If your organization is still using Office 2008 for Mac, the time to upgrade is now. Office 2011 for Mac is a significant improvement over the 2008 version. Here are some of the new features:

- Entourage has been fully replaced with Outlook, which will seem much more  familiar to users comfortable with the Windows version of Outlook

- Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is supported

- Support for Office Web Apps and Windows Live SkyDrive

The mainstream support end date for Office 2011 for Mac is January 12, 2016, so this new version is going to be around for a while.

One important consideration for organizations is that Outlook 2011 requires Exchange Server 2007 or later, so it may be time to upgrade your Windows server software or move to the cloud and use Google Apps, which would be our recommendation regardless.

If you have questions about upgrading to Office 2011 for Mac or integrating Macs into your workplace environment, feel free to give us a call at your convenience.

The post Office 2008 Mac: One Foot in the Grave appeared first on Versa IT.

In case you missed it or were fortunate enough to avoid the Exchange bug, here is the statement issued by Apple prior to the update:

When you respond to an exception to a recurring calendar event with a Microsoft Exchange account on a device running iOS 6.1, the device may begin to generate excessive communication with Microsoft Exchange Server. You may notice increased network activity or reduced battery life on the iOS device. This extra network activity will be shown in the logs on Exchange Server and it may lead to the server blocking the iOS device. This can occur with iOS 6.1 and Microsoft Exchange 2010 SP1 or later, or Microsoft Exchange Online (Office365).

Both Apple and Microsoft began investigating reports that those running iOS 6.1 update caused overloading on corporate Exchange email servers. Some enterprises complained that their newly updated iPhone or iPad were “causing excessive logging” on the server. As soon as the iOS 6.1-powered device was switched off, the problem mysteriously went away. But the affects of the bug also caused the battery life on the iPhone or iPad to suffer significantly.

It’s a cinch to grab the update. From your iOS device, simply navigate to Settings > General > Software Update and tap on Install Now.

The post Apple Releases iOS 6.1.2 Update appeared first on Versa IT.

This is very similar to the old telephone directory scam from years past where a strange looking bill from a company you never heard of shows up in your business mailbox asking money for services you never requested. What it does say in small print near the bottom of the page is that it is merely a solicitation for telephone advertising services and not really a bill. However, it looks a lot like a bill and a lot of people probably paid it thinking they owed that money.

Here is the explanation of DNS: All websites have numbers associated with them (also called IP addresses) and when you go to a website you are actually going to an IP address, not the domain name. This is because computers only know how to talk in numbers, not names, so they need a translator to tell them exactly where to go. That is what DNS (Domain Name Service) does – it tells your computer the IP address of the website and then your browser can go there. This service is provided by all kinds of DNS servers on the Internet – your Internet provider has them, web host providers have them, government agencies have them, businesses can have them, and even Google has them (Google’s DNS server is 8.8.8.8 in case you were interested).

So you can see that DNS is a real thing and it is necessary for the Internet to function properly. However, DNS is provided automatically to you through your ISP (internet service provider) or web host provider (where your website is hosted) which populates all of the DNS servers around the world whenever you get a new domain or your IP address changes on a domain you currently own. Those DNS servers then translate the IP addresses for computers that make the requests (such as your own personal or business computer, or even your smartphone) so your computer or smartphone can find the web address you requested.

We hope this explains why you do not need to pay the DNS Services bill and you know a little more about how the Internet works! Please feel free to contact us at anytime through our contact form if you have any further questions. Thanks for reading and happy surfing.

The post Scam Alert: DNS Services appeared first on Versa IT.

Google has announced a significant decision that ceases new signups for its Google Apps service free of charge. Existing users already enrolled in the free service will be able to continue using the service as expected until they either reach 10 users or Google forces them to upgrade sometime in the future.

In a blog post by Clay Bavor, director of product management for Google Apps, explains that the move is being made in order to focus the quality of the user experience on the needs of paying, business users.

“When we launched the premium business version we kept our free, basic version as well,” Bavor explains. “Both businesses and individuals signed up for this version, but time has shown that in practice, the experience isn’t quite right for either group. Businesses quickly outgrow the basic version and want things like 24/7 customer support and larger inboxes. Similarly, consumers often have to wait to get new features while we make them business-ready. ”

Google is now encouraging basic users to sign up to Gmail, storage service Google Drive and its other consumer-facing products, instead of Google Apps. Those that do want to use Google Apps can get the premium version, which remains $5 per user, per month.

Google says that the end of the free version will allow it to focus on providing business-grade service, including 24/7 phone support for issues, a 25GB inbox and its 99.9 percent uptime guarantee.

Stats-wise, more than 5 million businesses are said to use Google Apps, but the overwhelming majority use the free version. The service — both free and paid — is said to be used by more than 40 million users worldwide.

The move to end free usage makes a lot of sense, and has been much expected given the investment Google has made in its consumer-targeted cloud offerings, which includes Dropbox rival Google Drive.

The search giant has increased the linkage between Gmail and Drive lately. Last month it began allowing users to add 10GB of Google Drive files into Gmail emails, and we can expect further alignment of the services going forward.

The post Google stops offering Google Apps for free appeared first on Versa IT.

