Your I.S. Department

Falling Down Again

2012-02-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

Does anyone remember the movie Falling Down? The movie starred Michael Douglas as an unemployed worker who was so frustrated that he begins to psychotically lash out against society.

I may not be unemployed but I can get close to his feelings of rage and frustration when working with tech support. In fact I could probably blog about it weekly. I won't but what I will do is discuss the Telco industry or what you may call your Internet Service Provider. They employee the absolute worst group of underachieving, unskilled, untrained, and often unintelligible people that I have ever dealt with.

As I lash out I should state the the individual employee is not at fault for their lack of knowledge, well kind of but the company itself has the responsibility to provide service which should include someone with a basic if not intermediate understanding of the products and services they are supporting.

I have a ton of technical examples that I could throw out but that would only make you psychotic. Frontier formerly Verizon and most other vendors employee what I call scripted tech support. They know how to read from the piece of paper in front of them and if the situation strays from that they are lost. They are so lost that they can become belligerent with you for presenting a problem they don't have an answer for.

For instance if you call Frontier and want help with their sub par, pos, Westell router they will tell you that the password could be one of two items. WTF, which is it. When you tell them that you need to change the router's local IP address they have asked me why. If you ask them why things aren't working they can tell you one of two things. I can tell your router is online or I can't connect to your router is it plugged in. Did I mention half the time the password can't be changed. I have been asked why I would want to. Seriously?

Fine I get it not everyone is in tech support however I am and I am calling what is supposed to be a technical group for business users. If you can't troubleshoot past the password which you can't, what are my options as a consumer other then to vent in a blog.

It boils down to greed and poor management. A few good men could take the place of many. As the obscenities, rage, and malice fill my head it does occur to me that perhaps I expect to much of people. I can say this I won't be apologizing for competency being replaced with complacency and a lust for knowledge being substituted with knowing the cast of Jersey Shores.

Most memorable

Qwest: Spirit of Service yes if installing a circuit and working router normally takes 4 months and requires you to send me your manual for your router and me telling you how to fix it.

Frontier: Two days of no Internet until they determined it was their new router. what can I say maybe a quote from Beck "in the time of chimpanzees they were a monkey".

XO: If you have an agreement that you pay for that states you will return a call in 90 minutes aren't you supposed to do that? Moreover if I call you after 90 minutes and you tell me that you are waiting for someone to get the ticket you have just told me that your process doesn't even abide by its own agreement.

I know what you are thinking. He really needs to calm down. Don't worry about me I am just trying to raise awareness and challenge businesses to do better. In reality I am quite calm. CALM LIKE A BOMB!!

A Few Good Apps

2011-09-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

As a business owner I am always learning from my clients and adopting new items based on interactions with other techs and/or clients. With that in mind I thought I would share a few applications that I use to make my life a bit easier. After all, that is what technology is intended to do.

First and foremost I must mention Google Apps. It provides a great mail client that integrates with almost every phone on the market, provides shared document storage, and many other features. Many of you already use it, and for me it is the perfect fit for my business. What you might not know is that Google has a market place that allows you find third party applications that integrate with Google. I have provided the link so you can take a look around: http://www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace/. Although I am a big fan I also know that it is not the right fit for everyone, and certainly not all of my clients.

My second favorite app is mailchimp at the following link: http://mailchimp.com. This application is similar to Constant Contact. If your business is small enough it is free and is a great email marketing tool.

One of my all time favorites is Harvest Apps at http://www.getharvest.com/?&gclid=CIj5q4virKsCFSEEQAodYhKK5A. This is the application I use for time tracking and invoicing. It is simple to use, very affordable, and has a mobile app for billing on the fly. It has a ton of features that can help manage projects and time for all your client needs.

I have many clients who have applications that require Exchange yet the cost of hosting it internally is prohibitive. To accommodate these clients I utilize A Better Outlook at http://www.abetteroutlook.com/a_better_outlook_terms.htm. They offer fully hosted Exchange and Sharepoint services. Their tech support is responsive and minus a few hiccups when they migrated to Exchange 2010 they have been a great resource.

