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Top 10 Common Sense Cost-Cutting StrategiesAugust 26th, 2010For any type or size of business it’s always the right time to cut costs. Mobility and Distance Costs 1. Maybe all of your sales calls don’t have to be done in person. Web-based videoconferencing and software like Microsoft Office Live Meeting allow you to make presentations online. Webcams are quite inexpensive compared to travel costs, by plane, train or car. 2. If you exhibit at trade shows and conferences, why pay for transportation or shipping when you can get all of your plasma rentals and other convention rentals from CRE? With locations in many cities, we can get what you need to any location, set it up and tear it down when the show’s over. Consider the same sort of just-in-time strategies in other operational areas of your company. Employees and Management 3. Cross-training employees saves money in several ways. Instead of paying for expensive temporary help when employees are out, the less-costly alternative is cross-training employees so staff can move into support roles when needed. This is common practice among the creative pros that use CRE’s Mac Pro rentals, who know that “the show must go on.” 4. Increased efficiency is always a money-saver. Give your employees the business and software training that makes them more effective. There are loads of free training programs on the Internet, but you can also combine one good teacher with a room full of iMac rentals and educate your employees yourself. Services and Utilities 5. Do a regular review of your core business expenses, the necessities. One example: Today’s many VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services have reduced phone costs dramatically. Do a complete comparison of ones in your area. 6. Online faxing reduces the number of phone lines by using Web-based fax services instead of fax machines – which will also save you money on paper, ink, toner, electricity, etc. 7. Whether you’re in a home office or corporate office setting, you can work with your power company to reduce heating and cooling costs. There are a lot of options you may not know about, starting with a free energy audit. Technology 8. Every company has a Web site now. Hosting costs vary widely, and quality does not necessarily track precisely with pricing. Some so-called bargain hosts boast better offers and uptime statistics than some expensive ones. 9. Consider a “combo” communications plan. As with home service deals, business packages can offer great value. 10. Think creatively and consider every alternative to a purchase. One of the great things about CRE’s computer rentals is that you always work with the current state-of-the-art equipment, without having to tie your money up in a purchase. Do a little creative (and critical) thinking and you can make an immediate, lasting impact on your expenses. You will also help promote efficiency in general when all employees, whether two or 200, follow your lead into this new, improved mindset. CRE’s constant mindset is to be ready with the solutions you need for the obstacles you face. Contact an experienced Account Executive or fill out the online Quick Rental Quote and we’ll put our expertise to work for you. Mac OS X: Built-In Teaching ToolsAugust 24th, 2010You know the old saw about people using only 10% of their brainpower? It’s total rubbish say leading scientists. There is a similar statement about people using software, though, that really is true. Whether it’s Adobe Photoshop or InDesign, or Microsoft Word or Excel, people really do use only about 10% of the available tools. Think about it: Why else are there “light” versions like Photoshop Elements? There are two answers, actually: (1) Because people don’t need all the power offered by the full-boat programs and (2) people don’t know how to use most of the tools anyway. Tailored training on the job We’ve blogged a few times over the past year on employee training, but never mentioned one of the most important decisions to make concerning it: Who needs to know what, and why? Even when you decide to train, say, six of your computer artists on some iMac rentals – which will save thousands on the cost of those name-brand two-day seminars – you need a very specific curriculum for each individual employee/student. The first of several determinants for the participants is this: Do they need to know the entire toolbox, or can they get by with 10%? Your managers that run departments where computers are used – for print, Web, audio, video, post-production, special effects, whatever – will know what each computer artist needs to contribute and, thus, needs to know. One junior staffer may be tasked with converting still photos from a digital camera’s raw RGB files to CMYK for eventual printing, perhaps after the senior artist uses them in a layout. The junior member of the team does not need full Photoshop training for this, just a decent introduction to color space and the appropriate menus and tools in the software. In addition, a senior staffer may have gotten past the 10% threshold but still needs some training in tweaking printing press profiles. A comprehensive and overlapping curriculum can be devised to take each of these artists, and their colleagues of whatever number, where they need to go skill-wise. The veteran artists on staff, along with management, can teach the courses with the help of a touchscreen LCD monitor rentals at the front of the room. The teacher should have an iMac available, too, to take advantage of some great built-in features of Mac’s OS X. Mac OS X for desktop sharing
