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Google + and the Small Business: A Relationship Doomed to Failure?

September 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Google Plus Google's Social Media ProjectI’m sure by now everyone that is involved with promoting their business through social media has heard about Google+, Google’s social media offering. Naturally, with every new social media movement, you have savvy business owners looking to leverage their brand. (Usually for free.)  So far, however, there has been a snag for those early adopters looking to be the first businesses on Google+.

The snag in question is due in part to Google’s Real Name Policy, a controversial rule that requires all Google+ users to use their real names visibly on their account. Many bloggers have voiced their concerns over the ethics such a policy can violate, the most well written in my opinion being Danah Boyd.

The problem with businesses joining Google+ isn’t just the name policy, though. It’s also because Google has openly stated they don’t want businesses cluttering up Google+; at least not yet. Plenty of rumors on when Google will open Plus up have been flying around, and others have commented on the fact that Ford has their own Google+ business page, something that’s not supposed to be possible under the current rules.

This article by Search Engine Land covers Google’s stance fairly well, including citing whose businesses were removed from Plus in the beginning, who has been reinstated, and Google’s current stance on businesses on Google+. Right now, the current suggested strategy appears to be creating a personal profile and getting started that way, which doesn’t help anyone with a business that doesn’t hinge on their person, but rather the company as a separate entity. This article also covers the new rumors of Google opening up a new business option for Plus that could solve this problem soon.

So, where does that leave the rest of us right now? Personally, I think that while Plus has its benefits and is fun to use for the tech savvy user, there’s less of a reason for the common person to switch from Facebook at this time. The reasons for this are myriad, and mostly hinge on the fact Plus is still invite only and technically in beta. On top of that, a lot of the features popular on Facebook aren’t there, such as the quizzes, plethora of games and yes, brands offering free content to their fans.

My advice would be to sit back and wait to see how Google manages the business side of Google+ before jumping through the hoops for a business profile. Most likely is that the popular Google Adwords system of pay per click ads is going to be utilized in some way to make Plus as profitable as possible, and there could even be a buy in feature to make a business profile elite in some way. Google knows that they will have to differentiate Plus from Facebook in some way, and they are in a much better position to offer businesses comprehensive advertising and customer outreach packages than Facebook at this time.

Google has the resources to make Plus the new wave for social media, but only time will tell if they seize this opportunity for improvement and run with it, or get bogged down trying to copy Facebook, losing the few loyal followers they already have.

EDIT: Since this article was written, Google+ has opened up to everyone, and games have been added to the offering. This combined with the very recent Facebook privacy/redesign debacle definitely makes Google+ a more attractive alternative for the mainstream. I still caution that only time will tell how many people move over to the new system, and how complete that move is, but Google+ may very well be the next step in social media. More on this as the situation develops.

Filed Under: Blog, Corey's Corner, Google

Are you really ready for the cloud? (Part 1)

October 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

With all of the hype about new tech devices, iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle, etc; cloud computing hype; social media sites; and the liberal sprinkling of new tech sounding terms, i.e., bandwidth, html, “Are you Tweeting?”-we all wonder where we really fit into the grand scheme of things. As a business person we know that technology is our future and if you don’t have a website you’re not even in the game. On the most simple level, with a computer and high speed internet, and as long as we have email, word processing software (no, they don’t make word processors any more), and maybe a spread sheet, we can compete.

Too often, businesses will make the change to browser-based applications to save money and as an infrastructure focused business we will always support saving our clients’ money. Low costs should not be the guiding principle for making the change to cloud-based solutions if the result is an increased staff learning curve or loss of functionality.

Recently I had a conversation with a colleague about our respective client making decisions about moving to the cloud. Although my colleague views the movement to online services as “faddish”, we agreed that before making the move to any level of cloud services businesses should review why they are making the move and make their expectations clear. The assumption that all problems will be solved with movement to the cloud is absurd but often when displeased with spam, changing backup tapes, or server replacement many business owners make snap decisions.

From my point of view there are two approaches for businesses reviewing whether you are ready for assessing cloud readiness:

  1. Are you an early adopter?
  2. What questions should you ask before you consider a cloud solution?

When we talk to companies about online solutions for collaboration, quite often we meet with resistance because of the unknown.

  1. Fear money and time will be lost trying new solutions that may not work.
  2. Fear of time lost trying to learn new software.
  3. Fear of trying something different.

