KI Technology Group

OnStar to include Facebook?

Linda — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:59:00 GMT

This morning while driving to work I heard a surprising news story. It seems that OnStar is all set to capitalize on our addiction to social networks. According to articles available on the Internet, the system is currently being beta tested and has yet to be officially announced.

The feature reportedly will allow you to updated your Facebook status via voice commands, and have the ability to read your friend's status updates and text messages to you as you drive. You will also be able to send text messages via voice commands. No doubt there are people who will welcome this 'advancement', but I'm not sure I need that much access to Facebook. Since I rarely send or receive text messages, I might use that feature. I could see it's usefulness to communicate with friend you are meeting up with, perhaps to let them know that you have been delayed.

If you are interested in reading what information is currently available, you can easily find it by just Googling OnStar.

Buying a Dell computer with big drives? Could be a huge mistake!

Linda — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:26:00 GMT

Yesterday, one of my clients asked me to give them quotes for a system they are looking at purchasing. Since the machine will be used heavily for creating digital content, it needs to be a pretty capable system. They wanted us to compare a Dell quote with what it would cost if we build it for them. So I hopped on Dell's site and went to work.

Without a doubt, Dell has some of the lowest prices around if you want a really low end system, but if you are looking for more than that, they are so not competitive it is almost criminal. I was horrified to see that the increase in the cost of the system to add a 1TB drive was a whopping $470. This drive should not be costing them anything close to that, and likely well under $100.

Although some items are priced competitively, other add-ons and upgrades are also more expensive than they should be. The bottom line was that a machine that was virtually the same in terms of capabilities was around $1700 if we build it and about $1000 more if you would prefer to buy it from Dell. And we absolutely demand the highest quality components for the systems we build; every component has a 3 to 5 year manufacturer's warranty.

Geez. If people only knew!

Banks making use of mobile technology

Linda — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:55:00 GMT

A month or so ago, I had lunch with a friend who works for Chase Bank. One of the things she wanted to tell me about was Chase's new remote Quick Deposit service available for the iPhone. This application allows you to photograph the front and back of your check and submit it to Chase for deposit to your account.

Since I am not a Chase customer and I don't have an iPhone, I can't tell you first hand how well this works, it does seem like a very slick idea. I'm sure it will catch on quickly with many, especially younger iPhone account holders.

News reports indicate that several other banks are working on similar applications that will be rolled out over the next 12 to 18 months. Businesses have been able to use a scanner to scan checks received for deposit, eliminating the need to make a trip to the bank, but this is the first I have heard of consumers being able to take care of similar services.

This is a service that I would definitely use if it were available at my bank and on a Droid. Amazing to me is a study by research firm Celent that 71% of banks do not intend to offer such a service. This study was done about a year ago, so perhaps that percentage has changed. It would seem to me that any bank that wants to attract younger or tech savvy customers would want to be an early adopter of this technology.

KI Publishes "The Executive Guide to Trouble Free IT"

Linda — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:40:00 GMT

You may already be aware that I have been working on a book since March. My purpose in writing this book was to write something that would be quick to read yet provide enough background information to allow a business owner or executive to have a conversation with a computer consultant and not feel completely lost. And so I began writing The Executive Guide to Trouble Free IT.

You see, I remember how I felt the first time I talked to a commercial leasing agent or a broadcast media salesperson. They were giving me information that made complete sense to them, but might as well have been in a foreign language as far as I was concerned. Now that I have been through the process it's familiar, but I had to learn how things are done in those industries.

Technology is probably worse that either of those two examples. There are acronyms for everything and I have run into more than one of my competitors who likes to toss out several of them in every sentence. I've never been able to figure out why they can't take the time to explain things in English - unless they want you to think that they are really smart or make you feel that you are really dumb. Neither one of those seems like a good approach to me.

Anyway, my books arrived yesterday and I am very excited to see it in print and have the project completed. The book covers a wide range of technology related topics and provides tips on use of technology. There are also lists of questions that you can use to determine which computer consultant is the right one for you and other questions to help you begin thinking about how you can best use technology.

Copies of the book are available in our store, or you can leave me a comment here to get more information.

Wondering What to do with Your Old Rechargeable Batteries and Cell Phones?

Linda — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:03:00 GMT

We were, too! While it’s not illegal to place batteries in the trash here in Michigan, most of us would like to know that they have been disposed of safely and won’t end up in a landfill.

So we did some research and found a service that we are workign with that allows us to accept batteries for safe recycling—and we are able to offer this service at no cost to you—whether you are one of our clients or not! Just bring your Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Nickel Zinc (Ni-Zn) or Small Sealed Lead (Pb) batteries weighing less than 11 pounds to our office and we will take it from there.

Industry expecting adoption of hybrid cloud solutions

Linda — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:08:00 GMT

A week ago, I was on my way to San Antonio to attend BreakAway 2010, an industry conference hosted by CompTIA. This event is a great opportunity to meet with peers and vendors alike, and a great opportunity to listen to what industry leaders are saying about current and future technology trends.

Predictably, there was a lot of talk about the cloud - what types of organizations are adopting it and how, how quickly it will be adopted, and what issues are slowing adoption. While some have predicted (and some continue to predict) that everything will move to the cloud and all that will be left on premise is a desktop or thin client, there was much more talk this year about adoption of hybrid solutions.

Interestingly, a survey conducted in preparation for the event showed that 40% of end-users and service providers report having nothing to do with the cloud. When I broadcast that statistic, I received a reply that said "except all of their phone calls, searching, social networking, billing and credit card transactions! *Everyone* is in the cloud!" I can't disagree with that statement, but apparently the 40% doesn't look at that as the cloud!

In a hybrid solution, an organization decides to move some applications into the cloud and leave others on premise - or within their own organization. So an organization might decide to move email to a hosted Exchange solution - in the cloud - but leave their line of business application and shared files in house. Another might decide to share files using Google Apps to share files.

One of the deterrents to wider adoption of cloud solutions centers around security. Organizations are not sure that their information will be secure in the cloud, yet many use payroll services, like those provided by ADP, to process payroll, which is certainly an application that requires high security. The issue is really not so much security as unfamiliarity. End users are not exactly sure what moving to the cloud really means, which is no surprise since the industry doesn't agree and many aspects are still evolving.

In many cases, moving your data to the cloud will make it more secure. One of the best lines of the cloud discussion contrasted cloud implementation to keeping your data on a laptop. Many, many laptops are lost, but just try to leave the cloud in a taxi.

To be sure there are many issues to consider, not the least of which has to do with getting your data back out of the cloud. If you move all of your operation to the cloud, what happens if your cloud provider suddenly files for bankruptcy and their servers go down or are confiscated by a bank.

For now, cloud solutions are being adopted piece meal or by early adopters. Industry analysts are predicting that agressive adoption of cloud solutions is still two years away, guaranteeing that this will likely still be a hot topic at BreakAway 2011.

If you are an end user considering moving to the cloud, it would be wise to hire a computer consultant who can help you understand the pros and cons of the solutions you may be considering.

Great mobile app for bike riders and runners

Linda — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:16:00 GMT

This morning I'm headed out for an industry conference, but before I took off, I wanted to tell you about the great mobile app a friend told me about over the weekend.

You see, about a week and a half ago, I had my husband take my 27 year old bike down from the hooks it's been on for about 20 years and get it into shape for me to ride. I was inspired to do this by the time I spent listening to Sean Stephenson just a few days before. If you aren't on our newsletter list, you can read about Sean in our August KI Tech Tips newsletter. I devoted my From the Desk of column to summarizing what I learned from Sean. One of my takeaways was that I needed to pay more attention to my health and riding that bike seemed like the best way to start getting some exercise.

So, I started out slowly, but soon worked up to what I thought was 5 miles or so. A friend saw my facebook post and suggested I check out MapMyRide.com. There are also mobile apps for iPhone, Blackberry and my Droid. So I downloaded it to my phone and checked it out on my laptop.

It took only a few minutes for me to decide this is a great app if you are looking for places to ride or run. First, you can search for routes others have posted in your area. You can also quickly map out a route and see how long it is. It marks the route every mile. Since I live in the country, there aren't many short routes and some roads aren't paved, so this made it very, very easy for me to find a new route - one a bit longer than what I had been doing, but not so long that I thought I wouldn't make it.

So I got ready to ride and loaded up the mobile app. I selected "Record a Workout" and set out on my ride. At the end, I simply pressed stop and the app told me how far I had gone, my average speed and pace, and an estimate of the number of calories burned. It will even show the elevations over the route. Now I know exactly how far I am riding and it tracks my rides on a calendar that I can view on the website.

I decided to set a challenge - 300 miles in 30 days starting when I return from this trip. The website will track my progress towards meeting the challenge.

So now I have managed to combine technology with doing something for my health and that, in my book, makes it a lot more fun! I'll let you know if I meet the challenge.

Business owners: Can you make a case for buying new computers?

Linda — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:20:00 GMT

Recently, I ran across an interesting white paper titled "SMBs - The Case for Buying Modern PCs". Published by Techaisle, a marketing research and consulting company focused on emerging markets, the paper did a great job of demonstrating how spending money on a new PC can be less expensive, in hard dollars, than hanging on to the old one. When you also consider the productivity gains through downtime reductions, faster response times and newer applications, keeping old systems would seem like a big mistake.

According to the study, over 40% of PCs in small businesses are more than 3 years old and a large percentage of the systems are still running Windows XP. The article recommends that workstations be set up on a 3 year refresh cycle. Our recommendation is a 3 to 4 year refresh cycle, and we recommend that the number of workstations be divided by the chosen refresh cycle so that machines can be replaced in regular intervals rather than all at once.

There are a number of factors that make buying a new PC a smart decision, but I want to focus on just two in this post.

First, the expected downtime for an newer machine is 30% to 40% less than your 3 year old system. Your old system can be expected to have 5 incidents per year with an average of 10 hours of down time per incident. By comparison, a new PC will experience only 3 incidents with 7 hours of downtime per incident. Buying a new machine will eliminate 29 hours of downtime per year. That's 29 hours that you or employee can be working on the computer instead of waiting for the problem to be resolved. When you multiply 29 times the your hourly cost or the hourly cost of your employee, buying a new system suddenly seems like a reasonable expense.