Another favorite of mine is my own branded backup software from SOS online backups. For many of my clients this is the best way to get data offsite and securely backup their data. It is simple to use and almost flawless in its operation.

Time for my mobile favorites.
1. Echofon: for aggregating your posts to Twitter and Facebook.
2. Linkedin: Mobile app for keeping up your business network.
3. The Amazon Kindle App: This is an amazing way to have your library at your fingertips. It works on Iphone, Ipad, Motorola Xoom, and almost all Android devices. I use it for both purchasing business reference and for entertainment when I travel.
4. Etrade: Mobile for keeping track of all the money I am losing in this market.
5. Shazam: Music exploration app
6. Pandora: Yet another good music app
7. Logmein: I utilize this app on my PC, Xoom and phone for remote access.

What I don't have are recommendations on very many entertainment apps. As you can imagine, after a day of working in the tech industry my entertainment does not come from more technology. You will find me on the golf course, out for a run, riding my bike, or just about anything that does not include looking at a screen. I should confess one exception to this - I use Golflogix on the golf course to provide accurate yardage and keep track of my golf game.

Bashing My Religion

2011-08-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

My blogs usually represent a recent experience or a moment of thoughtful insight. I am feeling less than insightful and have chose instead to throw my profession under the bus.

I.T. is a tough profession: from burnout, to fighting for budgets, to dealing with some of the characters that work in the industry. I have worked in a large corporate I.T. department and currently I consult for small business. Ironically the attitude and culture scale almost perfectly to the smaller businesses I work for. What do I mean?

It is difficult to sell I.T. solutions because I.T. is a cost center? I end with a question mark because I am not sure it is. I am sure that under traditional terms that is correct. I.T. does not produce a direct income however their choices can have a huge impact on income and productivity. When I am struggling to convince a client to purchase a solution that is beneficial it is easy to become frustrated and wonder why they are hesitating. Don't get me wrong; I am not frustrated with them, I am frustrated with my industry. Why?

Many I.T. professionals that I have worked with are so interested in the technology that they forget that they work for a business. My clients don't care if I can virtualize a machine or back it up to the cloud or remote in from China. What they hear is, "How much will this cost?" and, "How will it improve my business?".

As I have stated before, it must be a business decision, not an I.T decision. I am sorry to all my peers who may feel that I am beating them up, but people who are not in I.T. don't care about anything except their computer booting up and providing them with the information they need. The I.T. industry needs to learn to do several things to help them help the people for which they work.

First, they need to be able to communicate and create rapport with their clients. I.T. professionals are privy to a lot of confidential information and typically have access to most company data. If people are not comfortable with you it will always be difficult to make progress. Second, you have to show how your solution will save money because that is how you justify the cost of a cost center. The next thing to remember is if you have created a break/fix atmosphere and are not proactive, you will be working from behind the eight ball your whole career. Even if you know that an item will not be purchased or your budget is dry you can't neglect to push for the right solution. When the problem arises and you haven't previously presented it, you will be blamed and the budget will suddenly appear.

I still see companies custom building computers and calling themselves computer this or computer that or geek whatever. All this does is continue to promote repair mentality. Computers are disposable and I.T. professionals who are overly excited about gadgets and hardware are disposable as well. Be a business partner! Be business minded! Most of all, keep your ego, frustrations, and burnout away from your employers and work on creating value with your unique skill set.

Atrix and Tablets

2011-07-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

How many gadgets do you have? A phone, tablet, PC? If you are a corporate entity, savvy user, or in the I.T. field odds are you have at least two if not 3 of these items. Tablets now account for 10% of the computing environment. I am a big fan however I recently had a chance to play with the Motorola Atrix.

My initial thought was this is a great way to cut down the amount of gadgets. The first thing I thought of is with dual core phones and the amount of storage in them they are basically as fast as a tablet. If you only had a good keyboard and screen. Enter the Atrix. I know it has been out for awhile now but after spending some time on one this weekend it occurred to me that this is a very nice way to have usability and cut the cost of a third device. Most tablet users never completely leave their PC behind so that leaves us with 3 devices to use, sync and maintain. The Atrix is a very nice answer to this issue that allows you to compose, edit , and or cloud compute without taking your tablet or PC with you. Short trips could take you down to one device.

