Archive | online RSS feed for this section

PA Cyber introduces hybrid of virtual and self-paced online courses

8 Aug

finally fastTechnology news from the Finally Fast team

“FLEX” courses, a hybrid model combining some of the best features of self-paced and virtual online instruction, are being offered this year at the high school level by the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School.

The new FLEX curriculum is a hybrid of the self-paced Lincoln Interactive and real-time Virtual Classroom (VC) courses, said Dr. Michael J. Conti, CEO of PA Cyber.

“FLEX is a great option for students who do not want to commit to a full-time VC class, but who can benefit from the structure and live teacher interaction of synchronous instruction,” said Dr. Conti.

FLEX courses available in grades 9-12 for the 2012-2013 school year are English 10, American History, World Cultures, Earth Science, Biology, Spanish 1, French 1 and German 1. More courses are to be offered in the FLEX model if it proves to be as effective and popular as the school’s curriculum developers anticipate.

In FLEX courses, students will meet with their teacher and classmates live online one day per week (Tuesday or Thursday) for 90 minutes in Blackboard Collaborate, the online meeting program used for VC classes.

On the remaining four days, students will be required to independently complete one lesson each day in Schoology. Schoology is a secure online learning management system used by PA Cyber to create and share academic content.

Jennifer Shoaf, PA Cyber director of curriculum and instruction, said the FLEX option provides students with more structure and real-time teacher interaction than self-paced Lincoln Interactive courses, while allowing the student to work and study independently on the course material. FLEX teachers will be available for individual tutoring on a regular weekly schedule.

Because they are so new, FLEX courses are not listed in the school’s 2012-2013 course catalog. Shoaf said instructional supervisors are sharing information about FLEX courses with students and their parents, so that they can then make the best decision about which model of instruction matches the student’s learning style and educational goals: self-paced Lincoln Interactive, Virtual Classroom or FLEX. FLEX courses are available to all PA Cyber high school students with the consent of their instructional supervisors.

Every independent day begins with the student viewing a short introductory video from the teacher explaining the day’s lesson. Lessons may include working on projects, doing research, participating in discussion groups, and other tasks. Each self-paced lesson is designed to take approximately 50 minutes.

Each day’s lesson will be available at 8 a.m. If the lesson contains an assignment, the assignment will have a due date that may be that same day or a different day. The student has until midnight of the due date to turn in the assignment.

“Courses offered in the FLEX model keep students on pace,” said Shoaf. “The schedule and calendar for FLEX will be the same as for our Virtual Classroom courses, in which students start school on a certain day and end on a certain day.”

“PA Cyber continues to lead the way in educational innovation,” said Dr. Conti. “Our teachers and curriculum staff deserve credit for introducing an exciting new option in online learning.”

Photo Credit

Tags: , , , , , ,

Emerging Electronic Health Information Exchange Systems Fail to meet Patient Needs

15 Mar

Finally FastTech News from the Finally Fast team

Health care organizations need to do more to help patients realize the full benefits of electronic data from emerging health information exchange systems, according to a new study commissioned by Consumers Union that appears in the March 2012 Health Affairs.  The study examines how well five major California health care organizations are meeting the needs of patients and communities in the use of their electronic data and offers important lessons for the rest of the country.

“Electronic health information exchange holds great promise for improving patient care and outcomes,” said Mark Savage, senior attorney for Consumers Union, the nonprofit advocacy arm of Consumer Reports.  “Health care organizations are making progress developing these systems but they must provide patients with greater access to their electronic medical data and the ability to monitor who is accessing this information to maximize benefits and limit potential privacy risks.  Patient and public health must be at the center of these efforts.”

 

The study was funded by the California HealthCare Foundation and assesses the extent to which these efforts are meeting the needs of patients and communities based on a set of principles developed by California organizations representing consumers and patients.  The independent study was carried out by Robert H. Miller, Ph.D., a health economist and faculty member at University of California, San Francisco.

In June 2010, Consumers Union joined fifteen other organizations representing California patients and consumers to develop nine principles for electronic health information exchange.  The principles aim to improve patient and population health care by increasing the availability and use of patient data while protecting patients’ privacy.

