CMIT Solutions Chicago - Downtown

Google Calendar GCal and Outlook : meeting invite incompatibility

2011-10-28T13:31:00.001-05:00

Google Calendar Sync (Gmail / free), Google Apps Sync (Google Apps for Business) and gSyncit are all tools to enable users to sync their Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendars.

There are issues are with how these (2) competing systems handle meeting invites.

Setup a meeting in Outlook, and the Outlook system sends meeting invites
Setup a meeting in Google (web interface), and the Google system sends meeting invites
When tools (listed above) sync up the calendars, the other platform sporadicaly sends another meeting invite (including one to YOU who originally setup the meeting).

Internet search results show widespread confusion and frustration without real solutions.

The most reasonable solution is to not sync GCal and Outlook.

Intermittent network issues

2011-10-07T08:28:00.000-05:00

Most people understand how troubleshooting an "intermittent issue" with anything technical (whether automobile or computer) can be challenging.

A client has reported intermittent issues both connecting to their internal file server and slow Internet over past several days. Messages on server indicated periodic connecting problems (DNS) to websites over past few days.

Initial emergency request for ISP to troubleshoot went unanswered. Our system engineers started loosing remote connectivity to the client's server so we went onsite.

Rebooting modem (EoC) resulted in even more frequent intermittent loss of voice (hosted VOIP) and Internet service for a couple hours, which soon turned into a complete loss of voice and Internet service.

This cascaded into the internal file server (Windows SBS) also requiring repair. Restoring the server (using StorageCraft ShadowProtect) brought the internal network back online within 20 minutes, yet still no voice or Internet.

Two calls later to ISP (yes, lots of hold time and prompts), they mentioned a "Widespread service outage in Illinois that has been going on for over a week". When asked for estimated time for resolution, they had none. They suggested we look at their network status page. Neither page we see has any information whatsoever.

Our advice is to ask the experts (like CMIT among others) and chose your partners wisely.

Integrate POP email with gmail (better webmail and android experience)

2011-03-16T10:13:00.000-05:00

For better or for worse, my business e-mail is IMAP/POP ( although almost all our clients use Microsoft Exchange )

Using an Android smartphone has forced me to reconsider how to access email (whether browser, smart phone or Outlook). A few months ago, I integrated my Internet email with Gmail to take advantage of the following:

Android: Gmail app is better than Email app
Webmail: Gmail is better than other webmails (horde, squirrelmail, etc)
Microsoft Outlook: Continue to use it to organize/archive/manage email

Here is how-to do it:

Gmail
Setup gmail account if you do not already have one.
Mail Settings>Accounts and Import

Send mail as: user@domainname.com (default).
Mail is sent through: [mysmptserver.com]
When receiving a message Always reply from default address (currently user@domainname.com)
Check mail using POP3: user@domainname.com

Mail Settings>Forwarding and POP/IMAP

POP Download: 'Enable POP'

Configure Microsoft Outlook
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=86374
In Account Settings for the new Gmail account you added to Outlook

Set E-Mail Address to user@domainname.com (NOT your gmail address)

Use the same SMTP settings as you did before you integrated your Internet email with Gmail to lower chances of your mail getting caught by spam filter

Set Outgoing mail server (SMTP) to mysmptserver.com rather than smtp.google.com
Click 'More Settings' > Outgoing Server: enter your mysmptserver.com credentials (match settings to your original (pre-gmail) account settings)

Once you configure Outlook, remove your original account that used to send/receive your user@domainname.com email.

Android device

Use the Gmail app not the Email app

Next posts will be about integrating your other Outlook data with Google/Android

Send documents to your Kindle to read/review instead of printing or storing in email program

2011-01-18T10:05:00.000-06:00

If you are one of the millions of people that recently got a Kindle, here are a few green (very useful) business features to send files to your kindle instead of printing out piles of paper to read/review. I am jazzed to have found a new, easy and high tech way to avoid desk and briefcase clutter.

Simple and free; here are the steps.

