Quad-Core Processors: Do Small Businesses Need Them?
Small Business Computing (10/23/07) ; Robb, Drew

Both Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) and Intel Corp. have released quad-core server processors, which aim to boost performance above dual-core and single-core processors. AMD's Opteron and Intel's Xeon quad-core processors are available in low-power versions designed for small businesses, but some analysts wonder whether it is sensible for small firms to move to quad-core. "Very few applications are written to take advantage of that many cores," says Gartner Inc. analyst John Enck. "What are small businesses going to run on a quad-core server that can use that kind of capacity?" Experts say those with virtualized applications or high-performance systems would benefit the most from quad-core processors. Intel also has rolled out quad-core laptop and desktop processors, and AMD will follow suit later this year. While Bob Brewer, chief vice president for marketing and strategy at AMD, says small businesses would see productivity gains from quad-core desktop processors, he thinks dual-core laptop processors will meet most of their needs.
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/news/article.php/3706741

Embracing Technology Will Help Small Companies Thrive
Ottawa Sun (10/18/07) ; Harston, P.J.

Small businesses have discovered the importance of technology in improving customer service, boosting productivity, and increasing earnings. Wireless local area networks are popular among small businesses, says Cisco Systems Canada Vice President David De Abreu. He believes person-to-person video will become more commonplace as more businesses focus on collaboration, as it will enhance communications and reduce travel costs. De Abreu calls technology a must-have for small businesses, but he notes that "technology can't drive their business, the business should drive the technology."
http://www.ottawasun.com/Money/2007/10/18/4585099-sun.html

Free Software for the SMB
Ecommerce Times (10/16/07) ; Germain, Jack M.

Small businesses have access to a number of free software applications from open source vendors. These include the OpenOffice productivity suite, with spreadsheet, word processing, and database applications similar to those in Microsoft Office; Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007; Kryptiva for email encryption; and Journyx Timesheet for expense management, project control, customer invoicing, and payroll processing. Other free applications that might be useful to small businesses are VistaPrint for business cards, OrgPlus Live for organizational charts, and Spiceworks IT Desktop for network inventory and monitoring and other systems and IT management tasks. According to Liferay.com CEO Bryan Cheung, "It's definitely possible to run an entire small business on nothing but free applications." However, before opting for free software, small businesses should ensure the applications offer adequate support and do not impose fees after a specified introductory period. Open source software can be customized based on a company's needs, but they might not make sense for small businesses without the resources necessary for customization, training, support, and maintenance. Small firms also have access to ad-supported applications, which are made available at no cost for users willing to view advertisements.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/sAph3Jmj9q6uFe/Free-Software-
for-the-SMB.xhtml

IM & Texting Are Here to Stay
Processor (10/12/07) Vol. 29 , No. 41 , P. 1 ; Millard, Elizabeth

Companies remain concerned about the security of instant messaging (IM) but are hesitant to ban the technology's use for fear of productivity declines. Many workers prefer communicating internally and with vendors and others via IM, rather than play phone tag or wait for email responses. Companies also are discovering that it is not feasible to try to block IM because service providers "change the protocol randomly because they know corporate IT departments are trying to stop them," says Akonix Systems Vice President of Marketing Don Montgomery. Despite the cost-savings associated with Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and other consumer IM products, many firms are installing such enterprise applications as Jabber or Microsoft Office Live. Experts say companies are paying closer attention to IM because of the security breaches, intellectual property losses, and compliance issues associated with unmanaged IM. Companies are less concerned about text messaging because they cannot attach or transmit files and are not governed by any regulations or legal mandates. Still, Montgomery believes text messaging could be pushed to the forefront due to IM restrictions, considering that a shift to IM occurred after email regulations were instituted.
http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?Article=articles/p
2941/20p41/20p41.asp&GUID=