What makes Getaway so unique?
Getaway is a novel hospitality concept, aimed at the price conscious modern traveler to or through Belgium, whether for business or for pleasure purposes. We offer a range of spacious, modern and nicely decorated flats, connecting technology and comfort with a warm and homely feeling.
All flats are equipped with comfortable handmade beds, an additional double sofa bed, a flexible work space, a fully equipped kitchenette, a spacious bathroom with a rain shower and storage space.
Are you looking for a place to work, relax or re-energise? Do you travel alone or in the company of friends, colleagues or relatives?
Getaway is the way to go, offering you much more than just a place to sleep.
Why is the Getaway offer so affordable?
Thanks to our thorough experience in the upper segment of the hospitality business, we know what really counts. Also through our outspoken sense of efficiency, we were able to develop the important services and to dispose of the superfluous such as a permanently manned reception. This is how we can keep our prices so attractive.
You can enjoy the Getaway way of life starting from only 57 euro a day.
Nearly everything is included in the standard offering.
For a modest fee, other services can be provided. Check the extra's per location.
Very modern spacious feeling studio apartment, with all mod cons, located in the shopping district, only a 10 min walk to both the station and the bustling restaurants.
As a group of 5 we got one of the larger apartments - which while compact for 5 it was perfect for our long weekend. It was walking distance from everywhere.
Very convenient location: 1 mn from the ring and 5 mn away from the airport in a quiet street. The parking is convenient too. At walking distance, you can find a few restaurants. Highly recommended!
We booked the triple room for one night. Online booking and corresponding with the staff was smooth and friendly. The room and the kitchenette are clean and well equipped.
The room was just wonderful! Clean, very comfortable mattress, cosy and with a fully equipped kitchen. I really enjoyed my stay and was a little sad that I booked the hotel for only one night.
I arrived outside of the normal check in times and special arrangements were made which made my check in very convenient. I will happily stay here again.
Stayed here with my adult son. Room was much larger than expected with beautiful views of Leuven.
Nice place to stay for a few nights while in Leuven! Has the perfect amount of space for a person using the studio apartment.
The gentleman on the phone spoke great English, and called us a few hours before we were due to arrive to make sure everything was okay with our flight. I can't praise these guys enough!


Successful developers are visionaries who look years beyond today's real estate market to determine what developments will be needed and where. They are entrepreneurs who seek out commercial real estate development opportunities and drive them into reality. At RSI, we pair a vision for a development with the goals and objectives of our partners and then provide start-to-finish services in order to convert ideas on paper into real property and real projects.
DO YOU WANT TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES WHEN DEVELOPING YOUR PROPERTY?
Every decision you make affects the quality, schedule, budget, and future profitability of your development.
The planning, design, and construction decisions will impact property performance for decades. It is critical that owners of properties work with qualified and experienced professionals. We are those professionals.
When Starbucks really wanted to get something brewing in Mobile, Alabama, they came to Retail Specialists. When the upscale Birmingham bedroom community of Mountain Brook wanted to ensure success with the largest live/work/shop development in the history of the community – they turned to Retail Specialists.


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President Obama to make case for ISIS intervention
Kerry calls for global coalition to fight ISIS
Sept. 10, 2014, 11:45 AM UTC / Updated Sept. 10, 2014, 12:13 PM UTC
By Jane Timm
On the eve of the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the president will speak directly to the American people, outlining his strategy to tackle the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in a rare primetime address.
That "comprehensive strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL" will include "military action and support for the forces combating ISIL on the ground, both the opposition in Syria and a new, inclusive Iraqi government," a White House official said in a statement early Wednesday, referring to ISIS by an alternate acronym.
Obama made clear in a meeting with congressional leaders on Tuesday that he plans to move forward with the intervention with or without their support.
In a press briefing Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest made clear that the president's decision to give a primetime address was deliberate and in line with the threat ISIS poses.
"The president believes that this is a high national security priority," he said, noting that there wasn't just a fear for Americans' safety abroad, but Americans at home.
America awakened by ISIS threat
While Obama has said he won't put troops on the ground , his likely strategy—air strikes and supporting the opposition—is a tricky one, too: The shortage of on-the-ground intelligence in Syria will make choosing targets difficult and ISIS's anti-aircraft weaponry could risk pilot's lives. Syria's government-controlled Russian-built air defenses are a worry, too, though it's unclear if President Assad would use them against the U.S., Reuters reported. In terms of training efforts, the opposition forces fighting ISIS aren't a cohesive, united group, which could complicate American efforts.
Exactly one year ago, the president appealed to the country and Congress to intervene in Syria after President Bashir al-Assad began using chemical weapons on civilians; the public and Congress were skeptical and the president later backed off. But today, the president's foe is completely different -- one that threatens to upend the entire Middle East, rapidly.
The brutal, jihadist movement has made enormous gains in recent months, moving from Syria into Iraq and taking control of large parts of northern and western Iraq, which they rule by Sharia law. Their ultimate goal is to turn the Middle East into a large Islamic caliphate, or religious state. The movement has attracted Western fighters, too: A 'small handful' of Americans are believed to be fighting on their behalf, U.S. officials told NBC News. Their potential return to the U.S. is among ISIS's threats to the U.S., officials say.
RELATED: Former U.S. national security adviser says war against ISIS could last years
Led by Abu Bakr al-Bagdadi, the group that was once an al-Qaeda splinter is now a formidable rival, known for public and mass executions, beheading American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and others, and vicious acts like crucifixions and the massacre of—they claimed—1700 Iraqi soldiers in the deadliest sectarian atrocity in recent history.
The White House and State Department have been busy shoring up international allies on the effort: the president and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom co-wrote an opinion piece last week where they encouraged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization members to unite in their opposition to ISIS, and Secretary of State John Kerry is working overtime to build an international coalition against the extremist movement that has taken over large parts of Iraq.
The country has been conducting airstrikes in Iraq since August, in an attempt to knock back ISIS's advances in Iraq. On Monday and Tuesday, five additional strikes were fired, using a mix of attack, fighter and drones, bringing the total number of strikes up to 153.
The address comes as Americans' faith in the government's handling of international affairs reaches an all-time low, with just 43% of Americans voicing faith in the government to handle world issues, according to a Gallup poll. Still, nearly two-thirds of Americans support attacking ISIS, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Kerry flew from Washington to Amman last night, where he met with two ambassadors from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a brief half hour. By roughly 2:10 a.m. EST, he was back in the air again, arriving in Bagdad shortly after, where Kerry will meet separately with Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Ja'fari, Council of Representatives Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, and President Fuad Masum.
Obama to ask Americans for support against ISIS
Kerry is also expected to head to Saudi Arabia and Paris on this trip, though the schedule has not been made public.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney—the chief architect of the Iraq war and one of the president's biggest critics—called the situation "a grave strategic threat to the United States" and a "test of leadership" for the president, arguing that the president's foreign policy was directly responsible for the unrest in the Middle East and elsewhere.
"When you have a president whose primary concern is to never "elevate America," then it's no surprise," he said, quoting Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel who said "the world is exploding all over."
"So often President Obama responds to crises by announcing all the things that he will not do. And here again, we can only hope that pattern ends tonight," Cheney said. "Our President must understand we are at war and that we must do what it takes for as long as it takes to win."
Back home, the president met with congressional leaders on Tuesday night, where he asked for congressional approval to train the Syrian opposition, just one portion of his strategy.
The leaders—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi—reportedly did not ask for the president to ask for additional congressional approval of his military action, though McConnell called for it on Tuesday from the Senate floor.
"The Speaker expressed support for certain options that have been proposed by the president, such as increasing the effectiveness of the Iraqi Security Forces and training and equipping the Syrian opposition," a statement from Boehner's office read, adding that the Speaker had promised the president his support. In a nod to the party's most conservative outposts, Boehner also "made clear that the administration should re-examine our border and homeland policies and authorities to determine whether there are loopholes or weaknesses that could expose the homeland to an immediate ISIL-linked attack."
Conservative news outlets have been running reports that ISIS is considering infiltrating the U.S. via the Mexican-American border, or already has, though there's little evidence to support the claim. Last month, Texas Gov. Rick Perry argued that there "there is a very real possibility" ISIS had already entered the country through his state.
"Our President must understand we are at war and that we must do what it takes for as long as it takes to win."'
The president reportedly did not request any additional funding, according to NBC News, but earlier this year, the administration requested to move some Defense Department spending around, something Congress would need to attach to the short-term government budget vote that is expected this week. It's unclear whether Congress will be amenable to this, but the money—roughly $2 billion—would fund the country's efforts in eastern Europe, Iraq, and the Middle East.
Other Senate leaders—including Sen. Angus King, a Maine Independent—have called for the president to define the mission's limits and secure congressional approval before moving ahead.
"There should be some limitations on what the level of commitment is," King told reporters after an Intelligence Committee meeting where senators were briefed on ISIS. "I think the president's statement is gonna be extremely important and he has to begin, in my view, by telling the American people what kind of national interest is at stake here and why it justifies the substantial commitment of American resources."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Jenny Kim is an instructor of French Horn at California State University, Long Beach-Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, Chapman University and Biola University. She is Principal Horn in the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Associate Principal in the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, and Assistant Principal Horn with New West Symphony. As well, she performs frequently with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pasadena Symphony and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. As a recording artist, she has worked on numerous motion pictures, including Star Wars Episode 7, Avatar, Snow White and the Huntsman, the Ice Age films, The Adventures of TinTin and, well, quite a lot more!
Jenny received her Master of Music degee from the University of Southern California, and her Bachelor of Music and Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. She has won first prize in several prominent competitions, including the International Horn Society's Jon Hawkins Award, and has soloed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, playing Mozart's Second Horn Concerto. Her principal teachers were Brian Drake, Peter Kurau, Richard Todd and James Decker.
Jenny likes to walk her dog Isabel when not performing, as well as knit, craft and enjoy movies.
Looking for a horn teacher in the L.A. area? contact JennyKimHorn@gmail.com


