Windows 2012 is now available!

It is the first version of Windows Server to have no support for Itanium-based computers.The software was generally available to customers starting on September 4, 2012 and worldwide through multiple channels in September 2012.

Windows Server 2012 includes version 8.0 of Internet Information Services (IIS). The new version contains new features such as CPU usage caps for particular websites.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org

State of the Nation Address 2012

Bitstop Network Service is proud to be part of the State of the Nation Address at live webcasting the State of the Nation Address. Bitstop Network Service team headed by Gerard Viari. The video is coursed through eradioportal’s worldwide CDN network to bring the nation address live not only to the Philippines, but all over the world.

The webcast stream uses mulitple bitrate of 256 kbps and 512kbps to allow viewers with smaller DSL bandwidths to view the webcast. Here is the link to the webcast: http://eradioportal.com/index.php?p=7&type=2&sec=4&aid=126

22 Essential Tools for Testing Your Website’s Usability

A site’s ease of use, or its usability, is an integral part of its success, especially with websites becoming more and more interactive, complex and packed with features. User-centered design is all about building websites that fulfill the goals and desires of its users, and at the heart of this concept is that a user must be able interact with your website effectively.

Testing usability is an art and a science. There are many times when usability testers rely on qualitative measurements, intuition, opinions and feedback from users and experience. However, there are also factors you can test quantitatively to ensure that a site is usable.

In this post, we’ll discuss six crucial factors that affect usability. For each, you’ll be provided with some tips, tools and ideas on how you can measure these usability factors.

We’ll focus on practical usability testing, so the emphasis is on pragmatic and inexpensive strategies that most site owners can do. These things apply regardless of what type of website (blog, e-store, corporate site, web app, mobile device, etc.) you’re evaluating.

read more>>>

Philippine Data Center

BNSHosting now offers support for hosting on a per rack basis. This is specially suited for large applications developers that need their servers to be hosted in a Philippine Data center on a per rack, half rack or quarter rack basis. Each rack can support 42U (20 2U servers)

Each full rack in our Philippine data center offers :

  • Dedicated Firewall with VPN server
  • Up to 64 IP address per full rack mount rentals
  • Dedicated 24port Gigabit switch
  • 15 amp power supply
Benefits:
1.  Great Peering. Faster connections.
BNSHosting is a favored location by applications developers that are looking for Philippine data centers that provide seamless interconnectivity among the Philippines various carriers. BNSHosting boast of connectivity either directly or thru our various peering agreements to all of the Philippines’ premier telephone/carriers- PLDT, Digitel, Globe, Bayantel, Eastern Telecoms to name but a few.
2. Reliable Power Source
BNSHosting is the only Philippine Data Center that is hooked up to a utility line with 3 separate feeder source. In addition, BNShosting facility is backed up with two 50KVA diesel generators for emergencies.
3. Lower Operating Costs.
BNSHosting is the only philippine data center that is located outside of Metro Manila, which means that our lower cost location enables us to pass on the savings in terms of lowest pricing to our clients!
Interested parties are urged to contact us at team[at]bnshosting.net
4. 24×7 Operations
Our philippine data center is monitored by our team on a 24×7 basis using industry standard SNMP protocol and Solar Winds’ Orion Monitoring system. We can be reached by phone (PH, SG, US numbers), email or Live Chat on our website.
Interested Parties are urged to contact us via email (team[at]bnshosting.net) or live chat

eCommerce Workshop on expanding Online business

Bitstop Inc and Digital Filipino delivers a power-packed workshop aimed at delivering both the theory and the step by step guides on setting up your online webstore that comes complete with payment gateway and shipping solution. This seminar is targetted at micro, small and medium sized businesses that are looking to increase their clients without investing in additional branches or taking up space in malls.

The seminar will be at the BFAR Auditiorium, Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City, on May 26, 2011 from 9am to 5pm. Interested participants are urged to sign up here.

Agenda Inlcudes:

  • eCommerce Fundamentals, Law, Strategy
  • Advantages and business models on the web
  • Guidelines for Merchants
  • Mobile Commerce
  • Internet Branding and Advertising
  • Internet Payment
  • Practicum: Setting up your own webstore.

 

What Websites can do for your Business

Primary Goal for your website
Primary goals are those that produce direct and tangible results. They are the goals that bring in the money and generate a return on investment. Primary goals that are appropriate for small businesses are:
  • Generating Leads and referrals
  • Selling Products Online (and globally)
  • Lower operational costs (compared to physical storefront)

Secondary Goals for your website
Secondary goals support the primary ones and produce less tangible benefits, but are important just the same. Good examples of secondary goals are:

  • Building up Credibility
  • Sustaining Current Customers and increase customer service
  • Recruiting Affiliates
Primary goals will make up for the majority of the site’s contents and secondary goals will probably be single-page contents. Questions to ask which will help in setting goals –
  • What actions you want your visitors to perform?
  • What are the secondary tasks that you want your website to do?
  • Will existing customers be using your site?
-Marina, vcBytes.com
One recent example of this is http://digitalfilipinocom.ning.com/video/marketing-a-brick-and-mortar If you know of others that benefited from their websites, do post them here.

Get International funding for your Web Projects

Lets say you have a great business idea and would like to see it through. You have assembled your team and would like to go out to the world – blazing with your game changing projects. You only have one little problem- funding. You need money.  Where do you get it?

After attending the garag3.com sponsored event in Singapore, here are some ideas I was able to learn and share with you here:

Getting Donations:

http://www.kickstarter.com/

Kickstarter lists projects from the creative arts—Art, Dance, Film, Music, Photography, Publishing, and Theater—as well as projects from the diverse and creative fields of Food, Design, Fashion, Technology, Games, comics and jouranlism. People then choose which projects they would like to fund. It could be yours.

One sample success story is from the Moonchild project. Sara Chong and Chen Yanyun, was in dire need of donations in order to finally finish their animated film – “Moonchild”  They aimed for only 2000 USD in 60 days, but already got more than 4000 USD in 6 days!

Getting Equity Investors:

http://www.profounder.com/
ProFounder was created to ensure all entrepreneurs have access to the resources they need through the engagement of robust, supportive communities. Traditional funding sources can be expensive, difficult to access, or not a great fit for many small enterprises. Instead, we believe that communities can be the best source for the energy, encouragement, tools and capital small business entrepreneurs need to succeed.

Getting Loans:
http://www.kiva.org/

Kiva’s mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty. Kiva empowers individuals to lend to an entrepreneur across the globe. By combining microfinance with the internet, Kiva is creating a global community of people connected through lending

I am sure that the Philippine government has counterpart funding scheme of some sort similar to Singapore’s Spring, MDA and IDA programs, but I am not aware of any at this point. If you have information about this, kindly share it with us here.