Technotip.org - Part 10

Professional IT Services For Financial Services Industry

Professional IT Services Can Help Companies in the Financial Services Industry Handle IT Security Issues

Businesses in the financial services have strict requirements to protect their clients’ data from unauthorized access and loss. By working with a professional IT services firm can provide the necessary systems to secure data and prevent data loss.

Companies in the financial industry constantly manage and collect sensitive customer information such as addresses and bank account details. This is why customers have high expectations when it comes to the type of security that these businesses provide. According to the Ponemon Institute, the finance industry has the second highest churn or turnover rate – the rate that a business industry loses customers who were directly affected by data breach events. The inability to meet client expectations can cause customers to take their business elsewhere.

IT services enable financial industry businesses to prevent data breach and eventual profit loss by performing risk assessment and implementing systems for intrusion detection and prevention. In risk assessment, the IT environment is analyzed for weak points such as inadequate end-user policy for employees, while prompt intruder detection ensures that the IT environment is able to detect unauthorized data access.

This is done through the implementation of strict end-user policies and messaging security systems. These policies include the implementation of encryption codes in the IT environment preventing data loss, theft and other types of security breach. Secure messaging protocols on the other hand, secures communications and networks by ensuring that no one from the company divulges sensitive company information through emails and other forms of communications.

Learn more about how professional IT services can help secure critical business
information at AllCovered.com.

Link Wheels Made Easy – A Guide For Beginners

This is a guest post by Kenneth Javellana. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guest post guidelines.

At the heart of every successful online business is good traffic. By that, I mean traffic that is high in both number and quality. You already set up social media accounts for cross-promoting your website. Basic link building techniques like blog commenting, forum posting, participating in guest posts, and link exchange are quite familiar to you as well. As a matter of fact you constantly do them to keep the traffic flowing. With everything set in place you can now move on to link wheels, a more advanced way of attracting high-quality traffic. Although its effects are not immediate, a link wheel proves to be beneficial for any online business.

The concept behind it
A link wheel consists of a set of websites with links flowing from one to another. These links will close in a circular pattern. In the middle of this pattern is your website. All other sites should be linking to it. Below is an example of a basic link wheel.

Now ideally, you should use Web 2.0 sites and link them towards a main website. Web 2.0 sites could be blogs, social networking sites, photo-sharing sites, or video sharing websites – anything that promotes interaction. The purpose of building link wheels is to dominate the web with content. In turn, that will increase your brand’s visibility on search engines and the amount of traffic that flows to the target website. Web 2.0 sites also help to ensure that you bring in quality traffic to your website. Of course, proper implementation of a link wheel is necessary. All elements of a link wheel need to be related to the products you are trying to sell or the theme of the target website. This will increase chances of conversion and decrease your bounce rates.

There is no specific pattern when creating a link wheel. They can be made as simple like the illustration above or complex like by setting up separate blogs which Web 2.0 properties link to before linking back to your website. When planning to create a link wheel, just remember to stick to a pattern and use a variety of Web 2.0 sites. A Web 2.0 site must never be used more than once in a link wheel.

Benefits and uses
The main purpose of a link wheel is to generate traffic that is both high in number and quality. Where this traffic leads is entirely up to you. Internet marketers commonly use Web 2.0 properties to generate traffic for their websites. However, other business models also use it to strengthen their social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. A link wheel can therefore be used as an internet marketing strategy or as a social media strategy.

Now before you create a link wheel out of whim, look into your business model and analyze what you need the most. Is it traffic that you need or do you want to multiply your followers on social networks? Clearly define what you want to happen so that you can create an appropriate pattern. Slowly build your link wheel over an extended period of time to make it look natural. Once set up, give it some time and you will slowly find yourself nearing your goal.

This post was prepared by Kenneth Javellana. During his spare time, Ken enjoys writing articles that tackle SEO techniques and tips on blogging. He also writes for his business at BroadbandExpert.com, one of the top internet providers.

