Information Technology (IT) - An Overview

This present era is an era of information technology. This article is dealing with development of information technology in different facet of our life"

INTRODUCTION

In today's world (IT) is all pervasive, everywhere, and in every facet of our day to day life. Prominently service sector involving railway, airlines, scientific and businesses establishments, banks, universities, schools, and most definitely in our homes. The phrase 'information technology' has many varying connotations in the same way as it has a wide spread presence. From the most mundane of things which a common person does to the most complex wizardry which only a techno savvy geek comprehends. Information technology can be seen and experienced in processes improving services to citizens and consumers (online transactions, bookings, university admissions, professional consultations, telecommunications, consumer products etc), increasing the productivity and efficiency of governments (computerization of government records, departments, e-cops), strengthening the legal and law enforcement systems (Judicial administration and Court Management) and in promoting the priority economic sectors (banking, agriculture, industry, marketing and the like), involving processes of manufacturing and production chain. Possibly the greatest impact Information technology has had is on blurring the time and geographical divide.

The penetration of the home computer or the personal computer phenomenon along with the Internet has increased the impact of information technology beyond our own imagination. Thus use of Internet has given the globe a shrinking effect. Every kind of information is only a few clicks away. In today's world of competition -"information" is the key word to success. Availability of right information at the right time can make all the difference. Today relevant information outweighs the price of gold. The graphical user interface has simplified one of the most complex issues in the world. Indeed, the world is undergoing a second Industrial Revolution.

Information technology today touches every aspect of life, irrespective of location on the globe. Everyone's daily activities are affected in form, content and time by the computer. Businesses, Governments and individuals all receive the benefits of this Information Revolution. While providing tangible benefits in time and money, the computer has also had an impact on everyday life, as computerized routines replace mundane human tasks. More and more of our businesses, industries, economies, hospitals and Governments are becoming dependent on computers. With the computer, the heretofore impossible has now become possible, The computer has allowed large volumes of data to be reduced to high-density, compact storage, nearly imperceptible to the human senses. It has allowed an exponential increase in speed, and even the most complex calculations can be completed in milliseconds. The miniaturization of processors has permitted worldwide connectivity and communication.

WHAT IS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY?

The broad subject concerned with all aspects of managing and processing information, especially within a large organization or company. Because computers are central to information management, computer departments within companies and universities are often called IT departments. Some companies refer to this department as IS (Information Services) or MIS (Management Information Services). The penguin dictionary of computers defines it as "a portmanteau phrase to cover all aspects of the art or science of processing data to produce information". It includes computer software, hardware, programs, and databases, semiconductor chips that put together process and produce the output. Output can be expressed in human readable form (printouts) or in machine readable form (series of electronic pulses) which are further used to control a any other machine, tool or device. Information technology also includes networking of computers and databases exchanging and feeding information between one another.

Basic understanding of and about technology law warrants proper grasp and appreciation about technology itself. Inherently technology law, like any other emerging facts of law, is purely inter-disciplinary in nature. Hence, it is now proposed to explain and introduce some of essential and relevant aspects of information technology.

Importance of information technology

The importance of information technology cannot be ignored by banking and insurance sectors, except at the cost of elimination from the competition. This is so because the use of information technology produces certain advantages, which are not available when the traditional and conventional methods of doing business are used. The use of information technology generates the following advantages and benefits:

Ø easy handling of day to day affairs of an organization,

Ø speedy disposal of routine and daily works,

Ø assurance of authenticity, integrity and confidentiality in the functioning of the organization,

Ø cost economy,

Ø integration and interaction with the global institutions and organizations,

Ø better communication and presentation facilities,

Ø assurance of safety and sound security of the sensitive and valuable information, like trade secrets,

Ø instant transfer of data and information where the situation demands,

Ø it provides access to public documents which are digitalized by various department s of the Government,

Ø for making online payments of various bills and dues,

Ø to file statutory documents online , etc.

These benefits development of information technology can be claimed by all business ventures, including banking and insurance sectors, but apart from that its advantages are claimed by various other sectors which are discussed as follow :

1. Development to Banking business,

2. Development in Forensic Science and Police Wireless

3. Development in Railways

4. Development of IT in Agriculture

5. Role of Information Technology in Alternative Dispute Redressal & Judicial recognition

6. Development of IT in Health and Medicine

1) Development to Banking business

The benefits and advantages of information technology for the smooth and efficient functioning of the banking business cannot be disregarded and sidelined. This is more so when a bank proposes to deal in "Internet banking " which is an important offshoot of information technology. Its proper and methodical use can bring the following advantages.

(A) Sound Payment System:

The usage of electronic means of funds movement and settlement is still in its stages of formative years. The various forms of electronic based payment, such as credit cards, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Stored Value cards, Shared Payment Network Service (SPNS) etc, are emerging at an incredible speed. Many banks have made initiatives aimed at electronic modes of funds movement. While this is a positive development, it needs to be ensured that such funds transfers are made in a high level of security so that no unauthorized usage occurs in the newer modes being implemented by banks. It is this area, which has been the focus of attention by the Reserve Bank - and the efforts have now resulted in the form of the Structured Financial Messaging Solution (SFMS).

