Introduction
Please find our last eNews for the year that may interest you or a colleague. Do forward this information on to others who may be interested in reading it.
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Trading Hours over the Summer Period
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HRS will be closed for the Christmas break from 5pm Wednesday, 23 December. We open again for normal business hours (8.30am to 5pm) on Monday, 11 January, 2010.
Our support email address support@hrs.co.nz will be monitored through the break. In an emergency please call 021 1700 713.
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Use your budget before the end of the year
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Contact us today if you wish to place an order to spend the last of your annual budget. Purchasing additional copies of software, upgrading old copies or registering for training are just some ways to spend the last of your budget before it may be taken away. We are happy to invoice and take your payments this year for training next year.
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Talk to HRS
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You can talk to us on our NZ toll free number 0800 477 776 if you wish to discuss any of the products or items mentioned in this newsletter.
Best wishes,
The HRS Team
Table of Contents
(Click on the contents entry to read it)
Special Offers
Purchase ChemOffice Products before 23 Dec 2009 for a Discount
Buy any ChemOffice product before 3pm on 22 December 2009 and receive a discount.
• New orders receive 20% discount from the list price
• Existing customers can upgrade for 40% discount from the list price
to contact Bruce for an up-to-date quote
Upgrade to What'sBest! 10 for 20% of List Price
What'sBest! 10 is now available. Existing customers can upgrade for only 20% of the standard new license price.
One of the biggest enhancements in What'sBest! 10 is the new Stochastic Programming (SP) capabilities. Stochastic Programming allows users to incorporate uncertainty into their optimisation models. In addition to the SP interface, the new release has a number of solver performance enhancements.
The new Stochastic Programming capabilities will be included in a new Stochastic Programming option. So like LINDO API 6.0, What'sBest! will now have four available options: Barrier, Nonlinear, Global and Stochastic Programming.
Here is an overview of the list of enhancements:
- New Stochastic Programming Capabilities
- Statistical Sampling
- Faster Linear Solvers
- Substantial Integer Solver Improvements
- Global Solver Improvements
- Support of Excel version 2007's Expanded Number of Rows and Columns
- List Best Solutions to Integer Models
- Support for Semi-continuous Variables and Special Ordered Sets
- New Multiple Language Support
to contact Glen for an up-to-date quote
Upcoming Events
MATLAB Training Courses during 23-25 March 2010
We are planning several training courses for 23-25 March 2010 in Christchurch. Here are some topics that we are considering:
- Introduction to MATLAB
- Intermediate MATLAB
- Advanced MATLAB & Simulink
- Control Design with MATLAB
- Simulation with MATLAB & Simulink
- Optimisation with MATLAB
At this stage, we will be only running three courses in total. If you have a strong desire for any of these topics, please contact Bruce to register your interest as this will determine which courses we are likely to run.
to contact Bruce about your MATLAB training topic preference
Mathcad Training in Early 2010
We are considering running a public Mathcad training course outside of Auckland early next year if there is enough demand. Please contact Glen if you would be interested in attending a public training course in a city close to you, or if you are interested in an in-house training course.
to contact Glen about Mathcad training
STATISTICA Training in Early 2010
Similarly, we are considering running a public STATISTICA training course outside of Auckland early next year if there is enough demand. Please contact Glen if you would be interested in attending a public training course in a city close to you, or if you are interested in an in-house training course.
to contact Glen about STATISTICA training
Borrow MATLAB Concurrent Licenses
Concurrent MATLAB Licenses can be borrowed for 30 Days. This means you can use MATLAB and use it on your laptop when you are not connected to the server. This is available for commercial customers only.
to contact Bruce about borrowing a concurrent license.
MATLAB Article - PID Control Design Made Easy
By Murad Abu-Khalaf, Rong Chen, and Arkadiy Turevskiy
Tuning a PID controller appears easy, requiring you to find just three values: proportional, integral, and derivative gains. In fact, safely and systematically finding the set of gains that ensures the best performance of your control system is a complex task. Traditionally, PID controllers are tuned either manually or using rule-based methods. Manual methods are iterative and time-consuming, and if used on the hardware, can cause damage. Rule-based methods also have serious limitations: they do not support certain types of plant models, such as unstable plants, high-order plants, or plants with little or no time delay. In addition to tuning, PID control involves design and implementation challenges, such as discrete-time implementation and fixed-point scaling.