Being at the Ocean's Edge is like having a figure drawing session available at any time of the day. Morning runners and walkers, ambling shell seekers, strike poses perfect for gesture drawing. Afternoon sun bathers sitting and lying down on bath towels provide more interesting angles to draw the human body. And evening sunset seekers standing around casually or walking in the direction of a fiery glow offer yet more shapes for quick sketches of movement, form, and energy. One could draw people full time here and not exhaust the many poses the human figure is capable of.
I love trying to capture a few of them, and I'm certainly going to include one or two stitched into my Ocean's Edge Fragment. These sketches, as nearly all gesture drawings, are worked fast, catching only the tilt of the body, the movement or energy therein. One fella in a red shirt kept changing his position over and over as he sought the perfect shells. I have four different poses sketched quickly so as not to get my brain too involved. It actually helps to draw fast…your analytical brain can't keep criticizing and correcting you and your intuitive brain can take over. I'd love to live there all the time!
The beauty of gesture drawing is that you tune into the energy in everything! I've been fascinated by the sea grasses this year and will certainly stitch them into the fragment with their flowing lines of wheat-like hair bent in the sea breezes. Clouds have a gesture of such breathtaking beauty I never feel I capture them adequately. And even the breakers…yes, the churning frothing waves have gestures ranging from ferocious to lilting and everything in-between.
I doubt I'll be able to include all of these in my stitched fragment, but it is worth recording in some fashion the dynamic energy in all that surrounds me. Perhaps I can carry it back home to Life in the Breakers. But I shan't think of that now. I am here!! And there are several more delicious days ahead of people watching and sketching and stitching.
Makes me think of Robert McCloskey and his children's books written about their lives near the ocean in Maine.


SONOMA, Calif. – Team Penske and Menards announced an extension that will keep the Midwest-based home improvement store chain as a primary sponsor on Simon Pagenaud's Verizon IndyCar Series entry for 10 races in 2017.
Team owner Roger Penske, Menards owner and founder John Menard and Pagenaud were on hand to discuss details of the deal this morning at Sonoma Raceway.
In ingenious creative fashion, media attending the announcement were given what appeared to be a typical Menards newspaper advertising insert (see below). The inside pages, however, contained the news release and factual information on Pagenaud's season that sees the driver of the No. 22 Chevrolet in position to win his first Verizon IndyCar Series championship at Sunday's GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma.
The Penske-Menards partnership began this year with what was originally announced as a three-race deal – including the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil – that became five races in 2016. That number will double next season.
"As the hundredth running came up this year, we connected and talked about certainly a potential sponsorship at Indy," Penske said. "I think the fact we added the (Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis) there, the success that Simon had there, winning that race, which was a terrific kickoff to the hundredth running race event, then we had a great car there.
The legendary team owner added how much of a benefit it is to have someone onboard who understands the sport. Menard first came to the Indianapolis 500 in 1979.
"Today, as you know from a sponsorship perspective, to find the right sponsors who have the right integrity, want to support the sport, it's difficult," Penske said.
Having returned to Indy car racing this season in time to help celebrate Team Penske's 50th anniversary in racing, Menard was excited to be a part of the possible championship, should Pagenaud clinch the Astor Cup on Sunday. It would be the first for a Menards-sponsored car since Greg Ray won the 1999 Verizon IndyCar Series title.
"It'd be really wonderful," Menard said.
The 76-year-old Wisconsin native also went in-depth as to what makes Pagenaud, the 32-year-old French driver, such a great fit for the Menards brand.
"His father, family and he grew up in the retail (industry) in France," Menard said. "His dad runs a store similar to Menards, so Simon kind of understands the retail business, which was really refreshing when I started talking to him, plus he's a real charming guy.
The second-year Team Penske driver was all smiles during the announcement, noting the excitement to share a sponsor that was shared by former Indy car champions.
"It's been incredible to actually be the driver, to drive this very special livery," said Pagenaud, an eight-time race winner. "This car has been at the (Indianapolis Motor) Speedway for many, many years, even longer than I can remember. I remember obviously very special drivers like Tony Stewart, incredible results from that car. That car was always fast at the speedway, always on the pole or front row.
The only 2017 race currently set to carry the Menards colors is the 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. The other nine races are dependent on a Penske and Menards activation strategy and will be announced at a later date.


