ANTenna Blog -- March 22, 2009 - March 28, 2009 Archive

Conficker April Fool's Attack: Hype From Hell Or Real Hellfire?

Posted by Keith Ferrell 03:48 PM ET | Mar 27, 2009

The latest buzz about Conficker, the worm that's burrowed into millions of computers worldwide is that next Wednesday, April 1, may be it, the day the worm turns and wreaks havoc beyond belief. Emphasis on may be, as in: Maybe. Possibly. Perhaps.

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Business & E-Business | Internet/Web | Security

Can Ubuntu's 'Jackalope' Build A Better Netbook?

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 09:30 AM ET | Mar 27, 2009

As one Ubuntu Linux release bows out, another is on its way. And this time around, Canonical is clearly taking aim at the netbook market.

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Hardware & Software | Linux | Open Source

Windows Home Server: A Viable Alternative For Small Businesses?

Posted by Fredric Paul 10:05 PM ET | Mar 26, 2009

Microsoft has added Windows Home Server to the Microsoft Developers Network (MSDN), and ChannelWeb expects the move to spur developers to come up with small business applications for the software.

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Company Size: 1-49 | Windows

Data Held Hostage! Ransomware Scam Wants Your Money

Posted by Keith Ferrell 01:00 PM ET | Mar 26, 2009

A new approach to an old wrinkle in cybercrime is showing up: data held hostage. The new ransomware tactic appears to be an evolution, and an aggressive one, of the scareware fake anti-virus scam.

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Business & E-Business | Security | bMighty

E-Mail Marketing: Make $57 For Every Dollar You Spend

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 10:49 AM ET | Mar 26, 2009

That insanely boastful ROI figure comes courtesy of the Direct Marketing Association. The organization estimates that e-mail marketing can generate $57 for every dollar invested. But even if that figure doubles reality it doesn't explain reports that 60% of smaller businesses haven't even tried e-mail marketing. What are you waiting for?

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Business & E-Business | Company Size: 1-49 | Internet/Web | Messaging | Sales/Marketing | Tips

Synology "Disk Stations" Bridge Business, Consumer Markets

Posted by Fredric Paul 03:11 AM ET | Mar 26, 2009

Just as consumer technology is trickling up to small and midsize businesses, business technology is also trickling down to so-called "prosumers." Case in point is Synology's new line of Network Attached Storage (NAS) units.

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Backup | Company Size: 1-49 | Company Size: 50-249 | Professional/Creative Services | Storage

Seagate Surfaces With New Linux NAS Offerings

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 02:39 AM ET | Mar 26, 2009

Small businesses looking for cheap, reliable storage solutions now have another interesting option to ponder, courtesy of Seagate.

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Backup | Hardware & Software | Linux | Storage

Dell Rolls Out New Servers, Storage, Services In Drive For "Efficiency"

Posted by Fredric Paul 09:32 PM ET | Mar 25, 2009

"Companies spend way too much on IT infrastructure. It consumes way too much time, resources and money." Those aren't our words, they're Dell's -- uttered at the roll out of a new series of Nehalem-based 11th Generation PowerEdge servers, EqualLogic PS6000 series storage arrays, and consulting services all intended to offer more performance and lower total cost of ownership.

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Company Size: 1,100-1,500 | Company Size: 250-999 | Green Business | Hardware & Software | IT | Storage

Yahoo Challenges Yelp With Customer Reviews

Posted by Jennifer Moline 02:16 PM ET | Mar 25, 2009

Y! Local has replaced the Yahoo Directory. It bears a strong resemblance to Yelp with its star rating system, profiles, and reviews. But will Y! Local find itself immersed in controversy like Yelp?

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Business & E-Business | Company Size: 1-49 | Internet/Web | Sales/Marketing | Social Networking | Web 2.0

Dell Ready Getting Ready to Deliver a Smartphone?

Posted by Paul Korzeniowski 11:48 AM ET | Mar 25, 2009

Smartphones have become all the rage among vendors as well as small and medium business executives. With Apple and Google garnering headlines from their devices, other suppliers have decided that they too would like to enter that arena. Dell is the latest vendor reportedly building a smartphone. Although the initial reports about its system have been mixed, its entry may have an impact on your business.

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Mobile

SMBs Will Increase IT Investment This Year; 86% Will Use SaaS

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 10:53 AM ET | Mar 25, 2009

According to the findings of a new study from Microsoft, more than half of small and midsize business will spend the same or more on IT in the coming year with priorities on virtualization, IT consolidation, business intelligence, SaaS, and supporting remote workers.

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Business & E-Business | Hardware & Software | IT | Management | Operations

Counterfeit Software Brings More Business Problems Than Just Being Illegit

Posted by Keith Ferrell 03:31 PM ET | Mar 24, 2009

According to Microsoft, a third of businesses have bought counterfeit software, many without knowing it. And many of those businesses have found that in addition being illegal, counterfeit programs bring both technical problems and malware.

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Business & E-Business | Piracy | Security | Windows

10 Social Networking Sites For Your Business

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 10:52 AM ET | Mar 24, 2009

Between Facebook and Twitter, is there room for other social networks? Not only is there room, but the networks that aren't in the headlines every hour may be exactly the places you should be considering invaluable business resources.

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Company Size: 1-49 | Entrepreneurs | Internet/Web | Sales/Marketing | Services | Social Networking | Start-Ups | Web 2.0

Axcient Debuts "Total Data Protection" Appliance for SMBs

Posted by Fredric Paul 06:01 AM ET | Mar 24, 2009

The startup offers a hybrid on-premesis/cloud approach to backup, archiving, and disaster recovery for companies in the "underserved" market between SOHO outfits and the enterprise.

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Disaster Recovery

The Sub-$200 Netbook: A War That Windows Can't Win

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 05:31 PM ET | Mar 23, 2009

Some pundits claim that Linux has already lost the netbook war against Windows. From where I sit, however, the real battle is just heating up.

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Hardware & Software | Linux | Open Source | Windows

Time to Secure Your Company’s IM Conversations?

Posted by Paul Korzeniowski 11:37 AM ET | Mar 23, 2009

Technology is often a step or two ahead of an IT staff’s ability to control it. That has certainly been the case with some recent communications advances. Increasingly small and medium businesses are recognizing that they need to monitor their employees’ instant messaging conversations, and in response, various vendors have been moving to deliver such services.

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Messaging

Phishing Gets Automated And We're All Getting Targeted

Posted by Keith Ferrell 09:37 AM ET | Mar 23, 2009

Phishing expeditions business and personal data are rising to record levels, with fake anti-malware campaigns alone increasing by 225% in the last six months of 2008. Password-stealing Web sites jumped 827% IN 2008. The reason? The phishers are investing in automation.

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Business & E-Business | Security

KACE Kontainers Use Virtualization To Help Distribute And Manage Applications

Posted by Fredric Paul 06:04 AM ET | Mar 23, 2009

KACE Virtual Kontainers -- love the spelling -- is designed to remove application conflicts and make it easier for companies to roll out and update software.

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Company Size: 1,100-1,500 | Company Size: 250-999 | Company Size: 50-249 | Hardware & Software | IT

Salesforce.com Embraces Twitter

Posted by Fredric Paul 01:34 AM ET | Mar 23, 2009

If you still didn't think Twitter had arrived as a serious marketing platform, it's time to think again. Salesforce.com is continuing its relentless drive to incorporate all aspects of social networking with Salesforce CRM for Twitter.

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Cloud Computing | Sales/Marketing | Social Networking | Software-as-a-Service

Small Business Reality Check: What Are Your Peers Thinking?

Posted by Fredric Paul 10:59 PM ET | Mar 22, 2009

The short answer? Small businesses are looking for new customers! And where do they get info on what to buy? Online referrals and search top the list.

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Company Size: 1-49 | Company Size: 50-249 | Economics | Social Networking