10 Amazing Advantages of Web Based Software

More and more providers and billing services are looking into the benefits of web based software over the old fashioned server based practice management systems. After running a medical billing business with server based software for fifteen years, we decided it was time to look into some of the newer features.

The field of medical billing is always changing and improvements should be expected in our software capabilities. As technology develops we should find our software doing more jobs for us in less time and dealing with regulations and coding changes in real time. Of course we want all this available to us at a reasonable cost. We found that with the newer technology of web based practice management systems can really save time and money.

The newest software offers unbelievable features creating shortcuts that save time, money, keystrokes, denials, and improves cash flow. With a web based practice management system you can sign onto a secure program on the web on any computer, not just the one with the software installed. Here are ten amazing advantages of some of the best of the new web based medical billing software.

1. Saves time - Development of new technology has automated so many processes previously dependent upon employee data entry that incredible amounts of time can be saved. Electronic payment entry, one click printing capabilities, problem claims stored in a queue rather than searching through electronic reports, and one click reproducing of last claim codes are just a few of the amazing shortcuts now available.

Just imagine the time saved alone in not having to enter payments. The eobs can now be scanned and converted to an 837 file that electronically enters the insurance payments and automatically bills the secondary insurance carrier or the patient.

In our server based system we had to open a box and choose whether you were printing a primary insurance, a secondary insurance, or a patient statement. When you clicked on one of those it asked which form you want to use. After clicking on the appropriate form, a box would ask if you which printer you use. Then if the printer had more than one drawer, you would have to click on properties and choose the drawer with the correct type of paper for the form you are printing. If one of my workers printed out only 25 paper claims or patient statements a day, a one click printing job would save over 100 commands per day. As a billing service, we receive hundreds of electronic reports per week that we must open, read, and deal with the problem claims. This task was overwhelming with the server based program. The new web based program we now use sends just the problem claims to a queue. We now go to the queue and check on only the problems instead of wading through all the accepted claims to find the rejections.

These are just a few of the time saving systems now available with some web based programs. These systems have enabled us to increase our work load by 50% without taking on more employees or increasing our hours.

2. Saves money - With so many time saving advantages of web based software we were able to take on extra accounts without increasing our payroll. We put our employees to much more productive work. Web based software can also save the upfront costs of purchasing a server based software along with the required licensing, support, and updates. The web based program we decided on charges one small monthly fee. That's it. No extra charges for electronic submissions, support, provider scheduling, providing a superbill, patient online payments, ICD9 and CPT codes, code query, set up fees or back ups. No up front costs. Not only does this cost less, but it works better.

3. Eliminates many errors that create rework. The automated methods used with the newest web based software take many jobs that were once entered manually by billers and now eliminate the human errors thru automation. A simple typo can cause a claim to be rejected or denied slowing down the payment cycle and causing much extra and unnecessary work. Rework is one of the most costly problems in an office. Whenever you can eliminate rework with better systems you save money.

4. Works in "Real Time" - When you are used to working on a static server based software you have no say in updating a process until a new version is released which you must purchase if you want to be able to update to these new requirements. This can be a problem when you have an outdated code you want to change or there are new requirements such as the NPI numbers, addition of taxonomy codes, or changes to the workers comp form. A web based program can provide for these changes as they become necessary. Instead of spending thousands of dollars to purchase the latest version of a server based software, the web based program is updated as it becomes necessary for any changes to be made. As diagnosis codes and CPT codes are added or eliminated, web based software can deal with these changes immediately, not with the next update. This feature can eliminate coding denials of insurance claims due to CPT or ICD9 changes.

5. Claims scrubbing - Claims scrubbing can go well beyond just letting you know that a patient's birth date is missing. One small example of how helpful an effective claims scrubber can be is when a chiropractor bills a claim to Medicare where Medicare requires the AT modifier. If the modifier is not on the claim to Medicare it will be denied and if the AT modifier is on a claim to another insurance company, that claim may be denied for invalid modifier. A good claims scrubber will flag the claim if you have used the modifier incorrectly.

