There are very few business activities that don’t heavily rely on your computer network, e-mail and data – and if any of these components stop working, business grinds to a screeching, frustrating halt. And with viruses and hackers becoming more sophisticated (and smart) about accessing your network, you simply cannot afford to NOT monitor the health and security of your network daily.

A network monitoring system is simply a way for a trained professional to watch over your computer network for slow or failing components, security breaches, and alarms that signify trouble is brewing. It can also detect signs that your backup is not working, that you’re running out of space on the server, or that a firewall is not functioning properly. Think of it like a security camera watching over your entire network 24/7/365.

So if network monitoring is SO important, why aren’t more small businesses INSISTING that their IT person put a system in place? One of the biggest reasons we see is lack of knowledge. The reality is that many businesses DO have their systems monitored for problems; and the bigger and more sophisticated the company, the more critical this becomes. But smaller businesses are often outsourcing their IT support and, unless their computer guy offers this service, they may not even know it exists.

The second reason is complacency; the belief is that, “If it isn’t broke, why fix it?” This is akin to saying, “We don’t need locks on our doors because we’ve never had our house burglarized.” The reason you HAVE the locks is to prevent your home or office from being robbed – and the reason you have network monitoring is to make sure you DON’T have problems.

Plus, simple monitoring is cheap. For as little as $10 per employee per month, you can have a basic monitoring system in place.

Why Leadership Is Your #1 Job

Bennis’s idea is this: You need management. True. Managers budget, organize, react to situations and solve problems. They ensure things get done, monitor the day-to-day, and enforce the rules. They are the tactical part of your business. You probably do a fair amount of managing things now. But just like everyone else, you only have 24-hours in a day. So some management tasks can and should be delegated, hired, or outsourced.

Bennis, who was cited by Global Gurus International as one of the top 30 leadership experts in the world, defines leadership differently. Leaders establish direction, align people, and motivate and inspire to prevent problems. Like it or not, everything in your business – good and bad – ties back to the leader. Unless and until you grow leaders inside your company, the leader is most likely you.

5 Ways To Differentiate A Leader From A Manager

Are you more of a leader or manager? Here are 5 leadership traits adapted from two of Bennis’ books, On Becoming A Leader and Learning to Lead, to help you decide…

1) Managers set standards for performance; a leader sets a benchmark for excellence. Do you dictate a status quo or do you paint a picture of what the “ideal” is? Do you merely communicate what’s “acceptable” or do you encourage “exceptional”?

2) Managers want employee compliance; leaders seek employees’ commitment. Let’s say you decide to streamline a process. To do so, you purchase new software. Do you just provide training on how to use the software or do you work on communicating the reasons why you’re doing it so employees willingly and happily dive into training?

3) Managers have subordinates over whom they have formal authority; leaders have followers who are inspired to perform at their best. Leaders recognize that continual improvement in ALL aspects of their business is critical to their success.

4) Managers try to avoid risks or minimize them; a leader looks for opportunities. Maybe it’s an investment in a new technology, or a decision to expand your business. Whatever the case, managers will tell you why it won’t work. Leaders will tell you why it can.

5) Managers enforce rules and policies; leaders challenge red tape and bureaucracy when necessary. Sure, you should have and enforce an acceptable use policy for your computers. But if any of your policies prevent someone from helping a customer or generating sales, put on your leadership hat and throw that rule away.

One Management Task You Can Take Off Your Plate

Your computer network, phone system, software and all things IT can suck up your time and resources and be a royal pain – IF all you do is manage it. Checking backups, maintaining critical patches on the computers, updating anti-virus software and firewall protection, and dealing with issues that arise; these are all management tasks that can be outsourced.

As a leader, you can deal with IT differently. You look for opportunities to improve your company with technology, you use itas a way to help propel the vision for your company, you deploy it to reach your goals. Then you hire someone to handle the rest.

(And No, We’re Not Talking About The Post Office!)

