The Prepaid Press - May 15, 2008 - (Page 23)

RETAIL FOCUS May 15 · 2008 - 23 PREPAID IOI by Professor Retske Give Me the Power worthwhile, they offer minimal protection. Their only real function is to suppress voltage spikes. These very short, 5 millisecond or less surges in voltage occur frequently. Some electronic equipment has internal components to deal with them, but a surge protector can prevent a lot of problems before the spike even gets to the equipment. Surge protectors are cheap, and can handle large loads, so big equipment, like copiers and monitors, can also be protected with them. But, they will provide no help in dealing with power outages of any duration, no matter how short; all they do is suppress a high voltage spike. The ultimate in power protection are Uninterruptible Power Supplies, which can provide backup power in the event of a power outage. Do you know that nearly all, well over 90%, of power outages are less than a minute long? Just enough Students, in the world of prepaid systems, there are many options. There are options for equipment, software, networks, systems and so on. But, there is one area where there are few; something so vital you cannot exist without it. Power. Think about it, without power, you are out of business. The best news is that most power outages are very short in duration. Typically, just long enough to throw your system into chaos. While the impact of power outages on my television setup is a personal annoyance, the impact of power glitches can be downright devastating to a prepaid business, or any business, for that matter. Resetting the clock on the VCR is annoying, but rebooting a server can represent significant down time. A lot of these hiccups can be taken care of easily, with some simple and inexpensive strategies. There are several layers of power protection, so let’s look at them in order from the simplest to most complex. First, are surge suppressors. While very Do you know that nearly all, well over 90%, of power outages are less than a minute long? Just enough to turn off your POSA device, PC or telephone system. Very disruptive. to turn off your POSA device, PC or telephone system. Very disruptive. And Murphy’s Law tells us that these outages are always going to happen at the worst possible moment. Fortunately, there are relatively inexpensive UPSs that will deal with these. A UPS is very simple in concept. It is plugged in between the power outlet and the device, like your PC. In addition to surge suppression, it continuously monitors the power for indications of power glitches. When the power is about to go out, there are indications on the Alternating Current waveform that indicates an outage is imminent, even if the switch is turned to the “off” position. The UPS detects these anomalies, and instantaneously switches off the AC power, and kicks in its internal battery and inverter. The battery and inverter put out an AC current that is identical to the power from the good ol’ power company. The good news is that the price of a UPS has dropped dramatically, making them an inexpensive addition. To decide on how big of a UPS to get, you need Continues on page 25 CAESARS PALACE, LAS VEGAS · AUGUST 19 – 21, 2008 At the retail level, consumers are welcoming – even demanding – innovations in the prepaid space. Prepaid is no longer just for the credit challenged consumer; from calling cards to wireless services to payments, prepaid is for everyone. THE PREPAID PRESS EXPO 2008 Never before, in the history of prepaid services, has there been so much opportunity. Join us at The Prepaid Press Expo 2008, and meet customers across all prepaid distribution channels. From service providers to distributors to retailers, tppEXPO’08 is the only event that bridges all sectors of the prepaid services industry, and all players within each sector. It is the primary point of convergence for prepaid services in 2008, and an event you won’t want to miss! Emperor Sponsor Centurion Sponsors Senator Sponsor REGISTER NOW and SAVE! tppEXPO’08 has partnered with industry leading research rm and conference organizer, The Pelorus Group, to help produce the industry’s most informative and most a ordable conference program for prepaid services. Attendees will learn about regulatory mandates, new technologies and applications, and distribution and retailing strategies for producing, buying, and selling prepaid services - speci cally for calling cards, wireless, and gift cards/alternative payments sold at the retail level. Grammaticus (Conference) Partner Giornale (Media) Sponsors CONFERENCE TRACKS Day One (Tues, 8/19): Prepaid Long Distance Day Two (Wed, 8/20): Prepaid Wireless Day Three (Thurs, 8/21): Prepaid/Alternative Payments SPEAKERS INCLUDE Jonathan S. 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Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Prepaid Press - May 15, 2008

The Prepaid Press - May 15, 2008 Prepaid Attracts Press Attention First Data to Acquire InComm Contents The Retske Report: To Everything There Is A Season Regulatory Rundown: Rules, Bills and Probes Courtesy of the FCC 5 Minutes With Ray Horak, Telecom Author The Prepaid Press Expo Spotlight The Age of Prepaid Prepaid Wireless in Brief Prepaid Wireless Roundup American Wireless to Sell Virgin Mobile Openet Introduces Flexible Accounts Prepaid Reviews Launches Pay as You Go Podcast Motorola Reports Losses APC Wireless Buys Movida Virgin Mobile to Deliver Limbo Services The State of Prepaid Technology Start Your Engines! The Legal Line PhoenixSoft Adds Service Providers Blackstone to Distribute Viscom Calling Cards Spot Rates IVR Technologies Releases Talking SIP 3.4 Calling Cards in Brief Former IDT Employee Wins $10.5 Million Payments in Brief Hypercom SmartPayments Certified for Windows Pacific Resource Credit Union Selects TMG New Payment Software for QuickBooks POS Blood in the Water Prepaid 101: Give Me the Power 7-Eleven to Hold Innovation Event First Data Gives Ingenico I-Series Class A Support Coinstar Kicks Off Change Reuse Program Payment Application Data Security Standard Issued Forrester Predicts Online Sales to Climb Retail Focus in Brief Our Advertisers Contact Us

The Prepaid Press - May 15, 2008

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