Simplex-IT BizBlog

A lot of companies have an IT support strategy based on “a guy.” An IT guy working full time somewhere else. The owners’ nephew. A guy who works in the plant but has set up a networki of his own in his house.

EVERYTHING in your business rides on your computer network and the data it holds – which is exactly why you can’t afford to have an incompetent person managing it. But how can you know for sure if you have the right person? How can a non-technical person know if they are paying for sub-standard support? And how can you make sure you don’t find out the hard way after a major disaster erases all your data and brings down your network for a week?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then it’s important that you get and read our new business advisory guide, “16 Critical Questions You MUST Ask Before Hiring Any IT Company.”

This free report will explain in simple, non-technical terms what you need to look for when outsourcing your IT support, as well as cost-saving strategies, insider tips and 16 revealing questions you MUST ask any computer consultant before giving him access to your computer network. If your current guy can’t answer a confident “Yes” to all 16, it might be time to look for someone else.

Want a copy? Emal John Harrow at John@Simplex-IT.com, or give him a call at 234.380.1277.

Ok, it’s the end of February. In Northeast Ohio. Saying there’s a cloud in your future is like saying there’s a chance the Indians might not win the World Series. But I’m actually talking about another kind of cloud. The web-based, hosted “out there,” ethereal kind of cloud. Y’know…a geek cloud.
Here’s the challenge. Go to your computer, and click on something. That’s starting a program up. Maybe the program is on your computer. Maybe it’s on another computer in your office. Or maybe…it’s somewhere “out there.”
It used to be we were pretty much stuck with where the program was. If it’s a web site, it was hosted “out there.” If it was email (we’re talking business now), it was part of the corporate IT, usually either an Exchange or Notes server (sometimes referred to as the “dedicated” model). If it was a program, like Word, it was located right on your computer.
Well, things are changing. Over the past several years, more and more people are getting faster and faster connections to the Internet. And applications “out there” are getting more and more sophisticated. And so the boundaries are getting blurred.
Google is probably leading the charge with this. “Google Apps” (www.google.com/apps) has created quite a stir, giving users access to applications, email, storage for free (ad driven) and a fee based ($50/user/year).
Microsoft, of course, is busy pushing out their own version. Their BPOS (Business Productivity Online Suite, atwww.Microsoft.com/online) offers hosted versions of Exchange, SharePoint, LiveMeeting and Office Communications. Their offering starts at about $5/user/month for an Exchange mailbox.
And, of course, the debate is starting. There are those who tout the Hosted solutions as the greatest thing since the last greatest thing. Their points (and the counterpoints that the Dedicated folks will give:No hardware or software costs (yeah, but Dedicated has no subscription fees)No complicated installation (no flexibility for special needs)All you need is an Internet connection…access it from anywhere! (you can access Dedicated solutions from anywhere, too, ya know)No concerns about your internal IT infrastructure (yeah, just concerns about the hosted company)Not dependence on internal security setups (hope your hosted folks know how to be secure)No backups, since the hosting company backs stuff up for you (hope they do it well…the brochures say they do)
And they’ll just keep on blathering, until you stop them.
Here’s the bottom line. Both strategies are valid. Sorry, but it’s true. And moving forward, more and more solutions are going to incorporate portions from both. You need to review your options based on your organization.
Want to learn more? Join us at Simplex-IT’s next monthly Lunchinar, on Wednesday March 17th from 11:30-1:30, at Hattie’s Caf

Office 2010 is coming out later this year. And it brings a fair amount of improvements, especially if you’re using Windows 7. Features like vastly improved collaboration, a tighter interface and, wait for it, smiley faces! (yup, and they actually are pretty cool, if you ask me)
A new suite to most of you, Office 2010 is something we here at Simplex-IT have been investigating for a while already.
Attend this free Lunchinar and we’ll throw in a copy of the 200 page eBook from Microsoft showing the new stuff in Office 2010!
When: Wednesday, Feb 17, 2010 from 11:30am-1:30pm
Where: Hattie’s Cafe, 164 N Main St, Hudson, OH 44236
Cost: Free!
And we’ll give a few lucky folks a copy of the Beta Edition!
Each month Simplex-IT (http://www.Simplex-IT.com) holds a free lunchinar. Free food, good information, a chance to network. Either register here, or contact John Harrow atJohn@Simplex-IT.com or call 234.380.1277.
See ya there!