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dazz-linglight · 1 year

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Miss Independent

(inspired by Ne-yo's song)

(GirlBoss!Reader x Personal Assistant! Hongjoong) (Colleagues to lovers) (fluffy romance) (reader is afraid of storms) (short office romance) (possibly there will be a part 2 with smut)

In the bustling halls of a cutting-edge technology company in a very busy commercial building, you, a remarkable business woman and Vice President of this company, got known for your determination and relentless focus on achieving a successful career, betting all of your efforts on growing this company scratch with your best friend. You learned over time that you needed to be tough to progress, since this area was widely controlled by men and there's always someone trying to discredit women. So you made it a personal mission to get your company to be a safe place and be the best professional you could be.

You're an admirable leader, but your personal life took a backseat. You always worked endless hours and overtime, focusing solely on doing business. The company kept rising well, then came a problem: your assistant decided to resign to go work for your competitor. Now you have to go over interviews to find a new assistant, so you did. You participate actively in the process, since whoever gets hired would work directly with you, so you felt the need to be sure they would be capable enough.

You didn't make it easy for anybody, you made specific questions and a few of the candidates didn't know how to answer or started stuttering, others weren't as qualified and you were getting tired. It lasted four days until you met Hongjoong one morning doing an interview for this job. A young and talented software developer, that didn't show any fear and aswered your questions perfectly well, looking in your eyes without any fear. After 40 minutes you told him to stay and gave him a few tasks to see how he would go. Hongjoong showed himself to be smart, quick witted, committed to work and serious about it. At the end of the day you called him to your office to give the final answer. He entered bringing a cappuccino and placed it in front of you in your desk.

"This is for you, Miss." He said and you tilted your head, letting out a very light smile at the action.

"Thanks, Hongjoong. You can sit down." You offered the seat in front of you and he did as told while you took a sip of the coffee.

"Well, I have to say you impressed me in a good way. None of the other candidates caught my attention like you did today." You started and Hongjoong visibly relaxed at your feedback.

"I did my best, I'm glad to hear that from you, Miss."

"I'm sure you'll be even more glad to hear that you will be hired. You can bring your documents to the HR department tomorrow at 8 in the morning and sign our contract." You got up from your seat and Hongjoong did the same, bowing to you and you raised a hand to greet him, which he took and shook your hand.

"Thank you Miss ______, I will not disappoint you." Hongjoong smiled widely and you let his hand go, switching off your computer and getting your bag to leave, dismissing Hongjoong to go home.

|•••••Time skip•••••|

The first six months of working together were a challenge. You resisted any form of distraction, maintaining a strictly professional relationship with Hongjoong. Everyday he came to your office to report and receive new tasks, he brought your lunch and coffee and as days passed and you worked side by side, he started making a few little efforts to make the barriers give way. One afternoon, you were reviewing an important document in your office when Hongjoong walked in. He noticed the tired look on your face and suggested you take a break. You resisted with a frown at first, but Hongjoong someway succeeded at convincing you to go the snack bar on the first floor of the building.

The snack bar was peaceful at this hour and made a good break from the stressful office atmosphere. You felt at ease with Hongjoong's presence and he offered to buy donuts. You both sat down, ate and talked about trivial things and sharing laughs here and there. You found yourself truly relaxing for the first time in years.

After that day, you and Hongjoong began sharing more and more moments outside of work. Having lunch together became a routine and when you worked overtime he occasionally invited you to dinner together. He opened doors for you, drives you off, treated you like a princess. You both didn't talk clearly about it, but you were beginning to feel something that had long since receded from your mind: the spark of romance. However, you struggled with those feelings. It seemed so wrong, he is your assistant and you're the boss. You felt afraid of mixing love and business, worried about the consequences a relationship could have for the company you had worked so hard to build. But every time you're together, the chemistry between you becomes impossible to ignore. It started making you mad.

One day, you left your office because you needed a document that was with Hongjoong, but as soon as you saw him you noticed something and frowned. Yujin, a beautiful co-worker, was approaching him a little more intimately than usual. They seemed to be having a lively conversation and Yujin didn't hide her interest, touching his arm unnecessarily. You, feeling a pang of jealousy, tried not to act affected, but you couldn't avoid the stress of seeing the scene. Your mind created several unpleasant scenarios. "Is he interested in her? Is he flirting back?"

"Kim Hongjoong." You spoke in a firm and serious tone, catching the attention of the two who were talking.

"Yes, miss? Do you need anything?" Hongjoong stood up and responded, no longer paying attention to Yujin.

"Come to my office and bring the project presentation I asked you this morning. Quickly." You said sharply and looked at Yujin from the corner of your eye, who soon got up and left the place.

"Yes, ma'am." He spoke and you turned around and walked back to your office as Hongjoong saved the presentation file you asked for. You slammed the door angrily and headed towards your table, a minute later Hongjoong entered and came over to you.

"Here's the presentation, Miss ______." He gave you the pendrive and you sighed, connecting it on your computer to open the file. You inspected it and pointed things out for Hongjoong to add since you thought it wasn't enough yet.

"You're staying overtime today, we need this presentation ready for the meeting we'll have with our client tomorrow morning." You told looking back at him and he nodded.

"All right, I'll bring my laptop here." He left the room and came back a minute later with his laptop, sitting down and placing the laptop in front of him and started guiding him specifically on what to add to the presentation. An hour passed and all the employees began leaving since work time was officially over.

It's mid summer and it was very hot during the day, but as the night came many clouds could be seen in the floor-to-ceiling window behind you. Hongjoong finished the details on the presentation and saved it as a sudden storm started. You looked at the window and the lights went out, the fear started creeping out on you but Hongjoong didn't notice yet as he got his phone to activate the flashlight amidst the darkness and the sound of rain outside. Hongjoong placed his phone in a way it illuminated both of you and he finally could see your face again, now noticing your pained expression and your heavy breathing.

"Are you okay, Miss ______?" He questioned with a frown and you shook your head no as a thunder sound out loud and you covered your ears. Hongjoong got worried about you, wanting to keep you safe, so he got up and closed the curtains of your window, coming behind you to cover your shoulders with his blazer.

You've always had a paralyzing fear of thunder, and that night, the storm was fierce, growing stronger and stronger. As he touched your shoulders he felt your whole body shaking with fear and then he crouched to your level and brought up inside his arms in a warm hug, whispering words of comfort. "Don't worry, I'm here with you. You're safe. The storm will pass soon." You looked into his eyes hugging his waist carefully, grateful for his presence.

"I hate storms, they make me so nervous, Hongjoong." Your eyes had tears on the edge of falling down, while you and Hongjoong shared an intense look, full of repressed emotions. This was the first time you were truly showing vulnerability to him and he was astonished, all he ever wanted was to take care of you. He pulled your head to his chest and you could listen to his heart beating fast just like yours.

"I don't know if this is really the right time to say this, but.. but I can't deny how I feel anymore. I'm in love with you, ______." His words echoed in the empty office as he broke the silence and confessed his feelings. You were shocked. You didn't expect that he felt the same way you did all this time. Your heart jumped now, not anymore because of fear but from happiness.

"I'm in love with you too, Hongjoong. I tried not to, but it's stronger than me." You squeezed Hongjoong as tight as you could and he kissed the side of your head softly. You looked up and offered your lips to him, which he understood and closed the little distance, sealing the beginning of a long-awaited romance. The storm outside seemed to symbolize the change in your lives and the relationship from boss and assistant to lovers.

"I want to be with you and take care of you through all the storms, will you let me?"

"Of course, Hongjoong." You smile widely and he cupped your face, caressing your cheeks as he smiled as well. "Will you take me home?"

"As long as you wish, my darling."

|•••••••|

Over the next months, your relationship with Hongjoong blossomed into a great love. You chose to main discretion at work, avoiding any favoritism or conflict of interest and not letting the coworkers know you are together. They only knew Hongjoong is in a relationship but he never told them with who. You realized that by making room for love in your life, you weren't weakening your career, but actually strengthening it. Hongjoong supported you in every aspect, becoming a partner in all areas of your life and you become his.

Together, you faced new challenges and business opportunities while the company prospered even more. You found balance between personal and professional life, discovering that you can be a successful leader and at the same time share a loving relationship, that success in business didn't have to mean sacrificing love and personal happiness.

#linawritings #ateez fluff #ateez masterlist #ateez x reader #ateez scenarios #ateez hard hours #ateez reactions #hongjoong hard hours #hongjoong x reader #hongjoong smut #kpop imagines

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mostlysignssomeportents · 2 years

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Adobe steals your color

When a company breaks a product you rely on — wrecking decades of work — it’s natural to feel fury. Companies know this, so they try to deflect your rage by blaming their suppliers. Sometimes, it’s suppliers who are at fault — but other times, there is plenty of blame to go around.

For example, when Apple deleted all the working VPNs from its Chinese App Store and backdoored its Chinese cloud servers, it blamed the Chinese government. But the Chinese state knew that Apple had locked its devices so that its Chinese customers couldn’t install third-party apps.

That meant that an order to remove working VPNs and apps that used offshore clouds from the App Store would lock Apple customers into Chinese state surveillance. The order to block privacy tools was a completely foreseeable consequence of Apple’s locked-down “ecosystem.”

https://locusmag.com/2021/01/cory-doctorow-neofeudalism-and-the-digital-manor/

In 2013, Adobe started to shift its customers to the cloud, replacing apps like Photoshop and Illustrator with “Software as a Service” (“SaaS”) versions that you would have to pay rent on, every month, month after month, forever. It’s not hard to understand why this was an attractive proposition for Adobe!

Adobe, of course, billed its SaaS system as good for its customers — rather than paying thousands of dollars for its software up front, you could pay a few dollars (anywhere from $10-$50) every month instead. Eventually, of course, you’d end up paying more, assuming these were your professional tools, which you expected to use for the rest of your life.

For people who work in prepress, a key part of their Adobe tools is integration with Pantone. Pantone is a system for specifying color-matching. A Pantone number corresponds to a specific tint that’s either made by mixing the four standard print colors (cyan, magenta, yellow and black, AKA “CMYK”), or by applying a “spot” color. Spot colors are added to print jobs after the normal CMYK passes — if you want a stripe of metallic gold or a blob of hot pink, you specify its Pantone number and the printer loads up a separate ink and runs your media through its printer one more time.

Pantone wants to license this system out, so it needs some kind of copyrightable element. There aren’t many of these in the Pantone system! There’s the trademark, but that’s a very thin barrier. Trademark has a broad “nominative use” exception: it’s not a trademark violation to say, “Pantone 448C corresponds to the hex color #4a412a.”

Perhaps there’s a copyright? Well yes, there’s a “thin” database copyright on the Pantone values and their ink equivalents. Anyone selling a RIP or printer that translates Pantone numbers to inks almost certainly has to license Pantone’s copyright there. And if you wanted to make an image-editing program that conveyed the ink data to a printer, you’d best take a license.

All of this is suddenly relevant because it appears that things have broken down between Adobe and Pantone. Rather than getting Pantone support bundled in with your Adobe apps, you must now pay $21/month for a Pantone plugin.

https://twitter.com/funwithstuff/status/1585850262656143360

Remember, Adobe’s apps have moved to the cloud. Any change that Adobe makes in its central servers ripples out to every Adobe user in the world instantaneously. If Adobe makes a change to its apps that you don’t like, you can’t just run an older version. SaaS vendors like to boast that with cloud-based apps, “you’re always running the latest version!”

