by Aaron Falk

Abbas Hashmi was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. He completed his high school there and then went to Pakistan to finish his MBA. After his MBA, he started working for Berger Paints Pakistan. Since then, he hasn’t looked back and has experienced tremendous success, while also helping out people who want to experience the American Dream

It was at Berger Paints that Hashmi realized that he had significant potential in sales. He was a fast learner and was able to grasp the paint business quickly.  Throughout the beginning years, Hashmi learned important lessons, including realizing the worth of hard and honest work, relationship management and the importance of empathy.

Hashmi also has a certificate in Islamic Finance. He has worked for AIG Insurance as Regional Head for Middle East and as an Associate Director for a major Saudi Investment Bank.  This is where he nominated as the fastest-growing profit center and was awarded the MRG award in 2005. Before his current position, Hashmi was the head of Institutional Relationships for a family based company in Qatar.

The finance expert is a hard-working and down-to-earth individual.  All his life he has seen his father work with honesty and dedication and he has applied the same principles to his profession – also learning about parental responsibilities with his three-year-old daughter, who provides him with an endless supply of cookies.

Hashmi founded his company Green Card Capital in New York.  The U.S. licensed and registered firm provides immigration consultancy to individuals, families and groups who are interested in relocating to the United States, using investment as a significant tool.

The private firm is marketed towards individuals and groups that want to migrate by making lucrative and successful investments. Hashmi’s staff members are experienced, full-trained, dedicated and committed to using the company’s opportunities that are available for immigrants and helping people start lives that can be rewarding and fulfilling.

Hashmi’s success lies in his commitment to his clients. For more than 35 years, he has come to realize and understand his client’s real investment needs and has an aptitude for business and sales that enables him to give his clients with opportunities that are attainable and profitable.  He is passionate about his work and works hard to achieve his objectives.

This is why he believes that Green Card Capital can help guide people to make the right investments and decisions.

by Bill Richards

Linda McKissack wanted more than just a Cadillac and a set of steak knives – that’s a reference to the play or motion picture “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Instead, she wanted to be a leader, an inspiration and to reach the top of the mountain in the real estate industry. McKissack accomplished this all.

During her more than 25 years in the business, McKissack has become a Jane of all trades in real estate: she is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, coach, consultant, speaker and various other career paths.

For nearly three decades, McKissack has soared to become a reliable and dependable veteran in the real estate sales business. Even as she continues to close sales at the present time, McKissack operates different enterprises, which are all running in a successful way. When she does have downtime, McKissack teaches and trains others on how to make sales, generate wealth and achieve success in this difficult industry.

The real estate sales practice led by McKissack has sold more than 60 million in volume and closes roughly 375 units annually. Throughout her time in the sometimes sluggish real estate business, McKissack has produced five real estate broker franchises, maintains regional ownership for Keller Williams Realty and even is involved in a mortgage company.

Furthermore, McKissack participates in the speaking circuit and consulting industry. She is also an owner and investor in many commercial and residential properties. Indeed, she has energy people yearn for and success that people desire.

In her busy schedule, Linda has also co-authored a book titled “Presentation Mastery for Realtors: Building Your Brand, Presenting your Best Self and Doubling your Income.” It is a book that can be used as a guide for real estate professionals at all levels of experience. Others say that it’s also a valuable tool for small business owners.

For more than two decades, McKissack has developed into a brilliant real estate mind with a passion, dedication and commitment to everything even remotely associated to real estate. Instead of her enthusiastic spirit eroding and spending her days in an office, McKissack works closely in the real estate community and has become a renowned identity in the business.

Of course, this is something that has not been overlooked by industry leaders and those who have worked with McKissack in the past or working with her in the present.

Her vigour, skills, techniques and fortitude are being transmitted to her colleagues in order to establish success in today’s rough economic climate. McKissack is not only a successful entrepreneur, but she is also a woman who wants other people to thrive the same way she has.  McKissack attempts to provide valuable advice, feedback and constructive criticisms to aid others become a flourish realtor.

“As I recently traveled across the country, I cannot help to believe now more than ever, if we don’t design our lives somebody or someone else will!” wrote McKissack in a blog post. “We tend to under estimate what we can do in five years and over estimate what we can do in a short period , we also don’t think about what our lives will look like 5, 10 , 15 or 20 years from today . We have become a group of people who want it yesterday, we are after instant gratification. And yet a truly perfect life takes planning and working specifically for a Pre-planned goal in the future.”