1. E-mail PDF files as attachments to [kindleusername]@free.kindle.com and put 'convert' in the subject line.

Your @free.kindle.com address will only deliver documents when you are connected to a Wi-Fi network. If you use [kindleusername]@kindle.com the document will be delivered over 3G for a small fee (if you have a 3G connected Kindle)
The convert subject line converts the PDF file to kindle format. Send the PDF without 'convert' and it will display on your kindle in original PDF format (might be difficult to read depending on original file)
You need to send from an email address on Your Kindle Approved E-Mail List which you manage on http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle

2. If you use Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010, use the Send E-mail as PDF Attachment function.

Use convert as the subject and send to [kindleusername]@free.kindle.com address.
Sending Word documents to Kindle with convert does not work as well as sending it as a PDF file

3. Send web pages to your kindle using Instapaper http://www.instapaper.com/

Setup an Instapaper account
Go to the Instapaper Kindle page http://www.instapaper.com/user/kindle and review instructions to add another special email address to Your Kindle Approved E-mail List http://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle
If you use Internet Explorer, add the Read Later bookmarklet to your favorites
Email links or long formatted newsletters to your [code]@instapaper.com address (you will see once you setup your account).
Once a day you will get files delivered to your Kindle.

Add your [kindleusername]@free.kindle.com and [code]@instapaper.com addresses to your email address book to make this easier to utilize.

Twitter based B2B customer support 'Interesting'

2010-09-16T13:20:00.000-05:00

Interesting situation (not a fun one) yesterday. Our hosted Voice Over IP (VOIP) went down. Like most businesses, phones are critical to operations. Outage lasted 4 hours, and the rule to 'forward calls to external number when system is down' also didn't work. The provider's support lines were dark as well, and for 3 hours there were no status updates on their website.

Immediately Twitter users stated posting, but not until 2 hours into the outage did the provider start tweeting. Then the provider started using Twitter for real time communication using "@reply" public messages since in the Twitter world you can only have a private 1:1 "direct message" when the recipient '"follows" the sender.

I suspect those with Twitter were back online more quickly than the majority of small business owners NOT on Twitter.

And, on a technical note, unsure why a cloud-based provider would have insufficient redundancy to sustain an outage in one data center.

Small Business: Cloud / Hosted Exchange / in house

2010-07-30T11:59:00.000-05:00

We recently migrated a company to a Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008. Although they previously had an in-house server for file/print and accounting applications; their email, intranet and extranets were cloud based (hosted Exchange/BlackBerry/SharePoint). We moved them in-house. Their FTP server and Website are still hosted.

Why, if the "Cloud" is so hot, would we move their core systms off of it? I was interviewed for an article in Processor "Current Cloud Successes & Failures"

Our industry recently started using "Cloud Computing" / "In The Cloud" / "Cloud Based". I guess it is easier to explain than "Software as a Service" (SaaS). But before that we just called it "Hosted". Earlier the name was "Application Service Provider" (ASP). Take a ride in the way-back machine...we used to have "Service Bureaus" and "Time Sharing" mainframes.

As long has there has been "The Internet", technical drawings of data networks represent it as a "Cloud". It has always been represented as such since it is chaotic how bits & bytes get from one computer to another via multiple switches/routers/carriers/servers/etc. For that reason, it is impossible to guarantee the quality of services across the Internet. That will always be the challenge of the Cloud, no matter how fast your company's Internet connection.

By the way, I spent 7 years in (outsourced) enterprise IT. Not long ago my colleagues referred to computer programs as "cards" as in "IBM Punch Cards". We all remeber hanging chads in the 2000 presidential election.

Press Release - Jeremy Treister of CMIT Solutions of Downtown Chicago awarded Breakout Award

2010-06-22T17:54:00.003-05:00

Local Business Owner Honored at CMIT Solutions Annual Convention

Jeremy Treister of CMIT Solutions of Downtown Chicago awarded Breakout Award

Chicago, IL (Grassroots Newswire) May 13, 2010 – Jeremy Treister, owner of CMIT Solutions of Downtown Chicago, was presented with the Breakout Award during CMIT Solutions' recent annual convention.

