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This Week's Headlines
6 Core Tech Strategies for Your Firm
The iPad Welcomed at the Office
Disaster Recovery for Small Business
Assessing Server Performance
Cost Estimating Software: Millions of Dollars in Cost
Savings
Should Businesses Cut Landline Phone Connections?
Why Small Businesses Should Own Their Own Social
Network Sites
Office 2010: Productivity, Productivity,
Productivity
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6 Core Tech Strategies for Your Firm
CPA Technology Advisor (06/01/10); Kepcyzk, Roman
According to a survey from the Association for Accounting
Administration, firms have six key areas that they should focus on to
improve their businesses. Security ranks at the top of this list, with
encryption becoming more common as legislation pushes for tighter security
controls. Of the firms surveyed by the association, 40 percent lacked
appropriate firewalls and Web security. Next, the survey listed promoting
improved client service as a key area for reevaluation; solutions cited by
respondents included LeapFile, FileGenius, and Thomas Reuters products.
The third area cited in the survey was network infrastructure, which
encouraged a movement toward server virtualization, a 64-bit platform, and
Windows 7; less than half of the firms surveyed said they transitioned from
their previous OS to the latest version of Windows. Firm-wide management
was then cited as a chief area of concern for firms, followed by mobility
for promoting remote access to business operations. Lastly, compliance was
listed by the association as a top area for assessment, especially because
less than one-third of firms stated that they were on-board with state and
federal regulations.
(http://www.cpatechnologyadvisor.com/print/The-CPA-Technology
-Advisor/6-Core-Tech-Strategies-for-Your-Firm/1$2791)
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The iPad Welcomed at the Office
Small Business Computing (06/01/10); Needle, David
The iPad has experienced success similar to other multi-function chic
gadgets from Apple, but its popularity has also been prominent among the
small business customer. According to a Citrix survey, 80 percent of
business customers plan to use the iPad for their businesses. Business
users said that email would be the most frequently used feature of the iPad
while others stated the device would be used for presentations and
meetings. Citrix Vice President of Community and Solutions Development
Chris Fleck said that the "Bring Your Own Computer" to work trend would
catch on quickly through products like the iPad. Fleck added that the
iPad's multi-function ability to provide access to applications, company
data, and virtual desktops with little management will increase the ability
of IT's control. IT will also benefit from the iPad's added security,
particularly since it lacks a RJ-45 jack that can be plugged into the wall.
(http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/news/article.php/38852
56/The-iPad-Welcomed-at-the-Office.htm)
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Disaster Recovery for Small Business
Small Business Computing (05/25/10); Blackwell, Gerry
Research indicates that small businesses are at a significantly greater
risk of going out of business due to data loss. Yet SMBs still lack a
number of necessary protocols for mitigating this risk. Small businesses
are reluctant to implement new solutions due to cost restraints, but a
number of affordable solutions exist. Cloud computing technology has
enabled a number of businesses to take advantage of disaster recovery
products, like those offered from i365 and EVault. Through these vendors,
small businesses can back up their data and run multiple servers on a
single computer through virtualization. This technology is cheaper than
other methods of data storage and provide companies with access to their
data from virtually anywhere. i365 provides customers with access to data
within 24 hours in the event of a disaster while EVault houses onsite
appliances for data backup, which is faster than using the cloud. For
companies that cannot afford either of these solutions, Colocation provides
data backup in data centers via duplicate servers. Most data recovery
services start at about $250 per month.
(http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/webmaster/article.php/
3884076/Disaster-Recovery-For-Small-Business.htm)
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Assessing Server Performance
Processor.com (05/21/10)Vol. 32, No. 11, P. 24; Levy, Carmi
To ensure that SMBs are receiving the most out of their servers,
analysts say that companies should determine their current server
utilization. Assessing a businesses' current workload will be helpful for
determining the efficacy of existing servers. Often companies hastily
replace older systems and expect performance will be faster; yet upgrading
current servers might be a more cost-effective solution. Analysts say that
virtualizing machines and segmenting applications can significantly improve
performance. Conducting an assessment of end-user action with applications
will also be useful for determining any server issues. SMBs should observe
their workload patterns and work with IT to consequently prioritize
workload. Ensuring that data centers' cooling environment is sound is
another key for adequately managing servers. SMBs should always evaluate
their current performance environment before investing in new hardware,
remembering that improved speed does not always mean the best return on
investment for a cost-conscious company.
