How to: Buy a VoIP System
PC World (08/07) ; Vercillo, Kathryn

Companies would likely benefit from Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems if they frequently place long-distance calls, have multiple offices, or employ remote workers. Using a computer to place phone calls over the Internet not only lowers long-distance telephone bills but also permits voice mail messages to be sent as email. When selecting a VoIP system, only the smallest companies should consider systems intended for consumers, which require a VoIP subscription service, a basic landline, and a broadband Internet connection. Most companies should opt for a business-class system that connects numerous offices in different locations to one line. After choosing the type of system that best meets their needs, companies must decide between an on-site solution that charges per line or a hosted offering that charges per call. Companies may be able to purchase IP-enablement software to upgrade their existing phone systems, but those in need of new equipment will have to buy a Private Branch Exchange system, landline phones, software to make fax machines and other office equipment VoIP compatible, and laptops for mobile workers to make Internet calls in the field. In addition, they must ensure that their networks have enough bandwidth to handle both voice and data traffic. When figuring out how much the system will cost, companies should take into account equipment, training, maintenance, support, and anticipated savings in terms of productivity gains and lower phone bills.
http://www.pcworld.com/printable/article/id,135915/printable.html

Big Files, Not Big Headaches
Small Business Computing (08/24/07) ; Moran, Joseph

Large files sent via e-mail often fail to be delivered because the message exceeds the size limitations of the recipient's e-mail service provider. The size limitation allows service providers to control the amount of server storage space and network bandwidth the e-mail consumes. Gmail, Verizon, and Yahoo allow e-mail of up to 20 MB in size, but a dozen JPEG photos can easily exceed the limit, and a ZIP file will provide little relief. Nonetheless, large files as e-mail attachments can be sent using other options, such as Web-based services that host your files and let the recipient use a browser to download them. Senduit allows users to send files up to 100 MB without advance registration and provides a special URL for automatic expiration that you paste to the e-mail, and YouSendIt offers the same limit and asks for the recipient's e-mail address so it can automatically send a message with a link to your file. MailBigFile has a 100 MB limit as well, but users have to register and it does not offer secure uploading for the free version. DropSend accommodates files up to 1 GB, requires registration, limits file sends to five per month, and charges for secure uploading.
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/3696021

Analyzing with Excel
Small Business Computing (08/23/07) ; Bradley, Helen

Excel is a useful tool for assessing the impact of such things as a new product, modified budget numbers, or two different leases. Excel's Scenario manager tool lets users make side-by-side comparisons via spreadsheets. This is accomplished by first using information to make calculations to serve as the basis for the assessment, typically called a model. For a product-pricing calculator, for example, it would be necessary to name the cells in the worksheet to that a description of the necessary information can be seen. This requires the user to select the model's entire data area and choose "Insert, Name, Create." The "Left Column" checkbox should be selected while all other checkboxes should be disabled. By clicking "OK", the cells in column C are named. Next, cell C4 needs to be clicked, and "Tools, Scenarios" is chose, and "Add" is clicked to add a new scenario. By clicking in the "Changing Cells" box and holding the "Control" key while clicking on every cell to change data that is altered with each scenario. A Scenario dialog can be added to the toolbar by right-clicking a toolbar and selecting the "Customize" tab, followed by "Commands." Side-by-side reports can be viewed by choosing "Tools" and then "Scenarios" and clicking the "Summary" button. Next, select the "Scenario Summary" option and click the "Results Cells" box.
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/369595
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It's Easy and Relatively Cheap: Back Up Your Computer
San Francisco Chronicle (08/27/07) ; Abate, Tom

There are many ways to back up personal computers without having to shell out hundreds and dollars. Backing up files is a habit that should be followed, and there are a myriad of options available: Yahoo Mail offers free, unlimited storage space for data files while Photobucket.com grants users the option to share and store photos. Hand-held flash drives are a convenient way to keep data on-hand, while sites such as Mozy.com's storage options provide customers with an inexpensive offering that chief operating officer Vance Checketts says has a considerably low rate of data loss. Since there is no insurance against loss from online services, customers should also create physical records of the stored data. Ben Castro of disk-drive manufacturer Seagate Technology says that individuals should back up their data on physical drives twice the size of their current drives, while ensuring that the backup is not in the same place as the original to safeguard against fire, theft, or vandalism. A Harris Interactive survey revealed that 39 percent of residential PC users rank photos as the form of data they would most regret losing, while 21 percent cited email and documents as their biggest loss.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/27/BUAGR
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Working Outside the Main Office: Developing Back-Office Solutions for Remote Locations
Accounting Software 411 (08/07) ; Lindsley, Fred O.

The ability to work at home or elsewhere can enable employees to take vacations while still remaining connected to the office. Software and hardware innovations now make it easier for employees, even those is small firms, to work remotely. The first step companies should take is to select the relevant back-office solutions as well as an exchange and/or terminal server to coordinate software programs, appointments, billing information, and other important data. Next, the company needs to make sure there are sufficient firewalls and security measures in place to protect client information. It is also important that the entire organization support and get involved in the effort. For solo practices, an exchange server will not be needed because vendors offer several ways to connect office desktops to a home computer or PDA. However, it may be necessary to work with an IT professional who can guide purchase decisions, install software, and oversee the system.
http://www.accountingsoftware411.com/Press/Insider/InsiderArticle
View.aspx?iid=1010&docid=8846

Time Is Money
Accounting Technology (08/07) Vol. 23 , No. 7 , P. 22 ; Alexander, Antoinette

About 50 percent of CPA firms have not yet implemented what Thomson Tax & Accounting Practice CS product manager Matt Jagst calls a "true time and billing application." According to Jagst, one of the biggest challenges is convincing firms that more focus on time and billing is not a "necessary evil" but will help accountants serve their clients more efficiently. The Kennett Square, Pa.-based CPA firm Fenstermacher & Co. manually logged time and billing until 2001, when it adopted LexisNexis' Time Matters--a move that partner W. Chad Fenstermacher claims dramatically boosts revenue year by year. Many software vendors, including Thomson Tax & Accounting, are merging time and billing with CRM, with Thomson's Practice CS offering client activity records, billing, prospecting, and cross-selling. Others, such as BQE Software, are striving to conjoin workflow software with time and billing software. Still, many users primarily desire an interface that is flexible, as well as compatibility with Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office, and such accounting programs as QuickBooks.
http://www.webcpa.com/article.cfm?articleid=24864&pg=acctech

Your Memory in a Flash
Entrepreneur (08/01/07) ; Hogan, Mike

Flash memory increasingly is being used to increase the performance of portable computers using Windows Vista and Microsoft Office Suite 2007. About a half-dozen leading laptops will be equipped with hybrid hard drives (HHDs) by 2009 now that NAND Flash memory has dramatically dropped in price, says iSuppli principal analyst for computer platforms Matthew Wilkins. HHDs currently on the market include Samsung's MH80 and Seagate's Momentus 5400 PSD, both of which offer 160 GB of storage and 256 MB of flash memory and use SATA connectors to link to portable devices. Also available are solid state disks, which transfer data at top speeds but are more expensive than HHDs and offer just 32 GB of storage.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2007/august/181
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