Mary O'Brien – författare

The benefits of working with Application Service Providers (ASPs) can be compelling -- faster rollouts, lower costs, less time spent on implementation and maintenance, and a greater opportunity to focus on your organization's core competencies. Unfortunately, the risks of ASP relationships are far from insignificant. In this book, the President of ASPWatch shows IT managers exactly how to navigate the risks, and use ASPs for maximum competitive advantage. John Harney presents a complete roadmap for any IT decision-maker considering outsourcing to ASPs. He offers expert guidance for answering questions like: What costs are involved? How secure and viable is your ASP? How do you choose the right ASP? You'll learn practical criteria for identifying possible ASP partners; choosing amongst ostensibly similar ASPs; evaluating services, performance, and ROI; and negotiating service level agreements that meet your business requirements. For everyone considering or using Application Service Providers, including IT executives and managers, line-of-business managers, Web and e-business professionals, and consultants.

Praise for The CRM Handbook “Want to avoid being one of the estimated 70 percent of companies who have tried implementing standalone CRM systems and failed? Confused by what your IT suppliers are telling you about ‘CRM’? Then you need to read this book! Jill provides acomprehensive, practical, and easy to understand view of CRM and shows you how to successfully implement an enterprise customer-focused solution.”– Kevin Bubeck Director, North America Information Strategy, Coca-Cola “CRM could be viewed as the ERP of the 2000s. As such, there will be multiple winners and losers as the marketplace places some large and strategic bets on this technology. In any case, Jill Dyché has captured the importance of the concepts and value derived through CRM solutions. Those needs will evolve, of course, but companies will always need the basics that have been discussed.”– Brian Berliner Co-founder & EVP, Product Development, Acies Networks “The CRM Handbook provides information for the business person who is trying to understand CRM and how it can effect his/her business. It goes beyond the hype of the acronym and dives into the real issues that a company needs to consider before implementing a CRM solution.”– Joy Blake Scott Director, Marketing and Communications, Fastwater, LLP “I haven’t read anything that has such a practical approach. I view the book as having multiple benefits. It gives a good definition of CRM functionality but also gives detailed guidance of how to approach CRM in your organization.”– Francine Frazer Principal Consultant, Net Perceptions “Even better than defining CRM, Jill took on all of the hyperlanguage around CRM and clearly differentiated the various incarnations of CRM. It’s also usefulto know what can go wrong and the potential affects of such missteps. Too few authors level with readers about pitfalls!”– Linda McHugh Director, Professional Services, Cygent Inc. “The guides based on the business tools that Jill uses with her own clients are fabulous.”– Robin Neidorf President, Electric Muse/Clio’s, Pen Research & Interpretation, Inc. “The language is easy to read and easy to understand. Terms were well explained so that someone with no prior CRM experience could easily understand the text.”– Marcia Robinson President, e-Business Strategies “An excellent study into what defines today’s best practices in the CRM industry.”– Gareth Herschel Senior Research Analyst, Gartner Research “Jill writes very well. Her writing communicates subjects and topics in a very easy to understand way. At times, I felt like I was listening to her speak or discussing a subject. She is a good communicator! Jill did a very good job of covering all subject areas on the different topics of CRM. I am most impressed with Jill on pointing out all the possible mistakes and creating ‘lessons learned’ advice which most authors frequently omit.”– Mary Chan Information Management Consultant, Kagiso Inc. “Jill Dyché's The CRM Handbook is a good read for CRM novices and seasoned practitioners alike. Dyché's well-written, pragmatic approach to understanding CRM's evolution and purpose is a map to a successful CRM program. Dyché uncovers the truth behind the CRM software vendor hype, highlights some common roadblocks to CRM project development, and describes how to delineate and prioritize CRM initiatives.”–Don Peppers Partner, Peppers and Rogers Group To compete in today's competitive marketplace, customer focus is no longer simply nice to have–it's a fundamental mandate. This book is a manager's best friend, providing both a primer and a how-to guide to defining and implementing Customer Relationship Management. It shows you: The various roles CRM plays in business, and why it's more important than ever The range of CRM applications and uses, from sales force automation to campaign management to e-CRM and beyond The context of some of the popular CRM buzzwords The differences between CRM and business intelligence, and why they're symbiotic Why the customer-relationship failure rate is so high, and how to avoid becoming another CRM statistic Case studies of visionary companies who've done CRM the right way “We read this book at a time when we were relooking at our customer information strategy. One of the first things I had to do was ban the term ‘CRM’ from the project because of the vendor and industry hype and the confusion it created within the team. Jill’s book provides a strategic look at the topic from both a business and IT perspective. The insights she provides allowed me to focus on the strategic issues planning an enterprise-wide, customer-focused solution. And yes we are once again using the term ‘CRM’.”– Kevin Bubeck Director, North America Information Strategy, Coca-Cola “Jill is one of the few people who has been at the forefront of every stage of CRM development, from the early days of data warehousing, through business re-engineering, to sales force automation and e-CRM. This makes her uniquely qualified to write about how it should all come together. The reader will be rewarded with advice drawn from real-world experience–both successes and failures. I shudder to think at the dollars that have been wasted over the years on CRM projects and how much will be wasted in the future by executives who won't read The CRM Handbook.”– Brian Hoover President, TouchScape™ Corporation “The CRM Handbook provides an outstanding roadmap for putting human contact–relevant, accurate, informed human contact–back at the heart of the business-customer relationship. That's the challenge and the sole goal of Customer Relationship Management.”– Charles D. Morgan              CEO and Company Leader Axiom Corporation “Jill Dyché has produced a wide-screen, comprehensive picture of CRM that also focuses on key issues that matter to CRM users. This book is written for those who are time-constrained and quick on the uptake–everyone from the CEO to the marketers and technologists who will evaluate, implement, and benefit from CRM initiatives.”– Peter Heffring President, CRM Division, NCR Teradata “Jill has masterfully compiled scenarios, resources, references, definitions, and insightful recommendations about how to remain customer-focused across the enterprise functions. The book can be used as an educational tool, reference guide, and resource for short-listing technologies to evaluate.”– John Earle President, Chant Inc.

