Verizon Wireless now carries the iPhone, which means I’m finally looking to upgrade from my old, beat up BlackBerry.  However, the iPhone doesn’t support the lightning-fast LTE network Verizon just rolled out in Atlanta (and other cities).  That has many people, including me, looking at an Android phone.  If you get an Android, I strongly suggest adopting these 5 no cost / low cost tips:

1. Test it with your Key Applications – Does it work, and is it easy to support with your key applications? Does it sync correctly with your email? Most likely it will – either directly or via an app you can buy – but every company’s network is a little different. Ask your IT support company for advice. Know that Verizon has a 14-day return/exchange policy (and there may be a restocking fee).
2. Lock the Screen – Put in a simple password. This will protect your phone from unauthorized use and prevent a lot of headache in case it’s stolen. I know it’s a pain at first but you’ll get used to it quickly.  Grandma’s old saying definitely applies: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
3. Apply Updates Regularly – Like any operating system, Android keeps finding and fixing things. Apply the patches. Follow the smartphone policies and processes your IT support partner has put in place. It’s good IT hygiene.
4. Protect from Malware – There is good, free software out there to protect from malware and spyware. Lookout has a good reputation. Whatever you install, see tip #3.
5. Be Ready to Wipe – Get an application that enables you to remotely lock and wipe your phone. This protects your data if your phone is lost or stolen. There are several apps that do this; if you use Lookout for malware protection you may want to simply upgrade to their premium license for $2.99 / month to do this.

Here’s an article that may be helpful.  And remember what Grandma says.  She may not know anything about smartphones… but she has a lot of wisdom!

Network 1 is a 13 year old, Atlanta-only IT Support company.  We become (or augment) the IT department for law firms and medical practices. Of course we fix computers when things break but what our clients really value is the industry-specific best practices we bring to their firm.  This is especially important with technology – along with regulations and cyber threats – changing so rapidly.  We help our clients use technology to gain and keep their competitive advantage.

by Richard Stokes

In many cases the ‘thrill’ of going live with an EMR is quickly halted because the system doesn’t perform as advertised.  Assuming you chose the right application, redesigned your workflows and got all of the training you need, there are 3 main reasons why an EMR implementation fails:

1. Hardware – Adhering to the EMR vendor’s minimum hardware requirements is going to give you ‘minimal performance’ – by definition.  Generally you want to pick hardware that exceeds the vendor’s minimum requirements.  More memory, processors and higher grade components are a good thing.  It is always going to be less expensive to make the investment upfront then to have to perform major upgrades or replace systems in just a few years.  Hardware is cheap; service, downtime and lost productivity is expensive.
2. Storage and slow disks – EMR databases are constantly hit with read and write functions.  Slow disks or not enough of them will cripple the server and significantly impact performance.  In order to get best performance we find that 300GB, 15K RPM hard drives – and lots of them – are the best way to get optimal performance out of your EMR.  You also want to plan upfront and make sure you can easily scale and add more space down the road as your database grows.
3. Wide Area Networks (WAN’s) – Not all practices have multiple locations but for those that do, running an EMR across multiple locations (WAN) can be painfully slow.  This is due to the amount and size of data being sent between the user machines and the server.  In a single location, the server and the user machines are in the same building and connected via a Local Area Network (LAN).  Typically a LAN runs at 100Mbps or 1000Mbps; pretty fast.  In a multi-location environment the bottleneck for the remote offices is their internet connection (or WAN).  A T-1 ($400/month) connection only runs at 1.5Mbps which is significantly slower than a LAN connection.  A solution to get around this is to use some type of remote access like Citrix or Terminal Services.  This allows the remote locations to run the application as if they were on the same LAN as the EMR server.  Depending on the number of users at the remote location, you may still need a higher speed connection than a T-1, but you wouldn’t necessarily need an expensive 100Mbps connection.  10Mbps connections have come down in cost considerably ($950/month).

Good planning upfront – including a thorough review of your hardware, disks and WAN – can make an EMR implementation a success rather than a seemingly bad investment.

We’re adding great new clients which means we’re also adding great new employees. Our newest is Darren Rose who joins us as an Engineer. We are very excited to have Darren on board.

Darren’s work as a math tutor while at the University of Georgia (where he earned dual degrees, a B.S. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Religion) helped him build a good customer service foundation. After graduating, he further developed his customer service and technical skills as a member of the support desk team at Endeavor Telecom for 3 years. His main responsibilities were troubleshooting technical issues; acting as a liaison between customers, end-users and contractors; and mentoring/training new teammates. He also earned his CompTIA Network+ certification while at Endeavor.

At Network 1 Darren jumped right in working closely with our Senior Engineers at client locations plus answering the phone at our support desk. In addition he’s accelerated his technical training earning his CompTIA A+ certification plus 3 Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certifications: Enterprise Desktop Administrator 7, Server Administrator and Enterprise Administrator.

