NW Contractors Network Office gets a face lift

 

I have been working out of this office for about 3 months now and I was not able to see out into our lobby because the window had been boarded up with a piece of foamcore that had been mounted to the window with an industrial strength adhesive.  We nearly broke the window removing it and the solvents made our heads swim a bit but thanks to Sean Eaton and Patrick Kay the new window cling is installed and I think it looks great. The best part is it does not feel like I work out of a supply closet anymore, I can see out the largest window in my office.  NW Contractors Network is cruising right along and now that I have some official signage I need to make it work.  If you are a contractor looking for bid projects, stop in and see me in the Seattle location and I will show you what we have been working on.

 The website is: http://www.nwcontractorsnetwork.com

TA-DAAAA!

PlanWell Moves to a Subscription Model on August 1st 2010

This change will not affect users of EWO or Public Planrooms, these services will continue to be free.
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As our customers continue to adopt our technology solutions to improve efficiency, expanding our infrastructure in our technology centers has become a necessity. And this expansion has caused additional operating costs. This affects you because in the past the print orders you have placed with us on the PlanWell technology platform has completely subsidized the expense of our technology development and support capabilities. This model is no longer viable.

Effective Sunday, August 01, 2010 you will be required to purchase individual seat licenses for Users of PlanWell.

Seat Licenses will cost:
          $10 per month for a PlanWell Standard User ($120 per year)
or
          $20 per month for a PlanWell BidCaster User ($240 per year)

Data Storage will cost:

$20 per month for users requiring data storage on the PlanWell network. ($240 per year)

Even if you use PlanWell via telephone orders, it is imperative that you sign up for an account so you can access your company projects stored in PlanWell.

These new monthly usage charges can be invoiced for project reimbursement. Please contact Customer Support to assist you with specific invoicing needs.

In the next few months you'll see exciting new additions to PlanWell that will further enhance and support your digital workflow. For more information on PlanWell logins, please go to www.repronw.com  

Again This change will not affect users of EWO or Public Planrooms these services will continue to be free.

PlanWell on the iPad?

April 3rd was a big day for gadget fans and geeks alike as they waited for the release of the first iPads from Apple. I have been exploring the advantages and disadvantages of working in the cloud the idea of a portable device that accesses my content from anywhere is a really great concept but there are plenty of naysayers that think the device is nothing more than a big iPhone.


I am dating myself here but when people were first introduced to the idea of a cell phone there were naysayers as well. I remember my parents saying "if I need to make a call I can just pull over and use the pay phone, why would I need a phone to carry around with me?" When is the last time any of you used a pay phone?

The iPad is betting that the data you currently store on a laptop or desktop machine will eventually be moved or copied to a web server or cloud. This way you do not have to be in front of or connected to the machine you store your information on you can simply access the server that it resides on and utilize the data from anywhere you can get an internet or cellular signal.

This is where PlanWell is going to be perfectly positioned to take advantage of this type of a technology on the iPad platform. The PlanWell website contains a user interface that makes it easy to navigate, view, and order prints or download files. For contractors in the field having a device like this is the equivalent of being able to carry around every document that has ever been created for the project that you are constructing; and with a few clicks or gestures you have the answers you need.

I am doing some tests on the platform now and will post again with my results.

Happy Computing,

Learn about iShipDocs

UPDATE: We have just added some addtional locations where we can have your documents printed and deliverd faster and more affordably than the traditional print and ship method. Watch the video bellow to learn more.

1. Indonesia – Jakarta, Tangerang



2. Bahrain – Manama


3. Qatar – Doha


4. Turkey – Istanbul


5. Taiwan – Taipei


6. Germany – Berlin, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Jena, Koln, Munnheim, Munchen, Rostock, Stuttgart, Weimar, Wermelskirchen

A note to all drivers.......

Bioprinting

I had just heard a piece on this the other day on NPR about using printing technology to map and create organs and other replacement parts for the human body. This means that we could have a digital blueprint of our vital organs on file and they could simply create an exact duplicate of the replacement part before they begin surgery.

Click Here to see a video of the process as it is today.

PlanWell Will be unavailable...

Starting Friday – 02/26/10 at 7:00pm PST - Until - Sunday – 02/28/10at 10:00am PST.
Customers that use PlanWell to place orders will be unable to do so during these hours.