Security Heavyweights Team To Fight Spyware

Spyware causes more problems on computers in small-to-midsized businesses than almost any other issue. Today, the security giants, McAfee, Trend Micro, and Symantec announced that they would be teaming up with ICSA Labs and Cyber Security Labs. The group plans to develop industry standards for identifying and testing spyware control and removal.

The group, Spywaretesting.org, wants to standardize evaluation and testing criteria and methods. Many consumers are currently confused when buying antispyware products, and the collaboration wants to make choices easier for consumers.

Most of the testing that has been done in the past has not been properly documented and cannot be replicated. Thus, most of the available products are simply not effective enough and companies are making their fortunes mining information using Spyware.

Monte Robertson, president of Software Security Solutions, commented on the collaboration: "Antispyware vendors use different techniques and algorithms for how they detect malicious programs, and in determining what is important to detect and remove. This process needs standardization badly because there are a thousand ways to approach spyware detection and mitigation."

Learn more about this new team who will be standardizing spyware solutions and making your job as an IT consulting firm much easier (link above).

Blogged by Joshua Feinberg

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ProactiveWatch Launched For Citrix VARs

At the Citrix Summit 2006, ProactiveWatch announced that their newest service, ProactiveWatch, for Citrix VARs is available immediately.

ProactiveWatch, a hosted diagnostic and monitoring service, can help VARs working with mid-sized businesses using between 1 and 20 Citrix servers. VARs can now provide clients with proactive technical support services to help companies avoid potential problems.

Currently, Citrix VARs and their clients have to rely on manual services to find problems. Since these companies can’t afford a full-time IT staff, the problems often escalate and have a major impact before they are caught.

Once the ProactiveWatch VAR console is installed, the VAR can see the status of all of his customers in one spot and can immediately access diagnostics as problems arise. Citrix VARs can use the ProactiveWatch system to guarantee an ongoing stream of work while keeping clients happy and loyal.

Bernd Harzog, CEO of APM Experts, says, “ProactiveWatch is the first service that delivers the needed functionality to these customers while also improving the top line revenue and profitability of the VAR's support services offerings."

Find out more in the full article,ProactiveWatch Launches at Citrix Summit 2006 (link above).

Posted by Computer Consulting 101

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Computer Business Reviews: Xandros Uses Desktop for Opportunities in Education

Linux and Desktop specialist Xandros, Inc., a New York-based company, announced recently a new campaign to target the education sector. The Education Edition of its Xandros Desktop OS Linux operating system starts at $10 per seat for use by students.

Xandros already offers business and consumer versions of its Linux desktop product, but hopes that the recently-launched education edition will open up a brand new market for Linux in regards to the desktop computer. This package will introduce a new base of clients for the computer business to Linux.

Xandros Desktop OS Education Edition is compatible with Microsoft Corp’s Active Directory, the Firefox web browser, the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, the Ximian Evolution email client, and support for Microsoft's Office applications in the form of a trial of Codeweavers Inc's CrossOver Office.

Academic Institutions that qualify can receive the Xandros educational software package starting from $10 per station for both students and faculty. This deal also allows students and faculties to use the standard version of the software at home for personal use. Certain individual qualified students and staff can also get copies of Xandros Desktop OS Education Edition for less than $50.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting 101

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Computer Business: Software Groups Encourage Employees to Report Illegal Software Use

Software trade organizations are creating incentives to encourage discontented, recently fired or ethically charged employees to report company executives for illegal software use. Rewards for employees are reported to be as high as $200,000.

Laurie Atkinson of the Business Software Alliance states that many people are responding, either because they are unhappy at work or because they simply think reporting such activities is the right thing to do. The Alliance has paid for radio ads to promote this campaign and appeal to as many workers as possible.

The software industry is losing millions of dollars annually because of the epidemic of illegally copied software. Computer business giants from Microsoft to Adobe have called upon the help of organizations like the BSA and the Software and Information Industry Association to help spotlight companies that are using pirated packages.

Computer business trade associations are not going after small companies. But companies that have more than 500 work stations loaded with more than one illegal and expensive software programs are definitely targets.

In the past year, both the SIIA and the BSA – two of the country’s top copyright protection groups -- have started offering hard cash to reporting employees. Both are also offering online filing forms for employees to further ease the process. The SIIA alone gets approximately 200 reports per month and investigates about 50 of those. The penalty for each company determined to have pirated programs is three times the market rate for each illegal program it has.

The BSA and the SIIA offer very similar rewards to employees that report their companies. If a settlement or judgment ranges from $10,000 to $50,000, the tipster receives $500; from $50,000 to $100,000, the reward is $5,000, and so on, as long as it is under $200,000.The SIIA paid employees about $75,000 in reward money last year.

Posted By: Joshua Feinberg

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[TIPS] - email threat and toys from trash

http://snipurl.com/m39q - If you don't have an anti-virus program, then THIS is what awaits you.

 

Don't want to spend the money on antivirus programs? Try one of these:

http://www.free-av.com/

http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

 

But - you MUST have antivirus protection!

 

And now for something completely different...

 

http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/toys.html - make toys from trash

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Microsoft Offers Its Own Online Option for the Poor

The idea of being the Henry Ford of global computing -- that is, creating an online device that nearly anyone on the planet could afford -- is very appealing these days. Perhaps inspired by the MIT Media Laboratory's $100 computer concept, Microsoft's Bill Gates is pitching the idea of a "cellular PC," a cell phone that could be converted to a PC by hooking it to a keyboard and TV... and that would be running Windows software, of course.

Originally, the MIT Media Lab sought agreements with both Microsoft and Apple to run their software on its $100 laptops. But when talks fell through in both cases, the Media Lab turned to the open source Linux operating system.

Gates contends that a cell phone would be an even cheaper solution than the $100 laptop, though no prices have been announced.

Developing such a device and making it successful is more than just a nice, altruistic idea. Because Bill Gates was effectively the Henry Ford of American computing, Microsoft products are nearly ubiquitous in US homes and businesses. Bringing that power to a global audience would provide the dominant device maker with untold opportunity for growth and profits.

Source: New York Times

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Outsourcing to India No Longer a Bargain

If you're an IT business owner looking to offshore some of your work to cut costs, India may no longer be the best place to look.

High staff turnover and rising wages in India are prompting US and European businesses to look elsewhere to outsource -- namely to China, despite concerns about protection of intellectual property rights there. Says SAP CEO Henning Kagermann, "India is slowly getting expensive... We have decided to hire a certain number there, and then start looking at other locations."

In addition to the fact that businesses are realizing that offshoring is not a panacea to cut costs, and that process improvements at home can often yield as much or greater savings, outsourcing hubs such as India and (eventually) China will invariably become more costly as the laws of supply and demand play out, and the talent pools becomes stretched. Other less-costly regions will likely emerge, but they will need to offer clients the right mix of low-cost talent, technical savvy, easy accessibility, and political stability. India, meanwhile, will likely remain a key outsourcing destination, but because of its tech-savvy, English speaking workforce rather than low costs.

Sources: Techdirt, Network World

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Are RFID Credit Cards Secure?

JPMorgan Chase's new "Blink" and American Express' new ExpressPay credit cards, designed to give consumers greater speed and convenience when shopping, are a fraud and identity theft crisis waiting to happen, according to some critics.

The cards, which use RFID chips, speed the checkout process by eliminating signatures and PIN numbers. The shopper simply place the card near a reader, and they're done. However, the elimination of these forms of authentication is precisely what worries security experts.

"I consider what Chase is doing irresponsible on many levels," said Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a San Diego-based watchdog group. "The fact is they are adopting and promoting a technology that could actually exacerbate fraud." Adds Mark Ferullo of the Public Interest Research Group, "It's certainly a big concern when companies make it easier for thieves to use stolen credit cards... No matter how good a bank says its detection systems are, fraud still falls through the cracks."

Chase, however, contends that its technology, in addition to being virtually hack-proof, incorporates sophisticated fraud and theft detection systems. Says Chase senior vice president Tom O'Donnell, "More than 75 percent of the time, when a card is lost or stolen, we find out about it long before the customer does." And, as with ordinary credit cards, RFID cardholders are not accountable for fraudulent charges. Additionally, during a Blink transaction, no one involved (cashiers, other people in line, etc.) ever see an account number, meaning they can't record it for purposes of identity theft.

