YouTube channel. The good news is you can have your own news channel and your own news anchor team too. The bad news is that you have to produce then news or thoughts to get and keep the attention of the viewers. The key point is that media channels are not like other media channels. They are "your" channels and you need to get into the act as their channel media master. Of course, you only have one second to capture the attention of the viewer so use the time carefully. One more thing, if you don't have good content and production, you video won't go viral and you will get bad reviews like any Hollywood movie and just as harsh. Take a look at the movies on iTunes and you will find the vast majority receive four "rotten tomatoes."

Before you embark on thinking you are going to be a movie star or movie director let me remind of this simple but profound statement, "If you are boring face-to-face, you are still going to be boring via teleconferencing." This really means that people will ignore what you have to say if you don't look good as well. As the esteemed journalist, Jim Lehrer said on Jon Stewart, "candidates who don't pay attention to what they look like or what their body language is, as well as their spoken language, are making a terrible mistake." Embarking on becoming a thought leader requires that you increasingly "look the part, not just play the part." That is, you may need some "image training" as well as content training. Also, in case you also forgot, the written word is not the spoken word. Last, rehearse, rehearse and rehearse again. I have worked with so many C-levels who think they can do it right on the "first take." I send them and tell them to rehearse in front of a mirror and they come back the next and seriously they do it in "one take." There is also much to do about "getting" followers-viewers and "engaging" the viewer, it should also be not "disengaging" the viewer. Measuring those unsubscribing or unfollowing from your newsletter or channel should be as important as measuring adding new viewers. That is, if your content is really good, the world will share it or tell all their friends if it's awful. Seriously, you don't want everyone, you want everyone you need to accomplish your mission.

Assessment Process: While social media is the new "buzz" term for marketing and there are those who actually suggest that the term "marketing" to not be used at all or as Brad believe marketing makes him "throw up a little." Every company has traditional marketing activities like billboards or coffee cups, even the oldest marketing concept - word-of-mouth. They may also perceive that the new social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter etc.) as the hot-cool trend then need to jump into. However, it's through an analysis of the customer interviews will determine what channel should be used and when. Your assessment will present recommendations on which social media channels work for your customers. Thought leadership should be the persistent, consistent and often thought-provoking contribution to blogs, Twitter, Facebook and industry publications and journals. Like the photo from London's Hyde Park Corner, if you are not talking, then the people (customers) are listening to someone else.

4 - Channels of Distribution - you cannot ever do anything alone, and the more your do it with others the more you will find you are not alone and the more customers you will reach and the more you think you with others, as you are not alone in the channel. Channel partner programs extend and enhance everything you do, if you know what you are doing. Creating, facilitating and building partners are a critical part of strategic customer relation. Channel partners or missionaries extend your thought leadership in places where you can't always go and in ways you often need. However, untrained or ill-informed you are better off foregoing these opportunities.
Assessment Process: Every company markets through others (including recommendations by friends). How these channels are organized, function and managed is the focus of this phase. Evaluating current or new channel partner programs always uncovers opportunities and improvements.

5 - Apps - you may wonder why mobile apps are on this list at all. Like matchbooks, mobile apps extend content, brand, and everything else to the customer. Rather than relying on customers coming to you, apps bring you to them. In other words, you bring thought leadership to them. Apps are simple, complicated, fun, foolish or just the means to show you are "with it" or cool. For a few thousand dollars or more, you can get going on a mobile app and then keep adding features as you find interest. And, if you still don't understand why you should do this, there are now more people accessing customers and content via mobile devices than PCs. We are now in the post-PC era, so get on with it and think of your customers connecting with you anytime and anywhere for coupons, billing, talking and connecting with you.

Photo Courtesy iMakeupModel.com

Assessment Process: If there is already an app, it will be evaluated and tested in person with a few customers and features added to include more thought content, not just sales information. If there is no app, draft recommendations will be presented on scope and type of app needed or marketplace void for one.

