Introducing the New TAAR Website

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Revised TAAR webiste

Over the last year, I have been transitioning all of my websites from traditional static HTML-based sites to the WordPress platform. I now use WordPress as my website content management system. I am very pleased to announce that we have now transitioned TAAReport.com to WordPress. The new site has a cleaner look and feel, easier navigation, quicker and more accurate searching, as well as a better infrastructure for updating information. A … [Read more...]

A Peek into Google’s Data Centers

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Google Data Centers

Google is normally very secretive about its data centers. They recently posted a new video on its enterprise blog that gives a glimpse into the inner workings of its facilities. The video emphasizes security and environmental best practices. Some highlights from the video: Google builds its own customer servers. Google uses its own custom, stripped down version of Linux. It uses only a minimum set of packages. The facilities are … [Read more...]

Who Owns What?

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generations-and-gadgets

I spend a lot of time talking about generational differences. This infographic from the Pew Research Center is very interesting. It shows the results of a survey they conducted looking at generations and the gadgets they own. Click on the graphic to get the full details... Click on the graphic to get the full details... … [Read more...]

IBM Predicts the Next Five Years

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IBM Labs has released its 5th annual "Next Five in Five" – a list of innovations with the potential to change the way people work, live and play over the next 5 years. The Next Five in Five is based on market and societal trends expected to transform our lives, as well as emerging technologies from IBM Labs around the world that can make these innovations possible. Their predictions include: Holograms will be a part of our lives. You … [Read more...]

Anderson Issues Report Protecting Agencies from Data Breaches

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (January 6, 2010)—“Information is the most radioactive element in today’s businesses,” says Steve Anderson of The Anderson Agency Report in his most recent business guide for independent insurance agencies, called Client Information Security. Anderson’s report highlights that more than 88% of client data breach cases last year involved employee negligence and that 84% of cases involved organizations with more than … [Read more...]

The Anderson Report on Agency System Selection Now Available

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I am pleased to be able to announce the official release of the updated Anderson Report on Agency System Selection. The information available in this special report has taken me years to learn. See the press release below for detailed information. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Technology Anxiety? New Anderson Report Helps Agencies Select Management Systems NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 30, 2009)—The continuing soft market … [Read more...]

ACT Podcasts on Agency Productivity and Internet Marketing

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I have been involved in one way or another with the Agent’s Council for Technology (ACT) since its inception in the mid 90’s. ACT is a partnership of independent agents, companies, technology vendors, user groups, and associations dedicated to enhancing the use of technology and improved work flows within the Independent Agency System. ACT held their fall meeting in conjunction with the IIABA Leadership Conference in New Orleans in … [Read more...]

Google Insights for Search

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Google provides many tools that can help you understand Web searches. Google Insights provides you with all kinds of information about any keyword/phrase in which you are interested. You'll find out how searches for that keyword/phrase peak and ebb over time, where geographically that search is most popular, and what other keyword/phrases are used to conduct similar searches. For example, at the time of this writing, we tested the tool using … [Read more...]