The consumer principles balance patients’ various needs—for example, coordinating health care and information among the patient and diverse providers in multiple organizations; ensuring the security and privacy of personal health information; designing systems that can be easily used by non-English speakers and person with disabilities; and accessing safety and quality data about providers and treatments.

The 2009 stimulus bill passed by Congress provided up to $27 billion in incentives for physicians and hospitals to adopt electronic health record systems.  The law also provided an additional $2 billion for activities that encourage meaningful use of electronic health information exchange.  It set a strategic goal of achieving electronic health records for every person in the United States by 2014.

In theory, electronic health information should enable a patient’s providers to share information about the patient’s health status and current medications and to remind themselves about services the patient needs.  The patient should be able to review health records via a web-based patient portal; possibly correct or add information; communicate with providers; view reminders of needed services; and access educational materials tailored to various health issues.  Despite its potential benefits, electronic information sharing can entail risks for patients, especially loss of privacy and misuse of data.

The study examined five different health care organizations that collectively serve a full range of California patient populations:  Kaiser Permanente, Nautilus Health Care Management Group, Santa Clara Valley Hospital and Health System, Inland Empire Health Plan, and the Santa Cruz Health Information Exchange.

Each organization is considered a health information technology leader for the patient population it serves.  The study found that the organizations relied on different approaches and were at different stages of developing their systems, which provided varying benefits to both providers and patients.

Overall, exchange of electronic data among a patient’s providers in different organizations was limited, which limited benefits to patients from the use of that data for their care.  Moreover, of the five health care systems evaluated, only Kaiser and Nautilus had patient portals that enable patients to review some of their health record data.  But neither organization had done much to inform patients — particularly in their own language — about patients’ personal health information rights, remedies, and responsibilities.  Patients of the five health care organizations examined had little ability to monitor who was accessing their data.

The study found that a lack of clear “rules of the road,” including behavioral norms for health information exchange participants, legal agreements, and technical standards, was preventing quicker implementation of health information exchange systems that could benefit providers and patients alike.  Little progress has been made when it comes to using electronic health information to improve the health of the public and communities at large.

The study recommends a number of policies to end the marginalization of patients and consumers in current health information exchange efforts.  For example, launching campaigns to increase health information technology literacy could increase patients’ demand for health information exchange, forcing organizations to respond better to their needs.

In addition, the study calls on state and federal governments to enact new policies that set timetables for organizations to offer patient-friendly web-based portals; create rules that enable consumers to easily understand who has accessed their information and correct data; and fund and publicize timely evaluations of health information exchange systems, including the benefits and risks for patients.

Photo Credit

Tags: , , , , ,

Bank Customer Switching Rates Rise Again

2 Mar

Finally FastBusiness news from the Finally Fast team

Consumer backlash against bank fees, coupled with poor service and unmet customer expectations, has fueled increases in defection rates among customers of large, regional and midsize banks, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Bank Customer Switching and Acquisition Study.

On the heels of “Bank Transfer Day” on November 5, 2011, the beneficiaries of the increased exodus from larger banks are primarily smaller banks and credit unions. Acquisition of new customers by smaller banks and credit unions has increased by 2.2 percentage points to an average of 10.3 percent in 2012 from 8.1 percent in 2011. Among big banks, regional banks and midsize banks(1), switching rates average between 10.0 and 11.3 percent, while the defection rate for small banks and credit unions averages only 0.9 percent, a significant drop from 8.8 percent in 2011.

The study, which examines the bank shopping and selection process, finds that 9.6 percent of customers in 2012 indicate they switched their primary banking institution during the past year to a new provider. This is up from 8.7 percent in 2011 and 7.7 percent in 2010.

The study finds that, not unexpectedly, fees are the main reason customers shop for a new primary bank. In particular, one-third of customers of big and large regional banks cite fees as the main shopping trigger.

“When banks announce the implementation of new fees, public reaction can be quite volatile and result in customers voting with their feet,” said Michael Beird, director of the banking services practice at J.D. Power and Associates. However, according to Beird, customers weigh the price they pay against the value of their experience.

“It is apparent that new or increased fees are the proverbial straws that break the camel’s back,” said Beird. “Service experiences that fall below customer expectations are a powerful influencer that primes customers for switching once a subsequent event gives them a final reason to defect. Regardless of bank size, more than one-half of all customers who said fees were the main reason to shop for another bank also indicated that their prior bank provided poor service.”

In capturing customers who are shopping for a new bank, several of the more successful banks achieve higher acquisition rates through the use of promotions and cash incentives. At one of the highest-performing big banks, 19 percent of customers indicate these promotions were the reason they selected their new bank. However, according to Beird, doing a good job for customers is not just about dollars, but also about loyalty and retention.

“Only 32 percent of customers who selected a new bank because of promotional offerings said they definitely would not switch banks again in the next 12 months,” said Beird. “In comparison, 46 to 51 percent of customers who chose the new bank because of either good service experience or positive recommendations say they definitely will not leave within the next year.”

For customers thinking about switching banks to find one that is better aligned with their expectations and needs, J.D. Power and Associates offers the following tipss:

  • Shop around to compare terms and service before deciding on a bank, the same way you might before buying a vehicle. Don’t forget about direct online banks, as their competitive fees and rates may offset any inconvenience due to lack of physical branches.
  • Don’t be swayed by promotion gifts/cash alone. It is more important to ensure the bank that you are selecting offers the right products to meet your needs and that the fees associated with the products are in line with what you are willing to pay.
  • Read account brochures and disclosures carefully and don’t be afraid to ask questions about the products you are about to open. It is important to fully understand how fees are charged and how fees can be avoided.

The 2012 U.S. Bank Customer Switching and Acquisition Study is based on multiple evaluations from 5,062 customers who shopped for a new banking account or new primary financial institution during the past 12 months. The study was fielded in November and December 2011, and includes Bank of America; Bank of the West; BBVA Compass; BB&T; Capital One; Chase; Citibank; Comerica Bank; Fifth Third Bank; Harris National Bank; HSBC; Huntington National Bank; KeyBank; M&I Bank; M&T Bank; PNC Bank; RBS Citizens; Regions Bank; Sovereign Bank; SunTrust Bank; TD Bank; U.S. Bank; Union Bank; and Wells Fargo.

Photo Credit

Tags: , , , , ,

U.S. Hospitals Ramp Up Use of Electronic Health Records

28 Feb

Finally FastTechnology News from the Finally Fast Team

According to Harvard researchers, as of 2009, it was estimated that approximately 90 percent of U.S. hospitals had implemented many of the various clinical IT systems that underlie the core functionality that comprise electronic health records (EHRs). However, only around 12 percent of hospitals were using what could be considered either a basic or advanced EHR, and only 2 percent of those hospitals were using EHRs in a way that would qualify for Meaningful Use. Since 2009, hospitals’ interest in EHRs has skyrocketed, primarily due to financial subsidies provided by the U.S. government’s Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, as well as myriad other factors contributing to a dramatically changing reality for all healthcare providers. The rate of hospital EHR adoption is expected to expand significantly over the next several years, particularly for advanced EHRs designed to meet Meaningful Use criteria.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan’s U.S. Hospital EHR Market, 2009-2016: Charting the Course for Dramatic Change research finds that the market earned revenues of $973.2 million in 2009. Total market revenues are expected to peak at $6.5 billion in 2012, primarily due to new licensing and upgrades as hospitals scramble to get certified EHR systems in place. Revenues are expected to retrench some after 2013 due to increased market saturation and growing price competition.

The core hospital EHR market is considered to be mature and dominated by a handful of well-established, relatively entrenched vendors.  However, it is still a highly dynamic market in the sense that increasing provider consolidation, customer dissatisfaction with high prices and poor usability, and uncertainties around the financial and logistical impact of healthcare reform do present new opportunities (and risks) for both existing vendors serving the market as well as new vendor entrants with niche products or services.

