DIGITAL POTATO TIPS

the british Potato Council has launched a service to help levy-payers profit more efficiently from industry-wide research.

Grower Gateway, a monthly e-newsletter, is designed to give growers a round-up of the latest research-related news and topical information.

“Recent reviews and feedback suggest that, while growers are aware this information is available, they are not always able to find it quickly,” says BPC knowledge transfer manager Rob Clayton.

“The new service should achieve this - there are links contained in the newsletter that go directly to the BPC website where you can find more information on a particular topic.”

The first Grower Gateway was launched on July 18, and topics covered range from the latest results on blight fungicide trials to the value of compost in improving soils.

“We are keen to ensure we deliver the right information at the right time to growers and would value any feedback that will improve the service,” said Clayton.

The newsletter adopts a tiered approach, containing short summary points on six-to-eight items of research and links through to short articles that expand on the latest developments in this area, or highlight previous research that may be topical.

In addition, it contains links within the articles to the research documents themselves, or third-party websites where more information has been published.

Clayton said: “It also gives us the opportunity to remind growers of forthcoming events, new research-related publications that may be available or research and development material that has recently been published.”

For those levy-payers who do not yet have access to the internet or email, a paper version is also available.

“But to get real value out of the service, and instant access, we are encouraging all growers to sign up for the email version,” Clayton added.

ERROR-FREE CODING

fresh produce manufacturers could help prevent coding errors with the latest versions of Claricom’s Package Coding Management Software (PCMS), the company has claimed.

Being presented at this year’s PPMA Show at Birmingham NEC on the Interactive Coding Equipment (ICE) stand, both CLARiSOFT and CLARiNET 4.309 are updated versions of the company’s unique message creation and network software packages, designed to eliminate human error and maximise efficiency in date and traceability coding operations.

CLARiSOFT uses unique coder-independent technology that is compatible with most leading coding and labelling equipment, and version 4.309 includes drivers for the Hitachi PX-DE continuous inkjet coders and the new range of ‘print and apply’ labelling machines from coding product specialist ICE.

The new version includes automatic international date language support and new user interface languages including Chinese and Portuguese, as well as a number of other major languages.

Coding for export is also made easier with the option to enter information in English, such as the use-by-date, and have it translated into the corresponding language for the targeted market.

As well as being compatible with both standard retail and logistics barcodes, and Reduced Space Symbology (RSS), support for the latest 2D Datamatrix barcodes has also been added.

The software is also supplied with database manager and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) and the new version now includes a Print Manager module to allow operators to select and print previously created CLARiSOFT designs without the option to edit templates, aiming to provide error-free operation.

ICE director Chris Simpson said: “We are committed to ensuring that our Package Coding Management Software is as versatile and user-friendly as possible, and the enhancements available with version 4.309 will provide manufacturers with significant benefits to their coding operations.”

BERRY INTERACTIVE

Berryworld Plus - the joint-venture breeding programme that links Berryworld, Edward Vinson Ltd and the Hall Hunter Partnership - has launched a website dedicated to the company’s raspberry breeding programme.

The website has been produced to provide information about the purpose of Berryworld Plus and communicate effectively the advances it has made.

“Despite being the biggest private breeding programme in Europe, up until now there has been little communication about the company’s work,” said the company’s Marion Durose. “The website introduces those involved in the programme, past achievements and exciting new developments. We encourage everyone to visit www.berryworldplus.co.uk to discover more.”

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RFID GROWTH: The market for active radio frequency identification (RFID) systems will surge to $6.78 billion (£3.66bn) by 2016, up from $0.55bn (£0.3bn) in 2006, according to a report from analyst IDTechEx.

The company forecasts this rapid growth will be due to increasing demand for tracking and monitoring people and objects, as a result of increased competition in consumer goods and consumers demanding more information and better service.

The reduction in the cost and size of the systems is also expected to generate growth, as well as the introduction of open standards such as the new ISO 18000 EPC Types 3 and 4, and IEEE 802.15.4 and the development of companies using popular forms of wireless communication.