6. Capable of billing UB04 forms as well as CMS 1500 forms - Small facilities such as rehab clinics and mobile surgery centers are sometimes required to submit their claims on UB04 forms, depending on if they are credentialed as a facility or a provider with the insurance carrier. We found a web based software that will allow submissions of UB04 as well as CMS 1500 claim forms eliminating the need for two separate billing programs if you are billing for a facility. This is a great option for a billing company who may take on a small facility and has no way to print UB04 forms as well as for the small facility that needs to bill UB04 forms.

7. ICD9 and CPT codes preloaded for your specialty - Our server based medical billing software did not have the codes preloaded. We were constantly adding diagnosis codes and unfortunately some invalid diagnosis codes were added. When an invalid code was used, usually the claim was denied for invalid diagnosis code. The claim was then corrected and resubmitted - a good example of the rework I was talking about earlier. The web based program we decided on has all diagnosis codes and procedure codes for the specialty of the provider already preloaded. There are no unnecessary codes but you can add codes. As codes are updated, added or deleted by the AMA, they are changed automatically in the program. This will be especially helpful when we go to the ICD10 codes.

8. Automatic insurance company updates - You don't have to keep up with insurance company address changes or electronic payer number for your clearing house. Our favorite web based software preloaded all insurance companies that could go electronically with the correct payer number. If a carrier changes their payer ID# it is automatically updated by the web based software. You don't have to worry about it. How many of us have suddenly had all claims for a particular carrier fall into a black hole and find out it was because they changed their payer number and only notified providers on a small sidebar on their website. With good web based software this would not happen. Because they work in "Real Time", insurance companies and their electronic identifiers are added or updated as the clearing house adds/updates them.

9. Eliminates need for accounting software - A billing service finds the need for accounting software like Quickbooks to keep track of billing their providers for their services. With the new technology, a billing service can now bill their providers, print statements, send past due notices, run reports, and enter payments all in the web based system eliminating the need for Quickbooks. The web based software we chose performs all the functions we once used Quickbooks for.

10. Multiple practices, eligibility, and electronic submissions at no extra cost - This makes a huge difference to a billing service. When we first started looking at the web based software we were afraid that it would be cost prohibitive for a billing service with multiple providers as most companies charged based on the number of providers. We were thrilled to find an application which not only had more technical features but didn't charge by the provider or practice but rather by the user.

After researching the advantages of web based software extensively, we found that we could not afford to ignore the advantages of web based software. The next thing was to find an application that was affordable for a billing service.

We found that a company that used the SaaS (Software as a Service) concept could offer a much more reasonable product than a typical licensing product. Most web based programs charge per provider or practice so if you are billing for 60 providers, it can get real expensive. Using the Saas concept a web based medical billing software could now be offered to medical offices and billing services for a reasonable monthly fee and with no set up costs.

Xena-Health software quickly showed us a superior product with a host of benefits we didn't know existed resulting in cutting our data entry time in half. We never dreamed of all the possibilities that newer technology could supply and at such a reasonable cost. With many medical office costs rising yearly, it was a wonderful surprise to find a cost savings product that actually increased our efficiency. Xena has been great to work with and we have been thrilled with the results.

Software Cracks

Software cracking is reverse software engineering. It is the modification of software to remove protection methods. The distribution and use of the copies is illegal in almost every developed country. There have been many lawsuits over the software, but mostly to do with the distribution of the duplicated product rather than the process of defeating the protection, due to the difficulty of proving guilt.

The most common software crack is the modification of an application's binary to cause or prevent a specific key branch in the program's execution. This is accomplished by reverse engineering the compiled program code using a debugger until the software cracker reaches the subroutine that contains the primary method of protecting the software.

The binary is then modified using the debugger or a hex editor in a manner that replaces a prior branching opcode so the key branch will either always execute a specific subroutine or skip over it. Almost all common software cracks are a variation of this type.

Proprietary software developers are constantly developing techniques such as code obfuscation, encryption, and self-modifying code to make this modification increasingly difficult. In the United States, the passing of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) legislation made cracking of software illegal, as well as the distribution of information which enables the practise.

However, the law has hardly been tested in the U.S. judiciary in cases of reverse engineering for personal use only. The European Union passed the European Union Copyright Directive in May 2001, making software copyright infringement illegal in member states once national legislation has been enacted pursuant to the directive.