This section explains the things you need to know about paying your student fees at Swansea University. We want you to have a really rewarding time whilst you study with us, and as part of our commitment to you we want to be clear regarding our fees. It is very important before you start your studies with us that you ensure you will have sufficient funds available to pay for your studies; from initial registration through to completion. These pages explain why, and what you need to do if your circumstances change.


Does anyone out there know where and how to set up an intercambio? The e-board at Asatej travel agency, that someone here previously recommended, is disabled. Are there other places (travel agencies, UBA faculties, etc) where people commonly post for intercambios? Thanks, I'd love to do an intercambio here but I don't want to post my info in random places without hope of success or, worse, sketchy respondents.
Talkarama and the English Group meet once a week and have many of locals who want to improve their english. You can find a language exchange partner there.


Mortola Yacht & Ship Brokers has extensive experience in the management of luxury superyachts and is at the forefront of yacht management Italy. As an Italian superyacht management expert, we understand the importance of maintaining such an important asset, including effective cost-management and regulatory compliance.
The management of a yacht requires a large degree of technical knowledge and also a keen understanding of the complex and ever-changing international maritime legal framework. Based in Italy, Mortola Yacht & Ship Brokers are positioned to provide a fully-inclusive service that meets the needs of luxury yacht owners — even in the most complex of cases. Mortola also offers change of flag services and Lloyds and MCA class certification.
Mortola Yacht & Ship Brokers is the expert in the management of luxury superyachts over the entire life cycle of the vessel. Our professional and dedicated team are experienced in all management matters, ranging from the initial purchase of a vessel to crewing, operations, compliance, charter, refit, and maintenance. In order to provide the best possible service, Mortola has implemented a unique project management system to track all works and oversee projects, meaning that all boats are given the utmost amount of attention.
With over 30 years in the business, Mortola Yacht & Ship Brokers are a trusted name in yacht management in Italy and beyond. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.


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FeaturedInternational NewsNational News
New Delhi: Union Minister for S&T, ES and MoHFW, Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the Global Indian Scientists & Technocrats (GIST) meet which is being organized as a part of the Indian International Science Festival (IISF) 2020. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Harsh Vardhan observed, "India is blessed with a large S&T Diaspora spread across the globe who are not only contributing to the progress of the countries they reside in, but are eager to share their knowledge and experiences for accelerating the pace of development of India using appropriate engagement opportunities". "There is enormous untapped potential in connecting and engaging with the Indian scientific diaspora – not only for the benefit of our national development but also for the global good", he added.
Dr Harsh Vardhan expressed satisfaction that the GIST Meet would enable developing long term linkages for creating and effectively applying S&T tools for sustainable development particularly in the rural sector. "We all are aware that science and technology are a propellant for building a thriving country and are the key drivers for empowering nations and the mankind at large", he noted and stressed that "Scientific inventions ensuring technologies that enable development in all its dimensions and enhance human capabilities are of particular importance".
The Minister pointed out that many of the challenges that the world is facing today – from climate change, food security, energy to poverty reduction have scientific dimensions that can be only effectively addressed through S&T. He emphasized, "No country can achieve these in isolation; Such challenges can be addressed through cooperation, particularly seamless scientific and technological cooperation".
Dr Harsh Vardhan highlighted the various initiatives by Government to strengthen the connect with the Indian S&T diaspora such as the Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit, which was collectively organized by several scientific departments/ministries/councils wherein many of the Diaspora experts enthusiastically deliberated on several topics and priority areas. In another initiative from CSIR to engage with diaspora more extensively and in a structured fashion, an interactive National Digital Platform named "Pravasi Bharatiya Academic and Scientific Sampark (PRABHASS)" has been developed.
Dr Harsh Vardhan pointed out the exceptional role played by scientific community in addressing the problems and developing solutions during Covid-19 pandemic. He emphasized that the spirit of collaboration should continue even in post Covid world and the Indian scientific community in partnership with diaspora can play a vital role in addressing the global challenges such as climate change and help achieve sustainable development in India and the world. "A key step would be partnering with research and academic institutions to address specific societal challenges particularly for the benefit of rural India", he pointed out.
DR. Harsh Vardhan expressed his satisfaction that application of advanced technologies for imparting education and skilling for better employability is another area being discussed at this meet. "This is absolutely an important aspect and an area where the diaspora can make immense contribution", he said.
Dr Vijay Bhatkar, President, Vijnana Bharati, speaking on the occasion complimented the organizers and highlighted that the virtual platform has made global collaborations easier and faster and India must capitalize this opportunity to engage with diaspora and utilize their expertise in developing innovative solutions for various challenges.
GIST Meet has participants from several countries including USA, UK, Qatar, Angola, Anguilla, Australia, Switzerland and ofcourse India. The meeting involves Students, Teachers, Professors, Engineers, Physicians, Researchers, Scientists, Doctors and many others. Deliberations and presentations in the area of Agriculture, Water, AI applications, Healthcare, Education and Skilling for better employability are some of the key topics that would be deliberated upon. There are open interactive sessions, where diaspora and their Indian counterparts would share their collaboration experiences and recommendations for implementation.
IISF motivates and attracts women towards science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship: Smt Smriti Irani


The new Kidwell Office and Warehouse was designed to break out of the standard metal building façade and create a symbol for the growing business of Kidwell Inc in Western Nebraska. A corrugated metal panel skin highlights the exterior façade with Kidwell's signature red accent floating on top of the building. Project is slated to begin construction end of summer 2017.


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Rimakokova () község Szlovákiában, a Besztercebányai kerületben, a Poltári járásban. A 20. század elején nevét Rimakókára magyarosították, de 1906-ban visszakapta a korábbi nevet.

