Tech Bytes: January 2013

31 January 2013

Healthcare lawyer probes HIPAA rule

The omnibus HIPAA Privacy and Security final rule HHS released on Jan. 17 answered some questions, provided necessary guidance in certain areas — but some of the thorniest issues, data breach notification among those, are still cryptic enough that lawyers and privacy officers will still face difficult judgment calls every time a laptop is lost or stolen.

Bob Belfort is one such lawyer. As a partner in the healthcare practice at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, Belfort works with states and providers on health IT and related public policy issues, and frequently helps clients craft breach notifications. Belfort weighs in on changes to data breach notification, fundraising practices, the lack of a bright line test, business associates and why the problems associated with a lost laptop are not going away.

Q: What are the main points you were looking for in the final rule?

A: The one that will probably get the most attention is the definition of a breach. There's been a lot of controversy over the risk of harm standard. In the proposed rule there would be no breach unless there was significant risk of harm to the individual. [HHS] announced a while ago that they were rethinking that standard and in this rule they back off the risk of harm standard and replaced with an assessment of whether the improper disclosure compromised the privacy and security of protected health information so basically the burden is on the covered entity to show that there's a low probability that the information has been compromised.

There are two changes there. First, the focus of the assessment is no longer on the harm to the patient but whether the information has been compromised and, second, the burden of proof is clearly on the covered entity so if that can't be determined pretty clearly that there is a low probability the information has been compromised, the covered entity has to treat it as a breach.

HHS tried to navigate a middle ground between privacy advocates who were arguing that any improper disclosure should be treated as a breach and opponents in the industry who were basically okay with the risk of harm standard and wanted to retain that and HHS staked that middle ground between those two. So I think that's going to have a big impact on how incidents are assessed for breach notification purposes.

Q: What other privacy changes are important to your clients?

A: An area that hasn't gotten as much attention in the past but I know is a big one for my hospital clients is the change to the fundraising rule. Under the previous HIPAA privacy rule, a hospital could only use limited demographic information about its patients for fundraising purposes. Many of my hospital clients have had an interest in targeting fundraising based on the nature of the services a patient received or who their doctor was, and having doctors make personal appeals to the patients, or targeting, say, cancer fundraising at people who had been treated for cancer. They really were not permitted to do that under the prior rule.

Now that's been loosened so that information about the type of department a patient was in within the hospital and who their physician was can be used to target fundraising. So I think that's going to make a lot of the hospitals happy as it gives them more opportunity to target their fundraising.

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The Single Best Way To Develop Leadership Skills

You might learn a great deal in school, but it's doubtful that you'll actually develop as a leader by reading a book or taking a course. The military is right about experiential development: People grow and become leaders by making a commitment to a cause, and having personal responsibility and accountability.

For those of us in civilian life, there are also ways for us to develop as leaders through experience: through volunteer service. There are myriad nonprofit missions from which to choose, roles and positions in which to engage that are meaningful and productive, and paths for personal and professional advancement.

Nonprofit board service is particularly compelling for business people and professionals seeking to develop as leaders. While the CEOs and staffs of nonprofits build and run programs and services, boards of directors provide strategic and financial leadership to ensure each organization's vitality, integrity, and fulfillment of its mission. Business people who bring valuable skills and experience as well as diverse backgrounds and perspectives are uniquely equipped to help regional, national, and global organizations to achieve success in addressing poverty, education, health care, conservation of natural resources, and other key issues.

Through nonprofit board experience, business people participate with the CEO in envisioning an organization's greater potential, creating the revenue model, and achieving success. In fact, nonprofit board service is the ultimate experience in ethics, accountability, leadership, group dynamics, and crisis management and communications.

Here's the secret to making the most of a service experience:

Choose a cause that's meaningful to you, and where you like the people. Determine how you can be useful--whether helping with strategic planning, inviting friends to a fundraiser, serving on the advisory council, or serving on the board. If you'll be serving on the board, be clear about what will be expected of you so that you can fully commit yourself. Be open to opportunities to raise your hand and say, "I'll help." Before you know it, you could be chairing a committee, and eventually perhaps serving as a board officer. (And women, take note: When it comes to nonprofit boards, there's rarely a glass ceiling.) Be alert to potential mentors--on the board where you serve and among your friends and colleagues. Talk with other people who serve on boards to share experiences, lessons, and advice.

Be open to opportunities to raise your hand and say, "I'll help." Before you know it, you could be chairing a committee, and eventually perhaps serving as a board officer. (And women, take note: When it comes to nonprofit boards, there's rarely a glass ceiling.)

Be alert to potential mentors--on the board where you serve and among your friends and colleagues. Talk with other people who serve on boards to share experiences, lessons, and advice.

Always remember the mission. It must be at the forefront of your mind as you participate in discussions and make decisions.

Be generous with your time and your contributions.

Help to recruit and mentor the next wave of volunteers to assist in developing them as leaders.

Once you get involved, you'll be surprised at how aware you will become of who's a thoughtful leader who gets things done, and who's not. Whom you want to emulate, and whom you don't. And then books and various readings on leadership development and board governance will become more meaningful in light of your personal experience.

Having volunteered since I was 10 years old, built and run a nonprofit enterprise that engaged tens of thousands of corporate and community volunteers in service to hundreds of nonprofits, and consulted to global corporations on corporate social responsibility (CSR), I've seen firsthand the power of service in fostering leadership development. Most of the hundreds of business people I've trained and placed on boards have ascended to board leadership positions; the key has been that the match was right, and the board candidate was committed and ready to say, "I'll help."

Through service, you have tremendous opportunities to develop as a leader, become a more valuable professional where you work, and make a meaningful contribution in improving your community and the world.

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advantages of integrating a chat and alerts module in a live web application

Itech Solution has been designing many dynamic web application using java/j2ee technologies.

Itech solution has successfully developed a web application for many domains like health care , photo journal and it's planning to develop a web application for franchise management system very shortly. Itech solution has kept on trying to come up with new features in the web application for self satisfaction as well as to keep the client's happy with the new features.

Recently itech has come up with the new idea in their web application like sending alert and chat options in the web application. Based on the requirement from clients, itech give access permission to these features.

Alerts can be used to send messages to any users within a web application, alert can be received to the users and they can even reply to it using pre-defined alerts(Templates) or they can even create their own message in the provided options. In case, if the user is off-line they can see the alerts as a pop-up when they come on-line.

