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- Third-party patch management options for SMBs
- Patch management can be a tedious and time consuming process, albeit an essential one. This is especially true in a hybrid network environment. Luckily, there are many third party products and services that can help to automate the process and make it easier. The importance of keeping computers updated...
- Tags: Microsoft Corp., Patches, Microsoft Windows, Deb Shinder, Operating systems, server component, small and medium business, patch management, network, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Console, Server, PatchLink Update, SUM, PatchPoint, Software
- Technical articles 2007-04-16
- Speech technology: Does it matter to SMBs?
- Computer voice command and speech recognition are "sexy" technologies that everyone likes to talk about, but are they ready for prime time – especially in the SMB environment? Last month, I attended the MVP Summit at the Seattle Convention Center and the Microsoft Campus in Redmond. Bill Gates...
- Tags: Keyboards, Deb Shinder, PRODUCTIVITY, SMB/SME, computer, speech technology, small and medium business, keyboard, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Speech, Voice, Microsoft Windows Vista, Technology, Worker, Speech Recognition, Telecommunications, Hardware, Peripherals, Emerging Technologies
- Technical articles 2007-04-06
- New identity management options for SMBs
- Identity management is emerging as one of the biggest challenges for users and companies, but new technologies such as Information Cards make it easier for SMB users to create and present multiple digital identities without having to memorize a large number of passwords. Digital identities are the way people...
- Tags: Deb Shinder, Social Security, Operational accounting, ItÂ, small and medium business, password, identity, identity management, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Card, Microsoft Windows CardSpace, Information, Site, Card Information
- Technical articles 2007-03-26
- Protect portable computers with full-volume encryption
- It's important for hardware and software vendors to develop ways to help prevent thieves from accessing that data even if they manage to gain physical possession of the computer. One such solution is full-volume encryption. The security risks inherent in the increasingly ubiquitous nature of mobile computing have...
- Tags: Deb Shinder, PRODUCTIVITY, Notebooks, SECURITY, computer, operating system, encryption, portable computer, thieve, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Data, Microsoft Corp., Small And Medium Business, Trusted Platform Module, BitLocker, Ultimate, Smb/Sme
- Technical articles 2007-03-19
- SMBs: Host your own servers
- There comes a time when SMBs grow enough that it's more economical to host their own servers. Before you make that decision, let's take a look at some of the factors you should consider. We tend to think of "outsourcing" as something that's done mostly by large companies,...
- Tags: Deb Shinder, SMB Strategies Newsletter, DMZ, Server, Small And Medium Business, Servers, Hardware
- Technical articles 2007-03-12
- New mobility products: What do they mean to your SMB?
- Here's a look at some of the new products that SMBs are likely to see their workers carrying and using, and how you can integrate them into your network environment to enhance productivity without compromising security. Big companies are big on mobile devices, and can afford to provide...
- Tags: Telecom & Utilities, Handhelds, Deb Shinder, Smart phones, Cellular phones, LetÂ, small and medium business, mobility, WhatÂ, phone, smart phone, handheld computer, handheld computer phone, handheld, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Device, Mobile, Network, Problem, Microsoft Windows, E-mail, Worker, Computer, Advertising & Promotion, Productivity, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Marketing, Hardware
- Technical articles 2007-03-05
- A look at Office Productivity Application options for SMBs
- Most SMBs use Microsoft Office, but there are less expensive alternatives out there, and they're getting better all the time. With the price of the latest version of Office reaching over $600, it may be time to consider your options. Enterprise envy is a common emotion for those who...
- Tags: Microsoft Office, Deb Shinder, SMB/SME, small and medium business, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Volume-license, Corel WordPerfect, Product, Microsoft Corp., Productivity-application, Current Incarnation, Office Suites, Software
- Technical articles 2007-02-23
- How SMBs can enforce user access policies
- It's not enough to have a comprehensive written policy governing employees' access to your network. You also need a way to enforce the rules. You can use features built into Windows, as well as third party products, to keep unauthorized user activities from putting your network at risk. In...
- Tags: Deb Shinder, SMB/SME, PRODUCTIVITY, SECURITY, WWW, small and medium business, company computer, computer, network, ItÂ, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Web, Site, Tools & Techniques, Microsoft Windows, E-mail, Channel Management, Networking, Management, Operating Systems, Software, Online Communications, Marketing
- Technical articles 2007-02-09
- Vista is here; Should SMBs care?
- There's been a lot of hype about Windows Vista--from both advocates and detractors of the new OS--and many of those who make IT decisions for small and midsize companies are wondering whether they should be planning an upgrade to Vista soon, later or never. Windows Vista, Microsoft's newest desktop/network...
- Tags: Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Deb Shinder, Web browsers, small and medium business, Aero Glass, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, UAC, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Glass, Network, Internet Explorer 7 Protected Mode IE 7, Gaskin, Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows, Software
- Technical articles 2007-02-05
- SSL VPN: Is it the Solution for your SMB?
- There are more options than ever when it comes to deploying a VPN solution on your SMB network, and SSL offers a number of advantages – especially now that Microsoft is building an SSL tunneling protocol into the next generation of Windows. Virtual private networking VPN provides a secure...
