We Have Moved

We have now moved into our new offices in Hoddesdon. After lots of pushing and shoving, lifting and carrying we are in and settled.

Our new trading address is,

First Stop IT
Suite 3
Tower House
Tower Centre
Hoddesdon
Herts
EN11 8UR

Support Calls are still on 0845 1298394

Sales Calls are still on 0845 458 0553

The following numbers, 01992 633555 and 01992 635555 are no longer in use thanks to our friends at BT.

The general office number is now 01992 476 363.

We have a lot more space in our new offices and hope to be inviting our customers along in the new year where we hope to be demontrating new product lines and solutions.

By Grant Peck

Report warns of climate change's hidden costs

The hidden costs of climate change could cost US businesses hundreds of billions of dollars, slash jobs and kill off niche industries, a new report by the University of Maryland claims.

The research, released last week, showed that without swift and targeted government action, the indirect effects of global warming – such as frequent water shortages, natural disasters, pest infections and poor health – would push up prices and severely impact industry.

While the report said it was impossible to put a specific figure on the economic impact, the cost of property damage due to rising sea levels in Alaska alone could hit between $23bn and $170bn by 2100.

Moreover, it pointed out that while the cost of US storm damage had surpassed $560bn since 1980, more frequent and intense storms caused by pollution would see that figure soar.

"Indirect or secondary economic effects of climate change have rarely been quantified, yet are likely to be substantial", the report entitled The US Economic Impacts of Climate Change and the Costs of Inaction said.

It added: "Increased costs for raw materials, energy and transportation will likely translate into higher prices and a loss of competitiveness that could trigger declines in entire economic sectors or regions."

In particular the report detailed how agricultural firms in New York State alone may experience a 40 per cent drop in earnings, equivalent to about $1.2bn in damages.
Meanwhile, water shortages in California could cost companies $6bn a year; drought in the Midwest region may result in the loss of around 60,000 manufacturing jobs;
and net agricultural income for the San Antonio Texas region is expected to decline by between 16 and 29 per cent by 2030.

Overall the research concluded that the economic impacts of climate change will occur throughout the country, and while those impacts will be unevenly spread and some positive effects will be enjoyed negative climate impacts will outweigh benefits for most sectors that provide essential goods and services to society.

Lead researcher Matthias Ruth, director of the University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Environmental Research, urged the federal government to implement a national policy for immediate action to tackle greenhouse gas emissions. He also called for more research on a region and sector-specific level to help companies adapt to the effects of climate change.

Christmas Day launch for BBC iPlayer

Christmas day will see the formal launch of the BBC's long-awaited digital iPlayer.

In beta testing since July of this year, the BBC iPlayer will offer users the ability to watch programmes from the previous seven days. Downloaded programmes time out after 30 days.

The player requires Windows XP or Vista, though there are plans to launch a version for non-Windows users in the coming fortnight.

In due course the iPlayer will be enhanced to include radio content and the ability to view entire series, according to the BBC.

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Online retailers not ready for Christmas rush

With the festive period fast approaching and online spending at an all time high, web hosting providers are warning businesses to have their online presence in top condition or face losing customers.

Online spending is predicted to be up by 42 per cent on last Christmas, to a staggering £13.8bn, and although many businesses have stepped up investment in delivery systems to ensure orders arrive, many have not prepared to make sure websites perform in the run up to Christmas.

With 61 per cent of UK homes connected to the internet, and 84 per cent of those on broadband, recent research carried out by solutions provider Akamai suggested that 75 per cent of consumers would not tolerate an online wait of more than four seconds before looking elsewhere.

Jonathan Robinson, chief operating officer at web hosting firm NetBenefit, said: "The Christmas holidays are just around the corner, and this means a significantly increased sales opportunity for online retailers. However, bad customer experiences such as snail-like speeds during the purchase are just as likely to turn a potential customer away as a long queue at the check-out counter and can generate a significant amount of longer term damage to the brand.

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iPhone tops 2007 Google search list

Google has published its annual Zeitgeist roundup of most searched-for terms over 2007, and there are no prizes for guessing that Apple's iPhone tops the list of fastest rising global search entries.

Each year the search engine giant scours billions of queries to uncover what's hot and what's not in the search term rankings.

Google's top 10 list for 2007 proves that the world's thirst for technology shows no sign of abating.

Nipping at the iPhone's heels are Facebook and YouTube, which logged the number three and number six slots respectively.

In an apparent sign that the popularity of P2P music downloading is on the way out, Kazaa and 'MP3' were among the fastest falling search terms across the globe. Kazaa was the fifth fastest descending term and 'MP3' the tenth fastest.

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