Chat option is available to all, based on the access permission given by the itech as per client requirement. It is like a public chat in the web applications. All users who are online can use chat as same as other web application like facebook and gtalk.

Advantage of providing alert and chat options in the web-application makes life easy for the users. They can interact with each other. It makes easy to get the solution in case of any problem they are facing in the application. Any expertise can guide them to get the solution and use web the application in the appropriate manner.

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China shuts down pirate content linked search engine

Authorities in China are believed to have shut down a domestic Internet search engine, which was known to provide access to pirate content to the users.

Gougou. com, the site which was run by Chinese web firm Xunlei, was blacklisted by the US due to its links to the pirated content. The closure comes weeks after the website was added to the US Trade Representative's report on major copyright offenders.

Visitors to the site are greeted with the message in two languages informing them that the site has now been closed. The message on the site reads, "Gougou. com has been closed down. Thank you all for your support, and we are sorry for any inconvenience."

Xunlei had planned to get listed on a stock exchange in the US but had to cancel its plans due to pirated content on its Gougou search service and via its Xunlei P2P sharing platform. There are suggestions that the Xunlei is looking to comply with the regulations and closure of the site might be part of the company's efforts to clean up its business.

Gougou earlier allowed users to look for pirated movies, music, software, games, and e-books..

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Google: Passwords "no longer sufficient" to ensure security of Internet users

According to a Wired report, Web search biggie Google has - in a paper to be published later this month - put forth a fervent argument for replacing the traditional Internet `password' mechanism with a physical token, like a "smart ring" or a card which can connect to the computer through the USB slot.

As per the Wired report, the paper has been co-authored by Google's VP of security Eric Grosse and engineer Mayank Upadhyay; and will be published in a forthcoming edition of the journal IEEE Security & Privacy Magazine.

In the paper, Grosse and Upadhyay have chiefly outlined their vision for an Internet scenario sans any passwords. Drawing attention to the fact that passwords have proved to be one of the weakest points of digital security, the Google executives have emphasized the need for dedicated devices; thus making a case for the abolition of passwords.

Highlighting the difficulty which most Internet users have in creating as well as remembering strong and unique passwords for their different online services, Grosse and Upadhyay have said in the paper that they, like a number of other people in the Internet industry, are of the opinion that "passwords and simple bearer tokens such as cookies are no longer sufficient to keep users safe."

Proposing an alternative to passwords, Grosse and Upadhyay have reportedly said in the paper: "We'd like your smartphone or smartcard-embedded finger ring to authorise a new computer via a tap on the computer, even in situations in which your phone might be without cellular connectivity."

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8 January 2013

10 TIPS TO IMPROVE THE WAY YOU SPEAK ENGLISH

i. Observe the mouth movements of those who speak English well and try to imitate them.

When you are watching television, observe the mouth movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are saying, while imitating the intonation and rhythm of their speech.

ii. Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm of English, slow your speech down.

If you speak too quickly, and with the wrong intonation and rhythm, native speakers will have a hard time understanding you. Don't worry about your listener getting impatient with your slow speech -- it is more important that everything you say be understood.

iii. Listen to the 'music' of English.

Do not use the 'music' of your native language when you speak English. Each language has its own way of 'singing'.

iv. Use the dictionary.

Try and familiarise yourself with the phonetic symbols of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say.

v. Make a list of frequently used words that you find difficult to pronounce and ask someone who speaks the language well to pronounce them for you.

Record these words, listen to them and practice saying them. Listen and read at the same time.

vi. Buy books on tape.
Record yourself reading some sections of the book. Compare the sound of your English with that of the person reading the book on the tape.

vii. Pronounce the ending of each word.
Pay special attention to 'S' and 'ED' endings. This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak English.

viii. Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every day.
Research has shown it takes about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking a new language.

ix. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes.

Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become conscious of the mistakes you are making.

x. Be patient.

You can change the way you speak but it won't happen overnight. People often expect instant results and give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if you are willing to put some effort into it.

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RURAL HOSPITAL MAKES SWITCH TO EHR'S

While smaller critical access hospitals often struggle to successfully and affordably implement electronic health records, a recent case study conducted by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) found that Henry County Medical Center in central Iowa is well on its way to success.

According to the case study, the 25-bed critical access hospital in Mount Pleasant, Iowa overcame many of the key obstacles facing smaller healthcare providers who are now facing challenges in implementing electronic health record (EHR) systems.

Henry County anticipated the challenges it would face as a small organization working on a project as large as implementing a new EHR system, the study shows. From the beginning, it sought input from staff and their assistance in reviewing potential products.

One of those helping to review information systems was Robb Gardner, current chief executive officer of the facility.

"From a clinical standpoint, we had a voice in the decision," said Gardner, who became Henry County's CEO in November 2009. During the selection process, he was the organization's rehabilitation services director and helped review various brands of information systems. After the staff-assisted selection process, the facility chose to implement a system from Mobile, Ala.-based Computer Programs and Systems Inc.

Henry County CIO Stephen Stewart said the new records system engendered greater trust among staff that patient information would be available and also improved the ability to access information throughout a patient's treatment.

Physician adoption has been facilitated by executive efforts to provide consistent, direct and honest communication, various efforts to assist them in training and ongoing use. Study findings suggest that small size worked to Henry County's advantage. "When you have a small medical staff, you get to know them as individuals," Gardner added. "They know your values and work ethic, and they're willing to work with you. In a larger facility, you may not get the opportunity to know someone personally. Here, we have the opportunity to have a more compassionate approach."

" Case study findings also show that Henry County provided crucial training and ongoing assistance for nurses and staff, and it has made significant investments in the people needed to support the shift to use of the new system.

Henry County had two "super users" from the nursing staff, said Marcia Jamison, who also has a clinical IT coordinator role. "We helped with version upgrades, testing and training," she said. "Having clinical IT positions is beneficial for the facility and the nursing staff; this way, you always have a 'go-to' person if you have questions."

In gaining staff support, small size again can be an advantage, said Maureen Ewinger, director of inpatient nursing and a floor nurse at the facility. "We have the advantage of being smaller; we need absolutely every person here to make this successful. There is a tremendous amount of transparency in this organization. To gain staff support, the way it's presented to them will make or break the project."

