For the past decade cyber security has been a hotly debated topic regarding jobs in information technology. The key questions asked by information technology professionals concerns, which certifications are in demand and where can I find employment after training is completed. On May 19, 2014, the United States Department of Justice filed major indictments against five leading government Chinese officials for cyber stalking and hacking. The United States government by filing these charges officially admitted a major Internet cold war is in progress. Secretary of State Chuck Hagel is tripled his staff to combat this serious securities threat. As a cyber-securities professional, you can find work in this growing field because of the demand, which now exists. We will reprint the Fox news story below and follow it up with some suggestions regarding, which certifications will benefit you in this present environment.
DOJ brings cyber-espionage case against Chinese officials
The Justice Department on Monday announced a first-of-its-kind criminal cyber-espionage case against Chinese military officials, accusing them of hacking into major U.S. companies to steal trade secrets.
Prosecutors described the alleged crimes as "21st century burglary."
Attorney General Eric Holder and other federal law enforcement officials revealed the indictment Monday morning, accusing five Shanghai-based Chinese officials of targeting the U.S. nuclear power, metals and solar products industries. The alleged victims include major U.S. firms like Alcoa, Westinghouse and United States Steel.
Holder said the hackers were targeting a total of six American companies, stealing information deemed useful to companies in China, including state-owned firms. He stressed that the alleged hacking is far different than the type of intelligence gathering conducted by governments around the world, in that this involved cyber-espionage for the sheer purpose of gaining the commercial upper hand against U.S. businesses.
"This is a tactic that the United States government categorically denounces," Holder said. "This case should serve as a wake-up call to the seriousness of the ongoing cyberthreat."
The charges were described as the first such case brought against state actors. The specific charges relate to cyber-espionage and theft of trade secrets.
John Carlin, recently installed as head of the Justice's National Security Division, had identified the prosecution of state-sponsored cyberthreats as a goal for the Obama administration.
"For the first time, we are exposing the faces and names behind the keyboards in Shanghai used to steal from American businesses," he said Monday, accusing the Chinese officials of "stealing the fruits of our labor."
The charges are being brought in a federal court in Pittsburgh, Pa. Holder, who acknowledged the defendants have never set foot in the United States, was pressed Monday on whether there's any hope that the Chinese government would hand over the five officials charged in the indictment.
Holder said the "intention" is for the defendants to face the charges in a U.S. court, and he hopes to have Chinese government cooperation.
U.S. officials have accused China's army and China-based hackers of launching attacks on American industrial and military targets, often to steal secrets or intellectual property. China has said that it faces a major threat from hackers, and the country's military is believed to be among the biggest targets of the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command.
Last September, President Obama discussed cybersecurity issues on the sidelines of a summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
White House spokesman Ben Rhodes said at the time that Obama had addressed concerns about cyber threats emanating from China. He said Obama told Xi the U.S. sees it not through the prism of security, but out of concern over theft of trade secrets.
In late March, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel revealed that the Pentagon planned to more than triple its cybersecurity staff in the next few years to defend against Internet attacks that threaten national security.
Hagel's comments at the National Security Agency headquarters in suburban Washington came as he prepared to visit China.
"Our nation's reliance on cyberspace outpaces our cybersecurity," Hagel said at the time. "Our nation confronts the proliferation of destructive malware and a new reality of steady, ongoing and aggressive efforts to probe, access or disrupt public and private networks, and the industrial control systems that manage our water, and our energy and our food supplies."
Fox News' Shayla Bezdrob and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
What certifications will benefit you as an information technology professional?
There are three certifications, which are in high demand for those who want to work in cyber security. They are: the CompTIA Security+, The Certified Internet Systems Securities Professional/CISSP and the Certified Ethical Hacker. Companies needing employees with the capability to protect their data will look for people who hold these credentials.
ABCO Technology located at 6733 S Sepulveda Blvd. in Los Angeles offers classes for all three certifications mentioned above. Call us from 9 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday at: (310) 216-3067. You can email us at:
info@abcotechnology.com
Join the Internet security industry today!
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Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Monday, December 29, 2014
Career Advancement through certification programs
Certification programs are often lumped in with higher education options but a certificate is not an academic degree. A certificate is professional qualification, proof that individuals are knowledgeable and proficient in a specialized skill, trade, or profession according to standardized requirements. Standards are regulated by accredited professional organizations or associations. In some professions, certification is required for employment, similar to licensure. Licensure, however, is a legal requirement for certain professions and is regulated by the government via state agencies, primarily to ensure public safety. Registration is another form of regulation, requiring professionals to file and comply with regulatory agencies.
In many professions, certification isn't required but voluntary, a career tool, one that defines and affirms your abilities, one that allows you portability in the field, and one that can lend you a competitive edge in the workplace. Expertise and experience can be subjective, relative to the places you have worked and how your jobs functioned within individual workplaces. Certification is an objective declaration of your credentials, particularly helpful for employers that are unfamiliar with the context of your experience.
Specialization is often key to certification programs. While professionals may have earned academic degrees that prepared them for entrance into an industry or practice of a certain occupation, professional mobility and advancement is dependent on job-related expertise and discrete skill sets. An entire subset of certification is product-specific. Information technology is a field rife with certificate programs. IT professionals are pursuing certification in hardware or software specialties.
According to Quint Careers and the Career Masters Institute, certification is increasing in visibility and number in a few particular fields: Information Technology, Financial Management & Planning, Safety, Healthcare, Human Resources, Hospitality, Internal Auditing, Manufacturing, Homeland Security, Training & Instructional Design, Automotive, Administrative, Project Management, Fitness Training, and Real Estate.
Certification Program Basics
Make sure that you choose a program that is accredited within your industry. Your human resources manager may be able to provide guidance. Professional association and organization websites provide extensive resources and links to help direct you to accredited programs. ABCO Technology has a helpful list of accredited certification programs for the Information Technology industry - http://www.abcotechnology.edu
- Pay close attention to prerequisite requirements. Enrollment in certificate programs may require a prerequisite academic degree, workplace experience or achievement, letters of recommendation, or other requirements unique to your profession.
- Certification programs typically prepare students for national credentials exams. Know how and when exams are administered, if there are fees attached to exams, and whether you can retake exams in the case of poor performance.
- In many professions, certification needs to be renewed after a certain amount of years, and renewal may require education upkeep.
- Different programs come with different costs and fees. Comparison shop, not for a bargain but for value: the elements and benefits of a program should match the price.
- Certification should directly correspond to your career. The cost and effort you put into a certificate program should be useful and resonant. Ask yourself if certification is a redundant effort, if it is a vanity effort, if it is a misdirected effort, or if it genuinely offers you a professional advantage.
- Consider consulting your employer about financial assistance. Many companies have tuition reimbursement programs and even those that don't may be amenable to funding certification programs that directly boost employee expertise and job-related skills.
- Certain professions lend themselves to online education. Online certification programs can provide the necessary flexibility for full-time professionals.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Customer Relationship Management classes in Los Angeles
In today’s Internet business environment, customers are an extremely valuable asset of any business or organization. Numerous articles correctly state that keeping an existing customer or client is far more cost effective then attracting new customers. Translated into simple everyday language, we’re discussing repeat business, which is the key to any company’s survival. This article will define and discuss customer relationship management, which is commonly referred to as CRM.
CRM is the common abbreviation for customer relationship management. CRM entails all aspects of interaction that a company has with its customers, whether we’re talking about sales or service-related activities. While the phrase customer relationship management is most commonly used to describe a business-customer relationship, CRM systems are also used to manage your business contacts, clients, contract wins and sales leads. Forward thinking companies and organizations regard CRM as a valuable business asset, which must be protected at all possible costs.
The Customer Relationship Management Business Strategy
Customer relationship management is often thought of as a business strategy that enables businesses to:
1. Understand the customer.
2. Retain customers through better customer experience.
3. Attract new customers.
4. Win new clients and contracts.
5. Increase profitability.
6. Decrease customer management costs.
How Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is Used Today
Customer relationship management solutions provide your business with the customer support data to help you provide services or products, which your customers want, deliver better customer service, cross-sell and up sell more products or services effectively, close deals, retain current customers and better understand who your customers are.
Organizations frequently looking for ways to personalize online experiences (a process also referred to as mass customization) through tools such as help-desk software, email organizers and different types of enterprise applications rely heavily upon CRM tools and services to facilitate their operations.
What is a Dashboard as it relates to CRM?
Dashboard is a term that is widely used to describe an application interface that provides users with quick access to information or common tasks generated by CRM software. In CRM (customer relationship management) the dashboard is used to monitor business performance and CRM data and reports are often shown in the dashboard to provide a quick and easy overview of current business customer related activities and performance using charts, graphs, and maps.
A CRM dashboard is designed to let users perform some specific actions and tasks with a single mouse-click from the tool’s interface. For example, a click from the CRM dashboard could provide you with a detailed report on any lead follow-ups that are scheduled for today. Advance applications will make suggestions regarding cross or up-selling products.
ABCO Technology located at 6733 S Sepulveda Blvd. STE 106 in Los Angeles offers detailed information about Customer Relationship Management in the Ecommerce Course. Please call us between 9 AM and 6 PM Monday through Friday at: (310) 216-3067.
Email us for class schedules at:
info@abcotechnology.com.
Improve your CRM performance today!
ABCO Technology Reviews from City Search
ABCO Technology Reivews City Search
CRM is the common abbreviation for customer relationship management. CRM entails all aspects of interaction that a company has with its customers, whether we’re talking about sales or service-related activities. While the phrase customer relationship management is most commonly used to describe a business-customer relationship, CRM systems are also used to manage your business contacts, clients, contract wins and sales leads. Forward thinking companies and organizations regard CRM as a valuable business asset, which must be protected at all possible costs.
The Customer Relationship Management Business Strategy
Customer relationship management is often thought of as a business strategy that enables businesses to:
1. Understand the customer.
2. Retain customers through better customer experience.
3. Attract new customers.
4. Win new clients and contracts.
5. Increase profitability.
6. Decrease customer management costs.
How Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is Used Today
Customer relationship management solutions provide your business with the customer support data to help you provide services or products, which your customers want, deliver better customer service, cross-sell and up sell more products or services effectively, close deals, retain current customers and better understand who your customers are.
Organizations frequently looking for ways to personalize online experiences (a process also referred to as mass customization) through tools such as help-desk software, email organizers and different types of enterprise applications rely heavily upon CRM tools and services to facilitate their operations.
What is a Dashboard as it relates to CRM?
Dashboard is a term that is widely used to describe an application interface that provides users with quick access to information or common tasks generated by CRM software. In CRM (customer relationship management) the dashboard is used to monitor business performance and CRM data and reports are often shown in the dashboard to provide a quick and easy overview of current business customer related activities and performance using charts, graphs, and maps.
A CRM dashboard is designed to let users perform some specific actions and tasks with a single mouse-click from the tool’s interface. For example, a click from the CRM dashboard could provide you with a detailed report on any lead follow-ups that are scheduled for today. Advance applications will make suggestions regarding cross or up-selling products.
