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SURF THIS: Web connects companies, customers

In my opinion, the greatest power of the Internet is the ability to connect. There has never been another tool so remarkably suited to communication. Companies, through the use of instant messaging, are encouraging online conversations for a of issues, from customer service to sales. Email has become the standard of communication, facilitating nearly instant response and an electronic paper trail not easily duplicated with phone calls. Wikis, collaborative Web site development tools, are offering easy and effective collaboration at…

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Farmland values soaring, but still lag other sectors: Cornfields far more valuable when sold for other uses

Escalating demand for corn driven by the ethanol boom is propelling farmland prices higher, but not nearly enough to deter commercial developers from nabbing prime pieces of property. An average acre of Indiana farmland rose last year in value almost 16 percent, representing the largest annual jump in at least two decades, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Prices this year are projected to increase by an even larger percentage. Land values are escalating because corn is expected to…

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‘Survey says…’ Not much. Don’t depend upon them: RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY

I’ve noticed a trend in restaurants lately. Most of them seem to have dropped those customer comment cards they used to keep clamped at each table. I can see why. In my whole life, I’ve probably filled out fewer than half a dozen of those things, and always when I was particularly irked about the service. I’ve never turned them in, consoling myself with filling them out to blow off steam and then heaving a sigh as I tore them…

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Relax, you better get used to it-it’s only globalization: VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY

Globalization, like all sweeping economic trends, provokes a widespread disquiet. Specifically, we fear that somehow, if it continues unchecked, people in the United States will lose their high-paying jobs and we will devolve into a lowwage service economy. As China gains, we lose. To borrow a phrase from Thomas Friedman, they’re frightened that the flattening of the world economy will flatten us. It is true that traditional manufacturing jobs are fewer now than before. And, lots of things are made…

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Competition drives hospital chief: Lennen labors to grow hospital, county to stay ahead of Indianapolis peers

Competitive. That’s how Shelbyville community leaders describe Tony Lennen. Indeed. Any CEO of the city’s Major Hospital needs to be. Shelby County residents can, in just 20 to 45 minutes, drive up Interstate 74 or Interstate 65 to any of Indianapolis’ large hospitals, many of which boast massive marketing budgets and stables of specialists. But in nearly 14 years at the helm of Major Hospital, Lennen has found creative ways to boost profits, enhance technology, woo specialists and even-through aggressive…

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PROFILE: ISA Forensics: Digging up dirt Forensics firm recovers evidence from computers, analyzes audio Much like his counterparts on TV’s “CSI” or “Law & Order,” Darren Miller ferrets out forensic information in pursuit of justice.

ISA Forensics Digging up dirt Forensics firm recovers evidence from computers, analyzes audio Much like his counterparts on TV’s “CSI” or “Law & Order,” Darren Miller ferrets out forensic information in pursuit of justice. But unlike his fictional colleagues who work for prosecutors, Miller and his ISA Forensics team work mostly with defense attorneys, looking for exculpatory and incriminating evidence that will help or hurt their clients. Their crime scene: computers, tapes, disks and other data devices. Using the same…

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Management’s traffic cop: Administrative assistants play numerous roles, gain more respect

As a girl, Lori Drzal dreamed of becoming a spy, a policewoman-something where she’d be helping others. Her father had different ideas. “Become a secretary,” he told her. “You’ll always have a job.” “Today,” she said, “I think, ‘Why did he tell me that?’ But … I’ve always had a job. I’ve always grown in my jobs, and I’ve always been challenged.” Drzal, 48, executive assistant to Steak n Shake President and CEO Peter Dunn for the past four years,…

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Purdue professor developing weapon for AIDS battle: Lower-cost testing device could save money for more treatment in disease-ravaged Africa, other countries

The professor of cytomics-the study of cell systems-is leading an effort to develop a low-cost device that would help more Africans get tested for the deadly disease. His goal, bolstered by his Cytometry for Life not-for-profit, is to build thousands of units that can be delivered to third-world countries around the globe. Robinson has completed the prototype and returned in March from a weeklong trip to Nigeria, where he and fellow university researchers met with government and health care officials…

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Nursing school’s computerized patient ain’t no dummy: $36 million mannequin capable of simulating array of emergencies

Mr. Jackson is admitted to the hospital, complaining of shortness of breath and loss of appetite. The 71-year-old is experiencing tightness in his chest, although not enough to be considered painful. The nurses scurry to administer oxygen and draw blood while recommending an electrocardiogram to measure heart activity. Several minutes later, a diagnosis of heart failure is returned. The events unfolding at the Indiana University School of Nursing on the IUPUI campus mirror actual situations that could occur at any…

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INVESTING: Keep eye on inflation but don’t batten down hatches

For the first time in a while, I am going to use both hands when I write the column. If you visit this space even occasionally, you know I call my spots and I don’t hedge my opinion. I was practically all alone in late February when I wrote as forcefully as I could to buy in the sell-off, which was almost the exact bottom, and readers have been amply rewarded. But today I am going to talk about interest…

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RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Have you explored all the wonders of Google?