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New Google Street View helps you explore hidden treasures of the world

Those who are struck with wanderlust can now explore the globe from the comfort of their homes, as long as they have access to the internet.Google's Street View is heading down the Amazon to capture pictures of “some of the most remote and biodiverse areas in the world”, according to its official blog.

According to the Sunday Times newspaper, the Street View has so far filmed a 30-mile stretch of from the town of Tumbira along the Rio Negro, the world’s second-longest river from northeast Brazil, Moon Bay in the South Shetland Islands of western Antarctica and, reports the Daily Mail.

The cameras can shoot in 360 degrees, motion sensors and lasers to capture 3-D images and distances.

Armchair adventurers will not only be to able to gaze at the Amazon, they’ll be able to peek inside buildings as the camera has filmed some villages and paths that lead into the thick jungle.

Named Amazon Street View, the images will be available from November.

But those who have been lucky enough to explore the depths of the Brazilian rainforest say the online pictures simply cannot compare to the real thing.

Speaking to paper, Matt Brandon, a TV producer who filmed with presenter Bruce Parry in the Amazon, said: “I think it’s great for everyone to be able to see the Amazon in this way. “If you're fortunate enough to able to actually go there, then you should grab it with both hands,” he added.

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Microsoft steps up focus on healthcare IT

The company is working on a mechanism in which it will allow users to log in using gestures on the screen. A user will be able to choose a photo and perform certain gestures in the right order of taps, lines, and circles in order to log in.

Some are raising questions on the safety of the system but as many users reply on simple predictable passwords, the gesture based system could prove to be more secure than passwords. The company admits that smudges on the screen or recording devices could allow others to determine the gestures but said that the risks are very low.

Analysts say that the system is not secure enough as the gestures on a screen of a tablet can be recorded from a distance by anyone. Company officials have said on the Building Windows 8 blog that there are some ways to break the security under the system but the presence of a vast number of password combinations could make the system more secure than the password system used in most devices.

The company has released a video showing Microsoft program manager Zach Pace logging in to a tablet with a family photo by various gestures on the picture. The demonstration also shows an option to switch to regular password login.

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JAVA BASED CMS.

Itech has designed and developed a Java-based dynamic portals for Doctors. This is very similar to the CMS based portals, advantage is that it is built on a generic technology. Dynamic portal sites come with a simple, easy to use Content Management System that requires NO knowledge of HTML or programming for you to be able to use it.

A portal is wherein content can be updated by the Admin user through the Control Panel, this is displayed on various respective additional pages. The Admin can login to the Control Panel by providing user-name and password. The content like dynamic text, images, videos are stored on the MySQL Database on the Itech Server. Doctors can upload Images, Videos and Text through the Admin page and the website users will be able to see the updated content in the User Interface.

One major advantage of this type of a CMS Portal is that the user can change the content on the website by himself and need not depend on the Designers for required updates. Itech is planning to offer many such off the shelf models for other Doctors who may need such Websites and Portals.

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HIGH-TECH UNIFORM ALLOWS SOLDIERS TO 'SEE' THROUGH THE EYES OF OTHERS

London, Sept 9 : Scientists have unveiled a groundbreaking high-tech military system, which allows every soldier in a unit to see through the eyes of another.

The new technology, which features communication antennas woven into the fabric of military uniforms, means video from a helmet-mounted camera, voice commands and GPS data can all be transmitted at once.

The system is designed to improve the awareness of a military team as a whole, allowing soldiers to see through the eyes of their teammates in real time.

The way the antennas work mean there is no need for soldiers to carry conventional radio whip-antennas, which can be cumbersome and conspicuous.

BAE Systems, which has developed the series of Body Wearable Antennas (BWA), says it allows effective communication while helping improve agility.

"A concept demonstrator has been developed to showcase the capability of this technology which transmits voice, video data and GPS location via the same antenna," the Daily Mail quoted a spokesman of BAE as saying.

"If one soldier spots a situation, they can alert the team and share what they can see through their helmet mounted camera.

"The demonstration system links with a wrist-mounted commercially available touch screen smart phone and utilises its sensors to provide an augmented operational picture.

"This allows the team to tag objects, such as potential hazards which will appear highlighted on the phones video image," the spokesman added. (ANI)

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COGNIZANT SURPASSES INFOSYS IN QUARTERLY RESULTS

Nasdaq-listed Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp once again surpassed Infosys by reporting a growth of 18.2 per cent in revenue for the July-September 2012 quarter.

Cognizant on Wednesday said that its revenue grew to US$ 1.892 billion in the three months through September 30, while net profit climbed 22 per cent from US$ 227.1 million to US$276.9 million year-on-year.

In comparison, software exporter Infosys has reported revenue of US$ 1.79 billion for the July-September quarter of current fiscal, while its net profit stood at US$ 431 million.

India's No 1 software exporter TCS reported a revenue of around US$ 2.9 billion for the quarter under review.

Commenting on the quarterly results, Cognizant President Gordon Coburn said, "We are pleased that our growth was broad-based across services and geographies."

Coburn added that Cognizant's BPO, consulting and IT infrastructure services had been growing faster than company's average and accounted for around a fifth of total revenue in the concerned quarter.

In the final quarter of 2012, the company anticipates revenue of at least $1.94 billion.

For the full financial year, Cognizant maintained its revenue outlook at least US$ 7.34 billion. It is worth-mentioning here that unlike Indian software firms, Cognizant follows a January to December financial year.

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Patient education video.

Patient education video.

Patient education video is a 3D video which is done for the first time at Itech.

The purpose of doing this video is to educate people how to react if anyone gets health problem and there is nobody for rescue, such as heart attack or if anyone is drowning. Video advertising is powerful and can also be understood by layperson.

These video are done for hospitals, clinics and health care centers which are displayed in their lobby, Corridor or waiting room. Till now people are educated using PPT's but now this process is revolutionized the system of educating people.

Currently there are 5 to 6 scenarios which will be showcased in leading hospitals and making people aware in situation where they are alone and to avoid further problem and react accordingly for their safety. And for further information, the video also describes which treatment or regime the patient should undergo.

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Notorious 'Jail break' teenage iPhone hacker gets job at Apple

Nicholas Allegra, who has been a thorn in the side of the technology giant after launching 'JailbreakMe 2.0' last year, claimed he has been hired as an intern at Apple, the Daily Mail reports.