Fekvése
Rimaszombattól 27 km-re, északnyugatra fekszik.

Története
A falu a 15. század második felében keletkezett, 1481-ben "Kokaua" alakban említik először. A Losonczi, később a Forgách család birtoka, akik üveggyárat alapítottak a községben. A gyár az 1930-as évekig működött.

A 18. század végén Vályi András így ír róla: "KOKOVA. Tót falu Kis Hont Várm. földes Urai G. Forgách, és több Uraságok, lakosai evangelikusok, fekszik Rima vize mellet Rimótzának szomszédságában, határja bőven terem rozsot, árpát, legelője tágas, fája van mind a' két féle, piatzozása Beznó Bányán, mellyel határos, deszkát, létzet, sindelyt is tsinálnak, hegyei meredekek, mindenféle értzet foglalnak magokban, leg nevezetesebbek Bohato, és Horepa nevűek, az elsőből aranyat, a' másodikból rezet ásnak, mostan is dolgoznak itten; a' legnagyobb pisztrángokat itt fogják a' Rima vizének egy ágában, melly itt kezdődik."

Rimakokovának 1828-ban 237 háza és 1929 lakosa volt.

A 19. század közepén Fényes Elek eképpen írja le: "Kokova, Liptó m. tót falu, a Kárpát hegyek alatt, 166 kath. 1184 evang. lak., evang. anya-, kath. filial. templomok. – Földje sovány; erdeje szép és nagy. Van vashámorja; fürészmalma; nevezetes juhtartása. Lakosai között sok fuvaros találtatik. F. u. a kamara. Ut. p. Vichodna."

Borovszky monográfiasorozatának Gömör-Kishont vármegyét tárgyaló része szerint: "Kokova, a Rimócza patak mellett fekvő tót nagyközség, 628 házzal és 4355, túlnyomóan ág. ev. h. vallású lakossal. A ghimesi és gácsi gróf Forgách család telepítette község. 1897-ben Dub Albert lett a birtokosa, legutóbb pedig Lamarche Albert lüttichi czég vette meg a 8000 kat. hold kiterjedésű birtokot, a hozzátartozó üveg- és fagyapotgyárakkal, a mely utóbbit Knöpfler Károly itteni birtokos és gőzfürésztulajdonos bérli. Üveghutája és fűrészmalma már nagyon régi, de itt csakis táblaüveget állítanak elő; ellenben a községhez tartozó újantalvölgyi üveggyárban mindenféle üveg készül. Ez az Üveggyár Részvénytársaság tulajdona. E gyárról más helyen részletesebben szólunk. A XVIII. században a kincstárnak arany- és ezüstbányája is volt itt, a mult század első felében pedig az üveggyáron kívül papír- és hamuzsírgyár. Ez időben a gróf Haller családnak is volt itt birtoka. Ez időszerint ez a vármegye legvagyonosabb községe. A lakosok olvasó, társalgó és iparoskört tartanak fenn. A községben még a Forgáchoktól épített emeletes kastély van. A két templom közül az ág. h. evangelikus 1566-ban, a katholikus 1803-ban épült. Ide tartoznak Háj, Ljesnicza, Havrillo, Császárpatak, Cseremos, Jaszeninka, Drahova, Mocsár, Grón, Zakliesno, Farbaska, Kokavka, Turcsokova, Paszeka, Djel, Filova-Kalmanka, Vlkov és a már említett Újantalvölgyi üveggyári telep. A község postája helyben van, távírója és vasúti állomása pedig Rimabánya."

A trianoni diktátumig Gömör-Kishont vármegye Rimaszombati járásához tartozott.

Faiparáról, papírgyártásáról, sípályáiról nevezetes település. Ez utóbbi sípályák és a környezetében lévő panziók a falutól 8 km-re található üdülőövezetben vannak. A pályák és a nagyobb panziók tulajdonosai felvidéki (rimaszombati, füleki, stb.) magyarok, akik kis magyar világot varázsoltak a nyelvhatártól északra, 40–50 km-re.

Népessége
1880-ban 3314 lakosából 3043 szlovák, 130 magyar, 25 német és 17 egyéb anyanyelvű, továbbá 5 idegen és 94 csecsemő volt.

1890-ben 3661-en lakták: 3349 szlovák, 205 magyar, 45 német és 62 egyéb anyanyelvű.

1900-ban 4355 lakosából 3737 szlovák, 369 magyar, 105 német, 4 román és 140 egyéb anyanyelvű; ebből 2277 római katolikus, 1952 evangélikus, 111 zsidó, 9 református, 4 görögkatolikus, 1 pravoszláv és 1 más vallású volt.

1910-ben 4645-en lakták: 3678 szlovák, 710 magyar és 107 német anyanyelvű.

2001-ben 3117 lakosából 2996 szlovák és 7 magyar volt.

2011-ben 3035 lakosából 2880 szlovák, 59 roma, 10 cseh és 4 magyar.

Neves személyek
Itt született 1938-ban Igor Kovačovič pedagógus.
Itt született 1940-ben Milan Bobro geológus.
Itt született 1949-ben Leon Sokolovský történész.

Nevezetességei

 Evangélikus temploma 1566-ban épült reneszánsz stílusban, többször átépítették, 1912-ben bővítették.
 A faluban klasszicista stílusú Forgách-kastély található, mely a 19. század elején épült. 1952-ben átépítették.
 Római katolikus templomát 1803-ban emelték klasszicista stílusban.
 Késő klasszicista kápolnája 1847-ben készült.
 Zsinagógája a 19. század végén létesült historizáló stílusban.

Jegyzetek

Rimakokova
Gömör és Kis-Hont vármegye települései

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


At my doctor's office there's this one particular nurse who's responsible for taking people's blood. She works in a tiny lab in the back of the office that has a white divider, some cabinets and is completely windowless. All in all, the space feels quite cold.
When you walk in, she greets you and asks that you sit down in the chair that faces the cabinets with the divider right beside you. Really, it's a pretty half-hearted welcome, because she's not overly friendly or talkative. In fact, she doesn't seem to like to talk at all.
Then she gets to work. She leans in to you and tightly squeezes a rubber tubing around your arm. Her gloved hand taps for a vein and you know there's going to be a stick in that oh-so-tender part of your arm. And if you're like me, you begin to feel a little queazy, a little light-headed, a little faint.
Personally, I've always liked to chat with someone when I'm getting my blood drawn. It helps distract me. Some small talk about the weather, work, what you're doing this weekend would help calm my nerves, but of course she doesn't want to talk.
However, in this particular office, in the back in this little lab, it hasn't been so bad. I've been able to get through most of my appointments without needing to lie down afterwards with an orange juice in hand because, even though this nurse isn't full of personality, she has personalized her lab.
She's bathed her divider and cabinets with a collage of images representing everything that's dear to her, and it's fascinating to see.
Added over time, these images -- taped to the cabinets and pinned to the divider -- show off her children, pets, family members, favorite celebrities, places, monuments, animals, etc.
One look at this board and you know in an instant that she's a Pinner.
You're too busy. You're too distracted. You're reading a story about her life, in images, and it's intriguing.
Life is made more interesting by stories, and that's why Pinterest is so clever. They've devised a way for us to easily publish our own photographic autobiographies so others can take a look at us and learn who we are on the inside and out.
Look for the Second Top Ten List of Extraordinary Pinners, coming out Jan 31st!
Have you ever created a collage the old fashioned way, like those above?
If so, what did you put on it?