The first software copy protection was on early Apple II, Atari 800 and Commodore 64 software. Game publishers, in particular, carried on an arms race with crackers. Publishers have resorted to increasingly complex counter measures to try to stop unauthorized copying of their software.

One of the primary routes to hacking the early copy protections was to run a program that simulates the normal CPU operation. The CPU simulator provides a number of extra features to the hacker, such as the ability to single-step through each processor instruction and to examine the CPU registers and modified memory spaces as the simulation runs.

The Apple II provided a built-in opcode disassembler, allowing raw memory to be decoded into CPU opcodes, and this would be utilized to examine what the copy-protection was about to do next. Generally there was little to no defense available to the copy protection system, since all its secrets are made visible through the simulation.

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy for http://1-st-software.blogspot.com/

If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at semak2125@gmail.com.

At http://1-st-software.blogspot.com/, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by http://1-st-software.blogspot.com/ and how it is used.

Log Files
Like many other Web sites, http://1-st-software.blogspot.com/ makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons
http://1-st-software.blogspot.com/ does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie
.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on http://1-st-software.blogspot.com/.
.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to http://1-st-software.blogspot.com/ and other sites on the Internet.
.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html

Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include ....
Google Adsense


These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on http://1-st-software.blogspot.com/ send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

http://1-st-software.blogspot.com/ has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. http://1-st-software.blogspot.com/'s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

Learn Forex Trading, Forex Strategies, Forex Software, Forex Investment

What is FOREX (Foreign Exchange)?

Forex (Foreign Exchange) simply means the buying of one currency and selling another at the same time. In other words, the currency of one country is exchanged for those of another. The currencies of the world are on a floating exchange rate, and are always traded in pairs Euro/Dollar, Dollar/Yen, etc. In excess of 85 percent of all daily transactions involve trading of the major currencies.

Four major currency pairs are usually used for investment purposes. They are: Euro against US dollar, US dollar against Japanese yen, British pound against US dollar, and US dollar against Swiss franc. The following notation is used for these currency pairs: EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, and USD/CHF. You may consider them as "blue chips" of the FOREX market. No dividends are paid on currencies. The investment profits come from well known "buy low - sell high".

If you think one currency will appreciate against another, you may exchange that second currency for the first one and stay in it. In case everything goes as planned, some time later you may make the opposite deal - exchange this first currency back for that other - and collect profits.

Transactions on the FOREX market are fulfilled by dealers at major banks or FOREX brokerage companies. FOREX is the world wide market, so when you are sleeping in the North America some dealers in Europe are trading currencies with their Japanese counterparties. Therefore the FOREX market is active 24 hours a day and dealers at major institutions are working in three shifts. Clients may place take-profit and stop-loss orders with brokers for overnight execution.

Price movements on the FOREX market are very smooth and without gaps that you face almost every morning on the stock market. The daily turnover on the FOREX market is about $1.2 trillion, so investor can enter and exit position without problems. The fact is that the FOREX market never stops, even on the day of September-11, 2001 you could obtain two-side quotes on currencies.

The currency foreign exchange (http://www.123forex.blogspot.com) market is the largest and oldest financial market in the world. It is also called the foreign exchange market, or "FOREX" or "FX" market for short. It is the biggest and most liquid market in the world, and it is traded mainly through the 24 hour-a-day inter-bank currency market - the primary market for currencies. The forex market is a cash (or "spot") inter-bank market. By comparison, the currency futures market is only one per cent as big.

Unlike the futures and stock markets, trading of currencies is not centralized on an exchange. Forex literally follows the sun around the world. Trading moves from major banking centers of the U.S. to Australia and New Zealand, to the Far East, to Europe and finally back to the U.S.

In the past, the forex inter-bank market was not available to small speculators due to the large minimum transaction sizes and often-stringent financial requirements. Banks, major currency dealers and the occasional huge speculator used to be the principal dealers. Only they were able to take advantage of the currency market's fantastic liquidity and strong trending nature of many of the world's primary currency exchange rates.

Today, foreign exchange market maker brokers such as FX Solutions are able to break down the larger sized inter-bank units, and offer small traders the opportunity to buy or sell any number of these smaller units (lots).

