Howdy from Texas,
This will be the final post for January 2014 and what a great January it has been. :) New customers and existing customer license increases have been booming during the month. The number of total license increases, including new and existing customers, is at +32. During the month, we have welcomed four new customers! As there is still several more hours today, Friday, January 31st, I am actually expecting an additional two signed contracts in to help close out the month!
Welcome Aboard the Synchro ERP Express... The Express to increased productivity, quality, and profits!
Eureka
PRIMA
RAMSA
Sandawana Castings
Let's have a round of applause for these global metalcasters that have made the all important decision to go with the Synchro ERP software solution! Synchro ERP provides platinum level of support to augment the software!
Until next time,
See you on down the road...
Shane Allen
Head of Synchro ERP North American Operations
ERP SOFTWARE SPECIFIC FOR THE CAST METAL INDUSTRY Cut your business costs, spend less time managing systems and more time focused on profit and growth!
Friday, 31 January 2014
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Getting to know you more - Bianca Catherall
What effort
do you make in your life to look after your health on a frequent / daily basis?
I eat healthy everyday to include fruit and veg and walk on a regular basis
each week.
If money was
no object – what would you do with a few million?
Buy a deserted island.
What is the
very best service you have ever experienced?
None in particular however the
service in Thailand is fabulous.
What is the
worst service you have ever experienced?
Too many to name!!
If you could
have 5 people (dead or alive) over for a dinner party who would you choose?
Mother, Grandmother, Aunt Rosie, Grandfather and uncle Reggie
What item on
your desk could you not live without?
My Printer.
What part of
your working day do you love?
All aspects.
If you could
have any one of these super powers what would you choose and why – able to fly,
invisibility, X-ray vision, Read people’s minds or super strength?
Invisibility
– many reasons.
What was
your favorite childhood toy?
My tree house.
Marmite –
Love it or Hate it?
Hate it !!!!
Monday, 27 January 2014
You Can't Drive 55 in Houston on ICE!
Howdy from Wintery Texas,
Yes, Wintery Texas. We have been having a BLISTERING Texas winter replete with snow and ice and frigid temps. Of course, those up north and east will just scoff at us here in Texas, but trust me, Texans can not drive on snow and ice and the entire state just literally shuts down... Of course, no one can really drive on "ice", the northern and eastern states are more plagued with snow more than anything.
I was in H-Town, Houston, Thursday night and Friday for the AFS Texas meeting. Most unfortunate, due to inclement weather with the roads being shut down, I was unable to make the tour at ExOne. I could not even open the truck door and all of the windows were coated in thick ice. Ice scrapers are unknown commodities here in most parts of Texas. An entreprenure probably could have been selling them for $50/each or better yet, offering to personally scrape your car windows and defrost your locks for $100.
Next up with the Texas Trouble Shooters meeting that I really wanted to attend as Peter Macler was going to cover Environmental Issues in the Foundry. This is a very hot topic at all times, but especially now with the proposed new silica rules by OSHA.
Alas, after two hours and covering only ten miles due to closed freeways and accidents, I punted and returned to the hotel. I had allowed myself forty-five minutes to cover all of twenty miles.
Some poor unfortunate driver had to make the phone call to their insurance company stating that "I can't drive 55" - on ice... I do hope the driver was not injured. Immediately after passing this wreck, traffic was still at a standstill as an 18 wheeler had jackknifed and the freeway was closed.
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Yes, Wintery Texas. We have been having a BLISTERING Texas winter replete with snow and ice and frigid temps. Of course, those up north and east will just scoff at us here in Texas, but trust me, Texans can not drive on snow and ice and the entire state just literally shuts down... Of course, no one can really drive on "ice", the northern and eastern states are more plagued with snow more than anything.
I was in H-Town, Houston, Thursday night and Friday for the AFS Texas meeting. Most unfortunate, due to inclement weather with the roads being shut down, I was unable to make the tour at ExOne. I could not even open the truck door and all of the windows were coated in thick ice. Ice scrapers are unknown commodities here in most parts of Texas. An entreprenure probably could have been selling them for $50/each or better yet, offering to personally scrape your car windows and defrost your locks for $100.
Next up with the Texas Trouble Shooters meeting that I really wanted to attend as Peter Macler was going to cover Environmental Issues in the Foundry. This is a very hot topic at all times, but especially now with the proposed new silica rules by OSHA.
Alas, after two hours and covering only ten miles due to closed freeways and accidents, I punted and returned to the hotel. I had allowed myself forty-five minutes to cover all of twenty miles.
Some poor unfortunate driver had to make the phone call to their insurance company stating that "I can't drive 55" - on ice... I do hope the driver was not injured. Immediately after passing this wreck, traffic was still at a standstill as an 18 wheeler had jackknifed and the freeway was closed.
However, I was able to attend the AFS Texas Board meeting and then the dinner and presentation at the Sam Houston Race Park - betting on the ponies. Congratulations to all the big winners!
The guest speaker was from the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo and spoke about all of the great things they do for education with scholarships, etc. Many of the AFS Texas members are strong supporters of the show and rodeo and volunteer their time and pocketbooks to the worthy cause. Here are a few more pics from the most outstanding and festive event!
Until Next Time, see you on down the road.
Shane Allen
Head of Synchro ERP North American Operations
and a PROUD SPONSOR OF THE AFS and the TEXAS CHAPTER OF THE AFS.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
END OF LIFE ISSUES: THE DEATH OF WINDOWS XP
It's coming very soon, Microsoft will no longer be supporting, issuing patches, or plugging security holes on the Windows XP operating system. The date of death has already been predetermined as April 8th 2014.
Granted, this is not a Y2K situation, but not too different in many respects. As we are all aware, the Wild West Web and communications are "TARGETED" by Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves..
On April 8th 2014, granted furnaces will still be melting metal, molding machines will still be running, airplanes will not be crashing into your metalcasting operations, the nuclear facility down the road from you won't blowup, your forklifts will still run, and the trucking companies will still deliver your raw materials and ship your castings. However, at some point in time there will be a piece of software that you have or need or want that will not run under Windows XP. It would be prudent to go ahead and start migrating PC's and laptops to WIN7 or WIN8 as rapidly as possible. Synchro runs under all Microsoft operating systems from XP forward and we will continue to support windows XP for the foreseeable future.
I can see it coming. My greatest fear is that many companies are not seeing how serious this is or are totally unaware of what is coming very soon. That was APRIL 8th 2014 - not 2015 or 2016... THIS IS THIS YEAR.
XP will become a gold mine for "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves" to exploit security weaknesses of XP computers. I totally predict that many of the mainstays, the stalwarts, the captains of the software industry, the seminal software companies will very rapidly drop support for XP in their products - and many of these products will have formed the very foundation of your software backbone with "add-ins", "plug-ins", security applications, office functionality, document viewers, etc. (I am purposely NOT listing any companies, but you can fill in the blanks and connect the dots).
So, there you have it. From Texas. Start planning to move on from Windows XP very rapidly.
Until next time, see you down the road...
Shane Allen
Head of Synchro ERP North American Operations
Granted, this is not a Y2K situation, but not too different in many respects. As we are all aware, the Wild West Web and communications are "TARGETED" by Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves..
On April 8th 2014, granted furnaces will still be melting metal, molding machines will still be running, airplanes will not be crashing into your metalcasting operations, the nuclear facility down the road from you won't blowup, your forklifts will still run, and the trucking companies will still deliver your raw materials and ship your castings. However, at some point in time there will be a piece of software that you have or need or want that will not run under Windows XP. It would be prudent to go ahead and start migrating PC's and laptops to WIN7 or WIN8 as rapidly as possible. Synchro runs under all Microsoft operating systems from XP forward and we will continue to support windows XP for the foreseeable future.
I can see it coming. My greatest fear is that many companies are not seeing how serious this is or are totally unaware of what is coming very soon. That was APRIL 8th 2014 - not 2015 or 2016... THIS IS THIS YEAR.
XP will become a gold mine for "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves" to exploit security weaknesses of XP computers. I totally predict that many of the mainstays, the stalwarts, the captains of the software industry, the seminal software companies will very rapidly drop support for XP in their products - and many of these products will have formed the very foundation of your software backbone with "add-ins", "plug-ins", security applications, office functionality, document viewers, etc. (I am purposely NOT listing any companies, but you can fill in the blanks and connect the dots).
So, there you have it. From Texas. Start planning to move on from Windows XP very rapidly.
Until next time, see you down the road...
Shane Allen
Head of Synchro ERP North American Operations
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Happy New Year
Team Synchro would firstly like to wish you all a ...
We start 2014 as busy as ever with 2 new customers, the implementation team are busy training customers all over the globe, meanwhile the support team are busy supporting all our lovely existing customers too.
The marketing team have a new Advert for 2014 which i can share with you now ...
Over on the Facebook page we are giving away another FREE USB - Simply pop over and LIKE the page and you will be entered into the draw.
We are also going to be doing a 'Getting to know you more' post at the end of January so keep your eyes out and you can find out a little more about Team Synchro !
During the Christmas holidays Support Team member Jon Mapp picked up some of his old childhood toys from his mother to pass onto his own son among the toys he found a Die Cast Matchbox Battle Kings Helicopter K-118...
Upon closer inspection he noticed that it had been made by one of Synchro ERP's customers - Lesney Industries.
What a small world! This is about 36 years old and as you can see has been well loved and played with over those years.
Hope you all have a great week and once again Welcome to 2014.
Team Synchro
Monday, 6 January 2014
Riding into 2014!
Howdy doody from Texas,
I am obviously probably the last person to wish you a safe and prosperous New Year full of good health and good times. Welcome to 2014! Out with the old, in with the new?
I took some extended time off to kick back and put on my hiking boots and ride into Ole Mexico!
Visited my favorite place on earth, Big Bend National Park in the far western part of Texas. Many miles from where I call home. This was the round trip mileage, time, and gallons of gasoline we burned through.
I am obviously probably the last person to wish you a safe and prosperous New Year full of good health and good times. Welcome to 2014! Out with the old, in with the new?
I took some extended time off to kick back and put on my hiking boots and ride into Ole Mexico!
Visited my favorite place on earth, Big Bend National Park in the far western part of Texas. Many miles from where I call home. This was the round trip mileage, time, and gallons of gasoline we burned through.
A group of five misfits headed West after Christmas to explore the region and be devoid of cell phones, computers, email, and the internet. There just is virtually no cell service out that way. There are only two or three hot spots where you might pickup one or two bars of signal. For those that are "married" to being on the grid, it can be a shock to look at your phone and have no service.
We took a couple of newbies out that way this trip and ran through the typical "introductions" to the region. A good time was had by all.
The highlight of the trip was being able to legally cross into Ole Mexico across the Rio Grande / Rio Bravo river. I had made the trek across back in the 1980's, but in the wake of 9/11, the border had been sealed. It was always just an "unofficial" crossing by row boat to the other side. Now, it has border control checkpoints on each side.
It is really like stepping back into time, at the turn of the 19th century. Riding the burro or horse through the streets of Boquillas Mexico. I will leave you with a few choice images of the trip. If you need more information on visiting the West Texas Trans Pecos Big Bend Region, please contact me.
Until next time, see you on down the road...
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