Small Business | Briscoe Network Solutions

Robert Crane: Basics of SharePoint Video

June 5, 2010 By Phill Briscoe Leave a Comment

Collaboration is the key to effective business use of the Internet. There are numerous tools both general and specific for business; Microsoft SharePoint is one such business tool. We believe that SharePoint is a good tool for small business owners but recognize that before it is widely accepted more business owners need to understand how to use this tool. Thus we present Robert Crane, a noted SharePoint expert who focuses on the Small Business market; recently he released a full version on his presentation on the basics of using SharePoint. We are adding it to our library of SharePoint presentations. This video and other videos in our library will give you a good orientation on how to use SharePoint.

Basics of using SharePoint

View more videos from Robert Crane.

Filed Under: Business Tools, Office Tools, Sharepoint Tagged With: BNS Services, Busines networking, Microsoft, Resource Center, Sharepoint, small business

BizSpark! Do you qualify for free Microsoft Software?

May 18, 2010 By Phill Briscoe 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: Microsoft, Resource Center, small business, Technology News

Corey’s Corner: I Have a Website, Now What?

April 30, 2010 By CoreyY Leave a Comment

So you’ve taken the plunge and created a website. Now what? Never fear, you’re not alone when it comes to not knowing the next step of internet marketing. My next series of blog posts should help get your mind going in the right direction as well as provide a few resources for you to lean on.

The first thing you should know about internet marketing is that it has very little to do with traditional marketing. This isn’t Valpak or your local newspaper. It’s the world wide internet, and it takes a different thought process to reach your target audience. One of the biggest mental block’s I’ve experienced working with my clients is the jump from a relatively captive audience to being forced to lure in your potential customers. Not only do you need to offer a valuable service, you need to offer it the right way with the right content and vehicle to capture your target demographic.

Step 1: Figure out who you want to target with your website. Everyone wants more sales, but who buys your products? What do you think you would be looking for online if you needed your own services? How would you look for your services? Putting yourself in the customer’s shoes is an excellent way to formulate a plan.

Step 2: Form a cohesive plan. You need to know what your expectations concerning your website are, and then you need to ask yourself what you need to accomplish those goals. This could require the hiring of outside professionals to fill in your knowledge or skill gaps, but we’ll talk about that later. Right now, you’re planning, and hopefully budgeting, for your website.

Another part of the plan is to figure out how your website will connect with your business. Is it meant to be your one and only way to get customers? Do you just want it so customers can see what your brick and mortar store offers? Perhaps you just want to have a web presence for now, and only want to post basic information and contact information. All of these are viable uses of a website, and can help your business. You just need to choose which is right for you, and build your plan around your needs. (Remember, the best part about having something on the internet is that it’s easy to change! Your website can always be updated to change with your needs.)

Step 3: Educate yourself! While it can be frustrating and uncomfortable to acknowledge that you don’t know anything or very little about creating a website, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t know what SEO, Paid Search or Local Search are? Research! Wikipedia can be an excellent resource, as can technical blogs and many other internet resources. In addition to Wikipedia, Google Webmaster Tools has a set of guidelines that are good to know. As they are dense and in what I lovingly call “netspeak”, I do recommend Feedthebot.com, where the guidelines are explained in a more friendly manner. Still confused about what some of the information means? Run unfamiliar words through an online tech dictionary.

I know it sounds and feels a little like researching a paper, but trust me, the better informed you are about the internet, websites and internet marketing, the better off you’ll be. Even if you only know the basics of what some things are and want to hire a professional to take care of it, knowing a little protects you from obvious swindlers that try to trick the unsavvy with doublespeak and buzz words. Avoiding even one of these can save you loads of money and keeps you free to find a good specialist to help you manage your site.

I understand that this post only covers the rudimentary basics of managing your website. See it as a way to readjust your thinking on what this new website is and what it can do for you. There’s a very fine line between taking up real estate on the internet and having a useful, revenue-producing website, and walking that line takes dedication and passion. As long as you care about your internet presence and are willing to put the time in to keeping your website up to date, you’ll do fine.