The SFMS incorporates adequate security measures, including that of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), with encryption software equivalent to some of the best security measure in the world. The use of the SFMS over the INFINET would automatically provide safe, secure and efficient funds transfers with the added benefit of the settlement of inter-bank funds transfers taking place in the books of account of banks, maintained with the Reserve Bank, thereby providing for finality of the settlement. Further, the message formats used in SFMS are very similar to those used by SWIFT, resulting in ease of usage by the banking community in the country. This secure messaging backbone can be used for a number of intra-bank applications also.

(B) Effective Currency Management

The impact of technology on the issuances of Bank Notes and Currency Management by Central bank is apparent. The technology offers us immense opportunities to significantly improve our performance of this core function. Given the high value and volume of currency in circulation, the vast geographic spread of currency operations, the largest distribution channel for the supply of currency, prevalent marked preference for cash and currency handling practices, currency management in India is a challenging and strenuous task. In 1999, the Reserve Bank of India announced a "Clean Note Policy" to bring about improvements of the quality of notes in circulation and technology has played an indispensable role in enabling the Bank to provide better quality notes to the general public. The information technology makes the task of currency management easy, effective, economical and speedier.

2) Development in Forensic Science and Police Wireless

The modernization and manpower development of Information Technology in the Central Forensic Science Laboratories and GEQDs, which were started in the Seventh Plan, has had an immense development . The research areas envisaged pertain DNA finger printing; cadaver entomology; immuno-assay techniques; classification of handwriting characteristics; instrumental techniques for examining writing materials; computerized image processing of firearms and ammunition; development of computerized system for superimposition; immuno diagnostic technique, hair identification, range and time of firing and explosive analysis, etc.

It is thus expected that rapidity and sophistication would be introduced by way of video- fit techniques, laser-tracing, holography, image processing, computer aided automatic finger print identification system and initiatives taken in new frontier areas like forensic psychology. Suitable structure and mechanism would be evolved for the formulation, implementation and monitoring of S&T schemes under the Forensic Science.

In the area of police wireless, the main thrust has been to achieve communication link from the national capital up to rural police station through State Headquarters, Range Headquarters, and District Headquarters. This is proposed to be achieved through the development of high speed message switch, micro processor based specifically designed computerized connectors, pocket radio system, micro earth station and secrecy devices and multi-access radio telephone.

3) Development in Railways

Indian Railways is one of the largest systems in the world. It is said that information technology (IT), which is being introduced into various fields, is a key to the development in the 21st century. Technology innovative provider of the In Rule(TM) business rules engine for automating application decision logic that involves rules, calculations and dynamic user interfaces, today announced the expansion of its partner network in response to the needs of its growing customer base. The development of information and technology shows that safety, efficiency and convenience have been improved in the areas of railway use, operations and maintenance.

This is followed by a section on a new train control system for high-density lines that uses methods for transmitting information to the train about the distance to the position at which the train must stop, which is necessary for train control. This system is realized through the advanced application of information technology. Until now, it has been impossible to realize efficient operations in high-density lines due to limitations of existing signal technology. Further information technology has been used for train operation, security and ticket booking/issuing systems, must more actively apply information technology to improve safety, comfort and convenience.

Therefore, we are committing research and development to prevent accidents and dramatically improve passenger services by utilizing information technology to the maximum extent, to the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI). As a means to introduce information technology into various fields of transport service, we are promoting researches to construct a "Comprehensive Transport Information Providing System." and will continue to implement the policies to utilize information technology.

4) Development of IT in Agriculture

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. It accounts for 27% of GDP, contributes 21% of total exports, and raw materials to several industries. About two third of Indian population depends on the agricultural sector for their means of livelihood. Therefore IT has a major role to play in all facets of Indian agriculture. In addition to facilitating farmers in improving the efficiency and productivity of agriculture and allied activities, the potential of IT lies in bringing about an overall qualitative improvement in life by providing timely and quality information inputs for decision making. The personnel who work for the welfare of Indian farmers, such as extension workers, do not have access to latest information which hinders their ability to serve the farming community effectively. In the context nonagricultural, the potential of IT can be assessed broadly under two heads:

a) as a tool for direct contribution to agricultural productivity

and

b) as an indirect tool for empowering farmers to take informed and quality decisions which will have positive impact on the way agriculture and allied activities are conducted.

5) Role of Information Technology in Alternative Dispute Redersal and Judicial Recognition

Information technology provides opportunities to facilitate communication and so assist in prevention and management of disputes. ADR services can use information technology to provide information to parties in case of disputes arise between the parties and also to complement and substitute for, traditional information system. Information technology can also play a valuable role in supporting the quality of ADR practice through more effective supervision, assessment, training, information management, research and evaluation.

Information About Passive Smoking, Smokeless Tobacco And Other Health Risks

Involuntary or passive smoking is associated with premature disease and death. Estimates indicate that 38,000 to 43,000 nonsmokers who are regularly exposed to environmental smoke die annually from smoking related causes. 16 The majority of these (35,000 to 40,000) die from heart disease, and 3000 die from lung cancer. There is a dose response effect. The more the nonsmoker is exposed to environmental smoke, the greater the risk for premature morbidity (illness) and mortality (death).

Children of smoking parents are more likely to experience a higher incidence of influenza, colds, bronchitis, asthma, and pneumonia. The impact of passive smoking on them can last a lifetime and may range from delayed physical and intellectual development to the hazards associated with prolonged exposure to carcinogenic substances.

