Innovative Visions

As I’ve discussed before, IV uses Google to host its email and it works like a charm. In addition, I have been using Google’s set of “Apps” for collaborative word processing, excel and calendar functions for the past eight months or so (perhaps closer to a year).

This morning, Google announced the official release of Google Apps Premier for the corporate user and for the first time, you have to pay for it. Is it worth it? Well, you can see a great summary of features and a comparison with Microsoft’s Window’s Live at WebWorkerDaily.com.

However, there was another, less publicized announcement made by Avaya today which will pit Google against Microsoft in yet another area… Avaya plans on integrating its voice and data services with Google Apps Premier in the near future, thereby directly competing with a similar agreement between Microsoft and Nortel. This should bring some interesting things to come in the enormous (and enormously underserved) small business market. I love this stuff!!

Microsoft announced today its list of 800 “Vista Approved” third-party applications. Some items not listed on this list may still work, however good luck getting any support from Microsoft on their compatibility. You can view the full list and announcement here.

However, please note some of the more important omissions from this list. According to computerworld.com, “Popular Windows software that is conspicuously missing from Microsoft’s list includes Adobe Systems Inc.’s entire line of graphics and multimedia software, Symantec Corp.’s security products, as well as the Mozilla Foundation’s open-source Firefox Web browser, Skype Ltd.’s free voice-over-IP software and the OpenOffice.org alternative to Microsoft Office.”

Some of the more common applications listed to work as “bug-free” with Windows Vista “include CorelDraw and WordPerfect from Corel Corp., PowerDVD from Cyberlink, Nero 7 Premium, Trend Micro AntiVirus and PC-Cillin, AutoCad 2008, QuickBooks 2007 from Intuit Inc., Microsoft Office 2007 and many other Microsoft applications.”

The computerworld.com article is a great resource for specifics, but again my advice is to wait, wait and wait to migrate to Vista. Again, the question remains: What reasons are there to upgrade and do these reasons tell a compelling enough story to make you restock your collection of Tums?!?

I loved the above statement so much I had to share it with y’all. Seriously, I think the latest game is to think of the most bizarre way to misspell common words (or combine random ones for a random meaning) and somehow think this is a good way to express the meaning of your company. This quote was taken from a Digg user by the name of “bornwithrage” and sums up the general opinion nicely. The slightly insensitive, although innocent enough statement, was in reference to the latest and greatest “Top 25” from CNN.com, this time ranking the Top 25 Startups to Watch.

Thanks to another Digg user, HarleyQuinn, the list has been condensed into a readable format which can be seen here. I was going to include the whole list in this post, however I really don’t care about many of them (and have a hard time believing that all of these are relevant to your work either). However, some of them are certainly worth a second look from both a personal and professional standpoint. In addition, I do have a personal favorite on this list which I’ve discussed before: SpotRunner.com. Watch out for big things to come from this very talented crew…

Jon Oltsik, Senior Analyst at the Enterprise Strategy Group and contributing writer for CNET’s News.com, wrote a great article this morning on the prevailing lack of proper asset management and tracking strategies in corporations. He even sites the Department of Homeland Security’s inability to properly document its technology infrastructure:

“If you think that I’m exaggerating, check out the past few Federal Information Security Management Act report cards. Massive federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) get low marks for asset management. If DHS can’t identify its assets, how secure can it be?”

I won’t discuss how pitiful and scary this is (although not entirely unexpected), however I WOULD like to encourage you and your organization to take another look at your resources and make sure you have a proper handle on your environment. With such rapid technology growth, infrastructure additions and innovation over the past five to 10 years, do you really know what you have in your arsenal? Not just all of your servers, but what software (including versions) they are running and how they fit into your short and long-term business strategy? This may be too much to ask, however just taking the smallest steps to document your assets will pay off in the long run. I encourage you to read the entire article, as Oltsik makes some very insightful points.

March 11^th (that’s the second Sunday in March) marks daylight savings time this year. This event, normally on the first Sunday in April, is rather important if you use any software coded before 2005. Why? Well, Congress thought it would help us save energy by increasing the process by a month.