A poorly performing database application can cost each user time, and have an impact on other applications running on the same computer or the same network. This book will help DBA's and programmers improve the performance of their databases. It is not an introduction to SQL, nor is it a tuning manual for a particular SQL implementation. It is a guide for users and programmers who want to improve SQL performance no matter what brand of SQL they use. It will provide tuning tips for common situations, such as how to change a query so it will go faster and how to shift work from the server to the client. All the ideas have been tested against the eight leading DBMS applications. Almost all large organizations and companies today run more than one type of database. This is the only book to cover database tuning for them.

This book offers a small contribution to ongoing feminist struggles to advance and support the reproduction and transformation of collective being-in-the-world. It explores ethnocentrism, preoccupation with theoretical issues, and a celibate indifference to (or repression of) sexual issues.

This book offers a small contribution to ongoing feminist struggles to advance and support the reproduction and transformation of collective being-in-the-world. It explores ethnocentrism, preoccupation with theoretical issues, and a celibate indifference to (or repression of) sexual issues.

The next book in the highly successful Simplex series.

All newly published in book form, Simplex 150 has been compiled by Mary O’ Brien, who has been setting the Simplex crossword for more than 20 years

Here are another 150 puzzles from Ireland’s favourite crosswordThe Simplex crossword is one of the most popular items in The Irish Times, with tens of thousands of readers attempting to solve it every day for over sixty years. Challenging enough to tax the brain cells, but designed so that it can be completed on the train or in a lunch hour, this huge collection is great value and a must for every crossword fan. This is the ideal way to keep your puzzle-solving skills up to scratch whether you’re on holiday, commuting or simply relaxing at home.

The Simplex Crossword formula has been hugely successful and made bestsellers of all six books. Appearing daily in the Irish Times for over seventy years, the crossword has attracted a devoted following.Simplex 1 contains:60 Simplex crosswordsSpace for recording time takenScribble space60 solutions

The Simplex Crossword formula has been hugely successful and made bestsellers of all six books. Appearing daily in the Irish Times for over forty years, the crossword has attracted a devoted following.Simplex 3 contains:60 Simplex crosswordsSpace for recording time takenScribble space60 solutions

The Simplex Crossword formula has been hugely successful and made bestsellers of all six books. Appearing daily in the Irish Times for over forty years, the crossword has attracted a devoted following.Simplex 4 contains:60 Simplex crosswordsSpace for recording time takenScribble space60 solutions

The Simplex Crossword formula has been hugely successful and made bestsellers of all six books. Appearing daily in the Irish Times for over forty years, the crossword has attracted a devoted following.Simplex 5 contains:60 Simplex crosswordsSpace for recording time takenScribble space60 solutions

The Simplex Crossword formula has been hugely successful and made bestsellers of all six books. Appearing daily in the Irish Times for over forty years, the crossword has attracted a devoted following.

This NIH-supported study of HIV's physical and psychosocial impacts offers both practical and inspiring accounts of how individuals living with HIV respond and cope with the disease and its progressive stages and impacts. The longitudinal approach of the research and the rich resources offered by extensive interviews with the persons with HIV and those closest to them avail the reader of insights and responses that should improve others' coping and caring abilities.The author's professional experience and extensive research informs the work throughout and fashions a remarkable and moving synthesis of the themes that will help those living with AIDS as well as all who relate to them. From the first awareness of infection to coping with bereavement, this book honestly, sensitively, and substantively addresses the essential concerns that any and all who are touched by the HIV pandemic must reflect on.

