This Week in IDEA | April 25, 2007
This Week in IDEA is a weekly eNewsletter created to keep the supply network informed about new IDEA happenings and other helpful resources regarding eBusiness trends and industry news. Become an eBiz expert and subscribe today!
Contents
- New IDEA Customer: Valley Electric Supply Corp.
- New IRD/CERICOMX® Customers
- Distribution Virtual Tech Fair is Now Open to Public
- Dave Frenkel Leaving IDEA
- Is Your Information Safe From Intruders? The Do's and Don't's of Password Security
- May IDW2 Training Schedule
- Did You Know? IDW2 Hot Fact
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New IDEA Customer: Valley Electric Supply Corp.
Valley Electric Supply Corp., a wholesaler of electrical equipment and supplies from Vincennes, IN, became an IDEA customer on April 25, 2007. They will be taking advantage of the cost saving features and reliability of the Industry Data Exchange (IDX2). Valley ES is a proud member of IMARK. Find out more about Valley ES here. Welcome aboard!
New IRD/CERICOMX® Customers
IDEA, a 1SYNC Data Pool On-Board Solution (OBS) partner, implements suppliers that subscribe to the 1SYNC data pool using IDEA's IRD CERICOMX application. IDEA was recently assigned the following three suppliers:
- Blueberry Hill Foods
- Sports Design and Development
- Cascade Wood Products
These companies will be trained to use IRD CERICOMX®, an IDEA branded product for supporting and uploading supplier product information into the GS1 Registry® and GDSN via the 1SYNC Data Pool.
If you would like to learn more about the CERICOMX® product, please contact John Etrie, IDEA IRD Product Manager, here or at (703) 562-4624; or Tony Gaffney, IDEA CERICOMX® Implementation Manager, here or at (508) 386-0261.
Distribution Virtual Tech Fair is Now Open to Public
The Distribution Virtual Trade Fair hosted by Brown Smith Wallace Consulting, opened to the public today at 8:00am. While at the event, you will be able to develop a technology roadmap for your company, attend educational programs of more than 20 industry experts, participate in real-time chat with booth staffers, network with industry professionals and win a variety of prizes.
IDEA would like to invite you to visit our booth at this free interactive event so that you can speak directly to experienced sales staff about our services and register to win $100 American Express gift cards!
Dave Frenkel Leaving IDEA
IDEA sadly announces that Dave Frenkel, IDEA Standards Manager, will be leaving the company effective April 30th. Throughout his career at IDEA, Dave has made many long term improvements within the Standards Organization, especially through his involvement in the Restrictions of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) and his implementation of Microsoft SharePoint, version control software which facilitates team work groups within the Standards Organization.
IDEA would like to thank Dave for his contributions to the industry and wish him the best in all future endeavors.
Tom Guzik, the IDX2 Product Manager, will become the primary standards contact until this position is filled. You may reach him by email here or by phone at (703)562-4626. Please visit the IDEA Career Page to apply for the Standards Manager Position.
Is Your Information Safe From Intruders? The Do's and Don't's of Password Security
It might feel like a pain to change your “memorized” password; however systems know the difference between pain and security – especially those that have been compromised due to a complicated or unsophisticated hacking attack.
Albeit most folks are not fond of being accountable for ensuring system security, all users of information resources are responsible for assisting in the protection of the systems they use.
Many intruders enter systems simply by guessing passwords. Even the best passwords can eventually be defeated mathematically, given enough time. The use of strong passwords acts as a firm deterrent against password guessing and buys additional time against other attacks.
| DO’s | DONT’s |
|---|---|
| DO use a password with mixed-case letters. Use uppercase letters throughout the password. | DO NOT use a network login ID in any form (reversed, capitalized, or doubled as a password). |
| DO use a password that contains alphanumeric characters and include punctuation, where supported by the operating system. | DO NOT use your first, middle or last name or anyone else’s in any form. Do not use your initials or any nicknames you may have or anyone else’s. |
| DO use a password with mixed-case letters. Do not just capitalize the first letter, but add uppercase letters throughout the password. | DO NOT use a word contained in English or foreign dictionaries, spelling lists, or other word lists and abbreviations. |
| DO use at least six characters, eight characters for Windows NT. | DO NOT use other information easily obtained about you. This includes pet names, license plate numbers, telephone numbers, identification numbers, the name of the street you live on, and so on. Someone who knows the user very easily guesses such passwords. |
| DO use a seemingly random selection of letters and numbers. | DO NOT use a password of all numbers, or a password composed of alphabet characters. Mix numbers and letters. |
| DO use a password that can be typed quickly, without having to look at the keyboard. This makes it harder for someone to steal your password by looking at your keyboard (also known as "shoulder surfing"). | DO NOT use dates e.g., September, SEPT1999 or any combination thereof. |
|
DO change passwords regularly. The more critical an account to network integrity (such as root on a Unix host or Administrator on Windows NT), the more frequently the password should be changed. This change stops someone who has already compromised an account from continued access. |
DO NOT use keyboard sequences, e.g., qwerty. |
May IDW2 Training Schedule
IDEA continues to offer distributor and manufacturer trainings, all-users’ Q&A sessions and Net Pricing sessions. The May dates for these trainings are:
IDW2 Distributor Training Sessions:
Wednesday, May 2, 2007: 1:30 – 3:00PM
Wednesday, May 16, 2007: 1:30 – 3:00PM
Wednesday, May 30, 2007: 1:30 – 3:00PM
IDW2 Manufacturer Training Sessions:
Thursday, May 10, 2007: 1:30 – 3:30PM
Thursday, May 24, 2007: 1:30 – 3:30PM
General Net-Pricing Sessions (open to all):
Thursday, May 3, 2007: 1:30 – 2:00PM
Thursday, May 17, 2007: 1:30 – 2:00PM
Thursday, May 31, 2007: 1:30 – 2:00PM
All-user Ask the IDW2 Experts Q&A Sessions:
Wednesday, May 9, 2007: 1:30 – 3:30PM
Wednesday, May 23, 2007: 1:30 – 3:30PM
If you plan on attending an Ask the IDW2 experts session, it is recommended, but not mandatory, to e-mail questions in advance, as those questions will be addressed first. These sessions will aim to help you:
o Resolve your IDW2 issues
o Learn from those in your industry
o Find out how your supplier or distributor is using the IDW2
Additional training sessions are announced each month in This Week in IDEA.
To sign up for a training session, please contact Robert Hollands, IDW2 Training and Technical Representative, at 703-562-4616.
Did You Know? IDW2 Hot Fact
The “Help” button, located near the upper right-hand corner of each IDW2 screen, is a useful tool that explains the features of the screen you’re currently viewing. Clicking the “Help” button will generate a pop-up window, so remember to temporarily disable your browser’s pop-up blocker first.