Therefore, according to Microsoft, any and all meetings scheduled in Outlook 2003 for March and April should be double-checked and confirmed with the organizer. This is just one example, but be sure to check your software programs and any and all automatically changing clocks for similar glitches. In addition, if you work with anyone located in any other country other than the US and Canada (they had to follow suit), the time differences between zones will be an hour off during this 3-4 week period… i.e. France will be 7 hours and the UK 6 hours ahead of the US East Coast. You can view more specifics behind the legislation and Microsoft’s suggestions here and here, respectively.

While recently working on a project involving the “soft” costs associated with backing up a company’s data, an IV partner provided me with an excellent collection of statistics pertaining to this subject. I’ve listed it below for your reference and welcome any questions you may have. Of course these numbers fluctuate by a couple of percentage points depending on who you ask, but the point is still made crystal clear… back up your data (preferably not on a PC in your CEO’s basement)!

« 34% of companies fail to test their tape backups, and of those that do, 77% have found tape back-up failures.

« 60% of companies that lose their data will shut down within 6 months of the disaster.

« As much as 60% of corporate data resides unprotected on PC desktops and laptops.

« Key causes of data loss:
78% Hardware or System Malfunction
11% Human Error
7% Software Corruption or Program Malfunction
2% Computer Viruses
1% Natural Disasters
1% Other

« 25 percent of users frequently back up digital files, while 85 percent of computer users say they are very concerned about losing important digital data.

« More than 22 percent said backing up information is on their to-do list, but they seldom do it.

« 30 percent of companies report that they still do not have a disaster recovery program in place and two in three companies feel their data backup and disaster recovery plans have significant vulnerabilities.

« 1 in 20-25 notebooks are stolen, broken or destroyed each year.

« Today’s hard drives store 500 times the data stored on the drives of a decade ago. Increasing storage capacities amplify the impact of data loss, making mechanical precision more critical.

« The average failure rate of disk and tape drives is 100% - All drives eventually fail.

« 30% chance that you will have a corrupted file within a one-year time frame.

« More than 50 percent of customers surveyed said their current backup solution does not meet their needs.

The following was taken from an article on StartupNation.com, of which IV is a contributing member. Written by Marcia Layton Turner, it has some decent things to say which I feel are worth passing along. The full article can be read here.

1) Identify the problem

When EndSight saw its customer satisfaction, efficiency and employee satisfaction levels plummeting, management knew it was time to make a change.

But even if your company isn’t experiencing problems or bottlenecks, there may still be opportunities to improve overall efficiency and productivity.

Eric Hobbs, president of Cary, N.C.-based Technology Associates, Inc., suggests companies start by looking at “whatever they do repeatedly for customers.” Then seek out technology that can help the business do that work faster or better. “Inefficiency is expensive,” Carroll agrees.

2) Determine What You Need

Once you’ve zeroed in on processes needing improvement, the next step is finding the technology best-suited for the situation. In most cases, small business owners shouldn’t be making such choices themselves, although many still try to “cobble it together,” Hobbs says, maybe by asking for help from a colleague or neighbor.

Like Carroll, Hobbs strongly advocates hiring an information technology consultant to recommend equipment and a plan for the future.

Even EndSight, a company of IT specialists, hired a consultant for help in choosing the most appropriate equipment. Recognizing its lack of familiarity with phone systems, the firm decided to leave its integration to the experts.

One place to start looking for qualified IT vendors and consultants, Hobbs suggests, is Microsoft’s Small Business Center. He also advises sticking with name-brand hardware and software to avoid most major problems. “Ninety percent of a small business’s needs can be handled by off-the-shelf products, many of which are already seamlessly integrated,” he says – meaning, as Florin Pal of Business Communications Solutions puts it – that they’ll “play nice with other equipment.”

3) Develop a plan

After choosing your IT vendor or consultant, the next step is creating a plan for getting from where you are to where you want to be tech-wise. A timeline, equipment list and critical steps should be part of that plan, including how employees will be brought into the loop.

