Survey Shows Unified Communications Can Provide the Flexibility to Drive Productivity
TMCnet.com (03/31/08) ; Campbell, Susan J.

Employees that are out of the office unexpectedly as a result of bad weather or personal needs can potentially cost small businesses nearly $20,000 a year in lost productivity, according to a recent survey conducted by Avaya. In addition to employees that are out of the office because of bad weather or other problems, there are also many employees who are working away from their primary place of employment at least once in awhile, whether it is at home on the weekend or in an airport waiting for a flight, said Chuck Wilsker, the president and CEO of The Telework Coalition. He noted that small businesses are beginning to realize that these employees can be productive wherever they are, as long as they have the right technology. One technology that can help employees be productive when they are not in the office is Unified Communications technology. According to Ray Boggs, the vice president of small/medium business and home office research at IDC, technology such as Unified Communications allows small companies to have remote workers, which in turn allows them to provide their customers with the kind of sales and customer support that previously could be provided by only the largest companies. In addition, Unified Communications give employees more flexibility and more time to focus on company business. For example, an employee can answer a call coming into his office phone from his cell phone. Meanwhile, employees working from home can access company systems from their computers. Capabilities such as these help to increase productivity.
http://hdvoice.tmcnet.com/topics/unified-communications/articles/
24223-survey-shows-unified-communications-provide-flexibility-dri
ve-productivity.htm

Spyware a Barrier to Small Business Productivity
eChannelLine Daily News (03/30/08) ; Pickett, Patricia

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) says small businesses are being severely challenged by spyware infections. A recent survey commissioned by CompTIA found that more than one in four end users said their productivity was affected by a spyware infection during the past six months. The survey was conducted by Kotler Marketing Group and comprised 537 non-IT employees at small businesses with 10 to 200 computer users. CompTIA's Director of Corporate Communications Steven Ostrowski, said much of the problem can be attributed to lack of training. Users frequently do not know safe computing methods like emailing properly, or not opening certain email attachments. Respondents estimated that their productivity fell by 21 percent when the spyware issue was initially detected and further fell to 32 percent when the problem peaked. Providers of managed security or email services might help businesses focus on their usual activities without having to worry about potential spyware infections, Ostrowski suggested. CompTIA also surveyed 200 IT professionals who work at small firms, and found that computer support professionals spent an average of 2.8 labor hours on each spyware-infected PC.
http://www.echannelline.com/usa/story.cfm?item=23096

Remote Access Solutions Enable 'Web Commuting' for Small Businesses
TMCnet.com (03/24/08) ; Kowalke, Mae

Citrix Online president Brett Caine discusses how small companies are employing remote access and collaboration solutions to increase productivity. He says on-demand collaboration systems such as GoToMyPC and GoToMeeting allow employees to access their computers from any location and communicate with colleagues whenever they want over the Internet. Caine says current remote employees have a varied toolkit, mostly made up of Internet-fueled technology. These tools enable them to conduct Internet meetings for small groups collaboration and instruction, perform web conferencing for bigger group presentations, and offer or get remote technical assistance. He notes that since a lot of these technologies are simple and inexpensive, small firms can now compete in a manner that was not possible previously, when such technologies were costly, complex, and just available to big corporations. Caine thinks that over the coming three to five years, a growing number of entrepreneurs will initiate new companies because they will be able to make use of Web technology to spur their corporate success. He stresses that Web commuting is very easy to do, and that firms can take part by enacting protocols that foster remote working and offer staff the Web-commuting toolkit that will help them function from any location.
http://www.tmcnet.com/green/articles/23617-remote-access-solution
s-enable-web-commuting-small-businesses.htm

People Play a Role in Malware Prevention
Small Business Computing (03/21/08) ; Chin, Paul

Computer-security expert Paul Chin says employees can help protect their computer networks from being infiltrated by malware. He recalls how a massive computer-hacker ring was recently discovered near where he works in Quebec, which impacted almost 1 million computers in 100 nations, and produced approximately $45 million in damages. While implementing anti-malware software is beneficial, Chin stresses that other steps need to be taken. Malware is often created by workers who do not use the most fundamental of preventive initiatives, and take part in dangerous computer activities. They open unsolicited email messages or links from individuals they do not know. In addition, they click on suspect Web sites, fall victim to phishing plots pretending to be a bank or other seemingly legitimate institution, and they download and erect bootleg software infiltrated by risky entities. Anti-malware software needs to be combined with basic security computing measures and common sense. "It's up to you to prevent [malware] from adversely affecting your productivity and mental well-being, or at the very least, minimizing [its] effects," Chin concludes.
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/news/article.php/3735896

Attention, Bloggers
Wall Street Journal (03/17/08) P. R5 ; Banjo, Shelley

Because many small firms are unable to cultivate mass marketing budgets to execute their branding and marketing strategies, many of these companies are turning to blogging and social media sites to effectively and inexpensively market their products to consumers through product profiles. To use the blogosphere effectively, companies first must identify which blogs are read by its target audience, which can be accomplished via Technorati.com or blogsearch.google.com. Next, small firms can either buy advertising or ask blogs or consumer sites to review company products. One firm, Sumo Lounge International, saw its request for a product review rejected by blogEngadget.com, but later the blog offered three months of advertising in exchange for 20 Sumo bean bags for the blogEngadget offices. Another option for small firms is to become a blog participant through either consistent comments on pages or by linking to target blogs. Becoming an active participant in the blogging conversation is vital, as bloggers are more likely to write about a product if a company representative has posted comments on their page. "Getting a blogger to write about your company before you participate on their blog is like asking a person to marry you without a first date," says Denise Wakeman, co-founder of the Blog Squad, a consulting firm that advises businesses on how to use blogs as part of an online marketing strategy.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120526706660828097.html

Beat the Clock
Business Week SmallBiz (Quarter1, 2008) P. 56 ; Gutner, Toddi

Time management can help managers maximize their productivity in a time when emails, sudden problems, and scheduled projects compete for attention. Experts say that cluttered managers should follow "The D System," which requires every document or email to be dealt with immediately so that managers handle each document only once to reduce wasted time. Experts also recommend that managers develop time budgets daily to ensure they remain on task for what needs to be completed in a given day and how much time each task needs. These time budgets can provide managers with an overview of their tasks and how long it takes them to complete specific tasks, so that future tasks can be planned out more efficiently. Experts also indicate the most difficult or involved tasks should be scheduled for managers when they are the most alert. It is estimated that over 25 percent of a manager's workday is spent dealing with unplanned interruptions, with the average interruption keeping a manager from their original task for 25 minutes. Managers should consider these interruptions for a minute or two, then schedule to handle it another time if it does not require immediate attention. Managers also will want to schedule time during their day where interruptions are not allowed, encouraging them to finish the most important work at hand. In the final minutes of the day, managers should be planning out the next day's schedule.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_62/s0802056627649
.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_best+of+smallbiz+magazine

Protecting the Mobile Workforce
PCWorld.com (03/07/08) ; Maclachlan, Gareth

There are more than 300 mobile-device viruses in existence. Corporate security initiatives should consider security threats to mobile devices that are both inside and outside of the business, while permitting a comprehensive effort that includes personalization and additional access controls. Companies are the most at-risk of their mobile devices contracting viruses for three reasons, the first being that businesses usually utilize one or two kinds of phones. In addition, workers have similar address books, and are therefore more likely to think an email or MMS from a colleague is safe. Lastly, not many workers are required to study their bills, so significant MMS and SMS spending is ignored. CIOs need to involve their mobile operators when devising a security protocol, which needs to include, and is tailored, for all levels of the company. Numerous CIOs may also want to install customizable controls. Mobile security needs to be incorporated with all other security to work efficiently, and CIOs who take action now can ward off potential problems.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/143225/protecting_t
he_mobile_workforce.html