To serve the reinforcing steel industry in the Middle East and North Africa, aSa has opened an office in Dubai, UAE.

Rabee El Mohammadi, Director, aSa Middle East, will serve fabricators in the region, providing a local contact for sales, service, and support. Rabee, a native of France who lives in Dubai, has several years of experience working with rebar software and the reinforcing steel industry in the Middle East.

The new office, which officially opens November 9, is in Dubai Internet City, the information and communications hub of the region.

aSa Middle East. Our new office is located in Dubai Internet City (DIC) Building 12. Rabee El Mohammadi, will provide local sales, service, and support to fabricators in the region. Rabee, along with Tim Berg, will showcase aSa solutions at the Big 5 PMV trade show in Dubai November 23-27 (see story below).

aSa will showcase its full suite of rebar software solutions in the Middle East at the Big 5 PMV trade show November 23-27 in Dubai, UAE. The Big 5 PMV is the largest building and construction exhibition in the region. Visit us at Stand B5 in the PMV Pavilion. Click for a map to our stand.

U.S. customers: Save money by ordering hardware and software licenses by the end of the year to take advantage of tax savings for depreciation on capital purchases.

In 2008, you can expense 100% of your first $250,000 of qualifying purchases for depreciation (Section 179 deduction). If your purchases exceed $250,000, you can apply an additional 50% bonus write-off, plus your normal first-year depreciation, to the balance. The deductions apply to qualifying assets placed in service by January 1, 2009. The incentive is aimed at small businesses making less than $800,000 of deductible purchases in one year. You cannot write off more than your taxable income. Contact a member of our sales team for additional information. Learn more online at www.section179.org.

With aSa's new Load Tracking module, trailer loading errors are a thing of the past.

The system uses barcode scanning to validate each bundle of steel as it is loaded for shipment. The scanner displays a warning if you attempt to load a bundle onto the wrong trailer, and it displays a "Load Complete" message when all bundles in a bar list have been scanned as loaded.

In previous versions of aSa software, load validation was incorporated into aSa Material Tracking.

We developed Load Tracking as an independent module to provide fabricators with a more affordable and easier-to-implement solution. For example, you can start by installing Load Tracking. Later, as your needs change, add Material Tracking and Bundle Inventory to track and manage all phases of material handling.

Visit our Load Tracking page to learn more.

Meet our staff and see aSa rebar software solutions in action at World of Concrete, February 3-6, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Visit us at Booth N3009.

Free admission to WOC exhibits: Register using CRSI Code A25. Register online today at crsi.org or worldofconcrete.com. The discount code is good until December 31, 2008.

You're on the roster! Make plans to join us in Pittsburgh March 16-19 for "Spring Training '09." The aSa Software Forum is a bi-annual event exclusively for aSa software users.

• Boost your skills at dozens of training sessions.
• Provide feedback to help design the next generation of aSa software.
• Learn about shop solutions at the Industry Expo.
• Enjoy entertainment, hospitality nights, and a special dinner for all attendees.

Online registration opens this month. Watch your e-mail for details.

CAD/Detailing users: If you call for support between 5 and 6 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday, the automated attendant recording will answer your call. (Our official business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) During the recording, enter 1544 to speak with CAD consultant Jeff Barner, who is available to assist you until 6 p.m. weekdays. If Jeff is unavailable, and you have an issue that cannot wait until normal business hours, press 4 to be connected with emergency after-hours cell phone support.

Question: I'm not interested in upgrading my software, and I rarely call aSa for support. Are there other benefits to your subscription service?

Answer: Absolutely. In addition to free aSa software upgrades and software support, our subscription plan offers many benefits, including this e-newsletter, the Support section of our website, free monthly webinar training sessions, and more. Special events, such as our software forum, are available only to subscription plan members. Print our Software Subscription Service brochure to learn more.

CAD V8 XM Training - Current CAD Users Upgrading to V8 XM
Get the most from your CAD system by scheduling upgrade training with aSa. In order to accommodate a wide variety of schedules, budgets, and needs, we're offering several training options:

• Hands-on XM Upgrade Course at aSa Headquarters
• On-site Training at Your Office
• Webinar Training via Internet

Contact us to enroll or to learn more.

CAD/Detailing Training Course - New CAD/Detailing Users
aSa CAD/Detailing Training Courses are currently being scheduled. If you are purchasing aSa CAD/Detailing for a new detailer, or simply have a need for re-training, take advantage of aSa's comprehensive course, which covers both Bentley Systems' MicroStation V8 XM Edition and aSa CAD/Detailing. Contact cadtraining@asaHQ.com for more information or to enroll.

Internet-based Personal Training
Schedule online training for any aSa software application. We customize all training to your needs. This type of training offers flexibility in course scheduling, and also requires no travel expenses, providing a cost-savings over on-site training. For course information and pricing, contact websales@asaHQ.com.

aSa Production e^x creates tags, fabrication reports, and load check-off lists for each order that you produce. Its optional Computer Shearing module saves time and material by giving your shop crew specific instructions for cutting, packaging, and handling each bundle of steel with maximum efficiency. aSa-generated equipment interfaces automate your machinery with electronic instructions, nearly eliminating setup time and greatly reducing the chance of human error. Visit the Production web page or check out our printable PDF brochure.

The Reinforcer Express Supplement contains previously published articles from past issues of the Reinforcer Express. In an effort to keep each month's Express fresh, timely, and brief, older information that is still relevant to our customers will appear in this supplement (rather than repeating in each monthly issue). Click here to view the Reinforcer Express Supplement.