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More flat rate conference call

2008-06-14T10:21:00.004-07:00

Two years ago, flat rate conference call was nothing but a pipe dream. Today, it is a reality. In fact, an increasing number of companies are providing flat rate services since the competition is more fierce than ever before. As a customer, this provides some great advantages for you.

The Internet has brought all of us a variety of great benefits. It has become a new form of media that rivals television. Advertising on the Internet is now a must for business owners who want to run successful advertising campaigns.

The opportunities for doing business with people all over the world in ways no one thought was possible is one of the greatest benefits. It brings people closer together. The Internet allows us to connect to people in other countries as if they were our next door neighbors.

In this article, I am going to help you explore the many ways in which we are able to connect to other people on the web and how that interconnectivity can be used to help your business save time and money.

Early communication on the web was mostly by email. People sent emails back and forth with people around the world. Then along came the chatrooms where people could chat in real-time. The instant messengers also came along to offer real-time chat and millions of people began chatting to each other daily across the world.

However, instant messengers, chatrooms, and email are not exactly the communications solutions business owners needed. Conference calling over the Internet provides that solution like nothing else can.

Conference calling is a very broad term though. It is used to describe a variety of services that all qualify as conference calling, but not all are equal. There are a lot of different options and choices to make when choosing conference calling for your business.

This can save your company a fortune in travel and accommodations for meetings that can be held online instead of the more expensive method of traveling to destinations and holding meetings in person. Also time is a huge factor. Your need for a meeting may be urgent. You may have no time to make travel arrangements to hold that meeting. Conference call meetings can be set up on the fly.

There are monthly services that range from connecting a few people several times per month for as low as $30 per month, to medium range services that connect more people for $80 to $100 per month, to services that connect a lot of people for regular meetings for $150 per month and above.

It all depends on your needs. The best conference call services offer a variety of plans to help you choose the one that is right for your business. Some have live operators to facilitate calls. Some guarantee your sound quality, some dont.

Some conference calling plans include the ability to schedule regular meetings each week or each month, where it automatically calls all of the participants at the right time to join them into the meeting.

Many companies hold daily staff meetings by conference call. If your business has many locations across the country or worldwide, then you need to consider how much time and money conference calling can save your company.

Do not just consider price as the deciding factor for choosing a conference calling service. Remember how much conference calling is saving you and your company. I am not saying you must get the most expensive service out there, but you need to consider all of the options the different services have to offer.

For instance, a live operator to connect the calls can save you a lot of time and hassle. If there are problems connecting or with the audio or video feed, there is someone that can fix the problem without you having to cancel an important meeting.

Audio and video quality are huge items to consider. The better your audio and/or video feed will be the difference between a successful meeting or a miserable one.

The ability to set up a conference call meeting on the fly is another important option to consider. It is very convenient to be able to call a meeting wheneve3r you think one is needed VS using a conference calling service that only allows you a set schedule you give them each month.

The bottom line is this; Decide what your needs are. Decide which meetings can be held online VS being there in person. Once you establish your needs, then shop around and look at the various options that are available from conference call providers, before you make your decision.

More international conference call

2008-06-14T10:21:00.003-07:00

If you are about to close a big deal, but don't want to hop on an airplane to get the job done, and international conference call might be the perfect solution for you. Here's a few pointers to help get you started.

So you’re in business. Whether it is micro, small, medium, or enterprise; you know the one key element you need to succeed in your business … sales.

Now, you have studied and learned many practices on succeeding in your arena, but there may be something still overlooked. You most undoubtedly have strained to learn every technique possible to gain the competitive advantage for ultimate return on your investment. What you may be missing out on is what you use to communicate during your sales process, more specifically; what communication products you currently use to implement your suave techniques of sale persuasion.

Recently a client in Florida phoned me requesting a way to consult with a large potential client and his peers overseas in Africa via telephone. He was a well traveled business man and was used to flying over to leads himself, but he thought he might try something new, something with less overhead; after all, it was still just a potential client. Well that request was a no brainer for me when I talked to him. I automatically suggested conference calling.

He was a little skeptical of using conference calling in place of face to face until I mentioned one of the conference calling services we offered. Being he had many international business leads and clients I mentioned CogniConference which offers toll-free conference calling from over 50 countries. He saw the opportunity the service presented and signed up right after we hung up with one another.

It was only two weeks later that he called our office to rave how wonderful the service was, and how if it wasn’t for the international conference calling he would have never closed the Africa based client, a 4.5 million dollar deal! Expenses totaled under $200.00, a fraction of the cost of just one plane ticket alone.

How exactly did conference calling help save the day? Well, beyond increasing ROI and reducing CPL (Cost Per Lead) by saving on travel and lodging expenses, he leveraged a telecommunications product to warm up his potential client that ultimately closed the multi million dollar deal. He showed them that they were important enough to be given a free way to discuss business with his company across the entire globe. Needless to say, to this day he uses conference calling for his international leads.

Not in all cases, but in many, it is the options your leads and clients have to contact you that can make or break the initial beginning of a sales process. To convey you care about your client and not just their business may not always be as simple as using a communications service, but there are many services out there that can provide the additional morale boost and incentive your clients may need to get into their comfort buying zone.

An example where you might not want to offer toll free conferencing might be if your business is MLM or Network Marketing. Example: Perhaps your offer is good and was advertised well .You might not be interested in paying more money just for the curious. In other words you might want to only attract the “serious ready to go” individuals. The use of a non toll free conferencing solution might make the better option. You’re saying to your leads, “I am giving you an opportunity to learn more about this offer in a group environment, but I need to see your level of dedication.” That level of dedication being the willingness to pay a little out of their own pocket to learn more about your opportunity. It can be a great prescreening tool on who will be effective in the future for your marketing team.

All in all, information is key in virtually all sales processes. Conference calling gives you the ability to get all of your knowledgeable personnel in on the sales call to get questions answered at the most vital point of contact. You may only get one chance to prove your case to win over that client and the voice conversation is your biggest chance over most any other method to win that prized sale. The personal approach is a big winner, ask any successful salesperson and they will agree.

Conferencing is the one tool specified in this article, but of course, it isn’t the one and only solution. You might just need an unlimited long distance calling plan to do cold calling. Maybe you need a catchy 800 number for advertising and taking in leads. Perhaps you need toll free forwarding to spare your potential client the hassle of leaving a message and playing phone tag. Whatever it is, you might just realize that telecommunications is very much apart of your selling process as is your breath to carry your voice. Be creative in meeting the needs of those who may become your customers as well as in reducing the costs to do so.

In closing, the lesson is very general here aside from conference calling benefits. How do you want your company viewed in the eyes of your future clients? Whether it’s how you’re dressed or what joke you use, be thoughtful of customers needs in advance and plan ahead to leverage your selling power, because as you already know … selling is business.

This article was written by Aaron Siegel of TopSavings.Net which provides online consultive services for communications for home and business.

More conference call service

2008-06-14T10:21:00.001-07:00

With the flood of conference call service companies that have entered the market recently, the competition is fierce! Everyone is trying to sway you to use their services for your next event. While it is true that conference call services can save you a lot of time and money, there are several things to consider.

Conference calls have become the new way to have conversations with more than one person at a time when needed. Conference calls pricing, however, can range from a small amount for three-way calling to a large amount for adding in phone lines that can be connected to each other for conference calls.

Many businesses require conference calls to make sure that things are running smoothly, while some people would simply like them so they can talk to their loved ones at the same time. Certain companies now contain conference call plans in their standard offers.

The top three affordable conference calls companies in conference call plans today are TeleCHOICE, Global Conference and conference bridges. These three companies offer competitive prices for people who need to add the ability to add a conference call to their current plans.

Typically, phone companies offer three-way calling with a connection fee of seventy-five cents to connect the third person to the initial conversation. While this doesn’t sound that expensive, if either of the parties you call are long distance, this can add quite a bit to your bill.

TeleCHOICE offers affordable conference calls for six cents a minute, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This can greatly lessen the costs of adding another person to your conversations, and adds the fun of being able to talk about things together in a group. Global Conference and conference bridges offer the ease of conference calling with a promise that your contract with them is not a binding one and you will be able to cancel your plan at any time.

Instead of having to call one person to talk, then another, and another, using a conference call will help cut down on the amount of time that you’re on the telephone. Using a conference call will also cost less in the end, especially if the people you want to call are all long distance or internationally located.

If you have loved ones overseas due to the military or a job and you have family who are local that would like to speak with them as well, a conference call can make everything easier. You or your loved one can make the initial call and then you can connect everyone else via a conference call. It will make things more time and cost efficient in the end.

More conference call recording

2008-06-14T10:20:00.001-07:00

Conference call recording can be an absolute nightmare if not done correctly. Imagine losing a 60 minute conference call because the audio recording didn't turn out. It is a cricital piece of the puzzle that many people overlook to neglect until it's too late.

Some people who use audio conferencing for personal or non-formal meetings do not need to engage the services of professional audio conferencing service providers. There are many services available via chat services. Some can be obtained for free if all users are using the same chat service, like Skype, Hotmail Messenger or Yahoo Messenger, just to name a few. However, if you wish to make calls from your computer to a landline or mobile phone then you would need to purchase an online calling card, which are available at affordable prices, and there are many providers to choose from.

The above options may not be the best, if other facilities are needed. They may lack the vital information that you require for work or reporting purposes. This is when professional services provider are highly desirable. Some of the extra services that service providers offer include call recording (where the entire conference will be recorded for the benefit all those who cannot attend), call recording playback, live queued question and answer program, online call scheduler, permission-based users (where access is allowed to people selected by the user to access their account), online billing account, call record history and other services which you may require.

Audio conferencing service providers can also provide similar services, like the conventional conference or exhibition service providers, who can take care of the entire organization of the conference, from sending invitations to the participants, informing the participants on how to go about using audio conferencing, preparing welcome speeches with the help of an emcee, coordinating the arrival of the participants and also arranging for hold music if an interval is necessary.

The services for audio conferences can also be custom-made to suit the needs of the individual or the company. This is a very cost-effective and innovative method of organizing conferences and meetings. This could be the number one choice for conferencing methods in years to come!

more unlimited confrennce call information

2008-06-14T10:19:00.002-07:00

Unlimited conference calls. Does this really exist? Well, believe it or not, there are services out there that will give you unlimited calling, free trials and a host of other "bribes" just to get you to try their services.

There are many consumer products that we are allowed to try out before purchasing. We test drive cars, we try on clothing and footwear, and we can even taste small samples of food at the grocery store. So why not do the same for conference calling solutions?

Fortunately, most conference call services provide a free trial for their services. Many others provide demos. However, there's really no substitute for using a service as you would in an actual business setting.

One thing to be aware of is that many of the free trial conference calls require that you provide your credit card information when signing up for the free trial. They will not charge your card during the free conference call trial period. However, you then will need to cancel your subscription before the trial period expires or your card will be charged for the next billing cycle of the conference call service. This usually isn't a problem provided you remember to cancel the service if you don't wish to become a long-term subscriber.

Once subscribed to the free trial conference call service, you should take advantage of the opportunity. Put the conference calling service through its paces. Spend some time on the vendor's Website learning about the features of the service. Then recruit some participants from your organization to help evaluate the service by taking part in a conference call.

It helps to have a checklist of the features you want to test out. If the service allows you to share applications over the Web, then make sure that the participants are set up for this. Make note of how intuitive the user interface and instructions for using the service are.

Also observe how responsive the data stream is, especially if using video as part of the conferencing service. Of course a great deal depends on the bandwidth of your connection to the Internet, but the load on the conferencing service's servers will also influence responsiveness. Time of day and demand will also impact throughput.

In order to keep things manageable you should probably take on one free trial conference call evaluation at a time. It may prove helpful to setup several conference call sessions with each service to get used to the service and try out all of its features. Of course, if after the first session you realize that the service just won't work for you, then by all means, cancel your free trial and move on to the next free trial conference call evaluation.

As more businesses look to increase opportunities for collaboration with employees and partners and to better connect with prospects and customers, they will be turning to conferencing solutions. It pays to make the investment in time and effort to evaluate potential conferencing solutions. The service provider offers the free trial conference call, but it's up to you to take advantage of it.

More set up a conference call

2008-06-14T10:19:00.001-07:00

Although it seems rather easy to set up a conference call, there are many things that you must consider first. In fact, many of the things that you'll read about here are not discussed often. Before you book your next conference call, consider this...

The multitude of users of conference calling services makes it apparent that it is one of the favored means of communication in the business world to date. Companies consider it more cost-efficient, less taxing on the company's time and personnel, and more effective in fostering business relations in the international scene.

Like all good things, however, conference calling has several limitations. While the numerous positive aspects of conference calling are highly publicized, the limitations are hardly visible.

The most obvious limitation of conference calling is the speed with which it is developed in some countries and the delay in others. Conference calling now largely involves video and data as well as audio conferencing and makes use of highly advanced equipment to deliver these new and improved services to subscribers. The problem with this lies in the availability of these equipments for the world's majority. Attendance and participation in conferences may now be limited by the fact that potential delegates in areas where the necessary equipment and technological advancement has not yet arrived may not be able to participate at all.

Another limitation is the lack of any set standard for conference calling protocols. Certain measures for order and smooth progress have been set for face-to-face conferences and meetings. For conference calls, no such measures exist. The normal etiquette and standard of behavior necessary is necessary even in these types of conferences to make sure that it would not totally remove the aspect of interpersonal relations in business dealings.

Last, but definitely no less important, is the instances of low security and lack of proper billing standard provided to the clients availing of conference calling services. These conferences are recorded, and the clients should have control over the contents of their conferences. Likewise, they should be properly informed of the breakdown of the costs they have to pay for these services.

From this it is apparent that there is a negative side to conference calling. It is up to a potential user, therefore, to weigh the pros and cons of using conference calls before availing of a particular service.

Small Business Telephone System with VoIP

2008-06-14T10:17:00.001-07:00

Moving your small business telephone system over to VoIP requires some pre-planning and consultation with an Internet provider. However, by insuring that you have the proper bandwidth, switches, and media gateway, your move to VoIP can be done quickly.

If you are changing your small business telephone system from a traditional dedicated fixed landline to the newer VoIP technology, there are some things you need to have in place to change successfully.

1. Internet Connection

To route your calls over the Internet instead of over the existing telephone fixed landlines, you need to have a powerful Internet connection and equipment to connect and communicate with.

If your small business is using a DSL or cable modem for your Internet connectivity, you need to research the bandwidth needed for of VoIP communications (Voice over Internet Protocol).

If you are one of 1-2 employees, then DSL or cable should work fine to meet your needs. DSL and cable modems are not ideal for VoIP, but they do work acceptably well for a very small office of just one or two people.

If your office grows to more than 2 users, your small business telephone system needs to grow also. It is time to consider a more robust Internet connection.

The standard DSL and cable modems offer you a quicker download than upload speed. This generally works fine for general computer usage, but it won't work so well for voice communication.

So, you will need to make sure that your Internet connection can support both the upload and download speeds that you need to have clear and consistent voice communication.

2. How Much Bandwidth?

The industry standard is enough bandwidth for about 1/3 rd of your employees to be on the telephone at the same time ... so if you have 30 lines, you should then have enough bandwidth for 10 to be used at any one time. With a business of this size, your small business telephone system will usually require a T1 connection to the Internet.

One of the best things you can do is to work with a provider who can support both your VoIP and Internet connection needs. This will insure that you have the bandwidth necessary to get both your calls and data needs taken care of.

3. Hub vs. Switch

In addition to bandwidth to the Internet, internally you should be using switches on your network rather than hubs. While hubs are fine for electronic data transmission, the transmission of voice over your network necessitates the need for switches to be used.

4. Media Gateways

If you already have a small business telephone system in place, such as a small PBX system, you can purchase a device called a "media gateway" to connect your existing phone system to the Internet without having to replace all of your phones and equipment.

This will save you money from the equipment that would have to be replaced to upgrade to VoIP services.

Moving your small business telephone system over to VoIP requires some pre-planning and consultation with an Internet provider. An experienced provider can offer the equipment and the know-how to make your move to VoIP quickly and without any inconvenience for your employees.

Office Phone Systems Utilizing VoIP Technology Revitalizes Operation of Small Businesses

2008-06-14T10:16:00.004-07:00

Small businesses must stay ahead off the technology curve to compete with bigger firms. To that end, an Internet based office phone system has many advantages.

For small businesses, one of the biggest challenges can be competing with the larger firms fighting for the same market. With limited resources and space, a small business must find economical and efficient ways to make up for their lack of size.

Traditionally, one of the biggest selling points for using a small enterprise is the relative ease with which the consumer can connect with the business, getting around the bureaucratic mess associated with larger offices. The easiest way to streamline a small enterprise and still stay connected to the consumer is through a creatively designed small business telephone system.

One of the newest and most exciting developments in office phone systems over the last ten years has been the creation and growth of the VoIP industry. VoIP or "Voice over Internet Protocol", is a revolutionary plug and play phone system that allows users to make phones calls over the Internet, either to other Voice over Internet Protocol users or users to traditional landlines. With the changes in technology, Voice over Internet Protocol offers an economical phone service at a sound quality level equal to or surpassing traditional landline services. There are many, many benefits of VoIP that make it the perfect fit for growing enterprises on the move.

While VoIP may sound daunting to those only familiar with the traditional landline system, the set-up of small business telephone system using VoIP is safe and easy. VoIP relies upon existing Internet connections that require no additional installation. Using the same system that you use to reach the Internet or access email, an enterprise can now make both long distance and local calls with relative ease. Even the enterprise already using a traditional landline phone system can make the switch to VoIP with little upgrades that will use their existing phone lines to connect to the on-line calling system.

Another benefit of using Voice over Internet Protocol in your office phone system is the ease of upgrades. While more complex traditional systems might require an extensive remodel of the office layout and the actual phone lines themselves, a Voice over Internet Protocol upgrade can be as simple and easy as a software update. Likewise, with the ease of upgrades, VoIP is better suited to deal with the changing needs of businesses.

As technology changes, the small enterprises will be on the cusp of these developments as they happen. Any day now, a piece of technology could come along revolutionize how offices function in the same way that the fax machine or computer changed businesses of the past. Unlike larger corporations, the small business using a VoIP phone system will be able to change their entire phone system with relatively little downtime, adapting to whatever new technology is developed.

Likewise, since VoIP uses the Internet already, it is far easier to integrate other technologies into phone calls without having to create a complex and convoluted hodgepodge of technologies. Your Voice over Internet Protocol provider can help integrate a service like video conference calling directly into your new small business telephone system.

By consulting an experienced office phone system expert, you can weigh the costs of different packages and decide which system will best suit your needs for today and the years to come.

A brief introduction to VoIP

2008-06-14T10:16:00.003-07:00

t a very basic level it is the idea of using a data network to transfer voice between two points. Although voip has become a buzz word in recent years has it origins as far back as the early 1970s. The pioneering work of Danny Cohen at the University of Southern California.

VoIP stand for Voice-over-Internet protocol. At a very basic level it is the idea of using a data network to transfer voice between two points. Although voip has become a buzz word in recent years has it origins as far back as the early 1970s. The pioneering work of Danny Cohen at the University of Southern California first tested the Network Voice Protocol (NVP) in December 1973.

Although voip seems to imply that it can only carry voice across the network the reality is that voip can be used to communicate voice, data and video across the network if the software and hardware is in place.

Voip works by taking the voice and sampling it. Most of us have recorded our voice to a digital device be it a computer, a mobile phone or a digital dictaphone. You can even get applications for iPODs to record your voice. The voice samples are converted into data and then stored on the device to be played back at a later date. Voip works in the same way, taking the voice, sampling it and converting it into binary data. The different is that data isn’t stored locally but the samples are transferred them via the network to the recipient at the other end.

In order for the data to flow smoothly from one point to the other the samples are compressed with a CODEC and sliced into packets or smaller samples. These packets are then pulsed across the network and reassembled at the other end, decompressed and played backed. The whole process is so quick that the users do not notice the process taking place. If the process does become slowed down then jitter can take place. The voice or video then becomes choppy or glitch ridden. In order to over come the problem a fast Ethernet network dedicated to voip improves the flow of data.

There are two major types of equipment used for voip transmissions. The first is the soft phone, this is a system that utilizes a computer with the addition of a microphone and either headphones or speakers. The computer has software installed that acts as the gateway to the network providing the sampling, CODECS and the steaming of the data.

The vast majority of Skype customers use the soft phone route when accessing the service. Although Skype does provide handsets these are still pseudo soft phones as Skype cannot be used with voip analogue telephone adapters (ATAs) and therefore they are restricted to the Skype network.

The other devices for using a voip network are unsurprisingly called hard phones. These are stand alone devices that look like a regular phone but instead of a phone jack they have an internet cable that can be plugged directly into the network.

The advantages for a business in installing a converged voip network are that by using a single network for all communication the maintenance and deployment costs are keep controlled. In order to set up a voip network you will need to find a secure voip provider who will be able to install and run a fast Ethernet network.

There are various Ethernet solutions and Ethernet connections in the market place. Interoute have the largest single pan-European network for voip provision and work for a variety of European governments in providing their voip services.

The Appeal of Using VOIP at home

2008-06-14T10:16:00.001-07:00

The promise of voip is hugely enticing to the home consumer. The allure of extremely low cost or completely free phone calls across an IP network is a god send in these money tight times.

The promise of voip is hugely enticing to the home consumer. The allure of extremely low cost or completely free phone calls across an IP network is a god send in these money tight times.

I have often wondered if the hype surrounding the voip revolution was just that, hype. It seemed as if the initial buzz that surrounded the first general availability of voip systems wasn’t matched by the technology. I guess the initial problem was that the majority of home network connections were not fast enough to get the system to work effectively. The rapid growth in home broadband means that this hurdle has been removed.

Now with a decent PC some voip software, a set of speaker and a microphone the world of voip phone calls is at the finger tips of most consumers.

What are the advantages of VOIP over the traditional route of landline and mobile phones?

• Cost – Making calls using a voip system dramatically reduces or completely removes the cost of making calls between two PCs. If you are using the same system between you then the calls could be completely free. Long distance and internet calls are also greatly reduced.

• Video – Many voip providers allow you to send moving images at the same time. This means with a webcam attached you can have video calling for less than a mobile phone call. Image the calling you parents on the other side of the world to show them their new grandchild. Voip could open up a completely new vista for personal communication.

• Portability – As the voip connection is via the software on your computer it is as portable as the device it is installed on. With a laptop you can take you cheap phone calls with you as long as you can get access to a decent fast internet network. It sure beats the cost of mobile phone call abroad.

• Value Added Service – Most voip providers offer voice mail, conference calling, call forwarding, call waiting, caller ID and more advance telephone services. You can make your voip experience as bespoke as you need. You can set the system up to email you or send an SMS when you miss a call.

If you have a fast ethernet network connection and a degree of understanding about technology then it is now so easy to install voip. For the cost of headset and a webcam you could be talking with family members and friends in different cities and countries for a fraction of the cost that you currently incur. Seek out a good voip provider that won’t tie you into a long contract and will allow you to upgrade your system to a voip phone system at a later date.

VoIP Business Phone Systems Reduce Your Telecommunications Costs

2008-06-14T10:15:00.001-07:00

Business VoIP, Voice over Internet Protocol, has completely changed business phone system technology.

Business VoIP, Voice over Internet Protocol, has completely changed business phone system technology. Businesses are reducing costs using VoIP, improving customer service while gaining access to features and applications that increase worker productivity. The best business phone systems can stand the test of time and grow with your business needs. A business VoIP phone system is a long term asset that should serve your business for many years.
Purchasing the wrong business phone system can be a costly mistake. It can mean high levels of maintenance, service calls, and hardware that becomes obsolete in a couple of years. Service interruption alone can cost a business that relies on customer phone calls a tremendous amount of money. Most businesses spend a lot of time and money trying to get people to call so it is very important that those calls are handled with the utmost care. If they’re not, prospective customers are lost, profits are lost, and the business will suffer. It is important to have a reliable business phone system, skilled receptionists, and a voicemail system that works.

When a business decides to make the change to VoIP, professional help is needed all along the way from purchase to installation and administration to ensure a seamless transition to a new phone system. Important features such as call recording, call monitoring, call transfer, conference, hold, and access to the voicemail system must be considered. The business VoIP phone system that you choose should be designed for many years of quality service.

With VoIP service, phone calls travel over the internet as data just like e-mail does. A VoIP Business phone system can dramatically lower your telecommunications costs while increasing worker productivity. A recent survey estimated that the increased productivity, enabled by business VoIP, added up to 3.9 hours per week, per employee.

VoIP technology also provides useful features and capabilities that a conventional phone system can't offer. VoIP service makes your phone system highly flexible, you can use your VoIP phone system anywhere there is a broadband connection. Many business VoIP systems include telephony software that enables you to send and receive calls using a headphone/microphone unit connected to your laptop. Many VoIP services allow you to have voice mail and faxes automatically forwarded to your regular e-mail inbox. Your phone number can have any available area code, not just the one assigned to your region which is a plus if your business is located in one city and your customers are in another.

No matter what size your business is, VoIP is a surprisingly flexible, affordable technology. Nationally recognized as a leader in the field of business VoIP phone systems Cross Telecom (www.crosstelecom.com is uniquely equipped to develop your communications plan from start to finish.

What's The Story With VoIP?

2008-06-14T10:13:00.002-07:00

Unless you've been residing in a cave for the last few years, you've probably at least heard the word "VoIP" even if you didn't understand what all the excitement is about.

VoIP stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol" and it's going to change the way you think about making long distance phone calls. Basically, VoIP technology turns analog audio signals (like the sounds you hear when talking on your regular telephone) into a digital signal (which is then transmitted over the Internet.) And so why is VoIP revolutionizing the industry? Because it means that by acquiring your hands on some of the free software that's available right now, you can completely bypass your telephone company, and start making long distance phone calls for free!

Here's what's got the phone companys buzzing: This revolutionary technology has the ability to totally change the phone system of the entire world! Maybe you've seen television commercials for one of the pioneers of VoIP - Vonage. Vonage brands itself as the "broadband telephone company", and offers enticing perks to customers who switch to its service, like low-cost 800 numbers, very cheap international rates (fees are waived from the American to Canada, and how about .03 cents a minute to call Paris?) But Vonage isn't the only company who is interested. AT&T is setting up VoIP calling in several areas of the United States and there are other major players on the scene as well, such as Skype, who is relying on viral advertising to get the word out.

One of the really interesting thing about VoIP is that there's not just one way to make a call. There are actually three:

ATA - is the most normally used VoIP method right now. Using the ATA (analog telephone adaptor), you connect your regular telephone to your computer or Internet connection. The ATA is an analog-to-digital converter and it takes the analog signal from your phone and converts it into digital data and transmits it over the Internet.

This is how Vonage does it, and AT&T 's CallVantage will be doing it. The ATA is free with their services. And utilizing an ATA is so simple that anyone can do it. Open the box, plug the cable from your phone into the ATA instead of the wall socket, and you're set. Depending on your computer, and where you live, and what type of Internet connection you have, you might have to also install the software onto your computer, but even my grandmother knows how to do that these days.

IP Phones - They look just like the phones we're used to. They have a handset, cradles and buttons. But an IP phones use an RJ-45 Ethernet connector instead of the standard RJ-11 phone connectors. It connect directly to your router and all the hardware and software is already built inside to handle your IP calls. Look for Wi-Fi IP phones to be available in the near future, which will allow you to make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fi spot. (Can you see the power of that? Just take your IP phone with you when you travel, and stop in at any Internet cafÃ©, hotel or other location where you can use your Wi-Fi laptop, and you can "phone home" wherever home happens to be!

Computer-to-Computer. This is arguably the easiest way to use VoIP. Not only do you not have to pay for long distance calls, there are several companies that are offering free or low-cost software right now for you to make use of the VoIP technology. All you need is the software, a microphone, speakers a sound card and a broadband or cable DSL Internet connection, and your loved ones sound as if they're in the next room. And, except for your normal monthly ISP fee, there is no charge for any computer-to-computer callâ€¦no matter how far.

And guess what? Chances are, you've already been using the VoIP technology without even being aware of it, any time you've made a long distance telephone call recently. Many of the major phone companies are already using VoIP technology to reduce their own bandwidth . It's a simple matter of routing thousands of phone calls through a circuit switch and into an IP gateway. When received on the other side of the gateway, the calls are decompressed, reassembled and routed back to a local circuit switch.

IP telephony is the wave of the future. It makes sense in terms of ROI, from both an economic and infrastructure point of view. It may take some time, but eventually all of the current circuit-switched networks that are in use in todays world will be replaced by packet-switching technology. More and more businesses are already installing VoIP systems. And as the technology makes our way into our everyday language our lives, and our homes, it will continue to grow in popularity.

According to Forrester Research, they predict that nearly 5 million U.S. households will have VoIP phone service by the end of 2006. The 2 biggest advantages for home users so far are price and flexibility.

There are some advanced features that make VoIP something worth looking into. With some carriers, professional people can set up call-filtering options, and actually have some control over how calls from certain numbers could be handled. For example, you can: Â· Forward the call to a particular number Â· Send the call directly to voicemail Â· Give the caller a busy signal Â· Play a "not in service" message Â· Send the caller to a funny rejection hotline

With most VoIP services, you can also check your voice mail on the Internet, or attach messages to an reach that is sent directly to your computer or handheld. (By the way, if you're interested in any of these features, not all VoIP companies are created equal, so do a little shopping around first, because prices and services do vary).

The 2nd benefit that makes VoIP so attractive for home and small business users is the flexibility. Using VoIP you can make a call anywhere you can get broadband connectivity. Since the IP phones or ATAs broadcast information over the Internet, they can be administered by any provider. For business travelers, this means they can take their phone or ATA with them on the road, and never miss a home phone call!

In a way, VoIP is just a "better mousetrap." But it looks like it's one mousetrap that's here to stay.

VoIP - A Closer Look At Choosing An Internet Phone Service

2008-06-14T10:13:00.001-07:00

Voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP) services are certainly becoming more and more popular and for the most part it's because they are a quality alternative to traditional landline and cell phone based calling plans. I'm no prophet but the future of the technology and how people make phone calls is definitely pointing towards VoIP.

As is the case with most new technologies trying to decipher through all the hype and claims is a daunting task indeed and with companies popping up left and right to grab their share of this ever increasing pie, it gets more challenging by the day.

So what do you do? Well, on the positive side, virtually all of these new web-based phone services (VoIP) are packed with features, including unlimited local and long-distance calls and yet, they cost less than most traditional plans. Another plus is how simple they are to set up. Most simply require that you plug your regular phone into an adapter connected to your computer.

Of course, what is and what isn't essential in any plan is debatable but a few "essentials" you may want to consider when choosing which VoIP provider to go with are outlined below.

Connection Compatibility
One of the few VoIP requirements is a high speed connection but with the ever expanding reach of broadband into all parts of the country access to a high speed connection is no longer restricted to just the major metropolitan areas. That being said, all high speed connections don't provide enough performance to handle IP calls, so before you start researching different service plans you should take a look at Test Your VoIP (http://www.testyourvoip.com) to see if your connection is up to snuff. The test is free and it should take less than 30 seconds.

Assess Your Calling Needs
You need to ask yourself a few questions before you go out and select a provider because if you don't know what you're looking for it's pretty difficult to find it. A few questions you should consider are: What do you want most out of your phone provider? Are you looking to just cut costs?

A basic plan that offers a bunch of long-distance minutes is extremely inexpensive and if that's all you care about perhaps that's the route you should take. On the other hand, if you want business flexibility you should consider a small business package that costs more, but adds services like conferencing, a separate fax line, even an 800 number.

Want to take it on the road? Vonage (http://www.vonage.com) and others offer "soft phone" services, which let you make and receive calls on your PC. Another option to consider is where you place the most calls. If you make a ton of international calls, you might want to consider one of the smaller players like Lingo (http://www.lingo.com), Broadvoice (http://www.broadvoice.com) or CingUCel (http://www.cingucell.com) that offer unlimited dialing to select countries. Another nice VoIP feature is that most providers treat calls to Canada as domestic long distance. Determine where you call the most and then match the most appropriate service to your needs.

Feature Comparison
Virtually all VoIP service packages will exceed the minimal call waiting and voice mail bundles of traditional phone services. One example, CallVantage (http://www.usa.att.com/callvantage/index.jsp?) from AT&T may cost a bit more than some but it includes a useful call forwarding capability that will try to find you by ringing up to five different phone numbers when you aren't home.

You'll have to decide after shopping around whether you feel comfortable going with one of the smaller startups or if you should stick with one of the big players. With the big players you'll usually pay $5 or $10 more per month more for the "peace of mind" of a well-known brand name like AT&T or Vonage (http://www.vonage.com) which are currently the two largest VoIP providers in the market.

