The year 2010 marks the end of certain lifecycles for several Microsoft servers and operating systems. We wanted to draw our clients’ attention to these specific dates and products so as to generate awareness on the proper upgrades needed in order to maintain Microsoft support and updates.

Operating Systems

Regarding operating systems (OS), Windows Vista Release to Manufacturing (RTM) no longer receives mainstream support as of April 13, 2010.  Anyone still running this OS should migrate to Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) or consider upgrading to Windows 7.  The other important and pending date is July 13, 2010.  On that day, businesses running Windows XP SP2 or Windows 2000 Professional SP4 will lose their Microsoft extended support and should migrate to Windows XP SP3 or upgrade to Windows 7. Microsoft’s suggestion is to take this deadline as an opportunity to upgrade to the new Windows 7 as the cost in time and resources will be practically indistinguishable between an upgrade to the latest Windows OS and a new service pack. Please note that anyone still running Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) must now upgrade to Windows 7 RTM as the license expired on June 1st. 

A final note on Windows XP SP2: if you are running the 64-bit version then SP2 is the latest service pack and you will be eligible for Microsoft support and updates until April 8, 2014.  Only those running the 32-bit version of XP require an upgrade. Find out which version you are running by right-clicking My Computer and then click Properties. If you do not see a “64-bit” listed then you are running the 32-bit version.     

Servers

July 13^th also marks the end of extended support for Windows 2000 Server SP4.  Microsoft’s suggestion is a migration to the Windows Server 2008.

The decision to purchase a new business server is not a light one; much time and consideration should pass before a decision is made. We at Bryley do not suggest a rash upgrade, but if you have already been giving the matter careful thought, keep in mind that Microsoft is currently running The Big Easy 4.1 through July 2, 2010, and that the Windows Server 2008 as well as many other servers are on the list of qualifying products. Compared to previous versions, the latest Big Easy offer has increased payout rates for Windows Servers in the form of partner subsidies.  All the more incentive to upgrade now, but again only if you have already sunk enough thought into the matter.

Conclusion

It is not advisable to continue to run a desktop operating system or server that is no longer supported.  You can no longer receive service from Microsoft if you have any troubles and you will no longer receive any updates.  It is best to begin your decision making processes with regards to the appropriate upgrades.

To quote directly from the Microsoft Partner Network, “After this date [July 13, 2010], customers still relying on these products won’t be able to benefit from security hotfixes, patches and service packs, presenting serious concerns around data security, reliability for mission-critical workloads and regulatory compliance.”

Want to learn more?

Contact Bryley today. We are a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and can field all of your questions.  

Call 888.280.5799

Email Sales@Bryley.com

To learn more about the end of Microsoft support, please visit the following sites:

https://partner.microsoft.com/US/40131469

https://partner.microsoft.com/US/40129890

To learn more about Microsoft’s Big Easy 4.1, please visit the following site:

www.microsoftincentives.com/bigeasy  

Hey everyone! Just a quick blog to let you all know that Bryley Systems is now on AmericanTowns.com. 

One more way to stay connected with us.

Microsoft Office 2010: The Future of Business Today

As of today, you can now download a free trial of Microsoft Office 2010 at Microsoft’s TechNet (www.technet.com), purchase yours to own from a reseller, or wait until June when the boxed version will be available in stores.

Microsoft Business Division President Steve Elop presided over the launch on May 12^th, beginning his introduction to the new suites with an exploration of the present business climate that inspired many of the alterations and new features found in Office 2010: the recession, the challenge of incorporating the new millennial generation into the workforce, the new and ever growing population of mobile workers, the increasing emphasis on social networking as a valid business tool, and the growing dominance and importance of cloud computing. Microsoft’s specific initiative while developing Office 2010 was to create a platform on which businesses could transform these current challenges into new opportunities.  One new feature, the heavily hyped Web Applications, were designed to assist the growing mobile workforce (projected to surpass the 1 billion mark this year), keeping them connected to the office from more places and through more devices via a web browser.

But Web Applications are only the tip of the iceberg; the new Office 2010 has amassed a multitude of new features making it “the best and most powerful application suite on the planet” (Edward Mendelson, PCMag.com).       

The Ribbon

First introduced in Office 2007, the Ribbon revolutionized suite interface. With all toolbar tabs located on a single menu and iconic commands, the Ribbon is far more organized and visual, making it far easier to maneuver than the traditional clustering of menu options. In Office 2010 the Ribbon is now the interface of every tool including Outlook and the experience has become far more personal with customizable tabs.

The Backstage View  

The Backstage view is a new feature replacing the traditional File menu across core Office tools. Backstage gives you a great behind the scenes view of your document, as well as easy access to the commands you use most often, allowing you to share, print, and publish your documents with a few clicks.    

