http://www.informationweek.comInformationWeeken-usCopyright 2012, UBM LLC.2010-03-01T19:40:51ZAs regular readers of InformationWeek SMB may have noticed, I haven't been around much lately. That's because for the past few weeks, I've been hard at work at a brand new TechWeb "skunkworks" project called <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com">Enterprise Efficiency</a>, or E2, which launched last Friday.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203100?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbAs regular readers of InformationWeek SMB may have noticed, I haven't been around much lately. That's because for the past few weeks, I've been hard at work at a brand new TechWeb "skunkworks" project called <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com">Enterprise Efficiency</a>, or E2, which launched last Friday.I'm tremendously excited about the new site, a unique community where enterprise CIOs and other business technology leaders and executive decision makers can share peer guidance, news and analysis, and best practices on the strategic uses of technology in the enterprise. <P> We've already gathered <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com/bloggers.asp">an impressive collection of more than 20 bloggers</a>, including CIOs, CEOs, analysts, consultants, journalists, and other leaders with a wide range of IT backgrounds and areas of expertise. Even more remarkable, in just its first few days of operation, Enterprise Efficiency has already attracted more than 200 comments to our <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com/archives.asp?threads=yes">message boards</a>! Come visit today! <P> But don't worry, InformationWeek SMB remains in good hands. That's because <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2010/02/a_great_time_to.html">Ben Tomkins has returned as site editor</a>, supported by InformationWeek.com editor-in-chief Alex Wolfe and the rest of the InformationWeek team. <P> The impact of their efforts will become more and more apparent as InformationWeek SMB becomes more closely integrated into InformationWeek. With Ben and Alex at the helm, I look forward with real excitement to the continued evolution of InformationWeek SMB. <P> Even as I transition to my new project, though, I want to express my appreciation to everyone involved in the site I co-founded almost 3 years ago as bMighty.com. Building the site and covering the technology needs of small and midsize businesses has been an honor and a privilege for me. In particular, InformationWeek SMB has allowed me to <P> 1. Meet and learn from scores of talented, smart, committed SMB business and IT folks. Despite massive challenges and often minuscule budgets, they often found ways to out innovate and out maneuver much larger, better financed companies. <P> 2. Work with a team of great editors and writers who made InformationWeek SMB the success it continues to be. 3. Follow the ongoing evolution of SMB technology vendors from relying on dumbed-down versions of enterprise products or tarted-up rebrands of consumer options to creating increasing numbers of products designed specifically to meet the needs of SMBs. <P> I salute you all! <P> <small>Fredric Paul is now Editor-in-Cchief / Community Activist of <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com">Enterprise Efficiency</a>. <P> Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a></small>2010-03-01T14:54:24ZI can't tell you how excited I am about the launch of <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com">Enterprise Efficiency</a>, unique new community where CIOs and other business technology leaders and executive decision makers can share peer guidance, news and analysis, and best practices on the strategic uses of technology in the enterprise.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203206?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbI can't tell you how excited I am about the launch of <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com">Enterprise Efficiency</a>, unique new community where CIOs and other business technology leaders and executive decision makers can share peer guidance, news and analysis, and best practices on the strategic uses of technology in the enterprise.Even though the site is a brand-new baby, we've already gathered an impressive collection of more than 20 bloggers, including CIOs, CEOs, analysts, consultants, journalists, and other leaders with a wide range of IT backgrounds and areas of expertise. Even more remarkable, in just its first few days of operation, Enterprise Efficiency has already attracted more than 150 comments! <P> So, what are all those smart folks writing about? It all comes down to the need to juggle the CIO's sometimes-conflicting roles as innovator and cost cutter. Some of the specific issues Enterprise Efficiency will be focusing on include: <P> <ul> <li>Cloud Computing: Myths, Realities & Metrics</li> <li>The Business Value of Tomorrow's Data Center</li> <li>The Mobile Enterprise: Devices, Apps & Services</li> <li>Corporate IT Politics: Making Them Dance in Your Favor</li> <li>The Secure Enterprise: Frameworks That Enable Agile Access</li> <li>Managing TCO While Driving Innovation</li> <li>Virtualization: The Mandatory Ingredient</li> <li>GRC (Governance, Risk Management, Compliance) in Practice</li> <li>Outsourcing: End-to-End Collaboration</li> <li>Automation: The Future of IT Management</li> </ul> <P> Meaty stuff, to be sure. But we're also dipping our toes into the everyday technology topics that we all care about; the crazy, quirky, surprising technology developments that also influence our work in a variety of ways. <P> And we'll do it without the blind tech boosterism that colors so much of what you find on the Internet. While we love and appreciate the benefits of technology, <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com">Enterprise Efficiency</a> is all about calling bluffs, seeing through the hype, popping bubbles, and challenging the conventional "wisdom" that so often is just the opposite. After all, if you want to use business technology and services to create competitive advantage your company, you can't just follow the herd. <P> Of course, no matter how thought provoking, the blogs are just the beginning at <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com">Enterprise Efficiency</a>. The real heart of the site is our message boards, which use custom technology and cutting-edge design to make it easy and enticing for even first-time visitors to join in ongoing conversations about the topics raised in the blog posts. That's why we've arleady seen such a deluge of comments from a smart, connected, and experienced group of site participants. <P> And that's not all. <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com">Enterprise Efficiency</a>'s user-generated content will be reinforced with a regular calendar of deep-dive analyst reports written in conjunction with InformationWeek Analytics, plus a series of informative Webcasts, video reports, and more. <P> Please take a moment to check out the Enterprise Efficiency <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com/archives.asp?blogs=yes">blogs </a>and <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com/archives.asp?threads=yes">boards</a>, and <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com/register.asp">register to join the conversation</a>. <P> Highlights of the Enterprise Efficiency <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com/bloggers.asp">blogging roster</a> include the luminaries listed below, with more joining up all the time: <P> <ul> <li>Matthew McKenzie, Senior Editor/Community Editor of Enterprise Efficiency</li> <li>Patty Brown, founder and chief strategist at The Content Strategy Group, former executive editor of Optimize Magazine with experience at Bearing Point</li> <li>Rex Baldazo, IT professional and former technology journalist at CNET, ETL expert</li> <li>Keith Ferrell, security blogger and lecturer, former editor of Omni magazine</li> <li>Chris Lindquist, online editorial director for a nonprofit consulting organization, former senior technology journalist for CIO magazine, CNET.com, and others</li> <li>Ivan Schneider, MBA, journalist specializing in financial technology</li> <li>Paul Bonner, IT professional at a major utility, and formerly senior technology journalist at PC Week and PC/Computing</li> <li>Steve Hilton, head of Enterprise/SMB research for Analysis Mason</li> <li>Leigh McMullen, VP at IT consultants Sogeti USA</li> <li>James Shepard, CEO of Vertrazzo LLC and a former software executive</li> <li>Rusty Weston, former editor in chief of InformationWeek.com and InformationWeek Research</li> </ul> <P> <small>Fredric Paul is editor in chief / community activist of <a href="http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com">Enterprise Efficiency</a>. <P> Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a></small>2010-02-01T07:32:00ZJust because Microsoft releases a new version of Office, does that mean you need to buy it? Just as important, if you do buy it, do you need to buy it for all the workers in your company?http://www.informationweek.com/news/222500038?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbA pair of Forrester Reports offer insight into what Microsoft Office 2010 offers for small and midsize companies, and whether companies should provide the same productivity tools to all their workers. For me, though, the operative question is whether everyone in your company needs the same productivity suite? <P> In <a href="http://www.forrester.com/rb/Research/glimpse_at_best_and_worst_of_office/q/id/54807/t/2">A Glimpse At The Best And Worst Of Office 2010</a>, Forrester Analyst Sheri McLeish writes that "with increasing competition and commoditization of productivity tools, Microsoft must convince... buyers that Office 2010 provides compelling value to justify the upgrade effort and costs." And just as important, considering best practices such as workforce segmentation, is it still necessary -- or desirable -- to buy a copy of Microsoft Office for every knowledge knowledge worker in your company? <P> But late last year, in <a href="http://www.forrester.com/rb/Research/best_practices_microsoft_office_enterprise_strategy/q/id/53970/t/2">Best Practices: Microsoft Office Enterprise Strategy</a>, McLeish noted that user satisfaction with Office is generally high and that 78% of companies have no plans to implement Office alternatives. <P> Still, she notes that Forrester is already seeing firms planning to upgrade some workers to Office 2010, while moving other workers to Google Apps or Zoho. And at least one medical equipment manufacturer now "provides Google Apps to new recruits out of college because they aren&#8217;t as vested in Office, whereas older employees would revolt against such a change." <P> The big factor pushing these changes is that even SMBs big enough to get volume pricing from Microsoft are likely to find that Office remains by far the high-priced choice. And at the same time, Office alternatives are becoming increasingly compatible with the premium brand. <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <font font color="#ba2124"><strong>Don't Miss: <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221800397">Slideshow: 12+ New Microsoft Office 2010 Features</a></strong></font> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> So what's the right approach to maximizing productivity at minimum cost? McLeish suggests that companies: <P> <strong>"Categorize iWorkers by what they need" and then "Move beyond a one-size-fits-all mentality."</strong> Survey workers about their Office use and what they really need and want, then "segment the workforce by level of collaboration, time spent working remotely, and attitudes toward the technologies." Finally use these variations to "drive cost savings and efficiencies that lean, fit-to-purpose software can offer." Just beware of "skewed or poor data," "creating too many segments," and "ignoring other dependencies." To avoid those problems, leverage your company's market research experts, keep to 6 segments or less, and add qualitative interviews to go deeper than the survey data. <P> <strong>"Leverage iWorker data to solve overprovisioning" and then "Get ready for the cloud."</strong> That means getting the best deal from Microsoft, and also making sure that each worker gets what they really need -- and whether that can come from Microsoft or other vendors online productivity offerings. "Eliminating MS license costs is an attractive possibility. But the decision to jump ship to a Web-based or Open Office alternative is reckless without knowing that it will meet the needs of your workforce and business processes." Creating several different scenarios can help support your purchasing decisions. Just be sure to allow enough prep time for purchasing negotiations and don't underestimate your company's negotiating position. Microsoft is fighting hard to keep its competitors at bay, and that gives even smaller companies some leverage. <P> <strong>"Optimize Office tools for effeciency and integration" and then "Know where mobile apps fit in your workforce."</strong> Most workers don't come close to maximizing the power of the Office apps. Both formal and informal learning can help, and automating repetitive manual tasks can significantly boost productivity -- if you can invest the development resources. There's a similar opportunity in using productivity apps on mobile devices, Forrester says, as mobile productivity expands in 2011. But the first step is to figure out <em>who</em> at your company needs to do <em>what</em> in a mobile environment. <P><small>Page 2 of 2</small> <br> <br> <P> So what about Office 2010? Should SMBs upgrade? <P> On the plus side, McLeish writes, Office 2010 completes Microsoft's shift to the Fluent UI introduced in Office 2007. Companies already using Office 2007 should have an easy transition. <P> And McLeish points out that Microsoft has finally offered access to Office apps via Sharepoint, the Web, and mobile devices as well as the desktop. While the Web versions of Office 2010 apps still seem rough to most observers, it's still a significant transition. And increased Sharepoint integration should make it easier for SMBs to develop enhancements. <P> McLeish also complements the new Backstage view for controls and properties. <P> But there are also speed bumps, including the fact that the suite comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. "For example, ActiveX controls and add-in (COM) dynamic link libraries (DLLs) that were written for 32-bit Office will not work in a 64-bit process. This means that Office 2010 64-bit solutions that try to load 32-bit ActiveX controls or DLLs will not work." <P> McLeish advises organizations with Office licenses that allow free upgrades to take advantage of that capability as soon as possible, especially for power users. But she warns companies to "deal with files proactively, not as afterthoughts." And she wonders whether Outlook 2010's integration with social networking capabilities will boost productivity or simply add distractions. <P> Even for SMBs, the Office 2010 upgrade isn't that easy. But here are my suggestions: <P> If you have workers on Office 2007 clamoring for specific new features, then move them Office 2010. <P> If your company is still on older versions of Office, and you're happy there, then don't worry about upgrading until you need to do so. <P> If you're a startup, or are undergoing significant growth, consider saving money by using a free or low-cost Office alternative where-ever possible. <P> Just be wary of having multiple versions of multiple productivity suites in the same office. Compatibility issues and training and support complications could erase any short-term licensing savings. <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <font font color="#ba2124"><strong>Don't Miss: <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221800397">Slideshow: 12+ New Microsoft Office 2010 Features</a></strong></font> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> <br> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a><br> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a><br></small> <P>2010-01-28T11:08:34ZFor SMBs, at least, the most useful part of the new Apple iPad may be an accessory.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203785?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbFor SMBs, at least, the most useful part of the new Apple iPad may be an accessory.Sure, the heavily hyped <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/">devic</a>e itself is slick, the software impressive, and -- starting at less than $500 -- the price almost reasonable. And the <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/mobile/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222600256">challenge it poses to existing media models </a>appears to be formidable. But none of that really matters to most small and midsize companies. <P> No. For SMBs, the most important part of Apple's massively covered announcement yesterday was a seemingly minor accessory: <a href="http://images.apple.com/ipad/specs/images/keyboard_dock_1_20100127.jpg">iPad Keyboard Dock</a>. <P> This innocuous combination of iPad charger, keyboard, and stand makes the iPad actually useful as a real computer -- where you can get actual work done in addition to watching videos, listening to music, and surfing the Web. I haven't seem prices on the Keyboard Dock yet, but to my mind, it's the essential add on that turns a toy -- admittedly, a very cool toy -- in to something that a business person could actually take on the road instead of a "real" notebook computer. <P> All we need now is a nice after-market case that stows the iPad and the Keyboard Dock into a small, easy-to-carry package that you can slip into your briefcase or backpack. <P> Now that would be a <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222301348">netbook killer</a>, and might take a bite out of so-called <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222000952">thin-and-light</a> computers too. <P> <BIG><FONT COLOR="#ba2124"><STRONG>Don't Miss: <A HREF="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2010/01/apple_islate_ca.html">Apple iPad: Can We Do Business</A></STRONG></FONT></BIG> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a></small>2010-01-26T08:14:00ZIn many ways, Chris Green and Colin Wilcox are typical IT staffers, who just happened to have helped Microsoft design Windows Server 2008. But their real claim to fame is that they're not real people.http://www.informationweek.com/news/222500024?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smb<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4305296690/" title="intro by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4305296690_a47b5afcb1_o.jpg" width="495" height="264" alt="intro" /></a> <P> Meet Chris Green and Colin Wilcox. They're typical IT folks working in small and midsize businesses. In fact, there's only one thing that distinguishes them from any other IT worker: they don't exist. <P> Rather than actual people. Chris and Colin are "personas" created by Microsoft's Windows Server team to represent the real IT workers that use the products and help make sure the company meets the needs of its cusomers. <P> Bill Laing, Microsoft corporate vice president, Windows Server and Solutions Division, explains that Windows Server is sold to a very broad market, from SOHO shops to the largest enterprises, and when designing products, Micrsoft needs to be clear on "who are we building this for" and "how are we meeting the needs of thse people?" Personas offer "a way to focus the conversation... almost as if the customer were in the room." In some cases, Laing says, the team would have a specific, high-level goal for the personas, like "let's give him an hour of his life back." <P> Personas reduce the load of designing for every user in the world to a small set of specific users. At the same time, personas help keep the development team focused on making sure the product pleases specific users, instead of creating users and use cases that happen to suit the product. <P> This kind of thing is fairly common in many organizations, but Microsoft takes it more seriously than most. "When I first got involved, I thought they were real people and they just chose one" to use as a persona, Laing admits. (In fact, the personas are enhanced with stock photos, or sometimes pictures of Microsoft employees.) <P> <strong>Personas Roam The Halls<br></strong> One reason they might seem real to the Microsoft team is that posters of the personas are posted throughout the hallways of Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, campus. "We want it to be real." says Trinh Vo Yetzer, senior user experience manager on the Windows Server Solutions Group. <P> As the project manager, developers, and designers do detailed reviews of features and look-and feel, Yetzer says, they actually have a picture of Chris Green on the wall. At each step of the walk through, they ask, "How would he use it? How would it make life easier for him?" <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4301869535/" title="image002 by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2696/4301869535_f64286659e.jpg" width="500" height="329" alt="image002" /></a> <strong>Colin Wilcox on the wall.</strong> <P> "Half of Microsoft use personas in initial planning phase, but we use them throughout the product cycle," Yetzer says. "We take it to another level." <P> <strong>Personas Should Resember Real Customers</strong><br> The key, apparently, is to match the personas with real customer characteristics. "We definitely validate the personas with our customers," Yetzer says, asking "Does this seem like you?" and hoping for them to reply, "Oh my gosh this is me!" <P> "They should be able to recognize themselves," Laing adds. The goal is "get SMBs to realize that we understand their needs and requirements. I think SMBs have the same needs as enterprises, they just don't have the same level of engagement and investment in specific skills." <P> According to Laing, the personas are amalgams of what Microsoft learns from interviewing and meeting with real customers. <P> Yetzer explains that in developing Windows Server, "we visited with over 100 customers." She calls the customers "amazing," and says they all want to help and provide feedback. "We have customers who meet the profile come in and test the product and we get feedback even before we start coding." <P> For example, Microsoft visited Seth Feist at Northwest Insurance Brokers in Spokane, Wash., and then invited him to the Microsoft campus. As an insurance agent, Feist often backs up his important info six to seven times a day, and that kind of requirement played into the Windows Server 2008 product design. <P> Yetzer says the Windows Server team learned that 80% of their needs were common tasks. The personas help embody those common factors during the development process. SMB personas tend to stay fairly constant, because they "tend not to embrace technology early," Yetzer says. <P> When working on new technology like mobile, though, the percentage of commonality drops and "you have to continue to go out and understand how they use it," Yetzer says. "You have to continue to refine it and add to it." <P> <strong>Personas Go Global<br></strong> Chris and Colin are among some 25 personas created across the Windows Server Group, Laing said, including a scientist named "Einstein" and even a Linux developer. <P> While Microsfot is happy with the personas it uses, Laing says challenges remain in doing "a better job of integrating other cultures and geographies into the mix." To date, the personas are North American-centric, he says, while the environment in China is very different, for example. <P><big><strong>Chris Green: IT Generalist in Mansfield, Ohio</strong></big> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4302172663/" title="chrisg by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4302172663_df7a62eaba_o.jpg" width="470" height="243" alt="chrisg" /></a> <P> <big><strong>Roles & Responsibilities </strong></big> <P> <strong>User Support:</strong> <ul> <li>Providing user assistance</li> <li>Troubleshooting user issues</li> <li>Reset forgotten passwords</li> <li>Providing access to shares & documents</li> </ul> <P> <strong>Personal Computer Management:</strong> <ul> <li>Setting up personal computers & user acounts</li> <li>Installing sofware on client computers</li> </ul> <P> <strong>Backup & Disaster Recovery:</strong> <ul> <li>Verifying that the system backup has run correctly</li> <li>Chris has never had to restore from a backup tape - while he switches tapes daily, he&#8217;s not sure if they work</li> </ul> <P> <strong>Troubleshooting:</strong> <ul> <li>End users randomize Chris with requests for help which prevent him from properly scheduling his day</li> <li>Chris is constantly interrupted and rarely finds time to focus on being proactive</li> <li>Reacts to new network alerts</li> </ul> <P> <strong>General Duties:</strong> <ul> <li>Changing backup tapes</li> <li>Basic network hardware troubleshooting (routers, switches, cables)</li> <li>Checking anti-virus logs</li> <li>Fielding printer problems</li> <li>Assisting his manager as needed</li> <li>Escalating difficult issues to his manager</li> </ul> <P> <big><strong>Challenges:</strong></big> <ul> <li>Chris lacks a centralized view of his environment</li> <li>Chris has to launch tasks from multiple snap-ins (often from different servers)</li> <li>Chris doesn&#8217;t have time to learn more about the problems he faces</li> <li>Chris has to work hard to justify IT expenses to business manager</li> <li>Chris has a hard time managing licenses and maintaining license compliance</li> </ul> <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4302175429/" title="chrisg by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4302175429_913359ddc1.jpg" width="500" height="353" alt="chrisg" /></a> <strong><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4302175429_913359ddc1.jpghttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4302175429_913359ddc1.jpg">Click here to see the whole Chris Green poster.</a></strong> <P><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4302172687/" title="colinw by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4302172687_d6f7f04d29_o.jpg" width="470" height="244" alt="colinw" /></a> <P> <strong>Roles, Responsibilities, Pain Points:</strong><br> Colin performs typical offce management tasks, such as running the office and acting as a liaison to clients. He did not count on being the unofficial IT pro of the offce as it is NOT in his job description. <P> &#8220;Being the office manager, I have my hands in many areas of the business and the owner gives me a fair amount of leeway to make some decisions on my own. There is a line though, where I have to consult with the business owner. For instance, it&#8217;s understood that when the need for a new computer arises, I&#8217;m probably going to know first and can make that call. I&#8217;ll then do research on what to get and will go out and buy it. But, when it comes to spending that kind of money, the owner has final say before I can make the purchase.&#8221; <P> <ul> <li>Being the unofficial IT of the office is not something Colin wanted or is confident doing</li> <li>Helping people with their technical problems is a big interruption in his day</li> <li>Colin gets frustrated when different technologies don&#8217;t work seamlessly together</li> <li>The lack of IT funds frustrates him because it means he will remain the unofficial IT person</li> </ul> <P> <ul> <li>Colin is the first person clients talk to when they have a question or issue</li> <li>He either handles it himself or passes it on to a property manager</li> <li>He is in charge of contracts for the properties</li> <li>He makes sure hard and soft copies of completed contracts are signed and filed properly</li> <li>Colin makes office supply purchases and has final say on them</li> <li>He does light accounting, logging bills as they come in and paying them when they come due</li> <li>If a complicated issue arises, Colin consults with the company&#8217;s on-staff accountant</li> <li>Colin handles basic IT troubleshooting for the office, like fixing frozen computers, print jobs, e-mail, software and other lower-tech problems - this part of his job just fell to him ever since he helped someone with a computer issue once</li> </ul> <P> <strong>Support:</strong><br> Colin can fix the office&#8217;s basic technical problems himself. If he can&#8217;t fix it, he&#8217;ll call a trusted friend. <P> He calls on paid outside IT help only as a last resort because the owner said the cost is too high. <P> <ul> <li>If Colin cannot fix a tech issue, he calls a friend of his who is more tech savvy because he works in IT</li> <li>This friend can usually help</li> <li>Uses this friend every 4 to 5 months</li> <li>Not a paid relationship</li> </ul> <P> <ul> <li>If he cannot reach his tech-savvy friend within an hour and cannot fix the problem, he calls a paid outside IT person</li> <li>Uses this person only about 2 or 3 times a year for things like bad viruses and router problems</li> <li>Would like to be able to use the IT person more but the cost is too high</li> <li>Maggie looked at his first bill and told Colin to try to not use him too much</li> <li>Was referred to this IT person by someone who lives in one of Hayden Management&#8217;s properties</li> </ul> <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4302175317/" title="colin by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2783/4302175317_d54118d860.jpg" width="500" height="353" alt="colin" /></a> <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2783/4302175317_d54118d860.jpg"><strong>Click here to see the whole Colin Wilcox poster.