Riverside Consulting Group would like to welcome you to the new home for Tech Talk, our once monthly newsletter on the latest and greatest in technology, opinion, and a little more. The new and improved interface featured on this site will allow us a better medium to convey the latest advances in technology you can use in your business and your home. Currently, our general technology posts will be made every Friday morning, along with a Tuesday supplimental on various technologies RCG specifically markets for your business. We will alternate between Microsoft Dynamics GP and CRM, Microsoft Retail Management System and Aldelo for Restaurants Professional, general web design, eCommerce, and email marketing each week.

For your convenience, we’ve offered several options to receive RCG Tech Talk posts: RSS feed, odiogo audio podcast, and email delivery. You can click here for our RSS feed, simply add it to your favorite RSS feed reading software. You can click here to add the odiogo feed to your iTunes podcasts (NOTE: requires iTunes be installed and configured on your PC). Finally, you can click here to receive email notifications of new posts to our blog.

Again, welcome to the new home of Tech Talk, and we look forward to providing you the information you need for your business to succeed!

- Steve, Diane, and Joe

Technorati Tags: RCG

Companies from small to large all indulge in a common New Year’s practice: outlining initiatives they want to achieve for the new year; think of it like a New Year’s Resolution, Corporate-style. These initiatives cover everything from sales goals to efficiency and productivity gains to major corporate restructuring. Some businesses focus on improving the sales process to increase revenue, others utilize training and professional development to gain more informed employees, but many consistently fail in adding technology to those initiatives to ensure success for the business changes they want and need.

While a good corporate development plan will go a long way to tweak business performance through training and development of human resources withing the corporate structure, those human beings need the technological tools that make their job and lives easier. It’s simple common sense that if you shave 10 seconds off of every minute of work an employee completes, that’s a good thing. If you can make a one-time purchase of a technological solution to shave that 10 seconds off of the task, it again comes down to another common sense decision.

Where companies seem to be lacking is in a trusted source to gain knowledge on the latest technological advances their company can leverage to gain the competitive edge in their industry. Having a trusted technology partner who keeps up-to-date on the latest in productivity technologies is key to success in the information age. Consulting firms, such as our firm, provide an excellent source for this information. It is our job to know the latest in technology and productivity solutions for your business and to keep you informed. Using a company like RCG, you can focus your efforts on running your business and not on absorbing the combined announcements of a $2 Trillion industry, like the corporate software industry.

Contact your technology consultants today to help build your Tech Initiatives for 2008. Don’t have a regular technology consulting firm? Contact RCG for a free technology review and for our plan to alleviate your workload by utilizing intuitive cutting-edge technology in your everyday life.

- Joe

Technorati Tags: business users, RCG

Earlier this month, we talked about the need to protect your data when traveling over the holidays. Home often face major issues baking up their data, as backup software and hardware usually starts in the $300 range, and climbs to upwards of $20,000 for a well planned and implemented 3rd party solution. Hope exists, however, for home users to backup their data on a consistent basis: Windows Vista’s new and improved Backup and Restore Center.

Part of the transition to the new Microsoft Windows Vista operating system is the Backup and Restore Center. Never before has there been such an easy and intuitive method of backing up the data on your home computer. While the interface lacks the centralization and scheduling features needed by small, medium, and large business environments, even my elderly grandmother was able to setup a scheduled backup job to protect her digital photos and emails.

The key to success when using the Backup and Restore Center is to have somewhere reliable to store those backups you’ve made. You can use an external hard drive, burn to CD or DVD, or even copy them to another PC in your home. However, the method most resistant to disaster is a full-time off-site backup solution. RCG offers an Online Backup solution that, when paired with Vista’s Backup and Restore Center, provides the perfect solution for the home user.

Don’t have Vista, yet? Working in a Small or Medium Office environment? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered still. RCG’s Online Backup solution supports all editions of Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista, and provides the SSL-encrypted off-site protection your company needs to ensure your data is safe and secure in its off-site location. Contact us today for more information on how Online Backup can help you protect your data at home and in the office.

