The Ekaru Gazette   Vol 2-3. Fall 2002

Welcome to this month's issue! Our mission is to provide technology information you can use in your small business. In this issue we'll cover important information on virus protection and considerations to make when deciding to buy new computer systems for your business.

Virus Protection - What you need to know!
We have covered this topic in the past, but it's so important, we need to cover it again! At Ekaru we get a lot of calls from businesses regarding viruses. Many people think they have virus protection but they don't! Here's what you need to know:

• Make sure your antivirus software update service subscription remains active - most expire in one year.
• If you bought a computer with an OEM version of antivirus software (in other words, it was already installed when you bought the system), chances are that your update service expired after 90 days. If you haven't renewed the service, you are not protected!
• Perform weekly virus scans on your systems. These scans can be automatically scheduled.
• Perform regular live updates to keep virus definitions up to date. This protects against new viruses that are constantly being created by hackers and can also be automatically scheduled. Remember, your virus protection software is outdated the moment you install it!
• Run Auto-protect to scan incoming mail messages.
• Turn off the "preview pane" in MS Outlook.

If you need help, give us a call!

Computers - When to buy or replace, and what to buy.
Typically, we recommend that when a computer is three years old (or sometimes sooner), its time to replace it. At this point, it simply becomes a lot cheaper to buy a new system - and you get a lot more performance! Now comes the hard part - what should you buy?

New! Brand Name or Local Service? - Now you don't have to choose!
Many small businesses purchase what's known in the industry as a "white-box". This is a computer that's not made by one of the major national brands (Dell, Compaq, HP, etc), but rather a local engineer who assembles parts. The reason for this is service! The local engineer can provide local service, and who out there hasn't had a frustrating experience waiting on hold forever with a national 1-800 support "help" line. When you finally get a person on the phone, you end up spending valuable time troubleshooting the problem yourself. Who has the time?

However, there is a major downside with the "white-box" strategy, and that's why Ekaru has always recommended against it! You lose the enormous benefit of the sophisticated and state-of-the-art engineering design, manufacturing processes, quality assurance, and burn-in that the major branded computers incorporate.

In response to the needs of small business, Ekaru has signed a deal with one of the nation's top computer manufacturers in an exciting new program! Ekaru will private-label a national brand. Our customers will get the best of both worlds: World-class engineering and manufacturing with local support! Just like Filene's Basement - our prices are so great, we can't advertise the national brand in print! Give us a call to learn more!

Business or Consumer?
Why should I buy a business-class computer when the consumer models are less expensive? We hear this question a lot.

There are several reasons to buy a business-class system:

1. Life-Cycle - Business-class models are designed to have a longer life cycle and are easier to upgrade and maintain. Consumer based models on the other hand typically have a life cycle of about three months before the next model comes out. Consistency and maintenance are top priorities for business.
2. Operating System - Business-class systems are loaded with XP Pro which is designed for business networking and security requirements.
3. Warranty - Business class systems typically come with a three-year warranty on parts as compared to a consumer model with only one-year warranty. This is better suited for business since most businesses depreciate hardware over three years.

Another thing to consider: If you haven't already talked to your accountant, now is the time to do end-of-year tax planning and decide if its advantageous to make that hardware or infrastructure purchase you have been putting on hold.

Happy Holidays
All of us wish you a happy and safe holiday season!