The coveted Breakout Award is bestowed on franchisees who reach remarkable benchmarks in sales, performance or leadership goals within the CMIT Solutions franchise system.

"Receiving this recognition is truly an honor," said Treister. "I take pride in my work and service to the Chicago area, so it is my pleasure to accept this award on behalf of the local business community."

Under the tagline "Rock and Roll IT 2010," the event was held from April 22 – 24 at the Marriot Memphis Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee.

"We applaud Jeremy for achieving this accomplishment," said Jeff Connally, president and CEO of CMIT Solutions. "Jeremy's leadership is exactly the type of behavior we hope all CMIT professionals will emulate. Jeremy provides valuable service to the Chicago area and is a great asset to the community."

Besides an award ceremony honoring CMIT Solutions representatives like Treister, the three-day conference provided training and break out sessions for attendees on an array of topics. For example, a break out session titled "Hiring the Best" was designed for tenured franchisees. This session focused on how franchisees should hire the right talent, reward good work and keep employees motivated. Another popular session called "Social Media Secrets" focused on how social media can be used as a strategic marketing tool for small businesses. The session highlighted best practices with Linked In, blogging, Twitter and Facebook.

"Overall, the event was a rewarding experience that enabled me to return to the Chicago area better equipped to serve local business professionals," added Treister. "I am most grateful that I was presented with this award in front of my peers. I thank CMIT Solutions for their constant support and encouragement."

For more information about CMIT Solutions of Downtown Chicago, contact Jeremy Treister at 312-324-0248 or online at http://chicago-dt.cmitsolutions.com/

About CMIT Solutions

Austin, Texas-based CMIT Solutions (CMIT) is a leading provider of information technology (IT) professional services and products to small businesses, and is uniquely capable of supporting small businesses anywhere, coast to coast in the U.S. By focusing on developing and maintaining local, trust-based relationships with its customers, CMIT is able to meet all of their IT needs. CMIT offers a wide variety of services and products, including enterprise-class services, at prices small businesses can afford. For more information, please visit www.cmitsolutions.com.

BlackBerry social media apps - avoid problems and enjoy

2010-06-14T18:49:00.001-05:00

There are now LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter applications for the BlackBerry smartphone. The beauty of the BlackBerry platform is how stable it is for the core functions of email/calendar/contacts/notes/tasks. Utilize the social media apps and keep your BB running smoothly. Here are the gotchas we’ve seen:

Facebook app: My suggestion: disable all the the 'Connect your Facebook account with:' options (BlackBerry Calendar, Message or Contacts applications). Assuming you sync with Outlook or Exchange you have a very good chance of corrupting your "really important" data. At one point we had a device that mistakenly got set so that the Facebook calendar was the primary one. If you integrate contacts then your friends' profile photos will sync up with your Outlook contacts (this will cause your BB-Outlook sync major problems). It is safer to set your notification preferences at Facebook.com from your browser instead of the BB client. Here is the long story http://bit.ly/c6Rc0B.

LinkedIn app: You might not want to integrate with your BlackBerry Mail or Contacts. Be careful when running it the first time - these are the defaults. This has the potential to destabilize your core BlackBerry functionality (just like the Facebook integration)! It is safer to set your email notification preferences within LinkedIn.com; that way your LinkedIn messages are not specifically dependent on your smartphone. Plus the LinkedIn app is even newer than the Facebook one. And most LinkedIn users have had bad experiences with the Outlook plug-in....

Twitter app: I would deselect the 'Integrate in Messages application'. This is similar to the LinkedIn 'BlackBerry Mail' integration. If you want to get email alerts from Twitter, it is safer to set these preferences within twitter.com or (PC/Mac) based twitter client rather than the BlackBerry platform specific one. Otherwise you may get multiple alerts (Blackberry, email and SMS).

