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Considering Netbooks for Your Business?

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Market research organization Techaisle recently released a study forecasting that SMBs worldwide will purchase 1.1 million Netbooks in 2009, jumping to 3.5 million units in 2010. Between 22 and 30 percent of SMBs said that they are considering Netbook purchases as they upgrading core desktops and notebooks. Designed primarily for wireless communication and access to the Internet, Netbooks are small portable laptop computers equipped with wireless connectivity, no optical disk drive, a small keyboard, and screens usually no larger than 10 inches. According to the survey, this interest in Netbooks is fueled by the global economic crisis forcing companies to rein in IT spending, as well as by increased interest in easy and low-cost access to mobile computing. The study suggests that while some are considering Netbooks as a possible replacement for desktops and notebooks, it is more likely that they will be used to augment those items. Contact us for ideas on how Netbooks might benefit your own business operations. Related links: Global SMBs TO Buy 1.1 Million Netbooks in 2009 ABI Thinks Netbooks Will Win How the Netbook is changing the industry Netbooks, Small, Efficient Web Tool

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Business Impact of a Major Data Loss Event

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Data breaches are costing companies more than ever, according to a recent study—and smaller companies may be most at risk. Data losses, which can result from theft or carelessness, are a downside of the information age. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), more than 35 million data records were breached in 2008 in the United States—47 percent more than in 2007. How much do data losses cost? The Ponemon Institute, which studies business privacy practices, surveyed 43 U.S. companies across 17 industry sectors that lost data in 2008. According to the study, data losses ranged from 4,200 records to 113,000 records, and each data record lost cost $202—making the total cost between $848,400 and $22,826,000. That number was up from $197 per data record lost in 2007, $182 in 2006, and $138 in 2005, the first year the study was conducted. Why are data losses so costly? When you lose data, a number of costs are incurred, including detecting data losses, notifying victims, paying for victim reparations (such as free credit checks), and hiring experts to remedy the problem. You also must account for business lost as a result of customer mistrust. In fact, in the Ponemon study, $139 of the lost $202 per data record represented the cost of lost business. Small companies may suffer the most from data losses. Another study conducted earlier this year by StollzNow Research asked IT managers from 945 companies about their experiences related to data management. They found that an alarming 49 percent of small companies fail to back up their data on a daily basis. This is despite the fact that nearly half of all participants experienced data loss in their workplace in the past two years, and 36 percent felt that data loss could have a significant impact on their business. Don’t put yourself at risk. We can help you prevent costly data loss by implementing a policy for the preservation of data, and by installing and testing backup systems on a regular basis. Related articles: Tech Managers Often Underestimate Impact of Data Loss Study: Data Losses Proving More Costly for Businesses

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Proactive Computer Network Management Reduces Total Cost of Ownership

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In today’s challenging economic times, many small businesses like yours are reluctant to spend money. However, a modest investment in network maintenance can ultimately improve your profitability and reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) of your network infrastructure. Your business depends on your network Your revenue is directly tied to the availability and performance of your network, because it’s the backbone of your business. Your network houses critical applications, allows your employees to communicate, and gives customers access your goods and services. When your network fails, your business suffers. Employees cannot access the applications and information they need to keep your business up and running, and basic means of communication, such as printing, filing, and emailing, are unavailable. At the same time, customers cannot access the information they need to buy your products. You’re forced to spend time and money to get the system up and running, increasing your TCO. The end result: productivity declines and revenue decreases. Managing your network can prevent revenue loss It pays to minimize network performance degradation and downtime, and a network management system will help you do this. Large companies have long deployed such systems, but as networks become more critical to smaller businesses, they have become important for small- and mid-size enterprises as well. A network management system will provide tools that improve network performance, help network administrators manage the network more efficiently, and include an early warning system for network outages. These benefits allow your business to operate more efficiently, thereby cutting costs and preventing revenue loss—and reducing the TCO of your network infrastructure. Need Help? Finding a good network management system and deploying it correctly is by no means a simple task, but there are plenty of solutions that provide the necessary functionality at a relatively low cost. We can help you deploy an easy-to-use network management system that helps you manage your network more efficiently and save money at the same time. Contact us today for more information. Related articles: Assessing the business impact of network management on small and mid-size enterprises