McKissack went from a new agent to a seventh-level millionaire with a real estate business that performs more than 300 transactions each year.  By observing the balance sheets and data, it can be plainly surmised that McKissack is a very successful entrepreneur.

by Becca Cobb

It has been reported by industry experts that the purchases and usage of green vehicles are continuing to increase annually. For the last few decades, chauffeured vehicles have been depicted as gas guzzlers and harmful for the environment. However, one company is changing that viewpoint.

Olympus Worldwide is a chauffeur services firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and dedicated to being environmentally-friendly. Started in 1998 by Johan De Leeuw, the company has been dedicated to consistency, reliability and safety. It offers an array of limousine, sedan and bus services in more than 450 destinations around the world, including in each city in the United States.

Delivering a number of services in an eco-friendly manner by high-quality and trained experienced professionals, Olympus Worldwide offers corporate travel, airport services, private aviation, hourly service and transportation to meetings and events

As the company states: its cars are black, but its business is green. It maintains a variety of vehicles that are the latest luxury models and have the newest features for convenience and personalized needs for its clientele. Some of the cars in its fleet are comprised of the Lincoln L Series Town Car, Lincoln Super Stretch Limousine, corporate van, a 29-passenger shuttle bus and a large coach bus.

“Every person on our team has gotten better across the board since then” said Johan De Leeuw, owner and company president, in a press release. “We all realized that the bar was raised and the expectations of our clients increased exponentially. We have to be great every day, in everything we do.”

Customers are able to receive a quote and book reservations on the Olympus Worldwide website or by telephone. Clients also have the benefits of altering itineraries, perusing credit card invoices and receipts, and contacting the firm about anything 24 hours a day, seven days a week by either using its call center services or going online.

Olympus Worldwide is a founding member of the Limousine Environmental Partnership (LEP). It has introduced a series of strategies to make sure that the company is green and is reducing its energy consumption. Some of these tactics include a carbon emissions inventory assessment, voluntary reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), using FlexFuel and Hybrid vehicles and integration of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction strategies.

“We have developed a world class group of partners by investing in the time to vet them properly. We work very hard to assure our clients receive the same level of care in every city that we service,” added De Leeuw.

Olympus Worldwide was ranked No. 1,202 on the prestigious Inc. 500 | 5000 list of fastest private American companies in the country, the state of Georgia and the Atlanta Metro Area. It posted a 261 percent growth from 2008 to 2011 with a workforce of only nine employees.

The chauffeur enterprise regularly publishes a newsletter that looks at the latest industry news, the green sector, tips from experts, things to do in Atlanta in each season and up-to-date news about the company.

It has big plans for the future: “We hope to double in size within the next 3 years,” confirmed De Leeuw.

by Becca Cobb

Not all of us are finance gurus. Some of us simply have a savings account, maybe a few GICs or even a mutual fund – heck, perhaps even some gold bars or silver coins. When it comes to playing Wall Street, it’s a whole other world for the average person.

The latest craze in the stock market world is binary options, types of options where the payoff is either a fixed amount of some asset or nothing at all. There are two specific kinds of binary options: a cash-or-nothing binary option and an asset-or-nothing binary option.

Binary options have grown in both popularity and scrutiny over the years. Those closely affiliated to the industry and some financial experts say it’s a dangerous way to trade because of two reasons: you don’t need to know a lot when you embark on trading in the market and there is a negative cumulative payout involved.

Analysts opine that the best way to determine if binary options are successful for you is to do the following: analyze the win/loss ratio, win size versus loss size, net income, net profitable trades and maximum losses in a row.

When global markets plummeted and took a beating in 2007, successful businessman and revered financier Oren Laurent established Banc De Binary in 2009 in light of the market insecurity and volatility. Since then, Banc De Binary has been the solo binary options company in the European Union. Recently, it has been authorized and registered by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, the United Kingdom Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the EU regulatory bodies in the 27 member nations.

Located in Limassol, Cyprus, Banc De Binary has become one of the top investment firms with an innovative and original online platform. It boasts about the financial tools that allow hundreds of thousands of clients to prosper in a difficult market.