The next version of Adobe’s apps will require you to pay that $21/month Pantone fee, or any Pantone-defined colors in your images will render as black. That’s true whether you created the file last week or 20 years ago.

Doubtless, Adobe will blame Pantone for this, and it’s true that Pantone’s greed is the root cause here. But this is an utterly foreseeable result of Adobe’s SaaS strategy. If Adobe’s customers were all running their apps locally, a move like this on Pantone’s part would simply cause every affected customer to run older versions of Adobe apps. Adobe wouldn’t be able to sell any upgrades and Pantone wouldn’t get any license fees.

But because Adobe is in the cloud, its customers don’t have that option. Adobe doesn’t have to have its users’ backs because if it caves to Pantone, users will still have to rent its software every month, and because that is the “latest version,” those users will also have to rent the Pantone plugin every month — forever.

What’s more, while there may not be any licensable copyright in a file that simply says, “Color this pixel with Pantone 448C” (provided the program doesn’t contain ink-mix descriptions), Adobe’s other products — its RIPs and Postscript engines — do depend on licensable elements of Pantone, so the company can’t afford to tell Pantone to go pound sand.

Like the Chinese government coming after Apple because they knew that any change that Apple made to its service would override its customers’ choices, Pantone came after Adobe because they knew that SaaS insulated Adobe from its customers’ wrath.

Adobe customers can’t even switch to its main rival, Figma. Adobe’s just dropped $20b to acquire that company and ensure that its customers can’t punish it for selling out by changing vendors.

Pantone started out as a tech company: a way to reliably specify ink mixes in different prepress houses and print shops. Today, it’s an “IP” company, where “IP” means “any law or policy that allows me to control the conduct of my customers, critics or competitors.”

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

That’s likewise true of Adobe. The move to SaaS is best understood as a means to exert control over Adobe’s customers and competitors. Combined with anti-competitive killer acquisitions that gobble up any rival that manages to escape this control, and you have a hostage situation that other IP companies like Pantone can exploit.

A decade or so ago, Ginger Coons created Open Colour Standard, an attempt to make an interoperable alternative to Pantone. Alas, it seems dormant today:

http://adaptstudio.ca/ocs/

Owning colors is a terrible idea and technically, it’s not possible to do so. Neither UPS Brown nor John Deere Green are “owned” in any meaningful sense, but the companies certainly want you to believe that they are. Inspired by them and Pantone, people with IP brain-worms keep trying to turn colors into property:

https://onezero.medium.com/crypto-copyright-bdf24f48bf99

The law is clear that colors aren’t property, but by combining SaaS, copyright, trademark, and other tech and policies, it is becoming increasingly likely that some corporation will stealing the colors out from under our very eyes.

[Image ID: A Pantone swatchbook; it slowly fades to grey, then to black.]

#pluralistic

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agentsquirrelsgotrobots · 10 months

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The Stars, The Moon, The Sun, and an Incoming Constellation

A DP x DC x Tfrb fic - also posted on my Ao3 Agentsquirrel

After marrying Danny and getting engaged to Tucker, Sam packs up the trio and heads to Griffin Rock, a place that is rumored to be just as chaotic as Amity Park.

Of course, the Fenton luck follows them, and the three of them find out their family will soon become bigger than they thought.

"Shots fired at the dock! Dad, be careful!" Cody said, his voice shaking with worry.

"I promise, all protocol will be followed to the letter." Chase said, speeding towards the dock, Blades flying overhead.

They parked, and immediately, Charlie knew they were in over their head. A white goth woman no older than Dani was pinned behind a cement parking barrier, her forehead grazed and her forearm shot right through the skin, missing bone but severing muscle. She was oddly calm though, her body language free of shock as she kept pressure on her wound and watched the battle with rapt concentration.

"Danny, love, quit being cocky and wrap this up. The police are here, and Tuck's gotta scram." She said into her flip phone, the thing absolutely ancient compared to the cell phone, this year's model, shoved in her steel toed boot.

"Chase, I can't see anything! Whatever is opening fire is just a green blur!" Blades was bordering on a full on panic, Dani fully in control.

"It looks like a fight between a gang trying to set up shop and whatever that green blur is. Stay back dad, looks like it can fly fast." Dani said, retreating from the fight after scanning for civilians. The situation seemed to be resolving itself without them.

"Miss, do you require medical attention?" Charlie yelled over the sounds of gunfire.

"I'm fine, my partner needs to HURRY THE FUCK UP!"

With one last final blast, a white, blue eyed, black haired boy ran from the scene and behind Chase, his sneakers soaked in blood and a green substance Charlie hoped was paint.

"I got trapped between that… thing and the shootout. I don't know what I stepped in, but I think it's all blood." He said, panting hard, his face and arms cut up from debris. "My name is Danny Mason. That's my wife Sam. I'm a medic, got a first aid kit on you?" Charlie handed it over, and on a whispered count of three, he dashed over to his wife, quickly applying a tourniquet and dragging her towards the squad car. "Tuck's fine, is at the hotel. After we give a statement, I am taking you to the hospital."

"Wait." Graham said over comms Daniel and Sam Mason-Foley, with their fiance Tucker? Like, Mason industries, and Foley computer systems? Dad, half the island buys their tech, its the most repairable, environmentally sustainable, and secure software and computer companies on the market, and a flagship brand against planned obsolescence. Please, play nice. This could legitimately be huge for the island."

"Noted. Kade, you too."

Kade sighed. "Got it. Be nice to the Luskey Jrs."

"Do you need a ride? I can follow up on a statement later. I can have you flown to the mainland for a checkup or let you call for a ride."

"It's not-" Sam started, wincing as Danny cleaned her head wound.

"We will take that flight. I don't like the look of her head wound, and I am no good at stitches."

"First, call Tucker, so he can rub it in our faces." Sam said, hissing as Dani caught up to them and started redressing her wounds, Chase and Charlie clearing the area, Charlie trying not to vomit at the sight of the finely pureed gangster decorating multiple shipping containers and an overturned forklift.

"Well, this is… unpleasant." Chase said, wrinkling his nose at the smell.

In the background, Blades flew towards the mainland, very glad he wasn't on clean-up duty.

"Hey, there's my moon and stars!" Tucker said, dropping his duffel bag on a spare chair before resting a hand on Danny's shoulder and kissing Sam's cheek.

"Only if you are the sun." Sam said, a little loopy from the pain medication, the hospital keeping her under observation for a few more hours.

The nurse came in, oddly nervous, holding a box. "So, I have some news. Sirs, could I ask Mrs. Mason a question in private? Hospital policy, it will only take a minute."

"Oh." Danny said, suddenly concerned. "Sure. Be back soon, Sam. Love you."

"Love you too." Sam replied as Tucker and Danny awkwardly shuffled out of the hospital room.

The nurse watched them leave, then took a deep breath. "It's hospital policy to for this to be private. There's a few questions I have to ask first, but…" She opened the box. Inside, there was a positive pregnancy test, in a sanitary box, and some paperwork.

Sam looked shocked, covering her mouth and choking back a squeal. "I'm pregnant." She whispered. "I thought that. Could you bring my partners in?"

"Of course, but I have to ask a couple of questions before it, standard stuff."

"Oh. OK."

"First I have to give you this." The nurse gave Sam a couple of business cards with referrals to maternity resources, domestic violence hotlines, and reproductive care information. "Nothing personal, we give them to all patients with positive tests. In the same vein, have you experienced any threats of violence, acts of violence, coercion, or felt that your right to consent has been violated by chosen partners, friends, ex partners, or family members?"

"No."

"Would you like or have the need for confidential referrals to counseling on your pregnancy, either by our support counselors or religious clergy?"

"No."

"Would you like to keep the test?"

Sam smiled. "Yes. Could you bring my partners in?"

The nurse nodded, and closed up the box with the test inside. "In the box is the same forms and resources in writing, and some other paperwork. Congratulations."

"Thank you." Sam said, wiping away a few tears.

Tucker and Danny rushed back into the room, their voices overlapping with worry.

"Guys, enough. Open the box." Sam said, offering it to Danny.

Danny ripped it open, throwing the top aside. He dropped it in shock. "I'm…I'm…"

Tucker gasped, a huge grin on his face. "We are gonna be dads!" He yelled, rushing to hug Sam while shaking with excitement.

"I didn't know I could…" Danny said, obviously in shock.

"Danny, DANNY!" Sam yelled, snapping him out of his trance. "I demand attention for my sacrifice."

"Oh!" Danny squeaked, jumping into action. He gave Sam a peck on the cheek before grabbing her hand and flopping into one of the chairs. "We gotta call Jazzy."

"No, duh, but first, I want you two." Sam grumped, returning Danny's kiss. "I already have names for 'em." She said, resting her head on Danny's shoulder while Tucker was already looking up all the latest baby gear and thinking up his own.

"If it's Danny's bio kid, then it's gonna be Cassiopeia or Orion. If it's Tucker's bio kid, it's either Sadie or Orion. My selections are final and not up for debate."

"Yes, ma'am." Danny and Tucker intoned, only half joking. Sam's word was law, after all.

Danny counted backward in his head and gasped. "Uh, Sam. Who's gonna tell your parents that this one's probably mine?"

"Not it!" Danny and Tucker yelled, Sam catching on too late.

"Fuck." Sam hissed.

Danny chuckled. "Apparently, we are quite good at that." He earned a tug on the ear for that comment. "Ow. I deserved that."

Tucker did the math too. "Yep. First one is likely gonna be… no, wait, Danny failed math, we have got a fifty-fifty shot here."

"Meh. Doesn't mean much to me. I am bad at doing hair anyway." Sam said, only half joking.

#dpxdc #maccadam #transformers rescue bots #dpxtf

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markalison231 · 7 months

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Best Oil and Gas Construction Company, well construction Company

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mariacallous · 10 months

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On Sunday, October 29, Ahmed Azza was given permission to leave his neighborhood for the first time in three days. He passed the surveillance camera trained on his front door and the group of Israeli soldiers stationed on the hill above and walked eight minutes to the checkpoint at the end of his street. He placed his belongings on a table to be searched, made mandatory eye contact with the facial recognition camera, and crossed through the rotating metal barriers into Hebron. Ten hours later, he was given a one-hour window to return home before the checkpoint closed and he was locked out—or in—for the next two days.

Azza lives in Tel Rumeida, Hebron, the most tightly controlled neighborhood in the West Bank. Since 1997, Tel Rumeida has formed part of H2, a section of Hebron controlled by the Israeli government. Around 35,000 Palestinians and 850 Israeli settlers live in this area, where Israeli soldiers impose a system of segregation that heavily restricts the movement of Palestinians. It’s enforced with a network of surveillance that includes at least 21 manned checkpoints, on-the-spot searches, and watchtowers, plus a vast array of CCTV cameras dubbed “Hebron Smart City.” According to critics, the aim of this system is to make life as difficult as possible for Palestinians, slowly forcing them to leave their homes and make way for Israeli settlers.

The West Bank has long been seen as a testing ground for Israeli surveillance technology and tactics. Its defense exports have doubled in the past decade, partially thanks to the success of companies producing surveillance systems, like Elbit, Candiru, and Rafael, as well as NSO Group, which produces the Pegasus spyware. But on October 7, on the other side of Israel, the country’s famed surveillance network apparently failed. Hamas gunmen breached the high-tech border separating Gaza from Israel and murdered 1,400 people, taking more than 200 hostages. Since then, a growing sense of paranoia has given Israel’s government the impetus to ramp up restrictions and surveillance in the West Bank, according to analysts and activists working in the region.

