Cloud servers provide small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) with the benefits of useful services for a competitive price, an IT advisor has claimed.

Using a cloud server can help an organisation save money, improves IT access and ‘ups the game’ in terms of the level of sophistication of IT a business uses, ThinkGrid explained.

David Pratt, chief operating officer at ThinkGrid, said that a cloud server can provider an SME with the ‘best of both worlds’.

‘[Cloud servers] give an organisation additional agility and they give you enterprise level IT without having the expense. SMEs just haven’t got the budget or resources to pour into their IT.’

He added that moving to this form of server is more efficient as businesses only pay for the amount of cloud storage they use.

New research from Gooroo showed that more than 54 per cent of SMEs will be using cloud software solutions for key functions by the end of 2010 in a bid to improve efficiency and cut costs.

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More Sophistication

Boli sme tu plus dena

There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew. — Marshall McLuhan

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. — Anne Frank

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. — William James

Think globally, act locally. — David Brower

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little do what you can. — Sydney Smith

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. — Author Unknown

The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river. — Ross Perot

Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded. — Author Unknown

If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.  — Betty Reese

Instead of counting your days, make your days count. — Author Unknown

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Microsoft and Sony have unveiled what they each hope will be a successful response to Nintendo’s Wii at the E3 Games Show in Los Angeles.

Nintendo’s console has been a huge success, appealing to previously non-game-playing demographics through its remote controllers, which require physical movement to operate.

Both Microsoft and Sony have now showcased systems for their respective Xbox and PS3 consoles which offer gamers the chance to get physical.

The Motion Controller for PS3 uses two devices and the system can judge how far away gamers are from the screen, providing a true 3D experience.

Sony said that the technology will be available in 2010.

Microsoft has gone a step further with its Project Natal system however – gamers do not need any controllers at all.

Natal recognises both body movements and facial expressions, allowing a whole new range of gaming interaction, according to Microsoft – and celebrity backer Steven Spielberg.

‘The only way to bring interactive entertainment to everybody is to make the technology invisible,’ the film director commented.

An official release date for Project Natal has not yet been released.

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Under the terms of new legislation from the European Union, internet service providers now have to retain details of all online communications.

According to the Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2009, information relating to emails and internet telephone calls need to be retained for up to a year by ISPs.

Details to be stored include information of websites people have attempted to visit, the caller and recipient of internet telephone calls and information surrounding emails such as the sender, recipient, date and time.

Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, said: ‘I don’t think people are aware of the implications of this move. It means that everything we do online or on the phone will be known to the authorities.

‘They are using this to produce probably the world’s most comprehensive surveillance system.’

Police authorities, security bodies and local councils will be allowed to access the data by request to assist them with the investigation of crimes and counter-terrorism projects.

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• Sunday reading: The government’s Interception Modernisation Programme – the costs of security (junkfoodscience.blogspot.com)

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Discover the mission

Bring Down IE 6: a campaign by .net magazine

The premise is simple: Internet Explorer 6 is antiquated, doesn’t support key web standards, and should be phased out. This isn’t about being anti-Microsoft, it’s about Microsoft’s lack of development in the browser market. With IE7/8 not available for Windows 2000, IE6 accounts for up to 20% of web usage, primarily via business users. Clients pressure designers to ‘force’ sites to work in IE6, and designers, not wanting to lose business, comply, using hacks and workarounds. This wastes time and money. Microsoft needs to fix this, designers need to unite, and we all need to move on.

Bring Down IE 6: a campaign by .net magazine.

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Font Shop has an excellent glossary of common type terminology – sort of like a type 101. Great resource for anyone interested in Typeface!

via Typeface Anatomy and Glossary.

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After an initial testing period, Microsoft has released Internet Explorer 8.

The new browser can be downloaded in no less than 25 languages, offering the latest in web surfing technology.

New security features follow results of research from Microsoft and the National Cyber Security Alliance which found that 91 per cent of adults quizzed are worried about online threats during the economic downturn.

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer commented: ‘Customers have made clear what they want in a web browser – safety, speed and greater ease of use.

‘With Internet Explorer 8, we are delivering a browser that gets people to the information they need, fast, and provides protection that no other browser can match.’

As well as enhanced security, Microsoft also claims that the browser cuts down the time it takes internet users to perform basic tasks such as searching.

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It’s often assumed that standards are for big business and are not really useful to smaller organizations. In fact it can be easily argued that the opposite is the case.

Standards are especially important to small businesses because they put you on a level playing field with larger organizations. The national and international standards are a route whereby everyone can access well-worked out, peer-reviewed best practice. Many standards spread current technology and best practice widely, which helps open market entry to smaller businesses.

Increasingly SMEs are adopting standards and benefiting from streamlined processes, refined products, extended markets and differentiation from the competition. As markets shrink these factors are becoming more important than ever. Competitiveness is becoming more important than ever and standards are a proven route to increased competitiveness and a stronger business.

* Using standards to reduce operating costs
* Standards for better products
* Standards for better customers
* Standards for a better brand
* Extend your markets
* Reduce your risk

How can you start to take advantage of using standards?

Download Small business guide to making standards work and read Small business case studies and then become a BSI Member.

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Businesses should leave the intricacies of search engine optimisation (SEO) to experts in the field, but should maintain control over the strategy as a whole, according to a commentator.

Melanie Lindner made the claim in a discussion on SEO on the Forbes website, which included comments and tips from SEO professionals.

But she advised that businesses can gain from understanding the process themselves and so having a degree of input.

‘While most entrepreneurs probably should farm out the programming of their sites, they shouldn’t turn over the design process altogether,’ she said.

‘Getting the biggest return on your online investment hinges on understanding what works and what doesn’t, so you can give the coders as much smart direction as possible.’

Another industry commentator, Galen DeYoung of Search Engine Land, provides tips on copywriting to help improve website rankings for business to business websites.

He believes that articles on these websites should focus on one topic per page and use generic rather than brand-specific terms for keyword-focus.

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Businesses can make their website ‘journalist-friendly’ by making sure three links are prominently displayed on their website, according to e-consultancy.

The company believes that making a site accessible for journalists can help boost brand awareness and the company’s media presence.

However, it must be easy for the journalist to get what they need.

‘The key thing for a writer is to find what they’re looking for as quickly as possible,’ the company said.

‘If they cannot find the answers online then they’ll need to quickly find some media contacts to call, or email.’

The first link is About, which should be a ‘one-stop shop for links to company information’, as well as containing contact details for people in the company.

Next should be the Press link, which will contain press releases and any media mentions of the business in question.

Lastly, a Blog link should be clearly displayed, as this allows journalists to get ‘the inside track straight from the horse’s mouth’, i.e. they can quickly find out people at the company’s opinion on matters.

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