SunziCloud

10/21/2012

Twilio’s Announces SIP and 2 Other Game Changing Features http://bit.ly/Uov8Iv I just returned from TwilioCon where my lead software developer and I witnessed several exciting announcements. On Wednesday, October 17 there was a great deal of buzz about a couple product announcements that were to be made. There were actually three big announcements which I have summarized below. SIP for Twilio First they announced SIP [...] Twilio, Cloud Communications, CRM, SIP, SIP for Twilio, TwilioCon 2012, WebRTC

06/15/2012

The Commercial Electricity Crystal Ball http://bit.ly/K9NJDM

As is the case with any market-driven industry, it would be really nice if there were a way for you to know what’s going to happen next in the market before it actually happens. If you could know which way commercial electricity prices will shift in the future, you could nearly guarantee that your business always has the lowest possible rate. It would effectively drive all the risk out of your commercial electricity decisions.

But, here’s the thing about the commercial electricity crystal ball—it doesn’t exist.

We operate in a futures market. At the end of the day, no one knows with certainty what will happen in the market in the coming weeks, months or years. And, as much as we wish we had a psychic on staff who could tell us which way the commercial electricity winds will blow before the market moves, we don’t.

In the past few weeks, this blog has covered a variety of topics that impact the cost of commercial electricity: weather, the natural gas market, PUC regulatory changes, heat rates and more. At any given point in time, there are easily at least half a dozen factors influencing the price of commercial electricity rates. And those rates are rarely stationary. More often than not, they are trending up or trending down. To get the best possible rate for your business, you need to know what direction the market is headed.

And given that a competitively priced commercial electricity rate can save your business a significant amount of money, it’s important that you use the best resources available to lock in the lowest possible rate.

While we don’t have a psychic on staff here at Live Energy, what we do have is ten years of experience helping businesses like yours navigate the commercial electricity market and some of the top industry technology available. Our experience and technology don’t help us see into the future, per se, but our team of experts are able to use that technology and experience to help you lock down a low rate that will fit your business. That’s what we’ve done for thousands of clients since the Texas energy market deregulated ten years ago, and that’s what we can do for you.

If you’d like to find out more about how Live Energy can help you find the right commercial electricity rate for your business, give us a call at (817) 810-7770. Don’t let the volatility of the market or the variety of options overwhelm you. Call on the experts. We’re here to help.

Commercial Electricity Rates, Business Electricity, Texas Electricity Broker, Texas Energy Prices

06/15/2012

Your Commercial Electricity Experts http://bit.ly/JGasBB

Recently, we published a post on this blog explaining some of the key advantages of working with a commercial electricity broker. We believe that partnering with a broker is a good move for most businesses. Sorting through all your options as a commercial electricity customer can be daunting. An energy broker can save you time and money by helping you find the product, term and timing that is best for you business. End result: you can focus on running your business, assured that you have locked in a commercial electricity rate that will save your company money.

The natural follow up question, however, is this: why choose Live Energy as your commercial electricity broker?

We’re so glad you asked. Here are three reasons why you can trust the energy experts at Live Energy with your commercial electricity needs:

First, let’s talk about experience. We have it. The Texas commercial electricity market has been deregulated for more than a decade now, and Live Energy has been working with businesses like yours since day one. We know the Texas market. In fact, we’re familiar with deregulated markets across the country, and those years of experience have taught us a thing or two about advising our clients. We know the products available. We have solid relationships with the retailers. We can analyze your business’s needs to match you with the right product, provider, and contract so that you avoid potential fees and penalties, which would drive your costs up. Our experience will help us guide you to the best possible commercial electricity plan for your company.

Second, we have the technology to stay on top of the ever changing commercial electricity market. The market is always in flux. The only way to effectively help clients manage their energy costs is to track the market in real time. Our proprietary Live Energy Portal is on the cutting edge of market-watching technology. Not only will our team of experts watch the market for trends and dips, but through the Live Energy Portal you can even elect to receive email alerts for pricing changes. Our goal is to free up your time so you can focus on your business while also making sure you have the information you need when you need it, and we have the technology to deliver.