Verizon VoiceWing (http://www22.verizon.com) is fairly new to this ever increasing niche but with its merger with MCI it operates under one of the biggest brands in the telephony world. Once again, it's clearly up to you and your comfort level but if a service has fewer than 100,000 subscribers, you may want to look closely before jumping in.

Cold Turkey
Like all new technology VoIP continues to improve and the result is better call quality and service levels but switching cold turkey may not be the best idea. With many providers offering 30-day money back guarantees (always read the terms carefully) you can test the waters and ease into the transition. Initially, you may want to consider switching to VoIP on a second line and then, if you're happy, make the full transition.

This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Questions And Answers On VoIP Phone Service

2008-06-14T10:12:00.004-07:00

What is VoIP phone service?

VoIP phone services let you replace your traditional landline phone with one that connects over the Internet. Today, your phone works on what is called the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a private network that reaches into your home through the standard phone jacks in the wall.

With VoIP services, your phone connects to the Internet over your cable or DSL modem. To do this, VoIP service providers bundle a small device, called a telephony adapter that plugs into the broadband modem and translates the electrical pulses from your phone into IP packets that travel over the Internet. The way you use your phone is the same, even though the network underneath changes.

What makes it so popular?
What made VoIp phone service gain so much attention is MONEY. Internet telephony is cheap. A local and long distance dialling package can cost as little as $19.95 a month. You wonâ€™t find any mainstream, traditional calling plans that meet these rates.

What do you need?
To set up your VoIP, you just first need a reliable broadband Internet connection. If your cable or DSL service cuts out even occasionally, you need to stay away from VoIP services. Every time your Internet access hiccups, so will your phone service.

Second, you will need to install the telephony adapter (TA), which comes with the service. Using a standard phone jack, you can plug your existing home phone into the TA, and then plug the TA into your cable or DSL modem using a standard network cable.

Who should you sign up with?
To answer the question of to whom you should sign up with, many providers offer limited national coverage, so the first order of business is to hunt down a provider that offers local area codes and phone numbers in your location. For example, Iâ€™m a big fun of AT&Tâ€™s CallVantage, but the service lacks 802 area codes for Vermont. So I will use Vonage.

You should also consider up-front cost in the form of activation fees and penalties for disconnecting a service. For instance, Lingo, Packet 8, and VoiceWing, all charge $40 to $60 if you cancel the service within the first 12 months.

How do you know who is reliable?
Brand names like AT&T CallVantage and the new Verizon VoiceWing probably offer the best assurance that the service won't disappear. But there's a parade of VoIP startups, ranging from the well-established Vonage and long-running Packet 8 services, to up-and-coming offerings like Lingo, VoicePulse, and Broadvox. If it's assurance you want, go with the biggest. And right now, the biggest are Vonage and CallVantage.

Another thing to consider is what happens if the VoIP provider goes out of business. Traditional telephone service is highly regulated, but VoIP providers are popping up all over the place in a laissez-faire marketplace. Should your provider go under, it's quite likely you'll lose access to your phone number (in addition to your phone service). There simply isn't a mechanism for recovering from such an issue yet.

What's the best way to switch?

If you're able to, adopt VoIP for a second line, a home office or kids' phone, for example. That way you won't be in deep trouble should the service go south on you. And you'll get a very good feel for all the quirks that Internet phone services can bring. If you are happy with the second line after three months or so, it's probably safe to switch your primary line over.

VOIP against the traditional phone services

2008-06-14T10:12:00.003-07:00

VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) - allows you to make telephone calls using a computer network in very simple way . It converts the voice signal from your telephone into a digital signal thatâ€™s why you can speak to anyone with a regular phone number. You can change the way you think about long-distance phone calls. People generally like to use the new technology because its costs are less than traditional phone Below are listed some of the advantages and disadvantages of using VOIP .

VOIP offers you:
Lower costs per call, especially for long-distance calls VOIP can reduce international call tolls by as much as 40%. You can talk with many people at the same time without any additional cost. The call can be made to a local number, a mobile phone, to a long distance number or an international number â€“ without any additional cost. You can also use services that are not available with a traditional phone â€“ you can send data, like pictures and documents while talking on the phone. As long as you have access to a broadband connection you donâ€™t need to pay for roaming or long distance charges wherever you travel. Thatâ€™s why the VOIP is very important in business. You have also ability to receive internet phone calls anywhere you are, as long as you are accessible to the internet. One of the various advantages is that many services such as caller id, call forwarding, call waiting, three way calling, and voice mail features often come standard with most VOIP plans. Unfortunately I have to report some problem with the integration between VoIP system and Internet. The main problem is as you can imagine voice data communication must be a real time stream (you couldn't speak, wait for many seconds, then hear other side answering) - the risks involved with poor internet connections, lost signals, and dropped data packets. Below are listed of some other problems of using VOIP:

1. Not all VoIP services connect directly to emergency services.

2. The risks involved with poor internet connections, lost signals, and dropped data packets.

3. It only works if your computer is switched on and the VOIP software is running.

4. The other person with whom you are trying to communicate with has to get the same program loaded and running on his computer.

5. Poor quality of the sound- phone calls often have lot of delay with lot of echo.

6. To get lower bandwidth you need additional processing power that makes digital phones more expensive than analog phones.

7. You must have a DSL router or a second computer set up to run a second phone line. With traditional phone services, a phone jack is in almost every room.

Today we can see a real revolution in communication world.. That technology has the potential to completely rework the world's phone systems because the internet has grown very much in the last years and it is free thatâ€™s why could be the right communication media for future. It may be the right solution but it may not be suitable for everyone.

PC To Phone Using (VoIP) With Dial-Up

2008-06-14T10:12:00.001-07:00

Have you heard that you can make phone calls over the internet cheaply? Have you had a chance to try it? Most people that have had a chance to try it have experienced hit or miss quality, dropped calls as well as some speech delays. But there are some steps that you can take to really improve the quality and consistency of you VoIP calls over your internet Connection.

There is a lot of buzz these days around Internet based communication, VoIP, replacing regular/traditional telephone service. Much of the buzz has been created by/around a company called Vonage, whoâ€™s motto is â€œLeading the Internet Phone Revolutionâ€.

Even if you do not have a broadband connection, you can still save a fortune by using VOIP service for long distance calls. A broadband connection will give you more consistent, reliable call quality, but similar results can be obtained using a dial up account if some guidelines are followed.

All VoIP service providers are different, they do not all support dial-up users. Companies such as Vonage happens to be one that backs away from dial up connections. The providers that do support dial up usually only support dial-up above certain speeds. The two most popular companies that do support dial up VoIP are Callserve and Go2Call.

If you close programs that are running in the background, you will get higher call quality. If you are using windows, just right click & close all open non-essential applications that are shown in your taskbar at the bottom right of your screen. If you are using windows XP & there are other users logged on, be sure they log off before trying to make a call.

You also need to be conscience of what you are doing while you are on the call. If you overload the limited data capability your call quality will suffer. Other activities that will compete for bandwith are: Instant Messaging, checking your email, web cameras, surfing the internet or downloading anything.

Scan your system frequently for Viruses and Adware, these programs can tie up your browser and internet connection, slow down your system and affect your call quality.

Make it a habit to scan your system every month so your virus software remains uo to date. McAfee or Nortons are good programs, Spybot â€“ Search & Detroy is good for removing spyware.

Use a headset with a boom microphone and this should eliminate annoying voice echoes often associated with VoIP phone calls. If you use a headset, voice signals are limited in volume and thus the chances of your microphone 're-transmitting' those voice signals is greatly reduced.

So if you have dial up you can still enjoy the cost savings of making PC to VoIP call.

The Basics Of VoIP Devices

2008-06-14T10:11:00.004-07:00

Making long distance phone calls usually means that you have to commit to a long distance carrier through your phone company, and pay often steep per-minute charges and fees just to call a friend or loved one. Often, the cost of the phone call depends on the day and time of the day that you are making it, as well as the location you are calling to. The minutes you talk add up quickly, and the monthly long distance bill can be a shock to your system and your bank account. Fortunately, there is an exciting technology that is gives you the option of saying goodbye to traditional long distance for good. It is VOIP is or Voice Over Internet Protocol, and it's in the process of changing the face of long-distance telephone systems forever.

VOIP works by taking analog audio systems and converting them into digital data, which can be sent over the Internet. This means that your kitchen telephone could possibly become obsolete. It will not be the only place to call friends and family that live far away. VOIP can make your Internet connection, and your home computer, the place that you make your long-distance phone calls - free of charge. Because you use VOIP devices and software that are widely available, the phone company is not involved. No phone company means that there are no hefty long-distance charges for you to pay. VOIP is a convenient and affordable way to keep in touch with those who live far away from you.

There are several types of VOIP devices available that can be used to place calls from your home computer. They are relatively simple to use, and often cost very little, if anything at all, to implement. They are all commonly in use, and each provides a slightly different take on this exciting technology. The most common device used in VOIP service currently is the ATA, or Analog Telephone Adapter. This VOIP device allows you to hook your typical telephone up to your home computer Internet connection. This device converts the analog audio signal from the phone and makes it possible to use over the Internet by converting it to transmittable digital data. The ATA is simple for anyone to use. Just plug the cord from your home phone that would usually go into the wall jack into the ATA, and it is set up for you to call anyone anywhere in the world.

Another type of VOIP device is the IP, or Internet Protocol, phone. An IP phone looks like a regular home telephone, complete with a handset and buttons for dialing. But, rather than having standard phone connectors (RJ-11), an IP phone is equipped with an Ethernet connection (RJ-45). This VOIP device connects to your computer's router, and allows you to make phone calls directly from your home computer, dialing it just like a typical home telephone.

Yet another type of VOIP device is known as computer-to-computer. With this method, long-distance phone calls are made free of charge. All you pay is the monthly ISP fee you are already paying. Many companies offer free or low-price software that you install on your computer. If your computer is equipped with a microphone, PC speakers, and a sound card in addition to your Internet connection, then you will quickly be set up to talk to anyone in the world using VOIP. This is an extremely easy and affordable type of VOIP device that allows you to keep in touch with those far away from you.

As you can see, not only will VOIP change the way you make phone calls forever, but it will save you money as well. Utilizing equipment that the vast majority of us already have in our homes today, VOIP technology provides consumers with easy and affordable options in long distance phone service. With the exception of your current ISP's monthly charges, there is little to no expense at all. And since there are several options of VOIP devices from which you can choose, there is no reason not to consider VOIP as your primary means of making long distance phone calls to far away friends and family.

VoIP - Voice Over Internet Protocol

2008-06-14T10:11:00.003-07:00

Voice over internet protocol or VoIP is beginning to come into itâ€™s own. The promise of cost savings over traditional phone lines is driving this technology into the mainstream. Leveraging your existing broadband connection to save on your monthly phone expense at first glance makes sense. Letâ€™s take a closer look.

First off, can your existing broadband throughput handle the additional strain of digital voice transfer? You can use your favorite search engine (google, msn, yahoo, etc.) and search for â€˜VoIP broadband testâ€™ to get a general idea of the speed of your connection. This is only the first consideration.

How is your existing broadband access coming into your home? If youâ€™re using DSL then using VoIP for your â€˜primaryâ€™ phone line may not be an option. DSL availability without existing phone service is not generally available. You should check with your local phone company before canceling service. You just might end up with no phone service, VoIP or traditional. Check first.

If youâ€™re using cable internet access and your connection speed test looks good, find a VoIP provider that allows for a trial period. You may find a good provider that offers up to 30 days for you to cancel if you are not satisfied with voice quality or service.

A VoIP converter and a router will be required to setup your VoIP service. Your modem would plug into your router. Next your converter plugs into your router and your phone base plugs into your converter. Most normal phones should work fine. There isnâ€™t any â€˜specialâ€™ phone required to use this type of service. The entire process is pretty painless, but if you should run into any issue, your provider should be ready to help.

If youâ€™re looking to leverage your existing broadband internet access to save money on your monthly phone expense, VoIP can be a great option. Just remember to check your connection, check with your local phone provider (for DSL users) and find a provider that offers a money back trial period. This can be a great way to save money, but donâ€™t be pressured before you know the facts. Even if it doesnâ€™t work out for you now, keep your eye on this technology.

The FCC is already involved in the apparent conflict between VoIP service providers and DSL access. E911 service (Enhanced 911 service) is already being mandated and additional steps will be made to bring this technology further into the mainstream. Make no mistake about this technology. It has arrived and is here to stay.

VoIP And Local Telephone Companies

2008-06-14T10:11:00.001-07:00

With VoIP technology entering the mainstream, it brings the possibilities or huge profits for the companies that provide the service. The current promise of cost savings is driving more and more residential and business users to investigate this technology. But the local telephone companies are not going to give up customers without a fight.

There is a current mandate by the US federal government that all VoIP providers offer E911 service. The initial blocking of this information was with the public switched telephone network maintained by the major telephone companies

The next stumbling block is â€˜naked DSLâ€™ or DSL access without local phone service. This service is rare, but without it a residence would not be able to use VoIP as their primary phone service mechanism. You see, DSL is running over your existing phone line provided by your local telephone company. Drop your local phone service and youâ€™ll probably drop your broadband DSL access as well. (Cable broadband access is a viable solution here and the increased cost in cable access should be offset by the reduction on your monthly phone bill)

These are just two fronts in the battle over VoIP. Should companies be compensated for the infrastructures they build? Should E911 service be â€˜freeâ€™ and offered as a public service? What about the existing phone service run into our homes? Who pays for those lines to be laid and hooked into the public switched telephone network?

There really are no easy answers to the questions above. The phone companies are not about to give up customers without a fight. They have years and billions of dollars spent in building one of the most reliable communications networks â€˜currentlyâ€™ known to us.

Is VoIP the next step in the evolving communications industry? How will this play out with phone companies offering internet and TV services and cable providers offering phone and internet service? The line is being blurred and yet the technology pushes forward.

I donâ€™t have the answers, only questions. I know how Iâ€™d like to see it all play out, but alas, there is no Nirvana and no, it would seem we all cannot get along. Not when thereâ€™s literally billions of dollars at stake. There will be winners and losers as this war rages on, but it is my hope that we, the end users, will, in the end, be better for it. After all, weâ€™ve been down this path many times before and itâ€™s turned out ok.

Remember the advent of the PC and where weâ€™ve gone since then? Remember the first bulky cellular phones vs. whatâ€™s available today? Yes, TVâ€™s, radios, computers, phones the list goes on. Technology advances will continue to push us into new directions. Iâ€™m sure that in the end, VoIP will be as commonplace as the home computer.

We can leverage this technology today in a cost effective manner. Like any technology how you implement VoIP will make the difference. Whether youâ€™re a residential or business user, there can be an immediate benefit. Check with your communications broker to find out if your existing phone needs can be met cost effectively with VoIP.

Using VoIP With Your Cell Phone

2008-06-14T10:10:00.004-07:00

Before many of us came to rely on cell phones to make long distance phone calls, our only option was to commit to a long distance phone company. Long distance carriers charged what were at times exorbitant by-the-minute fees to make calls to friends and loved ones often living only a few hours away. When cell phones came into prominence, they brought with them service plans that gave us such luxuries as free night and weekend calling anywhere domestically. Alas, even cell phones had their drawbacks, in that their reception was often broken up, and calls could be dropped unceremoniously. When along came VOIP, a new choice in long distance phone calling was on the horizon. VOIP has many different options, and now it seems that we have the choice of combining VOIP technology with cell phones. The prospect of VOIP cell phone service brings with it the potential for even more freedom and convenience, along with lower prices. Or does it?

Normally, VOIP service is available in three modes: ATA, IP phone, and computer-to-computer. All of these services are common and available for use at your home computer. ATA, or analog telephone adapter, lets you connect your regular home telephone to your computer and use it for VOIP service by converting analog sound bits into digital data. IP, or Internet protocol, phones are telephones that are specially designed for use with VOPI service. These phones look just like a standard home phone, but are wired differently to be VOIP capable. You can have a cordless IP phone that allows you to move freely through your home or office as you talk. Computer-to-computer VOIP is achieved by installing software that you can get through a provider. You make long distance calls from your computer, and talk through a microphone that is hooked up to your machine. All of these services are convenient in their own ways, but do not have quite the portability that cell phones offer. That is why the idea of VOIP cell phones is so appealing. Potentially, it is the best of both worlds: portability and low cost phone service.

Cost savings is by far the most attractive aspect of VOIP. With typical VOIP, you can expect to pay anywhere from $19.95 to $34.99 per month for a service that consists of many features, including free domestic calls, dirt cheap International calling rates, Caller ID, Call Waiting, 3-way Calling, among others. This, of course, is in addition to your current monthly ISP charge, which for broadband is usually around $40 per month. The combined cost for your ISP and VOIP services is likely to still be less expensive than if you were to remain in service with a traditional telephone company. However, this is not necessarily the case if you were to switch your cell phone over to VOIP as well.

Providers that offer VOIP cell phone services usually charge a monthly fee in addition to a per-minute fee. If you don't use your cell phone often enough to meet or exceed your current allotted plan minutes, then it is simply not cost effective for you to subscribe to VOIP cell phone service. VOIP and cell phones go well together for those customers that regularly exceed their plan minutes or make International calls on their cell phone on a regular basis. And, if your Internet connection if prone to outages, you could experience the same dropped call occurrences that you might often get with a standard cell phone service.

There is no doubt that VOIP is a reasonably priced and convenient way to bundle all of you communications together. VOIP service is improving all the time as technologies moves forward, which will allow providers to offer more reliable and even more affordable service down the line. Currently, VOIP cell phone service is in its infancy, and the kinks are being worked out. If you do the math, and feel that your monthly cell phone bill would benefit from a reasonable VOIP service plan, then it is worth the switch. If you do not make International calls on your cell phone, and you rarely or never go over your plan's allotted monthly minutes, then you are probably better off sticking with your traditional cell phone service for now than putting out more money for VOIP cell phone service.

VoIP Phone Systems

2008-06-14T10:10:00.003-07:00

VoIP phone systems are used with Voice over Internet Protocol technology. VoIP is the technology used to transmit audio as data or Packets over the Internet to either a computer user or to a landline telephone. VoIP is increasing in popularity, as it is highly valued for its great quality, low cost, sometimes completely free and has incredible features. VoIP phone systems are a viable solution for business needs as well. This will also allow long distance calls for either free or for just pennies compared to traditional phone services.

You can also use VoIP technology by using Instant Messaging services that have voice options enabled. These include, AOL, Yahoo Messenger with VoiceInstant Messenger, Ebay's Skype, MSN and even Google has started their own VoIP messenger.

When using VoIP services, you can simply use a microphone and speakers to communicate with your caller. You need a High Speed Internet connection to allow for your calls to be in real time, and you will also need a soundboard and computer that is up to date with VoIP technology. You may also need a phone adapter for converting standard telephones into VoIP phones, or a VoIP phone.

VoIP phone system adapters are another means of communicating with VoIP. A VoIP phone adapter will connect between your standard telephones, and your Internet modem. Your phone adapter will come with installation and user instructions. Generally, you will need to power off your computer, then connect the adapter to your Internet modem and then plug your telephone into the adapterâ€™s phone jack. Power everything back up and you should be good to use your phone. You will need to make sure that you have VoIP service previously installed.

You can also purchase a VoIP phone, specifically designed for use with your VoIP service. VoIP phones come in both corded and cordless forms. VoIP corded phones come with many features. You can purchase a desktop phone that includes speaker phone, Call Waiting, Hold, Speed Dial, Transfer, and programmable keys such as Menu, Dial, Volume, Transfer, Cancel, and Headset or Speaker mode.

New 2 line VoIP corded telephone are also available. Some of the features that come with a phone include 3 Way Conferencing, phone to phone/PC or phone to gateway direct dial. These VoIP phone systems are perfect for small businesses or for use in the home office.

VoWiFi is another option which is becoming popular. VoWiFi stands for Voice over Wireless Fidelity. This is the use of VoIP over a wireless connection. A VoWiFi phone operates by using a wireless networkâ€™s access point. The advantages of using VoWiFi, is that you can easily pick up network signals or â€œhotspotsâ€ for free. However, VoWiFi will not work if it is out of a wireless range, and immediately you will be terminated from your call. If you have a wireless network that you are local to, you will find VoWiFi to be a great advantage and extremely cost effective.

Another popular choice in VoIP phones is the cordless VoIP phone. These cordless VoIP phones are not the same as VoIP wireless or VoWi FI phones systems. These phones are similar to cordless standard phones. They will work in your house, but not outside, apart from your basic VoIP service.

Issues with network connectivity has driven the need for Hybrid VoIP phone systems. A hybrid is a cross between a cellular phone and VoWiFi. A Hybrid will place your call when you are in your cellular network range, and then, to prevent roaming charges, can pick up free VoWiFi by entering a hotspot. This is a great combination of two technologies and time will tell where the hybrid phone will evolve in the future.

In conclusion, VoIP is an advancement in telecommunications that is here to stay. Whether you use your computer, and Internet Messaging program, a VoIP phone adapter, VoIP cordless or corded phones, VoWiFi or Hybrids the future points to VoIP as the telecommunication method of choice. Today you can choose from VoIP phones, headsets, and even VoIP videophones that work as a web camera incorporating video with your audio. Talk has become very cheap or even free with VoIP phone systems!

Business VoIP

2008-06-14T10:10:00.001-07:00

Communication is deeply essential in any business, running a business requires for every department to be in constant communication with each other to avoid confusion. Each division has an important role in keeping the business running. Without communication, each one could be operating solely on their own devices and could conflict with the operation of another. That is why successful businesses maintain a high quality telephone system for their communication strategy.

These days, many businesses are choosing to unplug and go with VoIP technology. There are many advantages for using business VoIP including cost effectiveness, greater productivity, and the incorporation of data, audio, and video all intertwined in one program. Here are 4 reasons that your business should make the switch to business VoIP.

* Business VoIP is cost effective
* VoIP is better for Mobile Employees
* Business VoIP allows Real Time Global Conferencing
* VoIP offers Flexibility that Ultimately Increases Productivity

Service providers and carriers that at present manage or are planning to manage both retail and wholesale customers do not have the time and resources to manage multiple network solutions. A lot of them should be familiar with the benefits of an all-in-one solution so they can concentrate their time and resources on increasing their customer base.

Having a good quality business VoIP in the business world is not a problem as long as it suits and satisfies the customer needs. Advertisements and lots of fliers would be a big help for the expansion of the products. Your customer deserves the best.

Voice over internet protocol technologies are scalable to fit any office environment, and can take advantage of a wide range of network infrastructures. With Voice over internet protocol, free your business from the expenses of per-minute long distance charges, paying only for initial equipment and any applicable managed service charges.

If you have had interest in Voice over internet protocol for your business, you have in excess of likely felt a little overwhelmed by the number of VOIP service providers available. You can find small companies, medium size companies and large companies. There is no wrong or right to the conclusion but looking at the options to agree on which VOIP service provider is best for your business is a good way to start.

Voice over internet protocol review provides a number of easy ways to find the best VOIP service for you. To search for residential or small business VoIP in your area:

* You can use the Basic VoIP Search - This is the easiest and quickest line of attack to find service.

* You can use the Advanced VoIP Search Wizard - If there is something specific you are looking for or you want to find the cheapest provider based on your calling minutes, features and number of phone lines.

* You can use the VoIP Comparison Tool - This lets you do a side by side comparison of VOIP Providers all at once.

Here are some ways you should consider on how to maximize business VoIP services which can boost your companyâ€™s performance:

* Learn about security solutions for soft switch deployments.
* Be able to evaluate the confusing selection of opposing technologies that enable VoIP services.
* Marketing strategies supporting both enterprise and consumer VoIP service offerings should also be learned.
* You should learn the different methods of organizing Voice over internet protocol.
* Learning the regulatory issues and likely responses to the burgeoning VoIP service trend should also be observed.
* Learn how the Multimedia IP calling services and applications works, their uses and importance.

Many business VoIP services are fully integrated with PC applications such as fax and email. There is greater productivity when employees can integrate their email and phone services with one application. Conduct business with VoIP on your laptop, any time.

With the option to get business VoIP phone numbers with area codes throughout the country, and some world wide, businesses can expand by choosing local area codes for the city, state, or country they are targeting. Voice over internet protocol is the fastest growing business in the industry and offers big opportunity. VoIP is a flexible program that will fit any business. Business Voip is everything you need for a successful business strategy and system.

Mike Rohan makes it easy to understand and take full advantage busines VoIP. Make your business calls cheaper or even free. To learn more visit: Business VoIP

Skyping with yourself â€“ the new VoIP phenomenon

2008-06-14T10:09:00.003-07:00

With the vocal complaints of a large number of Skype users now reaching fever pitch, Danny Wirken summarises the latest offering from problem-ridden Skype â€“ talking to yourself.

Not so long ago I could rely on Skype giving me a great connection. I used her for all my internet calling needs even when I discovered you could get far cheaper calls from other VoIP providers. Alright Iâ€™ll admit it â€“ I just plain liked Skype.

Yet despite my affection for this upstart company who blasted onto the internet scene late 2003 with their beta offering, I find myself slowly agreeing with those who are packing up their Skype lives and moving to a different internet telephony service. But what is forcing them to change?

â€œWhen I use Skype to call my friend I canâ€™t hear anything they say â€“ even though they can hear me! Itâ€™s just like talking to yourself..â€

Aside from having to wait several days to get your account credited â€“ even when they already took the money off your card â€“ the major gripe echoing forth from the internet communities once so devoted and loyal to the Skype and SkypeOut life is one of fundamental importance. The Skype connections just donâ€™t work well.

Some analysts say that Skype has moved too quickly and is simply the victim of its own success. Others still claim that desires to keep costs down have forced them into a tight corner with regards to customer service and technology.

Customers are now complaining that Skype calls frequently experience a two second time delay between people speaking and listening. This can result in confused and frustrating conversations in which one must wait seconds before speaking to ensure the other person has finished what they are saying. Not being able to hear in â€˜real timeâ€™ somewhat obviates the entire service.

Others still complain that the Skype calls just arenâ€™t going through at all:

â€œMy Skype calls donâ€™t go through often, and if they do then you just donâ€™t hear the other person even though they can hear me just fine. I donâ€™t get it and Iâ€™ve had enough.â€

Fears over the recent downturn in service from Skype were confirmed recently by yet another week of disruptions to calls to USA based numbers. For many customers this was a final straw, as being able to get cheaper calls to US phones was their main reason for investing in the service to begin with.

Skype replied with an attempt to reassure their growing customer base. They claim to make regular checks on all call performance related technologies across their global network and continually seek to enhance the performance of their connections. A spokeswoman for Skype commented that: â€œAs our growth does indicate, we have a larger number of satisfied customers.â€ Yet this is perhaps optimistic, for it is not the gaining of new customers that Skype needs to concern itself with â€“ there is no doubt that the grassroots marketing they have employed is doing a fantastic job. Customer retention, however, may yet be a bigger battle.

VoIP Training - An Inside Look

2008-06-14T10:09:00.001-07:00

Whenever there's a new technology, there's an almost immediate demand for technical support and this is true of VoIP systems. But where can you expect to get that support? It may be more available that you expect.

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and this emerging technology certainly appears to be catching on, especially in certain circles. Some major companies and industries are finding the advantage of implementing VoIP to create better communication systems, often at a lower cost than traditional telephone service. Very basically, VoIP allows users to make unlimited voice communications to anywhere without incurring long distance charges. The process is very similar to emailing, but with voice capabilities rather than relying on the written word.

Because this technology has some ties to existing technology, there are many people who are just a few steps away from being prepared to install, maintain, repair and trouble shoot the VoIP systems. Large companies especially may find that there are those within the organization who need a minimal amount of training in order to be ready for this task.

So what are your options when it comes to VoIP training? Actually, they're not nearly as limited as you might think. For those who live in larger cities, you may very well find that there are seminars, hands-on training and workshops nearby. In those cases, you'll be able to choose the intensity of the sessions based on how much (or how little) you already know.

If you have large universities or technical schools in your area, you may also find that these have some excellent training opportunities. Though there seem to be a limited number of colleges and technical training facilities that offer VoIP training as a regular curriculum item, there's little doubt that it will come in the near future.

Distance learning is also an option in many areas. If you don't find some VoIP training that you're interested in available in your area, consult area universities, libraries or community programs about the possibility of establishing a VoIP distance learning class. There are several advantages to distance learning over correspondence or online courses. You have the opportunity to interact with the teacher and other students via an Internet connection (voice and video, as a rule). You also have hands on classroom experience and lessons, just as you would in a traditional classroom. There's also the fact that you meet at a prearranged time on a regular basis for the duration of the course - a fact that many people find necessary in order to maintain their focus and to complete assigned coursework.

If none of these are available, or if you simply can't commit to regular meeting times, you may find that online courses in VoIP is a great way to get the training you need. There are several options, so take time to consider those companies offering VoIP training to be sure you'll have worthwhile information at the end of the course. If hands-on work is vital to your learning style, look for training that offers real-life situational exercises.

This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

All You Want To Know About Web Conferencing

2008-06-14T10:08:00.004-07:00

All You Want To Know About Web Conferencing

You should be able to find several indispensable facts about Web Conferencing in the following paragraphs. If there's at least one fact you didn't know before, imagine the difference it might make.

It is Sunday evening and you are preparing again to go on a business trip.When you finally get home Monday night, you have spent more time traveling than meeting and you have dozens of emails and several important phone calls to return.

According to leading web conferencing service providers, the typical sales cycle can be cut two to three weeks with web conferencing. Providing a virtual conference room environment, web conferencing eliminates the need to travel, linking geographically disperse workgroups and telecommuters. The return on investment for web conferencing can be measured not only in dollars and cents, but also in personnel efficiency, knowledge distribution and increased sales opportunities.

The ability to virtually link workgroups and project teams enables real-time collaboration, a task that once required lengthy email threads or face-to-face meetings.

Web conferencing enables businesses to:

Reduce operating costs

Minimize unnecessary travel

Close sales and negotiate contracts faster

Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of communication

Deliver clear, concise and consistent training

Encourage real-time collaboration between distant and local co-workers

Engage in greater levels of communication with clients and business partners

Since its inception, web conferencing usage has expanded to a number of business applications such as daily sales and marketing efforts, interaction with co-workers and customers, corporate presentations and training initiatives. Financial corporations use web conferencing for internal meetings, customer briefings, employee training, client consultations and investment workshops. Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies use Web conferencing for product promotion and marketing, sales presentations and demonstrations, and product training and development. Educational institutions use web conferencing for project teams and student workshops. And, government agencies rely on web conferencing for training and inter-agency communication.

Most organizations use outsourced web conferencing. Why? Because of the quickly changing technology, businesses opt not to invest in what could soon be obsolete. In addition, on a day-to-day basis, it is more cost effective to have web conferencing outsourced. Additional reasons include:

Leading edge functionality provides greater levels of security, moderator control, and participant options.

Your people can now focus on your core business, not support systems.

The external company makes the investment in new features so that your fixed costs are reduced and your overall expenditures are lowered.

With no capital expense, new technology can be implemented with minimal impact to the bottom line.

See how much you can learn about Web Conferencing when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don't miss out on the rest of this great information.

When beginning the search for a web conferencing solution, start with setting your objectives and determining the features you require. Here are a few basic questions that should be answered:

How many participants do you anticipate attending your online meetings or events?

Will the number of participants remain consistent from meeting to meeting or will the number change?

How many meetings will be conducted each week, month, quarter? Will usage fluctuate depending on the time of the year?

What type of content will be presented (Power Point slides, software applications, web-based applications, documents, or spreadsheets)?

What degree of interactivity do you require (Q&A, polling/voting, application sharing, text chatting, live video, file sharing, etc.)?

Do you want your own software or a hosted solution?

How much technical support or event management support do you require?

What is your monthly budget?

Are there any special security requirements?

Once you have determined your requirements, screen a number of vendors. Visit their web site, review live demos, and seek client testimonials. Here are few suggestions for choosing a vendor:

Select a pricing model. Determine whether you want to pay-per-use (you pay only for the time you and your attendees spend in web conferences) or pay-per-seat (you pay a flat monthly fee for a certain number of "seats"). Pay-per-use pricing is the better conservative choice for most companies learning to how to use web conferencing for their business. You avoid set up charges and you don't have to monitor the number of concurrent users in order to avoid overage charges. You can always start with a pay-per-use plan and switch to a pay-per-seat plan once there is a clear, long-term financial advantage.

Get the features you need. Some web conferencing solutions only support online presentations while others offer full-featured packages that include polling, chatting, application-sharing, white boarding and group web surfing. Make sure that the product meets your needs.

