Unable to open all or some websites on BSNL internet connection

BSNL broadband users, sometime encounter problem while connecting to internet or accessing some specific websites. This is more often with .BIZ domain websites. You will see that you are connected to internet via network cable or WiFi, but you would not be able to open certain websites.

Internet connectivity seems to be OK and all lights glowing on the modem. LAN / Wi-Fi icon is also showing connected. However, you are not able to open any or some specific websites.

The problem is with DNS servers. Sometimes DNS servers don't work or DNS servers become unresponsive. This seems to be frustrating, but it is something which can be fixed very easily. You just need to change your DNS settings and use an external DNS server instead of your ISP's.

You can use

1.      Google Public DNS [Preferred DNS 8.8.8.8 and Alternate DNS 8.8.4.4]

2.      OpenDNS [Preferred DNS 208.67.222.222 and Alternate DNS 208.67.220.220]

STEPS TO CONFIGURE DNS

1. Right click on Ethernet / LAN / Wi-Fi icon, it is on bottom right side of taskbar. Then select “Open Network & Internet setting” as shown in image below                                                                                                                                                                                                               
   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
2. Now select Ethernet / Wi-Fi (whichever you current connection is) and then select “Change adapter options” as shown in image below                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
   
                                                                               click on image to enlarge                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
3. Now select right click on active connection (i.e. Ethernet / LAN / Wi-Fi) and select “Properties”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
   
                                                                    click on image to enlarge                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
4. In Properties, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and again click on Properties                                                                                                                                                                   
   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
5. Now choose the option – “Use the following DNS server addresses” and then enter one set of the IP addresses as shown in image below.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
6. Now click “OK” to confirm these settings 

       YOU ARE ALL SET TO BROWSE INTERNET 😊

Precise Documentation - Key to successful project

In a perfect world every project would be "on time and within budget."

But reality (especially the proven statistics) tells a very different story. It's not uncommon for projects to fail. Even if the budget and schedule are met, one must ask "did the project deliver the results and quality we expected?"

Statistics

According to the Standish Group in 1995, only 16% of software projects were successful, 53% challenged (that is cost overruns, budget overruns or content deficiencies) and 31% cancelled.

Furthermore, they say the average software project runs 222% late, 189% over budget and delivers only 61% of the specified functions. Evidence suggests little has changed since then.

Let’s put some dollar signs on that…

• Research from Oxford University cited in Computer Weekly magazine suggests that “One in six IT projects run out of control with average cost overruns of 200%”.
• Another study from the European Services Strategy Unit looked at 105 public sector IT projects and found that together they cost £9 billion more than expected (at today’s exchange rate, that’s over $14,000,000,000).

Failure has become the IT industry norm. So what can we do about it?

A good starting point is creating a system document explaining the requirements. There's an old saying, "never assume anything", and this is especially true for software projects.

Unclear objectives & timeframes, Changing requirements & specifications, Lack of ‘user’ input & involvement, non required functionality, poor processes, lost development time, missed project deadlines, poor quality– the list of causes can go on and on.

So, clearly defining system & functional requirements is wise and an essential investment for any software project.

Sources :

• projectsmart.co.uk  
• timeequalsmoney.net.au 

The Beacon World...!

“iBeacon” a recent entrant in tech keyword list is creating a lot of buzz. Let’s dive-in to explore, What they are? How they work? And why they will be important?

GPS services, based on lat/long are great for navigation and pointing locations on maps. But modern day people with smartphones spend most of their time indoors. When it comes to indoor, multistoried buildings and even underground areas, GPS doesn't have capacity to capture accurate location. So, Beacons are the solution. 

Beacons

Beacons are transmitters that use Low Energy Bluetooth technology to communicate with other devices. These are very small devices which come with a battery life of about 3-12 months. They can be easily mounted on walls/ceilings

In layman terms, just think of a battery operated radio, transmitting constant flow of audio signals. However, data transmitted in this case will have prefix, UDID, major, minor values. 

Future

The potential isn’t just hype. It’s real, though. Industries like retail, hotel and logistics will encounter completely new ways to interact with customer, staff, etc.

Just think of scenario(s)

1) You walked into store and you get a personalized welcome notification on your mobile device. Also you get the deals & offers based on your interest, purchasing history.

Awesome….!

2) You are at hotel lobby and reception staff is automatically notified about your arrival. Reception staff immediately completes the check-in process. Meanwhile you enjoy your favorite welcome drink, being served by the waitress, without even asking you. She had been notified about your presence and your favorite drink, the moment you entered the proximity. Wonderful….isn’t it….!

3) You are in big amusement park and your mobile app guides you the exact path to your favorite ride, cafeteria, etc…..Wow…!

Rising Curve

Many tech companies are building platforms/SDKs which can be easily used along beacons, like Gimbal, BlueCats, Estimote, Kontakt.io

In five years, iBeacon/Bluetooth Low Energy Device market to reach 60 million devices (Source: Internet)

Let’s wait and watch, how it evolves.

