January 2010
In this issue:

	Mobile Web Optimization
	Thinking About Internal IT?
	'Virtualization' Saves
	Getting Started With SharePoint
	Are You Doomed?
	Cartoon & Quote

1. Do you know every password?
Practically everything computer and Internet-related in your shop has, or should have, a password. If your computer expert left at this very moment, could you (or someone you trust) log on to each of the computers on the network and have the ability to make changes to system settings, tweak the firewall and more?

Do you know the password to the server, the customer database and other files needed to run your business? That's why it is important for you, as the business owner, to know all the passwords.

I learned this lesson the hard way. A few years ago, we had a network administrator who unexpectedly resigned by e-mail from home. I didn't know the passwords that he set up on the system. Rummaging through his desk, I found what looked like a password scribbled on a fast-food restaurant napkin. Luckily, it worked.

Read More

2010: The Year of Mobile
Everyone seems to have a Smartphone these days, and more and more focus is being put on mobile devices that call, do email, allow you to browse the web, and more. With that, however, come some interesting changes to the world of website design and website marketing. Mobile devices don’t see websites the same as computers do, mainly because the viewing area is so much smaller. To that end, many sites have created alternative websites aimed specifically at mobile users.

While this is great, there are a few challenges that come with it. First, you have to decide what content to include on the mobile page, how that content will be split up, and more. You also have to understand that these mobile sites aren’t going to be anywhere near as detailed or complex as your standard web site. Most mobile users want something specific, and since many have only a limited amount of bandwidth they can use each month, they want that specific information as quickly as possible and by downloading as little as possible. This means no large images, no big blocks of text, and no fancy menus.

Read More

What about small business? The good news is if you are a small business owner, there are plenty of short- and long-term benefits from virtualization-and you don't need a big budget. (That makes virtualization attractive in a brutal economic climate.)

So what is virtualization? Quite simply, it is technology that explodes the traditional one-to-one relationship between computer hardware and the software that runs it. Virtualization software allows you to create two or more complete computing environments on a single piece of hardware. The proliferation of systems with multi-core microprocessors has made virtualization possible across a wide range of business applications.

Read More

Outsourcing your IT brings additional business value
by Stuart R. Crawford, V.P., IT Matters, Inc.

Businesses today wrestle and grapple with the thought of hiring their own technology support staff to support their daily need for IT support without fully understanding the risks and the costs associated with having their own team of technology professionals.

Business owners, C level execs and Managers are attracted to the idea of having a team or a consultant readily available within shouting distance down the hall, basically having an IT resource committed to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, many of today’s business owners across the country are not aware of the total risks their business is exposed to by electing to bring their technology support in-house.

More often than not it is purely a cost based decision, on the surface it may appear to be more cost effective to hire a consultant or employee who is committed as a full time employee. CFOs and Accounting Managers often look only at the cost of having their IT outsourced and or attracted to hiring someone for a few thousand dollars a month as part of their staff will save their company in the long run.

So what are the advantages of having an IT Partner who focuses on delivering a complete managed technology solution?

Read More

Did you know that Server 2003 and Business Server 2003 have SharePoint services? SharePoint is the foundation for a company portal. Do you remember when all files were saved in a filing cabinet instead of on your network? By getting started with Share Point your files no longer just reside in some folder in your network, but files are as easy to find or search for as using a search engine like Google.

Let us demonstrate our understanding of your business needs, not just your technology needs. By providing a central repository for documents and business intelligence, and customizing it to your exact business, we have transitioned from just storing documents to a more intellectual way of managing your information.

The goal is to create the foundation for a company portal, design a robust and reliable Intranet to ease corporate management, improve collaboration and workflow for all employees, and enable highly-secure and managed access and information sharing. The components covered under our SharePoint start up package are:

• Corporate Homepage
  • Announcements
  • Discussions
  • SharePoint Tips and Tricks
• Company Collateral
  • Company brochures
  • Internal/External press releases
  • Company awards and recognition
• Human Resources
  • Employee manual
  • Vacation request forms
  • Expense reports
  • Computer usage policies and procedures
• Vacation and Executive Calendar
  • Daily, weekly, monthly and annual group calendar
  • Details of all approved time-off from work

Contact J4Systems to find out how you can get started with SharePoint!