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FitnessTracker.eu - Exercising and Nutrition Tracker

Adam Brown — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:55:02 +0000

What can you use the app for?

You can use FitnessTracker to keep track of your regular workouts. This can include the amount of weight you lift, the number of repetitions you did and more. You can also use the app to keep track of your food intake, although the app doesn't provide nearly as many food options as other food tracking apps. You can also share your workout records with your friends on social networks. The app allows you to easily track body changes and other exercise metrics.

What is the history and popularity of the app?

FitnessTracker aims to compete in a crowded market. It has not particularly established itself yet among the better known apps of the genre. The app has received little media coverage and marketing seems very limited.

What are the differences to other apps?

FitnessTracker.eu brings little innovation to the world of fitness and nutrition tracking apps. The emphasis on social network sharing may help fitness fans who want to tell all of their friends about their daily workouts, but that option is available elsewhere as well.

How does the web app look and feel to use?

Using the app is simple. You are presented with a calendar and you simply click on the day and add exercises to the list. You must then choose an exercise from the menu of options. Photos accompany each option to make finding the exercise simpler. You can also add foods to your daily nutrition list. The list of foods is much less comprehensive than the list of exercises though. The app is not an effective substitute for many of the other nutrition and food tracking apps already available. You can also put together routines within the app to make it easier to track exercises without having to choose them each time.

How does the registration process work?

To register, click the green Start Using FitnessTracker button on the main page of the app. You will be given the choice of creating an account through Facebook or through your e-mail address.The e-mail address option is almost as simple as with facebook. Simply write in your name and e-mail address and you will be given a brief introduction on how to use the app. You can then start using it.

What does it cost to use the application?

The app is free to use.

Who would you recommend the application to?

People who are fairly new to working out may find the app helpful. It displays photos along with the exercise descriptions and can suggest workouts. The food track is lacking in variety though and more advanced fitness fans may not find the app as useful.

Bandzoogle - Band, Website, Design, Promote

Mike Foster — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:35:02 +0000

What can you use the app for?

Bandzoogle is a web application designed to help bands build custom websites for promotional purposes. The software allows users to create websites in a variety of design templates, then to add and drop features as needed. Bandzoogle provides mechanisms for music uploads, video embedding and band information, as well as publicity tools like email blasts and online show schedules.

Bandzoogle is intended to provide deep customization without a strong knowledge of code, and to limit the time needed for a band to build an attractive and unique web presence.

What is the history and popularity of the app?

Bandzoogle was developed by Chris Vinson, whose experience as a web designer for a record label inspired him to build a one-stop control panel that allowed bands and managers to edit their own spaces. The company was founded in 2003 and is based out of Montreal, Canada. The application boasts over 3,700 Facebook “Likes” and 5,500 Twitter followers.

What are the differences to other apps?

Bandzoogle sets itself apart from the competition by including a number of integrated features, such as the ability to build an in-site merchandise store and to create email and text message marketing campaigns. The application is built to provide bands with all the necessary utilities for effectively promoting shows, album releases and other big events directly to their fans. Additionally, the application allows bands to spot trends among their fans with detailed stat tracking. A custom domain is also provided, making the site easy to find and remember.

How does the web app look and feel to use?

The Bandzoogle control panel is split into nine different tabs, with each tab handling a specific aspect of band promotion. For example, the second tab allows users to edit their web page, while the next tab over provides access to the dozens of premade templates offered by the site. Navigation requires simple point and click actions, and each step of building a site or campaign is laid out in a way that is clear and easy to follow.

How does the registration process work?

Users interested in registering for Bandzoogle must enter an email address and choose a password. Users will also need to provide the name of their band or project, and choose an address for their Bandzoogle website. Once this info is entered, users simply click the “Create Your Site” button to start building. A free trial is available to curious users.

What does it cost to use the application?

Bandzoogle is split into three membership tiers: Lite, Standard and Pro. The Lite membership costs $9.95 per month and allows for 100 fans, basic storage and a free web address. The Standard membership runs $14.95 per month and included expanded storage and fans lists, as well as stat tracking and design customization. The third tier, Pro, costs $19.95 per month and provides unlimited storage, larger fan lists, improved stats tracking and download codes.

Who would you recommend the application to?

