Spice up your web apps: hide table rows

Sometimes the web applications you build with m-Power contain so much information, it’s a bit difficult to focus on one area at a time. For applications like this, you need a way to hide or unhide data so you can focus on a specific area at a time without being overwhelmed.

Now, there are a few different ways to do this. One method lets you toggle more or less information for the entire document, allowing you to hide many rows at once. You can find instructions for this method here.>>

The other method involves placing toggle buttons on certain rows, usually on the subtotal rows. This allows the user to view more or less information for a specific area of the application. You can find instructions for this method in our forums.

Top 25 cities for tech jobs

Does it really pay to live in a large city? Sure, the salaries are generally higher, but so is cost of living. Then again, you could move out to the suburbs and commute, but many don’t want spend all that time traveling. These are all important factors to consider when figuring out which city is best for a job.

Here’s a recent article that lists the top 25 best cities for tech jobs. They consider factors such as average salary, cost of living, average commute, and a few more. You can read the entire study at insidetech.com. I was a little surprised at the cities that made the list.

I’m curious about you. What city do you live in, and how would you rank it when it comes to great cities for tech jobs?

Outsourcing not the big savings firms expect

I’ve found that if I have high expectations for a movie before I watch it, I’m usually disappointed. Even if it was a good movie, I'm disappointed because it didn’t live up to the unattainable expectations I had set in my mind.

I tell you this because I just read an interesting study in PCWorld.com which suggests that many companies do the exact same thing with regards to outsourcing. They set unrealistic expectations as to the quality and savings they will receive through outsourcing, but are sorely disappointed when they aren’t met.

Knowing your options and what to expect is extremely important if you’re thinking about outsourcing. If you would like insights or questions into outsourcing application development, like knowing what questions to ask or where to start, let us know what you have on your plate. You may be unaware of some of the choices available to you.

Horizontal centering with CSS

One of the most frustrating aspects of CSS, besides Internet Explorer, is horizontal centering. If you’ve ever had to center elements in your web applications, you may have run into problems, especially if they were dynamic-width elements.

Centering with CSS really doesn’t have to be difficult, although I’m sure it seems like it sometimes. We’ve written up a handy little guide which explains in detail how to center both fixed-width and dynamic-width elements in CSS. You can read about it in our forums.>>

2009 IT Salary Survey

InformationWeek.com recently released their annual IT salary survey, and some of the results are rather interesting. For example, I’ve never seen such a disparity in salaries/raises across different industries and regions.

Also, I found another bit of information really interesting. According to the survey, the IT industry is one of the best industries to be in right now, but IT professionals are feeling increasingly unsure in their choice of a career path. I’m curious to hear what you think. How do you feel about your choice of IT as a career?

Outsource to America

I know that companies everywhere need to cut down on costs these days, which in many cases leads to outsourcing. When it comes to web application development, however, outsourcing isn’t the cheapest option.

Last week, we announced the beginning of our “Outsource to America” offer. The offer is a simple one: We’ll beat any outsourcing quote for web application development. Tell us your project, show us your quote, and we’ll beat it. Pretty simple, huh?

Click here for more information.>>

Visit us at COMMON, win a new Netbook!

Are you going to COMMON next week? If so, make sure you stop by our booth (#418) and take our short survey for your chance to win a new netbook!

Not going to COMMON this year? No worries. If you currently receive the Cup of Joe emails, you are eligible to participate in the netbook drawing. Just complete this short survey for your chance to win!

Only subscribers to the Cup of Joe emails are eligible to participate in the drawing. If you are not currently a subscriber, you can sign up here.>>

Inside 12 IT disasters

What is the cost of a major IT failure? As companies grow increasingly reliant on technology, the cost could be astronomical. A major IT failure could drive away customers or even shut down a business in extreme cases.

I recently read a piece in CIOinsight.com that takes a close look at 12 major IT disasters, including how and why they happened, as well as the resulting fallout. It’s a startling reminder of just how bad things can get when problems are not caught and fixed early on.

You can find the article here.>>

Simply survive or grow stronger?

When times get tough, I notice that many companies go straight to cutback mode. They focus so much on surviving, they often miss new opportunities to succeed.

Here’s a company that took a different approach. Instead of cutting back, they invested in new technology. As a result, they opened up a new 24/7 revenue stream, become far more efficient, and better positioned themselves for the future.

You can read the whole story here.>>

Reminder: Free m-Power upgrade for mrc-Productivity Series users

Friendly reminder: If you are a current mrc-Productivity Series user on maintenance and warranty, our offer for a free m-Power upgrade will expire this year.

You should have received a letter late last year detailing this free upgrade and what you need to do. If you did not receive the letter, or if you have any questions about the upgrade, please give us a call at (630) 916-0662, or at +44-20-8322-7720 in the UK.

One very important difference between m-Power and the mrc-Productivity Series is transport-ability. While the mrc-Productivity Series was confined to the AS400, m-Power will work over any database or platform, meaning your investment in applications built with our software is safe should you ever switch to a different database or hardware platform.

How to get fired

While the economy certainly provides reason for job worries, it’s not the only factor that could effect your employment. There are many factors within your control, which can either help you or hurt you.

This cautionary article on Computerworld.com details 5 real life examples of behaviors that are not only bad for a career, but can get you fired. While the article focuses on CIOs, I think it really applies to just about anyone.

You can read the entire article here.>>

Mobile application development

It’s a good time to be a mobile application developer. With the recent launch of Blackberry App World, and Microsoft's upcoming app store, mobile application developers will have 4 different app stores to develop for.

However, did you know that you don’t have to be a developer to create business web applications for a smart-phone? m-Power allows you to create an endless variety of custom business applications that can be accessed via your Blackberry, PDA, or smart-phone.

Although you don’t have to be a developer, it does help to understand a few important rules when creating mobile apps. Check out our forum for a few pointers and some best practices to follow.

Fixing the reporting problem

Can you guess what these words have in common?

• Green-screen
• Character based
• Out-dated
• Slow
• Manual

Give up? I have heard all of these words used to describe reporting processes in the past year. It’s true. Many companies still struggle with outdated reporting, many of which believe they don’t have the time or the money to fix the problem.