Using a four-bar linkage system as an example, this article describes a method that simplifies and improves the design and implementation of PID controllers. This method is based on two R2009b product features: the PID Controller blocks in Simulink and the PID tuning algorithm in Simulink Control Design.
Read the full article at:
http://www.mathworks.com/company/newsletters/digest/2009/nov/pid-control-design.html
to contact Bruce about MATLAB products for PID control design
MATLAB Article - Best Practices for a MATLAB to C Workflow Using Real-Time Workshop
By Houman Zarrinkoub and Grant Martin
Embedded software developers have long relied on MATLAB for algorithm design and prototyping and on C code for implementation on embedded processors and DSPs. As a high-level language, MATLAB facilitates design exploration. In contrast, programming in C is well suited to optimising DSPs for performance, memory, and processing power. The challenge is to transition a design from the flexible development environment of MATLAB to the constrained programming style of C. The solution is automatic translation of MATLAB to embeddable C.
Manually translating MATLAB to C involves incorporating into the code low-level details such as data-type assignments, memory allocations, and optimizations for computational load and memory. A great deal of effort is required to ensure that the MATLAB code and the C code remain equivalent.
When your MATLAB algorithm uses the Embedded MATLAB language subset, the translation to C becomes unambiguous, enabling you to focus on refining your design rather than producing and verifying hand written C code.
This article outlines the challenges involved in the manual translation from MATLAB to C, demonstrates how to use the Embedded MATLAB subset for automatic translation, and provides best practices for coding your MATLAB algorithm to improve the generated C code.
Read the full article at:
http://www.mathworks.com/company/newsletters/digest/2009/nov/matlab-to-c.html
to contact Bruce about MATLAB products
MapleSim 3 is Now Available
MapleSim is the leading physical modelling tool that helps you meet the challenges of complex physical modelling projects. It is the ideal software package for developing models for multi-domain engineering systems, including sophisticated plant models for control systems development. MapleSim's intuitive physical modelling environment offers a powerful and flexible set of tools, which dramatically extends your modelling capacity. In addition to supporting rapid model development, MapleSim produces highly optimised equation-based models to provide the best possible real-time performance for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) applications. Built on a foundation of the world's most powerful symbolic computation engine, MapleSim offers the most extensive range of advanced analysis tools, supporting sensitivity analysis, optimisation, and advanced visualisation techniques. With MapleSim, you will produce better, faster models and dramatically shorten your product development cycle.
to contact Glen about MapleSim 3
MapleSim Control Design Toolbox
Maplesoft is also pleased to announce the release of the MapleSim Control Design Toolbox, which provides a solid set of essential control design tools that extend MapleSim’s exceptional plant modelling capabilities to support control design.
to contact Glen about MapleSim Control Design Toolbox
Make Teaching Easy and Enjoyable with Maple T.A. 5.0
Let students study and you teach with Maple T.A. Delegate to students the responsibility for maintaining their skills and concepts learned in earlier courses rather than expecting you to spend valuable weeks
reviewing what they should already know.
Maple T.A. is an easy-to-use web-based system for creating tests and assignments, and automatically assessing student responses and performance. It supports complex, free-form entry of mathematical equations and intelligent evaluation of responses.
Maple T.A. is your tool for making a substantial difference in your student's learning, and will help you retain students within your mathematics-based papers. Students rarely leave an area of study because they are mastering the subject.
Use Maple T.A. to encourage and develop a steady stream of new students within your normal high school catchment area and beyond.
I can arrange online demo access on request. For more information see: http://www.maplesoft.com/products/mapleta/index.aspx?P=TC-1243
to contact Glen about Maple TA 5.0.
Beta-releases of CLC software Now Available
A beta-release of the CLC Genomics Server 2.0 and new versions of all the CLC Workbenches in beta are now available. Please be aware that beta versions of software allow you to preview the software they are not the final tested product.
The beta versions are available now, and the target release date of the final versions is sometime this month. Please see the download links below for each product.
