Microsoft Increases Developer Productivity by 40 Percent with Workflow Modeling Tools
Since 2003, the Microsoft Information Technology Group (MSIT) has developed and maintained Order Management, an online transaction processing (OLTP) application that makes it possible for customers in more than 200 countries to purchase Microsoft® products over the Internet. In 2007, MSIT discovered that 90 percent of the code defects in Order Management were caused by functional requirements being mistranslated into C# code. To reduce errors and speed development, the group decided to incorporate workflow models into its development process. MSIT implemented a solution based on Windows® Workflow Foundation in the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0. As a result, the productivity of developers has increased by 40 percent, functional code defects have decreased by 90 percent, and the performance of the OLTP application has been maintained.
Source - http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?CaseStudyID=4000003498
Florida Tech University Online Response
As companies increasingly face both vital technology and management decisions, demand for management professionals with master's degrees is expected to continue to grow. Florida Tech’s Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) is an innovative, nationally recognized master’s program carefully constructed to prepare you for the unique challenges of today’s dynamic information technology environment.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Is the Gulf Oil Spill Headed for Florida and North Carolina?
The weather changed yesterday and kept the Gulf of Mexico oil spill off the Louisiana coast for at least another day. But while we previously reported on the damage that oil could do if it makes landfall, there could also be disastrous consequences if the oil heads too far in the other direction, out to sea. Not far south of the oil slick’s present location lies the Gulf loop current, which heads north from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, makes a sharp turn in the middle of the Gulf and then heads for the tip of Florida. Eventually, water caught in the current can get pushed around to Florida and then connect to the Gulf Stream current.
If that happens, the oil could spread as far as Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, Discovery News reports.
Meanwhile, news about the efforts to stop the spill hasn’t improved. Yesterday BP announced it had begun to drill a relief well, one of the last available options to stop the leak created when the company’s leased oil rig, the Deepwater Horizon, exploded and sank. The idea is that the new well would intercept the one Deepwater Horizon had tapped and plug it to stop the flow of oil, but it won’t be completed for at least 60 to 90 days.
Investigators also must figure out what went wrong with the blowout preventer (BOP), which should have prevented this entire incident. The device is intended to shut off the flow of oil if an out-of-control surge begins to ascend the pipe, but both its automatic and manual switches failed this time.
The Gulf oil spill has had political reverberations throughout the country, too. President Obama backed off a plan to allow more offshore drilling after the extent of the spill became clear, and now California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has done the same. Previously, Schwarzenegger proposed new drilling off the California coast to raise the money needed to save state parks from California’s budget crisis. But after seen the pictures of oil spreading over miles and miles of ocean, the governor changed his mind.
Previous Gulf Oil Spill Stories:
80beats: Gulf Oil Spill: Fisheries Closed; Louisiana Wetlands Now in Jeopardy
80beats: Gulf Oil Spill Reaches U.S. Coast; New Orleans Reeks of “Pungent Fuel Smell”
80beats: Uh-Oh: Gulf Oil Spill May Be 5 Times Worse Than Previously Thought
80beats: Coast Guard’s New Plan To Contain Gulf Oil Spill: Light It on Fire
80beats: Sunken Oil Rig Now Leaking Crude; Robots Head to the Rescue
80beats: Ships Race To Contain the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
Image: NASA
Oceanographer George Maul worries that the current could push the oil slick right through the Florida Keys and its 6,000 coral reefs.
“I looked at some recent satellite imagery and it looks like some of the oil may be shifted to the south,” said Maul, a professor at Florida Institute of Technology (FIT.edu), which is a world-respected regionally accredited university in Melbourne, Fla. “If it gets entrained in the loop, it could spread throughout much of the Atlantic” [Discovery News].
Meanwhile, news about the efforts to stop the spill hasn’t improved. Yesterday BP announced it had begun to drill a relief well, one of the last available options to stop the leak created when the company’s leased oil rig, the Deepwater Horizon, exploded and sank. The idea is that the new well would intercept the one Deepwater Horizon had tapped and plug it to stop the flow of oil, but it won’t be completed for at least 60 to 90 days.
Investigators also must figure out what went wrong with the blowout preventer (BOP), which should have prevented this entire incident. The device is intended to shut off the flow of oil if an out-of-control surge begins to ascend the pipe, but both its automatic and manual switches failed this time.
Deepwater Horizon is the second such accident in less than a year. Just eight months ago, the BOP failed on a deep-water well in the Timor Sea, north-west of Australia. After five attempts and 10 weeks a relief well was drilled and the flow – much smaller than Deepwater Horizon – was stemmed [New Scientist].
The Gulf oil spill has had political reverberations throughout the country, too. President Obama backed off a plan to allow more offshore drilling after the extent of the spill became clear, and now California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has done the same. Previously, Schwarzenegger proposed new drilling off the California coast to raise the money needed to save state parks from California’s budget crisis. But after seen the pictures of oil spreading over miles and miles of ocean, the governor changed his mind.
