Business Golf

Business encourages golf as a natural side for networking and to develop relationships. Corporates spend billions of dollars and thousands of hours on business golf as it's no.1 pastime today. Many big business deals done at the golfing range and it is not going to change anytime soon. It's a sport that's enjoyed all over the world and it's definitely not a cheap sport to get into. You got your clubs and your entry fee which could cost you the amount of a new car depending on where you play. It's not a sport for the poor and that is probably the appeal for business men or women because one must be serious about the game if they want to get anywhere.

Be on your best behavior when playing with a client. Business golf can be a very lucrative initiative for companies today, but it can also wreck a big deal if not handled properly. Your attitude on the golf course and your reaction to how you are playing may cause a client to lose respect for you, and that may keep you from closing a deal. Don’t force the business discussion. You don’t want to start talking shop before you tee off the first hole. Take some time to get to know your client, enjoy being on the golf course and discuss topics aside from business. There is a general rule that it is safe to talk about business between the fifth and 15th holes.

The most important thing to realize is that people will remember how enjoyable it was to play golf with you; no one will remember what score you shot.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Virtual payment system, anyone?

WEBCASH, a membership-free prepaid virtual payment system, was recently launched by WebOnline Dot Com Sdn Bhd. It allows subscribers to conduct online transactions offered by any participating e-commerce Web portal.

Webcash is an easy-to-use service and employs a prepaid method with the ability to top up via the Internet, card, voice call, and short message service/multimedia messaging service.

WebOnline is targeting 10 per cent of the registered 3.5 million local Internet service protocol users. According to WebOnline Dot Com's chairman Datuk Bhuhpat Rai M. Premji, the public can register their Webcash account online for free. Merchants will bear the transaction costs.

Bhupat adds that with Webcash, parents can let their children purchase things online within the credit allocated in their account. They can monitor their children's transaction with the transaction history. Values as low as RM10 can be loaded into a Webcash account, and amounts can also be transferred among account holders.

WebOnline has also incorporated voice over Internet protocol (PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone) capability for Webcash account holders called Space Webcash. They just need to download and install the software into their PC.

Calls to other Webcash members are free while calls to cell phones and landlines are charged at a discounted rate.

WebOnline Dot Com's chief executive officer Manirajah Kulanthavelu says that Webcash services utilises 128 bits Secure Socket Layer and a soft token system which requires a user to enter the password and a randomly generated pictured-text.

In the event a user's account has been hacked into, the user needs to open a complaint ticket online and stop the usage if an error or fraud has been detected. An immediate new account will be issued with the balance remaining intact.

© NST Tech & U Oct 4, 2007 p.04 Update
By Hazimin Sulaiman

Webonline : A boost to digital lifestyle

by Siti Nurbaiyah Nadzmi

MSC MALAYSIA (MSC), Multimedia Development Corporation (MDec) and British Telecom Multimedia Malaysia (BTMM) showcased five prototypes of broadband-based applications to prospective small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at Menara MSC Cyberport in Johor Baru recently.

Positioned as digital age lifestyle oriented products and services, these prototypes are offered to SMEs to develop into consumer and industrial end products.

BT Group head of Digital Home Research Programme Graham Seabrook said the five prototypes were researched in the UK and ready to be developed by Malaysian SMEs at no cost.

"We are offering this to Malaysian companies that have the resources and capabilities to develop these prototypes into commercial products," he said.

Seabrook said every prototype had potential to enhance the digital lifestyle from creating digital music jukeboxes at nightspots, uploading images from phones to digital frames at home to connectivity of electrical home appliances all via broadband.

The prototypes are Community Calendar (a calendar that allows the community to organise events), MyFrame (digital photo frame that provides information from traffic feeds to global positioning system), Zeta (interactive digital jukebox with short messaging system), Video Show 2.0 (upload, organise and show video content) and Smart Home (organise the entire household digital electrical appliances).

The programme, MSC Malaysia - BTMM Digital Lifestyle, was launched in July and since its introduction, the programme has inducted five SMEs - Kadena Media Sdn Bhd and Webonline Dot Com Sdn Bhd from Kuala Lumpur, Coraza Technologies Sdn Bhd, CEEDTeC Sdn Bhd and Increseo Media Sdn Bhd from Penang.

BTMM chief operating officer Dr Kamal Jit Singh said the programme was aimed to fast-track product development by Malaysian SMEs using the research undertaken by BT in United Kingdom.

"On the average, BT produces about three prototypes in a quarter, predicting trends and usage of the future."