Curves n Colors :: News and Events :: http://www.curvesncolors.com CNC After developing and altering its preparations for months, last Friday Curves n' Colors finally said it has developed a proficient team of software developers who will be in full function from the first quarter of September. An initial step is typically the "go ahead" sign to the software department by the management that the chief kinks have been worked out for the software department. The CNC management, however, seems to be putting less stress on these all inclusive fixes as it lays more emphasis on Search Engine Optimization and Design. Ranjan Shrestha, the Director for Sales after his recent visit to Bhutan said, "We never undermined the importance of our software department". When asked if he had played a key role towards frequent focus on just SEO and Design he remarked," It was necessary that we prepare and then implement our software services and that always takes time, energy and a lot of patience". Better web based software will be released with a lot of beta testing in the next few months. Unlike previous rigorous systems, which was in a constant state of monotony new systems will replace them to bring improvements in security, reliability, performance, and will be much more flexible. Better desktop software systems are also on the way "We are well prepared now for desktop software systems and most of us are working hard to achieve farther goals" says Sachin Bajracharya, Curves n' Colors' senior software production manager. However desktop software could prove a big challenge for this team. Currently the team is working on the Version 2.0 of the Travel Management Software and a new MLM software. Reliability upgrades are also being formulated which include a set of new features for the existing Content Management System to be released by Curves n' Colors, which had better compatibility with newer web layouts and other requirements. However, Curves n' Colors doesn't know just how much of a market Nepal actually is, "We don't have a transparent view into the Nepalese market," Shrestha admits. The Sales Department has been rather successful in the recent months to gain a proper standing in the South East Asian market and some parts of Europe. "But we are more interested in finding customers abroad", Shrestha added later with a grin. http://www.curvesncolors.com/newsview.php?nid=16 Sun, Sep 02, 2007 Sun, Sep 02, 2007 Curves n' Colors' Director or Sales, Ranjan Shrestha is visiting Bhutan, as an early strategy to renew bonds with existing clients for better support features and for potential clients seeking CNC services. The dates for his visit have been rescheduled from 20th August to the 4th of September 2007. A statement from the sales department said, "due to the rigors of client pressure and constant online queries from Bhutan in the past" were the reasons for Mr. Shrestha's apparent visit to Bhutan. Numerous queries have been come to CNC over the past 1 year mostly from Travel Companies in Bhutan. A lot of new clients are however apprehensive due to the working distance between CNC and the client. In the light of such predicaments, the visit to Bhutan was obvious. For all our existing clients of Curve n' Colors and those who are keen on getting their websites made, this is a perfect opportunity to get to know personally from the expert himself, how to enhance your web presence. If you have any queries, doubts or questions about Web development, Web programming and Search Engine Optimization, you can contact Mr. Ranjan Shrestha, and discuss with him in detail. Mr. Ranjan Shrestha is in Thimphu and will be there for 8 more days. You can contact him at 17731268 and resolve your queries regarding websites and the fickle IT scenario. http://www.curvesncolors.com/newsview.php?nid=15 Thur, Aug 23, 2007 Thur, Aug 23, 2007 "Getting messages across is just a click away", is the message from Curves n' Colors' new newsletter software. Having completed and formulated a lot of software for travel websites, it appears that after more than a year of hard work, plain old mistakes and analysis, CNC with this new newsletter system is possibly getting its act back together. This new system for newsletters is a chance at redemption on CNC's console, as more and more travel based clients are finding appeal for this newsletter system which by far beats all other systems made earlier by a fair margin. The system runs on a single user mode where an administrator will be able to personalize the contents and images with mix-and-match outfits. Over the years, Curves n' Colors' newsletter models have become known for featuring a lot of multimedia flash and heavy proclamations instead of substantive detail. Not this year as a refreshingly effective process has been formulated especially for the sake of travel companies. After being fairly criticized by many clients, CNC is taking the first real steps to generate momentum behind its troubled Customer Relationship Management software system, a critical constituent of the company’s overall future and a competitor for the attention of hundreds of travel companies around the world. Among many other features this system guides you step-by-step through the newsletter creation process. It also allows you to attach a file to the newsletter and a test mail can be sent before releasing a newsletter to subscribers. With the help of backward and forward navigation buttons easy editing of newsletter settings is possible. Creating and customizing emails becomes easy with this system where one can choose a template and customize the contents and images. Contacts can also be managed and organized in a database and this helps in the process of mass mailing. CNC’s strategy is clearly to establish dominance among high end travel companies. So Curves n' Colors has planned for a very long way in order to gain strategic success. Here this week, the company demonstrated that it has begun to realize the error of its ways and started to unveil compelling features in this new newsletter system that travel based clients will not find on any other system. With design at its impetus, well designed newsletter templates become the bonus package of this system. Meanwhile, Curves n' Colors continues to chart its own course through the stern focus on new software systems in a defined information culture required mostly for the travel/tourism industry, in favor of a larger goal of bringing interactive mediums to the its own set of clientele and more. http://www.curvesncolors.com/newsview.php?nid=13 Mon, 16,07,2007 Mon, 16,07,2007 The portals division of CNC which was responsible for the popular Parewa.com news desk and the award winning “The Hip” (Online Magazine) expect that its popular magazine friendsandtrends.com will continue once again A combined team of friendsandtrends.com makers presented an outlook of their business and a thorough plan for the portal to the executives of the management board of Curves n’ Colors last Monday. Amidst much speculation the management received the proposal positively in the light of a new plan and formulae for success. The portal is likely to have a reawakening with a new look in August this year. Given Curves n’ Colors' constant work pressure and an over flow of new commissions the past year—an intrepid decision closed down Friends & Trends, following the acquisition dispute of Parewa.com in September 2006. This decision left about 2500 members of the date centre of the portal stranded and since then has left more than 350 pending members at a constant waiting list. "Our challenge is to destroy the psychological barrier that separates normal internet users from portal viewers and friends & trends has been doing that right from the start”, said Bikkil Sthapit, the editor of Friends and Trends. The entertainment and fashion portal of Friends & Trends enjoyed a popularity of more than 60,000 hits a day only after 5 months of its release. The fashion magazine called “The Hip” within the portal enjoyed immense popularity amidst the glamour enveloped fashion world in Kathmandu. The magazine also became the official website of the Miss Teen Nepal pageant in 2006. The portal carries the signature software of Curves n’ Colors, which has a feature for membership dating, birthday reminders, events calendar, sending and receiving of messages, internal search and the slam book. The poetry Icards section was one that was widely used on occasions. Friends & Trends was also the first portal that introduced an online fashion magazine in the form of “The Hip” which aimed to appeal to wider audiences, where viewers could see relevant articles on fashion and interviews. In the meantime, Friends & Trends team has delivered a rock-solid ground which will probably not run out for Curves n’ Colors. To further broaden its appeal, Friends & Trends will introduce new features. “We will introduce the portal once again, with additional features to make it more interactive and The Hip will unravel itself with a whole new meaning” added Sthapit later. This year is seeing important changes in Curves n’ Colors and after the management was greatly downsized with serious work we are seeing fun seep back into CNC. Here's to hoping. http://www.curvesncolors.com/newsview.php?nid=12 Thur, June 12, 2007 Thur, June 12, 2007 As web projects growth increased in recent months at Curves n’ Colors, specializing in business productivity took a backseat and more focus was installed upon creative aspects of the company’s website development division. Travel websites seemed an ideal candidate. The projects were provided to a team which changed hands at working in their own specific fields. This way there was always a specialist to handle each and every portion of a particular website. But Curves n’ Colors initially stumbled in its efforts and attempts to build websites from scratch while at the same time trying to provide creative quality to all projects. And just as Curves n’ Colors began gaining traction in high quality design and capable backend programming; it started becoming thoroughly criticized for delays in the completion of certain outsized projects. Criticisms have been vehemently ousted by CNC authorities proclaiming that quality work takes time. A new report from the Sales Department at CNC lists that most projects are coming into Curves n’ Colors website development division, owing to its high quality software rather than just design and beautiful graphics as it was 12 months ago. But Curves n’ Colors has always been known for their high quality design and a brilliant team of graphic designers. By some clients it is still referred to as a Designing company. However, lately the inflow of projects has been for dynamic websites with increased programming and high end functionality or for the sake of Search Engine Optimization. The expanding of programmers within the company explains the nature of projects flowing in within CNC. Its own software products/packages and increased programming services are the reasons for making the company known for more than just design. However, the importance of quality design cannot be undermined. When asked his view on this, chief designer Kunjan Shrestha said, “This question carries quite a few complexities but I should say that we were on to a step towards complete web packages. Websites have more purpose than just aesthetic pleasure but good design is the cornerstone of Curves n’ Colors. Programming and designing go hand in hand.” To make us understand his words, he opened a most recent completed project of Bhutan Scenic tours. The website of Bhutan Scenic Tours is one with brilliantly blending colors and next-generation web standards to make it one of the most beautiful websites for any travel company. While CNC has good programming acumen, design is an aspect that cannot be undermined. The prefect design of Bhutan Scenic Tours will sell off arguably the most dynamic spectrum ever to come available to the travel market and stand as another testimonial to the design dexterity of graphic designers at CNC who are as Kunjan puts it, “ Foundations of Curves n’ Colors” http://www.curvesncolors.com/newsview.php?nid=11 Wed, 11,07,2007 Wed, 11,07,2007 Recognizing the constant work burden for Travel Companies, Curves n’ Colors is