Aside from its financial instruments, it also maintains several other features, such as publishing the latest industry news, support from its professional brokers, updates of technical analyses and a sublime overall customer experience.

Three years after opening its doors, Banc De Binary has expanded into 80 countries across the globe and is serving clients all day every day. It is in the midst of growing its already large book of clients. In order to do this, it continues to improve on its assistance, services and status.

“We have long voiced our desire to expand in these markets and through the obtained license and the registration of Banc De Binary in UK, Germany, Spain and Italy now we can serve investors throughout Europe,” said the Banc De Binary CEO in a media release last month. “Our clients can be assured of the highest level of professional standards, customer service, financial security and transparency in their transactions with us.”

The firm’s website contains a variety of functions to aid and improve the trading experience. Some of these features consist of an introduction to binary options, fundamental analysis, profit strategies (risk management, trading strategies, trading fundamental events), how to select the best broker and market reviews. It also has an up-to-date, comprehensive blog that covers industry news, helpful videos and important tips.

After a couple of superb years, Banc De Binary has been given several distinctions and honors from industry leaders for its excellence, including winning outstanding awards for best customer service, best brokerage and best platform of the year.

The minimum deposits are $250 with payouts averaging about 81 percent. Presently, it does not permit clients from the United States. Experts believe the company is reputable and successful as it has received on average four-star reviews from several finance venues.

By Ian Innes

The world of health and medicine is changing each day. Even though it may seem as if industry experts and professionals are consistently changing their minds about what’s good and bad for us – such as coffee, eggs and bread – understanding the latest news and up-to-date information is imperative to us living a healthy lifestyle.

As advancements are made in this field so are our methods of obtaining the news. From our desktops to laptops to smartphones to tablets, consumers have various means of getting the most recent news, including the finding of a new cure, the reportage of a new research study or top suggestions to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The dailyRx News Network is a website publishing breaking news and videos related to health conditions, over-the-counter and nutraceutical products and pharmaceutical medications for consumers and patients.

The news website is owned and operated by the Austin, Texas-based medical media company Patient Conversation Media, a network that establishes a means of connection between patients and physicians and medical professionals through articles, social media, videos and 1-800 numbers.

The reports written by its staff of experienced professionals are done in a positive and easy-to-understand language – forget the medical jargon. Each article is reviewed for effectiveness by various industry professionals, like physicians, pharmacists and therapists. Each article is distributed with the idea in mind to continue giving consumers the method of making informed decisions about their health.

Some of the latest article topics are eye cancer in children, juices containing more calories, the benefits of hip surgery, alcohol consumption during a pregnancy and drinking coffee as a way to reduce the risk of contracting breast cancer.

DailyRx has been described as a venture that can be “prescribed” by healthcare providers everywhere. As their patients peruse the website for unbiased articles, patients can be better informed and have knowledgeable discussions with their physicians. It is also believed that it can reduce overall costs.

The outlet is comprised of four important Total Patient Engagement solutions: social, local, mobile and videos.

“Patient engagement has become a priority for health providers; and the most effective way to engage patients in a learning experience includes video news,” said Donald Hackett, CEO of dailyRx News, in a media release. “90% of patients have limited time and do not understand their doctors’ instructions post-appointment. Videos are the perfect medium to reinforce doctor-patient conversations.”

By using the company’s social facet, readers can receive health news through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube and Pinterest. There is a large number of members on its social media network, including more than 4,000 members in its Google+ community.

As more patients adapt to technology and adopt these technological advancements, a lot of them are gathering personalized information through their mobile devices. To connect patients and garner customer satisfaction, dailyRx supplies mobile features to its visitors’ smartphones, including the Android and iPhone.

The local element of dailyRx is composed of a group of healthcare providers that produces and distributes patient education to each patient.

Watching videos online has become a staple for a huge facet of Internet users. The video section of dailyRx has become an advanced page of online media content designed for those seeking health and medicine information in a simple yet detailed way. The short video segments look at a variety of topics, like how to lose belly fat, how to stop craving sugar and understanding exactly what a calorie is.

“The integration of video content by doctors enables personalized information to be delivered where patients are most often found, social media channels. dailyRx News’ social media and mobile management services enable doctors to engage patients throughout the digital world,” added Hackett.