A UPS, or uninterruptible power supply, is a battery backup power source for computers, servers and network equipment. When the power goes out, a UPS will keep your equipment going long enough to save any documents and shut down the machine properly. Why should you care?

Because, if you are actively working on a document when the power goes out, 1 of 3 things could happen.

#1 – Your document could be gone forever. The auto-save feature in Windows often stops working when the computer is unexpectedly shut off. Unless you manually saved the document multiple times while working on it, it’s not likely to be there after a power outage.

#2 – The file is there, but it’s useless. A power outage can corrupt any open files, even if you’ve saved them. The document opens back up on start-up, but its garbled characters make it look like a really long ransom note. To get it back, you have to re-create it all over again.

#3 – You get really, really, lucky. The average business will experience 15 power outages a year. If you are fortunate enough to recover your document after a power outage, count your lucky stars; you probably won’t be so lucky next time.

While many home PCs or non-critical workstations can live without a UPS, a server cannot.

Servers run 24-7 providing files and services to a number of other machines. A sudden shutdown can corrupt files on the server causing more widespread damage.

We recommend all our clients get a UPS device for the servers in their office at a minimum and, for additional protection, for all the workstations.

With the “dog days” of summer upon us, many business owners are looking for ways to keep their company’s sales and profits HOT, while keeping their IT expenses COOL. But if proper attention is not given to your server and network equipment during the summer, all that heat outside can actually cause serious damage to your server, causing your system to crash and burn - literally!

Excess heat IS a big problem for all computer equipment including laptops and PCs. But since your server is carrying the load, overheating will cost you more in electric bills and problems. And once a server gets too hot and blows out, it weakens components so that they are more susceptible to failure forever afterward, not just during the particular moment they overheated.

“9 Steps Every Business Owner Must Know To Prevent a Server Crash”

Here are a few things simply things you can do to prevent your server and network equipment from overheating and crashing this summer:

• Tidy up the server room; a neater room will increase air flow.
• If you have more than one server, arrange them in a row so that the cold air comes from the front and is expelled out the back.
• Keep the doors to the server room closed and seal off the space to prevent dust buildup which can contribute to electronic equipment overheating.
• Make sure cold air reaches all the equipment.
• Have a redundant A/C that is specifically designed for computers.
• Buy a rack enclosure where the cooling is built in to the bottom of the rack.
• Keep the temperature at no more than 77 degrees.
• Use blanking panels over any empty spaces on your server rack.
• Consider virtualization so you are generating a lower amount of heat in the first place.
  
  

Once a vulnerability is discovered, software vendors scramble to develop a patch to prevent hackers from using this to access PCs – but their release of a patch is also a “go” sign for hackers who them scramble to write viruses designed to exploit PC users who haven’t gotten around to patching or updating their system.

As you might expect, online criminal opportunism is at an all-time high. One well-written virus can spread and attack millions of PCs in minutes, giving these cyber criminals access and control over your PC – often without YOU ever realizing it until it’s too late. And since most of us are storing and using our PCs for banking, making purchases, and storing other sensitive information, it’s a fast-track break in that’s irresistible.

The Two Most Common Applications Attacked

Surprisingly, PDF-based download exploits rose to account for 49 percent of online attacks. Internet Explorer was the second most attacked application, accounting for 18 percent of web based attacks. Incredibly, the Internet Explorer vulnerability in question is the Microsoft Internet Explorer ADODB. Stream Object File Installation Weakness that first came to the world’s attention in August 2003, and was patched the following July – and that means that a whole lot of people AREN’T patching their computer regularly.

Your PC Isn’t A Toaster

The main reason systems get attacked is because too many people treat their computer like an appliance: they turn it on and conduct ZERO maintenance. While it’s important for everyone to keep their network secure, it goes double for you as a business owner because the costs of restoring a compromised network escalate quickly when compounded with corrupt data, downtime and possibly the embarrassment of notifying your clients their information was compromised by a hacker under YOUR watch. If you are currently a ProCare Managed Office  customer, you have nothing to worry about. But if you’re NOT on this plan and you don’t have someone updating your firewall and security settings DAILY, it’s only a matter of time before your system gets compromised.

