The Ekaru Gazette Vol 3-7 December 2003
Welcome to this month's issue! Welcome to this month's issue - Looking ahead to 2004!
New Years Resolution 1: Consider a Server for your business.
Congratulations! Your business is growing and several people in your organization need to share files, printers, and applications. Along with the increased activity, your back-up and antivirus management is starting to get cumbersome. It may be the time to think about upgrading from a peer-to-peer network to a client-server network.
Microsoft released Windows Server 2003 this year, and there are several improvements that make the entry point for small business more attractive. The Windows Small Business Server 2003 operating system is available for an attractive price, and hardware prices continue to become more attractive - more performance for less money.
Here are some of the important features to think about:
- Ability share files and run central applications.
- Backup Configuration Wizard - creates a simple way to manage centralized back-up.
- Ability to configure for multiple users and various security levels
- Windows Small Business Server 2003 includes an internal firewall (and also supports external firewalls)
- Remote access is simplified.
- Premium Small Business edition comes with SQL
- Sharepoint - Great tool for sharing documents, discussion topics, and calendars with easy web access. This is a great way to build a company Intranet. We use Sharepoint at Ekaru, and think its great!
- Exchange - you can host your own email, and group calendar. Usually, we recommend outside hosting, but Exchange may be right for you.
Server hardware is more robust than regular desk-top hardware, and will make your business more secure, and less vulnerable to down-time: Features include dual "hot-swappable" drives, dual "Hot-swappable" power supplies, and RAID drives. Prices vary greatly depending on features, so you can choose a system with the right level of robustness.
New Years Resolution 2: Upgrade to Broadband
Over the past year, we have helped many businesses upgrade from dial-up to high-speed Internet access. Not all options are available everywhere, but availability is increasing rapidly, and aggressive pricing/performance makes it attractive. If you're conducting business electronically - for example exchanging documents with clients and partners - you'll really benefit with more productivity. Many people are worried about making a change because they have heard horror stories. It's actually much easier than you think, and when managed properly, there will be little, if any, disruption to your business. Give us a call if you're thinking about this.
New Years Resolution 3: Get Organized with a PDA or PocketPC
Bob recently purchased a Compaq iPAC Pocket PC and its great! The illuminated, color screen is much better than the old LCD screens on other PDAs - and he can access his email on the go, in addition to phone numbers and a calendar. If you're looking for a new technology "toy", this is a good one to look at.
Technology Tip - Managing multiple email accounts in Microsoft Outlook.
Perhaps you own several businesses, or you conduct business on behalf of different clients, or you simply wear a number of different "hats". Here's a way to set up different email accounts within Outlook, so you can present a unique identity with signature and reply-to address in every email. The first step is to set up the accounts in Outlook. Under "Properties", be sure to include the right email address associated with your name. Next, set up the appropriate "signatures" for each e-mail under Options/Mail Format / Signature Picker. Set the default to "None" to force you to proactively select the correct signature for each email (otherwise, your bound to make a mistake!) When you send an email, write your message, Insert the appropriate signature, and under "options", select the correct SMTP account (only needed when you are using different domain names). When you get an incoming message, you can choose to have all of them come into your central "Inbox", or simply create a rule using the Organize Rules Wizard based on "sent to" to sort your incoming mail. This is a pretty powerful feature of Outlook, and you already have it at your desktop.
New! 2004 Workshop Series
Ekaru has teamed up with Comcast to offer a series of ten workshops throughout the upcoming year covering technology topics that matter to business. The theme is about getting more from the technology you already have, and getting an introduction to new technologies to make your business more productive. Mark your calendars for January 20: Get more from Quickbooks!, including advanced reporting to manage your business, and secure remote access. Time and Location: 7:30am at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Westford. More details will be posted on our web site in the next few weeks.
Sincerely,
Happy Holidays! Best Wishes for 2004!
Team Ekaru
©2003 Ekaru, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