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Get the Most out of Microsoft Outlook

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Outlook is surely one of Microsoft’s most popular products, widely recognized as a standard application alongside Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Bundled inside Microsoft Office, Outlook is the personal information manager component of the ubiquitous office suite, blending email, contact management, a calendar, and task management into one package. Here are some tips to ensure you are making the most out of this popular application: Use Outlook with Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Sharepoint. Microsoft Outlook is a rich and powerful tool on its own, but when used with Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Sharepoint, it provides enhanced functions for collaboration within organization, such as the ability to share mailboxes and calendars. With Exchange, you can create shared folders for important email communication and company-wide memos, as well as invite others to meetings and share your availability information. You can even create a company-wide address book of key contacts for shared use. With Microsoft Sharepoint, you can post all of this information in the company Intranet, and even expose some of this information to customers and partners in the company extranet or public website – allowing you to share information and collaborate more easily with people outside of the organization as well. Use Outlook Web Access. If you don’t have access to your PC, such as when traveling, you can still use Outlook if you use it with Exchange. Just access Outlook Web Access (OWA) using your browser and any internet connection. OWA is the webmail service of Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0 and later, packaged as a part of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and previous versions of Exchange. Its interface resembles the interface in Microsoft Outlook. Sync your data. Because of the popularity of Outlook, there is a host of third-party applications and plug-ins you can use to sync your data. Always on the go? Sync Outlook with your mobile phone, PDA, and even your iPOD or Blackberry. Want to have your data accessible on any PC or device? Sync your email and calendar data to hosted services such as Google Calendar or Google Apps. Need to call a contact from your desktop? No problem – Outlook can integrate with Skype to allow you to do one-click calling from Outlook. Want integration with your company applications and systems? A host of enterprise applications from billing and accounting, CRM, and even ERP systems can sync key data such customer contact information to Outlook. Use add-ons. Many other third-party add-ons and plug-ins are available for Outlook to further expand its already considerable features. One favorite is a tool called Xobni (Inbox in reverse), which allows you to more easily search and organize your inbox. Google Desktop plugs in to Outlook so that you can search the web, your desktop files, and your email and file attachments from within Outlook in one place. There are many more available to check out. Learn Outlook inside and out. Dozens of websites provide useful tips on how to complete tasks faster, make your experience with the application smoother, and simplify your workflow. A good place to start is Microsoft’s website , which regularly offers handy, free tips for using Outlook to its fullest. Microsoft Outlook is widely used because it is a robust and versatile tool for information management, not only for individual users but for groups within an entire business as well. Time spent learning how to maximize its use is well worth it in terms of saved time and increased productivity. Call us now for ideas on how to get started!

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Protect Your Systems from Organized Crime Networks

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While software companies have made significant progress in protecting customers from malicious online threats, these threats continue to evolve, and now a new player has entered the game: organized crime. Malware, short for “malicious software,” is designed to infiltrate a computer system without the owner’s consent. It includes viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, and even adware. The total amount of malware removed from computers worldwide grew more than 43 percent during the first half of 2008, according to a security intelligence report by Microsoft. According to the report, based on the type of malware most frequently found, financial gain appears to be attackers’ top motivation. And it may only get worse, because now organized crime networks are distributing malware. Don’t think American mafia; this type of organized crime is more typically loosely organized criminals from underdeveloped parts of the world. Australia’s Verizon investigative response team, which handles data breaches on behalf of that country’s major corporations, has reported that 91 percent of the breaches it found in 2008 could be traced to organized crime activity rather than insider or other threats. These organized crime networks plot to infiltrate computers—primarily American ones, which have information from which they can profit—and steal data. They may also seek out intellectual property for its potential value. “If a single piece of intellectual property is compromised, and it happens to be the secret formula to your company’s product, then that’s a business-changing event,” said the Verizon report. Although most of the malware Verizon found could not be detected by current antivirus products, around 87 per cent of breaches could have been avoided by using simple controls, according to Verizon, whose report stated that “on the whole, criminals are still not required to work very hard to breach corporate information systems.” Here’s what you can do to help protect your systems: Enable a firewall. Install and maintain up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware programs that provide increased protection from malicious and potentially unwanted software. Almost 40 per cent of victims Verizon investigated in 2008 did not regularly update their security software. Check for and apply software updates on an ongoing basis, including updates provided for third-party applications. Open links and attachments in e-mail and instant messages with caution. Need help implementing these safeguards? We’re here to assist!