Android not quite ready for business users

2010-04-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

BlackBerry Perl Flip seems to be at End of Life status (discontinued). It had an elegant compact ergonomic design but was compromised by a tiny screen (WWW challenged). It was easy to carry in a cycling jersey or suit jacket. Well...2 years later, like all fancy cell phones, mine died.

After (3) BlackBerry devices, I decided to try a touch-screen Android phone - the Motorola Cliq XT. I use POP email and Microsoft Outlook (no Exchange server). Here are my trials & tribulations:

Android phones are meant to be integrated with a Google account, and there is no 'out of the box' method to integrate it with Microsoft Outlook running on your Windows PC. Most in the business world live in Outlook.
Social Media: device integrates with Facebook, Twitter and MySpace but not LinkedIn. I thought MySpace was mostly for artists to promote their music; not sure that is useful to be tightly integrated with my smartphone contacts. There is already LinkedIn and Facebook integration on BlackBerry.
Sync with Outlook? Search for a 3rd party application was an eerily fruitless search. I figured there had to be an easy solution for this. The most basic one involves syncing your desktop Outlook with Google (very limited in functionaliy). The most highly regarded option is a product suite by CompanionLink: applications need to be installed both on PC and smartphone. The sync process takes a very long time (compared to a desktop sync of a BlackBerry), and the process requires you to disconnect the USB cable at a certain stage every time (awkward and manual). Outlook data (Calendar, Contacts, Notes and Tasks) does not sync up with the native Android Calendar/Contacts/Notes applications. Instead it syncs up with another set of applications. That means that you cannot utilize your synched address book to call/ email/ text on the phone. There is no native Tasks application on Android or Google, so if you are a "Getting Things Done" fan of context based lists, you have to find a work-around solution for working your system on an Android phone.

There is no provision for working with meeting invites; it is not possible for one to respond to, create or see any details (invitees/organizer) on Android.
I figured out within a couple days that Android phones are clearly not ready for prime time business use.
For the time being I've resurrected a 2 year old Curve: OEM battery on ebay for ~$2, wiped device then installed latest software...copasetic. And, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is the best instant messaging platform.

Sync Outlook on your main PC and netbook (without Exchange)

2010-03-19T17:28:00.000-05:00

After advising several clients on purchase of netbook computers (10" super small notebook computers) I decided to eat my own dogfood. >8 hr battery and <3 lbs; loving it after 3 weeks. I upgraded from Windows 7 Starter to Professional to enable me to connect to our Windows domain (connect to home and share drives and take the home "My Documents" as an offline folder.

The challenge came when wanting to do more than webmail...Microsoft does not directly support sharing a PST file (the main outlook data file) between (2) computers. I need to use POP mail; Exchange is not an option. But there had to be a solution...I found an innovative application called SynchPst for Outlook that enables you to basically sync the PST files on (2) computers. You run SynchPst from the main computer then share the PST directory on the Netbook.

The app syncs up the PST files. Elegant. You get the same outlook experience on either computer. Of course the netbook is tiny (keyboard and screen) but it is a step between a smartphone and a heavy notebook.

Easy Steps to a Happier Year with Technology

2009-12-29T23:47:00.000-06:00

Get a good start on 2010 by embracing a few simple steps that can do wonders for your safety and productivity:

Run your backups. Everybody says they’ll back up their machines, but how many of us actually do it?
Update your virus definitions. This is another task that people promise to do periodically, rarely actually get to, and are generally safe anyway because the service runs automatically. However, if you have your antivirus software set to update and scan during the day, it can slow your machine down to the point where you’re constantly suspending or cancelling the update just so that you can get some work done. That leaves you vulnerable to new virus attacks. So to be on the safe side, make sure your antivirus software updates regularly at night or during hours when you’re usually not working.
Change your passwords. Even the most foolproof, uncrackable passwords should be rotated out once in a while. Just make sure you remember the new ones!
Physically clean your keyboard, mouse...and smartphone....often.