The resistance to change is natural; and besides “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. I understand this attitude but it is also important to realize that technology is not stagnant, nor is your business. When I first start talking to clients about their computer networks, my initial focus is fixing problems, stabilizing and securing the network, and documenting the network physical infrastructure. My next question is “do you need a server?” or “do you need to upgrade your server?” The question is not about technology but about how to solve network, collaboration, or communication problems; how to become more efficient; and how to accommodate business growth. With the current glitter/glimmer about cloud/browser based computing this issue becomes opaque and the choice is not just whether it’s Google or Microsoft Business Productivity Suite (BPOS).

“Do you need a server”? Over the last five years, I’ve provided periodic support to a small consulting company which has grown from the two principles to a staff of 4 with periodic additional consultancy and clerical support. Last November, they called thinking that it was time that they added a server to centralize document sharing, backup, calendar sharing, and increase security. During my network analysis I discovered that they were running several different versions of Microsoft workstation operating systems which would have to be replaced to facilitate a server/client network. The Dell server they were contemplating, when optimized to meet their needs, would cost closer to $2500 rather than the $400 base price advertised on the website plus the cost of my services to set up and configure the new network. After some discussion, they began to explore Microsoft Business Productivity Suite (BPOS) which included hosted Exchange for email and calendar sharing, hosted SharePoint for document storage and versioning, and Office Live Meeting, a bonus for a consulting company, to produce online seminars (Webinars) without staff leaving their office.

“Do you need to upgrade your server? A non-profit client which has numerous sites with 5-10 staff persons at each site was set up with an ill-conceived centralized server to manage their network, antivirus, time keeping software, organizational documents, and three databases. The centralized server was never an adequate solution because of the need for all network traffic to access the centralized server (latency/network traffic slowness). After exploring numerous options and an aborted technology plan, today they are testing Google apps as a solution for email and shared documents. In addition, we began talking about online time keeping; hosted SharePoint or Google for document management, and a hosted SQL (Structured Query Language) database. Although, this process isn’t complete, my client realized that they are in an untenable situation, made more difficult as the warranty is running out for their server and they also have to contemplating replacing 30 workstations. To date their solution has been to move all clients to Google Apps for email which solved their email inconsistency problem. They’ve switched to QuickBooks online to solve the latency (slow) response time for the accounting staff. They are still using the time keeping system on the server although the option to move to an online version is still an option. They still need to resolve the client database issue, but reducing most of the staff issues to web based applications not only allows staff to access email from any computer but reduces the need to currently consider replacing 30 workstations. My suggestion will be to extend the warranty until they resolve the database issue.

“I don’t have time to test new stuff” or “I’ll wait until ‘so and so’ tries it then I’ll see if it will work for me”. Time is an issue for all of us but the question is not if you are going to learn to use new tools but when. If you are moving from Office 2000/2003 to 2007/2010 you will have to consider whether your current computers are compatible as well as needing to learn new ways of working with the software. Business productivity software quite often has the same functions but new ways of implementing or presenting such a function. Learning new tools could be driven by your desire to be “up to date” but better yet consider staff training before any new software is implemented.

These examples were not designed to assuage your fears about change but to suggest that you begin reviewing your business needs and identify pain points which you know you will need to change in the future to be more efficient and reduce costs. It is imperative that you define your specific business needs in terms of your business process, not in the terms of technology. So far we have been talking about online services as an infrastructure solution. There are other considerations, such as, operating expenses must be compared to capital expenses, i.e., customization of specific off the self-applications or databases to meet your specific needs. Online computing may not be for everyone but the changes are coming; where you are in the process?

Filed Under: Blog, BPOS, Business Tools, Google, Network Maintenance

Simple Security

September 8, 2010 By 1 Comment

Last month, shortly after finishing a telephone call with my friend “Lucy” I got an email from her saying that she was stranded in London, her suit cases and passport had been stolen and although she had found refuge at the US consulate she needed some money to tide her over until problems could be resolved there. I know spam when I see it so I deleted the message.

Later that day I got a panicked call from Lucy relating how her Hotmail account had been hacked, her account password had been changed, and the problems she encountered with Hotmail trying to regain control of her account to change her password and eventually delete the account. Lucy uses this account as one of her business email accounts and she was much chagrined when a spam/solicitation email was sent to all of the addresses in her email address book. Besides of the embarrassment, Lucy had to contact all of the people on her list to explain and apologize for some criminal’s actions.

I tell this story not to point a finger at Lucy but to illustrate that crooks and thieves use any method possible to gain control of your personal information though hacking, viruses, spam, and other malware. My message is to be careful. I’m often angered when I talk with clients who don’t get that point. Although nothing is fool proof, may I make the following suggestions?

