Author Archive for Lucky Balaraman

CAD Services: How to Pick sand Choose

Published
by
Lucky Balaraman
on July 15, 2008
in Business
. 0 Comments
by Lucky Balaraman

If you’re an architect or engineer thinking of outsourcing your CAD drawings, you would no doubt have been confronted with a question at some point in time. And that question is: How do I find a good provider of CAD services?

And probably, MOST PROBABLY, what would have come to mind is, “Go to the search engines and type in ‘CAD Services’”.

Yes, going to the search engines when you’re looking for something is a smart idea, but you’d be surprised to know that nowadays it isn’t the strategy of choice. It has a shortcoming, and that is

** Search engines rank a site based on how good the website is, not on how good the website’s company is. **

After all, for the most part, websites are like ads. Now you tell me: if an ad looks good, does it mean the company being advertised is good? Of course not.

What you need are the opinions of others. Others who have actually used CAD services. That way you’ll see the good, the bad and the ugly.

Say about 10 years ago, being able to find the opinions of others would be a pipe-dream. But today it’s a reality. You CAN do it, and you can do it easily.

How? By going to user forums. If you’re into engineering, go to engineering forums. If you’re into architecture, go to architectural forums. Ask about CAD services and get the naked truth.

To see the URLs of some good engineering forums and architectural forums, just follow the link given at the end of this article.

Once you get to a forum, what you have to do is register (that only takes 2 minutes and zero expense), then ask the question: “Can anyone recommend a good CAD service, based on first-hand experience?” You might also want to ask for a service dealing with your particular platform (AutoCAD, MicroStation, SolidWorks, whatever).

Gather about 10 CAD service provider names using this method. Then carefully evaluate these 10 companies, by messaging them and evaluating the responses you get. Rank the providers and keep only the top three.(We’ll explain more on how to evaluate them in a subsequent installment of this training).

Divvy up your CAD drafting work amongst these three CAD service providers. Of course if you don’t have volume drafting requirements, maybe you could use them in rotation. But ALWAYS have more than one provider on hand.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this training, which will start to explain how to evaluate the names you got from the forums.

About the Author:
For the URLs of the engineering and architectural forums mentioned in the article, look in our CAD services blog, part of The Magnum Group’s extensive website at http://themagnumgroup.net/

Choosing from an Ocean of CAD Services If you’re an architect or engineer thinking of outsourcing your CAD drawings, you would no doubt have been confronted with a question at some point in time. And that question is: How do I find a good provider of CAD services? And probably, MOST PROBABLY, what would have come to mind is, “Go to the search engines and type in ‘CAD Services’”. Yes, going to the search engines when you’re looking for something is a smart idea, but you’d be surprised to know that nowadays it isn’t the strategy of choice. It has a shortcoming, and that is ** Search engines rank a site based on how good the website is, not on how good the website’s company is. ** After all, for the most part, websites are like ads. Now you tell me: if an ad looks good, does it mean the company being advertised is good? Of course not. What you need are the opinions of others. Others who have actually used CAD services. That way you’ll see the good, the bad and the ugly. Say about 10 years ago, being able to find the opinions of others would be a pipe-dream. But today it’s a reality. You CAN do it, and you can do it easily. How? By going to user forums. If you’re into engineering, go to engineering forums. If you’re into architecture, go to architectural forums. Ask about CAD services and get the naked truth. To see the URLs of some good engineering forums and architectural forums, just follow the link given at the end of this article. Once you get to a forum, what you have to do is register (that only takes 2 minutes and zero expense), then ask the question: “Can anyone recommend a good CAD service, based on first-hand experience?” You might also want to ask for a service dealing with your particular platform (AutoCAD, MicroStation, SolidWorks, whatever). Gather about 10 CAD service provider names using this method. Then carefully evaluate these 10 companies, by messaging them and evaluating the responses you get. Rank the providers and keep only the top three.(We’ll explain more on how to evaluate them in a subsequent installment of this training). Divvy up your CAD drafting work amongst these three CAD service providers. Of course if you don’t have volume drafting requirements, maybe you could use them in rotation. But ALWAYS have more than one provider on hand. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this training, which will start to explain how to evaluate the names you got from the forums.