One in-depth aspect of dailyRx is its conditions and medication centers. Both pages list hundreds of conditions and medications and each is provided with an overview, related news and features, videos and other article information, such as visitor ratings.

by Becca Cobb

All who enter the stock market game are seeking the ‘holy grail’ of investments: a substantial return for minimal risk. A developing field that could offer these high risk-adjusted returns is investing in intellectual property.

A fundamental way to use the stock markets to invest successfully in intellectual property is to identify pervasive emerging technology trends, then find companies that hold core intellectual property associated with these growing markets. Or, you could invest in companies that do this for you. It stands to reason that as technology booms, there will be no shortage of individuals and companies seeking IP rights to inventions. Thus, a company that seeks to serve this continuing and growing demand would be beneficial to look into.

Enter Marathon Patent Group (MARA).

Marathon has developed strategies that allow its clients to maximize the value of IP assets through a wide range of services. Inventors and patent owners can monetize patent portfolios through IP licensing campaigns, idea creation, development, and enforcement. In other words, Marathon takes businesses and individuals from start to finish in the IP process.

Investors can easily see why this company sets itself above competition. One of the main issues with IP investing is that typically “the best IP is not for sale.” If a company is making money through market share, high gross margins, or a great licensing deal, it wouldn’t sell the associated IP. Often the IP that is available on the market has a distressed feeling because assets that are for sale are the result of a bankruptcy or a decision of a big company to shut down a line. Investors cannot wait for IP to be on the market because by then, it generally is not associated with anything that makes money.

Marathon goes in at ground level. Assisting in development and commercialization of a license, it creates a mutually beneficial relationship with all its clients. Moreover, these partnering opportunities create an ongoing relationship that includes patent analysis and watchful tracking of patent implementation.

It cannot be stressed enough the possible benefit investors can receive from IP. A recent success story has been VirnetX (VHC), a leader in automatic secure virtual private network (VPN) technology. The company saw its stock price more than quintuple since August 2010, after it began to work harder monetizing its intellectual property.

Assisting with the commercialization is usually where most IP companies stop. Some, such as Cytori (CYTX), do not assist in expansion of the patent. While focusing on ‘high-value’ cell-based therapeutics going to market, it only assists in what they call ‘core geographies’ (only certain countries) and have virtually no system for expansion into other industries or other areas. Cytori currently trades around $2.70

Marathon goes the extra mile by providing strategies for enforcement as well as infringement tracking and reporting – and these with no barriers to countries or markets.

Making money at the outset is one thing, but keeping a vigilant eye on what others are doing is required in order to ensure you are keeping all your entitled profits. Last year, Altitude Capital invested in Visto and DeepNines, a company that just secured an $18 million jury verdict against McAfee for infringement.

Mitek (MITK) is a company with key patents in the field of remote banking and shows why enforcement is crucial. The patents held by Mitek have recently been challenged in court by USAA which argues that the Mitek patents are invalid and unenforceable. As a result of just the opened challenge, Mitek has seen its stock market value fall dramatically.

Another good example is the case of Tessera (TSRA), a leader in chipset miniaturization technology. Tessera lost close to 50 percent of market value in one session in December 2008 after the International Trade Commission (ITC) made an initial determination against the company during a patent action it brought against several wireless manufacturers. The commission initially found that while Tessera’s patents were valid, they had not been infringed by the respondents. The stock continued to trade at a significant discount until the ITC reversed its initial determination. It ruled that Qualcomm, Motorola, and four other wireless chip makers had infringed on Tessera chip packaging patents and it stopped those companies from importing chips to the U.S. unless they posted a bond equal to 3.5 percent of the products’ value. The result: Tessera stock rose over 100 percent.

There are several pitfalls that Marathon assists fledgling companies and inventors in avoiding. The risk that a key patent could be found invalid, either following a legal decision or simply as the result of rumor or attack, or patent claims that are not broad enough to prevent the emergence of non-infringing alternatives are big risks that the Marathon team protects.

Due diligence and specialized expertise are required for businesses looking to secure their IP assets. For the investor, it is imperative to find a company that is a leader in its field. Marathon fits the bill. Trading at $.38 a share, I see this stock as an excellent consideration for growth.

by Aaron Falk

Late on a bill? Missed a mortgage payment? Behind on your mobile plan? BillFloat could be the answer to your woes. Forget overdraft charges, termination costs and late fees and start floating today. BillFloat pays your bill when you can’t.