Inder Loves Folk Art: The nicest summer ever, a.k.a. "Autumn in Northern California."
The nicest summer ever, a.k.a. "Autumn in Northern California."
As you can see, we are trying to squeeze every last drop of sunshine out of this summer.
These photos are from this past weekend, which we spent by Lake Tahoe. Wow. Saturday was just ... glittering.
"At last the lake burst upon us--a noble sheet of blue water lifted six thousand three hundred feet above the level of the sea, and walled in by a rim of snow-clad mountain peaks that towered aloft three thousand feet higher still! As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface, I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole world affords."
What he said. Or, as we Californians say, "Whoa, dude."
Dang, my parents were up at Lake Tahoe last weekend too. Looks amazing.
Oh, little naked swimming! It can't be beat!
So sweet! I have serious travel envy. I was stuck with visiting in-laws, I would have loved to visit Tahoe instead. We are hoping to introduce our little one the snow up there this winter.


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Ecokayan Hotel
Explore Armenia
Armenian Experiences
Armenian grandparents / Photo: Sucheta Rawal
10 Things I Learned About Armenia
I have a confession to make. Until recently I didn't know much about this tiny country the size of Maryland. I have only 3 friends from Armenia. I did go to an Armenian restaurant once while I was in Russia and have visited the Armenian quarters in Jerusalem. That is pretty much all my exposure to Armenian food and culture, until now.
Fortunately, I was invited by TATON and USAID on a media trip to Armenia, for 10 days. Here are some of the things I learned…
1. Armenia is located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. It was not always landlocked. The current day landmass is actually 1/10 of what it use to be at it's peak.
2. The history of Armenia dates back to early civilization. One of the caves we visited had the world's earliest known leather shoe, skit, and wine-producing facility dating back to 4000 BC. Noah's Ark is said to have landed on the peak of Mount Ararat (then Armenia, now Turkey) during the biblical flood.
3. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as a nation in 301 AD, though Christianity was practiced before that. There are over 3,000 churches and monasteries in the country, making it the highest per capita Christian monuments in a small area of land. Incidentally, many modern Armenians are not religious.
Monastery of Tatev in southern Armenia / Photo: Sucheta Rawal
4. For a country its size, Armenia has the most varied landscapes. You can find snow year round on top of its highest peaks, mountainous terrains, colorful valleys, deep gorges, and one of the largest alpine lakes in the world. While Yerevan is a bustling modern city, scantly populated villages across the country are mostly rural.
Preparing to go paragliding over Lake Sevan / Photo: Sucheta Rawal
5. Armenia is bordered on the north and east by Georgia and Azerbaijan, and on the south and west by Iran and Turkey. Thought its political relations with its neighbors have not been so good in the past, it is still a peaceful and safe place to travel.
A fraction of our dinner table in Armenia / Photo: Sucheta Rawal
6. The food scene in Armenia is amazing! The cuisine has influences of it's neighboring cultures and different parts of Armenia have regionalized dishes. Every meal is a festive occasion where families and friends come together over piles of plates of fresh salads, cheese, bread, meat and fruit. My mouth salivated as I saw picture perfect fruits and nuts at the farmers market in Yerevan. They taste as good as they look!
Fresh fruits at GUM market in Yerevan / Photo: Sucheta Rawal
7. The wines are great too. It seems everyone in Armenia makes their wine and harvests their own honey. The wine making tradition has been going on for 6k years and no special records have been kept of it. You can buy 1 liter of homemade wine for 1000 Drams (less than $2). There are also excellent wineries around the country that are gaining popularity in the international scene.
Wine tasting at Vozkevaz winery / Photo: Sucheta Rawal
8. The people in Armenia are extremely friendly. If you meet someone for the first time, they will invite you to dine with them and give you small presents. This happened to me at multiple occasions. My American friends who live there safely hitchhike around the country as a mode of transport. There is practically no crime, though gender divides give rise to domestic violence.
Amanda with her adopted Armenian grandparents / Photo: Sucheta Rawal
9. Armenia as a travel destination is affordable and not overcrowded with tourists. Hostels in Yerevan can be found for as little as $10/ night, and even the most expensive hotels are $100+. High end restaurants cost $10-30 per meal, while delicious local fast food like shawarma goes for $2-4. Bus and subways can easily be accessed for $0.20/ ride while taxis are also very cheap. I never paid more than $5 for a ride inside the city.
10. I also learned more details about the Armenian genocide, beyond what is talked about in the West. While I had some prior knowledge about the historical events, I came to learn that the impact of these events is still felt today. Many Armenian families mourn their lost family members and are not able to overcome their grief, leading to deep depression that ultimately interferes in daily work and life. One of the locals told me that if the world comes forward and acknowledges that what happened in Armenia in the 19-20th centuries was a genocide, they might be able to get some closure.
Hitchhiking in Armenia - Useful Tips and Info
Hitchhiking isn't a widespread means of traveling among Armenians, but you'll be surprised at how …
How to Use Public Transportation in Armenia?
A French traveler I met a few weeks ago at a Couchsurfing meeting in Yerevan, surprised me a lot …
Trndez – Celebration of Love and Faith
Among the folk traditions in Armenia, celebrated with splendor every year, the feast of "Trndez" …
The Cave Dwellers of Khndzoresk
Armenian Experience
Back in October, we came up with an idea to travel to the village of Old Kndzoresk in the Syunik …
The Miracles of Gandzasar Monastery
It was one of those weekends when you abandon everything and escape from the bustling of the city to …
The Filipino Times: Armenia: A Country Beyond Words
You know you've reached Armenia when you see the Caucasus Mountains. The Caucasus is a region at …
9 Things to do in Yerevan during Christmas & New Year
Starting from the month of December, the festive stir takes over the whole city of Yerevan. Streets, …
Mount Yeranos: Lost and Found in Armenia
My American-Armenian friend Tamar and I planned to go on an easy hike between two fortresses near …
Feast of Saint Sarkis - the Patron of Youth and Love
If you visit the Saint Sarkis monastery in the village of Ushi in Aragatsotn province of Armenia on …
Trchkan Waterfall: A Night in the Mountains
The old road from the village of Jajur to Kakavasar in the Shirak province of Armenia crosses two …
Tips for Women Hitchhiking in Armenia: My Experience
Although there are not many locals hitchhiking in Armenia and it's not a very common activity here, …
A Battle between Water and Church
If you travel about 60 km northwest of Yerevan, bypassing the town of Ashtarak over the bridge …
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After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Economics and spending a year working in Israel on the volunteer fellowship "Project Otzma", Derek started work at EQE Engineering, Inc. in San Francisco, CA as an Accounting Clerk eventually being promoted all the way to a Senior Billing Specialist.
After leaving EQE and moving to Pittsburgh, he was employed at the accounting firm of Kline, Keppel & Koryak, P.C. where he started as a staff accountant and when he left he held the position of manager. At Kline, Keppel & Koryak, Mr. Smith specialized in preparing income tax returns, tax research and tax planning for corporations, partnerships, fiduciaries and individuals. While Mr. Smith was employed at Kline, Keppel & Koryak, he became licensed as a Certified Public Accountant.
After leaving Kline Keppel & Koryak in 1999, he worked as the controller of American Textile Company. At American Textile Company, Mr. Smith was responsible for shortening their month end close from 15 days to 3 days. He implemented a bar coded inventory system and helped increase company collections. He also was the company's Custom Compliance Manager and worked on a number of software implementations through-out the company. At American Textile Company, Mr. Smith became skilled with working a large international corporation that in was still a "family business" at its core.
In 2003, Mr. Smith decided to return to public accounting and he started his own accounting firm, DJ Smith Accounting, P.C. He grew the firm from $0 revenues to over $300,000 in revenues with 2 employees. During the time at DJ Smith Accounting, PC, he focused himself on providing excellent service to small business owners and trying to be available to those owners almost 100% of the time. He combined his experiences at American Textile Company and Kline Keppel & Koryak to create a public accounting firm that was focused on helping small business owners receive the highest return from their businesses.
In 2012, DJ Smith Accounting, P.C. was merged into Markovitz Dugan & Associates. This merger allowed him to expand all the services he provides to include audits, business valuations, cost segregations studies and other accounting work.
Over the last 20 years, Mr. Smith has worked closely with business owners and individuals to provide to them the best possible service in the fields of tax and accounting.