These brokers give virtually any size trader, including individual speculators or smaller companies, the option to trade the same rates and price movements as the large players who once dominated the market. Market makers quote buying and selling rates for currencies, and they profit on the difference between their buying and selling rates

Why Trading FOREX?

The cash/spot FOREX markets possess certain unique attributes that offer unmatched potential for profitable trading in any market condition or any stage of the business cycle:

A 24-hour market: A trader may take advantage of all profitable market conditions at any time; no waiting for the 'opening bell'.

Highest liquidity: The FOREX market with an average trading volume of over $1.5 trillion per day is the most liquid market in the world. That means that a trader can enter or exit the market at will in almost any market condition minimal execution barriers or risk and no daily trading limit.

High leverage: A leverage ratio of up to 400 is typical compared to a leverage ratio of 2 (50% margin requirement) in equity markets. Of course, this makes trading in the cash/spot forex market a double-edged sword the high leverage makes the risk of the down side loss much greater in the same way that it makes the profit potential on the upside much more attractive.

Low transaction cost: The retail transaction cost (the bid/ask spread) is typically less than 0.1% (10 pips or points) under normal market conditions. At larger dealers, the spread could be less than 5 pips, and may widen considerably in fast moving markets.

Always a bull market: A trade in the FOREX market involves selling or buying one currency against another. Thus, a bull market or a bear market for a currency is defined in terms of the outlook for its relative value against other currencies. If the outlook is positive, we have a bull market in which a trader profits by buying the currency against other currencies. Conversely, if the outlook is pessimistic, we have a bull market for other currencies and a trader profits by selling the currency against other currencies. In either case, there is always a bull market trading opportunity for a trader.

Inter-bank market: The backbone of the FOREX market consists of a global network of dealers (mainly major commercial banks) that communicate and trade with one another and with their clients through electronic networks and telephones. There are no organized exchanges to serve as a central location to facilitate transactions the way the New York Stock Exchange serves the equity markets. The FOREX market operates in a manner similar to the way the NASDAQ market in the United States operates, and thus it is also referred to as an 'over the counter' or OTC market.

No one can corner the market: The FOREX market is so vast and has so many participants that no single entity, even a central bank, can control the market price for an extended period of time. Even interventions by mighty central banks are becoming increasingly ineffectual and short-lived, and thus central banks are becoming less and less inclined to intervene to manipulate market prices.

Unregulated: The FOREX market is generally regarded as an unregulated market although the operations of major dealers, such as commercial banks in money centers, are regulated under the banking laws. The conduct and operation of retail FOREX brokerages are not regulated under any laws or regulations specific to the FOREX market, and in fact many of such establishments in the United States do not even report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The currency futures and options that are traded on exchanges such as Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) are regulated in the way other exchange-traded derivatives are regulated.

DVD Software Explained and Clarified

The real problem in identifying what DVD software would best suit your needs actually comes from the lack of a standard definition of each type. In addition to that the technology of dealing with DVDs has stabilised through development so that just burning a DVD would hardly be described as rocket science anymore!

This has resulted in many of the DVD software brands branching out into other functions in an effort to attract customers through added features and benefits. This merging of the various things you may want to do with a DVD has resulted in it becoming rather unclear as to which software you should get to suit your particular needs.

DVD Copying Software.

This is DVD software that has, as its main purpose, the simple action of copying a DVD onto another DVD. It will generally do this by first making a copy on to the hard drive of your computer then using that copy to burn to a new blank DVD. Generally this will be an automated process.

A variation of this is DVD Ripping where the software deconstructs the original DVDs contents into its various files and folders while it is being copied to the computer hard drive. This allows some degree of manipulation prior to burning a new DVD. Pure DVD Copying software is very often combined with the ability to make basic edits and changes to parts of the DVD and remove unwanted features like subtitles or extra content.

DVD Conversion Software.

The primary function here is to take the contents of an existing DVD and convert them into another format. For example a home made video DVD being converted to a more compressed video format for uploading on to YouTube or similar or for viewing on a computer.

A good example of a combination of DVD Copying Software and DVD Conversion Software would be a product called DVD Fab. This is software that allows DVD copying in many forms with a high degree of control over the final output combined with the ability to convert the contents of the DVD to other formats.

DVD Burning Software.