Web Applications

The new Web Applications in Office 2010 allow you to access any of your files – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote – via a web browser (Internet Explorer, Safari, or Firefox), allowing you to access, share, and even edit your documents from virtually anywhere and from several devices such as smartphones, notebooks, and PCs. The new Web Applications also allow for co-authoring, the capability of multiple individuals to simultaneously work on the same document from different locations. Keep in mind that you will need the new SharePoint 2010 Server or Windows Live to use Web Applications and that they only come in the Office 2010 Suites Professional Plus and Standard.   

Outlook

Email correspondence just got easier with Outlook 2010. An advanced conversation view lists all message threads in a tree-style format so one may quickly hone in on the threads of importance, a new cleanup button deletes all redundant back and forth emails leaving the basic message intact, and a new ignore button quickly removes one from undesired email lists. The new feature Quick Steps further simplifies the email experience with its ability to perform multiple, customizable operations. With Quick Steps, one can now respond to an email while simultaneously deleting or moving the message to a storage file with a single click.

One can now search through their LinkedIn contacts via Outlook: a feature that will soon expand to incorporate other relevant social media sites. On top of this new LinkedIn capability, Outlook now also boasts its own social network called My Site.  With a Yearbook View that displays contacts by picture ID, My Site visually categorizes and hierarchically displays all employees and employee relationships. If you have SharePoint 2010, it will, with your permission, comb through all of your emails and documents, find your interests and expertise and automatically send you an email a week suggesting people for you to connect with and areas of expertise for you to add to your my Site profile.

There have also been great leaps and bounds made regarding “Search” for Outlook via the new SharePoint 2010 Server. Now when you search by keyword, experts in that subject will automatically appear to the right hand side of the browser, and all content will automatically be filtered on the left hand side by author and document type; you may also pull up a preview or the actual document itself in the web browser. You can also tag which documents you find relevant or interesting and that will automatically be updated on your My Site for all to see. 

Word

Word 2010 boasts new powerful safety features.  One example, when you now download a document from the web a colored banner will appear at the top and inform you of the potential hazards of opening a document from the web and you must click your permission to open the document. The Find feature in word now has the dialogue appear in a separate navigation pane showing you all the instances of the searched for string (the original Find feature you are used to is still there, just simply called Advanced Find). There is also a new high detail document navigation map allowing you to move content around by dragging items around on the map and providing you with a thumbnail preview. Word now also boasts new and improved picture formatting tools such as color saturation and artistic effects and SmartArt graphic layouts    

Excel

The real new advancement in Excel 2010 is the new feature Sparklines which really helps you to visualize your data. All you do is select the data you want by highlighting the appropriate cells and you will create a line graph representation of that data in a single cell. Power Pivot is the other feature to get excited about in Excel 2010. It allows you to work quickly with vast amounts of data thanks to Office 2010 now working with 64 bits as opposed to the 2007 version that only had 32 bits at its disposal. The example given at the Launch seminar on May 12, 2010 was for 1.5 million rows of data that was sorted and filtered in a half second. Power Pivot also allows you to build dashboards and to the right hand side of your dashboard, you have a new feature Slicer appropriately named as you can slice out a section of data that you want to focus on.

PowerPoint

Like Word, PowerPoint 2010 boasts the new and improved image formatting tools such as new artistic tools like “Bevel” and “3-D Rotation” and a new equation editor that gives you elegant mathematical typography. On top of that, there are now also improved video formatting tools: you are now able to edit your videos - compress them, trim them in length to your specifications, bookmark specific parts, resize and move them about the slide even as they play, and you can even format them for a greater aesthetic with such features as Reflection and Rotation – without a third party tool.  When you add a video in PowerPoint, it is automatically embedded within your presentation. You can now broadcast your presentations live, in real time, to a remote audience over the web with the new feature Broadcast Slideshow.    

Publisher

Publisher sports the new Ribbon interface and the new Backstage view that all the rest of the Office tools partake in as well as all the new advances in graphic design and editing and OpenType, an extension of the TrueType font format, gives you advanced typographic control.  OpenType is also found in the new Word 2010. Other new advanced graphic design features included in Publisher 2010 include a new background removal tool that allows you to save the foreground object while removing everything else with your ability to control what gets saved and what gets discarded.      

OneNote

According to Elop, the average American worker spends 40% of their workday simply accumulating and wading through their data without adding any value to it.  This is truly a waste of time and money. OneNote 2010 now makes accessing, organizing, and sharing data faster, easier, and more efficient than ever whether it be text, audio, video, or image; the notebook now allows you to take notes while you work in other Office tools as well and you can keep the notebook open on your desktop always for easy access with the new doc to desktop feature. If you utilize SharePoint 2010, any update made by anyone will be automatically updated for everyone. New features include Linked Notes - resembling wiki-linking, this feature links all relevant notebook pages together -, automatic highlighting that highlights all changes made by others since the last time you opened OneNote, and version tracking which records all alterations made to the notebook chronologically and by author so that if you dislike the latest updates to the notebook, you can go back to an earlier version. OneNote now also has a more advanced search that will, based on your previous preferences to documents, rank the findings in order of personal interest. You can also hover over a word with your mouse and it will automatically translate it for you. The new quick filing feature allows you to quickly file your notes to the appropriate notebook.

Office 2010 and SharePoint: Co-Authoring, Web Applications, and SharePoint Workspace (Groove 2007)

If you invest in the SharePoint 2010 Server, you are privy to several extra goodies such as the ability to share your documents via Backstage view to the SharePoint and the co-authoring abilities of the Office tools: where several individuals can work on the same Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. You can also use SharePoint to access your Microsoft Web Applications. Note: if you do not wish to invest in SharePoint, you may also access Microsoft Web Apps via Windows Live, allowing you to access, store, and share your documents from virtually anywhere through the web.  You can also use your SharePoint Workspace (formerly known as Groove) to work on files from your SharePoint server on your PC and you can even take those files and save them to your desktop so that you may work offline, simply by clicking on “Sync to SharePoint Workspace” and you can take your work with you and then add it back to the SharePoint server when you are back online.   

Office 2010 and Exchange Server 2010: Advanced Messaging Infrastructure

If you have Exchange Server 2010, you are also privy many wonderful new features including Mail Tips that “warn[s] users before they commit an email faux pas such as sending mail to large distribution groups, to recipients who are out of the office or to recipients outside the organization, helping protect against information leaks and reduce unnecessary email messages” and Voice Mail Preview which allows one to “see text previews of voicemail directly in Outlook” (Microsoft).  

Conclusion

The new Office 2010 will definitely usher you into the new millennial business style of instant information access and ease of business mobility via cloud computing. In this current economic recession, business owners and decision makers need proof of a return on investment before they purchase anything. Elop promises that with Office 2010 businesses will see significant gains in productivity, reduced costs, and a demonstrable ROI. According to Elop, a representative company that deploys Office 2010 will see an improvement in productivity accumulating to more than two work weeks per person per year, will save roughly 13.8 million dollars over a 3 year period, and will receive a 300% ROI over the same 3 year period, translating into a turnaround after 7.5 months. Office 2010, especially when paired with SharePoint Server 2010 or Exchange Server 2010, truly delivers the future of business functionality today.           

Want to learn more?

Contact Bryley today! We are proud to announce that we are Microsoft Gold Certified Partners. 

Call 888.280.5799

Email Sales@Bryley.com

References

1.      Microsoft; www.microsoft.com

2.      “Microsoft Office 2010” by Edward Mendelson for PCMag.com http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362923,00.asp  

3.      “Top Ten Benefits of Office 2010 Beta” http://www.microsoft.com/office/2010/en/whats-new/default.aspx

Full compliance with 201 CMR 17.00 is difficult, not to mention costly especially for a SMB in this economy.  Fortunately, LeapFile has a solution.

What is LeapFile?

Founded in 2004, LeapFile is the industry leader in secure managed file transfer solutions for businesses.  It is an on-demand scalable SaaS, meaning no costly investments in hardware. Not only is LeapFile cost-effective but it is also a lot faster to implement with no IT infrastructure requirements, extremely easy to use (it works just like an email service or you can hook it up to your Microsoft Outlook), extremely reliable and extremely secure. 

How it Works

 Original methods of electronic file transfer include email attachments, file transfer protocol (FTP) sites, and courier delivery. However, in 2010, when speed, efficiency, and security are of the upmost importance (and with the rise in security breaches in particular and the resultant laws and statutes that have recently gone into effect to secure against such problems) traditional transfer methods are now decidedly antiquated.  Email is never a fully secure option and large files cannot be accommodated.  Couriers are slower and costly. FTP sites are far too complicated and not worth the bother.  So here comes LeapFile. 

If you know how to use email, you already know how to use LeapFile.  The process is that simple. You also have the option of tethering your LeapFile account to Outlook.  Step 1: after you log into LeapFile, click on New Transfer and enter in the recipient’s email address, the subject line, and a brief message.  Step 2: upload the files you want to send and then send the message with the attached files.  And your work is done.  An email from LeapFile will be sent to the recipient, informing them that there are files to pick up. They are provided with a unique link in the email which will take them to an encrypted web-page to view and download the files. Note: they will be prompted to enter a password for authentication. After the files are downloaded, they will be deleted from the LeapFile server and you will receive an email notification that the transfer has been completed. All LeapFile activity is logged within your user account for tracking and reporting purposes so you know exactly when a file was downloaded and who downloaded it.   It is that easy and that secure.              

201 Compliance

LeapFile will assist you in the technical aspects of compliance as all data is SSL encrypted and sent to an SAS70 Type II Certified Data Center.  And with its best-in-class SLA with a reported 100% network uptime and 99.9% application uptime, it can be completely relied upon to protect your organization’s personal information.

Conclusion

If your organization lacks the funding to sink larger investments into 201 compliance LeapFile is a wonderful alternative to the more expensive solution of implementing additional IT infrastructure.

References

www.leapfile.com

Staffing Firm Chooses LeapFile for Massachusetts 201 CMR 17.00 Data Compliance; Aaron Henretty www.leapfile.com/blog    

Want to Learn More? Want to Purchase LeapFile?  

Contact Bryley today!

Call 888.280.5799

Email Sales@Bryley.com

Visit www.Bryley.com/managed_services-leapfile.html

What Exactly Is A Netbook?

A netbook, very simply, is an extremely portable notebook.  On average netbooks weigh 3 pounds, have screens in the ballpark of 10 inches, and cost between $300 and $500 dollars. The netbook hit the scene in 2007 with the arrival of the Asus Eee PC.  Seen as somewhat of a strictly B2C fad three years ago, the netbook is now gaining credibility as well as experiencing an increase in popularity among business professionals as it unarguably does mitigate low levels of productivity caused by constant mobility.

Do You Need One?

You might want to consider purchasing a netbook if:

1.       You or your employees are constantly mobile and need to work or stay connected to work while on the road

2.       If you are looking for a smaller, lighter, cheaper alternative to the traditional notebook

Where to Look

Virtually all vendors that sell notebooks offer at least one netbook model as well. However, most vendors only produce consumer-centric models with fixed configurations.  So if you are looking for a business-centric netbook with the option of custom-configuration, I suggest starting with Dell and HP that do provide you with such options such as the new HP Mini 5102 -, HP’s first touch-enabled netbook  – and Dell’s Inspiron Mini 10 Netbook.   

What to Consider

Now that you know where to look, what should you be looking for? According to Joseph Moran -writer for SmallBusinessComputing.com -there are 5 aspects one should mull over while formulating a decision.   

1)      Processors and Computer Memory

While shopping around for a netbook keep in mind that portability and performance are a positive correlation in this scenario: as size decreases so does storage and speed. Don’t worry: netbooks are still powerful enough to handle basic computing such as surfing the Internet and accessing your email, but you want to keep this correlation in the back of your mind if you are more interested in a model that has faster processes and more memory.  

Most Netbooks use one of Intel’s entry-level Atom processors, which as a low-power CPU it is meant to minimize battery drain. Intel’s latest version is the Atom N450 which improves not only battery life but performance as well by combining the CPU, memory controller, and graphics accelerator into a single chip. If you can wait, the Atom N470 will be available shortly and at 1.6 to 1.83 GHz will run a bit faster.

If price is more important to you than speed, then you might want to consider purchasing a netbook with an older Atom processor, as long as you don’t mind demonstrating a little patience or the dated hardware.  Just be certain that you are getting a great discount for these models as they will likely be discontinued in the future.

Netbooks come standard with 1GB of RAM which will allow you to run one or two programs at a time.  You might want a memory upgrade if you plan on using more than two programs at once often. Just be certain that the model you purchase can handle the upgrade; most Netbooks can handle up to 2 GB of RAM, but if you are looking for 3 or 4 GB you need to make certain the model can accommodate you. Also be aware of the fact that most Netbooks only offer you one memory socket meaning you are going to have to purchase the larger memory module to upgrade.   

2)      Display

For obvious reason, the screen-size of a Netbook is relatively minute. On average, the display is 10.1 inches with a resolution of 1,024 by 600: think the full width of a standard webpage but not height. If larger screen size is important to you, consider a Netbook model that offers an 11.6 or 12.1 inch screen with a resolution of 1,366 by 768. Just be aware that you are not only investing in larger desktop size but also a larger and heavier Netbook and you will be sacrificing some battery life.

If you are only concerned with sharper resolution and not a larger screen, some models will squeeze the 1,366 by 768 resolution into the 10.1 inch screen for you; just be sure your eyesight is up for the challenge. If HD tasks are very important to you, there are models that offer beefier graphics via a dedicated graphics chip.         

3)      Wireless Connectivity

Wi-Fi is available to you on all netbooks. However, according to Joseph Moran, “though you’re much more likely to find support for 802.11g/b rather than the newer 802.11n. This isn’t a big problem unless you want to use your Netbook on a home N network without having to run the network in mixed mode in order to accommodate the older standard.”