I suspect the popularity of Tablets will keep this type of technology from taking hold. I will hold out hope that phone makers and Apple will look at producing more of these devices. It seems like a nice sweet spot that hasn't taken hold.

Maher VS Coulter VS what's wrong with America

2011-07-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

I am a man without an electable official. America can't seem to see past their noses in a political debate. I recently watched Bill Maher and one of his guests was Ann Coulter. It was interesting because they represent the left and the right of their respective political parties.

Now here is what I don't get. Middle America continues to vote Republican because they hear the words less taxes and less government. Well less taxes is not working for us currently. Less government is a term that means less regulation which means more money for corporations. The next lie is that they will create jobs. Bullshit. They continue to pay dividends to the shareholders and have record bonuses. If you haven't been watching there are not a whole lot of new jobs out there.

Now I am guessing you think I am a Democrat wrong. Their premise is that higher taxes and more government programs such as health care is just what the country needs. Well we have seen how well the government handles Medicaid and Social Security. We spend billions putting people in jail for drug offenses and ignore the billions of dollars of government fraud in the health care industry.

What's my plan? It occurs to me that during my life I have went through less than responsible financial phases and although I looked for an easy out there was not one. What we need are people to quit getting caught up in the emotional debates and dive in for a closer look. At this point higher taxes coupled with less spending and less government may have a chance of saving us. Leave abortion, gay rights, and all the other bible belt political views out of the equation and start looking for candidates that can see the big picture. Good luck with that but lets quit pounding our chests for one party or another. This isn't the Superbowl it is our future and to just cling to one party or another and believe that the answer is black and white, right or wrong is just plain mental laziness. Both parties are a mess and we need to quit being a bumper sticker society. I really don't give a &*#$& to read your vote for Obama sticker. Do you really think I am driving down the road making my political decision based on the ass end of someone's car. Bush was a failure and Obama is just as much a failure. I don't even want to think about the Tea Party. They will have the puppet man in the sky directing their great moral adventure.

Well I blogged myself into a corner. I guess I will go for a drive and look for some eye catching bumper stickers and hopefully that lotto ticket approach will pay off this time.

Paranoia Won't Destroy You!

2011-07-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

I am going to just post a link from a tweet that I saved. The title is 10 Ways to Keep IT Systems Secure by Scott Steinberg.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219954

Don't Be Afraid!

2011-06-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite lines. I have been told that in business, on the golf course, and a multitude of other circumstances. I think it is a great line to live by because fear cripples you and creates an attitude of scarcity.

With that in mind let look at it from a business standpoint. I hate to use the term tough economic times but we are not in the most productive economy most of us have seen. This creates fear. One of the worst is fearing the sale. It can become hard to approach even your best clients when you are aware of their financial situation. This can seem like a nice gesture but if you adhere to an open and honest approach about their needs then you must make the sale. I have been guilty of this myself. I have a few clients that have some very antiquated hardware and it needs replaced. I found myself in fear of asking for that sale because of the economy. This is absolutely the worst thing you can do. First it is almost always true that failed equipment costs more money than replacing items in a timely manner. Second you are not watching out for their best interests if they do not have all the information needed when constructing their budgets. The worst that can happen isn't that they will say no, it is that you did not ask and then something does break and you are asked why we didn't replace that. Don't be afraid!

The next lesson I have learned in business is that you cannot fear competition. If you want to expand and offer the best services sometimes the best choice is a partnering of some type with a similar company. I don't mean sell your business to them I mean look at what they offer that you don't and vice versa. You can often help your clients by finding the right fit for a certain project and not fearing that you will lose them by partnering with another company. Your goal should be the best service for your client if you intend to keep them long term. At some point this will mean utilizing someone else in your industry for help.