“One of the key things people overlook is their personnel,” says Pal, customer service manager at Business Communications Solutions of Irvine, Calif. While you may be ahead of the curve in your familiarity with different technologies, don’t assume your employees are right there with you. Some may actually be tech-averse. “Don’t jump too far ahead with the technology,” Pal says. “Take incremental steps and everyone can use the new features and benefit from them, rather than being frustrated.”

4) Install the Equipment

Likewise, “the fewer systems the better,” says David Koretz, CEO of BlueTie, of Rochester, N.Y. “Sixty percent of enterprise software sits on a shelf unused,” he says, reinforcing the importance of investing in software that will improve your company’s performance. “Don’t implement technology for technology’s sake – do it to make more money,” Carroll adds.

Training should also be a part of your roll-out plan, as well as access to consultants for post support.

5) Keep It Maintained

“People forget about the maintenance,” says Pal, but keeping software and hardware up-to-date will assure that your technology and your business run smoothly – and continue to grow together.

I’ve been working a couple of different projects recently which have kept me quite busy. Both involve data storage, but each is handled differently. The primary question at the bottom of both projects is should the client store its data on site or outsource that task? There are going to be positive and negative factors no matter what scenario you pick, so the question you have to ask is: How do we optimize the design for your business model and strategy? Is this model in line with your security policy (please tell me you have one by now)…Also, keep in mind that Congress may finally take a stand on how businesses secure customer data and of course, Symantec’s John Thompson constantly reminds us of its importance.

The old-school method of data storage is to process (with local servers) and back it up to tape on site, then store those tapes off site in a secure location (preferably not the back of your car or CEO’s timeshare, as we’ve stressed before). This is still very effective, but may not satisfy your data availability needs. If you need to find a tape and have it shipped to you, then retrieve that five year old email you needed yesterday, it may not work so well.

As another option, you can outsource your processing, storing and backing up of all of your data off site (i.e. hosted by a trusted, third party and accessible to you at all times). While losing some control, this may be very convenient, but depending on the amount of data we’re talking about, remember that often you will pay monthly, per gig.

As I mentioned, there are obvious pluses and minuses to each scenario. There is also a third option, growing in popularity, which combines these two designs and will leave you with a better solution overall. That is, house your servers on site (managed locally or remotely, doesn’t matter) and host your data internally as well. Then, by partnering with that trusted third party, have them image and store a backup of all data (also called vaulting, but could also be dynamic and real-time) so that in the event of an emergency, hardware/software failure or other “mix-up”, your data is secure and accessible at all times.

This last option has become more and more popular with the reduced cost of disk space and more efficient methods of backing up over the WAN. It enables you to control and manipulate your data locally, but have it housed offsite as well for security and availability. And as EMC’s chief, Joe Tucci, said this week: “You will see EMC playing there.” This speaks directly to the subject, considering EMC is the world’s largest hardware/software storage vendor and it is considering making storage a service.

I have always had mixed feelings about Dell the company, not the man. Michael Dell is to be applauded and recognized for the tremendous vision and work needed to bring his namesake to the level of success is has attained. From a strategic and business perspective, few people will argue that Dell changed the PC business and has revolutionized the model by which computers are sold. It was all pure genius. Dell’s cost-cutting strategies and built-to-order model forced industry stalwarts IBM, HP and others to refocus on who their clients were and to ultimately build a better, cheaper machine. IBM got fed up with trying to compete and instead sold of its PC business to Chinese giant, Lenovo, leaving them the kings of enterprise software and services. HP, not having the services and software business to rely on, was forced to re-evaluate its hardware channels, cut costs in R&D and ultimately rework its internal structure to accommodate the changing tides. This is all good… to a point.