Based in San Francisco, California, BilllFloat is a startup that was initially backed by PayPal and Venrock. BillFloat’s service of paying your bill for 30 days has proven to be a successful venture in part because of its innovations and simplicity. The process starts by consumers inserting the biller’s name and then adding the account number. BillFloat gives the biller the specified amount of money and the consumer pays BillFloat back 30 days later.

BillFloat works with approximately 2,500 billers involved in numerous industries, including cable, insurance, automobile, utilities, phone and wireless. The list of companies include Sprint, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, GEICO, State Farm Insurance, Allstate Insurance, Wells Fargo and many more. BillFloat’s Finance charges, bill payment process fees and late fees vary nationwide.

The company only permits consumers to float one bill at a time rather than multiple. Each bill must be a minimum of $40 and a maximum of $200. Once the initial bill is paid back to BillFloat then customers can apply for another bill to be paid. BillFloat restricts credit card payments as a method of paying back the firm.

Due to its convenience, simplicity and success, private investors have taken an interest in the company. Since 2010, other firms and angel investors have poured money into the company, such as SoftTech VC and SV Angel.

Of course, the company remains successful because many people don’t want to have accumulated debts with a long list of companies. In fact, a recent BillFloat survey discovered that seven percent of consumers would add 25 pounds to avoid paying a bill, while 16 percent would go without sunlight for a month.

It was announced in January that BillFloat had raised $21 million in new investment funding to move forward with the development of its latest consumer credit delivery platform. Investors have been captivated by its secure More-Time-to-Pay (MTP) service that offers real-time payment flexibility to consumers who need additional time to pay for a purchase or a service. The MTP platform provides consumer financing solutions through mobile devices, online and in-store.

“We are revolutionizing credit delivery with our innovative More-Time-to-Pay platform and our growing network of banking, retail and service provider partners,” said Gilbert in a media release. “BillFloat will change the way consumers buy products and services, and it will usher in a wave of new opportunities for our partners.”

Since 2010, BillFloat has been profiled and featured across the media landscape. In the past year alone, BillFloat has been reported on by Forbes, the San Francisco Business Times, Bloomberg and FinanStyle. Recently, the BillFloat CEO took part in an ABC News panel discussion. You can follow BillFloat on Facebook and Twitter.

by Ian Innes

On an international level, global bottled water sales have increased dramatically over the past several decades. What first started out in the mid-18^th century in the state of Massachusetts has turned into a multi-billion-dollar industry.

The latest estimates (2006) show that the bottled water industry is valued at approximately $60 billion – in the United States there were sales of 30 billion bottles of water in 2008. Globally, spring water and purified tap water have led the market as 200 billion bottles of water are consumed each year.

Facts about the industry vary from source to source. For instance, one article reported that scientific testing has shown that bottled water is no safer than tap water. A different report noted that it’s very safe because many of the bottles of water do not contain chemicals, such as bisphenol-A and other contaminants.

There are hundreds of bottled water brands to choose from. However, Patagonia Water may perhaps be the freshest and most unique bottled water available on the market today for several reasons. Bottled with water that rained down on the land more than a century ago in the Patagonia region of South America, the bottled water is 100 percent natural and is not contaminated with any additives or preservatives. Instead, the water comes straight from nature.

Patagonia Water markets itself as bottling the water directly from the source to the bottle without any human involvement. The water is located in a territory that is untouched by man and has not been polluted by industry. The area gives distinctive geological formations that create tremendous mineral compositions to the water. Experts say that it is one of the last millennial reservoirs away from civilization.

Consumers can find similar rainforests and glaciers in the province of British Columbia and in the state of Alaska. But due to concerns over industrial and atomic pollution, the market has indicated that consumers would rather prefer austral and aged water.

The product line, which has been approved by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA), has recently been launched and is available in key markets in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. There are two distinct bottles: sparkling red and still blue. Each bottle is 16 fl. oz., or 500 millilitres. On Amazon it is listed for $24.

by Aaron Falk

In the world of ecommerce, consumer is king. As the economy continues to remain sluggish, recent data has showed that both consumer confidence and consumer spending is up – some consumers are even digging into their savings to shop.

Recent reports suggest that online retail sales continue to post significant gains and are projected to account for nine percent of total retail sales. As consumers persist in heading online – one survey found that more than 38 million Americans shop while they’re on the toilet – the traditional bricks-and-mortar business model is becoming an antiquated framework.

