Repair & replace your computers – a blended approach

Intel released a report on the costs associated with extending the life of old computers versus refreshing with new models.  This report is more than an attempt to sell more computers. The fact is, they are right on target in their evaluation of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Computers have a limited life cycle both from a physical and use perspective. An old computer is like an old car, it can nickel and dime you to death and eventually leave you stranded when you need it the most. But with today’s tough economic climate many small and medium enterprises are delaying the refresh in an attempt to save cash. Deferring any refreshing of equipment is a false economy and will cost you big time later on. There are other options available though.

The best strategy is a blend of replace and repair.

• Evaluate your current computer inventory based on age and the role it plays in your operation, critical or non-critical;
• Refresh critical equipment with new purchases;
• Replace what is at the end of its life with new equipment;
• Upgrade the rest to a minimum performance standard;
• Assign some budget money to cover the cost  of repairs, current and future.

An important trap to avoid is the creation of ‘Frankenstein’ computers. This is when parts from a variety of PCs are thrown together to create a working unit. A drive from this one, a power supply from another, an HP system board in a DELL case, etc. This is a creative approach for the geeks but doesn’t make good sense from a business perspective.

It’s pretty simple really. If your computers need to work to support your business, make sure they are in working condition.

Dean

_Sponsors_________________________________________

Nova Media

Strategic Online Marketing

 

_________________________________________________

Advanced Systems

Corporate Computer and Network Specialists

_________________________________________________

Alberta Health Services IT breach – vigilance urged

Taken from a news release posted on the Alberta Government website:

July 8, 2009
Commissioner urges vigilance in wake of computer virus outbreak at Alberta Health Services

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has been notified by Alberta Health Services that a virus was present on the Alberta Health Services network in Edmonton. The virus impacted the network and Netcare, Alberta’s electronic health record, before it was discovered and removed.

You can read more about it here . . . Google Links. This follows the theft of two computers from a UofA medical lab a few months ago which contained un-encrypted patient information. The laptops were chained to a desk in a locked room!

Vigilance is the key word here and should apply to any and all businesses that value their data and want to keep it private. These were computer based breaches but we need to apply vigilance across our organizations which include any form of access to data and confidential information. You need to review, evaluate and enforce any policies and procedures regarding how you and your people manage and handle confidential data whether it’s computer based or paper based. Let’s not forget the two recent incidents where Federal officials mishandled confidential and top secret paper documents.

How important is securing your data? Ask yourself this: would you want to do business with an organization who were slack in securing your personal information?

Dean

_Sponsors_________________________________________

Nova Media

Strategic Online Marketing

 

_________________________________________________

Advanced Systems

Corporate Computer and Network Specialists

_________________________________________________

Desktop PCs losing out to mobile computing, but not dead yet

According to a recent report, sales of new desktop computers are dropping compared to mobile computers such as notebooks and net-books. Not surprising considering we are all more mobile and need to be connected where ever we are. According to one report desktop computers still capture 47% of the new computer sales market.

Desktop computers still offer great value for money. Most are well spec’d for the price when compared to portables. Easier to upgrade when you want to extend their life or improve performance. A 24″ monitor connected to a desktop PC is easy to look at. Large laptops (17″-18″) are nice but extremely heavy and hard on battery life. There’s also the long-term maintenance issues to consider. Desktop cases have better ventilation when compared to laptops. As a result they are less likely to overheat the internal components and suffer from premature failure. Replacing internal components in a desktop box is cheaper and offers more options when compared to a laptop.

What we are seeing now is a turn around from previous years. Where laptops where niche and special purpose only five years ago they are now becoming standard computers for most of us. Desktops still have a role to play in the corporate environment but they are becoming the new niche technology.

Security flaw in Microsoft Internet Explorer – what’s the risk?

Microsoft has issued a new security advisory for a critical security issue that could potentially enable an attacker to take control of a users PC by way of Internet Explorer (IE) through the Microsoft Video ActiveX Control on Windows XP and Server 2003 platforms. Microsoft offers a work-around in its advisory to let users disable the ActiveX Control in question. According to the advisory Microsoft is currently working on a security update to fix the flaw as well.

This time around Microsoft Vista users are not at risk. Thanks to the way that Vista provides permissions to IE, this particular flaw doesn’t pose a risk to Vista users – only XP users. Considering that there are so many Windows XP clients and Server 2003 hosts running out there – this could be a risky flaw for most of us.

Check out the workarounds as provided in the MS security advisory and take appropriate action.

New relationships and exciting times

There hasn’t been much coming out of this blog of late. Busy, busy, busy with other things. Such as BRASSmedia and bobbing like a cork on the sea of Web 2.0. The original intent of this blog was to voice my thoughts on IT management and put forth new ways of doing business. That won’t change much but there will now be other topics of discussion. We (meaning me) have just taken on a new role in a new relationship and we’re quite excited.

Direct sales for Nova Media, a strategic online marketing consultant and developer based out of Lacombe Alberta. Peter DeWit, Nova Media’s CEO and I have worked together on a fusion marketing project and when we sat down to discuss this new relationship it seemed like a natural fit. My role is a simple one – develop new relationships with businesses and organizations in need our services.

One of the things I always strive for is quality and integrity in business and my personal life. What excites me about representing Nova Media in the market place is that Peter and his team do more than just develop web sites. Peter’s experience in traditional marketing gives him a great overall view of a clients place in the world of the web. An end to end online marketing solution. Web sites based on a content management system, graphic design, branding, search engine optimization, email marketing campaigns, ecommerce and ongoing measurement of the impact and effectiveness of your web precence.

We’ll still use this blog to talk about IT’s role in small and medium business but we’ll now broaden our scope to include our work in the world of the web and how it impacts an orgainizations day to day operations.

Dean

False economies – PC refresh delays can cost in the long run

ZDNet has posted an article commenting on a report from Intel regarding the total costs of ownership of PCs and how small and medium businesses delay in refreshing PCs to save money now can cost in the long run. So true. Deferred maintenance is an easy and immediate cost savings when faced with decreased revenues. Having been their myself I can attest to the ultimate lash-back when PCs past their prime start to fail.

Before you slash your PC budget or burn it to the ground entirely, consider a blend of new PCs and a maintenance plan for the ones you plan to keep. There’s a cost to keeping your computers up to date but a price to pay if you don’t.

Dean