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Top 10 Mistakes Business Owners Make With Their Technology and IT Decisions

Technology. Love it or hate it, it's a necessary part of business today. Some business owners feel investing in technology is a waste of funds. Others think technology works well for other business owners, but can't make it work for them. Here's a list of the top 10 mistakes business owners make that leads to the cost of inefficient IT adding up. Read it and avoid the same pitfalls.   1. Is IT a part of your strategic business plan? If not, why not?   If not, your company will be unnecessarily challenged in meeting strategic goals.Technology is complicated, confusing and intimidating, but also closely tied to the success of an ever increasing number of businesses in today's marketplace. All you need is a good IT Advisor to work with you, make recommendations based on your goals, and deploy those recommendations on time and on budget. Don't think it's important? Well let's review that for a moment.   Your client info is stored on computers Your sales efforts, leads etc are stored on computers and require advanced software to track. Your employees work on computers, and are more efficient with file and printer servers installed as part of the network. Your communications rely on email, antivirus software, cell phones and SmartPhones and syncing them all back to office computers and so on. All your data needs to be protected, backed up and available for recovery should disaster strike. If you haven't thought about just how important a regular IT audit & review is for your company, you're leaving too much up to chance. IT is an integral part of your business. Give it the appropriate focus, budget and consideration and see how it can add value to the overall strategic plan.   2. Does your technology match your business plan or did you try to make your business plan fit with whatever technology you had?   If your growth strategy requires a team of independently operating sales reps, make sure your IT supports that in the most cost and time efficient way possible. If your work flow is more of a process that must go from person A to person B to person C, then your IT design should match your work flow. If it doesn't, it's costing you time and money.   Don't make the mistake of making your business strategy fit into your existing IT set up. That could be a devastating move for your business. With the help of a trusted IT Advisor, you can find and implement solutions that support your business needs, add value to your company and simplify daily operations for your entire team.   3. Is Your Technology Secure?   Your threats might include: A virus A network wide virus A fire The failure of your single back up drive Employee theft of data And just plain ol' we hack for the fun of it hackers Your technology should be secure. Many businesses under invest in this area and too many come to regret it. One unfortunate incident can prove to severely outweigh the cost of investing in appropriate security.   4. Are You Under Utilizing Technology In Your Business?   Have you purchased the right amount of technology or power for your needs? Are your processors slowing down your team? Is your server scalable? Do you continue to invest in an antiquated model when the cost/benefit ratio for a new system makes fiscal sense. Technology is an investment and can give your company a considerable competitive edge. Don't overspend on unnecessary technology just because you are enamoured with "toys" - yes, this is the case with some rare folks. But do strike the correct balance that will give your business the IT power it needs to excel forward.   5. You bought what? How are you planning on using that technology?   You might be surprised to learn that there are cases of business owners purchasing technology and then never using it. It usually results from an impulse buy or a "sale" purchase. If your technology purchase was not part of strategic business plan, it may not fit in. If your technology purchase was the result of a sale, it may be the wrong technology. Even if it is the right piece of equipment or software, simply purchasing it doesn't necessarily mean that you have thought enough about how to:   Make it work with what you've already got How to properly install and configure it How to train your team on using it properly/to full potential Porting your data over to it...and so on. Don't be frivolous with IT purchases. Work with your IT Consultant to make planned purchases and implementations.   6. Don't Get "Sold"   If you go out shopping for IT, or give most IT "departments" a budget, I assure you they will find something to spend it on. It may not be what your business needs, but they already have a "new", "exciting" or "cutting edge" solution that they have been drooling over and dying to work with. Is it what best suits your needs? Maybe. Maybe not. Will it be the simplest most effective solution for your needs, and easy enough for all you employees to use? Are you sure about that?   It comes down to this: You don't want business processes to fit in to your technology. You want the right technology to support your business processes in the most efficient way possible. An independent IT Consultant who won't gain financially from a purchase recommendation is a wise choice here. Such an IT Advisor won't "sell" you anything, but will help you navigate your options and purchase the IT you need.   7. Failing To Outsource   There comes a time in every new business when the cost benefit of managing your IT yourself diminishes to the point of no return. At that time, outsourcing might just be the sensible option. In mid size companies, outsourcing or having an IT firm on call as needed helps balance costs and necessary IT support. In a large company, outsourcing can significantly reduce the IT budget with Service Level Agreements.   Service Level Agreements are suitable for many companies, giving them a fixed cost for enough IT service to efficiently run their business. The best part is that Service Level Agreements cost a fraction of a full time IT employee. Be sure to explore this option thoroughly. Unless technology is your core service or product, your needs may best be served by an independent IT firm and a good Service Level Agreement.   8. Failing To Plan for the Worst   Disaster recovery is a term often used for cleaning up after a hurricane, tsunami or data loss. Albeit in different ways, all incidences are considered a disaster for those involved.   But data loss doesn't just happen when a drive fails or becomes corrupted. Paper fades or goes up in a fire. Devices are stolen. Data Protection solutions help reduce such losses. Overall, a well thought out back up and recovery plan can be simple to implement and low cost to run. Not having a data backup and recovery plan is just too high of a risk. In some instances, it could mean the death of a business.   9. What's Your IT Policy? How Many Hours Do You Want Employees On Facebook?   Endless of hours are wasted each day by employees who are the clock, but doing anything but business related work. Web surfing, IM, chatting, social media, online dating and personal email pervades the business landscape. You don't have to be austere and cut it out completely, but you can monitor it, curb it and significantly reduce those lost productivity hours.   How about your company green policy and the environment? Is it important to you? Have you communicated that to your employees? Do they know not to print documents unless essential, to refill cartridges if possible, to recycle old electronics in appropriate ways?   Make it policy and it will stick. Whether it's reducing wasted hours on social media or dating sites, or saving paper, your trusted IT Advisor can help you better manage your resources by implementing the right technology and policy.   10. Grow With It. Scale It. Upgrade. Keep Your Technology Up-To-Date.   Technology evolves faster and faster. Don't buy in to the one sided view of "IT is a never ending cost with no return". Rather, accept and plan for technology that will suit your purposes today but will also grow with you in future. Accept that upgrades are as essential as ongoing product development, sales training and team building. Avoid delaying upgrades until all your technology is obsolete and unsupported by your industry ( or the software industry), leaving you with an enormous upgrade bill due all at once.   Of course on the flip side of that token, don't be the company buying up technology aimlessly. Your IT purchases should always be planned out and support your business model.

