One of the best cash management tools available to businesses is electronic funds transfer, or EFT. As the name implies, EFTs enable businesses and their customers to exchange money between each other electronically instead of via checks or wire transfers.
EFTs are also sometimes referred to as ACH transactions. ACH stands for Automated Clearing House, which is the nationwide electronic payment network that allows the actual clearing of electronic payments and payment-related information between financial institutions. Payment-related information can be sent along with ACH transactions, a process known as electronic data interchange, or EDI.
While you may not have heard the term ACH, you may be familiar with some of the different kinds of electronic payments that can be initiated through the ACH network. These include the following:
Direct deposit: This is perhaps the most common type of ACH payment. Most companies in the United States today pay their employees via direct deposit instead of paper check. Direct deposit is also used by government entities to make Social Security and other benefit payments and to issue refunds to taxpayers.
Direct debits and credits: These types of electronic payments can be made from business-to-consumer and from business-to-business. Consumers pay many recurring bills, such as mortgages, utilities, insurance, and health club memberships, via ACH, and many businesses pay their vendors and suppliers via ACH credits instead of paper checks.
Federal, state, and local taxes: ACH has become a common funds transfer mechanism for the payment of corporate taxes at all levels of government.
http://www.allbusiness.com/banking-finance/banking-lending-credit-services/13624860-1.html
Thursday, 28 August 2014
Features and Benefits of the STAR AMI Fixed Network
STAR _solutions
Aclara’s STAR _solutions™ suite converts data into insight and control. By coupling the power of end-to-end data, powerful data management, and deep-dive system analytics with a host of easy-to-deploy and scale applications, STAR _solutions gives utilities clear insight into their resources and opportunities.
STAR _prestige Aclara STAR _prestige™ is a hosted meter data management, analytics, and data presentment solution that can leverage the information – and investment – of a water company’s advanced metering infrastructure. With complete web-based visibility across the entire distribution system, utilities have a new level of information and control over their resources, assets, and revenue. The STAR _prestige solution is built upon the industry leading, field-proven FATHOM™ analytics and consumer-engagement platform.
The STAR _prestige solution offers:
Meter Data Management (MDM) Employ a hosted database with common data storage to ensure data integrity and provide user authentication for data security and customer records privacy. Distribution and Meter Analytics Maintain complete visibility, end-to-end, across the distribution network with web-based analytic tools that help determine water balances, meter trends, and meter right-sizing. Insights for CSRs and Customers Employ a hosted database with common data storage to ensure data integrity and provide user authentication for data security and customer records privacy.
STAR _choice Aclara STAR _choice™ gives utilities the flexibility to configure their STAR _select network in ways that best fit their current, and evolving, requirements. STAR _choice lets utilities integrate STAR _select network data into a host of custom or third-party data management and system management applications. This approach builds on existing information technology investments and allows utilities to scale-up new applications and capabilities as required.
STAR _focus Aclara STAR _focus™ allows utilities to access the information they need to bill accurately and manage consumption. It is an automated, highly scalable system for generating accurate, bill-ready meter data. It also provides customer service representatives with seamless access to billing information and use profiles for customers. Pulling data from across the network via the Aclara Network Control Computer (NCC), usage information is quickly and accurately available for billing and customer service support.
STAR _prestige Aclara STAR _prestige™ is a hosted meter data management, analytics, and data presentment solution that can leverage the information – and investment – of a water company’s advanced metering infrastructure. With complete web-based visibility across the entire distribution system, utilities have a new level of information and control over their resources, assets, and revenue. The STAR _prestige solution is built upon the industry leading, field-proven FATHOM™ analytics and consumer-engagement platform.
The STAR _prestige solution offers:
Meter Data Management (MDM) Employ a hosted database with common data storage to ensure data integrity and provide user authentication for data security and customer records privacy. Distribution and Meter Analytics Maintain complete visibility, end-to-end, across the distribution network with web-based analytic tools that help determine water balances, meter trends, and meter right-sizing. Insights for CSRs and Customers Employ a hosted database with common data storage to ensure data integrity and provide user authentication for data security and customer records privacy.
STAR _choice Aclara STAR _choice™ gives utilities the flexibility to configure their STAR _select network in ways that best fit their current, and evolving, requirements. STAR _choice lets utilities integrate STAR _select network data into a host of custom or third-party data management and system management applications. This approach builds on existing information technology investments and allows utilities to scale-up new applications and capabilities as required.
STAR _focus Aclara STAR _focus™ allows utilities to access the information they need to bill accurately and manage consumption. It is an automated, highly scalable system for generating accurate, bill-ready meter data. It also provides customer service representatives with seamless access to billing information and use profiles for customers. Pulling data from across the network via the Aclara Network Control Computer (NCC), usage information is quickly and accurately available for billing and customer service support.
REFERENCES
advantages and disadvantages of star network
Advantages :
i) easy to implement and extend.
ii) well suited for temporary (quick setup).
iii) initially less expensive than other topologies.
iv) cheap
Disadvantages :
i) difficult to administer/troubleshoot.
ii) limited cable length and number of station.
iii) low security.
iv) one virus in the network will effect all of them.
i) easy to implement and extend.
ii) well suited for temporary (quick setup).
iii) initially less expensive than other topologies.
iv) cheap
Disadvantages :
i) difficult to administer/troubleshoot.
ii) limited cable length and number of station.
iii) low security.
iv) one virus in the network will effect all of them.
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