ABCO Technology located at 6733 S Sepulveda Blvd. STE 106 in Los Angeles offers detailed information about Customer Relationship Management in the Ecommerce Course. Please call us between 9 AM and 6 PM Monday through Friday at: (310) 216-3067.
Email us for class schedules at:
info@abcotechnology.com.
Improve your CRM performance today!
ABCO Technology Reviews from City Search
ABCO Technology Reivews City Search
Crowd funding in 2014, the New Ecommerce strategy to gather capital for your project!
The twenty-first century, with break-throughs in technology has created innovative strategies for small and medium-sized businesses to raise capital to fund their projects. Conventional banks and lending institutions are crippled by extensive regulations including Dodd-Frank, which limits the amount of financial risk banks can take for small companies who want to market their product or service. As a result of this vacuum the need is being filled by the emergence of crowd funding. Crowd funding is becoming a lucrative source of capital for small businesses. This article will briefly look at 10 websites who are active players in this new industry. The Internet is filled with discussions about crowd funding. Fox news recently featured a 3D printing company who used crowd funding to bring their new $199 3D printer to market. New ideas create excitement and this draws millions of potential businesses and investors to this market place. Unfortunately we have found over 700 websites who claim to provide crowd funding. Our research has limited this number down to ten sites who are crowd funding sites with a strong track record of providing accurate and complete information to investors.
Let us ask the question… what crowd funding site is best for you?
As a crowdfunding industry reporter, I wanted to provide you an easy guide for which site to visit for your crowdfunding needs.
I’ll begin with a small overview of this industry, a short primer on the different kinds of crowdfunding models so you can find what you’re looking for, and then I’ll get to specific site recommendations.
The base of the Crowdfunding Industry
Collaboration on the web is an area of tremendous growth. Crowdfunding, or collaborative funding via the web, is one of the standouts for growth in this evolving collaborative economy.
The Crowdfunding Industry Report by Massolution provided data showing the general crowdfunding industry has raised $5.7 billion in 2013, across more than 2 million individual campaigns globally. In 2014 the industry is projected to grow to $7.1 billion.
Some of the most interesting developments in crowdfunding, which are expected to grow in the months and years ahead, include: investment crowdfunding, which is simply (becoming a shareholder in a company), localization (funding focused on participants in specific cities and neighborhoods), mobile solutions, and group-based approaches.
The JOBS Act that was passed in April of 2012 paved the way to investment crowdfunding; however, the JOBS Act Rulings by the SEC have yet to be fully implemented to formally start the market. Expect big movement and activity in this area in 2014 and 2015.
Crowdfunding Models
There are 2 main models or types of crowdfunding. The first is what is known as donation-based funding. The birth of crowdfunding has evolved through this model, where funders donate via a collaborative goal based process in return for products, perks or rewards.
The second and more recent model is investment crowdfunding, where businesses seeking capital sell ownership stakes online in the form of equity or debt. In this model, individuals who fund become owners or shareholders and have a potential for financial return, unlike the donation model.
Crowdfunding Sites You Can Choose From
Business owners are using different crowdfunding sites than musicians. Musicians are using different sites from causes and charities. Below is a list of crowdfunding sites that have different models and focuses. This list can help you find the right place for your crowdfunding goals and needs.
1. Kickstarter
Kickstarter is a site where creative projects raise donation-based funding. These projects will range from new creative products, like an art installation, to a cool watch, to pre-selling a music album. It’s not for businesses, causes, charities, or personal financing needs. Kickstarter is one of the earlier platforms, and has experienced strong growth and many break-out large campaigns in the last few years.
2. Indiegogo
While Kickstarter maintains a tighter focus and curates the creative projects approved on its site, Indiegogo approves donation-based fundraising campaigns for most anything — music, hobbyists, personal finance needs, charities and whatever else you could think of (except investment). They have had international growth because of their flexibility, broad approach and their early start in the industry.
3. Crowdfunder
Crowdfunder is the crowdfunding platform for businesses, with a growing social network of investors, tech startups, small businesses, and social enterprises (financially sustainable/profitable businesses with social impact goals).
Crowdfunder offers a blend of donation-based and investment crowdfunding from individuals and angel investors, and was a leading participant in the JOBS Act legislation. The company has localized crowdfunding and investment to help develop entrepreneurial ecosystems and access to capital outside Silicon Valley. Its unique CROWDFUNDING initiative in cities across the US and Mexico connects local investors with local entrepreneurs both online and offline, and does the work to validate top local companies in each city across the US and Mexico.
4. RocketHub
RocketHub powers donation-based funding for a wide variety of creative projects.
What’s unique about RocketHub is their FuelPad and LaunchPad programs that help campaign owners and potential promotion and marketing partners connect and collaborate for the success of a campaign.
5. Crowdrise
Crowdrise is a place for donation-based funding for Causes and Charities. They’ve attracted a community of do-gooders and fund all types of inspiring causes and needs.
A unique Points System on Crowdrise helps track and reveal how much charitable impact members and organizations are making.
6. Somolend
Somolend is a site for lending for small businesses in the US, providing debt-based investment funding to qualified businesses with existing operations and revenue. Somolend has partnered with banks to provide loans, as well as helping small business owners bring their friends and family into the effort.
With their Midwest roots, a strong founder who was a leading participant in the JOBS Act legislation, and their focus and lead in the local small business market, Somolend has begun expanding into multiple cities and markets in the US.
7. appbackr
If you want to create the next new mobile app and are seeking donation-based funding to get things off the ground or growing, then check out appbackr and their niche community for mobile app development.
8. AngelList
If you’re a tech startup with a shiny lead investor already signed on, or looking for Silicon Valley momentum, then there are angels and institutions finding investments through AngelList. For some time AngelList didn’t say that they did crowdfunding, which makes sense as they have catered to the investment establishment in tech startups, but now they’re getting into the game. The accredited investors and institutions on AngelList have been funding a growing number of select tech startup deals.
9. Invested.in
You might want to create your own crowdfunding community to support donation-based fundraising for a specific group or niche in the market. Invested.in is a Venice, CA based company that is a top name “white label” software provider, giving you the tools to get started and grow your own.
10. Quirky
If you’re an inventor, maker, or tinkerer of some kind then Quirky is a place to collaborate and crowdfund for donation-based funding with a community of other like-minded inventors. Their site digs deeper into helping the process of bringing an invention or product to life, allowing community participation in the process.
These 10 crowdfunding sites cover most campaign types or funding goals you may have. Whether you’re looking to fundraise or not, go visit the sites listed in this article that grab your attention and become involved in this collaborative community.
ABCO Technology offers classes for Ecommerce and crowd funding strategies. Please call us at (310) 216-3067 between 9 AM and 6 PM Monday through Friday. You can Email us at: info@abcotechnology.edu for a schedule of classes.
Bring your new idea or project to market today.
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Wednesday, October 15, 2014
CompTIA Security+ course information for Los Angeles
This week ABCO Technology has been focusing on the field of Internet security due to the DOJ’s indictment of five Chinese government officials for hacking into several large United States corporations.
Today’s article will discuss the entry-level certification for an information technology professional to enter the growing field of Internet security.
The CompTIA Security+ is vender neutral and offers a student an excellent opportunity to experience Internet security from the ground floor.
Why Security+?
•Approved by U.S. Dept. of Defense to meet IA technical and management certification requirements
•Chosen by professional staff at Hitachi Information Systems (Japan), Prestariang Systems Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia) and U.S. government contractors such as CSC, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman
•Updated every 3 years and part of the CompTIA Continuing Education program
Relevant Job Titles
•Security Engineer
•Security Consultant
•Network Administrator
•IA Technician or Manager
Plan your Career Path
Certification Information
The Security+ exam covers the most important foundational principles for securing a network and managing risk. Access control, identity management and cryptography are important topics on the exam, as well as selection of appropriate mitigation and deterrent techniques to address network attacks and vulnerabilities. Security concerns associated with cloud computing, BYOD and SCADA are addressed in the SY0-401 exam.
While there is no required prerequisite, Network+ or the A+ certification is recommended before taking the Security+ exam.
CompTIA is an ANSI accredited Certifier - 0731. The CompTIA Security+Ce program is included in the scope of this accreditation. The CompTIA Security+ certification may be kept current through the CompTIA Continuing Education program.
Test Details
Number of questions Maximum of 90 questions
Type of questions Multiple choice and performance-based
Length of test 90 minutes
Passing score 750
(On a scale of 100-900)
Recommended experience Minimum of two years of experience in IT administration with a focus on security
Languages English initially; other languages to follow
Exam codes SY0-401
ABCO Technology offers a wide range of Internet security courses, which includes the CompTIA Security +. Please call us to day for more information about our Internet Security program. You may phone us between 9 AM and 6 PM Monday through Friday at: (310) 216-3067. If email is your preferred way to communicate, please email us at:
info@abcotechnology.com.
Become an internet Security Professional today. This field is in demand.
Article by Melissa Waltch
For more information visit us online @
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Today’s article will discuss the entry-level certification for an information technology professional to enter the growing field of Internet security.
The CompTIA Security+ is vender neutral and offers a student an excellent opportunity to experience Internet security from the ground floor.
Why Security+?
•Approved by U.S. Dept. of Defense to meet IA technical and management certification requirements
•Chosen by professional staff at Hitachi Information Systems (Japan), Prestariang Systems Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia) and U.S. government contractors such as CSC, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman
•Updated every 3 years and part of the CompTIA Continuing Education program
Relevant Job Titles
•Security Engineer
•Security Consultant
•Network Administrator
•IA Technician or Manager
Plan your Career Path
Certification Information
The Security+ exam covers the most important foundational principles for securing a network and managing risk. Access control, identity management and cryptography are important topics on the exam, as well as selection of appropriate mitigation and deterrent techniques to address network attacks and vulnerabilities. Security concerns associated with cloud computing, BYOD and SCADA are addressed in the SY0-401 exam.
While there is no required prerequisite, Network+ or the A+ certification is recommended before taking the Security+ exam.
CompTIA is an ANSI accredited Certifier - 0731. The CompTIA Security+Ce program is included in the scope of this accreditation. The CompTIA Security+ certification may be kept current through the CompTIA Continuing Education program.
Test Details
Number of questions Maximum of 90 questions
Type of questions Multiple choice and performance-based
Length of test 90 minutes
Passing score 750
(On a scale of 100-900)
Recommended experience Minimum of two years of experience in IT administration with a focus on security
Languages English initially; other languages to follow
Exam codes SY0-401
ABCO Technology offers a wide range of Internet security courses, which includes the CompTIA Security +. Please call us to day for more information about our Internet Security program. You may phone us between 9 AM and 6 PM Monday through Friday at: (310) 216-3067. If email is your preferred way to communicate, please email us at:
info@abcotechnology.com.
Become an internet Security Professional today. This field is in demand.
Article by Melissa Waltch
For more information visit us online @
ABCO Technology - Yahoo Local
ABCO Technology - Crunch Base
Certified Ethical Hacking course for Los Angeles Explained
Today’s network environment is dominated by the threats of networking penetration, social engineering and direct fraud. Network professionals are required to possess a wide variety of skills to protect a network against attack. The United States government has indicted five Chinese government officials for hacking into the networks of United States private companies. Hackers are after information, which they believe to be highly profitable.
