Although recent events have forced Microsoft to delay beta testing a bit longer, Windows 7 is coming. In a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer sang the praises of the newest rendition of the ubiquitous operating system. The underwhelming response to Vista notwithstanding, Ballmer insisted that the new revision will include features that users have been clamoring for to meet their needs for the 21^st century. According to Ballmer, Windows 7 will feature simplicity, reliability, and speed, and "we're working hard to get it right and get it ready."

You can now monitor performance and energy consumption of your critical assets — 24x7 — through built-in alert tracking and condition monitoring.

Get an alert (work order or email) based on existing asset condition or trend outside of optimum operating parameters. Know when your operational assets are underperforming. View the seven-minute demo now.

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How does a company whose business is technology driven keep tabs on its vast network of diverse activities? When faced with that dilemma, Hewlett-Packard's new chief Mark Hurd took a page from his experiences with the Teradata division of NCR, pioneers of a tracking technique called "data warehousing." This profile of HP's change in direction describes the challenges and triumphs encountered along the way.

If you find this subject interesting, subscribe to the GlobalSpec e-Newsletter, DirectU2 The world of Supply Chain Management.

Sometimes tools intended for medium- and large-sized companies are not designed to help smaller companies get there. This article describes the experiences of a small custom elevator manufacturer to incorporate Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software and the frustrations brought on by the fact that most ERP systems were intended for larger operations with more standardized products.

When does a mobile phone become a computer? Although the question might have seemed ludicrous only a few years ago, advanced microprocessors have begun to appear in the newest phones significantly blurring that once distinct line. As a result, response times for such functions as touch menus, Internet access, and downloadable music, movies, and other data are improving dramatically.

For more on this subject, subscribe to GlobalSpec's e-Newsletter, DirectU2 The world of Electronic Product Design.

Controlling computer functions with only your thoughts, a staple of science fiction for more than half a century, is becoming ever more real. Although current efforts remain relatively primitive, the technology's functionality is growing rapidly. This item from physorg.com describes the latest developments, which will assist human/computer interaction not only for the obvious application of games, but for sophisticated business software products as well.

How do we turn what customers expect into innovations that do more than they imagined? The Siemens answer: PLM Software for small and mid-sized businesses to improve customer responsiveness.

Responding rapidly to customer demands with innovative products is central to your business.

Assess your ability to meet customer demands here.

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You have lots of server hardware, but some of your systems are always memory constrained. Do you buy more hardware? Do you redistribute the equipment already in place? Here, Network World describes networking applications that start the equipment in "stealth mode," allocating memory and other resources throughout a facility depending on the work load they have to support.

How do you orient new people and help them to acclimate into your work environment? In many companies, experienced people show "newbies" the ropes and help them to traverse the learning curve as quickly as possible. This piece offers some specific recommendations to help make such a mentoring program successful. Suggestions include establishing explicit goals and ensuring that communication works both ways between mentor and mentee.

How ethical are your people? Did they ever plagiarize an assignment when they were at school? Have they ever taken credit for ideas or solutions that were not their own work? This sobering column from Information Week and the accompanying comments from readers contends that despite protestations to the contrary, employers do not cherish ethics as much as technical competence.

Building quality engineering teams is a critical part of your job. Each new hire helps shape your culture and your ability to execute on your goals. MyPerfectGig has developed an "engineering only" resource for job candidates and companies to connect. Engineers search for new careers by simply clicking on their skills and interests and MyPerfectGig dynamically generates matching job opportunities. Make sure your company uses My Perfect Gig to hire engineering talent.

Save time and ensure compliance with enterprise access to a custom set of engineering standards in a Web-based workflow tool. Get full-text PDF files from ASTM, ASME, API, ISO, NFPA, and others. Eliminate redundant purchases with a controlled set of documents. Avoid costly rework and stay competitive with automatic updates.

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