Top features of new Genomics Workbench 3.7 release:
- Global alignment for long reads when running reference assembly
- Gapped color-space alignment when running reference assembly
- RNA-Seq analysis: visualisation of exon-exon reads, significant performance improvement
- Redesign of High-throughput sequencing data import
- New import formats including SAM and Eland
- A lot more at http://www.clcbio.com/index.php?id=1297
- Download at http://www.clcbio.com/index.php?id=140
Top features of the new Genomics Server 2.0 release:
- Job node support
- 3-tier architecture
- Integration of external (command-line) applications (beta)
- De-coupling of database: it is now possible to buy and run a server without a database back-end by storing data as files on the file system
- RNA-Seq (as in the Workbench)
- High-throughput sequencing data import is now on the server
- Read more at http://www.clcbio.com/index.php?id=1411
- Download at htp://www.clcbio.com/download_genomics_server_beta
to contact Bruce about CLC bio software
Introducing Forecast Pro Unlimited Version 6
We are pleased to announce Forecast Pro Unlimited Version 6, a comprehensive state-of-the-art, flexible forecasting system that is extremely powerful yet surprisingly affordable.
Forecast Pro Unlimited Version 6 is designed for larger-scale forecasting jobs, collaborative forecasting, working with complex hierarchies, maintaining multiple forecast overrides, documenting your forecasting sessions and integrating with other systems. With Forecast Pro Unlimited Version 6, forecasting thousands of SKU's is as easy as selecting a data file and clicking the forecast icon. With just a few more clicks, you can graph the results, view forecast reports, make judgmental overrides and save the results.
This new version of the Forecast Pro Unlimited expands on the software’s rich features and functionality. "Forecast Pro Unlimited Version 6 includes enhancements to virtually all aspects of the product allowing for easier, smoother and more intuitive use of the software," notes Eric Stellwagen, Vice President of BFS. "We worked closely with our customers to add features which address their forecasting challenges, and the result is a significantly improved product that is getting uniformly positive reviews."
Go to topIf you are already using Forecast Pro Unlimited, here is just a small sample of the new features you will find in Version 6:
- Dramatically redesigned reporting capabilities including four professionally-formatted standardised reports in addition to a user-friendly interface for building custom reports. Create dazzling reports in seconds.
- Menu-driven custom modelling. Build custom models by simply checking the desired specifications with your mouse.
- A new safety stock report for viewing Safety Stocks, Reorder Points and DDLT (Demand During Lead Time). You have the flexibility to specify lead times on a global and/or local basis.
- Improved data input/output including support for .xlsx files, and an easier, more flexible format for reading and writing to transaction-style databases via ODBC.
- Enhanced Numeric Output options. You can now save both statistical and final forecasts. The handy new "preview" window allows you to simultaneously view the content and format of the file as you design it—all without having to exit Forecast Pro.
- Report-based navigation for all global reports. Double-clicking an item on the report will instantly select it on the Navigator.
- Password protection for projects.
to contact Glen about Forecast Pro
The Survey System 10
See 
http://www.surveysystem.com/newin10.htm for a complete listing of what's new, here are some of the highlights of The Survey System 10:
- Unlimited length data file files
- Up to 999 answer choices in a Multiple Choice question
- No 255 variable limit on data file exports to Excel 2007
- Save tables and charts direct to PowerPoint
Web surveys now include such exciting new features as:
- Rank web surveys items by dragging them
- Highlight answer choices when mousing over them
- Enlarge web images by mousing over them
CATI module (previously known as Sample Management)
- Pick telephone callback dates from a calendar with selectable leftmost day
- Clear the 'have' tallies in quotas, so that Quota Files can be used again
- Ignore the previously required purge quotas step when increasing quota numbers
- Specify Sample File based quotas using imported variable numbers, not columns
- Specify Call window introductory text variables using variable numbers, not columns
- Import samples from XLS files
PDA Surveys
- See long answer choice labels automatically wrap to fit PDA screen width
- Download multiple PDA data files in one step
- Combine multiple PDA data files in one step
to contact Glen about The Survey System
@RISK Case Study - FiduciaryVest Uses @RISK for Asset Allocation Modelling
Decision makers for all long-term investment pools face a critical challenge, regardless of 
their level of sophistication: Multi-year allocation among the various asset categories available to investors. This particular decision is known to be the primary factor that will determine long-term portfolio outcomes. Adequate investment management within the underlying asset class is actually a secondary issue. That being said, the inherent question is: How can asset allocation decisions be made with strong confidence that the outcomes will be appropriate to a particular client’s desired/expected financial needs?