You can also shop around for a netbook model that boasts a built-in 3G mobile broadband modem which is often known as a Wireless WAN (WWAN).  Just be sure that you know which carrier network plan you are going to be using in advance, because all carriers utilize different 3G technologies all of which will require different modem chips. Most netbook models give you the option of choosing between Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T (but also note that T-Mobile now offers a 3G modem as well). You can purchase a 3G equipped netbook from a carrier at a discounted price (as they want your business) but be aware that these will be older models and no matter where you purchase a 3G equipped model, be prepared to pay between $50 and $60 a month for your data plan that will be under a 2 year commitment to that carrier and will be capped off at 5GB per month under contract.

Bluetooth is another option you can search around for; not all netbooks offer it, but some do if you are looking for that feature. Bluetooth will allow you to sync your data or transfer your data from your Smartphone to your netbook and it also provides you with a wireless headset and external mouse.

4)      Storage, Software, and Battery Life

Your storage options typically range from 160 to 320 GB of memory.  This should be more than adequate for anyone, especially if your netbook is but a supplementary device.  

If you want to install software on your netbook, you must be aware that they do not come with optical drives.  You must therefore download your software through the cloud, use a USB data stick, or connect a USB-based DVD drive.  

With regards to batteries, older budget netbooks commonly come with 3- or 4-cell batteries. But if running all day (6-8 hours) on a single charge is what you are after, you must go for a newer model netbook with a 6-cell battery. 

5)      Operating System

Windows dominates the world of operating systems for Netbooks, especially Windows XP. However, nowadays, with Windows 7 on the market, the operating system included with most new netbooks is Windows 7 Starter edition. Note: you will be paying a little bit more, roughly $20 or $30, for the newer operating system.

Also be aware that Windows 7 Starter has its shortcomings. For one thing, it does not support the visual effects that enable certain features found in Windows 7 Professional, and one cannot customize desktop background, window colors, or sounds. Both Windows 7 Starter and Windows XP Home Edition -the OS netbooks typically come with – cannot join a domain-based business network.    

Some vendors, including those that offer custom netbook configurations, may give customers a broader choice of operating systems, often including XP Professional, Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional, and certain flavors of Linux.

You can also upgrade a netbook from Windows 7 Starter to a more capable version via Microsoft’s Windows Anytime Upgrade, but it’s neither cheap nor simple. For example, the cost to go from Starter to Home Premium is $80, and it costs $170 to get to Professional (with the latter requiring separate upgrades from Starter to Home Premium and then Home Premium to Professional).

Conclusion

Netbooks can be a useful business tool, increasing the productivity of your employees and keeping them connected to the office while on the road.  Just be sure that you take your time and utilize the above checklist when making your final decision.   

References

1.       www.netbooks.com

2.       “A Small Business Guide to Buying a Netbook;” Joseph Moran; SmallBusinessComputing.com; www.smallbusinesscomputing.com    

3.       HP; www.hp.com

4.       Dell; www.dell.com

2. The smartest Smartphone for your business

Written by Stacey Livingstone, March 23, 2010

Seeing as a Smartphone is really a small mobile PC with telecommunicating possibilities, it is really no wonder why they are becoming a hot business tool the world over, often beating out the notebook as it can perform all the same functions and is even more portable.  A recent study conducted by Gartner Research predicted that by 2013 more people will be using Smartphones than PCs (Moran). Arming your employees with Smartphones will certainly increase their productivity, but how do you go about choosing the right model for your small-medium-business? Joseph Moran, a writer for Small Business Computing, has a few pointers.

Choosing the right mobile network

Always remember: you’re not just buying a Smartphone, you’re also buying a mobile network.  Unlike the PC, the Smartphone relies heavily upon its network for features and connectivity so before choosing your model, you must first choose the right carrier for you based on coverage and cost.

If you already have mobile phones for your business, the best place to start searching for a Smartphone is with your existing carrier, because if you have voice coverage it is likely you will already have data coverage as well. However, you do want to make certain that your network has third generation or 3G connection, the fastest Internet connection available for smartphones. If your existing plan does not have 3G connection, you may want to consider switching plans or even providers as 3G is the only Internet connection fast enough to allow for such abilities as email and web browsing on your Smartphone.

Cost and Coverage

According to Moran, networks vary in their 3G performances: Verizon and Sprint use EV-DO technology while AT&T and T-Mobile use HSPA, and of these four national carriers, Verizon provides the widest 3G coverage followed by Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile. But no matter what carrier you decide upon, you must make sure that 3G coverage is available in that plan for your area. Be sure to check out each carrier’s website, as they offer coverage maps.     

Once you are certain that 3G coverage is available in your area, you then want to brush up on the cost of this data coverage. Voice coverage is pretty straightforward.  You know how many minutes per month you have on your plan, how much those minutes cost, and the cost of each extra minute used.  Data plans however can be a bit more complex.