Never know, someday I am on the way to office, passing by my favorite restaurant. And my phone vibrates with the notification – 

“Hi Sachin, We are glad to offer you 50% discount on food bill tonight….Happy Birthday” 

Multiple Development Teams, uploading Apps to common iTunes account.

After a recent struggle to upload an app on Apple Store, I wish to share my experience based on my current encounter with non technical client (who fails to understand the development team’s lingo….) and team of coders (who speak only zeros and ones…..)

Hope this helps the one, who are facing the same problem and also adds to my knowledge if any experts wish to add their comments.

To upload any App to iTunes, three things are required i.e. 

1) Private Key (To be generated from MAC Machine)

2) Distribution Certificate (To be created on Apple provisioning Portal)

3) Distribution Profile (To be created on Apple provisioning Portal)

To create Distribution Certificate, we need Private Key, which can be generated from MAC machine.

e.g. To upload App 1, Private Key and Distribution Certificate is created by development team A.

So if any other app needs to be uploaded on iTunes by development team A or any other team, it needs the same Distribution Certificate and Private Key.

If development team B generates new Distribution Certificate and Private Key by revoking the existing certificate, created by development team A. On this revoke profile created by development team A became INVALID and the new profile created by development team B become ACTIVE.  

RIGHT MOVE: At this point of time Distribution Certificate and Private Key should have been requested from development team A rather than creating new.

So in the current scenario App 1 cannot be upgraded as Distribution Certificate and Private Key have been revoked at the time of uploading App 2.

Please feel free to add below…….!

Software Testing Services – sweet spot for Indian providers (Startups, SME, Big Players)

This is first time I thought of doing some serious research on software testing services; which I originally assumed as an addon service, with around 10% of the total project cost and I believed it cannot be a core offering to run the business engine with full throttle.

But with the rising need for performance and accuracy, demand for quality assurance service is obtaining new heights. Over last few years India is contributing to one-third of the total global testing outsourcing and is still on rise.

Continuing with the traditional manual testing, now industry is also focused on automated testing for more accurate and high performing applications.

Top emerging trends are: 

• Cloud Testing
• Mobile Testing
• Security Testing
• Enterprise Testing
• Testing Consultancy 

As per NASSCOM, Infiniti and other research organization 

• Total market share for testing is US$ 30 Billion
• Total outsourcing market is US$ 10 Billion
• Outsourcing market for India is US$ 3.25 Billion
• Independent testing outsourcing Market for India is US$ 2 Billion
• Out of US$ 2 Billion, big players take 70% of the pie 

Therefore SMB and Startups are still left with US$ 0.6 Billion market, with predicted CAGR of 15.6%

PRICING

•  In the US and UK the total cost of an employee is considered to be around double their salary (that varies some based on the level of benefits offered, location, and other similar factors) and QA testers earn between $45,000 and $90,000 a year depending on experience level, industry, and location. This would mean that on average a Tester in the US should have an employment cost somewhere around $60 - $75 per hour.

• Billing rates for Outsourced testers ranges from $25 - $40 per hour in places like India and China up to as much as $60 an hour for outsourced testers in industrialized countries. 

• It can be as high as $150 per hour  in some locations of if specialized knowledge is required.

RESOURCE COSTING

TYPE	1-2 years (experience)	3-4 years (experience)	5-6 years (experience)
Manual Testing	US$ 4500.00 p.a.	US$ 7250.00 p.a.	US$ 11000.00 p.a.
Automated Testing	US$ 5500.00 p.a.	US$ 9000.00 p.a.	US$ 13000.00 p.a.

TESTING TOOLS

Open Source Testing Tools	Licensed Testing Tools	Open Source Bug Tracking Tools
Selenium	QTP & WinRunner by HP	Mantis
Tellurium	IBM Rational	Bugzilla
Apache JMeter	Silk	Trac
AutoIt	SOAtest	Redmine
OpenSTA	TestComplete	Fossil
DogTail	Telerik Test Studio	Mantis

GOTO MARKET STRATEGY

Big players like Infosys, Wipro, CSC, CapGemini are catering to market needs by establishing Center of Excellence and acquisition of existing test centers. Like AppLabs was acquired by CSC, Electronic Data Systems bought RelQ which specializes in software testing, validation, verification and quality assurance.

Pure play companies like QA Infotech and Maveric Systems are the leading names in software testing outsourcing. Such companies are making remarkable growth by strong and impeccable track record of delivering support services to industry.

QA Infotech established in 2003 with headquarters in Michigan and delivery centers in India is providing services to industry vertical like BFSI, retail, publishing. By making the strategic partnership with SmarteSoft Inc, Texas and setting up specialized test center for mobile testing, company is continually expanding.

Maveric System is no different in the league. With its presence in Middle East, Europe and US through strategic partnerships with Wareef United (Saudi Arabia), Real Consulting Services Limited (UK), Mission Assurance and Testing Limited (UK) and SmarteSoft Inc (US) Maveric successfully generated the revenue of Rs 70 Cr in Fiscal 2010 with about 20% growth in next year.

Simple yet effective strategy is

• Identify the correct spark plug
• Stay focused
• Deliver results & attain customer loyalty
• Train & retain workforce
• Innovate & create differentiator
• Build relationships & make strategic alliance to enter new markets
• Help end customers to succeed
• Finally, Make The World Bug Free.....!

