Npw Ypen's AD oNLY$OO

Start 1996 right by sending thanks and best wishes to customers, friends and suppliers. Happy New year!

Corputer Revolution

John F. Caroll Dalaline Corp. Wilton, Cl.

With regiotnal support centers nationwide, 2i-year-old DAialine Corp. provides "tumkef hardware and software solutions, exclusively for the building naleial industry.

I lf you think the building marerial indusrry has changed over the last 10 years, imagine an industry that sees major changes in its technology occurring every l4 months...with the process of change continuing to accelerate. That is what is happening in the computer industry.

There are two components to every computer system: hardware and software. Let's first discuss hardware changes that are taking place. Raw computing power has been doubling every 14 months over the last five years. What this means is that today's computer processor has the ability to process twice as much information as last year's. Computer hardware has basically become a commodity, much like studs. What we will see in the future are prices of PCs continuing to drop, allowing businesses to put a "smart" terminal or PC on every employee's desk.

The second major component of any computer system is software. Software is a program written to help perform certain tasks, such as writing an electronic purchase order or entering a customer order. Significant changes have taken place in this arena over the last several years as well. Advanced computer software use relational database technology and CASE tools to generate new programs. Using these tools greatly improves the ability of a software manufacturer to respond to its customers' needs,

In the near future, as your customers become more computer literate, they are going to demand more from you in terms of information access. Most computer systems will soon be able to provide electronic communications capabilities between suppliers and contractors.

IJse this low cost opportunity to deliver New year's greetings to customers, friends and suppliers. your business card will appear in a Special Section in our Januar5r issue, exlrosing your message at arL extra lotu price. Cards will be reduced slighfly, to 2-3/8" x l-3l8'.

Celebrate the NewYear by communicating with the trade. And at a price that can't be beat!

It'S IHIS EASY: Just send your business card and a check for $6O before Dec. 18 to The Merchant Magazine, 45O0 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660. At this low price, your check will be your receipt.

$fuesttons? Call David Cutler at (7r4) 852-1990.

Other developments in software to look for include online ordering capabilities and computer faxing capabilities. By placing your orders electronically, you can save a great deal of time and insure order accuracy. Faxing directly from your system saves time and money as well.

In short, lumber and building product retailers will see that personal computers are going to revolutionize the way we do business, much in the same way the fax did in the late 1980s. As prices for these products continue to fall and as software such as Windows 95, accounting packages and estimating software become more prevalent in the marketplace, you will be able to access and use information about your business as never before.

Technology is one of the few tools you can use to help you compete against the "boxes." And as technology continues to change, it is essential that your computer system can change with it.