Download the Windows Server 2008 Administrative templates from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=927fc7e3-853c-410a-acb5-9062c76142fa&displaylang=en&tm to get Group Policy setting information for the items under Administrative Templates.
In Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista Administrative template files can be either ADMX (language-neutral) files, stored by default in the %Systemroot%\PolicyDefinitions folder or ADML (language-specific) files stored in a language-specific folder within that. read more
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Do Macs love Exchange?
Snow Leopard finally promises native Exchange connectivity for Mac users; here’s how to make it manageable.read more -
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Is Windows 7 Ready for Small Business
The Service Pack 1 rule is a good one for most operating systems, and not because a new version of Windows usually has as many bugs as benefits.read more
Supporting Office 2007: top tips for compatibility and how to make the most of the Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar
It was a shock when Microsoft unveiled Office 2007 at its Professional Developers Conference in 2005. The reason was the new ribbon user interface (officially called the Office Fluent User Interface), not supplementing but replacing the old drop-down menus. According to Microsoft, the new UI was the outcome of years of research, as described in detail by Group Program Manager Jensen Harris on his blog. Nevertheless, response to the ribbon has been mixed: some users love it, some never get used to it, and pretty much everyone experiences a period of frustration during which familiar features are hard to find.
Is it time for Vista? Solutions for upgrade problems and advice for deployment and maintenance
Operating systems are constantly being updated. Sometimes it’s to deal with security issues, sometimes to improve performance and sometimes to add new, must have, features.
Deploying and supporting XP SP3: use our expert tips to resolve incompatibility and installation issues
The third service pack (SP3) for Windows XP was released in May this year and while it’s a relatively stable and straightforward cumulative upgrade, there are some minor installation issues that you’ll want to be aware of before you roll it out — and if SP3 is already there, they might already be generating support calls.
Get better security with Vista by implementing best practices for using User Account Control - UAC
Operating your PC when you’re logged in with an Administrator account is an inherently insecure thing to do. If you’re a user with highly-elevated privileges across multiple machines or an entire Active Directory domain, running your everyday processing with these privileges can be dangerous to the point of negligence.
Optimising wireless access for the small business - tips for site surveying and analysis
Most people share the same idea of Office Hell. A plain, bland and featureless big room, with open desks that give no privacy or peace. At best, a maze of little cubicles with walls no higher than five feet eight, no door and no ceilings.
Controlling anti-social networking – a guide to blocking employees access to Facebook, MySpace and more.
Right now, your customers’ employees are looking at Facebook and surfing MySpace. If that doesn’t worry their employers, it should.
Social networking has only gained popularity in the last three or four years, but it is generating the same concerns that instant messaging did at the start of the decade.
Online resources for remote support
Administering Remote Assistance in XP
This article is a little elderly, but remains a handy guide to the Remote Assistance feature in Windows XP. It explains what is required for Remote Assistance to work, in terms of ports, firewalls, and group policy; it also shows how to block it. One thing it does not mention is that Remote Assistance depends on DCOM – see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300546 for more information on that.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb456978.aspx
How to get paid on time
Get your payment terms straight from the start and follow up on invoices professionally to deal with problem payers
Microsoft Support Lifecycle
Microsoft Support Lifecycle
When a new service pack is released, Microsoft will provide either 24 months of support for the previous service pack (for Windows) or 12 months for all other products. Keep an eye on what will need updating when, to stay in support.
Key Partner Programmes
Microsoft Partner Programme https://partner.microsoft.com/UK/
Signing up as a Microsoft partner gives you access to information, technical and pre-sales support, training (online and locally), certification courseware materials, analyst reports, sales and marketing tools
Featured Partner Programme
Microsoft Partner Programme
http://partner.microsoft.com/UK/
Dell PartnerDirect
http://partner.euro.dell.com/M..
HP PartnerONE
http://h41320.www4.hp.com/c..
IBM PartnerWorld
http://www-01.ibm.com/p..
Next issue March 2010
To read a sample please
download Jan/Feb 2009
IT-Expert-Magazine-Vo2-Ed1.pdf
Download the Microsoft SMB
Insight Report 2009
“Because they can respond so quickly as business conditions change,small and midsize companies have an advantage in a volatile and uncertain economic climate".
Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft
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WELCOME
If it ain’t broke, should you fix it? Actually, yes. The one thing most of your customers need is backup, because they’ll be out of business so this issue we take a look at the trickier systems to back up – databases and Exchange. But to get the most from their opportunities, your small business customers need to be innovating – because the bigger businesses they compete with are going to be.
According to a survey done by the Economist Intelligence Unit for Accenture, 63% of businesses are going to increase their IT budget in 2010, 75% say IT has to give the business more flexibility – and over 80% said that yes, the cost of projects is very important when they’re trying to get them signed off (no surprise there).
Incidentally, a third are planning to keep costs down by setting project requirements and sticking to them, which means you need to ask the questions that let you spec the project correctly in the first place. Expect to be asked to drop your charges and to include open source software (which too many businesses still assume is always cheaper, so make sure you know what’s actually cost effective). Think about services you can offer that will save them money by avoiding disruption; GFI’s MAX and LANguard tools help you create monitoring services that cover the full range of small business systems with very little effort and you can prevent most of those irritating and avoidable configuration problems more easily than you think with a free tool in all modern versions of Windows and Windows Server, Group Policy Preferences.
The survey says businesses want to rationalise and replace existing systems: if that makes you think of virtualisation, 37% of businesses agree with you. Remember that replacing kit means dealing with what gets replaced; we take a look at both the problems and the business opportunities in recycling hardware. They also want to invest in CRM (which we looked at last issue) and improving business processes, in data analytics, compliance and supply chain management. VoIP might help them with that and we look at both the budget option, based on Skype, and the full in-house VoIP systems you can specify and video surveillance is coming down in price as it shifts to IP-based systems.
We’re also seeing enterprises accelerating their Windows 7 deployments; according to analysts Forrester two thirds will migrate to Windows 7 in 2010, making it the new business standard OS. That’s a significant change given that analysts IDC says 72% of businesses across Europe are still using XP with only 15% on Vista – again, you’ll want to remind the small businesses you work with that they want to get the benefits of Windows 7 sooner rather than later.
Things aren’t back to business as usual it does look like there will be more business in 2010 – but you’ll have to think strategically to win it. Dell’s director for SMB advanced technologies Aamir Paul has some ideas about what the small businesses you work with will need this year and how you can position the products and services you offer them to suit that. See more of the interview on our Web site, along with all our previous features.
Mary Branscombe Executive Editor
P.S. Smartphones continue to go from strength to strength in business and if your customers are buying the new Bold and Storm BlackBerrys they’re going to want you to upgrade them to BES 5 to get the extra features; in this issue we have a full step-by-step guide to make it easier.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Setting up Blackberry Enterprise Server BES with Exchange 2007
- Upgrading Small Business Server 2003 to Exchange 2007
- Setting up Google Gmail Mobile in Google Apps
- Dealing with what’s different in Small Business Server 2008
- Setup Mobile email with Lotus Domino
- Controlling anti-social networking – a guide to blocking employees access to Facebook, MySpace and more.
- Setting up mobile email with Exchange 2003 and 2007
- Using SharePoint for document management for the small office
- Install Virtual Server 2005 R2 with our 16 step tutorial
- Getting a SAN certificate for Exchange 2007
RECENT COMMENTS
good article.
Truly appreciated, and a wonderful step by step for dummies. Way to go!
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