“We’re rats in a lab,” says Azza, over a cup of tea at his workplace in Hebron. “I want to go to the beach, I want to see the sea, I want to taste the water. Here, we don't have this freedom.”

The flagship component of the West Bank’s surveillance infrastructure is known as “Wolf Pack.” According to Amnesty International, its purpose is to create a database featuring profiles of every Palestinian in the region. One strand of this software, known as Red Wolf, uses facial recognition cameras placed at checkpoints to inform Israeli soldiers via a color-coded system whether to arrest, detain, or allow through Palestinians who approach. If the system doesn’t recognize an individual, it will automatically enroll their biometric data into Red Wolf, without their knowledge.

Another strand, known as Blue Wolf, has been described as “Facebook for Palestinians.” It requires Israeli soldiers to photograph Palestinians individually via a smartphone app in order to record them in the database. According to Breaking the Silence, an NGO made up of former Israeli soldiers that opposes Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories, prizes were offered to different units based on how many Palestinians they could photograph within a week.

“There are indications that the data gathered by this software impacts whether a person can get a work permit, whether a person can move from place to place within the West Bank, whether a person can get into Israel and work there or leave the country via Ben Gurion Airport, and a whole range of other things,” says Antony Loewenstein, author of The Palestine Laboratory, a book investigating the links between Israel’s military and technology sector.

According to Azza, as he approaches a checkpoint and is picked up by a facial recognition camera, Israeli soldiers can see his profile from up to 100 meters away. They know who he is, who his family members are, where he lives, and his entire history of interactions with them. When he was 16, Azza was arrested for allegedly having a knife, but he denied the allegations and was later found to be innocent. He says this data is displayed every time he passes a checkpoint, meaning he is unfairly targeted and sometimes detained for up to three hours at a time. In recent years, he’s begun pre-emptively stripping to his underwear each time he enters a checkpoint, to avoid the lengthy process of being searched multiple times. “It’s a violation of our privacy,” he says.

Israeli officials claim the rollout of surveillance technology helps contribute to a "frictionless" occupation, reducing contact between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. Instead of troops frisking every Palestinian who passes a checkpoint, this tech allows them to target only those who have a “negative” history. Instead of conducting night raids to gain intelligence, Israeli soldiers can simply use drones to spy on the specific people they are interested in.

The Israeli Defense Force declined to provide an attributable comment.

Many of Israel’s key surveillance technologies have been developed and tested in the West Bank. Israel’s military has promoted close collaboration with the private tech sector, meaning that military-trained engineers are able to learn new skills from private companies. After leaving the military, they are often headhunted by the private sector.

“That’s a key aspect of the Israeli defense sector, showing that it’s possible to maintain and manage a brutal occupation for over half a century, which can then be exported like flat-pack repression to other nations across the globe,” says Loewenstein.

Since the war began on October 7, restrictions for Palestinians living in the West Bank have risen to unseen levels. Residents told me that now they are allowed to leave the neighborhood just three days per week. In addition to the curfew imposed in Tel Rumeida, raids against Palestinian militia groups have ramped up, and the number of Israeli soldiers on the streets has increased, due to the call-up of the army reserve. It's also meant some Israeli settlers are now donning their army reserve uniforms, blurring the contours of the state. Across the wider West Bank, at least 121 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

“We are not just numbers,” says a doctor from Hebron, whose name has been withheld to protect his identity. During a break from his shift at Ramallah Hospital, he explains that he now lives locally, but his parents and siblings still live in Hebron. Normally, he’d spend his weekends visiting them, but in recent weeks he has been unable to travel due to delays caused by the closure of checkpoints across the region. Since October 7, he says, he’s treated two Palestinians who have been shot by Israeli forces. Three others who were also shot arrived at the emergency reception but were soon pronounced dead. “There’s a tragedy inside every single one of us in the medical team,” he says.

The task of investigating and documenting the killings of Palestinians in the West Bank has become more challenging in recent weeks. Normally carried out by NGOs such as Al-Haq—one of the key human rights organizations in the region—these groups have been unable to work properly due to the closure of checkpoints and the fear of violence enacted by Israeli settlers.

“Since the 7th of October, our field researchers have not been able to meet directly with victims or eyewitnesses because of the situation. They cannot move freely,” says Tahseen Elayyan, a legal researcher at Al-Haq, over a cup of coffee in their modest office in Ramallah’s Old Town. “Even before, they didn’t have full freedom, but now there are more restrictions on their movement and they’re sometimes afraid to go to areas because of settler attacks. We know about the killings, but we cannot document them properly.”

In October 2021, Al-Haq and a number of other human rights groups were controversially labeled terrorist organizations by the Israeli government. Weeks later, it was revealed by the NGO Front Line Defenders that six of them had previously had their devices hacked by Pegasus software. “They used technology and surveillance to control our work,” says Elayyan.

A question eliciting both fear and hope is whether surveillance technologies are even effective. Despite employing many of these systems across Gaza, Israeli security services were caught off guard by Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7. “On the one hand, we can talk about facial recognition technologies and how bad they are and how harmful they are for democracy, but on the other hand, you say to yourself, who wants to use them? What help did it give?” says Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute think tank.

Ori Givati, a former Israeli soldier and advocacy director for Breaking the Silence, says the surveillance program is now out of control. “We have to differentiate between securing Israel, which is Israel’s duty and responsibility, and expanding the occupation. There is a huge difference. Occupying more doesn’t mean more security for Israel,” Givati says, “I don’t think that in the long term, if we now use more systems of surveillance against Palestinians, this is what brings us security. We cannot accept this because it doesn’t work.’

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adasitecompliance · 1 year

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How To Avoid a Website Accessibility Lawsuit

Every day, thousands of people are unable to use and interact with websites because of web accessibility issues. This can lead to a website accessibility lawsuit for you or your company. Over the past few years, certain regulations and guidelines to prevent this have emerged – more specifically, the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Act was carried as a civil rights legislation, which passed in the US to protect the rights of people with disabilities, as well as prohibit any discrimination against them. As per the ADA website rules, all people with disabilities have to have equal opportunities to participate in programs, receive services, seek knowledge, and express themselves freely.

Why Is Web Accessibility Important?

Website accessibility refers to the ability of people with a wide range of physical and mental disabilities to access websites, products, systems, services, and facilities featured on a website. For instance, web accessibility means that visually impaired or blind people can purchase tickets, use apps, recharge transportation cards, and use other services offered online.

Web content should be accessible to people, even ones using screen readers and other assistive technologies and automated tools. In times when around 1 in 5 people in the U.S. lives with one or more disabling conditions, statistics show that there are more than 50 million people in the United States and around 1.3 billion around the world who have a certain form of disability.

At the same time, improved digital accessibility benefits everyone. The features that would be designed for 20% of the population can also be used by the other 80% – we all know that anyone can be affected by a disability, which is why equal access matters. Adhere to these new standards for the disabled or you are likely to face a website accessibility lawsuit soon.

Digital Accessibility Features That Can Benefit Everyone

Some of the most important digital accessibility features that can benefit everyone include the following:

Text-to-Speech and Voice Recognition features, help people access online services on a mobile device when driving, or when their hands are full.

Features that enable captions on media content, can help when you are in a noisy environment or in situations when you don’t want to distract others.

An option to easily magnify text by screen magnifiers, which can help disabled and people with vision impairments and difficulties, but also people who suffer from temporary eye injuries.

Besides regular business compliance, an ADA site can improve the overall marketing of the company, especially when using the right tools that are known as popular in this manner. These can assist you in avoiding a website accessibility lawsuit.

About ADA & The Web Accessibility Guidelines

Web accessibility guidelines have existed for two decades. They aim to bring usability and user experience design together, removing barriers for people with disabilities and enabling more users to complete tasks online.

Generally speaking, these guidelines are designed to provide a sufficient level of detail for any person interacting on the web. Some guidelines involve discrete and identifiable criteria (for example, embedding images and link areas with appropriate text) while others require greater amounts of professional discretion (the use of code to improve navigability, predictability, compatibility with certain software, etc.).

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

Establishing a legal framework around digital accessibility ensures that companies give equal access to content to disabled users, and make their services accessible to a large audience. Over the past decade, companies have been rushing to embrace accessibility in order to strengthen their financial and ethical benefits. The legal requirement came into effect in 2010, known as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

This legal framework outlines all the digital accessibility requirements for every company profile in the United States. Basically, ADA compliance ensures that a set of laws is put in place to prevent any discrimination against people with disabilities. It is applicable in all areas of public life including work, school, education, and transportation services. Established by the Department of Justice, ADA compliance requires websites to enable people to use the Internet as well as online services.

Who Needs To Follow The ADA Requirements?

There are three main titles within ADA, where Title I applies to all businesses with at least 15 full-time employees. Title II of the ADA applies to state and local government compliance. Lastly, ADA Title III refers to most businesses as well as non-profit business entities in the “accommodation” and “public spaces” categories.

Online services and digital information are also considered public accommodations and require ADA compliance. Below is a summarized list of companies, businesses, and organizations that are required to comply and are at risk of ADA lawsuits in case of violations:

State and local government offices

Private business entities employing 15 or more people

Corporations that operate for the benefit of the public

Banking Institutions

Hotels and travel/tour agencies or businesses

Hospitals and healthcare institutes

Schools, universities, and educational institutions.

WCAG

A document known as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is what has been the globally accepted standard defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The regulations spread through three levels of accessibility for both online and digital services, including:

Level A is the minimum level of accessibility that is required for individuals to make digital content accessible to people with disabilities.

Level AA is the medium level of accessibility that is required for individuals to access and interact with digital content, navigating it without any barriers.

Level AAA is the maximum level of accessibility that is required for individuals, where digital content needs to be accessed but also has an additional interface layer, providing the most convenient experience.

Many types of web content are unable to reach Level AAA. On the other hand, Level AA compliance is the minimum required level in order to make a website accessible.

Why Are WCAG 2.0 And 2.1 Created?

The WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.1 guidelines have been created to provide a clear methodology and a unique standard for digital accessibility that meets the needs of all individuals, companies, and governments. The standard applies to a broad range of web technologies, implemented by a set of web development and web design techniques, as well as tested by a range of automated tools.

In times when many businesses or website owners don’t understand how people interact with their websites or mobile apps, having an ADA website that conforms to the regulations can help you prevent accessibility lawsuits.

Moreover, a website designed as per the latest website usability and accessibility reviews is a good way to expand your reach to a broader target audience, improve your marketing efforts, and ensure that every user has equal access to your information, products, or services.

Here, it is important to prepare the digital content including text, audio, video, graphics, and illustrations with alternatives, as well as use formats that are supported by the users’ assistive technologies.

Still, the remaining challenges include the lack of skilled developers that are trained in accessibility, as well as the lack of awareness about ADA compliance and how to build an ADA-compliant website or mobile app and avoid a website accessibility lawsuit.

U.S. Rehabilitation Act

The U.S. Rehabilitation Act is a federal law that prohibits any discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies. The rule applies to programs receiving federal financial support and includes the following two sections designed for website accessibility compliance:

Section 504 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act, protects children and adults with disabilities from discrimination in schools and workplaces. There are specific accessibility criteria for online educational resources.

Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act, where government bodies and federal services are required to make electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to all people, including disabled people.

ADA Lawsuits Are On The Rise: Is Your Website At Risk?

While many still don’t understand what accessibility is and why it is important, advocates are everywhere writing guides and helping website owners understand and implement these digital accessibility rules. However, website accessibility lawsuits are on the rise and make the news nearly every day in the United States. This happens mostly because there are still no enforceable regulations for website accessibility.