The study also found that the cost of repairing an older system can be as much as 1.5 times more than the cost of repairing a newer system. Parts for older systems are frequently more expensive and the likelihood of a hardware failure is much higher on an older system. Software problems may also be more difficult to resolve on an older system. These ongoing costs many times go unnoticed, but they definitely add up over the course of a year and suddenly you realize that you could have replaced equipment for the same cost as the repairs.

If you need help evaluating your systems and setting up a regular refresh cycle, interview computer consultants in your area to find one that can balance your needs with your budget. If you are in the Lansing area, I'd love to help you out!

Is your company ready to adopt new computer support methods and new technology?

Linda — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:08:00 GMT

Over the weekend I ran across an article that discussed key attributes that determine your technology DNA and that of your organization. Considering these attributes will help you assess your organization’s readiness to transition to remote computer support (versus onsite) and cloud computing (versus in house). Both of these transitions way well be just as much about social engineering as technology.

While it may be completely clear that you could save money by moving to a cloud computing model and relying on remote, proactive support rather than having someone on site to handle your computer support, you may run into resistance for a variety of reasons. Some of these issues may include:

End-users may be comfortable having someone in-house to rely on for assistance and may have difficulty transitioning to a remote support approach.
Some staff may require special off hours support because they have Smartphones and/or notebooks and work significantly outside of normal business hours – maybe even in different timezones.
Your organization may be reluctant to adopt software-as-a-service models because of perceived security problems.
You think that your tape backups and secure and reliable.

No doubt there are others and if you have adopted these methods, I'd like to know what issues you ran into.

So what are the attributes that you should be looking at as you explore new technology models? There are 7 key drivers or attributes that should be considered:

Cost – Do you want to save money on technology and support? (Who doesn’t?)
Convenience – Are your end-users used to on-site, on-demand computer support?
Productivity – What is the impact of downtime on your business?
Security – Is information/data security critical to your business or industry? Do you have a backup and disaster recovery plan?
Performance – Is technology key to your business in the areas of cost savings, profit driving or revenue generation.
Access – Do your users need access to your computer network, applications and data at all times?
Mobility – Do you have a lot of mobile workers? Do they use just Smartphones, or are they using Smartphones and notebooks?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help you decide how best to leverage newer computer technology models, and prepare you for dealing with the inevitable staff challenges as well.

What is the single most important question you should ask before hiring a computer support company?

Linda — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:10:00 GMT

Last week I wrote a free report titled "16 Critical Questions You MUST Ask Before Hiring Any Computer Support Company" and made it available through our website. That got me started thinking about which of the 16 questions is the most important question to ask.

After reviewing the questions again, I finally decided that the most important question is: "Does the computer support company offer any guarantees on their services?" Others may pick a different question, and I could probably make a case for many of the other questions as well.

When you purchase a product, you likely don't hesitate to ask about warranties and guarantees. You may even purchase an extended warranty that will cover any labor or provide for an in home service call in the event that there is a problem with the product.

But how often to you ask a company that provides professional services what guarantee they are offering? When is the last time a professional service company told you that they guaranteed their work? My guess is not often, if ever.

Yet, what is more important - the big screen TV you just bought for your family room, or the computer network that keeps your business running and generating revenue? If the computer support company you are considering hiring isn't offering you a guarantee on their services, keep looking until you find one that is confident enough to offer a guarantee.

Does technology cost us our freedom?

Linda — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:23:00 GMT

One of the nice things about a day off is having the time to read through many of the articles that flow into my inbox on a daily basis. Doing so, I came across an interesting article by Rob Enderly titled "What Apple - and Technology - Is Taking Away from Us".

His points are good and will certainly give you something to think about, if you can put down your smartphone and step away from your laptop long enough to think. Better yet, have a discussion with your friends and family about it!

It's an interesting subject for this Independence Day weekend!

What does the iPad mean for the future of PC's?

Linda — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:20:00 GMT

Without a doubt, Apple's iPad is a game-changing product. Everyone I know who has one loves it. So it is only natural to start wondering if the device is enough to start pushing traditional PCs into oblivion.

A recent article in CRN has the answer in the headline, Not Dead Yet: 2010 Notebooks - More Power, Better Battery Life. According to the author, Edward F. Moltzen, new processor technologies from Intel and AMD, along with software developments from Microsoft and the Ubuntu open-source community are breathing new life into the PC platform and more specifically positioning the notebook as the predominant form factor.

Notebooks launched today are likely to contain Intel's Core i3 or Core i5 processors. These notebooks have as much processing power as high-end quad-core desktops available 18 months ago. That means that if you are replacing your desktop that is 3 or more years old with a new notebook, you are going to see significant performance improvements.

That said, there are still improvements to be made. The typical notebook is still much heavier than the iPad's 24 ounces. In fact, many are more than 5 pounds. Why that may not seem like much if you don't regularly take your notebook out of the office, it quickly becomes heavy when you are rushing through airports. The iPad doesn't even have to come out of its bag to go through security - a definite plus in my opinion!

Battery life and heat are also issues with notebooks. While the iPad will function 12 hours on battery, the typical notebook will only run for 2 to 3 hours per charge. CRN also noted that the new Intel processors generate more heat than the previous generation, an issue that makes the notebooks less comfortable to use and reduces battery life. Manufacturers will need to focus on better thermal design to overcome these issues.

For a review of 6 of the latest notebooks, check out the CRN website. And if you have an opinion on the iPad versus a PC, notebook or otherwise, I invite you to share your views here.

Office 2010 Backstage View - Or The Return of the File Tab!

Linda — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:55:00 GMT

One of the 'new' features of Office 2010 is Backstage View. After finding this on Microsoft's list of new features, I used the help feature to find out a bit more about it. What help told me was to click on the File Tab to see the Backstage view.

Now the File Tab was a feature that had been part of Office for a very long time. But in Office 2007, it disappeared. I placed many of the commands that had been accessible on my ribbon and others were available by clicking on the icon that appeared in the top left hand corner of the window.That icon was known as the Microsoft Office Button and it looked exactly the same no matter which application you were in.

It seems that this was not a well received change, and now the File Tab has returned. And the Microsoft Office Button has been replaced with an icon that actually tells you which application you are in. How novel!

Now to be fair, the new Backstage view is not exactly the same as the old file tab. If you select it when you have a file open, you will see the details about the document you are working in, at least in Word and Publisher. This information includes information about the properties of the document and you can change any of those properties from this screen.

In Outlook, the Backstage view is a bit different. This screen gives you access to account settings, the out of office assistant, mailbox cleanup and rules and alerts.

All in all, upgrading to 2010 is not as major as was the upgrade to 2007. Of course, if you did not upgrade to 2007, you will have an adjustment to make as you learn about the ribbon and figure out where all of your most used commands have moved to!

If you have upgraded to 2010, I'd love to hear your reactions to the latest round of changes!

Outlook 2010 - Quick Steps and Conversation View - Will they improve your efficiency?

Linda — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:51:00 GMT

As promised, I have been looking more closely at Office 2010. I have found some interesting new features in Outlook that I wanted to share with you.

While Quick Steps will jump right out at you, you may not immediately understand just what Quick Steps are or why you should use them. Quick Steps are a means to make tasks that you perform regularly quick and easy. For example, you may regularly send email to your team - perhaps a group of employees or co-workers. The Team E-Mail Quick Step is easily customized to have the proper recipients. Send a message to the team is now as simple as clicking the Team E-Mail Quick Step.

Other Quick Steps may move or copy messages to a specific folder, reply to a message and then delete it, or forward the message to a group and then delete it. On my screen, the Quick Step area will accomodate 9 Quick Steps without having to scroll to access them all. This week I will be thinking about what 9 actions I want to use my Quick Steps for to make email handling more efficient.

Conversation View is not so obvious, but I think I will find this to be extremely helpful. I regularly find myself sorting my email by who it is from so that I can find previous messages in the thread. Of course, a few minutes later, I'm sorting by date so I can see new messages easily. I probably re-sort my messages at least a half dozen times every day.

Conversation View will list all messages that are part of the same thread together. You must turn this feature on to take advantage of it, and you can turn it on only for selected folders. You access this feature, and the related options, from the View tab.

Once you have turned it on, you will see arrows in front of messages that are part of conversations. Click on the arrow to see all of the messages in the conversation. When you move to a different message in the folder, the messages are once again collapsed. I have noticed that some conversations automatically expand and others do not. I haven't figured out exactly why. And the initial expansion shows only messages from others to you. Expanding again will show your replies as well.

Another feature that was available as a plug-in before is the Outlook Social Connector. This feature links to LinkedIn and pulls photos of your contacts into Outlook for you. This option also shows all messages and attachments from someone grouped together. However I have just noticed that the photo currently pulled for me is definitely someone else - and I'm not even sure who it is!

If you have tried these features, or if you have found something I have missed, I would love to hear from you!

Office 2010 First Impressions

Linda — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:15:00 GMT

Late last week, I installed Office 2010 on my laptop. My intent was that I would spend some time checking everything out and then post something about the cool new features. But of course, I haven't checked the new features yet, I'm just working on getting things done, so no post yet!

Be that as it may, I am thrilled that Publisher was not ignored this time around. Everytime I used it while still on 2007, I was reminded how much I liked many of the 2007 features that were NOT in Publisher. It was largely ignored the last time around and it is nice to have it at the same level as the other applications.

The other thing that I immediately noticed - and LIKE - are the changes to the printing process. When you select the Print option, you see a screen where all of the print options are listed on the left hand side of the screen and a print preview is displayed on the right side. You can page through the preview and see exactly how your document will look when it is printed.

True, you could do that before by going to Print Preview, but rarely did I actually do that, and many times I printed an entire document only to find there was some really obvious horrible formatting problem. This should happen far less often with the changes in 2010.

And I still have a goal of checking out new features, so watch for a future post!

How secure is your email password?

Linda — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:58:00 GMT

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the security of my email password. You see, in the last two months or so, I have received emails from friends that I knew were not messages they would have sent me in a million years. I notified one immediately, who changed his password and that resolved the issue. I did not notify the second one until I had gotten more than one email from her address. She too changed her email password and the messages stopped.

Just today I received an apology email from someone who apparently had her account compromised, although I had not received any messages from her. That was followed closely by an inquiry from someone who was getting calls that they were sending spammy emails.