set for the release of a Travel Management Software (Version 1.0) later this month. It’s nearly time for CNC to take the wraps off the first developed entry in the series; the upcoming Travel Management Software (TMS) which is one of kind web based software. Initially designed for the purpose of making the travel reservation software stronger, TMS developed itself with many more additional features that intensifies the advanced functionality of Travel companies worldwide. The TMS combines three figures; the Administrator, the Agent and the Customer. The combination of these three figures enhances convenience in the working relationship between these three. A quiet celebration last night marked the completion and due release of this software at the software department of Curves n’ Colors. The most important aspect of this software is that it can be customized according to the requirements of a particular travel firm. The following are the features and functions of the Travel Management Software. • Reservation Engine • Product/Services Packaging Dynamically • Inventory and Pricing Management • Coach and Van Timing Listing • Marketing Campaign Generation • Multiple Customer/Agents Listing • Secure Process and Data Leveling “This software caters to the need of big tour management companies and makes their job easier and has a more reliable functionality” said, one of the programmers during the get together last night. Curves n’ Colors also included a few other scraps of information about the next version of Travel Management Software, saying that it will include "a Multi-user function inspired interface, Flexible Reporting Capabilities, Sales Potentiality Tracking and Management, and Visually stunning user modules." http://www.curvesncolors.com/newsview.php?nid=10 Tue, July 10, 2007 Tue, July 10, 2007 A simple internet surfer will tell you that understanding Search Engines is imperative in today’s ultra competitive market. But what it takes to get you higher search engine rankings is a question that has ironically been searched a lot lately in Search Engines. Many of the top Web Consulting firms are using the latest search engine marketing techniques to help you with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). But our quest to know what it exactly takes for a proper legal SEO wasn’t satisfied by scrolling through pages on websites that only focus on selling their SEO services. So we caught up with Ashish and Tenzin, two of the most quietly positioned connoisseurs of the art of Search Engine Optimization at Curves n’ Colors and threw in some straight questions. In their own unflinching way, we got these answers. Q. How important is SEO for a website? A. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is gaining its popularity by the day; the reason being its importance recognized by people who look for some sort of popularity on the internet. Websites don’t do much by being just there on the internet with a specific domain name. In fact, most people worldwide come in contact with certain websites after searches through different search engines. Whether it is for information, or service/product purchase, rather than typing a domain name, they simply search for different websites related to the respective field through search engines. Now it is evident that during this process, most people do not go beyond the 2nd or the 3rd page of search engine results. Therefore the whole point for websites is to be able to get browsed and seen. And for that they need to appear at the earliest of pages. This is where SEO comes in. Because with the help of a proper SEO, one can make sure that the searcher gets what he/she is searching for. And when the search engine is able to show the correct result for user query your website will also have targeted visitors. Q. Why should SEO be done by Web Consultants? A. No one denies that SEO can also be done individually. But when a Web Consultant is hired for this job, you can be rest assured that a specialist does your work for you. Web Consultants are specially hired for SEO Research and development and they are trained. They spend their whole office hours doing SEO and are dedicated towards producing better Search Rankings for your website. When done individually there are limitations, so personally we believe that SEO must be left to professional web consultants. Q. What is the common process for SEO? A. SEO is quite a difficult rigorous process. Experts believe that one must follow ways in which algorithms for search engines work. The algorithm used by search engines is kept a secret. Sometimes it changes, in order to tackle unethical SEO and the infamous “Black Hat” method. Due to this there can be moments when even a proper SEO process may not work. The simplest process can be defined as a process in which Metatags like Meta-keywords and Meta-descriptions are used. Today using these methods for higher search rankings are considered primitive. Popular search engines like Google and Yahoo completely neglect Metatags. In fact now, officially, Inktomi is the only search engine supporting Metatags. Increasing the links on a website can be one of the best ways for SEO. Having a quality inbound link from quality websites also helps better. Submitting the website to major search engines with sitemaps is obviously one of the ways for search engines to put our site into their index. Spamming or unethical efforts of SEO should be avoided since it can lead to banning, penalizing or black listing the web master. Q. How much SEO is done by Nepali websites? A. Saying a big NO to this question may not do justice to many websites who understand the importance of SEO. However most web masters in Nepal do not bother about SEO. Those companies and firms who have their own websites too have limited knowledge of SEO and its importance. The good thing is that SEO awareness is increasing day by day and more clients and projects are coming just for Search Engine Optimization. Q. What are the hassles of working for SEO? A. Working for SEO is a process that requires a lot of research and the latest of information regarding SEO and its fickle provisions. The thing is what might be working for SEO at the moment might not work in the future, since the algorithm for major search engines keep on changing. Moreover since it takes time for Google to crawl to your page, the results of SEO can also take time. SEO requires a lot of dedication, steadfast insight, patience and information and is a difficult, meticulous process all along the way. http://www.curvesncolors.com/newsview.php?nid=9 Mon, 9th July 2007 Mon, 9th July 2007 A new Update and Support section has been given a platform to work on for various websites at Curves n’ Colors. This department will handle various updates and provide customer support to the already existing clients who require these services. This team will be headed by Designer/Programmer Laxman Bhattarai, who has been managing projects for CNC for the past three years. When asked about how he will manage to provide updates and support to more than 40 odd websites, he said, “I am doing it with the help of a capable and dedicated team”. We certainly understand that this is a lot of responsibility he has been bestowed with and the challenges to his team of 6 people are immense, however in the light of his past endeavors, Mr. Bhattarai is surely capable of working miracles. The support and update plans have been revealed. They are as follows. Regular Plan • Updates, Twice a month • Technical Support Simple Plan • Updates, Twice a week • Technical Support Super Plan • Regular Updates, 7 days a week • Banner Design, Page Layout • Technical Support Premium Plan • Regular Updates, One staff will be dedicated for your project • Banner Design, Page Layout • Technology Upgrade • Technical Support Deluxe Plan • Regular Updates, One staff will be dedicated for your project • Banner Design, Page Layout • Technology Upgrade • Technical Support • SEO Complete Plan • Regular Updates, One staff will be dedicated for your project • Banner Design, Page Layout • Technology Upgrade • Technical Support • SEO • Copy Writing “This update and support plans are the need of the hour to keep our websites moving, especially if clients like us are situated afar”, said Mr. Raju Rai, CEO of Meylong Tours, Sikkim and webpage client of Curves n’ Colors. http://www.curvesncolors.com/newsview.php?nid=7 Sun, July 8, 2007 Sun, July 8, 2007 The existing clients of Curves n’ Colors have something to be happy about. A new Search Engine Optimization team has been hired to ensure a better ranking in popular search sites like Google and Yahoo. The Search Engine Optimization process will have different phases and while the benefits are many for the clients, the cost is quite reasonable. The staff of SEO will have Ashish Lohrung as their team leader. The first phase has already begun starting from July1-2007, with the websites of Zamling Tours and Himalayan Adventures. The Search Engine optimization plans go along with the following phases. Phase I: Research and Discovery Phase Phase II: Keyword Density Analysis and Copy-Writing Phase III: Link Density Analysis and Link Building Phase IV: Reporting Services According to Ashish, “Each of these phases is very important and must be performed carefully and thoroughly”. When asked what are the challenges regarding the SEO of a particular website, he sat composed as said, “Actually, SEO should be taken care of while constructing the respective website itself. The sitemap, page size, text/contents, image size, title, link popularity, keywords and tags are all important for any website to have better internet search rankings”. These new phases of SEO will certainly be beneficial to a lot of clients who are looking to promote their website through Search Engines. Ashish and his team have many challenges to face. But the SEO plans of Curves n’ Colors has proven one fact; that in the race of internet promotion, another competitor has just had a reawakening. http://www.curvesncolors.com/newsview.php?nid=3 Sun, July 08, 2007 Sun, July 08, 2007 After two hours of serious discussion of the management board, Curves n’ Colors has made the official statement, that the much speculated division concerning Paintings, will be developed, first in the form of a proposed portal and then with the help of the sales department. Eminent Painter Ashok Man Singh's paintings has been given sole dealership of, to Curves n’ Colors sales department. The department will own the right to sales, evaluation and distribution of the paintings while the replicas of the paintings will be banned according to company policy. While Curves n’ Colors was basically more dedicated towards web based services, painting dealership had been something that was discussed for a period of 6 months until a decision was taken by the management board today. This has proven to be an interesting move considering the fact that many buyers from Europe and North America have shown keen interest on Man Singh’s series of paintings. The famed painter, logo designer, cartoonist and novelist, had been in touch with Curves n’ Colors for a long time now. It was only due time before his painting dealership fell under the hands of Curves n’ Colors. A sales department of 6 people will take care of sales while 3 of them will look after the publicity department. This responsibility has been given to the same group who handled the web department for the travel industry and 3 years ago was responsible for the sales of Nepal’s architectural sketches. The Painting dealership has combined the publicist group and the sales group together and the only apprehension is whether they can pull this up. Ashok Man Singh’s famous paintings include the famed “Tara”, "ArdhaNareshwor” and “Serenity”. He is well known among art historians in Nepal and has been a leader in revolutionizing the Ad industry of Nepal. An expert in Oil, Airbrush and watercolor paintings, Man Singh’s dexterity in traditional Nepalese paintings is unrivaled. “With the dealership of this exclusive paintings Curves n’ Colors wishes to make his paintings more accessible to people now”, said a member of the Management board today. http://www.curvesncolors.com/newsview.php?nid=2 Sun, July 08, 2007 Sun, July 08, 2007