►Your Business Really Blew It: What Now?
by Jeff Wuorio
used with permission from the
Microsoft Small Business Center

We all make mistakes. It's the damage that really counts.

Not long ago, Twin Partners, a Rochester, N.Y., advertising agency, signed on a media behemoth as a client. During the agency's first media buy for the project, it switched to a less-expensive freelancer. And the results showed.

"She didn't use the proper software. When we showed our work, we were told that it was not representative of what we said we would do," recalls agency owner John Galbraith.

The giant fled, taking nearly a quarter million dollars in revenue. But Twin Partners has rebounded from the experience, in large part from lessons learned from the gaffe that cost it the job.

I was just sickened, but we learned from then on to take the high road," Galbraith says. "We've done well because we learned not to cut corners."

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You cannot do a kindness too soon,
for you never know how soon it will
be too late.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
 

►Just for Laughs

Technology is in the early stages of a big shift, one that will transform how companies and individuals access information, share content and communicate. This next wave will be driven by a new model of computing: people and businesses will use their Web browsers to access a wide range of "cloud services"--computing services available on demand, over the Internet.

Imagine services that are intelligent enough to anticipate your needs, based on a real-time understanding of your location, time of day and preferences. In this next phase of computing, the search for information will be done for you, not by you. You will have a seamless, consistent experience across all the devices you own, and all the on-demand services you care about.

What's needed: New core building blocks
Think about the cloud as a platform for creating new services and experiences. It requires a new set of core building blocks - smarter devices and more intelligent networks with software as the critical element that powers these new services and shapes the quality of the user experience.

At HP, we call this "everything as a service." Individuals and businesses will have full control to customize their computing environments and shape their experiences.

The true power of the cloud happens when there is continuous interaction between your device -- your smart phone, notebook computer, TV -- and the network, and they jointly act on your behalf.

Here's a simple example: Say it's 2 p.m., and your calendar shows you're booked on a flight to Toronto at 6 p.m. Your device should anticipate what information you'll need for this trip and proactively gather it for you -- a weather forecast for the Toronto area, a status update on your flight, a recommended route to the airport based on up-to-the-minute traffic conditions, and so on. In this scenario, the big step forward is the pervasive, proactive and highly personalized nature of cloud services.

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For many small businesses, a key hiring challenge is finding the right person to care for your computers and networks.

These folks usually carry the title of network or system administrator. And as your business grows, you may need someone (or two) on staff full time to make sure your network and PCs are always functioning properly.

Frankly, I have not had good luck with this. But here are three lessons that I have learned. If you heed them, you might be able to avoid making the same mistakes.

1. Make the hire, but still maintain a close watch over everything. That brings me to Joe (not his real name). Joe was one of my
early system administrators. He was in his mid-20s, deeply into computers and the holder of paper certifications that proved he knew his stuff. At first, things seemed to be OK. It took some time for Joe to figure out the servers' configurations and the way our Web site worked. But I expected the learning curve, so I wasn't concerned. Several months after hiring Joe, I went to the server room to make a configuration change. As I mucked around in a server, I found Web sites there for things I had never heard of. Apparently, Joe had set them up for friends. And there were e-mail addresses on the mail server for people I did not know. Then I remembered my computer. I had found oddities on it, too, and now I suspected someone was using it. I set up a camera in my office. Sure enough, at 5 a.m., the culprit walked in and got on the computer. Need I tell you that it was Joe? When I had amassed all the evidence, I confronted Joe. He readily acknowledged everything. I sent him packing. The breaches were bad enough. But most disturbingly, he saw nothing wrong with what he had done. The server space was available, so he used it. Not anymore.

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If you’re still using Windows XP or Windows 2000 Server, please be aware that they will reach end of support on July 13, 2010. If you experience a problem, issue or outage on one of these products Microsoft may not be able to help you resolve your issues until you have upgraded to a supported level of product. Lanair stands ready to help you with transitions and upgrades. Call us today to find out how to be certain your network and desktops stay at the ready to support your business.