Top 10 Mistakes Business Owners Make With Their Technology and IT Decisions

Technology. Love it or hate it, it's a necessary part of business today. Some business owners feel investing in technology is a waste ...

How to Locate People by Their Cellular Phone Numbers

Call the number in which you are interested in the owner's identity. You can ask whoever answers who they are and often, if it is a business, the person answering the call will identify the business name as well as their first name. This is the easiest place to start your search, involves the least amount of effort and costs no money.Call your phone provider and ask them to trace the number whose owner you are trying to identify. In many cases, they can provide you with the information, especially if the calls received have been continually harassing or threatening in nature.Type "reverse phone number look up" into your Internet search window on your computer. This will bring up many websites that will look up a phone number and for a small charge, they will give you the name and the address of the phone number's owner. Some of the sites will give you the opportunity for a background screening. Some examples of these sites are Intelius.com, Phonetracedetective.com and Locatecellphonenumber.com (see References).Type the number into your search engine browser. It is possible by doing this that the search will produce the name and address of the owner of the phone number, especially if it belongs to a business.

How to Locate People by Their Cellular Phone Numbers

Call the number in which you are interested in the owner's identity. You can ask whoever answers who they are and often, if it is a bus...

Self-sterilizing door handle looks perfect for hypochondriacs, is as real as their ailments

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJWa_IegTvMwZ7XnFwn0SEkmTsqjHvPgY7g1vqztWosbojeWbHURKr1Ij5Phz2xg8wI5WPE-uu414HkT4BPFKWkM9ub3UiWh9qStoKVPOOZsgLfzWkmgqTg8MypARO0euF1DGSz0lpWI/s1600/101217ssdoorng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJWa_IegTvMwZ7XnFwn0SEkmTsqjHvPgY7g1vqztWosbojeWbHURKr1Ij5Phz2xg8wI5WPE-uu414HkT4BPFKWkM9ub3UiWh9qStoKVPOOZsgLfzWkmgqTg8MypARO0euF1DGSz0lpWI/s320/101217ssdoorng.jpg" width="320"></a></div> 
The world of concepts is quite the wonderful place to behold, it's filled with electric supercars, cameras that only ever need one lens, beautiful BlackBerrys, and now... a self-cleaning door handle. The product of one Choi Bomi's hyperactive imagination, this gatekeeper continuously sterilizes itself with a UV light, only taking a break when you actually use it.

Self-sterilizing door handle looks perfect for hypochondriacs, is as real as their ailments

The world of concepts is quite the wonderful place to behold, it's filled with electric supercars, cameras that only ever need one lens...

Wi-Fi Networks and Their Effective Data Transfer

Wireless technology has altogether given a new dimension to the realm of communication and data transfer since its advent. Not only are home networks and offices being implemented on this technology but with their easy installation and the absence of tangled and messy wires- wireless technology is definitely the most widely adopted technology these days. Wireless fidelity is a technology used in such wireless networks and typically makes use of the universally accepted IEEE 802.11 standard. One of the biggest drawbacks of Wi-Fi networks are that can easily be accessed by anyone within your signal range if necessary precautions are not taken. This means that all the data that is being transferred over your network and internet connection can easily be hacked by a skilled computer user or packet sniffer software. For this reason, we recommend that you make use of encryption in order to protect your data, information and bandwidth from unwanted theft. A Wi-Fi network needs certain basic components to be present before the network is fully operational. These include a Wi-Fi network card, wireless router and a modem. The network card should be installed in the computer and the router in turn should be connected to the modem via a cable. Typically the range of a Wi-Fi network is within 61 meters; allowing users instant connectivity services. However, due to numerous other electronic devices working on wireless technology in the same area; the range within which the Wi-Fi network works bests is that of 30.5 meters. If however, you wish to cover a larger area with your Wi-Fi network then make use of a signal booster in order to strengthen the signal an hence increase the range and performance. Typically Wi-Fi connections may be classified into two types depending highly on their security and accessibility settings. In case of an "open" Wi-Fi network, there are no accessibility limitations. For a "closed" Wi-fi network, the access is protected by a password. Look around and you will find a plethora of wireless connections operating around you. From Bluetooth to infra red to Wi-Fi, all provide efficient data transfer and services. However, when it comes to Wi-Fi networks; the service quality and speed are far greater than others. Basically a Bluetooth wireless connection provides one to one data transfer whereas Wi-Fi allows connection to an entire network. A simple tip to protect your Wi-fi network is to disable Mircosoft file and printer sharing. This way, hackers will not be able to access your information and resources.

Wi-Fi Networks and Their Effective Data Transfer

Wireless technology has altogether given a new dimension to the realm of communication and data transfer since its advent. Not only are home...

A Web Developer and Their Browser

There are several web browsers available and if you are a web designer, there is a good chance that you steer away from Microsoft's Internet Explorer. This is because they have historically had a very poor history of honoring web standards, as well as having a number of gaping security holes. In the past, Internet Explorer was much more closely tied to the Windows Operating System, meaning that when a vulnerability occurs, it was much easier to maliciously attack the operating system. Vulnerabilities are nothing new and can be found in all web browsers, but this close association with the operating system, as well as so many gaping security holes, made Internet Explorer a popular choice for hackers and other criminals. Today, Microsoft is getting better, both in regards to adding a layer of abstraction between the operating system and the browser, as well as making baby steps towards honoring the HTML standards. However, it is still common for things to work fine in more standards compliant browsers, such as Firefox or Opera, with a number of silly hacks required to get the same styled output in Internet Explorer. Also, both Firefox and Opera have several features that make it easier to look at a webpages HTML and inspect the different elements on its page, as well as analyzing forms, viewing headers, and all the other things a web developer needs to do. So, it is no surprise that most quasi technical people, web developers especially, do not use Internet Explorer. So What Are My Options There are several web browsers, but Mozilla Firefox and Opera are two of the more popular choices, unless of course you use a Mac, in which case Safari is the default web browser. Opera still lags well behind Firefox, and for that matter most other Browsers, but this is mostly due to people simply not really knowing about it. Personally, I use Firefox most often, as there are several extensions that I use on a daily basis, most notably Firebug, which lets you inspect a pages HTML and debug Javascript. Opera offers something similar, but to me it is just not as useful and easy to use as Firebug is. Firefox also has a built in spell checker, so whenever I write something online, I can be reasonably sure that my spelling is correct. The search function in Firefox is also very nice, much more useful than most other browsers, as it allows you to search at the bottom of the page, without interrupting your browsing. This differs from other browsers, in which the search function pops up an extra window. However, the new Internet Explorer, IE8, has now "stolen" this feature and fixed their search a little bit. With that said, I really like how fast and nice Opera usually renders pages. The Speed Dial, which lets you select your more regularly visited websites is also very useful. I have also found that Opera generally does a better job with password management than Firefox does, as well as being more customizable by default. Another neat feature of Opera is that by default it lets you go backwards and forwards using the scroll wheel, assuming you have a multi access scroll wheel, so you can push left to go back, right to go forward, and up and down to scroll on the page. The one thing that keeps me from using it all the time is that while you can set up a filter list to block certain content, you can not quickly disable it. Also, the last time I checked you couldn't white list a website, so the filter option is either all or none. However, this might have changed. Other than Firefox and Opera, Google recently unveiled their own Browser called Chrome. There are also several open source browsers built on the Firefox Framework, such as Swiftfox, which is optimized for Linux.