Take this company for example: Their reporting process used to involve a Virtual Private Network (VPN), green-screen apps, and character based reports. The good news: After a thorough search, they finally found an affordable way to fix their reporting problem in a few short months .

Find out what they did here.>>

10 skills developers will need in the next five years

As a developer, what are you focusing on: Skills you need to know now or skills you will need to know in the future? Sometimes, it’s good to take a look into the future (with your own crystal ball), and try to determine the skill(s) that will be most useful to you a few years down the road.

For those who don’t have a crystal ball, check out this article in techrepublic.com entitled, “10 skills developers will need in the next 5 years.” I think the author makes some great points.

Want to kill 3 birds with one stone? Using m-Power will take care of #1, #3, and #10 all by itself, and it’s easy to learn too. Check it out for yourself with our free online lab.

Return on Investment (ROI) is an overused buzz-word

Is it just me, or has ROI lost its meaning? When I see an advertisement touting the great ROI of a product, I’m not impressed in the least. Don’t get me wrong, I want a good ROI…everyone does. If a product will generate more money than it cost to obtain, I would be foolish not to buy it.

The problem is this: ROI has become a grossly overused marketing term that doesn’t hold much value anymore. With everyone advertising ROI, how do you separate fact from fiction?

While I can’t answer that question for other products, we like to answer it for m-Power with real live proof. Just tell us what you need, and we will build you a free web application using your own files. Better yet, we’ll even show you how we did it, and the web application is yours to keep.

Just fill out this short form to get started.

Did you know . . .

. . . that when you build a servlet (report, inquiry, or maintenance web application) with m-Power, you are also building a portlet that works from virtually any portal available today.

Portals come in all shapes and sizes. Popular examples include the hosted free variety (like iGoogle), the open source variety (like LifeRay), and the paid proprietary variety (like MS SharePoint).

Your out of the box m-Power web applications work with any of these with no special compiles or programming changes. In fact, the same web application can be called from all of them, with no variations. Here are some examples in pictures. Here you will find a working example. And here is how easy it is to try.

Our aim is to deliver well architected web applications that empower you to be more productive in your business life.

5 ways of thinking that can fell IT leaders

Here’s a great article in techrepublic.com that lays out 5 dangerous ways of thinking and how they can damage IT leaders. While I agree with the author’s points, I can think of many more that I’ve encountered over the years.

Here’s one example: An IT leader needs to know when to scrap a project, even if it was their idea. I’ve seen many a failing project kept alive simply because the manager didn’t want to admit they had made a mistake. This sort of situation costs the company greatly, and is obvious to everyone.

How about you? What dangerous ways of thinking have you encountered?

16 ways IT can do less with less

I’m sure many companies are asking their employees to do more with less these days, but what about doing less with less? That is the question posed in this InfoWorld.com article, “16 ways IT can do less with less.”

I like many of the points made in the article, but some should be taken farther than they were. Take #9 for example: Besides revoking unused licenses, I would take it one step further and find new ways to eliminate seemingly necessary license fees.

For example, one of our customers realized that of all the ERP user licenses they paid for, some users only needed 1 or 2 screens. So, they used m-Power to create web applications that replicated the functionality of the screens those users needed, eliminating the need for many licenses, and saving hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

Think your company could save money in this way? Fill out this short form and let us know what’s on your plate. We’ll build you a free proof-of-concept web application using your own data in order to prove the cost-savings to you.

Spice up your web applications

Here’s an easy way to spice up web applications containing tables. Making only a few changes to your style sheets and your HTML, you can make an ordinary table more appealing and easier to navigate.

Read about this simple process in our forums.>>

m-Power staff consulting

Ever wish you had an m-Power expert in-house, but can’t afford to hire a new employee? Our new staff consulting service might be just what you need.

Our staff consulting service lets you bring one of our m-Power experts into your office as often and for as long as you need them. This on-site expert will handle all things m-Power, from answering questions mini training sessions to developing new web applications.

To learn more, please visit our staff consulting page.

3 ways to beat the credit crunch

During a bad economy, I notice certain companies respond differently than others. Some go straight into survival mode, cutting back on everything and waiting for the bad times to pass. On the flip side, other companies proactively search for new ways to make money.

Here are 3 companies that responded to the credit crunch with technology, and not only saved money, but made money. They each used m-Power built web applications in unique ways to generate revenue and strengthen themselves in this bad economy. Find out what they did here.>>

Do you think web applications could help your company during these difficult times? Just fill out this short form and let us know what’s on your plate. We’ll tell you how your company can benefit from web applications, and even build you a free proof-of-concept.

Excel spreadsheets are often a giant waste of money

Excel is probably the most misused program in existence. Due to its ease of use and ubiquity, many companies use it for tasks that it was never meant to handle, such as business intelligence, reporting, and dashboards.

What does the rampant misuse of Excel really cost? Here’s a hint: It’s much more than the cost of MS Office, and could place your company at risk. You can read more about this problem in our forums.

IT job skills currently in demand

As an IT professional in a bad economy, keeping your skills current is one of the most important things you can do. It is good practice, and good for your career, to learn a new skill regularly.

Which IT skills are in demand right now? The Robert Half company recently published its “IT Hiring and Skills Report”, which focuses on important tech skills in Q2 of 2009. EWeek.com published the results, which you can find here.>>

Do in weeks what used to take years

I recently heard from an insurance company that has been working on a project to bring their insurance applications to the web and create a customer portal. After 2 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent, they still have nothing to show for it.

Sadly, this isn’t uncommon among large businesses today. For some reason, many executives almost expect projects like these to take a year or two and cost an arm and a leg. The truth is, a project like this should only take a few weeks with the proper tools.

Madness, you say?

We’d like to show you how fast web application development should be, with our 24-hour challenge. We will build you a free web application with m-Power in under 24 hours, using your own data. Just fill out this short form to get started.

Free whitepaper: 8 tips for ERP modernization

This white paper, as you might gather from the title, offers eight ways to modernize the applications you use with your enterprise software packages, and it breaks down the pros and cons to each.