Happy New Year

Super active transportation biking (& running to work)

2009-12-22T08:57:00.001-06:00

It is great to see so many in town getting around by bicycle; often faster and usually more fun. This time of year you often never have to get sweaty. Certain areas are much swifter on 2 wheels - Crossing the Damen/Elston intersection takes secs on bike but 15 min by car.

Short feature in the Sun-Times by a guy that regularly (year-round) gets Downtown from Glencoe by running. (fyi... ~20 miles) http://bit.ly/6PwgjK see 'One-man cheering section lifts spirits' photos in ink edition are much better. I'd guess nothing more than smart phone, wallet and hydration/nutrition. Hard with a 5 lb notebook pc.

managed services + professional services = solution provider

2009-12-13T19:54:00.000-06:00

Came across a great article on smallbiztechnology.com discussing various providers of proactive remote managed services, including CMIT Solutions, serving the the Small and Midsize Business (SMB) Market. Quoting smallbiztechnology.com "One thing that just about EVERY business should have is a flat rate monthly fee managed services option, which takes care of routine monitoring and maintenance of your computers, network and peripherals. Beyond this, it's important to work with a technology adviser who can ensure that on a regular basis you are utilizing technology as best you can." The entire article is here http://smallbiztechnology.com/archive/2009/12/battle-for-biz-tech-solution-a.html

Fraudulent Email Is Not From Intuit

2009-12-02T11:28:00.000-06:00

The majority of our clients use QuickBooks. A number of fraudulent emails have gone out recently purporting to be from Intuit. The latest one claims to be from the QuickBooks Update Center and contains the subject line "Intuit Secure Update.” This email is not legitimate. Ignore it and delete it.

For more details, see the Intuit security blog at http://security.intuit.com/alerts/alert.php?a=8

Windows 7

2009-10-23T10:23:00.000-05:00

No reason to get excited about an operating system...unless it causes more problems than it solves (like the last one). As a Microsoft Small Business partner, we got #W7 internal use licenses several weeks ago. Other than being unable to use network scanning on a recent model (3 year old) HP MFP, everything works beautifully. Plus there are some slick new features like transparent previews of each open window grouped by program (IE, Word, etc). In place upgrade from Vista worked fine. We'll advise clients to buy PCs with W7. No reason to upgrade existing ones- time consuming and potential for post-install clean-up work.

Windows keyboard shortcut reference

2009-10-13T15:26:00.006-05:00

Key Combination / Result
Windows logo key / Open or close the Start menu
+PAUSE / Display the System Properties dialog box
+D / Display the desktop
+M / Minimize all windows
+SHIFT+M / Restore minimized windows to the desktop
+E / Open Windows Explorer
+F / Search for a file or folder
CTRL+Windows +F / Search for computers (if you are on a network)
+L / Lock your computer or switch users
+R / Open the Run dialog box
+T / Cycle through programs on the taskbar
+TAB / Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
CTRL+Windows+TAB / Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D

Small office wireless network basics

2009-09-30T06:37:00.001-05:00

If you work in an office where employees travel often or where you host a lot of visitors, you’ll want to set up a wireless network so that itinerant workers can stay productive. Business travelers at this point are old pros at sniffing out and tapping into wireless hotspots – but that doesn’t mean you can’t make things a little easier and safer for them.

First, set up your hotspot in an accessible area. If you’ve got your router sitting in a concrete-walled storage closet at the end of the building (not likely, but as an example), it won’t be of much use to guests all the way on the other side of the building.

Make sure your router sits well within range of where mobile workers and guests tend to work – near your guest or floating cubicles, if you have them. Your wireless network should also be accessible from your conference room so that people giving presentations or participating in meetings can get on the Internet if they need to.

Everybody knows that wireless networks can be major security failure points, so take some measures to protect yourself. Encrypt your network, rename it, and give it a strong password. To this day it’s shocking how many office buildings you can go into and immediately sniff out a half-dozen unsecured networks named “LINKSYS.”

