Dave's Raves

Malware Attacks Hit Hard Yesterday

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 05:06:00 +0000

A slew of businesses and government agencies were hit hard yesterday by a new and rapidly spreading malware attack which is targeting unsuspecting email users. The malware message tempts the user to click on what appears to be an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file attachment. In reality, this .pdf file is a malicious program which takes control of your machine. We urge you to take extreme caution when clicking on any email attachments and confirm that you recognize the sender and attachment before opening it. More information on the latest virus is available from ABC News

Ciscom customers that subscribe to our SPAM filtering program, Reflexion, should be protected, but following basic security recommendations is a must! At a minimum, you should...
• keep your antivirus and security software up-to-date;
• eliminate non-business related internet traffic on your billing computers/network;
• consider upgrading all software to the newest version;
• check your banking and charge account balances frequently and review charges carefully;
• evaluate and mitigate any and all security holes in your network.

The time has never been better for a security audit of your system. If you need assistance implementing these recommendations, please contact CisCom's helpdesk at (502) 253-4525 x1.

IT Pro Conference in the "Big Easy"

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 03:34:00 +0000

Last month Scott Walters, Director of IT Support at CisCom Solutions, attended Jeff Middleton’s IT PRO Conference in the “Big Easy”, New Orleans. The conference focused heavily on addressing the current state of the “IT World”, as well as where it may be heading in the future. The topics included such things as server virtualization methods, “zero downtime” server Swing Migrations, “Cloud” services, remote monitoring tools, remote backup ideas, and a preview of Windows Home Server. Not only was this trip a lot of fun, it provides our team the latest and greatest methods for server optimization and management. If you have any questions about any of these subjects, feel free to track us down! Call (502) 253-4525

Spring Clean your IT

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:17:00 +0000

When most people think of Spring Cleaning, they think of clearing rooms of their house, scrubbing the baseboards, touching up paint on the walls, and cleaning everything top to bottom. Like your home, it is also good to Spring Clean your computer network and data on some regular basis. The following things can be done to protect your IT infrastructure. We will start with the hardware and work our way up to your data.

Clean out dust from your computers and servers
It amazes me that even in the cleanest offices, dust will still accumulate inside of the computer case. This is because the fans that pull air in to cool the system also pull dust from the air. Over time, the dust accumulates inside, preventing proper air flow and increasing the temperature. Heat can cause all sorts of problems. It can cause the system to "hard lock" with no keyboard or mouse movement. In addition to total failures, it can also slow down systems. When hard drives are too hot they slow down and can make the computer seem sluggish. We highly recommend blowing out the dust with compressed air to keep you computers running smoothly.

Archive you data
I hoard all of my data. I probably have every spreadsheet I've ever created. Once a year, I will go through a process of reorganizing and archiving the data I no longer need on a day-to-day basis. This keeps the "My Documents" directory slimmed down, reducing the time it takes to synchronize it to my laptop and making it easier to find things. Everyone organizes their data differently, but it is a good idea to go through this process at least once a year.

Review your backup processes
Are your backups working? Do you have enough space on your tape or backup drive for all of your data? Are your backups stored offsite to protect your information from catastrophic events? Have you tested your backups to make sure they are working? This is an IT function that is often overlooked. Once a backup process is in place, a lot of folks just let it run without monitoring and testing it. Even those who are very good about changing the backup media are guilty assuming that all is well. I cannot tell you the number of times we have been called in to restore data for someone only to find that the information was not backed up or that the backup has not worked for some time.

Data Management
Our C-Now Advantage and Premium plan customers have their backups monitored and tested regularly. CisCom also offers offsite backup services over the internet for your most critical data. Data storage costs have gone down significantly over the past few years. This makes it more economically viable to have multiple backup strategies to protect your information. Data storage is cheap - your data is NOT. Protect it well.

If you need any assistance at all with cleaning dust out of your computers, organizing your data, or reviewing and testing your backup strategies, please contact CisCom at (502) 253-4525 x1 for assistance.

