OpenProj=MS Project

If you’re looking for an alternative MS Project-like application, you may want to download OpenProj by Serena Software. www.openproj.org. Download the application for free!

For the list of PM Tools

TM Job: Content Management Staff

Repost from egroup:

Urgent need of a Content Admin Assistant (contractual) with the following requirements:

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
·        Provide marketing communications support for the CMS Team tasked to build, develop, manage, update and maintain content for Amway’s e-commerce and corporate web site (A2U).  Specifically, the successful candidate will be heavily involved as user of a web base solution in coordinating, publishing, distributing and migrating text, brand/product images and contents on the web site using a digital interface platform.

QUALITIES NEEDED:
-        Knowledge of the Internet, HTML coding and Adobe Dreamweaver CS4
-        Computer literate
-        Must be a good team player with leadership ability
-        Dedicated and willing to work long hours
-        Knowledge of graphics editing and imaging a plus

Interested parties may email their CVs to Ms Bojie V. De Leon through bodjie_valencia@amway.com or call (02)8148181 ext 3012 for inquiries.

No Kahuna – simple project management tool

I just signed up with ‘No Kahuna’ in just less than a minute. I also created a project in less than 3 minutes. It’s the simplest pm tool i have tested — tracking tasks/activities and attaching files. But that’s basically it! Simple projects needs No Kahuna. Start managing your projects, sign up and log in to www.nokahuna.com

Typhoon Ondoy: Quiet after the storm

It’s been 20 years since my old neighborhood experienced flooding in the streets. Is this a cycle? We have monsoon rains, yes. But typhoons are something we really need to prepare for, and yesterday we got hit. Even a well planned drainage system won’t help if you are up against nature. Just take a look at this : http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=118456&id=1786892336&ref=mf, an underpass at the heart of Manila’s business district. Just imagine the rest of the city.

Relatives and friends are not as lucky as we are, who have to deal with isolation, traffic and the flood creeping their houses.  In a sunny Hanoi, i’m checking updates over inquirer.net, facebook and sending sms back at home. For some reason it’s hard to connect my call — which is understandably possible due to the flooding.

A new sunny day is up and it’s time for cleanup. It’s sad to hear lost of loved one’s http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090927-227073/Storm-Ondoy-kills-40. We depend on local government to help us, but here’s some actions to do until everything returns to normal;

• make sure to have clean drinking water, since the flooding may contaminate the water system, make sure your purified water can supply enough stock
• stay dry and warm, most disease related to this catastrophe are water borne.
• if you still have electricity, charge all necessary communication devices, i.e. mobile phone or computer for communication purposes
• Most people did not expect yesterday’s sad aftermath,  stores may be closed so check your food supply.

Five years back, TM’ates we’re brainstorming of solutions in these times, we’ve came of  ‘ready-to-eat meal’ or RTM. These are normally supplied in the military or aerospace explorations where the food was dehydrated and packed in aluminum. RTM’s can easily be distributed in disaster center where preparation is minimal – just add water and heat it, similar to instant noodles. RTM’s are packed with complete nutrients. The other solution is a quick response center which is designed in a 10′ container where coordination is done. Dispatching such coordination center is faster in location stricken by the disaster since all necessary components are available at an immediate call.

extending help:

Help typhoon Ondoy victims,don8 2 Red Cross.4 Smart,pls txt RED to 4483.For Globe,txt RED to 2899

Online ATM when you need one!

I did mentioned (about) that i was once monitoring ATM network for BPI in the start of my career. It was BPI who introduced ATM as a service – 24 hrs service, we’ll at least that was advertised. But shouldn’t be BPI get penalized for wrong service offering information? It’s a 24hr shift alright and i got my share of keeping an eye of 200+ machines in the graveyard shift. There’s a daily routine where the network of ATM needs to be rebooted – if i’m not mistaken it starts at about 2 am and supposedly ends at about 4 am. That’s where the graveyard shift action is, the phone rings endlessly where either angry or frustrated cardholders call-in to demand the service!

I didn’t realized that i will also be as dependent as the customers i once served. The whole gang was to fly to eastern samar for a short getaway, traveling regularly i always thought that the airport tax have the same rate whichever terminal you’re in and so i needed quick cash. It’s about 4am and what you may know as the BOD for windows displayed in all 3 machines i tried – LINE TO SWITCH DOWN! I didn’t dawn to me at the first 2 machine until i remembered about this reboot about 15yrs back! Thinking it will be over in matter of minutes, since we’re fast forward now to 2009, i still hoped the last machine before Terminal 2 will be online — but it was not.

So after 15yrs (at least), the ATM technology has not evolved much except of course with the advert display while it is idle or the card reader security for piggyback readers. The service itself did not improved and is not living expectations. ATM are supposed to be robust, therefore only ‘heal’ when they get a chance i.e. service maintenance or when it is really ‘down’. Suppliers can design software updates in the fly like we have for current consumer computer applications. 24hr, no!