Make sure your network has WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption, give your network a name that’s unique but doesn’t clearly identify your company as the owner (lest this attract the attention of anyone looking to hack into your network specifically), and then give your network a long password with both letters and numbers.

Quick reference - Windows Explorer shortcuts

2009-09-10T13:39:00.004-05:00

At this point, most users are pretty comfortable with the basic keyboard shortcuts used in popular Microsoft programs like Word and Excel; most know how to copy, paste, and undo without having to mouse over to the Edit menu. But when it comes to working with Windows Explorer windows or folders, “common knowledge” becomes a little less common. Here are some useful keyboard shortcuts for whenever you’re navigating through Windows Explorer windows and folders.


	Key Combination	Result
	CTRL+N	Open a new window
	END	Display the bottom of the active window
	HOME	Display the top of the active window
	F11	Maximize or minimize the active window
	NUM LOCK+ASTERISK (*) on numeric keypad	Display all subfolders under the selected folder
	NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN (+) on numeric keypad	Display the contents of the selected folder
	NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN (-) on numeric keypad	Collapse the selected folder
	LEFT ARROW	Collapse the current selection (if expanded), or select the parent folder
	ALT+LEFT ARROW	View the previous folder
	RIGHT ARROW	Display the current selection (if collapsed), or select the first subfolder
	ALT+RIGHT ARROW	View the next folder
	CTRL+Mouse scroll wheel	Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons
	ALT+D	Select the Address bar

Any ideas for what to do with old computer equipment?

2009-09-03T10:17:00.005-05:00

Every one of our small business clients has a pile of old computer equipment in a corner or under a desk somewhere. Nobody knows what to do with it. We recently decomissioned a server and sold off many of the parts on Ebay - earned around $150, but it took a couple hours. It was an interesting experiment, but not really worth the effort. I know some of the materials can be recycled, but we cannot simply drop the IT gear into the normal single-stream recycling or put in trash (hazardous materials).

I had a small pile growing myself. With much effort, I found the City of Chicago facility http://tinyurl.com/nwnho4 that takes drop-offs of 'household' hazardous waste: I loaded up my car and worked it into my morning. I arrived to find this sign! Pretty limited hours in a very hard to find location on Goose Island. Giving up for now, will reluctantly dump my equipment into the garbage.

What should small businesses do with their obsolete, worthless computer gear?

Remote access for small businesses

2009-08-12T11:47:00.002-05:00

Remote office access lets you log on to a system from a separate location and use it as if you were actually on-site. Many businesses now rely on the ability to give employees remote office access, whether it’s for mobile workers, as a response to the increased price of commuting or the need to work at all hours of the day and night....

There are two main categories of remote access: remote desktop connection and virtual private networks (VPN). Each one of these types of remote access has its own merits and even some challenges.

Remote Desktop Connection
In simple terms, “remote desktop” refers to the ability to access your computer from another remote computer. You can either do this using Microsoft’s Remote Desktop (a standard feature of Windows XP Professional that can connect you to another XP Professional machine), or through Web services such as GoToMyPC and LogMeIn, or you can use one of the most popular features of Microsoft Small Business Server, Remote Web Workplace.

Remote desktop offers quick, easy and inexpensive access that, if set up correctly, requires nothing more than Internet service no matter where you are. The downside to using remote desktop is that only one person at a time can access the remote machine.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A VPN emulates a direct, secure point-to-point connection, allowing data to be securely transmitted across unsecured public or private networks. Because a VPN is secure, it eliminates the need for pricey point-to-point options such as leased lines and dial-up connections. The remote office or computer naturally becomes part of the network. Additionally, a VPN allows for the sharing of network resources such as printers, servers, files and databases.

On the minus side, a VPN can be difficult to set up and requires a high degree of technical skills in the area of public network security. Additional software for the VPN client must be installed on remote computers. Finally, the performance of some applications, such as QuickBooks, suffers over a VPN connection.