It also includes a handy checklist that you should keep by your side when selecting your solutions. Access the "8 Tips to Modernize Your ERP" white paper here»

10 IT agenda items for the first U.S. CIO

It’s official, we finally have the first U.S. CIO, and I think he has his work cut out for him. For a country that relies so heavily on technology, I’m actually surprised we didn’t have a CIO years ago.

While there’s a lot that needs to be done, I’m curious to see what he deems as the most pressing tech issues. InfoWorld.com has made some suggestions with their article entitled, “10 IT agenda items for the first U.S. CIO.”

I’m also curious to hear what you think. What should Mr. Kundra deal with first?

Economic advantages of good business intelligence

How important is business intelligence (BI) to your business? One of our clients recently put it best when he said, “In good times, you can get away with poor information, but not now. In a bad economy, you have to understand the details of your business.”

It’s true. The details will show what you’re doing wrong, what you’re doing right, and will lead to quick and informed decisions. But what does detailed information look like? Check out these three BI examples we built for a fictitious company:

1. YTD Sales by Item Group / Year
2. YTD Sales by Sales Region / Year
3. Monthly Sales by Year

Notice how easily the information is accessed, and the level of detail available through the numerous drill-downs. If you want to see those kind of details about your business, just let us know. We’ll even build you a free proof of concept application.

Just fill out this short form to get started.

How ASPs can avoid per seat licensing costs

Per-seat licensing. It’s an archaic practice and a huge problem for application service providers (ASPs) in today’s marketplace. It’s expensive, impractical, and unfortunately is a problem that you will find with most reporting tools today.

This article in ITJungle.com explains how one ASP rolled out a new reporting solution to their customers while completely avoiding the prohibitively expensive costs of per-seat licensing.

5 recession survival skills

Here’s a great quote (regarding the economy) that I ran across while reading a recent Computerworld article:

“Remember, more people get medals and promotions in times of war.”

Isn’t that a great way to look at the problems in the economy? This isn’t the time to duck down and hope no one notices you, it’s the time to stand up and show the world what you are capable of.

That’s just one tip found in the recent Computerworld article entitled, “5 Recession Survival Skills.” It’s a good read, and I hope you find it useful.

Build-A-Web-App Workshop

Creating powerful enterprise-level Web applications doesn't have to be complicated.

Here, you can create a custom, live, lightning-fast, portable and flexible database-driven Web application in just a few minutes with your current skill set.

Enter our Build-A-Web-App Workshop»

Creating apps for mobile browsers

Many times, web applications created with m-Power need to be accessible via a mobile browser. For instance, maybe your salespeople want to check current stock levels or receive daily sales reports while on the road.

Because mobile browsers differ so greatly from regular browsers, you should really create separate presentation layers for use on a mobile browser. While these are easy to create with m-Power, it helps to understand a few important rules when designing applications for mobile browsers.

We have written an article in our forum entitled, “Creating apps for mobile browsers”. It lists a few pointers and some best practices you should follow when creating mobile apps.

7 tech innovations that changed the world

I just read a CIO.com article entitled, “7 Tech Innovations That Changed the World”, and it got me thinking: What separates a great product from an innovative product?

To me, an innovative product is one that changes the way you do things. It is something that you think about and wonder, “How did I ever function before this?” Although the term “innovative” is used so frequently, I believe that there are very few truly innovative tech products.

What do you think? What current tech products are truly innovative?

Save time with a web-based scheduling system

For Northwestern University’s athletics department, scheduling their facilities for changing game and practice times wasn’t easy, thanks to their outdated paper-based system. So, they ditched the old system and fixed their problems with a centralized web-based scheduling system where:

• Users maintain their own accounts.
• Facility managers are notified via email with any changes for their individual facility.
• System administrator assigns authorization to determine which menus and facilities are shown to individual users, so users only access the functions they have clearance to use.

You can even check it out for yourself. (Roll over menu items for more information).

If you’d like to build something like this for yourself, fill out this short form.

Easily find HTML colors

Web applications created with m-Power often must be customized with your corporate look and colors. While this is an easy process with m-Power, it’s not always easy to track down the exact hexadecimal corporate colors.

Here are a couple free tools that I’ve used to quickly look up hex colors when creating web apps with m-Power:

• Hex Color Finder
• Just Color Picker

Both tools make finding colors extremely simple. Just place your mouse over any area on your screen, and they will display the hex color of that area. While they both do the same thing, I really like the zoom and target window used in Just Color Picker. You can download either of these on download.com for free.

5 IT trends to watch in 2009

According to this eWeek article, we can expect to see 5 cost-saving trends in IT this year. While I expect some belt-tightening in 2009, I want to give one warning: It is not the time to curl up in a ball and wait for the economic problems to go away.

Successful companies actively find ways to improve, especially in the bad times. They realize that it often takes money to make money, and seek out solutions with a provable ROI. As a result, these companies will find themselves in better shape when the current problems subside.

If you've got some ideas, but you need help clarifying, cost justifying, or just thinking them through to fruition, give us a call. We specialize in ROI.

Stalking And Capturing A Business Process

This article on Forbes.com asks a great question: Why are business processes seen as being handed down from on high? We hear so much about the process and not enough about how the process was created.

What is the process for creating a process? First, you have to figure out what works the best. Before building the full system, you should create the smallest possible system, test it, and learn from it. Take advantage of "The triumph of incrementalism".

This process can easily be applied to web applications. If you need web applications of any kind, we will build a free working prototype for you with m-Power. You can test it, figure out what you like or dislike about it, and then build a full scale system.

It’s easy to get started. Just fill out this short form and let us know what you want.

Making your SQL life more Productive

One of our product consultants recently wrote a review of a free, third party product that can make you more productive.

If you find yourself using SQL for any reason when working with m-Power, you'll want to read it here.

6 Ways to boost company sales

These days, everyone is looking for new ways to boost sales and save money. I just read an article in PCWorld.com that lists 6 ways to help your company boost sales, but I can personally think of quite a few more ways that they didn't mention.

For example, one of our customers just used m-Power to create a new B2B site so their customers can buy their products at any time. They went from only selling during business hours, to selling 24 by 7. Better yet, the new site was created in under 2 weeks.