Filed Under: Corey's Corner, Online Tools Tagged With: Busines networking, Corey's Corner, Resource Center, small business, Social Media

Recognize and avoid fraudulent e-mail to Microsoft customers

April 21, 2010 By Phill Briscoe 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: anti Virus, Microsoft, Network Security, small business

Corey’s Corner | Is Flash Dead?

March 28, 2010 By CoreyY Leave a Comment

You’ve probably already heard about what Apple’s Steve Jobs has to say about Flash already. As explained in numerous blog posts, one linked here to give you the gist of the situation, the Apple guru himself indicated that he felt Flash was dead, and HTML5 was the future, at least for Apple products. He cited that Flash is a “CPU Hog”, and several other unflattering things about the program.

So, no Flash for the iPad. Or the iPhone apparently. Now, what does that mean to the rest of us? While HTML5 is an interesting prospect and an emerging technology for sure, could it actually kill Flash? Not if Adobe, the company that created and continues to develop Flash, has anything to say about it. They’ve already rallied with claims that there aren’t any problems with Flash they are aware of, and that if Apple wants improvements, they need only ask. On top of that, Flash is used so widely throughout the internet, once hailed as the new avant-garde way to design interactive web pages, a gradual phase out could take years.

That said, we have to realize that Flash is indeed an older, matured program. Users have had a chance to give the program limits, and have found what it can and can’t do. HTML5 is new, shiny and can appear limitless. This is what I think Jobs was getting at. It’s not so much Flash not performing the way he wants, but it hasn’t done anything to absolutely wow him lately. HTML5 could be the cutting new wave of the internet, and he doesn’t want Apple to miss out. So far, they’ve managed to squash competition by staying ahead of the game by bringing completed products to market that grab an almost captive fanbase. It could be a legitimate fear that Flash will hold them back while other developers run with HTML5 and create the new internet. Steve Jobs wouldn’t want to miss out on that, and neither should you in the long run. Yet, the big question is: why does this matter to those of us that don’t build websites?

The first is that if you have a website, there is a good chance you have Flash somewhere on it. Remember that slick image that changes the picture when you put your mouse cursor over it, or how your site is more one seamless image than blocks of text with images? Surprise, your site has Flash on it, or another of the interactive animation programs out there, such as Silverlight, offered by Microsoft. If Flash were to suddenly fall out of favor with developers and companies that build products that use the internet, it would mean support for that program would slowly start to drop from browsers and cause customers coming to your site to not see it properly or even at all if your site is more Flash than traditional content such as text. It would cost you money to upgrade your website, and more than likely cause a headache as your web designer tries to recreate the feel you loved with new technology.

Flash isn’t evil, or a dinosaur quite yet. It has its uses, and Adobe could shock and wow us in the near future as they develop the program further. What it means to all of us that use Flash on our websites is that we should be mindful of how dependent your site is on Flash, or really any technology beyond HTML and CSS coding, which should always be supported. If that sentence just now didn’t make any sense to you, talk with your site designer! While you don’t need to know everything there is to know about web design, you should know what it uses to work. It’s the same as knowing how fast your internet connection is, while not going into the details of WHY it’s fast.

All of this falls back on what I would like to accomplish through this blog. Everyone should know the “whys” of owning and maintaining a website, even if they don’t have to time to focus on the “hows”. Just as knowing your network is important, knowing at least vaguely how your site operates can help save you a lot of trouble in the end. Especially if, for instance, Flash is suddenly gone one of these days.

Filed Under: Blog, Browser Apps Tagged With: Busines networking, Corey's Corner, Microsoft, small business, Technology News

Online Backup Vendors: Major Players Lists

March 25, 2010 By Phill Briscoe 1 Comment

In preparation for my last article on online backup, I asked some of my peers what online backup tools they preferred; my intent was to compile a list of most favored by local small business IT support professionals. In true tech fashion I got two suggestions: a reference to other lists and a question regarding capabilities. As I reviewed the lists I was well aware that I was looking for options other than iBackup, which I directly resell, and BackupRX, which I like but thought was priced higher than I thought reasonable for my client base. For you, the consumer, it’s more than likely relevant that I note why IT pros support/partner/resell for a particular vendor(s):

Establishing a secondary source of income is self-evident: It’s simply a good business practice to offer additional value above and beyond IT support.
Familiarity with utilities that a service provider deploys from site to site simplifies and standardizes the support process: using familiar tools eases installation and support maintenance, thus saving time and costs to the client. Further, this standardization makes troubleshooting more efficient site to site over time.
The more familiar a vendor becomes with a reseller the better the vendor technical support when needed.

With that in mind, here is the current online backup matrix I give to clients: (Please note entries marked in red are noted to be most popular for home use.)

Company	Service	Link	Cost: $/Gb/Mo	Contact	Comment
Ibackup*	Online Backup and Storage	https://www.ibackup.com/p=briscoe_network_solutions	$9.95/10GB	1-800-949-355/Reseller	Includes server, PC’s, Linux, Exchange, SQL and Mac’s
Carbonite*	Online Backup for Your Small Business	http://www.carbonitepro.com/	$10/20GB	1-866-596-7988	SQL and Exchange? No Mac or Linux support
Mozy Pro*	Mozy Home and Business backup	http://mozy.com/pro	•Desktop Licenses: $3.95 + $0.50/GB •Server Licenses: $6.95 + $0.50/GB	877.669.9776/Reseller	Includes server, PC’s, Exchange, SQL and Mac’s
BackupRx*	Online Backup Manager	http://www.backuprx.com/	$98/20 GB/Annual	Reseller	Total backup and storage solutions for business offices
Intronis*	Online Backup and Recovery	http://www.intronis.com/download/index.php	Reseller	Online/reseller	I’m currently testing
	Most popular for home computer use
	* Offer free trial.

I don’t mean to imply that my list is the best or most exclusive, but merely that these are the products that I will install or set up trials for my customers. There are other lists which you may find more to your liking:

PC Magazine, “Recommended Online Backup”, http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2288745,00.asp
Online Backup Deals: Online Backup Comparison, http://www.onlinebackupdeals.com/online-backup-comparison

My take is online backup is a good resource for easy backups, quick file recovery, and disaster recovery. That said, I still like to have physical backups for full or bare metal restores. Take your time, do a little research, and you’ll be sure to find a backup that fits both your needs and your budget.

Filed Under: Backup and Security, Backup Software, Maintenance Plans, Online Tools Tagged With: backup, computer maintenance, data backup, Disaster Recovery, Maintenance Plans, Network Assessment, Network Security, small business

Word 2007 Blogging Tip!

March 9, 2010 By Phill Briscoe Leave a Comment

When we started this blog our intent was to provide a resource for small business owners, managers, and staff that would simplify their use of technology from a layperson’s perspective. Meaning, we look to define useful small business technology, provide examples or demonstrations, and “How to’s…”

Currently, I’m in the process of creating a demonstration SharePoint site to not only demonstrate SharePoint but also to aid people wanting to explore the online tools of Microsoft Business Productivity Online Services: “Microsoft Online Services gives your business the powerful productivity capabilities of Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server, Microsoft Office Communications Server, and Microsoft Office Live Meeting —all hosted online and all up and running quickly and easily without the upfront costs of an on-premises deployment”.

In the process I discovered that the Word 2007 blogging tool can directly upload your blog by posting into your blogging client. I hate struggling with formatting in blogging software when I copy and paste notes from Word. Admittedly, most open source software include a tool for inserting Word formatted text, but this is not always a smooth transition; often, this can require editing the html code to correct spacing, insert bullets, bold text, etc.