Check into customer support levels. Is training and ongoing support available? What hours? Is there an extra fee? Is there a telephone number available so that you can contact a support person or is only email support offered? What are their support hours? Call each vendor's customer service number and see if you get a live person vs. a menu or voice mail. You don't want to be in a situation where an attendee has technical problems joining a critical meeting and not be able to contact a live person immediately.

Consider security requirements. Depending on the audience and the information being sharing, security may be a concern. Most solutions are secure enough and do not store meeting data any place except on the presenter's PC. Participants only see a graphical representation of the data through a standard web browser. Some services provide pass code authorization, basic encryption, and the ability to lock and unlock the meeting.

So, the next time Sunday night comes around and you are faced with another week of travel, email trails, difficulty in scheduling training and long lead times in closing sales and negotiating contracts, do yourself a favor and look into web conferencing for your business.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

All You Want To Know About Web Conferencing

VoIP - Should I Or Shouldn't I?

2008-06-14T10:08:00.003-07:00

Have you been considering VoIP for your phone service? Are you still on the fence as to whether or not to try this technology?

Are you the type of person who enjoys technology and the benefits you can derive from it? Do you currently have a broadband internet connection? Do you want to continue to use your existing phone? Do you like to save money?

If you answered 'yes' to any of the questions above, you're probably a VoIP candidate.

The service itself is quite good, but not yet as reliable as the plain old telephone service. (POTS) Having said that, with the push towards this technology, the vendors are driven to providing a better service all the time. New advances in the technology itself are being incorporated into the networks on a regular basis. I for one have gone through a couple service upgrades with my own personal VoIP provider. It just keeps getting better and better. With competition heating up, you can rest assured that technology issues will be overcome sooner rather than later.

Ok, you're on the fence and deciding whether or not you should make the change. Let's go over a couple things that you should now before making your purchasing decision.

First up, what type of broadband access do you currently use? If you're using DSL and you're looking to use VoIP as your 'primary' phone service, check with your existing phone provider. Make sure you can still use your DSL without primary phone service being provided by your local phone company. I happen to live in an area where the RBOC does NOT allow for this. Basically, if I use DSL I could use VoIP has a secondary phone line, but I would not be able to cancel my phone service and keep my DSL. DSL without phone service is called 'naked DSL' and is not yet generally available. You can check our site for naked DSL providers. I for one use cable broadband access so the local phone company doesn't even enter the picture.

Next, let's make sure we all understand that VoIP runs over your broadband internet connection. VoIP means Voice over Internet Protocol. Simply put, it runs over the internet and NOT on the copper wires in your existing home telephone jacks. Basically this means that those phone jacks in your house would NOT work with VoIP. Your phone base plugs into an ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter). If you want to have multiple handsets through out your home, you could use the cordless systems that come with a base and multiple handsets. I myself use a cordless phone so the phone base plugs into the ATA. This provides me the freedom to use my handset anywhere in the house.

Another point certainly worth mentioning is power and your existing ISP. If the power goes out in your home, your phone doesn't work. If you currently use a cordless phone where the base plugs into an electrical outlet, this same behavior occurs now. Loose power and you loose your phone. In addition, if your ISP (internet service provider) drops service or has an outage, you loose your phone as well. Some make a big deal out of this, but fail to understand that you can setup your service with alternate numbers. I for example, use my cellular phone number as my backup. If my internet connection goes down, anyone trying to call me will be automatically routed to my cellular phone. I never miss a call!

These are just a couple or many points to consider when making the switch. To be honest, it's very simple and painless to switch to VoIP. The best part is that many of the vendors offer trial periods. If you're still on the fence, you can sign up for service and feel comfortable in the fact that you can drop the service if not satisfied. No risk involved.

If you're still in the investigative stage, that's ok too. Visit our web site where we offer many informative articles on VoIP as well as utilities to gauge the speed of your existing broadband connection. Once you're armed with the information you need, we also offer access to a variety of vendors offer great service at a great price.

You don't need to sit on the fence much longer. Get the facts, get the details and choose a vendor that offers you a free trial period.

VoIP can be a great solution for your home or office.

VoIP - Does It Live Up To All Of The Hype?

2008-06-14T10:08:00.001-07:00

Commercials. Web banners. Radio spots.

Thereâ€™s no doubt that youâ€™ve seen them all. As Voip providers ramp up their advertising campaigns, prospective Voip subscribers canâ€™t help but wonder if Voip all that great or a bunch of hype? With all of the vonage commercials with the catchy tunes, the big traditional phone service carriers pushing their own Voip services, and the larger than life posters and cutouts in the electronics stores more and more people are becoming aware of Voip.

Behind all of the cutouts, corny music and web banners is an extremely useful service which, if you need it, can save you a bundle of money. For many people, Voip truly is one of the â€œkiller appsâ€ of the new millenium. Whether Voip really lives up to all the hype depends on whoâ€™s using it. Voip is not for everyone. If you spend little time on the phone, there is no reason to use Voip. Voip may not be for those who fear new things either.
If you fall into any of the categories below than you should at least consider trying out a voip service provider to save money:

You run a business with several branch offices in different cities

You telecommute and have to use long distance calls to stay in touch with your employer/contractor

You have relatives scattered about in different parts of the country or world

You find yourself making several long distance calls per day or even per week

You want lots of calling features such as call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, call blocking and more without paying extra for each feature.

If you fall into any of the below categories, then Voip service may not be the right way to go:

You donâ€™t use your phone for business reasons

All of your relatives live close by, or youâ€™re out of touch with them

You rarely make long distance calls

You donâ€™t need or care for extra features like call blocking, caller ID, etc.

You have a dial-up connection to the internet.

While Voip is a really great technology that can save you a massive amont of money each month, itâ€™s still relatively new and has itâ€™s fair share of problems. Network congestion can be a problem while youâ€™re in the middle of an important phone call. Itâ€™s a fact of life that sometimes routers and servers on the internet get busy and the pipes get clogged. There is only so much bandwidth that can go through and when this happens the call will break up or get dropped.

What happens when your internet connection goes down in the middle of an emergency? Yes, you guessed it, no 911 service on your Voip line. At this time, itâ€™s best to have either a standard phone or cell phone as a backup for emergencies. The FCC has released a set of standards for Enhanced 911 services that Voip providers must adhere to so the 911 service through the Voip provider will not be as much of a problem as network outages.

So, should you jump right on the Voip bandwagon? Donâ€™t believe the hype, only you can make that decision for yourself. Armed with the information in this article youâ€™ll be able to decide if Voip truly is the killer app of the new millenium or if itâ€™s just a toy.

VoIP - Does It Live Up To All Of The Hype?

2008-06-14T10:07:00.002-07:00

Commercials. Web banners. Radio spots.

Thereâ€™s no doubt that youâ€™ve seen them all. As Voip providers ramp up their advertising campaigns, prospective Voip subscribers canâ€™t help but wonder if Voip all that great or a bunch of hype? With all of the vonage commercials with the catchy tunes, the big traditional phone service carriers pushing their own Voip services, and the larger than life posters and cutouts in the electronics stores more and more people are becoming aware of Voip.

Behind all of the cutouts, corny music and web banners is an extremely useful service which, if you need it, can save you a bundle of money. For many people, Voip truly is one of the â€œkiller appsâ€ of the new millenium. Whether Voip really lives up to all the hype depends on whoâ€™s using it. Voip is not for everyone. If you spend little time on the phone, there is no reason to use Voip. Voip may not be for those who fear new things either.
If you fall into any of the categories below than you should at least consider trying out a voip service provider to save money:

You run a business with several branch offices in different cities

You telecommute and have to use long distance calls to stay in touch with your employer/contractor

You have relatives scattered about in different parts of the country or world

You find yourself making several long distance calls per day or even per week

You want lots of calling features such as call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, call blocking and more without paying extra for each feature.

If you fall into any of the below categories, then Voip service may not be the right way to go:

You donâ€™t use your phone for business reasons

All of your relatives live close by, or youâ€™re out of touch with them

You rarely make long distance calls

You donâ€™t need or care for extra features like call blocking, caller ID, etc.

You have a dial-up connection to the internet.

While Voip is a really great technology that can save you a massive amont of money each month, itâ€™s still relatively new and has itâ€™s fair share of problems. Network congestion can be a problem while youâ€™re in the middle of an important phone call. Itâ€™s a fact of life that sometimes routers and servers on the internet get busy and the pipes get clogged. There is only so much bandwidth that can go through and when this happens the call will break up or get dropped.

What happens when your internet connection goes down in the middle of an emergency? Yes, you guessed it, no 911 service on your Voip line. At this time, itâ€™s best to have either a standard phone or cell phone as a backup for emergencies. The FCC has released a set of regulatory requirements for Enhanced 911 services that Voip providers must adhere to so the 911 service through the Voip provider will not be as much of a problem as network outages.

So, should you jump right on the Voip bandwagon? Donâ€™t believe the hype, only you can make that decision for yourself. Armed with the information in this article youâ€™ll be able to decide if Voip truly is the killer app of the new millenium or if itâ€™s just a toy.

The Internet - The World's Greatest Telephone for the Success of Your Business

2008-06-14T10:07:00.001-07:00

Business owners of companies both large and small can achieve rich improvements in their operations if they start to ask themselves regularly, "I have just been handed a powerful new tool. It essentially lets me costless communicate with anyone on the planet. How can I best use it to my advantage?"

To focus, business owners must first ask themselves two questions: As a business owner, what am I trying to achieve?

Marry your answers to the diverse communications capabilities of the World Wide Web; you will inevitably create some powerful and highly beneficial new initiatives.

In exploring strategies for success in the developing environment, it is essential to recognize a fact that is often overlooked: The Internet is fundamentally a new communications vehicle. As a consequence, a large part of its value arises because it permits cost-effective communications â€” down the street or on a worldwide basisâ€”that were not possible before its emergence.

Why is this so important? Because many people have a very different view of the World Wide Web. They will suggest that the Web is an entertainment medium â€”something that has more in common with the television than the telephone. This focus is easy to appreciate; the typical person is more interested in the new offerings on the Web that can entertain him or her than the less exciting details of enhanced communications capabilities. In addition, Internet use is the first activity in over forty years that has been clearly documented as something that causes people to spend less time watching television. It's therefore natural to think of it as a substitute for this medium.

Benefits of Internet Telephony to Your Business:

1) Availability Completely under Customer Control. With the internet, visitorsâ€”potential customers â€”come to Web sites at their convenience, making them far more receptive to what companies have to say because the customers aren't being intruded upon (as happens with telemarketing).

2) One-to-Many Communications Performed Seamlessly. The Internet offers one-to-many communications systems without losing the privacy or interaction possible by phone. A single posting at a Web site reaches as many people as visit the site that day
.
3) Reduced Effort, Time, and Cost. The Web makes things easy and affordable.

Not all businesses are currently bringing in added profit via the Web yet; nonetheless, every business needs to be working on it in order to be competitive today.

The Web makes it possible for companies both large and small to develop new communications processes that save time and money while enabling faster responses to customer needs.

Many industries rely on widely distributed field sales forces that may consist of independent agents or company employees. In today's fast-moving business environment, providing these frontline soldiers with the most up-to-the-minute information and the best possible tools and support is critical to success, and by using the Web, companies can do so at far lower cost.

2) Availability Completely under Customer Control.

With the Internet, visitorsâ€”potential customersâ€”come to Web sites at their convenience, making them far more receptive to what companies have to say because the customers aren't being intruded upon (as happens with telemarketing).
3) One-to-Many Communications Performed Seamlessly
The Internet offers one-to-many communications systems without losing the privacy or interaction possible by phone. A single posting at a Web site reaches as many people as visit the site that day.

4) Reduced Effort, Time, and Cost.
The Web makes things easy and affordable.

The Web makes it possible to communicate regularly with a large volume of customers at virtually no cost.

Businesses can generally benefit by disseminating information; yet up to now, there has not been a cost-effective, satisfactory way of timely customer notification. Not only is direct mail costly, but the timing of delivery is erratic and an overwhelming amount of it is never even opened. The telephone is timely, but information disseminated by telephone is also costly and runs the risk of alienating customers who don't want to be bothered by solicitors.

Enter the Internet. The World Wide Web gives companies a low-cost method to communicate with existing customers and to reach out to potential ones with a timeliness that has never before existed.

The new capabilities created by the Internet far exceed what could be accomplished with the telephone. Consider how a well-designed Internet customer-communications system can work:

1.) Orders are confirmed by e-mail â€”first immediately after they are placed, and again when they are shipped out. The shipping confirmation notice includes an internal tracking number to help customers locate the package if it fails to arrive on a timely basis.

2.) Customers can register for e-mail notifications of various kinds. By filling out an online form, customers can request to be notified about newly available products that are likely to be of interest to them.

3.) "Missing" customers can be inexpensively lured back: If a frequent customer has not made a purchase for some time, the electronic retailer can send a $5 or $10 digital coupon to encourage a return purchase. These types of ongoing efforts to build loyalty can be triggered by well-designed automated databases, combined with virtually costless e-mail, to create an inexpensive, potentially high-return, and customer loyalty program.

This suggests a central strategy for any business today: Gather e-mail addresses from customers (and permission to contact them using these addresses), even if you don't yet have an interactive Web site. Every business from a major manufacturer to a regional discount store to the local plumber will find that well-designed e-mail messages can be a low-cost, highly effective means of building profitable revenues. In Strategy 7, I discuss how a local pest-control business might benefit tremendously from an e-mail-based initiative.

The Importance of round the clock availability

Like a good catalog and 800 numbers, the Internet makes your company accessible to customers worldwide twenty-four hours a day. However, the â€œWebâ€ is better than the world's greatest catalog."

Here's why:

Additional visuals as well as more written detail. Catalogs face an inherent limitation: Paper and postage are costly. As a result, details â€”other views of a product as well as more written descriptionâ€”often have to be left out. So while the 800-number operator can read to customers the special washing instructions, if the product is offered on the Internet, the consumer can read the special washing instructions for him- or herself, scroll through a more lengthy product description, and in all likelihood, see more than one view of the item.

Expanded offerings. Today catalogs typically list only a portion of a company's offerings, simply because more listings mean expansion of printing and mailing costs. The Web obliterates this limitation.

Remember too, that anything that can be accomplished online instead of by phone is more cost effective. A five-minute call to order a $50 item, at a cost of $1 per minute, means that the call is a significant percentage of the cost structure, and a five-minute inquiryâ€”with no purchase attached â€”creates a financial loss in addition to time lost by personnel who might have been making a sale to someone else. This contrasts with use of the Internet, whereâ€”to the extent that communications cost existsâ€”they are trivial, and consumers bear the cost of company contact by paying their access service.

The Internet has now led to a new definition of what customers have come to expect: In the emerging era, businesses are almost required to provide twenty-four-hour Internet communications, so that the consumer can shop from home whenever he or she wants to. Sites that prosper will be more than order-taking vehicles; they will provide a creative, educational experience that builds knowledge about their products and services and engenders sales as well as ongoing customer loyalty.

Whether your business specializes in Porsche luxury cars or temporary employment services , the Web offers you the opportunity to find people who are looking for what your company sells.

The Growing Trend Of VoIP Telephony (VoIP)

2008-06-14T10:06:00.002-07:00

Your local phone service provider is looking over their shoulder at what is coming up fast behind them. VoIP â€“ Voice Over Internet Telephony â€“ is gaining ground and is no longer considered a fad, but a strong and viable alternative to traditional phone service. By routing conversations over internet broadband lines, VoIP calls can be made quickly and cheaply thereby saving you, the consumer, plenty of money compared to traditional phone service. Recent improvements in VoIP technology have prompted more and more consumers to switch to VoIP, permanently altering the way many phone conversations are handled around the globe. Letâ€™s explore the growing trend of VoIP telephony and what this technology has to offer to you.

In its early days, VoIP telephony was considered by some to be a technologically unreliable fad, one that was shunned by mostly everyone who had long relied upon their traditional phone service company to provide them with dependable, if not costly, telephone service. Today, much has changed and VoIP telephony has not only vastly improved, but has attracted millions of new customers thanks to technological advancements and smart marketing.

Initially, voice quality with VoIP telephony was suspect, as conversations between users was often accompanied by crackling sounds and echoing. Indeed, drop offs due to connection problems was common, causing many to avoid making the switch. Still, as with virtually all emerging technologies, kinks have been worked out as newer, vastly improved versions are introduced. VoIP, for one, has undergone rapid transformation from fad to fixture in many homes and offices as quality levels have picked up while prices remain exceedingly low.

Indeed, price is a huge factor contributing to VoIPâ€™s rapid growth. Many VoIP telephony providers offer comprehensive unlimited local and long distance calling plans that start at less than $25 per month. Compare VoIP prices to those charged by most traditional phone service providers â€“ typically $70-80 per month â€“ and the potential annual savings is well over $500!

Yes, you have to shop around to find a high quality VoIP telephony provider, but all of the top companies offer similar deals with packages usually containing the following important features:

- Free local and long distance calls.

- Portable phone numbers, meaning you can take your existing phone number wherever you move; certain restrictions may apply.

- Special services offered at no extra charge including: caller ID, call forwarding, 3-way calling, call return, call transfer, voicemail, and more.

- Low, fixed monthly rates. No worrying about fluctuating phone bills!

In addition, most governments are taking a decidedly hands off approach to VoIP telephony and are not levying anywhere near the same high level of taxes on VoIP service as they have been on traditional phone service. Yes, take a close look at your current phone bill and you will see that double-digit fees really push up the monthly balance. Not so with VoIP telephony as it is treated in the same way as internet service.

There has been some concern about power outages and the loss of VoIP telephony service during these interruptions. Indeed, most people understand that if your home loses electrical power, then their traditional phone service would continue to work as phone lines are powered separately from electrical lines, while VoIP telephony phone service is stopped when the power goes out. To get around the problem, many VoIP telephony providers now give users a control panel where they can program their VoIP server to automatically reroute calls to their cell phone in the event of a power outage. So, there is no longer any excuse for you to not make the switch to VoIP telephony and begin realizing big savings today!

Are You Ready For VoIP?

2008-06-14T10:06:00.001-07:00

So does the abbreviation VoIP leave you dumb struck? Don't worry; even I was when I heard about it for the first time. The clouds parted when I discovered what it stands for: Voice over Internet Protocol.

Have you ever been left hapless at the sight of immensely long queues outside phonebooks? And that too when you need to make a call to your aunt in LA and wish her on her 65 th birthday. And, though you brave the queue for seemingly endless minutes or hours, the constantly rising bill makes you our or conversation too short to even cal it conversation. International calls are still not dirt cheap and now that the world and its brother have PC's and Internet connection, even technophobes should have enough sense to download software that enables you to make phone calls using the Internet! Yes, you read it right. Make phone calls using Internet. Just need to catch hold of an IP phone and a software like Skype and you are ready for a futuristic roller coaster experience!

Calling anywhere on Earth for three or four rupees a minute â€“ at most, is a pretty darn good idea, and one that's catching on big time. VoIP, in layman's terms is the use of certain hardware and software that makes you call up any other person on this planet. Thereafter, you only need a good headset to have a chat and assuming of course, that you have a multimedia PC and not a BBC micro.

In a poll conducted worldwide, as many as a billion people have abandoned telephone for IP telephony. In fact, you can make a phone call to the US on dialpad coin for as little as 75 paise a minute. The internet does not know or care whether the data that's rushing through its 'routers' began as a phone conversation or a movie or a search for Pamela Anderson. As long as it is in digital packets, it can find its' way to the Internet Protocol (IP) address it's meant for. And so what is happening is more and more phone calls are getting made through Internet.

You can do it in either of the following of two ways: by going to a site like http://dialpad.com or perhaps your own Internet service provider's site (if they offer the service), or by just picking up an IP phone at a broadband Internet cafÃ© like sify. If you make the call using your computer all you have to do is to go to the website, buy a prepaid package that suits you using your credit card, and enter the destination number.

Another way is Skype. Skype is a free software for Internet phoning. It's so simple that even technophobia can't be an excuse. Check out whether your computer has Windows 2000 or XP, 400 MHz or a more powerful processor, 126 MB or more RAM, a sound card, speakers and microphones and atleast 33.6 kbps dial-up-modem connection. A broadband connection is best. Make sure your hard drive has atleast 15MB space to download Skype. If the above is Greek to you, just ask any geek to check out your system parameters.

Now, go to http://www.skype.com, click on the download link, save the programme on your desktop, open it and double click on the installation file. Once Skype is installed, take out your last month's phone bill and have a good laugh.

With Skype, you can call another Skype-user anywhere in the world for free (you only pay for the net usage, not calls). Skype has an option for landline calls that requires payment charges depend on where you are calling. But rates are still cheaper than landline costs.

The voice may break or come in snatches if the connection is slow. But things are likely to get vapidly better in that matter. My experience has been that if your soundcard, microphone and headsets are of good quality, Skype gives you fairly good service.

Also, IP telephony scores over messenger services offered by MSN or AOL. In the letter, if your net connection speed is different from your interlocutor's, its' hard to talk simultaneously. With Skype, this makes no difference.

The broadband wagon has started to role, so its' success seems assured. In fact, it could even affect mobile telephony. New Scientist reported earlier this year that cellphones with built in Wi-fi capability that link to low-cost internet connection are nearly for launch long-distance call costs can take another big fall.

The flip side is, if you are calling Skype-to-Skype, the called party will have to be online and pretty near the computer. Similarly, if a Skype-contact calls you and you are offline or online but missing about in the other room, you'll miss the call.

That's a disadvantage so do as the experts suggest. Just spread the word on your online habits among your Skype â€“ contacts or pre â€“ arrange a chat by email or via a short, normal phone conversation. But the whole purpose of the technology is defeated by the cost of Skype â€“ enabled phones still, with IP telephony, I sometimes wish to give all the phone booth things a piece of my mind â€“ at little cost and from a safe distance.

VoIP Flexibility and Features

2008-06-14T10:05:00.004-07:00

There is no doubt that VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) has many advantages over traditional calling, but one advantage that might not seem obvious at first is the flexibility that VoIP possesses.

For the majority of people, the first thought of VoIP will be the cost saving opportunity that is certainly possible. In previous articles Iâ€™ve mentioned how the cost, especially for businesses and long-distance callers, can be significantly decreased from traditional calling. This is mainly due to the fact that VoIP carries a call over a broadband internet connection, meaning that many taxes and charges that would usually be incurred with regular telephone companies are avoided.

VoIP is not a new technology; in fact it's far from it. VoIP is a technology that has been around for several years, but has only recently begun to make big strides in becoming a real alternative to regular analogue phone systems. At first, it had its disadvantages such as poorer voice quality, but the advancement in technology has meant that this is no longer the case.

There are some great features that VoIP provides, and the list of features is sure to grow with the increase in popularity of the technology. Customers can already take advantage of deals that VoIP providers are putting together, some of which include caller ID, call waiting, 3-way calling, speed dialing, call forwarding, and free voicemail in their packages.

Another great feature of VoIP, especially for business customers, is the ability to access the phone network away from office premises. So for example if employees needed to work from home or from a location away from the office, then they could do so whilst still being able to keep track of office calls and having access to the office phone system features.

Similarly, regular customers can also benefit from this flexibility. Your designated number is assigned to a converter that is used to access the VoIP service. This makes it possible to connect the converter to any high-speed internet connection and immediately utilize the same number for making and receiving calls. Say then for instance that you move from one side of the country to the other; you can still keep the same phone number.

As with many services, the likelihood of many service providers entering the market can only be good news for consumers. Competition and price battles will more than likely see VoIP take over from regular analogue phone systems in business premises and households over the coming years.

VoIP popularity is increasing fast across the U.S and will certainly do the same in other areas of the world. It is certainly a technology that should be researched into further if you are serious about cutting telephone costs and benefiting from features I have highlighted in this article.

The 7 Cardinal Sins Of Buying VoIP

2008-06-14T10:05:00.003-07:00

For most companies and many individuals, signing up with a VOIP service is a no brainer.

For a fraction of what most people pay for a tradional telephone service, you can have a feature rich communications sytem.

But there are a few pitfalls that people fall into time and again. Make sure you aren't one of them.

1) Missing Out on the Best Deal - So you know that you can make a big saving by switching from your traditional phone carrier to a VOIP service. But did you know that you can also make a huge saving again by shopping around? Some VOIP companies are up to 50% cheaper than others that offer similar featured packages.

2) Taking the Cheapest Without Looking - VOIP beats tradition networks in so many ways. Why not make sure that you have a feature rich package? Again, you need to compare features between companies!

3) Going With the Biggest Names - If you follow the VOIP scene, you will know that some of the biggest names in VOIP have had serious system outages. Make sure your carrier has a history of reliability because you don't want to be caught without a phone service!

4) Low bandwidth - Make sure that you discuss your WAN service provider to make sure you have enough bandwidth for VOIP. This is really important for heavy users such as businesses and call centers.

5) IP Phones - Poor quality hardware (IP Phones) can really reduce your user experience. Don't buy the cheapest phone you can find, because you will be disappointed at your call quality.

6) Configure Your Firewall - A lot of people get frustrated when their new VOIP service doesn't work. You need to check your firewall settings to ensure your VOIP service can operate!

7) Ignore Security - A VOIP conversation is data like any other data. It can be stolen and misused (ie. people can listen to your conversations). Make sure you are aware of the problems by asking your vendor and consider encryption to protect your data.

VOIP opens up a massive potential cost saving to home and business users. It can be as secure and high quality as traditional lines, if you take a little time to research and make the right purchasing decisions.

Why There's Lots of Hype About Skype

2008-06-14T10:05:00.001-07:00

While a lot of the different VoIP services out there have similar features, there's one that really stands out with the number of interesting ways that it (and its users) have found to take advantage of the technology. This service is called Skype. Skype has all of the normal features like caller id, call forwarding, voice mail and the like. But some people have found ways to make it do a lot more. For example, there are ways to make is so that a Skype account can coordinate conference calls among up to fifteen people. While that may not be particularly impressive at first glance, it's downright amazing when you learn that that the conference call includes fifteen different video feeds and allows them to collaborate on a document that's on their computers all in real time!

The fact that Skype also has a video phone feature opens up a lot of interesting possibilities. For example, if you have two Skype accounts, you can set up your home Skype account to answer automatically when you call from the second Skype account and give you a view of what's going on at your own home through the computer's web cam! If you're going to talk to someone who expects you to use the video phone options, but you want to conceal your present appearance, or that of your surroundings, it's possible to use an avatar of yourself. An avatar can be taken from any digital photo, and once it's set up it will even lip sync with what you're saying.

Skype will even let you do unsavory things like concealing your identity while talking to people and recording conversations. For instance, you can alter your voice so that other people can't recognize you. You can even take that subterfuge a step further by creating a different avatar to go with your altered voice for a video call. There are also several add ons that will allow you to record calls either automatically or manually. As well as being useful for holding customer service representatives to their word, recordings of phone conversations can be turned into podcasts to share with people on the Internet. That makes this a great feature for journalists.

There are also a number of features that you can get with Skype that give you an unfair psychological advantage over the people who you're talking to. For example, there's one add on you can install that will provide you with an analysis of the emotional state of the person you're talking to. Another add on will tell measure the tension or nervousness in the other voice and tell you whether or not the person is lying.

All of this flexibility largely comes with the fact that unlike most other major VoIP services, Skype is centered much more on an actual computer than the others. This provides the flexibility of video conferencing, as well as being able to run all of these applications described above. While all of these options may make Skype unwieldly to the casual user, it can be a huge benefit to someone who knows what he or she is doing.

Google Talk Creates Universally Available VOiP Service

2008-06-14T10:04:00.004-07:00

Google Talk Creates Universally Available VOiP Service

With the past record of Google's ability to enter into and quickly dominate entirely new fields, an incursion by Google into new territory is definitely something worth taking seriously. Voice over Internet Protocol technology is no different, and right now Google appears to be making a play for a greater share of the VoIP market. There are several ways in which Google could come become a bigger player in the VoIP market. One of them is through its messenger service. Right now Google Talk is an instant messenger service that is capable of voice transmission, as well as its standard text transmission. It's still limited to contacting other people using Google Talk and several other Instant Messenger services like GAIM, Trillian, iChat, Psi, and Adium.

That said though, Google supposedly has plans to make changes to Google Talk that would make it compatible with more traditional telephone systems. If that happens, it would obviously be much easier to get access to what would resemble a fully functional VoIP service simply by downloading a free program from Google.

This would, of course, have a major impact on established telephone service providers. Right now, one of the major impediments that VoIP technology has to becoming a major threat to conventional telecommunications companies is the fact that the VoIP services are either obscure and not as user friendly, or require the purchase of an actual monthly subscription. With Google Talk, neither of those factors would be an impediment. Google is well enough known to attract attention, the version of Google Talk that would interface with normal telecommunication systems would probably be relatively easy to use, and it would in all likelihood be free to download and not be subject to a monthly fee. This could make it a major threat to the conventional telecommunications system and the industry that relies on it being the means of choice for providing people with voice communication.

One thing that would get in the way of Google Talk becoming serious competition to commercial VoIP services would come from the fact that because of its nature the upcoming version of Google Talk would probably not have the kind if comprehensive features that you'd get with the big name VoIP services like Vonage, Skype, and Sun Rocket. Most of the larger VoIP providers include lots of extra features at no extra charge that make phone extremely convenient, and those extra features would be difficult to implement in the form of a small free ware program from Google.

Since the larger VoIP providers typically have things like voice mail, call waiting, call forwarding, conference calling, call blocking, caller ID, and call waiting to name only a few; Google Talk really wouldn't be much of a threat to them. Some of the bigger VoIP services also even offer on the fly language translation which makes it easier to communicate with people in other parts of the world.

For these reasons it's really unlikely that Google Talk would be a threat to other VoIP service providers. But Google also has a lot of unused bandwidth at its disposal and some of the most innovative minds in Silicon Valley. Therefore, if Google decided to launch a full blown VoIP service, the existing services would then be seriously threatened.

VOIP-Voice Over IP at Home: Is it Right for You?

2008-06-14T10:04:00.003-07:00

VOIP-Voice Over IP at Home: Is it Right for You?
By Andrew Kelly.

VOIP AT HOME What is VoIP? Chances are you've heard of VOIP, or "voice over Internet." If not, you will soon, as major phone companies are now trying to get in on the action. Why? VOIP allows users to make phone calls using their high-speed Internet connection. This essentially translates into "free" long distance, or, depending on set-up, unlimited long distance for a low set price for the service. When using VOIP, the traditional phone company is left completely out of the loop--literally. The concept is much the same as email; for the price of an Internet connection and provider, you can send unlimited email messages.

VOIP Pros: VOIP is an affordable method for long distance calling, and depending on where you live, you may be able to transfer you current phone number to a VOIP system. VOIP is easy to use, and depending on the service and method you choose, installation can be as easy as downloading software or attaching an adaptor to your computer. For the most part, sounds exactly the same as with a traditional telephone line. If you are using VOIP and the other person is not, they will not know the difference.

VOIP Cons: Some areas do not yet have this availability, but it is still possible to transfer long distance only to VOIP--it just means that you'll have a separate number for long distance calling. This may be a slight inconvenience, but the savings may offset the cost--it all depends on your needs. Also, some users report hearing an echo when using VOIP. There can also be a slight delay at the beginning of the call. One primary issue regarding VOIP is the ability to dial out for emergencies. Some providers work to place 911 calls (by configuring your service), and some do not. If you will be replacing your landline or mobile completely with VOIP, this is something you will want to research before choosing a provider and service.

Is VOIP Right for Me? Deciding to choose VOIP depends on your needs. If you make a large number of long distance calls, it may be well worth looking into. VOIP services are often much less expensive than traditional providers. When comparing VOIP to cell phone programs, it again depends on needs. Most VOIP packages are considerably less than cell phone unlimited calling plans, but of course, VOIP is not as flexible (yet) as far as portability and other features you may not want to give up on your cell plan.

How Do I Get Set-up for VOIP? Technical requirements for VOIP depend on the service and method you choose to use. There are three types of VOIP options. â€¢ ATA stands for analog telephone adaptor, and it's very simple to use. You connect it to your computer or Internet connection, plug in a regular phone, and you're ready to go! Providers such as Vonage and AT&T CallAdvantage use this option. â€¢ IP phones are special phones that look like traditional phones, but they connect with an Ethernet connector. A similar phone in the works is one that operates with Wi-Fi, which means that when you take your laptop to the local coffee bar to access wireless Internet, you could also make a long distance call. â€¢ Computer-to-computer is an easy way to use VoIP and long distance calls are free; you only pay for the software. To use this method, you will need to download and install the software and be equipped with a microphone, speakers, a sound card and a high-speed Internet connection such as DS or cable.