  1. Change your user passwords several times a year (ideally change passwords every 90 days). More often than I’d like I’m confronted by a client who finds that passwords are too much of an inconvenience. Even if you only have one computer at least put a password on it to keep the kids out.
  2. Not using your computer? Log out or shut it down. Before we became so environmentally conscious it was customary to always leave business computers on to allow for operating system updates and remote access but in today’s world if your aren’t going to remote into your workstation over the weekend shut it down. If you are going to use the machine at least log out to break the direct link to the server and your user profile.
  3. When was the last time you updated and ran your antivirus or antimalware software? Yes I know that these applications are automated but other than just a maintenance check are they running properly?
  4. Do you have a personal software firewall installed on your computer? Many of us laptop users are at home sitting at the neighborhood coffee shop. Although the major coffee vendors include some sort of authentication and have monitored systems most local coffee houses do not; which gives rise to a concern for added hacking security. Most major personal antivirus and personal firewall vendors now offer Internet security products which include anti-virus, anti-spam, and firewall protection. I like the additional firewall protection but it requires that you learn how to use it as to not block you favorite programs. I’ll discuss this more next month.

With the convenience of the Internet comes added responsibility; quite often the most secure thing you can do is turn off your computer or change your passwords every several months.

Filed Under: Blog, CyberCrime, Maintenance, Network Security Tagged With: , , , , ,

Now is the time for Windows 7

September 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I’ve been using Windows 7 for over a year at this point and after Vista have been quite pleased. Standard practice for many independent IT pros has been to recommend delaying installing new operating systems until many of the kinks had been worked out. In addition, Windows XP does not have a natural migration path to Windows 7, i.e. clean install. My recommendation was for businesses to wait and replace existing Windows XP computers with new Windows 7 machines; but that was last year. What are we doing now?

Recently, I received several requests inquiring about the cost associated with “upgrading” Windows XP workstations to Windows 7. Well, my hourly rates stay fairly standard depending on the tasks but more importantly: Who am I talking to, what kind of business are we talking about, and what is the condition of the workstations and network? I understand the reluctance to exchange information with a stranger but I don’t proceed unless we can meet and those questions are answered. Given my position I thought I’d take the time to outline several issues about installing Windows 7 Business edition.

First off, if you are a business please purchase Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate for your network. These versions allow for more network flexibility and improved network functionality, printing, and security. Yes, I know Costco, Best Buy, and Fry’s have good deals on various home versions on new computers but purchasing the appropriate version saves us all potential problems down the road when you decide to grow your network or install a server to your network. More specifically, let me highlight a few issues that need to be considered before you consider moving to Windows 7 (32 or 64 bit):

  1. There is no Windows 7 upgrade path for the following operating systems:
    1. Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows XP, Windows Vista® RTM, Windows Vista Starter, Windows 7 M3, Windows 7 Beta, Windows 7 RC, or Windows 7 IDS.
    2. Windows NT® Server 4.0, Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server® 2003, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2008 R2.
  2. Supported upgrade paths:
From Windows Vista (SP1, SP2) Upgrade to Windows 7
Business Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate
Enterprise Enterprise
Home Basic Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate
Home Premium Home Premium, Ultimate
Ultimate Ultimate

  1. Is your current computer hardware adequate to run Windows 7? I know that your computer is labeled Vista compatible but will all Windows 7 features work? Take time to explore the Windows 7 system requirements. Better yet Microsoft has supplied a tool, Windows 7 Upgrade Advisory tool, this can save you research time and point out hardware limitations and possible hardware upgrades if necessary.
  2. Included in the hardware requirements is driver support for network adapters and video cards. The advisory tool should inform you of this factor but if there is any doubt, check with the hardware vendor and download the appropriate driver before you begin you upgrade or installation. Believe me this will save you quite a lot of time and hassle.
  3. Whether you upgrade or perform a clean install, check to make sure that your favorite line of business software and other applications will work with Windows 7. This is particularly important if you move from 32 to 64 bit hardware. In addition to going to the vendor support website, use your favorite search engine, explore the experiences of other users, and call the vendor if there is any doubt. There is nothing more sad than listening to a client who has their major database in dos, Excel 2000, or FoxPro but doesn’t realize this until they upgraded their entire network and all of their business is dependent on this software. Do you buy the upgrade version of your software; migrate the database to new software; have new software built or start from scratch and manually re-input a lifetime of customer and inventory information?
  4. Whether you are doing a clean install or an upgrade it is essential that you backup your data before you begin. Note: backup will include all of your documents and data but not applications (programs). Also note, that Windows XP backup is not compatible with Windows 7. If you use third party backup tools make sure they are compatible with Windows 7. To facilitate the backup of data prior to moving to Windows 7, Microsoft provides the “Easy Transfer Tool”.
  5. For more complete information about “Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7“, see http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/help/upgrading-from-windows-xp-to-windows-7.