How-to enable in-stream ads: YouTube

Were you earning good income from YouTube’s Instream ad options ?

But now, pre-roll ads, Mid-roll ads and post-roll ads options are missing from your account ?

Not really..

You can enable these ads only for videos with atleast 10 min of content.

Once you upload the video and the video is processed, goto Video Manager and click on the edit link beside your video.
Next, goto Monetization tab and then select pre-roll, Mid-roll and post-roll ads.

youtube-instream-ads-preroll-midroll-postroll

Another good news is, we need not enable Monetization individually for all the videos. Now you can set default setting, which will be pre-selected for all your future uploads.

To set your video’s default options goto: your youtube default settings

YouTube Interactive Transcript: SEO

YouTube recently added the Interactive Transcript feature, which uses speech recognition technology to automatically generate the transcript.

This is a easy clue that, Google would use this data to list videos for the keywords used in the video.

Though the transcription isn’t accurate, it surly helps in SEO, if done correctly.

Take The 1st Step First

Do not aim for perfection at first shot.
Remember the old saying: Rome was not built in one day.

Building your Blog / Business / Application etc
If you’re not already a celebrity like most of us, then you’ll surly have hard luck with most of the ventures. Many of them may even fail.

This fear of failure is what holds us back and keeps us resisting / postponing / not doing what we ought to do. Let me clear this once for all: Yes, you’ll fail.
It’s sure that we’ll all fail at one or multiple things in life before we succeed. But a person who never tried is always a failure.

Take The 1st Step

The glory of success lies in daring to start.

This might seem the hardest. The gravity seem to be more at this stag!
Lets see what might be holding us back:
1. I don’t have the proper resources to start with.
2. Not enough money.
3. No right set of people.

The common things:
4. He won’t let me do that.
5. She won’t let me do that.
6. They won’t let me do that ..

Yes, all these may be true. But still get started NOW. Start it anyway.
..and then figure out the solutions as and when you encounter the problems.

We all know that problems will always be there. The thing is, how we react( if at all ) and act( taking right decision ) and move forward( progress ) inspite of the problems which is trying to suck the charge out of us.

Set Backs
Yes, we’ll have setbacks once we start. I won’t be surprised with the set backs. You shouldn’t be either. Because we already know we’ll have setbacks.
We should have the right mindset and patience to even start all over again and never stop.

“Awake, Arise, Stop not til the goal is reached.”
– Swami Vivekananda

If you’re losing interest, then you’re not passionate enough in what you’re doing; and may be its not of that significance to the world and YOU!

Focus
1. Start ( ..with vision)
2. Fail (fail early)
3. Face setbacks
4. Figure out solutions
Be solution oriented and not problem oriented.
5. Concentrate / Focus on the right things.

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
– Stephen Covey

6. Start over again ( if needed )
7. Keep up the curiosity, patience, passion, and the spirit of creating positive impact.
8. Keep serving, keep growing.
9. Stay tuned.

Related Read: Tough Decisions

Have Guts To Take Tough Decisions In Business ?

Some times tough decisions are needed in business.
Some can be proved as wrong steps. But still they will be right for your business!

Confused ?

Let me explain:

Facebook introduced Facebook feed feature, and millions protested against it all over the world back then. But the user engagement had increased, so facebook continued with the feature, later after 4 years, on January 25th, 90k people agreed to turnout for the protest in Egypt. And they organized using Facebook and the same feature helped them get out their messages to wider community of users.

Ruchi Sanghvi, ex-Facebooker

Our Own Application, TwitFever.com
Its a retweet club community application where there are many members who write and submit tweets in languages other than English. I love those members, as they are active in the community. Sometimes I use Google translater tool to convert the writing to English and read their tweets and articles.

But that may not be true with other members of the community. They might find it intrusive 🙁

They may find it difficult and sometimes annoying to navigate inorder to digg English content and then retweet them.

