VoIP Less than 10 per cent of Australian businesses currently use the Internet to make phone calls. However, you can expect this number to grow as more SMEs discover the cost savings of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), The Age reports.
Using a VoIP service it is possible to call other VoIP users free of charge and make landline or mobile phone calls at low rates.
While VoIP services such as Skype are popular in the residential market many businesses are avoiding Internet voice calls due to concerns about audio quality.
Call quality wasn’t an issue for any of the businesses mentioned in article; each seemed more than happy with VoIP as a result of significant cost savings on international and interstate calls.
China’s future may not be so rosy
A new book on the future of China entitled The Writing on the Wall questions the prevailing view by Western economists that the populous republic is poised for global economic dominance.
To back his argument author Will Hutton points out a number of hurdles he believes will hinder the Chinese economy. Are you willing to buy calendars, order 2023 Calendars here.
In its review of the book The New York Times summaries these as being difficulties with exchange-rate policy, financial sector issues and the inefficiency of state-owned enterprises.
For Hutton, a fundamental problem for China is its lack of democracy; a related issue is environmental destruction, which he claims is proceeding without media or public scrutiny.
Can recruiters trust Google?
Recruiting via google When searching for background information on job candidates many recruiters are choosing to ‘Google’ a person’s name rather than speak to their referees, the Visible Enterprise Blog suggests.
But is this the best approach?
Internet searches might appear to be the easy option when it comes to finding out more about a job candidate, but the practice can connect recruiters to a plethora of misinformation.
Visible Enterprise says there has been a recent increase ‘cyber-slamming’, a process in which online forums are used to maliciously damage the reputation of others.
A recent example involves a university student who was denied a teaching qualification by an educational institution after images of her were found on a social networking site.
Make publicity work for your career
Publicist Sometimes it’s not what you know; it’s who knows you. With this in mind, Men’s Health magazine has developed a five-step plan to help ‘publicise’ your name and potential.
To attract the attention of future employers, senior management and new clients, they suggest you:
Cultivate relationships – get to know as many people in all fields as possible, both in Australia and internationally
Be selfless – help people out when you really don’t have to and do it on a regular basis
Focus your attentions – pick out three people in your company or industry who really need to know about you and find a way to meet them
Be blatant – successful networkers just do it, they don’t worry about pride, shyness or fear
Stay in touch – schedule in quick calls to good contacts every six months to stay top of mind