Finally, our strategy for helping our clients save money is proven. Quite simply, it works. We have partnered with thousands of clients just like you, helping them save money and taking the headaches out of analyzing all the commercial electricity options you have. Choosing a commercial electricity rate is a big decision with a lot of factors to take into account. We can make it painless and save you money at the same time.

If you’d like to find out more about how the experts at Live Energy can help you find the perfect commercial electricity rate for you business, give us a call at (817) 810-7770. We’ve successfully helped thousands, and we can help you, too.

Commercial Electricity Rates, business electricity rates, Energy Broker, Texas Electricity Broker

06/15/2012

PUC Changes Could Drive Up Commercial Electricity Costs http://bit.ly/LoBOfP

Photo by Joshua Heyer.

There’s been a fair amount of buzz in the last few weeks about the Texas PUC (Public Utility Commission) and some possible regulatory changes under consideration right now. In previous posts, this blog has highlighted the proposal to raise the Power Balance Penalty Cap and System High Cap to $4500 in the near futures (as soon as August), with additional increases scheduled to push the cap as high as $9000 by 2015. Most everyone agrees about how this will impact commercial electricity rates. It will make them higher.

Furthermore, it’s no surprise that plenty of people are unenthusiastic about the change. An article from the Fort Worth Star Telegram published last Thursday summarized what many feel about the proposed regulatory changes rather bluntly, calling the PUC’s actions a “quest to jack up electricity prices.” And, indeed, that does appear to be the plan.

But why?

In simple terms, the low natural gas prices we’ve been enjoying have driven the cost of commercial electricity down. While that’s great for consumers, like you, it’s not so great for the companies that produce power. Low natural gas prices make it harder for generators to operate their power plants profitably.

The issue isn’t that higher commercial electricity prices are necessarily attractive to anyone. The issue is far more pragmatic. If generators can’t be profitable in Texas, they won’t build more power plants here, and they will even close their least profitable plants in order to maximize their company’s health. However, Texans use a lot of electricity. More every year, in fact. We are a growing state. We simply cannot afford to lower the amount of commercial electricity being produced or there won’t be enough power to meet our demand for it. In fact, we need more generators than we currently have to ensure that our capacity for producing commercial electricity keeps pace with the need for it.

Without more generation, we’ll be in danger of rolling blackouts.

Commissioner Kenneth Anderson of the PUC has stated that he doesn’t believe we’re in danger of underproduction of commercial electricity this summer. He believes the concern lies further out, in the coming years. But the proposed changes could take effect right away, which means prices could shift soon.

How soon? Truthfully, no one knows, though the market does appear to already be trending upwards in spite of low natural gas prices, possibly due to higher heat rates. The important thing for you to know as a commercial electricity customer is that now is an excellent time to renew or extend your current contract, before the PUC changes take effect and before prices go up. Locking in a low rate now could save you a significant amount of money over the next few years. It’s time to act.

At Live Energy, we’re committed to keeping an eagle eye on the market. It’s our job to be on the lookout for prime times to take advantage of favorable market conditions so that you can save money on your commercial electricity costs. Our team of industry experts is here to help take the stress out of managing your commercial electricity rate and save you money at the same time.

Interested in seeing what Live Energy can do to help you lock in a low commercial electricity rate? Give us a call today at (817) 810-7770.

Commercial Electricity Prices, business electricity rates, Natural Gas Prices, PUC

06/15/2012

Commercial Electricity Goes Green http://bit.ly/J1FeoG

Photo by epSos.de

A recent article in the Amarillo Globe-News highlighted an enormous project currently in the works. The plan is to run just under 2,000 miles of transmission lines through the Texas panhandle with the hope of delivering wind-generated power to larger cities. How big is this project? Seven billion dollars big.

