Sponsored White Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads
TechRepublic Resources
- Setting up a remote hot site
- In my post last month on the pros and cons of remote data backup service, I wrote that our small business did not need continuous data protection, also known as high availability. I was wrong. After reviewing your comments on that post thank you all very much I...
- Tags: Disaster Recovery, Servers, Data Management, Hardware, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-05-10
- Fire suppression for the server room
- I had a unique job interview when I was being considered for my current position. I never saw the computer room or any of the servers I would be supporting. It was highly unusual but the circumstances demanded quick action. My predecessor was being fired...
- Tags: Server Room, Servers, Data Centers, Hardware, Storage, Data Management, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-05-09
- Even Super Techs have limitations
- Am I the only one who puts tech support into two different categories? As I see it, there are generalists and there are specialists. Like many of you, I am a little of both. I know what I know about computers and I think I know what...
- Tags: Software, Knowledge, AutoCAD, Tech, Strategy, Management, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-30
- A new kind of job for the tech professional
- In a recent post, Toni Bowers (Head Blogs Editor, Tech Republic, Career Management) shared a list of The 10 Hottest IT jobs. Number six on the list was a new one to me and caused me to think. It was one of those "aha" moments where I...
- Tags: Job, Information Technology, Jet, Computer, Productivity, Strategy, Management, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-30
- The tech news is good from here
- Like many of you, I am a computer technologist. I spend my days managing networks and servers and routers and switches. I enjoy my work, especially when the network is running smoothly. It is often challenging, like when something complex doesn't work as it should. But overall, it is...
- Tags: Industry, Tech New, Strategy, Management, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-29
- The three stages of a tech career
- Stage one - You don't know much You are in awe of all the other techs. You make a lot of dumb mistakes. You feel like you are swamped all the time. You have to read a lot before you dare try anything for...
- Tags: Tech, Corporate Governance, Professional Development, Benefits, Business Operations, Corporate Law, Career, Human Resources, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-22
- Data centers don't run themselves
- I picked up a new client yesterday. They are a small business with about eighty employees. They invested heavily in their network infrastructure about seven years ago. They have a half dozen servers dedicated to specific functions - domain server, e-mail server, file and print server, web...
- Tags: Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-19
- The MBA tech in the small business
- I have worked in computer support for mostly small to medium businesses all my career. I love the small business world for several reasons. First and foremost, I like the idea that I have direct access to the decision maker. When a computer needs to be replaced,...
- Tags: MBA, Small Business, E-mail, Online Communications, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-18
- Pros and cons of remote data backup service
- Are you frustrated with your backups and tired of hassling with tapes? That's the title of the e-mail I received from a new breed of companies that are jumping onto the bandwagon offering remote data backup and disaster recovery services. The sales guy is aggressive and has...
- Tags: Tape, Data, Data Backup, Server, Sales Guy, Backups, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-15
- I turned down a six-figure job today
- Last year I got serious about launching my consulting business. I have been a tech for umpteen years and decided it was about time to spread my wings a little bit and see if I could fly on my own. I wasn't ready to cut the ties to...
- Tags: Job, LinkedIn, Party Endorsement, Recruitment & Selection, Human Resources, Workforce Management, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-10
- Strategic thinking for tactical techs
- As the IT Manager for a small business, I get to wear many hats. I perform a multitude of functions that would ordinarily be delegated to the staff in a larger company. Because most of those functions are tactical, I find that I spend very little time in...
- Tags: Task, Job, Strategic Thinking, Help Desk, Recruitment & Selection, Strategy, Call Centers, It Operations, Human Resources, Workforce Management, Management, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-09
- Tech talk, geek speak and nerd words
- I once accepted a temporary contract to travel with a mobile computer lab as their network technician. It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable side trips of my career. I asked for a leave of absence from my employer to accept the contract with the...
- Tags: Job, Network, Tech, Training, Recruitment & Selection, Human Resources, Workforce Management, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-05
- What to do when the batteries run out
- Most small business server rooms have at least one Uninterruptible Power Supply. Of course the intent of a UPS is to provide power to the servers, switches and internet connections in case of a power failure. The UPS also helps to regulate power and keep it clean from...
- Tags: United Parcel Service Of America Inc., Phone, Battery, Server Room, Phone System, Telecom & Utilities, Servers, Hardware, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-03
- When the e-mail system fails
- The calls starting coming in as I was on my way to the office. Incoming e-mail from the outside was no longer getting through. Internal e-mail and site-to-site e-mail was OK. Mobile users were receiving ActiveSync and BlackBerry messages and my Treo with Goodlink was fine. ...
- Tags: E-mail Outage, E-mail, Online Communications, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-04-02
- Yes, I am the Web surfing police
- One of the duties that long ago fell upon me as the IT Manager in a small company is the responsibility to monitor and report on the Web surfing activities of my co-workers. Yes, I am the Web surfing police in my company. It is not a job...
- Tags: Web, Web Surfing, SurfControl Plc, Monitoring, Websense Inc., Web Site, Offense, Channel Management, Marketing, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-03-28
- Spammers must correct their wrongdoing
- From a BBC News article a few days ago (24 March 08) :"China is investigating a spam attack after almost half of China's mobile phone users received unwanted text messages from advertisers. Text messages were sent to more than 200 million mobile phone users through China Mobile and its smaller...
- Tags: China, Mobile, Spammer, Cell Phone, Attack, NDR, Spam, E-mail, Cyberthreats, Security, Spam And Phishing, Online Communications, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-03-26
- The terrible curse of spam
- No, I'm not talking about the kind that comes in a can. Spam is the common name given to unwanted e-mails. If you use a computer then you know what I'm talking about. They are Stupid Pointless Annoying Messages. Some are insidious in the way that they appeal to the...
- Tags: Spammer, Computer, E-mail, Cyberthreats, Spam, Productivity, Online Communications, Security, Spam And Phishing, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-03-24
- Here I am Bill Gates - hire me!
- There aren't enough good techs to go around. Just ask Bill Gates. He wants to bring more in from outside the US. I'll tell you what. I'm an American and I think I'm a pretty good tech. Why don't I apply for a job at Microsoft? I've got a couple of things going for me...
- Tags: Job, Bill Gates, Microsoft Corp., Recruitment & Selection, Human Resources, Workforce Management, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-03-20
- IT involvement in mergers and acquisitions
- The current economic news portends a potential serious downturn in growth. This usually means acquisitions and mergers. The purchase of Bear Stearns by JPMorgan Chase is one recent example. Anytime two companies merge, systems and networks must be quickly integrated. The success of this integration depends on how well the two IT Management...
- Tags: Acquisition, Merger, Information Technology, Mergers & Acquisitions, Investment, Finance, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-03-19
- Why we always leave our computers on
- There is no doubt that the proliferation of computers and especially data centers containing hundreds or thousands of servers has dramatically increased energy consumption around the world over the past fifteen or twenty years. It has been reported that some data centers are not able to expand due to a lack...
- Tags: Post, Computer, Productivity, Tim Malone
- Blog posts 2008-03-17