Chase also notes that a team of Johns Hopkins cybersecurity researchers that last year cracked the encryption in ExxonMobil's Speedpass payment system has thus far been unable to break the Blink encryption.

One other concern about RFID cards, as noted in Howstuffworks.com, is the range of the terminal that reads cards. The read range is supposed to be set at 4 inches, but a tampered or improperly positioned terminal might be able to read much farther, charging unsuspecting cardholder for others' purchases either by accident or on purpose. In response, Howstuffworks predicts the emergence of wallets and purses that have RFID-blocking capability.

As payment systems like Blink are rolled out across the country, cybersecurity experts will be watching carefully to see how quickly instances of fraud emerge, and under what circumstances. Crooks, after all, can be remarkably creative in ways that even experts can't anticipate. In the meantime, consumers interested in using Blink and similar technologies would be advised to wait until either the technologies prove to be as secure as their creators claim, or become more "battle hardened" under real-world use.

Sources: Orlando Sentinel, Engadget

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Astronomers Discover Most Earth-Like Planet Yet Oustide Solar System

The most Earth-like planet known to date outside the solar system has been discovered, orbiting a star 20,000 light years away.

Artist's conception of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb and its sun

Most all of the 160 "exoplanets" known are gas giants similar in size and composition to Jupiter, but this planet has an icy, rocky surface. "The new planet confirms that we can now find small cool planets down to the mass of the Earth," said Professor Keith Horne of the University of St Andrews.

The planet, bearing the catchy name OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb, is a poor candidate for supporting life; with a distant orbit from its red-dwarf sun not unlike that of Pluto in our solar system, the planet's surface temperature is is a crisp -364 °F (-220 °C), far too cold to sustain even the most rugged life forms. The planet could have volcanic activity not unlike that of Jupiter's moon Europa that could generate internal heat, but that is pure speculation.

Nonetheless, the discovery of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb has caused excitement in the space community, as it underscores our ability to spot Earth-like planets orbiting distant stars. Perhaps the next discovery will reveal a world much more friendly to life.

Source: Times Online (UK)

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Nano Battery Could Power "Bionic Eye"

Researchers at New Mexico's Sandia National Laboratory are exploring the possibilities of a nano-sized battery that could power an artificial retina.

Being in its very early stages, the project first needs to develop a battery small enough to be implanted in the eye, perhaps using the human body's natural electrical current for a charge. The project would also leverage an artificial retina that has been developed by the Doheny Eye Institute at the University of Southern California. If successful, the project could yield a treatment for certain types of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the US for those aged 50 or over.

Source: AiKnowledge

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What Computer Skills Do Your Competitors Have?

Knowing the skills your competitors have lets you decide what skills you need. You want to stay up-to-date on the skills that will bring you the most business and give you an edge over your competitors.

Required Networking Platforms

For your small business, sweet spot clients, you must know these platforms:

Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS)
Novell Small Business Suite
Novell NetWare Linux (generally RedHat)
Mac OS

Advanced Expertise

Larger companies may have advanced expertise in the following areas. To compete with them, you or some of your technicians should begin gaining advanced skills in these areas.

1. Network Attached Storage (NAS)
2. Storage Attached Networks (SANs)
3. Complex security solutions CheckPoint firewalls
4. Citrix Terminal Solutions
5. Higher end Wi-Fi solutions
6. Managed hardware

Solve Their Problems

The most important part of your job is to solve your clients’ problems, but staying current with important skills that your competitors will offer is important to finding new clients and growing relationships with repeat clients. To learn more on your competitor’s skills and how to compete with them, read Computer skills: Which Ones Do Your Competitors Have? (link above).

Added by Computer Consulting 101

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IT Certifications: What Your Clients Need

Most small business clients are looking for a few very specific things from their IT consulting firm. They want help with popular programs such as Microsoft Office, Intuit QuickBooks, Interact ACT!, and Microsoft Outlook. Also, they need someone to help upgrade their hardware and teach them to sync their PDAs with their email and contact information.

Although these companies do need help with their networks, they aren’t impressed with certifications. Rather than feeling that they’re getting their money’s worth, they feel like they’re getting overcharged for certifications they’ll never use. Spending a lot of money on certifications for these companies will actually impede your success.

Now, in a larger company with 50+ PCs, certifications are extremely important. The seasoned IT managers in these companies know the difference between types of certifications and often have an in-house IT expert. They’re looking for someone to fill the gaps in their knowledge, so they are seeking very specific skills from competent professional who can back their claims with certifications.

Learn more about certifications – what you need, what you don’t – in the full article (link above).

Posted by Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

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The IT Specialist and Information: A #1 Combination

As an IT specialist, in order to have a successful marketing campaign, you must reach your target client community. The best way to start this process is to pull together information about your chosen niche.

STUDY WHAT THEY STUDY

Every IT specialist should invest time studying what the customers in their niche do. If it’s your goal to reach small medical offices, you should get to know the issues that directly impact the people that make decisions. This process should include finding trade publications, email newsletters and any other industry publications that might help you gain insight. Regardless of whether it is a national or international publication, you should go where you know these clients will go for business tips and information within their own field.

FINDING SOLUTIONS

Once you get to intimately get to know the problems and concerns of the clients within your niche, you can start to determine what you, as an IT specialist, can do to provide technological solutions. Find out how these businesses currently use technology in their daily lives to change the way they do business, make scheduling more efficient, handle their own clients, and keep track of their own documents. Understanding the big picture is fine to start out with, but eventually these companies will want their ideal IT specialist to be experts on their problems and interests.

Finding solutions before you meet with prospective clients will give you an edge, and make you a true Virtual CIO, and not just someone going in to install LAN’s or fix software problems. You will be an IT specialist able to assess their specific business needs and come up with long-term strategies easily, on-budget and on-time.

BE A LIVING SPECIALIST

If you truly get to know your prospective clients and their community, you will become more than just a tech person. Because you are an IT specialist, you are expected to know the ins and outs of your customers’ business so you can come up with the best possible solutions to their specific and complex problems. Clients will want to know you have already done the groundwork necessary to understand their field, and that they will not need to train you just to get you started. Even if you are just starting out, it should feel to your clients as though you are a human being, not a product, and one who has worked with many others in their field and have an invested interest in their needs.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

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[TIPS] - Partners in Distance Learning

Does your school have a video conferencing unit? (Ask your tech person, if you're not sure) If you do have it, then this site may help you find some fun things to do with it. Virtual field trips, for example. Sign up at the site for more information.

 

http://www.partnersdl.org

 

 

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IT Marketing: The Importance of Trustworthy Business Advisors

Trusted business advisors can be a real asset to IT marketing campaigns. Since small businesses rely on these advisors for very important advice, their customers give their recommendations a great deal of weight. Therefore, as an IT specialist or firm, having their recommendation on your side can be worth a great deal.

Influencing a trusted business advisor can be as simple as finding your local lawyer, accountant or banker and assessing problems they might have to which you as an IT specialist have solutions. Appeal to an area accountant – he might even be your accountant – and see if he needs help with his technology. If he does, and you do a good job for him, this could be very helpful to your credibility and could provide a very influential testimonial to other businesses and clients that rely on the accountant for advice.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Even if you don’t end up fixing a problem for a local accountant, you should certainly have a discussion with him and other local professionals in respected positions in the community about they types of computer problems their clients typically have. Most accountants, lawyers and bankers will get questions from customers that revolve around financial, legal and computer needs. They will ask for advice on local small businesses that can provide them with specific services in these areas.

Accountants, lawyers and bankers are an excellent way for you to build your IT marketing efforts, and you should ask them questions that keep you in mind the next time they are dealing with clients that ask them “Who do you know?” and have problems you might be able to solve.

Added By: Joshua Feinberg

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Computer Business: FSFE Declares New Windows Plan Flawed

The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) announced recently that open source software developers should be careful of Microsoft Corp’s new plot to license its Windows source code. The organization claims that the availability of the code might make it significantly more difficult to create interoperability with Windows.

On Wednesday, January 25, Microsoft decided to license the Windows Server Operating System to developers and competitors in an attempt to try to counteract claims that its documentation was faulty. However, the Boston arm of the FSFE fears that this could victimize free software developers and make them vulnerable to copyright infringement if they use the code.

Spokespeople for the FSFE claim that Microsoft has worsened the situation with this release of information; because the source code is still under Microsoft copyright, anyone that sees the code and re-implements it in free software packages risks violating copyright law.

Microsoft opposes sharing its communications protocol specifications with open source software vendors, despite urgings of the European Commission attorneys assisting in the anti-trust lawsuits against the company.

Microsoft representative, the general counsel Brad Smith stated the company is comfortable with hybrids that will emerge as a result of the code release, but not comfortable with open source developers publishing the code to the world.

The issue of the code will be decided by the Court of First Instance through another appeal. However, the FSFE is concerned that even if open source software developers have access to the protocols, they will not be able to use them without referring to the code.

Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg

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News for IT Consultants: MindTree Consulting Named “Leader in Human Capital”

On January 25, 2006, the international IT company MindTree Consulting earned a top spot among 100 leading service providers in international ranking from the new publication Global Services magazine. MindTree was also acclaimed as the leading service provider in the “Human Capital” category. The awards will be announced officially at the Global Services Conference on February 2, 2006 in New York.

Rusty Weston, editor in chief of the magazine, feels that MindTree produces some of the most inspiring IT consultants in the industry, and that it is because of comprehensive employee training that the company has a competitive advantage and is able to serve clients so well.

MindTree was formed six years ago in Bangalore, India and is now comprised of more than 3,000 employees, providing an array of IT and R & D solutions to Global 2000 companies. The company has development centers in India and in the U.S. MindTree has been labeled one of the best places to work by many organizations,including Hewitt Associates, Great Places to Work Institute and Mercer.

MindTree spokesperson Ashok Shoota feels that that what truly sets the company apart is its focus on its employees and the human element of IT consulting. He states that the IT consultants working there often refer to themselves as “MindTree Minds.” It is because of this focus on cultivating the very best workers that attracts the leading IT consultants in the industry to the firm and garnered the company the award.

MindTree has gained recognition with many awards since its inception. It has been named one of the fastest growing technology companies in India by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in the "Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India" program. The company has also been ranked among the "Best Companies to Work for in 2005" in the Business Today-Mercer-TNS study.

Blogged by Computer Consulting Kit

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Network Support Contracts: Firewalls

The best way for any business to provide the best security for their networks is through network support contracts. Firewalls are the most obvious and one of the most critical means for specialists to secure a company’s infrastructure.

Even highly trained technicians who offer network support contracts use firewalls to protect themselves against elements that can compromise the safety and security of business computer systems. More experienced consultants unfamiliar with firewalls also could use back-up support occasionally, provided by network support contracts. Access to online computer help as a part of these contracts becomes invaluable to virtually any type of business or individual that deals with computers and computer networks.

WHAT IS A FIREWALL?

A firewall is software that blocks access to personal information or data. It can be installed in a one off operation and can be monitored easily by a network support contract. Anyone that has used the Internet has encountered a firewall at some point. Typically they are used to protect secure Internet transactions or to track online behavior or activity in the workplace.

IT’S ALL ABOUT SECURITY

Firewalls can also be installed to allow users off-site and in remote locations to use the network when out of the office. Often there are elements that can try to bring down a firewall so it can invade the infrastructure of a company or business network. In these situations, it helps to have network support contracts to monitor and protect you against these risks.

The combination of a firewall and a network support contract will act as a filter to screen all incoming data. There are many firewall and network support contract combinations that will help keep your company ahead of the curve, and can be introduced by a designated consultant. If your problem is very complex, you might need a technician to try multiple approaches to manage the problem successfully.

Submitted By: Computer Consulting Kit

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Organizations and IT Marketing: Be Active!

In the world of IT Marketing, the greatest prospects come from personal referrals. Clients that are referred personally are, for the most part, already pre-sold because they will immediately trust you. And in the IT services business, trust is paramount.

TRUST AND IT MARKETING

People in search of a good IT consultant look for one in the same way they would look for any other specialist, such as a doctor or a lawyer. While some might go to the yellow pages or another directory, most look first to their friends, family and colleagues for recommendations. When it comes to the important matter of personal health, well-being or business, personal word-of-mouth from those people trust will carry more weight than an ad on the back of a billboard.

MAKE YOURSELF VISIBLE IN THE COMMUNITY

As an IT consultant, the best way for you to reach the heads of companies that might need your services is to make yourself more personally and professionally visible within your local community, and specifically, within the target market you hope to serve. There are a few ways to do this, but all will take some time. One way to reach out is to network. This is a strategy that will be a true test for any solution provider because it is truly wrapped up in relationships. If you can do this successfully, you will prove your weight in the community. People will begin to trust you and believe in you, and you will establish relationships with potential clients and leaders in the community.

GETTING RECOMMENDATIONS

Knowing more people in the local community is really the only way to get more personal recommendations in IT marketing. As a consultant, you have to get active in your community by joining organizations and attending events that will get you noticed. You don’t necessarily have to go to absolutely everything offered in your community, but if you pick specific organizations and attend most of the events they offer, you will get to know a lot of people in a short amount of time. And after a little bit of practice, you will start to be able to identify the kinds of people that can lead you to knew opportunities.

Posted By: Computer Consulting Kit

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Investors Warn of Skyrocketing Oil Prices

If you think energy prices are steep now, you had better hope that two notable commodities investors are very, very wrong in their forecasts.

Hermitage Capital's Bill Browder and billionaire George Soros are warning that geopolitical events could send oil prices through the roof in the coming months, perhaps topping $200 per barrel.

The two used a technique known as regression analysis, which uses figures from past oil shocks to simulate a future shock, to create their forecasts. Through this method, they created six distinct scenarios for oil shortages.

Browder and Soros cite the escalating confrontation with Iran, the willingness of Russia to shut off supplies (as it did with natural gas to Ukraine), and a possible embargo by Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez as factors that could send prices over $100 per barrel. Other variables include continuing unrest in Nigeria, Algeria and Iraq. The most unsettling (though unlikely) doomsday scenario the two offer involves an overthrow of the House of Saud, which they say could send oil to $262 per barrel.

In that event, Browser and Soros say, the West would be forced to implement crash conservation and alternative energy programs, and the political and economic ramifications would be severe. However, critics of the critics' forecasts say that OPEC would never allow such a level of disruption, if only to prevent global cuts in oil consumption that would hurt members' revenue.

Source: CNN/Money

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DVDs: Mature Yet Still Disruptive

As a technology, DVDs have gone from bleeding-edge to ho-hum. Sales of players dropped in 2005 to 14.5 million units, down from 22 million in 2003, and DVD retail sales growth fell from 34% in 2004 to just 5% in 2005. This plateau is to be expected of a maturing technology, as most everyone who wants a DVD player can now afford one, and collectors have finished backfilling their video libraries.

Though the industry would like to see a hot new video technology take off, consumers are going to need a compelling reason to switch from a format that they already see as adequate and reasonably priced. Moreover, we've recently seen evidence that the true disruptive power of the DVD has yet to be felt.

This past week saw the release of a low-budget, no-star thriller titled Bubble, directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Erin Brokovich, Sex Lies & Videotape). The release might be unremarkable other than the fact that it was released simultaneously in theatres, on DVD and on cable TV (HDNet).

Bubble's financiers Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner believe that this strategy represents a new age in film distribution, a way to make theatres relevant again while reducing piracy. The film's production company will give one percent of DVD revenues (each sold at a premium price of $30) to theatres that show the movie. However, theatres remain dubious. "We feel that day and date (for a DVD release) dilutes the theatrical release," said Terrell Falk, a Cinemark spokeswoman. "This wouldn't be something we would show." Other Hollywood power players have come out strongly against it, most notably directors M. Night Shamalylan and Tim Burton.

Soderbergh counters that simultaneous release is simply facing up to market reality. "Simultaneous release is already here," he said of recent movies that have recently been pirated and distributed over the Internet. "We're just trying to gain control over it." Says Cuban of the approach, "I don't think it will cannibalize sales any more than my ability to cook a steak keeps me from spending a lot of money at steak houses." Supporters of the strategy add that it could help lower marketing costs while stimulating interest in certain movies.

Soderbergh intends to simultaneously release more movies in the future, though his next major production -- The Good German, starring George Clooney -- won't be one of them. Meanwhile, Spike Lee is among other directors considering the approach.