Aside from the software, the only fees are those for your monthly ISP. You'll need a high-speed Internet connection to use VOIP, such as DSL or Cable. Most VOIP options are easy to install. Providers of ATA, for example, will usually send you the adaptor you need when you sign up for the service. If you have a standard Internet set-up, you should be able to easily install the adaptor and software yourself, and be on your way. The process is very simple and straightforward, and once installed, the service is immediate (no waiting 3-5 business days for your phone service!).

Connecting an IP phone is equally easy, and computer-to-computer simply requires the downloading and installing of software. Andrew Kelly is a Technology Consultant who helps keep businesses at the leading edge of technology.

6 Voip Features That Attract People

2008-06-14T10:04:00.001-07:00

VOIP is an advanced technology which has surpassed the telephone companies and the mobile companies. Its popularity is increasing enormously with an increase in its network coverage. It has proved to be an astonishing invention which has created a new mode of telecommunication by using internet. VOIP is an abbreviated form of Voice Over Internet Protocol.

Salient Features Of VOIP

The VOIP technology possesses many salient features which have attracted a large section of people towards itself.

1 - With the introduction of VOIP technology, the making of calls has become easy and cheap. You can easily make local, long distance, and international calls by using a broadband net connection which is a high-speed net connection.

2 - Its one of the significant advantages is the capability of directing the incoming calls to the VOIP service and one can easily get the details of incoming calls from any computer possessing internet by using VOIP system.

3 - It is a network that follows you wherever you go therefore you will never miss any of your important calls even if you are out of town.

4 - It has helped a lot in cost reduction because of the cheap call rates, the monthly telephone bills have cut down. Therefore, setting up of VOIP is very much beneficial economically.

5 - There are many value added services offered by the various VOIP service providers. For example, there is voice mail facility, 3-way conference, speed dialing, call forwarding, simultaneous ring, call waiting, caller ID, call return, caller ID block, anonymous call rejection, an interesting feature of do not disturb, and last number dial. All these services are mostly free of cost in their basic service plan.

6 - There is a facility of managing your VOIP account online from any corner of the world if there is an availability of a broadband internet connection.

Drawbacks Of VOIP Technology

The dark side of using VOIP technology has made the customer to reach the state of dilemma whether to go for VOIP technology or not. The major disadvantage of VOIP is that a problem can be cropped up by using VOIP technology and text messaging because it has been found that the use of this technology can lead to many security flaws.

Experts are working on the problem of security flaws, but have not come to any results yet. Therefore, one cannot rely completely on the use of VOIP technology. In terms of security, VOIP is not also completely supportive for their encryptions. Because of this weak point, it has become easy for the cyber attackers to impede the communication system.

How To Call Without VOIP

It is also very easy to make calls without possessing VOIP service by using an adaptor. This adaptor will be hooked up to a regular phone and to your VOIP in order to utilize the residential VOIP phone which can be a VOIP phone, landline, or cell phone. This adapter has proved to be very much useful for those who do not want to make investment in VOIP service.

Residential VOIP

Residential VOIP is a type of software which permits the downloading of technology on your computer to chat with anyone across the globe. In this system of communication, computer will be solving the purpose of the telephone. There is one specification in using residential VOIP service and that is the person whom you want to contact should also need to possess the software with same technology on his computer.

Therefore, after considering the both positive and negative aspects of the VOIP technology, you should come to an apt and appropriate decision whether to opt for it or not.

Hello, World; Hello, Voip Telephony

2008-06-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

The world has shrunk, thanks to an invention called the Internet. Communication is now made easier. Barely two decades ago, a person in Thailand has to wait for weeks for a letter from the United States. Now, a letter can be sent in a matter of seconds, through e-mail or electronic mail. A few years ago, talking to a person halfway across the world is guaranteed to cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Now, with the advent of VoIP telephony, it costs nothing more than a local phone call to your neighbour. Sometimes, itâ€™s even for free!

Defining VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP telephony, is the routing of voice conversations over the Internet. It allows anybody to utilize the internet as one gigantic phone line. With VoIP telephony, you can now indulge in talking until your ears heat up and go numb, even if the conversation is with someone from another continent.

VoIP telephony is very straightforward. To avail of this technology, all you need is a computer, a stable Internet connection, and a provider.

What Does VoIP telephony Have for You?

Though still a fairly new technology, VoIP telephony is capable of facilitating tasks that ordinary landlines and mobile phones canâ€™t achieve. VoIP telephonyâ€™s number one feature is portability. It is location-independent, requiring only an Internet connection to connect with a provider. Most providers give subscribers a router to connect to their computers. Take this router with you on vacation or a business trip, and hook it up to a local computer with Internet connection. Itâ€™s guaranteed that you will never miss a single phone call, wherever you are in the world. You can even choose a phone number that's registered to a city or state other than the one you're in at the moment.

Most of the leading VoIP telephony providers have introduced several features that rival those of landline and cellular phones. One example is caller ID, for both incoming and outgoing calls. Some providers even go as far as providing the option of blocking caller information. Call forwarding to landlines, cellular phones, and other VoIP phone numbers is also offered. Furthermore, other providers are also currently offering toll-free numbers, virtual phone numbers, softphones for added portability, fax lines, and multiply phone lines, and only recently, text messaging service, a milestone for VoIP telephony.

What You Need to Go VoIP

To fully appreciate the wonders of VoIP telephony, a high-speed Internet connection is a must. The technology relies heavily on bandwidth, making it impossible for a slow dial-up connection to support it. Power supply is also essential in VoIP telephony. Routers are connected to computers so an outage in power also leads to an outage in phone service.

VoIP and Emergency

In the past, emergency services posed a problem for VoIP telephony. Owing to the static nature of IP addresses, a call to 911 does not guarantee a connection with the local dispatch center of the caller. Service providers have long since addressed this obstacle by requiring the registration of the physical address where the VoIP line is used. A call to 911 would then display the callerâ€™s address, making it easy for the dispatcher to route the call to the local emergency center. This workaround is called E911 or Enhanced 911.

Like all new technologies, VoIP telephony is far from perfect. There have been reports of bad voice quality in phone calls. However, these issues are being addressed one by one and most VoIP telephony subscribers have seen a great improvement in the quality of their voice calls. Youâ€™ll be able to enjoy full voice clarity in no time at all.

Voip Broadband Phones - What Should You Know?

2008-06-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

The expanded form of VOIP is Voice Over Internet Protocol. The most significant factor that affects the functioning of the VOIP phones is the Broadband Internet Connection, which is a high-speed internet connection and will be used for making and receiving phone calls. As there is a use of broadband internet connection in VOIP phones, they are also known as, "Broadband phones."

Principle Of VOIP Technology

The main principle of VOIP technology is to transform the voice into digital signals which will be forwarded to the broadband internet. This net connection will then help in the conversion of the digital signals into voice before reaching to the listener.

Bandwidth Required For VOIP Phones

The functioning of VOIP phones depend upon broadband internet connection and the quantity of data transfer by broadband internet connection is directly proportional to the bandwidth speed. In other words, bandwidth is the capability to transfer data in a given span of time.

There are two different types of bandwidth. One is the upload bandwidth, which is the quantity of data sent to the internet, and the other is download bandwidth, which is the quantity of data received from the internet.

It is always recommended to use the broadband bandwidth of 90 Kbps as VOIP telephone calls utilize 90 Kbps of bandwidth for high sound quality. But if broadband net service provider is unable to provide this much of bandwidth then most of the VOIP service providers provide an option of lowering down the voice quality by lowering down the bandwidth to approximately 60 Kbps or 30 Kbps.

Uses Of VOIP Broadband Phone

The broadband phone can be utilized to replace the analog phone line or it can be used as a second phone. The most significant use of VOIP service is to make long distance and internationals calls at very cheap rates.

This feature has proved to be very much attractive for the people and companies that are into businesses at international levels. There are different types of value added services that are offered by VOIP broadband phones like caller ID, call diverting, 3-way calling, call waiting, etc.

The most attractive thing in getting these values added services from them is that they are free of cost. These broadband phone service providers also provide a service of virtual phone number. The use of this virtual phone number is that it possesses an area code from where you generally receive the maximum number of calls, and the rates will be very cheap for the people who are calling you.

Precautions While Using Broadband Phone Services:

Though the use of broadband phone service is very advantageous, you should always consider the below-mentioned precautions while utilizing the broadband phone services.

1 - As it is very clear that broadband phones work by the transmission of digital signals by using broadband internet connection, it is always suggested to go for a high quality broadband connection else it will affect the quality of the phone calls.

2 - You should always be ready with a back up in case of break down of power supply and internet connection as this break down will stop the functioning of broadband phones.

3 - It is the responsibility of the users to update the VOIP service providers regarding your current address so that they can assist you at the time of emergency through their service of 9-1-1.

It is always recommended to search for the functioning of technology, benefits, and limitations of the VOIP phones while planning to have a broadband phone connection so that your investment should not go into drains.

Tori Spelling

2008-06-13T03:29:00.000-07:00

Victoria Davey "Tori" Spelling (born May 16, 1973) is an American actress. She is known for being Aaron Spelling's daughter and for her role as Donna Martin in the 1990s teen soap opera Beverly Hills, 90210.

Early life

Spelling was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Carole Gene "Candy Spelling" (née Marer) and famed TV producer Aaron Spelling.[1] Both of Spelling's parents were Jewish,[2] though her family celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah while she was growing up.[3] She attended Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California but graduated from Harvard-Westlake School. Her brother, Randy Spelling, is an actor as well.

Career

Guest roles (mostly in her father's shows) such as The Love Boat, T.J. Hooker, Hotel, Fantasy Island, Vega$, and Saved by the Bell before landing a regular part in Beverly Hills 90210, a series co-produced by her father, Darren Star and Spelling Television.

Since 90210 went off the air, Spelling has worked primarily on independent films including Trick and The House of Yes. She also has appeared in small roles in big budget films, including Scream 2 and Scary Movie 2, and in TV shows, including Smallville.

More recently, Spelling has been the star of two reality-based shows. In 2006, she starred in the VH1 celebreality sitcom So NoTORIous, which parodied her public image. In January 2007, she and her second husband, the actor Dean McDermott, leased a bed & breakfast in Fallbrook, California (a rural community about 100 miles (160 km) from Los Angeles, 50 miles (80 km) from San Diego and just south of Temecula wine country). This became the basis of a new reality show, Tori & Dean: Inn Love, which premiered on the Oxygen network on March 20, 2007.[4]

It was announced in May 2008 that Spelling will reprise her role as Donna Martin on the new CW show 90210.[5]

Aside from her acting career, Spelling designs and markets her own line of fashion jewelery on HSN.

Spelling is the target of frequent jokes on the late-night talk show Chelsea Lately in which host Chelsea Handler commonly refers to her as a man.

Personal life

On July 3, 2004, Spelling married Charlie Shanian. They separated in December 2005 and were legally divorced on April 20, 2006. Spelling married her second husband, Dean McDermott, a month later, on May 7, 2006, in a private, barefoot ceremony in Wakaya, Fiji. The two met when they co-starred in the TV movie Mind Over Murder. McDermott was married at the time to Mary Jo Eustace, whom he divorced to marry Spelling. Eustace has since written about the experience as part of the anthology The Other Woman[6] McDermott and Eustace have two children: Jack Montgomery (b. October 10, 1998) and adopted daughter Lola (b. July 27, 2005). Due to Dean's infidelity he removed himself from finalizing Lola's adoption, and has no legal responsibility for her.

During an appearance at the 2006 MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto on June 18th, Spelling was asked if she found it better dating a Canadian. Spelling replied "...they are much nicer, and have nasty ex-wives who write tell-all books".

After her father's death on June 23, 2006, Spelling was anticipated to inherit a sizable portion of her father's $300 million estate. The estate was to be divided primarily between Spelling, her brother Randy and her mother Candy. Spelling's mother was the estate executor. At the time, Spelling and her mother were estranged and it was reported that Spelling inherited just $800,000.[7] Her brother, who was not estranged from his mother, also received $800,000.[7]

Spelling gave birth to her first child, Liam Aaron McDermott ("Aaron" after her deceased father) on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital via emergency C-section. Reportedly, her mother was in the delivery room when Spelling gave birth and have established a more connected relationship, though have not reached full harmony and reconciliation. It has been reported that Candy Spelling has established a $10 million trust fund for her first grandchild.[8] On Monday, June 9, 2008 Tori and her husband welcomed their second child together, a daughter named Stella Doreen McDermott ("Doreen" after Dean's late mother) by C-section

Television work

* Shooting Stars (1983)
* The Three Kings (1987)
* Saved By The Bell (1990-1991)
* Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000)
* A Friend to Die For (1994)
* Awake to Danger (1995)
* Deadly Pursuits (1996)
* Co-Ed Call Girl (1996)
* Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? (1996)
* The Alibi (1997)
* So Downtown (2003) (canceled after a few episodes)
* A Carol Christmas (2003)
* The Family Plan (2005)
* Hush (2005)
* Mind Over Murder (2005)
* So NoTORIous (2006)
* Smallville (2007)
* Tori & Dean: Inn Love (2007-present)

Filmography

* Troop Beverly Hills (1989)
* The House of Yes (1997)
* Scream 2 (1997)
* Perpetrators of the Crime (1998)
* Trick (1999)
* Sol Goode (2001)
* Scary Movie 2 (2001)
* Naked Movie (2002)
* Evil Alien Conquerors (2002)
* 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (2004)
* Cthulhu (2006)
* Housesitter (2007)
* Kiss the Bride (2008)

Sarah Chalke

2008-06-13T03:26:00.000-07:00

Sarah Louise Christine Chalke (born August 27, 1976) is a Canadian-American television and movie actress, best known for portraying Dr. Elliot Reid on the NBC sitcom Scrubs , the second and fourth Becky Conner Healy on Roseanne and Stella in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Chalke was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is the middle of the three daughters of Douglas and Angie Chalke. Her mother is originally from Rostock, Germany. According to a Scrubs commentary track, she used to attend the German school in her hometown twice a week. Her first language is English, although she speaks French fairly well and German fluently. Chalke graduated from Handsworth High School in North Vancouver in 1994.

Her father is a lawyer in private practice in Vancouver. Her parents also operate an adoption agency that specializes in placing foreign orphans (primarily Chinese) with Canadian families. Her older sister Natasha is also a lawyer, and she has a younger sister named Piper. In April 2008 Chalke became a naturalized American citizen. She is currently engaged to Jamie Afifi

Acting career

Chalke's acting career began at the age of eight when she began appearing in musical theater productions. At 12, she became a reporter on the Canadian children's show KidZone. In 1993, she took over the role of Becky (Conner) Healy on Roseanne from Lecy Goranson; she also made a cameo appearance as a different character in the Roseanne episode "Halloween: The Final Chapter" (#178, originally aired October 31, 1995). She returned briefly to Canada where she starred in the CBC Television drama Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy (1998-1999).

In 2001, she was cast as Dr. Elliot Reid in the NBC comedy series Scrubs. She has appeared in several feature films, including Ernest Goes to School and Cake, as well as 3 episodes of How I Met Your Mother. She also appeared in Channel 101's The 'Bu with The Lonely Island, a parody of the hit show The O.C., but was credited as "Pamela Fenton". In 2008, Chalke became the spokesperson for a line of women's underwear by Hanes that included a series of commercials directed by her Scrubs co-star Zach Braff

Activism

Chalke lost her aunt and grandmother to breast cancer that was undiagnosed while in its early stages.[5] Chalke has since encouraged breast cancer awareness, and starred in the Lifetime movie Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy.

Actress:

* 2000s
* 1990s

1. "How I Met Your Mother" .... Stella Zinman (3 episodes, 2008)
- Miracles (2008) TV episode .... Stella Zinman
- Rebound Bro (2008) TV episode .... Stella Zinman
- Ten Sessions (2008) TV episode .... Stella Zinman
2. "Scrubs" .... Dr. Elliot Reid (151 episodes, 2001-2008)
- My Princess (2008) TV episode .... Dr. Elliot Reid
- My Waste of Time (2008) TV episode .... Dr. Elliot Reid
- My Dumb Luck (2008) TV episode .... Dr. Elliot Reid
- My Manhood (2008) TV episode .... Dr. Elliot Reid
- My Bad Too (2008) TV episode .... Dr. Elliot Reid
(146 more)
3. Mama's Boy (2007) .... Maya
4. "Saturday Night Live" .... Dr. Elliot Reid (1 episode, 2007)
... aka NBC's Saturday Night (USA: first season title)
... aka SNL (USA: informal title)
... aka SNL 25 (USA: alternative title)
... aka Saturday Night (USA: second season title)
... aka Saturday Night Live '80 (USA: sixth season title)
- Zach Braff/Maroon 5 (2007) TV episode (uncredited) .... Dr. Elliot Reid
5. Chaos Theory (2007) .... Paula Crowe
6. Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy (2006) (TV) .... Geralyn Lucas
... aka Lipstick (Australia)
... aka Why I Wore Lipstick (USA: informal short title)
7. Channel 101 (2006) (TV) .... Melissa
8. Cake (2005/I) .... Jane
9. Alchemy (2005/I) .... Samantha Rose
10. Awesometown (2005) (TV) .... Melissa
11. "Clone High" .... Marie Antoinette / ... (3 episodes, 2002-2003)
... aka Clone High U.S.A. (USA)
- Makeover, Makeover, Makeover: The Makeover Episode (2003) TV episode (voice) .... Marie Antoinette
- A Room of One's Clone: The Pie of the Storm (2003) TV episode (voice) .... Marie Antoinette
- Election Blu-Galoo (2002) TV episode (voice) .... X-Stream Erin
12. XCU: Extreme Close Up (2001) .... Jane Bennett
13. Kill Me Later (2001) .... Linda
14. Cinderella: Single Again (2000) .... Cinderella
15. Spin Cycle (2000) .... Tess

16. "Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy" .... Gloria McIntosh Hobson (9 episodes, 1998-1999)
- The Cowboy, His Wife, His Partner and the Nude (1999) TV episode .... Gloria McIntosh Hobson
- Charades (1999) TV episode .... Gloria McIntosh Hobson
- Fools for Love (1999) TV episode .... Gloria McIntosh Hobson
- Happy Trails (1999) TV episode .... Gloria McIntosh Hobson
- The Great Race (1999) TV episode .... Gloria McIntosh Hobson
(4 more)
17. "First Wave" .... Chloe Wells (1 episode, 1999)
- The Channel (1999) TV episode .... Chloe Wells
18. Y2K (1999) .... Myra
... aka Terminal Countdown (USA: DVD title)
19. All Shook Up (1999) .... Katy Dudston
20. I've Been Waiting for You (1998) (TV) .... Sarah Zoltanne
21. Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy (1998) (TV) .... Gloria McIntosh
22. "Dead Man's Gun" .... Murial Jakes (1 episode, 1997)
- The Bounty Hunter (1997) TV episode .... Murial Jakes
23. "Roseanne" .... Becky / ... (69 episodes, 1993-1997)
- Into That Good Night: Part 1 (1997) TV episode .... Becky Conner-Healy
- Into That Good Night: Part 2 (1997) TV episode .... Becky Conner-Healy
- Arsenic and Old Mom (1997) TV episode (credit only) .... Becky
- The Truth Be Told (1997) TV episode (credit only)
- Roseanne-Feld (1997) TV episode (credit only)
(64 more)
24. Dying to Belong (1997) (TV) .... Drea Davenport
25. A Child's Wish (1997) (TV) .... Melinda
... aka A Fight for Justice (UK)
26. Daughters (1997) (TV) .... Annie Morrell
... aka Our Mother's Murder
27. Stand Against Fear (1996) (TV) .... Krista Wilson
... aka Moment of Truth: Stand Against Fear (USA)
... aka Unlikely Suspects (UK)
28. Dead Ahead (1996) (TV) .... Heather Loch
29. Robin of Locksley (1996) (TV) .... Marion Fitzwater
30. Beyond Obsession (1994) (TV) .... Laura Sawyer
... aka A Daughter's Secret: The Traci di Carlo Story
31. Ernest Goes to School (1994) (as Sarah Chalk) .... Maisy
32. Woman on the Ledge (1993) (TV) .... Elizabeth
33. Relentless: Mind of a Killer (1993) (TV) .... Carrie
34. "The Odyssey" .... Estate Agent (1 episode, 1992)
- A Place Called Nowhere (1992) TV episode .... Estate Agent
35. "Neon Rider" .... Annie (1 episode, 1992)
- Labour Day (1992) TV episode .... Annie
36. City Boy (1992) (TV) .... Angelica

Soundtrack:

1. "Scrubs" (3 episodes, 2004-2007)
- My Musical (2007) TV episode (performer: "Welcome to Sacred Heart", "When the Truth Comes Out", "Friends Forever / What's Going to Happen", "All Right", "Options")
- Her Story (2004) TV episode (performer: "Still D.R.E.")
- My Porcelain God (2004) TV episode (performer: "That's the Way (I Like It)")

Self:

* 2000s
* 1990s
* 1980s

1. "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" .... Herself (2 episodes, 2006-2007)
... aka Late Night with Conan O'Brien (Australia)
- Episode dated 11 May 2007 (2007) TV episode .... Herself
- Episode dated 6 January 2006 (2006) TV episode .... Herself
2. Dear Santa (2006) (TV) .... Herself
3. "Last Call with Carson Daly" .... Herself (2 episodes, 2006)
- Episode dated 17 November 2006 (2006) TV episode .... Herself
- Episode dated 4 May 2006 (2006) TV episode .... Herself
4. "The View" .... Herself (1 episode, 2006)
- Episode dated 23 October 2006 (2006) TV episode .... Herself
5. "The Tony Danza Show" .... Herself (1 episode, 2006)
- Episode #2.77 (2006) TV episode .... Herself
6. "Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show" .... Herself (1 episode, 2004)
- Episode dated 3 May 2004 (2004) TV episode .... Herself
7. "Heroes of Comedy: Women on Top" (2003) TV mini-series .... Herself
8. "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" .... Herself (2 episodes, 2002-2003)
... aka The Late Late Show (USA: short title)
- Episode dated 28 March 2003 (2003) TV episode .... Herself
- Episode dated 8 February 2002 (2002) TV episode .... Herself
9. "The Wayne Brady Show" .... Herself (1 episode, 2003)
- Episode dated 24 January 2003 (2003) TV episode .... Herself
10. It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) (TV) .... Herself
11. NBC's Funniest Outtakes (2002) (TV) .... Herself
12. Diary of an Alien (2000) (voice) .... Narrator

13. "The Roseanne Show" .... Herself (1 episode, 1998)
- Episode dated 20 November 1998 (1998) TV episode .... Herself
14. "KidZone" (1992) TV series .... Herself (unknown episodes)
... aka Kerrisdale High (USA)

15. "The More You Know" (1989) TV series .... Herself

Archive Footage:

1. "Roseanne"
- All About Rosey (1995) TV episode .... Becky

Brain Injury and Serious Head Injury Claims

2008-06-13T03:23:00.000-07:00

The Deadline to File a Brain Injury or Serious Head Injury Claim

Hawaii Injury Lawyer | Attorney- Deadlines The deadline for filing most brain injury claims in court in Hawaii is two (2) years from the date when (a) the victim was exposed to the danger and (b) SOME injuries resulted therefrom. The time is NOT necessarily measured from when the brain injury actually becomes full-blown. It should be noted, however, that there are exceptions to this rule- for example, claims against the City and County of Honolulu and the various other Counties must be filed with the appropriate agency within six (6) months of the date of the accident. You must file your claims in court (or otherwise) prior to the expiration of such deadlines, or your claims may be lost—regardless of their merit. To be wise it is recommended that you immediately contact an attorney after an accident giving rise to a possible brain injury occurs- please do not hesitate to :

Contact Hawaii Injury Lawyer | Attorney now for a free evaluation of your case.

Brain Injury - the "silent epidemic"

According to the Brain Injury Association of America- each year, brain injury claims more than 50,000 lives and leaves more than 80,000 individuals with lifelong disabilities. The silent epidemic of brain injury is illustrated best by a 1999 statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there currently are at least 5.3 million Americans living with a disability as a result of brain injury.

A brain injury is often the result of a vehicle crash, a serious fall, a medical error or a sports injury. It has been said that every 21 seconds someone suffers a brain injury. The impact of a brain injury can be devastating, but a brain injury attorney can help lessen the impact that the brain injury has on the lifestyle of the patient and his or her family, by helping to reduce the financial strain caused by the brain injury.

Brain Injury and Serious Head Injury- Medical treatment

What parts of the brain the brain injury has affected- will determine what symptoms may appear. When an accident has not resulted in visible damage to the outside of a patient's head, there can still be extensive brain injury. A brain injury with no external damage to the head is often left untreated because the individual and his health care providers underestimate the impact of the injury. It can be important to have an MRI taken in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis of a brain injury, even when the head itself does not display a visible wound.

All potential brain injury victims should seek proper medical evaluation from a doctor trained to recognize brain injury signs and symptoms. The brain injury symptoms are generally easiest to recognize in the days immediately following when a brain injury is been experienced. As the internal swelling and recent trauma to the brain have a chance to heal, the relationship between a specific trauma and brain injuries can be obscured. A brain injury will not always heal completely, and when it does not, it may leave residual effects on the cognitive functioning, the emotions, the personality and other basic functions. The sooner that a brain injury is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin to reduce the long term impact of the brain injury on the patient and to try to prevent further deterioration and recover any lost functioning.

Living with a Brain Injury or Serious Head Injury

Patients who have experienced permanent brain injury symptoms can sometimes learn to retrain other parts of their brain in order to compensate for the lost functioning. Such compensation generally has the best results when the proper brain injury treatment is commenced shortly after the accident has occurred. Such brain injury treatment can be costly. Moreover, it comes at a time when the brain injury patient's family is already experiencing financial loss and emotional upheaval. When a brain injury limits the victim's ability to participate in work and social activities- the strain on the patient and the patient's family can be very challenging. In such circumstances obtaining the assistance of a competent brain injury attorney may help to ease the financial strain. .

Spouses, children acting as caregivers and parents of those who have sustained a brain injury often find themselves overwhelmed with an ongoing need for information. Finding help can be a complicated and exhausting task. An experienced brain injury attorney can often help with these challenges as well.

The Brain Injury Association of America For further information about brain injury and serious head injuries, you may wish to:
Contact the Brain Injury Association of America for more information.

What is a personal injury claim?

2008-06-13T03:20:00.002-07:00

Personal injury claims are claims for damages arising out of the wrongful conduct of others. For individuals harmed through the fault or negligence of another party, Hawaii state law generally provides that the victim is entitled to assert a personal injury claim. Such a claim is an opportunity to receive compensation for the costs associated with the injuries and the resulting damages and loss. Personal injury claims require that the claimant show that they suffered damages and that another party is responsible for those damages, due to their lack of reasonable care, recklessness, intentional conduct or otherwise. Most personal injury claims are filed in response to negligence or failure to exercise the appropriate care situations; strict liability, recklessness, intentional conduct and other bases for liability make up only a small portion of personal injury claims. Intentional conduct, for example, is often not covered by insurance. There are many different reasons why personal injury claims arise. These include car accidents, other motor vehicle accidents, product defect accidents, construction accidents, dangerous dogs and other animals, boating, ocean and maritime accidents, wrongful death, drunk drivers, injuries from falls, electrical accidents, burn accidents, elevator accidents, medical malpractice, other professional negligence, dangerous conditions on property, safety violations and so forth.

For some of the initial steps that should be taken when a personal injury claim arises, please visit:

Initial Steps in Pursuing a Personal Injury Claim

Successful resolution of a personal injury claim can be critical to the future of the claimant. The funds recovered in a personal injury claim can pay back bills and ensure proper medical care for the future. They also can help to prevent enormous financial problems related to the injuries. Such claims often include claims for tangible losses such as a past wage loss, a loss of future income, medical expenses, vocational rehabilitation expenses, maintenance and cure, substitute services and the like. Such claims also often include claims for intangible losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, loss of love and affection and the like. A personal injury claim may never get your life back to what it was before the injury, but with the help of an experienced personal injury attorney, you may at least be able to recover some of the losses from the accident.

Contact Hawaii Injury Lawyer | Attorney now for a free evaluation of your case.

Mesothelioma Risk factors

2008-06-13T03:20:00.001-07:00

Risk factors

Asbestos exposure plays a role in 70 percent to 80 percent of mesothelioma cases, though the actual percentage could be higher. Asbestos is a mineral that is found naturally in the environment. Asbestos fibers are strong and resistant to heat, making them useful in a wide variety of applications. Asbestos fibers have been used to make insulation, cement, brakes, shingles, flooring and many other products.

People who work around asbestos fibers are thought to have the greatest risk of mesothelioma. When asbestos is broken up — for instance, in the mining process or in removing asbestos insulation from a building — dust may be created. If the dust is inhaled or swallowed, the asbestos fibers may settle in the lungs or in the stomach, where they can cause irritation that may lead to mesothelioma, though how exactly this happens isn't understood. Although asbestos is still used in a limited number of industries, the federal government limits the amount of asbestos fibers workers may be exposed to and sets rules to protect workers.

Mesothelioma risk is believed to be increased in people who are exposed to high levels of asbestos, in people who are exposed to asbestos over a long period of time and in people exposed to asbestos at a young age. It can take 30 to 40 years or more for mesothelioma to develop as a result of asbestos exposure.

People who live with workers exposed to asbestos may also have an increased risk of mesothelioma. Asbestos dust is thought to have been carried home on workers' clothes. Today workers are required to shower and change clothes after working with asbestos to protect their families.

Some people with years of asbestos exposure never develop mesothelioma. Researchers estimate only about 5 percent of the people with the highest exposure to asbestos will develop mesothelioma. And yet, others with very brief exposure develop the disease. This indicates that other factors may be involved in determining whether someone gets mesothelioma or doesn't. For instance, you could inherit a predisposition to cancer or some other condition could increase your risk. Risk of mesothelioma is increased greatly in smokers who are exposed to asbestos.

Other possible risk factors
Researchers have identified other factors that may increase the risk of mesothelioma, including:

* SV40. Some research indicates a link between mesothelioma and simian virus 40 (SV40), a virus originally found in monkeys. Millions of people may have been exposed to SV40 when receiving polio vaccinations between 1955 and 1963, because the vaccine was developed using monkey cells. Once it was discovered that SV40 was linked to certain cancers, the virus was removed from the polio vaccine. There is some evidence that SV40 may also be passed between people, though it isn't clear how. Whether SV40 increases the risk of mesothelioma is a point of contention, and more research is needed.
* Radiation. The radioactive substance thorium dioxide was used along with X-rays to diagnose various health conditions from the 1920s to the 1950s. Thorium dioxide was later found to cause cancer and was no longer used. Some research links thorium dioxide to mesothelioma.
* Asbestos-like minerals. A naturally occurring asbestos-like mineral called zeolite has been linked to mesothelioma cases in Turkey, where the mineral is used to construct homes.
* Family history. Research into the same region of Turkey where zeolite is used reveals that family history may play a role in mesothelioma there. More research is needed to determine whether family history may predispose some people to mesothelioma.

Scientists Use Mice to Reproduce Malignant Mesothelioma

2008-06-13T03:16:00.000-07:00

Researchers at The Netherlands Cancer Institute have successfully reproduced the onset of malignant mesothelioma using genetic mutations commonly found in human patients.

Their breakthrough gives scientists a better understanding of the disease and may lead to the development of more effective treatments for mesothelioma patients.

The project goal was to develop an experimental model for malignant mesothelioma that could be duplicated by researchers to analyze disease development and therapy. Human cases of malignant mesothelioma are connected to genetic lesions affecting the RB and P53 pathways and the loss of Neurofribromatosis type 2 (Nf2). The research team, led by Dr. Anton Berns tested a variety of permutations involving the Nf2, P53 and RB pathways within the mesothelial cells of mice.

The vast majority of mice with mutations affecting Nf2;Ink4a/Arf and Nf2;p53 developed malignant mesothelioma following a short latency period. Mice with mutations affecting NF2;Ink4a/Arf had more invasive tumors than other test subjects. Researchers concluded that the loss of Ink4a is significant for malignant mesothelioma patients because it encodes two important proteins that link the pRB and p53 tumor suppression pathways.

Their model will allow further research of mesothelioma at the molecular level which could ultimately improve a patient's outlook through the development of more targeted therapies.

Moline, IL - The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency may soon be fed up with waiting for a response from the development company in charge of the

2008-06-13T03:15:00.002-07:00

Framingham, MA - Residents from a Temple Street apartment building are still waiting for word from management that they can gather their belongings two weeks after a fire engulfed the complex, leaving asbestos exposed in many places.

Resident Laura Fritz said she still hasn't been allowed in to claim her things and neither is her insurance adjuster. Without his appraisal of the damage to her possessions, she won't be able to collect insurance money on any of her destroyed items.

JPI Management Co., the building's owner, has given warning that anyone who gets caught entering will be arrested since the company is still working on removing the asbestos. They added that it's also a public safety issue as exposure to asbestos can lead to very serious health issues.

