Business Briefs: Windows on steroids

Marco Island-based Centurion Soft has launched two new products, Lucion File Center and File Backup; two new software products for security and productivity.

“Most people don’t back up their data,” said CEO Mike Held. “The statistics prove it —backing up data is painful. It’s scary, it’s time consuming, it’s expensive, it’s inconvenient, it’s hard to remember, and it’s prone to fail.”

File Backup is simple, Held said. The software enables automatic daily secure on-line backups, automatic file selection and is cheaper than a pack of DVDs.

The Lucion File Center, he said, brings computer uses out of the “Stone Age.”

“You browse your cutting-edge hard drive with the oldest software on your computer — Windows Explorer,” he said. “Lucion File Center is a revolutionary advance on Windows Explorer. It’s like Explorer on steroids.”

Functions of the program are easy organization of files, conversion of almost any files to PDF, previewing documents without opening them, zipping any files or folders, encryption of any files or folders and the secure shredding of sensitive files.

Cost is around $90 for both products. Visit centurionsoft.com for details.

Magnetic south

Bringing visitors to the area with skilled marketing techniques. This has been the goal of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors bureau since inception.

Recently, the bureau received kudos from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program for excellence in this regard. The program originates from the Washington, D.C.-based Destination Marketing Association International.

Local bureau Executive Director Jack Wert is pleased with the recognition.

Accreditation standards cover a wide variety of topics, including governance, finance, management, human resources, technology, visitor services, group services, sales, communications, membership, brand management, destination development, research and market intelligence, innovations and stakeholder relationships.

The accreditation approval process happens three times per year. In this cycle, six bureaus received accreditation.

The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB was the only one of the six bureaus from Florida and also was the only government-based bureau.

In a release, DMAP board chairman Barry Biggar said the message to Collier County communities is that their tourism bureau has attained a measure of excellence assuring that their trust is well placed and their business is in good hands.

The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the official tourism marketing and management agency for Collier County, Florida, funded entirely by the Collier County tourist development tax.

The CVB manages the dollars generated by the tourist development tax, which pays for beach renourishment and inlet management, county museums, destination marketing programs and special grants.

Floating credit

Those who attended the Marco Island Christmas street parade on Dec. 16 and picked up one of dozens of Frisbees distributed by the M&I Bank float, take note.

Take a closer look at the Frisbees, because two of them had cash vouchers inside that can be redeemed at the Esplanade-based bank.

Resolve to evolve

With working people spending probably more time in the office than at home (barring sleeping), a global efficiency company conducted a United States business survey to find out what companies would regard as sensible workplace New Year’s resolutions.

The results have been published by IBT-USA in the interest of helping businesses both big and small to streamline their operations for 2007.

They are:

— Fall in love with delete keys and learn the power of right clicking

— Leave no scroll bar in one’s e-mail in-box at the end of the day

— Respect one’s time and the time of others

— Set and keep appointments on calendars to do one’s own work

— Never waste time

— Get fit — both physically and mentally — it relieves stress

— Schedule the priorities, instead of prioritizing the schedule

— Don’t over-distribute e-mails to colleagues and bosses

— Say yes to effective meetings and no to time-drainers

— Work from anywhere but not anytime — have a life

— Quentin Roux