- Tags: VPN, SSL VPN, SSL, VPNs, Deb Shinder, Network security, SSL/TLS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, NETWORKING, SECURITY, small and medium business, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Server, Authentication/Encryption
- Technical articles 2007-01-26
- How Microsoft is addressing the midsize business dilemma
- Midsize businesses have often been neglected by software vendors who go after the consumer, small business or enterprise markets, but Microsoft has finally recognized the importance of these "in between" organizations and is ramping up a solution that meets their unique networking needs. Over the last decade, major software...
- Tags: Microsoft Windows Small Business Server, Microsoft Corp., Centro, Servers, Deb Shinder, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), MicrosoftÂ, server, midsize business, ItÂ, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Network, Information Technology, Management, Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Hardware
- Technical articles 2007-01-22
- Unified Messaging: What does it mean to your SMB?
- Here's a look at the concept of Unified Messaging and some existing and upcoming UM solutions. It's looking as if one of the big buzzwords for 2007 is going to be "unified messaging." It sounds good--heaven knows we need more unification in this divided world of ours--but...
- Tags: VOIP, Telecom & Utilities, Deb Shinder, Groupware, Microsoft Office, small and medium business, unified messaging solution, phone, UM Scalability, unified messaging, e-mail, Microsoft Outlook, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Message, Fax, E-mail Message, Messaging, Microsoft Corp., UM, Online Communications, Telecommunications, Networking
- Technical articles 2007-01-12
- NAP offers a network access control solution for SMBs
- SMBs are increasingly faced with security threats posed by the computers that connect to their networks. Microsoft's new NAP technology can give you control over the health status of both remote access and on-site clients as your organization grows. Protecting the network is an important goal of any IT...
- Tags: Network Access Protection, Network Access Quarantine Control, Deb Shinder, NETWORKING, access control, small and medium business, network, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Health Care, Server, Microsoft Corp., Computer, Health Policy
- Technical articles 2007-01-05
- How scalable is Open Source?
- Open source comes with both benefits and challenges, but the good news is that it can be a viable option for organizations of all sizes. Small businesses with small budgets can save a lot of money by deploying open source software--at least in theory. The Linux operating ...
- Tags: Deb Shinder, Tools & Techniques, open source, software, open-source software, SMB Strategies Newsletter
- Technical articles 2006-12-19
- SMBs need different security strategies for wireless
- Wireless networking can make it easier for you to do business, but it also makes it easier for intruders to do their own dirty business. Small or large, all companies that decide to deploy a wireless LAN need to first design a security strategy and reevaluate and add to their...
- Tags: WLAN, Wi-Fi, Deb Shinder, LANs, Wireless LANs, NETWORKING, small and medium business, ItÂ, Wireless Networking technology, security strategy, wireless, network, security, LAN, SMB Strategies Newsletter, News
- Technical articles 2006-12-18
- What's new in scalable storage solutions?
- Data storage is an issue that faces almost all organizations; as the company grows, so does the amount of data you need to keep on your network. However, a scalable data storage solution involves much more than just ever-increasing capacity; performance, reliability, security and usability must also keep up with...
- Tags: Deb Shinder, Storage area networks (SAN), fibre channel, storage, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Data Storage, Fault-tolerance, Disk, Data, RAID, Disk Capacity, Hardware
- Technical articles 2006-12-11
- SMBs: Deliver apps consistently and at low cost
- In this article, we'll look at different application delivery options and how you can develop a strategy for maintaining consistent application delivery at low cost as your company expands. IT personnel tend to concern themselves with operating systems, protocols, and networking devices. But it is, after all, productivity...
- Tags: Deb Shinder, PRODUCTIVITY, NETWORKING, small and medium business, computer, network, server, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Software, Application, Web Browser, Windows Group Policy, Tools & Techniques, Servers, Management, Hardware
- Technical articles 2006-12-03
- Scale up to the ultimate infrastructure with 10GB Ethernet
- If you're about to build a new Ethernet network or upgrade an existing one, be sure to consider installing an infrastructure that will support 10Gbps bandwidth, even if you don’t need that much speed right now. Networks are like race cars in at least one respect: faster is...
- Tags: Ethernet, Deb Shinder, NETWORKING, Network technology, network bandwidth, network, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Difference, Speed, 10Gbps Ethernet
- Technical articles 2006-11-20
- Tips for bringing e-mail, Web site hosting in-house
- A DMZ, or perimeter network, is a good way to provide extra security to your internal LAN, but some DMZ designs are more scalable than others. Keep future growth in mind as you plan the initial deployment, and you'll save time and effort in the future. As your organization...
- Tags: Web, DMZ, Deb Shinder, Firewalls, NETWORKING, LANs, Network security, e-mail, Web site, firewall, subnet, server, LAN, Internet, computer, network, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Purpose
- Technical articles 2006-11-13
- Scale your Vista deployment plan with imaging tools
- Deploying a new operating system presents more and more challenges as your organization grows. When it comes to deploying Windows Vista, there are a slew of free tools to help you get the job done. There are many IT tasks that get more complex and time consuming as...
- Tags: Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Corp., Windows PE, System Image Manager, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Deb Shinder, Operating systems, tool, imaging, SMB Strategies Newsletter, Operating System, Image, WIM, Productivity, Software
- Technical articles 2006-11-02