The state has granted JPI an asbestos abatement permit valid until June to perform asbestos removal work on the complex. However, before the public can reenter the site, tests will need to be perform to confirm that it is safe.

The fire department has revealed that the cause of the fire was a plumber's torch inside a bathroom closet. The estimated damage caused to the building by the fire totals about $3 million.

Fire officials claimed that the building built in 1966 lacked sprinklers and did not comply with the state's fire code established a decade later. However, it was granted a grandfather clause for compliance and allowed to continue operating.

The company is planning to do renovation on the building, including installing a sprinkler system, new fire alarms and additional improvements. When asked if these changes will take place at other buildings owned by the company that were built around the same time as this one, a top JPI executive responded that they will look into it.

Building developer ignores asbestos citation from EPA

2008-06-13T03:15:00.001-07:00

Moline, IL - The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency may soon be fed up with waiting for a response from the development company in charge of the site of a former nurses' dormitory that has some asbestos violations.

The EPA has notified Moline Place Development (MPD) that the agency will take its case to the attorney general's office for legal action if it does not receive a remediation plan for the site from the company soon. The agency issued the developer a citation last September for violating federal and state environmental laws, claiming that MPD did not follow proper guidelines for handling, removal and disposal of asbestos-containing waste material.

The developer had previously planned to demolish the dormitory to make way for the second phase of the One Moline Place project which is expected to hold 57 homes, six villas and 12 condominium units. The project was halted after the EPA investigated the site because of an anonymous complaint of improper demolition activities and discovered asbestos.

At the time, the state agency requested that MPD contract a licensed professional to design a plan to properly deal with the asbestos. However, the EPA said as of April 30, it still has not received plan from the developer and has not even been given information that the company has hired a licensed contractor.

An EPA executive said a complaint filed with the attorney general's office could ultimately lead to a civil penalty for the developer.

Dust from construction site causes an asbestos scare

2008-06-13T03:14:00.001-07:00

Sausalito, CA - Police officers and firefighters were called to a construction site on Sunday after concerned residents complained of possible illegal asbestos release.

City officials temporarily stopped work on the construction project at the former South Pacific Division Laboratory after nearby residents alerted them that dust potentially containing asbestos was blown from the site into surrounding neighborhoods and onto Bay Area boats.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affair had been working on a renovation of the facility to transform it into a research center. During the process, crews wore protective equipment to remove asbestos siding from the 37,500 square foot building. While the removal was happening, wind blew dust from the site into residential and public areas, raising concern among residents.

Police officers said the dust even covered their vehicles when they arrived at the scene.

The city had the site inspected and found that the work being performed complied with safety regulations, and the asbestos siding had not been cut, opened, or crushed so there was no risk of asbestos exposure from the dust. The inspector said there was not way to determine what particles were in the dust that was blown. Even if it was harmless, air quality officials will continue to monitor the site.

The building project, which is expected to resume Tuesday, is not scheduled to be completed for another two years. The new research center is said to be for the study of many medical conditions, including liver disease, HIV, and post-traumatic stress

Massachusetts fire stations to remove asbestos

2008-06-13T03:13:00.002-07:00

Newton, MA - As a result of last month's asbestos incident at Fire Station 3 where asbestos fragments fell on firefighters while renovation work was being done on the building, the city had asbestos removed from Station 2 in Auburndale this past weekend.

As a precautionary measure, firefighters and fire trucks on duty during the cleanup were sent away from the building to remain on standby in different parts of the district in case of an emergency.

A spokesman for the city said that the asbestos discovered at Station 2 were not friable or damaged so there was no risk of exposure. He added that none of the air samples taken had tested positive for asbestos fibers.

However, according to an April 11 report by FLI Environmental, an indoor air quality monitoring and consultancy company, friable asbestos had been found at the station on four separate occasions. Locations where the damaged asbestos had been found included the boiler room, a bathroom, a closet, a hallway, and various other areas.

Tom Lopez, president of the Fire Union, questioned the classification methods of whether or not the asbestos found was friable, saying asbestos is prone to becoming released when it is damaged and that was the condition of the discovered asbestos. He also didn't like the idea of having to shut down a fire station for nearly 10 hours to perform asbestos cleanup but said he knew it was a necessary action.

The city has created a $2.2 million plan to have every station renovated over the next 10 years, with asbestos cleanup accounted for in the budget.

Senators Request Funding for Mesothelioma Research

2008-06-13T03:13:00.001-07:00

More than a dozen senators have voiced their support to fund mesothelioma research in the 2009 defense appropriations bill.

In a letter sent last month to the Senate Appropriations Defense panel, senators including Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) asked that money be set aside to study the condition.

"Funding (for mesothelioma) through the Department of Defense appropriations bill is an important demonstration of our nation's commitment to addressing the tragedy of mesothelioma and its disproportionate impact on those who serve our country."

Baucus and Murray have been vocal supporters of mesothelioma research especially since their home states have been severely affected by the disease. Hundreds of people in Libby, Montana have developed health problems as a result of asbestos contamination at a vermiculite mine while Bremerton, Washington has one of the nation's highest rates of asbestos related cancer. In addition, Senator Murray has been a longtime supporter of asbestos regulation and recently sponsored legislation to ban the use of asbestos containing materials.

Their main goal is to get mesothelioma listed as a priority under the Pentagon's medical research program. It would spur research by encouraging scientists to apply for study grants and last year the Pentagon awarded more than $50 million to fund medical studies.

Supporters claim that at least one-third of mesothelioma cases can be traced to people who were members of the navy or worked in navy shipyards when it was primarily used as a fire retardant.

An estimated 100,000 people from the Navy submarine base in Groton, Conn. are believed to have been exposed to asbestos. Many Navy exposure cases occurred during WWII and Vietnam.

Among the 15 senators who signed the letter: Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and John Ensign (R-Nev.).

Water main burst releases asbestos

2008-06-13T03:12:00.002-07:00

Boulder, CO - Fears of asbestos exposure while putting out an apartment complex fire near the University of Colorado campus on Monday led firefighters to wear protective gear during the process.

After arriving on scene at the Holly Apartment Complex around 2:30 AM, Boulder Fire Department firefighters fought the fire from outside of the building. They wore special protective gear due to reports that the complex had asbestos contained inside the drywall.

According to the fire marshal, three or four apartment units out of the 31 total incurred some fire damage, but fortunately there were no injuries to the building's residents or firefighters. All residents had been able to evacuate the complex before the fire marshal arrived.

Before residents can return to their homes, the building will have to undergo air quality tests to ensure that it is in safe conditions for people to live there. The fire department said it could take up to a day before they know for certain.

Sarah Huntley, public information officer for the fire department, said that residents in need of retrieving emergency items such as medication, wallets and keys can do so at 1:30 PM the same day with the help of firefighters.

Investigators are still inspecting the site. They believe the cause of the fire was a juniper bush outside of the building that caught fire and spread it to the complex.

Jails to be surveyed for asbestos

2008-06-13T03:12:00.001-07:00

Nova Scotia, Candada - Following the discovery of asbestos at the Cape Breton Correctional Facility which led to several guards refusing to come to work, air-quality testing will be conducted at two other jails in the province.

Minister Cecil Clarke from the Department of Justice announced Tuesday that the Antigonish and Cumberland county jails will also undergo an asbestos investigation. He also insisted that his department followed the correct guidelines in dealing with the discovery of asbestos at Cape Breton, despite claims from some of the facility's guards that they were given late notice of the findings.

According to government policy regarding asbestos, all occupants in any building must be notified immediately once the deadly material is found. Clarke was criticized by New Democrat Bill Estabrooks for ignoring the health and safety of the jail's employees and its more than 75 inmates.

The Labor Department is currently conducting an investigation to find out whether rules were broken regarding the dissemination of information to the guards. It is trying to determine when correctional officials relayed the information to the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union. Once department officials complete the investigation, they promised to reveal what they learn.

The latest air-quality results from the Cape Breton facility is expected to be released Wednesday.

Minnesota Legislature Sends New Bill to Sort Out Iron Range Lung Cancer

2008-06-13T03:11:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota state legislature recently sent a bill to the governor that allocates money for cancer research efforts. Over the past several years, Iron Range residents have been hit with an epidemic of a particularly rare form of lung cancer.

Following a unanimous vote in the state Senate authorizing the funds, the state House also voted in favor of the action (121-1). As a result, $4.9 million will be granted towards exhaustive research that should get to the bottom of the Iron Range cancer problem.

The money, which will come out of a special insurance fund that is overseen by the state Department of Commerce, will help researchers figure out why several miners have recently been stricken with mesothelioma, a cancer that is largely related to asbestos exposure.

Totally incurable and largely untreatable, mesothelioma is responsible for thousands of deaths. While new drugs are being developed to treat the disease, few have actually made it onto the American marketplace.

Those involved in the study at the University of Minnesota will peruse all of the death records of the miners involved, as well as conduct screenings of the worker's families. Current and former employees will be part of the wide reaching study, which will hopefully give those associated with Iron Range the information that, thus far, has remained out of reach.

Additionally, reviews of the environment will also be conducted. All told, the research is slated to take up to five years to complete. Tim Pawlenty, governor of Minnesota, has given his support to the plan.

A 28-year-old woman who grew up around the Iron Range was quoted as saying that she "just attended on of my best friend's funerals this weekend, who died of synovial sarcoma. It's an extremely rare cancer, and I am blown away with how many people have it on the Iron Range-especially my age and younger."

Memorial held for Hamilton Jordan who passed away from mesothelioma

2008-06-13T03:10:00.002-07:00

Atlanta, GA - Hamilton Jordan, the former White House Chief of Staff for President Jimmy Carter, passed away last week as a result of mesothelioma, a fatal lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure.

Mr. Jordan was known is being very influential in the health community. He not only used his experience to advocate in the cancer community, but also urged and inspired thousands of other cancer patients to become more knowledgeable about their diseases. In the past 24 years, he has dealt with three other forms of cancer, including skin cancer, prostate cancer, and non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

He died at the age of 63 in his Atlanta home on Tuesday after struggling with mesothelioma for many years.

At a memorial service held in his honor on Friday, Mr. Jordan was remembered as a loving husband and father, a political genius, an unabashed jokester, and above all a cancer survivor and outspoken leader for others diagnosed with the illness. The 70-minute service, held at the 475-seat chapel at the Carter Center, was over capacity as people gathered to share their memories of him.

The lobby walls were decorated in roses, lilacs, and carnations sent by friends and former colleagues and sprays of sunflowers sat on the stage.

During his eulogy, former President Jimmy Carter said Mr. Jordan impacted his life and career more beneficially than anyone else and thought of him like a son. The two had worked together for 42 years, ever since Mr. Carter was a governor. Mr. Jordan had told him then that he should forget running another term for governor and instead consider running for the presidential seat.

Notable figures in attendance included Mr. Jordan's widow, Dorothy, Andrew Young, former Vice President Walter Mondale, several former senators, and staff members during President's Carter's administration.

Spanish workers allowed to file asbestos lawsuit in the U.S.

2008-06-13T03:10:00.001-07:00

Newark, NJ - A state appellate court has overturned a lower court ruling against fifteen Spanish workers suing an American company over asbestos-related illnesses caused by the company's products.

On Tuesday, a panel of three voted unanimously to overturn the previous ruling. Appellate Judge Anthony J. Parrillo said if the lower court judge had given more consideration in the available choices of court for the workers, he would have realized that New Jersey was the only state where the workers were eligible for filing their lawsuit.

Although the Navy ship was docked at a U.S.-Spanish military base in Rota, Spain, Spanish law stipulates that the damages occurred on U.S. territory - the Navy warships. This made the plaintiffs ineligible to file the suit in Spain.

The Spanish workers claim that while working on U.S. Navy ships in Spain from 1950 to 1998, they were exposed to asbestos through products made by Owens-Illinois Inc. at its New Jersey plant. The company was incorporated in Delaware but is currently based in Ohio.

The company's lawyer said that had yet to make a decision on whether to file an appeal to Parrillo's ruling.

However, he questioned the decision to allow the case to be tried in New Jersey as the injuries happened overseas, and none of the plaintiffs had ever set foot in the state. He said it didn't seem fitting for a New Jersey court to have to deal with such a case.

The panel said that having it in the U.S. would actually be more convenient for Owens-Illinois seeing how the company is based here and therefore, has all of its important evidence and witnesses related to the case here.

Asbestos discovery delays bridge construction project

2008-06-13T03:08:00.000-07:00

Ashtabula, OH - The discovery of asbestos has delayed an overpass construction project, according to an Ohio Department of Transportation official.
ohio depatment
Asbestos was found in several houses on West Avenue that are slated to be torn down to make way for the construction of a $10.1 million bridge. Once completed, the new bridge will make driving in the area more convenient by allowing vehicles to travel over two sets of railroad tracks. The city's safety and rescue crews will also benefit from the uninterrupted route to south-side neighborhoods.

All trees in the area have been razed, and utility companies are currently waiting for the houses to be cleared so they can begin shifting poles and rerouting underground cables.

A spokeswoman for the state DoT said more than half of the homes slated for demolition had contained asbestos, which will extend the end date for the project. Time needed to complete the asbestos removal along with heavy rains in the month of May slowing down progress will cause the project to be delayed by four to five weeks.

The way the railroad tracks run, long trains are able to divide the city in half, separating the northern and southern parts of town. Having a bridge to traverse over the tracks will improve travel times significantly.

Construction of the bridge is expected to start in late September or early October.

Mesothelioma Early Detection

2008-06-13T03:07:00.000-07:00

It is strongly encouraged that anyone who has had past asbestos exposure be checked periodically for asbestos disease. Early detection is vital, since even lung cancers have a higher survival rate if caught early. Non-cancerous disease may be diagnosed through a normal front and side view x-ray (also called a PA and lateral), with the x-ray films read preferably by a radiologist called a Certified B-reader. This should be an adequate diagnostic test to determine if any scarring is present which would be consistent with asbestos exposure. Click here for a current listing of these radiologists. If anything suspicious appears on the x-ray films, the patient would be referred to a specialist for further evaluation. Cancerous disease, although it may be suspected through tests such as an x-ray or CT scan, can only be confirmed through a tissue biopsy. Be sure you understand the significance of your diagnosis.
Non-Cancerous

* Pleural disease - often noted as a scarring of the lining of the lung, and sometimes expressed as "pleural thickening", "pleural plaque" or "pleural calcification".
* Asbestosis - defined as a scarring of the lower lobes of the lungs bilaterally (on both sides); often referred to as "asbestos in the lung".

If you have been diagnosed with a non-cancerous disease, it is important that your doctor monitor your condition with regular x-rays and/or high resolution CT scans, and pulmonary function tests. It is also important to compare new and old radiographic films and review any other pertinent test results to check for progression of disease.

Note: Although these diseases are non-cancerous at the onset, they can be progressive, eventually leading to a need for inhalers or oxygen. They also constitute a significantly greater risk of future cancer in those who have a prior smoking history, or those who continue to smoke.
Cancerous

* Lung cancer - diagnosed as non-small cell (which includes adenocarcinoma, squamous cell or large cell) and small cell (which includes oat cell, lymphocytic, intermediate or combined); lung cancer may be contributed to by asbestos exposure, although it is not normally the sole cause.
* Mesothelioma - a rare form of cancer of the lining of the lung (pleural mesothelioma) or the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneal mesothelioma), or in rare cases, the lining of the heart (pericardial mesothelioma); exclusive to asbestos exposure.

If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer, it is important to make a treatment decision, and then follow your doctor's recommendations. Additional information on various types of lung cancer may be obtained through the National Cancer Institute at 1-800-4-CANCER.

Mesothelioma PALLIATIVE CARE

2008-06-13T03:06:00.000-07:00

PALLIATIVE CARE

Palliative care is a specialized form of care that alleviates pain and other symptoms. The goal of palliative medicine is not to prolong life or hasten death, but rather, to keep the patient as comfortable as possible, while offering support to the patient and their family. Palliative care contributes to the quality of life for patients with life-threatening illnesses at any phase of the disease.

For the patients who are undergoing life-prolonging therapies, palliative care includes symptom management and therapy aimed at restoring function. For the dying patient, it addresses the traditional roles of the hospice movement. During the course of a serious illness, patients and their families should realize that the goals of care can, and do, change, sometimes rapidly. An open line of communication is essential to optimize patient care.
Symptoms Managed through Palliative Care

Some of the common symptoms managed through palliative care include:

* Pain
* Shortness of breath
* Fatigue
* Dry Mouth
* Loss of appetite
* Gastrointestinal problems
* Skin problems
* Anxiety/Depression

Pain

Pain management is one of the most important aspects of palliative care. Because it is now considered a medical specialty, you may wish to consult a physician well versed in pain management if your physician seems unable or unwilling to provide adequate pain control.

Many people with cancer experience pain. Statistics show that 30 to 40 per cent of patients in active cancer therapy, and 70 to 90 percent of patients with advanced cancer report pain. In most cases, pain can be controlled through medications prescribed according to the World Health Organization's Analgesic Ladder, an approach using various levels of medication based on the severity of pain. This type of pain treatment, using drugs, is called pharmacological therapy. Medications may include innon-opioid pain relievers, opioid pain relievers, adjuvant medications (those whose primary purpose is not for pain, but for other conditions), and topical treatments such as a patch, gel, or cream. A study published the Annals of Oncology found a reluctance among cancer patients to take opioid medications due to a belief that such medications are offerred only at the end of life.

Non-pharmacological therapies, those that do not rely primarily on medication to achieve effect, include therapeutic exercise and cognitive behavioral techniques such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, imagery, meditation, biofeedback therapy, and distraction. Complementary and/or alternative approaches include acupuncture and massage therapy. Integretive medicine refers to the combination of mainstream conventional treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation with complementary therapies proven to have sound scientific evidence as to their safety and effectiveness.
Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, affects 20 to 80 percent of palliative care patients. Causes of this condition may include, lung disease, fluid in the lungs, infection, anemia, or emotional factors such as anxiety. While medications or oxygen may be used to treat shortness of breath, sometimes measures such as changing position, using relaxation techniques, or improving air circulation may help. More on anemia from chemotherapy treatment.
Fatigue

Cancer-related fatigue may be the result of the general progression of the disease, the effects of medication, or the after effects of treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. The following symptoms are usually associated with fatigue:

* Diminished energy level disproportionate to activity
* Diminished activity associated with physical or intellectual performance
* Diminished motivation; lack of interest in activities
* Exhaustion, apathy, or lethargy
* Generalized tiredness
* Sleep abnormalities
* Irritability, impatience, or changes in mood

The treatment of fatigue is based on first identifying, and then managing, the underlying cause of the fatigue. Once that is accomplished, interventions such as medication, exercise, stress management, and nutrition are used. More on fatigue in mesothelioma patients.
Dry Mouth

Dry mouth, or xerostoma, is another symptom addressed in palliative care. Causes may be dehydration, depression or anxiety, or may be a side effect of medications such as pain relievers, antidepressants, diuretics, or tranquilizers. Chemotherapy treatments or radiotherapy may also be a cause.

Relief of dry mouth can often be achieved by:

* Drinking plenty of fluids
* Sucking on ice chips or Vitamin C tablets
* Chewing sugarless gum
* Maintaining good oral hygiene
* Providing humidified air

Loss of Appetite

Patients with life-threatening illnesses often lose their appetite, and subsequently, lose weight. If the condition becomes too severe, it is called cachexia. Doctors uniformly agree that nutrition plays a vital role in the patient's well being. Causes of weight loss include inadequate intake of nutrients because the patient can not or does not want to eat, poor absorption of the food that is eaten, and changes in the patient's metabolism.

Weight loss may be managed by:

* Eating smaller, more frequent meals
* Eating high calorie, high protein foods
* Receiving nutritional counseling

There are also medications which may help depending on the patient's desired goal. Some of these medications stimulate appetite, but do not usually increase weight, some stimulate appetite and cause slight weight gain, and still others help prevent nausea and vomiting.
Gastrointestinal Problems

Gastrointestinal problems may be associated with the disease process itself, or as a side effect of treatments or medications the patient is receiving. These may include nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea.

As mentioned above, there are medications which can help with nausea and vomiting. Your doctor or a nutritionist may also be able to provide eating hints and/or special diets tailored to fit the patient's individual needs. More on diarreah in mesothelioma patients.
Skin Problems

There are a variety of skin problems which may accompany cancer, including dryness, itching, rash, sores, and ulcers. It is important to treat these conditions as quickly as possible in order to reduce discomfort and the risk of infection.

* Dryness may be lessened by adding baby or mineral oil to warm bath water, and by applying moisturizers. It is also important to drink 8-10 glasses of water per day.
* Itching and rash may be lessened by adding baking soda to cool bath water, or by applying a cool, moist cloth to itchy areas. Avoid harsh laundry detergents, and change sheets and towels daily.
* Keep skin clean and dry and check skin daily for pressure sores or ulcers which may become infected.

Anxiety/Depression

Anxiety is a hallmark of a life-threatening illness. Feelings of fear, worry, or apprehension may lead to long-term generalized anxiety, or short, intense panic attacks. Causes may include difficulty in coming to terms with the illness, fear of isolation and separation, poorly controlled pain, or side effects of medication.

Treatments to control anxiety may include stress management techniques, counseling, support of family and friends, and control of pain or side effects from medication.

Depression, while less common, often affects family members as well as the patient themselves. Depression may be related to loss of the ability to function, changing family roles, limited social and financial support, pain, or other symptoms such as shortness of breath.

Control of the above symptoms is accomplished through antidepressant medication, support and counseling, pain management, and stress management.

NEW MESOTHELIOMA TREATMENT APPROACHES

2008-06-13T03:05:00.000-07:00

New approaches to treat malignant mesothelioma are currently being tested. They often combine traditional treatments or include something entirely new. They include:

* Angiogenesis and Anti-angiogenesis Drugs

Although progress has been made in the early detection of cancer, and in improved treatment options once cancer is diagnosed, there are still many cancers, including mesothelioma, which can not be cured and remain difficult to treat effectively. In recent years, researchers have learned a great deal about how cancer cells differ from normal cells and, in an effort to find drugs without the potentially severe side effects of chemotherapy, have now discovered drugs which target the tumor itself while sparing the body’s normal cells. One such group are the anti-angiogenesis drugs.

Learn more about anti-angiogenesis agents in the treatment of mesothelioma.
* Immunotherapy, sometimes called biological therapy, uses the body's own immune system to protect itself against disease. Researchers have found that the immune system may be able to recognize the difference between healthy cells and cancer cells, and eliminate those that become cancerous. Immunotherapy is designed to repair, stimulate, or enhance the immune system's natural anticancer function.

Substances used in immunotherapy, called biological response modifiers (BRMs) alter the interaction between the body's immune defenses and cancer, thereby improving the body's ability to fight disease. Some BRMs, such as cytokines and antibodies, occur naturally in the body, however, it is now possible to make BRMs in the laboratory that can imitate or influence natural immune response agents. These BRMs may:

o Enhance the immune system to fight cancer cell growth.
o Eliminate, regulate, or suppress body responses that permit cancer growth.
o Make cancer cells more susceptible to destruction by the immune system.
o Alter cancer cell's growth patterns to behave like normal cells.
o Block or reverse the process that changes a normal cell into a cancer cell.
o Prevent a cancer cell from spreading to other sites.

Many BRMs are currently being used in cancer treatment, including interferons, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor, colony-stimulating factors, monoclonal antibodies, and cancer vaccines.

More on immunotherapy for mesothelioma.

* Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a type of cancer treatment based on the premise that single-celled organisms, if first treated with certain photosensitive drugs, will die when exposed to light at a particular frequency. PDT destroys cancerous cells by using this fixed frequency light to activate photosensitizing drugs which have accumulated in body tissues.

In PDT, a photosensitizing drug is administered intravenously. Within a specific time frame (usually a matter of days), the drug selectively concentrates in diseased cells, while rapidly being eliminated from normal cells. The treated cancer cells are then exposed to a laser light chosen for its ability to activate the photosensitizing agent. This laser light is delivered to the cancer site, (in the case of mesothelioma, the pleura), through a fiberoptic device that allows the laser light to be manipulated by the physician. As the agent in the treated cells absorbs the light, an active form of oxygen destroys the surrounding cancer cells. The light exposure must be carefully timed, so that it occurs when most of the photosensitizing drug has left the healthy cells, but is still present in cancerous ones.

The major side effect of PDT is skin sensitivity. Patients undergoing this type of therapy are usually advised to avoid direct and even indirect sunlight for at least six weeks. Other side effects may include nausea, vomiting, a metallic taste in the mouth, and eye sensitivity to light. These symptoms may sometimes come as a result of the injection of the photosensitizing agent.

* Gene therapy is an approach to treating potentially fatal or disabling diseases by modifying the expression of an individual's genes toward a therapeutic goal. The premise of gene therapy is based on correcting disease at the DNA level and compensating for the abnormal genes.

Replacement gene therapy replaces a mutated or missing gene, most often a tumor suppressor gene, with a normal copy of that gene which serves to keep cell growth and division under control. The p53 gene, the most common gene mutated in cancer has become a prime target for gene replacement, and has met with some success in inhibiting cell growth, inhibiting angiogenesis (the development of a tumor's blood supply), and inducing apoptosis (cell death).

Knockout gene therapy targets the products of oncogenes (a gene that can induce tumor formation) in an effort to render them inactive and reduce cell growth.

With constantly expanding knowledge of the genes associated with cancer, their functions, and the delivery systems used in administering these genes, gene therapy has a promising future.
* Complementary and alternative medicine covers a wide range of healing philosophies that conventional medicine does not commonly accept or make available to its patients. Some of these practices include the use of acupuncture, herbs, homeopathy, therapeutic massage, and Far Eastern medicine to treat health conditions.

These therapies may be used alone as an alternative to conventional medicine, or in addition to conventional medicine, in which case they are referred to as complementary. Many are considered holistic, meaning their focus is to treat the whole patient - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. These treatments are not widely taught as a part of the medical curriculum, are not generally used in hospitals, and, for the most part, are not covered under insurance policies.

Many cancer patients try various complementary and/or alternative medicine techniques during the course of their treatment, and although they may not work for everyone, some patients benefit by managing their symptoms or side effects. One important caveat, is to discuss any complementary or alternative treatments you may be considering with your doctor to be sure nothing interferes with your conventional care. For instance, dietary supplements such as herbs or vitamins may be "natural", but not necessarily "safe". They may lessen the effectiveness of certain anticancer drugs, or when taken with other drugs or in large doses, may actually cause harm. Since supplements of this nature are not governed by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), and a prescription is not necessary to purchase, it is up to the consumer to make informed and conscientious decisions regarding their use.

Your personal physician may be able to advise you about the use of complementary and alternative treatments and therapies, and how they relate to mesothelioma.

The combinaton of complementary and conventional therapies is sometimes referred to as integrative medicine.
* Unconventional methods of cancer treatment make claims that can not be scientifically substantiated. They commonly claim to be effective against cancers that are considered incurable, and tout treatments with relatively few, if any, side effects.

The use of these unconventional methods may result in the loss of valuable time and the opportunity to receive potentially effective therapy. It is always important to remain in the care of a qualified physician who uses accepted methods of treatment or who is participating in scientifically designed investigational therapies.

FINDING A MESOTHELIOMA SPECIALIST

2008-06-13T03:04:00.000-07:00

The following physicians are specialists in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. You will find links to their web sites, when available and to some of their published articles.They are listed in no particular order with no particular endorsement.

Mesothelioma is typically treated by an interdisciplinary team of doctors rather than by a single physician. You may run into professionals called oncologists, thoracic surgeons, and pulmonologists. Glossary of members of a thoracic oncology care team. More on choosing your mesothelioma doctor.
W. Roy Smythe, MD

Professor and Chairman/Department of Surgery, Texas A&M University System Health Sciences Center, Scott & White Hospital, Temple, TX
Phone: 254-724-2595

Dr. Smythe is currently accruing patients for a protocol involving extrapleural pneumonectomy and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). (Click here for an abstract of this trial).

Biography
David C. Rice, MD

Assistant Surgeon and Assistant Professor of Surgery; Director, Mesothelioma Program; Director, Minimally Invasive Surgery Program, Thoracic Surgery/The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Phone: (713) 794-1477

Dr. Rice is currently concluding enrollment on a Phase II trial of extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) followed by Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). He is also anticipating the opening of a new trial of preoperative Alimta/Cisplatin, followed by EPP and IMRT.

Biography
David J. Sugarbaker, MD

Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery/Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA Chief, Department of Surgical Services/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
Phone: (617) 732-6824

Dr. Sugarbaker believes in aggressive treatment of pleural mesothelioma. He is a proponent of tri-modal therapy; extrapleural pneumonectomy, chemotherapy and radiation.

Click here for an article by Dr. David J. Sugarbaker that appeared in the The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, January 1999 (12 pages in Adobe PDF format).

Biography
Lambros Zellos, MD, MPH

Attending Thoracic Surgeon; Clinical Co-Director of the International Mesothelioma Program/Brigham & Women's Hospital/Dana Farber Cancer Institute Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Phone: (617) 525-9657

Dr. Zellos is an Attending Thoracic Surgeon and the Clinical Co-Director of the International Mesothelioma Program. Dr. Zellos is a proponent of tailored multimodality therapy for each individual patient. Appropriate therapy may include surgery such as pleurectomy or extrapleural pneumonectomy with chemotherapy or radiation. Dr. Zellos has published several papers on multimodality therapy as well as methods to improve surgical techniques.

Valerie W. Rusch, FACS

Attending Thoracic Surgeon/Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Phone: (212) 639-5873

Dr. Rusch is known for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma. She has published several papers comparing pleural decortication to extrapleural pneumonectomy.

Biography
Raja M. Flores, MD

Attending Thoracic Surgeon/Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Phone: (212) 639-2806

Dr. Flores is currently the Principal Investigator on a clinical trial of neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy and high dose radiation, as well as being involved in a trial of neoadjuvant Alimta/cisplatin, extrapleural pneumonectomy and high dose radiation. He has also compiled a 1,000 patient database to research areas of failure, and how to improve treatments for mesothelioma.

Biography
Paul H. Sugarbaker, MD, FACS, FRCS

Director, Surgical Oncology/Washington Cancer Institute, Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 877-3908

Dr. Sugarbaker is a specialist in the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma using a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

Brian W. Loggie, MD

Professor of Surgery, Creighton University Medical School; Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology; Director of Cancer Center/Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Phone: (402) 280-4100

Dr. Loggie specializes in the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma and peritoneal carcinomatosis. His protocol, based on eligibility, involves surgical debulking in combination with intraperitoneal heated chemotherapy.

Biography
David L. Bartlett, MD

Professor of Surgery, Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology/UPMC Cancer Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA
Phone: (412) 692-2852

Dr. Bartlett has particular expertise in the management of advanced, complex abdominal malignancies. He also has a research interest in treating advanced carcinomas in the peritoneal cavity, including peritoneal mesothelioma.
Claire F. Verschraegen, MD

Director, Clinical Trial Office and Investigational Drug Program/Cancer Research and Treatment Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Phone: (505) 272-4551

Dr. Verschraegen is currently conducting a front-line Alimta/gemcitabine trial for peritoneal mesothelioma patients. She also offers the following Phase I trials for patients who have already been treated with Alimta:

* Phase I Study of Capecitabine with Cisplatin and Irinotecan in Patients with Advanced Malignancies
* Phase I Study of Intravenous TZT-1027 and Gemcitabine, Administered on Day 1 and Day 8 of a Three Week Course in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors
* Phase I Study of Flavoperidol in Combination with Gemcitabine and Irinotecan in Patients with Metastatic Cancer

Biography
David P. Mason, MD

Staff Surgeon, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery/Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH
Phone: (216) 444-4053

Dr. Mason is a proponent of aggressive multimodality therapy for malignant mesothelioma. This includes extrapleural pneumonectomy, chemotherapy and radiation with Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). Cleveland Clinic Foundation has a multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology team with extensive experience and clinical trials in the management of malignant mesothelioma.

Biography
David M. Jablons, MD

Assistant Professor of Surgery Chief, General Thoracic Surgery/UCSF Mt. Zion Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
Phone: (415) 885-3882

Dr. Jablons treats pleural mesothelioma with a radical pleurectomy/decortication and is researching other therapies.