Summary: Make a chart of the skills that need to be imparted to each employee, see where they overlap and devise the curriculum to be progressive. With a room, some Macs, desktop sharing enabled and a big-screen display in place, you’re on your way to a better trained staff. Contact an experienced Account Executive (or head to our online Quick Rental Quote form) and let us know what training obstacle we can help you knock down! Business Sustainability: A Recession LessonJune 15th, 2010After equipping Smokey Bear (”the” is not his middle name) to lead the fight against forest fires for half a century or so, the government finally learned that occasional fires are good for the environment. They clear out deadwood and stir the environmental ingredients into action again. Leave it to Southern California’s own Scott Harris – marketing agency owner, business columnist, college and seminar instructor and jovial contrarian – to bring this metaphor to life for business professionals struggling to push their way out of a lingering recession. Success breeds mediocrity
Managers of companies that survived the last two years need to critique everything, preferably in a group setting – every policy, practice, procedure and process – and be willing to jettison anything that does not work. “[If we] drift back to our previous ways,” warns Harris, “then we will have wasted a tremendous opportunity.” Harris closes his comments by assuring his readers that he does not advocate any controlled burning of businesses, but does “strongly recommend that we take a moment and learn as much as possible” from the recent recession. Only then, he insists, will American businesses, of all sizes and kinds, “be equipped to make the next few [years] as successful and as profitable as possible.” Like Apple says, “Think different” Bottom line? Think different, as Apple used to say in one of its longer-running ad campaigns. In an example from the special effects and post-production facilities that CRE rents to, management often divides into two camps with respect to the high-tech equipment they rely on – renters and buyers, with the latter historically more numerous. Many businesses learned to think differently during the recession, finding that it was actually more cost-effective to rent than own. Consider: Companies with Mac Pro rentals do not have to pay to repair a crashed hard drive. One call and a new computer shows up. Firms using interactive kiosk rentals to capture contact information at conventions turn the kiosks back in, rather than watch them collect dust until the next time they’re needed. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Every purchase, every expense, every procedure, every rule – all of it needs to be evaluated in light of new operating parameters. For want of a better word, let’s borrow one from the environmental movement and call it “Business Sustainability,” as others are already doing. Combining the strongest core elements of green thinking, flexible management, recycling, goal setting, group dynamics, creativity and strategic planning, it can help chart new routes to the future. With a commitment to enlightened management, excellence and success, there’s no telling what the next few years might hold! CRE supports your business with the best technological tools as well as the expertise to deploy them. Whatever you need to accomplish, our Account Executives are here to help. Send an e-mail, make a call or use the Quick Rental Quote form to let us know what you need. We will make your priority our priority. That’s what we do! Mac vs PC? Creative Professionals Weigh InJune 8th, 2010
Creative professionals weigh in on the age old question…Mac or PC? An unscientific sampling at a designer site indicates that between 70-80% of designers use Macs, compared to the 80% of “regular Internet users” who use PC’s. Although most designers acknowledge that the same design tools are available on both platforms, many tout the Mac’s ease of use and superior build quality. One respondent summed it up by saying that “the platform has nothing to do with the outcome of design. But designing on Mac feels a lot more natural to me. I’ve used both PCs and Macs extensively, each has its own advantages. For design, multimedia and other creative work, I personally feel more at home on a Mac.” Although some PC partisans – and, honestly, plenty of good work is done on PCs – brought up some good points about cost differences, it is clear that there remains a solid majority of Mac-using designers. Some professionals use both-Mac and PC Within that complement of Mac users, of course, are plenty of people who use both PCs and Macs, just as most companies do these days. It is not uncommon to see a Fortune 500 firm with PCs in the accounting department (although that’s changing slowly) and Macs in the art/marketing department. And with the cross-platform programs and ease of PC-Mac networking, there is no reason that both kinds of computers can’t co-exist peacefully. It’s just that when it comes time for entertainment professionals to edit the movies or master the records or finish the magazines, more of them reach for a Mac Pro rental than a PC, although CRE Rentals does rent both. Another important development is the power of the Macs. The fastest Mac ever tested by Macworld, by the way, isn’t an eight-core Mac Pro, but the top-of-the-line iMac with the new Core i7 Intel chip. The rest of the iMac family is similarly potent, making CRE’s iMac rentals a sensible alternative to the Mac tower. However, the Mac Pro has the advantage in many areas, like PCIe slots and other expandability options, that make it a continuing favorite for use with Final Cut Studio and other audio-visual software. CRE can equip any kind of Mac, any kind of way you need. Of course, if you need a PC to run PC-only software (certain accounting packages, proprietary builds, etc.), then CRE can outfit you with speedy PC computer rentals, as well. Which one….Mac or PC? Comparing Mac and PC computers makes for interesting reading. The bottom line is creative professionals should use “the best tool for the job. Nowadays the OSes aren’t different enough to make the decision for you based on features. If you already know one OS, stick with it until you have a very compelling reason to switch.” This is a reasonable position however, some Mac loyalists point out that Macs can run both Windows and the Mac OS. If you need desktop rentals for your post-production work, and want to use both OSes, then you really do have just one choice – a Mac (learn more about which Mac to rent). CRE’s Account Executives are experts at getting you what you need to push through your bottleneck of backed-up work, take on that new project or bring in new clients. Send an e-mail, make a call or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and you’ll be sailing smoothly in no time. Unique Input Devices for Animation & DesignMay 20th, 2010Artists working in the digital domain often feel frustrated by the limits of their keyboards. Over the years, alternative input devices like graphics tablets have helped in many ways. Overlay keyboards Another way for artists to streamline and accelerate their workflow is by using overlay keyboards, which date back to the first days of computer use. Typically, the overlay keyboard is a flat grid of buttons, usually unmarked, that is programmed with special software that accompanies the product. After this, a sheet (the overlay) is placed over the keys to identify their functions. The future for these alternative input devices will include touch-screen technology, which is a hot field for R&D right now. Artists using Maya or Pro Tools on CRE Mac Pro rentals can automate entire workflows without writing complex scripts and save valuable time by programming the special keyboards. For example, the Enterpad reduces repetitive keystrokes and automates common tasks, reducing the time, effort and cost of the work. It is plugged in like any other keyboard and plays nice with all your programs. The Enterpad uses no proprietary drivers or special interface, not even when used with DOS. The XKeys unit is a fully programmable key pad that will program shortcuts and record your typing so you can use a single keystroke to generate boilerplate messages, e-mails or correspondence. Digital artists can also customize the XKeys pad to perform elaborate tasks of all kinds, whether they’re using one of CRE’s iMac Rentals or a PC. The time you save using a special keyboard depends on many variables, but there is no question that they aid in efficiency and throughput. On the ‘inputing” horizon In the future, we will be inputting information into our computers with our bodies – eye movements, head positions and the kind of hand and body input already seen in the Wii and other game systems. These are the next devices we will see in computing because of the head start gained in the game industry. The technology is just starting to take off. Voice input is already available, but the technology is limited to taking dictation. True control of the computer will require that voice commands be understood at sentence length, like post-production managers telling their computer rentals to “copy the files, render the cartoon and upload it all to the main server.” The problem is “speaker independent continuous voice recognition.” Even the best software used today, which some say is Dragon Naturally Speaking, still needs to be trained to a particular speaker’s voice, intonation and cadence. When everyone can use the software out of the box, a new age will dawn in human-computer interaction. CRE follows the technology trends so that we can help you be prepared for whatever comes your way. Need mac rentals or render farm for upcoming project? Simply fill out the Quick Rental Quote form and we’ll be on it right away. There’s no time to spare, the future is coming fast! Graphics Chips Do the Heavy Lifting for Monitor RentalsMay 4th, 2010One area area of interest to many CRE clients is graphics performance. Designers to graphic artists doing Web work, and engineers developing circuit boards, need the best possible graphics processing, as they rely on precision, accurate color and consistent performance. So, what’s new? Not the good old “color card” days In most early computers, you had to specify what “color card” you wanted, first of all. In 1987, the industry settled on IBM’s Video Graphics Array (VGA) as the model for the image output. After trying various adapters and connections, cards were eventually mounted, in most cases, in PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slots. The Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) was introduced in 1997, to offload processing of graphics to a device closer to the core functioning of the computer. What finally evolved was a way in which systems could “share” some of the CPU’s memory, RAM, with the graphics processing circuitry. This model is still in place in low-end computers. Potent PCs like the HP 8600 computer rentals and the awesome Mac Pro rentals have fast graphics processing units (GPU) mounted in PCIe (PCI Express) bus slots for maximum bandwidth. With all the graphics number-crunching (of which there is a lot) happening on a dedicated subsystem, the CPUs in these high-end computers can devote every single clock cycle to doing the unseen work. Onward graphic processors! Like everything else in computers, the graphics processors are getting faster, smaller and more precise. The color performance we take for granted was a far-off dream just a decade ago – and compared to the early computers’ graphics performance, today’s top performers are downright miraculous. With color calibration equipment, artists can certify that their computer is displaying (and their software generating) the precise colors called for in a particular design. Many of those working with high-end graphics today are too young to remember how nearly impossible it was to get color consistent throughout a device chain. The advances in the unseen heavy lifting done by GPUs – combined, of course, with the progress represented by LCD rental, plasma, LED and Apple Cinema Display rental– promises a very colorful, cost-effective future for digital artists of all kinds. Not sure what you need? We work with you to solve production bottlenecks, help plan your conference or convention, deliver the workstations you need to take on more business – and maximize your every opportunity. We’re ready to help, right now. Call or send an e-mail, any time, for a swift and thorough reply – or complete the Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need. Training Tips, Online and OffApril 29th, 2010From the start, the educational potential of the Internet was a source of tremendous excitement. There is a wealth of online training available today, in every imaginable subject, with many top universities and even elite Ivy League institutions delivering courses, counseling, certificates and degrees on the Web. It’s even better for ongoing education and professional certification, as well as for people who want to learn specific skills or knowledge without a degree program. At CRE, we support all kinds of businesses in every industry, but have a particular expertise outfitting creative people – designers, audio engineers, video pros, marketing mavens – with powerful media manipulators like our Mac Pro rentals. We know how much effort it takes staying updated on all manner of different software and hardware, with the ability to jump into one of our G5 with Kona card rentals and do your thing. Should you decide to take some online training to maintain and/or improve your professional standing and specialized skills, we would commend you for your work ethic – then share a few tips. Always check training sources
Rentals for in-house training If you are looking for training for a group of people, perhaps for professional certification of some kind, you can buy the instructional materials on DVD. CRE has the projector rentals, as well as the audience response system rentals, that can make group training simple and effective. Especially in the IT and technical fields, where widely-regarded certifications are essential for a tech firm’s employees to have, using CRE laptop rentals rounds out a cost-effective training regimen. The more people you can get trained together, of course, the lower the unit cost for the preparation. Win-win. With large enough hardware or software purchases, vendors can also customize a total solution for your firm and easily integrate online or offline training into the plan. You don’t need to tie up your workstations (which are making your company money) or budget a large hardware purchase when you use computer rentals for training. A room of iMac rentals and/or PCs, the right software, the right learning materials and the right amount of time, and you’ve got another group of experts in Excel, Exchange. Photoshop or InDesign – or Maya, C+, Logic, Pro Tools, Avid, Javascript, Ajax, Cisco, Microsoft, Novell or whatever else you can think of. CRE has its share of experts, too. Our Account Executives know exactly what solutions will fit your particular challenge, whether it’s a post-production bottleneck, convention, presentation or training session. Call or send an e-mail, or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we’ll get you that personalized training solution you need. Net-Powered Security: Remote Viewing, ControlApril 22nd, 2010Our recent series of blogs on very important issues of security – for computers and networks, property and people – wouldn’t be complete without reporting on the incredible advances in remote camera control. Anything that provides more flexibility, better control and stable ease of use is going to find a warm welcome from business owners everywhere. This is exactly what’s happening now with various iPhone apps and other third-party tools that make it possible to configure and control security systems remotely, giving you unprecedented real-time insight into what is happening a block, a mile or half a world away. These are exciting times for all areas of technology, but among the greatest benefits are those coming to people who need to be in two places at one time, namely, security-conscious businesspeople and homeowners. It is less expensive all the time to upgrade your security technology, with the march of