If you encounter this message: LINE TO SWITCH DOWN, in the morning (3a-5a) – wait until 6a or when the branch opens, tendency is that other ATM do not recover from this reboot!

Biometrics and Credit Card in Jakarta.

Couple of weeks back i visited Jakarta, Indonesia. I cannot remember if i have noticed it before but a biometrics lane was there to receive arriving residents or perhaps registered aliens. It was a service from Saphire. Singapore and Malaysia (if i remember it correctly – among asean country) have implemented this solution.  I quickly checked Saphire news feed and according the release it was implemented since Feb this year. I wonder whether this is part of the security measure of asean initiative?

Another 1st was the credit card facility in the Silver Bird taxi service. If it’s your first time landing in Jakarta and you forgot to arrange a hotel pickup – just take any taxi that has a ‘Bird’ brand on it. I usually take the silver bird from the airport and blue bird when going around the city. It’s safe and the fare rate is consistent. Anyway, this time around i was quite happy to see that they are already offering credit card facility and so if you haven’t got the cash you know what to do. Which means official receipt comes with it.

SPONSOR: blutopic.com, practical technology solutions for SMEs

August TM Jobs post

August TM Jobs

1. Interested in working with ADB as a Multimedia Officer?

http://www.adb.org/Employment/Local/ss09-211-der.asp

2. Dine Asia Guide Magazine is looking for a layout artist for print and web developer at the same time, should be willing to start as soon as possible. They can send their resumes to klarisse_16_18@yahoo.com

3.  Looking for Companies/Offices/ Agencies to field our BS Information Technology Graduating Class. We have 70 of them by November. Most likely 540 hours of OJT hours are required in the field (with or without renumeration) .

Our students are equipped with knowledge and skills in Networking, PC Troubleshooting, DBMS, SAD, Web Design…etc

posted by:
Christopher V. Valera
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State Universiy
Mid La Union Campus
City of San Fernando

Tel: 888-31-91 and 242-48-49

4. Listed below are the requirements for PHP Developer:

Requirements:
Must be a HIGHLY SKILLED PHP 5 / MySQL 5 web developer.
At least 3 years experience in PHP/MySQL development.
PHP-based MVC framework (Joomla, CakePhp or Code Igniter) working experience is required.
Javascript and Ajax(jquery, or prototype) experience is also required.
Must have strong understanding of Agile development practices and Scrum methodology.
Exposure in E-commerce, Marketing, Social Networking, and Game Development Experience is preferred.
Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor’s/College Degree in Engineering (Computer/Telecommunication) , Computer Science/Information Technology or equivalent.
Can travel to Malaysia (2-4 weeks).
Excellent verbal and written English skills.
Applicants should be Filipino citizens or hold relevant residence status.
Applicants must be willing to work in Makati City (CBD).
Full-Time positions available. This is a day job.

5. Our company is in need of WEB and Graphic artist that is very efficient in Corel Draw, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Flash macromedia, web design, html, Dreamwaever or similar.

Please send resume with picture to our office via hr@pinnacleasia.com.

SPONSOR: Need assistance for your traveling requirements, inquire@blueair-travel.com (by BlueAir Travel)

Rebooting zaatu.com, google docs and PM Tools

Last week i’ve met Joel to discuss about rebooting the development of zaatu.com. Zaatu was meant to address the growing BPO industry in the Philippines, by providing a web service for job listing. Now it will be pursued to be a talent management platform targeted for the small and medium enterprises.

Google Docs has been my free online storage of choice, until recently  i noticed that i’ve been using this as a collaborative tool with my colleagues. It’s free, it fits to sme’s requirement since buying a full featured office suite does not make sense if they are not able to use all of it’s bells and whistles.

I’ve created a new page ‘PM Tools‘ , to review available Project Management Tools in the market.  Managing the PM Processes and Tools for 4yrs now, i’d like to compare or at least identify the gaps from our in-house application. Read on.

Jumpstart in Amazon

Dennis Posadas just notified us that his new book is out . . .

————————————————————————–

http://www.amazon.com/Jump-Start-Technopreneurship-Dennis-Posadas/dp/9810681313/

Dear Friends,

My new book, JUMP START: A Technopreneurship Fable (Singapore: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009), is now at Amazon.com at the link above.

I do hope you check it out.

DENNIS

Dennis Posadas
Author/Technology Columnist
http://www.businessweek.com/bios/Dennis_ Posadas.htm

Checkout my new business fable from Pearson
entitled JUMP START, coming this Summer 2009
to Asian bookstores everywhere:

http://jumpstartfable.blogspot.com/

Now Playing on TM: Project Management as a Basic Business Skill