“It will not happen here in California,” Schwarzenegger said at a news conference. “If I have a choice between the $100 million and what I see in the Gulf of Mexico, I’d rather just figure out how to make up for that $100 million” [San Jose Mercury News].
Previous Gulf Oil Spill Stories:
80beats: Gulf Oil Spill: Fisheries Closed; Louisiana Wetlands Now in Jeopardy
80beats: Gulf Oil Spill Reaches U.S. Coast; New Orleans Reeks of “Pungent Fuel Smell”
80beats: Uh-Oh: Gulf Oil Spill May Be 5 Times Worse Than Previously Thought
80beats: Coast Guard’s New Plan To Contain Gulf Oil Spill: Light It on Fire
80beats: Sunken Oil Rig Now Leaking Crude; Robots Head to the Rescue
80beats: Ships Race To Contain the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
Image: NASA
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Nurse Practitioners Fill Critical Roles in an Expanding Healthcare Field
U.S. News University Directory Reports That Nurses With Advanced Degrees Are in High Demand
TAMPA, Fla., May 4, 2010 -- In every profession there are those who pursue advanced education and training to achieve top-level expertise. Nurse practitioner (NP) is the title given to nurses who attain such proficiency in their field. Recent studies by PayScale.com show that the top-end salary for NPs can exceed $93,000 annually, and demand for healthcare professionals is growing faster than that of any other career. Join U.S. News University Directory as they explore how NP licensure helps nurses position themselves for a lifetime of lucrative, rewarding and stable employment.
To begin a nurse practitioner education, the first step is to earn a registered nurse (RN) license. There are several ways to do this – including diploma and associate’s degree programs – but for those want to someday become an NP, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) followed by successful completion of the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) is the preferred path. This is because BSN degree programs generally better prepare nurses for the rigorous education required of NPs, and also leave graduates at least two years closer to completing their master’s or doctoral degree than other RN programs.
After earning a registered nurse license, gaining acceptance to a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is the next step to becoming a nurse practitioner. Nurses pursuing either degree typically specialize in a particular area of nursing; psychiatric nurse practitioner (PHMNP), family nurse practitioner (FNP), pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) and neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) are the most popular concentrations, but there are many others. Specializing in this way allows nurses to concentrate on the aspect of their field that they find most rewarding and become true experts in its practice.
Which nursing schools to apply to is also a critical decision. Those offering MSN and/or DNP programs in a desired specialty are the obvious choice, but there are other factors to consider as well. Generally, nursing students should attend the most prestigious nursing school that they can get accepted to and afford. Graduating from a well-known and highly respected program expands their employment options once they enter the job market, and also increases their likelihood of landing the positions they really want. In this, nursing is like any other field; having a prestigious alma mater doesn’t mean everything, but it can put a candidate ahead of the pack when competition for jobs is fierce.
Something else to remember: Financial aid for nurses is available, even at the graduate level. All nursing students should fill out the Free Application for Federal student Aid (FAFSA) to see if there are any grants or loans that they qualify for. Obviously, grants are preferred – free money is better than money that must be paid back – but they are rare in the world of post-baccalaureate education. Most graduate students have more luck finding cheap, federally subsidized student loans. Careful research of scholarship opportunities is also recommended; nurses studying at the graduate level are encouraged to apply for any they think they have a chance of getting. Landing just one or two scholarships can render a prohibitively expensive nursing program suddenly affordable.
After completing an MSN or DNP degree, nurses can apply for licensure as a nurse practitioner. Every state has a board of nursing that regulates NP licenses, and each has its own particular credentialing standards. Most states require, at minimum, an MSN and certification by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Licensing periods also vary from state to state; some require relicensing every two years, while others require it every three.
Finally, certification from additional organizations might be required to enter certain specialties. For example, the American Psychiatric Nursing Association sets credentialing standards for nurse practitioners who want to work in the psychiatric field.
Healthcare employment is growing by leaps and bounds, so finding nurse practitioner jobs after licensure shouldn’t be too difficult. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the nursing field to grow by 22% through 2018, a pace that is much faster than the average for all professions. This means there should be almost 600,000 new nursing jobs created over the next eight years, in addition to hundreds of thousands of job openings that will result from nurses who retire or leave for other reasons. Licensed NPs have the advanced education and training that qualifies them for many of the most sought-after and best-paying positions.
Nurse practitioner salaries are among the highest in the nursing field. According to PayScale.com, NPs with one to four years of experience earn between $65,000 and $80,000 annually. Those who have been in the field for five to nine years bring in anywhere from $70,000 to $88,000 per year, while NPs who have been practicing for over ten years can increase that to more than $93,000. Location and the type of facility an NP works in also play a role in determining how much they earn; those who work in large cities, and those employed by surgery centers or the military, tend to have the highest top-end salaries.
When choosing a career path, it is wise to consider many factors: growth potential, salary, educational requirements, fringe benefits and more. The entire healthcare field is expanding rapidly, and nurse practitioners are positioned to land some of the best nursing jobs in it, so this is an excellent career to consider for those who are willing and able to earn the necessary credentials. Few other professions offer such an advantageous mix of flexibility, opportunity and job security.