6 - Technology is not the same apps. Technology is all and everything you do to bring everything to and from the customer as well as all the communications transactions along the way. Physical distribution comes to mind but it is not moving matter but it is about the connecting with the minds of the customer. Thought leadership means distributing content in all kinds of ways like YouTube mentioned above but don't wait for YouTube, your website is one of the greatest ways to get your own message distributed. In fact if you look at what Chanel, D&G, Coca Cola, GM and other market leaders are doing, they are turning their websites into their own media hubs, portals and their own channels. They want to the thought leader in their marketspace so why send them to another place such as Facebook, etc. Using search engine optimization, customers and prospective customers seek them out. This is not at odds with the above in pushing media out via apps; it recognizes that it is an inbound and outbound process. Without mentioning names you know the companies who can move something to and from you when you are unhappy and talking to you when you want to is all about technology.
Assessment Process: This is not an assessment of all content media technology. This assessment simply focuses on how easily or not customers can contact and be processed through sales, supporting, billing or other corporate activities. That is, what is the "customer experience" encountered by all types of customers; small, large, channel, strategic, investors or others?

7 - Organization - everyone in the organization should be part of the thought content development and delivery process. Every employee has the ability to influence or potentially customer behavior in a good or bad way. It is always amazed me how many employees don't know anything about the business they work or. Every employee should have the "elevator pitch" on the back of their business cards just to remind them and share with customers what they do. Content development is a vast and complex process. However, it is the real job of management to design an organization that works for customers. It’s a funny thing that as the organization grows, the focus moves from external to internal until the organization is so large "it" doesn't really care about the customers at all.

Assessment Process: Essentially, every company has fundamental organizational communications flaws. Everyone has said, "They don't feel involved" in the company communications process flow. Certainly every person in the company cannot communicate every aspect of the business to everyone else, however the assessment is about how, not what, is being communicated. What internal "organizational marketing" communications technologies (and they are far too many already, however, having implement one in a Fortune 100 company, they can often fail because most organizations are designed around traditional top-to-bottom communications patters and not ready for this new approach) are in place or what needs to be implemented is one of the items in the assessment report.

8 - Brand - is the very traditional term and yet a very real term that says who you are. You can name on your hands and toes the really great brands of all times including those that have risen and fallen as well as those that did not exist a decade ago are now on the forefront of your mind today. Find, focus and drive your brand in every way and on everything you do no matter what. If you forget your brand, your customers will forget you. Design your thought leadership around your brand and educate customers as to the reasons why they should know more about the company.

Assessment Process: Brand is how customers "visualize" the company. Brand is very important to all and we can all "name-names" of company brands that mean the most and we as customer can do little else but run and buy. The assessment will evaluate the current and potentially proposed brands. Thought leadership is about how to use, extend or play the brand with customers. The goal is to for the customer to see the brand and associate it with thought leadership, not just a logo or image. This is a cautionary approach as brands may not always lend themselves to thought leadership, however, in tandem they can work together to make the brand even stronger.

9 - Random - chaos, buzz, glitz, squawk, gossip, glam and anything you can do to get a random quote used or exposed somewhere famous is also a key "random" factor. If you could get "so-in-so" to mention your brand on their TV, radio, Twitter feed or anything is often more important than all the money you spend on marketing. RT-retweeting, sharing, forwarding, mentioning has often has more of an influence than all the sales calls you will ever make. However, thought leadership is using content to create your company as the "go to source" for all things in your marketspace. In this way, you minimize the "gossip factor" and maximize the credibility factor. As one blogger recently pointed out was a comment from a CEO, "My biggest concern with participating in social media is that we’ll somehow provoke a crisis."
Having managed crisis conditions and seen others do it, you take control over the media, not just message and continuously drive the message to the result. BP in the Gulf is a great example of how not do to thought-leadership. The really lesson is did you learn that lesson as well.
Assessment Process: There is always something in life that is random and chaotic. Ideas, gossip, chitchat, prattle, chatter, and people say things that more often have profound negative impressions, you need to be prepared for the worst by being at your very best full-time, not just part-time. In the assessment process, we will explore any random results and present some random ideas for consideration.

