February 2010

How Server Virtualization and Consolidation Lower Capital Costs

Virtualization is a technology that decouples hardware from the software functionality of a computer or server. Server systems still exist independently, with their own CPUs, memory, disk space, and Ethernet, just as they did when they had their own physical box.

What is Spyware and How Does it Get on My Computer?

Spyware is intrusive software that secretly downloads onto your computer. Spyware programs create a serious criminal intrusion problem for a business network because their main purpose is to steal private information.

Unlike a burglary--where broken glass and picked locks leave signs of attempted robbery--spyware can work for long periods of time without your knowledge, allowing data thieves to wait for the opportunity to access profitable information.

What Spyware Does

Spyware allows someone to view your screen and log your keystrokes so that passwords and personal information can be stolen. You can also find yourself facing an ongoing flow of pop-up advertisements (called Adware) and spam in your email. Spyware can control your Internet browser, redirecting you to undesirable pages.

The Technology Needed to Establish a Virtual Office

There are a number of appealing reasons to consider a virtual office, not the least of which are the potentially major savings on real estate costs.

The logistical considerations for staff and customer service in a virtual office cannot be ignored, but one thing is clear: the required technology is available.

Large organizations like IBM and Best Buy have closed central offices by allowing workers to do their jobs remotely, and there are small and medium size businesses (SMBs) that are saving tens of thousands of dollars a month by closing central offices.

If you analyze your business and conclude you could take advantage of establishing a virtual office, you will need to consider the following information technology solutions and support offerings to insure that real productivity is still part of the virtual environment.

The Benefits and Risks of Outsourcing IT Services

For small and medium size organizations, there are benefits and risks to consider when outsourcing information technology (IT) infrastructure, support, and maintenance.

If you are a business owner or CFO, you are probably looking at IT outsourcing first and foremost as a cost saving measure. Sophisticated technology and support solutions continue to grow in accessibility, and return on investment (ROI) can be excellent.

If you are a network administrator, you are interested in using tools that can automate repetitive, simple tasks so you can focus your time on higher level projects.

Either way, there are both advantages and disadvantages to outsourcing IT services. Weighing them properly for you specific needs is important for ROI and to guarantee that the tools and support that are in place bring value to your company’s bottom line.

What You Gain Moving From a PBX Phone System to VoIP

Changing Technology

Comparing PBX, or private branch exchange phone system, to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) uncovers some real advantages related to business phone systems.

How to Control Employee Web Surfing

In an organization with computer users who have internet access, people are going to surf the web. It is simply human nature: people are curious, and the Internet provides resources for the curious that only a few decades back were unimaginable.

If you’re a business owner, however, curiosity has its costs. Employees surfing the web can mean lots of time on the clock but off task. What is the best way control employee web surfing?

Get Data

First, remember that where technology creates a problem, a solution can’t be far behind. There are a number of solutions available that allow you to track and monitor user’s web activity within your network.

What is a Business Continuity Plan?

Would your business be able to deliver mission-critical services if:

Your building burned to the ground and all basic materials were destroyed?
Hackers infiltrate your network and you couldn’t access client information?
The flu hits staff and management, leaving multiple people out for an indefinite period?
An assailant causes a lockdown of your building and you can’t access your offices?
Thieves break in and steal all your computers?

Online Backup Compared to Tape Backup

Getting Data Offsite

As a business owner, you realize that critical business data not only has to be backed up, but also must be taken offsite as part of a disaster recovery plan. In addition, compliancy and litigation concerns may compel you to insure that your data backup procedures are verifiable.

For many small and medium size businesses, this process involves using tapes to store the data. The tapes are then physically taken offsite and kept in a secure location.

However, tape backups are insufficient for both storing data and establishing a process for restoring it completely. Also, the process of handling and storing tapes offsite is suspect for many organizations: tapes being kept in the back seat of your IT manager’s car is cause for concern.

Online Remote Solutions

What Are IT Managed Services?

The Internet Platform

The Internet has revolutionized business communication and technology. Networking infrastructure and digital information are delivered more than acquired, lending the work environment unprecedented mobility and access to information.

If you run a small and medium size business (SMBs), dealing with changes in technology can also become a time consuming effort that requires expertise away from the core operations of the business. But when marketing, communication, data protection, sales, and other business process require updated, secure networking technology and Internet access, an effective technology strategy must be in place.

IT Managed Services is a technology services model that has developed in conjunction with the increasing power of the Internet to convey information. It is based on the reality that most netwo