Saving electricity / Greening IT

2009-07-15T16:04:00.004-05:00

IT for a small/midsize business makes up a significant percentage of an organization's monthly electricity bill just like a full-fledged data-center does for a larger organization. Are you curious about how much you can save by shutting off printers, workstations, peripheral devices? Is it really worth it to unplug your phone charger?

I was curious enough a couple years ago, so I bought a Kill a Watt power monitor. It is a elegant geeky device that meters your electricity use for whatever is plugged into it. That was a couple of years ago. We realized that upgrading our file server with a more energy efficient one would actually break even within a couple of years; pretty cool. Also much quieter and more reliable!

The Wall Street Journal just published an article on these devices. Check it out: http://bit.ly/afEu4

DON'T EVER LOSE YOUR LAPTOP AGAIN

2009-06-26T13:49:00.001-05:00

A study released last year by the Ponemon Institute revealed that business travelers lost a truly shocking number of laptops at airports every week: about 12,000, by their count. (http://cmit.sparklist.com/t/125909/891226/1546/0/)

Even with fewer business travelers flying this year, you can bet that laptop losses are still far too many -- especially considering that 65 percent of survey respondents who said they were carrying confidential information didn't take any measures to protect it. That's a whole lot of sensitive information just floating around out there because somebody got careless in the airport security line.

So the next time you take your computer with you on a business trip, remember two basic principles: prevention and mitigation.

First, prevent laptop loss by giving yourself plenty of time at the airport, making sure you pack lightly so that you're not overwhelmed by your luggage, and keeping an eye on your computer as you go through security and boarding. (The two most common places people lose computers are in security checkpoints and at gates.)

To mitigate laptop loss, encrypt and back up all your important files. That way, if you do lose your computer you'll minimize the risk that confidential company information will end up in the wrong hands, and you'll be able to quickly rebuild your files and get back to work.

If you take all these precautions and still, at the end of a business trip, discover that your laptop has wandered off for parts unknown, it helps to have a theft-recovery system like Absolute Software’s Computrace LoJack for Laptops installed. If your laptop goes missing, Absolute personnel can start working with local law enforcement to find it. Your computer automatically calls in to the Monitoring Center once a day, but you can increase that to once every 15 minutes if your computer is stolen. Once your computer checks in with the Monitoring Center, they can initiate a data delete to remove sensitive information – hopefully before the thief is able to access it.

The Computrace LoJack for Laptops comes embedded in Dell Latitude™ notebooks and Dell Precision™ Mobile Workstations. It can also be purchased as a standalone product.
As a Dell Certified Partner, we can give you expert advice on what Dell laptop is right for you and your business. Call us at (312) 324-0248 to find out more.

WEB CONFERENCING

2009-06-12T18:12:00.002-05:00

Online conferencing allows people to meet, collaborate, and exchange ideas without having to be in the same place – which comes in handy when corporate travel budgets take a hit.

Combine reduced travel allowances with many smaller businesses’ decision to downsize or even eliminate their physical offices to save on rental costs, and you can see why online conferencing is getting popular again. Not only does it allow for realtime collaboration, it can also allow you to record and replay meetings and presentations for people who couldn’t make it to the original event. You may not have all your employees in the same place at the same time anymore, but you can make it easier for them to communicate like they are.

So how do you evaluate a Web conferencing service? Here are a few suggestions:

Determine your needs and priorities. Do you need a bare-bones service that offers basic desktop sharing, or do you need something more elaborate, with bells and whistles like polling, streaming audio, and document sharing?
Determine what platforms it needs to run on: Windows, Mac, Linux, or all of the above.
Watch providers’ online demos. You can read all the white papers and datasheets you want, but you won’t know what a product really feels like until you see it in action.
Pay attention to customer service. If they don’t respond quickly to your concerns as a potential customer, they might not respond any faster once you’ve signed up.
Compare pricing. Most services charge by the month and offer a discounted annual plan.

If you've got questions about how to set up a remote office, call us at (312) 324-0248. We can help with virtual private networks, remote access, security, and more

LEASING VS. BUYING: What You Need to Know

2009-06-12T18:04:00.001-05:00

It’s just a good sound business practice to keep a healthy cushion of cash on hand at all times. And with credit markets tight, you need to keep what credit reserves you have for real emergencies.