Simultaneous release won't have a real financial impact on Hollywood until a major blockbuster is released that way. In the meantime, the film industry will be watching Bubble very carefully. Already, the uproar this little movie has caused may prove right the old adage, "when you propose an idea and everyone hates it, you know you're on to something." The one group who might love the idea is the one group that really counts -- the consumers who will pay to see movies and upgrade their home theatre systems. Or not.

UPDATE: If simultaneous release is the wave of the future, Bubble suggests that DVD sales will benefit far more than theatre box office. The movie website BoxOfficeMojo.com notes that this past weekend (1/28-29), Bubble earned a measly $70,664 in theatres, or $2,208 per theatre. However, its distributors claim that DVD sales were $5 million -- quite healthy, considering the movie's budget was only $1.6 million.

Sources: Ubercool, Ars Technica, USA Today, Business Week

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Computer Consulting: Making Your Sweet Spot Clients Happy

Sweet spot clients are those companies with 10-50 PCs and 1-10 million in revenue. These companies can provide you with constant income throughout the year since they are not large enough to need an in-house IT department. Your sweet spot clients have four important needs that you will need to meet in order to keep them happy.

Clients’ Top Four Needs

1. Response Time

Quick, consistent response times to all their needs. Some clients may desire 24-hour service, but most will be happy if you simply return their phone calls quickly.

2. Knowledge (Business and Technical)

Sweet spot customers want knowledgeable help, but you don’t necessarily need the highest levels of training as these clients are not likely to know the difference.

3. Customer Service

Once again quick response time is imperative. Technicians should also be helpful and friendly so that customers feel at ease when they are in the office.

4. Price/Value

Clients are not choosing your consulting firm based solely on price; instead, they are weighing your price with the value of your services, so offer a variety of services to improve their security as well as repair their equipment.

When working with your sweet spot clients, meet these four needs, and you will have loyal customers for years to come. Learn more by reading the full article, Computer Consulting Businesses: What Your “Sweet Spot Clients” Are Looking For, Part One (link above).

Added by Computer Consulting Kit

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Tout Your Wares with Computer Maintenance Agreements

Trying to gain a foothold in the computer repair business can be difficult. However, if you can offer computer maintenance agreements to your clients, then you are providing them with an important service while gaining valuable references.

Computer maintenance agreements allow companies to outline exactly what they want and need from a consultant and what they plan to pay for these services each month. They know what they’re getting while you are guaranteed a monthly income.

In order to offer computer maintenance agreements to clients, make sure you can back your claims up with proper certification and training. Although you don’t have to get the highest training since your clients probably won’t know the difference, you should be able to guarantee that you can effectively repair their computers.

Your best bet is to offer repair services along with virus removal and protection services on a monthly basis. To learn more about using computer maintenance agreements, read the full article (link above).

Posted by Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

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Self-Healing Spacecraft

Imagine you're travelling through space, a billion miles from Earth, when your spacecraft, strained from constant exposure to extreme temperatures and micrometeroids, develops a critical crack. What do you do? Minutes count, while the nearest rescue craft is months if not years away...

To solve this problem, researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK are exploring the possibilities of "self-healing" spacecraft, using tiny glass tubes filled with resin to fill small cracks in a surface before they become more serious. Clearly this technology has many terrestrial applications as well, repairing fissures in structures that are in remote, hard-to-access areas.

Source: European Space Agency

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[TIPS] - podcast examples

http://www.sandaigprimary.co.uk/radio_sandaig/index.php

 

This is a very cute example of a podcast. They do one monthly. I'd be willing to be that you can't listen to this without having a flood of ideas of your own.

 

Here's another one: http://www.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/

 

Fun stuff for the kids! (Teachers, too)

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Small Business Summit 2006 Conference in NYC

Are you a small business technology provider in the greater New York City metro area?

Or do you own a small business in the greater New York City metro area and have a strong interest in small business technology adoption?

Either way, you should really go check out Ramon Ray’s Small Business Summit 2006. (URL linked to above)

The Small Business Summit 2006 is being held on Friday, February 10, 2006 at The Roosevelt Hotel, 45 East 45th St. in New York City.

Topics on agenda include:

• Business Strategy
• Communications
• Finance
• Marketing
• Sales
• Technology

Speakers include:

• Ramon Ray, Smallbiztechnology.com (it’s basically Ramon Ray’s event)
• Marian Banker, Prime Strategies
• Charles Hand, President, New York Metro Region, Verizon Wireless
• Scott Vaccaro, Regional VP New York City, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• Lisa McCarthy, Founder, Accounting Resource, LLC (Intuit Professional Advisor)
• Harry Brelsford, President, SMBNation (Brelsford as the World’s leading independent guru on Microsoft Small Business Server should be very familiar to Computer Consulting Blog readers)
• Plus there are some additional roundtable panelists
  

If you’re local in the greater New York City metro area (NJ, CT, Long Island, etc.), the Small Business Summit 2006 should be a day well spent.

Computer Consulting Blog power tip: If you’re a small business technology provider that’s attending, you should be able to get triple mileage out of the networking experience:

• Network with other small business technology providers (potential partners)
• Network with small business owners interested in technology (potential clients)
• Network with the small business technology gurus speaking at the event (great industry contracts

Posted by Computer Consulting Blog

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Information Stewardship: All Talk, No Action?

Although the majority of IT companies agree that information stewardship, the process of managing and setting policies for data within the company, is one of the most important aspects of the business, most do not follow their own advice.

“Information Stewardship: Holistic Data Management in the Enterprise,” a survey of 43 IT professionals, revealed that all the executives believed that tighter security and management was imperative, only 40% on those surveyed believed it was actually important to spend money on information stewardship.

According to Melanie Turek of Nemertes, the study found that there has been a “staggering increase” in the amount of data that resides within organizations, a desire by executives to stay out of the news for a sensitive customer-data breach, and increased pressure to comply with federal regulations as being prime concerns for the enterprise.”

IT consultant firms may not believe that information stewardship is worth the money, but given the other options – security lapses, sensitive information being stolen, etc. – IT firms and their executives should take a closer look at their own information stewardship and seek ways to increase security for the protection of both the firm and its clients. Learn more about the study on information stewardship to find out what you can do to protect your company (link above).

Submitted by Computer Consulting 101

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ID Card Protection by Zebra

ID cards have been used by VARs and their clients for years to secure information and access; however, the cost to make the cards has always been extremely high. Things are beginning to change, though, as Zebra debuts their P120i that sells for a relatively low price of $2,895.

Some VARs have also started to print and sell cards on a freelance basis. Not only is the printer two-sided and colored, but it can also use an optional magnetic strip encoder (retail price - $500) to store personal information.

From hotel guests’ information for check-out to the remaining balance on a gift card, the printer can serve a variety of functions for small businesses. The P120i can also be specifically configured to prevent the creation of unauthorized cards.

There is one downside to Zebra’s printer, however. They have a channeling program where the lowest level, Silver, must commit to purchasing at least $100,000 from Zebra each year.

To find out more about Zebra’s new P120i and determine whether their channeling program is right for your company, check out Zebra Offers Simplified Way To Ensure Access, ID Protection (link above).

Posted by Computer Consulting Kit

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[TIPS] - TiddlyWikiTutorial - Learn the Basics of TiddlyWiki

http://www.blogjones.com/TiddlyWikiTutorial.html
- - - - -snip - - - -
Welcome to TiddlyWiki, a free MicroContent WikiWikiWeb by JeremyRuston. It's written in HTML, CSS and JavaScript to run on any modern browser without needing any ServerSide logic. It allows anyone to create personal SelfContained hypertext documents that can be posted to any WebServer, sent by email or kept on a USB thumb drive to make a WikiOnAStick. This is revision 2.0.3 of TiddlyWiki, and is published under an OpenSourceLicense.
- - - - -
Or, skip the tutorial (not advised) and go right/write to it. :-) http://www.tiddlywiki.com/

This is very cool stuff, but I'd be interested to know how many of you really understand what you're seeing. Below are the main features:
- - -snip- - -
compatibility with most modern browsers (at the moment you can only SaveChanges on FireFox, InternetExplorer under Windows and Safari on the Mac
various InterfaceOptions, including the ability to GenerateAnRssFeed, SaveBackups and AutoSave
a liquid CSS layout that can be customised with a CustomStyleSheet
KeyboardShortcuts so you can finish editing a tiddler with Control-Enter or abandon it with Escape
rich formatting including MonospacedText, ExtendedFormatting, NonWikiWordLinks, WikiWordEscape, PrettyLinks, SubHeadings, BulletPoints, NumberedBulletPoints, Tables, BlockQuotes, HorizontalRules
InlineHTML
..EmbeddedImages:
Macros providing rich interactive features, including Sparklines and Gradients
some BugFixes balanced by some KnownBugs
a flexible OpenSourceLicense
- - - -
I sure hope the links in here aren't all messed up as they are from time to time. But, if you get an error message for a page, check the URL to be sure that there aren't two http:// in the beginning of the address. Also, a reminder thta you can find an archive of my tips here: http://tipline.blogspot.com

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PC Maintenance Contracts: Personalizing Business with Phone Support

Every business today, from those that directly sell technology to those that sell actual merchandise, is dependent on technology to keep afloat. Because of this fact, any reliable, efficient and respected business needs PC maintenance contracts and technical phone support. If you own and operate a business, giving customers and clients the ability to contact you via telephone directly will positively affect their desire to purchase products and services, so it’s critical to provide them with easily accessible systems.