Let's talk about women in business for a moment. My experience shows me they are not nearly as fearful of collaboration as most men. Guess what, they are making it work with shared resources and trusting each other. This also expands your network of clients and resources. I would like to share a link to an article written by a customer service expert who I am proud to say is my wife. The title is Collaboration replaces Competition in the New Economy. I think it says a lot about the need to collaborate.
Collaboration Replaces Competition

Success Loves Preparation

2011-06-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

In an economy where money is tight and everyone including myself is cutting costs and looking to save where they can it becomes a tightrope when trying to plan for your I.T. projects.

While I understand the need for assessing each financial outlay I would offer a few tips on saving money in the long term when it comes to your Information Systems.

First don't be caught up in technology just because it is fun or even good. It needs to be a business decision not a technology decision. A good example would be a tablet such as a Xoom or Ipad. For me it is absolutely imperative to have access and availability with multiple devices including phones, laptops and tablets. If you have a business with mobile users then the tablet may save you money and time when working in the field or travelling. This would have to revolve around your technologies you currently have. Are they cloud based? Do your applications run on the Tablet of your choice? If so then you can expect an ROI from a more productive work force. If you want one because it has a few features that would be convenient for you or you like the idea of having one then you may be throwing company money away.

Another item that hinders business users with regards to technologies is fear of having to buy everyone the same device. As a business owner you cannot be afraid of employees who think it is unfair to purchase technologies for some in the business and not everyone. Every company has a technology hierarchy. This may not follow your organizational chart or your pay chart. For example you may have a sales person or some other person who works in the field that could use a good PDA or tablet to get their work done. While there may be many other people that are higher paid in the org they would need to justify their need for such a device.

It is always hard to put a direct ROI on technology however proper planning and timely replacement of equipment will always create a better ROI than pinching pennies and waiting for something to break. I can tell you that when old equipment breaks the expectation for it to be repaired is high and the cost at that point is usually not an issue. This will almost always cost more money than well kept equipment and a well planned project.

Remember Success Loves Preparation and it must be a business decision not a technology decision and you will spend your money more wisely.

Backups and Security go hand in hand

2011-05-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

Last night I was watching an FCC hearing on Cybersecurity for small businesses, and they brought up several interesting issues, one of them being backup.

One of the security issues any company faces is data security related to the traveling workforce. Not only are there security risks to confidential data, but there are also issues related to this data not getting backed up regularly as it changes or and grows.

With your SOS-powered backup offering, laptops can be set up to have regularly scheduled backups to ensure the data is being preserved, and it is saved securely at our data centers, fully encrypted, and accessible 24-7.

Below is a link to the top ten security tips for small business.
Security Tips

Adding User to Approved Sender's list in Google Apps

2011-05-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

The first step involves logging into your domain console. The that can be reached by going to www.google.com/a/yourdomain and logging in with your Google Apps userid and password. After you are there you can follow the instruction below.

Add approved or blocked senders for a specific user

Access the Administration Console:
1. Log in to Google Apps using your administrator account.
2. On the Google Apps dashboard, click Postini services.
3. Click System Administration.
In the Administration Console Home page, in the User Shortcut form, type the user's email address. For example:
Click View Settings.
On the User Overview page, under the Inbound Services section, click Sender Lists.
On the Sender Lists page, in the Approved Senders field, enter approved addresses or domains that apply for this user. Separate multiple addresses with a comma.
Click Add.
Similarly, add senders whose messages you want to block for this user in the Blocked Senders field, and then click Add.
To approve a mailing list to which this user belongs, enter its address in the Approved Recipients field, and then click Add

Malware Mayhem

2011-05-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

In the last few months I have spent a lot of time cleaning up Malware from my clients computers. Most viruses are being captured by the various Antivirus products that I use but malware seems to slip through the cracks mostly because people are acquiring it from work websites advertisements, and games. They are just trusting the content where they are and are being taken advantage of for that trust.

I thought I would attempt to create a user friendly self help guide for those who want to feel the pleasure of removing those items from their own computer.

I will start by saying that all the variants are different and the process below does not always work but I have found that it works more often that not.