</strong></a> <P><strong><big>How To Use Personas In Your Own Business</strong></big> <br> <br> Creating and using create personas in your own business doesn't have to be difficult. There are no hard and fast rules, but but you might want to keep these principles in mind: <P> <strong> Personas Are:</strong> <ul> <li>Fake people (concrete representations) based on real data</li> <li>A practical tool to help prioritize features & maintain focus on target customers</li> <li>A vehicle for bringing customer data alive</li> </ul> <P> <strong>Personas Are Not:</strong> <ul> <li>Every possible customer (or a customer segmentation)</li> <li>A replacement for existing design processes</li> </ul> <P> <strong>What Personas Do:</strong> <ul> <li>Personas organize disparate data points and aid memory of user facts</li> <li>Personas help keep focus on key customers and scenarios</li> </ul> <P> <strong>Persona Best Practices:</strong> <ul> <li>Design for just one person &#8211; the fewer personas the better</li> <li>Understand and speak to the user&#8217;s goals (not just their tasks)</li> <li>Prioritize for &#8220;Daily Use&#8221; & &#8220;Necessary Use&#8221; Scenarios - not &#8220;Edge Case&#8221; Scenarios</li> <li>Use narratives and storytelling to make the personas as "real" as possible</li> <li>Make the persona's links to to your customer data explicit</li> <li>Use personas as enhancements to existing design processes, not replacements</li> </ul> <P> <strong>Personas Can Include Many Elements:</strong> <ul> <li>Overview</li> <li>A Day in the Life</li> <li>Work and Household & Leisure Activities</li> <li>Goals, Fears, Aspirations</li> <li>Computer Skills, Knowledge, & Abilities</li> <li>Market Size and Influence</li> <li>Demographics</li> <li>Technology Attributes and Attitudes</li> <li>International Considerations</li> <li>Quotes</li> <li>References</li> </ul> <P> <strong>Personas Are Not New:</strong> Similar concepts often called User Archetypes, Scenario Characters, Use Cases, User Profiles, Target Customer Characterizations <P>2010-01-25T08:23:27ZThe upgrade gives Cascade users the ability to monitor Wide Area Networking peformance for end users and in WAN-optimized environments.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203802?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbThe upgrade gives Cascade users the ability to monitor Wide Area Networking peformance for end users and in WAN-optimized environments.<a href="http://www.riverbed.com/cascade/products/riverbed-nba.php">Riverbed Cascade</a> (formerly Mazu Profiler, which Riverbed acquired when it bought Mazu Networks early in 2009) is designed to "manage, secure, and optmize the performance and availability" of WAN services. <P> In a sign of increased integration of the product with the rest of Riverbed's product line, Cascade Version 8.4, released today, adds the ability to pro-actively monitor the end-user experience, not just the overal network performance. <P> According to Yoav Eilat, Riverbed Director of Product Marketing, overall network performance may be abstracted from from what users actually do, so Cascade 8.4 measures network throughput, application throughput, and connnection throughput for aggregated groups of users. That way, IT can measure how fast users can actually do business. It can concentrate only on those points where users were active, and then use "behavioral analytics" to drill down to see who was affected by peformance issues and what caused them. <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4302112042/" title="Cascadesm by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4302112042_bfb6e1b326.jpg" width="500" height="190" alt="Cascadesm" /></a> <strong>Riverbed Cascade 8.4 uses Behavioral Analytics to measure WAN peformance.</strong> <P> In addition, Eilat said, Cascade 8.4 can now measure performance in WAN-optimized environments, which is kind of a big deal since Riverbed's main business is optimizing WAN environments. <P> Version 8.4 is a free upgrade for the "several hundred" Cascade installations in place, more than half of which are in smaller companies. Cascade installations start at about $20,000 to $30,000, but Eilat said these services -- including the new capabilities in Cascade 8.4 -- may also be available to SMBs on a pay per service basis via managed services providers. <P> Finally, in addition to the upgrade, Riverbed also announced Cascade Sensor-VE, a $495 per site product designed to measure performance at individual branch offices (just as Cascade measures performance at the data center). Sensor-VE requires the Riverbed Services Platform (RSP). <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <strong><font font color="#ba2124">Don't Miss:</font><br><ul> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/02/wan_optimizatio.html">WAN Optimization System Continues to Morph</a></li> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/07/riverbed_create.html">Riverbed Creates Virtual Edition Of Its Steelhead Mobile Controller</a></li> </ul></strong> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P>2010-01-22T20:03:33ZUsing technology gained in its acquisition of Increo, users can now view multiple file types from within the Box.net environment.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203680?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbUsing technology gained in its acquisition of Increo, users can now view multiple file types from within the Box.net environment.<a href="http://www.box.net">Box.net</a> bought Increo Solutionslast Fall, and is using that company's single viewer technology to provide a seamless experience, said Jen Grant, Box.net's vice president of marketing. <P> One of Box.net's goals is to centralize all of a company's content storage in the cloud, and making it easy to view all kinds of content in a single environment makes that a more attractive proposition. In addition, however, the viewer can now be embedded on any Web page to make it easy to share documents with a company's employees, customers, suppliers, and partners. <P> As of today, Box.net is supporting the following file types: <P> <ul> <li>MS Word, including DOCX</li> <li>MS PowerPoint, including PPTX</li> <li>MS Excel, including XLSX</li> <li>Word Perfect</li> <li>OpenOffice word processing (ODT), spreadsheet (ODS), presentation (ODP)</li> <P> <li>PDF</li> <li>TXT, RTF, HTML, CSV</li> <P> <li>JPG / JPEG</li> <li>GIF</li> <li>BMP</li> <li>PNG</li> <li>TIF / TIFF</li> <li>Adobe Photoshop PSD</li> <li>Adobe Illustrator AI</li> <li>EPS</li> <li>PS (PostScript)</li> <P> <li>Flash video FLV</li> <li>MP3</li> <P> <li>CSS</li> <li>Javascript JS</li> <li>XML</li> <li>SQL</li> </ul> <P> <P> <div style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:5px;"><a href="http://www.box.net"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4292378252_d4e1933609_o.jpg" width="244" height="193"></a><div align="center"><strong>PowerPoint In the viewer</strong></div></div> <P> <P> Grant stressed that this is a full viewing technology, not just a preview of the first part of a document. You can even present a PowerPoint document in the viewer, she claimed. <P> Grant also said the company plans to add more file types going forward, and is also working on making the files editable as well as viewable. That process is "not yet seamless," Grant acknowledged. Other enhancements in the works include control and permission options, specifying who can download, upload, or preview files, for example. <P> Box.net also tracks the sharing and usage of files, but making it easy to view content is critical, Grant said, or increasinlgy Web-savvy employees will simply "go around IT" to find their own ways. And those workarounds will not be tracked... <P> The new features are available at no extra charge to Box.net users. <P> <big><font color="#ba2124"><strong>More From InformationWeek SMB:<ul><li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/02/cloud_storage_m.html">Cloud Storage Meets Social Software In New Box.net For SMBs</a></li><li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218101930">5 Web Replacements For Traditional Tech Tools</a></li></strong></font></big></ul> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a></small>2010-01-20T11:45:07ZThe new DiskStation DS1010+ 5-bay Networked Attached Storage device is only the first in a series of new storage devices and upgrades expected from Synology in the first half of 2010.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203661?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbThe new DiskStation DS1010+ 5-bay Networked Attached Storage device is only the first in a series of new storage devices and upgrades expected from Synology in the first half of 2010.<div style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:5px;"><a href="http://www.synology.com"><img src="http://www.synology.com/enu/marketing/photos/preview/ds1010+/DS1010+-web-right45.jpg" width="167" height="100"/></a><div align="center"><strong>Synology DS1010+</strong></div></div> <P> <P> Designed to replace PC file servers or other storage devices on small business or branch-office networks, the <a href="http://www.synology.com/us/products/DS1010+/index.php">DiskStation DS1010+</a> is distinguished by write speeds 2.5x times faster than the DS509+ it replaces. The separate DX510 Expansion Enclosure allows up to 10 bays with a total storage capacity of 20 TB. Powered by an Intel Atom Dual-Core Processor D510, the unit has 2 Gigabit LAN ports, 4 USB ports, and 1 GB RAM, expandable to 3 GB. <P> Earlier this year, Synology debuted the entry-level single bay <a href="http://www.synology.com/us/products/DS110j/index.php">DS110J</a>. In February, Synology plans to add the 2-bay DS710+, which can also use the DX510 expanion module. Rack mounted NAS devices are also on tap for later this year. <P> And on January 25, the company will release the beta of the latest version of its disk management software. The Web-based DiskStation Manger (DSM) 2.3 will offer hybrid RAID to manage different-size disks in the same box, a new router assistant wizard, shared folder encryption, wizard-based cloud backup (including Amazon S3), and wake-on LAN capability to save energy. In addition, DSM 2.3 makes interface improvements to many Synology apps, including File Station 3, Surveillance Station 4, Photo Station 4, Audio Station 2, and Download Station. There's even an iPhone app to view video from Surveillance Station 4 on the go. The software will be available for free download to all DiskStation users. <P> According to Heather Morford, Synology's director of marketing and PR, the new products demonstrate the maturity of the NAS category. NAS makes it easier for small business to manage and configure servers and storage because it's "all in one box." <P> <a href="http://www.synology.com">Synology</a> sells its products through a <a href="http://www.synology.com/us/buy/NorthAmerica.php">network of distributors</a>, and direct from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Synology-DiskStation-Diskless-Scalable-DS1010/dp/B0031ZKX5I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1264005909&sr=8-2">Amazon</a> and New Egg. Prices for the DS1010+ start at $999 with no disks, and run up to $1799 complete with 5 1-TB disks. <P> <big><font color="#ba2124"><strong>More From InformationWeek SMB:<ul><li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/11/storage_storage.html?cid=nl_BMIGHTY_DAILY_H">Storage, Storage, Storage: New Storage Devices In 3 Sizes</a></li><li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/06/synology_releas.html">Synology Releases DS409 4-Bay Storage Solution</a></li><li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/03/synology_disk_s.html?cid=nl_bmighty_html">Synology "Disk Stations" Bridge Business, Consumer Markets</a></li></strong></font></big></ul> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a></small>2010-01-19T22:48:13ZAt a small event here in rainy San Francisco, Intel executives showed off the 2010 version of the company's vPro platform, designed to add user benefits to vPro's traditional management and security features.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203583?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbAt a small event here in rainy San Francisco, Intel executives showed off the 2010 version of the company's vPro platform, designed to add user benefits to vPro's traditional management and security features.The new vPro capabilities, built into some of Intel's new Core i5 and Core i7 processors and associated chip sets, include AES-NI (Advanced Encryption Standard - New Instructions), KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) remote control, Anti-theft technology 2.0, and Aternity Frontline Performance Management. <P> According to Brian Tucker, Intel's director of marketing for business client platforms, which includes businesses of all sizes, many of these new features will be enabled by software companies and managed service providers (MSPs) for easy adoption by SMBs. <P> Intel's demo of <strong>AES-NI</strong> compared encryption performance on a 3-year-old Lenovo T60- laptop (coincidentally, the very same model we use here at InformationWeek SMB world headquarters) with a brand new Lenovo T410 with a vPro-equipped Core i5 chip. The six "new instructions" that AES-NI puts on the chip instead of in software made encrypting an 800MB file about twice as fast on the machine (15 seconds vs. 30 seconds). As encryption becomes increasingly common, Tucker said, AES-NI "helps mitigate the encryption overhead" so the user experience doesn't suffer in the name of security. <P> <big><font color="#ba2124"><strong>Don't Miss: <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/remote-access/index.jhtml">InformationWeek SMB Remote Access How-To Center</a></strong></font></big> <P> <strong>KVM remote control</strong> brings a "deeper" remote control capability to vPro, which doesn't require an operating system to take over a remote PC. That means it can help recover from "blue screen of death" crashes and maintain control during multiple reboots -- even if the hard drive fails. IT personnel can use KVM remote control reboot using any boot image they like. <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4289632280/" title="KVM by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4289632280_7c8dc433c1_o.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="KVM" /></a> <strong>This machine remained under remote control even after rebooting from a blue screen of death.</strong> <P> In addition, KVM remote control can use Aternity Frontline Performance Intelligence (FPI) platform to analyze and manage the performance of the remote PC, not just fix broken machines. <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4288889771/" title="aternity by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4288889771_ce6f9048f2_o.jpg" width="321" height="245" alt="aternity" /></a> <strong>Using vPro, IT personnel can remotely analyze and manage performance.</strong> <P> <strong>Anti-theft tecnhology 2.0 </strong> -- or "anti-theft as a service" -- improves on vPro's previous ability to send a "kill pill" to shut down and lock up a stolen laptop by making it possible to recover the data if the machine is recovered. <P> Intel's Turbo technology, meanwhile, isn't strictly part of vPro, but is designed to boost performance by shutting down unused cores in the chip to "borrow it's thermal capacity" and speed up the first core. In the demo, a 2.57 GHz approached 3.0 GHz on typical business tasks using single-threaded software. <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4288889747/" title="performance by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4288889747_5b553dd54c_o.jpg" width="271" height="186" alt="performance" /></a> <strong>This machine is using Turbo Boost to run at faster-than-listed processor speeds.