The practice of hacking once carried out by youth with a lot of time on their hands has given way to highly trained and professional hackers who are backed by major companies and governments having one goal in mind, which is stealing information, which will bring a large profit to the organization who can obtain this information.
Companies having proprietary data to protect are requiring their network professionals to have a certification demonstrating skills and knowledge in the field of computer hacking. This certificate is the Certified Ethical Hacker sponsored by EC Counsel. In this article we will provide an overview of the specific skills, which are required for the Certified Ethical Hacker Certificate.
Certified Ethical Hacker
Course Description
The Certified Ethical Hacker Program certifies individuals in the specific network security discipline of Ethical Hacking from a vendor-neutral perspective. A Certified Ethical Hacker is a skilled professional who understands and knows how to look for the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in target systems and uses the same knowledge and tools as a malicious hacker.
Course Duration
40 hours
Target Student: The Certified Ethical Hacker certification will fortify the application knowledge of security officers, auditors, security professionals, site administrators, and anyone who is concerned about the integrity of the network infrastructure.
Delivery Method: Instructor-led, group-paced, classroom-delivery learning model with structured minds-on and hands-on activities.
Benefits: This class will immerse the student into an interactive environment where they will be shown how to scan, test, and secure their own systems. The lab-intensive environment gives each student in-depth knowledge and practical experience with all current essential security systems. Students will begin by understanding how perimeter defenses work and then be led into scanning and attacking their own networks. Students then learn how intruders escalate privileges and what steps can be taken to secure a system. Students will also learn about intrusion detection, policy creation, social engineering, open source intelligence, incident handling, and log interpretation.
What's Next: The CEH Program certifies individuals in the specific network security discipline of Ethical Hacking from a vendor-neutral perspective. The Certified Ethical Hacker certification will significantly benefit security officers, auditors, security professionals, site administrators, and anyone who is concerned about the integrity of the network infrastructure.
Course Objectives:
• Developing the hacker's mind.
• Network surveying.
• Port scanning.
• System identification/OS fingerprinting.
• Vulnerability research and verification.
• Service identification.
• Internet application testing.
• Document grinding.
• Recognizing security issues within an organization.
• Performing legal assessments on remote/foreign networks.
• Examining an organization for weaknesses as through the eyes of an industrial spy or a competitor.
• Implementing the right tools for each task of the Methodology
• Competitive Intelligence.
• Exploiting vulnerabilities remotely.
• Examining appropriate countermeasures to thwart malicious hacking.
ABCO Technology offers a complete program to assist students interested in network security, which includes the Certified Ethical Hacker Certification. Call our school from 9 AM. To 6 PM. Monday through Friday at (310) 216-3067 to obtain more information about this program. You may Email our team at:
info@abcotechnology.com. ABCO Technology is located at 6733 S Sepulveda Blvd. Ste 106 Los Angeles, Ca. 90045.
Improve your network security skills today!
Article by Melissa Waltch.
For more information visit us online:
ABCO Technology - Yahoo Local
ABCO Technology - Crunchbase
The practice of hacking once carried out by youth with a lot of time on their hands has given way to highly trained and professional hackers who are backed by major companies and governments having one goal in mind, which is stealing information, which will bring a large profit to the organization who can obtain this information.
Companies having proprietary data to protect are requiring their network professionals to have a certification demonstrating skills and knowledge in the field of computer hacking. This certificate is the Certified Ethical Hacker sponsored by EC Counsel. In this article we will provide an overview of the specific skills, which are required for the Certified Ethical Hacker Certificate.
Certified Ethical Hacker
Course Description
The Certified Ethical Hacker Program certifies individuals in the specific network security discipline of Ethical Hacking from a vendor-neutral perspective. A Certified Ethical Hacker is a skilled professional who understands and knows how to look for the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in target systems and uses the same knowledge and tools as a malicious hacker.
Course Duration
40 hours
Target Student: The Certified Ethical Hacker certification will fortify the application knowledge of security officers, auditors, security professionals, site administrators, and anyone who is concerned about the integrity of the network infrastructure.
Delivery Method: Instructor-led, group-paced, classroom-delivery learning model with structured minds-on and hands-on activities.
Benefits: This class will immerse the student into an interactive environment where they will be shown how to scan, test, and secure their own systems. The lab-intensive environment gives each student in-depth knowledge and practical experience with all current essential security systems. Students will begin by understanding how perimeter defenses work and then be led into scanning and attacking their own networks. Students then learn how intruders escalate privileges and what steps can be taken to secure a system. Students will also learn about intrusion detection, policy creation, social engineering, open source intelligence, incident handling, and log interpretation.
What's Next: The CEH Program certifies individuals in the specific network security discipline of Ethical Hacking from a vendor-neutral perspective. The Certified Ethical Hacker certification will significantly benefit security officers, auditors, security professionals, site administrators, and anyone who is concerned about the integrity of the network infrastructure.
Course Objectives:
• Developing the hacker's mind.
• Network surveying.
• Port scanning.
• System identification/OS fingerprinting.
• Vulnerability research and verification.
• Service identification.
• Internet application testing.
• Document grinding.
• Recognizing security issues within an organization.
• Performing legal assessments on remote/foreign networks.
• Examining an organization for weaknesses as through the eyes of an industrial spy or a competitor.
• Implementing the right tools for each task of the Methodology
• Competitive Intelligence.
• Exploiting vulnerabilities remotely.
• Examining appropriate countermeasures to thwart malicious hacking.
ABCO Technology offers a complete program to assist students interested in network security, which includes the Certified Ethical Hacker Certification. Call our school from 9 AM. To 6 PM. Monday through Friday at (310) 216-3067 to obtain more information about this program. You may Email our team at:
info@abcotechnology.com. ABCO Technology is located at 6733 S Sepulveda Blvd. Ste 106 Los Angeles, Ca. 90045.
Improve your network security skills today!
Article by Melissa Waltch.
For more information visit us online:
ABCO Technology - Yahoo Local
ABCO Technology - Crunchbase
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Apple’s new iPhone six could be a real game changing device in Apple’s brand history.
With the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, which were simple updates to previous models, there's a lot of pressure placed on the birth of the iPhone 6.
As per the norm, the internet is filled with rumor, speculation and some might say lies over this next-generation handset, which is why we spent our time reading through each nugget of information, debating its merits and curating it into this easy-to-read article for the technical land of iPhone 6.
According to a survey of 4132 US consumers, the iPhone 6 is the most anticipated Apple smartphone in the company’s history, with interest easily outstripping that of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5.
Let’s peak at what Apple may have in store for us on the iPhone 6, thanks to the announcement of iOS 8 at WWDC.
From a bigger screen and camera to health monitoring and more storage capacity.
•What iOS 8 tells us about the iPhone 6
Some of you might have been expecting the iPhone 6 to have debuted in 2013, but given the iPhone's past history, from the 3G onwards, there's always been a half-step S model before the next numbered iPhone. We were never going to receive the iPhone 6 until 2014. In fact, it will actually be the iPhone 8 when the new product finally launches. But, who’s counting iPhones these days?
One thing is for sure, with the Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2 and HTC One M8 now out, Apple needs to be on its game with the new iPhone - and many believe a bigger screen is simply a must have.
Let’s cut to the heart of the matter
•What is it? A major revision of the iPhone including entire design
•When is it out? September 2014 seems most probable
•What will it cost? Expect luxury pricing for a premium smartphone
Latest update: Taiwanese driving and movie star Jimmy Lin has posted some images to social network Weibo apparently showing off the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 alongside the iPhone 5S
IPhone 6 release date
The iPhone 6 release date will be in 2014 and it's looking increasingly likely that we'll see it in September, which would fit in nicely with the rollout of the newly announced iOS 8.
Apple has launched the last several iPhones at a special event in September, so the smart money has always been on September 2014 for the iPhone 6's birth.
Not to mention the fact that according to ifun.de, Apple is restricting holidays during September for employees at German Apple Stores, which strongly suggests a new hardware launch just might take place
What does all of this mean to an information technology professional?
The iPhone six will create the need for countless new applications. New hardware always opens the door for programmers to create those killer applications. The article mentioned health monitoring; do you have a new idea? If you are reading this article and have a strong desire to learn computer programming, you could be a future talented person who will design the next block buster application for the iPhone 6.
ABCO Technology located at 6733 S Sepulveda Blvd. Ste #106 in Los Angeles, Ca. 90045 offers a wide variety of computer programming courses. Call us today at (310) 216-3067 from 9 AM. To 6 PM. Monday through Friday. You can email us for a schedule of classes to:
info@abcotechnology.com.
Start developing innovative applications today!
Article by Melissa Waltch
For more information visit us online -
ABCO Technology - Yahoo Local
ABCO Technology - Crunch Base
Sunday, September 21, 2014
CRM development Classes in Los Angeles
Would you like to become an experienced developer who understands customer relationship management software systems? ABCO Technology will offer you courses that will give you the knowledge, experience and qualifications to implement a CRM system, which will work for you as a web developer. Here is some basic information about customer relationship management systems below so you can determine if you want to build a customer relationship management application for your clients.
Customer relationship management, CRM is a process implemented for managing a firm’s interactions with current and future customers. CRM involves using information technology to organize, automate, and synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support. There are significant differences concerning how a customer relationship management system is implemented between business to business or B2B and business to customer or B2C organizations. CRM Differences
B2B and B2C marketing operates differently, that is why companies are unable to use the same software for both business models. The differences are focused on the approach of these two types of business processes.
B2B companies generally have a smaller contact database than B2C firms.
The amount of sales in B2B is relatively small
In B2B there is less business propositions, but in some cases they cost a lot more than B2C merchandise.
Business relationships in the B2B environment are built over a longer period of time.
In the B2C model transactions will occur as a result of impulse purchases involving price instead of relationships.
When you become a B2B or B2C CRM developer, it is important to insure that you understand the major differences, which exist between Business to business and business to consumer CRM business models.
The Ecommerce and Web Development program offered by ABCO Technology will teach you the differences between the two business management systems. You will learn how to implement them for the benefit of your clients. A customer relationship management system will make or break any business. Learn to build an effective one to day. Please call us Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6PM to obtain class scheduling along with other important information you will need.
You can reach us at (310)216-3067 or Email us at:
info@abcotechnology.com
For more information visit us Online -
ABCO Technology - Pinterest
ABCO Technology - City Search
ABCO Technology - IT Training For Veterans
Customer relationship management, CRM is a process implemented for managing a firm’s interactions with current and future customers. CRM involves using information technology to organize, automate, and synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support. There are significant differences concerning how a customer relationship management system is implemented between business to business or B2B and business to customer or B2C organizations. CRM Differences
B2B and B2C marketing operates differently, that is why companies are unable to use the same software for both business models. The differences are focused on the approach of these two types of business processes.
B2B companies generally have a smaller contact database than B2C firms.
The amount of sales in B2B is relatively small
In B2B there is less business propositions, but in some cases they cost a lot more than B2C merchandise.