I will list the tools that you will need below with the current legitimate website where they can be downloaded. It is important to download and install before you are infected so if you are reading this be proactive and install the product now. These products are free and one of the reasons is that they may offer to install other advertised items. Please uncheck anything extra such as browsers or browser add ons. If you wait until an infection the malware will likely disable you ability to install it or even download it.

Malwarebytes:
CCleaner:

1. If you have something popping up on your computer that says you are infected and is adamant that you must install something to fix it you definitely do not want to do that. This allows the malware to embed itself deeper because you have agreed to install it. A real AV or Malware product will not be nearly as flashy. Be wary of items with Windows colors and logos and names such as XP Antivirus Pro. These are malware and will cause more damage if you follow their instructions.

2. If you have already installed the above items you should first go to your control panel(XP only) and then to system. Once the System icon is opened go to the system restore tab and check turn off.(this is at your own risk I am only telling you the process that works for me)

3. Reboot your machine and when it is starting up tap the f8 key until you are prompted to go into safe mode. Select safe mode with networking. Let computer finish booting and accept the warning that you are in safe mode.

4. Open ccleaner and run the cleanup process. This will remove history and temp files under your profile.

5. Next open Malwarebytes and click on the update tab. Let the program update and then run a full scan. This may take from 1/2 hour to 2 depending on speed of your computer. When it is finished it will show infected items in red. Choose to remove all items. At this point you will be prompted to reboot.

If these steps do not work then you will definitely need some additional help but you have a good chance of winning the battle if you follow these steps. I hope this helps.

More on the XOOM

2011-04-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

I think it is typical to grow fond of a device as you use it more and spend more time on it. I find this true with my XOOM.

Ironically one of the reasons that I like it more now is one of the reasons I was not so fond in the beginning.
I enjoy that I can download applications that aren't in the market. I also enjoy that I can push media to it that isn't stuck in Appleville and it sorts and plays nicely. Still missing a movie and TV subscription service that is useful but I am holding out for the Netflix deal.

The ability to have automatic updating applied to applications as opposed to checking it and typing in password on Ipad is also nice.

My favorite apps? The Kindle, Gmail, Logmein, and the browser experience in general. Apparently the Army is fond of it as well and is thinking of using the Honeycomb OS to create military applications.

Interview with a Vampire?

2011-04-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

Recently I began looking for an employee or contractor to help support my clients. It has been interesting to say the least. Having conducted hundreds of interviews when I worked for a large corporation I have seen a lot of different characters. I always felt that dress and appearance were important but mostly because I knew that it meant you understood the politics of business and it shows respect.

Outside of the interview I was a bit conflicted. I would have less trust in someone who was suited up than with someone I felt was dressed as themselves. I typically dressed on the margin when it came to corporate attire but always was well groomed and wore nice clothes. I welcomed the more casual workplace that has evolved over the last few years and I believe that people are more comfortable being themselves than a clone.

Here comes the but!. You absolutely cannot show up in a t-shirt for an interview with me. You cannot tell me you will meet me at 2:00 and show up at 2:30 without calling. You cannot forget my name. You cannot tell me you usually stay up at night and sleep during the day, and if your skin looks to pale and you keep referring to your night schedule I may be inclined to believe you are a vampire.

I should add I have had some very nice applicants and am enjoying the experience. If you smell garlic next time you see me you will know I have been in interviews.

Review of Xoom on Xoom

2011-04-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

I am now one week into owning my Xoom that I purchased from Inland Cellular. Thanks again for providing me with one before they even hit your show room.

Not much has changed since my two day review. I should report first of all that my nephew played angry birds for 3 hours straight and laughed the whole time. What a simple yet fun game that you can download for the Xoom.

I find menu migration as straight forward as any Apple device. In fact the notification area is a big win. You can be on any screen and see when applications are updated or when email comes in as well as Facebook, Foursquare and many other notifications. My work utilities which include LogMeIn, YourisBackup, and Harvest Billing all work perfectly and are making me a very happy traveler this week. The ability to have multiple tabs in your browser and the way favorites are displayed are top of the line. In fact I am publishing this post from my Xoom. Connecting to WiFi is also simple and easy to manage.