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Microsoft Announces Windows 7 Pricing

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Microsoft has finally announced the pricing for the much anticipated new version of its flagship product, Microsoft Windows , expected to go on sale this October. Users will be pleasantly surprised that Microsoft has announced aggressive promotional pricing for the product and its different editions. According to the Windows team blog , estimated retail prices for the upgrade packaged retail product of Windows 7 in the US are: Windows 7 Home Premium (Upgrade): $119.99 Windows 7 Professional (Upgrade): $199.99 Windows 7 Ultimate (Upgrade): $219.99 Estimated retail prices for full packaged retail product of Windows 7 in the US are: Windows 7 Home Premium (Full): $199.99 Windows 7 Professional (Full): $299.99 Windows 7 Ultimate (Full): $319.99 The Windows 7 Home Premium full retail product is $40.00 less than today’s Windows Vista Home Premium price. Pre-orders will be limited, and Microsoft has not commented yet on what the supply limitations will be. Pre-orders will launch Friday, June 26 – July 11 in the US, Canada, and Japan, ending sooner if supplies are depleted. The UK, France, and Germany preorders launch July 15 – August 14, also ending sooner if supplies are depleted. Microsoft has launched a new website where users can find more information about upgrade offers. Related articles: Buy a PC tomorrow and get Windows 7 or pre order Week in Microsoft: Windows 7 gets priced Microsoft taking half-price pre-orders for Windows 7

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Webcams, video conferencing, and all that jazz

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The internet makes a great number of tasks more convenient for many people, especially in the area of communication. The power of the internet allows millions of people around the world to talk to each other over voice programs and even videos – all in real time. While the benefits to personal communications are obvious, the larger value implications of this type of technology is evident in business, where travel costs are greatly reduced through the use of video conferencing technology. Imagine a group of people in the United States being able to see and communicate in real time with another group in Australia. This is possible with video conferencing, which allows the two parties simply agree on a time (with the time zone difference considered, of course) and then hold a meeting in the comfort of their own offices. Video conferencing not only saves the fares and accommodation expenses, but also saves time spent travelling. It’s also valuable to employees in the field who need to report to a main office. A webcam, a mike, and a decent internet connection allows those in the field to report in real time to the main office at any time, eliminating the need to leave their post or assignment. Programs you can use: Citrix GoToMeeting – one of the most popular software for web conferencing, costing $49.00 per month or $468 for an annual plan that gives you unlimited conferences (including both video and voice) with up to 10 attendees. The interface is easy to use and meetings can be set up in a flash. The only downside is that Mac users can only participate in, and not set up, meetings. Microsoft Live Meeting – another popular bundle of decently priced and stable conferencing software. However, the interface is much more complicated than Citrix GoToMeeting, and may confuse first-time users. Another possible concern is its “per use” charging system. WebEx MeetMeNow – at $39 – $49 a month, this option offers the best value for the money, with its unlimited monthly use with up 10 participants and a very user-friendly installation and interface. Acrobat Connect Professional – this option offers the most flexible payment plans, making it best suited for occasional users. It also boasts customization features allowing users to tailor the program based on their needs. Video conferencing is a simple and practical way to communicate in real time with personal and business contacts, wherever they are in the world, at a fraction of the cost of more traditional methods. Need help choosing equipment and getting set up? We’ll be happy to lend a hand.