We have a presentation that lists a few more ways that companies can boost sales and save money. You can check it out here.>>

Movex User Association (MUA) welcomes mrc

mrc is now a 3rd party members of the Movex User Association (MUA). The MUA is an independent non-profit organization established to benefit users of the Movex ERP software.

The MUA has very stringent acceptance criteria for 3rd party members, and required that a number of Movex users both use and recommend m-Power. We are very happy to be 3rd party members, and are very grateful to the m-Power users who lobbied on our behalf.

Click here to learn how one company used m-Power to improve Movex, without any modifications to Movex.

Review: 3 free online image editors for web design

When creating web applications with m-Power, I know that you sometimes may need to find and/or edit images for the presentation layer. If you don’t have a good image editor, this may prove to be a difficult task, especially if you try to use MS Paint.

There are many online image editors, but most of them are geared only towards photo editing. However, within the last year or so, a few free online image editors have emerged which perform very well when used to edit images for the web.

We found 3 such online image editors, tried each one, and reviewed them in our forum. Feel free to stop by and check it out.

13 highest paid IT skills during the recession

How is the economy affecting the IT industry? Here’s an example of something that’s happening right now: In difficult times, companies often place higher value on certain IT skills and less value on others.

It helps to know which skills are declining and which are rising. Foote Partners recently released a list of IT skills and certifications that have changed in value during the final quarter of 2008. You can find the research results on CIO.com.

IT outsourcing worries increase

Regardless of how the Satyam scandal plays out, one thing is certain: Concerns about outsourcing have risen as a result. According to this survey, confidence in outsourcing is down and pessimism is up.

This presents a problem for those companies planning to outsource in 2009. Do the cost savings of outsourcing outweigh the potential problems? According to the survey, common problems include:

• Poor communication
• Poor quality in both personnel and results
• Projects take too long

My question is this: Why don't you avoid all these problems and keep your development in-house? m-Power will allow your current staff to complete projects faster and cheaper than you could with outsourcing. Try our online lab to learn why m-Power is a practical alternative to outsourcing.

Tech buyers vent about vendor satisfaction

I just read an article in Informationweek.com entitled, “Tech Buyers Vent about Vendor Satisfaction”. According to the article, many tech vendors overpromise, underdeliver, and flat-out lie about their products. For some unsurprising reason, customers don’t like this.

In my opinion, tech vendors that make false promises not only hurt themselves, but other tech vendors. Companies are less likely to believe honest claims if they’ve been burned by similar false claims in the past.

But how do you know what to believe?

My software-buying advice, which the article also touches on, is this. Before you buy software, test it in your own environment. Verify the vendor claims first, and you will eliminate many headaches.

IT jobs outlook for 2009: The good and the bad

Techrepublic.com recently reported the results of an IT survey conducted by Dice.com. The results aren’t exactly good, but they’re not all bad either.

Rather than focus on the bad economy, I like to focus on the possibilities. For example, this is the best time to step up and prove your value to the company. Work a little harder. Come up with ideas to help the company. Make yourself indispensible.

One more thing: If any of your ideas to help the company involve web applications, we’ll build a working prototype for you, free of charge. An idea with an example is far better than one without.

mrc is hiring!

mrc is currently looking for Application Support Consultants who would like to join our growing team! Are you a motivated and talented individual who enjoys interacting with others? Then we want to hear from you.

Please visit our careers page for a job description and application instructions.

Bring your ideas to life

If I talked to 100 people, I’ll bet I would get 90 different opinions about what their company could/should do differently. I’ll even bet that a large portion of those would be good, solid ideas that would help their company.

The problem is this: For whatever reason, most of these ideas will never go anywhere.

We want to help your ideas get recognized. If you have an idea for your company that involves web applications, we will build it for you, absolutely free and without obligation.

Imagine walking into the boss’ office with not only a great idea, but a working prototype that you didn't waste your time on or even pay for. Now imagine that your company used your idea as a result. Now there's a good way to get recognized at work.

Ready to see your ideas in action? Fill out this short form to get started.

How 2009 can be a great year for IT

In the sea of “doom and gloom” articles on the economy, it’s good to run across a positive one. Instead of focusing on how bad everything is, this CIOInsight.com article focuses on how 2009 can be a great year for IT.

You know what? They’re right. 2009 isn’t the year to curl up in a ball and wait for the problems to pass. No, it’s time for IT to step outside the box. It’s time for IT to find news ways to demonstrate its value for the business.

Sure, it may take a little more thought and creativity, but 2009 can be a great year for IT.

When it comes to ROI, talk is cheap

I regularly receive calls from salespeople who inform me that their product will provide a great return on investment (ROI) for my company. Instantly, I’m skeptical. Why?

- Because they don’t know my company.
- Because everyone promises ROI
- Because too few actually deliver.
- Because talk is cheap.

Anyone can promise ROI, but not everyone can prove it. Here's my two cents: If they’re confident in their product, they’ll prove it to you. If they’re really confident, they’ll prove it free of charge. That’s how you separate the facts from the claims.

Want us to prove m-Power’s ROI to you? Just fill out this short form and we’ll build you a web application using your own files, absolutely free and without further obligation. Check out our Crazybikes demo site for a few examples of what you can build with m-Power.

Are you using web-based reports yet?

If you’re still running character-based or Excel-based reports, I have one question for you: Why? Web-based reporting is:

faster,
more accurate,
more secure, and
more convenient.

Those are benefits any company can appreciate.

Okay, so let’s say that you want to move to web-based reporting. How should you go about it? One good way is to do what the successful companies do.

Follow the lead of this company. They knew what they wanted and got just that - and more.

The 9 hottest skills for '09

The economy is in turmoil right now, and uncertainty surrounds many jobs and companies. While the status of many positions is largely dependent on the industry or company, there are still ways to protect yourself in these difficult times.

Specifically, make yourself a necessary asset to the company. In the IT world, one of the best ways to do that is by expanding your skill set. Computerworld.com recently published an article entitled, “The 9 hottest skills for ‘09”. If you’re looking to broaden your skills in 2009, this is a great place to start.

The Importance of Modernization

While recently visiting two well known store chains (who shall remain nameless), I noticed something rather surprising about both of them: They still use character based applications.

