Email Archiving with Integrity: Your Goal or Your Best Guess?

by on 09/03/13


Yes, you need to archive your email. I can quote you chapter and verse (and statute and writ and international law) that show why you really should have your organization’s emails archived. Given the necessity of archiving, your organization is likely to have some form of archiving in place. The question is whether the archiving [...]

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The Taboo Danger of Cloud Computing

by on 05/03/13


Cloud computing has been a godsend for the IT industry. Delivering applications in a hosted model does away with maintenance, hardware and licensing costs…. and makes it much faster and easier to launch and provision new services. Cloud-based applications also provide rich access to collaboration features and API data feeds in a way that would’ve [...]

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Survey looks at the growing mobile device market and how companies can profit from it

by on 02/03/13


With more and more people relying on their mobile devices to shop and access information, companies that have mobile-ready websites and apps that consumers can easily download are experiencing a plethora of new revenue stream opportunities. In this arena, companies have the ability to reach consumers to market and sell, inform, solve problems and provide [...]

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Pros & Cons Of Cloud Storage

by on 01/03/13


Businesses are definitely moving more towards the cloud for their business needs, especially for data storage. The cloud platform offers convenient and efficient access to storage space, which would otherwise have been difficult for any business to mobilize. However, as with any other technology, the cloud is not without its own set of disadvantages. Before [...]

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F-Commerce/Social Commerce: Business Boom or Bust?

by on 27/02/13


Facebook is often seen as a place where people check out pictures from the party of last weekend. But surprisingly, this social network is evolving into something more. That is a destination where airline tickets, soap and nappies can be bought as well. In this  regard, Levi’s, Procter & Gamble including Delta Airlines are just [...]

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Computer Repair or Replacement? Tips for Figuring Out What to Decide

by on 26/02/13


There comes a time in every computer owner’s life when he or she must decide whether to hand over money for a computer repair or simply purchase a new system. With new computer costs declining, you may be wondering the same thing. The answer, of course, depends on your budget and the type of repair [...]

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The Application Market Boom: Hopes and Fears

by on 23/02/13


Computer technology has evolved rapidly in recent years. The latest government statistics indicate that software engineers have grown to more than a million strong as people rush to fill an industry demand partly created by the proliferation of mobile devices and the intrinsic application market thereof. Though business applications are already well established as critical [...]

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The growth of the mobile wallet in 2013 & the impact on CRM systems

by on 22/02/13


2013 looks set to be the year of mobile wallet technology, with major brands including McDonalds, Barclaycard and Visa announcing they will soon begin offering customers the opportunity to pay using this method. The user base is expected to rise significantly over the next year as knowledge and availability of this platform develops. Speaking at [...]

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Consumerization of Public Schools: Is BYOD a Viable Option for Learning? Many Questions Must Be Answered Before BYOD Becomes the Norm

by on 19/02/13


BYOD: Bring Your Own Device—this phenomenon, now common to global business culture, is now seeping into educational institutions, and not just colleges and universities.   BYOD: A Cost Saving Measure In 2013, more and more children in grades K-12 have access to technology like smartphones, laptops and tablets.  Thus, these students are able to bring [...]

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Shifting Risk … A Trend Emerging?

by on 18/02/13


One of the early issues with cloud computing and the movement to it was the service level agreements (SLAs).  For obvious reasons, cloud service providers wrote narrow self-protecting SLAs and cloud adopters wanted risk acceptance and penalties and other items commensurate with the perceived risk of availability. Well, many firms countered with up time commitments [...]

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Interview with Connectria Hosting and Cloud Computing

by on 14/02/13


Connectria provides award-winning cloud computing, managed hosting and custom hosting solutions for more than 1,000 customers in over 30 countries worldwide. They are known for their expertise when it comes to complex multi-vendor solutions, and they support the broadest range of technologies, managed services and security in the industry. Key services include Citrix Hosting, HIPAA [...]

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Geek Management 101: The Differences Between Network and Systems Administrators, and Tips for Managing Them

by on 13/02/13


Managing IT professionals, aka “IT pros,” aka “Geeks,” can be a challenging endeavor without an understanding of how they operate. The Geek ethos is very unique, and as such, sometimes it takes a slightly different management approach to get the best from your Geeks. To get a better understanding of IT pros, SolarWinds recently conducted [...]

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How Secure is your Business’s Data?

by on 12/02/13


It’s impossible to put a price on data. Businesses are entrusted with all sorts of personal details and legal information, all of which needs to be stored safely – sometimes for a number of years. Now, if that data was to be lost, stolen or corrupted in some way, well, that could be quite costly [...]

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Clearing ITIL Misconceptions

by on 08/02/13


Clearing ITIL Misconceptions

In the IT industry, there are a lot of misconceptions, not only from the outside world, but also between those of us actually working in the field. Terms and acronyms tend to accumulate meanings and uses, which can cause confusion and lead to inefficiency. One of these terms is ITIL. Many people don’t actually know [...]

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The US’ Sectoral Approach to Data Protection

by on 07/02/13


Computing and the internet have completely revolutionized human life over the last twenty-five years, expanding our horizons and changing the way we work, play and learn. While the new epoch of readily-available information is, by and large, a positive force, there are some concerns that should be addressed, especially as technology seems to be leading [...]