Business relationships in the B2B environment are built over a longer period of time.
In the B2C model transactions will occur as a result of impulse purchases involving price instead of relationships.
When you become a B2B or B2C CRM developer, it is important to insure that you understand the major differences, which exist between Business to business and business to consumer CRM business models.
The Ecommerce and Web Development program offered by ABCO Technology will teach you the differences between the two business management systems. You will learn how to implement them for the benefit of your clients. A customer relationship management system will make or break any business. Learn to build an effective one to day. Please call us Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6PM to obtain class scheduling along with other important information you will need.
You can reach us at (310)216-3067 or Email us at:
info@abcotechnology.com
For more information visit us Online -
ABCO Technology - Pinterest
ABCO Technology - City Search
ABCO Technology - IT Training For Veterans
Content Length Long Verses Short
For many years the deep secret of blogging was the 500-word blog post. It was the winning formula. These posts worked every time. Until it didn't.
Then in August 2013, Google updated their algorithm for showing search results for in-depth articles. Google explained this by saying that "up to 10% of users' daily information needs revolve around learning about a broad topic." And so we saw an influx of brands publishing upward of 2,000 words per post!
So, going forward, which form of content should you focus your content creation energy on: short or long, or perhaps a mix? If you go for a mix, then at what ratio? Let's look at some factors you need to consider that will help you make this decision.
A caveat before we proceed: I think we can all agree that content length for the sake of length is not just a dumb strategy, but it will backfire all of the advantages discussed below. So we'll continue this analysis with the hypothesis that all content being created, whether long or short, meets quality criteria (i.e., it is valuable, helpful, entertaining, etc.)
Marco Arment quote
Long-Form Content
Long-form content is described as content that is typically 2,000 words in length or thereabouts and makes for a compelling, insightful read. Examples of long-form content include whitepapers, e-books, guides, resources, videos, and webinars.
Pros:
•Google has a dedicated ranking mechanism for long articles.
•Keeps audience on site longer, increases engagement.
•Supports evergreen, foundational content.
•Presents a broader, deeper view on the topic.
•Caters to a deeply invested audience.
•Provides quality backlinks.
•Establishes credibility and thought-leadership.
Cons:
•People don't always have time to read.
•Short attention spans.
•Typically less shareable.
•Probably won't go viral.
•Length itself doesn't guarantee higher ranking.
Here's what experts in the long-form content camp have to say about its value:
Neil Patel quote
Marcus Sheridan quote
Short-Form Content
According to Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, "The average post on WordPress is 280 words long, and that's remained 'relatively constant' over the past few years." Examples of short-form content include blog posts that are less than 1,000 words, list posts, Vine videos, and infographics.
Pros:
•People scan online, rather than read.
•Lends itself to being shared.
•Mobile-friendly.
•Attract more eyeballs.
•Potential to go viral.
•Fun!
Cons:
•Spouts me-too content.
•People have become blind to formulaic posts.
•Can't go in-depth into topic.
•Too shallow.
•May not provide enough info about topic.
People in the short-form content camp include Mark Schaefer and Jakob Nielsen.
Jakob Nielsen Quote
Mark Schaefer quote
Long vs. Short Content: Which Should You Create More of?
So, which form of content should you be focused on creating? Common sense would dictate that you produce both types of content because both serve a different need. But how you decide what ratio they should be in? How much long-form and how much short content should you be producing?
It really depends on six questions:
1. What Stage of Business Are You At?
Early-stage start-ups may not have the resources or time required to produce long-form content. They would be looking to gain traction sooner rather than later and so might prefer shorter stories that would be more likely to be shared.
Conversely, a business that's an industry heavyweight would have both the expertise and the resources to produce foundation-building evergreen long-form content.
2. What's Your Personality & Style?
Seth Godin produces blog posts in small spurts. That's his style. Is that your style? Does that suit your business's tone and voice?
Your decision to go long or short will also depend on what matches the style that is most authentic to your personality. You will attract an audience who loves you for your style and personality, rather than the other way around of building a style to support an audience you feel you should be catering to. I'm a big believer in being authentic because anything else is not a sustainable strategy.
3. What's the Goal of Your Content?
Your answer may be different if your goal is to be a NY Times best-selling author versus becoming your industry's go-to news guy. What are the goals you wish to achieve with your content: engagement, discussion, industry status, shareability, traffic, search rankings, or more?
It's OK for goals to evolve and change with time as your business grows. Develop content according to the goals it can achieve today.
4. What Platform Will It Be Consumed On?
It's a no-brainer to remember that people prefer consuming short-form content on their mobiles while they are on-the-go.
Tablets are traditionally used to read e-books and watch movies since we're comfortable with holding the lightweight devices in our hands for a longer time.
Desktops and laptops can potentially be used to consume both short-form (Twitter Web) and long-form (downloadable guides) content.
5. Who's the End Consumer?
Who's your audience: people bored on the Internet looking for something funny or industry professionals? The length of your content and therefore, its appeal, would depend on what kind of material your customer most prefers.
6. What Are the Topic's Requirements?
What does the topic itself require? For example, if you're tackling an ultimate guide that would naturally demand long-form content versus if you're writing about celebrity gossip.
Although for some businesses it makes sense to produce only long-form or only short-form content, for most of us, it makes sense to choose both.
So what should the ratio be? Some businesses might be more suited to producing more of long-form than short, while others may benefit from shorter bite-sized nuggets.
Summary
Analyze your business and decide for yourself how these six fields may influence your content length decision:
Long-Form vs Short-Form Content
These are rough guidelines, but you can use them as a starting point when deciding which type of content to produce. Ultimately, though, whichever form of content you create, it must meet your current goals.
Improve your website content today. Contact ABCO Technology Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM at: 310-216-3067 or email us at:
info@abcotechnology.com. Improve your content writing today.
For more information check out our reviews online -
ABCO Technology - Pinterest
ABCO Technology - Citysearch
ABCO Technology - Veterans It Training Los Angeles-
Then in August 2013, Google updated their algorithm for showing search results for in-depth articles. Google explained this by saying that "up to 10% of users' daily information needs revolve around learning about a broad topic." And so we saw an influx of brands publishing upward of 2,000 words per post!
So, going forward, which form of content should you focus your content creation energy on: short or long, or perhaps a mix? If you go for a mix, then at what ratio? Let's look at some factors you need to consider that will help you make this decision.
A caveat before we proceed: I think we can all agree that content length for the sake of length is not just a dumb strategy, but it will backfire all of the advantages discussed below. So we'll continue this analysis with the hypothesis that all content being created, whether long or short, meets quality criteria (i.e., it is valuable, helpful, entertaining, etc.)
Marco Arment quote
Long-Form Content
Long-form content is described as content that is typically 2,000 words in length or thereabouts and makes for a compelling, insightful read. Examples of long-form content include whitepapers, e-books, guides, resources, videos, and webinars.
Pros:
•Google has a dedicated ranking mechanism for long articles.
•Keeps audience on site longer, increases engagement.
•Supports evergreen, foundational content.
•Presents a broader, deeper view on the topic.
•Caters to a deeply invested audience.
•Provides quality backlinks.
•Establishes credibility and thought-leadership.
Cons:
•People don't always have time to read.
•Short attention spans.
•Typically less shareable.
•Probably won't go viral.
•Length itself doesn't guarantee higher ranking.
Here's what experts in the long-form content camp have to say about its value:
Neil Patel quote
Marcus Sheridan quote
Short-Form Content
According to Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, "The average post on WordPress is 280 words long, and that's remained 'relatively constant' over the past few years." Examples of short-form content include blog posts that are less than 1,000 words, list posts, Vine videos, and infographics.
Pros:
•People scan online, rather than read.
•Lends itself to being shared.
•Mobile-friendly.
•Attract more eyeballs.
•Potential to go viral.
•Fun!
Cons:
•Spouts me-too content.
•People have become blind to formulaic posts.
•Can't go in-depth into topic.
•Too shallow.
•May not provide enough info about topic.
People in the short-form content camp include Mark Schaefer and Jakob Nielsen.
Jakob Nielsen Quote
Mark Schaefer quote
Long vs. Short Content: Which Should You Create More of?
So, which form of content should you be focused on creating? Common sense would dictate that you produce both types of content because both serve a different need. But how you decide what ratio they should be in? How much long-form and how much short content should you be producing?
It really depends on six questions:
1. What Stage of Business Are You At?
Early-stage start-ups may not have the resources or time required to produce long-form content. They would be looking to gain traction sooner rather than later and so might prefer shorter stories that would be more likely to be shared.
Conversely, a business that's an industry heavyweight would have both the expertise and the resources to produce foundation-building evergreen long-form content.
2. What's Your Personality & Style?
Seth Godin produces blog posts in small spurts. That's his style. Is that your style? Does that suit your business's tone and voice?
Your decision to go long or short will also depend on what matches the style that is most authentic to your personality. You will attract an audience who loves you for your style and personality, rather than the other way around of building a style to support an audience you feel you should be catering to. I'm a big believer in being authentic because anything else is not a sustainable strategy.
3. What's the Goal of Your Content?
Your answer may be different if your goal is to be a NY Times best-selling author versus becoming your industry's go-to news guy. What are the goals you wish to achieve with your content: engagement, discussion, industry status, shareability, traffic, search rankings, or more?
It's OK for goals to evolve and change with time as your business grows. Develop content according to the goals it can achieve today.
4. What Platform Will It Be Consumed On?
It's a no-brainer to remember that people prefer consuming short-form content on their mobiles while they are on-the-go.
Tablets are traditionally used to read e-books and watch movies since we're comfortable with holding the lightweight devices in our hands for a longer time.
Desktops and laptops can potentially be used to consume both short-form (Twitter Web) and long-form (downloadable guides) content.
5. Who's the End Consumer?
Who's your audience: people bored on the Internet looking for something funny or industry professionals? The length of your content and therefore, its appeal, would depend on what kind of material your customer most prefers.
6. What Are the Topic's Requirements?
What does the topic itself require? For example, if you're tackling an ultimate guide that would naturally demand long-form content versus if you're writing about celebrity gossip.
Although for some businesses it makes sense to produce only long-form or only short-form content, for most of us, it makes sense to choose both.
So what should the ratio be? Some businesses might be more suited to producing more of long-form than short, while others may benefit from shorter bite-sized nuggets.
Summary
Analyze your business and decide for yourself how these six fields may influence your content length decision:
Long-Form vs Short-Form Content
These are rough guidelines, but you can use them as a starting point when deciding which type of content to produce. Ultimately, though, whichever form of content you create, it must meet your current goals.
Improve your website content today. Contact ABCO Technology Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM at: 310-216-3067 or email us at:
info@abcotechnology.com. Improve your content writing today.
For more information check out our reviews online -
ABCO Technology - Pinterest
ABCO Technology - Citysearch
ABCO Technology - Veterans It Training Los Angeles-
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Content Length Long Verses Short
Content Length Long Verses Short
For many years the deep secret of blogging was the 500-word blog post. It was the winning formula. These posts worked every time. Until it didn't.
Then in August 2013, Google updated their algorithm for showing search results for in-depth articles. Google explained this by saying that "up to 10% of users' daily information needs revolve around learning about a broad topic." And so we saw an influx of brands publishing upward of 2,000 words per post!
So, going forward, which form of content should you focus your content creation energy on: short or long, or perhaps a mix? If you go for a mix, then at what ratio? Let's look at some factors you need to consider that will help you make this decision.
A caveat before we proceed: I think we can all agree that content length for the sake of length is not just a dumb strategy, but it will backfire all of the advantages discussed below. So we'll continue this analysis with the hypothesis that all content being created, whether long or short, meets quality criteria (i.e., it is valuable, helpful, entertaining, etc.)
Marco Arment quote
Long-Form Content
Long-form content is described as content that is typically 2,000 words in length or thereabouts and makes for a compelling, insightful read. Examples of long-form content include whitepapers, e-books, guides, resources, videos, and webinars.
Pros:
•Google has a dedicated ranking mechanism for long articles.
•Keeps audience on site longer, increases engagement.
•Supports evergreen, foundational content.
•Presents a broader, deeper view on the topic.
•Caters to a deeply invested audience.
•Provides quality backlinks.
•Establishes credibility and thought-leadership.
Cons:
•People don't always have time to read.
•Short attention spans.
•Typically less shareable.
•Probably won't go viral.
•Length itself doesn't guarantee higher ranking.
Here's what experts in the long-form content camp have to say about its value:
Neil Patel quote
Marcus Sheridan quote
Short-Form Content
According to Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, "The average post on WordPress is 280 words long, and that's remained 'relatively constant' over the past few years." Examples of short-form content include blog posts that are less than 1,000 words, list posts, Vine videos, and infographics.
Pros:
•People scan online, rather than read.
•Lends itself to being shared.
•Mobile-friendly.
•Attract more eyeballs.
•Potential to go viral.
•Fun!
Cons:
•Spouts me-too content.
•People have become blind to formulaic posts.
•Can't go in-depth into topic.
•Too shallow.
•May not provide enough info about topic.
People in the short-form content camp include Mark Schaefer and Jakob Nielsen.
Jakob Nielsen Quote
Mark Schaefer quote
Long vs. Short Content: Which Should You Create More of?
So, which form of content should you be focused on creating? Common sense would dictate that you produce both types of content because both serve a different need. But how you decide what ratio they should be in? How much long-form and how much short content should you be producing?
It really depends on six questions:
1. What Stage of Business Are You At?
Early-stage start-ups may not have the resources or time required to produce long-form content. They would be looking to gain traction sooner rather than later and so might prefer shorter stories that would be more likely to be shared.
Conversely, a business that's an industry heavyweight would have both the expertise and the resources to produce foundation-building evergreen long-form content.
2. What's Your Personality & Style?
Seth Godin produces blog posts in small spurts. That's his style. Is that your style? Does that suit your business's tone and voice?
Your decision to go long or short will also depend on what matches the style that is most authentic to your personality. You will attract an audience who loves you for your style and personality, rather than the other way around of building a style to support an audience you feel you should be catering to. I'm a big believer in being authentic because anything else is not a sustainable strategy.
3. What's the Goal of Your Content?
Your answer may be different if your goal is to be a NY Times best-selling author versus becoming your industry's go-to news guy. What are the goals you wish to achieve with your content: engagement, discussion, industry status, shareability, traffic, search rankings, or more?
It's OK for goals to evolve and change with time as your business grows. Develop content according to the goals it can achieve today.
4. What Platform Will It Be Consumed On?
It's a no-brainer to remember that people prefer consuming short-form content on their mobiles while they are on-the-go.
Tablets are traditionally used to read e-books and watch movies since we're comfortable with holding the lightweight devices in our hands for a longer time.
Desktops and laptops can potentially be used to consume both short-form (Twitter Web) and long-form (downloadable guides) content.
5. Who's the End Consumer?
Who's your audience: people bored on the Internet looking for something funny or industry professionals? The length of your content and therefore, its appeal, would depend on what kind of material your customer most prefers.
6. What Are the Topic's Requirements?
What does the topic itself require? For example, if you're tackling an ultimate guide that would naturally demand long-form content versus if you're writing about celebrity gossip.
Although for some businesses it makes sense to produce only long-form or only short-form content, for most of us, it makes sense to choose both.
So what should the ratio be? Some businesses might be more suited to producing more of long-form than short, while others may benefit from shorter bite-sized nuggets.
Summary
Analyze your business and decide for yourself how these six fields may influence your content length decision:
Long-Form vs Short-Form Content
These are rough guidelines, but you can use them as a starting point when deciding which type of content to produce. Ultimately, though, whichever form of content you create, it must meet your current goals.
Improve your website content today. Contact ABCO Technology Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM at: 310-216-3067 or email us at:
info@abcotechnology.com. Improve your content writing today.
Check us out online -
ABCO Technology on Pinterest
ABCO Technology on LinkedIN
For many years the deep secret of blogging was the 500-word blog post. It was the winning formula. These posts worked every time. Until it didn't.
Then in August 2013, Google updated their algorithm for showing search results for in-depth articles. Google explained this by saying that "up to 10% of users' daily information needs revolve around learning about a broad topic." And so we saw an influx of brands publishing upward of 2,000 words per post!
So, going forward, which form of content should you focus your content creation energy on: short or long, or perhaps a mix? If you go for a mix, then at what ratio? Let's look at some factors you need to consider that will help you make this decision.
A caveat before we proceed: I think we can all agree that content length for the sake of length is not just a dumb strategy, but it will backfire all of the advantages discussed below. So we'll continue this analysis with the hypothesis that all content being created, whether long or short, meets quality criteria (i.e., it is valuable, helpful, entertaining, etc.)
Marco Arment quote
Long-Form Content
Long-form content is described as content that is typically 2,000 words in length or thereabouts and makes for a compelling, insightful read. Examples of long-form content include whitepapers, e-books, guides, resources, videos, and webinars.
Pros:
•Google has a dedicated ranking mechanism for long articles.
•Keeps audience on site longer, increases engagement.
•Supports evergreen, foundational content.
•Presents a broader, deeper view on the topic.
•Caters to a deeply invested audience.
•Provides quality backlinks.
•Establishes credibility and thought-leadership.
Cons:
•People don't always have time to read.
•Short attention spans.
•Typically less shareable.
•Probably won't go viral.
•Length itself doesn't guarantee higher ranking.
Here's what experts in the long-form content camp have to say about its value:
Neil Patel quote
Marcus Sheridan quote
Short-Form Content
According to Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, "The average post on WordPress is 280 words long, and that's remained 'relatively constant' over the past few years." Examples of short-form content include blog posts that are less than 1,000 words, list posts, Vine videos, and infographics.
Pros:
•People scan online, rather than read.
•Lends itself to being shared.
•Mobile-friendly.
•Attract more eyeballs.
•Potential to go viral.
•Fun!
Cons:
•Spouts me-too content.
•People have become blind to formulaic posts.
•Can't go in-depth into topic.
•Too shallow.
•May not provide enough info about topic.
People in the short-form content camp include Mark Schaefer and Jakob Nielsen.
Jakob Nielsen Quote
Mark Schaefer quote
Long vs. Short Content: Which Should You Create More of?
So, which form of content should you be focused on creating? Common sense would dictate that you produce both types of content because both serve a different need. But how you decide what ratio they should be in? How much long-form and how much short content should you be producing?
It really depends on six questions:
1. What Stage of Business Are You At?
Early-stage start-ups may not have the resources or time required to produce long-form content. They would be looking to gain traction sooner rather than later and so might prefer shorter stories that would be more likely to be shared.
Conversely, a business that's an industry heavyweight would have both the expertise and the resources to produce foundation-building evergreen long-form content.
2. What's Your Personality & Style?
Seth Godin produces blog posts in small spurts. That's his style. Is that your style? Does that suit your business's tone and voice?
Your decision to go long or short will also depend on what matches the style that is most authentic to your personality. You will attract an audience who loves you for your style and personality, rather than the other way around of building a style to support an audience you feel you should be catering to. I'm a big believer in being authentic because anything else is not a sustainable strategy.
3. What's the Goal of Your Content?
Your answer may be different if your goal is to be a NY Times best-selling author versus becoming your industry's go-to news guy. What are the goals you wish to achieve with your content: engagement, discussion, industry status, shareability, traffic, search rankings, or more?
It's OK for goals to evolve and change with time as your business grows. Develop content according to the goals it can achieve today.
4. What Platform Will It Be Consumed On?
It's a no-brainer to remember that people prefer consuming short-form content on their mobiles while they are on-the-go.
Tablets are traditionally used to read e-books and watch movies since we're comfortable with holding the lightweight devices in our hands for a longer time.
Desktops and laptops can potentially be used to consume both short-form (Twitter Web) and long-form (downloadable guides) content.
5. Who's the End Consumer?
Who's your audience: people bored on the Internet looking for something funny or industry professionals? The length of your content and therefore, its appeal, would depend on what kind of material your customer most prefers.
6. What Are the Topic's Requirements?
What does the topic itself require? For example, if you're tackling an ultimate guide that would naturally demand long-form content versus if you're writing about celebrity gossip.
Although for some businesses it makes sense to produce only long-form or only short-form content, for most of us, it makes sense to choose both.
So what should the ratio be? Some businesses might be more suited to producing more of long-form than short, while others may benefit from shorter bite-sized nuggets.
Summary
Analyze your business and decide for yourself how these six fields may influence your content length decision:
Long-Form vs Short-Form Content
These are rough guidelines, but you can use them as a starting point when deciding which type of content to produce. Ultimately, though, whichever form of content you create, it must meet your current goals.
Improve your website content today. Contact ABCO Technology Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM at: 310-216-3067 or email us at:
info@abcotechnology.com. Improve your content writing today.
Check us out online -
ABCO Technology on Pinterest
ABCO Technology on LinkedIN
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Press Release - ABCO Technology Reviews
2014 has been a remarkable year for ABCO Technology. In our 14th year serving Southern California and Los Angeles, our school received accreditation through ACCSC and successfully passed two critical state inspections.
ABCO Technology is an Information Technology vocational academy located in Los Angeles California since 2000. ABCO Technology received accreditation through a nationally recognized accrediting agency - Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges ACCSC. Accrediation is a review process which provides a means of assisting schools and colleges to become stronger and better institutions by setting standards of educational quality. An ACCSC team visited the school to inspect ABCO Technology's programs, faculty, student evaluations, and policies and procedures to deliver its programs. Accrediation means that ACCSC found the school's programs and training methods to meet the higher educational quality standards.
The first inspection was conducted by the California Workforce Investment Board - South Bay. WIA provides funding opportunities for unemployed individuals to those who qualify for training. ABCO Technology is one of the schools approved by WIA with a list of programs on the i-train list for individuals to seek training and get back into the workforce. The inspection was completed with no violations or compliance issues with WIA.