Bandzoogle is a strong application for any band looking for a more effective method to market itself to the public. The promotional tools are incredibly useful for building and maintaining an audience, and bands should not overlook the value of an online merchandise store. Additionally, Bandzoogle sites are easy to update, making them perfect for bands that often need to add last-minute performances or new promotional materials.

Fedena - Multipurpose School Management Software

Adam Brown — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:15:02 +0000

What can you use the app for?

Fedena is meant to assist in the management of schools or campuses. You can use the app to help in various aspects of management, administration and learning activities. The app is used by high schools, kindergartens, e-learning facilities, training centers, seminaries, universities and other similar institutions. The basic modules of Fedena allow you to manage attendance, news, admissions, timetables, examinations, student details and more.

What is the history and popularity of the app?

More than 40,000 schools, campuses and other institutions worldwide use Fedena in basic management and the company says the free app is downloaded some 200 times every day. The institutions that use Fedena cater to more than 20 million students. Fedena was originally developed in India by Foradian Techologies. The company open sourced the software, which was designed using Ruby on Rails, and it is now maintained by the open source community. Widespread favorable media coverage, particularly in the press specialized in education or in learning in poorer countries, has greeted the app.

What are the differences to other apps?

The open source nature of this massive app makes it extremely comprehensive and adaptable. Schools and other institutions can adapt this software to their own needs with ease. The wide variety of functions further distinguishes the app. From examination records to the ability to send out bulk SMSs to students, parents and staff make the app a truly comprehensive solution for educational institutions.

How does the web app look and feel to use?

The scope of the app is complex, and so is its use. The app is meant to be implemented by IT professionals from the various educational institutions that use it. A number of companies and private individuals also provide professional support services to educational institutions to install, customize and use the app.

How does the registration process work?

To register with Fedena Pro, contact Fedena Pro Services from their web site. A free demo of the software is available on the site by the clicking the green Live Demo button.

What does it cost to use the application?

The cost varies, depending on the degree of customization and maintenance. The basic package from Fedena Pro Services costs $400 per year per institution. This includes hosting, email support and other services.

Who would you recommend the application to?

The application suits the needs of educational institutions worldwide with a need to save on their budgets. Customization, maintenance and more would most likely best be performed by IT professionals. The institutions must be of a size that would merit IT staff.

BeachCandy - Invoices, Management, Billing, Clients

Mike Foster — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:55:02 +0000

What can you use the app for?

Beachcandy is a simple application built to provide individuals and small business owners with a quick and easy method for creating and tracking invoices. The application allows businesses to track and include expenses for specific project, as well as to store customer data for one-click invoice creation. The application also allows for special discounts, invoice numbers, due dates and issue dates.

Beachcandy supports line-by-line invoice creation and will allow users to save and preview their invoices before they are sent to the client. Invoices are managed from a single dashboard.

What is the history and popularity of the app?

Beachcandy launched in May 2012. The CEO is Jochen Metzger.

What are the differences to other apps?

Beachcandy provides a number of features similar to those offered by other invoicing applications, with one big twist: a percentage of the membership fee paid by users is donated to social causes. 20% of all of Beachcandy’s revenue is donated to projects that benefit local communities and other good causes. The application offers an easy way to create and track invoices without the need for installing new software or struggling through a difficult learning curve.

How does the web app look and feel to use?

Beachcandy is extremely barebones in terms of design. Users will find only a few buttons to click—the application is designed exclusively for invoice creation and management and doesn’t do much outside of these two purposes. Still, the Beachcandy interface is easy enough to learn and any user who has previously created an invoice in another software suite will be instantly familiar with the layout.

How does the registration process work?

Registration for Beachcandy requires the user to choose one of the application’s four pricing plans. After selecting a plan, the user will be taken to the registration screen, which requires a first name, last name, company name and email address. Clicking “Sign Up” completes registration and allows the user to enter the rest of his or her payment information.

What does it cost to use the application?

There are four different payment plans available for Beachcandy. A free plan offers users three invoices per month and an intermediate plan provides 30 for $9 each month. The next tier up runs $18 per month and offers 300 invoices, while the final tier costs $27 per month and allows for unlimited invoices.

Who would you recommend the application to?