I’m memorizing the faces of Larry Page and Sergey Brin. I might have to call them both “Your Imperial Majesties” one day. They’re the founders of the globe-rattling company Google, and it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that they may eventually become the lords of all information. But they’re nice guys, so they let the rest of us have a look at that information, too. It’s mighty handy for those of us lusting for profits. Google started life as…

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Marketing firm hopes to give 3-D new shape: Scofield Editorial one of first Midwest firms to add bells and whistles to models initially used by architects

Scofield Editorial, known locally as an innovator in video and post-production work, is burnishing that reputation by becoming one of the first firms in the Midwest to combine three-dimensional video modeling with traditional editing touches such as animation, sound effects, and other audio and video. Three-dimensional modeling was introduced by engineering firms about a decade ago, and has also been used by some video game manufacturers. But only recently have advertising agencies combined 3-D with traditional video editing touches. “There…

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Planners selling city with video: ‘Doing Indy’ video-podcasting campaign first of its kind in convention business

What began as an innovative way to market Indianapolis over the Internet has gained enough of a following to grab the attention of a local cable television provider. The Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association started streaming video on its Web site last year and since has recorded nearly 50 episodes that promote the city’s attractions. The “Doing Indy” campaign is geared toward the younger set and features newmedia technology to spread the message. The video streaming, or video podcasting, uses…

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High-tech 21st Century funding in doubt

The first version of the $25.6 billion state budget, passed by the Democratic majority in the Indiana House of Representatives
Feb. 22, didn’t include any money for the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, which provides financial assistance
to promising high-tech startups.

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Reform push casts cloud over booming Sallie Mae:

Shares of Sallie Mae, one of Hamilton County’s biggest employers, have fallen more than 25 percent over the past year as investors fret that Congress will overhaul the student-loan industry, halving interest rates and bringing the company’s boom times to an end. Momentum for an industry overhaul has been building since Democrats gained control of Congress in November. Concerns peaked in February when President Bush submitted a budget proposal that included cuts in industry subsidies. Changes under consideration could whack…

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Companies should strive to make meetings meaningful: Organizational leadership experts say many companies could be more productive with fewer, better gatherings

Executive Steve Kellam once went to such great lengths to cheer up colleagues during a difficult period that he arrived at a company meeting wearing a Clifford the Big Red Dog costume. He’s dressed as a clown as well. It’s doubtful every corporate gathering requires those types of creative tactics to grab the attention of associates, but there are ways to ensure the boardroom doesn’t descend into a state of boredom. “I was just trying to get some laughs,” Kellam…

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Professor hits right note in guitar engineering class: Purdue course lets students build, test instruments

Playing guitar seems much more alluring than building one-unless you’re a member of the Instrument Manufacturing and Testing class at Purdue University. The course is the creation of Mark French, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology, who introduced it just last year. It is already striking a major chord with students. Eighteen are enrolled now, which is as many as the professor can handle, and the waiting list for next spring’s session is full. French is teaching the class…

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MICKEY MAURER Commentary: The power of a single ‘thank you’

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job as president of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. and secretary of commerce was the opportunity to represent our governor and the state of Indiana on goodnews occasions. On April 26, 2005, I bestowed official state certification on Intech Park, a business incubator that had qualified under the Indiana Certified Technology Park Program. Certified tech parks enjoy the advantage of being allowed to capture and invest in the development of their park…

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Virtual bank making ‘solid’ move into lending: First Internet Bancorp. expands into mortgages with Landmark acquisition

Online banks usually avoid brick-and-mortar overhead. Eliminating expense is the core of their business advantage. So why did First Internet Bancorp spend $12 million to acquire traditional mortgage lender and savings bank Landmark Financial Corp. and its two Indianapolis branches? Because the acquisition of Landmark provides First Internet an opportunity to finally broach the mortgage market. Landmark, which traces its roots back to 1925, is best known as a new-construction underwriter in the local home and commercial builder market. Its…

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RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Forget the notion of technology as investment

I was scanning a 2004 report on corporate security the other day when the phrase “Less than half of all businesses ever evaluate their return on investment (ROI) on security spending” came scrolling down the page. The sentence includes a presumption that is just dead wrong. No security software ever made its purchaser a dime. It can make the seller wealthy, but there is no way security software is an investment. It’s a cost, and always will be. In point…

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