(http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?article=artic
les/P3211/25p11/25p11.asp&guid=CE7180D341444CD7A0ADA292A4A64293)
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Cost Estimating Software: Millions of Dollars in
Cost Savings
Accounting Software 411 (05/10); Cutler, Thomas R.
MTI Systems President Thomas Charkiewicz says that cost-estimating
solutions provide companies with significant cost savings while increasing
their profit margins. Charkiewicz notes that the several database
libraries for cost estimation including the Plant Database, the Work Center
Database, the IQBuilder Database, and the Standards Database. The
databases differ according to their capabilities for logging departmental
information, deploying different statistical methods for computing
manufacturing time and costs, and conducting cost analysis. In every
financial environment, product management is also critical for determining
whether programs are working effectively. Charkiewicz says that solutions
like the Costimator OEM provide companies with critical information about
"the cost drivers in the products they design, manufacture, and produce."
(http://www.accountingsoftware411.com/Press/PressDocView.aspx
?docid=11817)
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Should Businesses Cut Landline Phone Connections?
InformationWeek (05/18/10); Korzeniowski, Paul
Mobile phones have supplanted landlines for an overwhelming majority of
the consumer market, yet businesses cannot abandon landlines just as
easily. While wireless communication has become virtually ubiquitous,
transitioning to mobile phones will mean a lost of certain services for
some businesses. For example, a shorter battery life, fewer handsets, and
less functionality are challenges that SMBs switching to cell phones might
encounter. Yet market researchers say abandoning landlines should be done
on a case-by-case basis, since cell phones could mean increased
productivity and less IT hassles for some SMBs. Additionally, cell phones
cost less to maintain than landlines and employees would need to check less
voicemail boxes by relying solely on wireless communications. Products
like dual mode cell phones also support employees' ability to work both
inside the office and remotely, while PBX manufacturers have been debuting
products that integrate cell phones with other voice systems.
(http://smb.informationweek.com/mobile/showArticle.jhtml?arti
cleID=224800100)
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Why Small Businesses Should Own Their Own Social
Network Sites
Noobpreneur.com (05/13/10); Widjaya, Ivan
Ivan Widjaya says that small businesses should create their own social
networking sites for leveraging their brand. Since social media has become
a significant part of business and personal endeavors, establishing a
strong presence through this platform could tremendously increase a
company's customer base. Widjaya cites American Express's OPEN Forum as a
prime example of leveraging social networking power since the company
strategically created a social network: American Express identified their
target market and tapped into resources that could contribute information
to their site. By having business experts participate on OpenForum.com,
the company knew that more leads for American Express would be generated,
further strengthening their brand. There are social networking media
consultants that can assist SMBs seeking a new site, yet remember to
consider the following: select a vendor with a solid reputation, ensure
that a vendor will craft a site specific to your company's needs, and ask
for a free social media analysis.
(http://www.noobpreneur.com/2010/05/13/why-small-businesses-s
hould-own-their-own-social-network-sites/)
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Office 2010: Productivity, Productivity,
Productivity
GigaOm.com (05/12/10); Mackie, Simon
Office 2010 is significantly different than its predecessors with
respect to productivity. According to Simon Mackie, Microsoft's latest
office suite features easier collaboration tools and the debut of Office
Web Apps. The Web Apps feature, which rivals Google Docs, provides users
access to Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote in an interface similar to
the desktop applications. Web Apps is also geared toward multi-user
collaboration, a plus for any business. Office 2010 is
productivity-driven, with tools like the Social Connector to synchronize
social networking with Outlook. For smaller businesses on a tight budget,
upgrading to Office 2010 might not seem like a priority; however, promises
for greater productivity could be a factor driving SMBs to invest in a
solution that will surely streamline their businesses.
(http://gigaom.com/2010/05/12/office-2010-productivity-produc
tivity-productivity/)
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