The Ekaru Technology Advisor  Vol 7-1  February 2007

Welcome to this month's issue! The Technology Advisor provides technology advice, strategy, tips and trends to help you manage and grow your business!

Daylight Savings Time - A "mini Y2K" problem
Remember Y2K (The transition between the year 1999 to 2000) when all the computers were supposed to lose track of time? Well, this year we have mini version of a new computer time problem. Daylight Savings Time (DST) will come a few weeks early this year, and your computer may not know about it! The U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005, passed by the U.S. Congress July, 2005, extended Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the U.S. by approximately four weeks. Beginning in 2007, DST will start three weeks earlier on March 11, 2007, and end one week later on November 4, 2007, resulting in a new DST period that is four weeks longer than previously observed. These four weeks are commonly referred to as "extended DST period".

If you have a brand new system with Windows Vista and Office 2007, you're all set. Your computer is already programmed to know about the time change. Older systems will need to be updated. Unless certain updates are applied to your computer, it is possible that the time zone settings for your computer's system clock may be incorrect during this four week period. This depends on where you live and which time zone you have selected.

For some computer users, it may not be a big deal - no bigger problem than changing the clock on your microwave. However, the change in DST will have an effect on many automated and technology reliant products such as calendar and scheduling applications, date and time calculations, and transaction logging. Just think about it: every email you send and every file you save is time-stamped.

For businesses running Microsoft Exchange, the issue is even more complex and critical. The reason for this is that there are different ways that time is handled within the system. Microsoft calendar software such as Outlook depends on the operating system time zone information to display time information. However, Collaboration Data Objects (CDO)-based programs such as Outlook Web Access depend on separate internal time zone tables. Go to the Microsoft Web Site and search for Knowledge Base article (KB926666). For general information on the DST issue search for Knowledge Base article (KB931836).

The good news is that free upgrades are available from Microsoft to resolve this issue. Originally, the upgrades were not scheduled as "Automatic", but now they are. The first step is to know what Operating System you are running: To do this, click Start and select Control Panel. In Control Panel, double-click System and select the General tab. The name of the current version of your Windows software is displayed on this tab.

• For Windows Vista: If you have Windows Vista and have Office 2007 system, no action is necessary to update your system. If you have an earlier version of Microsoft Office installed go to Time Zone Data Update Tool for Microsoft Office Outlook.
• For Windows XP Service Pack 2: If you have Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), Microsoft can install the necessary updates on to your computer through Automatic Updates to your PC in mid-February. It is important for you to turn on Automatic Updates on to get all of the proper updates. You can also go to the Windows Update site to install the DST update.
• For Windows XP Gold or XP SP1: If you have Windows XP Gold or Windows XP SP1, you will need to update to Windows XP SP2 to apply the DST patch. To update your computer, go to the Microsoft Update Site.

Older operating systems are no longer actively supported by Microsoft. All of this raises the underlying importance of keeping your operating system up to date, including running updates. For more information on updates and automatic updates, go to the Microsoft update web site.

Windows Vista is here!
We have been getting several questions about the Windows Vista release. If you are purchasing a new system, please be aware of the changes in operating system offerings now that Vista has been released. We work mostly with Dell, so here is a re-cap of what Dell is doing:

• Consumer class systems (Dimension, Inspiron) are now being shipped only with Vista.
• Business class systems (Optiplex, Latitude) have a choice of Vista or XP. We expect XP will be available to be shipped on new systems for about the next 6 months.

Note that if you choose a system with the Windows XP operating system, the free Vista upgrade is no longer available. Any new system should be purchased with Vista in mind, since it is likely that you may want to upgrade later. For information on computer specifications necessary to run Windows Vista follow this link.

Tip: What's on your system?:
If you're thinking of upgrading to Windows Vista or just want to know what your current system specifications are, you can find out in minutes. To do this, click Start and select Control Panel. In Control Panel, double-click System and select the General tab. The name of the current version of your Windows software is displayed on this tab (as discussed in the DST article above), and you will also see your processor speed and RAM.

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   Winter is here!

Sincerely,
Team Ekaru

Introductory Technology Assessment Over 250 local small businesses have chosen Ekaru to manage their computers and networks. We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation to get started. We'll visit your office, review your network, and make recommendations. Call us at 978-692-4200 or email us to schedule a no-obligation assessment. If you know someone who could benefit from this offer, simply forward this email to them. Thank You!

           
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