SaaS Options Demand Discipline from SMBs
SearchSMB.com (08/20/07) ; Pombriant, Denis

Small businesses have an array of options from which to choose when it comes to Software as a Service (SaaS) applications. To ensure they make wise investments, Beagle Research Group LLP founder and managing principal Denis Pombriant encourages them to first figure out which business processes should be automated--a process that lowers costs and facilitates deployment. They should compare the offerings of different providers not only when it comes to price but also such components as anticipated disaster recovery time, data center mirroring, extra fees, and the service-level agreement. Small business owners also would be wise to compare SaaS offerings to traditional software, as total ownership costs for traditional software have dropped in recent years. Finally, they should negotiate on price and request that the service contract include a cap on price increases when the agreement is renewed.
http://searchsmb.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid44_gci1268762,00.
html

Blog It and They May Come
Wall Street Journal (08/20/07) P. R5 ; Needleman, Sarah E.

Small businesses launch blogs to provide information about their products and services, answer client questions, generate consumer feedback, and boost traffic to their Web sites. Many have their position in the search engine rankings in mind, as blogs with frequently updated content are closer to the top of the list. According to Washington, D.C.-based corporate blogging consultant Debbie Weil, "A blog can help you…establish your credibility and expertise, and that is what encourages people to click and buy." Business increased for forensic accountant Tracey Coenen and her private Milwaukee-based practice Sequence Inc. when she added her Fraudfiles blog to the company's Web site. After recording a 31 percent jump in revenue from 2005 to 2006, Coenen anticipates a 50 percent surge in revenue from 2006 to 2007. However, blogging takes time, with Coenen devoting about 45 minutes each day to posting news and other content.
http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB118712944622997734.html

Small Businesses Develop Disaster Plans
Data Storage Today (08/16/07) ; Rosenberg, Joyce M.

Though many small businesses still lack extensive disaster plans, some have updated existing plans to incorporate lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans-based Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group's two-page disaster plan that spelled out the location of supplies and called for windows to be boarded up and sandbags to be laid out did little to protect the company from the catastrophic 2005 storm. Ralph Brennan Executive Vice President Charlee Williamson says the company's updated plan features "an elaborate implementation schedule" that involves closely monitoring the storm and taking particular steps each day that it moves closer. In regards to technology, the company has given its workers cell phones with Idaho area codes, moved insurance policies and other crucial documents and data online, and created an online message board to facilitate employee communications. Technology also plays a major role in the disaster plans for Thorp & Co., a public relations firm based in Miami. Founder Patricia Thorp has purchased phones that operate without electricity, installed a generator, contracted with a remote PC access service, and backed up data with an out-of-state provider. "We all take it much more seriously than we used to--we never had a hurricane before where you could just throw your cell phone away because it was unusable," says Thorp.
http://www.data-storage-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=100009NE42
X0&nl=6

World Party
Entrepreneur (08/01/07) ; Hogan, Mike

With such VoIP services as Cordia, Globe Dialer, JaJah, Pingo, and Rebtel, mobile workers armed with cell phones save upwards of 90 percent on international calls. In addition to whatever plan minutes they eat up, users will spend just two cents to 25 cents per minute. These services differ from the Skype VoIP service in that calls do not merge computer connections and wired services. They use a variety of methods to eliminate the use of cellular networks, and callers must endure some hassles in order to save money. Those who use Rebtel are given local numbers, as are their contacts, which are used to handle cell calls via the Web. Software downloads are necessary to use JaJah or Globe Dialer, and local or toll-free access numbers and prepaid calling cards are required to use Pingo. Callers using Cordia, meanwhile, are forwarded calls from their overseas contacts, who are given toll-free numbers to place the calls.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2007/august/181
726.html

IP-Based Telephone Systems Help Companies Implement Business Continuity Plans
TMCnet.com (08/16/07) ; Kowalke, Mae

All of the businesses polled by IDC in 2006 about business continuity and storage said they planned to shell out more money on such solutions. Business continuity has become an important issue for companies, as they need to remain accessible to customers at all times, even after natural disasters or terrorist attacks. According to IDC analyst Martin Hingley, "Business continuity is further up the corporate agenda than it has ever been and is no longer being viewed as a necessary burden but as an opportunity to increase productivity, retain customers, and gain revenue." Experts believe companies should include IP-based telephone systems in their business continuity plans. Such features as off-site call forwarding enable staff to handle business when the office is shut down.
http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/telephone-systems/articles/9652-ip
-based-telephone-systems-help-companies-implement-business.htm

Virtual Worlds: The Next Enterprise Risk?
NewsFactor Network (08/10/07) ; Long, Mark

Major corporate players, like Sun Microsystems and IBM, are using virtual worlds to help keep their employees connected. For these companies who have staff working around the globe, virtual worlds can be an invaluable tool. Some IT experts warn, however, that allowing such programs to operate within company firewalls can become a security risk. Since programs, like Second Life, are constantly changing, IT departments routinely have to download new codes often weekly. Allowing access to any outside application at this frequency carries possible security breach exposures. To avoid this problem, employers should consider allowing their staff to access Second Life either on their home computers or through their companies' wireless network, instead of granting the program access behind the corporate firewall. Businesses also should be aware of individuals using Second Life avatars to impersonate employees, which could provide them with a dangerous amount of access to confidential company information. Experts say the only sure way around this risk is to avoid having private business conversations through a virtual world. Businesses looking to circumvent these security risks entirely should consider setting up a virtual world where access is granted only to staff members.
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=54544

A Better Way to Flowchart
CA Magazine (07/07) ; Burns, Michael

Process maps, or flowcharts, have become the preferred method for recording business practices, and they are especially valuable now that business process improvement has become the new corporate catchphrase. Swimlane is a new, graceful, easy-to-learn technique for making flowcharts. Swimlane flowcharts use horizontal rectangles, or lanes, to separate the tasks appointed to each business person, department, or location. Swimlanes reveal who is doing what, and in what order. Because each role is restricted to one lane, the individual accountable for that role can easily tell whether the flowchart accurately represents the process. Designing a swimlane flowchart may take two drafts or, at most, three drafts, because it helps to show results to those involved, and they will likely remember additional steps to include. If using Microsoft Visio to create the swimlane flowchart, select the cross-functional flowchart template. When creating a swimlane, do not use cryptic labels and keep the number of symbols to a minimum, because swimlanes are intended to be straightforward and uncomplicated.
http://www.camagazine.com