An alarming trend is the escalating sale of smoke less tobacco products. Chewing tobacco and dipping snuff have become popular among high school and college men. The world health organization (WHO) has described the growing use of smokeless tobacco as a new threat to society. Nicotine is an addictive drug regardless of the method of delivery, and its effects are similar whether it is inhaled, as in smoking, or absorbed through the tissues of the oral cavity, as in dipping and chewing. The incidence of oral cancer may be 50 times higher among long term users of smokeless tobacco products than among nonusers. Smokeless tobacco is addictive and deadly.

Physical inactivity is finally being officially recognized as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease by the AHA. The upgrading of physical inactivity appeared in their latest position statement and reflects the importance of participating in physical activities regularly. The change occurred because the weight of the evidence that has been accumulating in the last 10 years shows that exercise produces many important health benefits. This is good news for those who have been physically active, and it may motivate some sedentary people to become active.

Physical inactivity (hypokinesis) is debilitating to the human body. A couple of weeks of bed rest or chair rest produces muscle atrophy, bone demineralization, and decreases in aerobic capacity and maximum ventilatory capacity. Your body was constructed for and thrives on physical exertion. The american college of sports medicine has established guidelines for the development and maintenance of physical fitness. The amount of physical activity needed to improve and maintain good health and to affect longevity is currently under investigation.

The evidence of investigators at the centers for disease control provided the statistical basis for the position change by the AHA. These researchers showed a relationship between physical inactivity and heart disease that was similar in magnitude to that of cigarette smoking, high serum cholesterol levels, and hypertension. approximately 26% of the population smokes cigarettes, 30% have blood pressures greater than 140/90, and 32% have cholesterol levels greater than 200 mg/dl.

Although these numbers are impressive and a significant change in any one would lower the incidence of heart disease, the researchers concluded that regular exercise was the one lifestyle change that could most affect the health of the nation. This is based on the fact that 78% of americans are sedentary or exercise too infrequently to enhance their health. Regular physical activity also has a modifying effect on many of the risks for cardiovascular disease.

Other major studies have supported the view that people who regularly engage in physical activities of moderate intensity have significantly less heart attacks and experience fewer deaths from all causes than people who exercise little or not at all. Moderate activity was the equivalent of walking 1 to 2 miles per day for a total of 5 to 10 miles per week. The greatest health benefits were gained by those who expended 1500 to 2000 calories per week (15 to 20 miles of walking) in physical activity.

A total of 17,000 men were followed for more than 30 years. Those who regularly walked, climbed stairs, or participated in sports activities decreased their risk from all causes of mortality. Those who expended a minimum of 500 calories per week (5 miles of walking or its equivalent) to a maximum of 3500 calories per week (35 miles of walking or its equivalent) experienced a progressive increase in longevity.

Investigators at the cooper institute for aerobics research 22 studied the relationship between physical fitness and mortality from all causes. The uniqueness of this study was twofold: first, the researchers measured the physical fitness level of all subjects by treadmill testing, and second, more than 3000 of the 13,344 subjects were women. Because of their lower risk for cardiovascular disease, women have essentially been neglected as subjects in heart disease studies.

The results of this study indicated that a low physical fitness level increased the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all other forms of disease. The difference in all cause mortality was greatest between those who were in the moderately fit category and those in the low fit category . The difference between the moderately fit and the highly fit was insignificant. For people who exercise regularly, the risk of dying from a heart attack compared with the risk for sedentary people is 35% to 55% less.

A study completed using only women as subjects investigated the physical fitness benefits versus the health benefits of three levels of walking intensity. One group walked at 5 mph, a second group walked at 4 mph, and a third group walked at 3 mph. The results showed that physical fitness improved on a predictable dose response basis. The fastest walkers improved the most and the slowest walkers improved the least, but the cardiovascular risk was reduced equally among the three groups. Low level exercise was as effective as the highest level in promoting cardiovascular health. Exercise for health does not have to be as strenuous as exercise for physical fitness.

A sedentary lifestyle imposes a financial burden on all people. Active people pay a price a lifetime subsidy of approximately $1900 to support the medical costs of sedentary people. The costs come from collectively financed programs, such as health insurance, sick leave coverage, disability insurance, and group life insurance. Because premiums and payroll taxes that finance these programs are equal for both sedentary and active people, the programs subsidize unhealthy behaviors. If sedentary people became more active, they would live longer and healthier, thus reducing the cost they impose on others.

The health and longevity returns from exercise and a physically active lifestyle are significant. Estimates indicate that longevity is increased by 1 minute for every minute spent walking and by 2 minutes for every minute spent jogging. The potential for improving the health status of Americans through appropriate lifestyle behaviors is evident from estimates indicating that 60% of all deaths are premature and approximately 50% to 60% of all illness and disabilities are preventable.

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Challenges of the Information Officer of the Digital Age

My beloved brothers and sisters in information and communication industry in Ghana, verily, verily, I say unto you that the world wide web with its offspring, the Internet, brought about by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT), is very, very useful indeed! If it weren't so, I wouldn't have told you so. But it all depends on how you use its tools to advance your course.

When doing a research to write this feature, I browsed the web and used the Google search engine to look up the definition of the three key words in the headline above namely, "challenge", "information" and "digital." I was amazed at the thousand and one shades of meaning available on the net. Yet, for purposes of this article, I just picked the basic meanings that best suit my intention. And that intention was to try as much as possible to write on technical subjects without much indulging in technical jargons, so that ordinary readers can enjoy reading the piece and understand the real issue at stake.