"It's been really, really fun, but it's also been a while and I've been getting bored. So, the week after next I will be starting an internship with Apple," Allegra, better known as 'Comex' wrote on Twitter.

Apple has, however, refused to comment on whether Allegra has been employed or not.

Jailbreakme 2.0, introduced last year, works on all iPhones that are running Apple's iOS4 operating system.

The download was the first that can be accessed through the iPhone's own system rather than via an external computer.

The hack allows iPhone owners to legally unlock their devices so they can run software apps that have not been approved by Apple. (ANI)

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How To Test Your Software To Avoid Technical Glitches

Watch Wall Street & Technology and Advanced Trading's on-demand video analysis of the SEC's market technology roundtable:here.

The technical errors that have recently befallen Knight Capital, BATS and Nasdaq causing chaos to the markets are not the result of complexity or fragmented markets, but the result of basic technology 101 issues, SEC chairperson Mary Schapiro said today during the agency's market technology roundtable.

During the SEC discussion, Dr Nancy Leveson, professor of aeronautics and astronautics and engineering systems, MIT, argued that software errors will always happen. The financial industry, like the aviation industry, needs solutions beyond technology – which must include strong regulation. " Most industries have government agencies overseeing with an iron hand.
The aircraft industry knows people will stop flying if planes start falling out of the sky. You cannot build an unsinkable ship or unfailable software. If you engage in hubris and wishful thinking, you will have to suffer the consequences," Leveson said.

Still, GETCO CTO Jonathan Ross argued that in order to avoid technical glitches, firms must follow several testing best practices: These include having independently designed systems, he said.

"To the extent possible, systems should be independent from other systems to limit the potential for an error or failure to cascade to other systems," he said, adding that any changes to systems must be small, incremental and frequent to reduce the magnitude of any errors and make it easier to mitigate the impact of such errors if they do occur.

Ross also suggested using layered, redundant risk measures, with multiple, overlapping levels of preventive or protective risk controls that each look at a system independently.

GETCO has a formal process for testing its software, Ross noted. This includes a testing lab, testing protocols that developers follow, and change management processes, he wrote in a statement for the SEC.

"Development and testing should reinforce each other; continuous building and testing gives developers a strong feedback loop," he said. In the development cycle, common approaches to software testing firms should follow include unit testing – or tests of discrete, generally small, specific and functional, components of the system.

Best practices should also include regression testing, or tests built specifically to address a bug previously identified and to prevent the reintroduction of that bug and integration testing, or system tests designed to test the interaction of applications with each other or outside parties.

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Web 3.0: The Semantic Web and Intelligent Transportation Systems

Web 1.0 generally instituted a one-way communications framework through the use of static web sites and web services, essentially providing a read-only interface between the web and the end-user. Web 2.0 introduced collaborative, two-way communications technologies and a suite of innovative communications tools built on top of collaborative philosophies. The next generation of the internet is a subject of great debate, yet many agree that we will see a transformation from a “web of pages” to a web of data, primarily through the use of “semantic web” technologies.

The semantic web, (or Web 3.0) will enable automated data and information exchange between machines (computers) and systems (software applications) through the use of use of ontologies, new data formatting and new meta data structures. By applying “semantics”, or meaning to linked data sets with new descriptive meta data (or tagging), computers can begin to add meaning to data as it relates to real-world objects, subsequently automating human functions such as data search, data aggregation and data analytics, thus implementing automated two-way, peer-to-peer collaborative communications.

Web 3.0 technologies will enable ITS applications to automate data and information exchange and limit the need for human interaction. Context-aware and location-based services data linked to individual travelers will automatically interface with regional operating systems and regional traveler information systems, thus eliminating the need for human support on both the operator and end-users part. Real-time transportation data including vehicle, pedestrian and transit data will be automatically fused and processed with algorithms to establish new, next-gen regional operations platforms. Semantic technologies will also provide an essential component for support of the connected vehicle platform. Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) will utilize semantic technologies for automated, real-time data exchange. Mobility is becoming more and more reliant on the ability to apply effective social engineering and behavior management strategies, rather than the application of traditional physical technologies. Semantic technologies will provide a key tool for the integration of social (personal) data with centralized applications and overarching transportation systems.

Semantic web technologies are still very much in their infancies; however the transformation is well underway. Early signs show that the semantic web will take time to implement, most likely in stages as the web transitions vast existing data sets to include semantic data formats. The transportation industry, and more specifically the ITS industry is primed for becoming early adopters of web 3.0 technologies. Research and demonstration projects are already underway within the transportation industry. It’s just a question of when will the “tipping point” be realized.

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Product Development : 9 steps for creative problem solving

Creativity is the main prerequisite for innovation. However, our culture emphasizes critical thinking to the near exclusion of creative thinking (although it was the key to success in the Information Age). Today’s business is dominated by global complexity and commoditization. On the other hand, experts believe that creativity will be the driving force behind business success in the coming decades.

What constitutes creative thinking? For one, learning to think expansively and visually — to see patterns and “connect dots.” You also need to let your subconscious mind do a bulk of the work by temporarily disengaging your logical mind — in other words, Einstein’s process of mental incubation. And, once you have an idea, it’s important to be able to communicate it clearly and accurately to others.

In business, the process of generating and commercializing a good idea has been honed by creative industries for more than a hundred years. This infographic presents nine major steps toward creative problem solving for new product development.

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A NEW MOVE IN THE LOAD TESTING TOOL MARKET

SOASTA launched CloudTest Lite – a free edition of their performance testing solution. Basically, they give it free for up to 100 users. A serious move for sure. It should heat up the load testing tool market. It may work indeed – I guess they don’t have many paid customers in that range anyway, looks like CloudTest’s sweet spot is when you need a very large number of users. I am very interested to see how it will turn out.

Several rosy reviews were posted, for example, CloudTest Lite – A Game Changer in the Performance Tool Market by Scott Barber and SOASTA CloudTest Lite Hands-On by Bernard Golden.

As I already mentioned, it indeed is pretty interesting. However, I’d say that we need add some skepticism to be more realistic.

First, it is not the first and absolutely unique move in load testing tools. I recall a few somewhat similar moves before which then quietly disappeared. Well, I don’t remember what limitations were (maybe a little bit more restrictive). And the companies were not the leaders of the market. Moreover, there is a list of 50 open source load testing tools on opensourcetesting.com and some, like JMeter and OpenSTA, are pretty mature. Yes, open source in load testing area was not so successful as in other areas. Especially analysis is weak in most of these tools (if existent at all).