Beachcandy is a simple, but effective application for any business that needs help with its invoicing. It’s also a handy way for individual and businesses to contribute to social causes while doing things they would have to do anyway, such as billing clients and tracking customers. Beachcandy doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of some more advanced applications, but will fill the needs of most small businesses.

Fixoodle - Language, Learning Native, Corrections

Mike Foster — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:40:02 +0000

What can you use the app for?

Fixoodle is an application designed around one simple idea: a global community of individuals can help one another to learn new languages. Fixoodle users can practice their new language by having writings proofread by native speakers and talking to members from across the globe. The application also provides pronunciation recordings, special-focus groups and customizable profiles.

Fixoodle aims to make learning and using a new language easier and more fun by giving students easy access to other speakers of the language. The application provides numerous ways for language learners and tutors to interact with one another.

What is the history and popularity of the app?

Fixoodle launched in 2011 and has quickly grown a strong and passionate user base. The site has over 600 Twitter followers, and the application has earned 1,100 Facebook “Likes.” As the community grows, the application expands in functionality to include new languages and groups.

What are the differences to other apps?

Fixoodle provides what the application refers to as “social language correction.” In other words, users who write and submit content will have their word corrected by other users who are native speakers of the language in question. All edits are highlighted so the language learner can get an idea of how a native speaker would go about making the same point. The application is designed to inspire confidence in language learning and make the process a bit more fun.

How does the web app look and feel to use?

Fixoodle is easy to use—language learners simply submit a post of up to 1,000 characters and wait for a native speaker to pull it and review it. The interface is split into tabs that separate submissions, groups and profiles, as well as the user’s friends list. From the main dashboard, users can submit new updates, share videos or access the rest of their user panel.

How does the registration process work?

To register for Fixoodle, users must share a first name, last name and email address. From there, a user name must be selected and a password created. There is also a Captcha image on the registration screen. After the initial information is provided, the user will need to fill in detailed personal information including gender, birthday, a primary language, secondary language and the languages being studied.

What does it cost to use the application?

Fixoodle is free for all users and driven entirely by community support. People translate and help with texts on Fixoodle because they enjoy it, or they’re getting similar help on their own work. There are no fees, contracts or costs associated with maintaining a Fixoodle account.

Who would you recommend the application to?

Fixoodle is the perfect application for students of a new language, regardless of age or location. The application provides the most valuable part of language learning to anyone willing to sign up: interaction with native speakers. Talking to native speakers can help extend a user’s language education and increase their flexibility with the language they’ve chosen to learn.

DesignCrowd - Design Crowdsource Choices Projects

Dorothy Distefano — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:20:02 +0000

What can you use the app for?

DesignCrowd is an application for outsourcing or crowdsourcing design projects such as website design, logo design, t-shirt design, or more. The user posts a job with description and designers present designs from around the world. The user then evaluates the designs and chooses the one that works best.

What is the history and popularity of the app?

DesignCrowd, formerly DesignBay, was founded in January 2008 by Alec Lynch. In December 2011, the company acquired Brandstack and relaunched it as BrandCrowd, a service within the DesignCrowd community. Site statistics show 12,000-31,600 unique visitors to the site each month. The site currently has 70,500 graphic designers signed up and has made $3,564,319 in project payments.

What are the differences to other apps?

DesignCrowd is completely based on graphic designs. Many sites offer a variety of freelance services rather than the complete design focus. Sites such as 99designs have higher starting costs for packages.

How does the web app look and feel to use?

Once registered, the customer seeking a design chooses what type of design they need. There are several choices such as logo, stationary, business card, t-shirt, icon, web page (uncoded), wordpress theme, and more. The next step is to choose the cost package.

The next step is provide a name for the project and a description of the requirements for the project, project duration (deadline for submission), text needed, as well as any additional features or file uploads that will assist designers with their creative process.

The order confirmation step allows the user to choose the refundable option in which the user will receive $200 back if they do not choose a design, or the committed option in which they commit to pay designers and get 30% more designs - this waives refund rights. This section also offers project upgrades for making the project private, highlighting, featuring, rebranding, and social media promotion. Users also have printing options for business cards - single or double sided.

The last step is to choose a payment option: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, or MoneyBookers. At this point, the user enters the appropriate payment information and personal details as needed.