A Web Developer and Their Browser

There are several web browsers available and if you are a web designer, there is a good chance that you steer away from Microsoft's Inte...

The Challenges For Data Security Faced by Firms and Their Customers Working and Trading Online

Data security is a huge responsibility for firms which indulge in online trading. There are various ways in which security can be breached, enabling hackers to access sensitive data. A study in America, found that when a company's security is breached online, its market value drops 2.1% within 2 days of the announcement of the breach, and average loss of $1.65billion (The Effect of Internet Security Breach Announcements on Market Value: Capital Market Reactions for Breached Firms and Internet Security Developers). Credit card fraud has increased 29% in the past year, according to a report by the Association of Payment Clearing Services (Apacs), the fraud being via phone, mail and internet. Clearly there are several challenges faced by firms in order to keep data secure and to keep the trust of their customers. Online security is defined as, "...the protection of assets on the Internet from unauthorised access, use, alteration, or destruction". There are two types of security, physical and logical. Physical security includes guards, fireproof doors, security fences etc. Data security on the internet, obviously deals with logical security.The internet was never designed to exchange value i.e. money, this makes it more of a challenge. Also, the fact the internet is 'always on', thanks to broadband and wireless internet. This means firms face much more complex security issues. One of the largest and increasingly popular methods of the fraudsters obtaining information is through a method known as "phishing." In September 2005, 106 brands were reported to have been phished, notable rises in the use of the larger banks names as well as many credit unions. Financial services made up 81.2% of reported incidents, Internet Service Providers made up 11.8%, Retail 3.5% and the final 3.5% was reported as miscellaneous. Phishing involves a customer being sent a 'spoof' email from an institution with which they have dealings with. The email will usually explain that there is an issue with their account, and asks the customer to click on a link which will take them to a spoof site. For example, they may send you can email from Natwest saying there has been suspicious activity on your bank account and so unknowingly, you would click and sign in. This then sends an email to the fraudster with all your details. This type of security breach is fairly hard to defend against; the only way in which firms can beat this system is through educating customers how to recognise a secure website. There are ways of tracking where the email came from, by doing this, the source of the email can be found and prosecuted. The most common firms which are targeted are Visa, eBay and PayPal.Another threat faced by firms is the threat from "script kiddies." Script kiddies are inexperienced hackers who use common hacking tools to find known holes in a web server or network's security and exploit them. By hacking into the system, they are then able to maliciously alter text or graphics and access data which they shouldn't have access to. Script kiddies can access credit card information and any other sensitive information, depending obviously on how secure the website or network is. Script kiddies use basic hacking to gain unauthorised access to data, however there are several other forms of hacking. One of these is Packet Sniffing. A Packet is a fragment of data. Data transmissions are broken up into packets. Each packet contains a portion of the data being sent as well as header information which includes the destination address." A packet sniffer was originally designed for a system administrator to monitor the network and seek out any problematic packets and prevent any bottlenecks in the network and to ensure the fluent transmission of data. However, a packet sniffer can also be used maliciously. The sniffer reads the information packets which can contain passwords and usernames which are often in clear text. Normally, the packet sniffer will capture only those packets meant for that machine; however, the packet sniffer can be set up to intercept all packages moving around the network, regardless of their destination. Clearly packet sniffers are a risk to customers buying from firms online, as their passwords can be viewed and their accounts accessed.In order for a hacker to access the secure data, they must first use a technique called "IP Spoofing." By IP Spoofing, the hacker sends messages to the intended computer. The receiving computer thinks it is coming from a safe source. This is because the hacker's computer has assumed the IP of a trusted computer. Using IP spoofing, the hacker can gain access to packets designed for a different computers. The hacker can disrupt the connection between the customer and, for example, its bank, and then steps in and communicates with the bank. The banks system believes it is communicating with the customer, as the attacking computer has taken the customer's computer's IP.All of these systems of breaching a firm's security are used to obtain sensitive data. Firm's can lose a lot of business and income through having their website sabotaged. A Zombie attack, also known as a DoS (denial of service) attack is a way in which an attack can be launched which temporarily paralyses a website. The attacker sends a 'Zombie' through an open port. The attacker then instructs that zombie computer to send the target system a huge amount of packets of useless information, usually around 500 packets per second. The huge number of packets overloads the system as it tries to take in all of the information and find some information that makes sense. During this time, the system is unable to operate and therefore 'crashes.' This will obviously cause massive problems for firms trading online, because they are unable to make any sales until the problem