I’ll talk about early adoption later but from here on out as businesses purchase new computers or look to upgrade their networks, Windows 7 is going to be the operating system of choice. Fear of change should not be a guideline as you move forward but advance planning should be your mantra.

Filed Under: Blog, Business Tools, Microsoft, Network Assessment, Operating Systems, Windows 7 Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Corey’s Corner | Avoiding Scammers

August 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Usually I write about getting your website up and running. I’m going to take a little detour this time around and talk about a persistent and seemingly never ending problem them plagues businesses and private residences alike: scammers/spammers.

We’ve all gotten the gibberish emails, the “male enhancement”, Russian dating and Nigerian prince emails. We all know they’re spam and opening them or downloading a file from them can spell our computer or network’s doom. Did you know, however, about Tab Nabbing? I sure didn’t. Apparently, the new way scammers get your information is by opening a new tab with a dummy site loaded in it mimicking Amazon.com or your bank website. The goal is to trick you into putting your information into the fake site and giving the scammers your password. With that in hand, they can drain your account, buy expensive items, or, in the case of Facebook and your email, send distressed emails to the people in your address book asking for money to get you out of a jam.

With new scams being born every minute in cyberspace, it’s hard to keep up with all the possible dangers. Just this last weekend, I received an email telling me that one of my friends on Facebook recommended a page. I clicked on the link and thankfully nothing happened. I heard later that day from that same friend letting me know that his account had been hacked, and that any emails from him via Facebook should be ignored. (I of course immediately changed my password and kept vigilant for any unusual activity on my account for the next week or so.) With all these new dangers being born any moment, what can we do to keep our information safe?

Two excellent tips offered by scambusters.org is to always pay attention to the icons in your browser. For secures sites such as bank sites, Amazon.com, etc, the padlock, located on the lower right side for many browsers, should be lit up. Also, the URL should look like it normally does. (ie Amazon.com/a long string of characters that allow you to log in.) If the URL doesn’t look right, or you are suspicious, re-enter the URL. If you’re super paranoid, like me, you can also search for the company using Google or Bing. Search Engines are usually pretty good at not recognizing dummy URLs, and Google especially is harsh on scammers when it can. So when in doubt, simply close the tab and try to get to the site in another way. Another excellent resource is snopes.com. You can search urban legends, chain letters and many other possibly shady things using their database of information. They also usually have fairly up to date information on new scams.

While it’s hard to keep on top of keeping your information safe in cyberspace, vigilance is key. While the internet can seem like an endless playground of information, toys and entertainment, you can never let yourself forget that there are people out there that will take your information and use it for nefarious purposes if they can get a hold of it. Pay attention, close tabs when you aren’t using them, and you should be all right.

Filed Under: Blog, Corey's Corner, CyberCrime, Network Security Tagged With: , , , ,

BizSpark! Do you qualify for free Microsoft Software?

May 18, 2010 By 2 Comments

A friend pointed out to me that for entrepreneurs and startups that are working on developing new online tools there is a Microsoft resource that can provide support for new businesses. I don’t qualify for a number of reasons but I thought I’d make you aware of BizSpark; a Microsoft initiative aimed at assisting startups and young entrepreneurial businesses. Not only do they have the opportunity to work with the latest tools, but Microsoft also provides technical support, assess to the MS Azure platform, and training in good business practices. You’ll find answers as to how it works, what you’ll get, and how to qualify at the following link:  http://www.bizspark.com

Filed Under: Blog, Microsoft, Online Tools, Resource Center Tagged With: , , ,

Facebook’s In Trouble Again!

May 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

In case anyone missed the fact the Senate was concerned over some of Facebook’s new changes such as “instant personalization”, Tech Crunch has an excellent article detailing the Senate’s concerns as well as providing the original letter to Facebook and Facebook’s reply:

Tech Crunch on Facebook vs The US Senate

Filed Under: CyberCrime, Network Security, Social Media Tagged With: , , , ,

We don’t collaborate!

April 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Often when I talk to small businesses about collaboration, I’m told “we don’t collaborate” and I stand there with my mouth open. I think of how many emails are sent trying to finalize a report, update an inventory list, review a plan, etc. Email is immediate which makes us feel good because we got “it” off our desk or checked off our list and now we are ready for “next”. But email isn’t efficient, personal, intuitive or secure. Assuming that our email was received we are always waiting for the response. I think of collaboration as more than just sharing information; collaboration is working together on a common problem with a common goal, and tools. Our dependence on technology is sometimes like the “forest for the trees”; we forget the importance of personal communication to our business.