Biography
Lary A. Robinson, MD

Director, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Principal Thoracic Surgical Oncologist/H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL
Phone: (813) 972-8412

Dr. Robinson is a member of the multidisciplinary thoracic oncology group at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center which evaluates and treats all stages of mesothelioma. He is also involved in clinical research programs for lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Biography
Craig W. Stevens, MD, PhD

Division Chief, Radiation Oncology/H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute/Tampa, FL
Phone: (813) 972-8424

Biography
Robert N. Taub, MD

Professor of Clinical Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons/New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
Phone: (212) 305-4076

Dr. Robert Taub is a medical oncologist who directs the Connective Tissue Oncology Program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, where there are a number of ongoing multimodality studies of patients with pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma. The Center is based at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Biography
Daniel Sterman, MD

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine/University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA
Phone: (215) 614-0984

Dr. Sterman is the co-author of several informative articles on treatment and clinical trials for pleural mesothelioma.

Biography
Eric Vallieres, MD

Associate Professor of Surgery, Section of General Thoracic Surgery/University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA
Phone: (206) 598-4477

Dr. Vallieres uses a multidisciplinary approach to thoracic malignancies and related clinical trials. Please see Medical Journal & News Articles for an article Dr. Vallieres co-authored on Induction Chemotherapy, Extra Pleural Pneumonectomy And Adjuvant Fast Neutron Radiationtherapy For Pleural Mesothelioma (Dmm).

Biography
Stephen C. Yang, MD

Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery/Associate Professor of Surgery and Oncology/Surgical Director, Lung Transplantation Program/Director, Thoracic Oncology Program/Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD
Phone: (410) 614-3891

Biography
Mark J. Krasna, MD

Medical Director of the Cancer Institute at St. Joseph Medical Center/Towson, MD
Phone: (410) 427-2220

Dr. Krasna is the former Head of the Division of Thoracic Surgery, Professor of Surgery and Associate Director for Surgical Oncology in the Greenebaum Cancer Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Dr. Krasna is a leader in the development of thoracic surgery. He is the author of the first textbook on thoracoscopic surgery and has instructed surgeons worldwide on his techniques.

Biography
David H. Harpole, Jr., MD

Associate Professor of Surgery, Thoracic Oncology Program/Assistant
Professor of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
Phone: (919) 668-8413

Biography
Harvey Pass, MD

Professor and Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery and Thoracic Oncology, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery/NYU School of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center/New York, NY
Phone: (212) 263-7417
Gregory P. Kalemkerian, MD

Co-Director of Thoracic Oncology/University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center/Ann Arbor, MI
Phone: (734) 936-5281

Dr. Kalemkerian directs the multidisciplinary thoracic oncology clinic at the University of Michigan Cancer Center, in addition to collaborating with the thoracic oncology team at Karmanos Cancer Institute, to develop novel clinical trials for mesothelioma patients.
Joseph S. Friedberg, MD

Chief of Thoracic Surgery/University of Pennsylvania at Presbyterian, Philadelphia, PA
Phone: (215) 662-9195

Dr. Friedberg is currently the Principal Investigator on a trial of photodynamic therapy for pleural malignancies, and also on a trial combining Alimta/cisplatin, surgery and XRT.
Robert Cameron, MD

UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Phone: (310) 794-7333

MESOTHELIOMA DIAGNOSIS QUESTIONS

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Doctor-Patient Communication

An open line of communication between a patient and his or her physician is vital when dealing with a serious disease such as mesothelioma. There will be many questions regarding treatment, whether palliative or aggressive, choices to deal with, and life issues to confront. Being informed and proactive in your care will give you a sense of empowerment.

Although most physicians have limited time to spend with each patient at appointments, it is important to address issues as they occur and resolve them to the satisfaction of all parties involved. Initially, this may mean going to your appointment with a list of symptoms or concerns, or questions regarding specific tests that are recommended. Once mesothelioma has been diagnosed, you may have questions regarding treatment options.

Most questions from patients stem from an initial diagnosis of mesothelioma and subsequent treatment options. Following are some frequently asked questions regarding these two important issues.
What Is My Diagnosis?

There are three types of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lung (pleura), peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), and pericardial mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining surrounding the heart (pericardium). Sub-types (or cell types) of mesothelioma are epithelioid (the most common, and considered the most amenable to treatment), sarcomatous (a much more aggressive form), and biphasic or mixed (a combination of both of the other cell types).

The structural appearance of cells under the microscope determine the cell or sub-type of mesothelioma. Epithelioid is the least aggressive; sarcomatoid, the most aggressive. The biphasic or mixed cell type shows structural elements of both of the other two. More on the histologic subtypes of mesothelioma.

epithelioid mesothelioma tissue

sarcomatoid mesothelioma tissue

Epithelioid mesothelioma tissue

Sarcomatoid mesothelioma tissue

biphasic mesothelioma tissue

Biphasic mesothelioma tissue

MESOTHELIOMA STAGES

Treatment options are often determined by the stage of mesothelioma a patient is in. There are three staging systems currently in use for pleural mesothelioma and each one measures somewhat different variables; peritoneal mesothelioma is not staged.

Staging is the term used to describe the extent of a patient's cancer, based on the primary tumor and its spread in the body. It can help the medical team plan treatment, estimate prognosis and identify clinical trials for which the patient may be eligible.

Staging is based on a knowledge of how the cancer develops, from the primary tumor, to the invasion of nearby organs and tissues, to distant spread or metastasis. Staging systems have evolved over time, and they continue to change as scientists learn more about cancer. Some staging systems cover many different types of cancer, while others focus on more specific cancers. The TNM (primary tumor, regional lymph nodes, distant metastasis) is the most common staging system for mesothelioma.

Some elements common to most staging systems are:

* Location of the primary tumor.
* Size and number of the tumors.
* Lymph node involvement.
* Cell type and tumor grade.
* Metastasis.

Many cancer registries, such as the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) use summary staging, a system used for all types of cancer. Summary staging groups cancer into five main categories:

* In situ - cancer that is present only in the layer of cells in which it began.
* Localized - cancer that is limited to the organ in which it began with no evidence of spread.
* Regional - cancer that has spread from the primary site to nearby lymph nodes or organs.
* Distant - cancer that has spread from the primary site to distant lymph nodes or organs.
* Unknown - cases where not enough information exists to indicate stage.

Several types of testing may be used to help doctors determine stage, and to formulate a treatment plan.

* Physical examinations. The doctor examines the body by looking, feeling and listening to anything out of the ordinary.
* Imaging techniques. Procedures such as x-rays, CT scans, MRIs and PET scans may show the location, size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread.
* Laboratory tests. Studies of blood, urine, fluid and tissue can provide information about the cancer. Tumor markers, sometime elevated when cancer is present, may provide information.
* Pathology reports. Results of the examination of tissue samples can include information about the size of the tumor(s), extension into adjacent structures, type of cells and grade of the tumor. Results of the examination of cells in fluid, such as that from a mesothelioma-related pleural effusion, may also provide information.
* Surgical reports. Observations about the size and appearance of the tumor(s), lymph nodes and nearby organs.

Staging information should be provided to the patient by his doctor so that potential treatment plans can be discussed. Stage of the mesothelioma, as well as consideration of other factors such as age, health status and the patient's wishes may dictate different treatment options.

The oldest staging system and the one most often used is the Butchart System which is based mainly on the extent of primary tumor mass and divides mesotheliomas into four stages. The more recent TNM system considers variables of tumor in mass and spread, lymph node involvement, and metastasis. The Brigham System is the latest system and stages mesothelioma according to resectability (the ability to surgically remove) and lymph node involvement.

Butchart System – extent of primary tumor mass

* Stage I: Mesothelioma is present in the right or left pleura and may also involve the diaphragm on the same side.
* Stage II: Mesothelioma invades the chest wall or involves the esophagus, heart, or pleura on both sides. Lymph nodes in the chest may also be involved.
* Stage III: Mesothelioma has penetrated through the diaphragm into the lining of the abdominal cavity or peritoneum. Lymph nodes beyond those in the chest may also be involved.
* Stage IV: There is evidence of metastasis or spread through the bloodstream to other organs.

TNM System -- variables of T (tumor), N (lymph nodes), M (metastasis)

* Stage I: Mesothelioma involves right or left pleura and may also have spread to the lung, pericardium, or diaphragm on the same side. Lymph nodes are not involved.
* Stage II: Mesothelioma has spread from the pleura on one side to nearby lymph nodes next to the lung on the same side. It may also have spread into the lung, pericardium, or diaphragm on the same side.
* Stage III: Mesothelioma is now in the chest wall, muscle, ribs, heart, esophagus, or other organs in the chest on the same side with or without spread to lymph nodes on the same side as the primary tumor.
* Stage IV: Mesothelioma has spread into the lymph nodes in the chest on the side opposite the primary tumor, or extends to the pleura or lung on the opposite side, or directly extends into organs in the abdominal cavity or neck. Any distant metastases is included in this stage.

Brigham System: (variables of tumor resectability and nodal status)

* Stage I: Resectable mesothelioma and no lymph node involvement
* Stage II: Resectable mesothelioma but with lymph node involvement
* Stage III: Unresectable mesothelioma extending into chest wall, heart, or through diaphragm, peritoneum; with or without extrathoracic lymph node involvement
* Stage IV: Distant metastatic disease

How Was This Diagnosis Determined, and How Accurate Were the Tests?

Although you probably took many different tests leading up to your diagnosis, a tissue biopsy is normally the final determining factor. Following are some tests your doctor may recommend, and what may or may not be concluded from these tests.

* X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs - See the imaging section for more on these techniques. On conventional x-ray film, mesothelioma appears as a markedly thickened, nodular, irregular pleural-based mass which covers the pleural surface. The tumor often encompasses the involved lung, but is only rarely seen bilaterally. Chest wall, diaphragmatic, and mediastinal invasion may be seen in advanced cases. Moderate to large pleural effusion is often noted on the affected side. On CT scan, pleural thickening greater than 1 cm can be identified in over 90% of cases; thickening which extends into the interlobular fissure is seen in 85% of cases. Absence of pleural thickening does not preclude mesothelioma, and at times, the only CT finding is that of pleural effusion.
* Cytology - Testing of the pleural fluid for malignant cells is considered to have limited value in diagnosing mesothelioma. Negative or inconclusive readings account for nearly 85% of all fluid tested. Even with a positive fluid report, many doctors prefer to perform a confirming tissue biopsy as long as it does not compromise the patient's health.
* Needle Biopsy - In this test, done under local anesthetic, a large hollow needle is inserted through the skin and into the chest cavity. The needle is then rotated, and as it is taken out, tissue samples are collected. Because of the small sample size of the tissue, this type of biopsy is considered to be only 25-60% accurate in diagnosing mesothelioma. Because tumor seeding may occur along the needle tract in approximately 20% of patients, local radiation therapy may be used in conjunction with this test.
* Open biopsy - This type of biopsy is considered to be the most accurate for mesothelioma diagnosis, and is the procedure of choice because it affords the pathologist a larger tissue sample.. It is done in a hospital under general anesthetic. As with a needle biopsy, local radiation may be used because of the possibility of tumor seeding.

Can I Be Treated by the Doctor Who Diagnosed My Mesothelioma?

If the doctor who diagnosed your mesothelioma is your primary physician, he will most likely refer you to a local oncologist for treatment. The oncologist may offer what he or she feels are the best treatment options, or, if their knowledge of this disease is limited, may suggest you seek out a doctor who specializes in mesothelioma. Most often these physicians are located at larger, teaching hospitals such as those listed in the Comprehensive Cancer Center Section. These facilities are ranked as state-of-the-art cancer centers, and are highly respected for their patient care and innovative cancer treatments. If your choice of treatment involves a radical surgical procedure or a clinical trial involving new, as yet unproven drugs, these facilities may be best for you. If your treatment involves an already-approved, standard form of chemotherapy, this can be carried out locally.
What Treatment Options Will I Be Offered?

Treatment options may vary according to the age and over-all health of the patient, and the extent of the disease. It is important to be informed of all available options for your particular case, so that you can make decision on the option you feel most comfortable with. Surgery, chemotherapy, and clinical trials, as well as new approaches such as photodynamic therapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy may be offered. Speak openly with your doctor regarding suggested procedures. Questions may include:

* Why is this procedure best for me?
* What does the procedure entail?
* What are the advantages/disadvantages of this treatment (i.e, will this procedure limit my eligibility for other treatments)?
* What are the possible risks or adverse side effects?
* What are the response, survival, and mortality rates associated with this procedure?

Is Palliative Treatment an Option?

In some circumstances, age, contributing health problems, or advanced disease may make aggressive treatment impossible. In these cases, palliative care (that which treats the symptoms, but not the disease itself) may be appropriate. If you opt for palliative care, it is doubly important to communicate fully with your doctor. Many symptoms of mesothelioma can be alleviated or substantially lessened if you are completely open with your doctor. Each time you have an appointment, tell your doctor how you feel, what discomfort you are experiencing, and your level of pain. A good doctor should be willing to address your questions and concerns.

MESOTHELIOMA'S CAUSE - ASBESTOS EXPOSURE

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At some point in our lives, nearly all of us have been exposed to asbestos in the air we breathe and the water we drink; from natural deposits in the earth, and from the deterioration of asbestos products around us. Most of us, however, do not become ill as a result of our exposure. More commonly, those who at some point are diagnosed with asbestos disease, have worked in jobs where more substantial exposure occurred over longer periods of time. Nevertheless, cases of mesothelioma have been documented as the result of lesser exposure, affecting family members of workers who came into contact with asbestos and brought it home on their clothing, skin or hair, or affecting those who lived in close proximity to asbestos manufacturing facilities. Symptoms of asbestos disease usually are not be apparent until decades after exposure.

Asbestos was used commercially in North America as early as the late 1800s, but its use increased dramatically during the World War II era when shipyards produced massive numbers of ships for the war effort. Since that time, asbestos-containing products were used by the construction and building trades, the automotive industry and the manufacturing industry. All told, more than 5,000 products contained asbestos.

For more than 50 years, products containing asbestos remained unregulated, and the manufacturers of those products continued to prosper, knowing full well that many of the millions of workers who came into contact with their products would ultimately suffer as the result of their actions. Finally, in the late 1970s, the Consumer Products Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and artificial ash for gas fireplaces because the fiber could easily be released during use. In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency banned all new use of asbestos, but uses established prior to that time were still allowed. Although awareness of the dangers of asbestos and public concern over the issue have led to a decline in domestic consumption over the years, a total ban on asbestos has not come to fruition. Asbestos is still imported, still used and still dangerous.

Although it is suggested that the number of mesothelioma cases in the U.S. has reached its peak and has begun to drop, a forecast released by the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER), in April, 2003, projected the total number of American male mesothelioma cases from 2003-2054 to be approximately 71,000. This number, however, does not take into consideration events such as the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001, when millions of New Yorkers were potentially exposed to air filled with carcinogenic asbestos particles. When the latency period for asbestos disease is factored in, cases of mesothelioma will continue to be diagnosed for years to come

MESOTHELIOMA COMMON QUESTIONS

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MESOTHELIOMA COMMON QUESTIONS

What is Mesothelioma?
The National Cancer Institute states that: "Malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura), the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) or the lining around the heart (the pericardium)."
lung anatomy lung with mesothelioma

What is peritoneal mesothelioma?
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the abdominal cavity. This form of cancer makes up approximately one-fifth to one-third of the total number of mesothelioma cases diagnosed. More on peritoneal mesothelioma.

How do you get Mesothelioma?
Most people with malignant mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos. Others have been exposed to asbestos in a household environment, often without knowing it. More about the different ways in which people have been exposed to asbestos.

How much exposure does it take to get the disease?
An exposure of as little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later. Mesothelioma cause.

How long does it take after exposure for the disease to show up?
People exposed in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma because of the long latency period of asbestos disease.

What is the prognosis for mesothelioma?
Like most cancers, the prognosis for this disease often depends on how early it is diagnosed and how aggressively it is treated. Click on Treatment Options to find out more about traditional and new approaches.

Is there any promising research or are there promising drugs for mesothelioma?
Research is being conducted at various cancer centers all over the United States as well as by pharmaceutical companies. To find more about these studies, click on Clinical Trials. To read abstracts of the latest journal articles on mesothelioma research and to access these articles, click on Medical Journal Articles; or Mesothelioma News for news articles. A recent study of Alimta showed patients living much longer with Alitma than other chemotherapy drugs.

Where can I find information on living with mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma Aid is a good website for resource for families dealing with mesothelioma. It includes advice and referrals to other resources for coping with cancer, caregiving, financial challenges, and support groups. Alternatively, contact us here at Mesothelioma Web for help finding resouces for living with this disease.

What kinds of other resources are available for people with mesothelioma?
There are numerous cancer web sites, some specific to mesothelioma. Because they are often difficult to locate, we have listed some relevant medical sites under

MESOTHELIOMA TREATMENT OPTIONS

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The treatment program for mesothelioma depends on many factors, including: the stage of the cancer, where the cancer is, how far the cancer has spread, how the cancer cells look under the microscope and the patient’s age and desires.
TIME MATTERS

People diagnosed with this disease are often told the expected survival rate is only eight to twelve months. However, specialists in treating malignant mesothelioma at the leading cancer centers often have better statistics.

For instance, the five-year survival rate has approached 40% for selected patients of Dr. David Sugarbaker at Brigham and Women’s Center in Boston. To qualify for Dr. Sugarbaker’s treatment you must meet certain criteria. One of them is being in the early stages of the disease, so time is of the essence. To find out more about Dr. Sugarbaker and other physicians and cancer centers specializing in mesothelioma click on Finding Specialists.

Keeping track of your medical treatment is useful and a personal medical records file can help.

TRADITIONAL CARE

There are three traditional kinds of treatment for patients with malignant mesothelioma:

* Surgery (taking out the cancer)
* Chemotherapy (using drugs to fight the cancer)
* Radiation Therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells)

Often two or more of these are combined in the course of treatment.

MESOMARK BLOOD TEST

In January 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the MESOMARK assay to help monitor response to treatment in epithelial and bi-phasic malignant mesothelioma patients. A specific protein, or biomarker, called Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptide (SMRP), may be released into the blood by mesothelioma cancer cells. By measuring the amount of SMRP in a blood sample, doctors may be able to better monitor a patient's progress. Based on the limited amount of data currently available, use of this test may be beneficial, but effectiveness has not been determined at this time. The MESOMARK blood test has NOT yet been approved for the early diagnosis of mesothelioma.

This test has been approved as a Humanitarian Use Device (HUD), meaning that physicians must follow certain procedures to qualify their patients for testing. Once the physician is certified, informational brochures will be sent to be distributed to each applicable patient.

Those wishing to take part in

MESOMARK testing will be asked to provide one or more samples of blood. The blood samples will then be sent to a national reference laboratory for testing. In conjunction with other clinical and laboratory data obtained by your doctor, decisions regarding your treatment and care may be simplified. You may discontinue testing at any time.

The costs associated with the MESOMARK blood test may not be covered under health insurance, therefore, you may be required to pay all or part of the costs out of pocket. It is recommended that you check with your insurance carrier to determine whether coverage is available under your policy.

SURGERY

Diagnostic Procedures

As previously mentioned in the "Symptoms" section of this website, a diagnosis of mesothelioma from fluid is many times inconclusive. Given this fact, diagnostic surgery becomes a necessary next step in confirming and staging mesothelioma.

Thoracoscopy enables a physician to evaluate the pleural cavity and to conduct multiple tissue biopsies under direct vision. In up to 98% of cases, a definitive diagnosis can be obtained. Often, chemical pleurodesis aimed at relieving the accumulation of fluid in the intrapleural space, can be accomplished during the same procedure. It is also possible to gauge the extent of the tumor, and make a determination of surgical resectability. While less invasive than an open biopsy, it can only be performed on patients where tumor has not obliterated the pleural space.

VATS, or video-assisted thoracic surgery is an alternative to thoracoscopy, although because of its more invasive nature, concerns of tumor seeding increase. By utilizing small incisions, the physician can view the pleural space with the assistance of a camera, and obtain sufficient tissue samples for analysis by a pathologist. Extent of the tumor (i.e., pleural involvement, chest wall invasion) may also determined, and recommendation as to the type of debulking procedure necessary can be made at this time.

Mediastinoscopy is sometimes used as an aid in staging extent of disease when enlarged nodes are seen using imaging techniques.

Laproscopy is used in mesothelioma patients in cases where imaging techniques suggest possible invasion of the tumor through the diaphragm. This information can be important in evaluating a patient for potential pleurectomy or extrapleural pneumonectomy.

Palliative Procedures

Palliative surgical procedures are those which treat a symptom of mesothelioma, without aggressively treating the disease itself.

Chest Tube Drainage and Pleurodesis is considered the most common of palliative treatments. Fluid build-up, or pleural effusion, is most often the first symptom which will prompt mesothelioma patients to seek medical attention. Once this effusion has occurred, it is many times persistent, returning rapidly after initial thoracentesis (draining of the fluid). In order to eliminate this problem, the pleural space must be closed. This is accomplished by use of a talc slurry or other sclerosing agent which produces an adhesion.

Thoracoscopy and Pleurodesis is done in conjunction with VATS using a powdered form of talc versus talc slurry. Both this and chest tube drainage and pleurodesis will be only effective if there is no tumor encasing the lung which restricts its expansion.

Pleuroperitoneal Shunt plays a limited role in palliation for several reasons. It involves placement of a catheter run under the skin from the pleural to the peritoneal cavity. Obstruction of the catheter and possible seeding of the tumor into the abdominal cavity may be concerns.

Pleurectomy, used as a palliative procedure, may be performed where more extensive surgery is not an option. In these cases, it is understood that all visible or gross tumor will not be removed. It is considered the most effective means of controlling pleural effusion in cases where the lung's expansion is restricted by disease.

Potentially Curative Procedures

These procedures are performed with "curative intent". Their goal is removal of all gross disease, with the knowledge that microscopic disease will most likely remain. Adjuvant therapy (another form of treatment in addition to the primary therapy) is typically aimed at eliminating residual disease.

For Pleural Mesothelioma:

* Pleurectomy/Decortication is usually performed on patients with early stage disease (Stage I and selected Stage II), and attempts to remove all gross tumor. If it is found that all tumor can not be removed without removing the lung, this may be done at the same time and is called pneumonectomy.
* Extrapleural Pneumonectomy is considerably more radical than other surgical approaches, and should be carried out by surgeons with great expertise in evaluating patients and performing the procedure itself. (See Finding Specialists.) Because in the past surgery alone has failed to effect a cure, or even to help prolong life for any extended period of time, it is currently being combined with traditional chemotherapy and/or radiation, or other new approaches such as gene therapy, immunotherapy or photodynamic therapy.

General Patient Selection Criteria for Extrapleural Pneumonectomy

Extrapleural pneumonectomy is a serious operation, and doctors experienced in this procedure choose their patients carefully. It is up to each individual surgeon to advise the patient on its feasibility and to conduct whatever tests he/she feel are necessary to optimize the patient=s chances for survival and recovery. Following is a general list of patient selection criteria. This list may not be all inclusive, and may vary according to the preference of the surgeon.

o Karnofsky Performance Status score of >70. This score relates to what symptoms of disease the patient may be experiencing and how well they are able to conduct their daily activities. Some surgeons may require a higher performance status than others.
o Adequate renal (kidney) and liver function tests; no significant kidney or liver disease.
o Normal cardiac function per electrocardiogram and echocardiography.
o Adequate pulmonary function to tolerate the surgery.
o Disease limited to the ipsilateral hemithorax (the same side of the chest in which the mesothelioma is located) with no penetration of the diaphragm, extension to the heart or extensive involvement of the chest wall.
o Age of the patient is taken into consideration, but may not be as important as their overall status.

Surgeries of this nature should always be done with a complete understanding of the possible benefits and risks involved. If you are considering surgery as a treatment option, speak openly with your doctor about your concerns, and be sure all of your questions are answered to your satisfaction.

For Peritoneal Mesothelioma:

* Cytoreductive Surgery is aimed at removing all or nearly all of the gross or visible tumor in the peritoneal cavity. In order to treat any remaining cancer cells, Intra-Peritoneal Hyperthermic (heated) Chemotherapy (IPHC) is then delivered to the abdominal cavity. The type of chemotherapy drug used may vary according to the physician’s preference. Click here for more on treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma.

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CHEMOTHERAPY

Chemotherapy is defined as the treatment of cancer using chemical substances. When cancer occurs, abnormal cells continue to divide uncontrolled. Anticancer, or chemotherapy drugs, work to destroy cancer cells by preventing them from multiplying. Read more on types of chemotherapy medicines.

Purposes of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy may be used to achieve different goals, depending on the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis and the age and health of the patient. Since chemotherapy for mesothelioma is not considered "curative", the goal is:

* To control the cancer by stopping its spread or slowing its growth.
* To shrink tumors prior to other treatments, such as surgery. This is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
* To destroy microscopic disease which may remain after surgery. This is called adjuvant chemotherapy.
* To relieve symptoms, such as pain. This is called palliative chemotherapy, and is given in cases when a drastic reduction in the tumor is not expected.

The most common use for chemotherapy in mesothelioma patients, is as an option for those who are not surgical candidates, however, various cancer centers are now conducting trials using the neoadjuvant approach. Alimta (pemetrexed) is a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use with Cisplatin in the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma whose disease is either unresectable or who are not candidates for curative surgery. Alimta is the first drug approval specific to mesothelioma.

The Alimta/Cisplatin chemotherapy regimen is the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment specifically for malignant pleural mesothelioma. This is currently considered the most effective first-line treatment for mesothelioma patients who are not surgical candidates. A multi-targeted antifolate drug, Alimta works by blocking the enzymes necessary for DNA copying and cell division. During the clinical trial process, Alimta/Cisplatin improved median survival for pleural mesothelioma patients by approximately three months over treatment with Cisplatin as a single agent. Eli Lilly's information on treatment with Alimta.

As with any medical treatment, it is important to discuss the use of Alimta with your doctor. This conversation should include all pertinent information regarding effectiveness, administration and possible side effects of the drug combination. It is also important to begin vitamin supplementation of B12 by injection during the week prior to treatment (to be repeated every 9 weeks), and folic acid by mouth daily (to be continued until 21 days after the last cycle of Alimta). Additionally, you will be given an oral steroid medication to minimize the risk of skin rash or other possible side effects. Your doctor will have information on the correct dosages of each medication. Be sure to tell your doctor of any other medications you are taking (including non-prescription drugs) so he may be aware of any adverse interactions.

Alimta/Cisplatin is administered to patients on an outpatient basis every 21 days. This cycle of treatment involves a 10-minute IV infusion of Alimta followed by a 2 hour infusion of Cisplatin. How many cycles of treatment you receive will be dependent on your response rate to the drug (regression of the tumor or halt to progression of the disease) and the side effects you might experience.

Side effects of Alimta/Cisplatin are mild to moderate for most mesothelioma patients, i.e., nausea, vomiting and fatigue, and can usually be managed by your doctor. For some patients, however, side effects may be debilitating, and may require a decrease in dosage or removal from the program. All potential side effects should be mentioned to your doctor. Never assume any complaint is minor.

Administration of Chemotherapy

The most common way to administer chemotherapy is intravenously, or through a vein. A thin needle is inserted into a vein in the hand or in the lower arm. Intravenous administration of drugs allows for rapid entry into the blood stream. Drugs may also be delivered via catheters and/or ports.

* Catheters are soft, thin, flexible tubes placed into a large vein in the body. They remain in place for as long as they are needed.
* The catheter may sometimes be attached to a port, a small round plastic or metal disc placed under the skin on the chest. Ports also remain in place for as long as necessary.

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy may also be delivered through a catheter or a port. The catheter is inserted through the abdominal wall. Chemotherapy drugs can then be infused directly into the abdominal cavity. Ports may also be placed under the skin of the abdominal wall and the catheter tunneled between the skin and muscle into the peritoneum.

Side Effects of Chemotherapy

Cancer cells grow and divide more rapidly than normal cells, but some normal cells also multiply quickly, particularly those in the digestive tract, reproduction system, and hair follicles. It is the damage done to normal cells that causes side effects. The type of side effects you might experience and how severe they are, depend on the type of chemotherapy you are receiving, the dosage given and how your own body reacts. Before beginning any chemotherapy treatment, you will be asked to sign a consent form. Before signing the form, be sure your doctor informs you of all the facts regarding the treatment he/she will be administering, including information about the particular drug or combination of drugs to be used, the possible risks or side effects (including nausea and vomiting and peripheral neuropathy), the number of treatments you will receive and how often, and whether it will be given during a hospital stay or on an outpatient basis. More on vomiting and nausea from chemotherapy. More on peripheral neuropathy. More on anti-nausea treatment for chemotherapy patients.

Click here if you are interested in learning more about chemotherapy for mesothelioma and the types of questions you should ask your doctor.

Chemotherapy Schedules

How often you will receive chemotherapy will be determined by your doctor, taking into consideration factors such as the stage of your cancer, the types of drugs you receive, the anticipated toxicities of the drugs and the time necessary for your body to recover from these toxicities. The doctor may also consider whether the goal of the chemotherapy is to control the growth of the cancer, or to ease symptoms associated with the disease.

In general, chemotherapy treatment is administered in "cycles" — a "cycle" being defined as a period of treatment followed by a period of rest. This cycle allows the cancer cells to be attacked by the drugs, and then allows the body's normal cells time to recover. The combination of drugs used, the length of time to administer the drugs, how often they should be repeated and the number of cycles recommended have been analyzed throughly in clinical trials. For mesothelioma patients, the "standard" treatment is a combination of Alimta and cisplatin, administered IV, with a 10 minute infusion of Alimta followed by two hours of cisplatin, given in 21 day cycles. Modifications to this schedule may be made according to what your doctor feels is appropriate in your particular case.

The number of treatment cycles, or the length of time between the beginning and end of chemotherapy may vary, however in general, 3 to 4 cycles of treatment are given before response is evaluated; 2 to 3 cycles are considered a minimum to assess for effectiveness. After response to the treatment has been determined, the following criteria will be used to decide whether chemotherapy should continue:

* If there is shrinkage of the tumor, or the disease is kept stable, chemotherapy may be continued for as long as it can be tolerated and there is no disease progression.
* If there is continued disease progression, chemotherapy will be stopped, and the patient will be given alternative options.

The goal of setting a chemotherapy schedule is to make treatment as effective, timely and trouble-free as possible, but while the drugs are working to kill cancer cells, they may also affect healthy cells causing side effects. One of the most common side effects, and one your doctor will monitor carefully, is a chemotherapy-induced low white blood cell count (neutropenia) which means your immune system is weakened, therefore leaving you more prone to infection. While this side effect is anticipated when someone is undergoing chemotherapy, it can cause delays in your treatment schedule, or changes in the dosage of the drugs you will receive. Click here for more on understanding your blood counts.

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Note to Patients:

Chemotherapy treatment should be a cooperative effort between you and your doctor. The interaction that takes place is important to your health. It will not only help you feel better, but will also address any potential problems with miscommunication.

1. It is necessary for your doctor to be aware of any side effects which may result from your chemotherapy treatment.
These may include:
* Fever of, or greater than 101 degrees
* Nausea or vomiting
* Diarrhea or constipation
* Fatigue
* Tingling or numbness in the fingers or toes
* Ringing in the ears
* Bruises or rashes
* Sores in the mouth or throat
2. Taking other medication of any kind can alter the effects of chemotherapy or cause undesirable interactions.
Be sure you report all over-the-counter and prescribed medicines to your doctor. Don’t take aspirin unless it has been approved by your doctor. Ask your pharmacist if aspirin is contained in any drugs you plan to purchase.
3. Take extra care with your daily health.
Try to maintain a stable weight by eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of fluids. If your stomach is upset, ask your doctor for helpful hints or work with a nutritionist who can tailor a program to your needs. Brush your teeth after every meal, or if you can’t brush, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water.

Stay away from people who have colds or the flu. Chemotherapy can compromise your immune system and lower your resistance to germs. Make sure you keep appointments for blood work – these tests help your doctor monitor your health.

4. Be open about your feelings regarding your treatment.
It is normal to feel sad, angry or afraid, however, letting these emotions get out of control can be detrimental to your overall well-being. Seek out the help of family, friends, your doctor, a counselor or a support group.

RADIATION THERAPY

Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, treats cancer by using penetrating beams of high energy or streams of particles called radiation. In treating mesothelioma, radiation may be used aggressively in combination with surgery, or palliatively to control symptoms.

In an aggressive combined modality approach, radiation is used to attack microscopic or residual disease remaining in the chest cavity after extrapleural pnuemonectomy. An example of this is Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which uses x-rays of varying intensities in conjunction with computer generated images to deliver targeted radiation directly to cancer cells while reducing the amount of radiation to surrounding healthy tissue. More on Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).

Used palliatively, radiation can help control metastases (spread) of the tumor along tracks left by invasive procedures such as thoracoscopy, needle biopsy and chest tube drainage, or to control disease symptoms, such as pain or shortness of breath.

An exciting new development in radiation oncology is tomotherapy. A brief description of steps in the helical tomotherapy process.