Since 1998, the cost of running help desk centers and support positions in-house have increased dramatically, an occurrence that can be directly attributed to the lightning speed pace of technological advancement. Because of growing technology, hardware and software prices have gone down significantly over the past 10 years. Unfortunately, because of this trend, the cost of the PC maintenance contracts necessary to run hardware and software packages has risen.

As a response to the expensive prices of PC maintenance contracts with major companies, many businesses and organizations are turning to PC maintenance contracts offered by consultants. Computer support, database management, website design and other services typically done in-house or offered by larger corporations are being outsourced to companies who offer PC maintenance contracts, and those that offer these along with personal service will have the upper hand in today’s market.

Blogged by Joshua Feinberg

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15 Technologies You'll Need to Know in 2006

Popular Mechanics has posted a list of 15 "need to know" tech concepts for this year. Highlights include:

• Drive monitoring systems for motor vehicles that make sure you're paying attention to the road, and automatically apply the brakes if necessary.
• Body area networks (BANs) that wirelessly connect pacemakers, hearing aids and other personal devices to a base station monitored by a doctor, who could make adjustments and be alerted to malfunctions.
• NAND flash memory, which can store as much as 16GB of data.
• Nanoparticle batteries that can be fully charged within a couple of minutes, and last just as long as conventional batteries.
• Coal gasification that converts plentiful, relatively inexpensive coal into clean-burning natural gas.

Source: Tomorrow's Trends

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How to Put "You" in Your IT Marketing

Many IT specialists question how they can make themselves stand out, especially in their local marketplace that grows on a daily basis. One of the ideal, and simplest ways IT marketers can differentiate themselves is by getting a very clear idea of their special area of expertise. Since clients in search of you as a specialist are buying all the intricacies of a human being, and not just a “thing,” emphasizing the qualities that make you unique is the key to successful IT marketing.

ARE YOU PRODUCTIVE, OR A PRODUCT?
Commodities can be cheap, and all those looking for them tend to be price shopping. To avoid making yourself look like a mere product, focus on selling your unique expertise, your values and the special ideological trouble shooting skills you offer.

PUT THE "YOU" IN YOUR MARKETING MATERIALS
In the same vein as making your IT marketing campaign, and you, as “personal” as possible, you should never hide behind your own website. As tempting as it might be to try to make your company look larger than it is by shrouding it in anonymity. If you focus on selling the depth and strengths of your own background and of the staff you trust and work with, you will appear professional and polished.

The key to IT marketing is really making yourself and your marketing materials unique. If you establish a mission for you and your company that is based on your own ideals and background and follow it in everything you do and produce, you will undoubtedly stand out in the IT world. If you design your company around your unique mission, your clients will get the message.

Posted By: Computer Consulting Kit

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With Super Bowl Advertising, Funny is Money

Last year, in the wake of the infamous Janet Jackson "wardrobe maufunction" of the year before, Super Bowl advertisers went with muted, more respectful commercials. There was just one problem: they weren't that effective.

This year, humor is back in Super Bowl ads, with brewer Anheuser-Busch leading the way. The stakes are high -- not just because of production costs and the $2.5 million price tag for a 30-second spot, but because the Super Bowl represents the last bastion of the mass TV audience (90 million strong) that advertisers crave:

"Water-cooler talk is really important. It's a measure of success," says [Marlene] Coulis, vice president for brand management at Anheuser. "If you can get the commercial to be part of pop culture, it makes the ad more memorable..."

The obsession over one telecast underscores how valuable the Super Bowl has become as a mass-market advertising arena, in an increasingly fragmented media world. The broadcast not only draws an audience roughly four times as big as most popular TV shows, but it also draws an audience that is very likely to be watching the ads and not using TiVo-like devices to skip through commercial breaks.

To be sure, Anheuser-Busch and other Super Bowl advertisers will be sweating every detail of their spots right up until game day. Moreover, the Super Bowl is unique in that its advertisers compete for top ranking in several national polls, such as that conducted by USA Today.

And if you have $2.5 million to drop on a 30-second spot, you're in luck. This year's game still has several available slots.

Source: Wall Street Journal

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Should You Pursue Contracts with National Service Organizations?

NO. With the low cost of computer and printer equipment, most companies aren’t going to spend their money to have these repaired. Plus, you’re going to spend hundreds getting certified and learning all the latest platforms only to make a minimal profit.

These companies are generally on the verge of going out of business and are not willing to pay a lot of money to have their customers’ machines fixed while they’re under warranty. Some companies may only give you a $65 allowance to fix a hard drive no matter how long it takes.

Since hardware repair is relatively easy, manufacturers can get people to work for $20-$30 per hour or even less. In order to start a successful computer consulting business, you want to spend time focusing on high-level services like securing data networks and offering strategic planning services to help your clients’ businesses run more smoothly and efficiently.

Learn more about consulting contracts with national service organizations and providing high-level service to your clients in Consulting Contracts with National Service Organizations- Good idea? (link above).

Posted by Joshua Feinberg

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Service Contracts: The Wave of the Present

Outsourcing service agreements is the most popular new trend in business. As costs of salaried employees go up in the form of insurance and benefits, businesses are turning more to service agreements to get the same benefits at a fraction of the cost.

Although many companies are looking to outsource overseas for even lower costs, some are looking for solid companies in the States who can offer great service for less than the cost of keeping a full-time IT department.

Creating service agreements with clients will keep them loyal to you for years to come. Not only can you offer them installation services, but you can help them strategically plan and implement applications to secure their information and efficiently manage their services.

For more on developing service agreements with your clients, read Service Agreements – Taking Over the World Contract By Contract (link above).

Added by Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

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[TIPS] - DV editing - free

http://www.avid.com/freedv/

 

- - - - snip - - -

Professional DV Editing for the enthusiast

Perfect for students, DV camera owners, video enthusiasts or anyone exploring video editing - Avid Free DV software is an easy, free way to join the Avid family and test-drive the industry-standard editing interface used by more professionals than any other video editing solution.

Avid Free DV is feature-streamlined, standalone software which includes basic video and audio editing capabilities, up to two streams of real-time effects and support for both Windows XP and Macintosh OS X platforms.

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Video Sharing Online

Just as Flickr encouraged the sharing of still photos over the Web, new services are helping users share video clips online. The rise of digital video cameras (disposable video cameras are available at CVS drug stores), video-capable cell phones and the growing prevalence of broadband Internet access have combined to fuel the growth of sites such as YouTube, Vimeo and SnapFish.

Many users leverage these services to share videos with family and friends, creating the modern-day equivalent of home-movie night. Others simply upload funny or quirky clips for anyone to see. Some see great potential in such services (imagine the sales and advertising value in an especially popular clip!), as well as controversy (if a clip contains music, should the artist get a royalty?). And, of course, there will be the inevitable concerns about blackmail and pornography.

Source: AP (via Excite)

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Bible Belt Embracing Islam?

As the fastest growing religion in the US, Islam is attracting converts in places one wouldn't expect. Namely, Texas, the heart of the Bible Belt and Bush Country.

Islam is particularly appealing to some ultra-conservative Christians who feel that Christianity -- even in its fundamentalist forms -- is too liberal.