10 - Vision - as mentioned earlier, strategically, you cannot not react to trends, you cannot predict them either, you can only direct customers to your vision or strategy. Thought leadership is quite simply that strategy. There's a device likely in your hand that has been directed to you by a company with the name of a fruit. Vision can bring ideas to reality, simply, quickly and most importantly personally. Photo Courtesy Apple
One simple example was that the music player market was already flooded with portable audio players. The fruit company created not just another device but a system for buying and organizing your tunes. Then they created their devices in "pastel" which appealed to all kinds of users not just one demographic type. Then they said, why should you have to carry two devices one for tunes and one for phone, why not just one device and the rest is simply history as they say. All from a company who was year before not thought of as player in the phone business. Vision is and will always be the directing factor in your success. Everyone demands vision and everyone knows the name of the (sadly, now former) CEO of Apple.

Assessment Process: Vision is also the internal side of brand. Vision is something for investors, staff, analyst meetings and press conferences. Vision provides "guidance" to the C-level, board and others to the destination. Vision is a powerful process and is the "juice" to guide staff, if communicated effectively, understood by staff and most importantly is acted upon. With vision comes action that is understood, "our toys are the best in the world" which can be used by everyone. All too often employees have no idea what the company does and what the vision is.

Summary - Strategic customer's assessments have been used successful for more than twenty years in thought leadership settings. They have worked in developing and delivering a strategy for successful content marketing campaigns, software products, corporate office parks, educational strategy for colleges and universities in 10 states, a highly successful corporate economic development model, a capital expenditure (CAPEX) forecasting saving literally hundreds of millions, building a nationwide channel partner strategy and others. All these strategies resulted from being the thought leader in these markets. These business models can now be replicated faster, easier and more effectively with new social media tools and methods. We urge you to do your own strategic customer assessment or get our helping in doing it not for you but with you.
Email cross@gocross.com today to begin.

This article developed in support of CrossPinPoints™ an integrated marcom-marketing communications calendar. For more go to http://crosspinpoints.com or http://edcomcal.com. CrossPinPoints is a trademark.

TAGS: Strategic thought leadership, leadership, marketing leadership, marketing through thought leadership, executive leadership, executive management, content leadership, customer assessment, strategic marketing assessment, marketing assessments, social media assessments, customer marketing assessment, marcom calendar, marketing communications, Marketing, marcom, marcom report, Strategic customer assessment, strategic marketing assessment, marketing assessments, social media assessments, customer marketing assessment, marcom calendar, marketing communications

iREcal Pays for Itself in Less Than One Hour - Top-10 Reasons for iREcal Real Estate Broker/Agent Marketing-Communications Solution

2011-09-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

See iREcal at Colorado Realtors Convention - Booth #200, click here for convention details.

For buying and more details, click here.

This article was developed in support of CrossPinPoints™, is an integrated marcom-marketing communications calendar. For more go to http://irecal.com or http://edcomcal.com. iReCal and iRealCal, and CrossPinPoints are trademarks.

Top-10 Reasons Why iREcal - Real Estate Broker/Agent Marketing-Communications Solution Pays for Itself in One Less than One Hour

Abstract: Here are the Top-10 reasons for using iReCal-iRealCal, which include: Tracking, Timing, Technology, Tips, Tasks, Territory, Trust, Tools, Team and Trends. A broker/agent communications (marcom) calendar for buyers/sellers is an online tool designed to assist, guide, track and manage all agent-buyer-seller communications activities in a timely manner.

