Technology Best Practices
Magazine Articles
Custom Software
Sounds Expensive but Saves Money
By T. Scott
Plumley
Published: February / March 2008
What do you do when the software you need is not on the
shelf?
Finding the correct software can streamline your work
processes; provide a professional presentation and
aggregate information; and much more. Knowing what to
buy and assessing your individual needs can save you
time, money, and headaches and make your team more
productive. The most common off-the-shelf software
solutions you can find are for documents, presentations,
spreadsheets, financial software, inventory control, and
contact management software. Many times your industry
will also have industry specific software for
“ordering,” “search,” and “sharing information.” What do
you do if you have a problem to solve for which there is
no software on the shelf? One solution is to have a
custom program designed and implemented.
By Mark Regan
Published: February / March 2008
Meetings and collaboration
used to be a pretty big production by today's standards.
There would be travel involved, or telephone calls
plagued with comments like, “Wait, what page are you
talking about?” Plane tickets would be booked, cars
would be rented, and boardrooms would be reserved to
review information and close deals. That was the way it
was done, but nowadays it sure does sound like a lot of
trouble thanks to the tools that exist today.
Server
Operating System Savvy
By T. Scott Plumley
Published: January 2008
Your business is growing and it is time to start looking
at getting a true server in your organization to manage
your network. Most small businesses will choose
Microsoft Windows Server because it is easy to manage.
Also, the support base in the IT community is vast in
comparison with all other server platforms. So, you
start pricing out servers and you have options on the
Microsoft server platform in terms of Windows Standard
Edition or Windows Small Business Edition. Which do you
choose and why? I will go over the primary differences
between the two different platforms and the benefits, as
well as the limitations, of each.
Safe@Home
Simple Network
Security Tips for the Office and Home
By Scott Plumley
Published: December 2007
Securing your data is one of the most important things a
firm can do to protect against competitive threats and
internal access of confidential information. In other
words, protect your house.
Being “Big Brother”
How to Monitor User Traffic on Your Network
By T. Scott Plumley
Published: November 2007
It is often said that the
biggest white-collar crime is the use of Internet for
personal reasons on the job. Many business owners would
like to track employee computer usage anonymously. There
are several methodologies to assess employee Internet
usage. There are many ways to monitor a user’s
workstation profile - an Internet proxy package, server
folder/file auditing, email scanning and complete
workstation monitoring.
I.T. Can Steal
Your Time
By Steve Roberts
Published: November 2007
It’s official; Windows Vista
is now shipping, along with the other Microsoft flagship
product Outlook 2007, and you’re not a MS fan then?
Novel, Google, Apple and other would-be-MS-iconoclasts
have a plethora of products to integrate, streamline and
organize your personal and professional lives.
Entrepreneur Mail
The New Email that Brands
Your Business
By T. Scott Plumley
Published: October 2007
A professional email address
for your company that matches your domain name is an
overlooked, but simple, professional way to brand your
business. Many small businesses and contractors use
public email addresses such as AOL, Hotmail, MSN and
Road Runner as their primary means of electronic
contact.
Is Your
Software Serving You Well?
By: Craig Trautman
Published: September 2007
Why should you consider a
consulting company to assist with your software
selection process? The answer lies in this statement:
“Don’t be a jack of all trades and a master of none.”
Success comes simply from being really good at what you
do. For most small and mid-sized companies, the key to
success lies in a talent (be it for art, design,
cooking) and not in the supporting functions that go
along with providing the talent to its customers.
Staying Connected
Getting the Most from a
Mobile Office
By T. Scott Plumley
Published: September 2007
Hotspots are now available
almost anywhere. I can’t remember the last time I turned
on my laptop and was not able to gain access to at least
one, if not three, wireless networks. With the ability
to easily gain access to the Internet, the mobile work
force is empowered.
Who's IT?
Published: August 2007
Over the past few months I
have acquired some new clients. Based on my surveys of
their networks, and from my initial meetings with them,
they were under the assumption that they had a good
setup when, in fact, their setups were mediocre at best.
So I have compiled a list of questions that a business
owner should either take into consideration when
bringing on an IT consultant or ask his current IT
consultant.
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