Mesothelioma Diagnosis

2008-06-13T02:54:00.000-07:00

Because mesothelioma's symptoms are not unique to it and the disease's relative rarity, cases of mesothelioma misdiagnosed are not uncommon. A review of the patient's medical history is an important part in assessing the risk of mesothelioma.

As a first step in diagnosing the disease, the doctor may order an x-ray of the chest or abdomen or a CT (or CAT) scan or MRI may be performed. Although mesothelioma typically cannot be seen on an x-ray, the tumor often causes a pleural effusion, or fluid collection between the lung and chest wall. This abnormal finding is associated with shortness of breath and warrants clinical follow up. Lung function tests may also be completed.

The doctor may look inside the chest cavity with a special instrument called a thoracoscope. A cut will be made through the chest wall and the thoracoscope will be put into the chest between two ribs. This test, called thoracoscopy, is usually done in the hospital. Before the test, the patient will be given a local anesthetic (a drug that causes a loss of feeling for a short period of time). Some pressure may be felt, but usually there is no pain.

The doctor may also look inside the abdomen (peritoneoscopy) with a special tool called a peritoneoscope. The peritoneoscope is put into an opening made in the abdomen. This test is also usually done in the hospital. Before the test is done, a local anesthetic will be given.

If tissue that is not normal is found, the doctor will need to cut out a small piece and have it reviewed under a microscope to see if there are any cancer cells. This is called a biopsy. Biopsies are usually done during the thoracoscopy or peritoneoscopy.

Diagnosing mesothelioma is very difficult, and cases of mesothelioma misdiagnosed are unfortunately not uncommon. It is important to share your case history of work experience (especially in shipyards and at construction sites) and asbestos exposure potential with your physicians if you feel mesothelioma is a risk. Asbestos fibres can also be carried into the home on clothing, inadvertently exposing the deadly fibres, and the risk of mesothelioma, to family members.

A mesothelioma diagnosis is serious, but treatments are available. The chance of recovery (prognosis) depends on the size of the cancer, where the cancer is, how far the cancer has spread, how the cancer cells look under the microscope, how the cancer responds to treatment, and the patient's age. As with most types of cancer, early diagnosis is an excellent first step in fighting the disease.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

2008-06-13T02:53:00.000-07:00

f you are wondering "do I have mesothelioma?" you should seek the guidance of your physician as early detection is a powerful asset during treatment. Malignant mesothelioma may not become apparent until 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos, but can be very aggressive once it takes hold. Because the symptoms of mesothelioma are not unique to the disease a mesothelioma diagnosis can be difficult to determine.

Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma

Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma (mesothelioma of the lining of the lung, known as the pleura) may include, but are not limited to, the following:

* shortness of breath (dyspnea) - hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, and/or coughing up of blood.
* pleural effusion - a build up of too much fluid between the pleura (linings of the lungs and chest); a pleural effusion may cause chest pain and difficulty breathing (dyspnea), however, many cause no symptoms and are first discovered during the physical examination or seen on a chest x-ray.
* pain in the chest - may sometimes be felt in upper abdomen, shoulder, or arm.

Patients diagnosed with diffuse pleural mesothelioma exhibited the following symptoms
(source: "Diffuse malignant mesothelioma of the pleura in Ontario and Quebec: a retrospective study of 332 patients." P Ruffie et al. Journal of Clinical Oncology Aug 1 1989: 1157-1168.) Symptom % exhibiting
Shortness of breath and/or chest pain 90%
Weight loss 29%
Cough, weakness, fever, loss of appetite 3%
Hemoptysis (coughing up blood), hoarseness, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), Horner's syndrome less than 1%
Pleural Effusions 84%
Asymptomatic 3%
Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma (mesothelioma of the abdominal lining which is known as the peritoneum) may include, but are not limited to, the following:

* weight loss - but waist may increase in size.
* pain or swelling in the abdomen - fluid retention or tumor growth.
* bowel obstruction - blockage in the small or large intestine.
* anemia - a reduction in the number of red blood cells to below normal; this forces the heart and other organs to work harder to get oxygen where it's needed.
* fever

These symptoms can accompany many other, less serious medical conditions; if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, and have been exposed to asbestos, you should see a doctor immediately. Asbestos exposure may have taken place 20, 30, even 50 years prior to symptoms appearing, but is a major risk factor; exposure is reported in between 70-80% of all mesothelioma cases.

Very often, asbestos exposure was second hand through a family member. Clothes dirtied with asbestos dust have carried fibers into homes, affecting spouses and children. Workers handling asbestos are now required to change their clothing before leaving work. If you see your physician because you are experiencing any of the mesothelioma symptoms listed above, please make sure to make them aware for any prior exposure, either first- or second-hand.

Mesothelioma Treatment Options

2008-06-13T02:49:00.000-07:00

Surgery

Surgery is commonly used in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed. Depending on how far the cancer has spread, a lung also may be removed (pneumonectomy). The following are some of the most commonly used surgical treatments of mesothelioma:

Pleurodesis
Pleurodesis is a treatment administered through a thoracoscopy or existing chest tube. Pleurodesis creates inflammation effectively eliminating the pleural space. The elimination of this space then inhibits the accumulation of a pleural effusion. Generally used when the pleural effusion is symptomatic. Talc is used most commonly and effectively for this procedure, thus it is often referred to as "talcing" or as a patient having been "talced."
Pleurectomy
Surgery to remove part of the chest or abdomen lining (pleura) and some of the tissue surrounding it. This procedure is performed for a variety of disorders including pleural effusion, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and trauma.
Pleurectomy/decortication
Surgery to remove part of the chest or abdomen lining (pleura) and as much for the tumor mass as possible. This procedure may be performed to reduce pain caused by the tumor mass or to prevent the recurrence of pleural effusion. For peritoneal mesothelioma, surgery is generally aimed at relieving symptoms, such as recurrent ascites or bowel obstruction. As with pleural mesothelioma, complete surgical removal of the entire tumor is unlikely.
Pneumonectomy (new-mo-NEK-to-me)
Surgery to remove a lung.

Radiation therapy

High-energy x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, and other sources of radiation are used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation coming from a machine outside the body is referred to as external radiation therapy or external-beam radiation therapy. Radiation may also come from materials that produce radiation called radioisotopes. Radioisotopes can be inserted in or near the cancerous cells or tumors; this type of radiation therapy is called internal radiation therapy, implant radiation, interstitial radiation, or brachytherapy. Systemic radiation therapy, also referred to as radiotherapy, irradiation, and x-ray therapy, uses a radioactive substance, such as a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody, that circulates throughout the body.
Chemotherapy

Using drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. In mesothelioma, chemotherapy may be put directly into the chest (intrapleural chemotherapy).
Intraoperative photodynamic therapy

A new type of treatment that uses special drugs and light to kill cancer cells during surgery. A drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to light is injected into a vein several days before surgery. During surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible, a special light is used to shine on the pleura. This treatment is being studied for early stages of mesothelioma in the chest.
Immunotherapy

This new approach uses the body's own immune system to fight the cancer within the body. Immunotherapy treatments are currently being evaluated in clinical trials.
Learn more about gene therapy for mesothelioma.Gene therapy

This approach is designed to treat mesothelioma by correcting the genes that allow a cancerous tumor to grow, potentially controlling tumor size and spread. Like immunotherapy, gene therapy clinical trials are currently underway

Regarding these treatments

It should be noted that recent studies indicate using a single one of the above listed treatments for malignant mesothelioma has failed to improve patient survival rates; instead, patient survival is being increased when treatment includes a combination of approaches —for instance surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This is called the "multimodality approach," meaning an approach using many modes of treatment.

Susie Essman the complete biography

2008-06-13T02:01:00.000-07:00

Biography

Born in Manhattan to a Jewish family, Essman grew up in the middle-class New York City suburb Mount Vernon. Her father, Leonard Essman, was an internist; he died in 2001. Her mother, Zora, taught Russian at Sarah Lawrence College.[1] Essman received her bachelor's degree from Purchase College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

Career

[edit] Film and Television

Essman is best-known for her role as Susie Greene, wife of Jeff Greene (portrayed by Jeff Garlin), on the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Essman told the New York Times that by the show's third season, she could not "walk down the street anymore without people stopping her and begging her to say" her character's catchphrase: "You fat fuck."[2] Her doorman does not give Essman her mail until she says it to him. In the fall of 2007, Slate named Essman's character one of the best on television, and a reason the publication looked forward to the return of the show.[3]

Essman also provides the voice of Helen Higgins on the Comedy Central series Crank Yankers; she was an occasional correspondent on the first season of the network's The Daily Show. She has brought her distinctive New York voice and style to a number of small parts in movies and television, starting with memorable comic cameos in three 1988 films—Crocodile Dundee II, Baby Boom and Punchline

Stand-Up

Essman has been among the most successful comedians of her generation, traveling and appearing at clubs throughout the country for more than two decades. Her first half-hour special appeared on Comedy Central in 1992; as much of her comedy draws from her ethnic background, she has been featured in documentaries such as "Heroes of Jewish Comedy" and "A History of Jewish Comedy."

On October 15, 2004, she performed at the Friars Club roast of Donald Trump, in which she lampooned the tycoon with lines like "Donald, did you enjoy your meal? I heard your hair ordered the salmon" and "I'm so not your type. I'm smart, my boobs are real and I speak English".[4]

Essman made her UK standup debut at the Corn Exchange at the Newbury Comedy Festival in July 2007. While in England, she appeared on the British television show 8 Out of 10 Cats.

She is best friends with comedian and The View co-host Joy Behar. She does not eat meat or chicken—"Not a moral thing," she explains, but "aesthetic"; chicken "grosses me out"—and "lives on sushi."

References

1. ^ New York Times, March 5, 2003: "Eating Hollywood Style, With Thin Air on the Side."
2. ^ New York Times, March 5, 2003: "Eating Hollywood Style, With Thin Air on the Side."
3. ^ Slate, Lapidos, Juliet. November 23, 2003: "Oh, How We've Missed You! The Best Characters on Television" http://www.slate.com/id/2174389
4. ^ http://www.susieessman.com/#trump
5. ^ New York Times, March 5, 2003: "Eating Hollywood Style, With Thin Air on the Side."

Magellan Maestro 4200 North America

2008-06-13T01:57:00.000-07:00

Affordable, ultra-thin and amazingly easy to use, the Magellan Maestro 4200 enables you to find virtually anywhere in seconds without reading the instructions! The large 4.3" wide color touch screen adds pleasure to driving. See your position on the interactive map, plus distance to the next turn, distance to destination, ETA, street names and more, all at a glance. The simple touch-screen menu presents easy options! Voice guidance offers worry-free driving with turn-by-turn directions so you can keep your eyes on the road.

Easily find your way around town or from Florida to Washington with built-in maps of the 48 contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. 1.3 million pre-programmed Points of Interest (POI) enable you to search and select nearby services, and recreation and business locations. Find gas stations, restaurants, ATMs and more. Phone numbers are included (when available) so you can call ahead for information and reservations.

The SiRFstarIII™ GPS receiver and built-in high-sensitivity antenna provide the fastest position acquisition in the industry for reliable navigation. QuickSpell™ intelligently searches and checks spelling so you can enter your destination with just few touches of the screen. SmartDetour™ prompts you to route around sudden slow freeway traffic.

The integrated rechargeable battery provides navigation for up to four hours when power is unavailable.

Ultra-thin, elegant and completely mobile; take your Magellan Maestro anywhere for easy, accurate navigation!

features:-

# 4.3" wide WQVGA color touch screen: The large touch screen shows your position, Points of Interest, route, ETA and more on the interactive map

# Innovative easy-to-use interface: Amazingly easy-to-use, route to your destination in seconds without even needing to read the instructions.

# Pre-loaded U.S. maps: Built-in maps enable you to travel the 48 contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

# 1.3 million Points of Interest: Pre-programmed POIs make it easy to find gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, coffee and more. Search by name or category near your position or near any city.

# Interactive POI icons: Touch an onscreen icon for a nearby destination to see name, address, phone number (when available), and get an instant route.

# QuickSpell™: Exclusive auto-complete feature makes it easy to enter destinations with just a few touches of the screen and even corrects spelling.

# SmartDetour™: Automatically prompts you to route around sudden slow freeway traffic.

# Bird's-eye 3D view: Clearly see your surroundings in 2D or 3D. Choose between Map View, TrueView™ 3D split screen, and Maneuver List.

# SiRFstarIII™: Integrated chipset provides the fastest GPS position acquisition in the industry.

# Rechargeable battery: Navigate for up to 4 hours when power is unavailable.

# Automatic re-route: Never miss a turn and quickly get back on track whenever you take a detour.

# Customizable route method: Select Fastest Time, Shortest Distance, Least or Most Use of Freeways, and Avoid Toll Roads.

# Address book: Create and store personal Points of Interest for easy reoccurring trips.

# Auto night view: Adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing.

Price: $249.99

product home

www.magellangps.com

Keep The Passion Alive In Your Relationship

2008-06-13T00:23:00.001-07:00

All couples enter into marriage with the expectation that their passion for each other will endure forever. We believe the statistic that one out of two marriages in the United States ends up in divorce will not somehow apply to us.

All long-term relationships go through a variety of phases. Unless you want to be one of the millions of couples who are stuck in leading dull and exciting lives you must decide to work on giving your marriage the attention it deserves. It is possible to keep the flames of passion alive.

In the beginning, passionate feelings and romantic gestures seemed to flow without much effort. As time goes on, we settle into routines and many couples forget to do the things that keep their passion alive. You have to be proactive. You must make an effort to stay connected. You must make up your mind that you will love your spouse. It is not something that is just going to happen.

If you want to have a passionate relationship then you need to invest your time in your spouse. I do not believe that we forget how to be passionate towards the one we love. We just do not make it our priority.

However, in case I need to jog our memory, I suggest you pull out photographs of when you and your spouse first met. Study your expression. How did you look at him? How did you talk to her? Could you listen to her for hours? Did you comfort him if he was discouraged? Remember how you carried yourself. Remember how you used to drive twenty minutes out of your way to see her for five minutes. Once you have recaptured these memories then make a commitment to live your today's with your spouse in this same manner.

Let me share some more strategies on how you can keep the flames of passion alive:

1) Plan a special day together for just the two of you. Perhaps take a day off work to do so.
2) Be playful. Laugh together.
3) Write a love letter to your spouse. Make it a little unpredictable. Say things you might not ordinarily say.

4) Take walks together. Consider a walk on a moonlit night.
5) Take turns initiating affection so that it does not always fall under the responsibility of the same partner.
6) Go on a picnic.

7) Go to a romantic restaurant from time to time, not always to a family buffet.
8) Have candlelight dinners at home.
9) Watch romantic movies.
10) Go on a weekend getaway.
11) Hold hands.

12) Hold your spouse in such a way that he/she knows you care.
13) Slow dance to music.

14) Send your wife flowers for no other reason than to let her know you love her. (If your wife pays the bills, pay for the flowers at the florist yourself. Do not let the bill come home for her to have to write a check for her own flowers.

You might say, "But Mark, we have children and we are constantly on the go." Here are some strategies you can implement:

1) Make sure the children go to bed at a decent hour so you will have time together alone.
2) If you have teenagers, plan Saturday morning dates when they tend to sleep in.

3) A date does not have to mean dinner and a movie. A date can be anything that gives you an opportunity to concentrate on each other. From my experience, a standard date night does not work well for couples with children.

4) Create a romantic atmosphere in your home. This may be as simple as lighting candles or dimming the lights.
5) Always give your spouse a goodbye hug and kiss before leaving in the morning.

6) When you return home, always greet your spouse first, even though the children will run to the door first.
7) Say, "I love you " often.

8) Save some of your best self each day for your spouse. Do not give them the leftovers.
9) Look at old photographs and reminisce together.

10) Respect your spouse even when you disagree. Never belittle your spouse, whether or not others are around.

If you want good health, you must eat right and exercise. If you want a marriage that embraces passion, you must take the time to enjoy the company of the person you love. I believe that passion can be recaptured and grow to unimaginable dimensions. Decide to be a passionate spouse.

Start today.

How to Handle Divorce

2008-06-13T00:21:00.000-07:00

The ink is not even dry and you feel different. You know that you will never be the same. You are irrevocably different. You know that! You feel that! What do you do now? Whether your divorce was your choice or the choice of your partner, you are now different, and you will have to embrace the changes that will come your way.

There are two directions you can now take. The high road or the low road, but the choice will be yours. The latter one leads to resentment, bitterness, and self destruction. You can build anger and resentment toward your former partner which will lead you to find ways of seeking revenge. If you chose this road to walk down you will find yourself arguing and fighting over every minute item. Your emotions will get out of control on this road and you will take much too long to heal while on it.

Words will be spoken that are meant to hurt each other. What will this accomplish? Will you find peace and satisfaction on this road? Many have walked down it. Some never return. Do you think it is worth ruining your life and, perhaps, others while seeking revenge? What about your children, if any are involved?

The higher road is more secure. There is dignity on the higher road. This road is much more promising because it offers such things as: peace, forgiveness, and, most of all, healing. But, make no mistake about it, this road is the most difficult.

This road means taking responsibility for your own actions. It may require that you admit that you need others to come along side of you for support.

Everyone needs help from time to time in life. However, many lack the freedom or courage to ask for help. You may want to browse the self-help books at your local book store to find assistance. If you were belittle by your ex spouse you will have to be in continuos dialogue with yourself presenting positive statements to your inner person.

The higher road leads to forgiveness. In order for you to be set free you will have to release your ex. It is such a simple statement, but one of the most difficult decisions to make, and then, apply.

However, forgiving the one who hurt you is the ultimate means to growth and healing. As much as it hurts to release someone of the pain they brought into your life, it is a necessity.

Their Is Life After Divorce

2008-06-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

An individual may experience a set back after a heart-breaking divorce. However, there is hope for every single person to bounce back. A person may feel let down and devastated from the sudden breakup. They could have expected this to come about soon but was not sure of when. It is vital for the mental and physical well-being of every individual to not dwell on the past. A person must release all the anger and frustration before they can move onto the future. This could take various resources and time.

The healing process must begin before life after a divorce is possible. An individual could find everything they are seeking by looking to friends and family for guidance. It is hard to move on from a painful part of life; however a person could accomplish this goal.

The first important step after a divorce is to not stay at home and think about what could have been different. Move on and go out with friends to have fun. A divorce is not the end of a person's life; it is a whole new beginning. There is a whole new world after this moment in time.

An individual may feel like they do not want to get into another relationship so soon after. That is perfectly okay. They do not need to go to a club or bar to meet another love. They can meet new friends and do things that they were unable to do while they were married. The can have fun with a different individual each night and be young again.

A divorce is a terrible occurrence. However, it is sometimes an unavoidable experience. It is a life lesson; no matter who wanted to end it both parties can learn and grow from this incident. Life after a divorce is possible. An individual could become a brand new individual.

It is never too late to begin a new journey and a new road on life's path. Through friends and family support this could end in a happy place. Depression does not need to control a person's life. Have fun and do new and exciting activities. Show everyone that the divorce did not affect the personality or possibilities in life.

There are various types of things an individual could do to relieve the sadness and frustration of a divorce. A person does not need to roll over and take the loneliness lying down. Become surrounded by friends and go out on the town, feel alive again. There are many things an individual cannot do while they are married. They need to worry about how the other person feels. This is no longer an issue. Worry about what you want and desire. Divorce should not control the individual's life.

Divorce Law Needs Expert Knowledge

2008-06-13T00:19:00.001-07:00

Divorce law can be a convoluted process for everyone involved, especially if the couple seeking a divorce was married for an extensive period of time. Each state and country has their own system and laws in place for divorce proceedings, and the individuals involved have to be aware of every law before reaching an agreement. Finding a lawyer is just the first step in a lengthy and sometimes harrowing experience.

Divorce law involves the process of dissolving a marriage between two people who are are unable live together anymore. Laws will differ depending on the state or country you live in, so it is important to understand your legal limitations before taking any action. After contacting your lawyer, the next step in divorce proceedings is a legal separation.

Because some states don't recognize this, you may not have the choice available to you. If separation is allowed, one of the spouses is expected to leave the home. Then the courts will issue a separation agreement which will protect all parties involved, including children, ensuring that everyone fulfills their legal responsibilities.

After a separation, divorce law proceeds to the filing of a petition to the county clerk. This is usually called the "Original Petition for Divorce." The party filing for a divorce, called the "petitioner," must state in the letter their reasons for filing. This letter will also include the names of both parties involved in the proceedings as well as any children involved.

The petition is then given to the "respondent," or the other party involved. They have thirty days to seek their own attorney and give their consent to the petition. When children are involved in a divorce settlement, the petition must be recognized by both parties before either one is allowed to request legal orders to assist with child support guidelines.

Divorce law allows the collection of information on both spouses involved. This is called "discovery," and normally consists of five steps, depending on the state where the case is handled. The first is a disclosure, where both the petitioner and the respondent list what they feel is rightfully theirs. This includes property, child custody rights, and personal assets.

The disclosures are handed out must be evaluated within thirty days. Interrogatories are a list of questions drafted by attorneys to be asked to both parties. These are handed out and must also be answered within thirty days. Some states have limitations on the amount of questions asked by attorneys. Admissions of facts are another part of the "discovery" process.

Either both or one spouse will direct claims to the other party which must be denied or accepted within the allotted time, usually thirty days. Income and personal properties are collected in the next phase, which is referred to as a request for production. The spouse that is served with a request must comply within thirty days.

Because this process involves personal information, it is usually here that divorce proceedings slow down considerably. Finally, depositions are needed to fulfill the "discovery" mechanism. Depositions are sworn testimonies of the opposing party and they usually involve witnesses and are often used in court during the divorce proceedings.

Once all the information is gathered, a mediation or trial is scheduled. Mediations are when both spouses meet with their attorneys to discuss the divorce and attempt to reach a settlement without going to court.
If a settlement can not be arranged during this time, then a trial is set so both parties can argue their case in front of a judge.

Once the judge makes his or her decision, the papers are signed and a divorce is finalized. As with any court proceeding, appeals can be made if one of the parties involved feels the judges ruling was unjust.

When going through the rigors of a divorce settlement, it becomes necessary to fully understand your state's divorce law. This is especially true when child custody and visitation rights are at stake.

Finding a lawyer you can rely on will help guide you through the legal proceedings and hopefully assist with expediting the entire process. Then the chances of you having a lengthy proceeding that matches many of the celebrity divorces you see in the news decreases.

A Look at The Rise in Our Divorce Rate

2008-06-13T00:18:00.001-07:00

It is no surprise that the divorce rate in America has risen to fifty percent in recent years. Couples living in modern society are faced with new and daunting challenges their parents didn't have to consider. Impending wars in foreign countries, the importance of finding a full-time career and producing stable children in a very unstable world are some of the pressures most often leading to divorce.

Although the divorce rate varies throughout the country, the number of divorces is still staggering. To help alleviate the rise in divorce settlements among adults, several efforts have created some very positive results.

To get a grip on the rise in America's divorce rate, religious denominations are taking a stand by providing assistance to engaged couples. Although the Roman Catholic Church has always touted counseling courses before a wedding, other religions are starting to take heed as well. Today, young couples are interested in finding ways to prevent a divorce settlement by learning all they can about marriage before saying their vows.

"Premarital education," which is a group session of engaged or seriously involved couples, offers an curriculum that helps explain relationships and offers advice on how to deal with some of the more daunting challenges faced in modern marriages. The efforts made by couples who engaged in premarital education have paid off because their chances of a divorce were lowered by thirty percent. Couples can find access to these programs simply by talking with their religious advisors or asking for advice from a professional counselor.

In 2004, a study was published by the National Press Club to show how to help lower America's divorce rate. What the study reported was yet another successful example of people taking the initiative to help save the sanctity of marriage. Called, a "Community Marriage Policy," this study required clergy members of various religious sectors in over 100 counties to cooperate in their efforts to help couples prevent divorce.

The policy encouraged the clergy to come together and train mentor couples from any religious sector so they could offer marriage preparation courses, advice on how to enrich and enhance one's marriage, and offer counseling for crisis situations. This grassroots effort proved that, through help from these mentoring counselors, couples could find support and make their way through some of the challenges they face in their own marriage. The results of the study showed a drop in the divorce rate of over seventeen percent for the counties involved.

Although there are ways to help decrease America's divorce rate, the fact still remains that rates are higher than they have been in the past. Many of the increases occur regionally, showing that some of the higher divorce rates occur in the South. Northeastern states have lower divorce rates, with Massachusetts being the lowest in the nation with only a two percent rate in 2004.

Reasons for the difference in divorce settlements comes from the knowledge that couples marry at an earlier age in the South, while Northeastern couples usually finish higher education before getting married. This puts them at an older age with more financial stability than there Southern counterparts. Since religion tends to play a role in marriages, divorces are less likely among the North's Roman Catholic population.

The divorce rate in American may be on the rise, but there are visible efforts to help eliminate this problem. With the rise in premarital education and counseling courses, couples across the country will have greater access to the proper preparation for handling modern society's numerous challenges.

Although regional differences play a role in how many divorce settlements occur each year, perhaps more and more opportunities to educate engaged couples on how to develop a healthy marriage will become available across the country.

An Overview Of Divorce Papers

2008-06-13T00:17:00.002-07:00

When you are beginning the process of divorcing your spouse, you will have to fill out divorce papers. Although this can be a lengthy and time consuming process, your attorney will be able to walk you through it. Divorce papers are necessary when getting a divorce because they will dictate what each party desires as an outcome. These documents can contain information ranging from property division to custody and visitation rights.

Before filling out divorce papers, it is important you sit down with your lawyer and establish clear priorities for yourself. If children are involved in the divorce proceedings, then you will need to learn about the child custody laws for your state. When obtaining divorce papers, you should visit your County Clerk office to get the proper forms because each state will have their own guidelines and requirements for these types of documents.

Once that process is completed, you should list all the assets that will need to be divided and decide what possessions you want. This involves really considering what your priorities are and what is important to you.

If children are involved and you are seeking custody, then this will most likely become a substantial part of the entire settlement. If a prenuptial agreement was signed before the marriage, then assets must be divided according to what was outlined in that document.

Once you have divided up and listed the assets you want, then you will begin the process of filling out divorce papers. Most of these documents have the basic outline, and will vary when you reach the child custody laws. One thing to remember is that any legal action will be dictated by the laws and requirements of the state and county you live in, so having a knowledgeable lawyer is extremely important.

A lawyer will also help you obtain the correct document if your particular jurisdiction has their own variations. The first part of a legal document that will be filed in court is the name and address of the jurisdiction, the names of the parties involved in the case, and a case number for future court reference. These comprise the "captions," or upper portion of the first page.

There is also a notary clause in legal documents, which is a sworn statement by a notary that the individuals filling out the forms are who they claim to be. When a person signs a notarized document, they must swear in front of witnesses about their identity and provide physical proof.

In some instances, someone other than a lawyer may help you fill out a legal form. If this occurs, there is a new stipulation in the papers that requires non-lawyers to disclose themselves to the court so the legal system will know who was involved in filling out the papers.

Child support laws will dictate what is spelled out in your divorce papers. The Federal government requires every state to supply their own forms regarding child custody laws. It is important that you obtain the correct forms before filing for divorce. Your particular situation will determine what type of custody law you will follow.

In instances where child custody will be a pressing issue throughout the divorce, it could be worth your while to seek counsel from a child support lawyer, since the majority of battles over child custody revolve around income levels of the custodial parents. When considering how to apply for child custody, the divorced parents must come to an agreement on whether or not joint legal custody, joint physical custody or sole custody will be sought. Once the custody litigation is understood, divorce proceedings can continue to the next level.

Divorce papers play a vital role in a couple's separation. It will list the legal limitations spelled out by federal, state and county laws. These documents will also attest to the wishes of both parties involved that will be worked out in a marital settlement agreement or in a divorce settlement in front of a judge. Having a good family law attorney will make the entire divorce proceeding easier to handle.

It All Starts With Seperation Before Divorce

2008-06-13T00:17:00.001-07:00

Before a couple seeks divorce, separation is the usual precursor. There are a number of things couples need to do before seeking a divorce settlement. From finding the right attorney to getting you finances in order, a number of divorces have long periods of separation before they are finalized.

To be granted a divorce, separation is required first by most states. Many state divorce laws require you be separated from your spouse for a specific period of time before beginning divorce proceedings. By separation, the courts intend for both you and your spouse to be living in completely different residences, not staying in separate bedrooms in the marital residence.

Separation is voluntary most of the time, but there are instances where desertion occurs. Desertion is when a spouse leaves and never intends to return to the relationship. Constructive desertion is when your spouse forces you to leave the relationship, such as in abuse cases. In this instance, the court will not hold you accountable for desertion because it will acknowledge the act was a necessity for personal safety or the safety of children involved in the marriage.

Of all the proceedings that occur during a divorce, separation is usually the beginning. Separation is intended to give both spouses the opportunity to divide up personal property and figure out who will live in the marital residence. When children are involved in a divorce settlement, the separation period is when parents choose where they will live.

It can also be a time when parents discuss the custody issues such as whether or not joint physical custody is a possibility. Other things can be settled during the separation period. Spouses choose between vehicles, pets, furniture or even electronics. When the separation period is over between to people, and no plans of reconciliation are possible, then both spouses need to begin consulting with their attorneys.

Before proceeding with a divorce, separation can be a time when you can get your personal finances in order. This is an important step to take because it will prevent creditors from coming after you if your ex-spouse is unable to make payments on anything in the future. Finances can include giving your attorney a list of all your assets and liabilities.

Then it would be wise to make all your credit cards in your name only, which means informing your spouse you will be canceling any joint accounts. If you own any stocks, then reissue them in your name. You may also need to search for a new broker if the previous one looked after both yours and your spouse's accounts.

If you have a will and trust, you will need to alter it to exclude your spouse. Finally, make sure all documents and changes are written down and recorded so you will have it on file for the divorce settlement.

When a couple contemplates divorce, separation can be a period of time to help both individuals involved step back and evaluate their marriage. In some cases, a divorce settlement never emerges out of a separation because both parties are able to resolve their issues. Perhaps this is why the courts often require a separation period as a way to show couples all that is involved when dividing up two lives.

Important Answers about Divorce

2008-06-13T00:16:00.002-07:00

Though many people hate to admit it, divorce may be the only viable option for a healthy lifestyle. When considering a divorce, there are many other factors that play a role in this life-changing decision. It is best to take some time to research what is involved with a divorce and the effect it can have on your life. We hope to address some of the concerns that you may have about divorce and its detrimental effects.

What is an uncontested divorce?

An uncontested divorce is generally a divorce that the two parties agree on. They work out the specifics of their assets and split them up according to mutual agreements outside of court. With an uncontested divorce, there is no alimony, child support or custody issues.

Once a couple has decided to have an uncontested divorce, they need to put their agreement in writing and present it to their local courthouse. If the court deems that the agreement is fair for both parties, they grant the couple a divorce. An uncontested divorce is also quicker and the couple does not need to wait as long until it becomes final.

How do I file for divorce?

You can file for divorce without alerting your spouse by going to the courthouse and filling out the correct paperwork. If you want to be sure that you do everything correctly, the best thing to do is to hire a lawyer to file the papers for you.

If you are worried about your spouse's reaction, you can take care of the entire procedure and they will not even know about it until they are served papers. If they have a temper, this might be your best option so you can be away from the house at that time they are served so there will not be any immediate confrontations.

I've heard of common-law marriages. Is there such a thing as common-law divorce?

No, there is not such a thing as common law divorce. You cannot be granted a divorce simply by living apart from your spouse for an extended period of time. Most states required, at the very least, a written agreement submitted to the court that states your intention to divorce each other or of your intent to separate from each other.

In most states, common law marriage is a recognized form of marriage. This is not so with divorce, though. If you both agree to a divorce, contact a lawyer or your county courthouse to find out the very least you need to do to be granted a divorce.

My divorce is just a few weeks from being finalized. Is it legal for my spouse to remarry before the it's officially final?

Technically, yes. It is illegal to be married to more than one person at the same time. Until your divorce is absolutely final, marrying another person would be breaking the bigamy laws of many states. However, this is merely a technicality.

Most courts will not look at your second marriage as an outright disregard for their laws. If your spouse is getting married before your divorce is final, you can pursue legal action against them for breaking the bigamy laws, but chances are it will be a futile effort as these cases are rarely pursued by lawyers or the court system.

My spouse is serving in the Armed Forces. Can I still file for divorce?

It does not matter where your spouse is physically, you can file for a divorce. Whether they are in Iraq, prison, or anywhere else, you can file for legal divorce with the help of an attorney. Certain situations will make some divorce filings are tricky, so it is best to consult with a trusted divorce attorney to make sure everything is done correctly.