1 - Tracking - as you might easily guess, KTO-keeping track of functions is often more time consuming that figuring out what the task was to begin with. For most of you, you might as well STOP reading this now because if you don't have time to get and, most importantly, stay organized then anything more I say will be a waste of your time. However, if you want to get organized and like exercise do more than give it lip service, then what I have to say is the result of decades of research and business process design. To begin, it isn't that hard to be organized, however, if you aren't , then you waste a lot of time being disorganized. It is also means that you need to be sure the assistants and others who support you are also organized. For example, one Broker realized that while he assigned projects, he had no way to track whether the assignments were actually completed. With iReCal, you can "overlay" calendars, events, and any other activity with your colleagues to check for conflicts or followup assignment tracking.
KTO is also more than MS Project other project management tools as the project is only as good as the persons completing the tasks or the manager driving the project to completion. Tracking tasks and projects is complex and rarely is it "all" in the Project Management (PM) system. Quite simply, the real reason why - is it so time consuming to track all these projects. More often PM is done through sticky notes and email. Collaboration systems offer Wikis, where users can enter notes and comments to provide a record, history, or archive. While this information may be useful, the written word is not the spoken one, and all too often what is written is not what is meant. This means someone needs to figure out what really happened.
Without history, we are often bound to repeat it. In addition, the challenge of leadership is to think of creative ways to motivate the workers to get the job completed "on time and on budget" and to provide the means to track the project for both current and future tracking. iReCal is, according on one Broker/Agent "the most visually exciting way to track, manage and collaborate ever used." That is, with iReCal you can visually KTO all your events (open house, closings, etc.) and specific activities (email, flyers, meetings) in a single glance and manage a large number of buyers and sellers all at once (as many as 20 have been reported).

2 - Timing - or rather time is the only thing all have in common - rich, poor, smart, lucky, here or there. There are 86,400 seconds a day and while that sounds like a lot but it goes by whether you watch the clock or not. Time also has "hard stops" on projects whether you do anything or not, and you are never-ever able to do an "instant replay." One of the humorous adages is "if you can't get it done in 24 hours a day, you will have to work nights." It also seems like every day we need an extra hour in the middle of the day, not at the end of it. Having worked with Realtors for more than two decades, their day doesn't begin at the beginning but often runs late. This means that the "time" most useful to agents and brokers is the morning hours to plan, schedule, organize their day, week, month and beyond. With iReCal, you can look easily at whatever minute, month, or moment and most importantly, move it, change it or share schedules often change like the wind.

Time is the most and valuable resource each of us has. Bill Gates has not more time than you do. How you spend your time will determine your success and iReCal can, as many have found more time but more control your time, saving many from spending too much time and overtime on non-performing activities.

3 - Technology - if social media has taught us anything -- it is all about technology as applied to communications. Without the internet, there would be no Facebook, Twitter, etc. Without short-message-service (SMS) technology built on the telephone network, the vast array of now multi-media group chat and mobile video would not be possible. We really don't know much about its impact except that a lot of people are in it. What we do know is that the pace of technology is increasing and it is also "stretching the rubber band" forcing, driving, even pushing by even "friends" peer pressure on users to consume more and more tech.

I teach a Social Media Soup-to-Nuts course (http://socialbusinesscollege.com is available for delivery anywhere) teaching newbies to C-level's how to think about social media marketing from basics to advanced strategy. Social marketing strategy for real estate is built on that cache of being the most creative, not just the best tech. How this applies to real estate is also that technology is constantly changing the way brokers/agents communicate with their clients and prospective clients. Also mentioned in this article blogging or writing articles is a great way to communicate with prospective, new and existing customers. Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin are also great ways. Twitter is very immediate, Facebook is more daily, and weekly Linkedin posts can all expand your business customer network or territory. However, most people make the mistake of not having a plan for their social media marketing. Posting here or there or anywhere is not a plan. For social media to be effective, it must be cohesive (why you should know about you are writing about), considerate (not be annoying), collaborative (invite feedback), congenial (playful and positive), timely (cynchronitic -- a term we created to mean more than timely) and other factors. There is another paper on the Top-10 Types of Communications that details more issues surrounding this area. Bottom-line is technology is a critical tool in your real estate marketing strategy. Like fire, it can be a powerful force or one that burns your house down.