has been sorted out. There are around 4000 DoS attacks per week, aimed at home users, small foreign internet service providers, although larger firms such as AOL and Amazon have been hit. Although these DoS attacks can cause huge problems for firms, they are not actually illegal. In a case currently ongoing in the UK, a teenage boy is being charged with the Computer misuse act because he sent his ex-boss 5million emails and thus forcing the email server offline. The process of sending spam emails to consumer's email addresses is illegal; the Computer Misuse Act does not protect businesses. Clearly, in this case, the firm which was targeted would have lost contact with its clients through email; people would not have been able to contact the firm through email; and clients may have been put off from doing business with them because of the problem.Other way hackers can affect a network or computer is by using a Trojan horse. Trojan Horses are sent to people and they are tricked into opening them as they are disguised as harmless programs. Trojan horses, like worms and viruses, have varying severity. Some can just have annoying effects such as changing desktop features, and other effects can be more serious such as deleting files and damage hardware and software. Trojans are also capable of "creating a backdoor on your computer that gives malicious users access to your system, possibly allowing confidential or personal information to be compromised." This can obviously jeopardise customer's details on their computers or they could gain access to a network with customer's data on it.Clearly there are several challenges faced by firms, when attempting to ensure internet security. The most simple to do, is to ensure that the firm's customers who use their online services are educated in internet security. For example, almost all banks have warnings on their websites. They have messages saying, "Remember NatWest will never ask you for your PIN or Password in an e-mail. The website also offers other information to customers with regards to staying safe online. It warns about relying on the padlock icon at the bottom of the window when accessing a website, to judge whether it is safe or not. This icon alone is not proof of security, customers must also look at the address bar at the top of the window, 'http://' is not a secure site, whereas 'https://' is. An http website uses a plain text system socket, this is the easiest form of text to transfer, as it is used by almost all applications on a computer, however, it is also easily read by hackers. Therefore, the https system was developed. The data is encrypted by either the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol or Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. This ensures that the customer has some protection from people trying to gain access to sensitive data; this encryption is known as cryptography.The most basic for of encryption is single key cryptography. This method of encryption uses one key to encrypt and decrypt a message. For example, if user A is sending a message to user B, then user A must send user B his/her key. User B will then encrypt the message and send it to user A, who will decrypt the message. This method clearly has several problems, one of which being that user must trust the person they are sending their key to. They could easily send the key to rivals. A more advanced system for encrypting is the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). This system uses two keys, one which is freely available (Public Key) and so customers use it to send their data and encrypt it, and this data can only be decrypted with the other key which is the 'private key.' The firm receiving the data has that key, and obviously without it, the data sent cannot be decrypted, so preventing anyone gaining unauthorised access to it.All of these methods of security prevent hackers from packet sniffing and gaining access to secure data, however in order to provide a more secure system, the user must also protect themselves with a firewall. Firewalls are widely available and one of the most well known methods of protection. A firewall is used to scan all messages coming into and going out of a network or a computer, and it checks to ensure that they meet the security requirements as chosen by the user. The firewall has several methods of protecting the customer, one of which being Packet filtering. The firewall looks at each packet entering or leaving the network and it will either allow it or deny it access, depending on the user's settings. Packet filtering does have its drawbacks, for example IP Spoofing can sometimes beat the firewall, and it can also be fairly complex to set up. Another technique that firewalls use is an Application Gateway. Application GatewaysApply security mechanisms to specific applications, such as FTP and Telnet servers. This is very effective, but can impose performance degradation.Clearly, there are a lot of problems faced by firms and customers to ensure that data is secure. A recent survey in America stated that one in four customers won't shop online due to security concerns. From this, it is clear that despite all the security measures, customers do not have total faith in the security, although, the same survey found that 81% of those interviewed do use some form of security on their computer. This shows that customers are aware of the dangers of security on the internet. The most important thing for both customers and firms is to ensure that their internet security features are up to date. It is never possible to have a fully secure website safe from any hackers because hackers are always finding new ways to beat security systems, therefore those who provide internet security and fight the hackers have to continue to find new ways to combat them.	 	 		 			 				 					 						A article by Paris Wells Website Manager for <a href="http://www.AJbiz.co.uk" target="_new">AJbiz.co.uk</a>, a virtual assistant company who provides <a href="http://www.AJbiz.co.uk" target="_new">secretarial services</a>.