Second, releasing is just the first step. The challenge for SOASTA would be how they support a large number of non-paying users (although, of course, for a promising start-up the number of customers may be important by itself). The community maybe can help with “how-to” questions, but implementing, let’s say, enhancement requests is up to the SOASTA team. And the number of such requests may be pretty high as people start to use it with different applications.

For example, it looks like we can’t specify transactions during recording in CloudTest for the moment. Well, what I am supposed to do with a script with a few hundred identical requests in it (AJAX type, differ by incomprehensible http body content)? Track delays in the scripts and try to correlate them with recording steps? Not exactly my understanding of quick and easy.

Yes, Scott is not easily getting excited. Last time, as far as I remember, Scott got excited about a load testing tool when Microsoft released their tool as part of Visual Studio back in 2005. See, for example, the discussions around my old posts VisualStudio 2005 and Load Testing and Scripting Language in Performance Tools. Well, Microsoft didn’t live up to its promises and I haven’t heard about their load testing tools for a while (my understanding is that it is not dead, but doesn’t play any noticeable role). But who knew that Microsoft was losing its grip?

By the way, returning to this old post about scripting languages, I don’t object the idea of GUI-based load testing tools (I mean when script is represented by a kind of graphical tree or something like this) if we can extend it with code (as in CloudTest with JavaScript) or switch between tree and script view (as in Oracle Application Testing Suite). My concern was (and is) if you can’t extend you recording with code at all – I still believe that it limits the area of application significantly.

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NEW PROJECT WIN !

NEW PROJECT WIN !

Itech Solution has bagged the opportunity to develop a software for Transcription Management.

The client was already using a software which was developed using Visual Basics. It had many limitations like problems during uploading the audio files to the server, proxy issues, operating system compatibility and performance issues. Also, since the software was LAN-based, the admin had to manually check if any voice files are uploaded and lot of co-ordination was required.

Itech Solutions has come up with a solution for all these processes by proposing a Web Based software through which most of these tasks which are now done manually, can be completed by the software itself.

Access to the Transcription Management Software will be through a Login and Password on the Home page itself. Additional features like Role based access, Streaming audio and Online Java Web Editor would make File editing and formatting to be done within the software. It would calculate Line Count and other checks within the software. Since the Audio files and Transcribed documents are hosted within the Dedicated server, high security of these would be possible. Automatically sending the correct Transcribed document to the correct Doctor without manual intervention is possible. Alerts and Online chat would improve the communication between different users. The Application will include a ‘Help’ functionality for users. Centralized Database is used so that one version of the Data is maintained.

The Project is estimated to complete in about 6 months.

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APPLE SELLS OVER 5 MLN IPHONE 5, SUPPLY CONSTRAINTS LOOM

While sales were solid, the company said on Monday it had run out of its initial supply and many pre-orders were scheduled to go out in October.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said the company is "working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone."

Expectations for new Apple products were so high - some analysts forecast Apple selling as many as 10 million phone over the weekend - that Wall Street was not wowed by the latest numbers. The stock was down 1.7 percent at $688.64 in afternoon trade.

Given the demand, Apple, the world's most valuable company, is being closely watched for any supplier problems that may slow down the smartphone production.

"We believe that sales could have potentially been much higher if not for supply constraints," William Power, an analyst with Baird Equity Research, wrote in a note.

Supply limitations are likely to weigh on Apple as the iPhone 5 is launched in another 22 countries on Friday.

To complicate matters, Apple's largest contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology closed a factory in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan after a riot broke out among 2,000 employees.

STRONG DEMAND

The early total for the iPhone 5 topped sales of the iPhone 4S, which sold more than 4 million units in its first weekend after Apple introduced it in October 2011.

The numbers do not include units that have yet to be shipped or delivered to customers as Apple books sales only when online customers sign for the purchase.

"We are not overly concerned with this 'disappointing' number as we believe this is a classic case of near-term expectations getting out of touch with reality," Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said.

He added that he expects Apple to sell a total of 27 million iPhones in the September quarter and 46.5 million units in the December quarter.

The iPhone 5 has been one of Apple's most aggressive international rollouts to date. The phone will be available 31 countries on September 28 and in more than 100 countries by the end of the year.

"Expectations for Apple are always white hot," said Colin Gillis, a research analyst with BGC. "It's not just enough for them to break records but to smash them."

Apple is facing stiff competition from smartphones that run on Google Inc's (GOOG.O) Android software, which has become the most-used mobile operating system in the world. Apple's key supplier as well as rival, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS), has taken the lead in smartphone sales.

Apple signaled last week that pre-orders outstripped initial supply and that many phones would not be available until October.

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Wake-up call – Can you deduct wages if staff can't get into work?

THE PROBLEM

I have an employee who was unable to attend work owing to travel disruption. Do I have to pay him for that shift? What should I do if this happens again and is there anything I can do to minimise anticipated travel disruption?

THE LAW

It is unlawful to make a deduction from a worker's wages unless the deduction is authorised by statute, by a contractual term that has been notified to the worker in writing, or by the worker having given their prior written consent.

The first thing to establish is whether there has been a "deduction" at all, and there will be no deduction unless the employee can establish some legal right to the wages in question.

The key issue is to decide whether there is a contractual right to be paid if the employee cannot attend work.

There is often no obvious express or incorporated term, and no evidence of custom and practice. The basic contractual position in such cases depends on the type of contract.

Hourly-paid employees with no guaranteed hours have no contractual right to wages unless the employee actually turns up and works in accordance with their contract.

Salaried employees are entitled to be paid even if not provided with work, so long as they are "ready and willing" to work. In these circumstances, the position is less clear. Case law supports the view that provided the non-performance of work is involuntary and unavoidable, the employee may be entitled to their wages. In view of the lack of any conclusive case law on this subject, the rights of employees who are unable to work due to travel disruption may depend to a large degree on how the parties have behaved on previous occasions. Where there is nothing from which a contrary intention can be inferred, it would appear that wages should continue to be paid during unavoidable absence.

EXPERT ADVICE

There are a number of business reasons to pay employees even if they are unable to come in to work, not least to enhance employee relations and boost morale by showing empathy to employees and providing a flexible and fair solution.