technology adding more features for less money as time goes on. There are some unique new capabilities now available in the DVR (Digital Video Recorder) market. Everyone’s specific security needs and budget will differ, and you will need to decide what is appropriate for your specific situation. That said, there is exciting progress in a number of areas. Long-distance power of video surveillance Remote video surveillance means you can manage, access and view live and recorded video stream from your cameras, all from a distance and over the Internet. After configuring the cameras, you would typically log in to a secure site and control them. You can access your control site from just Event tagging: Since DVRs convert the captured images into a digital format, the management, storage and retrieval of the information is greatly simplified. This is a tremendous advance over such antiquated forms of recording as VCR tapes. Now DVRs can be set up to “tag” events the moment they happen, allowing you to review a particular occurrence without having to visually scan every minute of a recording. You are also able, with the latest DVRs, to jump immediately to specific time and date ranges, or define tags for imprinting directly into the image stream at predefined intervals. Automation and alerts There are DVRs that can do automatic recording at event detection, recording only when a certain kind or level of security event is detected (by various other triggering devices, whether motion or sound detectors). This allows you a means of saving time, money and hard drive space by ignoring event-less scenes and only recording action. Beyond the common motion and sound detectors, these DVRs can also be used with various temperature, water and light sensors. This type of flexibility makes DVR security possible for any kind of business in every imaginable setting, offering protection against both humans (robbers, burglars, arsonists) and Mother Nature (tornados, floods, earthquakes). With the right computers and communications equipment, detector/DVR systems can also be configured for such automated alert features as alarm, phone or e-mail notification of events. Among the main reasons people install security systems in businesses and homes is that they want to be notified of problems as soon as they occur. Automated alerts can even have short video clips attached, offering up-to-the-minute information about what is occurring at your home or business. Whatever you need, from computer rentals to office equipment rentals, we’ve got you covered at CRE. Our Account Executives are ready to assist and support you in every possible way, so call or send an e-mail any time for a swift, effective reply. As always, our Quick Rental Quote form is handy when you know what you need to rent. Plasma Rentals for May 2010 TradeshowsApril 20th, 2010Rent high-def plasma for May 2010 Trade Shows and Conferences. Web 2.0 Expo
The Web is still a powerful engine of economic growth, continuously fueled by a host of evolving business, development and design ideas that collectively fall under the umbrella of Web 2.0. The Expo features influential keynotes and speakers, info-packed workshops, an Expo show floor where your CRE interactive kiosk rentals can capture contact information from attendees of all types and the freewheeling Web2Open “unconference” and other rich, rewarding networking events. The event-wide WiFi network will allow your team of attendees, exhibitors or both to stay in touch with tablet PC rentals and leverage the network to gain even more from the event. 2010 ISRI Convention & Exposition The scrap recycling industry’s businesses, customers and vendors will be attending the 2010 ISRI Convention and Exposition from May 4-8 at the San Diego Convention Center. They will come together to define the meaning of “success” in coming years, attending workshops and general sessions that will equip them with knowledge that will be key to success in today’s, and tomorrow’s, business operations. Networking time will provide many opportunities to find new partners, clients and customers, while the largest scrap recycling equipment and service expo in the world will introduce attendees to new tools and technologies. It’s a perfect opportunity to deploy plasma rentals in a “TV wall” or set up the all-in-one computer rental with multi-touch screen for crowd interaction. The Cable Show Billed as the event that brings together “Hollywood creative visionaries and Silicon Valley technology leaders for a one-of-a-kind convergence of ideas and innovation,” The Cable Show runs May 11-13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The conference, presented by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), will touch on all the program delivery models – cable, mobile, portable content, Web – where technological advances and new business models are creating new opportunities and synergies. In addition to sessions on everything from customer service, e-care, IP (Internet Protocol) service delivery and social media, Brian Roberts, the chairman and CEO of Comcast Corp., will headline an exclusive Newsmaker Brunch on the future of entertainment. Both cable company executives and content creators attend The Cable Show, and you should consider plasma rentals or LCD monitor rentals from CRE to catch their attention at your exhibit booth. CLEO/QELS 2010 The Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO), held in conjunction with the Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (QELS), yields