Designers may view projects and make submissions based on the criteria listed. Those that are refundable are listed as contests, nonrefundable as jobs. Designers may not view the designs of other designers so that copying is discouraged and creativity is encouraged. Chosen designs are viewable once the task has ended.

The site is clear and easy to navigate. The process makes sense and information is clearly explained in the help section.

How does the registration process work?

For Customers who wish to purchase designs, an email, password, first and last name, and country are needed. Designers must provide the same information plus whether they wish to receive payment via Moneybookers or PayPal.

What does it cost to use the application?

There are four cost packages for each project on DesignCrowd. As an example, these prices are for logo creation: The $240 package will likely yield 15-30 designs and includes copyright ownership and a money back guarantee if the customer does not choose one of the designs. The $440 package will yield 50-65 designs, copyright, guarantee, and a highlighted project on the site. The $690 package will yield 75-90 designs, copyright ownership, guarantee, highlighted project in listings as well as featured project status on the site. The $940 package will yield 120-135 designs, copyright, guarantee, highlighted project, feature on the site, and Twitter promotion. Business card design packages range from free (to get quotes) to $470. Each project has its own price range.

Each package is broken down into how much the chosen designer will receive, whether a designer must pay to participate and how much, the DesignCrowd fee ($40) and the total cost excluding 3% transaction fees and GST.

Who would you recommend the application to?

Businesses or individuals seeking unique designs from several designers will appreciate design crowd. Rather than working with one designer and attempting to revise and edit and ask for more designs, this process will yield the most varied selection from a larger pool of talent. The user should be aware of the cost prior to beginning as graphic design services are not inexpensive.

Fluent.io - Email Organizer and Aggregator

Adam Brown — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:02 +0000

What can you use the app for?

You can use fluent to organize your emails. You can access all of your emails from multiple accounts in one place with Fluent. Fluent lets you search all of your emails at once. You can archive, delete, save and answer emails from several different providers at once. You can do it from a single browser that also lets you preview attachments. Fluent is meant to help you save time, particularly on work-related tasks.

What is the history and popularity of the app?

Fluent was founded by a team of three former Google employees in 2012 as a means to make email more efficient. The founders said the inspiration for the app came from their observation that email hasn't changed much since it was first invented. By April of 2012, news magazine TechCrunch included Fluent in its list of Top 35 Startups in Tech That TechCrunch missed out on. "Fluent’s beautiful design and support for multiple account checking means that email has never felt so enjoyable," said TechCrunch in a very positive review.

What are the differences to other apps?

The design and utility of Fluent makes it stand out from other competing apps. The constant innovation of the creation team is also helping keep the app at the front of the world of email aggregators. The app, however, hasn't received as much publicity as some of its competitors. The ease of answering e-mails is another outstanding feature of Fluent. Fluent lets you answer emails in a way that lets you read the original e-mail and preview all the attachements at the same time.

How does the web app look and feel to use?

The app is a joy to use. It makes regular e-mail simpler to respond to and easier to organize. One of the most outstanding features is the ability to answer e-mails in line. You can write a response to an e-mail while viewing the entire original email and previewing all the attachments. This helps make sure you are responding to all the points raised in the email. At the same time, you can see previews of all recent emails. This eliminates the frustrating problem of replying to an old email only to see that the sender has sent a more recent one.

How does the registration process work?

Signing up to Fluent can be done simply by clicking the sign up button on the upper right hand corner of the main page. If you receive an announcement that the registration process is temporarily blocked, you have to receive an invite to join. Before registering, you can also try a free demo, also from the app's home page.

What does it cost to use the application?

The app is currently free.

Who would you recommend the application to?

Anybody who uses two or more traditional email services could benefit from Fluent. It's also fantastic for those who are trying to increase productivity. The app really has no use for people who use only one e-mail service.

BandPage - Facebook Promotion for Musicians

Adam Brown — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:45:02 +0000

What can you use the app for?

Musicians can use BandPage to promote themselves on Facebook. BandPage lets musicians present their videos, music tour dates and other information on Facebook. The social networking and share functions on Facebook are the main promotion tools for the app. The app also allows music fans to share the videos and music of their favorite bands on Facebook. The app allows users to integrate their Facebook communications with YouTube.