Virus Alert

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:16:00 +0000

This week we have had two clients get infections after visiting WhitePages.com. This is part of a rapidly spreading threat which presents itself to the user as an anti-virus program. Users report seeing pop-ups that warn them that they are infected. The popup screen, however, is not the real antivirus software, it is a fraud. The malicious software is apparently being installed via banner advertisements from infected websites. It seems that no user interaction other than visiting the site is required to become compromised.

If you notice a virus software popup which says your machine is infected, shutdown the computer and call our helpdesk at 502-253-4525 x1.

To limit your risk, use extreme caution when browsing. Additionally, make sure your operating sytem, applications, and security software have the latest updates installed.

CisCom Hosts Office 2010 Sneak Peak Event March 26 in Louisville, KY

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:46:00 +0000

What's holding your team back from even greater success? People in multiple locations? Inaccessible information? Come and see how the Microsoft® Office 2010 Beta can help you break through the barriers that are slowing your people and data down. Join CisCom Solutions at an exciting preview event. Office 2010 lets you and your team stay productive, and helps you securely access files from just about any computer, smartphone, or browser. So you can meet customer needs, whenever and wherever they happen.

Office 2010 connects your people and information wherever they are, enabling individuals to work better on their own or as part of a team. You can respond with the right information to the right people, no matter what the situation.

Join us at the FREE CisCom Solutions Office 2010 Sneak Peek event for a hands-on demonstration of all the ways Office 2010 breaks down barriers in your organization. Space is limited, so register today.

Note: For online registration use http://www.clicktoattend.com/ and event code 146284.

CisCom Presents Windows7 Workshop March 9th

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:35:00 +0000

Are you curious about Microsoft's Windows7? David Ely will present a workshop to answer all your questions about the new operating system on Tuesday, March 9. Time is 7:30 am, at Republic Bank's Community Room at 9600 Brownsboro Road (across from the Summit Shopping Center). This workshop is presented through the Prospect Area Chamber of Commerce. There will discounts offered that day courtesy of Microsoft and also some fantastic door prizes! Butcher's Best Meats & Deli will be catering the meal. Please RSVP and pay online today at http://www.prospectareachamber.org/event_overview.htm?utm_source=IT&utm_campaign=8c7a92bb79-march2010enews&utm_medium=email or contact Patty Mason at 502-253-4525 x205 for more information.

Charity Bowl Results and Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:17:00 +0000

Here we are at the January 29, 2010 Charity Bowl! The event was held for the benefit of Kosair Charities and was hosted by the Prospect Area Chamber of Commerce and the Lyndon Area Business Association. We may have set the record for best team shirts and most gutter balls. It was a fun time, though. Again, we extend our sincere thanks to Liz Welsh, President of Executive Communications, who was the first one to respond to our charity donation request. Top row from left to right: Ken Higdon, Scott Walters, David Ely. Bottom row: Patty Mason and Dustin Riley

ADDITIONAL OFFER

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:05:00 +0000

Congratulations to Liz Welsh, President of Executive Communications who was the first one to respond to our charity donation request. I am not surprised that she took us up on the offer as she is committed to a number of charitable causes and is very active in the community. Please check out their website at http://www.executive-com.com to see what they do.

Because of the great response we received with our request, we decided to extend an additional offer. If we receive a check for $100 made out to Kosair Charities received by January 29th, we’ll credit your account for one free hour of support OR we will waive our set up charges (typically between $250-500) if you sign up for one year with our C-Now Advantage Maintenance Plan. For more information regarding the C-Now Advantage Plan, please contact David Ely at 502-253-4525 x200.

Thank you again for such a great response.

SPECIAL OFFER!

