Singular Solutions

	You don't need a solution, you need the solution. Bringing together the optimal components and coordinating their assemblage is the challenge in IT. It is as much art as science, and it fundamentally determines the degree of success possible. It is where the "rubber meets the road". When done well, costs and headaches are minimized and opportunities are maximized. This moment of fusion is where everything, the insight gained from years of experience, the identification of the needs, the selection of appropriate components, and the integration of the appropriate processes, come together in the systematic implementation of your IT solution. As the name implies, when everything fuses just right we get maximum bang for the buck. The keys to successfully fusing the appropriate components into optimal solutions are: Securing the services of imaginative, intelligent, knowledgeable individuals to examine the questions being asked and the answers being offered. Taking the time to understand the company's needs. Having a methodology that necessitates asking the right questions, and demanding complete answers. Having the ability to locate or to design and then build the necessary components. Understanding the dynamic nature of the industry so as to anticipate developments that lead to choices of what should--and should not-- be integrated into the solution. Ability to roll out the implementation in coordinated steps. Ability to impose systems and to assure the appropriate ongoing operation of the IT solution. Ability to identify opportunities to extend the system in response to promising new tools or opportunities. Ability to periodically reevaluate the complete system in order to determine when-if ever- it is time to reengineer the whole system "from scratch".
A typical scenario.
	The following is an amalgam of several systems that we have developed. The Need: Acme Widgets Inc. needed a more effective way to publish their catalog. Last year the process took too long, cost too much, and typographical errors were found immediately after printing. Several large customers had asked about electronic access to the catalog, The order entry clerks were using dog-eared and hand edited copies of the catalog to respond to customer inquiries.. Also, one board member who had pushed for the sales force's getting laptop computers was insistent about their getting access to real-time information while on the road. The Analysis: First, the specific needs were clarified and documented. Then the current IT environment was evaluated. Acme's people were enthusiastic, their computer skills were found to be at an intermediate level, their financial commitment was conservative, but they were also aware of the importance of a successful implementation. Their current IT infrastructure consisted of a minimum of 100 MHz Pentiums with 32 MB of memory (or the willingness to update machines that fell beneath this hurdle), and the network was 10-base-T, 10 Mbit Ethernet throughout, with a high-end Compaq NT server with Exchange up and running. The Architecture: Based on their comfort with NT, an IIS/ASP solution with a SQL database backend was selected. With the addition of robust remote access, web and fax services and a persistent Frame-Relay connection to the Internet, select portions of the database will be available to all important constituencies. The system will allow users to update and add data as well as request predefined reports with selected data (catalogs, information sheets, and quotes). It will immediately provide access to the current customer lists and will be integrated with the accounting system in Phase 2. The reports (catalogs, information sheets, and quotes) will be available by print, e-mail, fax, or web delivery. The fax server software will run on an NT server and utilize a 4-line intelligent fax card. The remote access server will be a stand alone box with one ISDN and three high-speed analog modem lines. The Implementation: Planning, timeliness, and communication are the keys to this IT solution rollout. A specific schedule was established with defined milestones and automated reports on project status regularly distributed to all interested parties. After implementation, multiple training sessions were used to bring everyone up to speed. Maintenance: After Acme's IT solution was deployed, consistent maintenance most directly contributed to system reliability. Ongoing training, documentation (with updates provided from a system update log), and operations manuals (detailing backup, downtime, and client support and maintenance routines) were provided to Acme. Staff members are now adhering to sound policies and procedures. Extensions and Re-evaluation: Acme doesn't get much time to sit back and enjoy its new system. Continuing opportunities to extend Acme's IT solution (due to changes at Acme, or in the IT universe) arise each day. Eventually, Acme's environment itself will evolve to the extent that additional analysis is necessary. A new solution beckons. Conclusion: Acme's intranet is up and running. The new catalog looks great. More importantly, the same data is on the web, and available to be published as information sheets that can be printed, faxed, or e-mailed. The sales force and key customers now have access to this data outside of the office and a form was created to allow off site order entry. The sales team can even generate quotes with attached supporting documents using portable ink jet printers. Finally, the order entry clerks are the biggest fans. A change is only a change when it's in the database, and no one is looking for their copy of the catalog to be sure the pricing is correct.
Phishing -- a new menace.
	If you have ever received an email purporting to be from a reputable company, only to discover that it actually came from some malicious source, you have been "phished". The goal of phishers is to deceive you into entering your account information or password. Once they have your sensitive information there is nothing keeping them from withdrawing money or making purchases in your name. Singular Solutions is proud to support PhishGuard, a FREE service dedicated to combatting phishing. Once your computer is protected with PhishGuard, any new phishing scam that is reported is rapidly and automatically added to your computer's database of malicious Internet sites, effectively "innoculating" you against that scam. Try it, we think you'll like it.