- Joe

Technorati Tags: backup, business users, home users

Microsoft announced this week that Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 (Formerly Codename: Titan) has reached RTM status (Released to Manufacturing). This is the step right before general availability and publishing to DVD (as well as digital delivery via MSDN). The world at Microsoft is all abuzz with the news, with people like Mary Jo Foley, Ben Vollmer and Michael Lu blogging on the topic.

For customers, this means that upgrades for people with Software Assurance will be delivered at some point in the next quarter. Customers that utilize the Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement will see the option to upgrade in mid-February, should they choose to engage us to upgrade their installation codebase. This major version upgrade represents changes to not only the server-side software, but the client-side as well. This requires some good amount of work to upgrade each client PC, but instructions and as-needed support for the client upgrade can be provided when requested.

People interested in learning more on Titan can look here for a general overview. You may also contact RCG to setup an appointment to go over how Microsoft Dynamics 4.0 can benefit your organization.

- Joe

Technorati Tags: crm, microsoft, spla, titan

The time for holiday travel is upon us again, and once again people will be putting their most expensive and relied upon technological device in danger of theft or damage. Even in that old bastion of high security, the airport, your laptop is at high risk of theft by a crafty pick pocket or thief. Be it in the security line, when you’re distracted as you remove your shoes for inspection, or from the overhead bin, as you nap mid-flight, your hardware and the data contained there-in are at very high risk in the airport. Add on top of that the constant threat of damage as you juggle your belongings, that last minute snack, and your boarding pass while you navigate the terminal concourse, and the poor laptop doesn’t stand a chance. Don’t fret, though! There are steps you can take to ensure your laptop makes it to your destination, safe and sound.

1. Protect your information
   If you keep a lot of personal or financial information on your computer, invest in an operating system that includes file protection. Windows Vista and Windows XP Professional have the tools to protect your information through a process called encryption. To learn more, see Encrypt Your Data to Keep It Safe.
2. Protect your laptop with a strong password
   If you travel with your laptop frequently, you should secure it with a strong password. Check your computer’s Help and Support service to learn how to add or change your system password. To find out how to create passwords that are tough for hackers to crack, but easy for you to remember, see Strong passwords: How to create and use them.
3. Back up before you go
   Always back up your information before you take your laptop on a trip. You can’t always avoid the financial loss of your equipment, but you can avoid losing all your information in the process. To learn how to make copies of all of your information using Windows XP, see How to back up manually or by using the Windows XP Backup utility. For Windows Vista, see Windows Vista: Windows Backup.

You can feel free to contact us for more information and tips on how to protect your technology and data while traveling or how to replace it in the event of a disaster. Good luck with your travels, and Happy Holidays!

- Joe

Technorati Tags: business users, home users, laptop

Ever see an ad for the super cool, ultra new cell phone being hawked by the manufacturer or carrier? They inundate us every day via email, web, television, and even radio ads, touting the newest greatest thing ever in the world of cellular technology. Ever buy a cell phone because of those ads, only to be horribly disappointed with the interface or features? Not anymore!

This week, Mobile Complete will be launching a new interactive web service called TryPhone which will allow consumers to try out the interface of any new phone model before purchasing the device, all without ever having to leave the comfort of their own home.

Why is this a novel concept? Because, before this, the only way to test drive a new phone was to go to a cellular sales location and face the pressures of a commissioned (or otherwise motivated) sales person pushing the consumer into a long-term contract aimed at garnering as much money as possible from them. That’s goal number one at TryPhone. “One of the overriding goals of TryPhone is to better educate consumers about which mobile handsets are right for them. TryPhone provides a series of demos and tutorials to guide the consumer after they have purchased their phone — saving them the time and hassle of trying to read manuals or figure out applications by themselves,” said Faraz Syed, CEO of Mobile Complete, in an e-mail quoted from an article on InformationWeek.

Check it out, and let us know what you think!

- Joe

Technorati Tags: wireless

This week, IBM gave the green light to Sun as their OS of choice in the world of OS virtualizations on mainframe hardware. IBM, Sun and research and development company Sine Nomine Associates demonstrated OpenSolaris code running on a System z server earlier this week at the Gartner Data Center Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. The OS ran within the z/VM environment, which is capable of handling as many as 1,000 virtual images of an OS on a single hypervisor.

James Stallings, general manager for IBM, said IBM and Sun could build a symbiotic relationship that takes advantage of each company’s data center technologies. “It makes perfect sense to marry these two stalwarts in a virtualized mainframe environment,” he said.

The announcement follows an unimpressive third quarter for System z sales. IBM’s share of the worldwide server market fell to 30% from 33% in terms of revenues, due to weakness in Sytem z and System i sales, according to IDC.

- Joe

Technorati Tags: ibm, linux, sun, virtualization

Only a few days old, the newly released Macintosh OSX Leopard 10.5 is raising the ire of even the most hard-core Mac fans. While not widespread, the latest issue hits people in their battery life, causing MacBook and MacBook Pro customers to experience shorter battery life than under the previous Tiger (OSX 10.4) operating system.

Check out the forums at Apple.com (link above) for more information on the issue, and to see if there is a fix available for your MacBook computer.

 - Joe (via my MacBook running Tiger)

Technorati Tags: apple, laptop, leopard

Windows Live OneCare is Microsoft’s online security and maintenance platform for home and small business users. Combining virus, spyware, and phishing protection, but it also helps tweak firewall settings, coordinates system tune-ups, and in user-managed data backup. Amy Barzdukas, senior director of Windows Live OneCare at Microsoft, said in a statement, “Customers have told us they want an all-in-one solution for PC care that is simple and easy to use across all the PCs in their home.”

OneCare Circle is the newest feature of the product, providing a centralized management location for all the user’s home PCs via the wireless or wired network. Tasks, such as checking firewall status, virus definition updates, and even central data backup, all are managed through this new interface.

The service also includes the new Start Time Optimizer, which helps users load only the programs they require at startup, thus accelerating the startup process. In addition, it includes a “Proactive Fixes and Recommendations” feature to help optimize PC performance, and it helps maintain wireless networking security.

Interested users can visit the Microsoft Windows Live OneCare site for ordering and pricing information. Need help installing and configuring a backup and security platform in your own home? Contact us for more information on how RCG can ensure the best solution for you technology dollar.

- Joe

Technorati Tags: home users, microsoft, windows

This week saw the announcement that Apple was dropping the price of the iPhone a dramatic $200 from the original retail price offering, a stinging slap in the face to every early adopter out there. Sure, he’s offering $100 Apple Store credit to anyone who purchased the iPhone at the higher price, but how many people actually use those credits before they expire? Fifty, maybe sixty percent at the outside? And those who do use it always end up spending it on a higher-ticket item (let’s face it, there isn’t much for $100-or-less in the Apple Store, now is there?).

Still, does this surprise anyone? Certainly not our esteemed technology psychic, Mr. David X. Cringley. His particularly intimate look into the mind of Steve Jobs certain explains a lot behind the reasoning of the famously turtle-necked techno tycoon.

But what does this mean for Apple in the long run? Certainly not failure or bad will; this is Apple Computer we’re talking about! They’re the cool hipster tech company that everyone loves and hopes to one day be able to afford their products. They make the worlds most popular and best portable music player (a fact even my black, PC-loving heart can admit), the iPod. Have you even seen the newest iMac? It’s so cool!

I digress. The most important fact is their image. Everyone knows that Microsoft is the evil corporation that robs old ladies and uses scare tactics and monopolistic tendencies to put the competition out of business. Meanwhile, Apple is the goodie-goodie competitor trying to make it in an anti-trust world, but somehow still manages to “stick it to the man” (read: Bill Gates) at every opportunity. Puh and lease, people, can you get any more 1990’s? It wasn’t Steve Jobs and Bono on the cover of time for the millions the man from Palo Alto gave to charity, was it? And who had same-sex partner benefits for their employees almost two full years before anyone in The Valley? They even set aside funds for employees to go and scrub oil off of marine life when a tanker ran ashore along the coast of Russia in 2004. Apple, meanwhile, bilked their best customers out of $100 Million in profit and will get to keep at least $50 Million of it (probably closer to $80 Million) by the time things are said and done.

Did you buy an iPhone? Are you angry? Please, email me at blog@riversidecg.com and let me know your thoughts. We might even get an interview for the upcoming TechTalk Radio Podcast!

- Joe

Resources:
CNN Money - Apple unveils new iPod with Wi-Fi
I, Cringley - The Puppet Master