</strong> <P> Machines using vPro 2010 are just hitting the streets now, Tucker said, adding that Intel plans to release more details of the new vPro platform in early February. <P> According to Tucker, vPro adds $15 - $20 to the street price cost of a computer, but easily earns back that sum in lowered total cost of ownership via easier management and improved security. He said that vPro-equipped desktops start at around $600, while laptops being at about $1,000. <P> Tucker couldn't give figure on SMB adoption of vPro, but claimed that smaller companies are buying vPro machines in signficant numbers. <P> <big><font color="#ba2124"><strong>Don't Miss: <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/12/chances_are_goo.html">Intel's vPro Reshapes Remote Desktop Support</a></strong></font></big> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a></small>2010-01-19T09:23:46ZSharing the cost of mobile equipment and service can be cost-effective for companies of all sizes -- according to a new Forrester Research report.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203592?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbSharing the cost of mobile equipment and service can be cost-effective for companies of all sizes -- according to a new Forrester Research report.The study, <a href="http://www.forrester.com/rb/search/results.jsp?SortType=Date&nb=1&dAg=10000&N=50461+133001+50076+140946">Collaboration Needs Will Fuel A Smartphone Surge</a>, by Ted Schadler with Matthew Brown, Brownlee Thomas PhD., Michele Pelino, and Peter Schmidt, basically says that the smartphone phenonmon has become unstoppable, and IT departments have no choice but to manage it as best they can. <P> The only remaining question, the authors ask, is who's going to pay for it? <P> The answer comes in the study's subtitle "The Surge Can Be Funded Through A Bring Your Own Smartphone Strategy." <P> In practice, that means a mix of "corporate-liable plans" and "personally liable plans," depending on the employees involved. "Our contention is that firms should consider a comprehensive funding model that includes corporate-liable plans for business-critical employees and shared personally liable plans for everybody else." <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <font font color="#ba2124"><strong>Don't Miss: <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/12/all_mobile_user.html">All Mobile Users Are Not Alike, So Why Does Your Company Give Them All The Same Equipment And Service?</a></strong></font> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> But that's only the begining, the report says. The authors also suggest creating and publishing a sliding scale for mobile cost reimbursement to help the business "own the decision about who should pay for what." <P> Finally, they offer 7 specific ways to support the smartphone surge: <P> <strong>1. "Establish a dual-use mobile strategy." </strong>Face the fact that smartphones are now used for both work and play. <P> <strong>2. "Subsidize plans for the 50% of iWorkers that need to be productive away from their desks. </strong>Don&#239;&#191;&#188;t feel like you have to fund data plans for the other 50%." <P> <strong>3. "Put collaboration, portal, and productivity applications at the top of the must mobilize list."</strong> <P> <strong>4. "Make policy the starting point for mobile information protection." </strong>Institute a policy-based approach to security (remote-wiping), ailbreaking, password, cameras and GPS. <P> <strong>5. "Invest in mobile device management and experience tracking systems." </strong> <P> <strong>6. "Outsource employee support to your fanatical users."</strong> But be sure to participate -- and establish a policy that forbids advice that breaks laws. <P> <strong>7. "Make reimbursing personally liable plans your mobile carriers&#239;&#191;&#188; problem too."</strong> The key is to find a way to negotiate rates based on on your total spend (yours and your employees). <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a></small>2010-01-19T07:11:00ZBarry X Lynn, Chairman and CEO of cloud platform vendor 3Tera, talks about why cloud computing makes a bigger difference for small and midsize companies than for large enterprises. The reasons might surprise you.http://www.informationweek.com/news/222301346?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbOver at <a href="http://www.informationweek.com">InformationWeek</a> and <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/index.jhtml">Global CIO</a>, Bob Evans and Art Wittman and Chris Murphy have been arguing over the promises and pitfalls of the hype surrounding cloud computing. <P> <strong><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2010/01/cloud_2010_hype.html">Cloud 2010: Hype Or Value?</a> <P> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222300047">Cloud Computing's Deadly Vulnerability--And How To Avoid It</a> <P> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222300303">5 Points To Make When Your CEO Cries Cloud</a> </strong> <P> It's an important question, and for CIOs at big global enterprises, I have no argument with the notion that cloud computing's advantages come packed with some serious risks. <P> For small and midsize businesses, though, many of the objections to cloud computing simply don't hold the same power. Barry X Lynn, Chairman and CEO of <a href="http://www.3tera.com/">3Tera</a>, says SMBs "can't afford <em>not</em> to do cloud computing right now." <P> Of course, 3tera is the maker of the <a href="http://www.3tera.com/AppLogic/">AppLogic</a> cloud computer platform, so he can hardly be accused of being unbiased. But he makes some intersting points about how cloud computing can have transformative effects on cash-strapped smaller companies: <P> "The most important thing, aside from specific savings, is that SMBs can now afford to do the things they couldn't do on their own. Not just do the same things for less money." <P> "When SMBs need to build an IT infrastructure," Lynn explains, "they can't go out there and start licensing great enterprise software." They simply can't afford it. That means no production-ready database clusters, no Oracle supported apps servers. Instead, they have to compromise and piece together an infrastructure with software they <em>can</em> afford, often open source. <P> "In the cloud, however, the infrastructure comes with the software," Lynn says, and you license what you need in "bite-sized pieces." You don't have to spend zillions of dollars, you just pay for what you use. It's the same world-class software, just scaled down. And having equivalent technology can make a big difference in leveling the playing field when competing against larger companies. <P> Just as important to Lynn, cloud apps and infrastructure can often be deployed in hours rather than the months it can take to build, integrate, configure, test, and deploy in-house systems. SMBs need to be agile to avoid being crushed, and long delays can be crippling. <P> Finally, there is the issue of the intellectual capital it takes for SMBs to create and manage their own IT infrastructure. "If you think good intellectual capital is unlimited and free, then there's no problem," he says. But if you'd rather spend your limited and expensive intellectual capital on making money for your company than on your IT infrastructure, cloud computing starts to look a lot more attractive. SMBs, he says, should outsource anything that isn't a core, differentiating value. <P> <strong>So What's The Problem<br></strong> Of course, there's no such thing as a free lunch, so I asked Lynn about issues with integrating cloud computing apps and infrastructure with legacy technology. SMBs may not have as much legacy tech as enterprises do, but they also don't have the same level of resources to handle integration tasks. <P> Surprisingly, Lynn didn't think legacy integration was the big problem, claiming that it's no harder than other types of integration and that basic APIs and Web services would be sufficient in most cases. The vendors need to supply that API, he says, adding that, "I think that's going to happen fairly easily over the next couple of years," especially since there are already some APIs out there. <P> Instead, Lynn says, the real problem is inter-cloud integration: making things portable from cloud to cloud -- from Amazon to Force.com to Azure, etc. People want portability, Lynn says. "That's a totally different question being heaviily debated as to how that's going to happen." <P> <strong>Bonus: A somewhat unrelated, but interesting quote from Lynn:</strong> <em>"Virtualization is a hammer. The cloud is carpentry."</em> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <strong><font font color="#ba2124">Don't Miss:</font><br><ul> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208800565">Cloud Computing's Strengths Play To Smaller Companies' Needs</a></li> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/01/cloud_computing_1.html">Cloud Computing: The Ultimate Recession Technology</a></li> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/services/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217700885">Cloud Computing: Useful Technology Or Mere Marketing Buzzword?</a></li> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220300150">Ask Steve: The 7 Components Of Cloud Computing </a></li> </ul></strong> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> <br> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a><br></small> <P>2010-01-15T18:22:47ZDo your company's IT staffers know everything they need to know? Didn't think so. After all, how could they? Combine all the different technologies with the speed of new developments and increasing demands on IT staffers' time in this rough econonmy, and staying up to speed can seem practically impossible. But as shown in the new InformationWeek SMB <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/e-learning/">E-Learning How-To Center</a>, though, it doesn't have be that way.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203582?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbDo your company's IT staffers know everything they need to know? Didn't think so. After all, how could they? Combine all the different technologies with the speed of new developments and increasing demands on IT staffers' time in this rough econonmy, and staying up to speed can seem practically impossible. But as shown in the new InformationWeek SMB <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/e-learning/">E-Learning How-To Center</a>, though, it doesn't have be that way.Like all of the first six InformationWeek SMB How-To Centers (<a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/virtualization/">Virtualization</a>, <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/remote-access/index.jhtml">Remote Access</a>, <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/storage/index.jhtml">Storage</a>, <a href="http://www.bmighty.com/IT_Management/">IT Management</a>, <a href="http://www.bmighty.com/how-to_server">Servers</a>, and <a href="http://www.bmighty.com/how-to_imaging">Scanners</a>) the E-Learning Center offers a unique combination of resources designed to help IT departments better understand their options. <P> The E-Learning How-To Center includes a downloadble PDF guide <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/e-learning/util/download.jhtml?id=180700014&cat=whitepaper">primer on IT E-Learning,</a> which covers <ol> <strong> <li>The Evolution of E-Learning</li> <li>E--Learning Tools And Technologies</li> <li>E--Learning And Information Technology:: A Perfect Match?</li> <li>SMBs And E--Learning:: Benefits And Risks</li> <li>Choosing The Right E-Learning Solution</li> <li>Measuring E-Learning Success</li></strong> </ol> <P> In the coming days, we'll be adding a new step-by-step guide to implementing an E-Learning program in your SMB's IT organization. (Note, free registration required to download the guides.) <P> Then there's links to essential e-learning resources from <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com">InformationWeek SMB</a>, from TechWeb and the InformationWeek Business Technology Network, and from around the Web. <P> There's even a poll where you can see how your company's IT e-learning initiatives compare to those of your peers. <P> Hey, if you think your company's IT folks already know everything they really need, or you have the time and money to send them to classroom instruction to gain the new skills they need, then good for you. But if not, the InformationWeek SMB E-Learning How-To Center is there to help. <P> <big><font color="#ba2124"><strong>More From InformationWeek SMB:<ul><li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/e-learning/">E-Learning How-To Center</a></li><li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/e-learning/util/download.jhtml?id=180700014&cat=whitepaper">Downloadable Guide: IT E-Learning Primer</a></li></strong></font></big></ul> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a></small>2010-01-14T20:17:18ZA new CompTIA survey of small and midsize businesses reveals growing interest SaaS and managed services.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203790?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbA new CompTIA survey of small and midsize businesses reveals growing interest SaaS and managed services.The <a href="http://www.comptia.org/News/PressReleases/10-01-14/SMBs_Embracing_SaaS_Managed_Services_CompTIA_Study_Reveals.aspx">Third Annual SMB IT Spending Trends</a> says almost 30% of SMBs no plan to implement SaaS solutions this year, up from 22% last year and just 14% in 2008. Similarly, 30% of SMBs say they intend to use managed services in 2010. <P> The move to outsourced technology solutions like SaaS and managed services isn't surprising, as 42% of SMBs don't even have a formal IT department. It also fits with SMBs ongoing need to conserve cash. Even though 70% of SMBs expected to grow revenue this year, they're still looking to control costs by keeping current IT systems in place as long as possible. <P> Where they <em>are</em> investing in IT, SMBs are looking for technologies "that are tied to instant return on investment," said Tim Herbert, vice president, research, CompTIA, in a statement. He added that "Between 70% and 80% of the SMBs we surveyed consider the usage of ERP, CRM and online e-commerce capabilities as strategic to their business,&#239;&#191;&#188; giving "business communication and customer outreach efforts" the highest priority. <P> However, SMBs are also concerned about integration issues when connecting SaaS and manageed services with their legacy systems, Herbert said. <P> The survey contacted 409 SMBs (businesses with 10-499 employees) in Q4 2009. Industries represented include manufacturing, finance and insurance, healthcare, government, and others. <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a></small>2010-01-14T18:20:02ZSure, even the smallest companies need some sort of anit-spam solution. But that doesn't mean there aren't things you can do to reduce the amount of spam you get in the first place.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203693?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbSure, even the smallest companies need some sort of anit-spam solution. But that doesn't mean there aren't things you can do to reduce the amount of spam you get in the first place.Dermot Harnet -- principal analyst on anti-spam engineering for Symantec -- yesterday posted <a href="http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=56021">Five tips for defeating spam in the SMB</a> up at ITbusiness.ca. While the last couple tips basically say buy an anti-spam product and keep it -- and your operating system and browser -- up to date, Harnet also includes some useful reminders on minimizing spam in smaller companies. <P> He suggests that SMBs immediately delete spam, and unsubscribe from e-mail subscrptions you're no longer interested in. He also reminds SMBs to "be selective" about where you register your e-mail address online, and don't publish your e-mail address on the Web, suggesting using an alternate address -- perhaps even a disposable address -- for mailing lists and so on. <P> And he says to never click on "suspicious" links in e-mails or IMs. Good point, but how do you determine which links are suspicious? <P> In addition, Harnet advises SMBs to not open spam messages. If you open them, don't reply to them. If you reply, don't provide any personal information, and for heaven's sake don't buy anything from them. <P> You think? <P> <BIG><FONT COLOR="#ba2124"><STRONG>More From InformationWeek SMB:<UL><LI><A HREF="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/12/this_week_proje.html">Project Honey Pot: Over One Billion Spammers Served</A></LI><LI><A HREF="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/07/the_awful_truth.html">The Awful Truth About Anti-Spam Solutions</A></LI><LI><A HREF="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/02/recession_spam.html">No Recession In Spam</A></LI></STRONG></FONT></BIG></UL> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a></small>2010-01-12T20:45:27ZEarlier today, InformationWeek SMB posted our take on <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222300453">SMB-oriented technology introductions at CES</a>. Turns out we weren't the only ones: TheStreet.com came up with three choices of its own. But be warned, they get increasingly strange...http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203758?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbEarlier today, InformationWeek SMB posted our take on <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222300453">SMB-oriented technology introductions at CES</a>. Turns out we weren't the only ones: TheStreet.com came up with three choices of its own. But be warned, they get increasingly strange...So what did a finanicial news site like <a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10659220/1/three-new-tech-tools-for-small-business.html">TheStreet.com</a> think was important for small businesses at CES? In Jonathan Blum's article, he cites one of the same categories that Curtis Franklin did for InformationWeek SMB -- storage -- but then branches out into the wild blue yonder. <P> First up, Blum says the Rocstor Commander 2UE ruggedized and encrypted USB hard drive is "small-business-worthy" due to its "near-military-grade encrypted hard drives... without the bulk, tacky look or insane price." The device hasn't been priced yet, and should be available later this month. <P> (Franklin also had an interest in rugged storage, but was more intrigued by the ioSafe Solo, which the company blasted with fire, hosed down, and ran over with a giant tractor...) <P> Blum's second pick was the Sideline Inc. CINQ, companion monitor, which attaches to the side a laptop to add screen real estate. It's scheduled to cost about $250 when it ships n third quarter. (See pictures in Engadget, <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/10/sideline-cinq-usb-companion-monitor-hands-on/">here</a>.) <P> Think that's weird? Check out Blum's third selection: <a href="http://www.vth.biz/driver/imusic">Volition Thought House's iMusic</a>. It's "a line of sound-based concentration aids -- essentially tracks of music with subsonic frequency pulses mixed in." The idea, Blum says, is to "essentially reprogram your brain to significantly boost concentration and performance." And get this, "Volition has developed an interactive module that it claims will allow managers to target wasted mental effort in their businesses and turn a deeper profit." <P> Like Blum -- and most everyone else, I assume -- I'll believe it works when I <a href="http://www.getimusic.com/sample_pop.php">hear it</a> and notice the difference. But I have to admit, The Street managed to come up with a profoundly different list than all other other folks looking for SMB tech at CES. <P> <BIG><FONT COLOR="#ba2124"><STRONG>Don't Miss: <A HREF="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222300453">Video: CES Wrapup: Plenty Of SMB Technology</A></STRONG></FONT></BIG> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a></small>2010-01-11T21:37:11ZThe Seagate company is making its hybrid cloud storage platform available to independent software vendors. Look for the first backup vendors to start using the platform to enable cloud-connected backups within a few months, with more following next year.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203701?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbThe Seagate company is making its hybrid cloud storage platform available to independent software vendors. Look for the first backup vendors to start using the platform to enable cloud-connected backups within a few months, with more following next year.The new Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform uses encryption, deduplication, compression, and bandwidth management to help ISVs securely and efficiently send data to the cloud so they can offer hybrid cloud and local storage and backup options. Cloud APIs, cloud storage (10 enterprise-class data centers), a service connector to transfer objects to/from the cloud (with encryption, deduplication, and bandswidth management), and SaaS business and support systems (pricing and billing management) are designed to help ISVs get the cloud-based storage and backup services to market quickly. <P> In a statement, Laura DuBois, IDC's research director for Storage Software, said, "Cloud-based storage offerings are making it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to expand and manage their IT infrastructure without the added upfront investments in storage infrastructure, and human capital. I365's EVault Cloud-Connected Services Platform will enable ISVs to offer their customers a cloud-based option without having to re-architect their applications." <P> <a href="http://www.i365.com/about/executive-team/terry-cunningham.html">Terry Cunningham</a>, senior vice president and general manager of <a href="http://www.i365.com">i365</a> , told InformationWeek SMB that "SMBs want to back up and restore their data quickly, but also want an offsite version in case the whole premesis goes up in smoke." But it's really hard to build, he added. "Now it will be easier," he claimed, either as a built-in feature or as an add-on product at extra cost. <P> According to Cunningham, CA's <a href="http://www.arcserve.com/us/products/product.aspx?id=5282">ARCServe Backup</a> and <a href="http://www.c2c.com/Default.aspx">C2C ArchiveOne</a> are already in development on the platform, and should have their first products using it on the market in a few months, Cunningham said. Other ISVs are expected to follow in 2011. <P> As these services become available, Cunningham said, SMBs may see the services branded as i365, or as coming from the ISV. <P> <big><font color="#ba2124"><strong>More From InformationWeek SMB:<ul><li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/10/i365_offers_new.html">New Hybrid Storage And Backup Options From i365 And CTERA Networks</a></li><li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/05/i365_launches_e.html">i365 Launches EVault "Plug-n-Protect" Appliance</a></li></strong></font></big></ul> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a></small>2010-01-11T07:46:00ZToshiba Satellite Pro U500-EZ1311 laptop, notebook, touchscreen, touch screen, multi-touch, touchpad, Toshiba ReelTime, Toshiba Bulletin Boardhttp://www.informationweek.com/news/222300227?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbWhen I <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221400178&pgno=2">first wrote about Toshiba's new Satellite Pro U500-EZ1311</a>, I was intrigued by the laptop's built-in touch screen. Touch technology is hot right now, and it seemed adventuresome to put a touch-screen display on an everyday laptop computer. The only problem was that I wasn't sure exactly what SMBs -- or anyone else -- would actually use the laptop's touch screen for. <P> After a couple weeks of living with the machine, I'm still not sure of the answer to that question. <P> That doesn't mean I didn't like the $999 Satellite Pro U500-EZ1311. In fact, it's a solid machine with good usability and plenty of interesting features, which I will detail in a moment. But after the first few days of obsessively testing and playing with the touch screen capability, I found that I hardly ever touched the screen. <P> <strong>Touch And Go?</strong> OK, so that sounds like a bad pun, but it's actually an accurate assessment of the situation. While you can use the touch screen for just about anything you can do with the touchpad or a mouse, in most cases it's harder, not easier, to accomplish tasks that way. At first, I was worried that touching the 13.3-inch screen would push the laptop over onto its back like a stranded turtle. Thankfully, the Satellite Pro U500 is sturdy and balanced enough that never happened. The slick hinges that drop the screen below the level of the unit's base also added to the U500's overall stability. I also worried about smudging the screen with greasy fingers, but that didn't seem to be a problem either. <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4264767439/" title="UU500 by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2753/4264767439_45181543dd.jpg" width="500" height="469" alt="UU500" /></a> <strong>The Toshiba Satellite Pro U500-EZ1311.</strong> <P> But I did find it hard to hit the precise point I was aiming for, sometimes having to tap the screen two or three times to get just the right spot. The tiny pointer that indicates touch-screen cursor position doesn't show up until you actually touch the screen, so it can be kind of tough to tell exactly where your fingertip will land -- especially when trying to minimize windows, for example. And touching the wrong spot can have serious unintended consequences that can't always be solved by the Back button. <P> I did like the touch screen's ability to automatically "grab" a window when touching its top bar, making it relatively easy to reposition windows on the screen without having to hold down a mouse button, for example. But even after weeks of use, I still found myself reaching for the touch pad or the mouse - not the touch screen - when I wanted to move things around on the screen. <P> I also liked the multi-touch screen's ability to use two-finger gestures to resize windows on the screen (sort of like on an iPhone), which I found particularly useful for zooming in on large pictures using image viewers such as <a href="http://www.irfanview.com">IrfanView</a>. Similarly, the gestures made it easy to resize text in word processing programs like Microsoft Word. But even after weeks of living with the U500, I still had to remind myself that those options were available in addition to the standard mouse and trackpad. <P> <strong>Touch-Enabled Apps</strong> Toshiba includes a couple of touch-enabled applications with the U500 that are designed to take advantage of the capability. Toshiba ReelTime and Toshiba Bulletin Board. I tried them, and found that while they're useful for checking out how the touch screen works they're hardly world-class advertisements for touch screens. Besides, both apps work almost as well using traditional input methods instead of touch. <P> The touch-screen capabilities also have limits on what they can do compared to a mouse or touchpad. You can't slide your finger down to the bottom of the screen to reveal a hidden Windows 7 task bar, for example. And the touch-screen software kept trying to launch the touch-screen soft keyboard, despite the fact that the U500 has a built in physical keyboard. I can't think of any reason anyone would want to use that virtual keyboard on a regular laptop. (Apparently, Windows 7 doesn't know the difference between a tablet and a regular laptop.) <P><small>Page 2 of 2</small> <br> <br> <big><strong>The Laptop Under The Touch Screen</strong></big> <br> At this point, then, the touch-screen is basically a fun and somewhat frivolous option - adding about $100 to the sticker price -- that adds some sizzle to an otherwise solid but unspectacular laptop. The Satellite Pro U500-EZ1311 is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo T6670 chip and on-board graphics. Three gigabytes or RAM is standard, and it can hold up to 8 GB. There's also a 250 GB hard drive and a DVD burner. <P> The keyboard is basic but very usable, with no unpleasant surprises. The standard touchpad felt wonderful, however, with a textured surface for positive control a lighted strip that indicates whether it's turned on. Unfortunately, the multi-touch gesture control sometimes misinterpreted my cursor movements as attempts at making control gestures. I didn't accidentally do anything harmful, but I occasionally found myself having to attempt simple cursor movements more than once. <P> A strip of lighted buttons above the keyboard make it easy to control sound volume and media playback. There's even an Eco Mode button that cuts energy usage. Those buttons are flanked by surprisingly good-sounding, top-firing stereo speakers, and there's also a built-in Web cam and microphone. Connectivity includes a 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, a memory card reader, VGA and HDMI outputs, 2 USB 2.0 ports and a combo eSATA/USB port with USB Sleep and Charge so you can charge your portable devices without leaving the laptop on. <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4265516894/" title="u500thin by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4265516894_ea5d3fc7f6.jpg" width="500" height="124" alt="u500thin" /></a> <strong>The Touch-Screen Makes The Toshiba U500 slightly thicker than many modern laptops.</strong> <P> The whole thing comes wrapped in a textured brown plastic case that sort of feels like the interior finish on a "near-luxury" automobile. In a good way. <P> The 6-cell battery is rated at 3.5, and I got at least that long in casual use. The package starts at under 5 pounds, but the touch screen adds some weight and thickness. <P> All in all, a very creditable laptop. And if you're interested in exploring the possible uses of touch-screens, or if you have a particular touch-application in mind, there's nothing in this machine that should dissuade you. It's a great way to tip your toe in the touch-screen world. <P> But if you're hoping the touch screen will somehow change the way you work on your laptop and magically make computing more productive, you're likely to be disappointed. For now, based on this sample of one, touch-screen laptops remain interesting, not-too-expensive curiosities, not game changers. <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <strong><font font color="#ba2124">Don't Miss:</font><br><ul> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221400178&pgno=2">How Would You Use A Touch-Screen Laptop?</a></li> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222300136">Microsoft Gets Touchy At CES</a></li> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222200183">HP, Lenovo Roll Out SMB Notebooks At CES</a></li> </ul></strong> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> <br> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB">http://twitter.com/InfoWeekSMB</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a><br></small> <P>2010-01-07T00:50:37ZWhy should enterprises have all the fun? Sure, big companies are important, but small and midsize businesses constitute more than 99% of all U.S. businesses and employ more than half the U.S. workforce. And SMBs need sophisticated technology too, they just don't have the same level of resources and expertise. And SMBs can often get more upside out of new technology than can enterprises burdened with legacy investments and infrastructure. That's why we're introducting <strong><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com">InformationWeek SMB</a></strong>, a new site aimed at the tech needs of <strong>S</strong>mall and <strong>M</strong>idsize <strong>B</strong>usinesses.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203671?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbWhy should enterprises have all the fun? Sure, big companies are important, but small and midsize businesses constitute more than 99% of all U.S. businesses and employ more than half the U.S. workforce. And SMBs need sophisticated technology too, they just don't have the same level of resources and expertise. And SMBs can often get more upside out of new technology than can enterprises burdened with legacy investments and infrastructure. That's why we're introducting <strong><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com">InformationWeek SMB</a></strong>, a new site aimed at the tech needs of <strong>S</strong>mall and <strong>M</strong>idsize <strong>B</strong>usinesses. <P> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/smb"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2683/4251971635_5ee6f76ba6_o.jpg" width="241" height="118" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"></img></a> <P> <P> Careful readers may note that InformationWeek SMB incorporates InformationWeek's existing bMighty.com site for SMBs, including the popular and ongoing ANTenna blog, exclusive How-To Centers, Mid-Market Heroes (profiles of innovative SMB technology applications), and much more. <P> But as "green shoots" of an economic recovery begin to emerge in the new year, this is the perfect time to leverage increased integration with InformationWeek editorial to deliver even more practical, actionable technology news, information, advice, and best practices to companies with fewer than 1,000 employees. After all, estimates of worldwide SMB IT spending approach $675 billion in 2013. Even more impressive, IDC estimated that 2009 worldwide SMB technology spending grew 6 times as fast as enterprise technology investments. <P> So what's really new here? It's all about access. <P> InformationWeek SMB is dedicated to making the stories, content, and communities most relevant to SMBs instantly available, no matter where they were created. In addition, InformationWeek SMB's original content will become directly accessible to InformationWeek.com readers. <P> Interested? Careful readers of InformationWeek may also have noticed a small but signifcant change in the site. Just slide your eyes up and to the right... there, at the end of the navigation bar, is a brand new selection: <strong><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com">SMB</a></strong>. You can always get to <a href="http://www.InformationWeek.com/SMB">InformationWeek SMB</a> from InformationWeek.com by clicking on that little SMB button. Or just bookmark <strong><a href="http://www.InformationWeek.com/SMB">www.InformationWeek.com/SMB</a></strong>. <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> Follow InformationWeek SMB on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/bMighty">http://twitter.com/bMighty</a> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">InformationWeek SMB on your mobile device</a></small>2010-01-06T00:06:00ZNew SMB products from major vendors highlight the newly business-friendly Consumer Electronics Show this week. Check out the latest business-oriented notebooks, desktops, and netbooks -- including touch-screen models and even so-called hybrids.http://www.informationweek.com/news/222200183?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbDon't let the name fool you. Sure, they may call it the <a href="http://www.cesweb.org/default.asp">Consumer Electronics Show</a> (CES), but the giant trade show in Las Vegas this week also has plenty of products for small and midsize businesses, including new laptop models from HP and Lenovo -- and even a touch-screen netbook! And that's only the beginning as the lines between consumer, SMB, and enterprise products continues to blur. <P> Of prime interest to SMBs is the HP Probook 6440b/6540b notebooks. Differentiated by screen size (14-inch or 15.6-inch) the new additions to HP's SMB-oriented notebook line are entry-level business machines that resemble the company's high-end EliteBook line, but with a few significant downgrades. Rather than all metal construction, for instance, the new ProBooks have a magnesium alloy frame and alloy hinges, but a plastic body. <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4243007119/" title="probook by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2703/4243007119_59ff4d46fa.jpg" width="500" height="173" alt="probook" /></a> <strong>HP's new ProBooks are aimed at SMBs.</strong> <P> And unlike <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/04/hps_new_probook.html">other ProBook models</a> , the new versions don't sport the stylish chiclet keyboard that graces the thin and light <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222001180">5310m</a> -- but at least it's still "spill-resistant." <P> Outputs include VGA and the new DisplayPort connectors, and the devices also have HP's QuickLook and QuickWeb for "instant" access to Linux-powered Web browsing and e-mail/calendar/contacts. HP's ProtectTools security suite is also included. <P> Options cover goodies like Intel Core i7 processors, Blu-ray drives, discrete ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550 graphics with 512MB of RAM, 2 megapixel Web cam, TouchPoint "pointing stick" and 9-cell battery for extended power. Prices start $949. <P> But that's not all, of course. <P> HP is also debuting a business netbook with touch-screen capability. The HP Mini 5102 sports an all-metal (magnesium and aluminum) case in black, blue, or red, with an optional handle (designed for use in educational settings) in a 2.64-pound package. The spill-resistant chiclet keyboard is 95% of full size. The device holds up to 2 GB of memory and a 160 GB to 320 GB hard drive. <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4243775196/" title="5102 by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2235/4243775196_e581497972.jpg" width="500" height="154" alt="5102" /></a> <strong>The HP Mini 5102 has a touch-screen... and a handle.</strong> <P> But the real news here is the optional 10.1-inch capacitative multi-touch touch-screen. According to HP representatives, the touch-screen adds only about $50 to the price. "We really want people to buy it," said Greg Morris, HP's world-wide product marketing manager for business PCs in the Personal Systems Group. (An HD option boosts resolution from 1024 x 600 to 1366 x 768.) <P> Prices start at $399 (including Corel Home Office), and a fully loaded version will cost about $550 when it ships at the end of this month. Expensive for a netbook, but this as about as feature-packed as netbooks get, including face-recognition security (there's no room for fingerprint reader), WAN options, and a 6-cell battery rated at up to 10 hours of life. You can choose from multiple operating systems as well, including various flavors of Windows 7, SUSE Linux, FreeDOS, and more. <P> The company is also introducing the HP Mini 2102 business netbook, starting at $329, as well as new HP EliteBook notebooks for the enterprise market, with prices starting at $1,099 to $1,499. <P> By far the coolest gadget in HP's new arsenal, though, is the HP Notebook Projector Companion. This $500 device is about the size of a couple of smartphones and weighs less than a pound. But it can throw a bright, 858 x 600, 60-inch image on a wall up to 8.5-feet away. While it doesn't run on batteries, it can use use an HP laptop's AC adaptor, so you have to carry only one. <P> Despite the emphasis on mobility, HP also has desktop news. The HP Compaq 8000f Elite is designed to be the company's greenest desktop ever, with no BFRs or PVCs "from the wall to the mouse" and 100% recyclable packaging. It's 30% more efficient than standard desktops at idle and includes HP's PowerAssistant software. <P> The 8000f is a "showcase" product in the standard 8000 and 8100 Compaq Elite Business PC lines, intended to "drive the supply chain" toward green products by working with suppliers to find more environmentally friendly substitutes for "substances of concern." Prices start at $849, about the same as the 8000 and 8100, but not packing the same horsepower. <P> Surprisingly, HP is also using CES to announce its new Z200 Workstation, aimed at SMBs in the engineering and design industries. Prices will start at $769 when the workstation ships in February. And the company is also rolling out a variety of new monitors, including the HP ZR22w/ZR24w, HP Compaq LE19f/LA22f, and HP Compaq l2105tm touch-screen monitor. <P> Oh, and there are new HP consumer machines as well. <P><small>Page 2 of 2</small> <br> <br> <big><strong>Lenovo and Acer Offer SmartBooks... And A Hybrid!</big></strong> <P> Lenovo's most unusual debut is the IdeaPad U1 hybrid, combination of a 3.8-pound Windows 7 laptop and a detachable 1.6-pound slate touchscreen tablet powered by Skylight Linux. Lenovo's Hybrid Switch technology lets the two PCs can seamlessly toggle between the two processors when the units are separated. The unit is due June 1 for $1,000. While certainly unique, the U1's SMB applications remain unclear. <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4249312825/" title="hybrid by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4249312825_b2d9bd4af2_o.jpg" width="298" height="256" alt="hybrid" /></a> <P> <strong>Pop out the screen to create a standalone tablet computer!</strong> <P> On the more traditional side, Lenovo is rolling out the <a href="http://extranet.hmxmedia.com/projects/lenovo/16_12_2009/edge.html">ThinkPad Edge</a> for SMBs. Unlike all other ThinkPads, the edge comes in red as well as matte and glossy black. Available in sizes with 13.3-inch, 14.1-inch and 15-inch screens, the ThinkPad edge also offers choice of Intel Ultra-low-voltage or AMD Turion X2 and Athlon X2 processors boasting up to 7.8 hours of battery life, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth and WiMAX options, GPS, spill-resistant keyboard, hi-res camera, a media card reader and Lenovo's ThinkVantage Technologies software. Prices start at $549 and climb as you add faster processors, larger hard drives (up to 320 GB), more RAM (up to 4 GB), bigger batteries (up to 6-cell) and other options. <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4242744523/" title="edge3 by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2796/4242744523_e020184ae3.jpg" width="500" height="233" alt="edge3" /></a> <strong>The 13.3-inch version of Lenovo's ThinkPad Edge weighs 3.6 pounds -- and it comes in colors!</strong> <P> Other Lenovo introductions at CES include the <a href="http://extranet.hmxmedia.com/projects/lenovo/16_12_2009/x100e.html">ThinkPad X100e</a> under 3-pound, 11.6-inch ultraportable (starting at $449) and a refreshed line-up of "classic" ThinkPads, including the T410s, T410, and T510. Then there's the new W510, which will offer the Intel Core i7 chips and up to 18-hours of battery life using a 9-cell battery. Prices for that bad boy start at $1,600 (not including the i7) and other options include a 500 GB hard drive, up to 16 GB of RAM. <P> Finally, Lenovo is rolling out the slick and curvy, Linux-powered Skylight "SmartBook." Weighing less than 2 pounds, it runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip and uses flash storage instead of a hard drive. Prices start at $500. <P> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/42238155@N07/4243517394/" title="skylight by bmighty, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4243517394_9c8ed4960d.jpg" width="500" height="177" alt="skylight" /></a> <strong>The Lenovo Skylight netbook runs on Linux and doesn't have a real hard drive. But it's <em>very</em> light!</strong> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <font font color="#ba2124"><strong>Don't Miss: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222200228">Lenovo Lightens ThinkPad Line </a></strong></font> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> SmartBooks could be poised to become the next trend, with Freescale Semiconductor offering its own <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222200154">SmartBook reference design prototype at CES</a>. <P> If that's not enough, we're also seeing new netbooks from Acer America. The new<a href="http://www.pr-inside.com/acer-enhances-acclaimed-aspire-one-netbook-r1649624.htm"> Aspire One AO532h netbooks</a> use Intel Atom N450 chips, include 802.11n Wi-Fi, a multi-gesture touchpad, and last up to 10 hours with a high-density 6-cell battery. Typical configurations start around $300. <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <strong><font font color="#ba2124">Don't Miss:</font><br><ul> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221601161">How HP Plans To Rule The SMB World </a></li> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220600194">SMB Strategies Of The PC Stars</a></li> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/11/lenovo_debuts_t.html">Lenovo Debuts ThinkCentre All-In-One PC -- For Business!</a></li> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212800195">CES 2009: 8 Products For Your Business</a></li> </ul></strong> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> <br> Follow bMighty.com on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/bMighty">http://twitter.com/bMighty</a><br> Put a <a href="http://bmighty.ourtoolbar.com/">bMighty toolbar on your browser</a> Put a <a href="http://www.bmighty.com/services/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212500165">bMighty gadget on your iGoogle page</a> <br> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">bMighty on your mobile device</a><br></small> <P>2010-01-05T22:41:13ZToday's big news was the introduction of Google's Nexus One smartphone. Initial reactions were largely positive, but didn't center on its possible application in small and midsize companies. InformationWeek SMB contributor Steve Hilton fills the gap.