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BYOD done right: How BYOD can benefit your company

by on 05/02/13


The concept of “Bring your own device” or BYOD, is very innovative, creative, and can make your entire company function more efficiently. Companies such as Ricoh are using BYOD with great success every day. Some companies are wary of BYOD because they fear that it will be detrimental to employees, and are worried about possible [...]

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Evolving Medical Technology: Changes and Challenges

by on 04/02/13


The majority of businesses in the US are affected by health care costs. No business in the US is unaffected by the health of its employees, or their status as a the result of their own health or their care giving to one or more ill members of their family. With a US GDP of [...]

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Consumers Must Become More Diligent When It Comes To Online Privacy Rights

by on 01/02/13


Many new technological developments – mobile computing in particular – are pushing consumers to move an increasingly large portion of their computing activities into the cloud. Political pressures are coming down hard on cloud providers, and many industry leaders are fighting back to protect their clients. Recently, some of the biggest names in SaaS – [...]

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Top 5 Ediscovery Trends of 2013

by on 31/01/13


The world of eDiscovery is ever-changing, with new discoveries and research done every day. eDiscovery is a young and growing practice, so there has yet to be an industry-wide agreement to a standard, since a new law can throw companies off course. Because of the amount of ESI (electronically stored information) being produced, the development [...]

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SIP Trunking: Cost Savings is Just the Start

by on 30/01/13


It’s common knowledge in the industry today that SIP trunking provides a huge cost savings, allowing your business to enjoy advanced telephony features and functionality while avoiding the need to invest in expensive BRI, PRI or PSTN gateways. But cost savings are not the only benefit that SIP trunking has to offer–let’s explore some of [...]

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Cheapskate’s Guide To Conserving Printer Ink

by on 29/01/13


Ink is the single most important factor that determines the cost of your printing. Here is a checklist that guides you through some simple steps to save ink.   1. Invest in the right printer The right printer may not always need to be an expensive printer. A printer must suit your needs: whether high [...]

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Threats to Business Continuity for SMEs

by on 24/01/13


Risk management and business continuity are topics that get a lot of attention in the media, but one mistake that many SME leaders make is to assume that the issues being talked about don’t refer to them. Only around one third of companies with a turnover of less than $20 million have a current and [...]

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Shifting Attitudes Towards Cloud Computing and Cloud Storage

by on 23/01/13


2013 will be an important year for the adoption and acceptance of cloud computing within corporate IT strategies. In the past, there was much debate over as security, reliability governance, compliance and other issues when it came to the adoption of cloud solutions. But now, the cloud computing market has matured and IT professionals are [...]

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HOW CLOUD COMPUTING WORKS; THE INS AND OUTS OF HOW THE CLOUD IS PUT TOGETHER

by on 22/01/13


The concept is easy, though the execution is another story. In simple terms, you are using the internet to connect to a provider’s database or programming. You rent these services on a per use or subscription basis, and can access them at any time. And, if you are dealing with a good provider, that should [...]

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Rapid Technology Change Challenges Human Capital Management

by on 22/01/13


Human capital management (HCM) is a set of integrated practices related to people resource management.  Typically, the two main categories of processes are Core administrative support and Strategic HCM support. The core processes (e.g., benefits administration) are fairly straightforward, and will change over time as required. But today, in a rapidly changing technology environment, Strategic [...]

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Most Important US Laws That Dictate Disclosure of Data Stored In The Cloud

by on 17/01/13


The US government’s recent actions against Megaupload and its founder Kim Dotcom have stirred much debate around the legalities of storing sensitive information in the cloud. Since the US is the hub of activity within the cloud technology space, I thought it might be a good idea to outline some of the most important legislations [...]

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Online Backup & Recovery Predictions for 2013

by on 15/01/13


Our friends at Zetta have just released their list of industry predictions for the coming year. This is an in-depth, well-written analysis that touches many areas which are of primary concern amongst SMBs. Definitely worth checking out. Click here to view Zetta’s Online Backup & Recovery Predictions for 2013

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Cellphone Data Tracking Leads To Fewer Traffic Jams

by on 15/01/13


All over the world, we’re seeing an increasing trend where people are moving away from rural communities in order to seek out lucrative work opportunities in urban centers. This creates special challenges for urban planners and municipalities who need to deal with roadway traffic patterns which are outgrowing existing infrastructure at a rate faster than [...]

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Transformational vs. Disruptive Technologies … and the Opportunities Created

by on 14/01/13


Technology surges forward. We have to come to realize that we are facing two different views of technology:  one is transformational – changing something significantly or completely, and the other is disruptive, changing the usual order or process with an entirely new approach Disruptive technology is unique: it basically blows up and redefines how we [...]

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Navigating the world of NoSQL Databases for Analytic Applications

by on 11/01/13


When it comes to data management systems, the debate over SQL vs. NoSQL has been extremely popular over the past few years. Although people use the terms SQL and NoSQL, the debate itself is actually more about relational databases (SQL) vs. non-relational databases. As businesses and developers continue to look for the best system that [...]

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