If you own a small business, you probably already realize the PC is the centerpiece for employees and business productivity. Because of the poor economy, in an attempt to cut costs, businesses have a tendency to cut back on investing in new computers, which results in about 70% of PCs being older than 3 years. Many of these are even operating on a system like Windows XP which gradually breaks down over time (we recommend a repair install every 4 years) and is due for end of life in 2014. While putting off this cost seems like a budget saver, it can seriously impact the productivity of your business and add long term costs.

How an older PC can affect your business:

• Lack of security
• Slower productivity
• Cost of maintenance
• Newer applications are unavailable or unsupported

Modern PC’s running Windows 7 or Windows 8 offer many innovative and useful tools, as well as a growth in productivity, which even price conscious businesses can benefit from. Be one step ahead of other companies and replace all computers 3 years, or older…today.

The post Why keeping that 3 year old PC gets costly! appeared first on Versa IT.

As like anything else out there, there are positives and negatives. First off, let’s talk about the positives as that list is longer. With a hosted solution, you do not have to worry about purchasing, managing, or up keeping a physical server. The price to purchase a server is not cheap, and hiring someone to manage it can also stretch a budget. With hosted exchange, you are only responsible for paying for what you use. There is a flat fee per user that is a monthly reoccurrence or in some cases can be cheaper if purchased a year in advance.

Another benefit goes a long with that. If you have hosted exchange, the company that it is provided through provides support either on a contract or fee based offering. This means that if you do not have an IT guy, you will not have to get one.

A third benefit is the uptime guarantee that they provide. With it being hosted, you will not have to worry about your email server going down. The companies offering hosted exchange rarely have downtime and if they do, it is for a brief time for maintenance. Also, you mail is readily available as you will have an online portal that every user can sign in to if they are not on a computer where their outlook is configured.

Finally, a pro of hosted exchange is the security. Having databases directly responsible for hosting millions of customers email, you know that the security has to be top notch. That alone gives a piece of mind that your information will not get compromised.

Now let’s move on to the negatives. Honestly, the only negative that I have come across, is the outsourcing. When a product like this is utilized, the people doing the support for it are usually outsourced. What does this mean exactly? Well your call may be outed to another country such as India and IT professionals are let go since it is more expensive to have someone working directly for you. Having a personal IT pro on staff or under contract will offer greater insight to your company and greater assistance, but at a more expensive price. We often hear stories of how bad outsourced support is or can be, so choose wisely. If you have the budget, definitely keep your IT professional on contract. Good IT people are hard to find. Bad ones are in abundance.

That all being said, hosted exchange is a great option for the technology age these days. If you have any questions or you feel that hosted exchange may be an option for you and your company, please contact Versa at (858) 427-4832 for a free consultation.

The post To host or not to host Exchange email appeared first on Versa IT.

Windows 8 was officially released at midnight and is bringing some of the largest changes we have seen to the operating system since Windows 95 . Whether these changes are seen as a positive or negative has yet to be determined. Versa has played around with the beta releases and so far we only have positives to report. We’ll be doing a full review with all the gritty details in the coming weeks so keep checking back for updates.

One of the major changes is a consolidation of operating systems so that Windows 8 can be used on PCs, tablets, and even smartphones. There is also heavy focus on integration of online services and sharing of your applications/data across multiple devices. The user interface has been overhauled to try and simplify tasks into large “tiles”,  though this feature can be closed to find your familiar looking desktop. One of the other big changes is the removal of the start button in the lower left hand corner, but don’t worry as there are 3rd party tools that bring the start button back!

For the average home user who likes to check email, browse the web, and use Facebook it  is safe to upgrade or to purchase a new PC with Windows 8 preinstalled. For a small business or anyone that relies on their PC heavily for work, we would recommend holding off on making the upgrade until some of the kinks are worked out. Going with the trend, all new operating systems including Apple’s Mac OS X have bugs to be found and squashed. Also, not all of your software may be compatible until the vendor releases an update. If you’re running Windows 7, we would advise to stand pat as this has proven to be a reliable and stable operating system for businesses. If you are one of the dwindling numbers using Windows XP and are due for a new PC we would advise consulting with your IT support or systems administrator before making any leaps to Windows 8. Additionally, if you are looking for or in need of IT support, please contact Versa as we are currently taking on new clients.

The post Windows 8 has arrived appeared first on Versa IT.

Luckily there is a way of recovering your Windows key before you need to do a big system reinstall or just want to have it on file. The software we use and recommend is free and very easy to operate, even for a novice.

Go to winkeyfinder.com and download the Simple Keyfinder utility. It is a very small 38k zip file. The product information says it works with Windows 2000, 2003, XP, and Vista, however with our testing it appears to also work well on Windows 7.

The post How to find a missing Windows product key appeared first on Versa IT.

In Windows 7 all the drivers are in a few subfolders located in the system folder %SystemRoot%\System32\. Two standard  protected subfolders  are called “DriverStore” and “drivers”.  Often there is also a third subfolder  “DrvStore”. These folders can be copied to a external hard drive (your standard thumb drive is a great option), cd or some other type of media.

Also, you should back up the folder %systemroot%\inf\. This folder contains the driver setup information files. This folder is sometimes overlooked but drivers cannot be installed without the information it contains.