Published
by
Lucky Balaraman
on July 11, 2008
in Business
. 0 Comments
by Lucky Balaraman

sing from an Ocean of CAD Services

If you’re an architect or engineer thinking of outsourcing your CAD drawings, you would no doubt have been confronted with a question at some point in time. And that question is: How do I find a good provider of CAD services?

And probably, MOST PROBABLY, what would have come to mind is, “Go to the search engines and type in ‘CAD Services’”.

Yes, going to the search engines when you’re looking for something is a smart idea, but you’d be surprised to know that nowadays it isn’t the strategy of choice. It has a shortcoming, and that is

** Search engines rank a site based on how good the website is, not on how good the website’s company is. **

After all, for the most part, websites are like ads. Now you tell me: if an ad looks good, does it mean the company being advertised is good? Of course not.

What you need are the opinions of others. Others who have actually used CAD services. That way you’ll see the good, the bad and the ugly.

Say about 10 years ago, being able to find the opinions of others would be a pipe-dream. But today it’s a reality. You CAN do it, and you can do it easily.

How? By going to user forums. If you’re into engineering, go to engineering forums. If you’re into architecture, go to architectural forums. Ask about CAD services and get the naked truth.

To see the URLs of some good engineering forums and architectural forums, just follow the link given at the end of this article.

Once you get to a forum, what you have to do is register (that only takes 2 minutes and zero expense), then ask the question: “Can anyone recommend a good CAD service, based on first-hand experience?” You might also want to ask for a service dealing with your particular platform (AutoCAD, MicroStation, SolidWorks, whatever).

Gather about 10 CAD service provider names using this method. Then carefully evaluate these 10 companies, by messaging them and evaluating the responses you get. Rank the providers and keep only the top three.(We’ll explain more on how to evaluate them in a subsequent installment of this training).

Divvy up your CAD drafting work amongst these three CAD service providers. Of course if you don’t have volume drafting requirements, maybe you could use them in rotation. But ALWAYS have more than one provider on hand.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this training, which will start to explain how to evaluate the names you got from the forums.

About the Author:
For the URLs of the engineering and architectural forums mentioned in the article, look in our CAD services blog, part of The Magnum Group’s extensive website at http://themagnumgroup.net/

To see the list of engineering and architecture forum URLs, come to our CAD services blog, part of The Magnum Group’s extensive website at http://themagnumgroup.net/

The URLs of the forums mentioned in this article are available on The Magnum Group’s blog at http://themagnumgroup.net/Blog/131.htm

Update on Online Files Storage

Published
by
Lucky Balaraman
on June 21, 2008
in Computers
. 0 Comments
by Lucky Balaraman

Are you still using your desktop to get your work done? It’s time to step back and realize that most computing work is done online nowadays. Data storage is one such task. No longer is your hard drive the best place for archival storage. Online storage on a large server is now cheaper than local storage!

The subject of online storage is, like most others, “an ocean unto itself”. This means that the prudent way to learn about it is to first read knowledgeable literature about it. Here’s an article about it based on firsthand usage.

~~~ Local Storage Will Bite You ~~~

Some of the many reasons for not using local storage (i.e. DVDs, etc.) are:

Every desktop will crash at some point, taking your data with it. Massive web servers have copies of your data running on multiple machines. If one machine fails, your data is safe on another machine, and that machine is pressed into service automatically. The machine is unlikely to fail in the first place because access to it is very strictly controlled (unauthorized, untrained people can never mess around with it).

If you use DVDs or CDs for backup, they can get scratched, lost and thereby rendered useless through careless handling. In all likelihood that’s already happened to you (like it has to me)

If your storage requirements are very large, say more than 1000 GB, you might have to buy an external hard drive of large capacity. These are expensive. The cost per byte stored works out less if you choose the right online server

Whether you use DVDs, CDs or external drives, how on earth do you access them when you travel away from your base location??