In situations like this, we’ll have to follow the guts. I know, non-English speaking members will be really angry on me when I inform them the new rules of allowing only English content. But when you’re clear about your target audience, you’ll have to make tough decisions even if you don’t like to be rude.

Possible Solution:
Branch out the application and make sub domains or host the same application on other domains for each languages!

Now that isn’t feasible for a application like TwitFever.com
This solution may apply for a business which has bigger audience.

With this situation what I learn’t is being tough in decision is a must in business and some times in life too.
You can’t please everyone with your action/decisions.

What to look at?
Some people may say bad things about your application or business. But don’t lose your focus and forget all the other people who din’t say anything! Posibilities are they are actually loving it, but are scared to face the few others.

Always measure based on reality, statistics and not just by looking at a small group of people who are against it.
Its “ok” to treat it as a feedback: check it, if valid, act, if not carry on with your good cause.

Bad News: you’re not going to fit in with everyone.
Good News: people with big destinies never do.

Accept the things you can’t change;
have the courage to change the things which you can;
and have the wisdom to know the difference!

My 25th Birthday and A Message!

I had no idea that I’ll be blogging about this to night, sitting on top of my home in this cool breeze. Actually, I dint want to blog about this quite intentionally and I had a reason for that, which I’ll explain shortly.

The Past
I had no idea of how to celebrate my birthday, in my childhood. For me it was special prayers and a visit to temple, for many years.

It was in my masters degree(MCA) that my friends started it and I continued it for my friends. I love them. I love them all. They are special to me.

We spent a lot on parties and sometimes it would take at least 1 or 2 days to come out of the hangover :p

It was fun and a sweet memory in all our hearts, to carry forward..especially the things we talked and did in the party and it’s not just about the ffOOd.

The Present
I finished my masters degree last year and continued with my usual works, not much changes in my life in terms of lifestyle, locality and work.

But it isn’t same for my friends. They had to move to other places get job or to get some special coaching. So the party hangover was all over!

The Intuition
All these years while we had party, I would tell everyone that we shall celebrate next time in any ashrams. We could donate the helpless and could make life more meaningful. Everyone was supportive and were ready to contribute.

But it never really happened 🙁

But Why?
Because we just talked. We just thought.
There is lot of difference between thinking and doing.

It was something like: As thinking is like half doing, I’ll be thinking twice :p

We never acted upon it.

Birthday
Today is my birthday again..and I dint want to live in the planning phase any more.
So made firm decision and took action.

The Influence
Now suddenly everyone is charged. Self motivated and ready to serve and make a difference.

Again, Why?
At least, why now and not until now?

I could find the answer to this question on this day of my 25th birthday!
It is because, people need to taste it at least once.

The Message
Today we could feel the difference between sitting in a cool comfortable place, talking random stuffs, passing time(as if we live forever) and to be in a place where we realize we can help too. We distributed food and fruits to hundreds( 180 to be precise ) of children with our own hands. We are blessed enough and we should do whatever we can do and beyond what we could do, if we did not have the goal to serve. yes its possible.

The Future
We have decided to continue with this activity, even more actively and to help more and more people in coming days.
It need not be birthdays. We never knew we are so blessed until we saw the world of physically disabled and mentally disordered: those are just worldly name to them, which many of them have proved wrong.

Rewind
When I decided to get out and contribute, I thought not to blog or Facebook about this as I’m doing it for my own satisfaction. But later on learnt that, there is a message. And I must communicate it to the world.

Golden Words

“There are people who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.”
– Khalil Gibran

“At the end of life, what really matters is
not what we bought, but what we built;
not what we got, but what we shared;
not our competence, but our character;
not our success, but our significance;
Live a life that matters. Live a life of Love..”

“It’s not what WE get. But who we become, what we contribute..that gives meaning to our lives.”
– Ton Robbins

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you.
Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.”
—— Mother Teresa

Ask And You Shall Be Given.
Give And You Shall Deserve.
– Satish ( your’s truly 😉 )

“If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway.”
– Mother Teresa.

Do Good Anyway!