Let Us Protect Your Business

For more information on how you can completely offload the worry of maintaining your network to a true team of professionals, call us today. We have various plans for all budgets and needs: 614.503.7139 or contact us.

Many of you that know me well are familiar with my disdain for Dell.  I could write a book about my feelings toward them.  The other night I came across this article.  Here is a quote from the article:

Dell, however, had actually sent the university, in Austin, desktop PCs riddled with faulty electrical components that were leaking chemicals and causing the malfunctions. Dell sold millions of these computers from 2003 to 2005 to major companies like Wal-Mart and Wells Fargo, institutions like the Mayo Clinic and small businesses. ~ The New York Times

My blood began to boil as I thought about how many of my friends and clients were cheated by Dell since 2002. They finally got caught with their pants down.  (And it ain’t pretty)  What I’ve known for quite some time, but couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt, is finally out in the open.  I think the article speaks for itself as to what kind of culture and mindset are present at there.

Being an IT company, our clients trust us to make recommendations on what hardware to purchase.  We have used Dell, HP and Lenovo.  For reasons such as the one already mentioned (and many more), we can no longer recommend any of them.  Two years ago, I made the decision that Network Logix would begin offering our own brand of PCs/Servers/Laptops.  Our products have a 3-Year warranty, and NO, we don’t outsource our support to a foreign country just to save a buck!    Our systems are not pre-loaded with gigabytes of “junkware” either.  (Dirty little secret of PC manufacturers: Software companies pay them $ to preinstall their crap software on all of their systems.  This gives manufacturers a built-in “subsidy” in which to show a large “discount” on their products.)  We cannot, and WILL NOT, compete with any of the large PC manufacturers in the race to see who can sell the cheapest computer.

Network Logix is not in the business of selling computers anyway.  We are here to provide small businesses an affordable, reliable and trustworthy IT support partner.  We offer our systems as part of our ProCare Managed Office solution.  Many times we go and speak with a current client/prospective new client that has old hardware that needs to be replaced.  Most of them cannot, or do not want to, come up with the large upfront payment associated with ordering new hardware and the IT project costs associated with installing it and migrating from the old hardware to the new hardware.   Our solution allows our current and future clients to get all the hardware they need combined with our full IT support plan rolled into a flat monthly payment.  Plus, our products and services are backed by the Fantastic Support Promise.

So, if your tired of being cheated by “The Big Boys”, contact us today.

Plenty of companies had traveling execs and road warriors stranded during the recent volcanic ash fallout over most of northern Europe.

But like any natural disaster, the travel disruptions and business problems that resulted were a chance to learn important lessons.

How would your users function if they were stranded away from home or cut off from the office by an emergency?

Good business continuity plans will keep your company up and running through interruptions of any kind: power failures, IT system crashes, natural disasters, supply chain problems and more.

Disaster recovery and business continuity planning are processes that help organizations prepare for disruptive events—whether those event might include a tornado or simply a power outage caused by a backhoe in the parking lot.  Your IT Provider’s involvement in this process can range from overseeing the plan, to providing input and support, to putting the plan into action during an emergency.

Q: “Disaster recovery” seems pretty self-explanatory. Is there any difference between that and “business continuity planning”?

A: Disaster recovery is the process by which you resume business after a disruptive event. The event might be something huge-like an earthquake or the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center-or something small, like malfunctioning software caused by a computer virus.

Given the human tendency to look on the bright side, many business executives are prone to ignoring “disaster recovery” because disaster seems an unlikely event. “Business continuity planning” suggests a more comprehensive approach to making sure you can keep making money, not only after a natural calamity but also in the event of smaller disruptions including illness or departure of key staffers, supply chain partner problems or other challenges that businesses face from time to time.

Despite these distinctions, the two terms are often married under the acronym BC/DR because of their many common considerations. (Yes, we “nerds” love our acronyms.  LOL)

What do these plans include?