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:15:00 +0000

One Client will Save $100 and Earn a Tax Write-Off too! CisCom Solutions is currently offering 4 hours of service for just $400 to the first client who accepts this offer. (Sorry, we can only offer one of these.) That is a savings of $100 off of our Services! Additionally, the $400 is a charitable contribution to Kosair Charities (verify this with your tax professional). It's all part of our participation in the 2010 CHARITY BOWL between the Prospect Area Chamber of Commerce & Lyndon Area Business Association held for the benefit of Kosair Charities. We are not great bowlers, but are entering the event for good fun and to help children in need. WE NEED PLEDGES! Payment for the above offer will be accepted as a check payable to Kosair Charities which will be pledged by CisCom for the event. Others can help too. Send checks and make sure to note that it is for the 2010 Charity Bowl. We appreciate your support! Submit inquiries to Patty Mason at pmason@CisCom.com.

Should I upgrade my computer to Windows 7?

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:48:00 +0000

This is a question that a lot of folks who have been frustrated using Windows Vista have been asking since Microsoft announced the new operating system was shipping. While I had tested beta version on a couple of computers, I recently decided to upgrade my working laptop computer because we are planning some Windows 7 seminars in the near future and I wanted to have something to show off.

Prior to Windows 7, when folks would ask me “is it worth the time and money for me to upgrade my computer?” I would respond with “just wait until you need a new system and just get it preinstalled.” This advice has changed with my experience upgrading my laptop to Windows 7.

My laptop is a Dell Vostro 1400, purchased 2.5 years ago. It has an Intel Duo-core processor and 2GB of memory and a 60GB hard drive. It was shipped with and running Vista Business very s-l-o-w-l-y. To be honest, I had a 5-year old laptop running Windows XP that I preferred using because it was so much faster. My hopes were that after this revamping process, my Vostro laptop would be much faster and usable.

The first task was to research if the laptop was Windows 7 compatible. I researched Dell’s support site only to find it was not officially supported. For most folks, this should have been a deal breaker. For a tech geek such as myself, I considered this a challenge. I knew that if it did not work, I could just reload Vista Business and go on.

I never, ever recommend doing an upgrade to an operating system. Rather, I recommend a new install. This keeps the registry clean and can prevent incompatibilities with older drivers, etc. So I stuck in my Windows 7 Business 64-bit DVD and started the process of installing the operating system.

To my surprise, the installation recognized all of the hardware in the laptop and everything installed without a hitch. Even the Bluetooth capability which I use with my iPhone tethering was enabled and worked properly. I could not believe how much zippier the computer seemed to respond. When I did this same thing going from Windows XP to Vista, the computer was noticeably slower. This was the exact opposite. It was much faster. Maybe Microsoft got it right this time?

After installing Windows 7, I needed to install my applications. Instead of using Office 2007, I opted to install Office 2010 Beta instead. WOW!! I could not believe how fast Outlook ran. In fact, everything ran much faster except Internet Explorer 8.0 which seemed to run about the same speed.

Not content with having my Internet experience slow me down, I decided to try out Google Chrome as my browser to see if it made a difference. I had tried Google Chrome when it first came out and was disappointed. After installing it this time, I was pleasantly surprised. It was much faster than IE 8.0 and the only limitation is that it does not support ActiveX which is required for us to remote control servers we manage. Not a problem, as IE 8 is still available to use for that purpose.

The final step in my re-install process was to encrypt my laptop. I needed to test this for a client and thought this would be a good opportunity. Microsoft offers encryption out of the box with some of the Windows 7 versions but it requires that the computer have a special feature built in to the system board. After researching the other options, I settled with Trucrypt (http://www.truecrypt.org/) a free, open source on-the-fly disk encryption software. I installed it and configured it per the instructions and all worked perfectly.

Now, back to the question, “Should I upgrade my computer to Windows 7?” My answer is: if your hardware supports it and you have at least 2GB of RAM, I would definitely consider doing it. After going through this process, my laptop runs much faster and more reliably. I feel I have increased the usable life of my laptop (pending any hardware failures) by a couple of years. Of course, your mileage may vary (YMMV) as all computers are different.

If you are interested in finding out more, please try to attend one of our upcoming Windows 7 seminars. We are planning them in conjunction with Microsoft and local Chamber of Commerce organizations. To get on the seminar list, please send an email to seminar@ciscom.com and we will keep you posted to upcoming events.

Over the Holidays Home Network Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:34:00 +0000

Every year at this time I try to get my life organized so I can start the New Year off on a good foot. So, this year I decided to spend my holiday vacation revamping our home network.

As you can imagine, we have a lot of computers in our household, even after moving all of CisCom’s servers to a data center this past fall, I count no fewer than 7 desktops, laptops, and servers still in use at our home.

Our biggest organizational problem was that we had data files scattered all over the place and no catastrophic disaster recovery process in place. I had a Nephew whose camera was stolen with all the photos of his son’s first year of life. My policy before my re-org would be to periodically copy all our photos from one computer. Not very efficient way of maintain backups.

Knowing a little about Microsoft’s Windows Home Server (WHS), I decided it was perfect for the job and I decided to take the plunge. Because we are a Microsoft Partner, I had access to the software via a special plan with have with them. For normal folks, you need to purchase a dedicated box with WHS pre-installed on it. You can purchase one anywhere from $350 up depending on how much drive space you will need.

After several failed attempts of getting the software installed only to have it fail, I came to determine I had a bad 1TB hard drive that was causing all the problems. I reinstalled it onto a 750GB drive I had laying around and all was well.

After getting the server software loaded, it was all downhill. I had to use a connector CD to connect all of our computers to the server, setup users, create backup schedules. Then I moved and reorganized all of our data files to the new server. Once all of the data was on the WHS, I then installed our own CisCom remote backup software to back everything up to our remote data center.

Another addition to our home network is a media computer. While there are operating systems and devices out there dedicated for pushing media content to your television, I opted to use Windows XP Pro since it was already loaded on the computer I was planning to use. Our television has a lot of inputs for connecting devices including a standard VGA port.

All I had to do was connect the XP computer to the television using a standard VGA cable then hook a cable between the audio port output on the XP computer and an audio input on the television. I changed the TV input to use the VGA and voila, we had a home entertainment media pc. Of course, the computer had to be hooked up to the network in order for us to access Internet content and other media stored on the WHS. One last note, I had to hook up a wireless keyboard and mouse in order to use the PC from across the room. I found an iPhone app to allow a mouse to be used through my iPhone but it did not work reliably.

My favorite sites to use with the media computer? http://www.hulu.com/, http://www.youtube.com/, and also downloaded content and personal pictures, music, and videos. I guess we could use the DVD player on the computer if we did not already have a dedicated one. Hulu.com gets our highest praise as they have a large amount of content - TV shows and Movies, that can be streamed free of charge. They offset the cost of their site with limited advertising which is much less intrusive as typical TV advertising.

All in all, I am feeling very organized starting off the New Year. Not only is my data organized and is getting backed up offsite, we also have expanded our viewing options by adding the media pc.

Remote Monitoring and Management Tools

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:25:00 +0000

We just purchased 500 seats of Labtech and cannot be happier.

Many years ago, we purchased Level Platforms. After a year of frustration trying to deploy and integrate with our existing backend systems, we pulled the plug on it.

We then moved to a hosted Kaseya solution. While we love the capabilities of the product, the user interface is awful. It’s counterintuitive and we find it’s difficult to perform simple tasks.

We also deployed Hounddog\GFI Max to a number of clients. While we really like the interface, we found the capabilities did not even begin to compare to Kaseya.

As our costs associated with “renting” hosted solutions increased, we realized it was time to purchase something again and standardize on a single solution.

We ruled out itControl Suite because we wanted an agent based solution, not an appliance. GFI\Max, in our opinion just did not offer enough capabilities. The cost is great for those wanting to get into basic monitoring. I consider it an entry-level solution.

Kaseya, while the capabilities are great has a miserable interface. What’s even worse is their sales\pricing model. I talked to them last week and wanted a firm price for 500 seats, financed over 3 years including maintenance. Simple request? Think again. I felt like I was purchasing a car and was stuck in the back room with their finance guy. They would not send me a quote, but wanted me to attend a webinar session instead. Give me a break guys.

Now to Labtech. I was very hesitant to even explore their product since they were so new to the market. A contractor we use suggested we look into them. “Wow” is all I can say. Functionally, it is the only product I’ve seen that can even be compared to Kaseya. The user interface, while not perfect, runs circles around Kaseya. It is Windows-based and so much more intuitive than Kaseya. Their sales\pricing model? Prices are on their website (Kaseya – take note – people want to know the cost of something without all the smoke and mirrors). And no backroom sales pressure like Kaseya.

As for the Cons (there’s Cons to everything!). They are a very young company and are going through growing pains. They need to ramp up some on their support and come up with a better system for initiating support requests and tracking them.

Bottom line, if you are considering purchasing Kaseya (or any other remote monitoring and management tool), you should definitely check out Labtech. I think you will be very impressed.

We are very happy to be a customer of theirs.

CisCom Introduces C-Now

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:24:00 +0000

We've been madly configuring our new monitoring software this month to prepare it for release. We've named it C-Now because it lets us see what your computer issue is right now. This product really is an awesome collection of tools, and we are all excited about it. Sure, we've been doing remote monitoring for some time. This is not new. What is new is the powerful breadth of services this new software provides. The product is based upon LabTech software and is much more comprehensive than our previous remote monitoring provider. In addition to remotely monitoring for common problems, this software has powerful network documentation abilities, configuration options and corrective action tasks. It is integrated with our ticketing and billing software and will make us more efficient in serving you. You can create a service ticket which is placed directly in our service queue to insure prompt response. It allows us real time access to machines via remote connection to evaluate and repair many problems. Comprehensive database elements are also present, so that relevant information regarding machine hardware configuration settings and software licenses can be stored as well.

We are confident that many of you will choose to join our monitored clients after learning more about C-Now. For more information call (502) 253-4525 ext. 200.

AVG Promotion - Best Deal Around

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:15:00 +0000

We are selling lots of AVG this month. It is normally a very competitively priced product. Their current promotion, however, makes it the best deal around.
Special 4th Quarter Offer: Buy a 2 Year License of any AVG Business Product - and receive the 3rd year FREE!

To take advantage of this limited time offer, contact CisCom Solutions today at (502) 253-4525

Trusted Protection That Doesn't Get in the Way of Business

Easy to use and manage
Protection against viruses, spyware, adware, hackers and spam
Protection for workstations and file servers
Centralized installation and configuration
Free support and service around the clock aross the globe

Gazelle.com and Recycling of Mobile Phones and Other Electronics

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:28:00 +0000

I had accumulated a lot of old mobile phones over the years as we have updated to newer technologies. I decided to try and find the best method of disposing of them. I stumbled across a website called http://www.gazelle.com/ and decided to check it out. They have the ability for you to get an estimated value for all sorts of stuff. The process is very simple. You first identify what phone you have and then provide a few other details such as if you have a battery and the general condition. The site will then calculate the value of the phone and prompt you to indicate if you would like to cash it in. I went through the process with 3 phones and was shocked to find out how much they were worth. Once you accept, you can box it up and paste a prepaid shipping label and send it off. They will also send you a box if you request one.

So, for a few minutes of my time, I was able to get a $97 amazon.com gift card and also get the peace of mind knowing I disposed of the phones where they will be either resold (reused) or recycled for the components. When I went to their site today, I realize you can also sell them other items. Their motto is "Get Cash for you Gadgets". I'll definitely will check out this site the next time I get the latest gadget and want to get rid of the replaced item.

Businesses Beware - Internet Security More Important Than Ever

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Online business financial transactions are the target of a series of rapidly spreading trojan attacks. The trojans are reported to be spread through compromised websites or email links and are designed to capture login information to financial websites. Once the data is obtained, the logins are used to transfer funds to mule accounts using banks' automated clearinghouse systems. The trojans are described as being ubiquitous and easily able to slide through security programs.

You probably heard about the theft of over $400,000 from the Bullitt County government which was reported last month by Fox 41 news. We know also of Kentucky businesses which have been victimized. There are a two specific articles I want to draw your attention to. The first is the USAToday article over the weekend which discusses recent computer attacks. This article does a good job summarizing the general mode of attack and describing the severity of the rapidly spreading threat. The second is "The Growing Threat to Business Banking Online" by Washington Post blogger Brian Krebs. This article is full of specific examples and details about the lack of protection businesses have.

Of course, the threat of attack itself is ominous. What's worse, though, is the lack of protection most companies have if they are the target of an attack . If your company is unlucky enough to suffer a direct loss because of a virus or trojan, don't count on your bank or insurance company to save you. Your insurance may not cover internet theft. Such losses are generally not included in standard business insurance policies. Furthermore, the bank may also refuse to compensate your loss. Since the transfer requests were authenticated with valid logins, banks have denied responsibility in some cases. Brian Kreb's article indicates that the banks are not obligated to compensate businesses for losses because businesses are not granted the same consumer protection that private banking clients have. Sure, you can sue to try to recover the funds. That will surely be expensive and time consuming.

Obviously, following well known security recommendations now is a must. The strict recommendation is to conduct online banking on an isolated computer which is not used for browsing the internet or email. Many companies will find that recommendation hard or impossible to follow. At a minimum:

keep your security and other software up-to-date;
eliminate non-business related internet traffic on your billing computers/network;
check with your insurance agent regarding your internet theft coverage;
consider upgrading your software;
check your banking and charge account balances frequently and review charges carefully;
evaluate and mitigate security holes in your network.

The time has never been better for a security audit of your system.

If you need assistance implementing these recommendations, please contact CisCom's helpdesk at (502) 253-4525 x1.

Mobile Phone Platforms

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:04:00 +0000

I had a discussion recently with Susan Lennon (one of the many great people I get to visit in my work) about the pros and cons of various mobile phone platforms. Thanks to Susan, I realized this is a perfect topic for this forum.

There are so many choices and options is it hard to make a selection. So, here’s my two cents on Windows Mobile v. iPhones v. Blackberries.

Windows Mobile Phones

Pros: Tightly integrated with Microsoft Exchange so you can easily synchronize all of your Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, and Email straight out of the box with no additional software necessary.
Cons: The interface stinks. You need to use a stylus to use it which is a pain. Also, it seems to run a little slower than the other platforms. Installing other programs a little more trickier.

iPhones

Pros: What can I say? Elegant in design. Incredible interface. Extremely easy to use. Uses Microsoft Activesync to so you can easily synchronize your Contacts, Calendar, and Email info with no additional server configuration or software. Easy to install other programs using iTunes.
Cons: You cannot sync your Tasks without purchasing a special program. You are tied to AT&T for your service which costs a lot more than other providers. Does not use a keyboard so if you are planning to use it for typing a lot of emails, you may want to reconsider not using an iPhone. One last note, an upgraded version should be coming out by the end of June so I would wait until then if this is what you want.

Blackberries

Pros: The best of all platforms for email. Interface does not require a stylus, but is not as intuitive as the 2 others.
Cons: Synchronization. BB devices offer a few different methods to sync your info. All with their own limitations and caveats. The most preferred method requires purchasing special software for you server which costs $$. You can sync without the special server software but it occasionally will have hiccups. A royal pain to setup because of this.

Others: There are a few other new platforms that have recently come out. Usually new platforms take a while before the Microsoft Exchange integration evolves as the phones are mostly geared for consumers. I would be hesitant to consider any of these without further research.

Personal recommendation? A couple of months ago I would have suggested getting a Windows Mobile. But I got an iPhone, and I fell in love with it.

Expanded Payment Options

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:51:00 +0000

You may notice this week that invoices have a new look. Yes, they lost their color......They have, however, an enclosed envelope if you wish to mail your payment. Even cooler: They have a link for online payment via credit card. We are a small business and like other small businesses look for ways to increase efficiency in our operations. Intuit offers many great services for small businesses. We've used their payroll service for years and love it. Now we are also using their billing services. This will allow us to keep costs down and give you more options. Not only can you make a payment online. You can also access your account to view invoices and payments. Just visit the link to set up your access. Like always, we value your input. Please let us know what you think.

Roll with the changes

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Sun, 31 May 2009 04:58:00 +0000

You will notice a few new faces traveling with us these days. We’ve been busy. Really busy. This is fantastic for us and WE THANK YOU for that. The project work is rolling and with that came some opportunities with new and old faces – no offense Ken. You will notice a young fellow named Joe at my side these days. We are excited to have Joe Conrad on board as a summer intern. Joe has a lot of knowledge with LINX platforms and a good knowledge base to help us serve you. He’s been working hard these last few weeks and we’re just sorry that he’ll have to leave us to finish his schooling this fall. You will also notice another new face amongst us. We are pleased to announce our new partnership with Ken Higdon. Ken has more than 20 years experience in the IT industry and is bringing that to our projects. We’ve worked together some in the past and are excited to have this opportunity with Ken. Once again, a big thank you to our customers. We appreciate your business, your referrals and your recommendations.

My New iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (David Ely) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:04:00 +0000

A few disclaimers before I start. I generally hate working with Apple computers. I'm a PC Guy. Second, I really did not want to do this. I wanted Scott to get the iPhone but his contract is not up yet on his existing phone with a different carrier. So I took the plunge ...

The acquisition process could not have gone much smoother. Took a while, but went without a hitch. Thumbs up for Best Buy. I cannot believe that they can port your phone number from one carrier to another in just a couple of minutes. The lady waiting behind me was in the process of getting another iPhone. Her first one got destroyed some way by one of her 3 redheaded kids and she had to get another one, paying the very full price for it.

So Quinton, my Best Buy Concierge, gathered all the info from me, keyed it in, called AT&T to activate the phone and applied a nice screen saver he recommended to protect the phone. I was able to activate my Bluetooth while in the store, and then I was on my way, able to start returning all the calls that had been coming in during the transfer process.

The interface is extremely intuitive. I was concerned that with my big fingers, typing using the touch screen would be an issue for me. But after a few seconds, I was able to type fairly quickly with some degree of accuracy. I found moving around the interface is extremely fluid. I love the ability to scroll through the screens and zoom in on web pages.

As I mentioned, I was able to find the Bluetooth settings and pair it with my Jawbone quickly. Dialing phone numbers from the touchscreen works much better than the Windows T-mobile Wing I'd been using for a couple of years. Setting up voicemail was a snap. I just keyed in a new passcode twice then created a Greeting.

One missing phone feature that I have to find is a voice dialing app. My T-mobile Wing, running Windows Mobile 6 (WM6), had it going. I just had to click a button on my Jawbone, say, "Dial Scooter", "Yes", and the the call was placed. It would find Scooter from over 700 of my contacts. Amazing technology. I hope to find a similar app for the iPhone.

I also need to find app to simulate the WM6 Today screen. The Today screen displays a summary of emails, calendar, etc. so you can get a high level of what all you have going on. Apple makes it easy to find apps via their iTines service. We'll see what I can find.

I recall something the lady with 3 redheaded kids told me. "Once you use an iPhone, you'll never go back." With less than 4 hours using it, I think she may be right. Now I'm wondering if a MacBook Pro may be in my future. :)