4 - Tips - My colleague Doug Green once said, "You can’t sell what you don't know." From the customer's perspective, you also don't buy what you don't want or more specifically, can't live in. Both sides focus on achieving certain results. For the Agent, it means arranging the buy or sale; for the Buyer it means getting a home of their dreams; for the Seller, moving on to another one. In finding new ways to help solve real estate business or marketing problems, there are already thousands of business apps, but seriously how many can anyone realistically use even if he or she really like anyone of them a lot. In our research, we have found Realtors spend the vast majority of their time in communications. While most think they do a good job at communications they really rarely really do. In addition, social media really focuses our attention on finding ways for people to communicate not just more but better, closer, more personal. How many times have you looked at a Facebook page that one of your so-called "friends" is constantly posting -- thinking of yoga, going to yoga, at yoga, had a great time at yoga and so on. When do communications becoming really annoying and are you engaging or annoying your customers? Marketing is the art of developing engaging concepts for buyers-sellers, making sales more efficient and effective, and ultimately solving customer problems. Through our research and customer use of iReCal, we have found on the other hand that they have found that being organized with a marketing plan (social and otherwise) they do engage customers more effectively. We will also be building tutorials on how to build better communications tools and engage with your customers. In the meantime, bottom-line, if you engage, you will sell them more.

5 - Tasks - is facing the most challenging part of the problem or process rather than just the simplest tasks. Social media marketing is forcing real estate companies, brokers, and agents to tackle customer service and customer communications in a public environment, not just behind closed doors in a call center. Unless you respond also in public, then the task is managed by the social media not you. One way to do this is the "community manager," a person who addresses local issues but also presents them in a global setting so everyone and I mean everyone can see. This is a task that really didn't exist even last year or did it?

There are so many great case studies of how Twitter is used for political uprisings but also how companies use Twitter to solve customer support issues/problems. The flip side is that when people complain they don't call or send emails (that go unanswered), they just Twitter it or post it on Facebook, Linkedin or their other social media sites. Marketing tools give you the means to tackle the task that challenge you in this new "constant courtesy" world. iReCal is about a tool that communicates visually with you helping you organize your tasks as shown above. Also by providing private and secure calendars with either buyers or sellers, you can provide an individual tool to post specific activities between you and each of your clients. This way both parties know what to do at which time, means fewer errors, re-schedules, and shorter sales cycles.

6 - Territory - since all real estate is local and often just a neighborhood or even a HOA, one of the effective tools to communicate is by writing a blog for your territory or coverage. However, there is not territory on the internet as anyone from anywhere can find you. In the era of buyer/seller "self-service," the more you can show your knowledge, the more your name will in front of potential customers. In addition, if you do your blog key word "tagging," the higher you can place in the general search area of Google.

That is, key word tagging and content publishing is a way to the top of the page. If you are interested in receiving blogging guidelines, we suggest you signup for Heidi Cohen's daily marketing newsletter (http://heidicohen.com). It can be a bit daunting at first but once you get the idea of publishing often and writing useful content the more effective Realtor you can be. iReCal can help by adding the Write Blog or Write Article icon to your calendar, and you can include topics you want to cover. You can expand or change your territory with your blog and use iReCal to help you keep organized about your writing.

7 - Tools - Great Realtors have often been heard to say it is their personality that makes the sale. Certainly that is a great skill, however, in a social media world, individual personalities are often less important (unless you are Lady Gaga). The point is that agent sales and marketing need close integration and planning with marketing (social or otherwise) more than even before. Planning all marcom activities is important to ensuring everyone is "on the same page." There is a famous book called the "Mythical Man Month" about the amount of communications and productivity for software development.
Communications and productivity, of course, apply to every person and every group. The concept is that if you have one person you can get a good amount of work done for one person. Adding one more person, you can almost double the amount of work with a little less because the two of you have to communicate to each other what the other is doing. Adding the third to sixth person keeps adding productivity without loss due to having to communicate about each other’s activities. What he found out was that beyond six people productivity fell appreciably. Two points relevant to Realtors is that is you need a tool that keeps all the people, and there can be a lot of them, each involved in their tasks and the timeline. In addition, only certain people need to know about their own activities and not everything. This is particularly true of F2F (face-to-face) meetings which can require tedious and time-consuming crosstown driving.

That is, sales and marketing need to be in sync on activities, plans, presentations, and all content. Each is dependent on what the customer perceives everything about you. iReCal gives you a new integrated communications approach to managing your real estate practice. One of the key tools is the iReCal Library where you an upload and store, files, images, graphics, videos, text files, and other key documents, which can be shared or not with assistants, buyers, or sellers.