~~~ Online Storage Will Stroke You ~~~

Some of the reasons in favor of using online storage on a large server are:

A large online server will actually be a network of servers connected together, all of them belonging to the online storage company. Copies of your data will be stored on many of them. If the primary server crashes, one of the others takes over seamlessly. Since it has a copy of your data on it, you don’t loose a single byte because of the crash

The probability of even the primary server crashing is remote. It’s housed in a building with generator backup power, fire prevention systems, access only to authorized personnel, peripheral security cameras, et al

Suppose your files are accessed hundreds of times a minute. Your desktop would slow down, probably take hours to serve each request. A large online server is, as mentioned earlier, a network of servers with multiple copies of your data. If the primary server starts getting overburdened by download requests, the other servers kick in to start delivering your files (remember, all of them maintain copies of your files). The net result: users do not experience delay when demand is high

You can be anywhere on earth and be able to access your files (assuming that every place on earth has an Internet connection, which is getting to be more true by the second)

On a cost per byte basis, online can be CHEAPER than local storage!

~~~ In Conclusion ~~~

To sum things up, the outstanding reliability and scalability of large online storage servers make them preferable to local storage. Start using them and avoid data loss, server slowdowns and high hardware costs.

About the Author:
To continue learning about large servers for online storage, go to The Internet Training Lab, specialists in utilizing the Internet for maximum benefit, at http://InternetTrainingLab.com

Online Data Storage

Published
by
Lucky Balaraman
on June 21, 2008
in Real Estate
. 1 Comment
by Lucky Balaraman

Online data storage has been, for many years, a topic that most of us hardly thought about. But with many computer functions moving online from your desdtop, the subject is now assuming increasing significance. This presents the latest overview of current technology.

~ Reliability ~

Online data storage is now more reliable than local storage on a DVD or external hard drive. That is because major online file storage companies store copies of your data on multiple servers. These servers are connected together in a storage network. If any one of these fails, your data is safe on all the others. On the other hand, if your backup DVD fails, guess what happens to your data.

~ Cost ~

Lets say you wanted to store 500 GB for 24 months. Using redundanrtr disks and servers for super reliability, your cost would be around $3000. And that doesn’t include floor space, air-conditioning, security, electricity bills, building maintenance costs, hardware repair expenses and hardware/software maintenance contracts. Assuming all these at a reasonable 10% per year, we’re talking $600 in overheads, for a grand total of $3,600.

One of the most reliable online data storage networks charges 15 cents per Gigabyte per month for storage. 500 GB would cost $75 per month. It would take 48 months to cost $3600. In addition, the cost of online storage space will steadily decrease over those 48 months, so loking at cost over the sensible long-term, you’re seeing a good picture.

~ Speed ~

Let’s say you have a popular online photo-sharing site. There are times when there are thousands of photo uploads per minute. To exemplify what I’m going to say, suppose you had all the photos stored on a web server consisting of one or two CPUs. How would they react to the demand?

They would slow down. Your users would probably have to wait at least half an hour for their downloads to start.

Not so with an efficient, large online storage service. As mentioned earlier, your data is housed on multiple servers (CPUs) , and additional servers kick in as required to serve the downloads. No single server is overloaded, and no user experiences a delay in his download to start (incidentally, this delay is called ‘latency’).

~ Finally ~

Online data storage is now equivalent in cost, faster and more reliable than storage on small CPUs or web servers.

It’s time to start considering online data storage seriously, whether it’s for backing up a few GB of personal files or for storing a multimedia database for paid services.

About the Author:
For advice on where to get online data storage with one of the largest, well-known companies on the Internet, come to InternetTrainingLab.com, where qualified technical experts do the teaching.

Online Storage: the New Trend

Published
by
Lucky Balaraman
on June 20, 2008
in Computers
. 0 Comments
by Lucky Balaraman

Almost everything that your desktop does can now be done online. That includes data storage. Your hard drive used to be your most secure repository… but it no longer is. It is now cheaper and more reliable to store your data online on a massive web server.

The subject of online storage is, like most others, “an ocean unto itself”. This means that the prudent way to learn about it is to first read knowledgeable literature about it. Here’s an article about it based on firsthand usage.

~~~ Local Storage Will Bite You ~~~

Some of the many reasons for not using local storage (i.e. DVDs, etc.) are:

Every desktop will crash at some point, taking your data with it. Massive web servers have copies of your data running on multiple machines. If one machine fails, your data is safe on another machine, and that machine is pressed into service automatically. The machine is unlikely to fail in the first place because access to it is very strictly controlled (unauthorized, untrained people can never mess around with it).

