O2 XDA Argon Shows Kiss & Make Up With HTC

Midway through last year O2 made the very silly move of falling out with HTC, but thankfully the two have now kissed and made up as its latest smartphone shows...

Called the 'XDA Argon' it is based on the little known HTC 'Panda' and it is a budget handset which will be exclusive to O2 until July – not that I imagine too many networks will be upset about that.

Along with its retro looks, the Argon/Panda is a perfectly average – if completely uninspiring device – with a 3.5in touch screen display, 2MP camera, WiFi connectivity and Bluetooth. More notorious by its absence however are 3G (there's only EDGE) and Windows Mobile 6, even though the OS has been out for a few months now.

Worst still, despite its technological modesty, the Argon is a brick with 129.7 x 69.8 x 18.8mm dimensions and a who-ate-all-the-pies 200g weight. Thankfully, the Argon does come free on most tariffs though there is a nasty £85.10 asking price on the most basic £25pm 'Best for Business' deal. Best for who?!

If you ask me, HTC is still clearly a little irked by O2's decision last year to dump it in order to try out other manufacturer's offerings (read: cut itself better deals). Unfortunately O2 then sourced garbage like the XDA Zinc which failed to pass its network testing and never saw the light of day - leading to the HTC rethink.

Source : www.trustedreviews.com

MicroAccounting Solutions Works with O2 Food & Beverage Process Mfg. Software

Paul Ziliak, President of MicroAccounting Solutions recent suggested that, “Historically the solutions we provided our food and beverage manufacturing clients required some combination of significant custom programming and external database management in order to satisfy all their needs. We became aware of O2 Process Manufacturing shortly after its initial release. We already had a high level of comfort with Sage Software’s applications – and once we saw the O2 applications in operation we knew we finally had the complete offering our clients had long been seeking. Escape Velocity Systems staff is highly talented and very professional.”

According the Evan Garber, President of Escape Velocity Systems, Inc. (EVS) (www.evs-sw.com), “We find that working with MicroAccounting Solutions (www.microaccounting.com) is a terrific fit for our process manufacturing clients. As a significant strategic alliance partners, MicroAccounting Solutions understands the specific complexities of various types of process manufacturers and can utilize the O2 software to fulfill clients needs and expectations. In addition, Micro Accounting Solutions represents Escape Velocity Systems with the values and integrity we expect from our VAR partners.”

Process Manufacturing describes a manufacturing process whereby materials are blended, cooked, or mixed as opposed to assembled from discrete units. Some needs common to process manufacturing industries are:

• Formulas (or recipes) are ratios, not static bills of material
• Split bill of material: several products can share one formula, yet have different packaging
• Flexibility with units of measure
• Stringent quality control, with recall ability
• Lot grading / attribute tracking and calculation

Escape Velocity Systems (EVS) was formed in 2001 to combine specific industry knowledge related to process manufacturing, distribution, and ERP implementations with cutting edge software development. The company focus is to create tools that enable mid-market enterprises to achieve their goals, focusing on lean processes and ROI. According to President Evan Garber, “We realize that good ERP software is the hub of information in any process manufacturing enterprise. Timely, reliable, and centralized data are non-negotiable elements for businesses competing in the 21st century.”

The term escape velocity refers to the speed that is necessary for an object to overcome gravity and soar into space. EVS provides direct applications for businesses looking for a catalyst, not just a software package. Process manufacturers require the best software solution coupled with industry experience that will accelerate the velocity with which they race towards their goals. The gravity of status-quo opposes aggressive, cutting edge organizations as they strive towards high quality and short lead time delivery while reducing inventories and operating costs.

Source : www.theopenpress.com