8 - Trust - In any business you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. In real estate that is also very true. In real estate marketing, the problem is that if you are not marketing on the social media soapbox, then someone else probably another agent is speaking they may be getting more clients than you. Also, trust once lost is seldom regained. The price to regain trust is also more than the cost of the original mistake. The internet is also "ink" and everything will always be there and you can never delete it, so plan your content carefully.
The other part of trust or lack or it is the lack of privacy. Analysis of customer information or pro-active use of so-called private information may also be privacy invasion. Marketing has always been challenged with "profiling" the customer or using non-specific individual information. Certainly you want to target age, demographics, location and other factors. Most companies begin by analyzing current customers. However, understanding your customers' needs versus designing a campaign for certain customers requires a detailed planning and coordination effort. That is, planning is a critical element to that process. In iReCal, rather than having to rely upon your ability to recall them, you can save comments and thoughts. We like to think of this as giving you the ability to provide your own "history" or a particular transaction which may also provide you necessary details in the case of litigation you don't have to try to remember something as you have a written log or file. Building a history gives you credibility, accountability and even compliance with many governmental regulations including a records management system that acts as a document collection and storage mechanism. This also allows for secure Sarbanes-Oxley, OFAC, the USA PATRIOT Act, Money-Laundering Control Act, and other U.S. laws and regulations compliance and auditing.

9 - Team - it is always and always will be about the team. Hiring an assistant, working in an office, or trying it on your own, there is always a small team you will be working with. The point is that iReCal makes it easy to work by yourself just with your clients or in a large office, where there a number of people involved in your listing or clients. In iReCal, any authorized party can add comments, provide support services, coordinate with all parties, and be involved as needed to expedite the process.
Proper training and company socialization will indeed result in the best employees. The point is to identify the people, skills, as well as how well they work together. If you like sports or fruit companies, you can see what happens when a great coach builds a compatible team; they are unstoppable. In addition, tools like iReCal can track team activities then the "newbie" can get up-to-speed faster, more effective than before. That is, understanding where the team is on their journey also helps newbies and executives evaluate future direction.

10 - Trends- most people gasp when they see what has happened over the past decade and also what has not happened. What history gives us is not necessarily insight into the future but the means to review what did happen and then either build upon or, in many cases, don't make the same mistakes again. What this means for you is to have tools that you can review your mistakes and successes and build upon them.
However, do you really think Apple thinks about where customers have been or more about where they want customers to go and moving them in that direction. Apple has never been totally full-proof but they are increasingly flawless. However, they have the same amount of time as you and I do, they are just better organized about it. We see that iReCal is an integrated broker/agent-client marketing-communications calendar approach can give you insights into future trends and your own personal planning. Those who have used iReCal realize it is very much a great tool for personal (of course, iReCal is used to KTO personal events and responsibilities such as family activities) and professional success. In addition, iReCal will be continuing to track and add new features designed to maximize your performance.

Summary - Real Estate is an increasingly complex business.
iReCal was developed and will continue to be an innovative solution for Realtors. I have gone way beyond my Gettysburg address limit but have a little more to say, hopefully there you found value in these ideas and more importantly can make them actionable for you. However, iREcal will indeed for itself in one hour or less.

For buying and more details, click here.

TAGS: realtor, real estate, real estate marketing, real estate management, real estate agents, real estate buyers, realestate sellers, real estate services, irealcal, irecal, real estate marketing communications, real estate calendars, real estate calendar, real estate magnets, real estate supplies, womens council of realtor, real estate women association, realty calendar, mls marketing, broker calendar, association of real estate women, real estate marcom, marketing, event calendars, press calendar, advertising calendar, strategic customer assessment, strategic marketing assessment, marketing assessments, social media assessments, customer marketing assessment, marcom calendar, marketing communications, Marketing, marcom, marcom reports, marcom dashboard, dashboard marcom, edcal, marketing dashboard, editorial calendars, PR calendar, social media calendar, social media business, event management, trade show management, PR management, Social media conferences, social business events, social media, social business, social business wire, email marketing, facebook, twitter, linkedin, social media compliance, blogging, event marketing, constant contact, online survey, email newsletters, social media, twitter training, twittering, twitter, training twitter, newsletters, marcom, newsletter services, marketing services, social media education, consumer marketing

Free Social Media Consultation value $150 with each annual purchase of iREcal, iComCal or CrossPinPoints for $49.