The Google Books app is missing highlighting and dictionary functions that come with IBooks however I use the Amazon Kindle App that has those features and can be used on Android or Apple and will sync all your purchases so this is not a big factor.

Multimedia is a bit of a let down. I can't get Facebook video to play from the Facebook app but will from a web login to Facebook.. I have downloaded some media from my computer but still would prefer an Itunes type app to sync to my HTC Desire and Xoom.
The bottom line for me is that it is a very easy to use and fun device. It still has some growing pains but I see it being a strong competitor in the tablet market.

I am open to a good argument on this topic if anyone is up for it. :)

Twitter The Rubio Way

2011-04-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

This is short and sweet. I am linking to Rubio's blog to provide some helpful information on different ways to use twitter.

http://www.rubiosblog.com/2011/04/how-can-twitter-benefit-you.html

Xoom Two Day Review

2011-04-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

On a positive note:
I have had the Xoom for two days now and I have formed a few opinions and had a few existing opinions altered. I believe the Xoom's interface and usability is right up there with and Ipad. The menu's are easy and switching between applications is very easy. I was prepared for the touch screen to lag behind and I don't believe it does. Customizing your screens is very simple and I find it easier than Apple's Ipad. Mail, calendaring and contact features are simple and easy to use. Tabbed browsing is a big plus. The battery life is very good. Graphics and multimedia are very crisp and clear.

Some dislikes:
Google is still way behind with their market place. There are so many applications with Apple that are fun useful and available. I don't think any other vendor will rule that environment for some time. I stated that multimedia was crisp and clear, granted your availability is almost non existent at this point. I loaded pictures which was easy and used third party software to convert a movie and put it on my Xoom. Again Apple wins with Itunes. Google needs to have a similar app that can run on a single machine and sync to multiple devices. This seems like an afterthought to everyone but Apple and who cares if you basically copy them. The concept is what makes it likable. Itunes and Apple annoy me in many ways but the overall product concept reigns supreme.

Business end:
I did not get mine for play and have installed my core business apps including billing software and remote software for working with clients. Both applications are available on the Xoom and both work very well. I can cruise through email, read books, watch the news, and help my clients with ease. I am very happy with these features and their usability. If you want instant entertainment and aren't very technical the Ipad is a better choice.

Again Thanks to Inland Cellular for getting one out to me as quickly as they did. I would recommend this device to anyone who is looking for a business tablet and hopefully the next generation will incorporate a little more entertainment into it.

3G Maybe?

2011-04-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

I have been debating what tablet to buy and as usual I will buy two competing devices so I can provide feedback for my clients.

It appears I will own the Motorola XOOM shortly and then my wife will get the IPAD2. During this research I keep thinking that 3G is a necessity and that even with all the free WiFi that it would seem that times would come up that would require an alternate Internet connection.

While this is true It occurred to me that most all of us have tethering and mobile hot spot applications on our phones and if you are like me the phone is never to far away from you. With that in mind I have decided that the extra 100 dollars to have a cellular card is not worth it. I already have one in my pocket or very near me all day long and can use that without having to pay for another monthly charge and a higher priced device.

Stay tuned for my review of the XOOM.

It's A Small World After All

2011-04-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

   It would be stating the obvious if I mentioned that the world is getting much smaller due to technology yet many people are afraid to take the leap of working out of their geographic area.

   I found myself in the same predicament. I have remote software to help assist clients who are within driving range of my business. Until recently I have not pursued people from other states or countries. Through networking and social media I encountered a prospective client and after answering all of their questions I realized that I could provide the same service to this client as I do my local clients.

   Since that time I have taken on more clients that live in other parts of the country. There are even some nice advantages to this type of project. It is typically more specific which allows you to do what you promised you would do and move on to the next project while making a new friend.