Thus, Challenge was defined as "a situation or difficulty that tests one's ability to do something." Information - "a collection of related data; knowledge about a topic; data that have been processed into a format that is understandable by intended audience." Digital - "generally, information is expressed, stored and transmitted by either analog or digital means. In a digital form, this information is seen in a binary state as either a one or a zero, a plus or a minus. The computer uses digital technology for most actions."

Analogically, let's say that, as an Information Officer of the digital age, it was possible for me to obtain the meanings of these words on the Internet while using the computer. Otherwise, I would have been obliged to look for a big dictionary, which might not be available for me at the time of writing. The challenge that would have confronted me would have been my inability to obtain these definitions on the Internet instantly if I had not acquired some basic knowledge or the technique of utilising the tools of ICT to search online or the web.

In Ghana, Information Officers, like any other professionals, have been contributing their quota to the development of the nation from time immemorial. They have been discharging their duties by disseminating government information to the people. They do this by interpreting government policies and explaining less understood or misunderstood issues to the people at the grassroots. They, in turn, send feedback to government by informing the authorities about the sentiments, views, opinions the real feelings of the people on such policies or programmes for necessary reviews or modifications in the best interest of the governed.

For example, the implementation of national policies such as the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Capitation Grant, the School Feeding Programme, the National Youth Employment Programme, the Cedi Redenomination Programme, the Education Reform, the Regenerative Health and Nutrition Programme, the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty, the National Identification Programme, just to mention a few, are issues that Information Officers have been supporting other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as other public and private organisations to educate the public about their value to society without playing politics with them at all. And where the desired impacts are lacking they have the responsibility to alert Government. Information Officers are professional civil servants who are mandated to play this role to assist any government in power for the prosperity of the nation.

Each year when the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning presents the national budget to Parliament, especially where new policy statements are made in the budget, all Regional and District Information Officers are convened in Accra for orientation. Experts from the Finance Ministry are invited to educate and explain policy issues to these Information Officers to enable them to understand and be well informed themselves first before they go back to their various districts to interpret the policies to ordinary citizens in their own local languages.

The latest policy issue, for instance, was the Communication Service Tax, popularly known as "Talk Tax." Again, when the Bank of Ghana (BoG) came up with the Redenomination of the Cedi programme last year, this orientation was organised for Information Officers, who in turn, went to every corner of the country to explain the programme to the people at the grassroots, in addition to radio and television publicity embarked upon the BoG. This was how the Cedi Redenomination public education campaign was very, very effective and successful nation wide.

One principal and traditional means by which Information Officers have been discharging these functions in deprived and rural communities in the country was the use of the famous Information Cinema Vans. Today with the availability of over 130 FM Radio stations and appreciable number of television stations in the Ghana, Information Officers have access to other communication channels to complement the use of Cinema Vans. Again, Information Officers have the opportunity to diversify the use of Cinema Vans by producing video films, DVD and CD documentaries to supplement their traditional means of disseminating public information to the citizenry.

Now, with the Digital Age, ushered in by ICT, which has transformed the globe into a miniature community, and changed the way things are done from archeology to zoology, Information Officers, too, have new challenges to encounter. As Digital Information Officers now, therefore, there is no way they can discharge their duties effectively and efficiently if they do not acquire some basic knowledge and skills in the application of ICT tools. They need to know something about E-Government strategy. In this context e-Government simply means electronic government or government online.

About 20 years ago or so, the United Nations called on governments the world over to reengineer governance by adopting e-government strategies so as to provide public services to their citizens online. Singapore which was one of the countries in the world to adhere to the UN's call quickly coined a slogan: "Any service that can be provided electronically must be provided electronically." Little wonder by 2004, when UN conducted a global survey to ascertain which countries were providing effective public services to their citizens online, Singapore was second only to Canada. In fact, Canada was first in e-government strategy with Singapore and US sharing the second position before others followed, according to that survey. The question is how Singapore, a very tiny island with a population of less than six million with no natural resources whatsoever, share a position with the all might America in e-government strategy? Whether we like it or not, Singapore is a world superpower in ICT. Period!

E-government has objective and scope. Digital Information Officers need to know some of the basic e-government terminologies such as Government-to-Citizen (G2C), Government-to-Business (G2B), Government-to-Employees (G2E) and Government-to-Government (G2G) etc, so that when they are disseminating government information electronically, they will know exactly what they are about.

Even though the digital gap between Ghana and Singapore may take some generations to bridge, it is gratifying to note that the Government of Ghana has also heeded the UN injunction for adoption of e-government strategy to provide public services to its citizens online. One of measures the Government adopted to this end was the establishment of the Government of Ghana Portal which is being managed by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation since 2003.

At the moment the Portal provides information on all sectors of the economy online. It also publishes major development oriented news on daily basis. It is yet to provide public services online. This has to be done in collaboration with some public services providers. Measures are being put in place for online services delivery on the Portal professionally. One particular development partner which supported the Information Ministry in the establishment of the Ghana Portal under what was known as Ghana Dot.Gov Project was the International Institute for Communication Development (IICD), based in the Netherlands.

It is commendable to observe since 2003, the IICD has maintained its technical and financial support to the Ministry of Information in terms of capacity building in ICT for staff of the Ministry and provisions of some equipment such as computers for the management of the Ghana Portal. Having realised that it is only when Information Officers are trained in ICT that they can cope with the demands of the digital age, the IICD has accepted a proposal to help the Ministry to establish an ICT Training Centre within the Ministry to provide constant training and technological upgrading for staff of the Ministry, the Information Services Department and as well as other MDAs in the country.

At the time of writing this piece, work has started on the ICT Training Centre project. UNDP has also been collaborating with the Information Ministry in the capacity building in ICT as reported in a previous article titled: "Ghana's Community Information Centres (CICs) Project on Course," published in the Daily of May 29, 2008. IICD is also supporting the CICs project in some rural communities in Northern Ghana.

Ghana Government itself has embarked upon other far reaching e-government projects to make the provision of public services to citizens online a reality in the country. For instance, there is a major E-Ghana Project with the support of the World Bank being undertaken by the Ministry of Communications to transform the whole nation into an e-society. Within the framework of this project, a National Optic Fibre Backbone was needed as infrastructure development leading to achieving that goal. In fact, Ghana's Ministry of Communications has already completed the first phase of the National Backbone project.

The Ghana Information and Communication Technology Directorate (GICTeD), which is responsible for the e-government component of the E-Ghana Project, is feverishly linking up with other MDAs to ensure the delivery of the following national tasks for the country to be classified among e-government nations of the world:

1. Establishment of Internet registry for Ghana;

2. Establishment of Digital Signature Registry;

3. Establishment of Certified Electronic Mail System for MDAs and

4. Establishment of Electronic Document Workflow System for Ghana. These entire digital infrastructures must be in place to enable the Information Officer to meet the challenges of the digital age squarely.

Mawutodzi K. Abissath is a Ghanaian journalist, writer, poet and blogger. He is EzineArticles.com Expert Author, author of Kofi Annan the Great - poetry, Friends of Tomorrow-Poems for Young Children and Co-author of Traditional Wisdom in African Proverbs.

He writes from Accra, Ghana

Information on the Super Visa Medical Insurance Requirement

Making it quicker and simpler for relatives to get back together with their parents or grandparents, the Canadian federal government released the latest visa in December 2011. The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa allows for the parent or grandparent associated with a Canadian citizen to stay in Canada for as many as two years at a stretch, without renewing their status. The Super Visa is mostly a multiple admittance visa and its in force for ten years.

As with several visa application, there are various requirements. One of the most talked about requirement of the new Super Visa would be the medical insurance requirement. Seekers of the visa need to prove they possess Canadian health insurance coverage (also known as Super Visa insurance). Particularly, the insurance plan must:

1. Be valid for a minimum duration of one year from the date of entry to Canada;

2. Provide at the least $100,000 coverage, and;

3. Must cover healthcare, hospitalization and repatriation

Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said "One of the reasons we are requiring that people demonstrate they have health insurance when they come into Canada, is to add greater certainty for our visa officers that admitting people is not going to end up representing a net cost to Canadian taxpayers." Minister Kenney continued to mention that the new health insurance requirement may make it easier for visa officers to say "yes."

Health costs in Canada are some of the most expensive on the globe. The median hospital stay in Canada costs around $7,000, and much more for patients with an underlying complication. Prescription drugs will add considerably to expenses. All Canadian residents are universally protected by provincial and territorial health coverage plans, and the costs of these plans are funded through income taxes. Non-Canadian residents usually are not entitled to provincial or territorial coverage.

With regards to the minimum amount of coverage requirement, the ministry said it considered what other nations require for medical coverage and the average expense of healthcare services to produce the $100,000 requirement. As one administrator of Citizenship and Immigration put it, "It was determined $100,000 would be fair to the applicant and the Canadian taxpayer."

Applicants must buy their medical insurance BEFORE the Super Visa is issued as proof of insurance. Picking the effective date of the insurance policy is somewhat challenging, provided that evidence of insurance has to be submitted with the visa application (hence the visa has not yet been granted). However, this difficulty has a feasible solution. Most insurance policies come with an effective date of 90 days after the date the insurance policy was bought, which provides applicants ample time to make changes to the insurance policy. Changing the date of the policy is simple and typically only requires a quick call to the insurance provider. The first day of insurance protection needs to be the day that the parent or grandparent comes to Canada. The one year coverage begins from that day on.

For those parents or grandparents who return home ahead of time (i.e. before staying for the full year), some relief is accessible. Most insurance companies will give you a partial refund for that piece of the insurance not used (provided there was no prior claims). Also, whenever a Super Visa application is turned down for whatever reason, the applicant is eligible to receive 100% of the premium which was paid for the visa insurance protection.

Overall, the new Super Visa program is seen by many people as a good step forward. However, the program is still in its infancy and will probably see some changes to improve the procedure down the road.

In addition, you can find helpful information on travel insurance at http://visitorstocanadainsuranceplans.com Visitors to Canada Insurance Plans is a site dedicated to helping you choose the right emergency medical travel insurance. It's an excellent resource on Visitors to Canada Insurance and Super Visa Insurance.

With a Little Help From Long Term Care Insurance Information

Planning one's health care is not easy especially if you only have enough in assets and modest bank savings. However that being the case, you are still capable of securing your future health care and medical needs. How? Check out reliable long term care insurance information.

Leading providers of long term care insurance (LTCI) never cease to provide updates on the cost of long term care in different parts of the country. As of this writing, Alaska still happens to be the most expensive state to grow old.

Today's Alaskans receiving care at home spend $59,000 for homemaker services and $60,600 for a home health aide who spends a maximum of six hours a day to assist them in their activities of daily living such as toileting, bathing, eating, dressing, continence, and transferring from the bed or chair to any part of the house.

According to the regularly updated records of Genworth Financial, Inc., one of the industry leaders, other residents with critical health conditions that require 24/7 monitoring are currently spending $227,760 annually for a private room in an Alaska nursing home. Since the average stay of nursing home elderly residents is two and a half years, they will be required to spend a total of $569,400 in that span of time.

Without an LTCI policy that will help you shoulder your future health care expenses, just imagine what could happen to you if your total assets upon retirement amount to $500,000 and you have to shell out more than these figures for a two-year period nursing care.

Equipped with Long Term Care Insurance Information

Although it was said before that not everybody can afford an LTCI policy, if you're still working and earning a fixed monthly income you can definitely afford one.

Even if you're not earning so much from your present job, say a little over $1,000, it is possible to put away a small amount every month until you manage to produce the aggregate amount of your annual premium. This is just a little technique that will make premium payment less burdensome for you.

It is better to make small sacrifices as you work on filling your pool of policy benefits than suffer the dreaded increase of LTC costs 15 and 20 years down the road.

Financial advisers and health care professionals were neither smiling nor in joking mode when they informed the nation a twofold increase in the rates of LTC facilities is happening in 2026, while a fourfold increase is expected to take place in 2030.

If you have not or will never consider purchasing an LTCI policy integrated with an inflation protection rider, thinking your family can take care of your future needs, be ready to plunge and get trapped in the mud of LTC costs with your loved ones.

You're not the only one who's going to benefit from your long term health care plan. Refer to long term care insurance information courtesy of your insurance agent or state insurance commissioner to better understand who else will benefit from your LTC plan and how.

Everyone must anticipate the consequences of long term care and prepare for it. Visit our website for more long term care insurance information and browse through long term care glossary.

Texas Flood Insurance and Flood Preparation Information

Texas is a state with a high level of risk for flooding. FEMA has produced a guide for flood preparation and safety. It starts by saying that "The first step in protecting your home and family is purchasing flood insurance". This seems obvious but may people neglect this coverage or put it off for later. In most cases there is a 30 day waiting period for coverage to begin so don't wait for a pending disaster.

The least expensive place to get flood insurance is usually from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This is backed by the federal government and the cost is usually quite low. Here a few examples of the Texas flood insurance cost if you qualify for the preferred rate:

$50,000 coverage for your home plus $20,000 contents for $196 per year
$100,000 coverage for your home plus $40,000 contents for $257 per year
$200,000 coverage for your home plus $80,000 contents for $326 per year

Here are some tips to be prepared for a flood and to be safe during a flood. You can get more information at www.floodsmart.gov.

Copy important documents and store them in a safe place
Save receipts for expensive household items to help process your claim if you have a loss
Take photos or video of your most valuable property to help document a loss if you have one
Review your insurance policies with a good agent to be sure you have the right coverage
Keep emergency supplies on hand with things like flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, medicines, a first aid kit, extra gasoline, and possibly a generator.
Keep at least a few days supply of non-perishable food and bottled water.
Pay attention to official instructions if there is a flood.
If you live in an area that would require evacuation for a hurricane, have a plann for a place to go.
Don't walk or drive through flooded areas.
Keep away from downed power lines.

Remember that supplies can be hard to get when a hurricane is approaching. That is one reason why you should prepare in advance. For example, if you would want to cover windows with plywood for a hurricane, get the wood and fasteners in advance and store it in your garage.

Texas residents can get a flood insurance quote or more information from my Houston Flood Insurance website.

Lamb Insurance Agency, (Farmers, Foremost, Voyager, and Pacific Insurance) Auto, Home, Mobile Home, Life, and Business Insurance for Texas - Houston Farmers Insurance

Insurance Marketing Agencies - Insurance State Data Information Guide to Sell Insurance

Like insurance marketing agencies, each state also has its own personality. Analyzing insurance state data information, reveals where it is easier to sell insurance. This information is a guide to where insurance marketing agencies get best results for obtaining general insurance brokers and why.

Some states have loads of agents and brokers that are very friendly and open to new insurance opportunities. Other states seem locked in a time zone 5 years behind independent thinking states. Many factors, including state date information and census bureau analysis show how hard it is to get the attention of brokers, independent agents, and general agents to respond to your mailing offer. Insurance marketing agencies must concentrate recruiting and mailing to certain states that will definitely pay off. Using this guide is a great way to maximize your marketing budget and ultimate advanced marketing production results.

On the top 3 states it is: Florida, #1, California #2, and Texas #3. The #4 through #10 top insurance product marketing states are covered below.

OHIO, Rating #4

Finally, the first state that is not on the border or coast. The same land-locked trend is true of these next states on this page. Ohio we call "the profit potential state". Our feedback from agent recruiting firms, using our lists is overwhelmingly favorable for over 20 years straight! The recruiting secret why results can be obtained almost immediately: Ohio has four distinct agent population districts instead of just one or two. This geographic factor makes it hard for a particular insurer to monopolize the entire state. The four metropolitan areas are Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton. Where do you set up your recruiting operation? Wherever it is, is also the likely location of most of your recruiting effort.

