Circuit City, which WAS the number two big box electronic store, filed for bankruptcy last week. They plan on closing 150 stores nationwide. From what I have been told, the local Beaumont, Texas store is not slated for closure. But I wouldn't hold my breath.
Some busines owners see these uncertain economic times as tough roads ahead, while others see this as a perfect opportunity to get out in front of their competition, and truly help their customers weather this storm.
With the announcement that Microsoft is launching SBS 2008 on November 12, 2008 it might be a good time to address a few house cleaning items you will need to get in order if you are planning this upgrade.
It looks like WiFi is finally available while you are on your flight. American Airlines has been testing a new WiFi service from GoGoInflight which allows you to get high speed Internet access (for a fee, of course) while you are cruising at 30,000 feet. From most reports I have read, the service works well, and is fairly reliable. So, now you can send and receive those emails, download that important presentation you forgot to bring with you, or just surf the web.
You have to be careful what you say nowadays. A case in point revolves around a post I recently made on a blog that tracks the industry my company is in. I was commenting on the site about a particular business model we use and how it has simplified our billing, etc. Another poster asked me what software we used to track some specifics. I replied back with the name of the software, but added a caveat that we were in the middle of implementing a different solution.
This following is from one of the many technical blogs that we follow. It is worth reading in regards to Daylight Savings time. The change comes at a different time than normal again this year. Not all computers can cope with it.
Are you running Vista and can't get Adobe Reader to install? Well you aren't alone. It was recently listed as one of the top complaints regarding Vista. Fortunately, we have an answer to the issue. Actually, two answers!
Since I have strong ties to the airline industry (those who know me know why) I found this little bit of humor all too true. Enjoy!
Last week in "How About a Phone System for the Little Guy" I talked about Microsoft Responsepoint, the new Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone system for small and medium business. It has the blue Responsepoint button that, when pushed, responds to your voice commands. It also has a built-in auto attendant, voicemail capabilities, and even the ability to convert your voicemails automatically to emails to send to your email account.
The other day I ran into a post on a forum I frequent. The poster was asking what the other small business owners did in regards to having a logo created. One of the answers was to utilize the power of the web.
Last month I told you I was in Seattle mixing with the SMB partners and Microsoft types. While there, Microsoft VP Cindy Bates shared with us the new "I'm a pc" advertising campaign. Microsoft has put together a site where visitors can view and even create their own "I'm a pc" commercial. I must admit, we "pc" types are a very creative lot. Click here to see some of the "I'm a pc" uploads, and hey, if you want to make one of your own, I won't tell! You might just find mine if you look hard enough!
Microsoft released its entry into the smb telephone marketplace about 9 months ago. Responsepoint is the first affordable telephone system that runs on your own computer network, integrates with Microsoft Small Business Server, and has a simplified form of Unified Messaging. It also integrates with your Outlook Contacts, so when one of your contacts calls, it pops up on your screen with the contact's information.
In one of my previous posts, I talked about Microsoft Small Business Server 2008 Premium Edition and how this product will now ship with the Small Business Server software, and an additional license of Windows 2008 Server. This will allow the owner to actually run a second server in addition to the Small Business Server. The new licensing also allows the owner to install SQL Server database onto the second server, in order to run company line of business (LOB) software on the additional server. This will allow for much better performance. Current versions only ship with one server license, and you cannot install any part of the package on a second server.
One of my favorite sites is Giveawayoftheday.com For those who've never heard of it, every day they feature a new software that the vendor has agreed to "give away" for a 24 hour period. This is not shareware or crippled software. It is the full-blown version of whatever product is being given away. Granted you won't find Microsoft Vista Business or anything like that here, but I have downloaded many usefull programs from the site. I've also downloaded some not so good programs. I like to look in mid-afternoon at the site after many have already downloaded whatever is being offered. Users will report back on the site with their findings and a running tally marked in percentages is kept as to whether the software is "good" or "bad" Check it out, you may just find what you're looking for. At least the price is right!
While doing my normal surf of the Internet blogs and sites relevant to our industry, I came across MSP Mentor, a website/blog for managed service providers. Lo and behold, it turns out I am on the MSP Mentors top 250 list of MSP CEO's. While it's an honor to be recognized, its even better when you find out some person nominated your name and accomplishments for you! The info below is straight from the mspmentor.net where the list resides, and describes how one gets on "the list".
Just back from Seattle (Microsoft's Headquarters) where we attended SMB Nation. This is the world's largest gathering of Microsoft Small Business Specialists. A tech with SBSC behind their name is certified on MS SBS 2003 Standard or Premium Edition. At this 4 day workshop, the best of the best debated, discussed and debunked Microsoft's newest offering in the smb arena, Small Business Server 2008.
Welcome to my blog. I am passionate about technology. Especially when it comes to integrating technology with small and medium business. This is a highly connected world we live in. If business wants to survive, it must not only allow new technology, it must embrace it with gusto. To that end, I will post thoughts on the subject. Comments are welcome, although they may be subject to editing and/or exclusion at my discretion. Thanks for reading!