2011-09-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

Click here for website for all solutions.

CONTACT: Tom Cross
Email: cross@gocross.com
Twitter: @techtionary
Phone: 303-594-1694

Select from more than 150+ Topics for Your Social Media Consultation Call value $150, free with each annual purchase of iREcal, iComCal or CrossPinPoints for only $45.

Get social media smart and close business real estate business faster,
engage public communications, increase marcom performance today and we will Twitter/Blog about you too.

The following are some of the topics available for the Special Social Media Consultation with each purchase of iREcal, iComCal or CrossPinPoints. You can pick from 150+ Topics and 200+ Slides in the Social Media Business Solutions Course, please email cross@gocross.com to schedule for the one hour consultantation. The complete course is available for onsite or webseminar delivery (see below the topics for details).
Topics include:
- Why Marketing, Why Not Just Selling?
- What is Marketing?
- Social Business Models
- B2B-Business-to-Business
- B2C-Business-to-Consumer
- P2P-People-to-People
- SEO/SEM-Search Engine Optimization/Marketing
- PPC-Pay-Per-Click and other Analytics
- Social metrics and ROI-Return on Investment and TCO-Total Cost of Ownership
- Crowdsourcing - right sizing, new business development models

- Four Key Human Communications Paradigms - 1-1, 1-X, X-1, X-X
- Four Key Communications Technology Paradigms - Machine and Artificial Intelligence
- Corporate, Internal & Organizational Social Networks - Communications/Collaboration, Process & Business Intelligence, Individual, Content Management
- Social Media Business Corporate Integration
- Enterprise Content Management - Complex Document Content Management - Departmental Groupware
- Process & Business Intelligence
- Groupware - Communications & Collaboration - Wikis, Blogs
- Organizational Marketing - Internal Social Networks - SharePoint, Yammer, Newsgator, etc.
- Contact Center Integration and Response - "Constant Courtesy"

- New Tools - Acquire, Connect, Engage, and Grow
- 5 Key Customer Types
- #1 Rule in Customers
- Top-10 Reasons for Social Media Marketing such as:
- Start selling
- Upsell
- Pitch-sell
- Re-sell
- Cross-sell
- Followup selling
- Shorter selling
- Outselling
- Support selling - "constant courtesy"
- Cool selling
- Today's technology is not tomorrow's technology
- Ways "pads" support mobile marketing communications
Social Media Technology - new or renewed
- New Social Media Technology - Tablets, Machines, Kiosks, AI
- Social Media Mobile Apps - iPhones/iPads and others
- Age and Social Media – “You are when you were when”

- In the beginning - domains names
- Alexa
- Search - Search is NOT Social
- 3 Key Google Search Spaces
- Search Advertising Google Adwords
- Getting to be #1 and, Most Importantly, Staying There
- Analytics - Exact Science?
- The "New" Google UI-User Interface
- Websites & Social Media Experience
- Why Most Websites Suck - "If your website sucks, they think you do to"
- #1 Rule of Websites
- Social Media Communications Integrated Websites
- Integrated Social Media & Contact Centers

- Getting In & Staying On the Mind of Your Customers" Strategic Customer Assessments
In Top-10 Assessment Areas Using the CrossNetPoints Model

1 – Customer
2 – Content
3 - Media Channels
4 - Channels of Distribution
5 – Apps
6 – Technology
7 – Organization
8 - Brand
9 – Random
10 - Vision

- Social Media Marketing Defined
- Social Media "Word of Mouth"
- Social Media Shortening & Closing Sales - Endorsements to Purchase Cycles
- It's Free but Your Time is Not Free
- Place - One of the Four Marketing P's - Place, Now Online