According to Moran, data plans are anywhere from $30 to $60 above the cost of voice plans. Prices will obviously vary depending on the Smartphone model, the quantity of data you transfer each month, and extra services you wish to add on such as text messaging or a push-email service.    

Email Access, Tethering, Operating Systems, and Ergonomics 

Almost all Smartphone models allow you to access email accounts, personal or professional, but if you are looking for the speediest delivery, you should purchase a push-email service. Push-email essentially “pushes” every new email to the smartphone immediately as they are received as opposed to having to manually log in to your account to check your new messages. Many Smartphones offer push-email support, but RIM’s BlackBerry is famous for push email as they pioneered the technology.

Tethering allows one to use their Smartphone as a wireless modem, gaining Internet access for their laptop when no Wi-Fi is available. All major carriers offer this service, however there are certain things to take into consideration: not all Smartphones support this capability, you will be paying extra for the service, and plans that allow tethering typically cap you off at 5GB per month with added charges for going over your limit. If you are interested in a Smartphone with tethering capabilities, I recommend checking out BlackBerry options, the IPhone 3G, and the new Droid by Motorola.

The leading contenders for Smartphone operating systems are Google’s Android, Microsoft’s Windows Phone (as mentioned in the Bryley Blog article on Cloud Computing, Microsoft is coming out with their Windows Phone 7 series that will operate within the cloud), RIM’s BlackBerry, Palm’s WebOS, Nokia’s Symbian, and Apple’s IPhone. Each operating system offers a different set of features and applications and all offer multitasking except for Apple. All companies offer an online store where you can download programs for your smartphone, and many of these programs are free. Although Apple will not allow you to run more than one program at a time, it does make up for it by providing the largest online store for downloading new programs on your Smartphone.

According to Moran, the two most important elements of Smartphone ergonomics to consider when making your decision are the style of the display screen and of the keyboard. It basically boils down to a personal preference: display screen versus keyboard.  If you want a Smartphone with a large, touch-screen display, you are typically going to find a model sans keyboard, and if you want a Smartphone with a keyboard, typically the display screen is smaller and does not boast touch-screen ability. Once again, it is only a matter of personal preference: do you want the keyboard that enables ease of typing, or do you want the touch-screen that makes browsing the Web and your Smartphone’s features simpler? Of course, if you simply cannot sacrifice either luxury, there are a few Smartphones that provide the best of both features. The Palm Pre and the Motorola Droid offer up both a large touch-screen as well as a slide-out keyboard.      

Additional Tips

·         Just a reminder, choose your carrier and your plan before you choose your Smartphone

·         Be aware that certain Smartphones are exclusive to specific carriers: the Apple IPhone for example is currently only available at AT&T

·         Smartphones sold by carriers are typically built to the carrier’s specifications: be certain to check the features offered on each and every phone, for two devices that might seem similar from two different carriers may have differences that would impact your decision

·         Some carriers do give you the option to purchase an “unlocked” phone that is not under the umbrella of that carrier – AT&T and T-Mobile offer this option – but that the cost of an unsubsidized phone can easily cost $500 or more compared to a subsidized phone that typically ranges in price from $50 to $250 

Conclusion

Smartphones are a great business investment. They increase your efficiency when working remotely by allowing you to stay plugged in with your clients, coworkers, and relevant business tools and information at all times.  Like any great investment, really take your time to find the right Smartphone (and carrier) for your company.

 References

“A guide to small business smartphones” by Joseph Moran for SmallBusinessComputing.com  

For details, see http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/buyersguide/article.php/3865476.

Please join us tomorrow morning, April 14, 2010 for one or both of our two live, FREE Avaya product training webinars.

At 9:30 AM join us for an Avaya PARTNER ACS telephone system training webinar.

At 10:30 AM join us for an Avaya IP Office telephone system training webinar.

Both webinars will be hosted by Avaya-certified Bryley Engineer Mike Dwyer who boasts over 15 years of experience.

It is not too late to register!

Call 978.562.6077 x 218 and ask for Garin

Email Events@Bryley.com

Visit News and Events on our site and register at the bottom of the page.

Thank you and we hope to see you tomorrow morning!

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revisited the University of Washington in Seattle on March 4th, but this time it was not to sneak into the computer labs to test out ideas with Bill, but rather he hosted his first seminar at the campus that paved the way for Microsoft.  The 85 minute presentation, standing and “hanging” room only from the balcony, was on the future of information technology: cloud computing.

Ballmer opened with his explanation of “the cloud,” part of that elusive IT for business jargon that confuses more than it conceptualizes.  The cloud, very simply, is a metaphor for the Internet, and cloud computing thusly is Internet-based computing, part of the new Web 2.0 business jargon.  But this is far more than just jargon. Web 2.0 and cloud computing are paving the way for information technology in 2010 and beyond.  Web 2.0 – a term used to refer to alterations to the World Wide Web post 2004 – is the new state of the cloud. It is all of the new web applications that are simplifying the ability to share information online, such as blogging, video sharing sites, hosted services, social networking sites, et cetera.  Within this latest 2.0 version of the cloud software and data become shared resources and are able to be accessed by many computers and devices.