The set of regulations is under Section 508 by law, where federal websites in the U.S. are required to check and meet these standards. In order to prevent ADA lawsuits, most simply follow Section 508 or the WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 AAA guidelines.

Accessibility laws are changing and are different in many countries. Besides the U.S., the UK and Canada are also starting to enforce accessibility. However, we will stick to the site accessibility lawsuits and how to prevent them by complying with the law while making your website accessible.

Popular Website Compliance Lawsuits & Settlements

Statistics from Seyfarth show that in 2018 alone, there were a total of 2258 website accessibility lawsuits to the federal court, which was a 177% jump from the previous year. In 2019, the number of cases also increased, most of which were in the retail, food service, entertainment and leisure, travel/hospitality, self-service, and real estate industries.

One of the first federal court lawsuits filed against a big name occurred in 2006, when the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) as the plaintiff sued Target, a U.S. supermarket chain, for its inability to comply with ADA rules.

In the hospitality industry, Domino’s Pizza was one of the companies which received a lawsuit filed in federal court. In 2016, a visually impaired man sued the popular chain because his screen reader was incompatible with their mobile app, so the device could not read aloud its contents.

In 2012, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) filed a lawsuit against Netflix, for not providing closed captions in its online TV and movie streaming services. The plaintiff has taken legal action against the popular streaming service and the case quickly arrived at federal court.

Education facilities have not been exempt from lawsuits, too. Two federal class-action lawsuits were filed against Harvard and MIT by the National Institute of the Deaf (NAD) for not providing captions in their online content and courses. After four years of legal action on federal court grounds, Harvard was made liable to pay $1.5 million in litigation and attorney fees.

In most of these cases, big names could have saved themselves from litigation costs and bad publicity by simply adding some accessibility features to their website to reduce the risk of such lawsuits.

Recent posts show that even today, the number of lawsuits filed against companies in federal court actions is increasing. Many small to medium-sized businesses are on the radar, too. Among all states, New York, California, and Florida seem to be hotbeds for legal ADA-related lawsuits.

How to Comply With The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

If you want to prevent an ADA lawsuit, the only route is to plan for, design, as well as build an accessible website. This form of inclusive design should optimize content and help the visually impaired, as well as people with other disabilities, to use and interact with your website.

In fact, every business with a website, mobile app, or internet software application should hire an accessibility specialist to go over the site and ensure full ADA compliance. In order to have an ADA-compliant business website optimized for people with disabilities, you will need to hire these experts who know what needs to be changed and how to ensure compliance.

For instance, if you apply ARIA with HTML5 or your image alt tags are not written properly, you could be facing a lawsuit. However, the source of most ADA lawsuits is the actual inability to access web pages or mobile apps, especially for visually impaired or blind people who use assistive technologies.

There are some builders that are integrated within content management systems and help website owners make the site ADA-compliant. Elementor, a popular WordPress theme-building, and page design plugin are one of them. The plugin helps incorporate parallax, dynamic content, and animations that comply with the accessibility guidelines. There is also the creation of new themes, headings, and footers with full developer control.

What Can You Do To Create An Effective ADA Website And Comply With WCAG: Checklist

The WCAG guidelines outline a set of principles and techniques that make web content “perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.” In other words, users should be able to access content, use interactive elements, navigate through web pages and apps, and use the content on their device of choice.

There are three vital ways to achieve the goals for website accessibility:

Correct use of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

Organization of content properly and logically, so that both humans and assistive tools can interpret its layout, including the use of text alternatives for visual content (YouTube is a good example of this – the platform was designed to automatically add captions to videos uploaded on the network).

Extra attributes are added to HTML and other code so that assistive devices can be used effectively, complying with the existing web accessibility standards.

From Braille readers used for hearing and reading text or images to screen readers and magnifiers for blind or visually impaired users and keyboard/joystick navigators for people who can’t use a mouse or other input controls, all of these ways ensure compliance.

How Do You Test Web Accessibility Across Different Devices?

There are two main ways to test how content shows on a website or mobile app.

The first is automated testing, which involves running a test against the latest WCAG principles. With this method, you can identify 20% to 30% of the compliance issues. That is why developers use it as a starting point when familiarizing themselves with the WCAG requirements set by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Second is manual testing, which is obviously more detailed and complex and will deliver the BEST RESULTS. Here, the testing should identify areas of partial compliance with regulations. Common tests use keyboard-only testing schemes to identify where certain issues occur for people who cannot use mouse or touch interfaces. We specialize in manual testing and correcting all errors.

Within manual testing, there is also the practice of testing pages and case scenarios with a screen reader or an emulator that shows how a webpage will respond to a user who wants to access content with text-to-speech technology.

Run a FREE SITE SCAN with us today to test the accessibility of your website.

Facing An ADA Lawsuit? Here Are 4 Steps To Make Your Site Accessible

As we mentioned above, the purpose of the ADA is to ensure that any disabled person has the same opportunity and rights as others in ensuring that digital content is accessible. Violating ADA can land you a lawsuit and some serious fines (up to $20,000 or more), and the best way to avoid potential litigation for a violation is through the four steps below.

Identify Your Barriers – Examining your business site and any of its features that could be a barrier to people with disabilities is usually the best place to start. Know that having more text is never a bad idea, as more people use assistive technologies nowadays. Put yourself in the shoes of an impaired person and try to understand whether your site is designed so you can freely navigate through its pages.

Understand The Requirements – Understanding the ADA requirements is equally important for everyone. New websites are already being designed with web accessibility in mind, and seeing what these rules require can only help you visualize and plan for new content in a better way.

Train Your Staff To Assist – If you work with a web design specialist, make sure that person is familiar with WCAG and able to align your content and marketing tools to support the ADA laws.

Hire A Professional – If you have multiple websites, or find it difficult to optimize your company website to comply with web accessibility laws, you can always seek our professional assistance to prevent an ADA lawsuit.

Hiring expert ADA consultants to audit the level of your website’s accessibility, provide guidance on remediation, and maintain accessible design is recommended if you want to lower the risk of a potential lawsuit.

Final Words

The bottom line of complying with web accessibility is that it offers a number of ways to build a reputation but also targets a broader audience. Users deserve to have equal access to content online, and many of their common tasks have been identified by regulators as essential for modern living. Therefore, it is vital to take advantage of these services and opportunities, and doing that would also prevent accessibility lawsuits.

Every organization, whether large or small, should ensure that they are aware of their accessibility obligations. In doing so, they will mitigate any risks of facing an accessibility lawsuit, but also maximize their revenue potential. In the end, wider accessibility equals a better online experience for everyone.

How good is your web accessibility? If you need help making your company website or mobile app accessible and complying with U.S. Federal regulations, contact us today. We will carry out a full audit and suggest the best ways to help your business site ensure full ADA compliance and prevent lawsuits.

#adasitecompliance #web accessibility #ada lawsuits #web accessibility lawsuit #ada web accessibility solution

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nationalfacilitiesdirect01 · 2 years

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Top 10 Trends in Facility Management

The pandemic has altered the way almost every business operates. From restaurants and retail to office buildings and factories, nearly every industry has undergone a drastic change in day-to-day operations with new safety mandates and public health protocols. These changes have forced organizations to prioritize facilities management solutions that meet consumer expectations and provide a seamless and engaging experience both on-site and off. As a result, today’s facilities managers must be proactive and knowledgeable of the latest trends in the industry if they want to take their operations to the next level. Here are the top 10 trends that are streamlining the facilities management workflow.

Top 10 Facilities Management Trends in 2022

1. Improved Communications

Communications between FMs and industry partners will continue to be a priority in the field. Cutting-edge software, like the project management systems we use at National Facilities Direct, will lead the way toward optimal efficiency and streamlined communication. Facility managers will play an integral role in laying the infrastructure that will improve the communication process between collaborators to better facilitate project workflow.

2. Increase in Smart Technology

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to grow, facility managers will have more access to advanced technology with sensors, processing abilities, and automation that create a more flexible and interactive experience for technicians, employees, and visitors. Smart technology can help facilities managers create a comfortable, energy-efficient environment and optimize building functions ranging from fire protection, security, and asset tracking systems, as well as lighting management, HVAC maintenance, and smart parking.

3. Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Collaboration

As facilities become more and more digitized, communication is critical for successful collaboration between teams. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the ability to simplify systems integration by streamlining communication between different departments and breaking down barriers preventing teams from working together.

4. Building Information Modeling

FMs will begin to see an increase in Building Information Modeling (BIM). BIM is software that maps the physical characteristics of a building over its lifetime. This system helps architects, builders, and FMs plan smarter buildings and take a more proactive approach to repairs using data from BIM software. This can help reduce costs, improve efficiency, reduce safety risks, and enhance facilities management.

5. Planned Preventative Maintenance

Similar to BIM, Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) is a way to use technology to formalize and anticipate maintenance needs. This predictive maintenance model helps you proactively plan for regularly scheduled maintenance as well as provides a system to quickly adapt to unexpected changes. This proactive approach helps save time and money in the future, rather than reacting to new needs as they arise, because it allows FMs to better understand the assets of each building so you and your partners can make plans for the unexpected.

6. Data-Driven Decision-Making

The changes we’ve all experienced over the last few years will undoubtedly create a hefty database of information, data, and statistics. As FMs plan for upcoming projects, they will rely more heavily on this data to better inform their decision-making process. Utilizing data can help reduce overhead, minimize downtime, increase efficiency and improve system calibration.

7. Greater Environmental Approach

Companies in nearly all industries are being proactive and placing greater priority on eco-friendly practices that limit or negate their carbon footprint. FMs should be directly involved in these conversations and can expect to see more emphasis on innovative energy management solutions and how eco-friendly factors will affect employees, customers, and the environment.

8. Flexible Workspaces

As more organizations begin to move back into the office, the landscape of the working environment will change. Whether moving fully back into the office or developing a hybrid model, FMs should anticipate how the changes in workflow will alter the building needs and operations. Technology will also play a role, as organizations may have used the pandemic to review their technological needs.

9. Personalized Work Environment

As more and more employees return to the office, they will expect a similar feeling of comfort and ease that they experienced at home. While human resource managers may focus on accommodating those shifts, FMs may be asked to deliver Soft FM functions that foster a good environment to improve employee retention as well as customer loyalty.

10. Simplicity with Self-Supported Integrated Facilities Management

Between the changes in workflow, personnel, and the general world around us, we could all use a little simplicity in our lives. From improved processes to enhanced technology, FMs can expect to consolidate, group, and maximize resources to minimize manpower. Self-supported integrated facilities management simplifies workflows and processes to create more time for planning and utilizing budgets on proactive technologies to drive success.

Utilizing Industry Trends

These cutting-edge trends pave the way toward better service and better performance. By taking a proactive approach to facilities management technology, communication, and processes, you can build trust and become a leader in your industry.

Developing Innovative Partnerships

When you need a trusted and forward-thinking facilities management partner, choose National Facilities Direct. No matter your facility management needs, we solve problems for both the long and short term that meet resolution-time needs and make your job easier.

Contact us today to learn how our self-performing, self-supported, and self-communicating integrated facilities management services can take your facilities management to the next level.

Visit Our Website - https://nationalfacilitiesdirect.com/

#self-performing trends #best practices technology

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nationalfacilitiesdirect · 2 years

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Top 10 Trends in Facility Management

Top 10 Facilities Management Trends in 2022

1. Improved Communications

Communications between FMs and industry partners will continue to be a priority in the field. Cutting-edge software, like the project management systems we use at national facilities direct, will lead the way toward optimal efficiency and streamlined communication. Facility managers will play an integral role in laying the infrastructure that will improve the communication process between collaborators to better facilitate project workflow.