The HITECH Act of 2009 allocates around $30.0 billion dollars to drive various efforts around health IT. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 is designed to reform health insurance and improve access to care for millions of Americans by 2014. In addition, new federal rules around electronic data interchange (EDI), patient privacy laws (HIPAA), and disease classification and coding (ICD-10) all have near-term deadlines that add to healthcare providers’ need to purchase various new IT products and services. Healthcare providers of every type and size are installing new IT systems or upgrading legacy systems to prepare for a new environment that puts greater emphasis on quality-based reimbursement, coordinated care, and growing patient engagement with health IT.

In order to comply with Meaningful Use as stipulated by HITECH, hospitals must install new certified EHR systems or upgrade legacy systems in order to qualify for subsidies and avoid financial penalties scheduled to begin in 2015.

“It is hard to precisely gauge how beneficial the actual stimulus funds will be for individual hospitals,” said Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Nancy Fabozzi. “Most hospitals may end up paying more than they earn. However, the prospect of Medicare penalties is very significant, especially in light of numerous other financial constraints facing hospitals today. The majority of hospitals have little choice but to do their best to adopt EHRs, and do so rather quickly. It is this reality that is driving dramatic growth in the market today.”

EHRs will occupy a central role as the entire U.S. healthcare system undergoes sweeping structural changes that will impact every aspect of the way we pay for and deliver health services. IT solutions like EHRs are key tools that will help enable this transformative change. Innovative health IT solutions promise to improve patient safety and reduce many of the financial and operational inefficiencies that have plagued the system for so many years.

While the expanding use of EHRs is expected to continue to provide diverse and robust opportunities for many market participants, continued success is not a given—even for well-established vendors. As health IT use grows, so too does customer sophistication and market competition.

“Continually connecting solutions and services to customers’ needs is crucial, particularly during the near-term when many customer challenges will be most pronounced,” said Fabozzi. “While many hospitals have already picked their key clinical systems vendors, it does not necessarily mean they will stay with these vendors and it does not mean opportunities do not exist for other market participants. Vendor displacements will be a natural side effect of changes in provider ownership and management.”

Photo Credit

Tags: , , , ,

Zipcar raises $13.7M in Series A Funding

24 Feb

FinallyFastBusiness news from the Finally Fast team

On Wednesday Zipcar, Inc. a leading car sharing network, and Wheelz, Inc., the first peer-to-peer car sharing company targeting college campus communities, announced that Zipcar is the lead investor in a $13.7 million Series A round of funding for Wheelz.

“Based on our analysis and primary research, we believe P2P could expand the total addressable market for car sharing,” said Zipcar Chairman and CEO Scott Griffith. “We chose to make this investment because we believe that Wheelz has the right leadership, technology and business model to succeed in the emerging P2P space.”

Also participating in the round is Detroit-based Fontinalis Partners, a leading transportation technology strategic investment firm.  Mark Schulz, 30-year automotive industry veteran, former President for International Operations at Ford Motor Company and Founding Partner at Fontinalis, will be joining Scott Griffith on the Wheelz board. Also joining the board is Jim Freer, former vice-chairman of Ernst & Young.

“We founded Fontinalis to help shape the future of mobility,” said Bill Ford, Founding Partner of Fontinalis Partners.  “We are committed to investing in entrepreneurs and accelerating the growth of breakthrough technologies and business models such as Wheelz to explore that future.”

Wheelz has designed its car sharing platform specifically to meet the needs of campus communities by connecting students who own cars with students who need them. The model empowers car owners to earn money from their car when they are not using it while providing convenient and affordable access for car borrowers to conveniently get the vehicle they need for any occasion including errands, shopping excursions, dates and weekend trips.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Zipcar and to welcome Scott to the Wheelz board.  Zipcar is the pre-eminent car sharing company in the world,” said Jeff Miller, founder and CEO of Wheelz.  “Zipcar knows and understands the business complexities of car sharing better than anyone on the planet; we will benefit tremendously from this expertise as we continue to grow.  Equally exciting, their knowledge related to operating within university communities and deep ties to the automotive ecosystem will be invaluable as we scale the business.”

