Blog posts tagged hardware

Six ways to stop tech interrupting your business

You should be able to leap over tech problems easily

IT should be a tool to increase your company's profitability and empower your staff.

However, bad IT practices are holding businesses back from achieving their true potential. Here are six things you can do to stop IT interrupting your business.

1. Always, always, always back up your data

Relying on a single place to hold all your information is inviting disaster. If the hard drive containing your data fails or an employee makes a simple mistake, you could lose everything.

Always keep valuable data backed up, whether on another drive or in the cloud. Most importantly, test your backup system on a regular basis. Don't simply trust it to work.

2. Invest time and money in security

Cyber attacks on UK businesses are costing the economy £27bn a year. This means putting proper security in place is vital — from firewalls to fully-fledged antivirus and malware protection.

In short: get a plan or suffer the consequences. Draw up a clear policy on what employees are and aren't allowed to do online, and whether they are allowed to use personal devices for work. (In 2012, 51% of the UK's secure IT networks were breached because staff used their own devices.)

Don't neglect the simple things either. Using strong passwords and changing them regularly will make your systems much more secure.

3. Upgrade your systems

If you have server (an increasing number of businesses are opting to use the cloud instead), it's the heart of your business operations. And one day it will fail, with potentially devastating consequences.

Always remember that technology has a set lifecycle — generally 3 - 5 years — so it's essential to upgrade.

Technology can't look after itself, either. Make sure you monitor and maintain your systems properly. Although this will cost, it's a good investment if it stops your systems from suddenly failing.

4. Choose the right equipment

Buying a cheap and cheerful piece of kit off eBay at a bargain price might sound like good business acumen to you and your bottom line. But you'd be wrong.

Such hardware is fine to use at home for a few hours a week, but for a company that will be using it for hours every day (or even 24/7, in the case of servers, hard drives and the like), it won't last.

With 86% of companies experiencing at least one period of downtime in 2011, it pays to invest in hardware designed to withstand the rigours of punishing commercial use.

5. Plan and audit your IT

Many companies operate on the fly, buying equipment at the last moment when they suddenly realise they need something.

This can lead to extra unexpected costs and result in a mishmash of devices, software and services that aren't joined up. A rushed purchase could also see you buying something that's missing a vital feature.

Keeping a proper track of your IT systems is also vital so you know what assets you own.

6. Stay away from pirated and illegal software

Think installing a cracked copy of vital business software will save you money?

Think again — the list of dangers is long and any one of them could be catastrophic for your bottom line, never mind the moral issues.

You could be fined. The software could be infested with malware that leaks your valuable data. It could be disabled remotely by the software maker. You might miss out on vital security updates.

In 2011, research found more than 25% of UK computer users admit to using pirated software. Businesses are the largest single group.

If caught, expect to be fined for each piece of software, and to be forced to pay the cost of buying that software legally. Don't forget to factor in legal costs, plus the damage to your reputation.

In extreme cases, you can be jailed for up to ten years. Now there's a cheery note to end on.

• IT support is dead
• What to ask when choosing an IT support company
• Continuity planning and backup options

This article was written by Danny Walker, director at IT Farm.

Dell launches new everyday business laptops

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Dell announced new models in its Inspiron laptop range.

Although the PC giant's machines are a fixture in companies across the world, there are suggestions that laptop sales are in a long-term decline. So, can these new models tempt workers away from their tablet computers?

Thin, light and powerful?

Dell's customers told it that they want better battery life from laptops without sacrificing overall performance, and that they want laptops that are thin and portable.

That's not exactly groundbreaking news, but as a result the company says its new Inspiron models take advantage of low-power processors to optimise performance and improve battery life. They're 17% thinner and 15% lighter than the previous generation.

Budget-friendly options

The Dell Inspiron 15 and Inspiron 17 models are designed for budget-conscious customers looking for a laptop with all the usual essential features.

Prices start at just £299 all in for the entry-level 15" model. But with its slow Celeron processor, it's a false economy. Even if you're on a really tight budget, you'll be better off stretching to £379 for a model with Intel's i3 processor.

Unusually for a laptop this size, the 15" model includes a 10-key number pad, which could be really useful if you enter numbers or work with figures a lot.

If you prefer a bigger screen (but a less portable laptop), the 17" model starts at £349. Again, a decent business machine will cost you more than that - here aim for the £449 model which includes a powerful Intel i5 processor.

Pay more for personalisation

There are also two more expensive models in the range: the Inspiron 15R and 17R.

These offer some personalisation options, including a choice of brushed-aluminium finishes. Lovely, but probably not worth paying more for.

Of more interest is the optional full HD screen available with these two laptops. This gives you a crisper display, with more space for your windows and the ability to show full HD video if you wish.

It's not a must-have for business use, but may be worth paying extra for, particularly if you use your laptop screen a lot to work on big images, spreadsheets or other documents that take up a lot of space on screen.

For a full HD screen, you're looking at paying £679 for the 15" model, or £699 for the 17" model.

• A rugged laptop that can take a knock
• How to increase laptop battery life
• Do we really need Fujitsu's laptop for women?

Is your IT good enough?

Blessed with great business instinct, but limited IT skills, many micro-business owners find themselves with IT that is at best “non standard”. And this is a problem for two main reasons.

Firstly, good IT need not be difficult. There are many companies and consultants out there who can help businesses sort through the IT minefield.

Secondly, reliable, fit-for-purpose and dependable IT is no longer something that’s a ‘nice-to-have’. Instead it’s a necessity for running a business. In fact, it’s the only way a business can remain competitive with larger firms without increasing their costs by employing large numbers of staff.

What to focus on

In my opinion there are four key areas where a business should focus their attention in order to get the best value from their IT investment: 

• A functional email system that links to their laptop, desktop and mobile phone.
  • Preferably cloud services like Hosted Exchange or Google Apps Email (like G-Mail but using your domain name).
• Some form of regular backup procedure that allows company documents and files to be stored and recovered.
  • Preferably cloud services for file storage such as DropBox or Google Docs.
• Protection from an increasing number of internet threats that include spam, malware and viruses.
  • Achieved with PC/laptop anti virus software and an effective firewall on a router.
• Business grade IT hardware that’s built for business users, not home users.
  • Not the latest deal in PC World, but a business brand such as HP or Dell.

How you’ll benefit

Whether you ensure these areas receive the time and thought to be set up correctly or if you elect to outsource the management of these services to an external suppler, you can be certain your business will receive the following benefits: 

• A rapid response to email inquiries along with timely replies to emails plus retaining an audit trail over multiple devices.
• Confidence that lost or deleted information can be recovered with no noticeable impact to you or your clients.
• Certainty that your business is protected against avoidable threats that could impact your ability to function or put clients at risk.
• Reliable IT hardware that is going to last and provide good long-term value and in turn increased efficiency for staff.

Get your head in the cloud!

By getting your email and files (data) into a cloud location, the information can be accessed from anywhere and not just from a single PC or laptop. This is very useful if, as many micro businesses do, you collaborate with others but don’t share a fixed office. If you do have an office then it allows you to work more flexibly such as from home.

Affordability…

Let’s now put some outline costs to these services. A Google Apps account is free from Google and a Hosted Exchange account will cost around £6 per month.

The Google Apps Email service is great for those micro businesses starting up from scratch. For those who are coming from a corporate environment and who prefer the familiar feel of Outlook, then the Hosted Exchange solution won’t break the bank.

Something like Google Docs for data storage is again free, but you also get online versions of a word processor, spreadsheet, etc.

DropBox is free for up to 2Gb of storage and just £8 per month for up to 50Gb, but it’s more focused on storage and sharing with other users as you don’t get the ‘apps’ like you do with Google Docs. These are low costs, especially given the huge flexibility your business will gain. In addition it takes away a worry about continuity in the event something fails, is lost or stolen.

In respect to anti-virus services then one of the best around is currently FREE and is called Microsoft Security Essentials. It’s a Microsoft product and protects you against viruses and malware and can be installed (for free) in a business of up to 10 users.

Hardware purchase requires a little more discussion than is available here, but make sure you get the right hardware from a business-focused manufacturer. It will offer better long-term value; it will last longer than the equipment designed for home use and it will result in your business being more reliable and thus profitable in the longer term.

Getting reliable IT services may not be as difficult as you might have first thought, but the benefits of such services, especially cloud services, are huge.

Smaller businesses, in my opinion, have the most to gain from cloud services. One-five users can have full email and file-sharing features, allowing them to compete and challenge larger competitors who have bigger IT budgets.

I’ve worked with lots of business and have seen that by tackling just email and data storage it can transform your business. So imagine what could be possible if three or even all four of them were covered?

Don’t neglect your IT services. Instead spend a bit of time ensuring what you have is fit for purpose. And if you’re not sure where to start or are wondering what you should focus on, have a chat with an IT consultant.

Craig Sharp is the MD of Abussi IT, who provide Small Business IT Support in Birmingham

2012 ultrabooks: lightening the load in your bag?

Laptops have been getting better for years. Back around 2002-ish, you were delighted if your laptop could run Microsoft Word without slowing down and lasted over an hour away from mains power.

But nowadays we’re reaching the point where a laptop battery can last a full working day. Even the cheapest laptops can handle common business applications. You’re even slightly less likely to hurt your back when lugging one around.

Ultrabooks for 2012

Although they have got sleeker in recent times, many laptops are still chunky, uninspiring to work with and heavy to carry. Choosing one can be tricky, because often you’re faced with a series of compromises.

If you want lightness, you have to sacrifice power. If you want a keyboard you can type on with ease, you’re going to have to find a bit more space in your bag.

But now we’re faced with what some think is a fundamental change to the world of laptops. In 2012, manufacturers are racing to release ultrabooks. These super-thin laptops are designed to end those compromises.

The idea of an ultrabook is to give you all the power you need in a small, stylish shell. You should get enough battery power to work all day and a decent screen and keyboard so using your laptop for hours at a time isn’t a painful experience.

But are 2012’s ultrabooks right for you?

As more ultrabooks appear on the market, we’re starting to see how well they live up to what they promise.

Take the new Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook (pictured). It has garnered excellent reviews (four-and-a-half stars from PC Advisor, and PC Pro’s recommended status) and has all the key characteristics you’d expect from an ultrabook:

• It’s stylish and well-built. Ultrabook manufacturers put a lot of effort into making the machines look sleek and feel solid to use. Expect clean lines, little in the way of labels and badges and key components made from metal.
• It’s small and light. Size is everything when it comes to 2012’s ultrabooks. Many are under 2cm thick at their widest point and weigh under 1.5kg – that’s less than half the weight of many workhorse business laptops and thinner than a stack of post-its.
• It uses a solid state hard drive. Solid state storage works like a camera memory card. Unlike normal hard drives, there are no moving parts. This means data can be accessed much faster, making ultrabooks very snappy to use.
• There’s no CD drive. You can’t fit a CD drive into a super-thin laptop and it takes a lot of battery power to spin a CD. So, ultrabooks do away with the CD drive altogether. Does it matter? Well, when was the last time you put a CD in your computer?
• The battery lasts ages. We’re talking four hours plus under heavy use, and over eight hours if you’re not pushing the processor hard. It’s meant to be a mobile computer, so it must have a battery that stays the course.

There’s one other thing that sets ultrabooks apart from more humdrum laptops. And that’s the price. They tend to be more expensive. In general, you’ll pay £900 or more.

Although that may seem steep compared with a bog-standard £500 laptop, when you get your hands on an ultrabook you can see where your money has gone. It takes a lot of engineering effort to fit so many high-spec components into such a small space.

Get ready for lots of 2012 ultrabooks

As there’s no official definition of what constitutes an ultrabook, expect to see plenty in 2012 which don’t tick all these boxes. Indeed, over time, some of those ultrabook features should start trickling down into more standard laptops. And wouldn’t it be great if super-light, super-thin laptops became the norm, rather than the exception?

• How to increase your laptop’s battery life
• Now is when the tablet computer comes of age
• Don’t want an ultrabook? Read our review of another Dell laptop