This is very handy to keep backed up due to there may be a time when your drivers become corrupt and the manufacture no longer provides them, or in some cases it could be a network driver that could have become corrupt and, there may not be access to the internet to receive new drivers.

Generally is it always a good idea to backup your server or computer offsite, in case of a catastrophe. If you are in need of offsite backup, we provide a few different backup solutions, from granular level cloud backup to full Total Data Protection of a server. For servers and businesses, please view our Cloud Backup page. For home users, we recommend Backblaze Cloud Backup.

The post How to backup Windows 7 drivers appeared first on Versa IT.

1. Shift-Click Maximize Button to Fill Screen

You know the red button on a window is close and the yellow one is minimize and the green one is maximize, right? Okay, so you also know that some apps (like Chrome and Word) don’t fill the entire screen when you click the maximize button. Sure that’s findmost of the time, but sometimes you actually want the window to fill the screen. Next time you want the current window to fill theentire screen, just hold down the shift key when you click the button. Poof! Big window!

2. Terminal Tricks—Purge

One of the essential tools in a Mac Jedi’s toolkit is Terminal. Oh Terminal, such power you hold over the entire system. A lot of people are a wee skittish about using Terminal. All the horror stories of people typing rm * in the wrong place and wiping out their Mac will have that effect on people. Okay, fair enough, but here’s a simple command that will…well it’s pretty cool. The command is “purge” and it does one very simple thing—it frees up RAM on your machine. As your Mac is running and you’re launching apps, surfing the web, and all the normal stuff you do on your Mac, RAM (memory) is allocated to do that. Sometimes when an app has been running for a while it doesn’t release all the RAM it was given, even if it doesn’t need it any more. Before I learned this tip I would just reboot my Mac if RAM was running short (and I had quit all the apps I didn’t need), but with purge… Purge forces apps to release RAM they might be holding on to (that they don’t need). All you need to do is launch Terminal from your Utilities folder and type “purge” (no quotes) at the prompt and hit return. It’s 100% safe and can get back a bunch of RAM. I’ve gone from a few megs of few RAM to a couple gigs in a few seconds! (Important: While purge is running your Mac will be unresponsive for a minute. Don’t worry! This is normal and okay!)

3. Launch Spotlight with Command-Space

Looking for something? You know Spotlight can help you quickly find files, emails, look up words, even launch apps…but do you know that a quick tap on command-space will open up Spotlight on the menubar for you to start typing? Simple as that you can quickly type command-space then something like safari then return and launch Safari…and your fingers didn’t even touch the mouse! Want to turn that up to an 11? Then just download Alfred for free from the Mac App store and do all this and more!

4. Drop Files onto the Dock to Open in an App

I like to keep Preview as my default app for opening images. Preview is pretty fast and easy when I need a quick look at something (or just need to resize the image quickly), but when I want to edit an image I use Acorn. So how do I open an image in Acorn? You’re thinking, launch Acorn, go to the File menu… Nope, easier. I have Acorn on my Dock all the time, so all I need to do is drag and drop an image file onto the icon and … Acorn launches (or comes to the front) and the image is opened! This trick works with just about all apps and can save you a ton of time.

5. Custom App Stacks

My dock was getting pretty cluttered. Lots of apps that I “needed”, but you know I didn’t use them all that often. So I made a custom App stack for them. This is a multi-step process:

1. Make a folder somewhere (I made it in ~/Applications which is different than the system-wide Applications folder (see tip 7 for more on these directories).
2. Open your Applications folder in another Finder window.
3. You’re going to make aliases to your real apps in this step. Hold down command and option and drag an app you want quick access to and drop it in the folder you made.
4. Repeat for as many apps as you wish
5. Drag the folder with all the aliases to the right side of your Dock, just to the left of the Trash.
6. Enjoy! That’s it. The folder will have aliases to all your apps!

6. Remove Icons from the Menu Bar

I know we like to have icons on our Menu bar, but sometimes it gets a little crowded. For some icons on your Menu bar (mostly System related ones), just hold down the command key, click the icon and drag it off the Menu bar! Come on, you don’t really need the volume/speaker icon there did you?

7. Get to your Library Folder

One of the “improvements” in Lion was to hide your Library folder from you. Okay, I get it. You shouldn’t need to muck about in your Library very often, but hey sometimes you do. Sometimes you need to clean out stubborn files or something. Here’s the easy way to get to your Library folder (and the Applications folder from tip 5 too). With the Finder active hit command-shift-g and you’ll get a Go to folder: window. Just put “~/Library/” (no quotes) and click Okay. That’s it. For tip five use ~/Applications/ instead.

8. Finder Sidebar

Since we’re talking about the Finder, I’m sure you noticed all those folders and items on the left side of your Finder windows (if not go to the Finder and from the View menu and select “Show Toolbar”). You know you can add your own folders there right? Yeah, just drag any folder to the side and that’s it. Now the cool part isn’t just that you now have one-click access to that folder, but anything you drop onto that folder will be copied or moved there! Nice!

9. Take a Screenshot

Ever need to take a screenshot of something on your screen? Maybe it’s an error, maybe it’s just a graphic, but you need it…but how? Easy. Command-shift–3 will take a picture of the entire screen and command-shift–4 will let you select a part of the screen or a window. Of course if you want to step things up, just download Skitch for free and crank up your screenshots a few notches.

10. Control the Apps that Launch at Startup

You know after a while your Mac seems to be taking longer and longer to finish starting up. Oh you see the Desktop okay, but then app after app loads. You have control over this. Just go to System Preferences -> Users and Groups. Then look for the Login Items button. Yep those are all the apps that launch for me. But if I get tired of waiting for one app or another to start, I just select the app from the list and click the “-”. Gone! Faster startup here I come!

These are just a few of the tricks I have up my sleeve and I hope they help you in your Mac experience.

The post 10 Mac OS X Tips appeared first on Versa IT.

You can’t remember the passwords to your security equipment…

… and you’re not sure resetting them to factory defaults will actually work. When equipment gets old enough, you never know if a factory reset will even come back to life. The loss of passwords could easily lead to such a situation. Oh sure, the lesson here is to never forget your security information. But more than that, when passwords are lost, it could be a sign that it’s time to start replacing those ancient pieces of hardware.

Your support contracts have all run out

Some companies live and breathe by their support contracts. Without the contracts, those companies would surely die a slow, painful death. Many companies rely on support contacts only for particular pieces of software or hardware (especially when they’re costly). Other companies use support contracts only when absolutely necessary. Regardless, when all those support contracts have ended, it’s a good sign your software is out of date and in sore need of upgrading.

You’re still using ancient software

When was the last time you walked through your company to find out what versions of various software products were deployed? During that pass, did you happen to see anything seriously out of date? You’d be surprised at what’s out there. On occasion, we still see Windows 2000 or Windows XP machines running Office 2000. On the Mac side we still see Tiger 10.4 and Leopard 10.5 running browsers that can’t render websites properly. Ancient software can cause far more issues than you think. This is especially true when users collaborate with people in other companies (who are most likely NOT running Microsoft Office 98 or StarOffice).

Your computers keep getting infected with viruses

If you keep getting infected, something is amiss. Depending upon what is being targeted, this could be either hardware or software related. Either way, you may be facing poorly configured security hardware, buggy (or ancient) software, missed or expired anti-virus software, or lax security policies. An occasional virus is understandable. Multiple hacks? Not so much. If you’re attacked more than once, it’s time to make some major changes.

You’re falling way behind your competitors

There are companies out there not keeping up with the Joneses. Some might think this silly, but when other companies are passing you by, they can offer clients and customers a lot of features and products you can’t touch. Your competition can do this because they’ve taken advantage of the latest technology or they’re leveraging their systems and resources with imagination and groundbreaking innovation. You, on the other hand, have stuck with “what works” for so long it no longer works. If your competition is smoking you, it’s time to step back and examine your landscape to find out why you’re being left in the dust.

Network slowdowns are crippling business and productivity

How often do your end users complain of network slowdowns? Are your clients able to get quick access to your services or sites? If complaints are coming in faster than you can troubleshoot, it might be time to revisit that backbone. The amount of data being transferred through your pipes isn’t the same as it was five or 10 years ago. With so many more Web-based tools in play, data usage is through the roof. That ancient DSL or cable line needs to be upgraded in the worst way. Slow data means slow workers means a slowdown on profit. Share that with the board or the CEO and see how quickly they move on upgrading those data pipes.

You haven’t embraced mobile devices

How long have you shunned the mobile device? Are you still not allowing users to get their email on their smartphones? Do you not allow wireless on your network? If that’s the case, it’s time to wake up and join the new world order. Not only do you need to allow those devices on your network, you need to open up the Exchange floodgates for iOS and Android devices.

Your employees are jumping ship

There are many reasons why employees leave. But when you start hearing rumors that one of those reasons is horrible IT policies or support, you know it’s time to rethink things. No, you do not want end users to attempt to dictate IT policies. But at the same time, you don’t want your policies to be a contributing factor to high employee attrition.

You can’t support telecommuters

People need the ability to work from anywhere and everywhere. This isn’t nearly as difficult to manage as it once was, yet some businesses still refuse. Why? In some cases, their network infrastructure simply won’t handle the load or the task. If your infrastructure can’t handle a few telecommuters, it’s seriously time to upgrade.

You keep seeing HIPAA red flags

If your company falls under the HIPAA jurisdiction and you’re tossing red flags left and right, run (don’t walk) to the front of the infrastructure upgrade line and get your network/software/topology to follow the rules and guidelines set in place by HIPAA. This isn’t one of those situations where you have the luxury of dragging your feet. You have to move. Otherwise, you face some serious fines.

Time to hire an IT company

In all honesty, is your IT landscape up to par? Does it meet today’s needs and follow best practices? If not, it’s time to take a hard look at what needs to change. If any of the problems listed here sound familiar, it may be time to shake off the shackles of “If it’s not broke…” and migrate to the here and now. If your business is burdened with old hardware, expired support contracts, an arthritic network, and pre-Columbian software? Sooner or later, something’s gotta give. Give Versa a call today for a free consultation. We support businesses of all makes and sizes.

The post Warning Signs Your Business Needs to Hire a Professional IT Company appeared first on Versa IT.

Buy one of these:

And a few of these:

You should also check to see if the typewriter that’s under those boxes of last year’s invoices in the back of the storage closet still works, just in case you need to send a formal letter or fill out a government form.

Before you judge my perfect solution, take a moment and think about how you view the computers in your office and write down the functions they provide. Now, look at that list and if all of those functions can be accomplished with a Rolodex and a few legal pads, it’s obvious that your computers are an unnecessary expense. Getting rid of them would certainly eliminate some of your daily frustrations and you’d never have to hire an IT company ever again.

On the other hand if you had just one item on your list of functions that could not be done by these two wonders of the world, such as “pop-up an alert and ring a chime to remind me of my 3:00pm meeting each Tuesday”, then you may want to reconsider how you view IT expenditures. Because that little pop-up alert is just the tip of the ROI iceberg. Computers provide businesses with a MEASURABLE RETURN ON INVESTMENT and the problem that most people have is actually taking a few moments to decide what to measure. Once you do start measuring the return generated from your IT investment, you will also start finding new ways to optimize and improve your results. The moral of the story is that investing in IT infrastructure and a reputable IT support company will go a long way to making the business and its employees more productive and efficient, thus making the company more profitable in the long term.

The post Why Businesses Should Invest in IT Support appeared first on Versa IT.

The first method is to utilize Windows Compatibility Mode. This mode allows windows to attempt to run the software requested in a compatible mode of Windows.

Compatibility Mode Steps:

1. Right-click the icon or executable file of a program and choose ”Properties”.
2. Click the “Compatibility” tab.
3. If needed but certainly not mandatory, click the button “Change settings for all users”.
4. Put a check by “Run this program in compatibility mode for:”.
5. In the drop-down menu, choose the older operating system and click “Apply” and then “OK”.

With a little luck of the irish, a pinch of pixie dust, and some elbow grease this will get your application to work in a new operating system. However, Compatibility Mode does not offer any guarantees.

The post How to Use Windows Compatibility Mode appeared first on Versa IT.

It may not seem like a lot, but what is the difference between 99.9%, 99.99%, and 99.999%? That one extra “9” can make a lot of difference in the ability to uphold an SLA. Below is a chart that is based off of a one year period comparing the different percentages.

Uptime Guarantee    |    Minutes    |     Hours    |    Days

           99%                        5256           87.6          3.65

           99.9%                     525.6          8.76         0.365

           99.99%                   52.56         0.876       0.0365

           99.999%                 5.256        0.0876     0.00365

With that little tid-bit of information, let’s talk about SLA’s and what exactly these mean. According to Wikipedia, an SLA is the entire agreement that specifies what service is to be provided, how it is supported, times, locations, costs, performance, and responsibilities of the parties involved.

As an example, GoDaddy guarantees “Fast Performance, 99.999% uptime guarantee.” Comparing that number to the chart above, their acceptable downtime would be 5.256 hours if that was on a year term. But are they basing this number off of a year, 2 years, since their last downtime, or since they were founded? That number can fluctuate in a HUGE way if that number was 10 years compared to 1 year. This is where the terms of the contract come in. Ironically enough, GoDaddy has removed their 99.99% uptime guarantee claim since the major outage that occurred this week.

Companies often have hours set aside for planned downtime or maintenance. Some service providers do not qualify “maintenance” time as down time and so with this, they are able to keep an all-around SLA and this prevents them from having to credit accounts for breaking their agreement.

The point to all of this is that there is a lot of “fine print” when it comes to contractual SLA’s. I recommend that you review every aspect of your contracts and go through them with a fine toothed comb.

The post What Does 99.99% Uptime Really Mean? appeared first on Versa IT.

Along with two new data backup devices, the company announced support on its products for the Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 external device interconnect specifications.

Drobo’s first portable array, the Drobo Mini, holds up to four 2-in. to 5-in. drives and weighs only about 2.5 pounds. It can store up to 3TB of data. The Mini will retail for about $599 without drives and support both Thunderbolt and USB 3.0.

The Drobo Mini Drobo CEO Tom Buiocchi described the Drobo Mini as being about the same size as a “large club sandwich” – 7-in by 7-in. by 2.5-in. high—and it’s being aimed at the professional consumer, or prosumer, market, such as working photographers.

The post New Drobo has Thunderbolt and USB 3 appeared first on Versa IT.

Despite being mainly a Windows user, Internet Explorer is dead to me. Has been for ages.

Aesthetics and speed have nothing to do with it. I split my time between Firefox and Chrome for the following Defensive Computing reasons.

1. You are safer by avoiding software that bad guys target. Mac users benefited from this for years. Windows users can lower their attack surface (be less vulnerable) by avoiding popular software. Internet Explorer is popular, so bad guys exploit known problems with the browser. No thanks.

2. Microsoft fixes bugs in Internet Explorer on a fixed schedule. But, bugs are not discovered on a schedule which means IE users remain vulnerable to know bugs until the next scheduled bug fix roll-out. Neither Firefox nor Chrome, my preferred browsers, are locked into a schedule.

3. In addition, I get the feeling that Microsoft is just slow in fixing Internet Explorer bugs. The last release of IE patches included a fix to a bug that Microsoft had been told about six months ago.

4. The topic of bugs in popular software brings Adobe’s Flash Player to mind. Internet Explorer users with Flash enabled in their browser get notified of new versions of Flash using a very flawed system. And, when they are notified, they need to manually install the new version of Flash.

