Insights for Small Businesses

It Seems So Easy on TV. How Hard Can It Be?

2010-08-07T13:12:00.017-04:00

You've had a long day. You are on the couch, relaxed, in front of the television when a commercial for hair color or acne medication appears. You are fixated as you witness the woman with the silky, flowing hair tell you how easy it is "to be me" or you see the pristine, clear skin of a young adult flushing her face with gallons of water as she rinses away the dirt of the day. It's just so easy.

So, Why Isn't My Hair Long and Lustrous?

As fate would have it, my hair is not the coiffure of envy, in fact it's barely evident (see photo on page--mine is a face for radio). I believe that it may be genetic in nature, but what of those that don't have a similar disposition, is their hair soft and attractive?

For those on the ads in the magazines, on TV and plastered on signs around the neighborhood, I can envision a level of dilligence, on a daily basis, needed to maintain their appearance at that level. Sure, there are those that are natural beauties, but they're the lucky ones. Why is this topic even being broached on an IT blog? Simple, it proves a point.

Many businesses like to consider themselves the natural beauties, the exceptions, that typically stand out of the crowd for the right reasons. My concern is that there are too many companies that are under this misconception and fail to take matters into their hands. Should you hire a tech to perform regular maintenance on your systems, network, and servers or should you let them continue, on their own, to function holistically without any special attention or care? If I were to pose the question to you, "What have you done for your hair lately?" you might respond that you washed it, cut it, gave it a blow-dry or styled it with mousse. But what would your response be if I asked you about your network? Would you have the same enthusiasm or poise to reply that you recently updated this, upgraded that, or simply ran a scan?

I think it is clear that people have personal priorities; shouldn't businesses have their sets of priorities, too?! Let's start a revolution, let's monitor our computers for issues, maintain system and application updates, perform scans and clean the clutter! If you find that your computers run slowly or make strange noises, it's time to come to your senses and call your support professional. We enable our clients to perform better, produce consistently, and sleep better knowing that their systems are maintained and monitored. Do you suffer from excessive SPAM? Have you been hit with a virus or malware lately? Did it inconvenience you or your company in terms of meeting a deadline or, simply, completing your daily tasks? If you would like to know more about maintaining your systems, please give us a call at (201) 797-5050 or contact us at fred@tech4now.com. We can help you to run your system in a Hassle-Free manner giving you peace-of-mind and time to focus on what YOU do best--run YOUR business. The choice is yours, do you want beautiful hair or knots?

What to do with your college-bound students

2010-07-31T10:10:00.028-04:00

For many years, I have been asked by the parents of college-bound students how to help them prepare for their child's next step, "My child is going to X University next fall. What computer should I buy for her/him?"

The First Question In Reply

Colleges and universities typically specify which hardware platforms and software suites are required by students in their various schools. If a student is attending a school for Engineering, that student may have a different set of requirements than one who will be studying Art or Marketing. In fact, the students may be expected to purchase their systems through the university on account of the fact that they may have special pricing arrangements for their attendees or may have a preconfigured system available at a specific vendor due to particular needs borne by the students.

Do not immediately presume that your child will need a "PC." Some schools may have Macintosh computers on their list of requirements. Many schools that focus on the graphic arts prefer to use the "Mac" inasmuch as it is designed to work well with design programs and usually have high-end graphics support to display the work better. If, on the other hand, your child will be in a general course of studies, there is the possibility that your child may have no particular specifications from the school. When this happens, it is incumbent upon your student to solicit the information from his/her counselor during the orientation session. Many students attend these sessions weeks or months before they actually attend the universities or colleges. If your child "forgot" to get this information in person, pressure him/her to contact the school and/or faculty to help identify any special needs that will need to be addressed.

What If...?

Your child has attended the orientation session and no information was given. He/she has already contacted the school and the faculty in the chosen discipline, yet nothing has been advised and no one would give any specifics to help you determine what needs to be purchased. Well, here are some additional thoughts to entertain...

Does the school have a local computer support company with which they are aligned for sales and service? Are they available on campus? Are they reasonably priced?

Does the school have its own on campus support facilities for all students on the hardware/operating system that your child wishes to use? Are they reasonably priced?

Is there anyone in the college, student or graduate, that is willing to share his/her insights on what will be the most appropriate technology for your child?

Is your child adept and technologically savvy enough to be, to some extent, self-sufficient? (Maybe your child will organically grow a business like Michael Dell.)

I Guess "No" Was The Answer

If your child's school provides little feedback and you cannot locate a "friendly" alumnus, then the ball is in your court. Do you know if your student will be requiring a high-end computer or will a simple one do? If your child has a specific course of study, contact a local business and ask if they have any suggestions. Most will be willing to give answers to a few directed questions for the sake of good will and community service. If you have no idea, you may wish to go down the middle ground and buy a computer now with a generic set of tools -- Word Processor, Spreadsheet program, and presentation suite. One of the most popular offerings is the Microsoft Office Student and Home Edition. This software is significantly discounted to NON-COMMERCIAL users to grow their needs in the business world. If you wish to save even more money, you may be able to use the OpenOffice.org suites. These applications are available online FREE OF CHARGE.

If your child will be in a dormitory, you may have a choice between a desktop computer and a laptop. Keep in mind, a desktop will provide greater value in terms of the features and price, BUT it will not necessarily work best for your child if he/she needs to use the computer in a classroom environment, a library, or "on the road." Laptops are more popular in the academic environment, but because so many people have them, you must make sure to protect what you do have due to its ability to become lost and never recovered.

Some Things That You May Do To Protect Them...

Your child's laptop is a generic tool. It will be difficult to distinguish it from another students if there is a dispute, so how can you protect your/your student's system?

Albeit a visual deterrent, laptop locks (cables that attach to the device) may reduce the likelihood for theft. A laptop should not be left unattended for a number of reasons, but if you must turn your head, this may help.

Put a log on password on the computer. By limiting the access to the contents of the computer, your child may limit unauthorized access to his/her work or security controls on the machine.

Laptops have a miraculous way of growing legs and jumping off of desks or leaping from knapsacks and attache cases. When you purchase the machine, consider spending extra on an accidental protection policy in addition to the warranty. This way, if the machine should be dropped and the screen breaks, it can be replaced without extensive issues and be promptly restored to functionality by the manufacturer or their support representation.

Acquire a laptop that uses a fingerprint (biometric) control for log in. Although a bit overboard, this, too, may help reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access. Be advised, however, that if the system is dropped and experiences system corruption, access to the computer may be compromised.

Laptops are now protected like cars using Lo-Jack. You can pay for a subscription or buy a system with the ability built-in. In the event of a theft, your child contacts the Lo-Jack phone number (or equivalent) and has them enable the "beaconing" feature. Very often, if the machine is online, it can be located within a distance of 33 feet. Often, this may be enough to recover the device.

All of the above may be considered, but none are required. Nothing is a replacement for vigilance when it comes to maintaining and retaining your prized possession. In addition to concerns about theft, your student should also consider two critical items:

Backup - Make a copy of the important documents on a media or site that will not be compromised in the event of loss or "infection."

Data Security - Software installed on the computer to reduce the likelihood of infection while the user accesses the Internet, opens files, or reads e-mail. Security software may be provided as an accommodation from the school or should be purchased from either the vendor online or though a local merchant (e.g., bookstore or superstore). These programs will often include Antivirus, Anti-SPAM and a Firewall application to protect your work.

A Final Word...

The laptop that your child acquires for school may have his/her personal touch or preferences involved. We have repaired computers for students, as well as businesses. Some are pink with pink carrying cases, others are studded or labeled with band names. This is your child's opportunity to be expressive in addition to functional. Try to be flexible when he/she wants a color that doesn't meet your fancy, it may prove helpful if they ever need to distinguish it from another should the theft rate rise at the school.

When shopping for a computer, have your child play an active role in the selection process. He/she may like having a wide screen or might prefer to use a number pad on the laptop keyboard. Others may want an eraserhead to navigate while others prefer a mouse. Not only should you visit stores for the "hands-on" experience, but visit websites of the major vendors to get a feature/price comparison. Don't be too shy to call the vendor to negotiate for a more competitive price on their product. Best of all, your child will be learning to become an independent and contributing member of society. Give him/her as much encouragement as possible, afterall, this is your legacy.

If you have found this to be helpful, we'd love to get your feedback. If you have a subject that you wish to learn more about, please feel free to contact us at fred@tech4now.com. We also have a super website offering a plethora of resources from which to benefit both personally and professionally--visit it at http://www.tech4now.com/. Thank you.

Viewing Techniques To Streamline Your Production Day

2010-07-24T09:15:00.014-04:00

The other day, I was working at the office of a older man. He had been working with spreadsheets and Word documents. He was a very experienced and thorough worker, yet his colleagues were finding more and more errors in his work. In spite of his efforts to scrutinize the screen, many of his errors were attributable to his diminishing eyesight. I was called in to see what I could recommend to the company to improve the situation.

What Did You Suggest To Him?

The first suggestion was to change the resolution on his computer screen. The computer was running Windows XP. He had just acquired a new 21" wide screen monitor and was still using the resolution that was set by the system to use as much video real estate as possible (read high resolution). By right-clicking on the wallpaper and clicking on Properties. Once the dialog box appeared, we clicked on the Settings tab (top right). On the middle left of the settings box was a slider for the Screen Resolution. We changed it from 1440 x 900 pixels (picture elements) to a lower resolution -- 1280 x 720 or 800 x 600. Either selection allowed him to see icons and text in an effectively larger font. This made him happy.

The next suggestion that saved him time was to Maximize the application on the screen not by double-clicking on the middle icon in the upper right corner, but double-clicking on the title bar of the application window itself. His opportunity to hit the mark was improved by about 50-fold. Now, he was working on an improved setup that allowed him to see things better, but there was more that he could do to improve his viewing opportunity--most applications allow the user to ZOOM in or ZOOM out to quickly assess the contents of the screen.

Quicker Methods To Zoom In And Out

Most applications have keyboard shortcuts to facilitate function and improve productivity. The Microsoft Office Suites and Internet Explorer (for example) are no exception. If you are working in Internet Explorer, all you need to do to Zoom In is press the CTRL key and + (plus sign) at the same time. To reverse the process and Zoom Out, just press the CTRL key and - (minus sign) at the same time. You may be pleasantly surprised by the ease at which you may now function. I, for one, need glasses for myopia (nearsightedness) and often need larger type to see all that I need to know. Using these keyboard shortcuts save precious time in my limited 24-hour day. Another method to perform the Zoom quickly is to hold down the CTRL key when you move the wheel on your mouse. One direction will increase size, the other direction will reduce. Try it now while you read this blog.

Besides being able to adjust the Zoom level of your screen view, you can also adjust font size or text size. In Word and other applications, usually this option is found in the View Menu to use the Zoom or Full Screen Mode (more real estate to view with). If you wish to view Internet Explorer in Full Screen Mode, just press the F11 function key. If you wish to change the size of the fonts, remember that the fonts sizes are retained by the document, so if it is printed, you may use A LOT OF PAPER! If you are in Internet Explorer, another option is to select the View Menu, Text Size option. There you may choose to see your web pages' text in smallest to largest fonts. This, too, is useful, but the larger fonts may significantly modify the appearance and feel of the webpage.

Any Other Brilliant Ideas?

The last suggestion that we'll make today is to purchase a second monitor. Prices on monitors have dropped substantially and their thinner profiles make it easier to fit more than one on a desktop. By purchasing a multi-output video card to support added monitors, you will find that you can get more done because you can take more in at once. If you purchase a video card (and monitors) that support the newer Digital Video Input (DVI), you will get a sharper picture. A similar comparison might be to compare a standard TV signal to a High Definition (HD) signal. If you are interested in upgrading your system to provide you with dual screens or more, feel free to contact us at fred@tech4now.com or call us at (201) 797-5050. You may also visit our website for added ideas to enhance your productivity. We are here to help and can show you how this nominal investment in your systems may result in a direct increase in your bottom line.

Always Double Check To Dot Your I's and Cross Your T's

2010-07-17T21:09:00.023-04:00

Growing up years ago, the teachers that taught English constantly reminded us that the best friend to a person writing a composition is a wastebasket. The whole thought of reviewing your work and tossing it to the trash had a different level of meaning in those days. Back then, we used pen and paper or a typewriter. If you made many mistakes typing or had poor handwriting, it was in your best interest to start again. After all, you only have one opportunity to make a "first impression."

It Still Holds True To This Day

The popularity of the computer has changed the attitude of those that write or "do journalism," but should it encourage writers NOT to proofread their work? Stop and consider the following situation and YOU determine whether it is called for... You are a Sales Representative for MegaCorp. You and your team has been shuttling back and forth overseas to close a mega deal. The team has tasked you to send the thank you note to your counterparts in the client's office. You come home late from celebrating the pending success, you may have enjoyed too much wine, you're a bit jaded from all of the travel. Now, you sit yourself down to draft the message. No one else is around, you reviewed your text and quickly decide that it's "good enough" to send. BAM! It's out there.

The Next Day...

You start your day off normally. Nothing exceptional, just excitement about closing the deal. Your phone rings. Your boss would like you to step in to her office to discuss the e-mail message that you sent on behalf of the team. Apparently, it was not the best foot forward and her counterpart in the transaction has expressed concern about the lax attitude demonstrated by her team toward their office. She would like to see a copy of the message. She also wants to know why no one else was consulted BEFORE it was sent. You sit in the chair feeling a little sheepish, rather uncomfortable, and sensing a chill. Now, what?!

What Could Have Been

You kick yourself as you leave her office. She was absolutely justified in reprimanding you for your actions and lack of forethought. If only you had waited, considered the ramifications of your actions and held off on your e-mail, you might have been lauded for your success. Now, the team will have to do some quick recovery work to salvage the deal as a result of your action. It may mean your job, it may mean a demotion. Either way, it is not good.

You Are Not Alone

The speed at which communications occurs in today's world is incredible. You can send a message to a person on the other side of the world and have it delivered within seconds. A news person standing in the Middle East can deliver a report in high definition within seconds of any event that occurs to an audience in California or New York. Media has become such a powerful tool, now it has even greater strength. BUT, as George Santayana said... "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Recently, CNN Mideast Affairs editor, Octavia Nasr lost her post after she allegedly tweeted her respect for Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.

Veteran reporter, Helen Thomas was pressured to retire after she made a comment which was posted online and was readily perceived as anti-Semitic. Too many people have met their demise after communicating messages electronically. Some have done so by will, others, not necessarily, but the message was distributed nonetheless.

The Message To Deliver

The point of this article is to remind you that the Internet is not a private space. If you decide to post images on your Facebook account of your living it up at a party, don't be surprised when you are confronted by someone challenging your discretion. Be discreet in your posts and messages, and, for goodness sake, remember to proofread whatever you post. You only have one opportunity to make a first impression.

If you feel that this has served you in a positive way and wish to learn more, feel free to contact us to recommend or request additional subjects that you wish to read about. If we can accommodate you, the article may appear in the near future. If we are unfamiliar with the subject, we may research it and report our findings. If you wish to learn more about computers, networking and technology, please visit our blog often or visit our website at http://www.tech4now.com/.

Improving Your Productivity (Sometimes) With Upgrades

2010-07-10T23:48:00.019-04:00

Upgrades are released on a regular basis from software developers. It is their way to maintain an established customer base by delivering enhancements to the way users work, fortify the code to protect against vulnerabilities in the software's security, and to make sure that the funds for development don't go dry by selling: More Better, More Faster.

Not All Upgrades Are Worth Pursuing

Two particular upgrades come to mind when I consider the "misfires." The first was about four years ago, a large corporation had just released its second service pack to the public for its major operating system. Unfortunately, when it was delivered over the Internet the first time, there were some flaws in the deliverable that caused many of the computers to "Blue Screen." The developer, of course, had a clause in the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) that assured it would not be responsible for contingent liability, but it still had to contend with a public relations nightmare. Many of the corporations that used the software tried to recover some of their losses from the developer under the scope of negligence, not being a lawyer, I could not give you any pertinent details to their case outcomes.

The other upgrade, regarding the same company, involved its release of the "next" operating system. That, too, was not tremendously successful, but for different reasons. This upgrade had been overengineered by those removed from the process. Imagine a world in which all laws and legislation were carried out by lawyers (Oops! Bad example, that is the case!). Okay, let's say a pencil were to be designed by an engineer, not an artist or writer. The pencil may be able to help the user write, but it may require an elaborate setup to enable the writer to actually use the pencil. Without belaboring the issue, my point is that those that use, try to improve. Those that only design, fail to see the practical benefits of certain enhancements and only design for design's sake.

Well, that is what happened with this operating system. It had security features that no one could work with; an interface that took a long time for users to adopt; and, all-in-all, could be considered a marketing flop. When the same company released its latest incarnation, they capitalized on the fact that the new operating system "was designed by ME (the end user)" and the company took its instructions from the public, not the software engineers.

Many of you (over thirty) will clearly recall when a high profile beverage company decided to release a "NEW" recipe of its world famous drink in the mid-1980s. It had a well known celebrity promoting the drink. He cited its new exciting flavor and how the drink was "better than ever before." The marketing built up to the release of the drinks debut over an extended period. Consumers saw the dwindling presence of the "Old" product. Only a few months after the release, it became clear that the original flavor was the one that had the following and the "New" product was promptly limited in the stores.

Some Happier Stories...

Microsoft may be known for being a marketing machine--producing new applications or upgrades on a consistent basis. This practice has managed (for the most part) to keep both the end users and the stockholders happy. The latest version of their commercially available operating system, Windows 7, has proven to be stable and friendly to users. As with any changes in user interface (UI), one can expect to contend with a learning curve as adjustments and adaptation occur. If a user changed from Windows XP to Windows 7, there is a modest amount of adjustment that they will go through; however, for those abandoning Vista for Windows 7, the change is modest and the acceptance is high. The same can be said recently for the changes from Microsoft Office 2007 to Office 2010. Although the products hold close functional similarities, the newer enhancements to the 2010 product make it easier for the transition from Office 2003 and older.

We have been using the Microsoft operating systems and application suites for decades. Even though change was painful and acceptance slow, we have grown to appreciate a number of the improvements built into the newer versions. If you have the opportunity (summer is often a slow time for many businesses), this may be a good opportunity for you to upgrade your business' application software and operating systems. While you're at it, you might even consider upgrading your server, they've been greatly improved, too!

If you need more information on how to upgrade or the benefits of upgrading feel free to contact us at (201) 797-5050 or visit our website, http://www.tech4now.com/, for more links to give you better insights.

Like Building A House Of Cards - A Tutorial

2010-07-03T15:22:00.022-04:00

When a network is established in an office or a home, some of the interactions are as tenuous as a house of cards. There are a number of dependencies between the computers, the router and the protocols that most end users are gracefully sheltered from using a setup CD packaged with the router.

How Does It Work?

Envision your home: A building with a number affixed to the outside to clearly make it a uniquely labeled address. At the front of the house is the door. Here you either grant or deny passage. Once inside the house, there are rooms, each one designated for an individual's space or for a function (e.g., bathroom or kitchen).

A computer network can apply similar descriptions to its parts. The Internet represents the outside world. When someone wants to visit your site, they must connect to your unique address in the world. Once they have found your address, they call at the appropriate port (front door) to request access. If access is granted, then they may try to connect to a computer (a room) within your local area network (LAN) (the house's interior). The computers in your LAN may need to connect to the outside world. In order to do so, they must know where the main exit is from the LAN. This is referred to the gateway. You may compare the gateway to the front door. In fact, the gateway address will be the address of the router on the LAN-side (the inside of the front door).

Who gives out the addresses?

Just as a town has a system for distributing addresses to buildings within its jurisdiction, a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Server has its range for distributing unique Internet Protocol (IP) addresses dynamically ("on the fly")to its scope of computers within the LAN. Every computer that has a network interface card (NIC) possesses a unique serial number that it uses as its MAC (media access control) address. The router then tracks, in its memory, the details of all IP addresses given out. [Try not to let the computer acronyms confuse you, I just don't want you to associate MAC to Macintosh. Macintosh, PCs, and Unix machines all have MAC addresses.] The DHCP Server, which can be the router or a server, communicates with a computer when it powers up to help it determine which unique IP address it shall use. Now, we have unique addresses given out to computers on our local area network. We also have unique IP addresses assigned to all computers on the Internet.

How do we identify a computer known as www.tech4now.com?

Stop and consider how most humans do not feel very comfortable in trying to memorize random numbers. In an effort to make life easier for the humans using computers, wise computer scientists developed a system known as the Domain Name System or DNS. DNS is the mnemonic method used to resolve a computer's address based upon its name. Imaging a gigantic table of names and numbers floating around in cyberspace available for each and every computer to reference when it needs to determine what the corresponding address is for each address that someone types into a browser. That is where DNS comes into play. If you were to open a DOS windows (START/Run/"CMD") and type "ping www.tech4now.com", the computer would go out to the Internet (via the Gateway [router]) resolve the address for the computer and advise you of the exact unique address for the computer responding to the name www.tech4now.com. If you checked it today, the value returned would be 206.188.192.76. You could use this value to visit our website. All you need to do is type http://206.188.192.76, it would have the same effect as typing http://www.tech4now.com.

How Does A Computer Get All Of The Addresses?

Remember we discussed DHCP? Well, not only does the DHCP Server give the requesting computer an IP address, it also gives it the information necessary for it to participate in a network--the gateway address (the door to the outside), DNS Servers (how to find the gigantic address resolution table), and the lease term (how long the computer may use its unique address before it must either renew or relinquish the address. Don't worry, most of the time, it keeps the same address.). We are keeping this simple for getting our point across.

Why Are You Explaining This Now?

Last week, one of our clients had issues with their Internet connection--one moment that could surf the web, the next moment, no one could. As a result of a suggestion from the ISP's tech, the client rebooted (powered off and on) their router. After the router had powered back up, the client's computers could, once again, access the Internet. They were very happy until someone needed to print to a network printer that was using a dynamic IP address. Do you remember how I described the router tracking the IP address information in its memory? What do you think happened to that information when the router was restarted? Because the address given to the printer was dynamic (it could change) rather than a static (non-changing) IP address, the printer got a new address from the router. Unfortunately for my clients, all of their computers knew the printing for their computers had to go to the IP address 192.168.100.109 rather than 192.168.100.101. The modest change in the printer's IP address was enough to reek havoc in their network. A quick visit and a modest change to the printer's settings made it a static address to always remember a specific unique address--problem solved. But the thing to remember here is that the printer's address had not been written in stone, but on the wind.

Lesson To Be Learned

James Bond drove a car that had a license plate which rotated to change its numbers and country of origin. By changing its identification, the adversaries were confused and, perhaps, would pursue the wrong vehicle. If you reboot your router and use dynamic addressing for all components of your network, you, too, may confuse the other computers in the network into believing that they are communicating with the right machine while they are not. All critical network resources should be given static IPs or DHCP reservations on the DHCP server to assure there addresses do not change. If you configure your network correctly, it will perform beautifully, if you don't, it's only a matter of time before things begin to fail.

If you found this to be an informative and useful article, please let us know. For support on your network and to make sure you don't lose functionality at the most inopportune moment, call us and we'll get you back on your feet or put you there for the first time. We can be found online at www.tech4now.com, e-mailed at fred@tech4now.com or phoned at (201) 797-5050.

A Client's Emancipation Proclamation

2010-06-26T23:26:00.009-04:00

With serious apologies to President Abraham Lincoln, I wanted to borrow his phrase to succinctly describe a dialog that I had the other day with one of our clients...

My client had recently become preoccupied about the activities of a staff member. He had expressed concern regarding that person's ability to access sensitive files as well as that person's ability to modify those files without detection. This client has been with us many years, but never truly tapped us as a resource for his business.

As it turned out, he asked us many direct questions about his business, his infrastructure, and his benefits. By the time he had finished his queries, he was satisfied that the business was not only secure, but he was impressed by the nature of how we provided such a benefit and that it was already available to him. His excitement level was very high and he could not stop expressing how this knowledge had given him a greater command over the information used by his firm. He continued to state how he now felt empowered and sensed an incredible feeling about running his business in a more confident and controlled manner.

Why Do I Cite This Here?

Too many businesses are run in a haphazard and uncontrolled manner. Critical business data is exposed and access to it is totally open. Would you intentionally leave your wallet filled with cash on the floor of a shopping mall's food court? If you did, would you expect it to be returned to you intact? What could you see as the potential risks of leaving the wallet unattended? The cash might magically disappear, your credit card numbers might inadvertently be copied for "posterity's sake" by a passerby, or perhaps, your driver's license or other personal IDs might "wander". Security-wise, consider the same concerns for your company's critical data.

If you are a doctor's office, how do you comply with HIPAA? If you accept credit cards from clients, how do you secure their Personal Credit Information (PCI)? If you are a financial firm, how do you keep your clients' investments private? Last, but not least, if you have any data, how do you keep it under control as priviledged information? If you are unsure how to accomplish these tasks and mitigate these concerns, I strongly suggest that you confer with your IT Consultant. If you don't have one and are located in the area of Northern New Jersey, please feel free to contact us through my email at fred@tech4now.com or call us for an appointment at (201) 797-5050. This is not for the sake of promoting our business, it is with the aim of raising your awareness of data security and maintaining confidences. The critical aspect of data security is to implement the controls BEFORE they are needed. Performing a posthumous forensic investigation is not only more costly, but significantly less effective. Take the time now to consider what your concerns really are, touch base with your Trusted Business Advisor and identify the facets of your business that need attention. Attending to these items now, will payoff in their potential benefits down the road. Afterall, if you lose your integrity, what have you got left?

Keeping With The Basics

2010-06-20T17:23:00.012-04:00

When I began working in the world of Information Technology, back in the 1980's, computers were running MS-DOS, were significantly more expensive than they are today with substantially less computing power, and did not run software with all the bells and whistles that we have now. Back then, the basic tenets to acquiring a computer worked as follows:

Determine what you want to do on the computer.

Figure out which software allows you to do what you want.

Identify the computer that will run the software that you need.

Things were kept simple because the computer was not as "ubiquitous" and the machines were still too expensive for every home to have one for every resident therein. It was considered an investment by many and for that reason, only the fortunate ones had a computer on their desk. Nowadays, the pattern has changed, most desks have a computer on them, in fact the desks have changed to hold the computer with surface area as a secondary thought (so it appears). Either way, the computer is now everywhere and most people have them even those that have trouble finding electricity--computers are everywhere.

Which brings me back to the initial comment....

Now that computers are everywhere and have so much computing power, the decision tree has changed for many and the majority of users just have a computer and a full Office suite because it is packaged with the computer. But times are always changing and the cloud and virtual systems are entering the mix. Too many end users have heard the "buzz" and do not grasp the full meaning of virtualization or "the cloud."

When reviewing your technology needs, do not be allured to the "buzz de jour"--it is too easy to be sold on something that is either unnecessary or overkill. My suggestion is that you revert to the basics: Look at your business needs and identify the tools that will help you accomplish your tasks either faster, better, cheaper or all of the above. Do not lose sight of the fact that technology is in a constant state of change. You will never have the latest and greatest unless you truly have a need for it.

When clients ask me to help them purchase a computer for their offices, I typically interview them to determine what their needs inventory includes. If they do a lot of e-mail or writing, I see one option, if they tend to do extensive design work or layouts, other options come into play. You must be flexible and adaptable to the selections. If there were a cookie-cutter approach that worked for everyone, you can be sure that the larger players such as Dell, IBM, HP and Microsoft (maybe Google, too!) would be marketing their wares in Fast Ship offerings or some other ready-to-ship package that comes with "most of the features you could possibly need" setups.

Give Yourself A Litmus Test

If you were to buy a computer today, would it be a server? a laptop? an iPad? I guess it depends. It depends upon your needs, what you need to do, the space you have in which to do it, and the amount of money you have budgeted to acquire the machine. Is miniaturization critical to your success in using the machine? How portable must it be? Will it need to have a long battery life? Will it ever leave the desktop location? There are so many questions that you can ask yourself to determine which route to take, if I were to draw a decision tree it would be levels deep with extensive branches. You would look at it and summarily say "Why bother?!"

Do You Want Help?

Purchasing a computer and the software on it can be a headache, particularly if you are unfamiliar with what is out there nowadays. Would you overspend or overbuy? Would you miss out on an important component that if not purchased with the computer would be virtually impossible to compensate for? Will it be compatible with your other computers and software at the office? Not for nothing, but quite often, it is far more cost effective to hire a consultant or trusted business advisor to assist you in making these selections. Why should you waste your time reading up on a one-time purchase or involve yourself in a track that distracts you from your business focus?

You wouldn't send your nine year old child to a car dealership to purchase an automobile, would you? Why would you have an inexperienced person make a significant purchase without the background to clearly discern what is needed and what isn't? The next time you need to add onto your network or buy a computer, server or other technical component, consider looking us up. We are available to educate and inform you, to stand by your side and assist you. Let us come to your office and work with you in the capacity of a Trusted Business Advisor just as you would engage an accountant or a lawyer. The benefits are great and the risk is minimal. We can answer your questions and guide you through the difficult questions. To reach us, call (201) 797-5050 or email me at fred@tech4now.com. Our website, http://www.tech4now.com/ offers an extensive library of reference material and links to help you see how we can truly offer you more than "the boss's nephew" or the "smart high school student," we deliver over 25 years of hands-on technical and business experience to get you to where you want to be.

Somtimes It Pays To Get The Warranty

2010-06-12T23:52:00.009-04:00

When my son needed a bicycle and we went to the store, I listened to the salesman discuss the benefits of the add-on warranty. The bicycle comes with a 30-day manufacturer's defect warranty. Sorry, but that is not enough to give me the peace-of-mind in knowing that my child is on a safe product. With that in mind, I was receptive to what the salesman had to say.

Why would you buy a warranty for a bicycle?

I bought the warranty because it made sense. If anything should happen to the bicycle within a two-year period, the store will perform most repairs AND will perform MAINTENANCE routines on it, as well. Regardless of the price paid for the bicycle, let's say that a bicycle repair may cost anywhere from $5 (to replace an inner tube) to $150 or more to fix a broken rim, shot derailleur or anything else that may be pricey on a bicycle. (As you may suspect, I am not a major bicycle parts expert.) During the two year warranty, we may bring the bicycle in for unlimited repairs and two full "maintenance tune-ups." Inasmuch as I want my child on a safe bicycle and I would normally pay around $20-$35 for a tune-up each year anyway, it's what a parent does.

The bicycle needs to function smoothly, perform as expected and do what I need it to do. If it were to break down miles from home, have a flat, or simply not brake going downhill that would simply be unacceptable. Besides, paying $40 for two tune-ups automatically confers a reasonable savings.

Why talk about a bicycle warranty on a technology blog?

The IT industry is in a constant state of change. One of the most significant changes in our world has been the availability of low-cost high-speed reliable Internet broadband connectivity. The Internet has brought information "to our fingertips." The benefits of MSN, Yahoo! and Google don't require explanation. But did you realize the ubiquity of high-speed Internet access also means you can now have support provided remotely and immediately. Furthermore, having your computer available online means that it can be monitored remotely for failures, viruses, hardware changes and general software issues. This is where the remote monitoring and maintenance process has grown.

Our company, Holzsager Technology Services, provides this service under the name of HTS Insight and HTS Insight Hassle-Free IT. When someone subscribes to this service, we are able to provide the subscriber with prompt remediation of computer issues, immediate support at the desktop (which may be watched to reduce the likelihood of future incidences), updating of the computers files and patches, as well as verification that the machine is protected by its security software and maintaining the subscription properly. The list goes on rather extensively. The point that I wish to emphasize is that the peace-of-mind that one achieves by enrolling in such a plan gives benefit beyond fixing the computer, it improves the performance and reliability of the machine and builds for better productivity.

What is the price of success?

Small businesses are constantly straining to save money while improving output. If automation has improved your performance and the machine that provides the system goes down, where does that leave the business? For a monthly fee, the business can continue to work, focus on their strengths, stay competitive, and maintain profitability without the worry of the computers and networks. Does this appeal to you? Can you see how this would enhance what you do on a daily basis? If you are interested in learning more about "Managed Services," feel free to contact us at fred@tech4now.com or by calling (201) 797-5050. It's a call that may change your life. If you would like more information on this or any other aspect of technology, feel free to visit our website, www.tech4now.com or our blog.

How Many Times Have You Left Your Office At The End Of The Day And Thought Of How Many Things You Wanted To Accomplish, But Simply Didn't Get To?

2010-06-05T12:12:00.019-04:00

Did you write down your To-Do List at the beginning of the day or the night before?

In today's rushed environment, people multitask and try to fit 48 hours worth of labor into a 24 hour day. The combination of computerized automation and Time & Motion studies have allowed the modern worker to accomplish more than could have been imagined a half century ago in a standard workday.

By using the computer to organize and process information, an individual is able to print lists, crunch numbers, and contact hundreds or thousands of prospects in a matter of minutes. Why is this so important? Shouldn't we be concerned about quality versus quantity you may ask. The fact is that with the current systems available to even the small business owner, large scale processing is already within reach.

It Started With The Mainframe

Many of the features available on the personal computer began as programs written for the mainframe computer. Databases were created to store massive amounts of information about clients including account numbers, balances and even demographics. Furthermore, the databases were enhanced with reporting capabilities that would process the data into useful and digestible details pertinent to assessing sales, expenses and other metrics. Modern day computing provides equivalent, if not superior, capabilities in databases, word processors, spreadsheets and other programs.

Financial Accounting
If a small business owner wants to manage the Finances of the business--Accounts Receivables, Accounts Payables, Sales, Expenses, Profit & Loss and Balance Sheets, all that person needs to do is purchase a copy of Quickbooks or PeachTree Accounting for about $100 (street value after discounts). Not only will the program track this information, but it will integrate with the clients Customer Relationship Management (CRM) (e.g., Act!, Outlook, GoldMine) program to advise the owner whether or not to sell the product to the client (based upon that party's outstanding or paid balance. If a bank account is held in any major institution, it will typically have the ability to export the transactions of the account digitally to the accounting package just by going online, logging into the account and running the export/download function to whichever particular program you are using. It is relatively straightforward and simple. However, if the user is more advanced in the field of Accountancy, it is also possible to use the programs for higher level processes to extract even more insightful data.

Word Processor
Clearly, the most powerful tool used by the masses is the word processor program. This allows the user to create professional caliber documents with ease and quickly. Some end users are more sophisticated than others, thus they may do more than a simple document, they may perform a merge. Merging a document with a database allows the user to create multiple personalized documents within seconds by giving a single command. This method may also be used with e-mail to perform a mail merge. Merges can output to e-mail, letters, envelopes and labels for powerful marketing potential.

Spreadsheets
Popularized by VisiCalc, then Lotus 1-2-3, the spreadsheet has made the processing of a database simple enough for a novice to use. Recent developments in Lotus 1-2-3 and Excel have given the user tools such as pivot tables, Look ups and charting. Many of the financial reports received from smaller institutions may be using a spreadsheet program to provide intuitive reports on the distribution of funds within accounts and graph their projections and historical earnings. The spreadsheet may be used to compare apples to oranges or the Steel Industry to the Aluminum Industry at a very detailed level.

E-Mail
Regarded as the most popular application in the business world today, electronic mail has become the de facto method of communications. It not only provides speed in delivery, but enables the sender to know when a message is received and if it is read. The archiving capabilities have made it a tool for both the legal and health professions (to name a few). The fact that electronic mail can be delivered without the cost of postage has driven the United States Postal Service to automate and be more creative in the products that it offers. By using the mail merge capabilities of a word processor, the e-mail application is able to deliver thousands of personalized messages almost instantly to a highly selective group of prospects or addressees.

Presentation Software
Harvard Graphics and PowerPoint have popularized the canned presentation. The fact that they can make boring material palatable to the masses has boosted their distribution. Newer programs not only provide extensive templates for preformatted, consistent themes, but they have features to make complicated hierarchical maps and other involved diagrams easy to make with just the push of a button. These programs have grown so popular that presentations are taught to elementary age children. Unfortunately, many people do not progress in their skill level to make effective presentations, yet due to the demand for distributable presentations, they proliferate.

Portable Documents
Adobe created the Adobe Acrobat program. Acrobat file (PDF) has almost become a generic term. Setting the precedent of distributing a free program to read the pay-for product, Adobe distributed its Adobe Reader program for free to the masses over the internet and through the distribution of most major softwares. The Portable Document Format (PDF) has become another de facto standard for the distribution and storage of many documents shared amongst users without the demand for royalties. Many program will come with their documentation in PDF format. Likewise, many program developers have licensed the product for their applications to save the resultant reports in a retrievable and distributable format. Microsoft followed suit years later with the development of the XPS format. XPS files are read using a Internet Explorer, so their being shared with Macintosh computers is not available.

Line Of Business Software
The "catchall" of applications, LoB software represents specialized programs used in various industries that have been customized to processes and needs of those in that particular business. A Dental Office may use one practice management program while an engineering firm would use a different program to track maps and drawings. Each profession has its needs and each LoB software application addresses them in a unique and explicit manner.

Closing Thoughts...
Now that we have acknowledged that there are numerous application programs for varied uses in both home and business, it would seem likely that these programs can enable us to do things quicker / faster / cheaper inasmuch as many of the processes can be automated. The next time you are stuck in your office and trying to send out a letter to a few people, remember the concept of a merge. If you have a letter that you use often, then you may wish to create a template file that can be used to model your letter each and every time that you have to draft one for a specific use. If you use a word processor or a spreadsheet, consider using the macro functionality of the program. Macro stands for macroinstruction--basically, the program runs a batch of commands at the single press of a key combination. There are numerous ways in which we can streamline our day--it's only limited by your creativity. Hopefully, you now have a list of things to do that you can accomplish quicker and with outstanding results. If you have any questions on how to do so or would like to learn more about those already discussed, add it to your list to contact us at info@tech4now.com. We'll try to address your comments and requests in a timely manner. For more information on technology, visit our website at http://www.tech4now.com/.

Is It A Question Of Scruples Or Simply A Profit Motive?

2010-05-29T22:57:00.020-04:00

Over the years, it has been described as malware, scareware, or simply put, computer virus. We are referring to the insidious application that installs itself in your computer, then prompts you to purchase a special program to clean up the multiple installed "at-risk" programs that were found on your computer. Whether you've heard it referred to as Windows XP Antivirus 2009 or Antivirus 2010, it is still the same rip-off mechanism.

Has Any Progress Been Made In Curtailing This Blight?

On Wednesday, May 26, 2010, three men were charged by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly operating a massive scareware distribution ring. Apparently, one of the three men, identified as Shaileshkumar "Sam" Jain, was CEO of Innovative Marketing, a Ukrainian company which initially sold counterfeit software products, then developed scareware products, amongst which was Antivirus 2008. Innovative Marketing is accused of marketing over one million copies of their fake antivirus products to end-users around the world.

Fake Antivirus, as it is referred to has become the scourge of the data security world. Only a limited number of malware detection products have been able to identify and remove these programs. In general, they slow down computers, display pop-ups and constantly offer to clean up your computer by downloading their products (which, of course, are available for a fee paid online with your credit card). Can you spell S-C-A-M?

According to a report in PC World, Innovative Marketing made more than $100 million through the sale of scareware antivirus products. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) managed to stop further distribution of some of Jain's scareware by putting the hosting company out of business. Joseph Bochner, an attorney who brought a class action suit against Jain and his business partners kept trying to get the Federal Government involved, but they told him it was not a criminal matter. It wasn't until the Department of Justice took the case that he saw some results. Eventhough Jain was arrested in 2008, he skipped bail and is believed to be residing in the Ukraine. The Department of Justice has, since, filed international money laundering charges against him in order to prosecute their case overseas.

Is It Still Status Quo?

You still need to be "on guard" whenever you work at your computer. The mechanism used by many of the fake antivirus programs is a screen which closely resembles a Windows pop-up message. Don't be fooled by this ploy. When you go online and download programs, make sure you are accessing a reputable site. If you see an e-mail that says you need to provide your password, be wary. It is only though common sense and a general awareness of inconsistency that you may detect and avoid such traps.

Keep the following in mind:

If the offer seems to good to be true, it probably is.

If the message appears to be a Windows pop-up, remember that Microsoft will NOT be sending you to a third party site.

If you are immediately prompted for payment online, be suspicious and question it. Try to confer with a colleague or friend. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If there is no phone number in the website that can answer your questions, don't release your credit card information.

Always check to see if the https appears on the top of the page and a lock icon to demonstrate a secure site. It can still be bogus, but if it has https, it adds to the creditbility of the site.

Envision yourself requesting a refund because you are unsatisfied with the product. Is there any information available to you initially that would enable you to get the refund? Make sure that you can find this information.

P.T. Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute." These thieves stake their reputations upon such premises. Don't be easily fooled. Think before you jump to divulge your personal information and you'll avoid being the victim.

I have mentioned it repeatedly throughout my blog posts: You must take precautions not to become a victim by being more aware of the changes around you and in your computer. If you see something that appears wrong, start with that as your premise and determine whether your initial impression is accurate or incorrect. It is better for you to act as if something is not right vs. continuing as if nothing had ever happened. This will save you much frustration later on when you DON'T have to resolve ID THEFT or CREDIT CARD FRAUD. Everything we do gives us an option. By making a choice, you can better determine the outcome. Decide not to become a victim and to notice when something doesn't sit right with you. If you can't determine if something is wrong, don't hesitate to ask for assistance. It is well worth the risk of embarassment vs the cost of repair. If you have questions about technology or wish to learn more, feel free to visit us at www.tech4now.com or contact fred@tech4now.com.

Does Your Photocopier Have A Dirty Little Secret?

2010-05-22T11:25:00.032-04:00

In March's blog article, "Keeping Safe Online and Avoiding Identity Theft," we discussed the concept of identity theft. The likelihood of its occurrence was based upon the ignorance or recklessness of the end user inadvertently releasing personal information out on the Internet. Last month, CBS News Chief Investigative Correspondent, Armen Keteyian exposed a feature built into most high-end copiers since 2002...a hard drive.

Why would a hard drive be of such great concern?

Apparently, the hard drives retain copies of all images processed by the machines. The result of such a practice is the potential release of highly classified, confidential information to a non-restrictive, uncontrolled situation. By situation, I refer to the aftermarket aspect of the copier business. Many copiers are leased by businesses to use them with the least amount of issues during their first three years in production. Typically, at the end of the lease period, the device is returned and a new one is put in its place.

Why Do I Care If My Lawyer, Accountant, or Doctor Leases A Copier?

In his video, Mr. Keteyian interviews a consultant from Sacramento, CA who demonstrates how easy it is to extract tens of thousands of images from the hard drives once you buy one from an "off lease" reseller. As it works out, the copier companies do not typically erase the drives once the copies are made. This translates into your unbeknown "archiving" of images.

The Federal Government has laws to protect your privacy. The question in your mind should be why isn't this covered?! During the interview, Ed McLaughlin, President of Sharp Imaging, revealed their own survey, commissioned in 2008, found that 60% of Americans were not aware of the fact that the images are stored on a hard drive. He noted that the industry, in general, has failed to inform the general public of the potential risks involved with copiers--"It's falling on deaf ears or people don't feel it's important" or they have the approach, "We'll take care of it later." Sharp Imaging, like many other manufacturers, offers a feature to automatically erase the image from a hard drive, but it costs $500 for that option. Why should that cost extra?!

The Findings

Apparently, this secret was not effectively brought forth to a number of businesses and government offices that leased the machines in the exposé. Insurance companies, police departments, doctors' offices and other businesses were "exposed" to be ignorant of this fact. Based upon the information discovered on these copiers, it appears that there would be a number of Federal or State Regulations that are being violated. If the end user of the machine is unaware of the risk due to a tiny mention within a boilerplate text manual page not observed at time of purchase, one must ask "Who is responsible for the security of the information stored in these machines?"

The warehouses that resell the machines sell the off-lease equipment at prices as low as $300, yet the manufacturer wants to sell the "self-clearing" feature for $500. So, where would the expense need to be borne? Should the Lessee or Vendor be the one expected to clean the machine? Should it remain as an option for whomever whether they want to extract and destroy the hard drive in the copier? Frankly, I believe there are too many options that are left unaddressed. At this time, identity theft from recovered copier hard drives is not recognized as a prevalent crime; however, given its new level of publicity, it may become a greater threat. Hopefully, the same level of publicity will convince the powers-that-be to enact legislation that will make it mandatory for one of the parties involved to protect the copier users from themselves--if not, then voluntarily.

The Prospect of Identity Theft

Many of the exposed documents found on the copiers included social security numbers, bank account numbers, birth certificates, and income tax forms. If you believe that your information may have become compromised by virtue of an inadvertent release in a copier's hard drive, you should take the necessary precautions to protect yourself. For a detailed punch list, visit www.ftc.org/idtheft. There, you may read articles, watch videos and link to other sites that will inform you and educate you to become a wiser consumer. Not all ID Theft happens online, you need to know more to protect yourself and your loved ones. If you would like to learn more about concerns of modern day life or computer use, feel free to follow us on this blog or visit our website for newletters and articles related to technology's risks and benefits.

You Knew There Was Something About It That Did Not Sit Right With You...

2010-05-15T22:15:00.018-04:00

For a number of years, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has been contending with the filesharing utility programs available over the Internet. Some folks would say that it was an OK thing to do because they did not want to pay for the music. Often, they would justify it to themselves as they would cite that the musicians still gave concerts and, in the case of the Grateful Dead, even allowed members of the audience to record audio and video of the performances. The biggest question to arise from this practice is "How do they make money if there music is available free over the 'Net?

Someone's Gotta Pay For It

Recording an album or even a single is an expensive proposition. After the performer pays for the years of practice, the bookings and the travel, then the decision to record may come up. To record an album, besides composing the music and copyrighting it, the recording sessions include the expense of the studio, the cost for the recording staff, then the production of the actual media. When it's all over, the outlay is huge, the only way to recover it is often through the sales of the music. If you remove that from the equation, where is the motivation?

Enter the concept of Intellectual Property

Regardless of the work, be it an e-book, a recording or an audio book, it should be considered intellectual property. Works that are copyrighted (or patented) are so to protect their creator from plagiarism, theft, and lost revenue. Recently, concerns have been voiced, in general, about e-books reducing the earnings potential for authors regarding the Kindle(r) and the iPad(r). It is not the device itself, but the fact that e-books typically generate less revenue for the authors inasmuch as royalties are paid at a lower rate (see video).

Furthermore, the music industry is fighting back hard against the file sharing utility providers. The most visible case in recent news has been RIAA vs LimeWire. Limewire has been around for a few years and has enabled its users to exchange files easily over the Internet. As a result of such practices, organizations like RIAA have pursued lawsuits to restrict or remove such capabilities. Years ago, in 2001, a similar action was pressed by A&M Records against Napster. Effectively, the RIAA pushed to restrict peer-to-peer networking over the Internet. There was a panel of eighteen law professors that suggested restricting the concept of peer-to-peer networking over the Internet was not in the public's best interest; however, the judge had set a condition upon Napster to control the passing of files. Napster, although it made a respectable effort, was found by the judge not to have done enough, thus it had to pay out $26 million to songwriters and music publishers. Napster declared bankruptcy in 2002 as a result of the action.

What will happen in the long run?

This is a wide open discussion. The concept of public good is challenged by the search for private benefit. It doesn't matter whether it is software piracy out of China, "free" music downloads to your iPod, or the sharing of electronic media that can be "found" to put on your personal digital assistant (PDA) or Blackberry. The public must become educated in the delineation between public domain and private property. You may argue that once something is in access of the public for an extended time, it becomes public domain, but, pro tempore (in the meantime), people still need a reason to invent, create and design things that are engaging, useful, and attractive for others to want. Afterall, where is capitalism without the ability of the market forces to play out and allow the "promoter" to derive benefit.

As a Systems Integrator and Managed Services Provider (MSP), we have made the business decision to help our clients maintain licensing compliance with their software vendors. We do our best to protect our clients as they acquire business tools in an ongoing basis, to help them comply to avoid potential costly litigation from software companies that may learn of possible non-compliance issues from disgruntled employees or ruthless competitors. Given the penalties levied against those that disregard such infringements, we would rather help our clients spend a little now to be safe rather than lead them on a path that could lead to expense and public embarassment. If you feel that your company may had issues, please feel free to contact us. We can help you review your installed software and make a legitimate effort to clean up what may become a potential liability. We can be reached at (201) 797-5050 or support@tech4now.com. And, as always, if you found this to be a useful or engaging article or if you feel otherwise, we'd love to hear from your. For more information on issues in IT, visit our website at http://www.tech4now.com/.

The Concept Of Privacy In A Modern Context

2010-05-07T21:18:00.013-04:00

I am the youngest of three siblings. Growing up, whenever someone had to make a private phone call, one would announce to the whole household that you did not want to be interrupted, we then went into a room that had a phone, and closed the door. Today, it's much different.

The Differences and their Nuances

Bob Dylan wrote a song in the sixties called "The Times They-Are-A-Changin." The song has become the ballad for change and a warning to those determined to live in the past for they will "sink like a stone." No matter what I may do each day, I am amazed at how quickly technology changes and legislation penned around it grows.

A Slight Tangent

I attended a conference on Thursday in which a panel of experts discussed the concerns, potential, and history of data security and privacy. Why, today, while speaking with my oldest child another aspect of privacy crossed my mind--texting. I asked him, "If you can call someone by telephone at any time and, basically, from anywhere without interruptions, why do you text?" As a person that uses a Blackberry to review e-mail messages while riding as a passenger in a car, I should be more enlightened, but I asked him with an open mind and got an answer that I had not anticipated..."Dad, there are too many times when people around me are listening in on what I may say. If I text someone, I know that others will not be aware of my 'conversation,' nor do I have to seek a quiet location to communicate--it's more private that way."

Okay, so I now have a little more insight into his mindset. Why did I share that with you? As I mentioned, earlier this week, I was at a conference discussing the modern day concerns of privacy. How many newspaper articles have you read in the past few months in which it was discovered that someone stole a list, or lost a computer with a list, or simply had their network breached (and then the list was stolen)? Between the measures taken to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOx), Graham-Leach-Bliley, Personal Credit Information (PCI), Private Identifiable Information (PII), and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), one can get overwhelmed with security and privacy concerns. What can be done?

A Great Concept To Address The Situation

Imagine the position of a lawyer or a doctor. You have a client or patient that you have been communicating with online--there are extensive threads of e-mails that have gone out with private details and confidential information. Perhaps, you have sent a copy of an X-ray or an MRI to another doctor on his/her behalf. During one of your "sends," you inadvertantly click on a wrong addressee, press SEND and off it goes. Some choice four letter words exit your mouth and the thought registers, "How can I UNDO this?"

In most instances, you can't UNLESS you have a special service or mechanism in place. The service would allow you to send the message to your correspondent without actually sending them the content. What exactly does this mean? Think of a visit to a website. You click on a hyperlink and are directed to a controlled URL that not only may restrict your access via password/login, but may control the extent of information that is revealed to you based upon your authentication level. A simple example would be an e-mail is sent to your client/patient. You realized, after the fact, that your diagnosis of the situation was "off" due to incomplete details. You want the client/patient to ignore the message, but you KNOW that it never works that way. As soon as it arrives, the recipient will read the message and become distraught based upon your content. How can you cover your butt? If you had this service, you only need to revoke the message. After you revoke it, the client will not be able to access the content BECAUSE the message is never sent, only VIEWED. The service allows you to break the LINK to the message content, so it is severed the moment you give the command. Pretty cool, eh? (No, I am not a Canadian.)

The other valuable aspect of this service is the fact that you cannot delete the messages, only break the links. So, if under FRCP, you were required to disclose under court order the message originally dispatched or a message relayed to a colleague, there is an audit path. Mind you, it is not something to be taken lightly, you have sent personally identifiable information, so you must take appropriate steps to protect the privacy of those concerned. Can you see how a lawyer, doctor, or financial advisor could benefit from such a product? If you do, please feel free to have them contact us for more information. This is a reasonably priced service that can be implemented in 24 to 48 hours from the moment the order is placed. Based upon the penalties and civil damages that could amount from inadvertant disclosure, any price spent on such a service may be reasonable. This one, however, is well within reason for most. If you would like more information on this subject, please contact us at (201) 797-5050 or fred@tech4now.com. It's better to be safe than sorry!

Concerns Of A Parent With Texting

2010-05-02T18:01:00.014-04:00

A recent Pew Survey revealed that many teenagers between the ages of 16 and 17 are texting behind the wheel. As a matter of fact, the indications from an 800 person survey were about one third! For more information on this report by Amanda Lenhart, see the article on MSN.

Some of the concerns expressed in the article relate the fact that a person texting behind the wheel, regardless of age, is comparable to a drunk in terms of response to outside factors such as a car in front applying its brakes. To add worry, about 48% of teens between the ages of 12 to 17 have been in the car with someone texting. Their take on this activity ranges from worrisome to blasé--some are not phased by it and others will grab the phone from the driver and yell at that person until the driver clearly understands that the passenger has the fullest intent of arriving at the destination ALIVE.

I have a son who recently started driving. He also has texting available to him on his phone. When he sits around the house, it is like living the cartoon strip Zits. He is non-communicative while he engages his textees. Fortunately, I am under the impression that he has enough intelligence AND smarts NOT to text while behind the wheel. Needless to say, if I were to catch him in the act, I would ground him from numerous activities which he holds dear.

You Can Stop Them

If your children seem prone to text and unlikely to study, you CAN take control of the situation without having to remove the phone from their hands. It's as simple as a call to your carrier. Did you know that you can have texting BLOCKED on some or all phones within most plans? That's right, you are empowered as the parent to restrict their communications and be the ogre that they say you are (only when they want something that you say they can't have). Consider it an act of kindness and love.

If the concern of your children (or your significant other) texting while driving isn't enough, there is "Sexting." That's right, another portmanteau for the modern world--obviously, the word combines the word SEX with TEXTING and, voila, you have "Sexting." The word was coined by the Sunday Telegraph Magazine back in 2005. Wikipedia describes the word as follows:

Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, primarily between mobile phones.

Is Sexting limited to teens? Heck, no! People of all ages participate in it. Why there is another survey from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that 4% of cell-owning teens ages 12-17 say they have sent sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images or videos of themselves to someone else via text messaging, a practice also known as “sexting”; 15% say they have received such images of someone they know via text message.
Focus group findings show that sexting occurs most often in one of three scenarios:

Exchanges of images solely between two romantic partners

Exchanges between partners that are then shared outside the relationship

Exchanges between people who are not yet in a relationship, but where often one person hopes to be.

Again, Senior Researcher Specialist and author of the report, Amanda Lenhart points out that “These images are shared as a part of or instead of sexual activity, or as a way of starting or maintaining a relationship with a significant other. And they are also passed along to friends for their entertainment value, as a joke or for fun.”

In many instances, it's the peer pressure and social distortion that has children messaging images and videos of themselves. Some feel they won't be accepted by their friends, some say it's a non-issue. But the fact is that some children after acting impulsively end up regretting it for longer than they could have anticipated. In one case, a girl in catholic school sent a picture to her boyfriend. He, in turn, circulated it throughout his school. It ended up manifesting itself before the school's leadership which then processed her behaviorial problem with extreme response. The girl had to leave the school and has acquired a stigma similar to Hester Prynne (The Scarlet Letter) without having committed such a "heinous crime."

What can you do to prevent this?

I am a parent, but in no way fully accredited to answer this question. My approach would be to discuss the use of texting/sexting with my child. You may not be aware that your child is doing this, so approach gently and be firm when communicating your concern. If you strongly believe that this is happening, you may wish to discuss it with a school counselor to have a general presentation for all in the grade to learn. It's more discreet and less embarassing. It is so important for you to have open lines of communication with your teens (and all your children). You need to inform them and make them aware of the potential risks inherent in use of cell phones (with built-in cameras), issues of privacy, bullying, and personal space. It is also valuable to share with them the concerns of peer pressure and how to contend with it. If you work for a sizable employer, they may have literature available for you through Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) or you may find assistance at your house of worship.

Remember, you want to protect your child(ren) by giving them the assurance that they may come to you to discuss these matters without the worry of reproach or punishment. It is better to embrace your child than to chase your child. If you feel that this was a valuable article, please feel free to provide your feedback to me at fred@tech4now.com. If you wish to see any articles in the future on a particular subject, let us know and we'll do our best to provide content.

The Importance Of Keeping Current

2010-04-24T09:42:00.014-04:00

When it comes to keeping up with the Joneses, some folks will go to great lengths to show off what they've got. But what happens in the world of computers and networking is not the same story.

Help!

In the past few weeks, we have received over a dozen calls from clients and prospects seeking assistance for something that we had advised them about over and over again. You see, we provide our clients with an offering known as HTS Insight Hassle-Free IT. When a client chooses to use our services and opts in to the Hassle-Free IT package, that is exactly what they get...A Hassle-Free IT experience. They do not have to worry about their antivirus or antispam being current, nor do they need to care about Microsoft Updates or optimizing their drives (amongst other things!). They simply use their computers and network, things work, they work better and they get to focus on what they do best, their business.

Why do we mention this now?

Recently, one of our customers contacted us complaining that his computer was very slow. (We differentiate customers from clients the same way some will differentiate between a job done for a customer and an account that employs your services for multiple jobs.) He had a free, home use only, version of antivirus software that had not been maintained on the machine. Unfortunately, he had no one to turn to because it had failed him miserably. His computer had "contracted" the dreaded "Antivirus XP 2010". As it turns out, his system only detected the attack, but could not do anything to resist it.

When we looked at the machine and saw the indications, we told him what would need to be done to address the matter and restore his machine to functionality. He grimaced at the thought of laying out his hard earned dollars to have his business system repaired. I reminded him that the software that he was using had cost him little or nothing to install and protect his system. At the "end of the day," he ended up paying us to repair his system (he was very pleased at how much faster it was), furthermore we had guided him in the purchase of a more robust security application for his computer. He was grateful for what we had done.

The Moral Of The Story...

It's not something that I need to embellish upon, as you have seen, you get what you pay for. By skimping on the wrong items, our customer learned an important and painful lesson about prioritizing where to "vote with his dollars." He has come full circle now. Not only did he purchase a legitimate antivirus package to protect his computer, but he learned that he could improve his computers responsiveness simply by adding memory. Had he not consulted with us, a knowledgeable party, he would never have learned about inexpensive options to enhance his computers performance. His productivity has increased as a result of this. Even better, his ability to make more money has improved. "Gee!" I commented to him after it was all over, was it worth it? Did he save anything by cutting corners? I guess it's not always best to save money or choose the path of lowest price. He still has not engaged us with the Hassle-Free IT offering, but it's only a matter of time before he comes to his senses. I reckon if he doesn't take our advice on implementing a backup, he'll be back eventually, except at that time, he'll really feel the sting. Oh well, penny-wise, pound foolish.

If you would like to learn more about ways to improve upon your computer(s) and network, feel free to contact us. We can be reached at (201) 797-5050 or you may visit our website for more information on ways to get more out of your technology. We look forward to hearing from you. You can call with a question, a need, or even a request to explain a feature in software or hardware in a future blog. Looking forward to your input, we wish you a bright day ahead.

Multitasking And The Impact It Has Upon Your Time Management

2010-04-17T23:23:00.021-04:00

I just returned from a wonderful conference that was held out-of-town. During the presentations, I derived one key, critical point that was a common-thread amongst many of the speakers--work on a single task, once completed, then progress onto the next item.

Why Not Multitask?

One of the speakers was a youthful fellow named Dave Crenshaw. He has done extensive work with clients around the States to help them improve their productivity and regain much of their lost time through the discipline and conditioning of not allowing themselves to multitask. I have typically worked on multiple projects in a concurrent manner and have become frustrated with my discovery that tempus fugit (time flees) if you let it. It was not until he had us perform a simple test that the point hit home. Without divulging his copyright material, we did a simple task, then a second simple task and timed them together. He then had us perform the same two tasks in an alternating manner, again with timing. The results were not only revealing, they were almost tangible.

Certain aspects of service are expected

In my company, we have always made the effort to answer the phone before the third ring. We also have made best efforts to open and respond to e-mail when it arrives. Mr. Crenshaw indicated that the average multitask or "switch" results in about a 3-15 minute recovery time. The same applies to people dropping in to ask you a "Quick Question." All-in-all, he stressed that we lose about 28% of our productivity to "switching." The generalization would have you understand that by multitasking, we lose about one week per month.

Simple chores can be assessed

If you (or your children) spend time on the computer working and IM (Instant Messaging) on a regular basis, then you are losing significant time in your day to productivity-loss. The same can be said for those that are constantly monitoring their e-mail or messaging on FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace or LinkedIn. We are not trying to discourage you from using these forms of media (Web 2.0), we are merely trying to raise your awareness.
To clearly demonstrate to you how you are affected by these activities try the following challenge:

Maintain a small notebook in which you track your activities in detail.

Try to categorize the activities at the end of the day.

Assess the time spent on your distinct categories. Note any gaps in time.

Total the time that you spent on each activity--observe if you worked through or had interruptions.

Consider the time spent. Should the activity take the amount of time you spent on it OR would it take less time if it were done with a singular focus?

If you track your progress using this method, you might notice that you are losing valuable time in frivolous ways. Now, consider breaking out the activities on the next day into time pockets. Rather than have your assistant "pop-in" frequently to get simple answers...what would happen if you gave that person your undivided attention two to three times a day for ten minutes at a time? Would that person recognize that it is not necessary to interrupt your thought process on a regular basis and begin to retain questions for a "session"?

Envision the time that you will save...

Tasks as mundane as labelling folders and throwing out trash can transform your day. All you need to do is focus on your task at hand and finish it. Don't multitask, it will only eat away at your productivity. Do you ever speak with clients, make suggestions or commitments and forget about them? That is a major killer of relationships. What would happen if you simply jotted down the task in either a small notebook or Outlook? Could you effectively recall the details if they are written down or even dictated into your phone?

Everyday, people succeed and fail. You must determine which one you want to become. By following such "rules," you may begin to condition yourself to act in a certain manner. Eventually, these conditionings will become habits and your benefits will grow at an incredible rate. It's only as simple as envisioning the result and determining what must be done for it to occur.

If you have found this helpful, feel free to let us know at support@tech4now.com. We'd love to hear your feedback. If you wish to improve your business' productivity levels, kindly contact us at (201) 797-5050 or visit our website at http://www.tech4now.com/. We can provide you with the tools you need to offload your technology worries and give you the opportunity to focus on what you do best to make more money. As the expression goes, "You can't manage time, you can only manage yourself."

Moving Your Office Doesn't Have To Be Painful

2010-04-10T23:20:00.053-04:00

As the economy plays out, some businesses have come to the determination that they need to relocate offices--some to expand, some to downsize. Either way, when that time may arrive, you do not need to have a painful experience.

Our company recently conducted a move for a small business that, rather than consult with us before moving, effected the change on their own. Mind you, I'm not saying that you cannot perform your own moves; I am simply suggesting that you should get input from your accountant, attorney, IT Support and other important advisors prior to effecting such a business-altering commitment.

Inasmuch as we are from the IT Support-side, we will refrain from offering financial or legal advice (Our accountant and lawyer told us to say this!). However, we still encourage you to approach them well in advance to glean any benefits--sometimes, if you do take certain steps, they may qualify your organization for certain tax benefits or government "subsidies"/breaks.

Now, to our focus: The Technology aspect of your change.

The impact that computers and telephony have on a small business are, often, more far-reaching than the business owner tends to recognize. In the move in reference, the move's arrangements were made in a short period of time. During the "transition," we were not approached to help the client address the potential downsides of technology shortcomings, so when the move was completed and we were contacted to help "restore the office," phones were not available and Internet was not available. Furthermore, the capacity of the office was significantly affected by the limited number of computers that could be put into production prior to the "return to the first work week."

Let's consider the aspects that were involved in this move:
[not necessarily listed in order of importance]

Phones - The company is heavily interactive with their clientele. Multiple appointments occur on a daily basis. Bidirectional communication is critical to the success of their daily operations. If the phone company/provider is not contacted in a timely manner ahead of time, delivery of service may be delayed. The inclusion of phones in your plans is critical to business continuity in almost every instance. Don't overlook this detail.

Computers - Appointments and Contacts are maintained electronically as are client records. Due to certain mandated privacy concerns in this industry, anything that is printed out must be accounted for. The submission of work performed MUST be delivered electronically, so the absence of computers represents the potential absence of income.

Internet - ISPs (Internet Service Providers) come in different flavors - Cable, Phone, and Private companies deliver Internet Access to their clients over varied media. If you move to a new location, your service may/may not qualify for transfer under the auspices of the same ISP. Often, the phones and Internet access are related; by tracking the service of one, you will usually be able to maintain the other.

Movers - Dependent upon the size of your office, will you or a private mover be relocating your "jostle-sensitive" equipment? Will it be safe and dry before, during, and after the move? Will your equipment be stowed for any length of time, if so, will it be in a secure facility? Last, but not least, make sure that the delivery of the equipment is timed to allow you the ability to set it up promptly, yet won't be likely to delay the process of the move. It might be useful to label the equipment boxes with brightly colored labels or have the equipment stored in an alternate location for faster access.

Facility - Your new location may require modification to enable the use of phones and computers in your preferred layout. Coordination of work by electricians, architects, building contractors, movers, and other service providers is critical to avoiding the classic result of "Our power, phone and network connections are located behind the large filing cabinet." Some moves may provide pre-set facilities. If that is the situation, try to make a floor plan to maintain access to those jacks and plugs. If you have the ability to layout your floorplan for a build-out, then you will have greater flexibility and will be able to use your resources more effectively.

Timing - Not all moves can be setup and coordinated when the "Season" is slow or the staff is low. Whenever possible, you should time the move at the moment of least impact.

Notification - Although related to Timing, this should be considered like a project and planning should be carefully reviewed. Amongst the peripheral items affected are mail, e-mail, and change of location incorporated into meetings with your clientele, deliveries from your suppliers, as well as changes to your collateral material including stationery, business cards and website. If you wish to retain your phone number, check with your carrier to determine whether "portability" applies. You may need to make arrangements for a new number depending upon where you are relocated.

Regulations - Eventhough it would be fundamental to your location's selection prior to any first step, certain municipalities impose zoning laws upon parts of the community to maintain a pleasant and cleaner environment for its residents. If your business is not allowed to operate in a particular location, that location then becomes unacceptable. If it is a highly prized location, you may need to go the extra mile and apply for a variance.

Budget - If you cannot allocate funds for this move, you will find yourself at a clear disadvantage--your costs may overrun what you can afford OR you may skimp on certain phases of the move where you should have spent more. Knowing how much you can spend on this move from the onset can significantly affect the end result of your transition--both in terms of your business' and your own physical impact (e.g., muscle aches, bruises or falls).

Preparedness Is Key - Is It S.M.A.R.T.?

Setting up a project schedule will add to the bottom line. It will provide you with important contact numbers printed out for all to access, lines of command and points of responsibility, as well as a timeline to show you WHAT must be done WHEN. Remember, sequence plays an important part in the success of your move. You can make the outline in Word, Excel, or Project, if you want to have flexibility (and have some computer savvy), you may have someone in your organization perform this function or you may hire someone, but the most critical aspect of this phase is that you have it WRITTEN OUT so you may have the hard copy to review either on your own or with others.

S.M.A.R.T. is a popular mnemonic used by anyone that needs to achieve goal-oriented results.

S - Specific. Have you clearly identified each component that you wish to work with?
M - Measurable. Is there a way that you may "count" what needs to be done or has been accomplished?
A - Attainable. Can your objective be achieved given present constraints?
R - Realistic. Is your timeline too optimistic or should it be adjusted?
T - Trackable. Will you be able to determine what is pending and was completed?

Please realize this is not a complete list of items that you need to consider when preparing a move, but it should give you a framework by which you will be able to formulate your own plan. One procedure should ALWAYS be performed PRIOR to any move: BACKUP and VERIFY, then STORE the datastore separately from the equipment. Planning will directly contribute to your success with the move. For more details on the items you need to focus on, feel free to contact us at support@tech4now.com or call us at (201) 797-5050. As always, if you have a question regarding technology or how to enable a feature with your software or hardware, we are there for you. To access our growing library of free information, please visit our homepage at http://www.tech4now.com/.

The Sun Is Shining, It's Springtime!!

2010-04-03T20:21:00.018-04:00

Now that the good weather has returned (and BOY, is it welcome!), we turn our attention to the outdoors. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the spring green foliage and flowers are in bloom. Cutting the grass is now your weekend activity until you have to rake the leaves. What do you mean?! You're too busy and don't have time to do yard work?

Enter the Landscapers and Lawn Care People

For a small fee, every week, you can have the people with the right equipment come to your home, ride the mower, edge your sidewalk, and shape your shrubbery (or topiary, perhaps?). Ok, maybe you're paying a little more than a small fee, but it's worth it, isn't it?! Just think, you can focus on enjoying your home without the hassle of laboring in the hot sun. You can relish in the beauty of your garden (that others have toiled over), and you can smell the sweet smell of the flowers blooming in your weed-free garden. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, now, that's the life.

So, how uncommon is it for someone to pay $150 for a spring cleanup? $50 for Weekly Maintenance Job: Cut Lawn, Edge Walks & Beds, Blow Clean; Perhaps, $150 for Core Aeration and Seeding. If you live in the New York metropolitan area, these may be the prices that you are paying. The big question is do you see the value? Do you even know what some of these items truly represent in terms of enhancing your property value or your home's curb appeal?

How About Lawn Maintenance for Your Computer Network?

Imagine describing the act of defragmenting a computer, running a series of daily performance checks, regularly checking the nightly backup, clearing caches to free up diskspace, and reviewing the event logs of each system for unusual activity. Now, try to assess the value. Does it mean your company's network will function flawlessly with little or no downtime? Does it mean your staff's productivity will remain at its highest inasmuch as all computers are optimized? Does it mean that none of your data is lost due to drive failure or lack of contingency planning? Well, do you see the value now?!

With the extended capabilities of the Internet, Computer Technicians are now able to maintain and monitor your computers for issues before you may even be aware that they exist. New software programs install monitoring agents that "keep an eye" on the systems for you. If something happens that is out of the ordinary, the system will note it and either address it by automatically remediating it or escalating the issue for human intervention.

Like I said, Lawn Care for your computers. If you would like to focus on your business and leave the worrying to someone else for a fixed monthly fee that you can budget for, feel free to contact us at (201) 797-5050 or e-mail us at support@tech4now.com. We'll get back to you and get you on the road to a Worry-Free, Hassle-Free business model that you can really work with--We're Holzsager Technology Services and We Guarantee It!

Keeping Safe Online and Avoiding Identity Theft

2010-03-27T22:07:00.032-04:00

It's one of the most prevalent issues of our day--Identity Theft. It comes in numerous forms: Keyboard Loggers, Phishing Scams, Trojans, photocopies, and phone calls. What is the best way to avoid becoming a victim? Common Sense. After that, a good antivirus/antispam, firewall, and cross-cut shredder can help a great deal, too! These tools may not be enough though.

What is this all about?!

Living in the "Electronic Age" allows consumers to effect transactions without place--You can order a book online as well as in a bookstore. If you purchase the book in the bookstore, the cashier will typically swipe your card. If the card is valid, you effect payment and walk out with your purchase. But, if the card is reported stolen or counterfeit, not only will the salesperson deny the transaction, the perpetrator will often be readily subject to arrest for theft or felony. Given a modern electronic "twist", the same person could conduct the same transaction ONLINE in the comfort of his/her own home thousands of miles away from the actual storefront and never be questioned.

"How is this possible?" you may wonder...

Unless the credit card being used has been reported as lost or stolen, the transaction is likely to go through because a photo copy of a credit card or a carbon paper image may retain enough of the critical details required for a transaction to be processed and honored by the credit card companies. A store may have the mantra, "Know your customer", but it is a rare occasion when a store owner is blessed with the ability to truly know all of his/her customers. If you had such a limited number clients, you would be hard pressed to stay in business in today's economy.

So, the perp has provided the credit card type (e.g.,VISA), the expiration date, even the magic number on the back (Security Code: Amex CID or Visa, MC or Discover CVV2). This number is not in the magnetic strip or printed on the front, so both sides of the card would need to be photocopied. All the perp needs now is your name, address and phone number and...Voila... an executed transaction!

If the thief intends to have an item delivered, the task becomes more involved, but for online deliverable items such as iTunes downloads or genealogical searches (often used for more extensive scamming purposes (e.g., to acquire Social Security Numbers or place of birth or Mother's Maiden Name)), the person does not need to receive a tangible item. If it is a bank card, then the exposure grows faster because money may be withdrawn from an ATM or other location. A common feature at most ATMs is the presence of video cameras, but their benefit may often be discounted due to disguises, bulky clothing, smudged lenses or other factors.

My Goodness!!! This is a very frustrating scenario. What can be done?

If you know or believe that you credit card or bank card has been compromised in any way, contact your credit card company or bank and have a fraud alert placed through the credit reporting companies. The sooner you act, the greater the chance of minimizing the potential damage from Identity Theft. A single call to any of the three will initiate a free 90-day alert. Once you have placed the alert, you are entitled to free copies of your credit reports. Review the reports carefully, look for inquiries from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts on your account that you can't explain.

The contact information for the Credit Reporting companies is...

TransUnion: http://www.transunion.com/ (800) 680-7289

Experian: http://www.experian.com/ (888) EXPERIAN (397-3742)

Equifax: http://www.equifax.com/ (800) 525-6285

Let them know that the card may be lost or stolen and have them issue you a new card. Follow-up on the call with a letter--put it in writing to preserve your rights (keep a copy) and create an audit trail. For more details on what is expected of you to limit your liability, read the terms and conditions associated with the cards that you use. If you use a credit card protection service, contact them immediately. They would then act in your proxy to contact the card issuers and cancel the cards.

Not using a credit card protection service?
Call the security or fraud departments of each company where an account was opened or changed without your okay.

You should close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.

File a Police Report with local law enforcement officials. This is an essential step in claiming your rights.

Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission online, by phone, or by mail.

When you speak with someone on the phone regarding these matters, keep copies of documents and records of your conversations, so you may follow-up in writing with copies of supporting documents. For a full, detailed explanation of what you need to do (from the Federal Trade Commission), visit Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft.

An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A Pound Of Cure

Keeping yourself from becoming a victim is a process of education. By becoming knowledgeable in factors affecting your online and offline safety, you can, hopefully, avoid the inconvenience associated with ID Theft. Another comprehensive resource is www.ftc.gov/idtheft. There, you may read articles, watch videos and link to other sites that will inform you and educate you to become a wiser consumer. Not all ID Theft happens online, you need to know more to protect yourself and your loved ones. If you would like to learn more about concerns of modern day life or computer use, feel free to follow us on this blog or visit our website for newletters and articles related to technology's risks and benefits.

In The Aftermath Of A Storm, Lessons Learned

2010-03-20T10:19:00.021-04:00

Flashlights, batteries, matches, candles, water and blankets are typically the most critical items for you to have on hand in the event a storm hits like the one last week (especially in cold or cooler weather). But there were other events that happened during the week after the storm which gave light to other needs.

Keeping your business afloat

The storm had knocked down trees and power lines, this caused power outages across the region. If you are at home and the TV shuts off, it's nothing major; however, if you have a business that is active and running when the lights go out, what are the ramifications?

If you have a server and workstations, you will want them to have their own uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). The UPS is, effectively, a battery that sits between your wall outlet and your powered device. Having a UPS not only provides the computers with steady power delivered by the battery, it also filters the power and limits the likelihood of spikes and drops to your machine. For a simple diagram of how a UPS works, please see Wikipedia.

Where do I need to install a UPS?

If you consider most of your network is dependent upon power, you will realize that it is a good idea to have a UPS for each critical workstation and, especially, for the server. It is also smart to have a UPS attached to your network equipment (DSL/Cable modem, FiOS router, routers and switches) inasmuch as these deliver the connectivity to your machines.

Imagine yourself working on an important document for your organization. The file is normally saved on the server, so that is where the application (word processor or spreadsheet) typically saves the temporary files. If power is lost, the connection to the server is severed and the changes to your document (recent edits) since the last save may be lost, too! (Word has a recover document function that should allow you to recover the document in this instance, but who wants to risk it?)

What about lights, heat and air conditioning?

Decisions are always being made in terms of opportunity cost. Recognizing the value placed on everything we do is what we do. If you decide to take a walk at lunchtime, then you cannot work on a document in the office--they are mutually exclusive. Monies spent on heat and A/C could readily be spent on something else for the equivalent money...Mind you, if you have a landlord that does not give you heat, water or other amenities (regularly), then that's a different issue!

If no one is in the office when the outage occurs, What does the UPS do then?

Power flows constantly to computers and network equipment. If you GO GREEN, then you may have the machines shut down and automatically power up at a certain time. If you have Wake On LAN enabled, your workstation may be able to be shutdown and powered up via its network card. Regardless of which initiative you may be using, the UPS delivers constant, filtered power to your devices. The other feature that is critical to note is that they also monitor the power going to the battery. In the event of an outage, you can set the device to keep the computer running for five minutes on battery, then perform an unattended automatic shutdown. You can even program the UPS to either leave the machine off when power returns or allow it to boot (start up). The same holds true for a server or other device that has the ability to communicate via serial or USB cables.

What else should we be considering?

Power is such a critical aspect to the modern workplace. But, what if the workplace is affected adversely and you cannot return to it (due to a flood or fallen tree)? Having a contingency plan in place is important no matter where you are located. If you live in the West, there are earthquakes and mudslides; the MidWest has tornadoes, the South has hurricanes and other parts have blizzards. Last week, we had what is referred to as a Nor'Easter. The result had some homes destroyed, people homeless and trees uprooted. How did it affect YOUR business? Power outages were not as widespread as August 2003, but they were substantial. Depending upon where you were located, your outage may have lasted 24 hours and only occurred over the weekend OR you had an outage until Wednesday or Thursday and had to scramble to run your business from a different location or on a gas-powered generator.

Some other business contingencies...

Form and function go with business, so does communication. If you lost power and did not have the ability to reroute your phones, then that is a serious detail to review. Furthermore, if your staff was unable to communicate via e-mail (whether Outlook or webmail), you can be sure that it created a hardship. Last, but not least, if you lost access to your server and could not relocate, you felt the sting, as well. Did you have a good recent backup of all of your data? Could you restore your server or access the data on the machine in a few hours if you had to rebuild it? Could your server's image be virtualized to restore its functionality? If you answered "No" to the previous questions and/or would like assistance in developing a business contingency / disaster recovery plan, feel free to contact us. We can help you evaluate your needs and options to determine a viable foundation for your business to survive the storm. For more information on how to get started, please visit our website at http://www.tech4now.com/ or call us at (201) 797-5050. It is our mission to help small businesses to operate optimally with the least amount of pain and expense. For more information on a general business contingency, feel free to read our recent blog article "First Came the Rain, Then the Wind. Now, There's NO POWER!"

First Came The Rain, Then The Wind. Now, There's No Power!

2010-03-14T16:06:00.039-04:00

This weekend was clearly one that will be remembered in NJ, NY, Pennsylvania and Connecticut for a long while. The storm left over a million without power at one point and has left 92,000 in Bergen County without power (according to PSE&G). We had a storm that had 70mph winds. It knocked down trees, which fell and, in turn, knocked down powerlines. There were fatalities and there is significant collateral damage.

So, How Did You Fare?

If you were amongst the fortunate ones that went unscathed, count your blessings. Unfortunately, for many, returning back to the 1800's in terms of power and light was quite a wake-up call. If you are a Verizon customer and have an old fashioned phone (the device gets its power from the phone wire), then you would still have had a phone line available for use. However, if you were one of those who had transitioned over to Cablevision, then you are dependent upon having an additional source of power and you grew quickly dependent upon your mobile phones. Let's hope that they were well charged before the power went out, otherwise, you were "cut off from the rest of the world." This is a serious concern for senior citizens and those requiring home health assistance.

But What About Businesses?!

If you have a business in an affected area, then, hopefully, you can activate your Disaster Recovery Plan. What?! You don't have one? Why not?

A Disaster Recovery (D/R) Plan helps you to outline to your staff the steps needed to reconstitute your business in the event you have an emergency and you need a work around for a resource that is no longer available. Some businesses have plans for Power, Phones, Computers, Server, Facility and Key Employees. The most important aspect to consider when drafting these plans is how to establish a SYSTEM.

What is a SYSTEM?

A System is a step-by-step procedure carefully written out to describe each and every step required for the business to continue in the event a resource becomes unavailable. A system may also be something that you develop for your regular day-to-day operations. Either way, it is critical to have a plan in place to identify the steps required for the business to operate (a.k.a., Standard Operating Procedures or SOP). Some call it Business Contingency, others call it a D/R Plan.

How Do We Create One?

A D/R Plan should be drafted by more than one person. All to often, one person will write up a list of to-dos based upon their perspective and leave others in the dark. By planning together, you can "mastermind" the steps needed by all involved to recover and maintain a viable business. For some businesses, this is too much to devise, so they outsource the task to consultants. Most consultants that do this will provide the client with a punch-list of items to describe in depth in order to create such a plan. The considerations should include:

Venue- Can work continue in the normal place of business?
This can include heat, air conditioning, light, police action, fire or flood. Do you have an arrangement with a friendly office in the vicinity that may allow you to share resources temporarily? If your server and Internet are still up, but you are not allowed into the office, can your employees work remotely?

Power - If there is a power outage, can business continue without interruption?
This may occur due to downed powerlines or regional power overloads. Can you set up your operation elsewhere in a location that DOES have power? Would it make sense to install a power generator onsite for contingency? [Do you remember August 14, 2003?]

Communications - If you lose e-Mail or Phone Lines, can work proceed normally?
This may be due to issues with your Internet Service Provider (ISP), power/phone lines down or e-mail server issues. You may also be the target of a Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack. Can your employees work from their homes and run the office virtually by accessing mail via a web portal?

Key Player - If the Boss or Supervisor is impaired or unavailable, does the staff know what to do?
Something critical may happen while a pivotal employee is on vacation, sick or out of the office. Are the tasks performed by that person of such a priviliged nature that no one else in the organization will know what to do?

Server/Computers - If you lose Internet or access to data, how will you recover?
If you have a black- or brown-out, devastating virus attack, sabotage or fire, then your server or Local Area Network (LAN) may become inaccessible. How do you recover? Do you have a redundant server offsite or can the server be recovered from a backup copy stored offsite? How recently was the copy made? [How often do you backup to an offsite secure location?]

Implementation - If the D/R Plan needs to be activated, do you have a contact list in place to make it happen?
Decide beforehand who will contact whom, when it needs to be done, how to "declare" and "call off" the emergency.

The items described above are the "Tip of the Iceberg." If you are experiencing an outage today and are unable to access your server or will be impositioned for a few days during a critical period in your production cycle, then you are more than likely to take the steps necessary to address this concern. There is an old adage that goes "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail." Don't let this experience be a negative one from all aspects. Learn from your pain and start the process of documenting what needs to be done, by whom and when. If you need assistance in identifying the steps or wish to have us assist you in drafting a plan, feel free to contact us at support@tech4now.com. We can direct you in assessing your dependencies, remediating your shortcomings and outlining a process to keep your business from becoming a statistic.

To quote George Santayana: "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Turn this experience into a valuable lesson that makes the difference. If you would like to learn more about technology or gain valuable lessons that may help you with your business, feel free to visit our website or our blog on a regular basis, you won't be disappointed.

How Did All Of Those People Get My eMail Address?!

2010-03-06T09:51:00.015-05:00

I stopped in one day at a nice little restaurant near a client to grab a bite. It was located in a central area, close to both offices and industry. Since the place was recommended to me, I anticipated a nice treat. The treat that I got surpassed my expectations by a long shot!

As it turned out, I had left my business card in one of the posting boards near their front door. It is not unusual for smaller establishments to have this to enable their patrons to benefit from each other. I happen to think it's a great way for the eateries to provide added value.

Faster. Better. Cheaper.

This restaurant (which shall remain nameless) used to practice the art of "blastfax". Every day, the chef would advise the owner what he would prepare and feature the following day on the menu. Each night, the owner created a menu list, one page in length, and would fax it out to all of the patrons that provided business cards. There is an understanding in business that if you give someone your business card, you are effectively stating, "Here is my contact information. You may send information that you feel is of interest to me when you see it." The fact is, a business card is not carte blanche for another to send you mail. In fact, best practices would have you announce or request your intent to correspond regularly via fax, phone and e-mail prior to starting any campaign.

This restaurant owner decided that if people could post their cards in the restaurant, that it implied the right to send faxes and other messages without further petition. Apparently, one of the patrons suggested to the owner rather than send the faxes, which waste of paper and resources, to use e-mail . Unfortunately, the first time that owner sent the e-mail, instead of sending them individually or using a BCC (blind carbon copy), all recipients received the menu via e-mail as TO: recipients. Needless to say, all of the names that were contacted then became public domain as far as direct contacts are concerned. We, of course, harvested and acted upon the windfall of direct contacts.

A Lesson Was Learned

Strange as it may seem, the next day, we received another e-mail from the same establishment, but this time, we were listed as BCC recipients and the list was as long as the sender's name only. I guess it became clear in an instant what the collateral damage was from the effect of sending out every one's name.

It doesn't happen all too often nowadays, but whenever an e-mail addressee hits the Reply All or sends to a lengthy list without discreetly masking all those being contacted, a new level of overexposure occurs and confidentiality is compromised.

The point that we want to make here (from a personal, real life example) is that you must be sure that you want to release all of the names in an e-mail if it is sent to a large group. If you do not, use BCC. I have attended meetings where the invitees have hit REPLY ALL and advised the entire group that they can or cannot attend. Inasmuch as the meeting's attendance is not based upon consensus, it exhibits a degree of poor judgment on the respondent's part to respond in that manner.

The Overall Effects Of Disclosed Mailing Lists

The Reply All button should be used with discretion or not at all. If a mailing is done internally to an office, not necessarily an organization, using Reply All may be acceptable. It should be published within the company's Acceptable Use Policy as to its conditions for use. However, when a message is sent outside of the company's domain (e.g., yourname@domain.com), one should seriously reconsider this as an option. The ramification of disclosing that many private e-mail addresses can never result in an optimal outcome.

What have you learned?

If you want to do e-mail marketing, you must be resourceful. If you want to confirm your plans to attend a meeting discretion is advised. Hopefully, these examples have enlightened you on some of the caveats of using the Reply All option and/or sending to a large list in a public manner. If you have questions pertaining to this subject or to any other technology issues, please feel free to contact us at support@tech4now.com or visit our website for more resources to inform and educate you on improving your computer experience.

Boss, I Can't Come In Today On Account Of The Weather

2010-02-27T20:14:00.027-05:00

As the snow has been accumulating outside and the roads become treacherous, businesses, both large and small, must contend with the issue of staff absenteeism. What is one to do?

Seasonal Trivia: Did you know that February 2010 has had the most snow on record for NYC since the late 1800's according New York City's Central Park Weather Station statistics?

Fortunately, with the advent of technology touching the lives of most global inhabitants, storms, floods and babysitting are losing their impact as reasons not to work. People are doing more telecommuting and work from home than ever before. As a matter of fact, that is what has spawned many industries, both domestically and abroad.

So, you are a small business owner. You have a staff of ten. There is a hurricane or nor'easter coming your way. The building is in an area of town that is relatively inaccessible due to the climate change, yet there is still power to the buildings. How do you manage to keep your operations running in spite of the elements?

The answer lies in your ability to manage remote access and remote control to your office. There are a plethora of products that provide the potential to produce and perform.

What is a Virtual Private Network?

If your office is comprised of mostly standalone workstations, you may be able to use a VPN (virtual private network) that connects to the office LAN (local area network) through the firewall. This is an option that is not common with smaller firms, but is clearly a viable option. The concept of VPN is the method by which you connect from a remote network to your office through a secure "tunnel". The tunnel is actually a continuous link which has been established using certain software and protocols to connect you from one computer to another (often via a firewall device) to provide authentication. Gee! That's an awful lot of jargon. Let's put it in plain English....your computer uses a program which asks you for a username and password. It then connects via the Internet (or modem) to another location where your name and password are compared to the guest list. If you are an honored guest, you will be given access; otherwise, you are persona non gratia (not welcome). Yes, I did say plain ENGLISH...sorry!

Let Me Speak With The Gatekeeper...

The firewall used in the VPN is a part of the picture. Some folks like to use special software such as LogMeIn, pcAnywhere, GoToMyPC, VNC or, even, HTS Insight remote control! The way these software work (with the exception of pcAnywhere) is as follows:

You have an agent on the computer that you want to work on. We'll call this the HOST. The host is always running. The software has an agent that is resident on the host that constantly polls a second computer and is ready to respond when you come knocking.

The second computer is the computer that authenticates on behalf of the host machine. To keep things simple, let's refer to the intermediary machine as the GATEKEEPER. The gatekeeper may have a Pre-Shared Key or another code to enable the HOST to know that it can be trusted. This allows for secure communications to occur between the two.

The end user that wants to connect to the host is the REMOTE machine. The remote machine sends the username and password to the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper has a list (database) that allows it to determine who has what rights on which hosts based upon their credentials. Once the remote is authenticated by the gatekeeper, it is connected to the host via a secure protocol (PPTP or L2TP) using an agreed encryption method. In other words, the connection is established in a manner that inhibits interception and interruption.

I'm having too much fun with alliteration today.

Once the user is passed through to the HOST computer, he/she may use it with the screen locked or open. As a security precaution, we encourage the locked screen approach, it reduces eavesdropping and enhances privacy. The aforementioned products may be offered to end users for free or on a monthly subscription.

As mentioned earlier, pcAnywhere is different inasmuch as it typically does not use the gatekeeper. Instead, its authentication methods are preplanned and prearranged by the one setting up both endpoints. This keeps it simple. The exception to its simplicity is the modification of the listening ports on the firewall. If the port on the router is not open, it does not matter how well the planning was, it won't work. The other differentiating aspect of pcAnywhere is the fact that it is a one time payment for the software thereafter, the usage is unlimited. If you would like an extensive comparison chart of remote control desktop software, please click here.

For those that have their own businesses and are using a server, your options just increased tremendously. If we state that you have lots of cash, then the Citrix Server and Terminal Server may come into the picture. These servers are actually NOT remote control, but remote access. The difference being that you are not commandeering a computer and making it unavailable for a person on-site to use it; instead, you are connecting to a virtual machine hosted on the Terminal Server. The server emulates and provides the equivalent of a desktop to the user. The user may connect using a web browser and the session may provide a full complement of applications, including Line-of-Business programs. If you are hosting this at your office, then we refer to it as a Terminal Server or Citrix Server (to name a few). If it is hosted by a vendor, it is often referred to as an ASP (Application Service Provider). This practice is quite popular in the Insurance industry.

Let's presume that you are not the Daddy Warbucks of the industry, but you are larger than the small office with a peer-to-peer (P2P) network--you have a Microsoft Windows 2003 or 2008 Small Business Server (SBS). Did you know that you already possess the ability to share your workstations with your employees remotely via Remote Web Workplace (RWW)? RWW uses Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect your browser session to the server. The server then allows you to gain access to the machines to which you are enabled for remote control. The nice thing about RWW is that it will automatically lock the screen of the desktop for security. Not only do you get RWW with SBS, you get Outlook Web Access (OWA) and, with SBS2008, Outlook Anywhere (giving the remote user the ability to use Outlook on their desktop to manipulate their mailbox resident on the Exchange/SBS server in the office. Let's put it this way, it works almost transparently for the user and it makes life easy. What more could you ask for?! Sure, a government subsidy would be nice, but we're not megalithic banks, so we don't qualify.

Last, but not least, I wanted to mention HTS Insight Remote Access. Our remote access product is included free with most of our service plans. If you would like more information on Remote Access methods, whether amongst those listed above or our offering, please feel free to contact us at support@tech4now.com or call (201) 797-5050. We would love to be of service or get your feedback on our sites. Enjoy the snow!

How To Keep Your Line-Of-Business From Going South

2010-02-20T19:55:00.039-05:00

When was the last time you backed up your server or primary workstations that store your business's critical data--Today, Yesterday, Last Week?

Surprise!! That was a trick question. Say you did back it up. The pivotal follow-up question is... When was the last time you tested its integrity by performing a restore of either the entire machine or randomly selected data? Now, that's a key thought to carry with you when you go home and think "All of my ducks are in order and life is good!"

As a general best practice, our clients benefit from our testing their data on a regular basis to verify that it is viable data. How often do you test your backup? Now-a-days, many small businesses consider themselves either too small to conduct a backup/test restore or too busy to do it. We carry the thought that anything worth doing is worth doing right. You've worked so hard to develop a successful business, why risk it now by not backing it up?

One of the issues that many small businesses fail to recognize or address is the fact that they are susceptible to fires, sabotage, thefts, floods and other factors that may restrict access to your primary place of business. What options do you have if your server is stolen, a fire wipes out your office building or a storm or plumbing issues cause you to lose access to your workplace. How does your business continue? What do you have in place for contingency?

Our clients tend to use four types of backups:

NOTE: The first three options rely heavily upon high speed Internet to be successful.

Online Backup Only - We use a vendor called iBackup. iBackup has two flavors- iBackup and iBackup Professional. The main difference is that the iBackup Pro comes complete with the ability to support a server and backup its System State, Exchange Server and SQL Server. The other iBackup is a "barebones" version that is primarily targeted to the standalone workstation. The beauty of this backup is that it will not only send you a confirmation of the files that it has protected, but it will replicate these files to two (2) locations for redundancy.

Local and Offsite Image - As part of our HTS Insight offerings, we provide a backup that allows users to have their machine backed up onsite to either a designated workstation or an external hard drive (either a NAS (Network Attached Storage) or a USB drive). This is a good backup that allows for an encrypted offsite backup which we test regularly. The highlight of this solution is that should you need to restore the files in a hurry, we have the data stored in a location that can be accessed (and recovered from) in a short and timely manner.

Dedicated Backup Device with Virtualization - We offer a backup device call Viridian that will not only be the centralized backup for your network (it can backup more than one machine), but it encrypts and offsites your backup image. Furthermore, it allows us to "resuscitate" your server or machine virtually in the event that the machine fails. This device not only functions as the backup unit, it also can perform as a surrogate server/workstation virtually--at the same time, it will continue to offsite the data from your production environment including the data processed on the virtual machine. This is the optimal solution inasmuch as it allows us to backup your systems with a frequency as often as once every 15 minutes. If the machine goes down, the backup is usually as current as the past hour at a minimum, furthermore, it can be brought up within a short time to restore functionality and productivity to your office.

Tapes - Long considered the most cost effective way to store your data, backup systems have been run on server (with Desktop and Laptop Options) to store the business's data to tape. Tape provides an inexpensive media upon which to store the data, carry it offsite, and not grow too concerned about it becoming corrupted if dropped.

A Brief Opinion About Tape Media

A new wave of thought has come to the IT industry and it is slowly turning even the hold-outs into converts that tapes are not the best option. Similar to tapes, external drives are coming into the industry's favor. Rather than store data on tape, hard drives (due to their significant drop in price, faster access times and general availability) are now a preferred medium for offsite storage. It has come to the point that newer Server Operating Systems are now integrated with built-in software which no longer supports tapes, but will function cleanly with external/removable drives.

A brief word about removable drives (e.g., Dell RD1000) - although these are considered removable drives (somewhat equivalent to external drives), Microsoft Small Business Server 2008 does not work well with them. If you swap out the RD1000 (or its equivalent from Quantum or HP), you will find that the Windows Backup works fine and reliably backs up both your data and the System State (read Active Directory). Other options such as backups from Symantec, StorageTech, and Acronis continue to work well with many forms of media.

If you any questions about your backup or are interested in any of these offerings, please do not hesitate to contact us at support@tech4now.com or (201) 797-5050. It would be our pleasure to find a solution that fits your needs and your budget. For more information about our company, please visit our site for more information and offerings.

Don't Go Online With Your Pants Around Your Ankles!

2010-02-13T08:55:00.014-05:00

How many times have you gone online to visit a site that you felt should have been secure, but you could not determine if it was?

It's time that you learn about the concept of HyperText Transfer Protocol SECURE (a.k.a., https). HTTP is the standard protocol that most websites have used in the past (e.g., http://www.tech4now.com/). It allows the user to visit a website without any acknowledgement of its authenticity. On occasion, you may come across a website that prompts you for a password or "special code" that you know you don't want compromised...it's at that time that HTTP will not suffice.

HTTP Secure or HTTPS generally means that the connection to the website that you are visiting is employing a secure protocol which combines HTTP and Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security (a.k.a., SSL/TLS). SSL/TLS protocols provide encryption and the secure identification of the server to provide a higher level of confidence that your transaction is legitimate and not fraudulent.

Caveat: It is also possible for a fraudulent transaction to occur over HTTPS inasmuch as the URL (address of the website) may point to an unrelated site. ALWAYS READ THE ADDRESS LINE IN YOUR BROWSER BEFORE EFFECTING ANY ONLINE TRANSACTION.

According to Wikipedia:

"The main idea of HTTPS is to create a secure channel over an insecure network. This ensures reasonable protection from eavesdroppers and man-in-the-middle attacks, provided that adequate cipher suites are used and that the server certificate is verified and trusted.

The trust inherent in HTTPS is based on major certificate authorities which come pre-installed in browser software (this is equivalent to saying "I trust certificate authority (e.g. VeriSign/Microsoft/etc.) to tell me who I should trust"). Therefore an HTTPS connection to a website can be trusted if and only if all of the following are true:

1. The user trusts the certificate authority to vouch only for legitimate websites without misleading names.

2. The website provides a valid certificate (an invalid certificate shows a warning in most browsers), which means it was signed by a trusted authority.

3. The certificate correctly identifies the website (e.g. visiting https://example/ and receiving a certificate for "Example Inc." and not anything else [see above]).

4. Either the intervening hops on the internet are trustworthy, or the user trusts the protocol's encryption layer (TLS or SSL) is unbreakable by an eavesdropper."

Give Me A Sign From Above...

In the past, a browser might indicate that a site was not secure by displaying a "broken lock." Newer browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera will now do more. They are able to show you the lock (which typically represents a secure site) and then some...

Besides checking the "port" (http=80, https=443), there are new addition visuals that are displayed:

If the site uses an Extended Validation Certificate, the address bar of the browser will be displayed in GREEN to indicate your go ahead.

If the site is secure, the browser may also pop-up a new message window to indicate that the site is secure.

Likewise, if the site has a mixture of encrypted and non-encrypted communications, it may display a warning pop-up message in a similar manner.

Some other methods to keep yourself safe online include using a newer operating system, browser, and keeping current antivirus / antispyware / antispam /firewall software. Recent advances from security software companies include the identification of safe sites/trusted sites for you to have just one more opinion to help you discern whether to move forward or not.

NOTE: Anytime you rely upon a software product, you must make sure that you maintain it and keep it current with updates and patches. Some software programs and operating systems also require the application of Service Packs. If you neglect to address these aspects of your computer's security system, you are neglecting your own ability to protect yourself and assume the full responsibility for your potential misfortune.

As frustrating as it may be to consider, there exists the possibility that a site with SSL may be reproduced and displayed to appear secure, so the motto for any surfer that wishes to spend their scratch online is still caveat emptor.

If you have questions about this subject or another listed in a prior post, feel free to contact us via e-mail at support@tech4now.com or go to our website for more insights.

Saving Face When Corresponding With e-Mail

2010-02-06T13:39:00.034-05:00

I Do Love You. I Just Did Not Expect THAT To Happen.

In just a week, lovers, families, and friends will be exchanging kind words and cards to show their adoration for each other. Some will use conventional Valentine's Day cards, flowers, and jewelry; others will choose to manifest their affection electronically using e-cards. It may be considered a newfangled mode of expression, but I think it falls short of the old fashioned method.

In today's hustle and bustle world, certain frivolities have been forsaken, amongst them are the standard greeting cards. Enter the "e-card," a new format for the Hallmarks of the world to market. The greeting card companies may contend that as long as they maintain a presence in the eyes of the consumers, the business may continue. Even if the e-cards are free, their potential revenue stream from banner ads and other promotions still makes the opportunity enticing.

So, you did not have time to buy your "sweetie" a Valentine's Day card. You go online to your preferred e-card site and build a personalized card. Then you enter the "sweethearts" e-mail address and you're good to go, right? In a way, you are and aren't at the same time.

What Actually Happens?...

The recipient of the card receives an e-mail notification that there is an e-card greeting awaiting him/her. All that needs to be done is to click on the embedded link and you will be directed to the site where your card will be presented. It all seems easy enough. That's EXACTLY what the folks that create viruses were thinking, too!

In 2007, the Storm trojan came on the scene and entered with a bang. This aggressive virus was distributed under the guise of an electronic greeting card. The victims received the innocuous message advising them to "click on the link" to view their cards. The subject line of the message often read "You have an e-card from..." to further entice the victim. The most powerful aspect of this was that the cards had been generated by other victims and the names were selected from their contact lists. Here you have received a message from a known contact advising you that there is a greeting for you at a site and there, nestled in the middle of the message is the embedded link. You click the link, get directed to the site and your machine is surreptitiously enlisted into the league of 'Bot computers. See Wikipedia for more details on malicious bots.

How Do I Avoid Becoming A Victim?!

Common sense and a little education will help you a great deal when dealing with risks online. There are a few guidelines that you may wish to follow to avoid becoming a victim.

Trust Your Intuition. If you feel that there is something "off" with the email message, DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK. Instead, hover your mouse cursor over the link to see if it displays the actual link that you will go to. A hyperlink in a message or on a website has at least two parts to it: The displayed information and the actual link address. They DO NOT need to be the same.

FOR DEMONSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY
Below is a link that displays "e-Card Link" as the address, but the actual site you will go to is our website TECH4NOW. Some sites have built-in security measures that inhibit creating the misleading links to legitimate sites. However, if a scammer wanted to e-mail a misleading link, it works as follows:

"e-Card Link"

Above, you see the "e-Card Link" link, either hold your mouse over the link and read the status bar on the bottom of your browser OR right click on the link, select properties and note the actual address listed. You will notice that what you see is NOT what you get.
Make Sure Your Computer Is Up-To-Date With A Current Antivirus Subscription. Many times, end users fall victim to viruses due to complacency. Check your antivirus subscription on occasion to be certain that your machine is protected. It does not matter which antivirus you are using, in general, the key point is to use a reliable, supported, current subscription on ALL of your machines (Macs, too!).
Keep Your System Fully Patched. If you are running a Windows computer, the chances are that your machine is set to automatic updates. If so, you may be covered, if not, you would want to be sure that you have the needed patches applied to your machines by visiting the Microsoft Updates website at http://update.microsoft.com/. There, you may download and install all needed updates. Do not confuse this with http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. That site will ONLY provide updates for Windows. If you are using Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel, Outlook or Powerpoint, you would want to use the Microsoft Update site. It will provide updates for BOTH Windows and the Office Programs.

Caveat: If you are using a computer with less than 1GB of memory (RAM), you may need to perform the updates manually. If you load Internet Explorer 7 or 8 on a machine with under 1GB RAM, the performance may become less than acceptable. You have three options in this case:

i. Deselect the installation of Internet Explorer (IE) 7 or 8 from the selected installation files. This is done by running the scan for updates on the Microsoft website, then unchecking the box next to the IE7 or IE8 when those options appear. If you exclude the initial install from the selections, that should remove the likelihood that it will be accidentally installed.

ii. Inasmuch as many websites are updating their requirements, you may wish to upgrade the machine to run with at least 1GB RAM, if possible. One convenient site to visit is the link on our website that sends you to Crucial. Once on the site, run the Memory Advisor Tool to get the full range of options for your current computer's available upgrade choices.

iii. Upgrade the machine. Most new machines will have adequate memory and appropriate security features in place to reduce your likelihood to get out-of-date.
Consider Enrolling In A Managed Service. Keeping a computer or a network system with multiple systems current and up-to-date is a job in itself. If you are interested in learning how you can do it in a cost-effective and reliable way, we can help. Contact us at (201) 797-5050 to discuss HTS Insight, our offering for remote maintenance and management of your computer and network systems.

What's Next?

It is difficult to foretell what may come out next to infiltrate the perimeters of your computer security. However, if you would like to be on our Virus Notify List, feel free to contact us with your name, business, address, phone, e-mail and other contact information. We can put you on our circulation to advise you when we become aware of a high profile virus threat. We try to keep these mailings to a minimum, so you should not need to be concerned about high frequency mailings. Another option that you have is to follow us on this blog or visit the website for Holzsager Technology Services, LLC. Hopefully, you have read this article in time to prevent you from the expense and embarrassment often associated with the repair of viruses spread by e-cards.

If A Tree Falls In The Forest And No One is There To Hear It...

2010-01-31T00:25:00.043-05:00

Does it make a sound?

It's one of the oldest adages known to man. Now, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is contending with its own polemic. If an Internet Service Provider (ISP) does not provide adequate bandwidth to a third party service provider, is it ethically wrong and, if so, should there be anyone there to police the action?

Have you ever heard the term "Net Neutrality"?

Net Neutrality refers to the flow of data over all networks being impartial. In other words, if you like to watch television shows on the Internet using sites such Hulu and BitTorrent or listen to music, or use a third party product to talk over the 'Net with a service such as Skype or MagicJack...is it appropriate for your ISP to limit the bandwidth that you are allocated on your Internet connection with regard to these services and giving them unfettered amounts of throughput regardless of their bandwidth demands? Even Google has concerns about its ability to maintain its stake in deriving value from the web (including potential commercial advertising opportunities).

So, What Is The Issue?

Imagine yourself as the Phone Company or as the Cable Company, now envision yourself paying for an expensive infrastructure to deliver and charge your clients for your "proprietary" services. Now, an After-market service provider develops a product that allows your clients to exploit a feature that the web provides as long as you have high speed Internet connectivity which is in direct competition with your product offerings. Remember, you provide this speed to your clients. At the same time, you are trying to promote your TRIPLE product (phone, Internet & TV) to these subscribers. Is it ethical for you to exercise total control over delivery of third party services to such a degree that you make their products appear inferior or debilitated when compared to your delivered products?!

Does "The Invisible Hand" Come Into The Picture Here?

If you ever studied economics, you would have heard of Adam Smith and his concept of the Invisible Hand. According to Wikipedia: It was in the the Theory of Moral Sentiments that Smith first referred to the "invisible hand" to describe the apparent benefits to society of people behaving in their own interests. Smith writes (6th ed. p. 350):

... In spite of their natural selfishness and rapacity, though they mean only their own conveniency, though the sole end which they propose ... be the gratification of their own vain and insatiable desires, they divide with the poor the produce of all their improvements. They are led by an invisible hand to make nearly the same distribution of the necessaries of life, which would have been made, had the earth been divided into equal portions among all its inhabitants, and thus without intending it, without knowing it, advance the interest of the society.

In other words, the economy tends to find a balance on its own. Now, we are witnessing the FCC as it seeks a decision from a three (3) judge Federal Appeals Court panel to grant it the the authority to impose its own "Net Neutrality" obligations, in this particular case, upon Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable TV and Internet operator.

What Is At Stake In This Case?

If you are the FCC: Your ability to impose your rulings upon broadband companies may become eroded by a negative finding. Your Primary Concern: How can you maintain your jurisdiction as the communications authority if the Federal Government does not give you adequate support to impose your decisions? Is a 2005 Supreme Court ruling that upheld the FCC's ability to deregulate Internet service enough to carry it though in this case?

If you are Comcast Corp, Verizon or AT&T: You have poured billions of dollars into your network. Your Primary Concern: You want to be able to offer premium services to differentiate yourself from your competition in order to earn a healthy return on your infrastructure investment. You perceive the third party services as parasitic and want to prevent them from stealing your deserved reward for all of your efforts. If you were able to affect the performance of these competitors slightly or altogether, it may be what you need to regain your edge.

If you are Skype, BitTorrent, Magic Jack or Google: You have also invested incredible amounts of cash into the development of your services and products based upon the ability of your users to access unrestricted broadband access. The faster the better. Your Primary Concern: If the FCC loses in this situation, you will face a significant decline in your ability to generate a healthy profit on your deliverables. What alternatives are available and how can you assure that your subscribers get genuine net neutrality from their ISP?

If you are the End User: Limited offerings from limited aftermarket providers may restrict your freedoms and options on the Internet. Your Primary Concern: Will you be able to share files without censorship? Are your rights as a consumer being infringed upon and will this cause you to have limited benefit from the web in the future on account of Big Brother abusing its control over the market?

Years ago, other industries may have chimed in claiming infringement on Intellectual Property, Copyright Law, or outright theft (e.g., the movie/music industries [MPAA or RIAA] vs file sharing sites). This time, the fight is over the FCC imposing what may be seen as a POLICY rather than a LAW or REGULATION--that is the current contention posed by Comcast Corp. The ISPs are concerned, as well, that high bandwidth applications do not monopolize too much of their capacity.

There is no apparent, clear cut, solution to this powderkeg. Groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (in favor) and Free Press (in favor) have entered the ring with their voices regarding Net Neutrality. Given the current wording of the existing policies and regulations, the EFF has expressed concern about a loophole that exists in the wording that may allow the ISPs to impose "copyright enforcement" (perhaps inserted by the lobbying interests) on behalf of the movie and recording industries. This debate may continue for a long time. As in any court matter, once a resolution is reached, we can be sure that NOBODY will be completely satisfied with the decision. We'd like to know what your take is on this. Feel free to submit your feedback on the blog for your opinion to be heard. All we ask is that you keep it civil. For more information in the world of Technology affecting Small Businesses, please visit our blog often. This blog is featured on our website for Holzsager Technology Services, LLC at http://www.tech4now.com/

Some Interesting Details That Have Emerged Thanks To Technology

2010-01-23T22:19:00.012-05:00

This article is not exclusively going to cover technology as you've come to expect it. Today, we will touch upon some changes in the world that reveal some advances that may be attributed to wealth and grow by virtue of technology. The premise for this article relates to the YouTube viral video "Did You Know?" and some of its subsequent versions "Did You Know 4.0?"

These videos offer disturbing "facts" about the future and they postulate theories about the way in which the world will evolve. Some of the items mentioned are true fodder for debate, while other items are pure speculation. The two that are referenced above should not prove offensive to most. However, there is always the possibility that such theories could generate hostilities in some viewers.

The first time I viewed the first video, I sat in my seat and was dumbfounded. I read items and thought WOW! This information is incredible. Later on, while viewing another video, it dawned on me that many people are capable of creating a convincing video filled with fabrications. Some of the "details" mentioned may be documentable, I just wish to stress to those viewing this type of video to take it "with a grain of salt" and question how much is true.

Too many people watch complacently and accept all they see on the Internet as fact. Well, if you view the next in the series of "Did You Know? 5.0," you will see how this is ridiculed by those who fabricate such facts. The motherlode of all sources for facts on the web has become Google with the "Clarifier of dubious details" going to Snopes.

When I grew up, our source for most questions was Mom or Dad. Sometimes, we referenced The World Book encyclopedia or The Guiness Book of World Records. Nowadays, these books have limited circulation in print and are most likely out-of-date by the time that they would go to press. As a result of this, online searches are typically the sources referenced. If you were to review the MLA Handbook (Modern Language Association) for the ways to make reference in a written paper, you will find that there are now adequate methods in place to help you document that fact that you got your information from a site on the web. My, how things have changed!

Well, that's it for my Andy Rooney weekly rant. Hopefully, you were not so turned off by this that you stop visiting our site. In the meantime, please feel free to visit our website at http://www.tech4now.com/ for more Insights for Small Businesses and ways to make your business more productive in this ever changing business landscape.

What Are You Telling Me!? My Backup Is No Good!

2010-01-16T17:00:00.026-05:00

It happens more often that most folks would care to imagine. Companies create backup plans, run a daily or weekly backup and NEVER test the backups to verify that they are viable. With the prices for hard drives dropping as low as they are, there is no excuse for any company NOT to have a backup in place. But, what happens after you have setup the backup?

I Run A Daily Backup And Depend Upon It For My Business Contingency Plan...

Okay, you say you have a Disaster Recovery/Business Contingency Plan, but does your plan include the verification and testing of your actual backup data? You may backup to an external drive or to an offsite backup location, but if you have not tested it on any regular basis...How can you be sure that it will work when you need it?

I have seen a number of clients that have maintained "stringent" attention to their backups, yet have not had the mindset to check their backups in a test mode. It is a simple test to perform a small "litmus" restore just to determine if the files that you have backed up will actually allow you to restore them to the original media.

So, What needs to be done to perform this test?

You have been backing up your data on a regular basis. You have multiple copies of the files in different folders on your external drive (hard disk or tape). Now that you have the backups...

What do you intend to do when your machine's hard drive fails?
Can you restore the files successfully?
Would you be able to restore the full machine image to the machine if the drive went South?
If the machine were stolen and you had to restore to another machine of similar or dissimilar hardware, could this be done?

Truthfully, the answer to that question is ... It Depends.

If you purchased an external drive and it came with a free backup utility, you may have copies of the data stored on it in a proprietary format. Proprietary, in this case, tends to signify that the software from the company selling the drive packaged with the software will not necessarily be portable to the "new" computer to which it needs to be restored. If you purchase a software program independently from the hard drive, you may have a greater chance of performing a clean and successful restore.

Before you perform your restore test, be sure to save your target folder to either a new location or rename its current location.

For example:
RENAME the folder named C:\Data\Business Documents\Legal
to C:\Data\Business Documents\Legal.ORIGINAL
or COPY them to C:\Backup\Data\Business Documents\Legal.

The primary objective is to assure a safe copy of the files on the drive while allowing the backup program to restore the files to their original location.
Open your backup application and perform a restore from the backup device to the computer's hard drive. The files should have the same path and name to truly verify that you have a successful test.
Once the files have been restored, open each of them and confirm that they match your expectations. If you have changed the document since the file was backed up, compare the files to determine if they are cleanly copied.
If your copies don't compare, then you need to reassess the backup configuration and identify what needs to be changed. If the copy was successful, then you have a higher confidence level and may proceed to test it in this fashion moving forward.

As an enhanced variation to the aforementioned restoration process, you may wish to occasionally perform a full restore to a new hard drive in either the same machine or to another machine altogether. By running this test, you may determine if your business contingency plan is flawed or shows integrity. Keep in mind, restoring a single drive to another does not validate a business contingency or disaster recovery plan, it merely confirms that you could replicate the existence of one machine. In the future, consider effecting this test for ALL MACHINES involved in your business INCLUDING SERVERS.

What If You Could Only Restore A Few Files, But Not The Full Contents?...

Your ability to recover from a disaster or failure may be directly correlated to the degree to which you have prepared. As indicated above, some programs will only enable you to restore files, some will enable you to restore systems. The key difference lies in the concern that you have a failed drive. What do you do if you can no longer acquire a replacement computer that was of the same build? Then, what options do you have? How soon do you need the system back and available?

There are software applications that allow you to restore your system to a different computer; these types are often referred to as "Bare Metal Restores" or "Restores to Dissimilar Hardware." Regardless of the term, they allow you to recover in the event you need to adjust to the limited selections available at the time. Sometimes, the limitation is on account to market fluctuation (e.g., new models are available) while other times, it may be due to time limitations (e.g., you need hardware for a replacement server immediately and the older model is simply not available locally).

In addition to this aspect of your restore, you should also be maintaining a copy OFFSITE. Why should one be kept offsite? In the event you have a fire, theft, flood or police action, your access to the office may become restricted and/or power may be unavailable. For a quick example, picture yourself as a business establishment in New Orleans before the impact of Hurricane Katrina. Now, picture your business after Katrina. If all of your business data had been archived onsite, it might have washed away after the first levee breach.

If I Need To Be Better Prepared, What Recommendations Do You Have?

If you plan to maintain the system yourself, there are a number of higher end backup applications from Acronis, StorageCraft and Symantec amongst others. Each has its pros and cons, so we won't go into depth in this blog. Many of these programs have nuances and features that may be beyond generic understanding and are often more reliably applied by a trained professional. Furthermore, there are many service providers including Holzsager Technology Services, LLC that offer managed backup services (both onsite and offsite) for a fixed fee. The advantage to this option is that the provide will not only perform the backups, but will test the viability of the backup on a regular basis.

If you feel that you would like to know more about an automated backup for your business, please feel free to contact us at (201) 797-5050 or visit our website at www.tech4now.com.

If I Choose To Stick With Windows XP Pro, Is It A Flawed Strategy?

2010-01-09T21:49:00.016-05:00

Microsoft has consistently promoted its products and terminated them to rollout a new flavor every number of years. Quite a few of my clients have expressed concern over the pending End of Support date for Windows XP. Afterall, Windows XP has proven to be the most popular operating system on this planet (not that I would know what they may using on Jupiter--it's probably Mac OSX).

When Is Doomsday for Windows XP Going To Fall?

Microsoft has already announced that the End of Support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 will arrive on July 13, 2010. Should you panic? No, particularly since that date is for the SECOND to last Service Pack, not the most recent one, Service Pack 3. If you visit Microsoft's announcement page, you will see Extended Support for Windows XP will retire on April 8, 2014. So, if you were deathly concerned...Relax! As a matter of fact, many end users are still using a number of Microsoft products that have been retired and are not feeling the duress. If you are still using a Windows 2000 Pro or Windows 2000 Server, it is time to consider an upgrade. Whereas, if you are still on Windows 95 or 98SE, it's time to wake up and figure out exactly how long you have been sleeping.

Back To Our Original Question...

So, you and your business have been operating on Windows XP since 2001, you are comfortable with it, all of your applications work on it and all of your older machines can run it without a major hardware overhaul. What's the rush and where's the fire?

Well, then the question that you need to pose is the following...

Can my business currently sustain the cost and inconvenience of a platform change at this juncture in time?

I imagine most will complain loudly and with a resounding "NO!", but here's the catch... If you chose to do it now or later, you will still be likely to perform this undertaking. The big question to ask yourself is How Do I Plan For This Change? Now is the time to discuss the likelihood of new developments with your programmers. It is prime time to communicate your concerns to your staff and recognize where they are in terms of Learning Curve. Maybe it makes sense to rollout some changes in isolated pockets where you can monitor the acceptance level or performance level once the operating system has been upgraded. It is likely that you can "sweeten the pot" for your staff by pointing out the need to give them new computers as part of the deal.

Perhaps, you need to plan an integration path for your business with your support provider. Your provider should be able to share insights with you about the risks and benefits of upgrading and, possibly, changing certain software programs that you currently use (e.g., Microsoft Office 2003 to Office System 2007). The axiom applies : "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail."

Come Up With A Game Plan

Chances are, like most individuals, you do not want to have change shoved down your throat. Change is often connected with growing pain and adjustment, not to mention lost time, so it gets postponed until the last minute. How many of you would wait until the night before a paper was due to actually buckle down and type it? The same mindset may apply, but now is the time to recognize your opportunity to prepare for it and soften the blow.

Contact your Line-of-Business Developers
Like most businesses, specialization occurs within the internal workings of the business. You may have a particular CRM (Client Relationship Manangement) program that you use, or an Office/Practice Management program that you and your staff depend on. Perhaps, you are an accountant and use a special group of tax programs. Identify your developers and contact them. Ask them if their programs are compatible with Windows 7 or Server 2008. You may be pleasantly surprised. Some may require hefty upgrades that cost alot and have revised interfaces. Ask them if the program may be run in PARALLEL with your existing version. Start the ball rolling now.

Contact your Support Professional or Service Bureau
If you need to implement change, do it in a controlled fashion, not haphazardly. Consulting with your Support Provider allows you to begin phasing in change. By involving your Support at the onset, they may help you research for the anticipated changes. Who knows, you may even be able to save money by getting them involved and benefitting from their know-how and experience--afterall, you're not looking to reinvent the wheel.

Review your existing infrastructure and capital
This change may incur capital expense. Discuss the situation with your accountant or tax planner. You may be able to write off more than you anticipated. Furthermore, you will have a valuable list of your current assets. Don't underestimate the value of a good inventory.

Assess your staff to identify tech leaders and train them
Each organization has a few individuals that show an aptitude for computers and applications, use them to the fullest advantage. Try to identify them and get them trained. You will need to have them on the new systems shortly after training begins to enable them to better retain the knowledge gleaned from courses. Try to determine if they see the change as a positive one or, simply, as a necessary one. Remember, you are not going through change for change's sake, but to address it head on and under control.

Breathe deeply and relax. You are not going through a frontal lobotomy, only some minor procedures. Don't be overwhelmed by the thought of incurring this change. Try to embrace it with both feet planted firmly on the ground. If you find you are changing things just because they are new, try to step back and re-evaluate what is transpiring. This is supposed to bring you to a newer, higher ground at a steady pace, don't let it become an avalanche of change.

Implementing any change in a small or medium-sized business brings a modicum of pain. Making a change to address change within the industry or within your production needs is good. Always try to see the light at the end of the tunnel and work with steady resolve, it will prove that the decisions you make are worthy and well-conceived. So, if you stick with XP Pro, is it a flawed strategy?...not if you recognize that you will eventually need to address the change and plan for it. If you are at a crossroads in this decision, please feel free to contact us at support@tech4now.com or call us at (201) 797-5050. We will be happy to help you to assess and implement any changes that may be coming to your business. For further Insights on Small Businesses, kindly visit this site regularly or visit our website at http://www.tech4now.com/.

Some thoughts for New Year Resolutions

2010-01-01T17:35:00.022-05:00

Happy New Year! It's 2010 and we are now entering the second year of the Obama administration. Is that a reasonable measurement of time? Regardless of whom you voted for, it's time to take an assessment of where you are and where you see yourself headed. Some folks try to give up on cigarettes each year, others may want to stop drinking alcohol, and some have a target for weight loss--whatever your vice, now is the time for introspection. Inasmuch as this is a blog about Insights for Small Businesses, we'd like to know what you foresee for your entrepreneurial endeavors. It's your golden egg. The question is can you acquire the goose this year, too?!

Is This The Year That You Decide To Do More Promotions?
In light of the fact that many businesses endured hardships in 2009, a number of our clients are considering advertising and marketing as their salvation. If you are amongst those considering this option, let us ask you some questions to stimulate thought...

Are you calling your clients on a regular basis?

Do they remember you when the need arises for them to use your services or products?

Do you have a Client Relationship Management (CRM) program in place to help you to maintain those relationships?

Do you need one and have you done any research as to the one that suites your needs the best?

Is This The Year That You Decide To Install A Server?
Maybe you were one of the fortunate entrepreneurs in 2009 and your business has been consistently profitable and growing. Now is the time to take greater control over your data. It may be the right time to introduce a server into your business. A server will allow you, amongst other things, to centralize security for all of the users on the network, centralize the storage of your primary documents, thus allowing you to centralize the backup of critical data for local and offsite storage. It also allows you to establish an internal website for your business to centralize the control of resources, as well as sharing of schedules. So, for consistency's sake, let's ask you some insightful questions to help you determine your needs...

Have you ever had a workstation's hard drive fail or computer crash without warning that has important information, but is not backed up?

Do all of your users maintain passwords to restrict unauthorized access to company data on any or all computers within your network?

Do you find yourself losing sleep over employees that leave the company and may still be connecting to your network for the sake of either stealing information or sabotaging your affairs?

Do you need to reduce cost through resource sharing methods at work (e.g., shared printers)?

Do you backup all critical information used in your business on a regular basis?

Would you like to control office communications better?

Do you have a server or a backup solution in place to plan for tomorrow?

Is This The Year That You Decide To Install A Better Security Infrastructure?
You've probably had at least one virus infection in the past year. It has eroded your confidence in the security and integrity of your network. Now, no one wants to process any transactions over the Internet for fear of either identity theft or fraud. You've had your admin lose critical information that was stored exclusively on his/her machine and now it cannot be recovered. You are not sure what you can do to help your business establish any preparations for contingency, so now you have delegated one of your staff as the in-house guru to maintain and support all computer problems. Worse yet, you have lost innumerable hours by your staff trying to clear SPAM from their mailboxes. By the way, did you get the domain name for your business that you promised yourself last year?

Is your business constantly losing time due to slow computer performance or users cleaning out their SPAM from e-mail?

Do you have antivirus programs from different vendors that expire at different times installed throughout your network?

Do you feel too many people may have access to your network wirelessly, but you don't know how to address the issue?

Are your users connecting to the network to perform work at home, but you don't know how or when they are connecting? (or even who is connecting?)

How much time can you afford to have your staff lose on computing and network problems?

Wow, All Of These Options Are Wearing Us Out And Don't Really Address Our Real Issues!!
You've taken the steps that you deemed fit to keep your network running smoothly: You assigned a staff member as the computer contact person, you bought an antivirus, you bought an external drive for backup, and even attached a UPS (uninterruptible Power Supply) to your desktop computer. So, why do you still have issues and spend so much time maintaining it?!

We would like to suggest that with your new list of overwhelming tasks, you consider the viable alternative... Outsource!

Technology companies like Holzsager Technology Services, LLC offer Managed Services to help you manage your computer and network concerns (see our blog article from November 7, 2009). We can help you manage your technology for a reasonable fixed monthly fee. If you only want to control your SPAM or perform backups, we can assist you with that, too! All-in-all, it's a great solution for the growing business. You know what your expenses are for the month: rent, insurance, tech support, phones and utilities--you have fewer concerns to distract you from your business and the tasks that are within your true skillset.

Interested? Give us a call at (201) 797-5050 or for even more info, visit our site for a special offer. Let this year bring you the success that you have been so eagerly pursued. For more information about us, visit http://www.tech4now.com/. We look forward to hearing from you.

What's the Word? Tell Me What's A Happening.

2009-12-26T20:07:00.012-05:00

Recent legal decisions based upon the XML (Extensible Markup Language) used in Microsoft Word 2007 appear to have put a stagger in the step of the software giant. A recent ruling by the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a U.S. District Court for Eastern Texas judge's injunction in favor of Toronto-based software developer, i4i, Inc.

The Associated Press summarized the situation quite nicely on December 22, 2009:

"Toronto-based i4i Inc. sued Microsoft in 2007, saying it owned the technology behind a tool in the popular word processing program. The technology in question gives Word users an improved way to edit XML, or code that tells the program how to interpret and display a document's contents.

A Texas jury found that Microsoft Word willfully infringed on the patent. Microsoft appealed that decision, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Tuesday upheld the lower court's damage award and the injunction against future sales of infringing copies of Word."

What will happen on January 11, 2010?

Whatever occurs on that date will probably be as eventful as Year 2000--some users will be affected by the inconvenient changes that are mandated upon them by change; however, the general population is not likely (as per Microsoft) to be significantly affected. Microsoft, in its modest scale, has already perceived and addressed the potential turnouts of the judgment, thus it is issuing the 2007 Microsoft Office OPK Master Kit Download. This kit and its functionality will strip Word and other Office programs of the custom XML editing capabilities.

What exactly is the patent about?

Nothing in the press has been very explicit, but the hullaballoo is about patent number 5,787,449 which describes how programs go about "manipulating a document's content and architecture separately." What exactly does this mean? Without being a patent attorney or software programmer, it is difficult to state; however, Microsoft commented on Tuesday that "it had put the wheels in motion to remove this little-used feature." The same statement added that Microsoft's upcoming Word 2010 and Office 2010 "do not contain the technology covered by the injunction."

What did the ruling cover?

The ruling means Microsoft cannot sell versions of Word that can open documents saved in .XML, .DOCX, or .DOCM formats that contain custom XML. According to Paul McDougall (Information Week, 12/23/09, "Microsoft Word Gets Facelift"), Those formats were at the heart of the patent dispute. DOCX is the default format for the most current version of Word, which is included in Microsoft Office 2007. Custom XML is used by businesses to link their corporate data to Word documents. The Court left an out for Microsoft. The company can continue to sell Word 2007 after January 11 if it removes the offending technology from the product. By virtue of its recent patch release, it appears that Microsoft is willing to comply with the order.

Who wins?

It appears the winners in this case would be i4i as it gets its share from the suit and to some extent will get some recognition as a possible benefit (and the lawyers that processed the case). Microsoft, on the other hand, will have to pay a $290 million fine (they will probably present additional appeals), and the end users will either be compelled by a forced "update" to revise their installed applications or will have to revise some code once they determine that they actually used the little-used feature.

Although we do not normally report on news items, we felt that this item was worthy of note. Hopefully, it will not adversely affect most of you, but if further insights should arise, we will do our best to keep you well assessed of the situation. If you feel that there is a subject that you deem merits our attention, please feel free to notify us at info@tech4now.com. For more information about a technical subject or for insights to improve your business' productivity, feel free to visit our website at www.tech4now.com. Happy holidays and a Happy 2010.

How Can I Tell Who's Been On My Computers At Work?

2009-12-19T11:34:00.002-05:00

A client recently posed the following question:

"I have a small office with about ten users in a large office building. These users often leave their desktop computers unattended while they leave for lunch, go home at night or attend meetings. I am concerned that the computers near the reception area are not only unattended, but may possibly be compromised by strangers who could just walk in. What can I do to help reduce the likelihood of someone breaching my network and accessing confidential data?"

Review the situation...

First of all, you need to educate your users in general security awareness for your office. Larger office buildings provide a situation in which unauthorized individuals may gain access to restricted areas in an inconspicuous and anonymous manner. The fact that you have a computer in the reception area and do not limit access to it, is already a modest concern.

Initial thoughts...

A Password Policy would provide you with a prime opportunity to expose your users to the risks inherent in "unprotected computer use." This document, by virtue of making it a condition of employment will require the staff members to become more aware of the concerns that you, as management, carry while enforcing their cooperation for the benefit of the company. Too many companies have users that have a lax attitude toward securing the computer at work; for them, it is an inconvenience.

What's involved in the process?

1. Draft an outline

In it provide an overview of the who, what, where, when and why involved. It must be simple to read and understand, but should be comprehensive enough to help you get your objective.

2. Define a purpose

If the staff reads the policy (and even if they sign-off on it) and don't clearly understand why it is in place, you will be wasting your time and aggravating them.

3. Provide a scope

Anyone who must comply with the policy must not only be made aware, but those who work with them must see that the policy applies to all that work with confidential information or client personal information or enables the office to comply with HIPAA or SOX, ensuring that all systems that reside on the company network are protected.

4. General - Passwords subject to Policy

It should be clear to all users which passwords are subject to scrutiny under the policy and the frequency by which the passwords should be changed. Enumerate the cases where it applies such as Admin Passwords, User Passwords for e-mail, web access, system access. Let the admin passwords change quarterly and the user passwords change semi-annually.

5. Guidelines

A. Provide general guidance to the composition and selection of the password.

B. Inform the number of generations required before a password may be reused, if ever.

C. Provide a format for the complexity:

i. No username may be incorporated into the password (e.g., Fred1234)

ii. The password must contain uppercase, lowercase, numbers and special characters to comply and be allowed as a valid password.

iii. It should not be a word found in the dictionary (due to dictionary attacks).

iv. Make it clear how long the password length must be in terms of characters (e.g., 8 to 15 characters long)

v. If using a passphrase, the length should be significant and should comprise as many aspects of difficulty as possible. For example "I try not to drive down Route 208 South during the rush hour." could convert into: "1#tRy_n0+$to#DrvDwN_R+2o85_DrnGdaRUSHOWER!"

vi. If a user suspects that the password may have been compromised, all involved passwords must be changed immediately.

vii. Where resources are available, attempts to guess the password should be employed and, if guessed, the password must be changed immediately.

D. Inform the users how to maintain a secure password.

i. Do not write the code on a Post-It note affixed to the monitor or under the keyboard.

ii. Do not share passwords with colleagues inasmuch as it helps identify individual accesses.

iii. Do not send password information in correspondence whether printed or electronic.

6. Enforcement of the Policy

If the users are advised of the ramifications of non-compliance, they will be more adherent to the Policy. Violations should be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

What Else Can I Do To Communicate The Importance Of This Policy?

In general, if the user does not change the password on his/her own, you may enforce the change through system policy. The user would login to the account on the day it expires and would be informed that a new password must be provided before proceeding onto the system.

In addition to this, if a user has changed the password, but forgets the code, enforce a lockout of account for X number of failed login attempts. This will not only force the user to maintain their level of compliance with Policy, but will reduce the system's exposure to a hacking attempt.

Another facet to the system policy would be to set the default on the system to deny remembering login names and/or passwords within applications such as Internet Explorer and other browsers.

The extent to which users will comply with a Password Policy are directly correlated to the costs of non-compliance. If you establish and enforce a strong policy, it will reward you with greater compliance and a more secure network. The level of complexity and inconvenience is totally discretionary; however, the more lax the policy, the greater the risk for exposure. There are clearly many more aspects to security that may be layered upon the users (e.g., Two Factor Authentication (TFA) using a PIN and a time-sensitive code).

If you wish to implement a more stringent Password Policy in your office or would like to learn more about using a TFA in your network, feel free to contact us at support@tech4now.com or call us at (201) 797-5050. This is your opportunity to maintain your network's security and your strategic edge over your competition. If you want to maintain or upgrade your network, visit us at http://www.tech4now.com/. Remember, the best time to act is now because tomorrow never arrives.

I Backup On Tapes, So My Network's Secure, Right?

2009-12-06T10:28:00.000-05:00

The Opening Scene...
Your business has a server with a tape drive. You have been using this drive for the past three or more years to backup a full image of your server's data. It has become a regular step in your day to swap out the drive and confirm that your backup was successful. You even replace all of the tapes in the weekly rotation based upon manufacturer's recommendations. You may have even performed test restores from your tapes to verify their usefulness. You feel secure, but are you?

The Plot thickens...
Stop to consider how a tape drive works...
Data is copied from the drive, a reliable, high-speed, long lasting medium and gets written to a tape. The tape is a nylon/plastic-based ribbon which has a metal oxide coating capable of retaining information in a magnetic form. It can move quickly past the recording heads, but must perform all steps sequentially. Remember, as the information is written to the tape, the written tape is spooled onto a spindle. So, the question emerges... If so many people have been using tape for so many years, why should I begin to question its use in my office for backup?

Considerations...
Have you read any flyers lately from the computer or office supply stores? The price of hard drives has dropped dramatically in the past three years. Three to five years ago, the average computer came with a hard drive that was about 40GB in size. Now, the smallest drive you can get from these stores without special order is 160GB and it's getting larger all the time.

Moore's Law and Kryder's Law (compliments of Wikipedia):
Named after Intel's co-founder, Gordon E. Moore, the law describes a long-term trend in the history of hardware computing, in which the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years. Whereas, Kryder's Law, named after Mark Kryder, Seagate Corp.'s SVP of Research and CTO, drawing from Moore's Law, says that magnetic disk areal storage density doubles annually. This held true from 1995 to 2005. Kryder also published a new study through PhysOrg.com which reported if hard drives continue to progress at their current pace, then in 2020, a two-disk, 2.5-inch disk drive will be capable of storing more than 14TB and will cost about $40.

Getting to the Point...
Look at the price of the tape drive and the price of the tapes. Their prices have dropped, but not significantly. Now, consider their reliability and dependability. If a tape is exposed to severe changes in temperature (e.g., Do you store it in your car's glove compartment?), don't you see how the tape may become more brittle and susceptible to breakage? Furthermore, it has been shown that at least once in its existence a tape is bound to fail, either being written to or read. If you have an alternative media that can read and write faster, retrieve data in a non-sequential manner and does not need replacement on a regular interval for a similar or lower cost, wouldn't you consider that a viable option?

Hello Hard Drives
With their prices dropping regularly and their capacities growing at a similar rate, the hard drive has become the new medium of choice for long term backup storage. Another wonderful thing about the hard drive as a storage medium is its ability to respond quickly--its read/write ability is "orders of magnitude" faster than tape. This capability enables the backup systems to store data to backup on 15 minute increments rather than wait for the full backup, nightly, which may take over eight (8) hours to process about 20GB (e.g., DAT and Travan tapes).

Capabilities of backup storage have been further enhanced with the NAS (Network Attached Storage) device. Essentially, a NAS is a hard drive built into an external housing that has its own power and network connectivity. Some NAS devices are even more intelligent and run code to enable them to backup multiple computers and servers automatically, then backup the same items as encrypted data to transfer offsite to secure locations. This offering of an automated, frequent and high-speed backup unit has changed technology's choice from tapes to drives. Even older systems used for backup (e.g., Backup Exec) provided in their later revisions, the ability to run B2D (Backup-to-Disk).

Now What?!
So, you have an investment in tapes. Perhaps, you even bought them a few years ago under our recommendation. Well, you needed to have a backup system in place and at the time that was the best for you. However, times have changed and now this is what we propose...