Today's events reminded me that I have been meaning to blog about making sure your email password is secure. Recently I read an article that talked about how important it is to select strong passwords, but I am betting that if you aren't forced to use a strong password, you probably won't.

Two of the most common passwords used aer '123456' and 'password'. Even if you didn't select something that obvious, the chances are good that your password is something easily guessed, like your partner, child or pet's name, a birthday or anniversary, or your city, college or favorite sports team.

For those of you who are smuggly thinking that your password is much more creative than that, did you know that there are a number of free password crackers available online and that a 7 character password that contains only lowercase characters can be cracked in an average of only 2.23 hours?

Wow.

Select your password from uppercase, lowercase and special characters - like @#$%^&* - and it will take 2.21 years to crack that 7 character password. Add one more character, and it's going to take 2.1 centuries.

Now think about what is at risk if your email account is hacked. Sending spam to your friends is probably the least of your worries, although some might become upset depending on the content of the messages.

If I can read your email messages, I can probably learn alot about you - where you bank, the credit cards you use, your favorite shopping sites (are your credit card numbers saved?) and maybe even where your investments are. How many of those accounts are linked to your email address? Have you ever forgotten your login credentials and had the reset instructions or your password emailed to you? Whoops.

So if you recognize yourself in anything I have posted, you might want to change your email password before you too are a victim of email hacking.

What's your definition of cloud computing? Even the industry doesn't agree!

Linda — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:03:00 GMT

Last week, I attended an industry meeting held by The ASCII Group. This meeting brought together over 100 technology business owners to share best practices and discuss trends in our industry.

There were several panel discussions moderated by ASCII members, with one of the most intriguing ones focusing on cloud computing. What made this panel so interesting was that the four panelists couldn't agree on a definition of cloud computing.

On one side, cloud computing was described as simply server centric computing that can be accessed anytime, anywhere. This definition definitely fit with the product being offered by this vendor - servers configured to support virtual desktops, with the idea that the server could be placed in your office if that's what you wanted.

Another view was that cloud computing involves using shared resources in a distributed environment. This approach drives costs down while delivering the most recent technology to the end users. In this definition, a given resource has multiple tenants. This corresponds to using Google Apps or Salesforce.com.

A third position was that the cloud doesn't exist in data centers, but is a collaboration of end users. This vendor was promoting a peer-to-peer sharing of durable storage for purposes of offsite backup, so his definition clearly fit with his product.

The last panelist offered that he thought each of these definitions was correct in its own way, but that the key to cloud computing is virtualization. This vendor is offering virtual servers that can be configured and created in 5 minutes. The capabilities of the servers can be modified as the needs of the user change. This definition also has an element of multi-tenancy, with multiple virtual servers (presumably for different clients) running on the same physical server.

It's no wonder that people outside the industry are confused about what cloud computing really is!

In part, the issue is that cloud computing, as a term anyway, is relatively new and the industry itself is still struggling to define it. That leaves vendors to each put their own spin on the definition as they try to position their product as a cloud offering.

In talking with my peers after the panel was finished, most thought that putting a server in your office and calling it cloud computing isn't right. Most found no argument with the other definitions.

The best advice when it comes to technology is to explain to your computer consultant what you would like to accomplish with technology and what resources you have to implement solutions. Do you need to work remotely, or are all of your users always in your office? Do you want to invest in technology assets upfront, or would you prefer to keep your capital expenditures to a minimum in favor of higher operating expenses? If you are working with a company that is keeping up to date with the latest in technology, they should be able to recommend the best solution for your situation.

If you have a definition of cloud computing, please share it by leaving a comment below.

Don't fall victim to the latest phishing scheme - Tabnabbing

Linda — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:30:00 GMT

Earlier this week, I came across a new term in a newsletter about computer security. The article is about 'tabnabbing', a new phishing technique that has recently surfaced.

This technique is employed on tabs in your browser that are not currently active. While you are busy in another tab or another application, the attack runs a java script that changes the inactive page to something that is not what it appears to be. For example, if you have a tab open in Gmail, the page may be changed to a page that looks like the Gmail login page, even though you were already logged in. When you return to the page, you will simply assume that you have been logged out due to inactivity and log back in.

Unfortunately, the page is not the real login page and you have just given your email username and password to the criminals. And with that, it is quite likely that the criminal can determine what protected websites you use, say for banking, and request that your password be reset, leading to things much worse than hijacked email.

This is a bit different from previous types of phishing attacks in that it doesn't rely on tricking the user into entering credentials on a bogus site. It simply changes the web page while you are distracted doing other things and you have no reason to suspect that there is anything evil going on when you return. You expect that you are returning to the same page you left - and until tabnabbing was discovered, you were absolutely correct.

You can read the article I ran across here for a more in depth discussion of this technique. You can also go to this blog post from Aza Raskin who introduced the term for another explanation and see just how this attack works. If you open another window over the top of his post, without completely covering it, you should be able to see when it changes.

I don't know about you, but from now on if I appear to have been logged out due to inactivity, I will close the page and then navigate back to it myself!

Help us help Captial Area Center for Independent Living!

Linda — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:37:00 GMT

During the month of June, we will be donating 20% of in store labor revenue to Capital Area Center for Independent Living. This organization's mission is to 'transform thinking to improve the environment and quality of life for people with disabilities'. More specifically, they provide training, mentoring and referrals to help people with disabilites and their families live productive lives. Because disability touches so many lives, they also work on a larger scale, helping governments and businesses make changes that benefit not just those with disabilities, but everyone in the community. You can find out more about the services this organization provides by visiting their website.

To help us make a difference, just bring your computer to us for diagnosis and repair and mention the CACIL promotion.

Here is my nook review!

Linda — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:33:00 GMT

No, it's not a book review; it is a nook review! A couple of months ago, I purchased a nook, Barnes and Noble's eReader. I was anticipating an upcoming vacation with lots of time to read and I was not interested in lugging books around. I also wanted to be very specific about what I would be reading, so an eReader seemed perfect! At the time, I promised a review once I had used it more than just a little, so with the vacation completed, the time has come!

A couple of days before I left, I purchased about a dozen books to read on the trip. I wanted to be sure that I had them all downloaded since I was cruising across the Atlantic Ocean and connecting to any sort of wireless network was likely to be a problem. Since I had already built my eWish list on the Barnes and Noble website, it was simply a matter of browsing to the ones I wanted right on my nook and touching 'Buy'. The nook is linked to my account there, my credit card is automatically charged and the books download. You can also search for books from the nook. I have done that, but I much prefer to search on my computer. In less than 15 minutes, I was ready to go!

You can also download the first 20 pages or so of most titles so you can read a bit before you decide to buy. It is nice to be able to sit at home and do that - beats being on my feet in a bookstore!

Books can be read either on the nook, or with the Barnes and Noble Desktop Reader that downloads to your PC easily. There are also readers for iPhone, iPod, Blackberry and MAC. I can't imagine reading a book on a phone or an iPod, but I suppose some might find that useful.

The battery life is great, particularly if you turn off all of the wireless options. Since I knew I wouldn't be connecting, I just put it in airplane mode and left it that way. I can turn it back on when I have finished reading everything that is already on it. I was able to read by the pool for three days without recharging. That would have been about 18 hours.

My reluctance in getting a device in the first place was that I wasn't sure how easy it would be to read in really bright sun. Of course, that concern comes from thinking about trying to use my notebook outside. The screen is completely different from the one on a notebook and I have yet to find a situation that is too bright for it. It is pretty much like reading a piece of paper! It is difficult to read it in dim light, so I bought a small light that works with the case I bought and I am all set for any lighting conditions. I might even be able to read it in bed without disturbing my husband!

The device is less than half the size of an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and weighs just over 12 ounces. It is only a half inch thick, so it takes up little space in your luggage or carry on. I'm guessing a lot of women could fit it in their purse easily! I bought a leather case to protect mine.

You can change the font and its size to find what works best for you. I prefer a small font so I'm not page turning frequently, but as my eyes age, that may change. I have found that if the book contains charts and graphs, they are difficult to read. It doesn't seem that changing the font size affects these much. One of the books I read had lots of forms that were impossible to read. Since I really wanted to adopt the forms for use here at KI, we ended up purchasing a printed copy of the book as well.

There is a built in dictionary so you can look up words that may be unfamiliar with just a few touches. I will say that while I like the touch screen for most things, I don't find the keyboard particularly easy to use. I also still have a bit of trouble if I want to jump to a specific chapter in my current book. It should be noted though that I'm not really crazy about any touch screen I have ever used, so perhaps it is me and not the device!

It's also great if you are travelling alone and would like to read while you wait for dinner at a restaurant. You don't have to worry about holding the book open or putting something heavy on top of it without blocking the words. It just sits there! You just need to be careful that you don't drop food on it! I found this to be a big advantage when I was on a recent business trip.

Since I purchased my nook, the software has been updated. I tried to download the update through the wireless connection, but it didn't seem to be doing what I expected. So I just connected it to my notebook and followed the directions to update. Everything went smoothly. The update made page turning faster and added a couple of games to the device. I'm not really interested in playing games on it, but I can now play Soduku or chess if I want to.

All-in-all, I am really glad I bought this. It is great for travelling and eventually I was going to run out of room for more books! If I run out of room on my nook, I can always add a micro SD card to it! Yes, I do understand that it is different from holding a real book that can be flipped through easily and I am sure I will continue to purchase printed versions myself. But just try searching for a reference to a particular person, not listed in the index with a paper book! I can do that quickly on my nook and if that reference isn't the one I was looking for, I can easily search for the next one without flipping back to the index!

Now I can't say if this device is better than a Kindle or not since I have never used a Kindle. And at this point, everyone is buzzing about the iPad, which has many more capabilities - at twice the price. So I'm not suggesting that this is the device you ought to have. I didn't need or want the capabilities of the iPad and I didn't want to spend the additional money. For what I wanted, the nook is great!

If the rains come down and the floods come up, will you be prepared?

Linda — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:37:00 GMT

One of my colleagues, Chris, has an office in Hendersonville, Tennessee - just north of Nashville. Many of his clients are located in Nashville and if you were watching the national news a few weeks back, you are certainly aware that there has been major flooding in Nashville.

When I returned from vacation, I found a few pictures of the Opryland Hotel that he had sent along so I could see just how serious the situation was. Since I attended a meeting with him in November at this hotel, I know how these pictures are supposed to look. In this picture, you are looking at signs that are just above doors that are entrances to one of the guest room areas. If you have never been there, the facility is huge and the center section is indoors, but with the feeling of being outdoors. It is a huge atrium area with many plants, walkways and several restaurants. There is even a river raft opportunity! This picture is taken from somewhere in the atrium.

This picture shows tables and chairs floating in the flood waters. When I first saw it, I wondered why they didn't move some of the furniture to higher levels. It turns out that it rained 13" in 24 hours in some places and the rains continued for 2 days. 1500 guests had to be evacuated to a high school gym. This should be looking towards one of the restaurants.

Now, imagine this is YOUR business...

...and the water is up to the tops of the door frames. Your computers are underwater and everything is a muddy, mucky mess. Where is your backup? I sure hope it's not in a safe or a desk drawer that is in the same flood zone!

In fact, Chris has a client that he has talked to several times about implementing a solid backup plan - the same one that we use for our clients. The client insisted that he had his backups under control and didn't need Chris's help. Just days after the flood, the client showed up with a machine that had been under water wondering how quickly Chris could recover the data from it. If this is possible at all, it will be a very expensive proposition - both in terms of the out of pocket expenses, which could run into thousands of dollars, and in terms of lost productivity and damage to his company's reputation. I'm not sure what this client does, but I know I wouldn't want to do business with a company that I knew was not protecting itself from disasters such as these.

One of our clients had a flood in their business several years ago. I arrived in their office with a new computer. I was completely unprepared for the scale of the damage to their office. They were already ripping out drywall and running fans to dry the place out while operating temporarily from the second floor. The force of the water had forced open their overhead door and some of their office furniture had floated away. The good news - they had a copy of their data offsite and experienced no loss of data.

Want to manage email and contacts more effectively?

Linda — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:20:00 GMT

This week, I have been doing a little research for an article in our May newsletter and wanted to share it with those who read my blog as well.

One of the new features in Outlook 2010 is Outlook Social Connector. It is also available as an add-in for those who are running Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007. By now you know that if it involves social media, I'm probably checking it out eventually! So yesterday, I downloaded it and have been working with it since then.

First, I really don't think that at this point it deserves to be called a 'Social Connector', although the possibilty that it will really become that is strong. Right now, it only connects to LinkedIn and mySpace, with an announcement that it will soon also connect to Facebook and Windows Live.

Then connection to LinkedIn is pretty impressive. After the connector is installed, you step through the wizard so it will be able to access your LinkedIn account information and it is ready to go. Initially, I was not so impressed - because I expected instant results. Puzzled that I wasn't seeing what I expected, I moved on to other tasks.

As short time later, I received an email from a client and his picture and the fact that we are connected on LinkedIn was displaying in the OSC pane that displays as part of every email. Now that was pretty cool! Many of my contacts I know well, but others I know less well, and it is nice to see them when I read their message to remind me of who they are.

Better yet, if the email went to a group and I have connections to other parties to the message, their pictures show up as well, in a bar across the top of the sender's information area.

If I am not connected to the sender, or any of the other recipients, and I would like to be, sending them a connection request is a matter of clicking twice and it's done! I don't have to go to LinkedIn to see if they are there and send the request there. This should help me make sure that I am connected to all of my business colleagues on LinkedIn in only slightly more time than it takes to read their message.

OSC is also supposed to show updates from social media sites, but I haven't yet seen any of those. I'm not sure yet if it is not really doing that, or if my connections just aren't updating. Time will tell!

There are also tabs that allow me to see all of the email correspondence in my folders for that person. And if I am trying to find an attachment that was sent, there is a tab that shows me only attachments. I can also see if I have had appointments scheduled with them. The home tab shows me the complete Outlook universe for the contact, which is fine if there isn't a lot of activity for the contact. If they are very active, then looking at the individual tabs makes it much faster to locate information.

So far, this is a handy tool, even if it is a bit over-billed in terms of its social media capabilities!

Are you ready for what April showers may bring?

Linda — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:29:00 GMT

You've heard it all your life - April showers bring May flowers. True. But they also can bring lots of thunder and lightning.

We had a doozy of a storm here in mid-Michigan on Tuesday. My twitter feed was telling me about warning sirens going off and workers being sent to basements to make sure they were safe.

But what about computers and other networking equipment? Is there an equivalent of 'moving to the basement' for your technology investment?

Sure there is, but you definitely shouldn't wait until storms are approaching to worry about it.

Storms can definitely cause problems due to lightning strikes and power outages. Certainly you can watch the weather and when it turns nasty, you can shut everything down and unplug it all to protect it. But that's a lot of work and what if the storms come during the night when you aren't near that expensive server? And don't forget that your office has 20 or 30 workstations and, while each one is probably worth something under $1000, when you add up the total value, it's a pretty big number.

A much better approach is to make sure every piece of equipment is protected against power problems. You may not be aware that there are many power problems that are present even when there isn't a storm and that these problems can be just as damaging as what you may experience during a storm.

Power surges are an increase in the voltage that powers electrical equipment. Surges often go unnoticed; often they are quick (1/20th of a second) and absorbed by the power supply of a device. Stronger surges will go through a power supply, damaging any circuits as it moves along the grounding line.

Surges come from utility power systems that have become unstable or unreliable. Power grids often generate surges as they switch between sources to generate power. Local surges can occur when power is suddenly added or taken away from a local area. Good examples are if someone starts up an electrical motor or a fuse blows. In the case of a fuse blowing, for a moment there will be more power available to the rest of a house. This sudden excess power can cause a surge.

Lightning can send a spectacular power surge along any conductive line. This is more than just a standard surge - no surge suppressor in the world will survive a direct lightning strike. By choosing the right power protection, your surge suppressor will take the hit, end up melted, but your equipment will stay protected. Don't forget that telephone lines are also highly conductive.

Brownouts are periods of low voltage in utility lines that can cause lights to dim and equipment to fail. Also known as voltage sags, this is the most common power problem, accounting for up to 87% of all power disturbances. Brownouts can also be caused by damaged electrical lines, or equipment that draws massive amounts of power (hair dryers, refrigerators, air conditioners, laser printers).

When line voltages are lowered, electrical equipment pulls more current to compensate and generates more heat in the process. Over time, this can contribute to equipment failure.

Brownouts are often caused when utility companies must reduce their voltage output to deal with high power. Demand for power exceeds the supply of power. Brownouts are also referred to as undervoltages; there is power, just not enough to meet the demand of equipment using it. Brownouts place undue strain on power supplies and other internal components, forcing them to work harder in order to function. Extended brownouts can destroy electrical components and cause data glitches and hardware failure.

Overvoltages (spikes) - Undervoltages are often followed by "spikes," which are also damaging to computer components and data. Voltage variation can be the most damaging power problem to threaten your equipment. All electronic devices expect to receive a steady voltage (120 VAC in North America and 220/240 volts in many other parts of the world) in order to operate correctly.

Overvoltages burn out power supplies and other components and can cause massive damage to electronic hardware. Extended overvoltages can even cause fires as electronics "fry" in the extra electricity.

Blackouts or power failures are the easiest power problem to diagnose. Any temporary, or not so temporary, interruption in the flow of electricity will result in a power failure which can cause hardware damage and data loss.

Blackouts can be caused by many things - weather, overburdened power grids, or the severing of a power line. Power failures are more than simply inconvenient and annoying. Because most computers use a volatile storage method (writing to memory prior to saving on to a hard-drive), information is lost when power is removed. Data can become corrupted, and some devices can be damaged by the sudden loss of power. Just as overpower occurs with brownouts, when the power comes back, spikes can occur that may cause even more damage.

Line noise refers to random fluctuations - electrical impulses that are carried along with standard AC current. Turning on the fluorescent lights overhead, a refrigerator, laser printers, working near a radio station, using a power generator, or simply working during a lightning storm can all introduce line noise into computer systems.

Line noise interference can result in many different symptoms depending on the particular situation. Noise can introduce glitches and errors into programs and files. Hard drive components can be damaged. Televisions and computer monitors can display interference as "static" or "snow," and audio systems experience increased distortion levels. Noise suppression is stated as Decibel level (Db) at a specific frequency (KHz or MHz). The higher the Db, the greater the protection.

If you want to be sure that your equipment keeps running during an outage, you will want to invest in an uninterruptible power supply or UPS. These devices also protect against fluctuations in power levels by delivering consistent power to equipment. Power sags are boosted and spikes are absorbed.

To select the right UPS, you will need to determine how much power will be drawn and how long you need your systems to run during an outage. You can purchase UPS systems that will run your system for an hour or longer, or you can provide for just enough runtime to safely shutdown the equipment. Software provide with most UPS systems will monitor the utility power and perform a shutdown based on parameters you provide. Obviously, the longer runtime you need the more you will spend on the UPS.

For peripheral equipment, like switches and monitors, protection can be provided with a high quality surge suppressor or voltage regulator. Don't think that a $10 or $15 surge suppressor will provide adequate protection. Look for one that offers an equipment protection policy. These policies will pay for damaged equipment in the event that the device fails to protect it. Policies may cover as much at $25,000. Expect to pay $25 to $50 for most applications.

Are you using out of office replies correctly?

Linda — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:37:00 GMT

There's no arguing that email has become an important form of communication. But there is something very frustrating about sending an email off expecting a quick response only to realize 24 hours later that you still don't have your answer. So you pick up the phone and place a quick call only to find out that the person you sent the email to has been on vacation all week. Had you known, you would have directed your inquiry to someone else.

You know how frustrating that is, so are you making sure that you are letting people know not to expect a response when you are unable to respond to email in a timely manner?

If you are using Microsoft Exchange, this is easily done by turning on the out of office feature. If you aren't using Exchange, you may need to check with the company that hosts your email to determine how to set this up, but the feature should still be available.

When you set up your messages, be sure to include information about when you will be returning. That will let the recipient know when to expect a response from you. You should also provide information about how to contact you or your company in the event that the sender cannot wait for your return. This may be an alternative email address or a phone number that can be called to get the information required.