   I think we all get caught up in a comfort zone from time to tome but the world is waiting. You don't have to be a technical person to work remotely either. With tools such as Logmein, Skype, GoToMeeting, and many other similar applications you can become as big or small as you like and work for interesting people in other parts of the country. The best part of all is if you treat them well you now have a referral network that grows at a much quicker pace then relying solely on local business. Advocacy is unparalleled as a sales tool and a happy client will spread the word. Happy Hunting.

Security 101

2011-03-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Working with small businesses is very rewarding and has a sense of family feeling to it. Much like family the endearment can end when the discussion turns to money. There are many layers of security from high level corporate needs to the needs of small business. I have worked on both and can tell you that they both require similar items. The layers just get deeper in a corporate environment.

Many small business put off implementing any type of security on their systems for several reasons. Cost, confusion, and lack of good information tend to put these items on a back burner.

Security for your PC and or servers in your small business does not have to be costly. In fact many products are free. I utilize several Antivirus products and the typical cost for a business license is under 50 dollars. There are some Antivirus that are free for personal use and you must pay for the business usage. It is important to read the fine print.

I recommend installing an Antivirus product, a malware product, and some form of registry cleaner.. I currently am using Avast and there is a free version for home and a paid version for business. This alone is not enough. I also recommend installing Malwarebytes. This program is free for both business and personal use and catches what the industry calls malware which is typically overlooked by your Antivirus application. The third product I use is ccleaner. You can reply to this post and I will send valid links. There are many imitators and the links change. It is important to download a legitimate product.

Even with these items fake Antivirus software and other malware are still getting through but the ability to remove them is much easier in most cases if some form of software is installed. Always use caution when traversing the web and if you get a pop up that says you are infected and have hundreds of viruses then you most likely have the most common form which is a fake AV product. It is best to just shut down and call your tech people. I hope this provides a bit of information that can be helpful when trying to secure your home or business.

What Cloud Are You On?

2011-03-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

Question: I am constantly asked what is cloud computing. In the broader sense of things it can mean multiple things but I am going to provide the most simple definition of cloud computing.

Answer: Computing in which services and storage are provided over the Internet (or "cloud")

As I stated before the term is much more broad but the best way to give an example is with something I am familiar with. Prior to cloud computing I spent my time ordering Microsoft Exchange Servers and Backup equipment. Now the options have changed. For many of my clients the hardware and software does still reside onsite. That said an even larger majority of my clients are now using "Cloud Computing". Examples of this are Google Apps and Your I.S. Backup solutions. Both of these items historically would have been managed in house. The services are now offered over the Internet and require less up front cost and less time to manage.

You might wonder what that does to a consulting business like mine. Well initially some of these items reduce costs to my clients thus my billable time goes down. That is acceptable because my job is to find the right fit for my clients not the highest profit margin. As I stated a lot of clients still need in house applications so the cloud is more of an enhancement to current environments than it is a replacement.

Technology trends and probably after the first major breach of Google Apps or Microsoft Live people will become afraid of the cloud and look at going in house again. It is important to note that although the online providers backup your data you should ask what their process is and at times still employ and app that backs up your cloud computing environment.

In the short term I feel confident with being a Google Apps Reseller and providing online backups. The cost benefit to my clients makes them happy and the peace of mind that it brings from a backup standpoint makes it a very nice choice. I hope this helps understand this widely used term a little bit more. I will look forward to comments or questions.

Backup Backup Backup

2011-03-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

   Recently one of my clients lost some accounting information due to faulty hardware. This is usually a minor inconvenience and a good backup can eliminate most of the pain.

   In fact we sell online backup solutions at http://www.yourisbackup.com. We also hand out USB memory keys to clients and spend as much time as we can educating them on the necessity of backing up. For my current client a staff change and a backup device that was removed from the computer created a situation where 6 months of data are missing.

   What happens now? The hard drive has been sent off for data recovery at a fairly high cost to client. A short term solution was put into place to get buy until data is recovered. In fact we do not know if it will be recovered.

