Technology for the Office

[Technology for the Office]

July 25, 1996 -- It's amazing how quickly the computer has infiltrated our lives - at home and at work. Looking back ten years, or even five years, the difference is staggering. In 1991, the fastest PC processor you could find was a 386, and it cost over $2,500. Now, you can get twenty times the computer for half the price. What other industry advances that quickly? What other products have left such an imprint on our lives? However, with these fantastic advances has come wave after wave of media hype. Like many of you, I've had enough of seeing web site addresses on commercials for dish soap, and would just assume read the latest issue of the New Yorker from an easy chair instead of a computer desk. With a little perspective, we quickly see that there are many things that aren't affected by computers. Computers can't design a skyscraper. They can't do your laundry, or watch your kids. And they certainly can't pound a nail into a 2 x 4 - unless of course you swing the keyboard really, really hard. But nevertheless, somewhere between the hype and denial, reality tells us computers are here to stay. And, with the right approach, they can mean opportunity for businesses - opportunity to become more efficient, more self-sufficient and ultimately more profitable. In that practical, pragmatic spirit, we've assembled a collection of stories that introduce you to some of the practical ways computers are helping businesses run more smoothly. Knowing about these issues may not help you today, or next month, or even next year. But we think they're opportunities that our readers should be aware of, should they ever want something better to do with their keyboard then light carpentry. - Jeff Running, Technology section editor

	SO YOU THINK YOU WANT A WEB SITE So you want to put you're business on the web. You've heard that everyone is doing it. But you've also heard that many companies that have invested in the World Wide Web aren't getting the results they expected. Is it really worth it?

	COMPLEX COPYWRIGHT QUESTIONS GROW WITH WEB TECHNOLOGY Does storing information from the World Wide Web on a computer when it is not connected to the Web violate any copyright laws? Probably not. But the key word in that sentence is ``probably.''

	CAN SOFTWARE BULLETPROOF THE EIS PROCESS? In the midst of today's computer revolution, people are constantly demanding things be done quicker, faster and cheaper. A local environmenal consulting firm thinks a new software product will help bring the environmental review process up to speed.

	ELECTRONIC PLUMBING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY With advances in communications technology coming fast and furious, how do you wire a new home so it will accommodate the security, lighting and audio/visual systems of tomorrow?

	PAGERS AREN'T JUST FOR PAGING ANYMORE For years the pager has been the sturdy, no-frills nag of the work force. But through the alchemy of algorithms, two Eastside software companies have made radical changes in what pagers can do.

	TEN TOP TIPS FOR HOME OFFICE/TELECOMMUTING In today's business world, more and more people are working from their homes, either running small businesses or "telecommuting" to work via phone services and modems.

	NEW (VIRTUAL) WORLD ORDER FOR CALLISON No more nervous mornings waiting for the Fed-Ex delivery. No more long waits while documents are copied. And no more wondering who said what whom. At The Callison Partnership, transmitting information, across town or across the world has become virtually as easy as hitting a few computer keys, with one caveat: The computer user has to know how to type.

	DOCUMENT IMAGING FOR THE OFFICE If your organization uses PCs, it should also be using document imaging technology. With the right system set up, a document imaging system can make that perpetual problem of office paperwork much easier to manage.

	USING INTRANETS TO IMPROVE CORPORATE COMMUNICATION For companies that want to use the Internet to create a national or international computer network for their employees to use, the risk that people outside the company pose to security, even when using passwords and other security measures, is simply too great. For such companies, there is an alternative: Intranets.

	THE VIRTUAL OFFICE CAN BE RISKY BUSINESS For all of the positive changes wrought by information technology, it's vital to also consider the risks they pose and how to manage them.

	NEW DIRECTIONS FOR COMPUTERS IN CONSTRUCTION In a remarkably short time, the computer industry has progressed a long way in terms of making useable productivity tools available for the construction industry.

	THE INTERNET AND ELECTRONIC COMMERCE Although the media and the technology business sectors are a-buzz with the all possibilities of electronic commerce, a less known, but practical application for the Internet today is Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI.