Will Outsourcing Your IT Save Time and Money?
Small Business Computing (05/15/07) ; Simonds, Lauren

BizTechReports recently polled senior managers at 164 companies that outsource one or more technology components, as well as senior managers at 162 firms that manage technology in-house. According to the study, small companies that outsource technology spend less money on tech and are more likely to embrace software-as-a-service solutions. They also report fewer technical failures and security breaches. Experts note that small firms are increasingly turning to hosted IT to take advantage of predictable monthly costs, eliminate infrastructure maintenance, and avoid having to make costly upgrades every time a hardware component becomes obsolete.
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/news/article.php/3677826

Keeping the Lights on When Mother Nature Hits
SmartBiz.com (05/07/07) ; Johnston, Eric

To maintain customer satisfaction, data security, profitability, and productivity, small businesses must have a plan to keep their companies up and running when blackouts and brownouts occur. Short-term battery power, also known as an Uninterruptible Power Supply, to run computers and small servers and safeguard against power surges cost as little as $100. Also available are such peripherals as flash memory, media drives, and mini hard drives. Small businesses are increasingly shelling out $15,000 to $40,000 on 30 kW to 60 kW generators to stay operational for days while waiting for power to return, and some are even purchasing mobile generators to move from one location to another. In the event that they cannot reach the office due to downed power lines or damaged roads, high quality transfer switches would allow the generator to be controlled remotely.
http://www.smartbiz.com/article/articleview/2097/1/58

A Flood of Notebooks
Small Business Computing (05/09/07) ; Simonds, Lauren

The latest laptops take advantage of Intel's new Centrino Duo Processor Technology to boost speed, performance, and battery life. Dell has unveiled its Latitude line--D630, D830, and D531--with such features as encrypted hard drives, built-in mobile broadband, and brighter displays. The D630 and D830, priced from $1,189 and $1,249, respectively, come with Intel Core 2 Duo processors. The D531, priced from $839, is equipped with either the AMD Turion 64 or Sempron processors. Meanwhile, Toshiba has rolled out its Tecra M9 notebook, boasting the Intel Core Duo processor, a 14.1-inch display, and a 120GB hard drive, among other things, for just under $1,800. Lenovo's latest offerings, the ThinkPad T61 and R61, feature the Intel Centrino Pro and Duo platform, as well as a 14.1-inch display, and a Battery Stretch tool that lengthens battery life by disabling radio and Bluetooth capabilities as necessary. The T61 is priced from $1,399, while the starting price for the R61 is $1,249.
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/news/article.php/3676671

Videoconferencing Goes High-Definition
Chicago Tribune (05/14/07) P. 5 ; Van, Jon

Cisco Systems Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. are taking telepresence to the next level, using huge flat-screen displays, cameras, and advanced video and sound technologies to make it appear as though attendees of long-distance meetings are actually in the same room. Videoconferencing systems have dramatically gone down in price, but Teliris Ltd. CEO Marc Trachtenberg says they have an artificial feel that is a turn-off for many businesses. Companies appear to be impressed with the latest telepresence technology. "I've never seen anything like it," says Sir Peter Walters, formerly of British Petroleum, adding that "with [telepresence] you can meet with colleagues face to face." However, cost is a major deterrent, with the life-like rooms accompanied by installation costs as high as $250,000 and monthly operational costs of about $8,000. In contrast, companies can shell out $60,000 on an upscale videoconference room.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0705112129may14,0,3338
610.story?coll=chi-business-hed

Storage: SMBs Need More Than Cheap Software
SearchSMB.com (05/02/07) ; McGillicuddy, Shamus

Gartner Inc. says a recent survey of small and medium-size companies found that 45 percent consider hardware purchases a top priority this year. However, experts urge them not to opt for upscale products that lack support just to take advantage of entry-level prices, as they will ultimately spend more than they anticipated to manage them. "When you think about the amount of data that just keeps increasing at a very rapid pace, management of it is ongoing," says Rob Marten of Mainline Information Systems. "It's not just a one-time thing in service engagement." However, a growing number of vendors are rolling out affordable storage devices for small companies that do not require tech experts to manage them. Others capitalize on staff members' knowledge of frequently used applications by creating an application-level interface.
http://searchsmb.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid44_gc
i1253580,00.html

Backing Up Your SME's Email
Processor (05/04/07) Vol. 29 , No. 18 , P. 9 ; Millard, Elizabeth

Companies would be wise to implement email archiving policies, especially since emails are among the communications requested when lawsuits are filed. The policies must spell out which emails should be saved and which can be deleted, keeping in mind that saving unnecessary emails boosts archiving costs, eats up storage space, and bogs down the search and retrieval process. RPost CEO Zafar Khan notes that policies could differ based on position, with upper management required to save all of their email for a certain period of time. Companies can lower storage costs by opting for a hosted solution, which iConnection Messaging Services Vice President Peter Zimmer says also offers security because the data is stored off-site.
http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles/P
2918/21p18/21p18.asp&guid=

Firm Goes Outside to Keep Its Data Safe
Wall Street Journal (05/07/07) P. B8 ; Covel, Simona

More small businesses are outsourcing their IT services to keep their costs down and safeguard their data. The trend comes at a time when servers and systems are being targeted with greater frequency by cyber criminals. Although outsourcing IT services takes the headache away from small-business managers, finding an outside provider to handle IT security presents its own challenges. "There's a certain amount of trust and education [needed] before you let someone on the outside do something for that issue," says Gary Chen, a senior analyst at Yankee Group. Small businesses able to find outside help have the peace of mind that their IT security needs will be met. Experts say small businesses that decide that outsourcing IT security is for them should first take stock of their personal needs. This includes doing inventory of all of their hardware and software and various employee passwords and their applications. Any reputable outsourced security provider should offer some form of insurance in case of a security breach and be willing to divulge information about its financial health upon request.
http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB117849185682793858.html