This NIH-supported study of HIV's physical and psychosocial impacts offers both practical and inspiring accounts of how individuals living with HIV respond and cope with the disease and its progressive stages and impacts. The longitudinal approach of the research and the rich resources offered by extensive interviews with the persons with HIV and those closest to them avail the reader of insights and responses that should improve others' coping and caring abilities.The author's professional experience and extensive research informs the work throughout and fashions a remarkable and moving synthesis of the themes that will help those living with AIDS as well as all who relate to them. From the first awareness of infection to coping with bereavement, this book honestly, sensitively, and substantively addresses the essential concerns that any and all who are touched by the HIV pandemic must reflect on.

O'Brien describes the coping strategies that long-term survivors of HIV employ to promote positive quality of life. She also explores the impact of the virus on family members, friends, and caregivers; their strategies for dealing with HIV are identified as well.This book has two unique features. First, the creative coping strategies developed to deal with HIV are explored primarily through the words of those living and/or working with the virus. O'Brien utilized more than 350 hours of tape-recorded interviews to glean the insightful and poignant anecdotes which describe their walk with HIV. Second, the HIV-positive individuals described are long-term survivors of the virus. Although that population consists primarily of gay men, the case is made that they are the first group of people with HIV to experience long-term survival; thus, their coping strategies and those of the people close to them provide a model for others moving into the survivor category. An important resource for nurses, social workers, chaplains, others in fields working with HIV/AIDs patients, and their families and friends.

The twenty-two contributors to this volume find a common bond in their diversity, based on their desire to explore ways that single women can live more fully in a society that places such great emphasis on marriage and narrowly defines family as spouse and children. The contributors, ranging in age from 20 to 70, represent numerous vocations and spiritual traditions. Issues of prejudice, poverty, low self-esteem, fear, loneliness, and rage surface as single women tell their stories. Working through difficulties, many found great fulfillment in aloneness and reached significant literary and professional achievements based on strengths gained from successfully overcoming feelings of worthlessness. More than a few women found great sources of strength in deep personal and religious convictions.

The twenty-two contributors to this volume find a common bond in their diversity, based on their desire to explore ways that single women can live more fully in a society that places such great emphasis on marriage and narrowly defines family as spouse and children. The contributors, ranging in age from 20 to 70, represent numerous vocations and spiritual traditions. Issues of prejudice, poverty, low self-esteem, fear, loneliness, and rage surface as single women tell their stories. Working through difficulties, many found great fulfillment in aloneness and reached significant literary and professional achievements based on strengths gained from successfully overcoming feelings of worthlessness. More than a few women found great sources of strength in deep personal and religious convictions.

This book offers a small contribution to ongoing feminist struggles to advance and support the reproduction and transformation of collective being-in-the-world. It explores ethnocentrism, preoccupation with theoretical issues, and a celibate indifference to (or repression of) sexual issues.

This book offers a small contribution to ongoing feminist struggles to advance and support the reproduction and transformation of collective being-in-the-world. It explores ethnocentrism, preoccupation with theoretical issues, and a celibate indifference to (or repression of) sexual issues.

First published in 1981, The Politics of Reproduction is a critique of traditional political thought. It focuses centrally upon the nature and difference of male and female experience of biological reproduction, and upon the impact of male reproductive experience on the theory and practice of politics.Mary O’Brien presents a controversial revision of dialectical materialism, arguing that Marx, as a charter-member of an exclusively masculine tradition of political thought, could not provide the theoretical grounds for true social reformation. Only feminism, she argues, is currently a major progressive force in western history: the impact of reproductive technology on female consciousness is a world historical event which must be given theoretical and political expression.The new model of historical process offered here, in preliminary form, gives due weight to the struggle of the sexes which has its historical reality in the separation of public and private life. The model is founded on an analysis of male-stream thought from the Athenian polis to our own day, and it makes possible a radical interpretation of contemporary women’s experience that never lapses into either a historicism or simple rage.

First published in 1981, The Politics of Reproduction is a critique of traditional political thought. It focuses centrally upon the nature and difference of male and female experience of biological reproduction, and upon the impact of male reproductive experience on the theory and practice of politics.Mary O’Brien presents a controversial revision of dialectical materialism, arguing that Marx, as a charter-member of an exclusively masculine tradition of political thought, could not provide the theoretical grounds for true social reformation. Only feminism, she argues, is currently a major progressive force in western history: the impact of reproductive technology on female consciousness is a world historical event which must be given theoretical and political expression.The new model of historical process offered here, in preliminary form, gives due weight to the struggle of the sexes which has its historical reality in the separation of public and private life. The model is founded on an analysis of male-stream thought from the Athenian polis to our own day, and it makes possible a radical interpretation of contemporary women’s experience that never lapses into either a historicism or simple rage.

The United States spends twice as much as other industrialised nations on health care, yet performs poorly in comparison and still leaves 46 million citizens without health coverage and millions more inadequately covered. Publishes in time for the 2008 US presidential elections and following on the heels of Michael Moore's Sicko, 10 Excellent Reasons for National Health Care offers powerful ammunition in favour of a fundamental change to American health care.