At the same time you’re attending to cash flow issues, you’ve also got to keep on top of your computers and IT infrastructure in order to keep your business running smoothly. So how do you meet technology demands while keeping cash on hand? Leasing presents one good financing option for many small businesses.

When you buy equipment, it’s yours forever. But when it comes to computers, the pace of innovation is so rapid that owning equipment “forever” doesn’t always make sense. Leasing lets you acquire equipment at a fixed, affordable monthly cost, leaving bank credit and cash reserves free for other expenses. You can upgrade or refresh technology whenever you need to, instead of trying to extract value from old or out-of-date equipment. And some providers will finance not only the lease but also installation and configuration, so that you can roll up all the costs of a technology refresh into a single payment.

A potential down side of leasing is that, depending on the length of the lease, you may ultimately pay more for an item than you would if you paid for it outright. This is particularly true of longer-term leases. You should also consider the residual value of the equipment at the end of the lease. Equipment value declines over time, so a shorter-term lease results in fewer payments with a higher-value asset at the end, as well as lower risk of obsolescence.

Remember, there may be tax implications to consider for either option. You may want to consult with your accountant to determine the best fit for you.

If you want to learn more about financing options available through CMIT Solutions, give us a call at (312) 324-0248.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CONSULTANT AND A CONTRACTOR?

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Picture it: You're a small business with 10 or so users, getting by without a full-time IT support person. When you have problems, you call up an independent contractor who acts as your go-to computer guy.

It's the Friday before a three-day weekend and you've got a big problem. Your server just crashed, your backups aren't working, your contractor has left town for the weekend -- and you've got to be open for your annual sale at 8am sharp on Saturday morning. What do you do?

You can call up another contractor and see if they're available. But if you'd hired a consultant from the beginning, you might never have experienced this unfortunate chain of events.

Computer consultants combine deep technology expertise with a keen understanding of business practices in order to help businesses make responsible, strategic decisions about their IT infrastructure. They're more likely to recommend practices and products that help you to avoid emergencies from occuring in the first place.

Independent IT contractors, on the other hand, tend to focus on immediate solutions to short-term problems. They can help get your server back online, and they can probably salvage your backups -- but they might not bring up the issue of long-term planning. This doesn't mean that they're irresponsible or unknowledgeable; far from it. It's just that their focus is on your technology, not your business.

And this is the difference between contractors and consultants. A great contractor is a whiz at mitigating emergency issues and fixing what breaks. A great consultant looks ahead and sees how you can get out of that cycle of breaking and fixing, and on the path to consistently high levels of service.

In many situations, your contractor and your consultant may be the same person. But you absolutely need that consultative approach if you're ever going to get out ahead of your technology problems.

Think of technology not as a business expense, but as an asset. The right IT setup can have a tremendous effect on productivity and actually help your business to grow. When you look at it that way, your "computer guy" shouldn't just be the cheapest service you can find in the Yellow Pages; it should be somebody whose expertise and opinions you truly trust.

"Computer consultants provide the exact same kind of services and expertise, the same intellectual property that engineers or architects do," says CMIT Solutions client Darwin Smith, of the Lake Stevens Sewer District in Lake Stevens, Washington. "That’s a departure from the way people have looked at it and the way government has looked at it, but that is the way to look at it, and that is the way to approach hiring IT people."
If you're looking for fewer IT emergencies, consistently high levels of service, and predictable expenses, CMIT Solutions can act as your computer consultant. Call us at (312) 324-0248 or go to http://cmit.sparklist.com/t/123629/891226/1505/0/?d89415b0=d3d3LmNtaXRzb2x1dGlvbnMuY29tL2NoaWNhZ28tZHQ%3d&x=b5fdc704 and we'll schedule an in-depth review of your technology systems. After that, we'll give you our expert recommendation about how you can start getting more out of your IT infrastructure.