If you use DVDs or CDs for backup, they can get scratched, lost and thereby rendered useless through careless handling. In all likelihood that’s already happened to you (like it has to me)

If your storage requirements are very large, say more than 1000 GB, you might have to buy an external hard drive of large capacity. These are expensive. The cost per byte stored works out less if you choose the right online server

Whether you use DVDs, CDs or external drives, how on earth do you access them when you travel away from your base location??

~~~ Online Storage Will Stroke You ~~~

Some of the reasons in favor of using online storage on a large server are:

A large online server will actually be a network of servers connected together, all of them belonging to the online storage company. Copies of your data will be stored on many of them. If the primary server crashes, one of the others takes over seamlessly. Since it has a copy of your data on it, you don’t loose a single byte because of the crash

The probability of even the primary server crashing is remote. It’s housed in a building with generator backup power, fire prevention systems, access only to authorized personnel, peripheral security cameras, et al

Suppose your files are accessed hundreds of times a minute. Your desktop would slow down, probably take hours to serve each request. A large online server is, as mentioned earlier, a network of servers with multiple copies of your data. If the primary server starts getting overburdened by download requests, the other servers kick in to start delivering your files (remember, all of them maintain copies of your files). The net result: users do not experience delay when demand is high

You can be anywhere on earth and be able to access your files (assuming that every place on earth has an Internet connection, which is getting to be more true by the second)

On a cost per byte basis, online can be CHEAPER than local storage!

~~~ In Conclusion ~~~

To sum things up, the outstanding reliability and scalability of large online storage servers make them preferable to local storage. Start using them and avoid data loss, server slowdowns and high hardware costs.

About the Author:
To continue learning about large servers for online storage, go to The Internet Training Lab, specialists in utilizing the Internet for maximum benefit, at http://InternetTrainingLab.com

Important Aspects of Using CAD Services

Published
by
Lucky Balaraman
on May 10, 2008
in Marketing
. 0 Comments
by Lucky Balaraman

When it comes to engineering and architectural drafting, it can be difficult to find a quality full-time CAD drafter. Of course, even if you do locate such a person you will be required to pay accordingly, and they do not come cheap. This can be problematic for a company that may need to save costs and expenses.

Hiring a CAD drafter comes along with a bundle of financial commitments such as health insurance, vacation pay, social security payments and other benefits. Sure, you could hire an contract employee… but there may be liability issues associated with such a venture. Why this may seem like a difficult position to be in there is an option: contract out to CAD Services.

~~ The Services ~~

CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) services will handle the same work and duties that hiring in house would achieve. The main difference, of course, would be that contracting out to outsource services would come with significantly less cost. Often, when a company is strapped financially or is a low liquid capital start up there comes a need to cut expenses and contracting out can serve that purpose.

But the truth is that even a large company should outsource at least part of their CAD work. The company should maintain only sufficient full-time CAD drafters to handle the minimum expected workload. The ups and downs above this should be outsourced. This will maximize savings, as will be apparent from the below paragraphs.

~~ Costs ~~

CAD services are predominantly pay-per-use rather than flat-fee. If you don’t use them on Tuesday, you don’t pay them for Tuesday. Not so if you have a full-time CAD drafter!

To further cost you less, many CAD service providers also vary their charges according to the size of the drawing sheet. The smaller your sheet, the less the price per sheet. Some go even further and reduce the price per sheet for less dense detail.

But wait a minute there’s scope for even more price reduction! If you start sending out assignments out to a CAD service as a steady stream, you get classified as a “golden customer”: most CAD shops will gladly throw in a volume discount after a month or two. All you have to do is ask!

~~ CAD Platforms and Vendor Choice ~~

There are several CAD platforms that engineers and architects use, and no CAD service is master of them all. The platform you use, if not widely employed, can limit your choice of CAD services to certain vendors only.

The most widely used platform is AutoCAD. Some others are MicroStation, Pro-Engineer, Archicad, SolidWorks, VectorWorks and Catia. To find CAD service vendors specialized in your platform, put “CAD services” and the name of your platform in a search engine and pull up the results.

~~ Quality Issues ~~

Now, some may wonder if quality will be maintained by a service that is involved with contracting out. Well, let’s put your worries at ease: many CAD services produce quality that can surpass that of the outsourcing company! All it takes is a little due diligence to find them.

Ask for samples, check out references and give a trial assignment before you decide to shoot for a long-term arrangement. If that sounds like dating to decide on marriage, you’re right on the money!

About the Author:
Lucky Balaraman is the Executive Director of The Magnum Group, a large Indian CAD services provider.