FiduciaryVest uses @RISK to help answer this question. According to FiduciaryVest’s Joe Dinunno, "Using @RISK to get answers to these types of questions helps us give clients real-world insight into what to expect from their portfolio."
Read the full case study at: http://www.palisade.com/cases/FiduciaryVest.asp
to contact Glen about @RISK
KPMG Report Recommends Risk Executive, Stronger Risk Management
In a report issued last month, KPMG emphasises the need for comprehensive, strategic risk management across an organization. Entitled "The Business Case for a Risk Executive: Leading Efforts to Avoid Surprises, Maneuver through Challenges, and Add Value", the report notes that most current risk management efforts are specific to particular departments, projects, or regulations, and do not approach risk from an enterprise level. This had led to critical oversights and missed opportunities.
To address this gap, KMPG recommends the appointment of a risk executive. This person's dedicated purpose is "to help prepare the organisation to respond to change and the risks that emerge in changing times, and to turn those efforts into opportunities that benefit the organisation." More specifically, such an executive would unify risk approaches across business units and departments, standardise reporting, and establish a common risk "language."
Read the full report at: http://www.us.kpmg.com/RutUS_prod/Documents/12/the-business-case-for-a-risk-executive.pdf.
to contact Glen about @RISK
@RISK Recorded Webcast: Integrated Project Risk Analysis - Structuring the Model Effectively
A project risk analysis is only as good as the model that was used to prepare it. It is critical that the model be constructed to reflect the risks specifically associated with the project. The model must be able to accurately reflect the risks associated with schedule, quantities, cost and the residual unmitigated risk items from the qualitative risk analysis. The model should also take into account the interrelationships and dependencies of these items.
This recorded webcast addresses these issues and presents examples of how results can vary based on the level of detail used in preparing the risk analysis, and will include the use of @RISK, and @RISK for Project.
to contact Glen to view the recorded version of this webinar
BioAnalytical E-Notebook
E-Notebook saves significant amounts of time, improves compliance and data quality, and facilitates collaboration. CambridgeSoft is pleased to announce the BioAnalytical E-Notebook that includes a suite of specialised functionality for GLP analytical work that will increase the already substantial ROI benefits.
The BioAnalytical E-Notebook is described in the following article:
http://www.cambridgesoft.com/solutions/pdf/BioAnalytical_E-Notebook.pdf
Key Features:
MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT
- Solution Preparation forms with recipe management
- Reference Compound and Raw Material Tracking
- Barcode Printing/Scanning
- Balance Integration
- Balance Calibration Verification Wizard
- Equipment Management and Maintenance Logs
WATSON LIMS INTEGRATION
- Watson Project/Study/Run lookups from E-Notebook
- Result Data Pull
- Post-Watson Calculations, including Recovery, Matrix Effect, Internal Standard, Carryover, Signal-to-Noise, Whole Blood, Stability)
- Inclusion of Watson Security
REVIEW AND COMPLIANCE
- Expiration Date Checking with Annotation
- Change Logging with Annotation
- “Sticky Note” Annotation
- Configurable Review Processes
- “Before and After” Audit Trail Viewing
- Full Study Review
OVERALL FEATURES
- Cross-Run Reporting, including drag-and-drop Designer
- Microsoft Outlook Integration
- Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint Integration
- Offline (can be disabled if desired in GLP environments)
to contact Bruce about E-Notebook
General News & Working with HRS
HRS Sponsorship
HRS has sponsored many association and society events over the years and we will continue to do this for events where delegates have a strong need for our products.
If you or an associate are organising a conference where the delegates could benefit from using the many mathematics based products sold and supported by HRS, please contact Leon by emailing leon@hrs.co.nz or by calling him on 0800 477 776.
User Stories
If you have any newsworthy user stories related to our products that you think our customers would be interested in reading, please contact Leon.
to email Leon or call him on
0800 477 776 to supply us with your product news.
Advertising your events on the HRS Website
If we sponsor your event, or your delegates are likely to be using one of our products, contact Leon to place details of your conference on our website.
to email Leon or call him on
0800 477 776 to advertise your event.
Best wishes,
Leon Tepania
Marketing Manager
Hoare
Research Software Ltd
Email: leon@hrs.co.nz