Well, some of us don’t write html (me) and have to either publish as is, quit the project, or find someone who can edit the html for you (both Chris and Corey write html while I whine). To make a long story short, this blog posting was directly uploaded from Word 2007 to my Word Press site. If this is something that you are interested in doing take a look at these two sites:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA101640211033.aspx?pid=CH100626141033

http://blogs.msdn.com/joe_friend/archive/2006/05/12/595963.aspx.

Filed Under: Blog, Office Tools Tagged With: Microsoft, microsoft word, small business, Technology News, Windows

Are online backups a maintenance solution?

February 20, 2010 By Phill Briscoe 1 Comment

Recently, I had a new client inquire about using online backup as an additional level of redundancy to protect their data. My quick response was I’d compile a list for them to review and make an informed decision. Later, I thought about what considerations go into an informed decision: Storage space? Ease of configuration? Cost per MB/GB? Level of tech support? Below is a list of criteria that I use when reviewing not just backup providers but all software purchases and deployment.

Why online backups?

Hardware and media fail: (external drives, tape, CD’s, flash drives, etc.). If not now, they will sometime in the future. Or you will outgrow the capacity of your media.
Set it and forget it!: No matter what people tell me, as I talk to “solo-preneurs” and small business owners about backup, remembering to schedule backups or change backup media can be a problem. Online backup resolves both of those issues. With online backups scheduled and no media (tapes, CD’s, external hard drives, etc.), the computer needs only to be turned on. Let me repeat that, “With online backups scheduled and no media, the computer needs only to be turned on”! If this is still a problem, some online backup programs will do real-time backups.
Disaster recovery: One of the primary business concerns after hurricane Katrina was how fast a business could get back in action after so much devastation and loss. We know that with a total loss of all business data, customer lists, inventories, etc., many businesses are unable to recover and rebuild. They don’t fail; they die. Data stored in the “cloud”, i.e. online, ensures that business records are not lost, giving businesses a running start to resume. A disaster plan combining either cloud-based applications or backup images for bare metal restore, can mean the difference for a business in a crisis situation being back in operation within days or in some cases hours.
Redundancy: I like using both physical backups, images, and online backups to provide continuous updating of business data because business disasters can come quickly and in many forms, ranging from server failures, fires, floods, or theft. With imaging, a server now can be physically rebuilt in a matter of hours as opposed to days with online restores providing additional data as needed.

Considerations

Internet Failure: In my most paranoid moments I fear that the Internet will be inaccessible, in which case all Internet-based computing solutions will be unavailable. Many assure me that in this day and age the Internet back bone is most stable and secure. Most disaster preparation plans call for three days self-sufficiency while local and governmental disaster response teams evaluate the overall situation. I suggest that telephone, electrical, water, waste, and Internet services could be affected during that time period as well.
Availability and Security: There are two issues concerning database storage: What level of redundancy has the vendor built into their system and where are the data stored? Online backup requires data storage centers that house servers; there must be a system for duplicating the same data between centers and facilitate seamless user access from one or more centers at the same time.Consideration needs to be given as to where those data centers are located and whose data is stored next to yours. On an international scale, various countries have grave concerns if their data are stored in or near an enemy nation and there has been some concern about the physical security of storage facilities located at sea. You might be concerned if your competitor’s data is stored next to yours or whether the storage facility’s level of encryption complies with HIPPA, Sarbanes-Oxley, or other security requirements.
Latency: The time needed to upload large amounts of data can actually take days for a complete backup. This latency is adequate for disaster recovery to ensure no data is lost but the time delay is not suitable for the complete rebuilding of a physical server. To compensate some vendors will allow users to send physical copies of data to resolve the time needed for a complete backup or some vendors will send (next day express) a physical copy of backup data if a complete rebuild of a server is needed.

