FAQ - About Technology

1. Why is standardizing my computer hardware and operating systems so important?
Through standardizing computer hardware / software you avoid many conflicts and compatibility issues between hardware, software and the network. Today's technology is very complicated and troubleshooting can often mean looking for a needle in a haystack. Standardizing based on what works will reduce / eliminate unnecessary downtime for your computers and network.  Studies have shown that deviating from standards in an attempt to supply cheaper PCs cost more in the long run because of higher support costs and more frequent downtime time.  

2. Who should I have administer my network?
Due to the increasing complexities being brought on with greater Internet access and greater software integration, network administration has become a critical task. Maintaining adequate network administration can reduce a lot of problems that can occur from an unstable computer network.  For many businesses that do not need or can not afford a full time network administrator, outsourcing the network administration to a professional firm gives them the support they need at a price they can afford. Outsourced support can take you from the break / fix to a managed support environment by monitoring and remotely managing your network and updating patches and hot fixes remotely.

3. What are my options for giving employees Internet access?
If your business is like most, more and more employees need access to the Internet.  Purchasing a modem and phone line has gone the way of the telephone switchboard.  Not only does this alternative cost more, but it doesn't give the firewall protection necessary to protect your information system.  Depending on how many employees need access and what your employees may be doing, bandwidth has become a major factor in determine the cost-effectiveness of Internet options.  Whatever the bandwidth need, your employees can have managed access through Microsoft's Proxy Server.  Please look at Internet Access for some of the options in terms of wireless and wired Internet Service options that are available for small business.

4. What are my options for backing up my data?
There is an old saying in the computer industry, “There are two kinds of businesses, those that have lost data, and businesses who will lose data.”  No matter which category your business fits into, having an effective back up system is critical.  You also need to think of the restore time. It could take between 10 and 15 hours to restore data on a small business server from the tape back-up. So if recovery is critical, you should look at backing up to a hard drive and then backing up the hard drive to a tape. If you don't have a server or don't have the capacity on the server to hold all of their data, ZIP drives are an economical and convenient means of back up. 

5. What is RAID and do I need it?
Answer to this question depends on the environment. If you are building a server that is going to host mission critical data, it is important that you consider RAID V. RAID V technology stripes the data across multiple hard drives so that in case of a hard drive failure, the server continues running without interruption so that the failed drive can be rebuilt. In such situations, you should look for hot swappable hard drives so that a failed drive can be replaced while the server is running.

6. How do I make my data safe from security breaches?
In post 9/11 environment, it is critical that you pay special attention to protecting the privacy of your data that is stored in your computers. It pays to take precautions to protect your company's data and your customer's privacy.  Through adequate security planning, firewall protection and periodic reviews most security breaches can be prevented.  We recommend that you seek the assistance of professionals who are familiar with the best practice standards that will help to prevent security breaches.

7. What is the normal life expectancy of today's technology?
As a general rule more technology products can have an average life expecting of approximately three years.  There are exceptions however.  Because of accelerated technology in certain areas, better, faster, cheaper technology may cause obsolescence faster than normal.  Also it depends on how long the technology has been on the market when you purchased it.  For example it is now possible to purchase a PC with processor speeds between 450 and 800MHz.  The 450MHz processor is at the end of it's industry life cycle even though it may be new PC purchase for you.  Thus when you bought it, it may have only two-thirds of it's life expectancy remaining.

8. What is the average life-cycle cost of PC computing?
According to the Gartner Group, one of the leading technology research groups, the average annual cost for a networked PC is over $10,000, nearly three times it's original purchase price.  The cost includes hardware, software, management, support, administration and communication costs as well as non-budgeted costs such as downtime and lost productivity.

9. How do my employees learn to use my technology?
Businesses who establish an on-going technology skill development program often see immediate return for their investment through improve employee performance and higher morale.  Creating a skill development program that uses a combination of in-house training and orientation, CD training and Web base training can reduce employee time away from work, and reduce travel expenses sometimes associated with training.  Some companies have also discovered a longer retention time by employees because they are more satisfied with the jobs.

10. Should I purchase or lease my computer system?
The Gartner Group estimates that 50 percent of U.S. computer equipment sales now involve leasing; by 2003, the number of companies using leases will out number outright purchases by 2 to 1.  Leasing is becoming a management strategy, not just a financing tool.  The reasoning is simple.  In a world where products become obsolete in a matter of two or three years, nobody wants to be stuck owning equipment that has no useful purpose.  Making a large capital out-lay every two or three years is difficult for many businesses.  Using available credit from the bank to purchase computers can reduce credit for other necessary business needs such as seasonal inventory build-ups.  So leasing with the “pay as you go” feature makes it an attractive alternative for businesses.

11. How do I avoid power problems?
According to a study by IBM, more than 120 disturbances hit a normal computer in typical month.  Some have imperceptible effects; still others can result in a serious damage to data and equipment.  Deploying proper power protection may be as simple as using an adequate surge suppressor, or as complex as installing an  uninterruptible power supply (UPS). An UPS can give you adequate time to power down correctly or  can have enough battery power to keep the equipment up during the power disruption.  Power management software is also available. This software can monitor power situations so that mission critical applications can operate predictably.  If your business maintains a mission critical environment, we recommend a power audit be completed that will enable you to properly plan power protection for you business. 

12. What is the proper way to plan for technology?
The old adage: “Pay me now or pay me later.” never rings truer than in planning for technology.  The first step is to have a technology assessment completed.  Done right, the assessment will give you a clear picture of the problems and opportunities that lay before your business.  Now you are in a position to formulate a technology roadmap of where you want to take your technology. 

13. Why are IT policies important to have?
There isn't a sports game that doesn't have rules.  Without them it would be impossible to determine the outcome of the game.  That same idea is true of running a business, especially when it come to technology.  By allowing employees to make up their own rules when it come to using technology, a business faces the risk of not only making technology more expensive to maintain, but it can also have major affects upon how a business serves it's customers. What policies to implement is based upon the size and complexity of an organization, but every business should have IT policies in important areas of their business. 

14. What are some do's and don'ts of e-mail?
E-mail can be either an intentional or unintentional marketing tool.  E-mail is becoming a frequent method of business communication.  Poor grammar and misspelled words are just a couple of examples of the impression your business may be making on customers and potential customers.  Having netiquette policies can help to ensure that your business is projecting the professional image you want.

Equally important is maintaining safe e-mail practices to protect yourself, customers, vendors or anyone else your company communicates with.  Probably the most important of these practices is e-mail attachments. Not only can these attachments become an aggravation chewing up bandwidth, but they are also the most common vehicle for transmitting computer viruses.  Therefore maintaining safe e-mail practices makes good business sense.