In this day and age, this is not acceptable; Flash is too popular and too buggy. Firefox fails here too. As I wrote about recently, I only use Flash from within Chrome which automatically, quickly and quietly updates the Flash player.

5. And speaking of Flash, it exists in Internet Explorer as an ActiveX control. The lack of security in ActiveX is what prompted me to jump on the Firefox bandwagon even prior to version 1.0.

ActiveX may be locked down a bit more than it used to be, but how many Internet Explorer users understand the security related prompts about running an ActiveX control, let alone the configuration options for ActiveX? To me, a browser that doesn’t support ActiveX is safer.

6. ActiveX was the first approach to extending browsers with extra features and functions. Now, both Firefox and Chrome have a huge number of available extensions. Internet Explorer has only a handful.

7. Buggy browser extensions/plugins are often targeted by bad guys. Both Firefox and Chrome do some checking for outdated extensions. Internet Explorer does none. As Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols wrote:

… these days when attacking Web-plug ins, such as Adobe Flash is every hacker’s favorite new trick, IE 9 doesn’t alert you if you’re not running the latest plug-in, which Firefox does with Plug-in Check or automatically update them ala Chrome with its built-in PDF and Flash software. Better still, in Chrome, even if your plug-in gets hit by zero day attack, the most frequently attacked plug-ins, Adobe Flash Player and Reader, run in a sandbox so the attack can’t get to your PC’s operating system. 8. The most popular operating systems are, I believe, Windows XP, Windows 7 and OS X. Of these, the latest version of Internet Explorer, version 9, runs on only one. Many people use more than one computer and are likely to deal with more than one operating system. Firefox and Chrome provide a cross-platform experience (including Linux) that Internet Explorer does not.

9. And, if you use multiple computers, both Firefox and Chrome have built-in features to synchronize bookmarks and more between different instances of the browser. Internet Explorer (at least up to version 8) can’t do this.

10. On Windows, I am a huge fan of portable applications, Windows programs that can run without first being installed. There are portable versions of both Firefox and Chrome. There is no portable version of Internet Explorer. A portable application is totally self-contained, which lets you have multiple installed copies that are totally independent of each other.

In terms of browsers, you could use one copy of a portable browser to test new extensions. Or, since extensions can potentially spy on you, have a copy of your browser with no extensions at all for online banking. Or, kick the tires on a new version of your browser, while still having the old version available. Or, multiple people sharing the computer can have their own copy of the browser with their own favorite extensions and modifications.

And, of course, you can move or copy a portable browser to a USB flash drive or another Windows machine. When you do, your favorite extensions come along, as do any tweaks you may have made to the user interface.

Perhaps the best thing about portable applications is that you can back them up before making changes. Backing up an application is something Windows has never offered.

If Internet Explorer starts acting funny, you’ve got a hassle ahead, potentially a big one. If a portable browser breaks, just delete the folder where its stored and fall back to the last backup. All that’s involved is copying a folder.

11. Anyone running a 64 bit version of Windows 7 may have to deal with the confusion over 32 and 64 bit versions of Internet Explorer. There is no such confusion with Chrome and Firefox.

12. The main competition to Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome, are free. So too is Opera.

Given all this, why would a thinking person use Internet Explorer?

Does anyone really care about web slices, pinned sites and accelerators?

More than once I have nudged a non-techie Windows user away from Internet Explorer by removing its icon from the Windows desktop, installing Chrome, changing the Chrome icon to IE’s blue “E” and changing the name under the icon to “Internet”. Some may consider this lying, I consider it good Defensive Computing.

Finally, anyone using Windows 7 can do more than just ignore Internet Explorer, they can actually turn it off.

To do so, go to the Control Panel -> “Programs and Features” -> “Turn Windows features on or off.” Internet Explorer (be it version 8 or 9) is listed as a feature that can be turned off.

The post 12 Reasons Not to Use Internet Explorer…EVER! appeared first on Versa IT.

Windows XP end of support date is April 8, 2014 (less than two years from now!)

End of support refers to the date when Microsoft no longer provides monthly windows updates, automatic fixes, security patches, or technical assistance.

What does this mean? Without Microsoft support, you will no longer be able to receive the monthly critical security updates that can help protect your PC from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software that can steal your personal information.

What can I do about it? Simply put, its time to upgrade. Nobody should continue using a computer with Windows XP operating system on the Internet after April 8, 2014, and since you can’t upgrade directly to Windows 7 it is time to replace that computer with a new or refurbished model.

You should either replace all your XP computers now, if you have not already, or plan to replace them before that date. I recommend replacement now, especially for business users. I recommend a new computer with Windows 7 64-bit.

Here are the reasons to replace a Windows XP computer now:

Windows XP is soon to be obsolete. Windows 7 has many security architecture improvements that XP does not have, and because of that, XP is less secure. Windows XP computers are more prone to get viruses. Windows XP computers take more time to use and maintain than Windows 7. Computers running Windows XP are old and slow, new computers are many times faster. A new computer will be more productive for you.

How do I tell which operating system I have?

Follow one of these these methods to see which version of Windows you have installed:

Method 1:

On the Desktop, locate the icon labeled “My Computer.” Or click “Start” and then click “Computer” or “My Computer” Point the mouse at the icon, then click the right mouse button. In the popup menu which appears, choose “Properties.” After a few seconds, the System Control Panel will open. Click the tab labeled “General.” (XP only) The version of Windows you have installed will be clearly displayed. Method 2: Click the Start button, type winver in the search box, and then press Enter. (Vista, Win 7)

If the steps above don’t work on your computer, you might be running a previous version of Windows such as XP. To check, click Start, click Run, type winver, and then press Enter.

Method 3: All versions of Windows display a boot screen which clearly indicates the version installed. To see this screen, follow these instructions:

Turn on the computer’s monitor, then turn on the computer. Watch the monitor as your computer boots. You will see a graphic display which will clearly indicate which version of Windows you have. What operating systems are there?

The currently available operating system is Windows 7, prior to that there was Windows Vista, and prior to that Windows XP.

Do you still repair Windows XP computers?

We still do minor repair of Windows XP computers. Small fixes and tune-ups are still being performed routinely but if there is a major problem like a hard drive that’s failed or motherboard that’s gone bad then it becomes evident that it is more cost effective to replace the computer rather than fix it.

The post Windows XP is Obsolete appeared first on Versa IT.

And there’s good reason. IT consulting is a dynamic, ever-changing industry that requires practitioners to maintain multiple skills. New technological shifts frequently change the way you work, the tools you use, and the operational procedures you require. To meet that challenge and stay in the game, you must learn early on how to avoid some of the more preventable pitfalls. Here are 10 mistakes that consultants often make when they’re starting out.

1: Underestimating total project time

None of us is perfect. Unforeseen issues always arise. There are no “simple” projects. Consultants must take those issues into account when preparing project cost estimates.

The very first time I ever estimated a simple Windows Small Business Server rollout for a client with seven employees in two locations, I budgeted eight hours to “deploy the server.” In developing my estimate, I included time to unbox and install the server, set up DNS, configure the VPN, join the second location to the VPN, register the domain name, configure MX records, create data shares, set permissions, and configure and test email accounts. Let’s just say it took longer than those eight hours.

New consultants must be particularly careful to review project plans before settling on a final estimate that is forwarded to the client. Such estimates should be first run by veteran IT staff for feedback whenever possible.

2. Failing to properly document project scope

Why did my first server deploy take longer? In conversations with the client, when discussing the project, I was focused on the tasks associated with deploying the server. The client already had a peer-to-peer network in place. I saw my role as simply dropping the server on the network, joining workstations to the domain, configuring a VPN to give a remote but key employee data access, and introducing email.

But the client thought a “server deployment” included installing a couple network printers with network scanning functionality, upgrading Microsoft Office software on eight workstations, implementing site-wide antivirus, and other tasks. Such disconnects are the IT consultant’s fault.

Clients are not technology experts. It is the consultant’s responsibility to ensure that the client’s business needs and objectives are understood and that the technology deployed matches them. Whenever estimating a project now, I provide clients with a project plan that lists specific bullet points. I don’t just state “deploy server,” “configure DNS,” etc., as most clients don’t know what that even means. Instead, before starting a project, I go through a project plan with the client that reviews tasks I will perform and the specific functionality those tasks will provide (”Users will store their files on the server’s X drive,” All users will send/receive email using Microsoft Outlook 2007 on their desktop workstations,” “A new network printer will enable scanning documents and storing them over the network to a Z drive hosted on the new server,” etc.).

3. Underestimating hardware costs

Just as it’s easy to underestimate the time and labor required to properly complete a project, hardware costs frequently become a source of trouble. Here’s one common scenario: An IT consultant specifies a particular gigabit switch or router when assembling a project budget using a temporary price because a vendor is offering promotional pricing (and the temporary price cut may NOT be evident when researching pricing). Or a server configuration may be priced using unique components. Ten days may pass before the client approves the purchase. Then, when the consultant proceeds to order the items, the server configuration and promotional pricing (or both!) are no longer available.

I see it all the time, even with one leading Texas-based computer vendor’s promise of 30-day price locks. And I’ve yet to see one of these changes work in the consultant’s favor. Whenever preparing project estimates, always note that hardware costs are subject to change. Be sure, too, to always include shipping costs in estimates. Clients should find no surprises when receiving a final invoice, but if the consultant neglects to include shipping costs in preliminary conversations, such fees will prove problematic.

4. Trying to master all technologies

An IT consultant cannot master all the technologies clients require. It’s not going to happen. Some busy consultants will service three or four clients a day. There’s no way that consultant is going to develop comprehensive expertise with all the myriad applications clients wield, such as Dentrix (dental), Timberline (accounting), QuickBooks (financial management), Intergy (physician practice), Act (database), Prolog (project management), Aloha (restaurant), and SEMCI Partner (insurance), as well as routing platforms (Cisco, SonicWALL, WatchGuard, etc.), Windows desktop and server operating systems, antivirus solutions, Exchange email, and others.

Determine which platforms you’ll master. Then make sure you know who to call for assistance when troubleshooting problems with the remainder. Whether you’re contacting the software manufacturer or another consultant to assist when servicing a platform with which you don’t have expertise, you’re performing a service for the client. Ultimately, clients typically don’t care that you know every nuance of every program – they just want a dependable partner they can call when they encounter technology issues.

5. Waiting to send invoices

Consultants, especially those starting a new business, are particularly eager to jump on new projects. It’s seemingly best to always be billing. Given the choice between taking downtime to develop and mail invoices or go onsite to complete another service call, rookie consultants almost always favor knocking out additional service calls. But there’s no cash flow when invoices aren’t going out.

New consultants must schedule time, daily whenever possible, to write and distribute invoices. A CPA client gave me great advice. He recommended I always send invoices within a day of completing work. He told me studies reveal customer satisfaction is highest when invoices are received quickly.

It makes sense. Every day a consultant delays sending an invoice, clients forget a little more the pressing need that demanded the repair or service. When bills arrive three weeks or a month later, cash flow not only suffers, but customers are more likely to believe charges are excessive. This is because the business and operations interruptions and resulting trauma and downtime the consultant corrected have been forgotten.

6. Scheduling too many calls

When planning a typical workday, consultants should schedule one or two hours of time for every hour billed. Essentially, that means two to four service calls are the most that can be reasonably accommodated on any given day. A fair rule of thumb is that each member of an IT consultancy traveling onsite to resolve client issues should bill 20 to 25 hours per week. Any more than that, and you begin stretching resources too thin.

When scheduling client calls (I aim for four billable hours per day, which I have consistently met for years), you must include time for administrative and operational work. Numerous tasks require a consultant’s attention, including managing payroll, accounting, QuickBooks data entry, internal IT, advertising, and marketing tasks.

7. Failing to market the business

Rookie consultants, whether working for a firm they own or as an employee within a consultancy, typically strive to maximize billable hours. The desire for billable hours sometimes comes at the expense of obtaining new clients and chasing larger projects. These consultants should do more than just report to work and service existing clients. They must take time to attend BNI, chamber, Rotary, and other networking meetings. They should distribute business cards at every opportunity.

Some consultants don’t believe they have time for additional marketing responsibilities. That’s a common mistake. The fact is, many business networking events end before 8:00 AM, so there’s no excuse for new consultants not rise early and attend networking events before their regular work day begins. Recently, a longtime friend and insurance agent reminded me that, by scheduling 7:00 AM and 7:30 AM meetings every day, he’s opened an additional 250 meetings a year on his calendar. That’s impressive.

8. Overlooking travel costs

Many consultants, especially those new to consulting, don’t realize the costs of travel time. Traffic is expensive. Very.

Consider the facts. If an IT consultant charges $115 an hour for onsite commercial work, and traveling to client sites consumes just six hours a week (it’s likely much more), the opportunity cost of traffic and travel time to the consultant exceeds $30,000 annually.

Those costs must be captured. Typically, IT consultancies capture them in the form of onsite service fees, inflated first-half-hour rates, or other surcharges. Just this past week, a plumber completed work at my residence. The bill included a $35 “truck fee.” That’s nothing but fair. In addition to paying for fuel and wear-and-tear on a fleet vehicle, the plumbing shop needs to cover the time spent traveling to my home.

New IT consultants must remember to charge 30% to 40% more than their regular onsite rate for the first half-hour or simply add a flat-rate callout fee.

9. Charging too little

There’s a natural temptation, especially among new technology consultants, to believe the rates they charge are expensive. But running a business costs money, lots of it, and technology solutions are complex. Consultants must remember that their expertise, and the delivery of onsite service especially, possess great value. Hourly onsite support rates vary from $85 to $125 or more per hour. But that doesn’t mean a new consultant must charge just $85 per hour.

To the contrary. Local market conditions are usually the largest factor. The costs of delivering services is higher in Boston, where taxes, fees, parking, and other expenses are naturally higher than in Louisville, KY, where the costs of living are less. Thus, an IT consultant in Boston should expect to earn a higher hourly rate than a consultant in Louisville.

10. Working Saturdays

Technology consultants operate within a pressure-packed environment. This is likely the single greatest factor I underestimated when opening my own consulting shop almost four years ago.

Most clients don’t call for help before critical systems fail. Instead, they wait. Then they try to fix it themselves. Next, they enlist the assistance of the local computer geek on staff. Often, the consultant is called only after these efforts – and those of the business owners’ friends, colleagues, and neighbors – have failed to resolve the problem. As a result, IT consultants spend much of their time running from raging and complicated fires to blisteringly complex crises. It is fatiguing work. Many days, my technicians and I are physically and mentally exhausted by 2:00 PM.

Inevitably, clients request that consultants work weekends. I almost always say no. It’s not that I so feverishly guard my personal time. Instead, as I mature and spend more time within the industry, I’ve come to understand the importance of approaching complicated issues with a fresh mind and properly fed body (of which I’m not making light; too often my staff and I must skip lunch because of new-client crises). How many times have you struggled with a complicated Windows issue at 1:00 AM, only to quickly solve it the next morning after getting some sleep and a decent breakfast?

The same principle is true within a consulting firm. Rookie consultants must take time to help their bodies, physically and mentally, recover from the rigors of their profession. That means minimizing weekend work, for better or for worse.

Our thoughts on the matter

My office staff and I are passionate about technology. We truly enjoy diagnosing and repairing technology problems for clients. But the work is stressful, administrative tasks can prove maddening, and some days are more rewarding than others.

The post 10 Mistakes that Rookie IT Consultants Make appeared first on Versa IT.