“We now live in a world that we envisioned years ago. We see consumers everywhere changing their buying patterns in favor of self-service, access versus ownership. On the heels of our success, interesting new mobility models and transportation-related technologies are emerging,” said Griffith.  “This investment is our first step in the direction of potentially offering a broader array of mobility services. We believe our strong brand and first to scale advantage put us in a unique position to exploit the network effects and business synergies Zipcar can bring to the broader mobility space.”

As Zipcar does not have majority ownership in Wheelz, Zipcar will account for its investment under the equity method of accounting and expects to record its share of Wheelz’ net loss on this basis in the amount of approximately $1 million in 2012, which was factored into the guidance Zipcar provided in conjunction with the release of its 2011 fourth quarter results on February 14th.  There will be no impact to Zipcar with respect to revenue or Adjusted EBITDA.

Photo Credit

Tags: , , , , ,

Verizon’s Multimedia Effort targets Young Professionals in Metropolitan Areas

21 Feb

Finally FastBusiness News from the Finally Fast team

Today’s apartment and condominium residents have a lot going for them when it comes to enjoying technologies’ riches.  To drive home the point, Verizon has introduced a new hyperlocal, multimedia marketing campaign aimed at trend-setting, young professionals in the New York, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles metropolitan areas who want cool residences, crazy-fast Internet speed and crystal-clear TV service.

“Some people think they have to live in a single family home to get the very best broadband and video entertainment services, but that’s not true,” said Pedro Correa, vice president of Verizon Enhanced Communities, a unit within Verizon focused on marketing the company’s FiOS voice, high-speed Internet and TV services to tenants and property managers of multidwelling unit properties.

“Most 25- to 39-year-olds, who make up a significant portion of multidwelling unit tenants, are major users of social media and the Internet, and spend as much as 14 hours online per week,” said Correa. “Given the importance that young professionals place on technology to get ahead at work while staying connected with friends, we want to help as many residents of multidwelling units as possible enjoy the borderless lifestyle FiOS offers.”

Currently, Verizon FiOS services are already available to more than 2 million multifamily units, and growing, in parts of 12 states, and the District of Columbia.  About half of all Verizon’s FiOS lines opened for sale this year will be in apartments and condos, reflecting the heightened importance of marketing the company’s flagship wireline services delivered over a highly reliable and robust all-fiber-optic network to MDUs.

Inside the apartments and condos located in Verizon-served areas, Verizon offers a wide range of ultra-fast FiOS Internet at speeds including 25/25 megabits per second (mbps), 35/35 mbps and 50/20 mbps, as well as crystal-clear FiOS TV, which offers more than 35,000 video-on-demand titles.

With the FiOS Internet 35/35 mbps tier, consumers can upload 200 photos in one minute and download a two-hour standard definition DVD in less than six minutes, boosting productivity and saving time for other things.

Late last year, Verizon launched a hyperlocal marketing campaign in the Washington metropolitan area that helped showcase the value of using FiOS to the Generation X and Y crowd who live in, or are seeking to move into, MDUs that represent more than 20 percent of all residences served by Verizon in the D.C. metro area.

These trendsetting, “techknowledgeables” between 25 and 39 years of age bear some unique attributes, according to Verizon research:

45 percent are more likely than the average adult to consider the Internet as their primary source of entertainment.

20 percent have taken some of public transportation in the past month.

78 percent have seen a movie in the past 6 months.

33 percent go the gym 3-4 times a week.

64 percent like to dine out and socialize at bars, half of them with their friends.

Many of the hyperlocal campaign elements used during the D.C. metro pilot — including immersive digital advertising combined with social media engagement, plus a concentrated presence of out-of-home advertising and local events with prospective customers — will be on display in metro New York, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles.  In these highly competitive markets, Verizon will seek to reach young professionals in places where they spend much of their time – gyms, restaurants, bars, movie theatres, malls and transit centers.

In metro New York, the campaign will encompass parts of Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx; parts of Long Island; the northern suburbs in Westchester and Rockland counties; and northern New Jersey communities.  The Philadelphia region campaign will focus on the northwestern suburbs chiefly located in Chester and Montgomery counties.