About U.S. News University Directory
U.S. News University Directory provides comprehensive and unbiased information on more than 2,000 academic institutions directly from U.S. News & World Report, the most trusted source for college and university rankings since 1983.
Contact:
Matthew Speer, Director, Sales and Marketing
U.S. News University Connection
866-442-6587
http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/nurse-practitioners-fill-critical-roles.aspx
TAMPA, Fla., May 4, 2010 -- In every profession there are those who pursue advanced education and training to achieve top-level expertise. Nurse practitioner (NP) is the title given to nurses who attain such proficiency in their field. Recent studies by PayScale.com show that the top-end salary for NPs can exceed $93,000 annually, and demand for healthcare professionals is growing faster than that of any other career. Join U.S. News University Directory as they explore how NP licensure helps nurses position themselves for a lifetime of lucrative, rewarding and stable employment.
To begin a nurse practitioner education, the first step is to earn a registered nurse (RN) license. There are several ways to do this – including diploma and associate’s degree programs – but for those want to someday become an NP, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) followed by successful completion of the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) is the preferred path. This is because BSN degree programs generally better prepare nurses for the rigorous education required of NPs, and also leave graduates at least two years closer to completing their master’s or doctoral degree than other RN programs.
After earning a registered nurse license, gaining acceptance to a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is the next step to becoming a nurse practitioner. Nurses pursuing either degree typically specialize in a particular area of nursing; psychiatric nurse practitioner (PHMNP), family nurse practitioner (FNP), pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) and neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) are the most popular concentrations, but there are many others. Specializing in this way allows nurses to concentrate on the aspect of their field that they find most rewarding and become true experts in its practice.
Which nursing schools to apply to is also a critical decision. Those offering MSN and/or DNP programs in a desired specialty are the obvious choice, but there are other factors to consider as well. Generally, nursing students should attend the most prestigious nursing school that they can get accepted to and afford. Graduating from a well-known and highly respected program expands their employment options once they enter the job market, and also increases their likelihood of landing the positions they really want. In this, nursing is like any other field; having a prestigious alma mater doesn’t mean everything, but it can put a candidate ahead of the pack when competition for jobs is fierce.
Something else to remember: Financial aid for nurses is available, even at the graduate level. All nursing students should fill out the Free Application for Federal student Aid (FAFSA) to see if there are any grants or loans that they qualify for. Obviously, grants are preferred – free money is better than money that must be paid back – but they are rare in the world of post-baccalaureate education. Most graduate students have more luck finding cheap, federally subsidized student loans. Careful research of scholarship opportunities is also recommended; nurses studying at the graduate level are encouraged to apply for any they think they have a chance of getting. Landing just one or two scholarships can render a prohibitively expensive nursing program suddenly affordable.
After completing an MSN or DNP degree, nurses can apply for licensure as a nurse practitioner. Every state has a board of nursing that regulates NP licenses, and each has its own particular credentialing standards. Most states require, at minimum, an MSN and certification by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) or American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Licensing periods also vary from state to state; some require relicensing every two years, while others require it every three.
Finally, certification from additional organizations might be required to enter certain specialties. For example, the American Psychiatric Nursing Association sets credentialing standards for nurse practitioners who want to work in the psychiatric field.
Healthcare employment is growing by leaps and bounds, so finding nurse practitioner jobs after licensure shouldn’t be too difficult. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the nursing field to grow by 22% through 2018, a pace that is much faster than the average for all professions. This means there should be almost 600,000 new nursing jobs created over the next eight years, in addition to hundreds of thousands of job openings that will result from nurses who retire or leave for other reasons. Licensed NPs have the advanced education and training that qualifies them for many of the most sought-after and best-paying positions.
Nurse practitioner salaries are among the highest in the nursing field. According to PayScale.com, NPs with one to four years of experience earn between $65,000 and $80,000 annually. Those who have been in the field for five to nine years bring in anywhere from $70,000 to $88,000 per year, while NPs who have been practicing for over ten years can increase that to more than $93,000. Location and the type of facility an NP works in also play a role in determining how much they earn; those who work in large cities, and those employed by surgery centers or the military, tend to have the highest top-end salaries.
When choosing a career path, it is wise to consider many factors: growth potential, salary, educational requirements, fringe benefits and more. The entire healthcare field is expanding rapidly, and nurse practitioners are positioned to land some of the best nursing jobs in it, so this is an excellent career to consider for those who are willing and able to earn the necessary credentials. Few other professions offer such an advantageous mix of flexibility, opportunity and job security.
About U.S. News University Directory
U.S. News University Directory provides comprehensive and unbiased information on more than 2,000 academic institutions directly from U.S. News & World Report, the most trusted source for college and university rankings since 1983.
Contact:
Matthew Speer, Director, Sales and Marketing
U.S. News University Connection
866-442-6587
http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/nurse-practitioners-fill-critical-roles.aspx
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