On the other hand, paying all staff regardless of whether they are able to work may encourage some employees not to make the effort. It is important in those situations to ensure that employees who turn up for work feel that their efforts have been recognised.

Where employees know that failure to attend work will result in loss of pay, employers may experience an increase in sickness absence. To reduce anticipated absences employers could inform employees in advance that all sickness absence during the relevant period will be followed up with a return to work meeting.

Employers should consider preventative measures to minimise disruption. This could include homeworking where appropriate or varying hours of work to avoid particularly congested periods.

The employer may want to offer employees the opportunity to take the absence as paid annual leave, assuming they have sufficient entitlement remaining, or could allow the employee to make up the lost hours on other days.

CHECKLIST

Develop a business continuity plan incorporating a strategy to deal with major travel disruption.
Decide whether employees will be paid if they cannot make it to work, and ensure any guidance is applied consistently.
Implement a policy setting out how you will deal with major travel disruptions.
Publicise the policy internally before any likely period of travel disruption, and ensure that all staff and managers are aware of their responsibilities.
Consider alternatives such as homeworking or varying hours of work.
Consider the employee relations angle and effects on staff morale.

BEWARE

It is important that staff are treated fairly in these circumstances, not only to avoid feelings of resentment where some employees are paid and not others. Treating staff differently could result in claims of, for example, discrimination or less favourable treatment for taking time off to care for a dependant whose care arrangements are disrupted. Such claims can result in uncapped awards at the employment tribunal. Employers should also consider the effects of bad publicity associated with docking employees' wages.

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ITECH CAMPUS TRAINING

ITECH CAMPUS TRAINING

What is the speciality of Itech campus Training?

01. This training is meant for final year batch students / graduates, willing to get in to IT field.

02. The time, energy and money invested in this training program by Itech can provide significant career and earning benefits.

03. Our training builds confidence which can helps to develop successful relationships with peers and managers.

04.This training will have the opportunity to take advantage of the large number of career opportunities available in the market with IT companies. This is an excellent facility for students which will open the doors for emerging career opportunities in the IT industry.

05. Rapid changes in technology needs a continuous up gradation. So, through training and certification programs can experience greater career opportunities than those who do not continuously develop their knowledge.

Areas of Training that will be Conducted :

Aptitude

Soft skills

Technical Training

Group Discussion

Resume Preparation

HR Interview

Software Technology:

System Software (C, C++)

Web-based (J2EE, Dot-Net)

Databases (MySQL, Oracle)

Networking (HTTP, SSL, DNS)

UI Designing (PS, DW, FL)

Mobile based (iPhone, Android)

Operating Systems (Windows, Unix, Linux)

Application Software (SAP)

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Master the triangle of success

Master the triangle of success

Where do you think you will be career-wise after a decade, as compared to your classmates? Do you think only top-ranking students become successful in life? What do you feel might happen to that classmate of yours who is the butt of jokes and ridicule?

If you believe only academic brilliance leads to success, you must revalidate your opinion; or read books such as, ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill, which is the summation of hundreds of success stories.

The key questions in your mind should be: How do people become successful in their chosen professions? What’s the secret of their success?

Evaluation of success stories of statesmen, business-persons, actors, writers, educationists, is a revelation and one can come up with several concepts behind their success. A proven concept is the ‘Triangle of Success’, representing the three success ingredients: Knowledge, Skills and Attitude.

The magic triangle

Which success ingredient is more important? Even though difficult to generalise, in the work environment, the stress is more on ‘attitude’, with the belief that ‘knowledge’ and ‘skills’ required for the job can be imparted. However, in general, the Triangle of Success is equilateral, affirming that all three aspects are equally vital.

Knowledge:

In an academic environment, knowledge represents the core curriculum, irrespective of the courses. To illustrate, in a Management course, to make learning more comprehensive, the curriculum includes such diverse subjects as Economics, Finance, Human Resources, Organisational Behaviour, apart from Management. Knowledge can be said to be the foundation for success.

Skills:

Our educational system focuses on imparting knowledge for a career and not on essential soft skills. For example, any career requires skills such as planning, time management, logical reasoning, inter-personal relations, presentation skills etc. to apply knowledge in a practical situation.

Attitude:

While knowledge and skills are essential, they are not adequate for success. A study attributed to Harvard University found that people are employed, 85 per cent of the time because of their attitude, and only 15 per cent of the time because of how smart they are and how many facts and figures they know. Surprisingly, almost 100 per cent of educational money goes into teaching facts and figures which account for only 15 per cent of success at work!

Attitude includes key aspects like honesty, integrity, self-confidence, cooperative attitude, expectations, energy levels, optimism and so on, which are critical for career success

Interdependency of ingredients

The desire to be successful in a chosen profession is widespread. This desire, which is more an intention, should evolve into a plan of action. The interdependency of knowledge, skills and attitude, must be clear before translating your desire into an action plan.

Knowledge from an academic environment is the foundation for the chosen field. Degrees in Management or Engineering, may prepare you with fundamental knowledge for management and technical careers.

Communication, analytical and presentation skills make you competent and ahead of others in these professions. Depending on professional requirements, you must acquire complementary skills to be effective.

Remember the adage, ‘a Ferrari never wins any race while it is in the garage’. Similarly, the knowledge that you possess and the skills that you acquire, govern your potential. However, your productivity depends on how positive your attitude is. Lou Holtz, the famous football coach said this most appropriately, “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it”.

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NEW CRITICAL VULNERABILITY DETECTED IN JAVA

According to the claims of security researchers, a new, critical vulnerability has been detected in Java; and the vulnerability can fully circumvent the security sandbox which has been implemented in a number of Java versions.

Stating the new Java flaw-related claim on the Full Disclosure mailing list, Adam Gowdiak - founder and CEO of Security Explorations, which announced the flaw - said that the newly-detected vulnerability affects "all latest versions of Oracle Java SE software."

With Gowdiak also pointing out the new flaw in Java program allows "a complete Java security sandbox bypass in the environment of Java SE 5, 6 and 7," it is quite evident that the vulnerability is worse than the earlier exploits which only impacted Java 7.

In the wake of Security Explorations' confirmation that the exploited has been tested and it works on a fully-patched 32-bit Windows 7 system, under Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, Chrome, and Safari, Gowdiak also said that the new vulnerability makes way for the violation of "a fundamental security constraint of a Java Virtual Machine."