Within the same month, the California Department of Consumer Affairs - Bureau for Private Post Secondary Education (BPPE) performed an announced compliance inspection for ABCO Technology. During the inspection, the inspectors analyzed, the School's Catalog, Advertising Materials, Program Training materials, Approved Program curriculum, Student files, School Performance fact sheet and Administration manual. The Bureau inspectors found "No Minor Violations" and awarded the school with a clean bill of health in their report. Students can visit the Bureau's website www.bppe.ca.gov to view the results.
Finally, ABCO Technology has received a five year renewal from the California Education Department - BPPE for an approval to operate for the following IT Programs:
ABCO Technology provides training to individuals, companies and veterans who have proudly served in our armed forces. Our programs are designed for individuals to complete an intensive training in the respective area of study, and seek gainful employment upon graduation. Companies will benefit by updating the skills of their employees and course graduates will become eligible to obtain industry recognized vendor certifications from Microsoft, Oracle, ICS2, PMP etc. which will benefit their careers.
Operating a successful vocational school is hard work combined with committed passion for our students. All reviews of ABCO Technology, evaluations and inspections have been conducted by government or non-profit organizations who operate with high standards of integrity. This speaks volumes about the quality of education you will receive by enrolling in one of ABCO's programs. We encourage prospective students to contact our school at (310) 216-3067 for additional information about our programs, or the quality of training provided at ABCO. We are proud of our faculty, students and graduates who have helped us accomplish our educational mission.
ABCO Technology is an Information Technology vocational academy located in Los Angeles California since 2000. ABCO Technology received accreditation through a nationally recognized accrediting agency - Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges ACCSC. Accrediation is a review process which provides a means of assisting schools and colleges to become stronger and better institutions by setting standards of educational quality. An ACCSC team visited the school to inspect ABCO Technology's programs, faculty, student evaluations, and policies and procedures to deliver its programs. Accrediation means that ACCSC found the school's programs and training methods to meet the higher educational quality standards.
The first inspection was conducted by the California Workforce Investment Board - South Bay. WIA provides funding opportunities for unemployed individuals to those who qualify for training. ABCO Technology is one of the schools approved by WIA with a list of programs on the i-train list for individuals to seek training and get back into the workforce. The inspection was completed with no violations or compliance issues with WIA.
Within the same month, the California Department of Consumer Affairs - Bureau for Private Post Secondary Education (BPPE) performed an announced compliance inspection for ABCO Technology. During the inspection, the inspectors analyzed, the School's Catalog, Advertising Materials, Program Training materials, Approved Program curriculum, Student files, School Performance fact sheet and Administration manual. The Bureau inspectors found "No Minor Violations" and awarded the school with a clean bill of health in their report. Students can visit the Bureau's website www.bppe.ca.gov to view the results.
Finally, ABCO Technology has received a five year renewal from the California Education Department - BPPE for an approval to operate for the following IT Programs:
- A+ Certification
- Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- Oracle Database Administrator
- Linux+
- Microsoft Office User Specialist
- Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW)
- Programmer
ABCO Technology provides training to individuals, companies and veterans who have proudly served in our armed forces. Our programs are designed for individuals to complete an intensive training in the respective area of study, and seek gainful employment upon graduation. Companies will benefit by updating the skills of their employees and course graduates will become eligible to obtain industry recognized vendor certifications from Microsoft, Oracle, ICS2, PMP etc. which will benefit their careers.
Operating a successful vocational school is hard work combined with committed passion for our students. All reviews of ABCO Technology, evaluations and inspections have been conducted by government or non-profit organizations who operate with high standards of integrity. This speaks volumes about the quality of education you will receive by enrolling in one of ABCO's programs. We encourage prospective students to contact our school at (310) 216-3067 for additional information about our programs, or the quality of training provided at ABCO. We are proud of our faculty, students and graduates who have helped us accomplish our educational mission.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Active Directory Explained
Sites in Active Directory represent the actual physical structure, or topology, of your network. Active Directory uses network topology information, stored as site and site link objects in the directory, to build the most efficient replication network infrastructure. You use Active Directory Sites and Services to define sites and site links. What is a site? A site is a set of well-connected subnets. Sites differ from domains; sites represent the physical structure of your network, while domains represent the logical structure of your organization.
USING SITES
Sites help you facilitate several activities within Active Directory, including:
•Replication. Active Directory balances the need for up-to-date directory information with the need for bandwidth optimization by replicating information within a site on a frequent basis. This operation saves bandwidth between sites. You can configure the relative cost of connectivity between sites to further optimize the need for replication.
•Authentication. Site information helps make authentication faster and much more efficient. When a client logs on to a domain, it first searches its local site for a domain controller to authenticate against. By establishing multiple sites, you can ensure that clients authenticate against domain controllers nearest to their work station, reducing authentication latency and keeping traffic off WAN connections.
•Active Directory-enabled services. Active Directory-enabled services will leverage site and subnet information to enable clients to locate the nearest server providers much easier.
In Active Directory, a site is a set of computers well-connected by a high-speed network, such as a local area network (LAN). All computers within the same site typically reside in the same building, or on the same campus network. A single site consists of one or more Internet Protocol (IP) subnets. Subnets are subdivisions of an IP network, with each subnet possessing its own unique network address. A subnet address groups neighboring computers in much the same way that postal codes group neighboring postal addresses. Several clients are contained within a typical subnet
Sites and subnets are represented in Active Directory by site and subnet objects, which you create through Active Directory Sites and Services. Each site object is associated with one or more subnet objects.
ASSIGNING INDIVIDUAL COMPUTERS TO SITES
Computers are assigned to sites based on their Internet Protocol (IP) address and subnet mask. Site assignment is handled differently for clients and member servers than for domain controllers. For a client, site assignment is dynamically determined by its IP address and subnet mask during logon. For a domain controller, site membership is determined by the location of its associated server object in Active Directory.
Understanding sites and domains
In Active Directory, sites map the physical structure of your network, while domains map the logical or administrative structure of your organization. This separation of physical and logical structure provides the following benefits:
• You can design and maintain the logical and physical structures of your network independently.
• You do not have to base domain namespaces on your physical network.
• You can deploy domain controllers for multiple domains within the same site. You can also deploy domain controllers for the same domain in multiple sites.
For Online Reviews
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For more information visit us online @ ABCO Technology
USING SITES
Sites help you facilitate several activities within Active Directory, including:
•Replication. Active Directory balances the need for up-to-date directory information with the need for bandwidth optimization by replicating information within a site on a frequent basis. This operation saves bandwidth between sites. You can configure the relative cost of connectivity between sites to further optimize the need for replication.
•Authentication. Site information helps make authentication faster and much more efficient. When a client logs on to a domain, it first searches its local site for a domain controller to authenticate against. By establishing multiple sites, you can ensure that clients authenticate against domain controllers nearest to their work station, reducing authentication latency and keeping traffic off WAN connections.
•Active Directory-enabled services. Active Directory-enabled services will leverage site and subnet information to enable clients to locate the nearest server providers much easier.
In Active Directory, a site is a set of computers well-connected by a high-speed network, such as a local area network (LAN). All computers within the same site typically reside in the same building, or on the same campus network. A single site consists of one or more Internet Protocol (IP) subnets. Subnets are subdivisions of an IP network, with each subnet possessing its own unique network address. A subnet address groups neighboring computers in much the same way that postal codes group neighboring postal addresses. Several clients are contained within a typical subnet
Sites and subnets are represented in Active Directory by site and subnet objects, which you create through Active Directory Sites and Services. Each site object is associated with one or more subnet objects.
ASSIGNING INDIVIDUAL COMPUTERS TO SITES
Computers are assigned to sites based on their Internet Protocol (IP) address and subnet mask. Site assignment is handled differently for clients and member servers than for domain controllers. For a client, site assignment is dynamically determined by its IP address and subnet mask during logon. For a domain controller, site membership is determined by the location of its associated server object in Active Directory.
Understanding sites and domains
In Active Directory, sites map the physical structure of your network, while domains map the logical or administrative structure of your organization. This separation of physical and logical structure provides the following benefits:
• You can design and maintain the logical and physical structures of your network independently.
• You do not have to base domain namespaces on your physical network.
• You can deploy domain controllers for multiple domains within the same site. You can also deploy domain controllers for the same domain in multiple sites.
For Online Reviews
City Search
Campus Explorer
Better Business Bureau
For more information visit us online @ ABCO Technology
10 dynamic Fast Loading Wordpress Templates you can use for your website Now!!
One of the most frequent questions I’ve received after our search engine classes is "Where can my company find a Fast Loading Wordpress Template to work with? That's a damn good question as speed hasn't been on the radar of Wordpress Theme developers yet, but that is already changing.
Just like the need for responsive design was answered, fast loading sites are really in demand and the market is already scrambling to make them available. However, we know that, "We're working on it..." isn't the answer you're looking for, so we spent some time looking for fast loading themes that you can use Today.
Theme Comparison Factors
One of the most difficult tasks we could think of for a responsive Web site to tackle is mobile load time, which is required for your Web site to shine. We tested over 50 different themes during this loading race and all of these designs scored quite fast comparatively. However, on the flip side there were some popular themes that took as much as 50 seconds to load! That's a huge difference compared to the speed demons we've listed below that were fast enough to make the cut.
Disclaimer: There is some variation in our testing due to server speed, which was beyond our control. There is also quite a variation in the theme designs themselves, which we attempted to minimize by testing a simple page on each theme - not the home page as it often includes huge slider images.
The important factors used in this test:
• Mobile Load Time - The primary factor was the 1st pass mobile load time tested within Webpagetest.org with a Mobile 3G Fast connection and using the Chrome browser.
• A Simple, Comparable Web Page - We used Pricing or Full Width page examples to minimize graphic impact during testing.
• Gzip Compression - All test sites used this as it has a big impact on 1st pass load time. Sites not using Gzip were not included as it threw the test scores off a lot.
• All themes tested are fully responsive.
• Pingdom and Google Page Speed test values - recorded for additional comparison.
• Google Page Speed Score - All of these themes could be improved upon in some way. How much speed improvement is possible is indicated by the Google Page Speed scores.
#1. 320 Press Bootstrap - 2.623s
Source: 320press.com/themes/wp-bootstrap/
The fastest template of the group was 320press.com's Wordpress BootStrap which loaded in 2.623 seconds despite a time to first byte (TTFB) of .911 seconds which is a bit slow. That means this template would likely load in around 2.2 to 2.3 seconds on an average server, further distancing it from the rest of the field. Of course the simplistic design was a deciding advantage with only 12 requests made during load time and a lack of "bloat" that occurs with fancier looking templates.
The Bootstrap foundation is an excellent base for further customization to generate the look and feel of your new site, however it will most likely require far more development time to arrive at what you're looking for. The theme will slow down with additional customization in most cases unless the developer is careful with what changes and how they are made. It's not really suitable for a site owner wanting an easy theme to upload and run but it is FAST. If you're comfortable with tweaking CSS and some of the PHP files in the template, Wordpress Bootstrap is a clear winner.
