bruceb news

LogMeIn has moved far ahead of its competitors for working with computers remotely. It introduced major changes to its product lineup a couple of days before Christmas – not a good time to get much attention but an appropriate time to deliver lovely presents, since the changes include new features that will be useful for many of you.

Let’s start with the basics.

COMPUTERS

LogMeIn provides a small bit of software that installs on your computer at home or the office. It’s tied to a LogMeIn account – an email address and a password. The basic program is free for connecting from one computer to another computer. […] continued

Best wishes for a happy and healthy and prosperous 2012!

This has been a fast-moving year in technology, continuing the movement away from dependence on individual PCs and towards multiple devices and towards the cloud. There are new challenges, new buzzwords, new tools, and a flood of new companies / names / programs / services / devices that feels overwhelming. I’ll keep trying to be a trusted guide through the technology jungle.

Next year’s themes will be the same as 2011.

• Windows XP computers are falling down fast and being replaced by Windows 7 computers and laptops, to everyone’s relief.
• Microsoft’s hosted mail service, Office 365, is quickly becoming the standard choice for small offices, bringing all the advantages of Exchange into offices that couldn’t previously afford it.

[…] continued

Previously:
Live Tech Support From Microsoft Answer Desk
The Changing Landscape For SMB IT Consultants

Lots of forces are combining to change the services that you need for your small business or law firm, and at first glance most of them appear to limit my usefulness. You can get cloud services that don’t require ongoing maintenance, your devices are getting simpler and cheaper, and outsourced support is becoming available at a price that might undercut my hourly fee.

And yet I think I’m going to be busier than ever for the foreseeable future. (The foreseeable future extends about five years. Ain’t nobody’s crystal ball that can predict further out than that in technology.) What’s the plan? […] continued

When Microsoft announced that it will provide free or cheap support for Windows and Office and common computer problems, it wasn’t a surprise for any IT consultant who’s been paying attention.

This is a look behind the scenes, some thoughts about the trends that are changing the landscape for IT consultants.

Four things are combining to recast the traditional roles for small business IT consultants.

• Technology is easier to deploy and maintain. In particular, cloud services have virtually no traditional costs for deployment or maintenance. There will be fewer and fewer on-premise server deployments as cloud solutions mature.

[…] continued

We’re all busy. Life is full of choices about what deserves attention and what should be passed off to someone else.

The Bruceb Cloud Backup service is managed and monitored. When you sign up for Bruceb Cloud Backup, I watch your backups remotely. If there’s a problem, I fix it. You get to take an important chore off your mental checklist because you know it’s on mine.

There are cheaper backup services. Carbonite and Mozy are both promoting “business” backup plans that use all the right buzzwords – and who knows, they might work well enough to get you through a jam. […] continued

Previously:
Redundancy, Backups, And Redundancy
Introducing Bruceb Cloud Backup

Subscribers to Bruceb Cloud Backup have the option to use it for onsite backups, in addition to storing backed up files in the cloud. It adds some interesting flexibility and can be a way to cut costs.

When you add the local option to your Bruceb Cloud Backup subscription, I’ll supply a 2Tb external hard drive to plug into the server or workstation that holds your business data. We’ll configure the Bruceb Cloud Backup software to back up all of your important data to the external hard drive, with no space limitations or per-gigabyte charges. […] continued

Previously:
Redundancy, Backups, And Redundancy

I am excited to be able to offer Bruceb Cloud Backup, a managed online backup solution designed for small businesses and individual users. It is secure, flexible, affordable, and adds an important level of protection for your files.

Unlike a backup to an external hard drive, Bruceb Cloud Backup securely transmits your files to state-of-the-art data centers, where they are safe from theft, fire, spills, power spikes, and all the other things that can happen in your office or home.

There is detailed information about the service at the Bruceb Cloud Backup web site. […] continued

Keeping your computer up to date with patches has become the most important element of being secure online. New studies show that fully patched systems have significantly more protection against malware spread by poisoned web sites and the other forms of viruses and malware floating around.

The monitoring and updating service that I offer for a few dollars each month is just as important for your security as your antivirus program. If you haven’t signed up yet, give me a call or drop me a note. It takes seconds to install and gives you the peace of mind that Java, Flash, Adobe Acrobat/Reader, and other third party products are up to date all the time, in addition to Windows, Internet Explorer, Office programs, and more. […] continued

If all goes well, Mad Mimi is going to take over the mailing list for subscribers to Bruceb News. Here’s the story that led me to the odd logo on the left.

If you send an email message to more than 25 people, most of them won’t receive it. The message will be filtered as spam and tossed into a junk mail folder.

Vertical Response and Constant Contact have made a nice business out of handling mailing lists for businesses that send out email blasts regularly. When I’ve used them in the past, they had all the hallmarks of tools for big companies – lots and lots of options, infinite flexibility, complicated controls for layout and design, sophisticated analytics for judging the success of email campaigns, and much more. […] continued

Things are quiet in the technology world, so forgive me if I pass on a tip about a Sonoma County attraction. It took me by surprise when I found out about it.

Sonoma Canopy Tours has an extensive ziplining course in the redwoods near Occidental. It’s a blast! If you’re a local, don’t wait for out-of-town visitors – treat yourself to a day of flying in the trees.

There is no shortage of things to do in Sonoma County, of course, but I had no idea that there was a zipline course in our backyard. It’s a good one! Seven lines, with one over 800 feet long, plus narrow suspension bridges, a spiral staircase up the side of a tree, and the rather extraordinary experience of rappelling down 80 feet at the end of the course. […] continued