What is the history and popularity of the app?

BandPage has had widespread success on Facebook, becoming the top music-sharing app on the social network. This has also caused problems for the app. Changes to Facebook policy, such as its switch to the Timeline for profiles, can cause visibility and accessibility of the app to suffer. Bandpage is owned and operated by RootsMusic Inc., and counts on hundreds of thousands of band pages and millions of monthly fan users. Avril Lavigne, Rihanna, and other famous artists use BandPage to communicate with their fans.

What are the differences to other apps?

The main different between BandPage and other music sharing apps is BandPage's popularity. Its widespread use makes it easier for fans to find the band and the songs they want. Size its main advanatage and its main appeal. Other than that, BandPage is also very simple to use. The option to create a BandPage is also straightforward and based on drop down menu choices.

How does the web app look and feel to use?

The app is based around the Facebook social network. As such, its use is highly integrated with Facebook. Frequent users of Facebook will have no trouble learning how to integrate and use the app. Creating a BandPage is also very easy. It's simply a matter of choosing from various options such as themes and templates. Customizing the page to fit your band's image is easy to do with uploaded images and backgrounds.

How does the registration process work?

Registration for the app for both fans and musicians is through Facebook. The BandPage app will ask for permission to access your basic information and your e-mail address.

What does it cost to use the application?

The basic option is permanently free. It includes a customer banner, banner link, SoundCloud player and various features to help fans share your music or videos. The paid version costs $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year. The paid version includes all of the features of the free version but also gives users a mailing list. It also allows them to customize their background images, full color customization and more.

Who would you recommend the application to?

Pretty much any musician should use this app to boost their fan base on Facebook. However, the app is subject to the changing appearances and policies of Facebook. The app may get more visible or less visible based on Facebook changes. Therefore, musicians should still have other marketing sources, such as their own web sites.

EchoSign - Online Electronic Signature Service

Dorothy Distefano — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:30:02 +0000

What can you use the app for?

Echosign is an electronic signature application that allows documents to be signed online. This streamlines the process of contract signing and replaces regular mail or faxing. E-signing may be done in any browser, instantly.

What is the history and popularity of the app?

Founded in 2005 by Jason Lemkin and Jeff Zwelling, Echosign has been featured in InformationWeek, The New York Times, ZDNet, washingtonpost.com,Silicon Valley Business Journal, The Wall Street Journal, and many more major news outlets both in print and online.

Unique visitors have climbed over the last year from 180,000 to nearly 775,000. Echosign is a division of Adobe and has partnered with Salesforce.com, NetSuite, SAP, WebEx, and Zoho. Linkedin states that the app has over 5 million users worldwide.

What are the differences to other apps?

Echosign's main competition is Docusign. According to various reviews, Echosign is a more streamlined process, has better pricing plans, and has better control and precision. There are some who object to hidden fees within upgrades. Docusign started sooner, but can it keep up with a company with Adobe backing?

How does the web app look and feel to use?

Upon verification, the user is directed to a dashboard containing information and options. From this dashboard, the user may get a document signed, view statistics of agreements signed and average time to sign, document status, account information, add documents to the library, create a widget to be embedded in a signable document, sign something that has been sent to you, or archive a document. Users may also view a quick start guide.

To send a document, it must be uploaded into the document library. Then, through EchoSign, the user enters the email addresses of the recipients. The document name and an automatic message requesting that the recipient review and sign are generated. The document may be password protected. It may be signed with an e-signature or, if preferred, via fax through Echosign. E-signatures may be typed or drawn with a mouse or via touchscreen.

The application is simple and intuitive on either computer or mobile device.

How does the registration process work?

Users may set up a free Echosign account or sign in with Google or Google Apps accounts. To register, users provide an email address, password, first and last name, company name, number of employees, job title, telephone number, and country. A verification email with link is sent within five minutes.

What does it cost to use the application?

There are 5 levels of accounts for Echosign. The Free account includes 1 user, 5 signatures per month, secure document archive for the last 5 documents, e-signatures, fax signatures, mobile sign, adobe reader integration, biometric handwritten signatures, web identity, and multiple signers per document.