2. Increase in Smart Technology

3. Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Collaboration

4. Building Information Modeling

5. Planned Preventative Maintenance

6. Data-Driven Decision-Making

7. Greater Environmental Approach

8. Flexible Workspaces

9. Personalized Work Environment

10. Simplicity with Self-Supported Integrated Facilities Management

Utilizing Industry Trends

Developing Innovative Partnerships

When you need a trusted and forward-thinking facilities management partner, choose national facilities . No matter your facility management needs, we solve problems for both the long and short term that meet resolution-time needs and make your job easier.

Contact us today to learn how our self-performing, self-supported, and self-communicating integrated facilities management services can take your facilities management to the next level.

#Self-performing Trends #Best Practices Technology

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reddus-sideblog · 2 years

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M.E.R.C.s - Aftermath

8-27-890 AR

Duncan readjusted the Triage cap he was wearing and fiddled with his identification tag. The brown-haired young man wasn’t worried about looking fashionable, he was far more concerned with looking the part of a Triage M.E.R.C.. Being in an active warzone was at least mildly safer if either side could identify you as an unaffiliated medic, after all.

Redton Corporate Electronics and Surrmond Software LLC had started up a proper corporate war across the face of Jeffria, but the good news was that the conflict between the two technology companies was finally dying down. After a number of large engagements between corporate battalions and about a straight week of conflict it seemed like Redton was going to beat out Surrmond LLC in their naked bid for dominance in the Jeffria electronics market. The destruction of the fighting had left almost half of the Bellingford Sector-Cluster as a ruined warzone, with little intervention from corporations other than Triage. The NCSDF’s forces in Jeffria were sitting on the sidelines, practically daring either of the corporate armies to take a step out of their controlled sectors. Neither had made that mistake yet.

The burned out hulk of a large stand tank with the scorched blue and green colors of Surrmond Software LLC greeted Duncan as he passed the archway into the Fernon Sector. The main strip looked almost inaccessible by road from the debris lying around, and the concrete barriers painted with the Peace Corps’ initials ensured that it would stay that way. He was weighed down by a backpack filled with medical supplies, along with a large duffel bag filled with yet more goods for the hospital he was going to. The M.E.R.C. sat on a barrier as he got a better look at the main street. It looked like a lot of the storefronts here had been hit pretty hard by the fighting between the corporate armies. It was probably a nice area before all of the gunfire and explosions blew apart the buildings and blasted the tiling in the main square apart. There were a few people around, but far fewer than he had expected from a sector this size, though he saw at least two patrols of Peace Corps officers while he sat idle. Even among all the craters, bullet holes, and wrecked buildings Duncan finally saw what he was looking for, a green tri-cross, indicating that a medical facility could be found up ahead and down one of the side streets on the left.

Picking up his duffel bag and heaving himself up from his seat, the mercenary struck out in the indicated direction. Away from the main street and the main square the sector certainly looked nicer, though there was still significant damage to be seen here and there. A few couples and individuals were quickly making their way through the street, but much more concerningly a pair of Peace Corps goons were making a beeline right for Duncan.

It was far too late to run, and if he bolted the Peace officers were likely to open fire first and report his death later. He just continued forwards, trying to look nonchalant as he followed the next sign that indicated the clinic being just down the next street on his right. Unfortunately the two officers caught up with him before he could duck down the street, out of their view.

“Alright, stop right there,” came the modulated voice of the shorter Peace officer, hand on his holstered pistol, “you’ve been selected for a random search.”

Duncan turned to face the white and gray clad corpsecs. The outfit of the Peace Corps was sterile and clean, just like their mission statement of “peace at the right price”. They wore bulky light gray riot armor overtop of their white coveralls, along with gloves and a full respirator that concealed their hands and faces. On top of this, each Peace officer had a voice modulator and a codename to further obscure their identity.

While extreme, Duncan understood very well how much Peace Corps officers needed to hide their identities to avoid catching a faceful of lead when they were off the job. The Fernon Sector, and the Kentley Sector he’d visited yesterday, were currently very good examples as to exactly why Peace officers were reviled enough to hide their faces, voices, and names. Lining up all of the suspects of a crime against a wall and executing them one after the other tended to make you a lot of enemies, really fast.

“Put down the bags, Triage boy. We’re just going to make sure you’re not smuggling anything,” said the taller Peace officer wielding an assault rifle.

The urge to groan was resisted as Duncan braced for the mockery of justice that was about to be unloaded on him. He’d seen “random searches” escalate to full on arrests for something as small as a boxcutter or a pistol, much less a backpack full of pain killers, a duffel filled with surgical tools, and his self-defense auto-revolver.

He started putting down the medical supplies, and soon thereafter one of the officers began frisking him. It lasted a moment before a voice of a woman carried down the street.

“Hey! Hey, he’s with my clinic!”

The officers and the Triage M.E.R.C. turned to look down the side street, seeing a blonde woman in doctor’s clothing, followed closely by a shorter, intense looking woman with long, messy black hair, a bulky nondescript coat, and a medical eyepatch over one eye. The pair approached, slowing from a jog to a calm walk.

“You’re uh… Duncan, right?” said the doctor, looking the Triage medic up and down.

“I’m Doctor Anders. I’ve been waiting for you, have you been held up for long?”

“Oh, no, I just got here. There was some wreckage on the inter-sector roads, so I had to walk here, and the front of the sector’s been blocked off too, so the supply truck wouldn’t have been able to get in anyways,” replied Duncan.

“So he’s with you?” questioned the shorter Peace officer.

“That’s right. I need him and his supplies now, a patient is waiting on them who is in critical care. If you have any problems take it up with Triage,” said Doctor Anders, blustering her way through the corpsec’s response.

“Marie, grab his backpack, he’s carried it far enough,” she ordered, pointing at the heavy load that Duncan had been carrying.

Wordlessly the black-haired woman lifted the weighty backpack and shouldered it.

“And who is she?” asked the Peace officer holding the rifle. He wasn’t threatening anyone with the weapon, yet.

“She is another patient of mine, can’t you tell by the eyepatch?” said the doctor as she began storming away, with Marie in tow. “Now let’s go Duncan, we’ve got people to save.”

Without looking at the Peace Corps officers Duncan grabbed the duffel and followed the two women, wiping his brow clean of the sweat that had accumulated during the standoff.

***

The cyber-clinic come field hospital was less busy than the doctor had let on in front of the corpsecs. There were a good number of patients that needed checking up on, but she took a moment to familiarize herself with Duncan while they unpacked the supplies he had brought with him. Away from the imminent threat of the Peace Corps, the doctor seemed like she was running on fumes.

“So. My name is Jess. I’m the main doctor here at the… uh… Fernon Cyber-Clinic. I usually do cybernetic installations, but I have a full doctorate in medicine, so I’ve been helping out around here while all of this,” she gestured vaguely around her.

“-has been going on.“

Jess pointed at the other, more intense-looking woman who had escorted her and helped them carry the supplies into the hospital, who was currently leaning against the wall next to Jess. The one-eyed woman waved with two fingers and nodded at Duncan.

“Oh. And that’s Marie. She’s my partner, and she’s helping me… around the uh, clinic.”

Duncan flashed a smile back at Marie. Another pair of hands were always welcome around a hospital like this, even if the person attached to them was practically mute.

After they put away the fresh supplies Duncan followed Jess as she did her rounds. Marie shadowed the two of them as well, keeping out of the way but always being in the same room. There were a dozen patients throughout the clinic, and while the establishment had been relatively untouched by the fighting, the injured here were obviously casualties of the conflict:

A Redton soldier who had lost a couple of fingers and an eye. A local who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had a monumental number of lacerations from a fragmentation grenade. A Surrmond tank pilot with second and third degree burns from his tank going up, along with two of his fellow crewmen. An M-CA M.E.R.C. who had been contracted to sabotage Surrmond assets, but had been shot six times. An android who worked in logistics for Redton that had stepped on an anti-personnel landmine. A local chimera dogwoman with a fever and an infected wound from rubble that had fallen on her. Three more civilians with gunshot wounds, two of them having been injured by Peace Corps officers, and one having been hit when the corporate armies were trading shots. Lastly, a devilkin girl who had been concussed by a mortar shell that had landed in her house a few sectors over. A passerby had come across the poor girl in the rubble, and was still looking after her, as they had yet to find her family.

Duncan had seen corporate wars before, but he prayed to the Machina that this would be the last one that would happen. Besides the twelve in the clinic, Jess said that there were five more that she could do nothing for when they were brought to her. She obviously felt disgusted with herself when Jess said that she had “wasted” supplies on those hopeless cases. The medic could tell that the doctor hated the concept of grading her patient’s rate of survival like that. As tears welled up in Jess’ eyes Marie appeared behind her, wrapping her arms around the overworked doctor.

Thankfully Duncan’s radio set buzzed, letting him leave the two be for a few moments. He walked out into the hallway and answered the handset. On the other side was the low-fidelity voice of his partner, Liam.

“Hey Duncy, sorry that I left you hanging, I’m on my way to that clinic with some hurt people. Someone left a back door open to the sector so I’ll be there in a few minutes!”

Duncan had known Liam Graves since high school, and he didn’t think a single day had ever passed where the golden blonde dog chimera hadn’t been full of energy and pep. It did grate on Duncan when he was having a bad day, but his eternally sunny attitude did help brighten up the darker times. In their field of work it helped a lot.

After informing Jess and Marie about the incoming ambulance the three of them quickly got some more cots ready and prepared the operating room of the clinic. All the tools of the trade were lined up, and the hospital was ready for more patients. Duncan caught up with the other two outside after doing a quick double check around the hospital to make sure that everything was ready. Liam’s Triage ambulance was backing up, and by the time it had parked Jess was opening the back doors to pull the patients out.

“You’re Doctor Anders right?” asked Liam, looking at the human lady intently.

“Yeah, uhuh. Who needs attention the most here?”

Liam informed Jess that two of the patients had gunshot wounds, each being a corporate soldier from a different side of the conflict, in addition to a woman with a broken arm and some broken ribs from a car crash on the inter-sector road. The chimera medic had stabilized them, but the gunshot victims would need attention to stop their bleeding wholly and have the lead removed from them. Marie nudged Duncan with her elbow and directed his sight at the corner of the building, where a Peace Corps arrest wagon was pulling up.

Four Peace Corps officers approached the Triage ambulance quickly, all of them were armed, two with SMGs, two with shock staves. The leader of the little group stepped ahead of his men as they stopped, readying plastic ties to make arrests.

“I’ll be taking these patients of yours for registry, and we’ll need to go inside to take a look at whoever else you have in there,” said the leader, gesturing with his gun in one hand.

Duncan could tell that Marie was tensing up next to him. Her hands were slowly moving behind her back, as something, or some things, were moving under her bulky coat.

Jess stood between the Peace officer and the patients.

“These people need treatment before they can go anywhere. I can only release them after I’ve treated their wounds and properly taken care of them.”

The officer hit Jess across the face and pushed her aside, yelling at the doctor to keep out of the way of his men. As Jess fell down from the force of the blow Marie jumped forwards to grab her, stopping her partner from hitting the pavement. Duncan and Liam watched, unable to aid the two of them. If they moved now the Peace Corps men would likely start shooting.