The main purpose of DVD burning software is to take data from a computer and transfer it on to a DVD disc. This occurs in two ways depending on what is being burned.

In the case of data such as files, folders or documents this is a pretty straightforward process of copying that data and placing it on the DVD in such a way that other programs can read what is there.

In the case of video DVDs it is a slightly more complicated procedure. There are certain protocols that determine how a video DVD must be written on to a disc. DVD burning software has the ability to understand and create those protocols as it is burning. The DVD Burning ROM of NERO 9 would be an example of this. This does, however, lead to another type of DVD software.

DVD Authoring Software.

DVD authoring is the action of creating the DVD structure (including menus, buttons, subtitles and reference to special features) that you would find on a video DVD. The video on a DVD is actually a type of video file called MPEG2. If you just burned the MPEG2 on to a disc a DVD player would not be able to recognise or play that file. The file has to be "wrapped" in a certain type of structure for the DVD player to be able to play it.

Also, the disc needs to have menus created so that both you and the player can navigate around the disc and play the parts you want. The creation of all of this is the job of DVD authoring software. Corel DVD Movie Factory would be an example of DVD authoring software and all such software must also have the ability to burn the DVD as well as create the structure.

DVD Editing Software.

Many people search in the internet for this and probably get a little frustrated as to why they can not get a definitive result. The reason for that is that the term itself is a bit of a misnomer. It is unclear whether the person wishes to edit the structure of the DVD (menus, movie titles etc.) or whether they are seeking to edit the actual video.

In reality if you want to re-edit or manipulate the menus or features that are on a DVD and then burn to a new DVD that action would be covered by either a DVD copying or conversion software as mentioned above.

If what you want is to re-edit the actual video itself on a DVD then DVD software is not really designed to do that. This activity has now crossed over into the field of video editing software. Having said that there still is a range of DVD software suites that do include this function as an added feature. Nero 9 and Roxio Creator 2009 have this ability.

DVD Merging or Combining Software.

This one really suffers from the loose definitions of all of these functions. Most DVD copying software or conversion software offers the ability to take a couple of DVDs or more and have you re-combine the contents on to a newly created DVD. So you could say they merge or combine DVDs.

However there is another very specific action which is the merging of two, three or even four DVDs into one DVD but at the same time retaining the menus of the original DVDs. The most common need for this is the case of DVD camcorders that record to 8cm or "mini" DVDs.

People who re-use their 8cm RW DVDs or who wish to archive their recordings may want to transfer the contents of a few of those DVDs on to one full sized DVD and save some space. Simply copying the contents of the DVDs over on to one full DVD would result in the loss of the menus of the original DVDs. That would mean you would have hundreds of individual MPEG2 files on a disc and no way of knowing which one is which. Simply a sea of MPEG2 icons in a folder!

There is only one software I know of that can handle that problem and is the only one I know of that could be described as DVD Merging software. It's name is DVDRemake and it can merge or combine two, three or even four DVDs on to one without losing the original menus. Very handy for the DVD camcorder enthusiast.

Finally! DVD Data Recovery and DVD Repair Software.

As much as the manufacturers of DVDs, DVD burning software and DVD burners would have you believe that DVD is somehow perfect because it is digital that is very far from the truth. DVDs can get burned with errors, get scratched, or have errors "built in" because of glitches in the software being used or even the computer being used.

For such occurrences we have this category of DVD software. Generally speaking we are now getting down to some very specialised software that can correct existing errors in DVDs. Of course when you get these errors you will get nonsensical and meaningless messages such as "no disc" (even though you can see one!), "disc error" (well duh!), "invalid DVD navigation structure" (my personal favorite!) and a whole range of others. Without going into the myriad of available specialist software for this it is interesting to note that Nero 9 now has a module within it to handle a great number of these problems called RescueAgent.

So, that got a whole lot more complicated than I intended but I hope at least it will provide you with a general guide to the various functions of DVD software.

Lance is not very good at writing about himself in the third person. He is an ex-patriot Australian living in Taiwan running a business consulting company. His grasp of the Chinese language ranges from poor to laughable and in most circumstances his actual use of the Chinese language results in laughter.

Will Book Catalog Software Make a Good Gift?

