Is Your Business Near a Nuclear Reactor - There is Insurance for That

What happens if an earthquake or a Tsunami strikes, or some kind of nuclear safety malfunction....governments institute an "Exclusion Zone"....barring people from entering certain areas.

You can now buy insurance if your business is located in one of these areas and it interrupts your revenues or production.

You can read about the company offering this coverage here.

Our First Real Social Media Hurricane

Hurricane Irene is due this weekend, all along the eastern seaboard government agencies are springing into action.

Companies who have Business Continuity Plans will have a real live chance to execute, keep detailed notes, look for areas to improve or correct.  Those who have no plans, can contact us here to find out how to make them.

Now, to social media will it help your company, are you using it?  Will it help communities?  We will likely see thousands of twitters, twit pics, and facebook updates documenting the hurricane.  But will providers be able to keep up?

During the earthquake in DC this past week, cell phones and text messaging would not work at all....now the providers say it was all okay, just some delays....that's not what the people who used the service say.  Are you counting on your cell phone to work?

What happens if during evacuations, looting takes place, will police or military be deployed.....will looters use blackberry and twitter to co-ordinate.....will the government have the service shut down, like happened in San Fransisco with BART protests, like the British Government is considering after their riots?

At last report, Hurricane Irene is weakening to a Cat 2.....maybe it will blow over, or maybe not.

We may get a chance to see the governments response to disasters like this, will it just be to shut down like NY transit is going to do, will it shut down communications?

We will see.

Dis-inter-mediation, Transaction costs at Checkout

One price breakdown that you never see is what it costs you to buy something with a credit card, or with a debit card, but you know the cost is built into the prices in the store.

This new player in the credit card transaction business, is giving a scare at least to the established players.

Using an I phone and their reader, they give a low cost, no fuss, low overhead solution for small, if not soon every business.

This tight little story about a cupcake shop and what they pay tells a great story and lets you in on the secrets of the game.

Read the article here.

World's Largest Pivot - Bold Move, or the Death of HP?

The word "pivot" is huge in the emerging world of technology start-ups.

Twitter was a pivot, gaming companies made the pivot...its what you do when what your business was to become has hit a stall, and you need to go in another different direction and more or less change the core of your business operations or revenue....on the fly.

HP is the biggest play yet at this as they give up hardware and move into the world of software as there full time core.

The move is either brilliant, as the PC device era is dead, without software revenue to boost it, or its a mistake if they cannot dominate in software.

General Electric was and probably is the best at exiting businesses, just before they have peaked (I have seen them do it brilliantly), but they have a stable of businesses, not just one to rely on for revenue.

Is coding the future, other countries are far ahead of North America in software engineers...the other thing that GE famously did is they would not go into a new business unless they could be number one or two in the market....no third place for them.

This is either a brilliant move if they can pull it off....or the death throws of a giant. Read more here.

London Riots Insurance Estimates Losses at $322 Million Dollars

As we reported before Insurers may make claims against the local police authority for damages from riots if the claims are made within 14 days, the government has agreed to extend the time to make claims under the act to 42 days.

More info in this article.

Stage Collapse Kills Four in Sugarland

As we posted earlier about the stage collapse in Ottawa Ontario, then the band Cheap Trick refused to play the PNE in Vancouver where the same make of stage was used in case it collapsed, another stage has collapsed, leaving 4 dead. Dramatic video shows the collapse at about the 20 sec mark. Unknown if this is the same stage manufacturer, no info at this time.

UPDATE - Another person has died bringing the toll to 5 Dead

London Riots and Insurance Claims....

Why you need to be quick to get your claims in.

According to the Chartered Institute for Loss Adjusters....the insurers can take their losses and make claims against the police agencies for losses.

The Claims need to be lodged with the police within 14 days of a riot.

Riot is defined as “when 12 or more people have gathered to use or threaten violence for a common purpose” (full definition within Public Order Act 1986).

This is according to the Riot Damage Act. They include a form for making claims on their site here.

Concrete Failing All Over Montreal - Mob Involvement?

Montreal is seeing its bridges and roads crumbling, big chunks of concrete falling onto roadways....worries about bridges and tunnels.

Lots of reasons are being suggested, but could there be any ties to the mob and inferior concrete?

In Manhattan the District Attorney has laid organized crime charges against the company that graded and approved cement for work on projects....seems it was owned by the mob.

The New York mob has long had associations in Montreal.....wonder if there is any connection?

Story on Montreal here.

Infrastructure Security - Siemens PLC controllers vunerable to hack

One of the devices which helps control everything complicated systems run on is the PLC controller.

(A programmable controller is a digital computer used for automation of electromechanical processes, such as control of machinery on factory assembly lines, amusement rides, in many industries)

A security program exists with the pre 2009 Siemens controller according to this security experts report. He say among other problems is a hard coded back door password in all the controllers that can be used to change their programming.

If you run an industry that may be a target for terrorist hackers, you need to read this story.

...this is the same exposure that has been used to attack nuclear plants and water treatment facilities.


Update - Siemens says it is issuing a fix for some of the security holes identified....read about it here.

Stage Collapse in Ottawa Cancels Cheap Trick Concert at PNE

A collapse of a stage that Cheap Trick was performing on in Ottawa dramatically collapsed when windy stormy weather moved in.

The manufacturer of the mobile stage, is the same manufacturer who supplies the stages to the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver.

Cheap Trick was scheduled to play a concert there, but cancelled when they became aware that the same stage was being used, and they want to know why it collapsed, and that it won't do it again.

The cancellation won't result in lost money for tickets being returned, it was a concert paid for by the PNE, but now they will have lost this attraction...which could ultimately hurt attendance.

You have to keep an eye out for risk, what happens somewhere else in the world could affect you and your business.

Read about the story here.