All BC/DR plans need to encompass how employees will communicate, where they will go and how they will keep doing their jobs. The details can vary greatly, depending on the size and scope of a company and the way it does business. For some businesses, issues such as supply chain logistics are most crucial and are the focus on the plan. For others, information technology may play a more pivotal role, and the BC/DR plan may have more of a focus on systems recovery.  For example, the plan at one global manufacturing company would restore critical mainframes with vital data at a backup site within four to six days of a disruptive event, obtain a mobile PBX unit with 3,000 telephones within two days, recover the company’s 1,000-plus LANs in order of business need, and set up a temporary call center for 100 agents at a nearby training facility.

But the critical point is that neither element can be ignored, and physical, IT and human resources plans cannot be developed in isolation from each other.  At its heart, BC/DR is about constant communication. Business leaders and IT leaders should work together to determine what kind of plan is necessary and which systems and business units are most crucial to the company. Together, they should decide which people are responsible for declaring a disruptive event and mitigating its effects. Most importantly, the plan should establish a process for locating and communicating with employees after such an event. In a catastrophic event (Hurricane Katrina being a relatively recent example), the plan will also need to take into account that many of those employees will have more pressing concerns than getting back to work.

Where do I start?

A good first step is a business impact analysis (BIA). This will identify the business’s most crucial systems and processes and the effect an outage would have on the business. The greater the potential impact, the more money a company should spend to restore a system or process quickly. For instance, a stock trading company may decide to pay for completely redundant IT systems that would allow it to immediately start processing trades at another location. On the other hand, a manufacturing company may decide that it can wait 24 hours to resume shipping. A BIA will help companies set a restoration sequence to determine which parts of the business should be restored first.

Here are the absolute basics your plan should cover:

1. Develop and practice a contingency plan that includes a succession plan for your Owner/CEO.
2. Train backup employees to perform emergency tasks. The employees you count on to lead in an emergency will not always be available.
3. Determine offsite crisis meeting places and crisis communication plans for top executives. Practice crisis communication with employees, customers and the outside world.
4. Invest in an alternate means of communication in case the phone networks go down.
5. Make sure that all employees-as well as executives-are involved in the exercises so that they get practice in responding to an emergency.
6. Make business continuity exercises realistic enough to tap into employees’ emotions so that you can see how they’ll react when the situation gets stressful.
7. Form partnerships with local emergency response groups-firefighters, police and EMTs-to establish a good working relationship. Let them become familiar with your company and site.
8. Evaluate your company’s performance during each test, and work toward constant improvement. Continuity exercises should reveal weaknesses.
9. Test your continuity plan regularly to reveal and accommodate changes. Technology, personnel and facilities are in a constant state of flux at any company.

If you would like assistance with your Disaster Recovery or Business Continuity planning, please contact us today.

There were many great ideas discussed by those in attendance.  An ongoing theme this year for the apartment industry (and just about every other industry) is the use of new technologies and methods for getting the word out. Location based applications such as Foursquare, Gowalla and now Yelp give everyone the ability to “check in” at various locations around town.  Mike Whaling, owner of 30 Lines, wrote a great post about how to use Foursquare to promote one’s apartment community.  We are becoming an increasingly mobile society.  Smartphone use is on the rise at an astronomical pace.  People are becoming more demanding in their expectations of business. They expect information to readily accessible, and easy to disseminate.  The other expectation is to be able to easily share this information with others.  Location-based applications handle these expectations well, however, they are only part of the puzzle.

I wrote a post the other day about QR codes.  QR codes are like bar-codes on steroids.  The data contained in these codes can vary from contact information, a website address, a Google map, etc.  A very practical application for apartment communities is to post a QR code in your Rental Office.  It should be highly visible and be accessible for those who may visit after business hours.  You might include one that links to your website or an online video highlighting your community.  You might also want to have a QR code that contains the contact information for the sales manager or other leasing staff. During the Tour Event, you might also include a link to an online special or downloadable coupon. Just a few ideas to get you started.  (Read my previous post on how to get started creating QR codes)

Apartment managers would do well to implement these into their marketing mix before, during and after the Apartments Alive Event.  The idea is catching on fast.  While writing this post, I came across an article about using QR codes to advertise apartments in NYC.  Please feel free to post your comments below.  If you would like some assistance in implementing any of these technologies, contact me today.