The Pro account starts at $14.95 per month for one user and users must contact the company for the number of signatures per month. The last 500 documents are archived and the rest of the features match the free plan.

The Team plan starts at $0-180 per month and is for 2-9 users. Again, users must contact EchoSign for number of signatures per month. Unlimited secure document archive is provided. In addition to the features in the Pro plan, this plan includes eCollaborate, corporate branding, and a shared document library.

The Enterprise plan starts at $299 per month and is for 10+ users. All features are the same as the Team plan plus Knowledge Based Authentication; alerts; Megasign for 50+ signatures; attached audit trail; Salesforce, NetSuite, SugarCRM, SAP, CLM integrations; reports; custom forms; PDF form support; a widget; and API and Website integration.

The Global plan starts at $399 per month and includes all of the above plus localized sending and signing experience in 20+ languages and a global fax-back network.

The vague "starts at" is undefined. With some research, it appears that this refers to the additional costs incurred in adding users. One user reported that adding one user to his Pro Account increased his fee to $480 per year in advance, non-refundable. This is an increase to $20 per user per month. The increases are higher in the higher level plans with more features. This should be seriously considered prior to choosing this app.

Who would you recommend the application to?

Any company that works with contracts, sales agreements, or other documentation that requires a signature will benefit from the e-signing abilities of EchoSign. Prior to choosing a plan, it is recommended to review the company needs carefully and be aware of potential rate increases attached to adding users.

Brightpearl - Accounting and CRM Solution

Mike Foster — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:10:02 +0000

What can you use the app for?

Brightpearl is an online accounting software solution that is intended to help businesses centralize their vital tasks. Through Brightpearl, companies can stop using multiple websites and resources. Instead, they can manage many of their most important tasks through the application. Brightpearl covers a diverse selection of necessities. Users can record lead information and manage contacts as well as set up bulk emails and SMS alerts. Quotes and invoices can be created and sent as PDFs. Users can also accept credit card payments online through Brightpearl. Point of sale capabilities are included as well as secure accounting features. Companies can also manage their purchase orders and clear audit trails through Brightpearl’s multi-user history logging. Inventory can be managed online, making the company’s stock levels accessible through Brightpearl from any computer with internet access. Users can also implement Brightpearl’s integrated shopping cart software and customer service desk. There is little that Brightpearl cannot do for small businesses.

What is the history and popularity of the app?

Brightpearl was created by founders Andrew Mulvenna and Chris Tanner to provide a web based accounting solution for businesses. The company is based out of Bristol in the United Kingdom with a second office in Dublin, Ireland. The current Brightpearl team includes CEO Salman Malik, CTO Ben Halstead and Board Directors Chris Chapman and Doug Richard.

What are the differences to other apps?

The completeness of Brightpearl is what makes it so appealing to some businesses. Rather than pick and choose a few functionalities, the application decided to offer up them all. Companies can manage inventory, contacts, invoices, accounting tasks and much more through Brightpearl.

How does the web app look and feel to use?

The Brightpearl website welcomes users with an orange color scheme and circular logo. The elegant text adds personality while a majority of the site focuses on organization and user friendly layout. Users can easily navigate Brightpearl and learn the system relatively quickly. The application incorporates color line graphs and helpful design elements to assist users in getting the most out of the application.

How does the registration process work?

A new user can create a Brightpearl account by clicking the green “Try It For Free” button near the center of the homepage. Doing so takes the user to the 30 day free trial sign up form. The form asks the user for a company name, desired Brightpearl URL, first and last name of the company’s contact person, email address, password, telephone number, number of staff members, time zone, country location and promotion code if the user has one.

What does it cost to use the application?

Brightpearl provides users with a number of options when setting up their payment plan. The base plan begins at around $30 per month. Three optional modules are offered. The stock control module adds about $15 on for basic capabilities, around $30 for mid-range and around $43 for premium access. The purchasing module and the service desk module costs around $15 extra each. Brightpearl charges around $30 per month per concurrent user. For approximately $30 more per month, the user can add either a website or ecommerce capabilities (or both for around $60).

Who would you recommend the application to?

Brightpearl is a helpful tool for companies that want to centralize many of their tasks. The web based access makes Brightpearl very convenience. The application can handle a wide range of tasks so the user can handle many vital aspects of their daily operations.