Some states have specific laws regarding this type of divorce, but a lawyer in your state will be able to answer all of your specific questions about it. Similarly, your spouse can file for divorce against you no matter where you are.

A Closer Look at Divorce Records

2008-06-13T00:16:00.001-07:00

After divorces are finalized, the court will keep the official copy of all divorce records. When a divorced person wants to obtain a record, they will need to find out where to go and what is involved in getting a certified copy. The process is not as cumbersome as the actual divorce, and should only take a little time to complete.

Getting re-married can be a wonderful experience for a divorced person, but it might require that individual to obtain their divorce records. States will have different requirements in terms of what documentation they will need before issuing a marriage certificate, so you need to check with the County Clerks Office beforehand.

There are other situations that require a divorce settlement, such as when someone is applying for immigration into the country. Federal or state laws will dictate what is needed during this process, and you will have to obtain divorce records from wherever the divorce took place.

When you want to obtain a divorce record, you should begin by going to the Vital Records Office for the state where the divorce was legalized. Even if you move to another state after your divorce, the former state you lived in will be where the document is kept. You can usually call the office or visit it personally to obtain the necessary applications you will need to fill out beforehand. Applications can vary from state to state based on their own divorce laws, but most likely they will all require some form of payment and proof of identification.

There may be a waiting period before you can receive a copy of your divorce settlement, and the timing will depend on whether the copy is to be certified or uncertified. Most of the time a record of the divorce settlement will need to be certified before it is accepted by another party. Because divorce seems to be a more common occurrence in today's society, there are several web sites available to help you find divorce records.

Some of the most popular are through a state's Vital Records web site or Federal records web sites. Most people-finder search engines will have a section that allows you to search for a divorce record. But you should remember these all require a fee, and are not considered a free service to the public.

Divorce records are the conclusion to all divorce settlements taking place in a court of law. When you apply for certain things, such as a marriage certificate or immigration, you may need to obtain your former divorce decree. To be on the safe side of things, it would be prudent to request a copy of your divorce record to keep on file

Just What Is Marriage and Divorce ?

2008-06-13T00:15:00.000-07:00

Marriage and divorce are too often linked together like "peas and carrots." At one point in history, the thought of divorce was as scandalous as committing a murder. When a couple married, the notion of getting a divorce if things failed to work out was not an option.

Has the sanctity of marriage been lowered so far that when two individuals step up to the altar, they know they have a way out of it? The time honored tradition of living "till death do us part," seems to have evolved towards the notion of "till death do us part, unless we get a divorce."

A lack of proper communication in a marriage is viewed by some as the leading factor behind a divorce. Endless negative comments by your spouse can bring down even the happiest of individuals, leaving you feeling dejected and miserable. Overcoming negativity in a marriage can be difficult, but it is possible. Some ways to avoid negativity can be listening to a favorite song, taking a walk or reading a good book.

Spouses can help their partner overcome negativity by not taking it personally and looking for underlying causes. Using positive reinforcement, such as surrounding yourselves with positive people, spending quality time with one another, or acknowledging positive accomplishments can help break the chain of negativity. In the long run, positive conversations and attitudes can be the difference between marriage and divorce.

Ideals about marriage and divorce can also come from family history. Children of divorced mothers and fathers will often possess a fear of failing in their own marriage, especially if their parent's divorce was wrought with hateful bickering and a lack of affection. In fact, some studies report that children coming from a broken home are twice as likely to experience divorce in their marriage.

Coming from a divorced parent makes the act itself an option in case the marriage doesn't work out. It can often set a standard for what marriage is supposed to be like when children of a broken home decide to enter matrimony.

Before entering a marriage, it is important you talk about family origin before walking down the aisle. Ask each other about your childhood and what your parent's relationships were like growing up. This can help clear the air between you, helping establish what you want from the marriage.

Financial strain can play a role in marriage and divorce. It is important to understand what your financial expectations are for the marriage before entering into matrimony. Ask yourselves if there is to be joint checking accounts or separate checking accounts. Find out if you both have the same saving goals and then find a happy medium if there is an inherent difference.

Looking at your personal spending habits is emphatically important before getting married because you have to understand where the money is going to go most of the time when you live under one roof. Too often we let money dictate our lives, but avoid talking about it because the topic seems too personal and invasive. But discussing the role finances will play in your marriage is as important as discussing parental roles when you decide to have children.

History's idea of marriage and divorce is drastically different than what exists in today's society. Over the centuries, the idea of getting a divorce if one's marriage wasn't working out has become somewhat automatic. Perhaps this can change with the next few generations if more emphasis is placed on the importance of communicating before and after marriage.

Getting everything out in the open before taking on the commitment of marriage can help a couple cope with the natural difficulties that arise in a relationship which is intended to last a lifetime. It can reiterate the dreams and desires that made two people want to spend their lives together in the first place, making divorce seem like a not-so-appealing option.

Information on Marriage Counselling

2008-06-13T00:13:00.001-07:00

Marriage counselling is an effective way of putting your marriage back together. There is no doubt that you can learn how to be better communicators when you use counselling. Another benefit that it offers to you is improved relationships within the entire family.Other times, it’s a tool that is used to help get to the heart of the problem between the two of you, so that you can continue to live a happy life. Not only does it allow for an opportunity to communicate, but it also provides individuals with the tools necessary to make it happen.

Marriage counselling can happen in a number of different ways. In some religions, such as the Roman Catholic religion, marriage counselling can be done between the couple and their priest. This can help them to find the help that they need in the long term through spiritual means. But, more commonly, marriage counselling is done by a licensed therapist.

You should be able to trust the therapist too. Not every activity that they have you do is something that you will like to do, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t trust that person.In many cases, it will take a bit of an interview to find out if this is someone that you can trust and work with. Finding someone with enough experience is a must, but so is finding someone that you can actually trust.

Work relationships also improve. Not only will you be more capable of communicating effectively, but you are also likely to be less stressed and therefore more likely to be productive and more personable.Relationships with the family unit as a whole will be more solid. Marriage counselling will help to bring everyone back together, into a solid whole.There is less stress on each individual in the family as well as more bonding and better relationships as a whole.

Let the flood gates open! When you are entering into marriage counselling, it’s essential to let it all out. Remember that your counsellor abides by the same laws that govern doctors. They can not and will not talk about your case, your private information or even the activities that you do to anyone. In addition, all good therapists will not judge you, nor will they negatively react to what is happening to you.

Marriage counselling is all about improving your relationship with your loved one. Opening up is one of the most difficult things that you will have to do. It’s difficult for you and your spouse, but it is also the only thing that will lead to full recovery of your feelings and your marriage itself. Being honest during your marriage counselling session will allow everything that you feel to come to the surface. You can talk about anything and everything that bothers you.

If you don’t use marriage counselling to save your marriage, will it fall apart in a few years? Perhaps a divorce is the end result? If that’s the case, you’ll definitely spend more on getting a divorce than you will on marriage counselling. You’ll need to pay attorneys, alimony, not to mention two separate living arrangements. It does get to be costly.

If you don’t think divorce is likely, then perhaps your marriage will continue down the same path. Soon, you’ll be needing to get the kids help for their poor behaviour (which could be stemming from the way that you and your spouse argue) or you may have to get them extra help in school because their grades have slipped considerably. On the other hand, marriage counselling can help your entire family to repair the damage.

How To Win Back Ex - Think About Why Do You Want Her

2008-06-13T00:12:00.002-07:00

Losing someone with whom you have lived for a few months, a year, ten years or longer can be a devastating experience for some men. Sometimes we come to realize a break-up is the wisest decision and is really a good thing. The assumption is a break-up is always bad, and in need of fixing. However, when we look realistically at some reasons behind the breakup, we discover the relationship was not a healthy relationship from the beginning.

So the question becomes not how do I get my ex-wife back but why do I want my ex-wife back? One of the first questions to ask is what led you into this relationship. The first time you saw the person you knew there was something you liked. What did you like? Her overall appearance, the way she smiled, the manner in which she looked into your eyes, the way she shook your hand. Was it the color of her hair you noticed or the curves in her body? What was the presence, which caused you to feel connected? What were you hoping to find, a person of quality or an object to satisfy your needs? What was she wearing the first time you saw her?

The answers to these and similar questions should take you back to the first encounter. If, in fact the answers lead you to conclude the reasons you felt attracted led toward the bedroom then you sowed the first seeds of a relationship into rocky ground. Secondly, you were not looking for a woman you were looking for an object and relationships with objects do not last. Like your first little red truck, it breaks down; you get tired of it or find something you believe is better and more exciting. Human relationships planted in rocky or bad ground are prone to breaking up.

Why did you pursue this relationship? Is, it because of the manner, in which her presence caused you to feel more like a man? Did you pursue the relationship through conversation and shared hobbies and interests? Were private physical encounters the main attraction or was this put on hold for the future? Did she treat you like someone very special? When other men were attentive to her or flirted with her, did this lead you to anger or did this cause you to love her more? Did you pursue this relationship because you had a deep desire to care for her, to provide for her and to be with her because you wanted to grow in your love for her?

The bottom line question is: did you pursue this woman because you wanted to be loved or because you loved her and wanted your love for her to grow? answering this will make all your efforts make sense when trying to get her back.

How To Get Ex Girlfriend Back. What Do You Really Feel Inside?

2008-06-13T00:12:00.001-07:00

When a relationship with a wife or girlfriend feels as if it is falling apart, it most likely is falling apart and this is the time to stop and take an honest assessment. Listening to our inner feelings is essential in every type of relationship because feelings are an armor of protection. Feelings cause us to question life and often our failure to succeed directly relates to those feelings or gut warnings we ignore.

Feelings are red flags, they are warnings, which save us from mistakes when we pay attention and deal with them. This is not always a simple task and sometimes it causes emotional pain, which is often the basic reason we refuse to face our feelings and try to ignore them. We do not want to experience feelings of pain, but the road to renewed joy in a relationship lies in our willingness to experience pain.

We can never experience the feelings of joy, which come with pain relief, if we refuse to make the effort to learn the cause of the pain. Taking the wrong medication or no medication does not take away the pain. People who suffer from migraine headaches learn to recognize the signs at the onset of what can become a debilitating headache. In a relationship, we must begin to recognize the signs and symptoms of the heartache, which can come when we fail to respond to feelings of discomfort in a relationship. Only by being willing to stop, look and listen to our inner self, can we prevent an exacerbation of a crack in a relationship.

Feelings are similar to a leaky faucet, which if we do not take the time to fix or seek help from someone who can fix the leak it will get much worse. In the end, the leaking faucet can cause us an unexpected and much larger expense, than if we had responded to the faucet when we first noticed the leak. This all seems perhaps unrelated to loosing a wife or girlfriend, but it is a simple reality, many people train themselves to ignore their inner feelings, which cause discomfort, and attempt to ignore these feeling hoping they will go away.

Unresolved inner conflict, which is what negative feelings are, will never go away unless we give them the attention they demand. Sometimes we are simply being paranoid, but most of the time the feelings are legitimate and there is a justifiable reason for them. Most of the time, we need to adjust our thought process. Rarely do these feelings come from the actions or lack of action on the part of another.

Girls, Get your Divorce Attorney Working For you

2008-06-13T00:11:00.000-07:00

When you are getting a divorce the natural thing is to assume that your attorney has your best interests at heart. You need to remember that your biggest cost during the divorce will be your attorneys fees so it is important that you keep involved in the case. Keep in contact with your Attorney and request regular updates.

Keeping in contact with the attorney means that you won't be over looked and that file will stay close at hand. This ensures that they won't forget about your case and relegate it to the bottom of the pile. We have provided some additional Tips that will ensure that your Attorney is working for you and earning their considerable fees.

Make sure that the attorney you employ actually files the necessary motions for you especially if you are required to pay them a retainer. Otherwise you may find yourself in a situation where you are waiting for support to be agreed and provided to you because your attorney has not actually filed the right motions with the court.

If you need to make a call to your attorneys office then don't spend time chatting to them, rather you should immediately raise what the issue is as they will charge you by the minute for every time they talk to you. Also if you need to ask a routine question of your attorney especially in relation to such subjects as dates of court hearing etc., then speak to one of his support staff. In most divorce attorney firms you will find that very few of them will charge you time for dealing with their support staff and if they do the rate will be much lower than that charged by your attorney.

You must try to keep any contact with your former partner's to an absolute minimum. Make sure your attorney knows that you expect him to establish communications through your former partners attorney. Should however your attorney advise you differently then you should try to comply to the best of your ability. Attorneys have spent years training and deal with hundreds of divorces a year so they usually know what they are doing.

Because hiring a divorce attorney is a very large expense it is important that you keep a close eye on how much their fees are. It is therefore a good idea if you keep a record of every meeting you have with your attorney or any phone call you make to their office or them to you. As well as logging the dates on which these occurred also write down how long each of them.

Try to save up questions for your attorney and ask them during one meeting or call. If you have 1 question and contact your attorney you will incur a bill by asking several questions at once you will save some money. If possible try to ask simple questions through email once again this will help save time and money.

Going through a divorce is stressful. By finding the right attorney and ensuring that he is working on your divorce in an efficient manner can help to keep one further stressful situation at bay. Use the tips above and you will find that you have much less to worry about.

Sell Anybody Anything Every Time: Increase Sales While Retaining Customers

2008-06-12T15:57:00.002-07:00

As a young boy my father used to tell me stories about selling cars for the Ford Motor company. He taught me most of the things I know about sales, including a word of advice from a man of iconic stature in the business world. One of the biggest things my father learned at Ford was from one of the greatest industrialist of the 20th century, Lee Iacocca. My father recounted Lee Iacocca explaining to him, during a salesman's training session, to sell your self, the house, and the product. What does it mean, sell your self, the house, and the product? At the conclusion of this article you will know exactly what it means and you will never miss another sale again.

There is a key to every sale. Sometimes it's price. At other times it's irrefutable value. But most of the time sales are made because of a persons comfort level with the salesperson as they walk away knowing they were treated right. When sales are blown it is often because a person was too pushy. They didn't offer the person anything they were looking for much less take them into consideration. The person was just a piece of meat in the salespersons eyes, another fast buck. At least, that's the way the customer felt. In order to succeed in sales, a person must learn to hurdle other people's built in defense mechanism against being sold something.

People have natural defense mechanisms built in to resist being sold things. We all get spam emails trying to sell us one thing or another. You are almost always solicited for credit cards, perfume, cell phones and a host of other items you don't need every time you step outside the confines of your home. You've probably been approached by the child trying to sell candy for their fund raiser or the beggar in the street asking for change. More often than not your natural inclination is to resist giving into these sales pitches and refuse to part with your hard earned cash. Why should you part with your money? Yes, why should you part with your money? If a person bought everything that they were offered then they would be poor in short order. So how do you sell your product when people are always resisting you? Therein lies the rub.

Everyone has an Achilles heel. At some point anyone will say yes to anything. As a salesperson it is your job to hunt down that Achilles heel and attack it with all your might. Don't go attacking your customers just yet. Only fools rush in. You have to know your buyer just as a hunter knows their prey. This brings us to the first point, "SELL YOURSELF."

How do I sell myself? You do it quite easily. You sell yourself the same way you would be a parent, friend, lover, pen-pal or anything else that requires social interaction. Engage the customer in a conversation. Ask them how their day went. What kind of job does your customer have? Where is your customer from? What made them interested in a new (fill in the blank)? Does your customer watch sports? Do they read? What's their favorite website? If you prime a person with good questions they will start to talk.

A good salesperson is an excellent conversationalist. An excellent conversationalist is a great listener. When your customer begins talking, you shut up and listen. Pay attention to every word they are saying. As the customer talks chime in from time to time and relate to what the person is saying. If the person has gone beyond casual conversation and into relating some type of story then that is a bonus point for you. Let them tell their story. The more time they spend talking with you, the more likely that they are to buy something. When you talk with someone, you feel that you are getting to know them. Why wouldn't we want buy something from our friend, especially something we want? Everybody wants to support their friend. So become your customer's friend by talking with them and getting to know them. Thus, you will be well on your way to making many more sales and expanding your network of clients.

You can talk till the sun burns out, but if people don't feel comfortable with everything involved in a deal then they won't bite. So it's up to you to let them know everything is on the up and up. You can do that by "selling the house." What is selling the house? Selling the house is telling people about the company or establishment that you work for. Let people know who owns the place. Tell them how long the place has been operating. Tell them famous people who have bought from the company before. Tell them of the exploits of other workers. Explain to them about how it feels like a big family (you may have to embellish a little here.) and how long you've been working there. Tell them about all the great attributes that brought you to work for (fill in the blank company). When you let someone know everything about who they are buying from it levels the playing field in their eyes. They aren't buying from BIG GIANT COMPANY anymore. They are buying from you, their friend, at the store/firm they like to go to because they know a lot about it.

Lastly you must sell the product. Why do you sell the product last? You sell the product last because it is understood. Often times a person knows all the great features of a product. Usually a product doesn't need to be sold. It's your personality that is for sale. People are buying into what you have to offer. So now it's your turn. Serve up all the information that you know about a product and then some. Selling a product is not just about knowing your own product, but it is also about knowing the competitions product and how the person will benefit from buying your product instead of theirs. Now you don't have to slander another company or salesperson to do this. Often times, when you slander someone it becomes more damaging to yourself than helpful because it is interpreted by the listener as jealousy. When you display how knowledgeable you are about a subject as why a person is getting something that will impact their lives positively they will always chose you over the next person because of how honest and helpful your insight was to them. They may even go so far as to recommend other people because of your great wisdom and insight. Display your knowledge. That is always one of the best ways to sell a product.

When all else fails, let the customer win. Letting the customer win means giving a person the perception that they got more out of the deal than you did. Let's take an example. Someone works at a computer store. They get paid commission for every item they sell. Let's say a person walks in and they are very interested in a new Apple Laptop but they want a discount. The salesperson can't give them a discount. The manager won't either. So what do they do? Most times a poor sales person will just let the person walk out the door. Don't be that salesperson. Figure up your commission on the sale. Let's say you'll make $200 from the sale. Tell them that if they buy you'll throw in a $20 gift card and a pack of blank CD's on you. Who can resist free? The total cost of that would be around $30. Can you space $30 to make $170? Make it a point to tell the customer you're giving them these things out of your pocket. They'll appreciate the extra mile and they'll feel like they have you under their control. The customer will feel like they got more than what they paid for. Everybody wins. You'll make a real $170 when the customer purchases instead of nothing at all if the customer walks out. People love good will and good faith efforts. If you sell yourself, the house, and the product you'll never have to take it that far.

20 Essential Traits Needed For All Sales Executives

2008-06-12T15:57:00.001-07:00

It has long been my conviction that the dominant factor in success is the set of mental habits possessed by the individual. Of no vocation is this truer than that of the salesman. "As a man thinketh . . ." applies to him in an all-important way. The techniques and skills, methods of approach, demonstration and closing are matters of demanding study and practice., These things are cold, mechanical, wooden and ineffective except as they are warmed, energized and implemented by the dynamics of a positive personality. A positive personality is never found apart from deep conviction, genuine belief in the fundamentals, the "copybook virtues" known and honored by men and women of character in all generations.

This conviction was strengthened in me some time ago when there came to hand a report of a questionnaire circulated among the members of a Sales Executives Club. These men and women are "top brass" in the sales departments of big business. They have responsibility for the distribution of their firm's product; have in some cases hundreds, even thousands, of sales managers and salesmen under their guidance and direction. The recruitment, training and management of these forces are their daily concern.

The question asked these sales executives was: What are the qualities or traits of character you value most in salesmen? This is the list they offered, the traits being stated in the order of importance attached to them by these sales executives. There is food for thought here. Note for instance that "persuasiveness" is toward the end of the list. Most people would list the art of persuasion as perhaps synonymous with salesmanship but according to these sales executives there are other more import traits, they are listed below.

Dependability was chosen as the most important.

Integrity was next. With this trait the salesman is incapable either of being false to the trust his company places in him or to the real interests of his customer.

Knowledge of product is one of the three fundamentals of success in the field of selling.

Self Time-management Perhaps no vocation gives a man a greater degree of latitude. He must be a good "boss" for himself and exact a high degree of self-discipline for selling.

Work organization is efficiency in self-management. Much of a salesman's time is wasted by the prospect. He must guard the balance jealously and make every minute count.

Sincerity excludes falsification of every shade. It must be real, few can "pretend" with success.

Initiative is the salesman's spark plug.

Industriousness is devotion to the job, never being unemployed during work hours

Acceptance of responsibility for the car, for the sales material, records, samples and above all for the company's good name and the customer's good will.

Understanding of buyer motives this being another of the big three fundamentals of selling.

Sales ethics No longer is the slogan "caveat emptor" (let the buyer beware) but "caveat vendator" (let the seller beware).

Judgment is not inherited. It can be developed as a habit. Logic is a subject that should be a "must" for sales people.

Care of health, mental, physical, spiritual, financial.

Courtesy is more than politeness. It is consideration for others, deference to their opinions, their rank, their sex, their age.

Determination is a dogged adherence to a carefully worked out and settled program and purpose. The will to carry through. Unwillingness to compromise with anything less than your best performance.

Aggressiveness requires self-confidence and the language of assurance in all interviews. It is pressure applied without offensiveness.

Friendliness involves warmth of feeling, a positive type of cordiality that does not involve back-slapping or wise-cracking.

Resourcefulness Wide knowledge, curiosity, retentive memory, wide-awakeness. Quick thinking in the clinches.

Persuasiveness goes beyond the realm of reasoning, an appeal to feelings, desires, and emotions.

Appreciation of selling as a profession and as the road to personal success. Awareness of the fact that the field of "distribution" offers more in money, satisfaction, opportunity for service, and personal growth in all of the inner virtues and faculties than any other calling, especially more than anything in the field of "production."

How To Sell More To Your Customers (Would You Like Fries With That?)

2008-06-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

Adding upsells to our order form. That's right, regardless of all the different traffic techniques in the world, even with proven sales copy and conversion methods in place, even with years of studying and applying various direct and indirect marketing approaches, the one thing I have found that brings in the most money to our company is the ability to upsell each individual customer on an additional item they did NOT intend to originally purchase.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the term "upsell," let me use an example from one of the world's most famous companies to illustrate this point:

When people walk into the fast-food giant, McDonalds, to order a simple hamburger or a Vanilla shake, without fail they are presented with the phrase that has helped this company dominate the fast-food market:

"Would you like fries with that?" Other fast food outlets will ask you, "Would you like a drink or an apple pie with your meal?" This is another very effective example of an upsell.

These fast food giants sell millions of dollars worth of extra food and drinks worldwide every year because they know how to effectively use an upsell. So now you may be saying that that is all well and good for McDonalds, but I am in a totally different business. I don't sell fast-food.

Upsell for internet marketing success

Upselling your customers is simply providing the next logical solution to your customer's next logical need. It's your job to always create that next logical need and continually sell and sell. There's always one more thing to sell.

One of the major mistakes I find in dealing with small businesses is that they believe once their business has provided their product to the customer, that's the end of the process. There's nothing that could be further from the truth.

Every sale needs another sale because every need that's satisfied will create still another need sometime in the future. The conclusion you should draw is that you need to create the upsell and continue creating upsells as a neverending logical step in the launching of an effective marketing mission.

You might say, I don't have any product or service to sell as an upsell. My answer to that is, develop one.

Even if you don't produce the product or service, someone else does and that someone else gladly will pay you to allow them to have access to your client base so they can upsell your customers. There's always something else to sell them.

The practical implications to upselling will most likely result in forming joint venture relationships. Businesses today operate differently than before.

Another good example can be seen in mail-order flowers. On the average, there's actually 6-10 days from the cutting of a flower before a customer receives it and puts it in a vase in his/her home, whether as a gift or simply to brighten up the home. The lag time is caused by the traditional distribution system of wholesalers, distributors, and retailers. A real entrepreneur, who worked literally for years on an idea for flower delivery in up to 9 days, created a direct from the grower to the customer via Federal Express. Today, that generates $10,000,000 in sales. What was the entrepreneur's product? It was an idea worth $10,000,000.

That business is merely a series of relationships between a catalogue company, Federal Express, and several independent flower growers throughout the United Slates. It's a business of joint ventures. Even though this guy didn't actually have the product or service, he created one.

This leads us to finding Your Business Within Your Business. A real powerful concept is to challenge yourself, your clients, vendors, and employees to constantly search for new businesses within your business.

There are an unlimited number of offshoot businesses you can create. You can have an offshoot of consulting to those people you sell to. You could then communicate and market and also do seminars and workshops.

For car dealers, they can provide extended warranties and insurance to new car owners. For a contractor, whether it's heating and cooling, pools, pest control, or whatever, they can also provide annual service contracts.

An example would also be a pool contractor, who for instance, might use upselling through the offering of an annual service contract to clean and service a pool four times a year. This can dramatically improve his bottom line. In fact, this can actually double the value of your customers by an added income of 40% when they sign an annual contract.

Let's say the service call for a pest control or pool service call is $100 and there are 100 customers per year. There's a gross of $10,000, which is $100 per customer. The upsell strategy is an annual contract where you're going to visit four times a year. The cost for each visit to the customer is $100, so the total cost at this point is $400 (before giving a discount.)

If they buy today, you give them a discount of $150, so $250 is the cost to the customer. If you close just 40% of these people, your new revenue is $10,000. 40% of 100 is 40 people times $250 which is the cost of the annual contract.

So, the new value of these 100 customers is $20,000, $10,000 for the service call ($100 x 100 customers) and another $10,000 for the 40 people who paid $250 for the annual contract. The value per customer is now $200. You made $20,000. You still have the same 100 customers. They're now worth $200. That's double the value.

What service can you upsell to your clients? Virtually every business can add a newsletter or an extra month of a diet plan for half the original price. Maybe a consulting service could be provided. The possibilities are endless. Let your creative mind work for your business instead of limiting it to just one product or service.

You Can't Sell Antique Appliances on The Internet, Can You?

2008-06-12T15:55:00.002-07:00

When John Jowers went to work at his father's appliance company, he never thought it would lead to a sideline business restoring antique refrigerators. But now their "cool" appliances are doing a hot business on the web.

Those of us who are, to put it politely, in our prime, may remember a time when a refrigerator wasn't just a big, rectangular box in the kitchen.

It was a sleek, aerodynamic piece of industrial art. A Philco or Frigidaire looked like it had been designed with the same artistic flair as a ´57 Chevy.

Maybe we even remember the old GE generator top fridge at grandma's house. Those were the days!

In Clayton, Georgia, a town in the Appalachian foothills an hour and a half outside of Atlanta, John Jowers is doing a brisk business keeping a piece of Americana alive.

John and his team at Antique Appliances have expanded his father's appliance business, originally founded in 1958, to include the full restoration of vintage refrigerators and stoves for a growing number of customers who crave the style and nostalgia of a bygone era.

Clayton is a resort area, and the population base shifts drastically from winter to summer. And while he had never given any thought to restoring vintage appliances, John knew that he had to find a way to build his sales and keep his team occupied during the off-season.

"In the winter months, you have to keep your workers on board and busy. A couple of the guys came to me and said `hey, there's an old refrigerator in the back of the warehouse. Do you mind if we paint it red?´ and I said, if it keeps you busy, go ahead!"

"We put it in our front window as part of a Christmas display, and suddenly someone wanted to buy it!

Once it was gone, the phone began to ring off the hook - everyone wanted to know where the little red refrigerator had gone! So, we began doing one-off pieces for people locally. We dabbled in it for a couple of years, and someone convinced me that there really was a market for what we were doing, so I decided to build a web site."

"I depend on the Internet. Without it I wouldn't have the antique business."

"If I were trying to market these items in a 100-mile radius, there simply aren't enough potential clients that want these products or have the money to spend to make it a viable business. 98% of the business I do with the vintage appliances comes from the Internet."

His refurnished stoves and refrigerators have found homes all across the country and beyond.

"Very few of our clients are in our general area. We keep a map up in the office and we peg every city that we go to or ship to, and when you look at the map, the bulk of the clients have been in the New England states. Although we've shipped something to almost every state in the Union at this point, the Midwest and the Northeast have been our biggest demand areas."

He believes that much of his success, both online and off, stems from the fact that he is offering a truly unique service. Antique Appliances is the only company in the US that specializes in the restoration of vintage refrigerators, and one of only a small number who restores vintage electric stoves.

Many companies are restoring gas stoves in the US because a gas stove is rather simple to repair and restore-no wiring, no moving parts, no chemicals involved. Electric stoves, however, are more complicated- a thorough knowledge of electrical systems is needed.

Refurbishing a refrigerator requires even more expertise: in addition to the electrical aspect, special certification is needed to handle the refrigerants and to clean the systems.

Most appliance restorers don't have the required know-how or certification. But because Jowers TV & Appliances was already in the business of selling new appliances, John had a pre-assembled team of qualified servicemen and technicians.

John has no plans to take his new appliance sales online. While Internet sales for niche items like vintage appliances are skyrocketing, the competition to move new inventory is stiff. He knows he would likely only lose money trying to compete for online sales with a large outlet like Sears.com or JCPenney.com.

He does, however, believe that his new appliance sales have been helped as more and more manufacturers have added search engines that allow customers to find authorized dealers in their geographic area.

He has seen a few sales locally that have come to him via GE.com, and feels that this allows smaller dealers to profit without investing in building a site.

John acknowledges that, when he left for college, the last thing he thought he'd do was to come back to a small town and work in the family business. But his work experience while in college made him realize that he really enjoyed taking full responsibility for customer satisfaction, something that is vital to a family business, but often of secondary importance to larger stores.

"As a teenager, when I went out on deliveries with the other guys and there was a problem, believe me, the customer would address ME with their concerns because they knew I was my father's son!"

"In college, I went to work part time in a local home improvement center. During my first week there, I saw my boss, the store's assistant manager, make a woman mad over a can of red paint.

I went into his office and I said, `you may fire me for saying this, but you've done the worst thing you could have done. If you had given her another can of paint, she would have walked out of the store satisfied, and never said a word about it. But mark my words, you've made her mad, you didn't give her another can of paint, and now she´s going to walk out of here and tell everyone in her bridge club and her church group, and you've probably lost 12 customers over a can of paint.´"

"I went home that night and asked myself what I wanted to do with my life, if I could really be happy somewhere climbing the corporate ladder but having no say-so about customer satisfaction, where you'll always have to hand it off to another person. Suddenly, the family business seemed like the right choice."

We have published over fifty profiles of established traditional family owned companies who are leveraging their companies online. And we will be interviewing fifty more as we complete two new books in progress. If you have a story you'd like us to tell, visit our web site and click on the Submit a Profile link for more information.

14 Ways To Skyrocket Your Profits

2008-06-12T15:55:00.001-07:00

You can quickly increase your work at home profits if you apply a few simple tricks. Below are fourteen ways to skyrocket your profits.

1. No one is using just one technique to make money anymore. Not even celebrities, they sing, act and do promos this same strategy should be applied to your website. Create multiple streams of income with your web site. You could sell your own products, join affiliate programs, and sell advertising space. There are various ways to do this, get creative .

2. Dont get greedy. Sell a few products on your web site instead of selling a large amount of products. Having too many choices can overwhelm your visitors which will prevent them from buying.

3. Who doesnt love freebies? Include content and free stuff on your web site that promote the products you're selling. If they don't read your ads, they may read your offerings.

4. Adopt a viral marketing strategy. You can do this by publishing a free ebook and giving it away for free from your web site or in your e-zine. This will increase your traffic, sales and e-zine subscribers.

5. Have your Opt in form on various locations on your website. Some places may compel a sign up for different people. The bigger your list the greater your target market will be.

6. Never under estimate the power of praise. Give your visitors compliments in your ad copy. This can earn their trust and put them in a good mood, in return they will be easier to sell too.

7. Sell your backend products to your customers right after they order. Take them to a "Thank You" web page that includes other products you offer.

8. Sell short reports on precise topics.

9. Offer your customers a full refund when they refer 4 friends. You get three sales for the price of one.

10. Provide a "Contact Page" on your web site. Give your visitors as many options to contact you as possible. Provide an e-mail address, business address, and phone number (preferably toll free). This will add credibility to your business.

11. Remind your visitors that you're human, not just a web site. You could publish information on your family, post pictures, as well as a profile.

12. Use a P.S. at the end of your ad copy. This is where you either want to repeat a strong benefit or use a strong close like a free bonus. You can even go as far as using a P.P.S.

13. Create new products or services only if there is a strong need for them. You will not have anyone to sell them to if you do not have a market.

14. Use any dead real-estate to advertise- that is if your website has a space that is blank or is just sitting there, use it to promote a product. For instance, the confirmation page that your subscribers receive after they sign up is great place to put an advertisement.

Working from home can be a great way to generate profits. Apply a few of these techniques today and watch your online earnings soar.