MICROSOFT UNVEILS ITS NEXT GENERATION OF IT SOFTWARE

Anglia Business Solutions outlines the next generation of software applications previewed at the recent Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference that are set to have a signifcant impact on the global IT industry, as software options becoming a key driver in a company’s overall success.

Every year, more than 7,000 partners and 3,000 Microsoft personnel get together to review the previous year’s progress and look forward to plans for the next 12 months.

The event, called the Worldwide Partner Conference, is a major highlight of the IT calendar. This year’s conference was held in Boston, in the US, and highlighted a number of important new product releases that will have a significant impact on the global IT industry and its user base in the near future.

The central theme of the conference was how software is now becoming a key enabler in driving business performance. Many examples were used where integrated solutions facilitated closer customer connections while driving real world business processes. In doing so, it highlighted the trend of standardising with fewer technologies.

The aim is to reduce costs and complexity while making a strategic move towards real-time solutions. This will be projected in the market as part of the People Ready campaign and will lead with the question, “Is your business people ready?”

So, what does this statement mean? Behind the scenes, this heralds a radical change by Microsoft from a product-oriented company to a solutions-driven organisation.

In the past, the conference theme habitually centred on the new facilities incorporated into new product lines, such as Microsoft Office, Windows Server and Exchange.

The message to the partners was to go back and encourage customers to upgrade to the latest products in order to take advantage of these wonderful new facilities. However, the reality was that many clients identified few major business benefits from the investments required to keep their software current. They, therefore, voted with their wallets and stuck with the older versions.

The People Ready initiative reflects the substantial efforts made by Microsoft to understand what people want from their systems in future and how they wish to use them. Hardly surprisingly, the results confirmed that people’s expectations and requirements varied depending on the business model being used and its role in the organisation.

For example, the sales-order person would want immediate access to all of the customer order, commercial and inventory information that enabled them to do their job. Meanwhile, the CEO, on the other hand, would need a handle on all of the key performance indicators within the business as they happened.

To meet the needs of the many users of technology within an organisation required a massive rethink as to how the new solutions would be presented. The exercise uncovered the fact that in many organisations, there could be up to 55 roles covering 155 process areas.

This is hardly the “one size fits all” scenario so desired by many software vendors. Rather, these findings prompted a radical rethink regarding the design and development of the new applications. These were demonstrated in pre-release mode at the conference and generated considerable excitement among delegates.

The central theme was the creation of roles-based user interfaces. The principle was that upon logging onto their system, the user was presented with a single view of their working environment on the desktop as per their role within the business.

All of the supporting information was no more than a mouse click away. For example, an orders-input person could immediately see all outstanding orders, have late deliveries and potential shortages flagged, alternatives identified and commercial issues highlighted.

The principle behind these developments is the seamless linking of both structured and unstructured data. The front end consists of easy-to-use web portal technology based on Microsoft’s SharePoint Portal. Behind it, applications such as Microsoft Vista, the next version of Windows, and Office 2007 handle all of the unstructured applications.

The core business applications, such as Dynamics NAV take care of the order processing, logistics and financial information. Mobile application information is delivered using the .NET framework and the key performance indicators are driven from SQL reporting services linked to the Dynamics NAV application. Overall, this approach demonstrated the integrated nature of all of the Microsoft applications.

In addition to this major software announcement, a number of other products were announced. They include a move by Microsoft into the security arena. Microsoft Forefront client security provides malware protection for business desktops, laptops and server operating systems. The Small Business Server (SBS) has been substantially upgraded with the launch of SBS2.

Microsoft also indicated a substantial growth of business within the Dynamics business management sector. Dynamics NAV (formerly Navision) has now exceeded the 50,000 company user mark.

Major emphasis was placed on the need for solution centres to specialise in vertical applications. From the Microsoft team’s research, the customer benefits in terms of rapid implementation and lower costs of ownership helped to substantially boost client satisfaction over large bespoke projects.

For further information email mktg@angliabs.com.