We’ll continue to add high-quality engineers (mostly seniors; some associates) as we add IT Support and Managed Services clients. If you know any qualified candidates, encourage them to follow Network 1 Consulting on LinkedIn – we’ll let them know when we’re hiring.

by Tony Rushin

The iPad 2 was announced on March 2^nd and officially went on sale March 11^th.  Sure, there was hype – Apple does hype well – but there must be more than hype to propel the kind of demand and sales Apple has experienced over the last 6 weeks.  Before I share my thoughts – and point you to some resources – on the iPad 2 I need to be clear about two things:

• When Apple announced the original iPad on January 27, 2010 (just 16 months ago? Doesn’t it seem longer than that?  Jeesh!) I was one of those who said: “I don’t get it – why would people want a big iPhone… that can’t even make a phone call?”
• I still don’t own or use an iPad (or iPad 2).

Those who have known me for 10+ years know that I was once a fairly early adopter of technology (remember the Palm Pilot?).  However, over the last 10 years, I’ve been more of a late adopter (a 7 year old iPod mini – which was a gift, and a 2 year old BlackBerry Curve – which replaced my 5 year old Treo).  One of my 2011 resolutions is to start moving back up the technology adoption curve; this blog has been good for me (personally, a new phone iPhone / Droid phone will come before an iPad / tablet).

After immersing myself in several of the hundreds (millions?) of reviews that are available, I’ve concluded that the iPad 2 is a nice, evolutionary upgrade over the original iPad.  It reinforces the already great iPad features: simple to learn and use, big application library (60,000 and growing), long battery life (10+ hours) and aggressive pricing (that $500 entry price is golden).  For professionals, here’s my list of 3 new features that stand out:

1. Lighter and thinner: Yes, the original iPad only weighs 1.5 pounds and is 0.53” thick versus the iPad 2 which weighs 1.3 pounds and is 0.35” thick.  However, being 13% lighter and 34% thinner makes a BIG difference to those who use it for numerous hours every day (like a doctor seeing patients or an attorney dictating).
2. More powerful processors:  A dual-core processor means the CPU is 2X faster and the graphics are 9X faster than the original.  Faster processing and graphics is always an advantage as apps continue to become more robust (think EHR/EMR).
3. Two cameras:  Yes, they’re not great, high-resolution cameras but you can communicate with colleagues and share ideas quickly and easily.  The camera in front is so your colleague can see you while the camera in back is so your colleague can see what you see (perhaps an X-Ray or a chart for tomorrow’s court case).

My wanderings through the on-line reviews led me to some interesting factoids and resources for professionals; here’s my short-list:

Attorneys:  Check out the “10 Best iPad Apps for Lawyers” according to the self-proclaimed Hytech Lawyer (he also has a link to a YouTube video demonstrating his top 10 apps that’s both useful and entertaining).

Physicians:  According to a survey conducted by Aptilon in February 2011, 38% of U.S. Healthcare Professionals say they will own an Apple iPad within the next year and Apple’s product launch commercials highlight 3 different medical applications.

Financial Services Professionals:  ”The iPad for Financial Advisors and Wealth Managers” blog (no iPad 2 review but some good pros and cons on the original iPad).  A CPA’s short blog on the iPad 2 featured on The Progressive Accountant website.

If you already own an iPad, these new features probably aren’t enough to justify an upgrade.  If you don’t already own an iPad, the new iPad 2 could definitely accelerate your decision to get one.  For the professional – attorney, physician, financial services professional – the iPad 2 doesn’t bring enough new functionality to make it a “must have” device yet.  However, if you blink, your early-adopter colleagues will pass you by… and if you wait too long it will be hard to catch up with them and their new-found productivity.

by David Gracey

Every year, Consumer Reports holds a competition to determine the worst company in America.  It is based on the NCAA tournament bracket, starting at 32 companies, and is generally based on customer service, product support and industry reputation.  Every round features consumers voting for their favorite worst company with the best (worst) advancing to the next round.  It comes as no surprise to many that the Final Four includes:

Comcast:  Clearly a loser year-after-year among the customer service bottom feeders.  They outsource many of their customer facing positions to people/companies that have little accountability throughout their organization.  Plus being a near monopoly allows them to charge high prices combined with poor customer service.

BP:  Coming out of nowhere to one of the top spots this year is BP, for obvious reasons.  They probably wouldn’t be in the final four were it not for one of the worst disasters the oil industry has faced in many years. 

Bank of America:  You just knew a bank had to be in the list given the financial shape our country is in right now.  And, yes, BoA leads the pack when it comes to complaints.  Did I mention I have a new $3.00 monthly fee on my checking account that doesn’t even have a description attached to it?  Oh, and make sure you thank them for taking the TARP bailout funds.  Our company recently changed banks and went with a smaller, local bank (Clark Howard would be so proud of us).  We have been very happy with the personalized service we get plus the high-tech tools – like remote deposit – make banking easy.

TicketMaster:  They hold the monopoly when it comes to purchasing tickets and all things concert-related.  The biggest frustration folks have is the enormous fees that are piled on top of the already high ticket price to see a show.  There are congressional investigations into their business practices, so TM may get their due.