Cloud computing is the direct result of the ease with which people now remotely compute thanks to Web 2.0, completely transforming the delivery and consumption model of IT services. Ballmer then moved on to discuss the five properties of cloud computing, how these properties would impact the world of information technology, and how Microsoft is literally betting their entire company on the cloud.

Property # 1: New Business Opportunities and Responsibilities  

New opportunities abound thanks to the ability of the cloud to increase IT capacity and capabilities without having to invest in new infrastructure, personnel or software.  New business opportunities generated from cloud computing include software as a service (SaaS) such as the web applications one may purchase at Google Applications, server virtualization offering online storage capabilities, and proactive managed services through Managed Service Providers such as remote network monitoring.

Simply the fact that any business, any small creator can now put content – information, software, a web application – out into the cloud, can create this content in the cloud and have it accessed instantaneously anywhere across the globe through the cloud and can even monetize their content through the cloud through such sites as the App Store from Apple sets the stage for the myriad of possibilities available to the small business man today. Leaders in the industry are also capitalizing on cloud computing. For example, Ballmer announced that the new version of Microsoft Office - to be released this June - has been designed to run in the cloud.

But with these new opportunities and paradigms come new responsibilities to take into consideration.  There is now the need to really protect the user, protect their identity, their personal information, their anonymity. In the cloud, a user is susceptible to identity theft and so it is up to the creator to balance their new opportunities with their new responsibilities to both protect their users and create products that are yes, high tech, but also still cost effective and easy to use.

Property # 2: The Cyclical Nature of the Cloud Continuing to Learn and in Turn Helping Users Learn

Ballmer then went on to discuss the fact that the cloud continuously learns from user input, and in turn the cloud binds together all relevant information that it is fed and creates more holistic and comprehensive data for users. Indeed, the relationship between cloud and user is quite symbiotic as well as the definitive form of information sharing.

Ballmer gave us an example with Bing Maps. Currently they are updating the site to incorporate all data integration the cloud is capable of.  At its onset, Bing Maps only offered simple mapping requests and driving directions, but now all information that the cloud has ever been fed on one particular location is now available, making Bing Maps a more multifaceted source of information: maps, directions, actual satellite photographs of the location, pinpointed areas of interest, reviews on restaurants, cinema locations and movie times, links to relevant blogs on the area and its resources, all information on every location has now been bound together on Bing Maps for your convenience.  So you see as the cloud continues to learn - for example learn more and more about particular locations - it in turn will help users learn more. 

To take cloud learning even further, Ballmer went on to discuss the fact that the cloud not only has the capacity to learn about the world, but now has the capacity to learn about you the user as well: what you are interested in based on its accumulated knowledge of you from previous searches and online personal data. To comb through the vast ocean of information online, we first created search engines to aid us in combing through the content. Now we need to take it one step further.  Ballmer predicts that within five years time, search engines will not only be able to help you search the cloud for all relevant sites on your topic of search, but will actually help you comb through the articles for the information you are truly searching for. Ballmer gave the example of the Microsoft product One Note, a research tool that gathers information from a variety of sources. Ballmer also mentioned Microsoft’s plans for Excel; eventually they want to see this Office tool operate within the cloud, and based on the cloud’s knowledge of the world, the subject at hand, and of the user, pinpoint the exact information the user is searching for and automatically upload it into the spreadsheet for you.  

Property # 3: The Cloud Enhances Your Personal and Professional Interactions

The third property of the cloud is its ability to enhance all of your interactions, business related as well as social. Everyone is familiar with the new social networking sites available on Web 2.0, the most popular of which is Facebook.  So, what exactly is Microsoft doing to incorporate cloud computing interactions into its business plan?

Ballmer commented that Microsoft is pushing ahead into the future, and creating software that will allow business interactions to become increasingly virtualized: think along the lines of Skype. The examples Ballmer gave concerned the new version of Office that will simplify cloud communications and Xbox, a division of Microsoft.  The Xbox Live game console has joined forces with Sky, a multimedia company located in the United Kingdom.  In the U.K., people can virtually watch television with their friends through their game consoles on a virtual couch and can not only watch the same programming together from their respective homes through the cloud, but can also interact with one another though the console very much like a video game and can physically chat through their Xbox wireless headset. Xbox now even has a camera called Natal Vision that you can purchase that will actually recognize you, your appearance, your gestures, and your voice.