In North Texas, the emphasis will be on the northern suburbs of Dallas and Forth Worth, including more than a dozen communities such as Plano, Irving, Lewisville and Grapevine in parts of Tarrant, Denton, Dallas and Collin counties.  The Southern California focus will include beach communities stretching north of Malibu and south to Huntington Beach; parts of inland Ventura County, including Thousand Oaks; and parts of Los Angeles and Orange counties including Long Beach.  The Washington metro campaign will continue and includes a large swath of Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Northern Virginia, and Montgomery County in Maryland.

“We’re dealing with a group of very active people who are heavily reliant on their wireless devices, and so we’re offering compelling FiOS bundles of Internet and TV including some deals that waive activation fees and provide a free wireless router and premium video content,” said Chris Anderson, director of consumer marketing for Verizon. “To make it easy for young professionals to find MDUs with FiOS, we’ve created a region-specific microsite that shows the MDUs where FiOS is available in metro New York, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.”

Through a variety of pioneering innovations, Verizon FiOS customers can fully maximize their broadband and video services.  Verizon provides next-generation interactive services, including Flex View and FiOS TV Online, which extend FiOS TV beyond the single family or MDU home to the Internet and a range of mobile devices; an advanced video operating system and viewer guide; and free interactive applications like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

With FiOS, customers can also receive Media Manager, which allows them to access on their TVs personal photos, music and videos from their computers; and In-Home Agent, which helps customers to diagnose and resolve service issues.

Picture Credit

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Top Cities to Find an IT Job in 2012

15 Feb

Finally Fast

Business news from the Finally Fast team

As the economy continues through its recovery and corporate earnings show signs of improvement, companies across North America are reinvesting in IT projects that had been put on hold during the recession. Modis, a leading provider of information technology staffing, has identified a list of the top 12 cities to find IT jobs today, with Houston taking the top spot on the list for the second year in a row.

The rankings are based on internal data from Modis’ branch network across the U.S. and Canada. The list shows the cities with highest potential for IT job growth in the coming year based on the volume of job openings over the past six months, as well as general assessment of the overall economic environment in each market.

Houston, TX topped the list due to the growing demand for IT support in healthcare as well as oil and gas, two of the city’s main industries. In addition, Houston is the fourth largest city in the U.S. and has an unemployment rate below the national average, helping to attract new talent from other parts of the country. The skills most in demand in the metro area include network engineers, project managers, business analysts, and Java and .NET developers.

Toronto, ON came in second on the list, in part due to its position as the fourth largest IT market in North America. Home to many Fortune 500 companies, it is also the third largest financial center in North America next to New York and Chicago.  Fittingly, the top industries hiring in this city are financial services, government, and systems integrators and consulting services.  Project management, Java development, and SAP or CRM experience are the skills most in demand.

Third place on the list is Orlando, FL, where a number of factors are at play, including the new “Medical City” initiative, which is driving demand for healthcare IT jobs. In addition, the increased networking needs of companies across industries are boosting demand for telecommunications professionals.  Orlando-area employers are most in search of IT helpdesk specialists, network administrators and software engineers today.

The full list of the “Top 12 Cities to Find an IT Job in 2012″ is:

  1.  Houston, TX
  2. Toronto, ON
  3. Orlando, FL
  4. San Francisco, CA
  5. Minneapolis, MN
  6. McLean, VA
  7. Walnut Creek, CA
  8. Detroit, MI
  9. Jacksonville, FL
  10. New York, NY
  11. Denver, CO
  12. Boston, MA

“A strong, up-to-date IT infrastructure is crucial to businesses, and so with increased confidence in the economy, many companies are reinvesting in IT initiatives, beginning with talent,” said Jack Cullen, president of Modis. “Given the geographical spread of cities on this list as well as the breadth of skills needed, there is opportunity across North America for IT professionals who are looking to get ahead and further their careers.”