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203766?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbToday's big news was the introduction of Google's Nexus One smartphone. Initial reactions were largely positive, but didn't center on its possible application in small and midsize companies. InformationWeek SMB contributor Steve Hilton fills the gap.<big><font color="#ba2124"><strong>Don't Miss: <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/mobile/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222200340">Google Reveals Nexus One 'Super Phone' </a></strong></font></big> <P> To Hilton, head of enterprise and SMB research at Analysys Mason, the Nexus One is a Ferrari. A business Ferrari. In fact, he sees Google's decision to offer both CDMA and GSM models as the equivalent of <em>two</em> business Ferraris in one: <P> <em>"That's like Google offering two Ferraris -- one in black for date night and one in red in case date night doesn't work out. RF-technology agnosticism is the way to go... From &#91;a business perspective, &#91;combining&#93; CDMA and GSM models allows a business to choose which carriers they prefer based on network coverage, personal preferences, rate plans, other (network-based) applications offered, etc. <P> And like a Ferrari, the Nexus One is fast with a 1GHz processor. So if the &#91;company&#93; wants to run specialized business applications -- whether front or back-end -- that require processing horsepower, it's certainly there."</em> <P> Hilton is also impressed by the Nexus One's features, especially "Speech recognition software for writing emails &#91;and&#93; turn-by-turn GPS direction. If you're business buyer who wants some all-in-one devices with an open OS, large developer community, and a big touchscreen, the Nexus One is a good choice." <P> I guess that answers the question of the new device's appeal to SMBs. But is it good enough to knock the iPhone off its perch? We'll have to wait and see on that, but if you want to compare the features and (total) costs of the leading high-tech smartphones (except for the business-standard BlackBerry, unfortunately) <a href="http://www.billshrink.com/blog/nexus-one-vs-iphone-droid-palm-pre-total-cost-of-ownership/">BillShrink.com has a handy chart</a>. <P> <br> <font color="#ba2124"><strong>Read Steve Hilton's <a href="http://www.bmighty.com/columns/showAuthor.jhtml?authorID=hilton"><em>Ask Steve</em> columns</a></strong></font> <br>2010-01-04T07:17:00ZbMighty bravely goes back to check whether our 2009 "anti-predictions" held true -- or were found false. The predictions included SMBs Will Get A Bailout; Firefox, Chrome, Safari, And Opera Become More Popular Than IE; Security Concerns Go Down; Linux On The Desktop Goes Mainstream; Economic Woes Will Stall Green IT & Kill Entrepreneurship; Blogging Will Be Replaced By Twitter And Facebook And Flickr; Windows 7 Will Ship; The Cloud Will Crash; WiMax Will Replace Wi-Fi; Google Will Stop Offering Free Luncheshttp://www.informationweek.com/news/222003044?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbLike just about every pundit on the planet, just about a year ago bMighty laid out its projections for 2009. Unlike most media sites, though, instead of making boring old standard predictions, we said what we DIDN'T think would happen this year. Also unlike most media blowhards, we've got the guts to go back and look at how we did. <P> Just to recap, here's the list (with links to the original anti-predictions): <P> <strong>1. <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700689">SMBs Will Get A Bailout</a> <P> 2. <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700689&pgno=2">Firefox, Chrome, Safari, And Opera Become More Popular Than IE</a> <P> 3. <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700689&pgno=3">Security Concerns Go Down</a> <P> 4. <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700689&pgno=4">Linux On The Desktop Goes Mainstream</a> <P> 5. <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700689&pgno=5">Economic Woes Will Stall Green IT & Kill Entrepreneurship</a> <P> 6. <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700689&pgno=6">Blogging Will Be Replaced By Twitter And Facebook And Flickr</a> <P> 7. <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700689&pgno=7">Windows 7 Will Ship</a> <P> 8. <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700689&pgno=8">The Cloud Will Crash</a> <P> 9. <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700689&pgno=9">WiMax Will Replace Wi-Fi </a> <P> 10. <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700689&pgno=10">Google Will Stop Offering Free Lunches</a></strong> <P> Let's look at them one by one, and label them RIGHT, WRONG, or FUZZY. <P> <strong>1. SMBs Will Get A Bailout<br></strong> Despite <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/09/business/business-us-financial-bailout.html?_r=1&scp=24&sq=small%20business%20bailout&st=cse">lots of noise in the last few weeks from the Obama administration</a> about finally <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BF3DL20091216?type=politicsNews">using bailout funds to help Main Street instead of Wall Street</a>, most SMBs still -- rightly -- feel like they got little or nothing out of the bailout. And even if the Feds do finally cough up some cash to help small businesses, companies won't likely see any of it in 2009. <br> <strong>Verdict:</strong> RIGHT!<br> <P> <strong>2. Firefox, Chrome, Safari, And Opera Become More Popular Than IE</strong><br> The alternative browsers continue to gain popularity, but they remain a long way away unseating Internet Explorer. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/12/googles_chrome_2.html">Recent data </a>still give IE 63.6% of the browser market. Firefox is next with 24.7%. Chrome has 4.4% and Safari just 4.37%. Do the math yourself to figure out how much is left for Opera.<br> <strong>Verdict:</strong> RIGHT!<br> <P> <strong>3. Security Concerns Go Down</strong><br> Ha! Like that was ever going to happen. We almost feel bad for claiming this one, since it was such an obvious, tongue-in-cheek, slam dunk. Nevertheless...<br> <strong>Verdict:</strong> RIGHT!<br> <P> <strong>4. Linux On The Desktop Goes Mainstream<br></strong> Well, Linux went more mainstream, but it's still a big stretch to put it in the class with Windows 7 and Mac OS X. Not sure that's ever going to happen, or even that it would be a good thing. We may be better off keeping Linux for the nerds in the know.<br> <strong>Verdict:</strong> RIGHT!<br> <P> <strong>5. Economic Woes Will Stall Green IT & Kill Entrepreneurship<br></strong> This is a bit of a tough one. We don't think it's fair to say that the Great Recession -- as bMighty has taken to calling our current "situation" -- has stopped Green IT, but it's certainly made folks less willing to spend big bucks on it -- even as energy prices have moderated. At the same time, with all the folks thrown out of work this year, there are suddenly a lot of budding entrepreneurs trying to start new businesses. There's not a lot of capital behind them, but there's no lack of drive and enthusiasm. <br> <strong>Verdict:</strong> FUZZY<br> <P><small>Page 2 of 2</small> <br> <br> <big><strong>The Last 5 Things We Said Wouldn't Happen In 2009</strong></big> <br> <br> <strong>6. Blogging Will Be Replaced By Twitter And Facebook And Flickr<br></strong><br> Look around. Despite the continuing rise of social networking, blogging is showing no signs of going away. Twitter may be on everyone's lips these days, but blogging lives.<br> <strong>Verdict:</strong> RIGHT!<br> <P> <strong>7. Windows 7 Will Ship<br></strong><br> Um, what can we say? We were haters, and we were wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. On October 22, Microsoft did the unthinkable: release a new operating system on-time to strong reviews. All we can say in our defense is that we were big enough to admit our mistake: <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/10/windows_7s_offi.html">Windows 7's Official Release Prompts bMighty Apology</a>.<br> <strong>Verdict:</strong> WRONG!<br> <P> <strong>8. The Cloud Will Crash<br></strong><br> Well, there were plenty of cloud-computing failures in 2009, but there wasn't any single over-arching "Cloud Crash" to point to. And some pundits -- like Mark Anderson of Strategic News Service -- are now predicting the big Cloud Catastrophe in 2010. So, that means it DIDN'T happen in 2009, right? <br> <strong>Verdict:</strong> FUZZY<br> <P> <strong>9. WiMax Will Replace Wi-Fi<br></strong> Not hardly. WiMax continues to hang on as a cost effective option in rural and overseas markets, but it's hardly gone mainstream. We recently wrote about one company -- J. Peterman (yes, that J. Peterman of Seinfeld infamy -- using WiMax as a backup for its T-1 connections, but it was worth coverting precisely because it's so unusual. As bMighty contributor Paul Korzeniowski explained it in <a href="http://www.bmighty.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218501230">WiMAX's Niche-Market Future Begins to Crystallize</a>: "to date, it has garnered only minuscule acceptance."<br> <strong>Verdict:</strong> RIGHT!<br> <P> <strong>10. Google Will Stop Offering Free Lunches<br></strong> This may have been the year that Google had to lay off thousands of contractors and even some <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/google-plans-to-lay-off-200-workers/">actual employees</a>, but the company continues to offer those who remain <a href="http://www.google.com/support/jobs/bin/static.py?page=benefits.html#bwbb">free lunch, and dinner</a>. Yum!<br> <strong>Verdict:</strong> RIGHT! <P> Add it all up and we got 7 RIGHT, 2 FUZZY, and only 1 WRONG. And frankly, we're being conservative taking a FUZZY for the whole cloud crashing thing. <P> Not too bad, even if some of our choices seem fairly safe, at least in retrospect. <P> Now, look for us to take a look back at what DID happen in 2009 that makes a difference for SMBs, and to make another set of anti-predictions for 2010. <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <font font color="#ba2124"><strong>Don't Miss: <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700689">10 Things That WON'T Happen In 2009</a></strong></font> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> <br> Follow bMighty.com on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/bMighty">http://twitter.com/bMighty</a><br> Put a <a href="http://bmighty.ourtoolbar.com/">bMighty toolbar on your browser</a> Put a <a href="http://www.bmighty.com/services/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212500165">bMighty gadget on your iGoogle page</a> <br> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">bMighty on your mobile device</a><br></small>2009-12-31T20:13:26ZFive predictions for what SMBs can expect on the mobility front in the coming year -- from Trust Digital.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203842?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbFive predictions for what SMBs can expect on the mobility front in the coming year -- from Trust Digital.According to Dan Dearing, VP Marketing at mobile security vendor <a href="http://trustdigital.com/">Trust Digital</a>, 2009 has definitely been an interesting year for SMB mobility. <P> Dearing marks June 19th, 2009 as a watershed event for business smartphone mobility with the release of the iPhone 3GS. It is the first enterprise &#239;&#191;&#188;app phone&#239;&#191;&#188; and other consumer devices based on Android and WebOS will follow suit. <P> Here's what Trust Digital is planning for in 2010: <P> <strong>1. Move over Blackberry. </strong> The Blackberry monopoloy in the enterprise will become a duopoly with iPhone. The barrier to entry to other consumer devices like Android will be device encryption, so look for Android vendors to bulk up their app phone offerings by year end to compete with iPhone in business markets. <P> <strong>2. Personal devices spread in the workplace (with IT's blessing). </strong> Driven by a younger workforce that mix work and play, businesses will promote mobility for all of their employees by opening up mobile access to IT services but share the cost with employees. <P> <strong>3. Businesses eat their own dogfood. </strong> SMBs will deploy a variety of applications for both employees and customers. Besides the usual push for employee productivity apps, companies are building consumer apps to reach their customers. Employees in customer facing roles such as Sales need to demonstrate the power of these apps and IT needs to support them. <P> <strong>4. App phone and laptop support converges. </strong>IT will begin to treat these devices more like laptops, plugging them into their infrastructure for authentication (PKI) and easy secure access (WiFi/VPN). <P> <strong>5. Mobile security morphs. </strong>Security threats for App Phones are a moving target. Today, there is less emphasis on laptop malware threats and more focus on data protection and secure access. That will change in the future as more people adopt app phones and rely on them to manage their life and finances.2009-12-31T08:12:19ZSeven Predictions on what SMBs can expect from the world of cloud computing in the coming year -- from Appirio.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229204020?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbSeven Predictions on what SMBs can expect from the world of cloud computing in the coming year -- from Appirio.Cloud solution provider <a href="http://www.appirio.com">Appirio</a> offers 7 predictions on how cloud computing will affect companies in 2010, all under the assumption that this is the year the cloud goes mainstream. <P> <strong>1. Cloud developer community grows faster than open-source. </strong>Today's vendor-specific developer communities will be complemented by a community dedicated to the general discipline of building applications on the cloud, disrupting existing on-premise developer communities. The combination will launch a new generation of 'cloud developers.' <P> <strong>2. Cloud standards won't (and shouldn't) happen. </strong>The pace of innovation is so rapid in the cloud that the emergence of truly open cloud standards won't yet be possible, except at the lowest levels of infrastructure. Traditional vendors will attempt to muddy the waters across layers and claim the 'standards high ground' with efforts like the Open Cloud Manifesto. <P> <strong>3. Cloud providers tackle lock-in.</strong> Platform lock-in remains one of the major concerns keeping CIOs from building applications on PaaS. In 2010 we expect to see major initiatives from cloud providers to overcome this objection, either revolutionary (e.g., Force.com supporting other languages) or evolutionary (e.g., application migration frameworks or platform 'porting' toolkits.) <P> <strong>4. Enterprise apps get Googled. </strong>Google's investments in its cloud platform will transform Google Apps from a simple Exchange/Sharepoint replacement into a legitimate front end for business applications (e.g., Google Web Toolkit, Secure Data Connector, and the Google Gadget Framework.) <P> <strong>5. Collaboration is a feature, not a business.