Getting a gift for someone is always a nerve-wracking adventure, isn't it? No matter how well you know a person, a gift can be a stressful decision to make. But when the person you want to gift is someone who loves books, the answer might be easier than you think. After all, you've seen the book catalog software available, but is it as perfect a gift as it seems to be? Here are some things you need to know.

Organization Helps Anyone

With book catalog software, your friend or family member will be able to organize the books they own now and the books they own in the future. Whether this is a person that reads a lot for business or for pleasure, a software program helps them to easily find and to use the books they own. All they have to do is to enter the books into the program (or as a part of the gift, you can do this for them) and then they will be able to look at the list to see what they own, what they don't own and what they might want to purchase in the future. This is an especially important gift when the person not only has a lot of books to organize, but they also have multiple sites in which they store their precious books.

Show You Know Them

When you already know a person is a book lover and you give the gift of book catalog software, you are showing that you care and that you know them well. This is going to make the recipient feel loved and appreciated. By recognizing what is important to them, you show that this person is important to you - and that often makes any gift all the more special and appreciated. You can even give this gift to someone who might be just starting out with a book collection to encourage their activities. And even if the person isn't a reader of books for pleasure, this is a gift which will help academics keep track of all their necessary reference guides.

A Lifelong Gift

What's great about a book catalog software program is that not only is it something a person can use today, but it can be added to and adjusted for the rest of the user's life. As the book collection changes, so can the catalog's listings. This will help anyone utilize this gift no matter what they end up doing with their books and no matter where they might move. Since the listing will be saved electronically, the program helps the user keep track of their collection from anywhere their computer might end up.

With book catalog software, you can be assured your gift will be appreciated. Unlike so many other gifts, this is one that not only is useful and practical, but also a gift which shows how much you care. In this case, the thought is what counts - and the thought you've put into this gift will make the recipient smile.

Trading Software

A statement that goes without saying is that computers make people’s lives easier. That is as long as you don’t have a laptop causing you problems like I do! Everywhere from shopping and buying movie tickets researching important topics, computers have changed the way we do business. In the stock market, trading software has also been helping to revolutionize trading. From research, technical analysis and share trading, trading software plays an extremely intimate role in helping people make their fortune in the Internet. Trading software has changed the way people trade and equipped them with incredible amounts of information. Whether free downloads or subscription software costing several thousands of dollars, people are looking to trading software to get ahead.

The Power of The Computer

Computers and the Internet have made collecting, organizing, and understanding information on companies a much easier task than just a few short years ago. These days finding and reviewing annual reports or knowing the latest corporate moves by a company is literally a click away. All of the available information in trading software has made investing less about “playing the stock market” and more about intelligent investors making informed choices. From paper trading futures to Forex trading, it is easier than ever before to understand the dynamics of trading. Some of the unique features of trading software are:

• Tremendous Amounts of Data – Without any special packages, the Internet is loaded with information that can help successful traders understand exactly what they need and where they can find it.

• Free and Low-Cost Downloads – Who say you can’t get anything for free these days? There is a wide variety of trading software and each one serves a different purpose. In addition, a large number of stock and futures brokers offer software to help people learn to trade successfully, also known as paper trading. One piece of advice when it comes to stock, options or Forex software. Be wary about downloading from unfamiliar sources. While you may be trying to legally make money, others can be attempting to invade your computer or our personal information to profit from you illegally. It is wise to only download trading software from sites that you know and trust.

• Personal Finance Packages - Personal finances packages are trading software solutions that help you get all of your financial data in one place including bank account, credit cards, and stock trading investment accounts. The two most popular are Quicken and Microsoft Money. These products give you a wide variety of interfaces that let you spend hours controlling every aspect of your financial life if you so choose. They both will download information to popular tax preparation software so you can save time when you begin that process and allow you to track your investments and let you go online to update your stock portfolio. If you want consolidated financial solution, these programs are worth considering and both cost less than $100.

• High-End Packages – Some of the most sophisticated trading software available can help investors with highly complicated fundamental and technical analysis. This kind of trading software usually is subscription based and generally includes such things as stock charting and regression calculations. For day traders, there are real time quite services that offer up to the minute quotes and it very closely resembles what the actual brokers see. Unless you are a serious day trader, this is probably not really necessary and too expensive just to have.