Assess your business' need for backup based upon the following criteria:

Timeliness - How often do you need to perform your backup? How often does data change?
Capacity - How much data do you have that needs to be backed up? If you were to backup the server, would that suffice? Do you need to backup other machines, too?
Turnaround Time - If your business had a catastrophe, how much time would be required to restore the systems to make the business viable again? How much time could you afford to be down?
Dependence - If your server were down, would you be willing to pay a little more to have the ability to virtualize the machine to allow others to access data on a quick turnaround?
Scope - How many machines are needed to run the office? Could the business recover if just the server and one workstation were restored?
Location - If your office became "off-limits" due to a police action, fire or flood, could you resume operations in either a new location or a temporary venue?

Once you have answered the six questions listed above, you can begin to determine the type of backup system you need to implement for your business. This information will also come in handy when you begin to compile your documentation to support a Disaster Recovery Plan.

If you feel you do not have an adequate backup system in place or are considering an "upgrade," please feel free to contact us to discuss your options. It's your business and your livelihood, don't let it slide for too long or you may have serious issues to contend with. To setup an appointment to review your backup, please contact us at support@tech4now.com or visit our site at http://www.tech4now.com/ or call us at (201) 797-5050. Remember, there's no time like the present.

I Don't Have A Server...I Like My Peer-To-Peer Network

2009-11-28T16:00:00.000-05:00

Small businesses tend to stay that way when the Management fears change. For any business, change is an intimidating component of growth, but it is necessary nonetheless. For example, just this weekend, we migrated a client's network from Microsoft Windows 2003 Small Business Server (SBS 2003) to the newer incarnation of the same: Windows Server 2008 for SBS.
Was this a daunting change for my client? In the immortal words of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, "You bet your sweet bippy!" But they made the change for the better: The server had limited resources, e-Mail needed better management and resiliency, and remote services needed an upgrade for better security.

Why Not Keep My Peer-To-Peer (P2P Network)?

So, back to the subject of Peer-To-Peer networks. Why are they limiting to the small business?

If you have four, five or more workstations, you are seriously lacking control over your network and it won't improve soon because...

E-mail is not saved in a convenient location where it may be backed up nightly or more frequently. Furthermore, you may have "cracks" in your firewall where "strangers" are delivering mail to you without your ability to control it.
The same goes for your business' critical data. Do you back up all data on all machines at least once every night?! If a single computer were to have a hard drive failure, would you lose critical data that was only stored on that machine? How well will your office recover from such an inconvenience?
Do you impose any security to limit access to the machines or is it non-existent? You may have a computer sitting unattended in your reception area that would provide a rogue visitor unfestered access to your local network. If it hasn't got security and it's unmonitored...What's to stop that from happening?! Remember, you don't have any passwords or controls on the machines.
Do you ever need to access your data from home or from elsewhere due to pressing circumstances? If you run SBS 2003 or SBS 2008, you would have the ability to provide your staff and yourself such amenities like Remote Web Workplace (remote control), VPN (remote access), Outlook Web Access (remote web mail from your e-mail server), and Outlook Anywhere (effectively, remote access for your local machines Outlook client).

Do any of these features sound enticing? Are you at all interested in learning more about how you may streamline your productivity and make your business more attractive in the long run?

Perhaps, your greatest concern is that you won't have copies of all of your data when the client needs to get, for example, an old tax return from 2005. Is that what's bothering you? Consider the following scenario:

You are an accountant. You have a plethora of clients that have you preparing their taxes, both personal and businesses. The client expects you to maintain an archive of their taxes in case they either lose them or need additional copies. They may also expect other services from you that cause you expense in storing and retrieving their records.

Now, suppose you had a server and stored all of the clients records electronically on the server. This server would be backed up regularly, both onsite and offsite. Data could be stored on media that would comply with mandated retention schedules. You could access the records without having to contact the archive warehouse to retrieve the box that you believe holds the records in question. Wouldn't this be more conducive to running a successful practice over the hard copy? (Mind you, if hard copy is mandated, then you have other complexities to address, but in many cases, once you have delivered the return to the client, you may often advise them that you will only retain an electronic copy for future use.) If you were to institute such changes, wouldn't that help you get greater order to your life? Would a scan and store document archiving solution fit your needs?

I was dumbfounded...

The other day, I was at a new client. The client happened to be an accountant. He was an intelligent and well-spoken person. In fact, his credentials were quite impressive. Needless to say, when we discussed the concept of backup, his reply surprised me. He retains triplicate copies of all of his clients on floppy disks! I asked him while staring at a tower of stacked disks, how do you keep track of all of the disks and data for your clients? He responded that he knew where each and every needed file could be found. I wondered if he was being as detailed as "the pile on the front left side of my desk" or "under the roof." I am still trying to convince him of the benefits of technology and systems. He says that he is "Old Fashioned," so it may take a while. I believe he will soon recognize that I am not trying to pull a fast one, but introduce him to a better way... only time will tell.

Have you been there or never left?

If you have a small office, practice or other business that you operate and need assistance in coordinating it better, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would be more than happy to help you address your outstanding issues. In fact, if you have five or more computers and have never done business with us before, contact us and we may be able to give you a free network audit to help you determine what you have going for you and against you. We can be reached at (201) 797-5050 or you may learn more about us by visiting our website. Happy Thanksgiving!

What makes Windows 7 stand out from other operating systems

2009-11-21T13:38:00.000-05:00

We liked it so much, we put it into our production systems...

Windows 7 is still a new product, but it has had a positive impact on us. We have already installed it in our production system. We have found that the operating system is responsive, has proven to be highly compatible with many of our applications and has a number of tools that truly make our tasks easier.

In terms of response...

We installed the new operating system on a Dell Optiplex 780 with a Duo Core Pentium and 2GB of RAM. Since the initial install (Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit), we have found that the machine is not only responsive, but boots much quicker than our older XP Professional machines. Mind you, we are clearly not at the point where we would be experiencing "registry bloat", but out-of-the-gate, it just seems to outperform: Accessing the Internet is snappy, loading apps is quick, and working with Quickbooks 2009 is night and day from our experience running it on XP. The program opens, saves and closes with a significant edge over its predecessor.

In terms of compatibility...

Loading up our line-of-business (LoB) apps was fast. However, not all programs were suited for this platform. Our installation of Adobe Acrobat v7.x Standard had some issues. It would allow us to open and read Acrobat files, but the Acrobat Distiller and PDF Printer were not compatible. We made the investment and purchased the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Pro v9.x. It installed flawlessly and has functioned perfectly since we started using it. Microsoft Office, needless to say, has run without issue on the system since Day One. Saving files and accessing locations on the network are non-incidents. Folders, both local and networked, are readily opened as if they were equivalent. We did have a modest issue with security on Windows 7 while loading up our LoB database for CRM (Client Relationship Management). Although the files could be seen, they were not able to open on the workstation. As it turned out, a modest change to the UAC (User Accessibility Control) allowed us to open the file without problems. Had we been on Vista, the UAC could only be on or off. On Windows 7, we have four levels of UAC settings to provide a more granular control over how applications may run on the OS.

The toolset is improved...

One of the features that we have found to be a true timesaver is the Snipping Tool. This handy utility allows you to capture a screen image and save to either GIF, JPEG or BMP formats right from the tool. In the past, you could use a handy tool such as SnagIt, but this app is built-in, so there's no inconvenience. Furthermore, we used to use the Ctrl-PrtScrn key combination to effect the same, but that only saved the file to the clipboard. Now, you can capture and process, effectively, in one step.

Had we been working on a single monitor, such tools as Snap (Instantly arrange two windows exactly side by side), Peek (Look right through open windows to see the icons, gadgets, and anything else on your desktop, all with a simple move of your cursor), Shake (In order to focus on only one window, shake it, and all the other open windows on your desktop will be hidden. Shake again, and they're all back). Instead, we find ourselves using the Pin feature (similar to the Quick Launch in previous versions), Live Taskbar Previews (viewing the running applications by hovering your mouse cursor over the taskbar, you can see all open instances of the app visually), and Internet Explorer 8 (even though it is available for all recent versions of Windows operating systems), we have found ourselves enjoying the Favorites Bar and Accelerators (shortcuts to new and established locations on the web). Rather than enumerate a list, just visit Microsoft's Windows 7 site or our November edition of HTS Insighter.

Not to be premature...

After running multiple installations, using the system for a while, and testing it in real life, we have come to a modest determination that this is a valid platform (unlike Windows ME and, to some extent, Windows Vista). If you would like more information on integrating it into your environment, give us a call, visit us, or drop us a line. We can help you improve your productivity through education and insights.

I Didn't Want Vista, So Why Should I Use Windows 7?

2009-11-14T11:23:00.000-05:00

It's been under a month (Oct. 22, 2009) since Microsoft officially released their latest operating system, Windows 7, and the product is actually getting positive reviews. Perhaps, it has been due to the fact that THIS TIME, they have listened to the END USERS and not just the Engineers. Okay, maybe it's just their slogan ("I told them that I wanted.... and they listened. That makes me the boss."). I have better things to do than listen to Madison Avenue's commercial hype. However, this time, it seems to be a truly functional product.

My office had been running the product's pre-release versions on a virtual platform just to become familiar with it. But now, we are running it on our production systems. I guess if we are to speak well of it, you could say we should be "eating our own dogfood."

Loading Windows 7 was a snap. Insert the disk and allow it to run. The installation seemed to take less time than Windows XP did and definitely less than Vista. Once the system was up, I noticed that most of the drivers had already been installed by the OS. Windows XP often required you to install the drivers for the network card, video card, sound card and others after the installation completed.

I also noted that the loading time for the system was conspicuously faster than both of its predecessors. This was clearly a welcome change. The system already has Internet Explorer 8 as part of the initial installation--this was expected. In addition to the upgraded set of tools, Microsoft has shown its acknowledgement of the need for the system to be "backward compatible" with previous Windows. Yes, Vista has an XP Compatibility setting for individual files, but it still fell short of the mark. To address this issue, Windows XP Mode was added to a number of the versions to enable the legacy apps to run side-by-side with the newer apps on the same computer.

I don't see the Windows XP Mode listed in my Startup Menu...

If you need to have Windows XP Mode on the system, it is added in later. Simply, go to the Microsoft Website, type XP Mode in the Search and you are at the site. It took all of four steps to load it: download the Virtual PC, download the XP Mode installation, then reboot. Upon reboot, enter the BIOS and make sure to enable the Virtual features on the systems settings. When the system loads up the next time, open the Windows XP Mode under Virtual PC on the Startup Menu. Configure the settings and...you're up! You now have a full blown installation of XP Pro in which to run your legacy programs. Just a reminder, Windows XP Mode is only available in the Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate versions, so don't expect it if you have Windows 7 from a store with the Home Premium version.

Inasmuch as I am running the 64-bit version of Windows 7, having the XP Mode will be a handy tool for my productivity inasmuch as I have a number of "relic" utilities that I still find valuable. Next time, I shall give you more insights on the features that I find truly beneficial in the added features of Windows 7. If you need to install the program and require assistance or are considering an upgrade, feel free to contact us or visit our website.

Why Use A Managed Services Contract When Calling You When I Need You Is So Much Cheaper?

2009-11-07T10:59:00.000-05:00

One of the latest "trends" in the IT industry is called "Managed Services." Basically, it is the equivalent of business insurance for your computer systems--it's a fixed fee, so you can budget your expenses better. Lots of small businesses have been discovering why they would consider paying more as they assess its overall value.

Let's consider the following...

You have a small business that manufactures widgets (yes, I know it's cliché). Your office has a staff of ten that work on all aspects ranging from production through sales. You only have one office. You do not have anyone dedicated as a full time IT person, just a "guru".

The business has been performing well in spite of the economy. Productivity has been maintained at 90% capacity, Sales have risen 10% per quarter for the last eight quarters and the profit margin has been a clean 40% over cost. Life is good.

You have saved money for the past four years by using the owner's college-age nephew, Jimmy, to maintain the systems. Afterall, he was an honor student in high school and is now doing his undergrad in Computer Science at Rutgers. He has fixed things when he was on break and could often walk the owner through repairing issues on the phone. The office is networked and a Server is in place with a domain to control security.

Surprise!!!

You come in to the office on Monday morning, it's the first week of December. The computers are up, but no one can connect to the server and the line-of-business software is not accessible either because the database is hosted on your server and it appears to be "down".

Now, What?!

The owner calls Jimmy. He is in the library studying for finals. His time is fully booked preparing for his exams later on that week. You have a situation that requires immediate attention. The business cannot afford to be down for seven days! Okay, let's find a computer service company that can fix our problem. Keep in mind, you have never or infrequently used any outside support company and now you need them in an emergency. Do you think you are the priority on their customer list? Do they know your systems intimately or will they have to "come up to speed" as they are in the process? How long will this take?

The Costs...

As the clock ticks and you await the arrival of your "tech," it dawns on you that your costs are not only coming out of your pocket to pay the technician, but you have production and opportunity costs, as well. Let's examine some of the details...

Tech comes onsite (emergency rate) to fix server.....$250 per hour (2 hour min.)
The server had corruption on the drive or the drive has gone bad, you will have the cost of the equipment plus whatever time it takes to restore the data from your backup. (It would have been simpler if the power supply had just died!)

What do you mean, you don't have a current backup?! Who was in charge of maintaining the tapes for your server's backup? Was it the owner, the secretary, the administrative assistant or the Production Manager? Oh, yes, it was the Sales Manager, Laura. Laura takes the tapes home to keep them safe, off-site. Where's Laura? We'll have her get the latest tape. Then we remember, she's at a conference and NO ONE has been covering for her.

You finally reach Laura. Her neighbor has the key and she allows you to send someone over to pickup the tape. When the tech gets the tape, it turns out that most of the data that can be read is too old to be of value. The tech has finished working and the server is back up. The company that develops your line of software has been contacted and whatever could be salvaged was restored. You will have to have the clerks and staff reinput all of the data for the last two months!

Let's assess the situation...

The server is known to be down from 8:00a.m. on Monday. No one has performed a stitch of work since they arrived. By the time you reached the tech and got one onsite, two hours passed. The tech determined the cause was from two failed drives in a RAID5 array. So, the two drives must be acquired and the data will need to be restored. No one has access to the accounting, CRM (Client Relationship Management) software, Line-of-Business application or e-mail. For all intents and purposes, your business is closed until further notice. If you recover from this catastrophe, what was the effective cost of this outage in the long run?

It adds up fast...

The tech company charged you for a tech's full day's work on the server. The drives were restored to a working state and the data was restored as well as possible. It also took extra time for the tech to become familiar with your network environment.

Time charged by the Tech Company was 16 hours x $250 per hour = $4,000
The drives to replace the two bad ones were ordered with HIGH PRIORITY at $350 each = $700

The manufacturing of the widgets continued during this ordeal; however, nothing else could be processed.

Your orders for the day were delayed, no new orders could be input into the system, the accounting department could not reconcile the account with the Bank or work on End-of-Month reports for November; Sales could not access its pipeline and management could not track the production, sales and overall reports for the business. In general, the business generates one million dollars ($1,000,000) per year, so the details and tracking are critical to the process.
We had ten employees idle for two days.

Our average business income for the month is $83,333 divided by 22 work days = $3,788 per day x 2 days of downtime = $7,576. Let's go easy and only penalize ourselves by 75% = $5,682(This represents the lost opportunity in Sales, Production and Development.)

Furthermore, the cost of doing business (Salaries, insurance, electricity, heat, rent, insurance) easily cost a minimum of...
Salary for 3 Salespeople (8 hours x 2 days @ $25/hr) = $1,200x 130% (benefits) = $1,560
Salary for 1 Administrative Assistant (8 h x 2 d @ $17.50/hr) x 130% = $364
Salary for 2 V.P.s (8 h x 2 d @ $40/hr) x 130% = $1,664
Salary of 1 Bookkeeper (8 h x 2 d @$20/hr) x 130% = $416
Salary of 2 Phone Sales (8 h x 2 d @$10/hr) x 130% = $208
Salary of 1 R&D Engineer (8 h x 2 d @$40/hr) x 130% = $832
Rent, Liability insurance, electricity and heat for the non-factory floor x 2 d is about $1,200

Oh, and remember, you need to have your clerks RE-ENTER all of the data for the past two months of business. We'll simplify the math and figure 15 days for 3 temps to input the data...
3 Temps (8 h x 15 d @ $7.50/hr) = $2,700.

Final cost (not including emotional distress and wounded reputation): $19,534 for a TWO (2) day outage
...and remember, you are no better off than you were the day before! None of your machines are being maintained, including the server.

What was the alternative?

Had your company been using a Managed Service, then you most likely would have paid a fixed monthly fee for support of the Server and all workstations. Furthermore, those machines would not only have been maintained, but would have been monitored, as well. It is also likely that the services provided would have included onsite and offsite backup to disk for a reliable contingency to such a catastrophic event. Had you been covered by a Managed Services Agreement, it is more than likely that the failure of the first of the two drives or its initial indications of the first drive failing would have been detected--enough to alert the support company that the drive needed replacement. Thus, this situation would have been averted.

How much would this typically have cost?

The average Managed Services Provider (MSP) would have charged monthly from $45 to $125 per workstation and from $450 to $1,250 per server (depending on the features of the offering). So, if we apply these prices to our widget company, we would have seen a charge of $900 to $2,500 per month. If we compare the median numbers to our two day outage we see the following savings have occurred:

$1,700 x 12 months = $20,400 --> Maintained, monitored and backed up systems with guarantees and plans in place to assure a quick and reliable level of coverage.

If you can understand that the provider is motivated to service you regularly to help control costs (e.g., shorter visits = lower maintenance cost), you will see how this model actually aligns the needs of both parties with the benefit of lower cost when the client's systems are running reliably. It's a WIN-WIN scenario!

Versus

$19,534 (only $866 (4.4%) less than the cost of the service (for a year) which would have stabilized an unreliable system that has only been patched! ) Keep in mind, this modest difference represents the maintenance of the server AND the workstations with backup AND constant monitoring AND unlimited support FOR 12 MONTHS!

For an even more powerful statement, envision the same situation with the monthly rate of $900 for the Managed Services. Then, the number would have been $10,800. That means the server outage would have represented over a 180% increase! Not only does this save you money, it becomes even more apparent if you consider the occurrence of two (2) incidences in one year (five years, even)!

Penny-wise and Pound foolish

Many businesses are actually running in a manner similar to our example. Too many of them are closer to failure than they would like to believe. If you are concerned that your company is "on the brink" and would like to have it checked out, feel free to contact us. We can perform a network audit to help you assess any possible shortcomings in your environment and help you to take the preventative steps necessary to avoid such an inconvenience. For more information on this program, please visit www.tech4now.com/offer. If you visit this site, you may receive two free gifts. For more information on technology, please visit our blog and website inasmuch as we update them regularly.

Welcome

2009-11-05T11:49:00.001-05:00

Holzsager Technology Services, LLC (http://www.tech4now.com/) has been around for over seven years providing small businesses and SoHo offices with technical support and managed services in the computing and networking realm. Our staff has achieved Microsoft's Gold Certified Partner and Small Business Specialist status.

This blog will serve as a resource for the small business owner (and others) to access a wealth of articles and insights shared by our IT Director, Fred Holzsager. Fred is a published author, accomplished and certified technician, speaker and business owner. He will share his insights on the latest trends in technology affecting the small business and its operations, sales & productivity.

Visit us on a regular basis to view comments on Windows 7, Small Business Server 2008, antivirus/spyware, SPAM filtering, e-mail archiving, Backup, Disaster Recovery, hardware & application software, and other aspects of your daily worries if you run your own business. For more information to help you with your business, we also publish a monthly newsletter...feel free to contact us if you would like to receive a copy. Archived editions are currently online for your perusal.