- Andrew Moon

I started noticing these codes, while reading Golf Digest a few months ago.  I, like many of you, didn’t really know what to do with it.  I downloaded the app for reading the QR code to my iPhone.  In this instance, it was a Microsoft QR code which you can download at http://gettag.mobi using your mobile phone.  After capturing the code on my phone, I was immediately taken to the web page giving me more detail on the article I was reading.  No more having to type in the URL to the website from my phone.  Awesome!

Being an all around tech geek, I was fascinated by the simplicity of the technology.  My mind immediately began to contemplate how to use this in our business.  Business cards, links in our newsletters, links to product details; the possibilities are endless.  We will be implementing QR codes in our upcoming printed newsletter as just one example.  Users will be able to capture the QR code on their mobile phone, and instantly be taken to the appropriate website to learn more.

How do you get started?

The first thing you will need to do is to download a QR reader to your mobile phone.  The Microsoft QR code link was listed earlier.  One of my favorite QR reader apps is i-nigma.  The app is absolutely free and works on many mobile phones including the iPhone.

How do you generate a code?

You can easily generate a code using various websites.  We are using http://www.qrstuff.com.  You can generate various QR codes for website, SMS, email address, contact details and Google Map locations.  The best part, it is FREE!  If you are going to use a QR code in a print campaign or other printed material, we would recommend signing up for an account. (DISCLAIMER: We are not affiliated in any way with qrstuff.com.  We do not receive compensation in any form if you choose to sign up for an account.  There, got the C.Y.A. out of the way.)  With an account, you will be able to generate high resolution images which are better for print.

How can you use QR codes to benefit search marketing?

We are only just scratching the surface of how they will be used. We have mentioned a few ways we will be using them at Network Logix. Here are a few examples of how others are using them.

A business card company showing how they are using them for business:

In print that links the user straight to a web site:

Sell your stuff:

How will Google see them?

If you add them to your website, the search engines will see that your pages have changed, and that you are updating pages. The search engine will see a new image and index it accordingly. At some point soon, the search engines will likely recognize QR codes and possibly index the content in them.

Will your customers use them?

Today, right now, few may use them, those that do will certainly appreciate your tech knowledge, those that don’t will certainly be inquisitive which may open the door for conversation and a potential sale. Those that do use QR codes will definitely have a high tech know-how and may be more receptive to your presence on the web, your Twitter presence, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube etc.

How could you use a QR code?

Your business, no matter how small or large, could use QR codes in a number of ways. You might auto generate one next to every product on your web site containing all the product details, the number to call and the URL link to the page so they can show their friends on their cell phone. You could add one to your business card containing your contact details so its easy for someone to add you to their contacts on their cell phone.

Add them to any print advertising, flyers, posters, invites, tv ads etc containing:

• product details
• contact details
• offer details
• event details
• competition details
• a coupon
• Twitter, Facebook, MySpace IDs
• a link to your YouTube video

What is it all about really? Well, some may not see it yet, but its another example of the blurring of the edges of media, as we all rapidly enter this totally connected world. It’s the blurring of the lines between our cell phone and the Internet, always on Internet connectivity wherever we are, whatever we are doing and whatever device we have on hand –whether it’s a cellphone, netbook, laptop, pc, camera, or TV.

These days, employees want to be able to work from anywhere at any time.

That can be good for productivity, but terrible for data security.

What IT can do

When users log on to WiFi networks at the airport or the local coffee shop, sensitive data could easily be seen by anyone who knows how to look for it. Here are some tips you can take to keep company data safe when employees use company laptops on the go:

• Encrypt company emails using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. Consider encrypting all data on the laptop
• Turn off file sharing capabilities
• Train users to ask for the network’s name before they connect.