Property # 4: As the Cloud Continues to Learn, It Wants Smarter and Smarter Devices

As the cloud continues to learn, it wants smarter and smarter devices: smarter PCs, smarter phones, smarter game consoles, and smarter software. You will note the cycle of symbiosis: as the cloud continues to learn from users, it will continue to help users learn more, and as this pattern continues, devices need to also improve in order to keep up with progress.    

So what is Microsoft working on?  Once again, Ballmer cited the new Office coming out in June that will utilize the cloud. Ballmer also mentioned the new smart phone series Microsoft is churning out, Windows Phone 7, has been specifically designed for cloud computing.  We also see how devices are becoming smarter with the above example of Xbox Live.

Ballmer announced that Microsoft products will really begin to incorporate sensors and cameras, devices that will recognize you, learn about you; these new devices are really going to provide a richer interface between user and cloud through a machine-middleman.   

Property # 5: The Cloud Drives Server Advances that in Turn Drive the Cloud  

And finally, the fifth property of the cloud: as the cloud continues to learn, and we continue to learn, and as that cycle continues on, and as the need for smarter devices continues to advance, the need for better servers will also continue to grow. As cloud computing continues do advance, we now need advances in server hardware and software to keep up, and as the cloud continues to advance so quickly – learn and change so quickly – we need servers that have the capacity to allow those quick evolutions to occur.  

Ballmer actually brought a next generation server from Microsoft to the University of Washington for the seminar, and boasted that it is the equivalent of 10,000 present-day servers.  He also mentioned that the latest servers from Microsoft – Windows Azure and SQL Azure – are both cloud-inspired.  Ballmer then went on to discuss Microsoft’s vision for these next generation servers and how they will allow for the privatization of clouds, meaning that personalized, private clouds will be the future of cloud computing, saving users the potential security risk of using the public cloud.

Microsoft in the Context of the Cloud

Once again we return to the cyclical and symbiotic relationship of cloud computing: as a major leader of the IT industry, Microsoft fuels the cloud and in turn the cloud fuels Microsoft. Currently, Microsoft employs roughly 40,000 people worldwide, and according to Ballmer 70% of these employees are working on something either entirely cloud-based or at the least cloud-inspired.  Ballmer’s prediction is that within one year that percentage will grow to 90%.  Microsoft is literally betting their entire business on the cloud, and if a global titan is betting on the cloud, there is no doubt that all chips are in across the industry. The future forecast of information technology? Definitely cloudy.

References

The recorded seminar from March 4, 2010 at the University of Washington in Seattle given by Steve Ballmer. 

Image from Microsoft Partner Network.  

Hungry for More?

You can watch the entire recorded seminar at the following link.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/cloud/

Bryley Systems is proudly a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.

We have been providing Business Technology Solutions to organizations throughout New England as a trusted business partner for over 23 years. Please feel free to contact us today for any and all of your business technology needs. 

Call 888.280.5799

Email Info@Bryley.com  

Just a friendly reminder to join us tomorrow, March 10, 2010 for one or both of the two live, FREE training webinars we will be hosting on Avaya products.

At 9:30 AM, please join us for Avaya PARTNER ACS telephone system training.

At 10:30 AM, please join us for Avaya IP Office telephone system training.

Again, both webinars are free and will cover useful information on how to maximize the benefits of these products.

To sign up, please call 888.280.5799 and ask for Garin or email Info@Bryley.com. We will then speedily send you the link to the webinar.

We look forward to having you.

Web 2.0: first off what is it? Web 2.0 is the term used to distinguish the most recent trends of the World Wide Web from 2004 to the present.  Web 2.0 is most often associated with any application on the web that assists in interactive information sharing: anything from blogs to social networks such as Facebook to video sharing sites.

Malware spread through these latest web applications will become a great risk to information security in 2010. A survey conducted by Webroot, a network security vendor, identified breaches in data security and confidentiality, data loss, and mobile phones and laptops as the top three risks to information security that any business should make top priority to prevent in 2010. According to the survey, roughly 25% of SMBs have been compromised in the past by malware acquired through social networking sites.

Another problem with these latest security threats is that they are much harder to manage than email based threats and avoiding them will require additional network security.  According to Gerhard Eschelbeck, chief technology officer at Webroot, “Because SMBs tend to have fewer layers of protection than large enterprises, we especially encourage them to keep up with the latest threat vectors by using a service that automatically stops Web-based threats, filters Web traffic and enforces Internet use policies."  

Want to learn more? Check out this related article by Mark Cox, “Web 2.0 is top security threat to SMBs” at http://www.echannelline.com/usa/story.cfm?item=25456

Want to learn how to protect your business network from the latest threats associated with Web 2.0? Don’t hesitate to contact Bryley for all the information you need.

Call us at 888.280.5799

Email us at Info@Bryley.com

Visit our website at www.Bryley.com to peruse all of the business technology solutions we provide