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
VoIP / Hosted PBX Update
Well, we completed our switchover from Verizon's boring old telephone service to
Hosted PBX/Voice Over IP (HPBX/VoIP) and the verdict is: FANTASTIC! There were
some bumps during the transition but we got great support from the provider (InfoHighway/Eureka).
We know have access to all of the features of a high-end PBX and unlimited local and domestic long distance
calling all for a very affordable fixed monthly price. One of my favorite features is that the voice mails
that you leave in our general voice mail box get forwarded to all of us via email. We also have an enormous
amount of control over how our calls get directed and delivered. (BTW, this makes it a lot easier for
you to track us down!)
If you are interested in pursuing this for your organization, give Joe a call at 212-684-5553 and he will
be glad to give you the pros and cons, and refer you to our vendor.
There are some great improvements in Vista that you will want to eventually take advantage of, especially the enhanced security features.
Our position on Vista is that upgrading existing PC's does not make sense from a cost/benefit standpoint. Most machines in use right now do not have the RAM, video card and processor speed to run Vista effectively and the cost to upgrade both hardware and OS are too high.
Of course, as you buy new workstations and laptops, you should buy them with Vista or, at the very least, "Vista-ready."
You can review the business case for upgrading to Vista here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa906038.aspx
Keeping an Eye on Internet Activity
I came across a device called SnoopStick last week that I think will give us concerned employers (and parents) a new weapon in the war on Internet-abuse.
"Snoopstick is a USB flash drive-type device that allows you to monitor what your kids, employees, or anyone using your computer is doing while on the Internet. And, you can monitor them live, in real time, from anywhere in the world.
Any time you want to see what web sites your kids or employees are visiting, who they are chatting with, and what they are chatting about, simply plug in your SnoopStick to any Windows based computer with an Internet connection and a USB port. SnoopStick will automatically connect to the target computer.
Monitor both sides of IM conversations in real time or tell SnoopStick to display recent activity. Check the sender and recipient of every email sent or received. You can even log the user off, disable internet access, set time restrictions or even turn the computer off. All using your SnoopStick from any computer.
Send the user a pop up message alert. A good way to tell them they're busted!
Turn off/on Internet access with the SnoopStick locally or remotely.
Set allowable times for Internet access.
Prevent users from using certain types of Internet programs.
Block access to web sites.
One click "Block Social Networking" option instantly blocks access to sites like MySpace.com.
After reading this, I immediately ordered one from the SnoopStick website. It cost $59 + shipping and it was well worth the money. Installation is simple and using it is even simpler. And you can use it on up to 3 computers, as long as you own all of them. What makes SnoopStick so useful for home use is that it allows you to monitor activity when you can't be at home to do it in person.
I think it was Ronald Reagan that coined the phrase "Trust, but verify."
This saying is very appropriate when you are dealing with irresponsible Internet users that can sometime stray from the proper path.
Spam Running Rampant
Criminal gangs using hijacked computers are behind a surge in unwanted emails peddling sex, drugs and stock tips. The number of spam messages has tripled since June and now accounts for as many as nine out of 10 emails sent worldwide, according to U.S. email security company Postini.
High Caliber offers a very affordable spam filtering service that can remove up to 99% of the unwanted email you receive each day. It can be used with any email host/ISP. Give us a call if you want to get hooked up.
Graph Paper Online
Although you might not think so in this modern day and age, there may be times when you need a good old piece of graph paper. Instead of heading to Staples and buying far more than your kids will ever use, try this site:
In a nutshell Google results are not cast in stone. If you ever wonder why your ranking in Google search results changes constantly, here are a few things that you may want to consider that can help you understand the nature of rankings.
Google does not update once a month, they are constantly updating their data.
Google has many data centers.
Not all of the data centers are exact clones of one another. They can differ in what underlying data they contain as well as how they sort results.
The geographic location of the computer used to perform a search can affect search results.
While these 4 items are not the only factors that can affect search results (further discussion could be made regarding the differences that can be observed due to cookies, prior search history being saved and used to bias future searches, and other factors), they are often among the more commonly identified issues that come up when discussing why rankings may not display as expected when different people perform a Google search and get different results.