text:
Patchwork regulation threatens global growth, warns IFAC
IFAC has called on governments around the world to follow a set of 10 principles to ensure consistent, high-quality global regulation to aid global economic growth.
The 10 principles were identified by 30 senior executives and experts from regulatory agencies, financial markets, government, academia, listed companies, investment funds, and the accounting profession at a roundtable in Hong Kong convened by IFAC in partnership with the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA).
The 10 principles are as follows:
To serve the public interest, regulation needs to be evidence-based, proportionate, appropriately resourced, collaboratively developed/implemented, consistent, subject to active oversight, systematically reviewed, have clear objectives, and be properly targeted and enforced to address intended issues.
According to IFAC, the principles are intended to help guide regulators toward better decisions and protect the global economy from the dangers posed by a patchwork approach to regulation.
While business and finance are increasingly global, roundtable participants warned that important regulation is not. Instead, it is frequently focused on national interests, which can create barriers and impediments to inclusive growth and jeopardise global financial stability.
"This clear signal from a broad, non-partisan group in one of the world's most important trading centers highlights the urgent need for a more globally consistent approach to regulation," said Fayez Choudhury, IFAC chief executive officer.
"We need a clear change in the will — and resources available— for international regulatory cooperation.
"The current fragmentation is creating a regulatory environment that encourages more risky trading and financing activities in often unregulated domains, and allows for the exploitation of gaps in regulation globally," he said.
'Millions' unclaimed by investors
Accountants should cross-sell, clients should cross-buy


