In August 2011 we were redefining our mission and vision for TRI. Although similar in emphasis, the mission seems closely aligned with the symbolism associated to the Peacock.

This picture was taken by Robert Jones during a visit to the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida.

The Peacock smbolized incorruptibility vision, protection, watchfulness, good-will, nurturing, guidance, kind-heartedness and integrity.

We identify with the peacock in our quest to serve our clients. For that reason, we have selected this image as our home page image on http://www.trif.com.

Apple is constructing new headquarters and it looks like it may have flight

capabilities.  Being built in Cupertino, CA this looks to be the most awesome building ever. It will be constructed on 175 acres near I-280.  Said to have 2.5 million square feet, it will have a 1,000 seat auditorium, fitness center, a power plant, and underground parking.

Breaking ground in 2015, it will be home to more than 12,000 Apple employees.  For more pictures, click here.

How do you improve your connection to your customer?  How do you make that connection unique, distinct and difficult for others to replicate.  One way is introducing a customized software application into the mix.  With a special program you can impact information, communication and service in such a way that you become an integral part of your customers business.  More than providing excellent service, you can provide a distinct service.  Maybe something that hasn’t been done before, maybe a link that no one else has conceived. 

TRI is presenting a one-hour webinar presenting some ideas, concepts and custom applications that may give you something new to consider. It is our intention that you will leave the webinar with a new vision for improving your connection with your customer, becoming an even more important partner in their business cycle.  We will be discussing communication, information and service and different ways you can impact those areas in a special and distinct way.

The webinar is free and will be held on Thursday, July 21, 2011 from 2:00pm to 3:00pm. Register here.  http://www.eventbrite.com/event/339075183

What is a webinar?  Think about a webinar as a way you can attend a conference without leaving your desk. Using your computer and telephone, you can hear a presentation (like a conference call) and also see the presenter's slides (watching over an internet connection) and you may be able to see the presenter as well.

 

 

Robert McKay Jones

President

TRIF.COM

Sterling, Massachusetts

rmj@trif.com

Office: 877-253-2379 

Direct Line: 978-422-4324

Private Fax: 978-422-4325

Mobile: 978-870-2706

 

For years, we have been converting whiteboards to custom software applications.  Why? Because whiteboards are inefficient, ineffective, limited, available only when on site, prone to unintended erasure and generally ugly.  So it is our clients who have asked us to create software to eliminate the use of their whiteboard by creating something that is available at every workstation or remotely through a web site or remote access. 

Our latest project WhiteboardMobile℠ provides our clients a custom Headline News whiteboard that is available to their intra-company subscribers (employees, salespeople, field workers, vendors, or even customers) which can be viewed on PC or mobile. It allows our clients to send alerts to the whiteboard simply by sending an email to  msg@whiteboard.mobi with the headline as the subject and the message the body of the email.  Based on the senders email address, the news headline (almost like a tweet on Twitter) will automatically appear for all company subscribers to read no matter where in the world they happen to be.  Each subscriber authorized to publish headlines will have an avatar (picture or icon) which will identify the source.  You can set this web site as the default site in your browser.  You can also schedule the loading of the WhiteboardMobile℠ periodically so that you can be assured your staff is reviewing it frequently.  Need to let everyone know of an important visitor?  Post it to WhiteboardMobile℠.  Need to alert staff about an upcoming construction project?  Post it to WhiteboardMobile℠.  

When you (as a subscriber) login to WhiteboardMobile℠ with your security code WhiteboardMobile℠ remembers the headlines you have read and displays those that you have not at the top of the list so you know you won’t miss out on important news.

For more information, email info@trif.com.

Happy anniversary TRI.  March 2011 is the 29th anniversary of TRI (incorporated in 1982). We remember what has made it possible to sail through the highs and lows of the past

decaades. It has always been our determination to look at things in adintinctive way. It is a tribute to the diversity and unique clients that have pushed us to look for the fresh answers to familiar problems.Our infatuation for the racing technology has also been our ally. It has been our delight to make things unique for each and every client.

It’s very early as I slip into my imaginarium, that place in my mind where I conjure up what I want to be today, what I want to do, where I want to go and how I want to get there, it dawns on me that we are, in fact, in control of our own destiny. I have said it before many times, it’s just a decision. So why do so many people all around the world make the decision to go to a bad place? Why do people choose to be mean or violent? Why would they not opt for kindness? I am thinking they do not have control over there own destiny. So what gives us the ability to chose our own destiny but not them? How fortunate are we?

If you want to live in a 28,000 square foot home like this, take the job as CEO of one of our health care companies.  Could the  regulations be questioned?  The law states: “Compensation is not excessive if reasonable”.  Read it for

yourself here.  New temporary regulations for non-profit health care compensation were issued in 2001.  How is it working? Judge for yourself.  Here are some annual compensation figures from 2008 for the CEO’s of our nations largest health care providers:

·         Aetna – $23 Million

·         Caremark RX – 78 Million

·         Cigna – $25 Million

·         Coventry – $14 Million

·         Humana – $10 Million

·         United Health – 13 Million

·         Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts – 3.5 Million

In the case of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the compensation represented a 26% increase when net income fell49%.  Add to this the options available to these executives and you can see pretty clearly that something is broken.  Bill McGuire of United Health has $1.6 billion in options.  Ron Williams of Aetna has $174 million. Ed Crawford from Caremark Rx has $249 Million, Joel Gemunder from Omnicare has $110 million.

I’ll leave the commentary up to you.

Do you listen to the water-cooler chat about the latest and greatest news about our iDevices?  I do.  And there is some more chatter this morning. 

·         First, Apple has kept on a major portion of their Holiday staffing at their stores.  In anticipation of what? 

·         Second, Apple is restricting vacation time between the last week in January through the first half of February.  In anticipation of what?

·         These seem indicative of something brewing.

·         Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Fortune all report iPhone for Verizon will be released January 2011

·         The release of the new iPad is expected imminently.  Features such as camera-equipped, Face-Time Video Chat are expected.

·         What will that do to the stock price?  The stock price has doubled in 4 years and is still on the climb

iLove my iPad!