With last week’s abrupt announcement that Michael Dell was back in the driver’s seat and long-time CEO, Kevin Rollins was out, analysts, investors and industry insiders were forced to re-evaluate their position yet again. For years, Dell’s “direct” model worked like a charm in cutting out the middleman and associated costs. However, they eventually realized it can sometimes be cheaper to outsource your sales, invoicing, customer service, etc. (just like they’ve done for years with their R&D and manufacturing). Dell’s R&D budget is nothing compared to what IBM and HP have spent over the years to ensure compatibility, reliability and standardization. And this started to hurt Dell… more on that later. Rollins realized he had to include the channel to some extent to take advantage of the customer base and economies of scale; however he never really made a full effort to do so. CDW, the largest of the channel VAR’s, had worked up a deal with Dell, but it was supported poorly and, like the smaller VAR’s soon realized, Dell was in it because it had to, not to increase its business and footprint.

Back to the R&D… As Michael looked on, Rollins had to increase Dell’s customer service and support personnel due in part to growth, but also something else which they won’t readily agree with: Dell’s lack of full R&D investment, outsourced channel agreements and innovation have finally caught up with them. It costs a lot to support faulty hardware, pissed off customers and all of the other customer service functions associated with ANY PC business. So, after more than two years of losses in stock value and market share, what will Michael Dell do differently to correct Dell’s path? Obviously, with such a big move announced so suddenly, there are a number of good articles written on the subject recently. Peter Burrows, of BusinessWeek.com, wrote of Dell’s return to the company on Friday. Michael Kanellos, of CNET.com weighed in on the issue on Thursday.

Apparently first on Dell’s list of things to do is going back to the proven way to raise your stock price and generate some “change-buzz”: Cutting costs. The Austin American Statesman released an email yesterday (and a great story which accompanies it), detailing newly announced management cuts and a new bonus structure going back to 2006; primarily the strategy is that there won’t be much in the way of bonuses for 2006. I’m sure there will be more announcements to come, especially in the wake of the SEC’s continued investigation into Dell’s accounting processes. But, will Dell go back to a direct-only model, or has HP made enough of an impact to force Dell to do a deal with the devil and embrace the distribution channel and all that it has to offer? After all, the opportunities lie in services and in order to take advantage of this opportunity, Dell will have to at least court the MSP and VAR channel for a time. Time will tell and although I have nightmare stories of dealing with Dell as an influencer and MSP, perhaps they will make the right moves and regain their title from the glory years.

I want to apologize for being out of touch again recently, but there are only so many things I can do at once. As I’ve mentioned before, I am an expert multi-tasking machine, with 10 browsers, four email accounts, three phone lines and three instant messenger accounts all going at once (along with the hyper Mini Schnauzer to keep track of). However, I have been working on a couple of projects lately which have demanded more than their fair share of time. Not that I’m complaining, but I miss communicating to the masses from time to time (i.e. blogging about some useful and some useless subjects which some people might actually care about).

Last night however, I did get the opportunity to attend the bi-monthly Web Innovators Group of Boston. Boston, (2^nd only to Silicon Valley in technology innovation), is a buzz these days (and not only because of the Mooninites which took over the city today), but because of all of the great concepts being shown the light of day (and a healthy side dish of venture capital always present).

Check out the WebInno site for links and great information about the eight featured companies from last night. There were some good ideas with real-world applicability, and there were a few which were marketed towards a smaller, niche market. However, while listening to all of the various presentations about what widget does what and how and with what other services, I realized something else; slightly related, as always.

LinkedIn, the preeminent professional social networking site has just recently received another $13million in funding…. Why? Well, honestly I don’t think they need it (despite the lack of a couple of crucial features), but more importantly, because the word “LinkedIn” was mentioned every five minutes last night. I’m serious when I say that every single presentation, no matter what the product or service being marketed or discussed, LinkedIn was somehow referred to… In certain circles, they have almost reached “verb status” just like Google… That is why they received the extra funding. They now have to campaign and sell their service as if they were a new and exciting word in the English language. Let’s just call it the Webster’s charge.

*EDIT: In case you were wondering who those “terrorists” were who put up Mooninites flipping us off all over Boston yesterday, here is the evidence.