Pingdom Google Page Speed WebPageTest.org
Grade Requests Load Time Size Mb Mobile Desktop Load Time TTFB Speed Ind
97 11 .812 .099 79 92 2.623 .911 2400
#2. 320 Press Foundation - 3.028s
Source: 320press.com/themes/wp-foundation/
Another fast theme from the folks at 320press.com, the Zurb.com 3.0 Foundation Wordpress port is also quite fast despite requiring more resources to load than the Twitter Bootstrap version. Also in this test the 320press.com server was slow to respond with a 1.33 second time to first byte.
Like the Bootstrap theme, Foundation will require further work should you want to get more advanced with the styling this theme provides. The Foundation framework used for this theme is version 3.0, however the current version of Foundation is at version 5.0, so this port is a bit behind with no information on if or when 320Press.com will update their theme to the latest revision of Foundation.
Pingdom Google Page Speed WebPageTest.org
Grade Requests Load Time Size Mb Mobile Desktop Load Time TTFB Speed Ind
67 20 1.180 .599 76 89 3.028 1.330 2394
#3. GoodWork - 3.252s
Source: GoodWork - Responsive Multi-Purpose WordPress Theme
The Goodwork Template from Krown Themes Designer Ruben Bristian was the fastest full featured template we found, again despite a somewhat slow responding server. This template is WooCommerce capable and features 6 Home Page variations, advanced Page Builder features and plenty of theme customization options. It also carries a 4.43 buyer rating at Themeforest which is a strong endorsement as well.
Our only complaint about this theme is the mobile version of the menu, it's not "Fat Finger Friendly", but that is not a big deal. There are lots of Responsive Wordpress Menu Plugins you can use to improve that functionality.
Pingdom Google Page Speed WebPageTest.org
Grade Requests Load Time Size Mb Mobile Desktop Load Time TTFB Speed Ind
88 39 .755 .318 78 91 3.252 .610 2815
#4. Fable - 3.255s
Source: Fable - Responsive Blog Theme
Fable from Elegant Themes was designed primarily as a blogging theme, and it's very fast with a 3.255 second Mobile load time. While not as versatile as GoodWork, it's a variation that may suit some projects better. Performance on this theme could be improved by getting rid of the Google Fonts used heavily throughout the theme and combining the 10 style sheets used.
Pingdom Google Page Speed WebPageTest.org
Grade Requests Load Time Size Mb Mobile Desktop Load Time TTFB Speed Ind
80 53 1.17 .513 76 91 3.255 .558 2315
#5. Lucid - 3.303s
Source: Lucid - Responsive Blog Theme
Elegant Themes Lucid also scored highly in our test with a mobile load time of 3.303 making it a very fast, and clean, Blog theme. Lucid has an improved mobile menu which is FFF (Fat Finger Friendly) however built in social icons are not FFF. The theme adapts well between Mobile, Tablet and Desktop but does not give you a lot of capability for design changes for background and system colors.
Pingdom Google Page Speed WebPageTest.org
Grade Requests Load Time Size Mb Mobile Desktop Load Time TTFB Speed Ind
85 35 .386 .196 76 84 3.303 .558 2580
#6. Pravda - 3.601s
Source: Pravda - Retina Ready Responsive Blog / Magazine Theme
Packed with features such as WooCommerce and Retina Ready graphics capability, Pravda is a solid performer for a Magazine style Blog that loads in 3.601 seconds on a 3g smartphone despite a slow server which dampened its TTFB time. The theme carries a 4.67 rating at Themeforest.com and interestingly enough, it has a very solid 98 performance grade via Pingdom, one of two themes tested that hit 98.
It gets a thumbs down for an anti-FFF mobile menu, but as we mentioned previously, there are lots of Responsive Wordpress Menu Plugins you can use to improve that functionality.
This theme certainly gets some extra bonus points for including Schema.org Microdata, a Bootstrap base and Retina-Ready graphics capability.
Pingdom Google Page Speed WebPageTest.org
Grade Requests Load Time Size Mb Mobile Desktop Load Time TTFB Speed Ind
98 42 .682 ..331 75 93 3.601 .700 2904
#7. Enfold - 3.722s
Source: Enfold - Retina Ready Business Theme
Enfold is another full featured, fully responsive theme which scores quite well across the board. It features a very comprehensive layout builder making it easy to create just about any kind of page layout you desire, without having to remember shortcodes to make it work.
The mobile menu is FFF, which is a plus in our book, and it looks outstanding on a tablet and smartphone as well. Inside the designers give you a lot of ability to easily change the skin and includes 18 different variations within the admin panel.
Enfold carries a high 4.78 rating at Themeforest, so we're not the only ones that like this theme!
Pingdom Google Page Speed WebPageTest.org
Grade Requests Load Time Size Mb Mobile Desktop Load Time TTFB Speed Ind
89 36 1.06 .345 76 90 3.722 .704 3504
#8. Meteor - 4.808s
Source: Meteor - Retina Ready Business Theme
Retina graphics ready and fully responsive Meteor is a feature packed theme that has a reasonable load time. It features a comprehensive layout editor giving you a lot of ability to arrange your pages as you want, 5 different sliders to choose from, plus a handful of custom widgets such as a Twitter Feed.
Meteor has a horrible looking mobile menu, thank goodness there are lots of Responsive Wordpress Menu Plugins you can use to fix it - and this one does need fixing. While it's totally usable as it triggers tablet and smartphone popup menus, it just doesn't seem to match the rest of the design (and we don't like popup menus).
Pingdom Google Page Speed WebPageTest.org
Grade Requests Load Time Size Mb Mobile Desktop Load Time TTFB Speed Ind
79 60 1.26 .739 72 86 4.808 .951 2896
#9. Lynx - 5.161s
Source: Lynx - 3 in 1 Business Theme
Lynx features 3 different main layout functions that let you use it as a Blog, Magazine, or a Shop with built in WooCommerce. It also has the ability to use custom backgrounds and is built on Bootstrap 3 which is a big plus. Personally, we didn't really care for the design, probably because of so much white space used up by the built in banner at the top of the page, but it may appeal to some. You can also certainly shut the banner off if you wish, which we feel would make it more attractive.
With a 98 Performance score from Pingdom, this is an optimized theme which certainly helps its 5.161 load time on 3g Mobile and it scores well on Google Page Speed, however the number of server requests drag down its mobile performance. Lynx utilizes a pop-up menu for mobile and tablets, not our favorite design choice as it just feels so "retro" compared to the newer mobile menu designs available.
Pingdom Google Page Speed WebPageTest.org
Grade Requests Load Time Size Mb Mobile Desktop Load Time TTFB Speed Ind
98 64 1.23 .542 79 92 5.161 .587 2272
#10. 3Clicks - 6.601s
Source: 3Clicks Business Theme
We really liked the fresh, colorful looks and versatility of the 3 Clicks theme, unfortunately a slow server TTFB hurt its load time substantially pushing it to the #10 position in our test. With a faster server and further optimization work it can certainly be as fast as many of the themes we tested in this shootout, so don't ignore it just because it's a bit slower.
3Clicks has 9 different skins to choose from along with unlimited color choices, many different menu choices including a new "Metro" style which is very tablet friendly. The Mobile menu lacks the ability to display multiple levels, which is a drawback but it's one of the few we have found with this theme. It's very likely the developer might be able to update that feature in the future as the theme support and enhancements appear to be good.
Pingdom Google Page Speed WebPageTest.org
Grade Requests Load Time Size Mb Mobile Desktop Load Time TTFB Speed Ind
89 48 1.86 .388 76 92 6.601 1.088 5365
Final Notes
Be aware that most of the top performing themes in this review have been optimized to a certain extent, they have minified CSS & Javascript, the servers are using Gzip compression, some go so far as to move the style sheets into the head section which really helps on mobile. Last but not least, we did test demo pages that were light on graphics to make the tests as even as possible, which of course helped the load times.
When you install one you'll want to make use of a plugin such as W3 Total Cache plus utilize progressive, compressed images when possible. Also keep in mind adding additional plugins typically will slow response time down significantly, especially social plugins that make many external requests.
If you don't find a design you like within the above themes be sure to test any theme you decide on using resources such as Pingdom, Google PageSpeed Insights and WebPageTest.org to see how it compares. The themes chosen for our review are certainly some of the fastest we could find, but developers have already started focusing on page speed requirements, so keep your eyes open for new designs.
2014 will be a busy, exciting time for Web site designers, managers and search engine marketing professionals as all this new technology and ranking requirements forces us to improve user experiences — we hope this review gets you started down that road!
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For more information visit us online @ ABCO Technology
8 valuable Tips for Wireless Home Network Security
Many users setting up wireless home networks rush through the job to get their Internet connectivity working as rapidly as possible. That's totally understandable. It’s quite risky as numerous security problems can result from haste. Today's Wi-Fi networking products don't always help your situation as configuring their security features can be time-consuming and non-intuitive. The recommendations below summarize the steps you should take to improve the security of your home wireless network.
1. Change Default Administrator Passwords (and Usernames)
At the heart of most Wi-Fi home networks is an access point or router. To set up these pieces of equipment, manufacturers provide Web pages that allow owners to enter their network address and account information. These Web tools are protected with a login screen (username and password) so that only the rightful owner can do this. However, for any given piece of equipment, the logins provided are simple and very well-known to hackers on the Internet. Change these settings immediately.
2. Turn on (Compatible) WPA / WEP Encryption
All Wi-Fi equipment supports some form of encryption. Encryption technology scrambles messages sent over wireless networks so that they cannot be easily read by humans. Several encryption technologies exist for Wi-Fi today. Naturally you will want to pick the strongest form of encryption that works with your wireless network. However, the way these technologies work, all Wi-Fi devices on your network must share the same encryption settings. Therefore you may need to find a "lowest common compatible setting.
3. Change the Default SSID
Access points and routers all use a network name called the SSID. Manufacturers normally ship their products with the same SSID set. For example, the SSID for Linksys devices is normally "linksys." True, knowing the SSID does not by itself allow your neighbors to break into your network, but it is a start. More importantly, when someone finds a default SSID, they see it is a poorly configured network and are much more likely to attack it. Change the default SSID immediately when configuring wireless security on your network.
4. Enable MAC Address Filtering
Each piece of Wi-Fi gear possesses a unique identifier called the physical address or MAC address. Access points and routers keep track of the MAC addresses of all devices that connect to them. Many such products offer the owner an option to key in the MAC addresses of their home equipment that restricts the network to only allow connections from those devices. Do this, but also know that the feature is not as powerful as it may seem. Hackers and their software programs can fake MAC addresses easily.
5. Disable SSID Broadcast
In Wi-Fi networking, the wireless access point or router typically broadcasts the network name (SSID) over the air at regular intervals. This feature was designed for businesses and mobile hotspots where Wi-Fi clients may roam in and out of range. In the home, this roaming feature is unnecessary, and it increases the likelihood someone will try to log in to your home network. Fortunately, most Wi-Fi access points allow the SSID broadcast feature to be disabled by the network administrator.
6. Do Not Auto-Connect to Open Wi-Fi Networks
Connecting to an open Wi-Fi network such as a free wireless hotspot or your neighbor's router exposes your computer to security risks. Although not normally enabled, most computers have a setting available allowing these connections to happen automatically without notifying you (the user). This setting should not be enabled except in temporary situations.