As Duncan watched, Jess reached up and planted a kiss on Marie’s cheek, before pulling off her eyepatch. Beneath the patch was not an injured eye, as Duncan expected, but rather a high-grade cyber-eye that activated and glowed crimson. He swore that he saw Jess say “go get ‘em” to Marie before the cyborg let her girlfriend go. Jess hastily stumbled behind the ambulance as the storm of violence began.

Marie leaped up, wielding two heavy pistols. She sank round after round into the Peace officers bearing guns. She split her fire between the two of them, taking advantage of their surprise to saturate them with a magazine of lead each. The Peace officers with stun staves slowly realized they were under fire, and started moving to attack the woman. Rather than reload, Marie’s coat flew open as four additional cybernetic arms emerged, each one holding an additional Heaven’s Dragon. She avoided the wild swings of the Peace officers as she blasted, ducking, twisting, and weaving as her cybernetic arms unleashed a murderous rapid fire volley on them. At the end of less than ten seconds all four of the officers were torn apart like pulled pork, their armor rent asunder by the furious fusilade of .44 magnum, leaving each one of their corpses in a puddle of their own blood and mutilated flesh.

Duncan blinked a few times, hardly believing the suddenness of the killing that had just occurred.

“What…? Who-,” he started, trying to make sense of how the quiet woman had unleashed such death.

“She’s my favorite piece of work,” said Jess, pushing past Duncan to start moving the patients into the hospital. The cybernetics doctor was almost beaming when she said that.

***

Cleaning up the bodies of the Peace Corps officers worked out pretty well. As Marie had loaded up the corpses into the ambulance and picked up most of her scattered shells, handing them in a plastic bag to Duncan. Gunshots weren’t all that uncommon in sectors protected by the Peace Corps, so the M.E.R.C.s had a large grace period to deal with the mess that the cyborg had made.

Liam and Duncan hauled the bodies to the next sector over in the ambulance, dumping them and the shells off in a random alleyway. They drove back quickly and Duncan went to help Jess treat the patients as Liam and Marie cleaned up the rest of the mess outside, sweeping the shells and blood into the storm drain and hosing off the bloodied sidewalk. As he headed into the clinic Duncan heard his dogman partner trying, in vain, to strike up conversation with Marie, who was barely replying.

Jess was relieved to have Duncan join her in the surgery room. He washed up and donned surgical gear, aiding the doctor in removing lead and stitching up the corporate soldiers. They were holding on, but two pairs of hands made their surgery light work. One had a perforated lung, along with his left shoulder artery having been nicked by a shot, while the other had to have a few fingers removed, as well as a few ligaments reattached. Jess replaced the lost fingers from her own stock of cybernetics, surprising Duncan with her generosity.

After completing the surgery Duncan saw to the third patient with a broken arm, setting the bones and applying a cast. Jess thanked him profusely as she left the woman in his care. When Duncan walked the woman out of the operating room he found the doctor resting on Marie, on a cot in the storage closet. The cyborg was holding her girlfriend with all six of her arms, cradling the exhausted doctor in a blanket as she slept. Marie gave the distinct image of a spider clinging to its silk-wrapped prey. Duncan shut the door a bit to give them peace and quiet, before going off to find Liam helping out the patients in the impromptu wards.

The M.E.R.C.s spent the next few hours preparing rations and food for the injured people in the hospital. A duo of Peace officers came by to ask if the Triage employees had heard or seen the team that had gone missing. Liam’s earnesty won over the corpsecs, who believed that while they had heard a commotion outside, they hadn’t seen any of it. Duncan kept his poker face up for the whole of Liam’s innocent routine. It was amazing how many people were willing to believe that the Triage medic was just some blonde himbo, and the Peace officers fell for it lock, stock, and barrel.

After things calmed down Duncan let his messy, shoulder-length brunette hair down and enjoyed a smoke on the back step. It had already been quite a day, and it wasn’t even quite over yet. On days like this he remembered what the head surgeon of his old team, Sienna, had told him before he was transferred upzone; “practicing medicine is easy when you get down to it, it’s all the damn complications life throws at you that make it really difficult”. Duncan was beginning to understand exactly what the old android had meant when she’d said that.

#Ashlands RPG #M.E.R.C.s

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ogadaedwine · 2 years

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The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Strategy

The Ultimate Guide to Building a Successful Marketing Strategy

A firm uses a marketing strategy as a plan or strategy to market and sell its goods and services. It often contains a target market, a value offer, a SMART approach, and a strategy for reaching and interacting with customers. Market analysis, product creation, branding, price, promotion, and distribution are typical components of a marketing plan. Effective marketing tactics may aid a business in boosting revenue, luring in new clients, and building brand recognition. Many small businesses struggle to stay ahead of the competition and build their business. While it's challenging to bypass the barriers, it is possible to set a higher standard. You just need the right strategy to keep things moving in the right direction. In this blog post, you will learn about the nine pillars of a successful marketing strategy and how to build one around each of them. You will also get advice on creating market-focused strategies, content strategies, and a whole lot more. Read on for more information so that you can begin developing a successful marketing plan for your business.

Define your objectives

Before you develop your marketing strategy, it is highly recommended that you define your objectives. Aiming means focusing on and working on the fundamentals. Your ability to meet your objectives on time is directly proportional to how consistently and budgeted you are. A well-streamlined goal planner must include the budget, and the number of audiences targeted within the scope of time. The criteria of marketing, whether PPC, influencer marketing, or affiliate marketing. However, the mode of promoting your product solely depends on how financially capable you are. Consistently following your set objectives will help you impede overspending and losses.

Do the Market Research

Consumers, who must have experienced similar products from other companies, only react to the value of your products when they can reach, see, and taste them. A brand needs to research the market for its propositions before its last launch. Doing in-depth research can help you understand the product's competitiveness and thereafter take prompt actions to stand out from the crowd. You need to know the demand rate, the population age group, and gender to target the right audience. Another aspect is the mode of shipping products to people who cannot reach you on time. Most customers would prefer store-to-door delivery to direct shopping. This means that you need an online delivery system or e-commerce site with secure payment methods to accelerate the ordering process. How are you going to do the market analysis? Direct marketing that involves mouth-to-mouth can be an effective way to hire the foreigners you would like to have as day-to-day shoppers. Use established community bases and streets to give them the product or service trials, provide the questionnaire where possible, and let them leave their contact information. First, ensure that contact information is secure and not disclosed to third parties. Finally, you've got a number or email address to ask how they would recommend your brand, challenges, and improvements. While contacting or sending a survey to your prospects, follow the best practices to avoid getting spammed. It is also worth doing the poll on online spaces, especially when dealing with software products or services. This may include directing the audience to the web CTA.

Be Customer-Centric

Define the value proposition of your products; illustrate how your product is beneficial, why they may need it, how to use it, and when to use it. Giving your target audience a product value that helps them understand its significance will put your brand ahead of the competition. Advertising newly tested and approved hair jelly, for example, by providing the ingredients, price, people who need it, and its effects, would be beneficial. When they buy and realize it works as advertised, the likelihood of building and keeping new customers will be high. Being customer-centric also means providing the right pricing without hidden charges. You also ensure that customer service is flawless, with an effective communication desk and staff who are equipped to respond to customer queries and recommendations on time.

Be flexible with your plan and adjust as you learn more

People who are in a hurry and filled with anxiety find it very hard to reach the target. Seeing positive results, especially when you are just getting started, takes time and patience. You need to stick with one strategy at a time, so that when one approach fails, you can adjust to the next one. For example, running PPC is always a preferred first option for most startups because of its affordability. However, you think of trying influencers after hitting the targeted business milestone. What inspires most startups is the capacity to generate a good return on investment so that they can use the profits instead of using the rest of their savings to start over. It is not life-threatening to see your company crumble-which is common with many small businesses. It is important to restart the process instead of giving up the first time. Expect little. Most dominant and successful businesses today could not exist if their owners gave up.

Be Realistic About Results

One of the hardest but most important aspects of any marketing plan is being realistic about the results you want based on your ultimate marketing goals. While you may not want to emphasize the reduction in production over your extraordinary efforts, understand that a robust ROI is not achievable overnight and takes time. This is because your marketing strategy is the backbone of your business success, and without it, your investments may hang in the balance. It is also important to track the performance of the brand promotion to have a clear picture of whether or not you are succeeding. Generating leads that turn out to be real buyers and consistent consumers of your products and services needs to be a top-notch path for any marketer. Don't just craft an idea, promote it, then leave it there. In every aspect of a marketing plan, whether paid per-click, affiliate, or influencer marketing, leverage the analytics tools to grasp the performance of your brand performance. Based on the performance, you'll see what needs to be changed and implemented. When analyzing marketing data that can help you understand the target audience's response to your brand, brand reputation is a paramount factor. New prospects go with reputation rather than price and quantity. Don't create a clickbait ad that's different from what you offer. Market your products and services with reputable agencies and influencers. Finding real and trustworthy influencers isn't an easy task due to bot dominance in the social media space, but there are influencer marketing agencies that can help you search, enroll, and track the performance of your campaigns.

Build an Audience through the Promotional Offers.

Having a decent number of prospects for your business means success nowadays. With competition in the market still reigning, it is important to develop a pricing strategy based on the buyer capabilities. Every smart brand has a CTA button on their website homepages that directs new visitors to what to do—most probably the subscription form or the pricing table. Offering your products and services at discounted prices every year or every quarter could make new visitors purchase instantly compared to those selling at rigid prices. The main reason why most consumers leverage coupons is that they want to save on their first purchase of a particular service. This will help them slash their budget allocation for other matters. This strategy seamlessly works with affiliate marketing, where brands can decide to cooperate with affiliates in return for a commission for every successful purchase. Many people are searching for coupons daily when making purchases, therefore, it's worthwhile to try it out. Once you've successfully built huge email lists, sending monthly newsletters with new promotional deals could help your brand drive more sales because whenever they want to purchase a product, it'll be yours first. You can also create advertisement banners with discounts and this can drive a lot of traffic into sales to your e-commerce website

Be Customer-Centric

One of the best things about small businesses is that corporate structures and bloated salaries do not hold them, hostage. You can be customer-centric ‌in your marketing strategy. For example, you could have one marketing strategy that involves publicity, one that involves creating content, and one that involves customer service. If customer service is your strong suit, you could also have one strategy that encompasses these components.

Be SMART

As you crave success for your brand in the market with similar and selective products and services, be smart enough to counter the stiff competition in your approaches. You need to be specific for goal effectiveness. Outline your steps to cover and accomplish your marketing goals. Another thing is that your actions must be verifiable, quantifiable, measurable, and accountable. Aiming for 10000 audiences in reach and within a specific time requires that you use analytics tools. You need to know the engagement rates, impressions, clicks, and conversion rates and declutter the backlogs before trying another strategy. Again, make your marketing objectives achievable with realistic targets. While creating ad campaigns, focus on the relevant factors, such as the target location, topics, and language. And the ad's subject must apply to the target audience's topics. Relevancy creates a sense of seriousness and integrity in your promotions. Finally, your marketing objectives need to be time-bound. Have the right timeframe and develop a deadline for all your campaigns. Start and implement on time. In a new project, implementation is always the biggest obstacle to goal achievement. Stay on track, get your budget ready, and implement it. The increase in conversion rates would begin by implementing SEO-friendly features like mobile-friendly banners and optimizing your pages and speed. So, within a set time frame, you will get the expected result.

