Television on the Web

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SaaS (Software as a Service)

I am always interested in how great ideas come about. One of the most best ideas and movements in the software industry lately is Software as a Service (go here for a definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_as_a_Service). I am a CRM program administrator that uses SalesForce.com. I can log-in securely to our companies data from any computer in the world. There have been many occasions when I have been away from my computer, or my computer decided not to work and I could log onto the internet and do my work.

I thought I would list a view great SaaS vendors.
www.salesforce.com
www.sugarcrm.com
www.webex.com
www.atroad.com
www.google.com (docs & spreadsheets, calender, blogger, etc.)

There are a few drawbacks to SaaS. Companies will need to build infrastructures to keep up with demand. If the servers go down or something else happens that hinders a users experience, customers will go elsewhere. The great thing about the software industry today is that you can get the entire LAMP (linux, apache, MySQL & perl/php) stack for little or no coat. This allows companies to purchase commodity hardware and load a stack of hardware for a fairly inexpensive cost.

The more and more the internet moves towards Web 2.0, the more companies will start moving towards SaaS. If you are building a company, make sure to look into saving costs with vendors that provide Software as a Service.

Right to Work in Idaho

There is always some talk in Idaho about how horrible it is that we are a Right to Work state. My uncle is a proud Union member and my father and he have some great debates about this subject. While I realize that Unions helped shape the good working standards we have in this country, I don't think anyone should be forced into a Union. Here are some basic stats about unemployment that might let people know that Right to Work is not all that bad.

The following is taken from a U.S. Department of Labor report (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/laus_10202006.pdf). The unemployment rates shown are only those that are significantly different from the national average.

Unemployment Rates

United States 4.6%

Right to Work States (that are significantly different than the national average)
Idaho 3.3%
Utah 2.8%
Nevada 4.0%
Wyoming 3.6%
Alabama 3.3%
Florida 3.2%
Arizona 3.7%
Iowa 3.4%
North Dakota 3.1%
Mississippi 7.2%
Virginia 3.2%
South Carolina 6.4%
South Dakota 3.2%
Nebraska 3.1%
Average 3.5%

Forced-Unionism States (that are significantly different than the national average)
Oregon 5.4%
New Hampshire 3.2%
Michigan 7.1%
Minnesota 3.8%
Washington 5.3%
Montana 3.6%
Minnesota 3.8%
Alaska 6.6%
Ohio 5.3%
Vermont 3.7%
Hawaii 2.5%
D.C. 5.9%
Delaware 3.7%
Average 4.6%

It seems that there is a correlation between Forced-Unionism States and higher unemployment rates. I am grateful to live in Idaho and believe that it will continue to be a great place to live as long as people think resonably about the causes they support. There is a wealth of information out there. Before you jump on a bandwagon, please do some research.

Just my quick take on Right to Work in Idaho.

Political Marketing

It is the day after the elections and I am a little disappointed in the Marketing efforts of the Idaho candidates. I can't believe how many lame ads on my TV I sat through about how bad a candidates opponent will be for Idaho. Gerry Brady's entire campaign was how both He and Idaho are not for sale. A slam on Butch Otter's once position that Idaho should sell some public land. Of course Butch couldn't just leave it alone, he had is own slew of ads slamming Brady.

I wish politicians would live by three simple rules.

• Tell me why you are qualified for the job.
• Tell me what side of the major issues you are on.
• Tell me what your most important goals are when you are in office.

I think election day would be much easier if every candidate would follow these simple steps. Perhaps there could be a few less red, white, blue and (insert a bright color here) posters on every street corner as well. Too much clutter. I guess most importantly I want people to represent what they stand for and if elected, do what you said you were going to do and make a concerted effort to find out what the people want. I think once elected, some government officials forget who they are there for.

Just my quick take on political candidates.

Five Things I would change about Boise State, my Alma Mater

I graduated from Boise State University with a degree in marketing in December of 2005. I enjoyed my time there and think that the university has many great programs. But I do have to shake my head at a few disappointing things that need to change at my alma matter.

1) The College of Business and Economics (COBE) Website - http://cobe.boisestate.edu/ I guess my main issue with the site is that is looks like someones first website. Perhaps they grabbed a template and added a few different links. All I know is that anyone that is looking into attending Boise State for it's business program is probably thinking the same thing. I understand that BSU is a state college and most student commute from the Treasure Valley, but if the university is going to become a metropolitan research university, upgrade and put some class in the websites.

2) www.BroncoSports.com - I realize that you are trying to promote the Logo for Boise State, but the website is too busy and gives me a headache. Please clean it up a bit. It just doesn't look clean.

3) Better Technical Solutions - Using Oracle and many other propriety software solutions is great for a lot of what Boise State needs. I would like to hear about a cost saving method using Open Source Software to reduce costs.

4) Tuition - I would like the students to have a better understanding of what they are paying for with their Tuitions fees. Go look at what your tuition and fees pays for. If you don't like it, go talk to the ASBSU front office in the sub and find out how you can get involved. Attending one of the Budget planning meetings (open to the public) is an interesting event.

5) Boise State Football - This is more of a rant on fans. Please do not participate in the 'wave'. I can't stand it. I have recently read a few articles on the wave and it's origin. I am sick of it. I am an Oakland A's fan and loved the wave during a slow 3rd inning. But if I get interrupted in the 3rd quarter on a visiting teams' 3rd and long situation by some dumb kids in the student section waving their arms because the wave is coming through, I am going to do and/or say something harsh. And I don't want to do it. Save the wave for halftime if you must do it.
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These are my simple thoughts on what Boise State could do to better the situation and just make me a happier Alumni. I know I haven't contributed anything yet, but these would give me some compelling reasons to do so when I get the extra cash.

Thanks for the diploma and the education BSU, now win me a BCS game.