Drupal, the popular open source content management system/framework, is very useful in getting a site off the ground quickly.  It automates many tedious tasks and streamlines website building for developers and content managers.  Along with the proper modules, it also allows for fast content adding/editing.

In Part I, I started talking about protecting what you write, and picked on Instant Messaging for its lack of protection.  This time, I'm going to talk about email.

After looking at and trying other IM server based on Jabber/XMPP we decided to use the iChat server built into Mac OS X Leopard server.  It was one of the few that supported native video and audio chats.   The video and audio are just initiated by the server but are not routed through it.  This minimizes server bandwidth usage.   It also supported chat rooms that could be created by any authenticated user.  It is easily managed through Open Directory and has SSL connection capabilities.  It can also be set up to use Active Directory or LDAP.

Junior’s, the World’s Most Fabulous Cheesecake, is a New York City landmark; since 1950, the Rosen family has been making delicious confections for locals. The global marketplace challenged them to develop a system that would let them satisfy the cravings of Fabulous Cheesecake fans near and far. The family-owned business met the challenge with an online store. Now, you can sit down in one of Junior’s restaurants in NYC to enjoy a cheesecake and coffee, or you can sit on your porch in Ohio and enjoy the same treat, thanks to new technology.

Say you own a small, family pharmacy, and you carry your own line of cosmetics. Suppose your cosmetics lines are very popular in your local market and you think there is potential to go bigger – much bigger. How are you going to do it? One ready answer is catalog sales, but that means you must print and mail thousands of catalogs, at a pretty hefty price tag. On the other hand, says Ian Ginsberg, owner of Bigelow Chemists, think about all the people you know who read their email every single day.

Phillip Choi, the moving force behind the success of Silla Cooling, decided not so long ago that he wanted to add something new and innovative to his operation. Over the course of two decades, Silla opened facilities in 20 locations across the country to provide radiators and condensers to people in the automobile industry. Mr. Choi was determined to add a new profit center to the business. His solution: direct online sales.

How does a family company that started in 1950 keep pace with changes in its industry and adapt the way it does business to serve a nationwide market? Ask Neal Magaziner and Stephen Polin, who today run Hughes Enterprises, the company their uncle and founder Max Polin started more than five decades ago. Hughes Enterprises is a wholesale supplier of packaging materials, equipment and systems to businesses across the country. That wasn’t always the case, though. Before the firm adopted new technologies, they were more limited in their ability to reach distant clients.

It is no secret that franchise operations can be a very expensive proposition for the franchisee; it can be hard to decide if the benefits outweigh the costs. Still, many consumers are most comfortable in the world of brand names and they make their purchasing decisions based on branding alone. So what can a small, independent hotel operator do to attract guests without breaking the bank? Tom Magnuson, founder and chief executive officer of Magnuson Hotels, Inc.

The anime industry is not one that traditionally relies on a slick web presence to attract hits and make its point with fans. In fact, a quick web survey turns up a huge collection of very basic, static sites. Infinity Studios, an American company that publishes anime, wanted to break out of that mold and offer customers a more engaging online experience.

The following profile was compiled from an interview with John Terzich, Director of Sales at Lanworth. Read on to learn how they are using technology to generate revenue.

Get some valuable advice and the recipe to this business’ Secret Sauce!