Even the future of online shopping is changing. In December, IBM published its annual “5 in 5” report in which it highlights the next era of computing, which, in this case, was cognitive computers. With cognitive computing, consumers can feel the fabric on a set of sheets their interested in purchasing.

“Bricks and mortar stores face an accelerating trend of e-commerce and must shore up their foundation in the face of digital competitors and in light of consumer sensitivity to rising gas prices,” stated Mike Martin, president of UnbeatableSale.com, in a press release. “The buying-cycle is closing – consumers have the ability to research pricing and products unlike ever before.”

Since its foundation in 2004, UnbeatableSale.com has become one of the top online retailers by offering the best deals, the best sales and the lowest prices on millions of items for its millions of customers. Located in Lakewood, New Jersey, the company offers savings of between 30 percent and 70 percent on high-quality products on their website.

UnbeatableSale.com has transitioned into the epicenter for savings on the latest items, whether it’s the newest video games, refrigerators, tablets, home decor and millions of other products. With a management team that has more than 50 years of experience combined, the company always reviews its inventory to ensure that it is keeping up with changing consumer demands and needs.

To provide the easiest shopping experience, UnbeatableSale.com offers an array of features: lists and detailed descriptions of items, easy-to-understand instructions, price-match guarantees, an online order tracker, a 30-day returns policy and fast and courteous customer service.

UnbeatableSale.com offers thousands of brand names and also operates several niche brands: Comfort Market, Greater Medical, Halloween Mall, Pet Shop, Fun Toy Mall, Techno Outlet and Boncui.

Since being established, the company has earned a number of accolades, including being an accredited BBB member for close to a decade and being given a top A+ rating. The website has also been ranked 287^th in the Internet Retailer Top 500 guide and placed on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private American companies in 2009 and 2011.

In 2010, the company posted a three-year growth of 170 percent, or $17 million, with just 60 employees, up from a workforce of 40 three years prior. Last year, the company announced that it set records with big brand partners even in this tough economy.

“The 21^st Century consumer is online all the time, adding pressure to retailers to be where their buying audience is, when they need to be, with the products these shoppers are looking for, to make the sale,” said Mike Martin, UnbeatableSale.com president, in a press release.

“UnbeatableSale has proven its value as a partner to some of the biggest names in retail such as Barnes & Noble and Best Buy Co. Inc. – by offering a cost-effective, easy solution to implement that taps into a wider and deeper product mix, with more ways to find relevant products at the most competitive better prices, with higher quality support and technologically sophisticated systems. Top tier retailers in growing numbers are drawn to UnbeatableSale to meet their sales targets and expansion goals in multiple areas.”

Just like others involved in ecommerce and its competitors, UnbeatableSale.com has generated a large number sales and continues to grow with each passing year.

With tax season here, fewer Americans expect to get a tax rebate from their tax return this year. But if you’re one of the millions of Americans receiving a refund, UnbeatableSale.com encourages people to check out its blog post of 12 ways to spend your tax refund, which was published early last year.

by Frank Bergman

What does the future of the cloud industry look like? Several technology industry experts came out this week and spoke to CloudTweaks.com regarding their cloud computing analysis and predictions.

Bill Claybrook, marketing research analyst, said Software as a Service (Saas) will become very important to consumers throughout the year, especially in the mobile market. Mark Eisenberg, a tech consultant, sees Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) as a dominant force in the market. Meanwhile, Dan Sullivan, author and systems architect, believes an increasing variety in the tech world for consumers.

Whatever viewpoint technology experts have, the cloud industry is a booming market. According to research by Gartner, the public cloud services market could grow by $20 billion, or 18 percent, in 2013 to a total of $131 billion, Projections suggest that cloud spending could very well top $677 billion.

Security is a major factor, however. “Ultimately users are looking for confidence and reassurance that their data will be secure in the cloud, and that their chosen supplier is trustworthy and capable of supporting their business needs,” said Richard Pharro, chief executive of the certification organisation, APM Group, in an interview with Computer Weekly.

Echopass Corporation is a firm that is assisting in the enormous growth of the cloud industry by creating cloud-based contact center solutions. The IP-based call and contact center for public agencies and businesses that vary in size offers a range of services through its EchoSystem service integration platform.