You should look for an option to only send the response to a particular sender one time. You might assume that the sender will just not send you any more email until you return, but with the number of emails that are sent from automated systems, this may not be a reasonable expectation. For example, we offer a service where we backup clients' data to offsite locations. Some clients choose to receive an email when backups are successful. If they leave for a week and send their out of office message on every email, we will receive it every time a backup completes successfully. If they client is backing up 5 machines every day and the same person receives all of the notifications, that means a lot of useless messages sent back to us.

If you receive an out of office reply and it includes an email address to send your request to instead of the original one, think carefully before just automatically sending your email to the other address. Recently a friend of mine posted a job opening online with an email address like jobs@hisdomain.com, which forwarded to his email address. Then he left on business and set his out of office message which included the email address of his office administrator.

So, one of the people responding to the job posting forwarded their resume on to the office administrator. You guessed it; the job being advertised was the office administrator's job!

So before you take advantage of the information in the out of office message, decide if it is critical that you get the information to someone quickly. I'm pretty sure that the person who thought they needed to get that resume submitted quickly, did not rise to the top of the list of job applicants!

Is the iPhone in Verizon's Future?

Linda — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:50:00 GMT

Rumors are circulating anew that the exclusive arrangement between AT&T and Apple will soon come to an end with the release of a version of the iPhone that supports CDMA wireless networks. This is the technology that is used by Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel.

Of course, AT&T is quick to point out that there has been speculation of an iPhone with CDMA capabilities for a long time and it has yet to come to pass. The exclusive arrangement with AT&T has been crucial in helping the carrier win a 43% share of the lucrative smart phone market. Smart phone customers typically pay for more expensive data plans, which makes them especially attractive.

For more information, check out this article in today's Wall Street Journal.

What's the difference between a facebook page, group and profile?

Linda — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:53:00 GMT

Suddenly it seems that many more businesses are creating information pages on facebook - and that is a good thing. But many seem to blunder a bit and risk putting time and effort into something that may not last long.

Facebook has three different types of pages. The first type is a personal profile page. These are intended for people, not groups or businesses. You become a friend of a personal page. Depending on the security settings you have chosen, friends probably have access to information that others cannot see. You may also allow friends of friends to see information about you that you don't want everyone on facebook to see.

The second type of page is a group. You can set up a group for any type of cause you are involved with. These can be serious or frivolous. You become a member of a group. Fellow group members do not have to be friends and don't have the same access to your information that your friends do. If you are the creator of a group or have been granted administrator access, you can send messages to all of the group members. Groups can be open and public, or the administrator may have to approve your membership and content can be only available to members.

Lastly, facebook has fan or company pages. These can be set up for companies, products, organizations or public figures. You become a fan of these pages. In terms of privacy, these operate much like groups in that your information isn't viewable by other fans of the page. Pages are public and, once you become a fan, you see posts from the page in your news feed - a feature that is not available with groups. Page administrators can see demographic information for their fans and can send updates to all fans. Pages can be promoted with a facebook ad as well.

Setting up a personal page for your business is a violation of facebook guidelines. If these pages are reported, the team at facebook can remove your page without warning. If that happens, you will have to start over with a group or a fan page.

Personally, I will not become a friend of a page that represents a business or a group. I am happy to join groups for causes I believe in and become a fan of businesses that I believe are reputable or products that are useful and innovative.

If you are thinking about setting up your page, take a few minutes to understand the different types of pages and setup the one that fits your situation. Don't pour effort into something that may be reported and removed.

And when you set up that company page or group, make sure that it is setup by the business owner, not an employee or intern. The person who creates the page cannot be removed as an administrator and you don't want to risk having an unhappy former employee with administrator access to your company page!

Microsoft announces support lifecycle milestones to occur on July 13, 2010

Linda — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:14:00 GMT

A recent message from Microsoft showed up in my inbox with the subject Support for Windows XP with SP2 and Windows Vista Ends July 13, 2010. Messages like this get my attention and since support for Vista was mentioned, it really got my attention.

So what exactly is ending on July 13th?

For Vista, this date marks the end of standard support for Windows Vista RTM. RTM was the initial release of Vista. If you were one of first to adopt this operating system and you have not kept up to date with security updates and service packs, you should definitely head to Microsoft's update site and install all of the updates that are available for your system. Microsoft has released two service packs for Vista. Note that you may have to install intermediate updates before you can install service packs, so it may take multiple visits to Microsoft's site to get your system completely up to date.

For XP, Microsoft is discontinuing extended support for systems that are running SP2. SP3 is available and should be installed through the Microsoft update site. Note that this announcement means that there will no longer be any security updates for versions of XP that are running SP2.

Of course, another option is to go ahead and upgrade to Windows 7. Obviously, that is what Microsoft would like for you to do. If you have questions about whether or not to upgrade, you can visit Microsoft's Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor for more information. If you are considering upgrades for your business, consult with your network support company to determine the costs to deploy Windows 7 and determine your best course of action.

Also included in the announcement is the discontinuation of extended support for all versions of Windows 2000. If you have a server that is running Windows 2000 Server or a desktop that is running Windows 2000 Professional, your update is long overdue. And don't even think about trying to keep your existing hardware and just upgrade the operating system. You need a new server or desktop with the latest software. Trust me when I say that the productivity improvements you will see when you do this will more than pay for your upgrade in a short amount of time. If you don't believe me, check out my newsletter article about how much difference a similar upgrade made for TMN Builders.

If you are running Windows 200 Server that crashes and you have problems with any part of the recovery process, there will be no possibility of assistance from Microsoft. While we don't often need to contact Microsoft in these situations, we have had occasions where things have gone awry and it has been necessary to get their assistance. And it was more frequent with earlier versions of the operating system than it has been recently.

Even more critical than the announcement from Microsoft is the risk being taken every day by using computers that do not have all of the security updates applied. The world wide economic downturn has meant an uptake in cyber crime and if your computer is not up to date with all security patches, you are an easy target.

For more information on keeping your computer safe from security threats, download my free report here.

Could Your Company Owe Microsoft $150,000 or More for Pirated Software?

Linda — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:31:00 GMT

What picture popped into your mind when you read the phrase 'pirated software'? Perhaps an image of some guy selling software out of his trunk or kids copying discs in their bedrooms? Perhaps you think that pirated software only exists in the world of home users, but that is far from the truth. The fact is that the most common type of software piracy occurs in businesses and many times the businesses involved are unaware that the software is being used illegally.

It's not too difficult to find Microsoft products for sale at deeply discounted prices. While working on this post, I ran a quick search for Office 2007 Professional. Prices ranged from $196 to $499 for this product, which Microsoft lists as $499.95. The fact that I have never heard of the company advertising the $196 price and that it is so far below the retail price tells me that it is highly unlikely that I will receive an authentic copy of Office from them.

Some of this software also includes a large dose of harmful programs as well. Testing has shown that pirated software frequently also installs spyware or Trojans. This additional software can cause vulnerabilities or cause problems that can cost as much as $1000 to remediate.

If you are looking at an offer that seems too good to be true, it likely isn't! Be aware that if the software isn't genuine, you will not be able to download updates. If you think you may have purchased pirated software, Microsoft has a section of their website that explains how to report suspected piracy.

But that's not how most companies become victims of software piracy. Some technology companies are looking for ways to increase their profits. These unscrupulous individuals charge their clients full price for the software and then install pirated copies of the software instead. The unsuspecting clients are completely unaware that they do not have legal copies of the software. When you purchase software or new computers, make sure there is a Certificate of Authenticity for each copy of the software or each machine you have purchased. The Microsoft website has COA samples on their website. You can be held responsible for pirated software installed on your systems, even if you were not aware that the software was illegal, so you want to be sure that you are receiving what you have paid for.

And don't think that if you didn't know, you are off the hook. At a minimum, you will likely have to pay AGAIN to legally license the software.

You can also run into problems if you have installed the same copy of the licensed software on several machines. If you want to run Office on 5 machines in your office, then you need to purchase 5 copies of Office.Don't think that you are saving anything by engaging in this practice. Microsoft is going to be considerably less understanding if you have done this than if you are a victim of someone else's dishonesty.

Lastly you should be aware that, as a business owner, you can be held responsible for unauthorized software that is installed by your employees on company computers. You can also be held responsible if they are sharing software or other media (like music or movies) through peer to peer file sharing sites like Limewire, Kaaza or BitTorrent. It is important that you are aware of activities that are going on within your company network.

So how do you protect yourself?

Be sure that you buy software only from trustworthy sources. Remember that a deal that seems to good to be true probably is.
Work with an honest and reputable technology company. Be alert to any indication that the company is willing to break the law to save you money.
If you have any reason to suspect that you have been a victim of an unscrupulous technology provider, contact Microsoft (or other software vendor) to get answers to your questions and find out if your software is legal
Ask another technology company to perform an audit of your software. It is relatively easy for a trained technician to determine if your software is legal or not.
Ask your technology company to install software or hardware that will monitor network traffic and generate periodic reports. These reports will alert you to activities that employees may be taking that could put your company at risk. You should also be able to block activities that you want to prevent easily.

Wondering if you should consider Android?

Linda — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:36:00 GMT

Recently I was catching up with recent (well, sort of recent) blog posts made by one of my good friends MJ Shoer, President of Jenaly Technology Group in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I was pleased to see that he had already written a blog post that I wanted to write, but since I haven't used the new Android phone from Google, I didn't feel that I was really qualified to write it! I'll be attending a one day training even with him tomorrow, so I will be sure to thank him for writing it for me!

So, if you are looking for a candid review of this phone from someone you can trust, head on over to MJ's blog and read what he has to say about it. I know that when I am eligible for a new phone towards the end of this year, I will be looking hard at one of these phones. I'd look at the iPhone, but since it isn't available on Verizon's network, it's not a contender!

Should you outsource your IT support?

Linda — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:59:00 GMT

At some point, many small companies have to decide if they want to outsource their technology support. Maybe you've been handling your technology issues yourself and it has just become too overwhelming. Perhaps you had an employee who was good with computers, but they don't work for you any more.

Recently, a good friend of mine - Lynda Wagner of NewTeq Computer Services - was interviewed for an article about IT outsourcing for a business publication in her area - Frederick, Maryland. It's a great article that may help you understand why outsourcing may be the best decision for your company and you can read it by clicking here.