Photo Credit

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Pennsylvania partners with Foursquare to offer Groundhog Day badge

30 Jan

finally fastSocial Media news from the Finally Fast team

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office today announced an exclusive deal with Foursquare that allows users to obtain the official “PA Groundhog Day 2012″ badge on Feb. 2. The badge features a likeness of Punxsutawney Phil, the world-famous weather-forecasting groundhog that resides in the Pennsylvania Wilds region.

“We invite Foursquare users worldwide to earn this special badge from visitPA, which has been updated for 2012,” said Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary C. Alan Walker. “This is a one-day opportunity to earn a unique virtual badge as we all learn whether we may see an early spring.”

Celebrated each Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, Jefferson County, Groundhog Day draws thousands of visitors and attracts global media coverage. According to folklore dating back to the 1800s, if Phil emerges in the early morning and sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

Foursquare is a location-based, mobile platform that makes cities easier and more interesting to explore. By checking-in via mobile device, users can post their current locations, meet up with friends and provide travel recommendations and tips.

To earn the exclusive “PA Groundhog Day 2012″ badge, users can follow visitPA on Foursquare at foursquare.com/visitPA, and “check in” to “shout” the word “groundhog” on Feb. 2. A shout is Foursquare lingo for a status update or a tweet.

“We’re thrilled that visitPA has been able to enhance the experiences of so many visitors through the use of our platform,” saidEric Friedman, Director of Business Development at Foursquare. “Pennsylvania’s continued enthusiasm and openness to new partnership opportunities and Foursquare’s ability to attract and reward people combine to make a powerful partnership.”

In 2010, Pennsylvania became the first state to partner with Foursquare by populating the network with more than 200 state tourism attractions and creating custom badges. Since the launch, visitPA has amassed nearly 93,000 followers and more than 67,800 users have unlocked a PA badge providing tips and recommendations for travel locations, allowing users to earn rewards and discounts using their mobile devices.

Due to the success and popularity of last year’s Groundhog Day badge, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office created a new one for 2012.

A Webcast of the Groundhog Day festivities will be available at visitPA.com/groundhog, including links to Punxsutawney Phil-related videos on YouTube.

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office, under the state Department of Community and Economic Development, is dedicated to inspiring travel to the State of Independence

Photo Credit

Tags: , , , , ,

Toyota Dealership named in Class Action Suit

10 Jan

FinallyFastBusiness news from the Finally Fast team

On Monday a case filed by Sanford Wittels & Heisler in Los Angeles’ Superior Court claims that John Elway’s Manhattan Beach Toyota knowingly permits a corporate culture of racial discrimination and harassment. The complaint alleges that John Elway and his business partners, Mitchell D. Pierce and Jerry L. Williams, have refused to take action, even though they have been made aware of the discrimination and the intolerable working conditions it creates for the dealership’s loyal and hardworking employees of color.

The former Sales Manager and long-time employee of John Elway’s Manhattan Beach Toyota, Timothy Sandquist, filed the class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and all other current and former employees of color. Mr. Sandquist, an African American, describes how he and other class members were driven out of the dealership, due to Elway and his partners refusing to curtail the constant racial discrimination and harassment that they were subjected to while working at the former Denver Bronco quarterback’s Toyota dealership. Mr. Sandquist is represented in the matter by Janette Wipper and Felicia Medina, from the San Francisco office of Sanford Wittels & Heisler LLP.

“It is beyond belief that anyone could ignore the pervasive racial discrimination and harassment that Mr. Sandquist and other employees experienced at John Elway’s Manhattan Beach Toyota,” said Ms. Wipper. “This workplace is the very epitome of a hostile work environment.”

The complaint identifies Darrell Sperber, the General Manager at John Elway’s Toyota, as a repeat harasser and the primary source of the rampant racial harassment. Sperber was allegedly the originator of frequent racial slurs, epithets and stereotypes, including referring to non-Caucasian employees as “dumb Mexicans,” “goddamn Mexicans,” “apes,” “Aunt Jemimas,” “camel people” and “slant eyes.” Sperber also encouraged personnel of the dealership to make demeaning and vicious racist comments about non-Caucasian customers who chose not to purchase a vehicle.