Wind power has gotten a fair amount of publicity in recent years. For many it embodies the idea of renewable (or “green”) energy. With more and more Americans concerned about the impact of industrial activity on the environment, green energy sources have become an increasingly important factor in the production of commercial electricity. According to the SECO (State Energy Conservation Office), “Texas currently leads the nation in wind development.”

In the case of wind-generated power, the obstacle to overcome is delivering green energy to those who can use it. The SECO states, “The greatest challenge facing the wind industry is that wind farms can be built more quickly than transmission lines. It can take a year to build a wind farm, but five to build the transmission lines needed to send power to cities.”

As the article from the Amarillo Globe-News points out, the project underway to run thousands of miles of transmission lines seeks to address this issue. In the coming years, projects like this one have the potential to impact the Texas commercial electricity market in a variety of ways, sometimes pushing commercial electricity rates up and sometimes helping to lower them. And of course, we all hope that continued focus on environmentally conscious production of power will help keep Texas beautiful.

Perhaps your business already makes efforts to be green, as well. Did you know there are commercial electricity products out there designed specifically for the environmentally minded? You have the option to specify a preference for renewable energy with most commercial electricity providers. And that is just one of dozens of options you have when making arrangements for your energy needs.

All of us here at Live Energy are committed to helping you make the best commercial electricity decisions possible, which includes finding the most fitting product at the lowest rate. (We’ve yet to work with someone who isn’t interested in saving money!) We do this by first engaging in thorough analysis of your business, including important factors like the degree to which using renewable energy is important to you. We then take what we’ve learned about you as a company and pair that knowledge with our market-savvy industry expertise to determine the best product and timing to lock in a low commercial electricity rate for you. If your organization has made a commitment to being green, we want you to know that we understand that commitment and are prepared to help you facilitate that goal while at the same time saving you money.

Think of us as your commercial electricity consultants. We have the tools and experience to help you find the option that will work best for you. If you’d like to learn more about how we can guide you to the commercial electricity plan that fits your business best, please contact us at (877) 810-7770.

Commercial Electricity, Business Electricity, Electricity Rates, renewable power sources

04/26/2012

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04/22/2012

Critical Change to Google Places Addresses http://bit.ly/IvY8mu There is a lot of chatter around the internet regarding Google Places and the proper use of the various address settings. Failure to understand their new policies could result in your listing vanishing. You can find lots of opinion and discussion about this topic on the internet. However, in my opinion, the best place to [...] Google Places, Address in Google Places, Google Places Optimization, SEO

04/22/2012

What Businesses, Atheists and Believers Can Learn From Tim Tebow http://bit.ly/I6kyQv Tim Tebow pulled off another “miraculous” win over the favored Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC wild card game this afternoon. I have observed in delight as his success and failures have spawned both praise, ridicule and professed hatred by people of varying philosophical orientation. Whether you understand his religious conviction or not I think there is a [...] Cloud Computing, CRM, Leadership, WordPress, Aetheist, AFC Wildcard, Denver Broncos, Tebowing, Tim Tebow, Winning

04/22/2012

How the Cloud Computing and Open Source Can Revolutionize Your Business in 2012 http://bit.ly/I1ZhFg No longer just a buzzword, 2011 marked the year that the cloud officially became a game changing reality. Businesses of all sizes are leveraging cloud computing, shifting focus to core competencies, and liberating their team from the burdens of infrastructure and software models of the past. Add open source software to the mix, and now [...] Cloud Computing, CRM, Hosted VOIP, Open Source Software, WordPress

04/06/2012

http://www.sunzicloud.com/how-the-cloud-and-open-source-can-revolutionize-your-business-in-2012/

Learn how cloud computing, open source software, WordPress, hosted VOIP and other key technologies will revolutionize business in 2012.

01/10/2012

http://www.sunzicloud.com/what-businesses-atheists-and-believers-can-learn-from-tim-tebow/

Victory starts in the mind and it is manifested when a clear vision is paired with determination and belief. Look no further than Tim Tebow.