- Timing is Everything - Integrated Communications Calendars
- Benefits of Sharing
- Social Media Marketing - Best Practices
- Goals
- Dis-engaging "Lurkers"
- Creating a Social Media Presence
- Where are Your Customers?
- Promotion Types
- Email Marketing - 6 Functions it fulfills for Social Media
- Email Marketing Metrics - Measuring What You Mail
- Newsletters
- Events & Event Marketing
- Online Surveys
- Investor/Stakeholder/Community Relations
- White Papers
- Webinars
- TradeShows
- Print & Magazine Ads
- Billboards
- Podcasting
- Conference calls
- Press Conferences
- TV advertising
- Press Releases
- Building a Presence
- Video - YouTube
- Twitter
- Linkedin
- Your First Words - Content is Everything
- Focusing Your Presence
- Blogs
- Blogs - Why They Fail
- Setting up a Blog
- Writing for a Blog
- Marketing a Blog
- URL Shorteners
- Stock Photo-Video-Image Services - Picture is worth a lot of words
- Facebook
- Basic Anatomy of Facebook Page
- Facebook for Business
- Anatomy of Contact Center Facebook Integration
- Facebook Advertising and Marketing
- Facebook business case studies
- Creating a Presence on Linkedin
- Basic Anatomy of Linkedin Page
- Linkedin Integration with Email Marketing
- Twitter
- Basic Anatomy of Twitter
- Creating a Presence Using Twitter
- Avoid Being a "Twit" on Twitter
- Google+ - Google Circles and 1+
- "Other" Social Media Technologies - so many, so little time.
- Building Your Social Marketing Network
- Integrating Twitter with Newsletter (Email), Facebook, Blogs, etc.
- Growing Virally, not Socially
- #1 Rule of Content is …..
- Being the Expert
- Social Media Don'ts - At Least if you're Not Lady Gaga
- Reuse, Reuse, Reuse
- A Few of 50 Real-Life ROI Case Studies - What Really Works?
- Measuring Your Own Success
- Like Exercise Do It Daily
- Let Tools Help Manage
- What To Monitor
- Responding to the Negative
- Social Media Marketing Success
- Social Media Success for SMB - B2B, B2C, P2P
- Social Media Security
- Social Media Compliance - Regulatory and Common Sense Rules - SEC-FINRA, PCI, SOX
- More Compliance - SEC Rules 17a-3 17a-4 & NASD Rule 3110
- Future Trends, Solutions and Technologies

Course can be customized and outline subject to change without notice.
These topics are part of an Onsite Course or Online Via Webseminar

Social Business College (http://socialbusinesscollege.com) is an onsite or online 3-6-8 hour course on social media, social business, media applications, social business products, social platforms, social gadgets-apps, social business futures, marketing-communications and other topics (see course outline below).
Called SMBS-Social Media Business Solutions, "this is an exciting action-packed, results-oriented and bottom-line focused course designed to shorten the sales cycle, reduce customer support costs and improve media-standing reputation for a business of any size," noted Tom Cross CEO.

Social Media Business Solutions is a new introduction to those new to social media, wake-up call to those sitting on the sidelines and ROI focused for those who wonder "where the money" seeking more revenues or seeking lower costs. Instructors are proven marcom-marketing communications SEO-search engine optimization, SEM-search engine marketing, Twitter, Facebook, as well as and certified ConstantConstant experts.

About Social Business College
Social Business College (http://socialbusinesscollege.com) is an independent forum on Social Media Communications Training, MARCOM-Marketing-Communications Applications, Contextual Communications, Media Communications, Social Business Applications, Artificial Intelligence, UC-Unified Communications and next-generation media. Related links include http://socialbusinesswire.com. Solutions include: CrossPinPoints - MARCOM-marketing-communications online calendar (http://www.crosspinpoints.com) , Pictagrams - iPhone/iPad apps (http://pictagrams.com), TECHtionary (http://techtionary.com), iMakeupModel (http://imakeupmodel.com) and others.
Social Business College sponsors the Social Business College Summit and other educational events.
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