My View on Making Technology Simple (and thus usable)

I was referred to a new client last week. A retail business with two stores about 5 miles apart from each other. Their problem, at least from my point of view, was that the technology was not simple. As I have found and will always stand firmly on the statement that no one is to blame and yet everyone is.

Especially now, in a time when budgets are ‘tight’ and the need to squeeze more productivity out of each dollar spent on our employees. Technology was created to help businesses get more done. It was not created to do this without maintenance, upgrading and training.

My case in point  today is that the new client’s server was taken over by a hacker who is using it as a file repository when people can be directed to down illicit content from. The hacker setup some very nasty protections to keep the business owner’s technical consultant from easily removing the unwanted processes. The server was configured in such a way as to put up barriers to resolving this problem. Why? It usually points to a client with a small or unrealistic budget. (which is not their fault)

This all started out with a custom made server being used for the business owner. I for one have a lot of respect for anyone that can build a server for use at a business. My problem arises when the licenses become invalid, because the company did not keep up with his volume licensing agreements. Then take into consideration why the custom built server was used in the beginning… it was cheaper than one from DELL, Fujitsu, IBM or HP. The reason why it was cheaper is because the custom built server did not use the same quality parts that were used by the corporation built ones. Nothing inside the computer is standard, where the corporate built ones, everything is. You can easily get additional memory for a DELL whether from DELL or Crucial.com 5 years after you originally purchased the computer, where it is very unlikely that you will be able to purchase parts for the custom made server due to the fact that the manufacturer of the parts either went out of business, was bought out by someone else, or just didn’t have sufficient parts made or kept in stock to be available when you needed it 5 years later.

So now they have to purchase a new server, or stick with the problems that you are operating under. So now, did the IT provider drop the ball when it came to setting up this network? I never judge anyone on the work they have done. I never point fingers at anyone because it never resolves the immediate problem at hand which is getting the business back in business.

I, like most IT Professionals, will 9 out of 10 times create proposals that include only new equipment from corporate manufacturers. I use best practices during the creation of these proposals and continue to use them thru the purchase, implementation and follow-up maintenance  of their computer networks.

What are ‘Best Practices’?

Simply said, quality computers, servers and network equipment; sufficient UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supplies) for all computer equipment, internet security/anti-virus solutions for all computers and servers, a backup solution that includes sufficient number of tapes, that are taken off-site, and stored safely, and that said backups are restored from time to time to ensure that the backups are good and not corrupt; security measures that meet their needs; and instructing the user-base in how to use everything correctly.

Lastly but most importantly, talking with the users, managers and owners at length to find out what they really want and need their networks to do and to be able to do in the future. Planning, Planning, Planning!

Please post your comments, concerns and questions.

Rich Schierer

Make My Technology Simple

Selden, NY

800.918.7390

rich@makemytechnologysimple.com

Losing your Memory? or just don’t have enough?

One of my biggest gripes with any place that you buy a computer at these days, is that they never configure it with enough memory!

I am not talking about those nice 160GB hard drives that store all your documents, photos and music. I am talking about your RAM, Random Access Memory. For if you get a computer that doesn’t have enough memory to run ‘all’ the programs and applications that you want to at the same time, then you end up with a ‘pig’! Although I have seen some ‘pigs’ run pretty fast, in the case your computer drags along. It takes what seems like an eternity to change screens, move from Outlook to the internet, from Word to your instant messenger.

Most stores sell computers off the showroom floor with what the manufacturer configured them with. If you new computer has Vista on it and you plan to multi task with it, like I have mentioned above, and it has 1GB of RAM, you are going to have a slow running computer.

Everyone that I have talked with, whether it is another techie or people that resell PCs, they agree that if you have a computer with Vista, and you want it to run ‘FAST’, then you need like 3GB of RAM!

YEAH 3GB of RAM, not 1GB! You don’t buy a computer so it runs just so-so. You buy one because you want it to be fast!

My advice is if you ever buy a new PC or laptop, just make sure it comes configured with at least 2GB if not more of RAM.

Some people might think that is too much. What do you think? Send me some comments on the topic.