Factories with unions providing employee benefit plans are rather prevalent. Nonetheless, Ohio it is still a strong state for group and work site benefit plans. The Ohio agents that are with a major career life insurance company, are much less loyal than in most states. That means to you, the recruiter, they broker business to recruiting firms properly baiting their hooks. It also means a huge need for attractive brokerage products, expanding well beyond life insurance.

GEORGIA, Rating #5

Like most southern states, debit agents used to have an enormous impact on the insurance agents. These agents sold very small life insurance policies, and have established routes, where weekly or monthly they pick up the premiums directly from their clients. These agents were employees of the company, which means that when they left, so did their renewals which were not vested. The old route was simply passed on to another rookie agent to handle. Needless to say, low-income potential, high training costs, and modern banking policies have pretty much decreased debit life insurance company presence to a minimal factor nowadays. Georgia is split in two zones, 55% of the licensed agents in the Atlanta Area, Zips 300-303, and 45% for the remainder of the state. Our Georgia advice: Stay OUT of Atlanta. These Atlanta agents are bombarded with almost daily insurance solicitations for insurance products by fax, email, telemarketing, and direct mailing. The quality selected, outside Atlanta, area agents seem excited to receive a direct mail piece offering a genuine opportunity. Make your move to reward yourself with a sweet piece of the Georgia pie

WISCONSIN, Rating #6

There is no doubt that Wisconsin is a dominant Fraternal Life Insurance Company state. Their fraternal agents offer "certificates" instead of polices to "members" instead of clients. The Fraternal Organization holds benefit events for hard stricken members, and may be formed around a common work trade, religion, or life concept. The menu of products offered by Fraternal insurance companies is rather small. This gives the secret to Wisconsin recruiting: Fraternal insurance agents are exceptionally brokerage minded. The average number of outside companies a Wisconsin "broker" is licensed with, far exceeds the national agent average. As the state of Wisconsin is somewhat overlooked, its has over 10,000 agents that have already contracted with at least one outside carrier. Your carrier should be the next one they consider.

MINNESOTA, Rating #7

The state of Minnesota possesses many of the valuable marketing characteristics that Wisconsin has. In the land of ice and snow and lakes, it also has many fraternal life insurance agents. Consider this fact. Many large insurance brokerage orientated insurance companies have regional recruiting directors. In the Midwest, this central hub is Chicago, Illinois. This means 70% of their recruiting time and budget is conveniently located in that recruiting hub, even though the region includes other states like Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, or more. Our recruiting tip - Keep your recruiting dollars outside of a recruiting 'hub'. Also giving less attention to Minneapolis/St Paul will produce more solid leads. The competition pressure is low, so your results could boil over the top.

NORTH CAROLINA, Rating #8

North Carolina agents may carry a heavy accent, but they also carry a heavy brokerage swing that can easily hit you a couple homeruns. Usually the internet interest in brokers seeking marketers is closely aligned with the number of recruiters in this insurance marketing territory seeking brokers. In North Carolina, this scale is tipped drastically in a different direction. Good North Carolina brokers are looking for insurance marketing firms! We have noticed that North Carolina gets one-third the recruiting solicitation that Georgia does, and one-half that of Tennessee. Part of this credit goes to cities like Greensboro, Charlotte, and Raleigh, that all have good agent bases. This is unlike Atlanta or Nashville with sole agent population center domination. By recruiting top-notch North Carolina agents, you have so much to gain, plus one giant bonus point. The brokers in North Carolina are more loyal to a marketing firm that treats them right than anywhere else we have seen.

MICHIGAN, Rating #9

In Michigan lets look at the negatives first. The large presence of automobile and automotive supplier unions, among others has virtually wiped out the group insurance market. Some individual major medical potential exists but with Blue Cross being so dominant, and offering such paltry commissions, it hardly makes the market worth pursuing. Another drawback is that the metro Detroit area contains over half the agents and over half the population. The plus factors include the well-off union retirees who have moved outstate, the non-presence of insurance marketing hubs. This is further enhanced by the poor job career life companies have done helping agents overcome early career obstacles. Our tip is look for agents with at least 6 years experience. The metropolitan Detroit area is very good for advanced life and annuities directed at the professional market. However, observe the constant sways and effects of the economy in this metropolitan area. The out state area is prime for long term nursing care. Don't zoom by the motor city state.

MISSOURI, Rating #10

Close to a tie with Michigan is Missouri, but still making the top ten round out. However, the state is very different, with very few unions and a median family income $3,000 below the national average. In this state, the good parts of Midwest agent personality; start to blend with some Southern Hospitality. It is surely a good show me state, where an abundance of independent and semi-independent agents know that show me a good product offer and I might be interested is a winning combination. The sufficient senior citizen base in the state would have to be rated good for long term nursing care, whereas the lower income could be a slight drawback to over sophisticated annuities. KISS - A Keep it Simple State.

Well published author, Don Yerke likes to concentrate on what you don't know or what no one else dares to print. Tell it like it is.

Watch for his new paperback book debuting on Amazon early this summer. It is loaded with great insurance marketing and recruiting information.

Come and get your FREE "Think and Grow Rich" Ebook by Napoleon Hill instantly. The website address is [http://www.agentsinsurancemarketing.com]

Information on Obesity - Why People Are Obese

Nearly two thirds of Americans are considered overweight or obese. Obesity numbers have risen from 15 percent of our population to 31 percent in only 20 years. This means that 93 million Americans are obese. Even more alarming is the fact that 17% or over 9 million US children over the age of 6 are considered to be overweight. What causes this terrifying trend? In this article we will examine three factors that are at the root of the problem. The first is our lack of physical activity. Next we will discuss our eating habits and the rise of convenience foods. Lastly we will look at emotional problems that make the situation worse.