Be Proactive

As your marketing implementation develops, it is important to be assertive to combat scale-backs. This means that you should not wait for something to happen before you take action. You should take immediate action ‌to ensure that your marketing strategy is successful and achievable on time. Building a successful brand requires that product and user security are at the heart of everything. When you start up, don't pump all your money into it because any company is capable of going bankrupt to the extent of losing everything. Ensure that your company doesn't infringe on the user's confidential details, like credit cards, and is fully GDPR compliant.

Bottom line

The most effective marketing strategies are those that are built on past accomplishments and use a gradual but systematic approach to planning a successful development. Although it may take some time and effort, the effort will be rewarded in the end. A sound marketing plan may support the growth of your company for many years. Your chances of success, growth, and profitability will increase, helping you get back to 100 percent with your business. Read the full article

#Brand #Business #EmailMarketing #Marketing

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jordanianroyals · 2 years

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28 September 2022: Queen Rania visited the Tafila’s Skills’ Development Center to learn about its training and skill-development programs targeting youth in the Tafila governorate.

The Queen was welcomed to the center by its coordinator, Ahmad Mrayyat, and met with IT company Estarta’s executive staff and CEO, Mutaz Nabulsi, as well as a group of trainees attending one of its core courses.

Supported by the office of Her Majesty, the Tafila’s Skills’ Development Center prepares Tafila’s youth for the job market, and empowers them through skill-specific training sessions, ranging from courses in marketing and online advertising to workplace safety and computer literacy. (Source: Petra)

Through its partnership with the center, and its programs across Jordan’s remote areas, Estarta aims to hone and nurture the professional skills of fresh graduates, as well as identify and recruit top talent and job-ready candidates into its workforce.

Harnessing the digital and workplace transformations following the pandemic, the company also creates remote and non-remote employment opportunities to computer science graduates who cannot find jobs in their field where they reside, according to Nabulsi.

Her Majesty wrapped up her tour of the center by dropping in at a cyber-security training session before meeting with a group of the center’s graduates. The youth had trained to international standards, and in various fields of their own choosing.

In a 2019 visit to the center, the Queen met with some of its members, who voiced their concerns over the myriad challenges and barriers they faced as fresh graduates entering Jordan’s labor market. With the support of Her Majesty’s office, the center was later moved into refurbished spaces at the Tafila Youth Center.

Since its inception, the Tafila’s Skills’ Development Center has benefited over 500 college graduates from Tafila through more than 20 skill-specific training sessions and development programs. It has also partnered with a leading Jordanian software company with branches abroad to create employment opportunities for the center’s qualified engineering and computer science graduates.

#Queen Rania

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gaythri16 · 3 days

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SAFe DevOps: The Key to Streamlined Agile Transformation

Introduction

In today’s world where Agile methodologies are being adopted by organizations the concept of DevOps has assumed much importance in realizing Agile interventions. The SDLC known as SAFe DevOps, forms a significant segment of the total SAFe framework, which can help organisations integrate the development and operations functions in order to enhance the deliveries in addition to the quality and end customer satisfaction. Moving forward, this blog will discuss the importance of SAFe DevOps, the advantage that it can bring to the organization, and the way that it will help the organization to become competitive in the market.

What is SAFe DevOps?

SAFe DevOps relies on the basis of both, DevOps and SAFe which is an extensive Agile-framework meant for large companies. Through adoption of Gold, it brings together the development and operations teams hence enhancing interaction and productivity. As with every SAFe configuration, the aim of SAFe DevOps is to improve an organisation’s effectiveness when delivering value to customers in a quicker and more dependable way.

Why SAFe DevOps Matters

The common problem that is observed in the traditional IT environment is oppressive separation of the development teams and operation teams, which in turn causes poor performance, time waste, and even the conflict of interests. SAFe DevOps eliminates such barriers by pushing for cross teamwork throughout the value stream, idea to production. Such a working method can also assist in reducing work in progress, denying transfer of material between various functions, and promoting communication feedback.

By implementing SAFe DevOps practices, organizations can:By implementing SAFe DevOps practices, organizations can:

Shorten the time span it takes to take and launch products and services to the market

Improve overall product quality

Dimension of flexibility to cater for evolving business requirements

Usually it means improvement of operational stability and the overall resistant profile of a certain business.

Minimise exposure and adhere to best practice regulation

SAFe DevOps: Key Components

As a framework, SAFe DevOps is made up of a number of elements that enable organisations to deliver software solutions in an agile and efficient manner. These components include:

1. Continuous Exploration (CE)

Continuous exploration consists in identifying and evolving the customer requirements, market trends and the business opportunities. It encompasses taking feedback, determining needs as well as Dual aims setting. In SAFe DevOps, CEO helps to ensure that the development teams are always properly aligned with the business objectives.

2. Continuous Integration (CI)

Continuous Integration means that the code changes are delivered and integrated into the common repository as often as possible. This assists in identifying and correcting issues in the early stages of product development thus maintaining its readiness status all the time. Continuous Integration is among the most important concepts in the SAFe DevOps model since it enables a high-quality product to be delivered in the shortest time possible.

3. Continuous Deployment (CD)

Continuous Deployment is the planning of constant release of slight changes to the production once they have been approved. According to the SAFe DevOps, CD guarantees that any new change and enhancement can be easily released to the customers. This also helps in maintaining low down time and low interferences to the overall experience of the end user.

4. Release on Demand

In SAFe DevOps, Release on Demand allows organizations to release new features and updates to the customers as soon as it is possible. This helps to be more sensitive in reacting to the fluctuation of customers’ demands and market situations. As a result of separating, releases are not tied into the same time frames which means that businesses can offer value to customers on a more consistent and efficient basis.

Benefits of SAFe DevOps

Adopting SAFe DevOps has many advantages that can greatly influence the capacity of an organisation to compete in the business environment of the present day. Some of the most notable benefits include:Some of the most notable benefits include:

1. Faster Delivery

Combining development and operations, SAFe DevOps helps organisations release new products and updates more often. This speed provides competitive advantage to business by enabling them to respond to the needs of their customers and also shortening of time to market.

2. Improved Product Quality

By incorporating DevOps into SAFe DevOps, constant testing and integration are done to increase the chances of identifying defects at the early stages thus producing quality products. Continuous feedback also ensures that if there is something wrong on one’s side it is corrected to ensure that it does not influence the end user results.

3. Enhanced Collaboration

SAFe DevOps deals severally with various teams to ensure that they do not work in isolation from the other. It has emphasis that development, operations, and other constituent goals are aligned in this process of creating value for customers. These result in bringing in the collective culture that ensures that the processes are less congested and the outcomes excellent.

4. Greater Flexibility and Adaptability

As one of the key elements of SAFe DevOps, one of the main considerations is flexibility of the method to satisfy dynamically changing demand of businesses and markets it operates in. Such flexibility enables the organization to change its course when one is deemed appropriate based on the customers’ reactions or other trends are noted. When it comes to strategy, feedback cycles shorter and more frequent releases makes it possible for businesses to constantly improve their products and services.

5. Increased Customer Satisfaction

Delivering value more frequently and improving the quality of products also enables organizations to meet the customers’ needs and that is why SAFe DevOps is effective. Quick action towards the feedback from the customers and frequent follow-ups keep the customers more involved and happy about the product.

How to Implement SAFe DevOps in Your Organisation

To successfully implement SAFe DevOps in your organization, follow these steps:To successfully implement SAFe DevOps in your organization, follow these steps:

Educate and Train Your Teams: Conduct training to all the developers, operation people and leadership personnel about SAFe DevOps. Training makes certain that all the participants know what DevOps entails and where it is positioned in SAFe.

Adopt Automation: DevOps engineering is one of the key components that accelerate automation in the context of SAFe. The manually conducted processes ranging from continuous testing to deployment are streamlined during the automation process thus ensuring fast and accurate outcomes.

Measure and Optimize: This in turn should be leveraged together with other metrics to measure the level of SAFe DevOps implementation. Based on your activity, ensure that you track your performance so that you can determine where changes need to be made so as to enhance the efficiency of the processes involved.

Foster a DevOps Culture: Promote cross team collaboration in your organization so that everyone works towards the achievement of the same objectives. Promote interchange between development and operations and do away with undesirable barriers to cross-functional communication.

Conclusion

SAFe DevOps is an organizational transformation model that is designed to provide support in improving the agility of an organization, increase the delivery speed and enhance the quality of products being developed. By adopting the four commandments of SAFe DevOps.name, which include: Continuous Exploration, Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, and Release on Demand, any business can remain relevant in the ever-growing market. SAFe DevOps can be achieved by training, automation and collaboration and the benefits are enormous for the implementation.

#safe devops certification #safe devops training #safe devops #devops certification

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teemcorp123 · 3 days

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Offshore Accountants: Driving Financial Efficiency in a Global Economy

In an era of increasing globalization and digital connectivity, businesses are constantly seeking ways to optimize their operations and reduce costs. One strategy that has gained significant traction is the use of offshore accountants. This practice involves outsourcing accounting tasks to professionals located in other countries, typically those with lower labor costs and a strong pool of qualified talent.

Understanding Offshore Accounting

Offshore accounting refers to the practice of hiring accountants or accounting firms based in foreign countries to handle various financial tasks. These can range from basic bookkeeping to more complex financial analysis and reporting. Common locations for offshore accounting services include India, the Philippines, and Eastern European countries, where there is a large pool of English-speaking, well-educated accounting professionals.

Key Services Provided by Offshore Accountants

Bookkeeping: Day-to-day recording of financial transactions, including sales, purchases, receipts, and payments.

Financial Reporting: Preparation of financial statements, including balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements.

Accounts Payable and Receivable: Managing invoices, bills, and payments to and from the company.

Payroll Processing: Calculating and processing employee salaries, taxes, and benefits.

Tax Preparation: Assisting with the preparation and filing of various tax returns.

Financial Analysis: Providing insights into financial data to support business decision-making.

Audit Support: Assisting with internal and external audits by preparing necessary documentation.

Benefits of Offshore Accounting

Cost Savings: The primary advantage is the significant reduction in labor costs, often 40-60% less than hiring local accountants.

Access to Skilled Professionals: Many offshore locations have a large pool of qualified accountants with international certifications.

24/7 Service: Time zone differences can be leveraged to provide round-the-clock accounting services.

Scalability: Offshore teams can be easily scaled up or down based on business needs.

Focus on Core Business: By outsourcing accounting tasks, businesses can focus more on their core competencies.

Technological Advancements: Many offshore accounting firms invest in the latest accounting software and technologies.

Challenges and Considerations

While offshore accounting offers numerous benefits, it's not without challenges:

Data Security: Ensuring the confidentiality and security of financial data transmitted across borders is crucial.

Cultural and Language Barriers: Despite English proficiency, cultural differences can sometimes lead to misunderstandings.

Quality Control: Maintaining consistent quality of work can be challenging when the team is not in-house.

Time Zone Differences: While beneficial for 24/7 service, it can also pose communication challenges.

Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring offshore accountants are up-to-date with local regulations and reporting standards.

Best Practices for Successful Offshore Accounting

Clear Communication: Establish robust communication channels and regular check-ins with the offshore team.

Standardized Processes: Develop clear, documented processes for all accounting tasks.

Invest in Technology: Use cloud-based accounting software and secure file-sharing systems to facilitate collaboration.

Regular Training: Ensure offshore accountants are continually updated on relevant laws, regulations, and company policies.

Start Small: Begin with basic tasks and gradually increase complexity as trust and efficiency grow.

Regular Audits: Conduct periodic audits to ensure quality and accuracy of work.

The Future of Offshore Accounting

As technology continues to advance, companies are outsourcing Accountants and Bookkeepers

is evolving:

Artificial Intelligence and Automation: AI is being integrated into accounting processes, potentially changing the role of offshore accountants.

Blockchain Technology: This could revolutionize how financial transactions are recorded and verified.

Increased Regulation: As offshore accounting becomes more common, we may see increased regulation to ensure data security and quality standards.

Virtual Teams: The rise of remote work is blurring the lines between onshore and offshore teams.

In conclusion, offshore accounting presents a compelling opportunity for businesses to optimize their financial operations. While it comes with challenges, careful planning and implementation can lead to significant benefits in cost savings and operational efficiency. As the global economy continues to evolve, offshore accounting is likely to play an increasingly important role in helping businesses stay competitive and financially agile. https://teemcorp.com/accountants/

#Offshore Accountants #Outsource Accountants and Bookkeepers #Outsource Accounting Business #Offshore Staff Philippines

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qw563 · 3 days

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A Complete Guide to Firewall Installation in Dubai: Crucial Details for Every Company Owner

Businesses in Dubai have become increasingly more reliant on the more youthful technology to prevail within the present day, rapid-paced net international. But there are worries associated with developing reliance on virtual solutions, mainly associated with cybersecurity. The sophistication of cyberattacks is growing, and without adequate defense, a organization might also sustain enormous financial losses as well as reputational harm. Having the proper firewall configuration is one of the only approaches to guard the community of your business enterprise. This manual will stroll you via the method of firewall set up in Dubai, ensuring your business stays covered in opposition to cyber threats.

A firewall: what's it?

Understanding what a firewall is and the way it operates is crucial before we get into the installation procedure. A firewall is a sort of community protection tool that video display units and manages both inbound and outbound network traffic. It acts as a barrier among your inner community and outside networks like the net, permitting or blockading traffic based on a hard and fast of security guidelines. In easy terms, a firewall protects your enterprise from unauthorized get entry to and cyber threats like hacking, malware, and phishing attacks.

Why Is Installing a Firewall Important for Dubai Businesses?

Due to its developing range of enterprises, each neighborhood and international, Dubai is a high goal for hackers. There is a extra want than ever for strong cybersecurity measures with the rise in far off working and cloud-based services. A firewall protects sensitive enterprise information, purchaser records, and highbrow assets because the first line of protection towards cyberattacks.

Additionally, Dubai has strict information protection laws and rules that organizations must comply with, which include the Dubai Cyber Security Strategy. Installing a firewall ensures your enterprise meets those felony necessities while preserving your enterprise stable.

Step-with the aid of-Step Guide to Firewall Installation in Dubai

Step 1: Evaluate Your Company's Needs

Assessing your organisation's specific desires is step one in putting in a firewall.. Not all firewalls are created same, and specific corporations require special tiers of protection. Consider the size of your business, the range of employees, the form of information you take care of, and the complexity of your community.

For small businesses, a simple firewall solution may be sufficient. However, large agencies with complicated networks or those that manage sensitive facts may also want a more advanced firewall with additional features like intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), digital personal network (VPN) assist, and deep packet inspection.

Step 2: Select the Proper Type of Firewall

After evaluating your business needs, the following level is to select the form of firewall that exceptional fits your enterprise. Firewalls are available quite a few sorts, which include:

Hardware firewalls are bodily limitations that stand among your neighborhood and the internet. They are generally used by corporations with larger networks and offer strong protection.

Software Firewalls: These are hooked up on individual gadgets like computers and servers. They provide protection on the device degree and are ideal for small agencies or far flung teams.

Firewalls normally based within the cloud: These firewalls, also called firewall-as-a-provider (FaaS), are housed on the cloud, making them best for groups that rely extensively on cloud offerings.

Many businesses in Dubai are the use of cloud-primarily based firewalls because the metropolis is putting the same old for cloud infrastructure. This kind of firewall gives flexibility, scalability, and ease of management.

Step three: Select a Trusted Firewall Provider in Dubai

Now which you recognise which sort of firewall you want, it’s time to pick out a relied on issuer in Dubai. It’s important to work with a company that has a strong tune record in firewall installation Dubai and knows the local commercial enterprise environment and felony necessities.

When selecting a issuer, consider elements which includes:

Their popularity and revel in in the industry

The stage of assist they offer, together with after-income provider and technical help

The cost of set up and ongoing maintenance

The availability of safety updates and patches

Many Dubai-primarily based companies, including Etisalat and du, offer controlled firewall offerings, which may be well worth considering in case you don’t have an in-residence IT crew.

Step 4: Plan the Installation Process

Once you’ve selected a firewall provider, the next step is to plot the set up method. This generally includes:

Network Audit: Your provider will carry out a thorough audit of your network to pick out vulnerabilities and decide the fine placement for the firewall.

Configuration: The firewall could be configured based totally on your business’s specific needs. This includes putting in place protection guidelines, permitting VPNs (if vital), and integrating the firewall with other security equipment you'll be the use of.

Testing: Before going live, the firewall can be tested to make sure it is working effectively and shielding your community as anticipated.

Step 5: Continuous Administration and Upkeep

Setting up a firewall is a continuous system.To make sure non-stop protection, you want to frequently update and preserve the firewall. This consists of:

Updating Security Rules: As your business grows, your safety needs may also exchange. Regularly evaluation and update your firewall rules to ensure they may be still powerful.

Installing Security Patches: Firewall producers often launch updates and patches to cope with new protection threats. Make sure you install those updates as quickly as they emerge as available.

Monitoring Network Activity: Regularly monitor your community hobby to perceive any uncommon or suspicious conduct. Many firewalls come with tracking equipment that offer real-time alerts in case of capability threats.

Step 6: Train Your Employees

Even with the quality firewall in region, your business is handiest as stable as your personnel’ awareness of cybersecurity. Ensure that your body of workers is skilled on exceptional practices for network protection, along with spotting phishing tries, using robust passwords, and not sharing touchy records online.

Conclusion

In today’s virtual age, businesses in Dubai cannot manage to pay for to forget cybersecurity. Proper firewall installation is a essential step in protecting your corporation’s touchy facts and ensuring compliance with neighborhood regulations. By following the stairs outlined in this manual, you could select the right firewall answer on your business and enjoy peace of mind understanding your network is secure. Whether you’re a small startup or a massive corporation, firewall set up in Dubai is a vital funding within the safety and destiny of your enterprise.

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krunal-vyas · 8 days

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Why Hire Dedicated Developers in India for Outsourcing

In today’s fast-changing tech world, many businesses need skilled developers. But hiring full-time developers can be expensive and tough, especially for small businesses and startups. That’s where outsourcing comes in, and India is a great place to find dedicated developers. In this blog post, I will explain why hire dedicated developers in India can help you to save money, find talent quickly, and get high-quality work done.

Let’s dive in!

Why Should Businesses Hire Dedicated Developers in India for Outsourcing?

1. India’s Strong IT Industry and Global Reputation

Overview of India’s IT Market:

India has a booming IT industry that is expected to grow to $350 billion by 2025. Big companies like Microsoft, IBM, and Google are outsourcing their projects to India. This shows that India is a trusted partner for tech projects.

Abundant Talent Pool:

Finding developers with the right skills can be hard. Luckily, India has over 5 million software developers, making it the second-largest group of developers in the world. This means you can easily find the right talent for your projects.

Education and Innovation:

India focuses a lot on education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). This means there are many skilled graduates ready to work in tech. They are trained to use the latest technologies, which is great for businesses needing modern solutions.

2. Cost-Effectiveness of Hiring Developers in India

Lower Labor Costs:

High development costs can hurt your budget. In India, developers charge between $15 to $25 per hour, while in the U.S. or Europe, it can be $100 to $150 per hour. This means you can get high-quality work for a lot less money.

Reduced Operational Expenses:

Outsourcing to India can save you more than just salary costs. You won’t have to spend as much on hiring, office space, or training. With different hiring options like full-time, part-time, or project-based, you can save even more.

3. Access to a Wide Range of Technical Expertise

Expertise in Cutting-Edge Technologies:

In the tech world, you need developers who know the latest programming languages and tools. Indian developers are skilled in popular languages like Python, Java, and React. They also know about specialized areas like data science and DevOps, making them a good choice for any project.

Proven Track Record in Multiple Industries:

You might worry about the quality of work when outsourcing. However, Indian developers have successfully worked on projects in industries like finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and gaming. Their track record shows they can deliver excellent results.

4. Time Zone Advantage and 24/7 Productivity

Beneficial Time Zone Differences:

Meeting deadlines can be tough, especially if you’re launching a new product. One big advantage of outsourcing to India is the time zone difference. While you sleep, your Indian team can work on your project. This means work gets done faster, helping you stay on schedule.

Flexibility and Adaptability:

Indian developers can work flexible hours, which means they can adjust to your time zone and project needs. This flexibility helps you keep projects on track without the hassle of managing a team in different time zones.

5. High-Quality Work and Adherence to International Standards

Quality Assurance:

Quality is a big concern when outsourcing. Indian developers focus on producing high-quality work. They follow strict coding standards and conduct thorough testing to make sure your project is bug-free. Many use well-known project management methods like Agile and Scrum to keep everything organized.

Compliance with Global Regulations:

When you outsource, you need to follow important rules, like GDPR and HIPAA. Indian companies understand these rules and are ready to help you meet them. This means your data and information are safe and secure.

6. Strong Communication and Collaboration Skills

Proficiency in English:

Language barriers can cause problems in communication. Luckily, many Indian developers speak English well, which helps avoid misunderstandings. This clear communication means everyone is on the same page and projects run smoothly.

Collaborative Tools and Agile Methodologies:

Indian developers are familiar with tools like JIRA, Slack, and GitHub. They also know how to work in Agile teams, which is essential for project managers who want reliable talent. This familiarity helps ensure good teamwork, even when working remotely.

7. Flexibility in Scaling Your Team

Easily Scalable Teams:

Sometimes you need more developers for a project and sometimes you need fewer. Hiring dedicated developers in India lets you quickly adjust your team size based on your needs. This flexibility is helpful for small businesses and startups that might have changing project demands.

Rapid Onboarding Process:

Getting new developers up to speed can take time. Fortunately, Indian developers are known for their quick onboarding process. They can integrate into your existing workflows, which helps keep your project moving forward.

8. Government Support and Policies for Outsourcing

Favorable Policies for IT Outsourcing:

The Indian government supports the IT industry with special programs and tax benefits. These initiatives make it easier for businesses to outsource work to India, making it a smart choice for many companies.

Legal Framework for Outsourcing:

When you outsource, it’s important to understand the legal side. India has strong laws to protect your contracts and intellectual property. This means you can feel secure when working with Indian developers.

9. Cultural Compatibility and Strong Work Ethic

Cultural Adaptability:

Working with teams from different cultures can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. Indian developers are known for their ability to adapt to different work styles. This adaptability helps create strong working relationships with international clients.

Dedication and Commitment:

Indian developers are known for their commitment to meeting deadlines and delivering quality work. This strong work ethic ensures that they are dedicated to achieving your project goals.

Conclusion

Businesses should hire dedicated developers in India for outsourcing due to cost savings, access to a vast talent pool, high-quality work standards, and flexibility in scaling teams based on project demands. This makes it an ideal solution for small to medium enterprises and startups.

If you’re ready to hire dedicated developers in India, contact iQlance Solutions today. Our dedicated team is here to help you with your projects and make your business thrive. Don’t let high development costs or tight deadlines hold you back — reach out to us now and discover how we can support your success!

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