Claiming that the new Java vulnerability puts as many as "one billion users" at risk, Security Explorations said that it has already provided Oracle with a technical description of the issue, along with binaries and source code to exploit the flaw and establish its existence.

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HR Technology: Unifying Your Enterprise

With a Global HR Portal, HR can enhance the adoption and value of a global solution.

Employee self-service has well-proven benefits to businessin particular, better service to employees while cutting down on HRs workload. And the best way to deliver HR services is through an employee portal that gives workers single sign-on access to all services.

Many companies have an HR portal covering their operations in a single country, establishing a portal for a truly global organization presents a unique set of challenges. But for those employers that master the task of designing and deploying a global HR portal, the rewards for employees and the enterprise can be great.

1. Think Globally, Plan Carefully

Creating a successful portal starts with processes, not technology. Most portal software contains far more features than a customer needs. The question is how to merge technology and processes in order to meet business goals. When it comes to developing a global HR portal, there is a distinct difference between meeting the HR needs of a multinational firm and one that operates globally.

The notion of a global organization is one that has programs and activities that require some degree of consistency across the globe, says Joe Loya, a consultant with global HR firm Mercer HR in Norwalk, Conn. An organization that might operate locally in many countries is not global; global is those organizations where broad and consistent communications are valued.

These distinctions manifest in several ways: culture, language, content, services, regulations and support. And all of these factors need to be considered when developing a global portal. One of the most obvious is, of course, making sure the content on the portal is in the language that employees speak. Setting a language strategy for the portal (English only, some local language, etc.) is a critical success factor, but not the only one to be considered. Some decisions reflect more-subtle differences in how a global workforce operates.

You need to think globally but remember local culture and customs, says Fittinghoff. I have heard of instances where color choices and graphics accepted in one geography can be offending in another location.

In addition to design and content, cultural issues can affect work processes as well. According to Loya, people process information or socialize information somewhat differently depending on where they are in the world. Some deal very much by consensus, for example, in contrast to the command-and-control organizations that exist in other parts of the globe. In setting up a global portal, a company needs to ensure that the processes and content are relevant to the employees around the world, which may require setting up country-specific aspects within the global portal.

The definition or the perception of what is important to the individual and the organization will vary based on local programs, culture, language and so forth, says Loya. For example, in the compensation and benefits world, the notion of ownership and equity is very important to a large part of the U.S. market, and to a degree in parts of Europe. But in other parts of the world, equity is not a performance driver for the workforce. Whatever compensation philosophy the company selects must be reflected in its portal.

In addition, divergent regulatory and governmental structures affect not only what can be offered in a particular country, but also what employees need from an HR portal. Health care, for example, is a big issue for U.S. HR departments, but in many other areas it is provided by the government. Putting open enrollment features on a global portal wouldnt be appropriate for employees in countries that have a nationalized health care system.

In the United States, a lot of the focus and the cost of a global HR portal is around ensuring the employees make health care decisions, have the right information and modeling tools, and do the election every year, says Michael Rudnick, global portal and intranet practice leader for Washington, D.C.-based human capital consulting firm Watson Wyatt. Outside the United States, there is much more of a focus on manager self-service and performance management.

While a well-developed portal has a full array of services, in practice, services are rolled out gradually. Since health care is a major administrative responsibility for employers in the United States, arranging self-service in this area early can lighten HRs and managers workload.

Local regulations regarding taxes and privacy can also affect global portals. For example, the European Unions Data Privacy Directive restricts the types of data that can be collected and stored, and to whom they can be transmitted. A multinational company with some offices in Germany, for example, may have to store all the data on German employees on servers in Germany and block access to employees in other parts of the world.

There is also the challenge of providing 24/7 support for the equipment and users, since support staff will need to be available around the clock, not just during the business hours of a single country.

2. Learn from Big Blue

The 5 major content areas by IBM are :

1. Timely topics HR management feature stories, business-related articles and HR policy change information.
2. Find it fast Links to HR staff, HR phone lists and contact information, and manager forms.
3. Work with your employees Tools for reviewing/updating/changing employee work information, performance reviews, salary and compensation, promotions and transfers, awards, and individual development plans.
4. Act now! An alert mechanism for business deadlines or key HR actions.
5. Manager resources Checklists for hiring or transferring employees, links to key HR policies, job postings, expense reimbursement, travel, asset management, career development and learning.

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RBI DON’T WANT TO UPSET GROWTH MOMENTUM BY LETTING INFLATION GO OUT OF CONTROL: GOKARN

RBI DON’T WANT TO UPSET GROWTH MOMENTUM BY LETTING INFLATION GO OUT OF CONTROL: GOKARN

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Subir Gokarn admitted on Tuesday that the central bank is in the clutches of the monetary policy issues due to persistent inflation, and added that it did want to let inflation go out of control.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of India Investment Forum on Tuesday, Gokarn said they didn't want to risk upsetting durable sustainable growth by allowing inflation to soar further.

On September 17, the central bank left its main policy rate untouched at 8 per cent, saying any cut in the rate would push inflation higher. The development disappointed those who wanted a cut in rate to boost growth.

Speaking on the topic, Gokarn said, "We want to make sure we don't risk upsetting durable sustainable growth momentum by letting inflation go out of control."

At the same time, he added, that the central bank did not want to take a position on inflation that would weaken the momentum of growth.

On the recently announced policy reforms, he expressed hope that these reforms would ease inflation and strengthen the rupee.

Gokarn also indicated that the recent policy reforms could be critical in helping the RBI in determining its course of action at its next monetary policy meeting on October 30.

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Logitech's Solar Keyboard Folio for the iPad: Sun-powered typing

Where green meets convenience: Logitech's latest iPad accessory ditches the USB charger for solar energy.

Logitech's been on a roll with its well-made keyboard accessories for the iPad (the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is one of my favorites), but there's one big problem with all these accessories: they need their own USB charging cables.

Logitech's just-announced Solar Keyboard Folio adds a clever twist to the crowded iPad keyboard case market by introducing a solar charger. Better yet, the case doesn't look clunky.

The flexible folio-style case orients to two different angles: one for typing, and one for media viewing at an angle, which covers up all keys except for a row of media-oriented controls on the bottom. Magnets will automatically wake and sleep an iPad 2 or third-gen iPad, just like the Smart Cover and an increasing number of cases and

Logitech claims that, on a full charge, the Solar Keyboard Folio's Bluetooth keyboard will last an astonishing two years when typing 2 hours a day.