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text:
Up and Down Wall Street
A Surge in Botanists
Alan Abelson
WHAT'S ALL THE EXCITEMENT ABOUT? SIMPLE: the economy has stopped falling off a cliff and -- Glory Hallelujah! -- it's now merely rolling briskly downhill. (We couldn't resist cribbing that description from Société Générale's Albert Edwards.) No guarantee, mind you -- economies being notoriously quirky -- that on the way down, if it espies another nice-looking cliff, the blamed thing won't decide to take a leap off that one.
You doubt that's reason enough for the stock market to go racing for the moon and, in just a couple of months, rack up a 37% gain? Come to think of it, you're right to be skeptical, and we feel sheepishly negligent. For not only are things getting worse more slowly, but equally as important in the remarkable revival of euphoria is that investors en masse, taking a leaf from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, have become budding botanists, able to espy green shoots of recovery in virtually every compost pile.
We're also a tad remiss in not mentioning that the dread stress tests, designed by the famed financial-testing firm of Bernanke, Geithner & Co. to determine how much of a pulse the nation's 19 largest banks still have, proved not to warrant much dread after all. Just by way of example, disclosure that Bank of America was in need of $34 billion in fresh capital promptly sent its shares soaring 17% on Wednesday. Who can blame shareholders for wistfully wondering how high the stock would have jumped had the bank needed $68 billion?
Geithner, Bernanke & Co., nothing if not adept at the care and feeding of investors, sought to take any possible sting out of what they found as they combed through the murky balance sheets of the banking behemoths (the Environmental Protection Agency might have been a better choice, considering the toxic material involved). They did so by cunningly contrived leaks, designed more for reassurance than revelation, in the weeks leading up to D- (for disclosure) Day as to the likely results of their examinations. By last Thursday, when the "scores" on the stress tests were actually released, those leaks had become veritable geysers.
As Philippa Dunne and Doug Henwood, proprietors of the Liscio Report, shrewdly observe, the highly publicized exercise made it look as if Washington's aim was "to restore confidence in the financial system before restoring the financial system." And the stress test itself struck them as being "precooked, with just enough talk of raising fresh capital to be credible, but not so much as to induce fear."
The presumed point of the two-month probe was to determine how the banks would hold up, were the economy to confound the expectations that the worst was over and, instead, suffer further declines. The "worst-case scenario," as the cliché goes, that the Fed crew was able to dream up was one in which the unemployment rate, already a hair under 9%, would rise to 10.3% next year, housing prices would fall another 22%, and the economy -- which has been shrinking at more than a 6% annual rate the past two quarters -- would contract at a 3.3% pace.
Undeniably, that represents something less than a heartening prospect. But to call it a worst-case possibility for the economy is a good deal less than a creditable postulate; rather, it bespeaks a surprising failure of imagination on the part of the same folks who've been able to spot plantlets of recovery in even the most unforgiving data.
Should worse come to worse, those fearless (or feckless?) forecasters allow that the major banks could take a $599 billion hit.
However, our financial guardians decided that it would be enough to dissipate any stress in banking by requiring the 10 big lenders that got less-than-passing grades to come up with a total of nearly $75 billion. That may sound like a lot of money -- because it is -- but to a populace that has become inured to seeing trillions tossed at the banks like confetti, it's not apt to cause a whole heck of a lot of angst.
While gratification at what the stress tests showed evoked widespread relief, touching on giddiness, not everyone was satisfied, much less elated. Ah well; there are always some chronic doubters in every crowd, we suppose.
Just by way of example, Barry Ritholtz, chief of the eponymous Ritholtz Capital, seems more than a tad aghast at the idea that Messrs. Geithner and Bernanke, after duly weighing the results of their not-exactly-stressful tests, have concluded that banks will be fine in the future with 25-to-l leverage (Tier 1 capital equal to 4% of risk-weighted assets).
And while 25-to-l leverage may have been appropriate for depository banks in the relatively sedate days before the Glass-Steagall Act was dismantled, it seems more than a little much to Barry in "today's toxic-asset-laden banks." As to the cause of the seemingly generous standard, he suggests it may have something to do with the Treasury's new role as "shareholder and cheerleader for bank profitability." That explains at least why Tim and Ben never leave home without their pom-poms.
And then there's Chris Whalen, who, via his Institutional Risk Analytics, keeps a gimlet eye on the banks -- big, small and in between. Institutional Risk Analytics sounds wonderfully authoritative, but it's a mouthful, so we'll content ourselves with referring to the service as IRA. By whatever name, we find it always worth perusing, not least for Chris's caustic take on the financial scene.
As it happens, IRA performs its own stress tests on some 7,600 banks using the vital statistics compiled by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and it has even fashioned a stress-test index. Its latest ratings of bank safety and soundness -- the handiwork of the outfit's Dennis Santiago -- tell a much less comforting tale than does the Washington version.
More specifically, IRA's bank-stress index, which stood at 1.8 at the end of the final quarter of '08, shot up to 5.57 in the first quarter of this year (the benchmark year, 1995, equals 1). Behind this sharp increase in stress is the startling number of the nation's banks -- 1,575 -- that wound up in the red in the first quarter.
In a follow-up report, Chris comments that it's "pretty clear that the condition of the U.S. banking industry is continuing to deteriorate, and we are still several quarters away from the peak in realized losses for most banks." Indeed, he adds, "We're not even on the right block to make the turn."
And, not surprisingly, he feels strongly that this isn't the time for investors to go ga-ga over financials. In case you're wondering, there's no evidence that he's color-blind and just can't see all those green shoots littering the financial landscape.
PERHAPS THE MOST ELOQUENT expression of how delusional Wall Street has become was its response to Friday's report on what happened to employment -- or, more importantly, unemployment -- in April. Payrolls shriveled by 539,000, less than the 550,000 to 600,000 guesstimates of the seers as well as March's initial tally of 633,000. That was enough for the choristers to start humming Happy Days Are Here Again.
A slightly more careful look suggests rather emphatically that they're not. The unemployment rate extended its doleful rise, hitting 8.9%, the highest level since 1983. The jobless ranks have swollen by 5.7 million since the recession got underway in December 2007, and there are now 13.7 million people out of work.
Moreover, our favorite measure of unemployment -- favorite because we think it a truer gauge -- is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' U-6, which includes the likes of workers laboring part-time because they can't land full-time jobs, rose to a fresh peak of 15.8%. That means 24.7 million people are effectively unemployed. It's a figure that doesn't get too much notice -- maybe it's just too depressing -- but it should.
For that matter, bad as it is, 539,000 doesn't do justice to the severity of the payroll shrinkage. For one thing, it was puffed up by the 72,000 federal census takers signed on by Uncle Sam. And for another, it includes 226,000 supposed jobs, or 60,000 properly adjusted, courtesy of what David Rosenberg calls the Alice-in-Wonderland birth/death model. Ex this pair of extraordinary items, he points out, the headline number would approach 670,000.
In one of his valedictory scribblings (David's leaving Merrill Lynch and returning to the glories of his native Canada and money management), he also notes that private-sector employment sank by 611,000 in April, and did so across a wide swath. "The data," he contends, "just don't square with the conventional wisdom permeating the investment landscape."
Take the notion that we're enjoying a commodities boom; If so, it seems more than passing strange that natural resources shed 11,000 jobs last month. Or, how do you reconcile the burst of enthusiasm for leisure/hospitality stocks with 44,000 busboys, bell captains and bartenders being laid off? Or retailers' giving pink slips to 47,000 workers -- atop the 167,000 slots they let go in the first quarter -- if they thought anything more than the timing of Easter underpinned their April results?
Looking ahead, David scoffs at the idea that the "jobs data are about to get better because the markets have enjoyed a nice two-month rally." Among the reasons he's skeptical: the still record-low workweek, at 33.2 hours; the 66,000 downward revision to the back data (which, he avers, tends to feed on itself); the 63,000 slide in temp-agency employment; and the high levels of both initial and continuing jobless claims.
All of which, he believes, foreshadow a further 550,000 payroll plunge when the May data roll out early next month.
To David, as to us, the present buoyant mood on the Street is obviously more the result of rose-colored glasses than of green shoots.
WHAT'S ALL THE EXCITEMENT ABOUT? SIMPLE: the economy has stopped falling off a cliff and -- Glory Hallelujah! -- it's now merely rolling briskly downhill.


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SubTopic Microsoft Dynamics CRM
SaaS CRM integration: Is it still a deal killer?
Integration has always been a question mark with on-demand CRM applications, but third-party vendors, robust APIs and SOA are beginning to provide an answer.
Barney Beal, TechTarget
For years, the standard objections to deploying CRM applications via the Software as a Service (SaaS) or on-demand model were threefold: security, uptime and integration.
With Web services, with APIs with the third-party tools, as well as the independent systems integration skills, these issues are very easily addressed
Managing directorTHINKstrategies
In recent years, two of those concerns have been addressed. Enterprise companies like AMD and Merrill Lynch have signed on to on-demand CRM, showing confidence in the model, and smaller companies have come to the realization that SaaS vendors have more resources to commit to security, helping on-demand CRM to clear the security hurdle. Additionally, a well-publicized outage of Salesforce.com in December 2005 led the company to create a website dedicated to monitoring system uptime and motivated many customers to work system availability into their standard licensing agreements, answering some of the reliability concerns.
Integration remains an issue with buyers, however.
"It's probably their primary concern," said Jeff Kaplan, managing director of Wellesley, Mass.-based THINKstrategies. "Now that they've recognized security, privacy and reliability are not as big an issue as they originally thought, the issue becomes how do they integrate the SaaS products with on-premise and other SaaS applications."
On-demand integration not as hard as some think
The rise of third-party integration vendors offering SaaS integration, as well as the SaaS CRM vendors maturing and bolstering their own integration capabilities, has helped to assuage some of those integration concerns. Also, some companies have found that they didn't need to do as much integration work as they thought.
"That still is the weak point, but it may not be as big a problem as you think when you get down to what you need to integrate with," said Bill Band, senior analyst with Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research.
Some CIOs are finding that -- particularly when it comes to sales force automation -- there's not as much integration to do, and the requirements aren't as complex as they had feared, Band said.
"The SaaS players have added more integration interfaces to their offerings, so -- as more people are getting to Web services and SOA types of architectures -- that lends itself to being able to pass data more easily," he said. "Clients are also adopting more modern architectures. The vendors are offering stronger interfaces, and there are these emerging solutions that are being plugged in between. The market seems to be starting to connect the dots together."
United Way asks for help with its CRM integration project
Integration was a major concern for the national office of the United Way of America, in Arlington, Va., when it implemented Salesforce.com to track its constituents of 1,300 local United Way offices and major corporate partners.
"It was a big issue," said Michael Pinck, director of application management. "Before Salesforce.com, we were using a tool that lived here, and we had access directly to the data. We could integrate it with other systems, particularly our extranet and our public website. When we moved over to Salesforce, that was a big question: How do we keep up those connections?"
The answer at the time, and for the next three years, was for Pinck's staff to handle it themselves. Using Salesforce.com's APIs, the United Way managed its own integration between the CRM application and back office systems like Oracle, SAP, Microsoft SQL Server and DB2.
For more on SaaS CRM
Get up to date on market developments with our SaaS CRM Learning Guide
See our Top 5 CRM integration headlines
"Initially, we thought that we'd be able to just use the Salesforce.com API and do the integration ourselves," Pinck said. "We found that it was more time-consuming than [we] thought it would be."
While it had considered third-party integrators when it first embarked on the project, the United Way decided against that approach. In March 2007, its executives changed their minds and began using the Integrator product from N.Y.-based Bluewolf Inc. Integrator takes information on registrations, donations and volunteer work, captured through its website, and syncs that with Salesforce.com.
Market for third-party SaaS CRM integrators expands
A number of third-party integrators have emerged in recent years, including Bluewolf and Cast Iron Systems.
"There's a subset of systems integrators born and bred for SaaS," THINKstrategies' Kaplan said. "The systems integrators like Accenture, EDS and CapGemini are trying to play in this game as well, but they're facing the same challenges established ISVs are facing. Adapting to the on-demand world is very difficult. The size and scope of professional services is much smaller. They can't scale down."
The most common integration processes required are between billing and financial systems and CRM applications -- or data migration and cleansing from an older CRM system like ACT, Kaplan said. SaaS CRM vendors at first provided pre-built integrations like connectors into SAP R/3 but are now turning to third parties. For example, NetSuite, which already offers its own on-demand ERP product, has launched a NetFlex Applications program, and Salesforce.com provides on-demand integration tools from partners on the AppExchange. SugarCRM, which offers an on-demand version of its product, leverages open source for integration. Oracle touts its own middleware to integrate its products.
"The one advantage or disadvantage that Salesforce has is they have to integrate with other things," Band said. "Microsoft has native integration with Microsoft databases. It's not exactly the same thing, but it can talk to itself [more easily] than Salesforce can. In the case of Siebel, Oracle is investing a lot in this Application Integration Architectures to bring PeopleSoft, Oracle and Siebel together. That speaks to the desire from buyers who want to have solutions talk to each other more easily."
What in the past took an army of people months or years to address with a customized solution, now takes a small group of in-house and external experts only a matter of weeks or months, Band added.
"It's a natural outgrowth of bringing multiple applications together," Kaplan said. "With Web services, with APIs with the third-party tools, as well as the independent systems integration skills, these issues are very easily addressed."
However, United Way's Pinck encourages people to think carefully about the frequency with which they need to update their systems and the business rules.
"If changes are made in both systems at the same time, or nearly the same time, which change wins out?" he asked. "Is one system canonical and always wins, or does the last update win? This is particularly important when there is a lag in sending updates from one system to the other."
Analyst's take: Microsoft Dynamics CRM boosts customer service and company ... –ComputerWeekly.com
Microsoft Dynamics CRM For Government –ComputerWeekly.com
Microsoft's Dynamics CRM vs. Aptean's Onyx, according to real users –IT Central Station
Extending the Value of Microsoft Dynamics CRM with Data Integration –SnapLogic
Dig Deeper on Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Cloud-based CRM enters new territory for Salesforce partners
Cloud application adoption driven by new wave of SaaS integration
By: James Furbush
Oracle purchase of Taleo indicates rising SaaS trend
By: Mark Fontecchio
Is Salesforce.com's DRO the first step to a private option?
What's Next in Digital Workspaces: 3 Improvements to Look for in 2019 –Citrix
End-User Service Delivery: Why IT Must Move Up the Stack to Deliver Real Value –Citrix
On-demand CRM and SaaS takes hold in midmarket – SearchCIO
Salesforce.com expands Apex, lands Dell – SearchCustomerExperience
Cloud-based CRM enters new territory for Salesforce ... – SearchCustomerExperience


text:
Robert J. Banks, CCIM
Tim Fetter
Chris Diaz
Matthew Anderson
Justin Bevens
Brenden Corder
Kathy Bolton
Kris A. Dunlop
Rod Eckhardt
Susie Griffin
Balbina Hyler
Chad McDonald
Myra S. Peppi
Tony Petrisko
Joe Ritter, CCIM
Rana Sayegh
Audrey Volmuth
Principal / co-Chief Executive Officer
Tim joined SFS at its formation as a senior portfolio manager and oversaw the underwriting, loan servicing and asset management functions at the firm. Tim is the former Executive Vice President-Credit and Risk Management at SFS and will maintain those responsibilities in addition to his role as co-CEO. In addition, he is also a corporate shareholder. Prior to that, he was employed by MMA Financial, LLC as a debt portfolio manager analyzing and managing construction, permanent and supplemental loan portfolios. Before joining MMA Financial, LLC, Tim was with Raymond James Financial and Raymond James Bank, where he worked as a senior corporate projects analyst and commercial loan underwriter. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and an MBA from the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Email: tfetter@seminolefinancialservices.com


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