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I spent a lot of time researching conference call services and I was fortunate enough to stumble on a conference calling service that has some amazing rates like only 4.5 cents/min. per person for direct-dial in conferencing. Plus, there are flexible payment options available. You can pay by credit card or have them invoice you. The conference call service is SaveOnConferences.com and I experienced excellent customer service when I used them recently for my conference calls. There are no contracts to sign, no activation fees or hidden charges. Activation is simple and fast—you can be on your first conference call within minutes. Plus, they give you 24/7 access to an online billing center where you can view account activity and invoices. SaveOnConferences.com offers conference call users so much including free web conferencing with every audio call and International conference call access using their GlobalMeet Service. If anyone misses the conference call, that’s fine. With their free recording feature, absentee participants can listen at their convenience for a low cost per person/minute. If you don’t believe me, sign up today and your first 60 minutes of conference calling will be absolutely free! Go to SaveOnConferences.com to see what I’m talking about and take advantage of all their great services.

While I was researching conference companies the other day, I stumbled upon StarConferencing.com. Don't know if anyone has heard of them, but it turns out they have the best conference call rate I’ve seen! No kidding! Here’s the best part…a low monthly minimum of $19.99 gets you 500 minutes of conference calling using toll or toll-free access numbers. And if you go beyond 500 minutes for that month, you pay only 3.9 cents/minute per call. It’s that simple! There are no additional fees and you don't have to worry about writing a check every month because it’s automatically charged to your credit card. It’s definitely a worry-free, hassle-free service for anyone who needs to make conference calls because it’s so easy to use and comes with so many great features.

StarConferencing.com uses only the latest technology, including state of the art audio conferencing equipment. You get the latest features and nothing but clear digital connections from a long distance provider. That translates to the best quality and reliable service available. You can sign up and activate your account instantly but you can also cancel anytime you want. Their online account management is great too because it allows you to have 24x7 access to account activity and invoices.

Don’t just believe me, try their free savings calculator . It'll show you exactly how much you’ll be saving by using StarConferencing.com.

The good: Norton Internet Security 2007 has a lower price, runs faster, and includes cutting-edge rootkit and behavioral monitoring features found nowhere else. The bad: Norton Internet Security 2007's single-user-license edition is no longer available (minimum now is a three-user license); requires twice as much disk drive space as McAfee or ZoneAlarm; no antiphishing toolbar for Firefox; no ID vault or password protection. The bottom line: Norton Internet Security 2007 makes significant gains over last year, including cutting-edge rootkit and behavioral monitoring features found nowhere else, but the overall package could be serious overkill for the average desktop owner. Reviewed by: Robert Vamosi Review date: 1/16/07

 

 

BOTTOM LINE -

Panda Platinum does some things very well (virus protection), other things quite well (spyware protection), and still other things poorly (spam blocking). It will do a decent job of keeping your PC safe, but you'll want to use another solution for spam—even Outlook's built-in spam solution is better.

PROS -

Easy to use. TruPrevent protection foils zero-day threats. Blocked installation of all our test spyware and removed all but one from infested systems.

CONS -

Ineffective antispam. Web filter accounts not tied to Windows accounts but still require Windows log-off to change. No ability to time-limit accounts.

SHORT REVIEW -

Panda's 2006 model hides most of its power under the hood. To keep things simple, the main window just shows your PC's security status and links to areas that let you update definitions, scan for trouble, change settings, and get more details. Underneath, though, the suite offers varying levels of protection against viruses, spyware, identity theft, and spam, along with Web-content filtering and a personal firewall. Initially the program displays a plethora of pop-ups announcing updates, reporting its own health, and offering informational bulletins, but fortunately you can turn these off.

BOTTOM LINE :

It's too early to deliver a verdict, but the NIS 2007 beta shows Symantec's direction: automatic system protection with fewer questions to confuse the user. Let's hope the final version also reduces the suite's drag on system performance.

PROS :

Firewall controls programs without asking user. Spyware removal can act without asking user. User interface hides complexity. Includes full range of security features.

CONS :

Big impact on system performance. Spyware AutoProtect feature is slow and inconsistent. Some features found in previous versions have been removed.

SHORT REVIEW :

You might think that with Norton 360 (formerly code-named "Genesis") on the horizon, the venerable Norton Internet Security suite would be headed for a nice rocking chair on the porch of the Old Suites Home. But like many an aging baby boomer, NIS is far from retirement: In fact, Symantec has just released NIS 2007 to public beta. Company spokesperson Cecilia Daclan explains: "[One] segment of the market prefers to use security solutions like Norton Internet Security that they can control completely. Another segment wants the same level of protection, plus additional capabilities, but through a 'set it and forget it' service like Norton 360." We'll see how things shake out for the two products. For now, I took the new NIS 2007 beta out for a test drive.

BOTTOM LINE :

OneCare is cheaper than current security suites, but it offers less. Its antivirus is good, its spyware protection so-so. Backup is a bonus, but security-as-a-service offerings from other vendors will soon eclipse OneCare.

PROS :

AV certified by independent labs. Firewall blocks outside attacks, controls Internet access. Spyware protection from Windows Defender. Includes backup and "PC health" features.

CONS :

Lacks antispam, privacy, parental control. Spyware protection not effective in testing. Malware disabled OneCare in testing. Backup destinations limited.

SHORT REVIEW :

When I evaluated the Microsoft Windows Live OneCare beta this past January, it wasn't quite ready for the real world. The antivirus hadn't been certified, the firewall had glitches, and the antispyware component was MIA. The product's final release fixes most of the problems I found in the beta, but it's still not a substitute for a full-scale security suite like those offered by Zone Labs, Symantec, or McAfee. Yet the security-as-a-service model, which seemed unusual at OneCare's inception, is now almost commonplace. Symantec's Norton 360 (formerly Genesis) and McAfee's Falcon project are both moving toward release, and AOL has unspecified plans to offer a similar service to both members and nonmembers.