7. Assign Static IP Addresses to Devices
Most home networkers gravitate toward using dynamic IP addresses. DHCP technology is indeed easy to set up. Unfortunately, this convenience also works to the advantage of network attackers, who can easily obtain valid IP addresses from your network's DHCP pool. Turn off DHCP on the router or access point, set a fixed IP address range instead, and then configure each connected device to match. Use a private IP address range (like 10.0.0.x) to prevent computers from being directly reached from the Internet.
8. Enable Firewalls on Each Computer and the Router
Modern network routers contain built-in firewall capability, but the option also exists to disable them. Ensure that your router's firewall is turned on. For extra protection, consider installing and running personal firewall software on each computer connected to the router.
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For more information visit us online @ ABCO Technology
7 killer sales generating Content Marketing Tips for Small Businesses
Small businesses have historically been slow to adopt modern content marketing strategies that professional corporate marketers use. Please understand,, SEO has changed significantly in recent years; it has become clear that small businesses need to include how to do articles, e-books, comparison guides, and other content marketing techniques to stay competitive in the search engine rankings.
Whether your content is created in-house or outsourced to a third-party agency, there will be a time when creative ideas for interesting new content become hard to find. We have seven strong content creating tips for posting outstanding content.
1. Design a Content Marketing Calendar
Having a calendar that documents your content strategy is an excellent method to ensure timely content creation. This strategy is constantly overlooked. Sixty-three percent of marketers say that their biggest difficulty with content creation is that it takes too much time, but only 42 percent are reported to have a documented content marketing strategy.
Putting together a calendar of content scheduled for each month is a positive first step that provides a set amount of time to strategize, brainstorm, create, and publish.
2. Learn about What Works
What Content Works for your business or industry?
Before researching other competitor sites for inspiration, understand the characteristics of past content that has generated sales. Jump into Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools to check the top-trafficked pages and search queries to see what content has performed the best and the keywords people have used to find your product or service.
Social statistics will also provide insight into content that has performed well. Check social media performance by utilizing services like Add This that embed sharing buttons on blogs with tracking information. There are easy-to-use dashboards that provide information on the number of shares, and click backs from those shares.
Understanding these trends will help better inform what topics and strategies have worked in the past and where to go with future content.
3. Understand Social Trends for News jacking
Social media is also helpful in providing ideas for topics in real-time. Writing content around trending topics, or news jacking, helps you provide valuable content to qualified prospects actively looking for it. Twitter has had trending topics available for a while, and Facebook introduced trending topics earlier this year. For a more local view of trending topics, Trendsmap provides an intimate view of trending news overlaid on a map with data from Twitter.
Enhance content by addressing different sides to a story, taking a controversial stance, or supplementing it with different media such as videos or infographics.
4. Create a Survey
Create news with a simple survey. Understanding the consumer stance on a topic in your industry provides material for articles and infographics. This will result in backlinks to the content and builds reputation as a primary source of data in your field.
Creating and conducting surveys have become much easier with products like SurveyMonkey, Audience, and Google Consumer Surveys that allow the creation of surveys and purchase of responses at an affordable price-point.
5. Utilize Visual Content
While much of SEO focuses on text that search engines can digest, visual content is much more appealing for human readers. Audiences are naturally wired to be more engaged with visual content, as 91 percent of the information that comes to the brain is visual, and content that utilizes imagery gets 94 percent more views than those without.
A survey of marketers from MarketingSherpa found that images were the easiest form of content to produce. Create infographics with research that's already being conducted for content, or outsource creation to include your information on a blog. Keep visitors engaged and scrolling by adding still images or animated GIFs to written content.
6. Start a Video Blog
Blog
Another easy way to create consistently high-quality content is to create videos. Seventy-nine percent of internet users say they watch online video every week, and 56 percent say they watch each day.
Starting a video blog isn't expensive or time-consuming. Short videos are the easiest to digest, and simple to shoot with a personal webcam.
Video blogs require minimal editing, if at all, and can be posted immediately to YouTube. A study by Animoto found that video content helps persuade 75 percent of consumers to buy a product or service.
7. Repurpose Content
If finding a topic and conducting the research for it is too time-consuming, create a bundle of content you have already created around a certain topic. Gather content with an underlying theme, like "do it yourself Tips," and package it with a supplemental blog post. This creates a valuable package of materials for readers to digest.
Another way for repurposing content is to revisit an older piece of content you wrote and provide updates. New information is constantly being studied and evaluated, which can be easily reported as an update to an earlier post.
Conclusions
Content marketing is now a required component of Search Engine Optimization. Content creation works by engaging new and existing audiences, and encouraging sharing. For small businesses, it is difficult to remain on course, though, and ideas are tough to generate on a consistent basis. Understanding the content strategies that have worked in the past and diversifying the media by which they are created are helpful tactics for staying on course with the consistent creation of content.
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For more information visit us online @ ABCO Technology
Monday, August 11, 2014
4 Tips for Web Visibility in Los Angeles
Business people would you like to help search engines find your business, product or service? If so read on!
Search engines know where your business is located. The Internet has been divided into GPS coordinates. A user in zip code 90045 will view slightly different results than a user accessing the Internet from zip code 9004. The reason for this is because search engines are making a large percentage of their revenue producing local search results to help users find what they need within the confines of a given area. The key question is how you as a merchant can use this information to promote your products or services.
This article will provide a list of four suggestions, which you can implement to help your website.
1 All of your webpages have title and Meta description tags, but few merchants use them properly. The title tag should express in 65 characters or less what your business does. For example, if you type Chinese food in Culver City into the title tag the search engines will index your business as Chinese food in Culver City because that is what your business does. A common mistake made by most internet users is they place the name of their business inside the title tag. A wrong title tag would be Wong’s Chinese food. So if a user was looking for Chinese food in Culver City, Wong’s would not be visible because the user asked for Chinese food in Culver City. If the user asked for Wong’s Chinese food the website provided it was functioning properly, would appear in the first position of the search results. By placing your business name into the title tag, you eliminate the possibility of a user who doesn’t know about your business finding you online. Placing your business name into the title tag is a real sales killer.
The Meta Description is a larger tag, which can hold up to 125 characters. Inside this tag a merchant might put affordable Chinese food and even list a dish such as Orange Chicken. The use of these tags applies to all pages on your website.
2 Did you know there is a free listing service, which will help you list your business in key directories, which are regularly searched for by search engine programs? A web site called www.getlisted.org is your key to local listings. This site will score your website and let you know where you should list your local business. Simply enter your domain name without the WWW and enter your zip code. Get listed.org will automatically score your website and tell you the directories where you should list your business.
3 If you have hours of operation, days open and driving directions to your business, write them in HTML. Search engines can’t see graphics. Using HTML will help the search engine programs index your website.
4 Join some local organizations such as your chamber of commerce. Search engines use organizations including the Better Business Bureau and Chamber of Commerce as critical trust signals in scoring your website.
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For more information visit us online @ 3D printing is rapidly changing the manufacturing industry. Within a few years it will cost the same to build a custom item as it would to mass produce a product. This revolution in manufacturing will change industrial products like the printing press changed the delivery of words. The rapid changes will create new career opportunities for information technology professionals who want to work in this space.
MakerBot was the first company to put 3D printing on the map, but it could be New Matter that will place 3D printing technology into the hands of the average person.
Backed by Idealab, the new startup launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign on Wednesday and hopes to deliver an end-to-end 3D printing solution for less than $200 by early 2015. Aside from do it yourself 3D printer kits, it’s an unheard of price point for 3D printing technology and it comes with quite a pedigree. It reminds this author of transistor radios in the late 1950s dropping in price from $50 to $6. See also: Micro 3D Printer Blasts Through $1 Million on Kickstarter in a Day
New Matter is working with and is fully backed by Frog Design, the legendary design firm that has worked with everyone from Apple and Microsoft to GE and Sony, and the result is MOD-t, an austere and attractive 16-inch by 12-inch by 15-inch tall 3D printer encased in a translucent, removable cover. The company is also helping New Matter build a suite of companion apps.
“When we started working on this project, we gave ourselves this provocation: What if you could send a 3D print to someone like you send them a text message?” says Frog Designer Christin Todorovich in the launch video.
Stephen Schell, who cofounded New Matter along with Idea Labs CEO Bill Gross, has been working in the 3D printing space for a decade, and originally started by building sub $2,000 3D printers for small businesses. Now, with this new venture, the New Matter president and CTO are targeting consumers, and Schell believes he knows the ingredients necessary for consumer 3D printing success.
•The cost has to be something consumers can bear. “If you charge $500-to-several thousand dollars, you only get people who are very enthusiastic and passionate about 3D printing.”•The software must be simple and easy to use. “Consumers don’t want to understand and set temperature set points on an extruder.”
•Offer access to great 3D designs.
With Frog Design’s help, they’ve created an online store and application that allows consumers to download and share 3D creations, and because New Matter’s MOD-t 3D Printer is Wi-Fi enabled, the 3D designs can go straight from the site or app to the printer.
The Hardware
The MOD-t is a good-looking device, a rarity for a 3D printer, but at a $149 introductory price (it will eventually be $199 and include a spool of print material), it’s not really designed to compete with, for instance, MarkerBot's $2,000 Replicator 2. Speed wise, Schell estimates the MOD-t, which prints at 80mm per seconds, is in the middle of the pack. Print times can take anywhere from a half an hour to six hours depending on object size (up to 150 mm x 100 mm x 125 mm) Beyond that, though, MOD-t stacks up fairly well against the competition. Like MakerBot’s $1,375 Replicator Mini and 3D System’s Cube, New Matter’s MOD-t prints from a spool of biodegradable PLA, with a minimum layer height of 200 microns. This is essentially a measure of print resolution: the higher the number here, the greater the smoothness of printed objects.
In addition to software and overall design, the MOD-t may stand apart in another way: its print plate. According to Schell, the MOD-t’s build plate, which moves while the print head only moves up and down, uses a patent-pending design. Its rack and pinion mechanism lowers both the number of components and overall cost of the printer.
Why would I?
Even with a sexy Frog design and “magical” price point, why would consumers want a 3D printer? Schell says he’d tell consumers that 3D printers let you “customize the world around you.” He contends that when we shop for decorations or even toys for our children, we’re often constrained by what’s on the shelf. 3D printers let you design and print out your ideas.
Of course, most consumers are not designers so they’ll still rely on the template designs offered on New Matter’s apps and web site. According to the campaign video, though, they’ll be able to easily modify the designs. It shows people manipulating the virtual 3D models on their iPad via touch, including previewing how different color PLA might look and then sharing the prints via the app so that someone else with a New Matter MOD-t can print out the same 3D object.
Its “3D printing for the rest of us,” said Schell.
3D printing will create many new career opportunities in the field of information technology. Jobs in programming, hardware and manufacturers databases will be needed. ABCO Technology offers several programs, which will benefit from 3D printing. Call us from 9 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday at (310) 216-3067. You can email us for a class schedule at: info@abcotechnology.com.
Prepare for a 3D printing career today.
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