If I had to choose one part of this article to highlight, I think it would be Lynda's comments about IT outsourcing as a business management philosophy. She says that "outsourcing your IT needs is the opposite of losing control. You're empowering yourself because you'll be able to focus more on what you are really good at and have a clearer picture of your office's computing environment. It's like having a business partner - someone who is laser-focused on that part of the busines, someone who will tell you straight-up about the good and the bad."

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Final money saving tip - #7 - Do business with 'one-man-band' computer consutants carefully

Linda — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:25:00 GMT

We regularly talk to prospects who have been doing business with a 'one-man-band' and the relationship just isn't working out so well. Usually, it started out fine, but as time goes on, the 'one man' is harder and harder to get ahold of, until finally he's not returning any of your phone calls.

Sometimes, the computer guy has a regular job and just does this on the side. Other times, he has lost his job, likes computers and thinks he can fix your problems. Or maybe he used to work for another computer support company and left because he thought he could make more money working for himself than he was getting paid before.

Typically, these guys charge a lot less than an established computer support company. I've even seen ads that say things like "I'll fix your computer for $40 labor no matter how long it takes." That seems like a deal, but I'm guessing you would rather have someone who knows about how long it is going to take to fix your problem and quotes your job accordingly.

And when they stop taking your calls and don't call you back, they've either moved on to another job or state, or they don't have any idea how to solve your problems. Ignoring you seems like the best solution to their problem.

Even if you find a 'one-man-band' that is competent and hasn't disappeared, what are you going to do when you have a problem and the one man is on vacation or tied up with another client who has a more serious problem?

Basically, as with all things in life, you get what you pay for. If you have mission critical applications and data that must be protected and working 24/7, then it makes sense to hire a well established firm with a good track record and enough tecnicians on staff to quickly respond to any technical emergencies that arise.

Money saving tip #6 - Implement a solid backup strategy

Linda — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:40:00 GMT

You might be wondering how on earth a solid backup strategy will save you money. And if you don't ever have a failure it certainly won't appear to be money well spent.

But I have heard it said that there are two types of computer users - those who have had a hard drive crash and those who haven't - yet. The fact is that hard drives do fail and it is important that you are prepared when it happens to you.

There are many backup solutions available today. The most popular solutions are backups to hard drives that can be taken offsite or solutions that backup your data and send it offsite through the internet to a secure data center. Some of these solutions also have the ability to virtualize a failed server while you are waiting for repairs, reducing or even eliminating costly downtime.

If the computer support company you are interviewing or working with is still recommending that you backup to tape, you need to fire them immediately and find a company that is familiar with more reliable backup solutions. Tape is the least reliable back solution available today.

Money saving tip #5 - Get everything in writing for your technology project

Linda — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:05:00 GMT

Once you are clear on the end result you want and how it is going to happen, get everything in writing to avoid confusion and disappointment further down the road. If your computer support company feels that particular goals are not achievable, then it is their responsibilty to tell you so up front. By getting them to put everything in writing, you will be able to hold them accountable for the promises they make and responsible for outcomes not achieved.

Here are the details that you want to be sure are covered in your written agreement:

Confirm Payment Terms - This includes up front deposits, fee structure, and payments due on completion of the project. Most computer support companies will request an up front deposit, particularly if your project includes the purchase of equipment. If the project is large, they may want additional payments based on the percentage of completion or reaching project milestones. For smaller projects, the balance may simply be due at installation.
Deliverables - Your written agreement should outline what you expect to be able to do when the project is done. You may need to include details about how the work should flow and what it should look like. Do not assume anything; if you expect it to happen, get it in writing as specifically as possible.
Work schedule and pace - Make sure you outline a date for completion. On larger projects, you will also want to specify dates for phases of delivery.

Again, any professional experienced computer support company will be more than happy to outline these items in writing prior to a project. If they hesitate or make excuses, it is a sign they are not confident in their ability to deliver on their promises.

Money saving tip #4 - Make sure you understand what you are getting from your computer support company

Linda — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:54:00 GMT

Every industry has its own jargon and technology is certainly no exception - in fact, we may be one of the worst offenders!

If you don't understand the solution being proposed, then ask to have it explained to you in terms that you can understand. If the prospective computer support company can't do that, then don't hire them.

They should also be able to give you alternative solutions and educate you about the pros and cons of each solution. The best solution may not be the one that has the lowest upfront cost. Likewise a more expensive solution may have lots of additional features, but if they aren't features that will benefit you, you shouldn't spend the extra money.

A good computer support company will want to make sure you understand the decisions you are making. The very best companies will want you to make the decision that is the best one for you, even if it is not the most profitable one for them.

Don't be afraid to ask for explanations of terms or parts of the project in 'layman's terms' if they aren't clear to you. Ask questions like "Tell me why this is absolutely necessary." or "What does that mean exactly?", or "Explain to me exactly how this will work once the project is completed."

By doing this you will avoid expensive 'misunderstandings' that can pop up in the middle of a project putting you way over budget.

Don't be fooled by tech support for Live PC Care

Linda — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:20:00 GMT

I just ran across this article on Computer World's site that has inspired a rare short weekend blog post. (Yes, short and weekend are both rare!)

Apparently the purveyors of the rogue antivirus program, Live PC Care, have taken steps to appear legitimate by offering on line support via live chat. And they aren't the first company to have tried this tactic.

Judging from the number of computers in our repair area that have become infected with this type of software, there is no shortage of people who fall for tactics such as these. Some stop short of supplying credit card information, while others have paid the companies that provide these harmful programs. If you have fallen victim to this scheme, I recommend that you cancel your credit card immediately.

Although this year long and not diminishing rash of this type of program is keeping us busy in our repair area, please read this article and be wary of anything that just pops up claiming to be able to protect, clean up or speed up your computer. Pop ups are almost never legitimate!

Tip #3 - Never hire a computer support company with out checking references

Linda — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:38:00 GMT

You wouldn't hire a new employee without checking references, so why would you hire a computer support company without talking to a few of their recent clients? It would be particularly helpful if you talk to clients who have had similar problems or projects. If that's not possible, ask for clients who have done business with them consistently over at least a two year period.

This seems obvious, but a lot of companies skip this step.

When you talk to their clients, be sure to ask the following questions:

Did they deliver what they promised?
Were they responsive and easy to get ahold of in times of emergency?
Did they bill accurately?
Did they stay within the projected budget?
Would you use them again? Why or why not?

You might also ask if there were any problems that arose and how they handled them. Not every project goes as smoothly as one would like, and it isn't so much the problem as how the problem was handled when it happened. If the company you are talking to is hesitant to provide a list of clients, proceed with extreme caution.

You should also take advantage of Google searches and other online tools to find out what people are saying. Searching for the company's name will help you find comments made by other clients. You should also take note of any clients that are mentioned on their website and contact them as well.

If you have a social network on LinkedIn, facebook or twitter, search for mentions there as well, or simply ask your social network if anyone has done business with the company you are considering. Unless your network is small or the company your are talking to doesn't have very many clients, you are likely to get an opinion from someone!

Money saving tip #2 - Always ask for fixed pricing from your computer consultant

Linda — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:22:00 GMT

This is an area where I see a lot of companies getting burned. Many computer support companies quote projects by giving an estimated cost to complete the project, but then also include an hourly rate that is added in for 'unexpected' events' that may arise during the project. Be very careful about signing this type of contract.

A competent computer network support company should have gathered enough information about your current situation, and should be familiar enough with the solution they are suggesting to know how many hours the project will require. They should be able to think through problems that could arise before they make their proposal. Tacking on an hourly rate and a clause that allows them to charge you for extra hours is a safety net for them. If their technician makes a mistake and takes longer than he or she should, or if they overlooked something when they put together the proposal, YOU will end up paying the price.

Before you know it, you are well into the project, the hours are adding up and the bill is far more than you were expecting. A dishonest computer support company might even give you a proposal with an impossibly low figure expecting to exceed it. That's why you should never make your decision based solely on the price you have been quoted.

Instead, asked for a fixed price quote or even a 'not to exceed' proposal. If you can get a proposal that says the labor will not exceed a certain dollar amount, you may be billed less if the project goes smoothly. And if it doesn't, you will not be penalized.

Of course, if the computer support company is quoting you fixed fee or not to exceed, they may also lay out exactly what your responsibilities will be for the project in terms of making any necessary resources available and providing access to your equipment and office. Be sure that you understand what will be required of you and that you are not responsible for any delays or difficulties.

Tip #1 for saving money on computer support

Linda — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:07:00 GMT

Over the next couple of weeks, I have decided to post a series of suggestions that will help you save money on your computer support. These tips will also help you evaluate whether or not you are working with the right computer support company or not.

Tip Number 1 - Ask your computer support company to let you or your staff get involved with your project so you can learn to be more self-sufficient and shave off billable hours.

One of the best ways to save money on your computer support is to learn how to handle some of the basic, routine issues that arise in house. If you can be involved in the project you are outsourcing, it will go a long way to make you or your designated staff member competent to handle many of the small issues.

Many computer support companies will want to keep you as far away from your project as possible. After all, if you have to call them about every little issue, they will be able to bill you for more time. I don't think that is ethical and that is why we always try to involve our clients.

Let me illustrate this with a story: Recently, one of our clients was upgrading several machines in their office from Office 2003 to Office 2007. After loading files to the server, we needed to install the new software on a dozen machines. Since this particular client has a staff member whose responsibility is to provide first level support for all network issues, our technician showed her how to perform the upgrade. She was then able to perform the upgrades herself, saving billable hours and gaining valuable knowledge in the process.

We have been able to save other clients considerable money just by teaching them how to solve and fix problems while we are doing it. We also document everything we do for our clients in detail. All of the details are printed on the invoices and are available in our customer portal, allowing them to refer back to anything that has been done in the past.

Of course, not everyone wants to be involved at that level, and it's fine if you don't. But don't you think that should be a choice you make and not one that your computer support company makes for you?

Expand your reach through blogging

Linda — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:09:00 GMT

When I have the opportunity to speak with other business owners, whether they own a technology business in another area, or are a mid-Michigan business owner, I am frequently asked about the time it takes to blog versus the benefit received. Unfortunately, this is one of those activities where it is difficult to know exactly what your return on investment is. Sometimes you wonder if anyone even notices or reads.

