Find the Right Messaging Solution for Work
New York Times (01/22/08)

Instant messaging (IM) is now considered a full-featured business application. Companies have come to rely on IM to keep workers in contact and on task. A policy for acceptable use of chat applications should include guidelines on who will be allowed to use the technology and what is appropriate to discuss over IM. The safety of company communications needs to be emphasized, including whether IM discussions will be using encryption, secure log-ons, or other features. Messaging providers have stepped up their offerings to cater to business needs, adding features like file transfer, voice messages, and mobile capabilities. Before selecting a product, consider how many users you have, which features you require, your existing IT infrastructure, and, your budget. Companies looking for a total IM solution, with all the collaboration, security, and productivity tools wrapped together, may want to invest in an enterprise IM platform. Products such as Microsoft's Live Communications Server, IBM's Lotus Sametime platform, and Novell's GroupWise Messenger all offer integrated IM features. Presence and messaging can be incorporated into other business applications, such as customer resource management (CRM) software or project management applications.
http://www.nytimes.com/allbusiness/AB6197110_primary.html?ref=sma
llbusiness

10 Must-Haves for Your In-Home Office
ABC11TV.com (Raleigh, N.C.) (01/16/08) ; Tomczak, Jason

DigitalTrends.com provides several recommendations for people who want to set up their own home offices. All-In-One units--such as the HP Photosmart C6180--provide good-quality color printers, high-resolution scanners, copy operations, and fax abilities when connected to a phone line. Laptop computers are also a good investment, and MacBook, Lenovo ThinkPad T61p, and HP Pavilion HDX are smart recommendations. External hard drives can help protect everything that is on a user's computer by backing up the information; Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini is popular because it is small, quick, and simple. Speaker systems and comfortable keyboards are highly beneficial; some leading brands include the mStation 2.1 Stereo Tower and the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. Bluetooth headsets permit users to walk easily around their home offices, as far as 30 feet from the actual phone, and the majority of Bluetooth headsets work well with VoIP applications such as iChat and Skype. A VoIP phone service can save users a great deal of money on lengthy and long-distance calls, and Skype provides a $30-a-year plan known as "Skype Unlimited" which permits the user to place calls from a computer to any American telephone number for just $30 per year. Lastly, investing in a massive charging hub such as the "Callpod Chargepod" can eradicate the need for multiple charging blocks and cords used for the various pieces of equipment.
http://ww2.abc11tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7688154

Windows Vista Tips for Networking and File Sharing
Small Business Computing (01/18/08) ; Beal, Vangie

Vista-enabled computer users must first figure out how to get to where the settings and network configuration areas are, and should start by creating a network desktop icon. You can actually access Network directly from the Vista Start Orb (Start Menu), or you can create and add a Network icon on the desktop yourself. Vista offers easy sharing with the Public folder, which is shared with other users on your network and also with additional user accounts on your computer. By default the Public folder will contain sub folders for the following: Public Desktop, Public Documents, Public Downloads, Public Music, Public Pictures, Public Videos, and Recorded TV. To share any files out on the network with other users you can simply drag and drop (or save) the files in the Public folder or any Public sub-folder. The capability to automatically share your Public folder, however, changes when you are connected to a public network, like Wi-Fi hotspots for example. When you initially set-up Vista Networking options you're required to specify the type of network you are connecting to a Home, Work or Public network. If you connect to a Public network then Vista will default disable sharing, including Public folder sharing. To disable sharing of the Public folders you will need to make the change in the Network and Sharing Center. Vista also features a setting called Network Discovery. This setting changes based on whether computers and devices as well as shared files and folders on the network are visible from your computer system. One issue those running XP and Vista systems on the same network might have is being unable to see the computers running Vista from the XP computers. If this happens, the first thing to check is the workgroup name that is being used on the XP computer and make sure the same workgroup name being used on the Vista computers.
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/webmaster/article.php/37225
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How Companies Can Determine Policies for Instant Messaging
San Francisco Chronicle (01/16/08) P. C4

Companies started embracing instant messaging technology for fast communication and productivity increases, but policies governing this medium should set parameters for security, archiving, and other functions. Depending on the firm's industry, security and archiving protocols may be more stringent than for other industries. Executives will want to consult with IT and legal staff about compliance necessities with regard to instant messaging communications. Free consumer IM products are available, but they lack security such as data encryption; some firms could turn to AOL's AIM Pro, which is still free but offers encryption and other security features as well as voice- and video-conferencing. However, even AIM Pro is vulnerable to malware because it sits beyond a system's firewall. For firms interested in IM as a communication, collaboration, and productivity tool with a need for security enhancements, enterprise platforms are best, including platforms from Microsoft, IBM, and Novell. These enterprise solutions sit behind the network firewall and provide virus scanning, encryption, and internal policy enforcement.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/16/BUPMU
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Information Security Management Still No. 1 Concern
SmartPros Accounting (01/09/08)

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' 19th yearly Top Technology Initiatives survey reports that information security management will be the most important area impacting information-technology strategy over the coming year to 18 months. "We believe this year's list is reflective of our environment, with the top four technology initiatives relating to strategies that safeguard an organization's assets and ensure its well being," said AICPA president and CEO Barry Melancon. The poll was performed late last year, with respondents listing the 10 most important technology goals for 2008. IT governance placed just behind information security management, followed by business continuity management and disaster recovery planning; privacy management; and business process improvement, workflow, and process exceptions alert. The other five leading concerns are identity and access management; confirming to assurance and compliance standards; business intelligence; mobile and remote computing; and document, forms, content, and knowledge management. "Recent studies show that investors are willing to pay a premium of up to 20 percent more for shares of enterprises with reputations for good IT governance practices; properly governed IT is critical to an organization's success," noted ISACA international president Lynn Lawton.
http://accounting.smartpros.com/x60342.xml