Eric was a Baptist preacher before he became a Muslim 14 years ago. Now he prays five times a day – even in the middle of watching a football game. His wife, Karen, also a convert, is covered from head to toe in the traditional Muslim burka. Islam, says Eric, ‘is everything I wanted Christianity to be’...

Women are also becoming followers of Muhamed. Yasmine (previously Mindy) arranged a marriage for herself and has three children. Islam, she says is ‘the solution to a lot of the prevailing evils: drugs, adultery, fornication…’

Currently, Texas is home to 400,000 Muslims, many of whom are native-born and relatively recent converts.

Source: Channel4.com

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Digital Cameras Keep Killing Traditional Film

The growing popularity of digital photography appears to be disrupting the traditional film-camera industry to death. Last week, Nikon announced that it will cease production of film cameras to go totally digital. And the other day, Konica-Minolta threw in the towel, getting out of the camera business entirely.

With production of film cameras by the major Japanese makers plunging from 30 million units in 2000 to fewer than 5 million in 2005, it's little wonder that even these venerable brands feel they are fighting a losing battle.

Source: Ubercool

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News in IT Consulting: Dakini Chooses Port City

A highly acclaimed, full service eMarketing, eCommerce, website design, development and IT consulting firm, Port City Web, LLC proudly announced on January 18 that major client Dakini selected them for eMarketing and to host and maintain their eCommerce and business website.

Port City Web plans to improve online sales for Dakini as well as make their brand name more known in the business community through an aggressive upgrade in the efficiency of the Dakini corporate website. Port City will use a specially-designed version of ProductCart to modify the Dakini eCommerce website to better serve the company’s and its clients’ complex needs. Since the speed of particularly an eCommerce website makes it more accessible to customers and the company itself, these upgrades will be critical to the future success of Dakini.

Port City Web will also work with its new client to install an eMarketing program called Online Marketing. Because of the flexibility of this program, it will fit both within the marketing budget of Dakini now, but will also be able to expand or even decrease with the future budget movement of the business. With this new marketing and web optimization plan, the IT consulting firm hopes to increase traffic on the corporate website and boost sales and visibility within the market.

Founded in 1993, Dakini is an outdoor clothing company based in Bedford, MA that employs 20 people and affects countless others in its community by providing support for local businesses. Port City Web is an IT Consulting, web development and eMarketing and eCommerce company that has won awards for its work in its New Hampshire base and in the rest of the world.

Submitted By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

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Computer Consulting: Low Desktop Sales Wound Intel

Poor desktop computer sales for Intel caused very low fourth quarter sales results. Intel, the world’s largest manufacturer of microprocessors with clients ranging from small computer consulting firms to larger corporations reported revenue of $10.2 billion on January 17, which was just under the amount they had predicted in December 2005 and was an increase of nearly six percent from 2004. The company had hoped for revenue of $10.4-$10.6 billion.

The company also posted a net income of $2.45 billion, or 40 cents per share. While this amount was 16 percent beyond the profits for Intel in the same quarter in 2004, it was still three cents per share below what executives had expected and reported to analysts previously.

Spokespeople for Intel stated that the largest problem was desktop processors, which were difficult for the company to sell and their prices lower than anticipated. CFO Andy Bryant and Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini attributed the problem with processor sales to chipset shortages in 2005. Both are confident Intel will fix the problem by selling off the excess inventory and also by ensuring that in the future there is the right mixture of motherboards, chipsets and other computer hardware.

Added By: Computer Consulting 101

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[TIPS] - 2005 in Pictures

I was reminded that I had already sent out the last tip. So sorry.

 

Try this one: http://www.msnbc.com/modules/yip05/dw.asp?nStartOn=1 

 

Make sure you see the tabs at the top, as well. Perhaps a good writing prompt for your students?

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One-Stop Shop for SMBs and VARs

In the past, a.k.a. last year, the only way to access a one-stop solution was to use Oracle or a SAP. Now, however, many companies are beginning to offer channeled solutions for a variety of companies.

Salesforce.com, Intaact, and IBM as well as several other companies are working with VARs to get information on individual industries and create solutions that are channeled to specific types of businesses.

This channeling will create an even greater need for VARs as you will become a trusted advisor when companies decide to implement these programs. Thus, the large companies will end up catering to your needs since you will be choosing whether to use their solutions with your customers.

All in all, the one-stop shop seems to be a great opportunity for VARs to expand their businesses and create long-term relationships with clients. Read the entire article for more information on currently available solutions (link above).

Posted by Computer Consulting 101

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VARs Celebrate Symantec’s New System

After years of catering to the big boys in business, Symantec is finally creating an email system to assist small and midsized businesses by organizing and protecting their email systems.

The new 8220 appliance serves companies with less than 100 employees, supplying all of Symantec’s popular features. Symantec’s antivirus and BrightMail antispam software is included as part of their email service.

However, many VARs are disappointed with a price that is far too high for many of their small business customers. If you can sell it, this is a great system, but many have already chosen other, less expensive solutions for clients.

Learn more about Symantec’s newest system for small businesses as well as other options that some VARs have turned to for clients who can’t afford this type of large, expensive system (link above).

Added by Computer Consulting Kit

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Collecting Commom Sense Ideas

Since October, the website SinceSlicedBread.com has been collecting ideas about how to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, seeking the best ideas since, well...

As the site itself says:

Since Sliced Bread is a national call for fresh, common sense ideas. A call for ideas that will strengthen our economy and improve the day-to-day lives of working men and women and their families. It’s also a place where ordinary Americans and experts alike can discuss the important economic issues of our times.

The site, sponsored by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), lists many of the best ideas submitted, most of which will ring familiar to futurists. On February 1 -- the day after President Bush's State of the Union address -- the very best idea will be awarded $100,000. The reviewing and judging process, however, has drawn criticism by those who believe it's too restrictive (indeed, many of the "finalist" ideas are classic Democratic Party talking points). Zephyr Teachout, who employed social networking technology for Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign, offers both a critique and alternative approaches.

This day and age, any initiative that encourages people to think creatively about social and economic problems deserves encouragement. Visit the site and judge the merit of the ideas for yourself.

Sources: Smart Mobs, Many2Many

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Learning and Service Level Agreements

Because technology changes very quickly, everyone from new computer users to seasoned computer professionals needs service level agreements that cover and protect them in case they need basic computer help or on-going computer maintenance. In order to keep abreast of changes in the industry, every business that wants staying power in the future needs to employ reliable and knowledgeable consultants who can offer them the best and most comprehensive service level agreements.

Some professionals assume that just because they have used a computer on a regular or even semi-regular basis in either their business or their personal lives that they know all there is to know about how it works, when in actuality this is not necessarily the case. Computers are constantly evolving, and even the most diligent individual, particularly those not directly involved with the computer industry in their daily business lives, cannot hope to keep up with the influx of technological information. Chances are, anyone could benefit from a service agreement if only because it can bring the latest new computer software and other practices that can make a company more efficient to the attention of those working there without having to expend the valuable time on research. Even very basic service level agreements can give just the right information to boost the technological awareness of staff and provide easy help in case of an emergency.

Service level agreements are useful because they can be critical tools that will bring any business to the next level of efficiency. And because they are often inexpensive and not time-consuming, there is little risk involved. In the world of the internet, online computer help that includes tech support through service level agreements allow professionals to move forward at their own speed. Those looking for service level agreements can also shop various consultants before deciding to commit to a provider and make sure they are truly getting a valuable resource.

Blogged By: Computer Consulting 101 Kit

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Finding Your Niche as an IT Specialist

Just because you are an IT specialist doesn’t mean you should limit your pool of potential clients. Your marketing efforts should not be a process of elimination, rather an investigation of whether or not you have a large enough group of clients to woo. Rather than narrowing down the field of clients, as an IT specialist you can instead market to very specific niches and base the type of people to which to are marketing on an entire industry with which you’ve had great success in the past, such as small accounting offices or small medical practices. Then you can start your search by looking for all the accounting firms or medical practices within an hour of your location, or contact one of that industry’s trade groups or even a local mailing list broker.

Marketing to a niche, or a specific industry, is much simpler for you as an IT specialist because you know exactly where to advertise, whether in local trade publications or other journals geared towards the businesses you choose. You will not waste valuable time with very generic ads in newspapers, radio or your local phone book, and by working with clients in one niche you will develop expertise in both marketing for and working in an area that can bring you business for years to come, and your present and future clients will immediately trust and value your knowledge of the field. You will also have more time to create a marketing message geared towards each individual client, instead of one that tries to appeal to everyone, and each customer will immediately sense how valuable you can be do their specific company and will be more likely to truly value your specific involvement and services.

Once you find your niche as an IT specialist, make yourself visible! Take the time to find out if there is a special newsletter or magazine that attracts all potential clients in that particular field, and come up with a ad that clearly expresses your particular talents, or even write an article or become active in the organization by volunteering or presenting at an event. No matter what you do, make sure to reiterate how your company can provide excellent IT solutions for that exact industry. Most importantly, whatever you do as an IT specialist, above all else make sure before you even choose your niche that it is one you enjoy that will provide you with a large supply of future clients. The customers you work with will feel your enthusiasm and put their faith in you and perhaps even recommend you to other individuals and companies in their field.

Submitted By: Computer Consulting 101

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Don’t Train Your Future Competitor

Are your employees loyal? How loyal? Be careful as you hire, train, and assign your employees as you may simply end up training them to be your future competitors.

Be sure that you protect your business by having employees sign non-disclosure agreements and contracts with non-compete clauses. Talk to your lawyer so that you will have the contracts ready before any hiring takes place.

Stay involved in your company. Many employers simply let the technical staff take care of the clients and if the staff leaves, so do the clients. Make sure your clients are loyal to you rather than your staff by taking part in the sales and service delivery processes.

Remember if your employees aren’t loyal, all those trainings you send them to are simply creating your biggest competitor.

Posted by Computer Consulting 101

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Is Buying A Computer Consulting Franchise the Right Option For You?

The real question is, How much should starting your business cost? Computer consulting companies cost very little to start as compared to other types of businesses, but they are very time intensive.

One of the things you must weigh is whether the high cost of starting a franchise is worth the benefits of being part of a larger company such as greater tools and resources and a peer support network.

When you start out, you may have to spend almost 60 hours a week working and trying to find new clients, but after that, you should have large amounts of revenue coming in. If you open a franchise, on the other hand, you will have all the costs of capital you used to start as well as the percentage that goes to the company that will be coming out of your pocket.

Take time to decide whether a computer consulting franchise is right for you, but before you do, read more on the topic in Computer Consulting: Should You Buy a Franchise? (link above).

Blogged by Computer Consulting Kit

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[tips]- Essay Contest from Oprah

http://www2.oprah.com/obc_classic/open/obc_essay_contest.jhtml

 

Did your students read, "Night" by ELIE WIESEL? If so, perhaps they'd like to enter this essay contest. Better hurry - the deadline is Feb 6.

- - -

Thanks to Sue V for sharing this.

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[TIPS] - sightseeing with GoolgeMaps

http://perljam.net/google-satellite-maps/

 

Sightseeing with Google Maps. What's fun to see?

 

Try the Airplane graveyard site - thousands of old, abandoned airplanes, rusting away on the desert.

Or, how about the infamous Area 51? Some are quite good. Others are disappointing - like the Pyramids, for example.

 

If you follow some of the other links you can find a blog (http://googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/) where you can find all sorts of "mashups", or Google maps with markers on them. One such mashup will show you - in real time - where the trains are in Dublin, Ireland. Another will tell you where you'd end up if you dug a really deep hole to the other side of the Earth. :-)

—---

P.S. Remember, if you click a link and you get an error on the page, check the address to see if there are two http:// in the front. I've not yet figured out what's causing that to happen.

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Buzzle Computers & Internet Chapter Page

Do you have an interest in computers and the Internet?

Since you’re reading the Computer Consulting Blog, the answer is probably YES!

In case you’re not familiar with the Buzzle Web portal, Buzzle has a really good Computers & Internet Chapter page. (URL linked to above)

On the Buzzle Computers & Internet Chapter page, you’ll find articles, reviews, new and hand-selected Web links to some really helpful Web sites.

The News and Comments section is updated almost every day.

And the Suggested Links introduces you to some really cool, useful Web sites, including:

• COLOTRAQ, which helps you buy telecommunications services like colocation, bandwidth, dark fiber, dedicated hosting & managed services.
• Computer Consultants Sales Secrets, which teaches computer consultants various tips and secrets on computer consulting sales, marketing, and business development topics.
• Mystik Media, which produces multimedia software for behind-the-scenes tasks like converting, editing, recording, and burning virtually all audio, video, and graphics formats.
• Small Business Computer Consulting Blog, which shows you proven small business computer consulting tactics to grow your computer consulting business.
  

Blogged by Computer Consulting 101

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Support Contracts: No Longer an Option

To keep your computers in working order, support is no longer an option – it's a necessity! You probably already know that, but do you know how to choose a great service provider?

There are three key ingredients you should look for when choosing someone to service your company’s computers:

1. Experience

Companies with long-standing relationships with happy customers whose business needs are similar to yours.

2. Customer Service

A company you can call on whenever you need them, depending on your business you may need 24 hour a day service; if so, make sure they have it.

3. Affordability

Be willing to pay for what you get, but there’s no reason to pay more for a company with equal experience and customer service.

For more on support contracts and choosing a service provider, read Support Contracts: Do You Have an Increased Need For Them in Your Business? (link above).

Added by Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

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IT Certifications: Are They Important?

When you’re considering staying up with the latest things in the industry, there’s one thing you should understand: Your small business clients will NOT know the difference between different levels of certification.

This is important for you on two levels. Number one, clients aren’t going to pay more for CCIE instead of a MCP since they don’t know the difference. Number two, most small businesses will be so far behind the times that they won’t need the higher-level technical skills for their projects.

Basically, don’t spend all your money, especially at the beginning, trying to keep your certifications up to date. Have at least one certification – they do want to know you passed some kind of test – but don’t spend thousands of dollars on senior level certifications unless you start going for larger clients.

For more information on which IT certifications are needed, read IT Certifications: Are They Important (link above).

Blogged by Computer Consulting Kit

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[TIPS] - Web 2.0 example

Check out this scenario that would not have been possible just a couple of years ago.

--------

In last night's online Grad class (from Bloom) my group of four was given the daunting task to develop a lengthy presentation for next Thursday. YIKES! How were we going to work together as a group to accomplish this? We had to settle on the topic, outline, details, and finally the building of the presentation itself.

 

Enter writely.com (remember it from a previous tip?)

 

I created a document at www.writely.com and typed in the basic shell of the assignment along with MY proposed solution for it. I then clicked the collaborate button and entered the email addresses of the other three in the class and the site sent them an invitation to work on this document. We can work on it either synchronously or asynchronously, so we COULD join our live Centra class to gain access to the voice communication tool, then log into writely.com and all work on the file together. Each person's additions are color coded so we know who is adding what. We can also choose to save the file to our hard drive, as well so we can work on it later without going online, but this copy stays online.

 

Cool? it gets better.

 

I then went into my bloglines account and, using the RSS feed from our document in Writely.com, I subscribed to that document. That means that anytime one of our group gets in there and makes changes I'll get notified in bloglines (and on my homepage in Firefox) of that change.

 

How cool is that? THAT is why they call it The Read/Write Web.

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[TIPS] - Free Spanish Lessons via Video Podcast

Get Spanish lessons as podcasts! Very cool.

 

http://www.rollingrs.com/

 

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ConnectWise Managed Services in Demand

In November 2005, ConnectWise introduced their new Managed Services Platform, and they haven’t stopped having calls from VARs wanting to transition into Virtual IT departments since.

ConnectWise PSA is an end-to-end business management software designed to work with tools by Kaseya, N-able, Level Platforms and others to simplify business management.

In a recent survey, Gartner reported that nearly 60% of small to midsize businesses (SMBs) were interested in using managed services for enhanced security and efficiency. Since more programs are becoming cost-effective, SMBs are looking for Virtual IT departments, just like you, to take care of these solutions for them.

The good news is there are great solutions like ConnectWise out there to help automate your clients’ business needs. But, there’s some bad news too. What’s the bad news? Increased competition. To position your company as the best in the business, you will need to enhance your marketing strategies and focus on building the best list of services for potential clients with a comprehensive Computer Consulting Kit.

You will also need to provide them with great tools. If you would like more information on ConnectWise PSA, visit ConnectWise Helps VARs Morph to Managed Services Model in 2006 (link above).