So I have had a couple of recent experiences that I would like to share.

First, I was asked to be on a panel of women business owners at the recent Recharge Weekend event for entrepreneurs that was conducted by Lansing Community College. As a speaker, I was welcome to attend as well, so I took advantage of the opportunity. On Friday night, I happened to sit next to a young woman and we introduced ourselves. When I told her I was with KI Technology Group, she told me that she has read my blog and started asking me questions about my most recent blog posts. And she is trying to get her in-laws to sign up for our KI Computer Club that helps keep individual's computers running smoothly so that she isn't saddled with that responsibility!

The second, and more exciting, tale, is that I have been asked to participate as a contributing blogger for a new website that brings together a hand-picked group of network support professionals to provide educational information to small business owners. Each contributing member will provide content that will be posted to the site, which will also include information about each member company, including the network services they provide and the geographic area served. This site isn't being organized by a friend; he is just a colleague and I don't think that we have ever met in person. In some way, that I'm sure neither of us completely understands, we became aware of each other through social media - twitter I believe. That led him to my blog (I do tweet that!) and prompted him to contact me about participation.

This is a new venture for me and everyone else involved, so we don't yet know what they payoff will be. If you want to see what we are up to, visit the site at www.managedservicesprovider.com.

Why pay someone to backup your data when an external hard drive is so cheap?

Linda — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:06:00 GMT

Okay, I have to admit - my title is completely unoriginal. I read it as a tweet a couple of days ago. Since there was no link with the tweet, I am assuming that whoever wrote it just wanted to say that you are better off economically backing up to an external drive.

And I can't arque with that.

I can say that if cheap is your only criteria for a good backup, then you can also back up to a CD or DVD for a whole lot less than the external drive if you just have some critical data that you want to protect.

But I am definitely not recommending either of those as an option, unless you are disciplined enough to make sure that the backups are occurring as scheduled and that they are running successfully. That assumes that you have a way to schedule the backups. If you don't, then you need the discipline to do the backup in the first place. And you probably need to have two external drives so you can keep one off site so you will have it in case of fire. If you can handle all of that - then have at it.

So what do I recommend?

I recommend that, unless you feel that you have enough technical competence to be responsible for your backups and the discipline to make sure they are working every day, you subscribe to a service with your trusted technology company that backs up your data every night. You are paying them to monitor your backups and make sure they are working - and get the data to an offsite location.

If you just have a small amount of data to backup, it won't even cost you a lot of money, perhaps as little as $50 per month. If you want to back up entire servers and be able to virtualize in the event of a disaster, then it will obviously be more expensive.

And the best companies will offer you a money back guarantee. Look for something that states that if you have a failure and your data is not available, the company will refund 100% of the money you have paid for the service. With that guarantee in hand, you can be pretty sure you will never need it!

Facebook and McAfee partner to improve Facebook security

Linda — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:06:00 GMT

Yesterday, my email contained a link to an article titled "Facebook Partners With McAfee to Chase Out the Rats It Let In" over on TechNewsWorld.com.

In the very near future, Facebook will begin quarantining subscibers' PCs if the PC is infected. The subscriber's PC will be remotely scanned by a special application developed by McAfee called McAfee Scan and Repair. The user will also be presented with an ad for a free six month subscription to McAfee's Internet Security Suite Software.

The companies are reported to be developing educational materials that will be posted on Facebook for subscribers.

The article is somewhat critical of Facebook for not taking measures to remove the links that cause the infections in the first place instead of dealing with the problems caused by the links. It shouldn't be terribly difficult to use existing tools to scan links added to users' pages, find the harmful links, and remove them. Instead, Facebook is partnering with McAfee in a move that I am guessing will be of great benefit to the security company.

Although my staff and I have not yet run through this procedure, or talked to any users that have, I am guessing that there will be an option to continue with McAfee's service for a fee at the end of the six month free subscription. At the very least, given Facebook's current 350 million users, McAfee will have the opportunity to advertise to a very large pool of prospects. If users understand the process and if McAfee is able to deliver on its promises, this is likely to be a very profitable partnership.

I will update this post after we have seen exactly how this is rolled out, so stay tuned for more details.

Technology advances from Seagate and Western Digital

Linda — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:36:00 GMT

Last week saw two important announcements related to hard drive technology.

First, Seagate announced a thin 2.5-inch hard drive aimed at the netbook and ultra-thin notebook market. This new drive is 25% slimmer than typical 2.5-inch drives at only about a quarter of an inch thick. This is particularly important for netbooks where price definitely matters and SSDs and 1.8-inch drives are just too expensive.

You can read this piece by Pete Steege that explains why Seagate has been working on this technology, and check out this piece from Information Week for their take on the announcment as well.

Western Digital also chimed in with an announcement about their Advanced Format technique that enables 7-11% greater capacity on hard disk drives. I found this article on HotHardware that explains how WD takes advantage of changes in drive sector sizes and consolidation of overhead information to increase the capacity of their drives. This article is on the technical side, so I don't recommend it for light reading!

According to a Western Digital white paper, the Advanced Format technology paves the way for the drive industry to continue to increase areal density and develop higher capacity drives. Drives using this technology are optimized to work with newer Windows 7, Windows Vista and Mac operating systems. There is software available for free download that makes the drives work properly for users of Windows XP.

Is Windows 7 the end of an era?

Linda — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:45:00 GMT

This week I ran across this article that I bookmarked on the eve of the official Windows 7 launch with every intention of sharing it with you and then promptly forgot about.

This article reflects back on just how far Windows has come in the last 20 years, a reflection I could easily have written myself, and then goes on to wonder if Windows 7 could be the last of the line. One of the hottest topics in technology today is Cloud Computing. In fact, Lansing based LiquidWeb has just recently opened its third data center and is promoting it as The Cloud Data Center. And just this past weekend, the website for its Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) product, Storm, went live.

You see in a cloud computing environment, all of the processing itself will take place on a server that you never see. All you will need to access it is a very simple computer called a thin client. Or perhaps, you will just use your browser to access the application.

Since the processing won't be done on your workstation, there will be less demand for operating system features or fancy software that runs on your workstation. And you will likely need a new workstation much less often than you do today.

Only time will tell if cloud computing is widely accepted. Time will also tell us if there is a future for another release of Windows and its accompanying refresh cycle.

Want to waste less time in 2010?

Linda — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:10:00 GMT

As a busy business owner, nothing is more frustrating tht being made to wait, especially when that waiting seems unnecessary. And when it comes to waiting for your computer to start up, most business owners are all too familiar with the frustration of impatiently watching as their computer goes through the slow and agonizing process of getting ready for you to actually use it. Most Microsoft Windows computers take between 3 - 4 minutes to completely rev up, not including opening any programs outside of the startup menu. Multiply that time over a year, and you've got yourself 17 hours of staring at the screen, drumming your fingers on the desk and trying to figure out how to be productive while your comuter boots up.

Want to Cut Down on Time Wasting?

Here are some tips on how you can speed up your computer's startup process os you can get right down to business:

Remove auto-loading software. If you've got any programs that start up when you power your computer on, you are significantly adding to the time it takes for your computer to be ready for use. Take these programs off the start menu or, if you don't use them, simply delete them off the machine.
Let the computer hibernate. When possible, leave your computer on and simply put it in hibernation mode. This tells the computer to start up again in the state where you laft it last. Plus it has the added benefit of using very little electricity - about the same amount a computer uses when plugged in but shut off.
Consider switching to a thin client. Thin clients are 'dumb' computers that connect to a server which houses all the software, programs, and even processing power. Because nothing is loaded up onto these thin client machines, they can be ready to go in as little as 5 seconds after pressing the power button. Thin clients do require your network to be set up a certain way though, so be sure to check that before you install one.
Take off any 'trial-ware'. Some computers come with software already loaded on them, like photo software or other utility programs. These programs, most of which don't even show up in the list of available software you can remove, are called 'trial-ware' because the came with thte machine. Typically, they run processes in the background while you boot up your computer, delaying the startup process of your computer.
Make sure that your antivirus and firewall protection are up to date. Malware and other malicious software can also slow down start times. These programs can embed themselves into the startup menu and keep you waiting longer than necessary as your computer boots up. They also wreak havoc on your general use of the computer. So, it is important to protect your system from these kinds of attacks.
Upgrade your computer. Older versions of Windows will look for a CD or floppy to boot from before the computer actually begins the process of starting up. Lower amounts of memory installed on a computer can also impact its ability to start quickly. And, of course, just having a fresh, clean and fast computer eliminates any miscellaneous software programs you may have installed that can bog down a machine.

If you aren't sure how to accomplish these tasks, call a reputable technology company to handle them for you. KI Technology Group can before these tasks easily in your office or in our store.

Is social media changing the way you live and do business?

Linda — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:17:00 GMT

You probably know that I have recently returned from two conferences with a very long reading list. More important than the list and what is on it, is the conviction that I MUST be reading. And while I would much rather curl up with a novel, I need to be reading things that educate and improve my abilities as a business owner and leader.

And you know how women are - we love to share. So I will be telling you about the things I am reading and if I think they were worthwhile reads or not.

The first book that I bought to read isn't on my list from the conferences at all; rather it is one that I became acquainted with through twitter by watching a video on YouTube that pretty accurately answers the question, "Why should I spend time on facebook and twitter." If you haven't already seen Erik Qualman's Social Media Revolution videos, then take 5 minutes and do it now, then come back and read the rest of what I have to say. I'll wait for you.

I've been using social media consistently for about a year and a half. In spite of that, I knew there were many things that I didn't understand about social media, and since others ask me how to use it and I am asked to give seminars about it, I thought that reading Qualman's book, "Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business" would be a good choice.

I was not disappointed. This is a book that explains why these tools evolved and why it is important that businesses start to look at them, use them and take advantage of the opportunities that they offer. While I have embraced Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, there was much I did not understand. After reading this book I am absolutely convinced that I made the right decision when I started using social media to build my brand. For once, I seem to have been somewhat ahead of the crowd - particularly the part that is close to my age.

Not to be overlooked when you consider social media is its impact on older technologies, such as search engines and pay-per-click advertising. If you don't understand how social media is changing the way that people look for information, particularly product recommendations, you may find yourself marketing to an empty room, depending of course on how well the search engines adapt to change themselves.

