Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Howard Williams
Why Superficial BAS Knowledge Fails in Real Buildings
By Howard WIlliams, Associate Editor Follow rules for rubber gloves, arc-rated PPE, and inspection procedures Learn employer obligations for testing, certification, and training Protect workers from arc flash and electrical shock injuries Many building automation systems fail to deliver expected performance not because the technology is insufficient, but because system behavior is misunderstood.
Why Building Automation Failures Usually Begin at Commissioning
By Howard WIlliams, Associate Editor Understand the difference between arc flash and electric shock boundaries Learn who may cross each boundary and under what conditions Apply voltage-based rules for safer approach distances Most building automation failures begin at commissioning, where incomplete system understanding, poor coordination between disciplines, and undocumented assumptions embed performance limitations before the system operates under real conditions.
Delta Wye Transformer Behavior in Real Distribution Systems
By Howard Williams, Associate Editor Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.
Strategic Equity Capital Plc Director/PDMR Shareholding
Register for streaming realtime charts, analysis tools, and prices.
Transitioning to a Zero Emissions Actuation Solution for Shutdown
FEATURED STORY Transitioning to a Zero Emissions Actuation Solution for Shutdown Since the early days of gas transmission pipeline valve automation, shutdown valve actuators have been powered using energy from the pipeline fuel gas pressure. As these pipeline valves are often remotely located, alternative power supply options to operate the valves are limited. However, the challenge with using pipeline fuel gas to power a valve actuator is that the spent gas is then exhausted to the atmosphere.
Arc Fault Safety In Electrical Systems
By Howard Williams, Technical Editor Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.
Circuit Protection Devices Explained
By Howard Williams, Associate Editor Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.
A safe introduction to BYOD
It might not seem like it, but smartphones have only been ubiquitous for the past five years. Before that, devices such as Handspring’s innovative Palm Treo series were too far ahead of their time to take off. The same rings true for bring your own device (BYOD), a concept that has existed for years but is only now able to be securely realised.
Is pre-emptive shopping the next step in personalised eCommerce?
In the age of the customer, personalisation is a more pressing need than ever before. In the age of data, it’s becoming increasingly possible to feed that need. Indeed, data-led personalisation is one of the hottest trends in ecommerce. But are we getting ahead of ourselves? A new wave of customer-led personalisation known as pre-emptive shopping suggests so. What is pre-emptive shopping? Pre-emptive shopping is a customer-led personalisation opportunity powered by automation software.
Code-deep discrimination: combatting racial bias in algorithms
Image credit: Depositphotos Racial bias permeates the technology around us. Subtle prejudice is woven into the machines and devices we use daily, causing our tech tools to display discrimination. This rise of algorithmic bias means that tech not only behaves with bias, but also fuels human discrimination. And the proliferation of tech into every area of our lives means that racism seeps into more (seemingly impartial) products and processes each day.
The rise of ‘eception’ and the ethical issues arising from humanising AI in customer experience
You land on a website one day and “Jay” sends you a welcome message and an invitation to chat. Jay has a smiley headshot displayed and seems well-spoken enough. But is Jay a human customer service agent, or a bot? Even a few exchanges might not be enough to identify Jay’s true nature. You may have to say something completely unexpected to detect any indication of whether Jay is really there or running via AI.
How to solve tech's ageism problem
When it comes to job hunting, a common concern is not having enough experience. In tech, the fear riddling job seekers and holders alike is the opposite. They worry they have too much experience. Experience comes with age, and age is proving an issue in tech careers. As many as68 percent of baby boomers don’t apply for tech jobs for fear of being “too old.” Meanwhile, a 2018 study found thatthree-quartersof professional developers are younger than 35. Ageism is the elephant in the tech room.
Should We Leave Automation to the Workplace?
Automation is no longer an office-only reality. It’s increasingly entering our home lives. It’s keeping our houses warm, managing our light use — even alerting us when we’re running out of milk. But for all its benefits, is home-based automation safe? In the workplace, we have specialist security measures. The tech we use — such as automation — endures vigorous research, monitoring and protection by a team of professionals. This is not the case with most home automation.
Ageism in tech: the not-so-invisible age limit developers face
Image credit: Depositphotos When it comes to job hunting, a common concern is not having enough experience. In tech, the fear riddling job seekers and holders alike is the opposite. They worry they have too much experience. Experience comes with age, and age is proving an issue in tech careers. As many as 68 percent of baby boomers don’t apply for tech jobs for fear of being “too old.” Meanwhile, a 2018 study found that three-quarters of professional developers are younger than 35.
3 Tips to Add SMS Marketing to Today’s Digital Ad Playbook
The first text, AKA "short message service" or SMS, was sent 26 years ago, in 1992. Since then, SMS marketing has grown in usage alongside the mobile phone, even sparking a new kind of linguistic shorthand in the heydays of the early noughties. Today, we may have dropped phrases like “2nte” or “ROFL,” but the simple SMS remains steadfast in use.
Combating climate change with code
We all know how to do our bit to reduce our CO2 emissions, from wearing a coat instead of turning on the heating, to walking or taking the bus instead of driving. But we often forget about our tech. New, fancy technology is growing in demand and function at a massive pace. Yet while it’s clear to us that walking instead of driving reduces emissions, the energy consumption of our technology is less obvious. And it’s substantially bigger than you think.
Designers need to keep old people in mind
Our population is aging into “demographic time bombs.” The latest headlines constantly warn us of the stark reality of our aging dilemma. Fertility rates have dropped, and life expectancy has increased. Italy’s average age has surpassed 45 for the first time ever. A 2015 national consensus shows that Japan is currently the world’s oldest country, with almost 27% of its population over the age of 65.