The Challenges For Data Security Faced by Firms and Their Customers Working and Trading Online

Data security is a huge responsibility for firms which indulge in online trading. There are various ways in which security can be breache...

Can Websites Compress Their Files So Their Bandwidths Aren't So Large?

<a a="" available="" compress="" free="" is="" of="" software="" their="" title="#jsArticleIntroImageCredit rel=thinbox><IMG title=" to="" variety="" webmasters="" website="" who="" wish=""></A> A variety of free software is available to webmasters who wish to compress their website files. A wide variety of optimization tools are available for webmasters looking to reduce bandwidth by compressing the files on their website. Depending on the type of file, you may be able to achieve a 90 percent reduction rate with compression which, in turn, will save a tremendous amount of bandwidth. FirebugFirebug is a Web development tool that not only inspects HTML and offers a JavaScript debugger but also shows what files can be compressed on the website. Only available as an extension for Firefox, Firebug is free open-source software. Once installed, Firebug can be opened from the "Tools" drop-down menu. The webmaster should click on "Analyze Performance" and wait for a detailed report as to what the development tool recommends regarding compression of files and images.GzipGzip is another open-source software application that provides file compression. The free program can be downloaded from the Gzip website, which offers detailed instructions as to how to set up and operate the software.OthersAdditional compression software is available, including 7-Zip, IZArc, WinRAR, PeaZip and the Unarchiver. References <A" href="http://getfirebug.com/whatisfirebug" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Get FireBug: What is FireBug</A> <a href="http://www.gnu.org/software/software.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gzip: GNU Gzip</A> <a href="http://www.15seconds.com/issue/020314.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">15 Seconds: Web Site Compression</A>

Can Websites Compress Their Files So Their Bandwidths Aren't So Large?

A variety of free software is available to webmasters who wish to compress their website files. A wide variety of optimization tools are ava...