The amount of food we eat and high calorie levels were not as much of a problem when we spent more time exercising. Farming and even blue collar jobs required us to work long hours and perform physical tasks. Today most of our jobs are sedentary, sitting in an office cubical, only getting up for another cup of coffee or a trip to the conference room for a meeting. At home, between computers, video games, and TV we get very little exercise and this lack of physical activity is having a major effect on our weight.

Convenience foods have become a staple in the American diet since the end of World War II. It is very tempting to eat meals and snacks that can be prepared in the microwave or need no preparation at all. We all know that fast food has too many calories, sometimes our total recommended daily intake in one serving of a burger, fries, and a coke. Food companies who market convenience foods spend millions telling us how wonderful their products are. Their ads are hard to resist. But studies show that these products contain 20% to 25% more fat and sugar than are recommended and this is leading to a national epidemic of obesity. We need to go back to homemade meals and healthy snacks with low salt, low fat, and high fiber.

Our emotions also affect our weight. For example, a new study shows a link between depression and obesity. If an individual is already obese, the messages our society gives him can result in a bad self-image and lack of confidence. "You're never too rich or too thin" is our mantra. The resulting depression produces a chemical imbalance that causes the body to store more fat. On the other hand, the same study shows that people who are not overweight but suffer from depression are at a higher risk of becoming obese for the same reason. The psychological stress produces the same chemical imbalance that causes the body to store fat. Treating the depression relieves the stress and helps depressed people to overcome their feelings of hopelessness.

Right now the CDC says 300,000 annual deaths are attributed to obesity but the number could be much higher. Solving our national epidemic of obesity will not be easy but each step toward more physical activity, eating a healthy diet, and addressing our emotional problems is a step in the right direction.

There are many easy ways to create healthy eating habits, and you will notice a big difference in how you feel! Visit our website to learn more information about how to use easy tricks to improve your everyday eating habits: http://EverydayHealthGirl.com

Review the Registry Information For the State Do Not Call Lists

To make it ever more complicated for telemarketers or solicitors is that some states merge their data with the National Do Not Call List. Other states have chosen to maintain their independence and do not match their phone numbers with the Federal Level.

What is the fine if I call someone on the list and they turn me in? Federal FTC Fines and the state do not call list, cost up to $11,000 per occurrence. How do I avoid fines, even if I am sure my prospect names are mostly on the do not call list. You OR the telemarketing firm must FIRST register the required information with the FTC before you calling start dialing that phone. Keep in mind that checking a few thousand phone numbers against both the state and national do not call list is more than a minor pain. Plus at a yearly cost of $62 per telephone area code it can bring up your marketing costs.

You have 3 solutions. The first is to take the chance and go ahead and make some calls. Remember that state do not call lists not only apply to consumer home numbers, but to businesses and business people as well. With some sales operations having an office in their home, it is difficult to distinguish between the two. The second chance is okay if you only market products in a couple area codes or one state. Get your forms signed, follow the rules, and get started calling. The third solution is the hiring of a professional telemarketing firm.

The telemarketing firm has probably filled out most of the forms, so adding your firm will not be hard. Plus they probably have already paid the costs they incurred for each additional area code they applied for. You have to now pay more for each lead they produce for you, and pass up the big chunk of prime candidates that are on the do not call list. However nowadays some super producing marketing firms paying up to $80.00 through various methods to obtain a lead, are ending up with an excellent return on their investment of $10 profit for ever $1 spent over a 3 year timeframe.

OUR PERSONAL TEST. We recently send 250,000 agent names into a reputable firm for phone matching. As most of these were successful people at residential addresses, we expected close to a 50% match rate. In additional we took the option that all phones found on either state or national do not call lists be removed. They firm warned us that our results would not be spectacular. The returned data was shocking, about 20,000 available phone prospects on the do not call list of our 250,000! This turned out to be a relatively high cost experiment!

About 50% of the sales marketing recruiters that do not conform their current marketing ways will disappear during the next 4 years. They will find more and more, the 2 cheapest ways of obtaining leads to hire agents are losing effectiveness at an alarming rate. If you want to keep your career alive, you can either (a) purchase a quality list of prospects for your products, and then have an outside telemarketing firm call them, (b) build a website using the tactic skills of a true master to bring you direct traffic, (c) buy expensive ad word internet advertising to get traffic, (d) find one of the couple remaining Email lists with integrity, or (e) do it the proven way, get the best mailing list matching your products, and send out expertly designed mail, checked by a knowledgeable person that know what message your piece must contain and how to phrase it.

Do not stand back and see your future devoured by the national and state do not call lists!

You have heard the saying that the more you know, the more you realize you don't know. Don Yerke likes to concentrate on what you don't already know and what no one else dares to print. Tell it like it is, and more people listen. Besides writing articles, Don is the founder and adviser at Agents Insurance Marketing. The website address is [http://www.agentsinsurancemarketing.com] - You find in pages after pages of info lots of facts, tips, tricks, industry secrets, advice, insight, news, and articles. Check out the website now. If subjects such as lead quality, lead generation, agent training, recruiting, direct marketing, insurance marketing, lead sources, sales pitches, or successful sales results appeal to you, then it's a website worth bookmarking.