Through the combination of leading partner technologies and services, it has become one of the leading SaaS providers in the cloud market. For more than a decade, Echopass has aided businesses with roughly 20,000 agents in different infrastructure environments, sites and complex applications.

Based in Pleasanton, California, Echopass provides an assortment of cloud-based contact center benefits, including quick wait-times, reductions in costs, improved business acumen and a conversion in IT and business applications and many more advantages.

Since its foundation in 2000, Echopass has rejuvenated firms’ relationships with its clientele. This is an important aspect, especially considering that research has suggested that customers are willing to spend more money and time with a company that provides a positive customer service experience. Some of the issues it can resolve is to handle customers efficiently, accurately and rapidly.

It does this by implementing several features, including integrated multi-channel access, chat and co-browse integration, flexible callback options, social media integration, mobile access and last agent routing

For the past five years, Overstock.com has saved more than $26 million because of the services offered by Echopass. Much of these savings came from the use of the organization’s cloud-based contact center.

With these results, the industry is putting Echopass under a microscope. Frost & Sullivan named Echopass as North American hosted contact center market share leader for the second consecutive year.

“As enterprise deployments are poised to grow faster in the next few years, the hosted sector is becoming more segmented by size and complexity of deployment,” said Keith Dawson, Frost & Sullivan Principal Analyst, in a press release. “In a fragmented and highly competitive market space, Echopass is one of the longest-tenured pure contact center hosting companies to come out of the ASP segment.”

The Echopass website consists of an extensive page of resources that helps visitors understand intricate issues and topics related to the cloud industry. Some of the features include analyst insights, webinars, videos, business solutions and whitepapers.

by Becca Cobb

The United States insurance industry is an immense sector. According to figures from the Insurance Information Institute (III), the automobile, household, life, health and commercial insurance niches’ net premiums totaled $1.1 trillion in 2011. Life and health insurances accounted for 58 percent of recorded premiums and property and casualty tallied 42 percent of it.

For a person seeking insurance, it can be a stressful, timely and costly ordeal. It can take hours to find the right price and the most reputable insurance firm. There are varying factors to consider about who to sign with, especially when it comes down to the bottom dollar.

Car owners, as an example, usually have to keep track (if they’re paying more than the area’s average) of what the competition is charging for the exact same service and why they are paying exorbitant fees for unnecessary coverage. On the other hand, there are also many benefits for homeowners: an increased deductible and discounts available on homeowners insurance.

A relatively new website is now available that makes the entire insurance process as simple, easy and inexpensive as possible. QuoteWizard is an independent insurance lead company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It provides an enormous list of the best possible quotes for automobiles, homes, renters, health and life insurance in your area.

Utilizing advanced technology and a highly-developed verification system, QuoteWizard’s process is simply inserting information: choose the type of insurance you’re looking for, include your zip code, answer a few questions related to the insurance category and you’ll receive quotes in a matter of moments.

Because of its investment in its entire infrastructure, QuoteWizard, which was founded in 2007, provides high quality leads each day. It has also been acclaimed for its top customer service, which gives its clients a territory specialist. The frontpage of QuoteWizard’s website depicts a snippet of its list of insurance providers, like Liberty Mutual, Allstate, Country Financial and the Farm Bureau Insurance.

Furthermore, QuoteWizard offers more than just quotes, but it also publishes insurance articles, such as tips, how-tos and the latest news, trends and analysis in the insurance industry.

Industry leaders and professionals are noticing the extreme impact of QuoteWizard’s services. In 2012, Inc. 5000 listed QuoteWizard as No. 12 on its top 100 insurance companies list, No. 17 on its top 100 Washington companies and No. 13 in the Seattle Metro Area. In the same year, Deloitte listed QuoteWizard No. 98 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, an annual ranking of the top technology companies in the U.S. and Canada.

“All of us at QuoteWizard are extremely excited to have made the Fast 500 list,” said QuoteWizard CEO Scott Peyree, in a news release. “It is an honor to be recognized alongside many other great companies. With continued hard work, determination, and a focus on meeting our clients’ needs, we hope to be on this list for many years to come.”

Since 2009, QuoteWizard has experienced 567 percent growth and posted approximately $27.6 million in revenues with just 56 employees. Five years ago, the company had only generated $4.1 million in revenues.