Top 10 Mistakes Business Owners Make With Their Technology and IT Decisions

Technology. Love it or hate it, it's a necessary part of business today. Some business owners feel investing in technology is a waste of funds. Others think technology works well for other business owners, but can't make it work for them. Here's a list of the top 10 mistakes business owners make that leads to the cost of inefficient IT adding up. Read it and avoid the same pitfalls.1. Is IT a part of your strategic business plan? If not, why not?If not, your company will be unnecessarily challenged in meeting strategic goals.Technology is complicated, confusing and intimidating, but also closely tied to the success of an ever increasing number of businesses in today's marketplace. All you need is a good IT Advisor to work with you, make recommendations based on your goals, and deploy those recommendations on time and on budget. Don't think it's important? Well let's review that for a moment. Your client info is stored on computers Your sales efforts, leads etc are stored on computers and require advanced software to track. Your employees work on computers, and are more efficient with file and printer servers installed as part of the network. Your communications rely on email, antivirus software, cell phones and SmartPhones and syncing them all back to office computers and so on. All your data needs to be protected, backed up and available for recovery should disaster strike. If you haven't thought about just how important a regular IT audit & review is for your company, you're leaving too much up to chance. IT is an integral part of your business. Give it the appropriate focus, budget and consideration and see how it can add value to the overall strategic plan.2. Does your technology match your business plan or did you try to make your business plan fit with whatever technology you had?If your growth strategy requires a team of independently operating sales reps, make sure your IT supports that in the most cost and time efficient way possible. If your work flow is more of a process that must go from person A to person B to person C, then your IT design should match your work flow. If it doesn't, it's costing you time and money.Don't make the mistake of making your business strategy fit into your existing IT set up. That could be a devastating move for your business. With the help of a trusted IT Advisor, you can find and implement solutions that support your business needs, add value to your company and simplify daily operations for your entire team.3. Is Your Technology Secure? Your threats might include: A virus A network wide virus A fire The failure of your single back up drive Employee theft of data And just plain ol' we hack for the fun of it hackers Your technology should be secure. Many businesses under invest in this area and too many come to regret it. One unfortunate incident can prove to severely outweigh the cost of investing in appropriate security.4. Are You Under Utilizing Technology In Your Business?Have you purchased the right amount of technology or power for your needs? Are your processors slowing down your team? Is your server scalable? Do you continue to invest in an antiquated model when the cost/benefit ratio for a new system makes fiscal sense. Technology is an investment and can give your company a considerable competitive edge. Don't overspend on unnecessary technology just because you are enamoured with "toys" - yes, this is the case with some rare folks. But do strike the correct balance that will give your business the IT power it needs to excel forward.5. You bought what? How are you planning on using that technology?You might be surprised to learn that there are cases of business owners purchasing technology and then never using it. It usually results from an impulse buy or a "sale" purchase. If your technology purchase was not part of strategic business plan, it may not fit in. If your technology purchase was the result of a sale, it may be the wrong technology. Even if it is the right piece of equipment or software, simply purchasing it doesn't necessarily mean that you have thought enough about how to: Make it work with what you've already got How to properly install and configure it How to train your team on using it properly/to full potential Porting your data over to it...and so on. Don't be frivolous with IT purchases. Work with your IT Consultant to make planned purchases and implementations.6. Don't Get "Sold"If you go out shopping for IT, or give most IT "departments" a budget, I assure you they will find something to spend it on. It may not be what your business needs, but they already have a "new", "exciting" or "cutting edge" solution that they have been drooling over and dying to work with. Is it what best suits your needs? Maybe. Maybe not. Will it be the simplest most effective solution for your needs, and easy enough for all you employees to use? Are you sure about that?It comes down to this: You don't want business processes to fit in to your technology. You want the right technology to support your business processes in the most efficient way possible. An independent IT Consultant who won't gain financially from a purchase recommendation is a wise choice here. Such an IT Advisor won't "sell" you anything, but will help you navigate your options and purchase the IT you need.7. Failing To OutsourceThere comes a time in every new business when the cost benefit of managing your IT yourself diminishes to the point of no return. At that time, outsourcing might just be the sensible option. In mid size companies, outsourcing or having an IT firm on call as needed helps balance costs and necessary IT support. In a large company, outsourcing can significantly reduce the IT budget with Service Level Agreements.Service Level Agreements are suitable for many companies, giving them a fixed cost for enough IT service to efficiently run their business. The best part is that Service Level Agreements cost a fraction of a full time IT employee. Be sure to explore this option thoroughly. Unless technology is your core service or product, your needs may best be served by an independent IT firm and a good Service Level Agreement.8. Failing To Plan for the WorstDisaster recovery is a term often used for cleaning up after a hurricane, tsunami or data loss. Albeit in different ways, all incidences are considered a disaster for those involved.But data loss doesn't just happen when a drive fails or becomes corrupted. Paper fades or goes up in a fire. Devices are stolen. Data Protection solutions help reduce such losses. Overall, a well thought out back up and recovery plan can be simple to implement and low cost to run. Not having a data backup and recovery plan is just too high of a risk. In some instances, it could mean the death of a business.9. What's Your IT Policy? How Many Hours Do You Want Employees On Facebook?Endless of hours are wasted each day by employees who are the clock, but doing anything but business related work. Web surfing, IM, chatting, social media, online dating and personal email pervades the business landscape. You don't have to be austere and cut it out completely, but you can monitor it, curb it and significantly reduce those lost productivity hours.How about your company green policy and the environment? Is it important to you? Have you communicated that to your employees? Do they know not to print documents unless essential, to refill cartridges if possible, to recycle old electronics in appropriate ways?Make it policy and it will stick. Whether it's reducing wasted hours on social media or dating sites, or saving paper, your trusted IT Advisor can help you better manage your resources by implementing the right technology and policy.10. Grow With It. Scale It. Upgrade. Keep Your Technology Up-To-Date.Technology evolves faster and faster. Don't buy in to the one sided view of "IT is a never ending cost with no return". Rather, accept and plan for technology that will suit your purposes today but will also grow with you in future. Accept that upgrades are as essential as ongoing product development, sales training and team building. Avoid delaying upgrades until all your technology is obsolete and unsupported by your industry ( or the software industry), leaving you with an enormous upgrade bill due all at once.Of course on the flip side of that token, don't be the company buying up technology aimlessly. Your IT purchases should always be planned out and support your business model.	 	 		 			 				 					 						Adam Thorn has been helping business owners use technology for their ends for nearly 15 years. Adam is the Lead Technical Advisor and Managing Partner at Tucu.Tucu is Tech U Can Use.Easy, Painless, Stress Free IT.It's Small Business IT made easy for smart, savvy business owners in Toronto, Durham Region & Clarington Ontario. Call Adam with your IT questions at 416.292.3300 or 905.233.4858.Learn more about Tucu at <a href="http://tucu.ca" target="_new">http://tucu.ca</a>

Top 10 Mistakes Business Owners Make With Their Technology and IT Decisions

Technology. Love it or hate it, it's a necessary part of business today. Some business owners feel investing in technology is a waste...