Conclusion

The computer and the Internet of open a large number of opportunities for investors. Whether you are looking for stock buying tips or wishing to get involved in online futures trading, there is trading software available to you. The features and power of this vast array of trading software can help you get ahead in the big world of investing.

Software Bottom Line

Streamlining expenses and refining services dominate current technology trends.

For the past few years, senior living software has been steadily increasing in functionality and spreading into all areas of operations.But economic conditions have forced a shift in focus from software bells and whistles to the much-needed basics-how operators can use software platforms to perform specific functions and streamline expenses while maintaining the highest levels of quality care to residents.

And while there is still value in software integration-using one all-encompassing operational system that addresses a range of tasks-leading software suppliers are heeding provider feedback and offering solutions that tackle individual challenges.

Niche Needs

Software suppliers that are leaders in specific niches and those that have separate modules within their comprehensive packages have an advantage right now, says Tom Patten, president and CEO of PALs Software, based in Duluth, Minnesota.

Most of the calls Patten fields now are from current and prospective customers who need help with basic regulatory or service delivery challenges. Examples include maintaining error-free medication management services, providing compliance alerts for nurses, or documenting services more efficiently. Smart operators know that "profitability and regulatory compliance go hand in hand," Patten adds.

Of course, this trend doesn't mean providers are no longer interested in purchasing comprehensive software packages; however, those investments are more likely to occur in a better economy. As a result, the more efficiently a supplier serves providers now may influence future business, when those companies are ready to upgrade, Patten says. Providers should look to software companies with product packages that require less upfront investment, such as monthly subscription charges versus buying the software package outright. Internet hosting prices have also gone down, which can contribute to software-related cost savings.

Overall, providers have been steadily refining their current software needs, says Robert Mann, co-owner of Wichita, Kansas-based INTRAcare. This is working to streamline expenses and maintain quality care services; however, many providers know a down economy is not the time to slash marketing. It's important to invest in marketing, particularly in tight economic times when some competitors may not be as visible in the market. Lately, Mann says, sales and marketing modules have been the most popular among operators.

"They come to us with high hopes of putting in a fully integrated operational management package, but their biggest needs are solutions to help them fill their buildings," Mann says. "We can offer that individually and then they can step up later" with other functions. Software suppliers must be flexible, he adds, especially now. And providers should demand that kind of service.

Essential Benchmarking Tools

Much has been made of how software can help providers identify their lowest performing communities for improvement. In this rough economy, though, such benchmarking functions also help identify an ailing property or group of properties. Equipped with comprehensive data, a company could decide to sell those properties instead of investing in a strategy that would prevent foreclosure or receivership, Mann says. In those situations, software portability becomes an additional plus. A company can ask the software supplier if that residence can be packaged into a freestanding customer account so its operational data can be easily transferred in a sale.

Other areas software can help tackle, particularly in tight economic times, include distinguishing your company among its closest market competitors and increasing resident retention and move-ins, says Elizabeth Wheatley, corporate director of clinical services for Newton, Massachusetts-based Five Star Senior Living, which relies on A.L. Wizard software to support operations at more than 200 communities.

Wheatley says meeting these goals starts with the time employees save by using the software to efficiently conduct, track, and analyze resident assessments. The data collected and entered for each resident generates a customized service plan which ensures not only that the resident receives the care he or she needs, but also helps manage staff so that care is provided efficiently. The program also tracks and trends resident improvements and declines in various areas, providing valuable data that can be shared with residents and families.

"We've gotten a lot of positive feedback from nurses who are resident service managers," Wheatley says. "They say it's made their life easier and they like the ability to customize service plans. The executive directors are also happy. It generates automatic reports and they know what their staffing needs will be."

While clinical care software has been able to perform these functions for some time, lately more providers are seeing them as a way to weather the downturn, says Jim Wills, CEO and president of A.L. Wizard, based in San Diego. The software developer began targeting the resident assessment space about a decade ago, while many others have since built out their packages from marketing or accounting niches.

Pivotal Partnerships

Another major trend is not in software capabilities or turnkey solutions, but rather in how suppliers interface with providers. "There's no more developing programs and handing them off to customers; there has to be a partnership," says Rita Burgett, president of Move-N Software, based in Bedford, Texas.