</strong> Salesforce Chatter and Google Wave have shown the value of real-time collaboration that is seamlessly integrated with business applications. Standalone collaboration offerings will have difficulty competing. <P> <strong>6. Cloud computing consolidation. </strong>With 2000+ providers, the cloud ecosystem is ripe for consolidation. Salesforce.com and Google are likely to continue with point acquisitions, but they won't be alone. Having missed the first wave of innovation in cloud computing (and lacking any other on-premise technology to acquire) we expect Oracle to buy into the industry that Larry Ellison has dismissed as 'water vapor.' Maybe they'll finally snap up NetSuite. <P> <strong>7. The real innovation will be in the business of cloud computing, not the technology.</strong> Cloud providers will become dramatically easier to do business with (e.g., Amazon Spot Markets) and new business models will emerge to make the cloud more consumable (e.g., cloud insurance providers, cloud security auditors, cloud brokerages.)2009-12-24T12:59:22ZVaronis shares five security trends that will impact SMBs in the coming year.http://www.iweek-interim.com/news/229203957?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smbVaronis shares five security trends that will impact SMBs in the coming year.Raphael Reich, senior director of marketing for data security vendor <a href="http://www.varonis.com/">Varonis</a>, says the issues listed below will have a big effect on companies of all sizes, but SMBs may be even more vulnerable to these trends because they have less time and money to spend on IT security. <P> Here are Reich's top 5 security trends: <P> <strong>1. Unstructured data continues to "dog" organizations that do not begin to get it under control. </strong>Unstructured data represents about 80% of business data, and grows at over 50% per year, with data being generated from many sources and devices. Also constantly changing are the needs users have to access this data. Without proper solutions in place, managing this data is labor intensive, and organizations that do not make it a priority to get better control of this data will forever be playing catch-up with it. <P> <strong>2) Protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII) becomes a bigger priority for organizations.</strong> Information about customers is a tremendously valuable business resource, especially as businesses seek to build closer relationships with their customers. At the same time, individuals and governments want to protect the privacy and security of this information, as witnessed by the growing number of countries and US states that have PII legislation in place. With more and more PII being created, analyzed, and used, businesses will need to intensify their efforts to protect PII to ensure they are complying with laws and industry best practices. <P> <strong>3. US Healthcare changes drive increased security requirements for patient data. </strong>Electronic medical records and computerized physician order entry systems promise to help transform US health care. As healthcare organizations, hospitals, doctors, and others begin to use these systems, security of patient information will be critical to establish patient trust and rapid adoption. <P> <strong>4. Employees continue to abuse business data access. </strong>Unfortunately this is not a new story, but a continuing saga. Employees already have access to far more data that is needed to do their jobs. General curiosity coupled with anxiety about job stability in today's economy will tempt employees to abuse access privileges and take corporate data home or to their next employer, or potentially inflict damage before they leave the company. <P> <strong>5. Economic times continue to demand that IT purchases have positive impact on operational efficiency. </strong>Organizations continue to scrutinize new purchases to ensure that IT products demonstrate clear return on investment through reduction in capital expenditures and/or increased operational efficiency. Because ongoing operations represent a recurring cost, organizations will focus on how to reduce these costs to gain lower operating costs and greater efficiency now, and into the future.2009-12-23T07:41:00ZIT folks from three very different small-to-midsize organizations talk about their plans for migrating to Windows 7, plus how they're dealing with the economy, mobility, and tech support.http://www.informationweek.com/news/222002754?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Business/E-Business_smb<strong>Question:</strong> What do you get when you put smart, experienced IT folks from an architectural engineering firm, a school district, and a medical technology company in the same room? <strong>Answer:</strong> You get unique, real-world perspectives on how small and midsize organizations choose to deal with today's most important technology issues, from Windows 7 migration to budget cuts, mobile carriers and handsets, and that old bugaboo, tech support. <P> At the recent <a href="http://www.kace.com/2009userkonference/">KACE Konference</a> in San Francisco, I got the chance to meet three IT professionals who are dealing with the same kinds of issues now facing many SMBs: <P> <strong><em>Christopher D. Blake,</em></strong> workstation administrator for the <a href="http://www.bgark.com">Benchmark Group</a>, a 400-user architecture and engineering firm working for big retail chains out of Rogers, Arkansas. <P> <strong><em>Tom Miller,</em></strong> senior director of IT for <a href="http://www.vnus.com">VNUS Medical Technologies</a>, a medical equipment maker with some 313 workers in San Jose, California, which was recently acquired by <a href="http://www.covidien.com/">Covidien</a>. <P> <strong><em>Rich Battin,</em></strong> computer and network tech and Mac specialist for the <a href="http://www.aesd20.org">Academy District 20</a> in Colorado Springs, Colorado. <P> Among them, these three organizations span the spectrum of interest in Windows 7. In fact, it's practically a Goldilocks and The Three Bears, scenario, with one company jumping in whole hog, another organization hanging on to XP for as long as it can, and the third testing things out before beginning a more cautious rollout. <P> <strong>Benchmark Group Goes All In On Windows 7</strong><br> Benchmark Group is moving to Windows 7 in a search for key features, Blake says, and because Microsoft will be ending support for Windows XP. <P> "We were not opposed to Vista," Blake adds, "But it had such a bad rap that we would have been crucified" by the company's users. "Just by Microsoft putting a different name on Vista... it saved me. We all know that, but users don't have to." <P> Blake says "Windows 7 migration is a big project, with a huge impact on IT, users and customers," but he's so gung ho that he expects his company to run a mixed Windows XP / Windows 7 environment for only 2 to 3 weeks as it makes the transition! <P> <strong>Hanging On To Windows XP</strong><br> The exact opposite plan holds sway at Academy District 20. According to Battin, "We're not thinking about Windows 7 this year. Dell is continuing to supply us with Windows XP machines for this year." <P> "I'm sure we'll migrate to Windows 7 at some point," Battin added, but there's no driving factor or feature that makes the transition urgent. He expects the district to run a mixed Windows XP/Windows 7 environment for a while as it slowly replaces aging PCs with new ones. <P> Unlike the Benchmark Group, "We got a bad taste with Vista," Battin explained, and only 60 of the district's more than 8,000 computers have been "upgraded" from XP. (Battin, a Mac specialist, says the district still has about a thousand Macs in the mix, but isn't currently buying any more.) <P> <strong>Trying Before Buying</strong><br> At VNUS Medical Technologies, Miller believes in testing, testing, and more testing. Miller started with application-compatibility testing and user training. And he's now sending out surveys to users, asking what operating systems they've used and feel comfortable with, from Vista to the Mac. "We're going to do it anyway," Miller said of the transition, "but we want their support. If we find users don't want to go to Windows 7, we'll have to do some PR." That PR could be handled internally, or with help from Microsoft reps, Miller said. <P> Another alternative, Miller said, is to "just start giving them machines." VNUS bought home-use licenses and can give it to all employees for just $10 a seat, he added. "We have laptops available, we can let people just go play with it." <P> Despite his caution, though, Miller didn't appear worried about the transition. "People don't care what their operating system is, as long as it's fast and they can use the applications they need." <P> Eventually, he hopes to tie the move to Windows 7 to the release of <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221800397">Microsoft Office 2010</a> in June of next year. "We don't want to have to touch the computers multiple times," he explained. In addition, new corporate parent <a href="http://www.covidien.com">Covidien</a> is a big Sharepoint user, Miller said, so there are additional advantages to tying it all together. Plus, because it's now part of public company, VNUS has to meet additional compliance requirements, and "Windows 7 offers a more robust security environment than XP." <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <strong><font font color="#ba2124">Don't Miss:</font><br><ul> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220600418">Slideshow: 10 Windows 7 Features SMBs Should Love</a></li> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221601572">10 (More) Reasons For Small Businesses To Use Windows 7</a></li> <li><a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/11/kace_updates_kb.html">KACE Updates KBOX To Support Windows 7 Migration</a></li> </ul></strong> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P><small>Page 2 of 2</small> <br> <br> <strong><big>Insights Into The Economy, Mobility, And Tech Support</big></strong> <P> Windows 7 looms as a big issue for many small and midsize shops, but it's far from the only concern. Even larger than technical issues, the Great Recession is affecting everything SMBs do. Or is it? <P> <strong>Economic Concerns Vary Wildly</strong><br> "We don't actually have a budget!" said Blake at the Benchmark Group. "I try to tell the comptroller every year what I think I'll spend, and I usually exceed that..." <P> "We are overhead. We know that, Blake added. The IT department tries "to be proactive... in the most responsible manner possible" by becoming a business partner to the company. <P> The company's PC refresh cycle remains at three years, "but we sometimes extend that and use a 3-year-old machine on admin desks," Blake says. Most importantly, the economy hasn't yet affected the IT team too badly. "We're growing," Blake said. "I added three people this year!" <P> Similarly, "the economy hasn't changed that much" in terms of purchasing for Academy District 20, marveled Battin. "I'm surprised we've been allowed to keep replacing computers -- our refresh cycle is still five years." <P> On the other hand, long-standing budget pressures force the district to put out an RFP for new computers every year, Battin said, and cost is the "only" consideration. In the past three years, the district has bought Dell, then HP, and then Dell again. "It's a nightmare for support," he said. <P> And there are <em>some</em> economic effects. "The computers aren't suffering," Battin said, "but the people are. We lost some IT folks, and they were not replaced." <P> At VNUS, the recession even has some positive effects, Miller said, driving down recurring costs and maintenance. The company is maintaining its two-year refresh cycle for laptops, which get a lot of wear and tear, and three years for desktops and workstations. <P> To maintain his budgets, Miller tries to focus the budget on key IT projects that align with corporate goals and executive bonuses. <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <font font color="#ba2124"><strong>Don't Miss: <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/06/how_long_should.html">How Long Should Your Business Keep Its Computers</a></strong></font> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <strong>Carriers Trump Hardware<br></strong> When it comes to mobility, I was a bit surprised to learn that carriers trump handsets almost every time. <P> "We have a Sprint deal," said Academy District 20's Battin, so the district is currently using five 5 distinct BlackBerries, including the Storm. It's also rolling out the Palm Pre, which is available only on Sprint. <P> At the Benchmark Group, a problematic relationship with its AT&T rep led the company to Verizon. Blake said that company has handed out Windows Mobile devices -- "not because they're pretty or fun, they're horrible devices" -- but because they work perfectly with Microsoft Exchange. He continues to support employees who use their personal iPhones, but offers no BlackBerry support. <P> For VNUS, the company's new corporate owner is dictating a move from iPhones to BlackBerries, even though it's staying with AT&T. According to Miller, the key for mobile choices are "cost, functionality, supportability, and manageability." <P> <strong>Fighting To Break Free Of "Break-Fix"<br></strong> The one thing all three organizations share is an aversion to tech support. <P> "We're not there to fix the printer. Our role is to pick the best printer so it doesn't break," explained the Benchmark Group's Blake. <P> That seemed to be everyone's goal. "We have a rule, if you spend more than one hour on a machine, it's re-imaged," said Miller at VNUS. "We don't want to get caught up in break fix" with repetitive ongoing issues. "That cost my predecessor his job," so we try to train staff to recognize problems and fix them the first time. That saves money and satisfies the user. <P> That may sound extreme, but working in an education environment, Battin takes it even further. In high-school environments where students tend beat on the machines, he explained, the rule is "after 15 minutes working on a machine, re-image it!" <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <font font color="#ba2124"><strong>Don't Miss: <a href="http://bmighty.informationweek.com/search/index.jhtml?cx=011435637518776485396:7tifntjfhv0&siteurl=bmighty.informationweek.com/index.jhtml&cof=FORID:11&q=midmarket+heroes&sa=Search">More Mid-Market Heroes</a></strong></font> <P> <P> <P> <hr size="1" width="100%" color="black" align="center"> <P> <P> <P> <P> <P> <small>Follow Fredric Paul on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/TheFreditor">http://twitter.com/TheFreditor</a> <br> Follow bMighty.com on Twitter @ <a href="http://twitter.com/bMighty">http://twitter.com/bMighty</a><br> Put a <a href="http://bmighty.ourtoolbar.com/">bMighty toolbar on your browser</a> Put a <a href="http://www.bmighty.com/services/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212500165">bMighty gadget on your iGoogle page</a> <br> Get <a href="http://mobile.bmighty.com">bMighty on your mobile device</a><br></small> <P>