Andrei ParabellumMaximize Your Business with IT pptx

Andrei Parabellum

Maximize Your
Business with IT


10 Surefire Ways to
Succeed with Technology














© Andrei Parabellum 2007
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Table of Contents
Introduction 5
File & Printer Sharing 7

12 Surefire Signs Your Business Is Ready For A
Server 13
One Big Secret To Saving Money 14
They’re Not Just For Big Business Anymore 15
12 Signs That Your Business Is Ready For A Server 16
The Concept of the Slight Edge 18
The “Latte” Factor 19
Antivirus Solutions 20
Consumer Awareness Guide: How To Keep Your
Computer Safe From Crippling Pop-ups, Viruses,
Spyware, & Spam, While Avoiding Expensive
Computer Repair Bills 23

Don’t Be A Victim To Online Crime! 24
Three Dangerous Threats You Must Be Aware Of 26
Surefire Signs That You Are Infected With Spyware,
Malware, and Viruses 30

The Four Most Costly Misconceptions About Spyware,
Malware, And Other Computer Threats 32

7 Simple Steps To Secure Your Computer From Malicious
Attacks and Avoid Expensive Repair Bills 39

Network Security 46
Internet Sharing & Monitoring 50
Server-Based Computing 53
Email 57
Email Response Management 61
Email Auto-Responders 62

Email Marketing 64
5 Simple Ways To Avoid Getting An Avalanche of
Spam 65
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Internet and Web 71

Generating More Business with Search Engine Advertising
& Optimization 73

Generating More Business with Visitor Tracking 75
Generating More Business with Internet Marketing 76
Enhancing Service to Existing Customers 77
Backup & Disaster Recovery 79
The 3 Most Expensive & Deadly Computer Disasters
That Wipe Out Small Business Owners … And How
To Avoid Them 84

Why Small Business Are Especially Vulnerable To These
Disasters 89

Auto Body Shop Shells Out $20,000 To Clean Up A
Virus 90

Two Failed Hard Drives Costs Health Products Company
$40,000 and 9 Days of Downtime 91

Property Management Company Spends $9,000 And

Weeks Of Down Time For A Simple Inexpensive Repair
92

Business Continuity Planning 93
What Every Small Business Owner Must Know
About Protecting And Preserving Their Company’s
Critical Data And Computer Systems 96

But That Could Never Happen To Me! (And Other Lies
Business Owners Like To Believe About Their
Businesses…) 99

Take a look at these statistics: 100
What These Failures Are REALLY Costing Your
Business 102

Six Things You Must Do At A Minimum To Protect
Your Company From These Types Of Disasters: 103

Voice over IP (VoIP) 112
Small Business Advisory Guide: 116
The 7 Most Costly Mistakes Companies Make When
Choosing A New Phone System… 116
And How To Avoid Them 116
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Who I Am And How I Can Help You Avoid Making A
Bad Decision On Your Next Phone System 119

Buyer Mistake #1: Not planning for future needs 120
Buyer Mistake #2: Not buying an open system 121
Buyer Mistake #3: Not getting enough voice mail 122
Buyer Mistake #4: Not buying a system that can be easily
maintained in-house 123

Buyer Mistake #5: Paying for technical support 124
Buyer Mistake #6: Not buying next generation features
125

Buyer Mistake #7: Not choosing the right vendor 126
Bonus Tools 127
Free and Open-Source Software 129
Automation 130
Project Management & Collaboration Tools 131
Remote Access 133
Network Faxing 134
Unified Messaging 135
Video Security 136
Biometrics and Time & Attendance 137
5 Things You Should Know Before Buying a New
Computer 138
Consumer Awareness Guide To Choosing An
Honest, Reliable, and Competent Computer Repair
Shop 140

The Five Most Costly Misconceptions About Computer
Maintenance and Repair 144

5 Critical Characteristics You Should Demand From Your
Computer Repair Guy or Shop 152

Money-Saving Secrets Your Computer Consultant
Doesn’t Want You To Know 158
Afterword 171
Technology Glossary 173

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Introduction




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Businesses of all types and sizes know that innovation
is the key to smooth, efficient, and profitable
operations. But understanding and evaluating all the
available technologies on the market today – and
deciding which ones are best for your company – can
be an overwhelming task.

With thousands of products and vendors to choose
from, and dozens of new offerings being introduced
every day, many businesses find themselves asking:

• What are these solutions, and how can they
help me?

• How do I put together an effective
technology strategy that will align with my
business goals?

• How much do these products cost, and what
type of return on investment can I expect?

In this book, I will try to answer these questions and
more by highlight existing, new, and emerging
technologies. Each chapter will provide an in-depth
look into specific category, discuss its uses and
benefits, and offer some vendor recommendations.

At the end, you will have gained vital insight into
available tools and technologies, as well as an
understanding of how each one can add value to your
organization. This information will enable you to put
a successful technology plan into place, so you can
improve the way you do business and increase your
competitive edge.
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File & Printer
Sharing




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In today’s information age, businesses thrive on
communication and collaboration. An organization’s
ability to share and distribute client lists, product
information, and other critical data across and outside
the enterprise, in a variety of formats (documents,
reports, presentations, emails, images, spreadsheets,
etc.) is critical to its success.

For many companies like yours, email has been the
traditional method for sharing information. In fact,
more than 75 percent of the average company’s
intellectual property is contained in email messages
and their corresponding attachments, according to a
study by research firm Enterprise Strategy Group
(ESG).

But sending documents back and forth can be time-
consuming and redundant, and can result in
information latency (a file may be updated between
the time it is sent, and the time it is opened and
viewed). It can also cause communication to become
inaccurate and ineffective.

Additionally, the use of email to distribute large files
to multiple recipients can negatively impact the
performance of your IT network. That’s why
Internet analyst Gartner predicts that, by 2009, email
will be replaced by more cutting-edge collaboration
tools in at least 50 percent of all US companies.

One way in which businesses can improve the
timeliness and availability of vital corporate data is by
creating a shared folder that allows authorized users
to retrieve, view, and edit files. These folders can be
set up on a central server, a dedicated workstation, a
network-attached service device, or your own
desktop.
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In order to keep the data contained in shared folders
secure at all times, you must grant authorized users
the appropriate permissions to access, edit, and delete
files as needed. Additionally, you must implement a

rigid data backup schedule, to protect files from being
lost, overwritten, or mismanaged. While backing up
shared data at least once a week is recommended,
daily back-ups will provide you with the highest level
of safeguarding.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can make it easier
and more cost-effective to link shared folders and
files together, and to maximize information flow and
accessibility among remote users across your business.
Some of today’s most common VPN and VPN-like
products include Microsoft Groove Virtual Office,
Nortel VPN Gateway
, CheckPoint, and Cisco.

Another option for businesses that must share
information between users that are not connected to
the same network is a Web-based file hosting
solution. These solutions provide a secure, high-
speed environment that enables the movement of
large files back and forth between locations. There
are hundreds of third-party providers that offer file
hosting services. Among them are SWMirror
, File
Burst, File Factory, My Data Bus, and The File Den.

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If all of your users and their computers are connected
to the same network, there are three ways to share
documents and files:

1) Peer to peer
2) Servers
3) Network attached storage (NAS)

Peer-to-peer sharing is the easiest option. All
Windows computers, by default, allow users to share
any drive, folder, or file with any other user on the
same network. To do this, you simply go to
Windows Explorer
®
and right-click on the drive,
folder, or file you wish to share. Then, choose
Properties, select the Sharing tab, and click on Enable
File Sharing.

Don’t forget to assign users with the appropriate
access privileges. Consider prohibiting them from
editing or deleting your files. Accidents are more
common than you might think, and if another user
unintentionally overwrites or deletes your document,
you won’t be able to recover it.

Faster, more reliable, and more secure file sharing can
be accomplished by dedicating one computer for the
sole purpose of housing shared data. This will make
documents and information readily available to

authorized users, without impacting the performance
of their individual workstations. The dedicated
computer will act as a network server or file server.
All you have to do to begin sharing information
immediately is transfer the appropriate files to the
workstation and grant user permissions.

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Tip: You don’t need an expensive enterprise scale Windows
based server to store shared files. If your company shares a
small quantity of documents, or the files you share require low
bandwidth, you can use the more cost effective Small Business
Edition of Windows Server. Linux based computers are also
quite effective for file sharing. Linux software is free, although
you do need to have some additional technical knowledge to set
it up. Or, if your business is very small, and your file sharing
needs are minimal, an old Windows based computer may be all
you need.


Network storage devices provide yet another rapid,
economical way to share electronic documents.
These devices include hard-drives, a jack to connect
the drives to your network, and a Web-based interface
for configuring the solution and setting user access

privileges. They can be conveniently purchased at any
computer or office supply store.

Well-known manufacturers of network storage
devices include Adaptec
, Iomega , and NetGear. For
product feature comparisons, pricing, and availability,
check Best Buy
, CompUSA, Staples, Office Max, or
Office Depot
.

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In addition to files, you can also share printers. This
can help you significantly reduce costs and waste by
allowing multiple users to utilize a single printer,
instead of purchasing separate printers – and the
needed toner and ink – for each individual computer.
To share a printer, simply go to your Control Panel,
click on Printers, choose the one you want to set as
your dedicated shared printer, and set user access
privileges.

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Special Report:
12 Surefire Signs
Your Business Is
Ready For A Server



 Is your business limping along using
outdated computers or a peer-to-peer
network that is constantly giving you
problems?

 Are you planning on adding employees,
opening a remote location or adding an
additional office?

 Are you just sick and tired of dealing
with conflicts, error messages, and
breakdowns?

If so, this report will reveal if a server is right for your
company!





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Dear Fellow Business Owner,

If you are like most small businesses, you acquire
desktop computers, phone systems, and software in a
random, “buy-it-when-you-need-it” fashion as your
business operations demand it.

But at some point, this patchwork of stopgap
technology you’ve acquired is going to end up costing
you more in downtime, system errors, breakdowns,
and other problems than it would to rip out and
replace everything.

If you’ve suddenly become aware that you’re at that
stage of growth in your business, then you want to
stop purchasing more software and hardware in a
willy-nilly fashion and get serious about planning for
your future growth and business operations so you
don’t end up with a big pile of expensive hardware
and software spaghetti that doesn’t meet your
business needs.


One Big Secret To Saving Money

One secret to saving money on IT costs is to strive
for as much uniformity and connectivity as possible
across your business network - and the first place to
start achieving that is through the use of a server.

If you have two or more computers that are loosely
connected to share information, printers, scanners,
Internet access, or fax machines, then you could inject
a great deal of simplicity, productivity, and security
with a small business server.
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A server simply acts as a single specialized
computer that ensures all of the computers connected
to it (called “clients”) have access to the resources,
information, and systems they need, faster, and with
fewer problems. It also acts as a centralized manager
to make sure data is secure and organized.


They’re Not Just For Big Business Anymore

At one time, servers only made sense for large
organizations because of their high cost and
complexity. But today, there are very affordable and
easy-to-implement server systems designed
specifically for a growing small business. If you’re not
absolutely certain that installing a server could help
your business enough to justify the cost, here are 12
surefire signs that your business could definitely
benefit from an upgrade.

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12 Signs That Your Business Is Ready For A
Server

1. You have two or more computers that need
to share office equipment (printers, fax
machines, scanners) and resources (Internet
access).

2. You have irreplaceable files and data residing
on more than one computer that need to be
secured from loss, corruption, or
unauthorized access.

3. You need (or would like to have) secure
access to your computer files while traveling
or working from home.

4. You need to back up critical files on more
than one computer, and you would like to be
able to restore accidentally deleted files or
previous versions of your files.

5. You need CRM (customer relationship
management) software and accounting

programs to manage and communicate with
your growing list of clients and vendors.

6. You need to manage different versions of one
file.

7. You need a central communication system
that makes it easy to schedule group meetings
and share information with employees,
vendors, and customers.

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8. You need to allow employees to share
databases and other software tools.

9. You would like to send group faxes and e-
mail broadcasts to customers.

10. You want to save money by hosting your own
company website and e-mail.

11. You want to control employees’ access to
sensitive financial records and personnel
information.

12. You want a central access point for
information instead of having to hunt down

various files and data on various computers
on your network.



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The Concept of the Slight Edge


All master craftsmen demand excellent tools to
complete their work. They know that the best tools
allow them to focus on creating their next
masterpiece rather than being sidetracked, frustrated,
or limited by the tools they are using. The
computers, software, and office equipment you use
are the tools you use every day to create your greatest
masterpiece: your business.

If the technology in your office is not simplifying
your business and making it easier for you to get
more done with fewer employees, it’s costing you a
lot more than the price of a server. While there is no
shortage of white papers on the topic of ROI (return
on investment) for upgrading technology, you and I
know that this is truly a hard cost to quantify;
however, there certainly IS a cost, and depending on
your business operations and how you use the

computers and technology in your office, the cost
may be significant.

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The “Latte” Factor

In his book Automatic Millionaire, author David
Bach talks about the “latte” factor. Simply put, most
people end up financially broke not because of the big
purchases they make, but because of the small,
seemingly innocent day-to-day spending of small
amounts of money over a long period of time. For
example, no one thinks twice of spending $4 for a
cup of coffee at Starbucks every morning.

However, add that up over the course of a year and
they’ve invested $1,460 into a daily cup of coffee.
Why am I telling you this? Because massive loss of
productivity in any business plays out exactly the
same way.

Think about this: a faster processor and a faster
hard drive with greater capacity allow you to open
and use applications faster, saving a few minutes
every hour. Information is centralized, which saves a
few more minutes every hour in finding files. There
are fewer crashes and hang-ups.

Each of these little things adds up to significant
employee hours saved over the course of a year. Then
there’s the cost-savings of outsourced IT support. A
properly configured and maintained client-server
network is far easier to support and troubleshoot than
a patchwork of computers that are loosely connected.
All of this translates into higher revenue from your
technology investment and should land on your
bottom line.

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Antivirus
Solutions



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Computer viruses are sometimes impossible to avoid.
We all know somebody who has experienced a
catastrophic loss due to a computer virus.

For example, the infamous MyDoom virus of 2004
infected 1 in every 12 email messages on the Internet
during its peak. Those impacted by virus outbreaks –
who have often done nothing more than download a
corrupted file from an unknown Web site, or open an
infected email attachment – must often spend
countless hours trying to recover lost or damaged
programs, messages, and documents.

To minimize the down time and lost productivity
caused by computer viruses, companies of all sizes
have implemented one of the many antivirus software
solutions on the market today.

But over the past several years, viruses have become
smarter. Hackers from all over the world are
constantly creating new viruses, remote access
spyware, key loggers, and other programs designed to
perpetuate identity theft, credit card fraud, financial
scams, and other crimes.

In fact, security experts believe that computer viruses,
worms, and Trojans resulted in more than $204
billion in damages in 2004 alone.

That’s why solid, reliable, up-to-date antivirus
protection is critical. Not just for individual
computers, but for databases, email servers, Web
servers, printers, as well as any other systems that

exist within your organization.
Make sure every single one of your network
components has an antivirus solution that will
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automatically update itself daily, so you are always
protected from any new and emerging viruses.

This can help you avoid a lot of trouble, and spare
you hours of work (and many unnecessary headaches)
in the event of a virus strike.

There are countless antivirus packages available.
Many of them, such as the Avast Antivirus Home
Edition, are free. Avast also offers packages designed
for business use. Other popular solutions include
AVG
, McAfee, Norton Antivirus, Panda, and
Kaspersky
.

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Special Report:
Consumer Awareness
Guide:

How To Keep Your
Computer Safe From Crippling
Pop-ups, Viruses, Spyware, &
Spam, While Avoiding
Expensive Computer Repair
Bills


; Do you constantly get hammered by pop-up
ads that come from nowhere and interfere
with using your computer?

; Does your computer run slow, act funny, or
crash unexpectedly?

; Are you getting tons of spam from unknown
senders?

If so, then your computer is probably infected
with malicious programs that could end up destroying
your files, stealing your personal and financial
information, and rendering your computer useless.



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Don’t Be A Victim To Online Crime!

Cyber criminals lurk everywhere and are
constantly finding new ways to harm you. Even
legitimate websites have sophisticated methods of
snooping into your private information using cookies
and spyware. If you want to make sure you aren’t
their next victim, read this guide and discover:

9 Computer scams, threats, and rip-offs that you
MUST be aware of.

9 Surefire signs that you are infected with spyware,
malware, and viruses.

9 Sneaky, underhanded ways cyber criminals access
your computer, and how you can stop them dead
in their tracks.

9 The absolute worst type of program to install for
your computer’s health; go to these sites and
indulge in these seemingly innocent activities and
you’re practically guaranteed to get infected with
vicious spyware and destructive viruses.

9 The single biggest cause of expensive computer
repairs – and how to avoid it.

9 7 Simple steps to keep your computer safe from
pop-ups, viruses, spyware, malware, and
expensive computer repair bills.

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Dear Fellow Computer User:

If you own a computer that has access to the
Internet and e-mail, then it is only a matter of time
before you fall victim to a malicious spyware
program, virus, worm, or hacker. Every day we get
customers coming in who are experiencing computer
problems due to these threats, and it is only getting worse.

What is even more frustrating is that many of
these computer users are back in my office a few days
or weeks later with the EXACT same problems and
end up having to spend ANOTHER hefty fee for
restoring their computer back to normal.

You see, unless you learn how to ward off
these evil cyber criminals and beat them at their own
game, you will constantly fall victim to their pranks
and criminal intent and end up spending hundreds –
possibly even thousands – of dollars to get your
computer running normal again.

Just recently we have seen a sharp increase in
the number of computer users falling victim to these
attacks and that is why I decided to write this report. I

wanted to arm my customers with the facts so they
could avoid problems and expensive repair bills.

The information in this Guide will not only
educate you as to WHY you are experiencing these
problems, but also what you *must* do now to guard
against the unethical actions of these cyber criminals.