Samsung shows off their new 7-inch Super AMOLED display for next Galaxy Tab

<a name="1160817083307773315"></A> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDE00e3n6Q457JcVDo3Doqfhe6eTvH31E4eMZ35mh_qG7hIrjcMRNEdSp6WMSejxUmGGt2WpqD9e1_iFOCicBQ9IG9PwG4R49z8y-Az_GP-8xwa65o301Ql3KZZiixLKY83aVrKt-giYM/s1600/superamoled-galaxytab.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://technologyforum.x10.mx/image//superamoled-galaxytab.jpg" width="400"></A> We're so envious of Japan right now as they get the juiciest of the new gadgets/hardware. Here's a <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/10/samsung-7-inch-super-amoled-panel-showcased-on-next-gen-galaxy/">sample</A>, <a href="http://www.techgeeze.com/search/label/Samsung">Samsung</A>'s new 7-inch Super AMOLED display supposedly to be built onto their next generation Galaxy Tab. And what a better way to showcase it than to actually place it in a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=techgeezelate-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Galaxy%20Tab" target="_blank">Galaxy Tab</A><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=techgeezelate-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" width="1"> unit. The display supposedly has a WSVGA resolution of 1024 x 600, just like the one on their current tablet.<a name="more"></A> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagbvKMgrYnY3Jmc8l0W4V_tkkdciarUN9grIJdWMlohyphenhyphenOx0m9AXptr-O0sUwg-owa0ncxd4kw0HKTAXanSI5CI3VF8i_jxgi_WASeLmpSZFwu3Ts_aI2c-_IBTlCLpqKE0_zL5Y9_HFA/s1600/superamoled-dual-screen.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://technologyforum.x10.mx/image//superamoled-dual-screen.jpg" width="400"></A> And a little tidbit, that little dual-screen clam-type thing to the right of that lady? That's a prototype of another Super AMOLED gadget containing two 4.5-inchers! See it and more in the video below. </EMBED> [UPDATE] Here's a closer look on that dual-screen device. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWreLzuYa9c_kzWdabD7vh62jACR6C3K5FOdYLO0fP70tzHhg6thUyIsg4VZOi4pXeqbj8E5NgvLyp_y-1_zCHq7-ZIF4-yvwb7LaD7VxYKKIS7cGCLWZRukML6QFShhoI0zAmVL0YYc0/s1600/superamoled-dual-screen2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://technologyforum.x10.mx/image//superamoled-dual-screen2.jpg" width="400"></A>

Samsung shows off their new 7-inch Super AMOLED display for next Galaxy Tab

We're so envious of Japan right now as they get the juiciest of the new gadgets/hardware. Here's a sample , Samsung 's new 7-inc...

Gucci unveils their own 3D glasses, available for the holidays at $225

<a name="1946212217865528717"></A> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-Hn9bOPXc2PXw0wtOcJLDC-4HsPExKLJjBUbE8SsSK3-cBJIJ-UZjNpK0jP9mQsrsV32Lt2oo4_4h1EhqDITvcX4cYcKnbLwSZT08OKc_ctYa0w6mqLC-gghvW0VZ3gl4UwLVSQOSdE/s1600/gucci-3d.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="217" src="/gucci-3d.jpg" width="400"></A> Yep, along with <a href="http://www.slashgear.com/oakley-3d-tron-legacy-gascan-glasses-drop-in-november-26110352/">Oakley</A> who's releasing 3D glasses in the holidays for the Tron Legacy movie, luxury designer label Gucci is also following the bandwagon with their own. And you heard that right, it's currently priced at $225, also scheduled for a holiday release. What's in store that would make the price tag reasonable (aside from the brand of course)? Read more to fund out.<a name="more"></A> Gucci tells us that these pair of glasses have "optically-correct" 6-base curved lenses. Now what in the world does that mean? They're saying that having will eliminate the "crosstalk" from the screen to your eyes -- creating a much more clear experience of the movie than before. Aside from normal 3D, these are also optimized for use in Real D 3D cinemas. The other side of the glasses, on the other hand, have a "multi-layered mirror coating" which would make the glasses act as a mirror without any distortion. The question is, are you willing to spend that much for these pair of 3D glasses? Just make sure that you don't leave them at the cinemas.

Gucci unveils their own 3D glasses, available for the holidays at $225

Yep, along with Oakley who's releasing 3D glasses in the holidays for the Tron Legacy movie, luxury designer label Gucci is also fol...