Attendees from around the globe come to hear from leading authorities as well as new innovators, and this year CLEO will include emergent applications related to lasers. The event is organized into four main segments, the first of which is the conference itself. The second segment is CLEO: Applications, where the focus is on practical demonstrations. The CLEO Market Focus sessions, segment three, will be held on the exhibit floor (a perfect place for interactive kiosk rentals) and deal with commercialized applications in such fields as energy, defense, security and biophotonics. The CLEO: Expo segment, where over 300 companies from around the world will exhibit their new products and demo their latest innovations, is where you want to be equipped with CRE audio visual rentals and the biggest, brightest CLEO/QELS plasma rentals to showcase your company’s offerings. Wherever you need to make an impression as an exhibitor, CRE can outfit you just right. Call or send an e-mail to our Account Executives, or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we will take care of you quickly and professionally. With CRE., you are always equipped to win. Computer Security, Online and OffApril 8th, 2010Along with all the amazing labor-saving advances in computing and networking technology over the past decades have come some serious challenges. For whatever reasons, there will always be some people that want to bend and twist technology to destructive purposes. Computer users, both individuals and companies, are now faced with the task of protecting themselves with anti-virus tools and spyware removal. All of CRE’s computers, from tablet PC rentals to the latest Mac Pro rentals, are certified to be free of malware, viruses, spyware and other “rogue code.” However, we cannot control the environment into which you bring them, so to keep them safe from external threats, you need to follow some simple steps. Many of these you are already doing, most likely, while some (we hope) will be good new additions to your security regimen. Online and off, be wary of security breaches
However, not all threats come from outside. Most companies lose more from employee theft than robberies, burglaries and hacking combined. An employee who makes off with a computer is not just taking the device, but everything that’s on it, including mission-critical work. If you have one of CRE’s iMac rentals and it is stolen, insurance will take care of the physical loss, but the computer files – new product designs, important presentations, legal documents – could be gone forever. Step two is ensuring daily backups to a central server or remote drive, and regular offsite storage of backups, as well. Backing up protects you against more than just computer crashes. Security benefit of computer rentals Once again, as we continually remind our clients, there are some very compelling reasons to rent some or all of your computers. Ready or not, we are all on the way to the world of the virtual office, and the cost savings for your business can be substantial if you get ahead of the curve and stay there. Step three, then, should be a complete review of your TCO (Total Cost of Operation) for your computing assets. If you have never done such a study, you may be surprised how much it costs to stay current with, and regularly replace, high-tech equipment at the level of CRE’s powerful computer rentals. When you don’t have to keep buying new equipment, repairing it, maintaining it and replacing it every year or two, you have additional time, money and energy to do what’s really important. That means growing your business, of course. There is also a security benefit to renting, since you are assured of first-rate equipment operating in a first-rate manner. In addition, whether it’s computers or office equipment rentals, this benefit (combined with possible financial incentives) makes a good case for renting some or even all of the tools you need. CRE has Account Executives who know the hardware, the software and the safest, most effective ways of using them. Call, send an e-mail or fill out our online Quick Rental Quote form. We can help you work more efficiently, as well as more securely, which is more important with each passing day. |
It’s one of the few proven ways to improve profits despite thousands of articles about 
Like new growth after a forest fire, companies that have survived the recession “should now be stronger and better managed,” Harris writes in a recent San Fernando Valley Business Journal column. They should also “be smarter for the experience.” One of Harris’ famous warnings is, “Success breeds mediocrity,” by which he means that “it’s easy to be a lazy manager, business owner or employee when things are going well.” In good times, marginal employees are kept on, wasteful practices are winked at and, most dangerously, “difficult decisions” are put off. The economic turmoil that began in 2008, and is lingering still even as some 
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Several forks in the road later, there were solutions based on varying customer needs for precise imaging – from “not much” on the low end to “all you can get” at the leading edge – offered by such manufacturers as ATI and nVidia (often all-caps, NVIDIA) which CRE Rentals stocks.
about any Internet-connected computer in the world. The best services will work with all the remote camera’s built-in capabilities, such as multiple resolution settings and 
Web 2.0 Expo
CLEO/QELS 2010