Qualman uses lots of examples to illustrate how Generation Y and Z use their social networks to get information. There are also examples of companies who have used social media with success and others who have blundered.

One quote that I will be using in the seminars I will be conducting (in fact, I'm giving one for the Red Cross today) is this - "Content and conversation will drive awareness, not advertsing." You need to engage with your network - listening and responding - not just talking at them. This is not like traditional marketing and you need to be thinking in different ways to take advantage of it.

Qualman's book is easy to read and each chapter pretty much stands on its own. You can pick it up and put it down easily and not find yourself going back to see what was in the last chapter. After reading the book, I will say that when I watched the video again while writing this post, several things caught my attention that I missed on earlier viewings.

Even though I think I am fairly savvy when it comes to social media, I am rethinking the things I am doing with the ideas in Qualman's book in mind. While I do a good job of engaging with my personal twitter account, I am not as good with the kitechgrp account.

If you don't want to buy the book, you can visit the socialnomics website where you can read Qualman's blog posts and view more videos. You can also follow equalman on twitter.

If you watched the video, read this post and still think that social media is a waste of time, I challenge you to read this book. If you read it and still believe you can ignore social media, call me and I will buy you lunch! I'd welcome the chance to challenge your beliefs in person. Unless you are one of my competitors - then I'm perfectly happy that you aren't using social media!

Is a solid state drive in your notebook future?

Linda — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:07:00 GMT

Solid state drives (SSD) have been on the market for quite some time, but only recently have I started to talk to people who actually have one - and I was soooo jealous! I have also started seeing them listed as options when configuring notebooks online, on our page as well as other brands.

Recently, we acquired one as part of the server we built at a recent Intel Technical Training event. Solid state drives are ideal for servers that need to provide information quickly and reliably. This server was configured with an SSD for the operating system and conventional drives for the data. While I am sure that makes for one fast server, we decided not to use the drive in that configuration and removed it from the server.

It was only a short step from there to copying the information from my notebook hard drive to the SSD and powering my notebook back up. It did not take near as long to get to the login screen as it did with my hard drive - which is a 7200rpm model and gets regularly maintained by defragmenting and removing temporary files, so not a bad hard drive at all.

I'm prefacing these comments with the qualification that I didn't time boot up before and after for accurate comparisons. No one does that in the real world anyway and what really matters is perception.

My initial reaction when I logged in was that it wasn't that much faster. Of course, I was logging into our company network and I have a rather large profile, so logging in requires sending a large amount of information through the network. Having an SSD in your notebook will not speed that operation up. Neither will it make a website on a bogged down server or loading over a slow connection come up more quickly.

But - it will definitely make the programs that load from your machine load more quickly. I am noticing that more working at home than I did in the office. Starting up my machine is definitely faster than before and I immediately noticed that the fan does not run as often. Since I use it most evenings on my lap, the fact that it runs cooler is nice. That should result in the ability to run longer on battery - no drive to spin and less fan time means less energy, but I don't really have a handle on that yet.

After just a few days using this drive, I would not want to go back to my conventional hard drive.

There is a downside though - these drives are still significantly more expensive than traditional drives. You are not likely to put one in a machine that is only going to be used for internet and email that you want to keep as inexpensive as possible. These drives are going to be purchased by those who use their notebooks as desktops and want them to be as responsive as possible.

Of course, there is also the benefit of a drive that is less likely to fail. Having crashed one hard drive because I left my notebook in a precarious position that resulted in a sudden meeting with a floor, that seems like a benefit to me. The same event with an SSD would still make me feel foolish and may well damage the housing, but would not result in a notebook that won't work at all.

Over time, I expect that these drives will continue to increase in capacity (it is still somewhat limited) and decrease in price. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find that they are soon the option of choice in high end notebooks and perhaps some mid-level notebooks as well.

How long can you expect your new laptop to last?

Linda — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:33:00 GMT

Recently I ran across an interesting article about the reliability of notebook computers. According to the article by Jared Newman in the PC World blog, nearly a third of notebook computers will experience a failure within 3 years of purchase. The post cites a study by Squaretrade, a company that sells extended warranties, but also notes that the findings are in line with the results of PC World's survey earlier this year.

Notebook computers are more sophisticated and contain more delicate parts than desktop computers. Because they are intended to be moved, they are subject to stresses that desktops do not experience. My experience is that many are not very careful with their notebook computers, leading to broken hinges, screens and crashed hard drives.

If you are considering purchasing a notebook, you should read the survey results before buying.

Is there really any payoff from time spent on social media?

Linda — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:44:00 GMT

Just a quick post before I head out for another conference, this time in Nashville.

Unless you have just wandered across this blog and you don't know me at all, you probably know that I spend a lot of time on facebook, twitter and linkedin. I am probably asked at least once a week if I think this is time well spent, or just time wasted.

I'm a busy person. If I thought it was just time wasted, I would find something more productive to do with my time. (Remember that long reading list I told you about in my last post?)

The conference I was at last week had over 1200 attendees. While I already knew quite a few people who were there, I obviously did not know them all. In the week or so before the conference, as well as during the conference, those of us who use twitter regularly where talking about the sessions we were looking forward to and the vendors we wanted to talk to. Some of us were even having quick conversations, not just sending out undirected comments. By keeping a search open on ConnectWise and the #cwps hashtag, it was easy to follow, and more importantly participate in, the conversation.

Consequently, I had several people who came up to me at the conference and introduced themselves to me. They were people who had been following the comments I had been making prior to the conference. They came from New York, Florida and Australia. Since the conference, I have also received messages from people that are sorry we did not manage to connect at the conference.

The people that I met I probably would not have met without the use of twitter to make the introduction. And when we met, we already had a basis for moving the conversation forward.

And you don't have to leave your city for this to happen. At almost every event I attend in Lansing, I am approached by someone who already knows me strictly because of twitter. And there are people that I recognize for the same reason. When we finally come face to face, we are able to immediately connect and have more meaningful conversations that we would otherwise.

Now if your question is really "can I start using twitter and see an immediate increase in revenue?", the answer is no, you can't. Don't think of social media as an advertisement; rather think of it as a way to build more relationships with more people faster than ever before possible.

Are you playing NOT to lose, or are you playing to WIN?

Linda — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:38:00 GMT

No, this post isn't about football, although that does come to mind given some of the games I have watched this season. Rather, that was Verne Harnish's message to the attendees at the ConnectWise Partner Summit 2009.

Harnish spoke in a keynote for about 80 minutes on the last day of the conference held in Orlando last week. Obviously, his message resonated with the attendees, because when he spoke for another 80 minutes in the afternoon and there were other options, the room was full of business owners who were anxious to hear more!

He started out by explaining that a gazelle wakes up every morning knowing that to survive, it has to outrun the lion. A lion wakes up every morning knowing that if he can't catch the gazelle, he isn't going to eat. So whether you are the lion or the gazelle, you better wake up running. He used this video to drive home that point.

Harnish is known as "The Growth Guy" and has written Mastering the Rockefeller Habits - What You Must Do to Increase the Value of Your Growing Firm. He challenged us to get serious about doubling our revenue over the next 36 months without adding people. But more than that, he had several ideas to help us get started on that goal and more than a few suggestions of books that would help us with particular strategies.

It's very difficult to summarize everything he told us in a blog post. One thing that particularly struck me, in part because of conversations I am hearing and participating in with people in Lansing, was his statement that "you had better get global, at least in your thinking, and you better get lean." At that moment, I really wished that I was surrounded by all of the young, smart and global people from Lansing that I know would have appreciated his message. I only hope that over the coming weeks and months, I can not only begin to put my new knowledge to work growing KI Technology Group, but that I can pass along some of Harnish's ideas and strategies to friends and clients here.

Fortunately, I have a copy of Harnish's book, autographed no less, and that long list of reading that he recommended, so I won't have to rely completely on the notes that I was frantically taking. He stressed over and over that reading is one of the most important activities we can undertake.

So what about you? Are you playing to win?

So much to learn, so little time!

Linda — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 GMT

Yesterday was the first full day of the Connectwise Partner Summit. Now unless you are one of my colleagues, you have no idea what that is, so let me just explain that this is a conference held by the company that wrote, supports, and constantly improves the software that helps me and many of my colleagues run our businesses.

There are over 900 Connectwise partners here and another 300 vendors and speakers. In the morning, we listened to Arnie Bellini, Connectwise CEO, tell us where he thinks the industry will be moving and how he plans to help us be stronger. His message is that if work together we are very strong. He has adopted the slogan "We Are the IT Nation". The software includes many ways to help partners work together to better serve small businesses, who collectively make up 80% of GNP!

We also heard from Chris Anderson, editor of Wired! Magazine and author of The Long Tail and Free: The Past and Future of a Radical Price. In the evening, we all received a copy of The Long Tail delivered to our rooms, and I am so anxious to start reading it on the plane trip home.

Next was Tom Davenport, author of Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning, who certainly drove home the importance of implementing and refining processes in our business. He told us that companies that don't implement processes and get good at following and improving them over time, will likely be out of business in the next few years. This is particularly true if your product or service is becoming a commodity and that is certainly happening in many industries.

We also had several breakout sessions where there were a variety of topics discussed. Many were standing room only and I missed one that I really wanted to attend. I did have an opportunity to learn about Google Apps and how that might be a good solution for our clients. While I still have questions, this may be a good option for some of the companies that we work with.

Tomorrow's featured speaker is Verne Harnish, author of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, which we have also received in our rooms. I am very excited about what he will tell us tomorrow, and I am looking forward to three more breakout sessions before the conference wraps up with the farewell party.

Events like these help me to learn more about technology and about business. Not only does that mean I will go back to my office with new ideas and goals, it also makes me better at discussing business issues with my clients. I will be meeting with each of them between now and the end of the year, so the timing of this particular conference is perfect! I am very thankful that I made the decision six years ago to team up with a company that is focused on helping their clients succeed. Too many vendors take your money and then fail to live up to your expectations. Connectwise has delivered far more than I ever expected from a software vendor and continues to amaze me with their dedication to their partners.

If you haven't found an event like this to attend in your industry, look for one. This is one of the most valuable things I do and I hate to be having all the fun and learning all the exciting stuff without you! And after you have attended, let me know how it benefits you!