The real question of collaboration is whom do you work with and what is the nature of that relationship? Often current communications and information share approaches are impersonal and static. We download poor quality deck pages from presentation power point slides with limited or no context. The opportunity to work with someone on a project is a means to develop a relationship which could mean a more cohesive staff or better working relationship with a colleague or client. We believe that stronger working relationships make for more cohesive businesses and business relationships. Let’s look at those relationships more closely.

Whom do you share or work with? The obvious answer is our office or company colleagues. The more business minded of us expand these networks to include clients and some vendors engaging with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, MeetUp, BizNik, etc. What other relationships do you seek? In order to publish this blog, I collaborate with a content manager and a technical adviser. If you are a web designer and spend time complaining about a client who can’t get content to you, have you considered working with a copy writer who can assist the client to firm up their content and meet deadlines? Also, do you know a good cartoonist or graphic illustrator to shore up your weak areas?

I have a friend Aaron Lind, www.executive-data.com, who markets time keeping systems; of course he markets to employers but he also partners with accountants and payroll services. The issue isn’t the technology but who can he work with. If you are a real estate agent, in addition to a good client and mortgage company, what level of rapport do you have with home inspectors, home repair specialists, home stagers, plumbers, electricians, painters, carpet cleaners, and commercial and residential cleaning services? Can you think of more examples?

As the “cloud” grows, more tools will become available for all types of businesses. the option for small businesses to grow through collaboration is enormous as more niches are created from specialty skills and unique relationships. Technology, the tool, is a fact of business life and a critical investment for your business but in growing your business I challenge you to examine your concept of collaboration. Review the list categories and members in your social and business networking groups, who can you, share with? Can you create a unique niche in which to market?

Filed Under: Blog, Business Tools, Online Tools, Social Media

Recognize and avoid fraudulent e-mail to Microsoft customers

April 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Below is a message included in the latest Microsoft security bulletin:

If you receive an e-mail message that claims to be distributing
a Microsoft security update, it is a hoax that may contain
malware or pointers to malicious Web sites. Microsoft does
not distribute security updates via e-mail.

To receive automatic notifications whenever Microsoft Security
Bulletins and Microsoft Security Advisories are issued or revised,
subscribe to Microsoft Technical Security Notifications on
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/notify.mspx.

Please make sure all of your staff is aware of this matter.

Filed Under: CyberCrime, Microsoft, Network Security, Security News Tagged With: , , ,

Are Cyber Criminals Stealing from You?

March 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

How redundant can we be regarding safe Internet communicating and web browsing? As much as we preach maintenance, I’ve noticed that in the current year all of our clients have had at least one malware infected computer; granted, most of those infected machines have been laptops which are used out of the office but no one environment has been safe from infection. Quite often I’m asked what spammers, hackers, and other malcontents hope to gain. In the old days, the purpose was a tech arrogance and a sense of dominance and destruction, you know, striking out against Microsoft and the corporate world. At some level we seemed to put up with cyber vandals and their ilk but so much for computer bad boys and girls. That complacency has opened the doors for cyber criminals who seek to steal your personal information: i.e., social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account information, and passwords. This criminal assault has increased not only with spam and infected websites but also with instant message programs and social network sites, not to mention file sharing sites.

More specifically, recently I was discussing this matter with John Joynt, Manager of Data Network Services for NPower, a non-profit organization which provides technology support to non-profits in this area. He related a story of one of their long time clients, Evergreen Children’s Association, which had $30,000 removed from their checking account. Please read the full story in the NPower Blog, http://community.npowerseattle.org/npowering/cyber-theft-p1/. Better yet please review the NPower blog periodically about security and tech tips. In addition to the story, John turned me on to a couple of security sites that you might find helpful:

On the other hand, you know that there is danger out there and you work at being careful. Yet you still get infected, so what do you do? At this point your existing antivirus didn’t catch the culprit in time and you need to run a removal tool. I’ve found the following utilities helpful most of the time:

Free removal utilities

Free Antivirus Utilities

Online Scanners

No system is immune to pirates and scalawags but I think these tools can help. Download a tool of your choice and run a scan on your system. If you are infected, restart your computer in “Safe Mode with Networking”, disable “system restore”, update the tool of your choice, and run a scan. If your system is clean, restart in normal mode and run a second scan or two; if you are still clean, enable “system restore”. If you can’t restart in “safe mode” or install or update the removal definitions on your removal utility, either find a tech who will spend the time to find a way to remove the infection or, best yet, reformat your hard drive and reinstall. Find your re-installation media now and backup or image your computer tonight.

Filed Under: Anti Virus, CyberCrime, Malware Software, Network Security, Online Tools Tagged With: , , , , ,
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