BNS Online backup criteria:

Simplicity/User interface: My primary concerns are
- How easy is the backup agent (program) to install?
- How much space does it takes up on the hard drive?
- How easy is it to configure and schedule a backup?
- What is the performance impact on computer (Does it slow down your computer?); this is particularly true for real time backups?
- Many online backup services have a risk free trial period which I recommend as a way to answer these initial questions.
Storage capacity and cost: Online backup/storage services operate on a subscription basis with a monthly charge based on the amount of storage, usually with a base minimum of 5 -10 GB. The introductory minimum is always quite inviting from a cost point of view but be clear about how much data needs to be backed up. The more data you store, the more expensive; not to mention the amount of time to complete the initial backup.
What needs to be backed up?: SQL? Exchange? Laptop? For businesses that need to back up database files, the mail server, specialty business applications, Linux files, or Mac computers: make sure that the vendor’s software for backup and data restore is adequate for your use.
Vendor reliability: comes in two forms: Does the company have a good reputation? Find out not only how long they have been in business, but also look at their list awards and articles related to their success. Read those articles not just for accolades! Quite often those articles will also provide a comparison with other service providers as well as “pros” and “cons”.The second level of provider reliability is availability or up time: Do they make a statement or offer a “service level” guarantee of availability, i.e. 99.5% up time? Do they have a plan for up time following a natural disaster?
Technical support: There are many players in the online backup/storage business. Besides the mentioned criteria, I make a pre-sales call to technical support to see how responsive, friendly, and helpful the company is. As Americans we make jokes about talking to tech support from India or the Philippines. Putting our prejudices aside, if you can’t understand the person, the response time is slow, or the tech support person doesn’t have a clue about the product (reading from a script); what is your first impression? The bottom line is: no matter what the price, can you depend on this company to protect the storage of your data?

Filed Under: Backup and Security, Backup Software, Maintenance Plans Tagged With: backup, Basics, BNS Services, Busines networking, computer maintenance, data backup, Disaster Recovery, IT support, Maintenance Plans, Network Maintenance, small business

Windows XP SP2 extended support ending July 13, 2010

February 20, 2010 By Phill Briscoe Leave a Comment

Several weeks ago I got a Microsoft OEM newsletter informing me that Support for Windows XP with SP2 is ending July 13, 2010: “Windows XP SP2 will no longer be the supported service pack level for Windows XP computers. Customers running Windows XP SP2 or a previous version of the OS will need to upgrade to Windows XP Service Pack 3 (or Windows 7).” In short, with the advent of Windows 7, Microsoft’s new OS, Windows XP is now two operating systems away from the current version Microsoft is working on. What does this mean for users? Microsoft has provided the following PDF. (https://partner.microsoft.com/download/global/40126194).

Although I know this document is aimed at the technology professional; I was really looking for a plain English explanation/answer to the questions: Do I need to change? Is it worth it? Officially, mainstream support for Windows XP Professional ended April 4, 2009, but what is the difference between Mainstream support and extended support. Like any legal document it is important to understand the language so you don’t misunderstand. I think the following chart is helpful in providing those definitions:

Support provided	Mainstream Support phase	Extended Support phase
Paid support (per-incident, per hour, and others)	X	X
Security update support	X	X
Non-security hotfix support	X	Requires extended hotfix agreement, purchased within 90 days of mainstream support ending.
No-charge incident support	X
Warranty claims	X
Design changes and feature requests	X
Product-specific information that is available by using the online Microsoft Knowledge Base	X	X
Product-specific information that is available by using the Support site at Microsoft Help and Support to find answers to technical questions.	X	X

Note: A hotfix is a modification to the commercially available Microsoft product software code to address specific critical problems.

From my point of view there is no point using versions of Microsoft software that no longer have extended support because MS no longer provides product or security updates; not to mention paid telephone support. If you are past the extended support phase, it’s best to move to the newest version of Microsoft operating system if only to ensure that you have a stable system with full technical support.