If there are any topics you would like to see discussed in the future or if you have any comments, please contact me at JoeT@HighCaliber.com
Bullet Points
Managed Services - A Better Way To Increase Uptime
Think about how most of us maintain our cars. We wait until something
starts making some crazy noise and then we take it in for repairs. We
then find out that one bad thing led to another bad thing, and we wind
up with a repair bill that has us seeing red.
Now think about how most small businesses maintain their IT (Information
Technology) infrastructure - their desktop PC's, servers, backup units,
Internet routers, etc. Not much different than how we are maintaining
our cars -- and with pretty much the same results.
So what is the solution? Getting away from the "break/fix" service
model (wherein you wait for something to break and then have it fixed),
and moving more towards a proactive, preventative maintenance model is
the way to go for starters. This allows problems to be spotted early so
they don't cause downtime, which is what every business owner wants.
The result is lower overall IT costs, less expenses associated with
disrupted work flow, and a lot less aggravation.
The next step towards maximizing the utilization an organization can
get out of their IT investments is to allow someone to manage the complex
aspects of their technology infrastructure. Managed routers (very
complex devices to support) are a good example of this. Email,
web, and application hosting, and even outsourcing the management
of your entire network are other examples. Handing over the responsibility
of managing complex technology to outside experts will allow you to
focus on the things your business does best.
Here at High Caliber, we will be implementing pretty dramatic changes
in how we provide services to you in the months to come. We are moving away
from the "break/fix" model and more towards providing proactive maintenance
and managed services. We will keep you updated as things progress. Let
us know if you are anxious to get onboard now and we will move you
to the head of the list!
Which Patches Have Been Applied?
Keeping workstations and servers up to date with all patches issued by Microsoft
is one of the most important steps you can take to reduce the possibility of
security breaches. To see which patches have been applied to a PC:
Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click Add or Remove Programs
At the top of the Add or Remove Programs window, check the box
labeled Show updates.
Any updates you have installed, and the date you installed them, will
be shown under the applicable program name.
(This requires that SP2 ("Service Pack 2") be installed on the computer,
something that should already have been done.)
Saving Intermediate Versions of a MS Word Document
If you need to keep track of all the changes made to a MS Word document
you can use Word's Versions feature. This feature allows you to
save multiple versions of a document in a single file.
To save a version:
Click File
Click Versions
Click the Save Now button
Enter comments that will help you remember what changed and why.
Click Ok
To automatically save a file version when you close the file:
Click File
Click Versions
Check the Automatically save a version on close check box
Click the Close button
Now, every time you close the document, it will be saved as a new version.
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Outlook Express
Typically, PC workstations last around four years. If you have more than just a
handful, replacing them can be an expensive proposition. Our experience has shown
that the cost to replace one workstation is actually around $2,200. What, you
think I am crazy? You've seen those $500 PC ads and can't imagine where I came up
with that number? Look closely at those ads. Notice that a usable operating
system (XP Professional?) is not included in that price. Also note that Microsoft
Office is also not included. If you add the cost of the operating system and
business application software required to make that PC usable, then factor in
labor for installation, you will see that my number for acquisition cost is not
that crazy after all.
So we have ascertained that it is expensive to replace workstations. How do you
know it's time to do the upgrade? The release of a new Microsoft operating system
often drives this decision. The new OS invariably requires more memory, processor
speed and disk space than the version currently in use, and it just doesn't make
sense to invest the money required to upgrade the hardware and install the new OS
in old equipment. Remember that PC's can be purchased with the OS and MS Office
already installed.
One way to significantly extend the useful life of your workstations is to
utilize Microsoft Terminal Services. According to Microsoft, "Terminal Services
is a component of Microsoft Windows operating systems (both client and server
versions) that allows a user to access applications or data stored on a remote
computer over a network connection." In plain English, this means you can use
very inexpensive PC's or "thin clients" to use applications that are actually
running on a server. Theoretically, you could use old 80386 workstations to
run the latest version of Microsoft Office and any other application running
on the terminal server. For those of you that are old enough to remember,
this is kind of like the old dumb terminal/mainframe systems we used to use
many years ago (and are still in use today).
Installing a terminal server has other benefits beyond allowing you to spend
less on your workstations. Much of the workstation maintenance that must be
done with PC workstations goes away. Viruses, spyware problems, registry
corruption, hard drive failures, unauthorized software installs, and many
other desktop nightmares are no longer an issue. With terminal services,
it is also much easier for people to access applications and data remotely.
(Things like pcAnywhere and GoToMyPC are no longer necessary.) The more
workstations you have, the more attractive terminal server becomes.