And the winner is…BP!!!  Congratulations!  You get the prize.  Here is a link to the site with other interesting “winners”.  (I’m still upset AT&T didn’t make it into the Final Four) http://consumerist.com/2010/04/congratulations-comcast-youre-the-worst-company-in-america.html

by Richard Stokes

There are literally millions of wireless access points globally, everything from hotspots that grant you Internet access at a Starbucks to wireless networks that people use at home or at their place of business.

Wireless is cool, relatively simple to deploy and works well but it does have a major security concern.  A traditional wired-only network – where computers plug in to a wall jack – confines electronic data within the four walls of the office.  The only real security concern then becomes physical security and the Internet connection that brings the cyber world to your doorstep.  When a wireless network is introduced, electronic data moves outside of your four walls and potentially allows outsiders a much easier way to gain access to electronic information.  This introduces more security risks.

When wireless started getting popular, security standards were developed.  The first standard, in 1999, was called WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy).  It was designed to provide similar levels of security to those found on a wired network.

Here’s how WEP works:

1. Both the Wireless Access Point (WAP; hardware) and the connecting user are configured with an encryption key
2. When the user attempts to connect, the WAP issues a random challenge (request for password)
3. The user then returns the challenge (enters the password), encrypted with the key
4. The WAP decrypts the challenge and if it matches then the user is granted access

In 2005, (SIX YEARS AGO!) the FBI demonstrated the 3-minute WEP crack using tools readily available on the Internet.

So, what should you do?  Ditch WEP and go to either WPA or WPA2.  WPA stands for WiFi Protected Access.  WPA redesigns WEP, fixing the major security holes.  WPA2 is the newest design, from the ground up, introduced by the WiFi Alliance; it is also referred to as 802.11i.  The biggest differences between WPA (or WPA2) and WEP are twofold:  1) the encryption algorithm is much stronger and 2) they use a dynamic encryption key, meaning it constantly changes (500 trillion possible combinations) making it much harder for people to crack. 

What’s the difference between WPA and WPA2?  In simple terms, WPA is good; WEP is bad; and WPA2 is the best practice.  That doesn’t mean WPA or WPA2 can’t get hacked: you still have to be smart and come up with a strong password or passphrase.  For more information on passwords, check out our previous blog post entitled, “Protect Your Facebook Account: How Hackers Access Your Social Network Account”.

by Guest Blogger Tanya Mack

For current EMR users- you will be the trailblazer on this road!  You will be among the first to attest and see if the EHR Incentive programs work and actually start paying on those “rebates.”   Calendar Year (CY) 2011 will be the year of attestation for Meaningful Use.  Then- as CY Yr 2 criteria are defined, we will all begin to learn about “reporting” to continue to the dollar flow.

For non-EMR users, the trick is to start “acting” on making EMR a reality.  If you have not started looking, do it. Time to solidify your strategy.  Are you going for the EHR Incentives or wait to see what happens?  Are you considering ACTB certified EMR products? Do you know if your practice qualifies for the EHR Incentive programs?  If you have not done a needs analysis, complete it.  If you have not narrowed down your vendor list, narrow it.  If you have not signed an agreement to get going, sign it!  There is already talk of a backlogged queue if you want to start down the EMR Meaningful Use road.

On January 3^rd, registration started for the Medicare program.  The Medicaid registration is managed state by state and states may begin registration in 2011 (GA expects to begin in May).  Eligible Providers (EP’s) must register for the incentive, use “certified” technology and meet Meaningful Use criteria.  All Fifteen core objectives and five “menu” objectives must be met to show “Meaningful Use.”   Each core/menu meaningful use objective has a corresponding clinical quality measure.  For this Calendar Year, the measures have thresholds that range from 10-80%.  Sounds difficult, but most EMR products are built to meet most of the criteria. 

“Certified” technology must be used and an ACTB (Authorized Certification Testing Body) are the certification bodies.   As of Jan 4^th, there were 5 ACTB’s and 169 EHR vendors that received certification status for either their complete product or modules of their product listed on the CMS certification website.   The OIG will be monitoring the Medicare and Medicaid healthcare IT upgrades and incentives.

Here is a schedule of important dates for Year 1 of the EHR Incentive Program:

1/3/2011              Medicare EHR Incentive Program Registration opens

4/2011                  Attestation for Medicare Program begins (Yr. 1 is MU attestation vs. reporting)

5/2011                  Medicare Incentive Program Payments begin

10/1/2011            Last day for EP to begin 90 day reporting period for 2011

12/31/2011         Reporting yr. ends for EP’s for 2011

2/29/2012            Last day for EP to register and attest to receive payment for CY 2011

 To register or even start down the road to showing Meaningful Use with a certified EMR, refer to the primary government website for the EHR Incentive information (including certification, registration, attestation, and Meaningful Use ) and visit:

www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms  and www.clarityspecialists.com  for some value added, downloadable MU tips and tools.