Especially in tough times, it's critical that the software supplier is going to be there to ensure providers' needs are really met, she adds. Important questions to ask prior to investing in any kind of software package include:

• What is the software company's process for product development?

• Does it use focus groups and talk to customers about their needs and how to make software user-friendly?

• What is the process the company uses to make product changes and upgrades?

• How long has the company retained the same programmers?

• Is tech support handled in house?

The leading senior living software suppliers all bring their customers on board as they hone their products. For example, Move-N sends screen-shot tests to caregivers and asks for feedback. Burgett says this allows the company to make strategic changes. "We develop as the market changes," she explains. "Our only plan for development is when a customer tells us they need something."

INTRAcare also uses customer feedback as a main source during its product development stage, a strategy that has benefited Wichita, Kansas-based Legend Senior Living. Based on the provider's input, INTRAcare was able to provide an operations management software solution that could interface with the provider's payroll/accounts payable program, says Matthew Thornton, vice president of operations.

Five Star Senior Living considered developing a homegrown solution for its resident care needs, but opted for A.L. Wizard because it was more cost-effective and its products were built using provider input, Wheatley says. She also liked that Five Star was able to run pilot tests before making a purchase.

New Devices, Capabilities

PDAs, iPhones, and other handhelds have become an integral part of corporate and mainstream culture. The most exciting development for Burgett is that she can access not just the Internet but the contents of her entire computer, including all files and applications, through technology from her cell phone provider. Indeed, recently she recalls checking her accounting program on her cell phone at the beach.

"Whereas before we had to develop programs and include the technology that goes with them, now we're finding that we have to be compatible with the technology that is out there," Burgett says. "It totally changes the way that we have to do our strategic planning for the future."

Handhelds can make service delivery more efficient, not just for executives and managers to check data in real time wherever they are, but also for caregivers who could pull up service plan task lists and check off each task as it is completed right in a resident's room, Burgett suggests. She predicts that advanced applications, including mobile technology, might even become a must for attracting top young talent. Plus, families already are demanding online access to up-to-date information on loved ones, although HIPAA restrictions and security concerns may slow some of those capacities.

"It's something that's coming; it has to," she predicts.

It may be coming, but it may not be quickly, some software suppliers say. One reason is a question of whether staff, who may even be learning English as a second language, will be intimidated by handheld devices, Wills says. Another question is whether handhelds make the care experience more clinical, and that debate extends to marketing, says Mann.

INTRAcare offers tools to integrate with Microsoft Outlook, making it easy for sales staff to access lead-based info on PDAs. Still, Mann wonders, will too much dependence on handheld devices in the presence of seniors and their families impersonalize the sales process? And overall, he asks, is this technology practical with respect to how senior living operates?

"I think when an operator has mastered the basics of tracking all leads and follow up, performing move-ins real time, doing assessments on regular intervals, and capturing all potential revenue, then these types of tools can make a difference in further streamlining their operations," Mann says.

However, this year, economic strains and uncertainty again clearly are at the top of the list for providers. Purchasing handheld devices for multiple staff is expensive, and because of their size and portability, they are easily damaged or lost, Thornton says.

Kiosk Care

A more likely alternative for onsite service- delivery documentation is kiosk-like terminals outside rooms where caregivers can document delivered services in almost real time, Thornton prognosticates. These would be more affordable and also better meet legal standards for documentation, he says.

Ultimately, what Thornton finds most exciting is not handheld technology but the possibility of integrated-and portable- document imaging and data storage. "If we can input accounts payable documents and save images, that would be an enormous savings for a company this size," he says.

Medication records that have one point of entry that flows seamlessly from the doctor's prescription to the pharmacy to the caregiver who administers the dose is Wheatley's "next dream."

That goal may not be so far away if the current administration continues to spearhead a national electronic medical records system, Wills says. "There's no reason why we, at an assisted living care management level, can't integrate better with products that have health records capabilities," he says. "We just need to build a platform that will make it easier to integrate with products like that."

Whatever is around the corner, even if providers are not spending much now, software companies should not sit idle if they want to remain on the leading edge, says Wills, who says his company plans to make a major announcement soon regarding its newest software modifications. The economy will inevitably return to health, he adds, and providers will again want the latest and greatest.