What, you say?  Not my friend?  But it’s so useful… I can communicate with people, advertise and market online to drive business to my doorstep, research and buy stuff at great prices, use new services that reduce my expenses, meet new people and stay in touch, and so much more! 

While it is true that there are many benefits to using the internet (I use it almost everyday), it is important to acknowledge that it is a powerful tool that is actively wielded for not only good and useful purposes, but also for dark and malicious ones.  In the spirit of the concept, “knowledge is power”, I’ll be reviewing some background information so we can be more aware of the threats to our safety, privacy, and information. 

In the past the internet has been known as the “Wild, Wild West” due to its open nature, inherent lack of accountability for its participants, plenty of dangerous places, while at the same time full of usefulness, information, and revenue-making opportunities.  These days I have different name for the internet – WAR ZONE.  Online fraud and identity theft are still fast on the rise, organized crime has become heavily invested in extorting information and money from people and organizations, online social gatherings have enabled sexual predators to find many more unwitting victims, misinformation is rampant, and the list goes on and on.  So the point is that unless “glutton for punishment” is on your list of hobbies, it seems that the internet may not your friend. 

This isn’t FUD-spreading (fear, uncertainty, and doubt); rather it’s a call to attention that we all, in business and at home, could benefit from knowing how to leverage this great tool to our advantage, all the while knowing what to watch out for.

This is the first of a new series of articles on the subject of how to be a ‘savvy technology user’.  Stay tuned for more educational and empowering information!

 I’ve really been enjoying listening to the podcasts over at www.sbsshow.com.  Where do I find the time, you might ask.  What works for me is downloading and syncing them with my Zune Player (Microsoft’s portable music player), then listening to them when I’m on the road.

When sitting there driving on auto-pilot, I’m a captive audience, which can leave many brain cycles unused and idling.  Not really sometimes I get my best thinking done in the car.

Check them out – interviews with experts in many relevant subjects such as disaster recovery, Web 2.0, computer security, building MSP practices, etc.  Be sure to click the Previous Shows link at the top of the page.

Have you found other podcasts useful to SMB IT consultants?  Feel free to leave a comment!

Highlights from Day 2 included ISA MVP Amy Babinchak delivering a great presentation to a packed room on Common ISA Server 2004 SMB Scenarios.  ISA is such a great fit for SMB that I hope Microsoft comes out with a better alternative if they cut it out of SBS 2008. 

Also, Dana Epp demo’d his SMB-focused security offerings for dual-factor authentication – very interesting!  One example of a useful scenario was for IT service providers to use AuthAnvil and the security tokens as an effective process to easily administer domain admin-level access to clients’ networks (for employees and subcontractors), instead of having to change all the passwords whenever staff changes.   

Among others, Day 3 had a really informative session on Leveraging Virtualization.  The quality of the presentation was really enhanced by the presenter demonstrating the technologies and walking through actual scenarios, as opposed to working with just a PowerPoint deck.  Virtualization is truly a white-hot technology and already has many real-world applications in SMB.   

All in all, SMB Nation 2007 was an excellent conference with qualified and competent presenters who spoke to the business and technology issues facing the SMB IT Service Provider.  The opportunity to network with industry peers, user group leaders, Microsoft MVPs, executive-level vendor contacts, Microsoft Partner program employees, and others always brings a wealth of perspective, industry vision, and business value that continue to reward with benefits as time goes on.   

Thank you SMB Nation, Dana, Arlin, and all those who participated in making this conference worth-while!

That’s what another friend and client of mine from Louisiana tells me is the way of life in the southern state.  And Jeff Middleton, recognized as an expert in disaster recovery and almost as well known for his parties, might be Louisiana’s official culture representative to the SMB IT community.   

Here are a couple of pics from the party he threw on the second night of SMB Nation 2007 conference.  The band was amazing, as the guitarist jammed out whaling sax solos, keyboard runs, and even trombone and trumpet parts on an electronic instrument that looked like a guitar.

SMB Nation is the original and largest SMB channel partner-focused conference, and I’ve been looking forward to it and this trip for months!  Set on the Microsoft campus headquarters in Redmond, Washington, it has state of the art facilities, beautiful grounds, and believe it or not, great food!  Surrounded by around 600 other IT solution providers, many industry-leading vendors, and high-level Microsoft employees focused on the channel is quite an experience!   

I have had the pleasure of putting faces to names and talking shop face-to-face with big names in the SMB IT community, such as Mark Crall, Susan Bradley, Dana Epp, Karl Palachuk, Amy Babinchak, Jeff Middleton, Eric Ligman, and others. 

Today I attended sessions on the importance of mission/ vision/ value and why I am in business, MS CRM features and capabilities, and using virtualization to recover servers.  The last one was an amazing presentation, demo’ing live the ability to restore a crashed SBS Server to a virtual machine… running on a laptop!  Using imaging (Shadow Protect) and virtualization (both Virtual PC and VM Ware), the client could then use it temporarily as the server until replacement server hardware was available, at which point the process would be reversed to move it back.   

Out of all the experiences that these tech conferences offer, the best value by far is the networking with peers and leaders in the SMB IT community.  As they say, it’s not what you know.  It’s who you know.  

ByteSmart – we take the pain out of using technology by making IT simple for small businesses.

A recent survey of over 150 successful, small business executives by CDW Corp found that “…the strategic use of IT is one of the biggest challenges for small business growth, and one of the most important keys to success.”

Second only to recruitment and retention of employees, managing IT was a more significant challenge than understanding customer needs, covering external costs of doing business, and establishing and maintaining financial controls. 

There is no question that technology is getting more capable but complex at a dizzying rate.  In its simplest form, it is a functional tool to accomplish basic business tasks; however, it can be leveraged to accomplish so much more, an enabler of business growth, but only when directed strategically to match the organization’s goals and direction.

ByteSmart is aimed squarely at addressing that need – we are an advisor to small businesses by helping them to develop an IT roadmap with their use of technology, guided by their business goals, including the software that they use to run their business, the security and protection of their data and systems, and their use of communications and other business-enabling technologies.

ByteSmart – we take the pain out of using technology by making IT simple for small businesses.

About a month ago, I was invited to speak to the Delaware Professional Photographers association.  The subject of choice for the presentation on September 18th is Data Protection for Small Businesses – Securing Your Business Information.

Data protection is a hot conversation among small businesses today. As more and more organizations become dependent on technology, the risks interwoven with the loss of information stored electronically become greater and greater. Statistical averages show that of those small businesses that have a significant loss of information (data), a surprisingly high percentage of them, over 90%, will never fully recover. Besides data loss from systems that are not backed up effectively, electronic information is the target of a worldwide stage of hackers and associated organized crime. They are not targeting just the rich and famous in business anymore- your data is in their crosshairs.  The internet isn’t just the wild, wild west anymore – it’s a downright war zone.

Data protection isn’t simply a product that you buy. It is a plan that is developed and maintained. And interestingly enough, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. The presentation will address what issues to consider, related industry best practices, and some technology options in addressing this critical area of business today.  Check out what MSNBC had to say for some related food for thought.

If you haven’t seen this already, I really recommend that you watch this.  Certainly makes you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljbI-363A2Q

I can’t verify that all the stats are completely accurate, but enough of them are right on to make the video on-track and relevant.

From its inception, ByteSmart’s slogan and one of the points of our value proposition has been “making I.T. simple.”  Small businesses owners typically have little interest in focusing on keeping their technology running properly.  Computers are just a tool to get the job done.  And unless you’re a non-profit, that job is to make money!   

All too often, however, those owners and managers are forced to spend too much of their precious time and resources struggling to make their IT (information technology) investments work for them – that is, unless they are fortunate enough to find a trusted computer service provider who can whip their systems into shape and help direct all those bits and bytes to work hard to support the organization’s direction and goals. 

One of the powerful ways we are “making IT simple” for our clients is through flat-rate service plans that provide different types of unlimited amounts of support.  Through the use of powerful software and processes, we can now keep a pulse on the health of our client’s systems 24/7/365 and act proactively to resolve issues, as most problems have early warning signs before they become show-stoppers.   This new model is a significant, forward-thinking shift from the traditional hourly rate support model that has been in place for decades.  It is such an extraordinary win/win service model that we believe it is the destiny of IT service delivery. 

Our clients sleep better at night, because they know their information is safe and their systems are reliable.  They have less cash flow worries, because their IT support expenses are fixed, regardless of how long it takes to complete.  They are positioned stand out in the marketplace as they can now take advantage of technologies that streamline processes, reduce overhead, and generate revenue.  These are strategic and competitive advantages, all available because the “plumbing” is finally stable. 

If you are interested in finding out if what we offer is a good fit for you, then contact us for a complimentary consultation.  For more information, visit www.byte-smart.com.   

Tip of the day:Have you ever called a company for information or help and gotten lost in the maze of phone tree options?  The age of automated, multiple level phone systems and long hold times has become so ubiquitous that we now need “cheat codes” to cut through the red tape and get a human on the other end of the line.