What happens after you get a lead?

The Traditional Enterprise Sales vs Sales & Marketing 2.0 Approach:

• The focus is now on ROI and not only on the product. For instance, you communicate how much difference the product will impact on your ROI and not just its features.
• There is something called a ROI Calculator which helps you do that. It’s called Strategic Opportunity Assessment (SOA) which measures the impact on Cycle time, Product variability, service levels and such other parameters. ZoomInfo, Hoovers and such other companies have what they call a Value Calculator which lets you do all that.
• Earlier the target audience would be mostly C-level execs and nothing less than a VP. Only companies, revenue in excess of 1 Bn US$ would be sought after. Post SaaS all that has changed. Deal size have become considerably smaller. Earlier a 6 Mn US$ revenue by the Product company would constitute of deals where the deal –size was never less than 700000 US$.
• In a SaaS world, Long Sales Cycle and High Touch are Kiss of Death. Traditional 18-month enterprise models don’t work anymore.

Difference between SaaS as a procurement model and SaaS as a deployment model. True SaaS as it should be, is both. From a Sales perspective, a Procurement Model is relevant – try before you buy.

Sales & Marketing – 2.0 Approach:

• Alignment between Sales & Marketing. This has to be maintained throughout the Sales Cycle. The job of Marketing is to generate leads and of sales is to close leads. The leads to opportunity gap must be monitored at all times, because that is what will determine the success of SaaS.
• Traditional Matrices – number of leads generated, pipeline value by sales stage, sales rep’s commission calculated based on quota achievement, sales cycle time, win rates and forecast attainment.
• Additional Matrices now being measured – Leads converted to opportunity; pipeline velocity by sales stage; Sales Rep scorecard; Sales stage cycle time.

Changing culture:

• Size of deals are getting smaller. Now it is about volume.
• Marketing tools – emails, campaigns, search engine marketing, banner advertisement have to be all measurement oriented.
• The measurement matrices –  Reach, Acquisition, Conversions and Qualified Leads. Sales & Marketing teams would have to go item by item and agree on what really are Qualified Leads.
• Internet Marketing Metrics measured by – Impression, Clicks, Click through and cost per impression. E-mails have one of the poorest form of conversion.
• Lead Flow Access Organization. Campaign (Banner, paid search, text newsletter) —Landing Page — CRM and Marketing Automation — Lead Scorecard — Sales Opportunity closed. This will also keep tabs on sales productivity.

Lead Management & Nurturing:

1. Reach
2. Interest – major leakages occur here between reach and interest.
3. Desire
4. Convert
5. Enrich
6. Retain

Any mature marketing process closes the B2B lead Management Gap. The need is for lead developers and not just generators.

What is a lead?

Someone who has – 1 Budgets 2 Authority 3 Need 4 Purchasing time frame. This helps to define suspects, prospects and leads.

Lead Scoring – explicit data:

Quantification (point-based) is done based on Budgets (Yes, Partial & No); Job Title ( C-level, President, SVP) and Demographics

Lead scoring – implicit data:

Based on how recent is the lead and the frequency of it. Buying behavior shows that as they get ready to buy, customers would call back more frequently.

Using these Lead scoring maps, commissions of sales people can be computed as also agreed upon action plans.

Routing:

Ensure follow up within 48 hours because interest level diminishes after 48 hours. Deals are closed based on how quickly you are able to touch base. One & Done – never. What it means is that just don’t send 1 email / make 1 phone call / 1 newsletter and sit tight if no response comes in. It never will. Emails / newsletters have to be followed up with phone calls.

Lead nurturing through content creation:

The content creation team is responsible for identifying the Buyer person and devising the content tactics accordingly.

• If it is the influencer in the organization that you are reaching out to, then the content needs to be info oriented. E.g. newsletters and user generated emails.
• For Executives, one needs to communicate the idea of thought leadership. Case studies & best practices.
• For technical people it is about webinars and
• Economic – ROI, CTO needs to be communicated effectively.

Gated content (monitor who gets to use) vs Open Content:

Gated content – Analyst paper, Thought Leadership, Webinars & Installation Guides

Open content – Videos, Data sheets, Solution Briefs and Product Specifications

As an analyst you convey “I feel your pain.”

When there is consideration of sale, you talk about ROI, case study.

At decision making stage you talk about Data Sheet, Success Stories and Free Trials.

Lessons learnt:

• Ineffective / poor content
• Too many calls-to-action in email
• Doing too much too fast
• Not paying attention to the hand-off
• Believing that there is one nurture for all
• Internal politics within the organization

2 types of Marketing People that you require:

1)      Marketing Managers who will always fill up the pipeline – lead generators basically. They are the ones who will look after content, market segmentation, prepare lists and talk about corporate strategy. Their job is to fill the top of the funnel.

2)      Field Marketer. To plug the funnel. Their job is to maximize the return on leads. Liaise; Lead Scoring; Lead Distribution and Lead Follow up. These are the guys who in future will drive your business.