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4 Keys to Avoiding Malware

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From annoying to destructive, malware is a bane to any computer system and the person who uses it. The benevolent Wikipedia defines malware (short for malicious software) as: “software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner’s informed consent.” The good news though, is that there are simply ways to avoid getting infected by malware. Clearly having the right anti-virus and security installed and up to date is critical – that’s where we help. But it’s also important to know how you can make a difference. Here are few simple tips to help you keep your system malware-free: 1. Never click indiscriminately These days, there are ads and pop-ups, designed to induce a PC user to click on them. From sexy models to seemingly too-good-to-be-true offers and promotions, many web advertisers are counting on people’s curiosity and the impulse to click away. The thing is, many of these ads lead you to unsecure sites filled with malware. 2. Cancel Autorun. When you plug in a portable hard disk or flash drive, you computer automatically opens a window with preset options to enable file viewing for that drive. Immediately opening a flash drive allows infections to access your system, so cancel the window and scan first before opening the drive or any file inside it. 3. Never open suspicious emails. Unsolicited email is always best unopened and deleted immediately. If you don’t know who sent it, send it straight to the trash bin and delete it forever. 4. Only download if you must and only from trusted sites. Installing peer to peer downloads may be a great source of free music, media and software. But it’s not only piracy and is probably prohibited by your company policy – it’s also a fertile breeding ground for files embedded with Trojans, worms, and other forms of malware. Download files only when necessary and only do so from legitimate and trusted sites. You make the difference Your behavior online plays a big factor in making your PC and your system malware free. Especially if you’re on a network, failing to exercise caution not only compromises your system, but everyone else who’s connected to the same network. A simple click on a wayward link or ad can cause your whole company to be bombarded by spam, so always be careful in what sites you go to and what files you open and download. If you’d like us to come in and talk to your staff about this and other safe-computing habits just let us know.

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Why Enable a Mobile Workforce?

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If you enable your employees to work where and when they like, at any hour of any day, you’ll likely see big gains in productivity. With traditional network infrastructure, when employees are away from the office—because they’re traveling for business purposes are or are taking time off—collaboration is impossible and productivity is lost. As a result, many companies are helping their employees to work remotely. A 2007 study by Nemertes Research revealed that 83 percent of organizations now consider themselves virtual, with workgroups spread across multiple locations and geographies. In addition, 91 percent of employees work outside of headquarters, and 96 percent use some form of real-time collaboration tools. A mobile workforce may involve: Real-time access to desktops and documents; Internet and instant messaging access through mobile devices; Real-time collaboration tools (such as editing documents simultaneously); and Audio and video conferencing. Companies that effectively enable a mobile workforce: Improve productivity through ongoing access to information; Drive business responsiveness through constant communication between employees and clients; and Support work-life balance and improve job satisfaction—which helps attract and retain talent. However, there are challenges to enabling a mobile workforce: Deployment can be disruptive to your current IT infrastructure; Devices and applications may be incompatible with your current infrastructure; Employees may not know how to use new tools; and Mobile devices and data may not be protected. We can help you avoid these problems when enabling a mobile workforce—and at the same time, minimize your investment in technology with products that scale to support your evolving needs. Contact us for more information.

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MS Office 2010 Promises Easier Online Collaboration for SMBs

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At the recently concluded Microsoft World Wide Partners Conference , the company gave partners a preview of upcoming features in Microsoft Office 2010 that could be very useful for small and midsized companies. Among them:  Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote 2010 now lets several people work on a document at the same time. Users of the desktop versions of the software will be able to send out a text link that will let anyone click on the link and use Windows Live to open the document and work on the live, with all parties seeing each others’ changes. Outlook 2010 will have a new feature which will allow users to ignore email threads, deleting everything in that conversation, including existing messages and any new ones that come in. PowerPoint 2010 will have a Broadcast feature will create a URL that users can share via e-mail or IM. Clicking on the link will let other users see a slideshow streaming directly from the author’s desktop. To find out more about these new features, visit the Microsoft WWPC website. Related articles: Microsoft Office 2010 in Videos [Video Demonstration] Office 2010 revealed in great detail via Microsoft videos Microsoft Offie 2010 to have free online version like google docs

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