According to Mr. Sandquist, dealership personnel victimized by Sperber have no recourse in dealing with the regular harassment discrimination, because all methods of reporting on-the-job discrimination, harassment or abuse are funneled through Sperber himself. The complaint alleges that several employees who did complain about Sperber’s harassment and discriminatory behavior were retaliated against with further harassment and sometimes termination. It is also alleged that employees of color experienced significant and ongoing disparities in compensation, promotion and other employment opportunities in comparison to the dealership’s Caucasian employees.

As set forth in the complaint, as recently as June 2010, an anonymous employee survey provided overwhelming evidence that employees at John Elway’s Manhattan Beach Toyota were constantly harassed and discriminated against by Sperber. Despite the widespread complaints, the defendants, including Elway, took no disciplinary action against Sperber, nor did they implement any initiatives to remedy and end harassment and discrimination at the dealership.

Mr. Sandquist filed the class action to force the John Elway and his two business partners to abide by the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the California Unfair Competition Law that make the discrimination and harassment practiced at the dealership illegal. The lawsuit seeks to end the systematic, unlawful harassment and discrimination at John Elway’s Manhattan Beach Toyota, through the implementation of policies and programs that restore equal employment rights at the dealership.

Photo Credit

Tags: , , , ,

Google Analytics Version v5 Coming Soon

23 Nov

FinallyFast.comBusiness news from the Finally Fast team

As the sun sets on the old Analytics interface, version v5 is coming closer to reaching fruition. While the beta version has already been available for users to try out, Google says in a matter of weeks the new version will be activated in all user accounts. You will still be able to switch back to the old version while you get your feet wet with the new interface, but only until January 2012. After January, version v5 will be fully integrated and the old version will be gone. With all the cool new features on the v5 interface, however, we don’t see any need to switch back. New Features include:

Visitor Flow

Visitor flow provides a great visual for how visitors navigate your pages and where they drop off. In the drop down bar, you can choose what flow chart you want to see, whether it be direct traffic, referral traffic or even mobile traffic. This feature also lists the numbers of visitors to each pages, how many go on to another page and how many drop off.

Real Time Tracking

Real Time Tracking provides a visual breakdown of real time visitors to your website. You are able to see the number of visitors fluctuate as they enter and exit your website each second. You are also able to see where in the world these visitors are coming from on a map, how many pages they have visited and the amount of time they have spent on the website.

Mobile Tracking

With mobile search becoming more prominent, Analytics v5 has added the capability to track mobile devices, as well as iPods and iPads. The Analytics team was even nice enough to provide images for each mobile device, just in case you forget what an iPhone looks like.

Multi-Channel Funnels and Goals Funnels

The multi-channel funnels give you a visual breakdown of what traffic sources preceded a conversion. This is a useful tool which can reveal what is more influential in yielding conversions. Under the ‘Conversions’ tab, you can find funnel visualization and goal flow, which are also unique visual tools which can help track conversions.

Key Differences Between the New and Old Versions

Even with the addition of all these new features, many of the key features of the old Analytics version have been preserved. The overall layout and menu bar have changed slightly, since Google has done away with the ‘Dashboard’, ‘Intelligence’ and ‘Goals’ tabs from the old interface and added the ‘Advertising’ and ‘Conversions’ tabs on the new menu.

New tabs have been added along the top, where ‘Home’ will take you to your dashboard and ‘Standard Reporting’ will take you to the familiar reports. ‘Custom Reporting’ allows the option to create your own reports based on customized factors.

In addition to the new features, some of key features from the older version have been switched around. For instance, the ‘Keywords’ tab, which used to be under

‘Traffic Sources’ in the older version is no longer there. Instead, you can find keyword tracking by going to Traffic Sources > Overview and your keywords are there on the right hand side.

Even with the new features and alterations to the layout, the new Analytics platform is straight-forward and easily understood. The Analytics team did a great job of providing an enhanced version of the Analytics we love, creating a visual approach to the variables that matter most, like conversions and site navigability.

Photo Credit

Tags: , , , , , , ,

← Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

%d bloggers like this: