Saul's Notes

Blog by Saul Klein
San Diego, California

A collection of notes and observations by Saul Klein, CEO of InternetCrusade.

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RealTown

RealTown Technology Paves the Way for Increased Agent Productivity

Apr. 26, 2007
Categorized in: RealTown
SSO Tech Reduces Password Frustration, Increases Security  

Single Sign-On (SSO) technology

"We make sense of the Internet," says Saul Klein, CEO of Internet Crusade, home of RealTown. “There is so much to know to be able to get the most out of the Internet for the benefit of one's real estate career. Our goal is to syndicate with the best of breed for a ‘complete’ real estate online experience. RealTown will also be a place for consumers to gain a better understanding of the real estate industry and the real estate process.”

Saul Klein is widely recognized as an Internet pioneer throughout the real estate industry. He predicts that wide ranging practical applications of SSO technology will emerge among vendors, real estate franchises and broker networks, and among REALTOR associations and multiple listing services.

"REALTORS will start to see and read more in the years ahead. We are starting the conversation at RealTown so that it will not be a foreign idea," said Klein. "Point 2 and RealTown customers will have the benefit of seeing how SSO will operate, offering ease and convenience and speed to their daily online tasks."

A Macro View of SSO

Password management and frustration account for increased IT costs and serious loss of productivity in all industries. Computing has become more complex and the number of applications are increasing, leading to a corresponding increase in the number and types of passwords needed to access them. As passwords proliferate, users forget them. They get locked out of applications they need and they direct their efforts to finding them. 

Some industry experts say that more than 30% of Help Desk requests are related to lost passwords. Some mid-size companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on Help Desk management. The North American Help Desk market amounts to some $12.8 billion, according to consultants at Forrester Research.

The loss of productivity associated with looking for lost passwords is not calculated, but it is assumed to be much greater than that.

There are heightened concerns with security, including federal legislation to safeguard the privacy of customer and client information. Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), Gramm-Leach-Billey Act (GLBA), as well as other privacy and Homeland Security issues.

In an effort to strengthen desktop security, many organizations have enacted strong password policies, mandating frequent changing of passwords. Sometimes users resort to writing them down and leaving them in plain view, inviting security breaches that passwords are designed to avoid. When an unauthorized person uses a password to access a computer system, an entire network becomes vulnerable to the effects of the breach. Experts predict that increasing use of SSO technology will result in greater security efficiencies.

Point2 NLS and 'My RealTown' Page Enhancements

The Point2 office console will include new RSS content feed from RealTown and a seamless entry into the RealTown real estate portal using advanced web authentication technology that eliminates the need to use another password.

RealTown.com subscribers enjoy the same easy access to the Point2 NLS platform and an enhanced suite of services at the web portal.

"My RealTown" pages (see photo below) are enhanced with new RSS content feeds from

"None of us are sure where the future will take us with this. People have to learn as much as they can. We are in that learning process. The crystal ball is still a little cloudy. You have to learn everything you can about new technology and use what works for you," said Klein.

lets RealTown subscribers and Point2 NLS members use a single password for entry to the oldest and largest online real estate network in the world, and to the Point2 office where real estate agents and brokers can administer the day-to-day details of their web sites. Point2’s Reliberation blog community as well as RealTown articles, blogs, and select posts from other community platforms, including the popular RealTalk community. Recent updates this week includes a desktop console that lets a member monitor and manage a RealTown blog, and a built-in RSS feeder to manage content from other blogs and news channels.

RealTown Introduces New SSO Platform

Apr. 26, 2007
Categorized in: RealTown


Point2 Technologies And InternetCrusade® Implement
Single Sign On Web Authentication Initiative

Advanced SSO Technology Enables RealTown.com and Point2 NLS Members
to Login Just Once and Create a “Personalized Virtual Network”

Saskatoon, SK and San Diego, CA – April 25, 2007 – Point2 Technologies Inc. (“Point2”) and InternetCrusade’s RealTown (“IC”) today introduced Single Sign On, a web authentication initiative that will enable members of Point2 NLS (Point2 National Listing Service) and RealTown.com to access or sign up to either system directly from their respective Online Office, using their existing credentials, identity and pass codes.

SSO has been effectively integrated and is now live on both platforms. Simply stated, SSO allows entry into two or more systems or databases using one password.

“The concept of SSO can be applied across many industries,” said Saul Klein, President of InternetCrusade’s RealTown.com Internet portal. “Think about ATM cash withdrawals. Your identity is established by an ATM card and a password. Once your identity is established, you are provided convenient service irrespective of where you choose to withdraw funds.  A person with a Wells Fargo account can withdraw funds from a Bank of America ATM, using their Wells Fargo ATM card and their Wells Fargo password. The concept is enabled through the ‘trust’ and processes the financial institutions have established between each other that guarantee both parties accurately identify the person requesting the withdrawal.”

“There are many situations in the real estate industry where Single Sign On will be of benefit to real estate professionals,” Klein continued. “InternetCrusade's RealTown is excited to partner with Point2 and to be among the first to bring the concept of SSO to real estate. Over the next few years, SSO will be the subject of much discussion and application in the industry, as the benefits and advantages of the technology become more apparent, adopted and implemented by trusted partners across the sector.”

“Effective immediately, Point2 and RealTown customers will have the advantage of experiencing the benefits of SSO, with ease, providing convenience and speed to their daily online tasks. Imagine being able to access all your online options and applications from a single point of entry. RealTown members have now, for example, gained the ability to create free world-class websites as well as access to upload listings for syndication and advertising, through Point2 NLS, using the same online ID,” Klein said. “This will be even more of a benefit for those using wireless technology as they can make changes while in the field through a single interface.”

RealTown.com is the Internet portal that features everything real estate. The community is one of the oldest and most respected in the real estate industry and the leader in community created content with more than 50,000 opt-in subscribers. It is the home to RealTalk and other online communities that have recorded nearly one million posts made over the past decade plus. It is the number one source for real estate related information from experienced real estate professionals.
 
“We are extremely pleased to partner with InternetCrusade’s RealTown.com portal to bring the benefits of SSO to give both our communities easier, more convenient access to the critical knowledge and technology they rely on for their business,” said Brendan King, chief operating officer, Point2 Technologies. “SSO will undoubtedly become increasingly relevant and important in real estate, and we’re very excited that Point2 NLS members will be among the early adopters to apply and benefit from the technology.

“RealTown provides its members with access to an unparalleled real estate knowledge base and support. Now with Single Sign On to Point2 NLS, brokers and agents on RealTown.com will also have direct, free access to Point2 NLS, a solution that is giving to tens of thousands of real estate professionals the ability to regain complete control of their listing assets - and with that, their future,” concluded King.

The collaboration between Point2 and InternetCrusade will now also bring to Point2 NLS members a free real-time RSS feed containing custom content from RealTown’s numerous communities and RealTown Blogs, with additional features being added each week.
 
Exclusive to licensed real estate professionals, Point2 NLS is a free cooperative marketing and advertising platform that allows real estate brokers, agents, builders and property managers to repurpose their listing content for all key marketing tasks, including listing syndication, advertising, website and blog. Point2 NLS also incorporates advanced lead incubation technology, which provides users with the most scientific approach available today, for managing and monetizing both web-based and traditional real estate leads. Point2 NLS is the world’s most widely used real estate marketing platform and currently boasts over 123,000 members in 85 countries, with more than 1,000 new members joining each week. More information can be obtained at www.Point2NLS.com.

About InternetCrusade®
InternetCrusade® (www.InternetCrusade.com) is a San Diego-based company that was founded in 1995. Specializing in online publishing, InternetCrusade provides tools and systems for real estate professionals including domains, domain hosting, e-mail systems and hosting, online communities, blogs, online voting and surveys. The firm is the exclusive provider of the National Association of REALTORS’ e-PRO® certification course and a member of the NAR REALTOR Benefits Program. InternetCrusade’s principals have more than 100 years of combined real estate industry experience. The RealTown.com portal is the embodiment of a vision created more than a decade ago, a real estate portal with concentration on Content, Context, Collaboration and Community. 


About Point2 Technologies Inc.
Point2 Technologies provides online marketing and eBusiness software solutions for the real estate and heavy equipment industries. Leveraging Point2 proprietary and patented technology, Point2 develops and markets software solutions that enable organizations to conduct business over the Internet more easily and more profitably. The company is the largest provider of online marketing and lead management software for real estate professionals, with over 123,000 brokers and agents subscribing to Point2 NLS, in 85 countries. Point2 is also one of the largest providers of e-commerce solutions to the heavy equipment industry, powers Caterpillar Inc.’s global heavy equipment dealer network and owns and operates UsedIron.com, one of the largest used equipment venues online.

Founded in 1996, Point2 Technologies is privately held and employs a staff of 100 at its headquarters in Saskatoon, SK and its Vancouver, BC offices. More information can be obtained at www.Point2.com.

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Point2® is a trademark of Point2 Technologies Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. InternetCrusade® and RealTownTM are trademarks of the Real Estate Electronic Publishing Company.

Media contacts:

InternetCrusade®
Rich Hudson
Director of PR/Marketing
Tel: 619-283-7302 Ext. 602
Rich@InternetCrusade.com

Point2 Technologies Inc.
Roger Noujeim
Public Relations Director
Toll Free: 1-888-955-7900 Ext. 224 (U.S. and Canada)
Tel: 1-604-675-9393 Ext. 224
rnoujeim@point2.com

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