The Solar Keyboard Folio is currently available for preorder and costs $130. Based on the description it certainly sounds promising.

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SAP ACQUIRES ARIBA FOR $4.3 BILLION IN BID TO CHALLENGE ORACLE IN THE CLOUD

SAP made a major play for the cloud Tuesday as its American arm announced acquisition of Ariba, a German cloud computing applications maker. The transaction is worth some $4.3 billion, and is expected to close this summer.

Ariba is the world's second largest-cloud vendor by revenue, SAP says. With the addition of the German company, SAP now looks to challenge rival Oracle, which also has made a play for the cloud segment as of late.

"The addition of Ariba will create the business network of the future, deliver immediate value to our customers and provide another solid engine for driving SAP's growth in the cloud", SAP Co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe say in a statement. Current Ariba CEO Bob Calderoni is expected to be named to SAP's Global Managing Board pending the approval of the company's supervisory board.

SAP expects the combined company to "create new models for business-to-business collaboration in the cloud", and to position the company well in what has become a fast growing segment.

In late day trading, shares of SAP were down slightly at $58.49 per share, but shares of Ariba were up over 19 percent to $44.89 after being halted for the acquisition news.

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vLearning : Is the future of online education a 3D virtual classroom?

Imagine walking into a college classroom, it's your first class at this new campus, Psychology 101. You choose a desk, sit down next to a friendly looking student and ask them where they're from and a conversation begins. After a few minutes, your professor walks in to start the lecture and you both face her, ready to take notes. There's just one aspect of this classroom that's unusual - it's virtual. Your avatar, an animated character you have created, represents you on a computer screen, appearing within a computer-generated environment. You are talking to other students' avatars and interacting with the professor's avatar. The classroom is a graphic rendering of three-dimensional space in which your avatar can move and gesture, even speak. This is vLearning.

The technology that powers massive multi-player games such as Second Life is becoming a platform for distance education courses. Some educators see taking cues from the video gaming world as a way to increase communication between students and instructors in online courses. "As educators, we've realized the potential power of video games in education," said Leonard Annetta, North Carolina State University professor and co-author of V-Learning: Distance Education in the 21st Century Through 3D Virtual Learning Environments. "Internet synchronicity is one of the most effective ways of learning."

While the technology for Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) has existed in some form for 20 years, it has only recently gained acceptance in postsecondary institutions within the past four to five years. A 2009 study that appeared in the Journal of Further and Higher Education found that the increased interaction between classmates and instructors in virtual classrooms helped students become more involved in the coursework and made it easier for them to comprehend the material and ask for help. The study found this to be particularly true for students who have a difficult time engaging in face-to-face discussions, but who will ask questions freely and contribute to live debates in a virtual classroom. This engagement in class activities not only leads to greater comprehension, it gives students a sense of belonging in the class that contributes to a higher retention rate.

As administrators recognize the potential for MUVEs in education, more schools are beginning to incorporate these immersive 3D worlds, also called "vLearning" platforms, which engage students more fully in the learning process. A 2007 report by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 31 percent of postsecondary schools in the United States used simultaneous and real-time virtual learning platforms either moderately or to a large extent. This is particularly true in public, 4-year institutions, where virtual learning environments are utilized in 42 percent of schools nationwide.

vLearning Platforms

dministrators that wish to implement virtual learning environments in their institutions have the option to create their own vLearning platform, or to utilize an existing platform such as Second Life. However, because many of the virtual words available weren't created specifically for the education sector, they often lack important resources. To address some of these shortcomings, the Great Northern Way Campus in Vancouver, Canada built their own virtual learning environment called Great Northern World.

These customizable experiences include all of the structured classroom activities that students participate in while in the vLearning environment, whether it is a scavenger hunt that explores class concepts or a role-play activity that gives students a chance to practice learned skills in simulated real-world environments. "It is in these areas that customizing virtual environments have the most pedagogical power."

Learning in a Virtual World

In the online meeting space, instructors can give real-time lectures, moderate student discussions and give assignments - just as they would in a brick-and-mortar classroom. The flexibility provided by virtual learning environments makes it possible for instructors to create a plethora of class activities that may not be possible in an on-campus class. In this virtual space, interactive design students can work together to create 3D digital elements, psychology and sociology students can participate in role-play activities to enhance their communication and counseling skills, and planetary science students can work together in virtual space missions. The possibilities for such cyber-activities are virtually endless and are limited only the be instructor's imagination.

In many cases, there is a specific time and place that students attend class - but rather than walking across campus, they need only find an Internet connection where they can login. After class, students can visit the virtual classroom whenever they want to go over lecture notes, re-visit assignments or meet with an instructor for a tutoring session.

Real-World Application

In an April 2009 study titled Pedagogy, Education and Innovation in 3-D Virtual Worlds, researchers measured the effectiveness of using a 3D virtual classroom as part of a master's degree course in counseling. The study set out to determine whether the ability to participate in real-time activities would help develop students' communication skills- a critical component of counseling education that is lacking in traditional e-learning platforms. According to the study, "3D virtual environments such as Second Life offer counseling educators the opportunity to provide immersive simulated environments for their students to develop and practice their skills. By using Second Life, instructors are able to create learning activities which emulate learning experiences that students may have otherwise only had by means of face-to-face interaction."

Learning activities included the creation of virtual counseling facilities and avatars acting as mentally-ill patients that students could counsel virtually. The facility had three floors and numerous counseling rooms that were appropriately outfitted with couches, chairs and even decorative art on the walls.

Most of the students participating in the research study believed that the coursework was equal to that of a brick and mortar classroom, and many appreciated the real-time counseling exercises that allowed them to "treat" patients in a virtual classroom setting. Interestingly, many of the participating students did not feel that using the 3D environment dramatically improved their learning experience, yet one participating student stated that "the abilities to gesture, communicate, and to take on a character and simulating the clinical setting were very helpful and have great potential."

The Future of vLearning in Higher Education

As students become more and more technologically advanced and dependent on computers, Annetta predicts that vLearning will become a mainstream method of delivering postsecondary courses and earning degrees. In fact, he believes that those in the millennial generation will prefer vLearning environments to brick and mortar classrooms.

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