Submitted by Computer Consulting Kit

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Remote Backup Systems (RBS) to Help VARs

Have your clients been asking about off-site backup services? Have you had to turn them down because you couldn’t provide the service? If you’ve been wanting to provide your clients with this service, I found a company that’s looking to serve you.

Just yesterday, Remote Backup Systems out of Memphis, Tennessee, announced that they are expanding their backup services from simply helping large companies to serving smaller VARs and ISPs.

Tommy Gardner, Director of Sales and Marketing, said, “Over the last several years, Remote Backup Systems has seen a dramatic upturn in the number of technology resellers interested in hosting their own, branded remote backup service. Our aim for 2006 is to promote the adoption of the service across multiple channels, from VARs to ISPs and beyond….”

So, if you want to host your own branded backup services, RBS will provide you with their RBS Business Kit which contains a variety of items to help you get started: a sample contract for remote backup services, marketing materials templates, a website and web server software, a flash presentation, and other useful items.

For more information on RBS's plans and how to contact them, read Remote Backup Software Company Positioned to Assist VARs in 2006 (link above).

Blogged by Joshua Feinberg

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Dutch Open High-Tech Prison

A new prison in Lelystad, the Netherlands, uses state-of-the-art technology to track inmates' every move and even to monitor to monitor their emotional states.

The so-called "Big Brother Prison" tracks inmates through RFID wristbands, ubiquitous cameras and microphones, facial recognition software, and touchscreens that inmates use to organize their daily schedules. In addition to helping guards intervene more quickly to diffuse violence, the technology saves the Dutch government money by allowing the prison to be run with fewer guards. The new prison's estimated cost per prisoner is about $120, versus $175 at conventional prisons.

Source: CNN.com

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[TIPS] - Qoop

Here's something very cool. Do you know Flickr? www.flickr.com - it's a place where you can store and share photos, link them to your blog, and so much more.

 

Anyway, THIS site: http://www.qoop.com/ will let you select a set of your Flickr images and create a book out of them. It'll print them as a poster of smaller images, or as a book with 4 images per page, complete with your written description. All with just a few clicks of your mouse. The price is reasonable, too.

 

What a great way to capture the fun times from your classroom. Post your digital images to Flickr, then use this site to make the printed copy. The kids will love it.

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And, once again, yesterday's link came through with two http's again. Just when I thought I knew what was causing that. Bottom line - if it doesn't work when you click on it, copy and paste it into your browser.

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Computer Maintenance Agreements Serve You Well Through the Years

Finding someone who can really keep your computers in good shape can be tough. From large companies to one-man shows, all of them have their own ways of taking, or not taking, care of your computer.

If you want great service for years to come, choosing a company with a comprehensive computer maintenance agreement is vital. But, these agreements are only as good as the expertise behind them.

First of all, NEVER let a novice touch your computer. If you’ve already made that mistake, you know that their “help” can just make the problem worse, often much, much worse.

When searching for a company who will serve your computers well, talk to other companies in the area. Find out who has successfully helped them. Always look for companies with a history of long-standing HAPPY clients.

To find a competent professional, you may have to pay a little more and sign a very long agreement, but you’ll get your money’s worth when you have a reliable personcaring for your computers.

Want to know more about computer maintenance agreements and how they affect your business? Find more in Computer Maintenance Agreements Will Serve You Well (link above).

Submitted by Computer Consulting Kit

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Virtual IT: Can It Benefit Your Business?

Did you know…

The most successful computer consultants position market their companies as Virtual IT departments?

What is Virtual IT, you ask? It’s simply becoming the outsourced IT department for companies. Instead of simply selling wires, computers, and routers to them, these companies sell their expertise by designing networks and applying technology to business problems.

What are the benefits? You have steady work from these companies throughout the year while they only pay for the services they need instead of the cost of a full-time IT department.

Plus, you GROW your relationships. Instead of having one-shot projects, you create long-term relationships beneficial both to you and your clients. With fewer headaches for all, Virtual IT is simply best for everyone involved.

Read more about positioning your company to provide Virtual IT services to your clients in Virtual IT: How It Benefits Your Business (link above).

Posted by Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit

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[TIPS] - Education Podcast Network

The education Podcast Network.

http://www.epnweb.org/

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The Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century.

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Las Vegas Places Its Bets on the Future

Sin City is red hot... and developers are banking that it will stay that way.

This month, Boyd Gaming announced that it will demolish its Stardust hotel -- one of the last of Las Vegas' old-school casinos -- to make way for Echelon Place, a 5,300-room resort slated to open in 2010.

Echelon Place joins nearly 100 major construction projects in Vegas either underway or in the planning stage. Last year, 4,500 condos and townhouses were sold in the Las Vegas area, many for more than $500,000. Indeed, Las Vegas is one of America's fastest-growing cities, owing its appeal to job growth, agreeable climate (so long as you have air conditioning), plentiful real estate and appealing lifestyle. While the tourism and gaming industries keep Vegas humming, its economy is diversifying; Ford Motor Company is one company that has moved a regional distribution center to Vegas.

UPDATE: The Herman Group notes that Las Vegas is benefitting from a nationwide surge in the gambling business, being fueled by a generally strong economy and a willingness among consumers to take bigger risks with their money.

Source: Ubercool

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Blogging, Google Invade Mainstream Media

Two signs that Internet media are steadily moving toward and becoming a driving force in mainstream media (MSM):

• Internet metrics firms Intelliseek and Buzzmetrics have merged, and have in turn been bought by VNU Nielsen. The new venture will be called Nielsen Buzzmetrics. Such interest in Internet and blog traffic by the venerable Nielsen is a sure sign that MSM see value in online content. This should be especially good news for the most popular blogs and websites, which can more easily leverage their popularity in return for ad revenues.


• Google has reportedly bought dMarc Broadcasting, a radio advertising broker in Newport Beach, CA. The plan is to integrate dMarc's radio advertising interface (which lets advertisers schedule and track their ad campaigns) with Google AdWords online advertising system. Google has already followed a similar strategy in print advertising.

Not everyone in MSM, however, is enjoying such synergy with new media. Musicland, which operates the Sam Goody music stores and Suncoast video stores that are fixtures in malls across America, has filed for bankruptcy. The press release notes that "[t]he company attributes their financial difficulties to a diminishing music and movies marketplace, growing competition from big box retailers and the increase of music downloading." [emphasis added] Musicland properties will contine to operate under the terms of the bankruptcy.

Sources: Buzzmachine, USA Today, Long Tail

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Space Probe to Visit Pluto and Beyond

Of all the planets in our solar system, distant Pluto remains the only one that has yet to be visited and studied by a man-made spacecraft. Hopefully, that will change in July 2015, when NASA's New Horizons probe is scheduled to make a fly-by of Pluto and its moon Charon.

The launch, scheduled for this afternoon, was scrubbed due to high winds, but has been rescheduled for 1:16 PM EST tomorrow. Once launched, the probe will leave Earth at 36,000 MPH -- the fastest a spacecraft has ever traveled -- and will reach Jupiter next year to get a "slingshot" boost that will propel it toward the edge of the solar system within eight more years.

At 3 billion miles away, Pluto is so small and so distant that virtually nothing is known about it. Not even the Hubble space telescope can produce a quality rendering of its surface (though Hubble did discover two additional moons in May 2005). "What we know about Pluto today could fit on the back of a postage stamp," said Colleen Hartman, a deputy associate administrator at NASA. "The textbooks will be rewritten after this mission is completed." One question that the $700 million New Horizons project might help settle is whether Pluto should rightfully be considered a planet at all, or something else, as some astronomers suggest.

After flying by Pluto-Charon, New Horizons will explore the Kuiper Belt, a zone of icy, rocky debris that could provide a glimpse of conditions in the primordial solar system, before the planets were formed.

UPDATE: After several weather-related delays, New Horizons launched successfully this afternoon (1/19) from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Source: AP (Excite)

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Smartphone Shipments Grow by 75% in 2005

The global growth in "smart" mobile devices is on an uphill climb, with the number of devices shipped rising by 75% in 2005 over the previous year. Nokia was the runaway leader, growing its share of the market by over 20% and increasing its shipment by a whopping 141% over 2004. Overall, just over 13 million smartphones shipped worldwide in 2005.

Source: ZDNet

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