   What is the moral of this story? Having a backup plan is not enough. You must test it, confirm that it works and make sure your staff is doing the same. I always hear that backups are expensive but that cost is absorbed with one incident. Consider it insurance, yes you hate paying for it but when you need it the cost becomes well worth it. Well maybe that is a poor analogy with our current health care options. Thanks Obama mine went up 38% in one year. Maybe the pain is worth it who knows.

What Your Tech Doesn't Know

2011-03-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

      As someone who manages technology for a variety of different industries I feel that I am fairly connected to businesses and their technical needs.   I also feel more connected than some in Information Technology because I also own and operate my own business which allows me to view things from my clients perspective more so than an employee would.

    I am not a techie who plays video games and lives on energy drinks but I am very involved with the industry and skilled at what I do. I pride myself in having communication skills that are superior to other consulting firms and I believe this helps me provide the best experience for my clients.

    With that in mind I am constantly humbled by what I don't know.   I subscribe to and read tweets, blogs, and emails from the industry. I can help you with social media, blog setup, email, and your new phone.   Interestingly enough my career was suppossed to be about routers, firewalls, servers, and all those traditional skill sets. Don't get me wrong I do a lot of that still but that involves little interaction with my clients. So what don't I know? It turns out that I don't know a lot of things. I am constantly amazed at my clients and what they learn and how they use the technologies I put in front of them.

     My best example of this is a friend and client who constantly challenges me to learn and utilize the items I implement on a daily basis. Yes I have tried blocking his emails but it turns out our wives have planned dinner so I can't escape him.   Of course I am joking as I stated above he lets me know what I don't know. He constantly has questions on how to use Google Apps and email. I am a certified reseller what could he ask that I don't know?    How about how do I use my email whe I am offline. How do I link my blog to my Google account? Is Wordpress better thand Blogspot? What do you mean by use a password on my phone. He has also showed me how to effectively use Twitter and Facebook. His business lives on those applications and he is very skilled with putting them to good use.

    The point is he doesn't know enough to assume it can't be done and he is fearless.  The magic of email showing up in his inbox is expected and has lost its luster. His question is always why can't I do this and my answer is well perhaps we can I just hadn't thought about it and I don't know but I will get back to you.   The moral to me is that don't assume someone who is not technical doesn't have the ability to teach you many things and challenge you to learn more about your own industry. He is just a business man with a plan and the dream of technology never quits giving as long as you don't quit asking questions.   Gotta go I think he is calling.

Shifting Security Concerns

2011-02-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

   Many users I speak with believe that using an IPad, Android Tablet, or PDA eliminates the security risks that are inherit on their personal computers. This is a dangerous assumption. Several reports show that from 2009-2010 the amount of malware targeting these devices rose by 46%. This number is likely to continue going up. In fact the greatest concern is that email spam is declining. This is not good news it means that other items are being targeted. These items are and will increasingly be your cell phones and tablets. Attacks have always targeted the most used technologies which accounts for the amount of malware that PC's receive vs MAC's. With PC's being used less and less and more mobile devices hitting the market daily you can be sure that the threats to these items will increase.

   In future posts I will be providing info on applications and policies that can help protect you from the newest threats. I can't stress enough that the first line of defense is a password. This includes your phone your IPad, and your tablet. Sticking your password on your monitor or using personal information for passwords continues to be a large concern and yet a password is your best first defense on all devices. Stay tuned for more information on securing your mobile devices and keeping your data safe.

Of Iphones and Androids

2011-02-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

I have been working in the I.T. Industry for over a decade and have seen many phones come and go. I currently believe Windows Mobile and Blackberry are going to be very minimal players in the next few years. Blackberry is cumbersome, slow, and does not integrate as it should with Cloud Computing environments such as Google Apps.

Windows Phones are actually a great product but their time away from the market has hurt them. People tend to narrow things down to a few choices. If you want an example look at our political system. It becomes to much work to debate or consider more than a couple options. I believe that Blackberry and Windows mobile will be the Tea Party of Technology. Blackberry may hold on longer due to having their foot in the corporate world long before the others and Microsoft has enough employees to keep them in the hunt but my choice is Iphone or Android.