Besides giving me a job, it gives me all kinds of things on which to spend my hard-earned cash. The best kind of technology, though, is the kind that communicates. I recently got an iPad (probably like a ton of other people). What impressed my friends...

It's there in your inbox.  It's from Include Software.  It reads "Asset Update".

You turn on your PC and it pops up..."Software Update Available"...it can be Adobe, iTunes, Windows, HP, or any of the multitude of programs you have installed and registered on your machine.

You have a choice.  Click on the link or hit "Cancel".  But, it's a no-brainer, really, you have to choose the path to update!

For a recent transplant from Texas to Maryland, snow is truly a four-letter word – or so it became this winter. When I lived in Houston and Austin, it was not uncommon for a small amount of accumulation to shut down the city for at least half a day. This winter, I went from seeing less than an inch of snow every couple of years to over 80 inches in a two-month time frame.  I guess you can say my concept of “accumulation” changed this holiday season.

I was forced to ask myself this question lately - and honestly couldn’t answer “yes”.  I suspect that’s the case for most people.  The question was prompted by an amazing video of Nick Vujicic.  Please take a couple minutes to watch the  video; I promise you won’t regret it. Just click here: Nick Vujicic video.

Nick’s story, perseverance, attitude, and tenacity got me thinking about “Inspiration”. 

 "My mom teaches people how to cut grass."  This was my daughter's response recently when asked the question regarding my job.  Hmmm...close, but not quite.

Being a member of Include's Client Care Team is a daily adventure.  As I step through the door each morning, I can never be quite sure what the day will bring.  The only certainty is... 

Imagine the roller coaster ride that Richard Benson was on.  First, this snow and ice contractor was riding high and seemingly hit pay dirt when the mid-Atlantic region was pummeled with approximately four feet of snow in February 2010.  He and his crews worked around-the-clock for nearly two weeks and enlisted the services of 28 subcontractors to provide snow-removal services for the City of Baltimore, Maryland. Then he submitted his invoice and was at the lowest of lows when his bill was rejected.

We’ve spent a lot of time in the last few months improving our internal processes for handling your Asset support needs.  Mainly, we’ve worked hard to centralize support into our Client Care department. 

According to Wikipedia, a Team is a group of people linked in a common purpose.  Of course, simply amassing individual people into a group, does not necessarily make a team.  Instead, a true team incorporates the variety of strengths (and weaknesses) of the individual members, creating a synergy that helps the individuals reach their common purpose more efficiently and with greater creativity than would have been possible through individual efforts alone.  A good team amplifies the strengths of its individuals, while minimizing their weaknesses.

This blog discusses some of the considerations for working virtually, an option that is very attractive for companies who use Asset.

I read the news articles about it. I heard tales from people who experienced it. And  I always thought people were crazy for doing it -  jumping into the Chesapeake Bay in the middle of winter!