Why is that a problem? It makes them look out-dated and behind the times to their customers. When potential customers see your business applications, modern applications become a necessity.

Modernization is usually a complex and expensive process, but it doesn’t have to be. Take the 24-hour challenge to find out. We will build a fully functional web application with m-Power in 24 hours using your own data. Click here to learn more.

Open Template Technology

Over the years, I’ve run across many people in the IT industry who hold a negative opinion towards code generators. Often, these people had used a code generator and were unhappy with it for one of three reasons:

A. code was inefficient,
B. code was unreadable and un-maintainable,
C. code was not to their standards.

We came up with one solution to solve all these problems. We call it our Open Template Technology (OTT). OTT allows you to teach m-Power to write code the way you want it to. To learn more about Open Template Technology, click here.>>

2009 IT Predictions

Happy New Year! 2009 is finally upon us, and with every new year comes…predictions! TechRepublic.com has just published a list of IT predictions for 2009, and I think it’s worth a read.

I agree that companies will look to their IT departments to drive efficiency and cost savings. To go one step further, I believe that many companies will hold off on big ticket purchases, such as ERPs, but will rather look for cheaper alternatives that offer a quick ROI.

Do you have any predictions for 2009? I’m curious to hear them. Feel free to comment to this post with your thoughts.

1 in 4 IT Jobs Outsourced by 2010?

Everyone wants to save money these days. I understand that. I just don't like the way they are trying to save. For example, I read about layoffs at least once a week. I just read an article in Computerworld which predicts that 1 in 4 IT jobs will be outsourced by 2010, which will no doubt lead to more layoffs.

Let's think about this. Jobs are moved offshore to save money, meaning there are fewer jobs here. If there are fewer jobs here, the economy suffers. If the economy suffers, companies look for ways to save money. It's a vicious circle.

Here's an alternative: Some of our clients have used m-Power in place of outsourcing. It allows them to keep their development in-house and complete projects faster and cheaper than they could with outsourcing.

Try our online lab to learn why m-Power is a practical alternative to outsourcing. It only takes 45 minutes and could save your company a bundle.

Modernizing a 15 year old backend: The challenge

Modernization can be tricky, expensive, and time consuming and even innovators can get hung up when trying to move forward. Here's the story of one company that got the job done cost effectively and productively.

They are delighted by the result. And so are their customers.

Here's how they did it, and how you can do the same»

If you're interested in modernizing your backend, or bringing some legacy applications to the Web, let us know»

Top 7 underreported tech stories of 2008

Looking back on 2008 from an IT standpoint, which stories stick out in your mind? What will 2008 be known for from a tech perspective?

When I think back on the year, I think of themes like green IT, cloud computing, and business intelligence. I think of the iPhone 3G and the slew of “iPhone killers”. Of course, I think about the economic turmoil, which had a big effect on just about every industry, including IT.

But, which stories didn’t receive the coverage they deserved this year? InfoWorld.com just published a list of the top underreported tech stories of 2008. Can you think of any other stories that didn’t receive the coverage they deserved?

Happy Holidays from your friends at mrc!

All of us here at mrc would like to wish everyone happy holidays and safe travels this season!

Click the image on the left to see mrc's 2008 Holiday Card.

Money-Saving Tip: Revitalize Your Aging ERP

We recently ran across a few companies facing the same problem. They have an aging ERP system which desperately needs replacing, but don't want to pay the extremely high price tag for a new ERP in this struggling economy. I can’t say that I blame them.

What should they do? In this case, the best solution is also the cheapest one. Many of these companies have opted to build new functionality into their old ERP systems with m-Power. It’s cheaper than replacing their current ERP system and provides all the functionality of an up-to-date system.

If you want to see how m-Power can help your aging ERP system, let us know. We’ll build you a free proof-of-concept application in under 24 hours. Fill out this short form to get started!

2008 Salary Survey

Computerworld.com conducted a great little survey which provides some very valuable information regarding IT jobs and salaries. Are you curious how your salary stacks up to similar jobs in the IT field? Want to learn a few ways to boost your paycheck? Which jobs are hot right now?

Learn all that and more with the 2008 IT Salary Survey.>>

7 ways to save money using web applications

I read it all over the news: Companies are cutting back, Company X has massive layoffs, corporate budgets are frozen, etc...

Everyone wants to save money, but no one has any unique ideas on how to save. It seems like the most common “money-saving” technique these days is layoffs. It’s unfortunate, because I personally believe some of the best money-saving methods are often overlooked.

For example, many of our clients have saved loads of money using web applications. We pulled together 7 of the best ways our customers used web apps to save money and put them in a presentation entitled, “7 Ways to Save Money with Web Applications.” Who knows, you might see a new money-saving technique that your company hasn't tried.

More spreadsheets, more problems

If I had a dollar for every time I heard about a problem caused by the overuse of spreadsheets, I could retire early. By “overuse of spreadsheets", I’m referring to tasks that spreadsheets were not meant to handle, such as reporting, business intelligence, shipment schedules, etc…

I know many companies are guilty of this, but I doubt that management at those companies know how much time and effort is wasted on spreadsheets. Here’s something to try: If your company uses spreadsheets extensively and you don’t know how long they take to create and manage, find out. You may be surprised.

I wish that a little wasted time was the worst problem associated with spreadsheet overuse, but it’s not. Read this forum post to learn about more potential problems, as well as the solution.

What's Hot, What's Not: IT Skills You'll Need in 2010

You know what I both love and hate about technology? It changes so fast. What’s current today may not be current next week. IT skills that are current today may not be current in a year. Like no other industry, those in IT must find a way to keep their skills up-to-date.

But how can you keep your skills current if you don’t know what the future holds? This might help: Globalknowledge.com has published a report conducted by 3 research groups which predicts the most/least important IT skills in 2010. I hope you find it as interesting as I did.

m-Power's 24-Hour Challenge!

I personally believe that enterprise application development is an unnecessarily expensive and time-consuming process. Enterprise applications, such as business intelligence, executive dashboards, report writing, e-Commerce, customer portals, etc… shouldn’t take months/years to build, and shouldn’t be expensive.

We think enterprise application development should take days instead of months, and we want to prove it. That is why, starting today, we are beginning the m-Power 24-Hour Challenge. You can now challenge us to build a fully functional web application (using your own data) in 24 hours with m-Power. The best part: It's absolutely free!

The process is simple: Tell us what you want, give us some sample data, and challenge us to build your web application in under 24 hours. Click here to get started!

Tips for creating a great shopping cart and order entry system

Have you ever tried to buy a product online, but were dissuaded by the purchasing process? I know I have. For example, sometimes the site doesn’t seem secure, or the process is too difficult or confusing. Whatever the reason, a poorly constructed online order system spells lost profits for the vendor.

If your company utilizes an online order system, it must be easy for your customers to spend money with you. Check out our forum post entitled, “Tips for creating a top-notch shopping cart and order entry system” to learn a few best practices.

10 most important tech stories of 2008

2008 was a big year for technology. We saw the internet play a larger role in a presidential election than ever before. 2008 also brought legitimate competition to Microsoft Windows with the advances and increased popularity of Ubuntu and the unveiling of IBM’s “Microsoft-Free” desktop.

But that’s not all. CIOInsight.com released a list of the Top 10 IT Stories of 2008. Would you add anything else to the list?

Money-saving tip: Take a hard look at your soft costs

How much money does your company spend printing out forms, mailing invoices, or purchasing toner and paper? How much time do employees spend filing, mailing, or faxing? Be careful: These "soft costs" are hard to track and add up very quickly.

What can you do?

Automate these processes with web applications, such as an online sales portal or a web reporting solution. Instantly email reports, invoices, or forms with just a click of the mouse. You will save money on supplies and save valuable time for your employees.

The best part: These web applications will not only automate your processes, but they are easy to build with m-Power. We’ll even build you a free proof-of-concept application so you can see it for yourself.

Just fill out this short form to get your free proof-of-concept application.

7 career tips for tough times

I run across a new IT job study seemingly every week, most of which contain conflicting results. Some say that IT workers have nothing to worry about. Others say that the industry is in trouble.

So, is the IT industry safe? I guess it depends on what you read. Regardless, there are always steps you can take to increase job security, and make yourself a more desirable job candidate for future employers. I recently ran across a good article on InfoWorld.com that gives 7 tips to grow your career. You can read the article here.>>

Why offshoring software development will fail

Is offshore development posing a threat to the IT industry, or is it a passing fad? This article on Datamation.com argues for the latter, and I agree to an extent. I don’t believe it will go away anytime soon, but I do believe that companies who try it will soon find that it’s not as good as promised.

Many companies don't realize that a better way exists. They opt for offshore development instead of giving their current developers the tools to increase productivity. Tools like m-Power reduce development time by 90% and eliminate the need to hire offshore developers for many of our customers

See it for yourself. Try our free online lab and develop two web applications in under an hour.

Thanksgiving Trivia Challenge!

In the spirit of the holidays, we have put together a fun little Thanksgiving trivia game. Think you know a lot about the origins of Thanksgiving? Try the Thanksgiving trivia challenge and find out. Who knows, you might actually learn something new.

From all of us here at mrc, we wish you safe travels and a happy Thanksgiving!

m-Power gains UDF Capabilities

Recently, we enhanced m-Power with new User Defined Function (UDF) capabilities. From a technical standpoint, this means m-Power users can take advantage of the power that UDFs offer.

From a practical standpoint, UDFs enhance m-Power with many new capabilities. For an example of some of the ways you might use UDFs, or to simply read more about this exciting enhancement click here.>>

10 Great Free Blackberry Apps

Blackberry smartphones are known for their functionality, and maybe more importantly, the ability to run external applications. Plenty of great, and sometimes free, applications exist for Blackberrys. For example, I recently ran across a great list of 10 free Blackberry apps on Lifehack.org, which can be found here.>>

With the increased use of smartphones, I can’t stress enough the importance of proper security measures. We need to treat our smartphones with the same level of care that we treat our laptops. Things like password protection and remote data wiping are important, but sometimes even those aren’t good enough.

Here’s a great example of a company that took mobile security seriously. They wanted to enable their mobile workforce, but didn’t want to store confidential information on their PDAs. Find out what they did here.>>

The Spreadsheet Problem

Every day, employees across the globe spend a large amount of time pulling essential business data into spreadsheet programs like Excel, then they analyze the data, and then email their results to colleagues. This wastes a lot of time, is insecure, inefficient, and can lead to inaccuracies and multiple document versions that only add to the confusion.

This can create huge problems for a company, but many remain unaware of the potential dangers. This presentation explains the risks associated with this problem, as well as a great way to fix it.

Future-Proof Your Business Applications

When purchasing software solutions for your business, a little planning will save you from plenty of future problems and expenses. No one can see the future, but there are steps you can take to minimize costs and frustrations down the road.

First and foremost, avoid proprietary software. Proprietary software ties you to one vendor, causing a number of potential problems. What if they go out of business? You're out of luck. What if they decide to drastically raise maintenance fees? You either have to pay or find a different solution. These are just a few important issues to consider before purchasing proprietary software.

My advice: Choose software that uses an open-source language, and you won't even have to worry about these problems. Read this forum post to learn more about the benefits of open-source solutions.

20 Most Sought-After IT Skills

In a difficult economy, it is always important for an IT professional to keep their skills and certifications up to date. However, it’s not always easy to figure out which skills and certifications will help you the most.

Maybe this will help: I ran across an article on insidetech.com that lists the 20 most sought after IT skills today. They also report that while IT skills continue to increase in value, certifications are becoming less important. But don’t worry, it also lists the top certifications most likely to make an impact on your salary.

But having IT skills isn’t good enough these days. Computerworld just published an article stating that IT executives place the most importance on ethics and morals when looking to hire new staff. You can read the entire article here.>>

Website problems

There was an internet problem last week, which resulted in our website being inaccessible for parts of Tuesday through Thursday. From what we heard, our communications company’s central box went down and we (and many others in the area) lost our T1 service for a couple days. So, if you tried unsuccessfully to access our website last week, that was the problem.

The good news is the problem has been remedied, and we do not expect to see any more such outages in the future. We've left the posts from last week on the blog in case there were any you wanted to visit. Just scroll down the page to find them.

We apologize for any inconvenience this outage may have caused.

Web Architecture meets the dashboard-

Flexibility and re-useability are two cornerstones to a solid web architecture. Take this Business Dashboard example, for instance.

Some users (like me), prefer a minimalist, all business approach like this one. Others prefer more control and a lot more information like this iGoogle example. (To sign on to this iGoogle dashboard, use account demomrc@gmail.com and password mrc-demo.)

With the right web architecture, the same business applications (in this case, servlets) can serve all desires. If you'd like to see how we published our servlets as google gadgets, check out this forum post.

If you'd like more information on how to easily create an executive dashboard custom to your business needs, just fill out this form and we'll show you how we do it. And remember, we don't just supply the software to help you get it done, we supply the training to make you successful, and the manpower to supplement your staff when you need something done quickly.

The 2009 IT Salary Guide

The Robert Half Technology company recently published the 2009 IT Salary Guide, which estimates the average salary per title and which skills are in highest demand. Overall, the projections for 2009 are encouraging.

I always find it interesting to see which skills are in highest demand these days. Just think: 5-10 years ago, many of these now “in-demand” skills were unheard of. It’s a good reminder how important it is for IT professionals to keep their skills up to date.

You can read the entire study here.>>

4 Benefits of Web-Based Reporting

When asked about his decision to move from character-based to web-based reporting, one of our clients recently said, “The bottom line is this: The world is going to the web.” He understood the benefits of web-based reporting, and the positive impact it would make on business. What are those benefits? Here are just a few:

Security: Password-protection, and a secure validation process, limits viewing and downloading to only your authorized staff - ensuring privacy and security.

Accuracy: Web-based reports run in real-time. There are no outdated copies of data-bases or spreadsheets floating around, guaranteeing that your reports will be current.

Time savings: Do you have staff that spends countless hours and days formatting, printing, faxing, and mailing daily, weekly, or monthly reports? Web reports allow your staff to focus on more mission-critical tasks.

Convenience: Web-based reports run from anywhere, and at anytime.

Want to see a live example of a web-based report? This example lets you request data for downloading via the Internet, have it run and e-mailed automatically to you. Feel free to test it for yourself.

If you like what you see, just fill out this short form and tell us what your interested in. We'll be happy to build a "proof of concept" web report for you.

Sneaky Fees: 7 new ways you’re paying more

Have you ever been quoted a nice low price for a product, only to realize that the price is far higher once all the fees have been added? It’s an unfortunate practice, but many companies try to make a quick buck with these sneaky fees.

How do companies try to sneak fees onto your bill? PCWorld.com recently published an article that lists 7 methods they might try. Besides their list, watch out for things like setup fees, activation fees, convenience fees, etc…

In the software world, be on the look-out for "free" software give-aways, that require an annual maintenance fee, training fees, and often consulting fees.

My advice to you: Ask the vendor/company to write down the final price, with all fees factored in. Make sure you know their pricing structure, and if necessary, what monthly charges to expect. This will help you avoid surprise and/or anger when it’s time to buy.

m-Power upgrade for mrc-Productivity Series Users

Just a reminder to all current mrc-Productivity Series users: Make sure you take advantage of your free m-Power upgrade.

If you are a current mrc-Productivity Series user on maintenance and warranty, you should have received a letter detailing this free upgrade and what you need to do. If you did not receive the letter, or if you have any questions about the upgrade, please give us a call at (630) 916-0662.

Money-Saving Tip: How to Cut Users (Without Layoffs)

When economic problems hit, many companies immediately start cutting back on expenses and spending. But what happens when you can’t cut back anymore and you still need to save money?

I remember a couple years back when one of our customers told us how they managed to save a ton of money. They had hundreds of users licensed for their MRP software. As with any ERP/MRP, some employees needed to use it extensively, while others would only use 1 or 2 screens. In their case, they had 200+ employees who only needed a couple screens.

They used m-Power to create web applications which pulled data directly from their database while still tying into their MRP. These web applications had all the information those users would normally access through the MRP, but were now accessible via the web. As a result, they were able to cut 200+ users from their MRP software, and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Does your company pay for licenses for users who only use your ERP/MRP/CRM minimally? Fill out this short form if you would like more information about how you can save money with web applications.

Is the Smartphone the Next PC?

I just read an interesting article on Datamation.com entitled, “Is the Smartphone the next PC Device?” My answer is "yes", I believe that the smartphone will eventually replace the PC for the average computer user. I know we still have a ways to go, but it is happening.

However, before we can embrace the smart-phone as the next PC, a big security problem has to be fixed. Namely, confidential information should not be stored on smartphones. It’s bad enough that computers can be hacked, but losing a phone with confidential information on it could be a disaster. Sure, there are remote wipes and kill switches, but damage can still be done in that short time between losing it and wiping its information.

Rather, companies should use their smartphones to access important information via web apps. That way you won’t put any data at risk if a phone is lost since no data is actually stored on it, and you can add as much security as you like in the web app. It's a better solution all around and one that needs to be adopted if a company is at all serious about security.

The Importance of Executive Dashboards

Just as an automobile dashboard shows your speed, distance traveled, and fuel used, it also alerts you to vehicle problems in just a glance. An executive dashboard works much the same way.

An executive dashboard is usually a portal or intranet page that brings a variety of metrics together on one screen for a live overview of business operations for key decision-makers. They allow executives to make quick, but well-informed decisions. (Here is one example we built for the imaginary COO of our demonstrative and fictitious online bike distributor site.)

Executive dashboards vary within companies. A CFO's dashboard might monitor current, historical, and forecasted revenue. Or, a CEO might have a "greatest hits" dashboard, tracking applications culled from his top executives' dashboards. The focus is fully customizable to individual executive needs.

If you'd like more information on how to easily create an executive dashboard custom to your business needs, just fill out this form and we'll show you how we do it. And remember, we don't just supply the software to help you get it done, we supply the training to make you successful, and the manpower to supplement your staff when you need something done quickly.

Are you attending IOD 2008?

We are attending IBM's Information on Demand (IOD) conference this year! It is one of IBM's biggest events and is billed as the "premier information management global conference." It is being held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas from Oct. 26th to the 31st. (That's next week!)

This is our first year at IOD, and we very excited to be exhibiting. Are you attending the conference as well? We'll be at booth #17, so please stop by and say hi. You'll get to meet Sal and Brian, and sample one of our delectable m-Power mints! Both Sal and Brian are witty and entertaining and we guarantee our mints will give you fresh breath for upwards of 5 minutes.

What more can you ask for?

The eternal IT debate: Build or buy?

Should you build it or buy it? When it comes to software, this can be a difficult question. Should you buy a pre-made solution, or build a custom solution? That is the question being debated in this Techrepublic.com article.

I believe a company is better off with custom-built applications for two big reasons:

1. It’s designed for your company
   A pre-made solution will never exactly fit any company. However, if you build a solution yourself, you can design it to do exactly what you need it to do. You have complete and total control.


2. It will grow with you
   A pre-made solution will not grow with your company. Often, the vendor might grow it in ways you don't want to go. Sooner or later, it will need to be replaced. On the other hand, a custom built solution is easy to modify. You can continue to enhance it as your company grows.

Now, I don’t think anyone will argue against the benefits of a custom-built solution. In fact, if not for the time and money constraints, I believe every company would go this route. If you could have a custom built solution in less time and for the price (or less) of a pre-built solution, I think it’s a no-brainer.

That’s exactly what you can do with m-Power. Here's a list of various applications that can be custom built with m-Power. Want to see how it works? Try our free online lab and build a couple web applications in under an hour.

Top 10 strategic technologies for 2009

It’s hard to believe 2008 is almost over, and it’s time to plan for 2009 already. As technology plays a larger role in just about every aspect of our lives, it’s important to have an idea as to what the most important trends will be next year.

Gartner has just released the list of what they believe will be the top 10 strategic technologies for 2009. I agree with much of the list, especially web-oriented architecture and business intelligence. From my experience with our customers, I believe those will become increasingly important throughout the coming year.

I also think there were a couple of glaring omissions. For example, I can’t believe they didn’t mention mobile computing. With the release of a variety of new smart-phones, mobile computing will become a necessity in the business world. I believe that businesses which are slow to adopt it will suffer as a result.

How about you? What technologies do you think will be most important in the coming year?

Business Intelligence: 10 Common Mistakes

The biggest problem affecting business intelligence today isn’t software. It’s people who think BI software is magic. It’s people who think that software is the most important aspect of business intelligence.

In reality, good processes and planning are the most important aspects of business intelligence. Just because you write out a 6 figure check for a BI tool, doesn’t mean it will help your company. Sure, buying the right software is important, but without a proper plan it’s just a waste of time and money.

My advice to managers and leaders: Get involved. Don’t just write it off as an IT job, work with IT to make sure it’s done right. Setting up a business intelligence solution should be a collaborative effort between the technology experts and the business experts.

Poor planning isn’t the only mistake that can be made when implementing a BI solution. For a list of common mistakes to avoid, read this article on Datamation.com entitled, “Business Intelligence: 10 Common Mistakes.”

Looking for powerful, yet affordable business intelligence? Check out our m-Power demonstration site, for examples of BI applications m-Power can create.

10 tech skills in high demand

The funny thing about technology is how fast it changes. However, one overlooked benefit of changing technology is that the “in-demand” skills are constantly changing as well.

For instance, those who know a lot about BI or CRM tools are in high demand today, whereas they wouldn’t have been in demand 10 years ago. Keeping your skills up to date is more important in the tech industry than anywhere else.

The difficulty lies in determining which new skills to learn. There is an endless supply of “emerging technologies”, not all of which actually stick around. It’s important to learn new skills that will last and be in high demand.

Curious to learn which skills are needed these days? Take a look at this list on CIOInsight.com, to see the top 10 tech skills in high demand today.

The Benefits of Java

I have never been secretive about my views on the Java programming language. Simply put, I believe it is the ideal language for enterprise applications.

Now, I know there are people who will debate me on this. Some believe that .Net, Microsoft’s proprietary answer to Java, is better suited for enterprise applications. Still others will argue that PHP is better, usually because they have someone available who already knows PHP. I have found that most PHP supporters have not actually tried Java, because they cannot afford the time to learn it.

Yes, it’s true that Java is a difficult language to learn, but it comes with many advantages. We have put together a short presentation that explains Java, lists a few benefits, and offers a side-by-side comparison with .Net. That presentation can be found here.>> (Warning: There is sound)

Big IT Decisions for the Small-Minded

Technology is changing ever so rapidly, and changing in ways that will drastically affect the way we do business. It’s more important than ever to keep up, as we rely on technology far more than we ever have before.

Let’s face it, if your company expects to survive in the future, you must stay ahead of the technology curve. That is one issue the author points out in this article entitled, “Big IT Decisions for the Small-Minded” He complains that people spend their time arguing about trivial technology issues, when there are huge ones to discuss.

It’s true. Some of the biggest topics of discussion center around browser preferences, mac vs. pc debates, Microsoft’s big ad campaign, why Vista is horrible, etc… Meanwhile, there are plenty of things to worry about from a technology standpoint. What goes into good Business Intelligence? Should we move to SAAS? Will the internet eventually make the operating system obsolete?

Knowing about the technology isn’t good enough anymore. We have young people entering the workforce that grew up with the technology. They don’t know life without email, the internet, or cell phones. People that focus on the business, and how to use emerging technology to help the business will be the ones that make a difference.

What do you think? Which emerging technology will make the biggest difference in the way we do business? Join the discussion in our forum.

23 Things I wish would go just away

Sure, technology brings conveniences that we never thought possible. But, it also brings annoyances that we never dreamt of.

For example, these days you can do practically everything on your cell phone. Yet, with this added convenience, comes added annoyances. For example, I’ve received telemarketing calls on my cell phone. I’ve received text message advertisements. They make me mad, but would I stop using my cell phone just to make the unsolicited phone calls and text messages stop? Definitely not.

That's not the only annoyance that comes with the convenience of technology. Far from it. On the same note, here’s an interesting piece on PCWorld.com entitled “23 Things I wish would just go away.”

What aspect of technology do you wish would just go away?