The New Age of Accountability
The EU has been busy in the cybersecurity department, and for good reason. Given Europe’s ever-rising cybercrime rates, a new approach to data protection was in order. This cued the GDPR and the NIS Directive, which deal with the protection of personal data, and the protection of critical IT systems respectively. The bridge that connects these two new pieces of legislation? Accountability.
The HTTPS deadline and what it means for your website
2018, the year of deadlines. Or, more specifically, the year of internet security deadlines. It turns out that the EU isn’t the only entity setting deadlines for us to up our online security game. Now, Google is throwing its weight around too. Google has slowly been encouraging stronger security practices over the past few years. Earlier this year, Google announced a deadline for websites to upgrade from HTTP to HTTPS. That deadline is almost upon us: July 2018.
Three Ecommerce Trends Reimagining the User Experience
The online user experience is changing. Today’s new breed of digitally-savvy shopper demands a smooth and easy ecommerce experience; one that flexes around their ever-evolving preferences. In such a fast-moving playing field, brands must keep on top of trends and preferences to stay competitive. Some trends remain just that: passing vogues that die out as our digital tastes develop. Others become the new standard, encouraging ecommerce brands to reimagine the user experience entirely.
Analysing ‘digital body language’ and getting real-time responses from your users
Can you tell whether your website users are engaged? Frustrated? Bored? Your customers’ emotions and mindsets are valuable information for personalising service. In brick-and-mortar stores, this information is readily available through body language. The digitalisation of retail removes body language from the equation, and makes online service personalisation that bit harder. Ecommerce brands can’t rely on tell-tale hand gestures or eye flickers to gauge customer mindset.
Keeping up With Customers’ AI Expectations
Forget keeping up with the Joneses, today it’s all about keeping up with Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI assistants now live in our back pockets, and smart speakers now run our homes. This makes home life simpler and smarter than ever before. But it also puts businesses in an ever-lengthening race to keep up. After all, when you have smooth, AI-driven experiences at home, you come to expect the same from businesses. Advancements in AI, while cool, make it harder for businesses to impress us.
Three e-commerce lessons to be learned from Amazon Go
As Brits, we’re generally partial to a good queue (at least, that’s the stereotype). But it’s hard to deny: avoiding checkout queues during the lunch hour sounds too good to be true. Yet it’s exactly this that Amazon Go promises. It’s the first-ever physical store with no money and no queues, and it opened to the public on January 22. The innovative idea uses artificial intelligence (AI), and a series of sensors to revolutionise the shopping experience.
Live Chat Hacks - Top Tips for a Smooth Conversation | Home Business Magazine
You’ve no doubt heard of life hacks, but what about live chat hacks? For those of you who work in a customer service role, the two can often overlap. Communicating with customers using live chat is great in many aspects: it’s quick, it lets you multi-task, and there’s usually a whole host of features that help the interaction run smoothly. But giving that human touch over a screen… that’s not so easy.
Facebook messaging or live chat software?
Facebook has announced a (free) version of Messenger for use by businesses on their websites. Talk goes that this add-on will swallow the live chat market whole and spell the end for all rival web chat solutions. There are, however, big differences between live chat software and Messenger when it comes to connecting with customers. Those who are already predicting the demise of traditional chat channels may wish to take these differences into account before ringing the death knell.
GDPR - The deep cleanse of your customer database
Would you rather have one Lamborghini or three Ford Fiestas? It’s all about quality over quantity; a well known concept that can often be overlooked in sales and marketing. Here, Howard Williams, marketing director at Parker Software, explains why it is better to have a database of 100 high-quality leads, rather than thousands of dead ends, and how imminent changes to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) will help you achieve this clarity.
Latest version of Trump Care will adversely affect nearly all Americans - Mailbox for July 6
Latest version of Trump Care will adversely affect nearly all Americans Wake up Colorado. Regardless of your politics, you are about to become victims of the Senate Republicans third attempt to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. This new version of what's been called Trump Care, created behind closed doors, led by Sen. Mitch McConnell and our own Sen. Cory Gardner, is the complete repeal of the ACA without replacing it until later.
Transformer Ratings Guide For KVA, Voltage And Efficiency
By Howard Williams, Associate Editor Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.
Gun violence awareness, health care bill - Mailbox for May 10
Gun violence kills more than 90 Americans per day and injures hundreds more. About 33,000 die every year. That's why June 2, on National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Americans across the country will wear orange, a color that demands to be seen, to send the powerful message there is more we can do to end gun violence. We must continue to pressure lawmakers to improve our gun laws. We must raise awareness about gun violence.
Medicare-for-all plan would be a win, be filled with Holy Spirit — Mailbox for April 6
On March 29, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont appeared on the CBS Morning Show. He was asked to comment on the recent Obamacare repeal and replace debate. He said President Trump's first proposal (RyanCare), was an abomination of reduced care at much higher cost, especially harmful to seniors. It was determined to be disastrous. The next attempt at "replace," Trump Care 2.0, was even worse. It was suppose to appeal to the Freedom Caucus.
Protect America from Trump, oil and gas trucks ruining roads, and more Greeley voices - Mailbox for March 19
Oil and gas trucks doing most damage to roads but not paying for it I agree voters should pass the tax increase funding road improvements. What really bothers me, though, is how did our roads deteriorate to this degree without CDOT or anyone else noticing? Clearly there are more cars on the road today, but passenger cars don't damage roads and road base. What does damage them is heavy trucks.
President needs to be expected to tell the truth; elected officials need to face constituents; and more - Mailbox for March 12
President needs to be expected to tell the truth Truth as a basic value is deeply rooted in our collective American consciousness. The apocryphal story of the young George Washington, who "cannot tell a lie," having cut down his family's cherry tree, is used as an example of honesty we teach to our children.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Howard
Contact Howard, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack