ANTenna Blog -- May 31, 2009 - June 06, 2009 Archive

Who Is Cloud Computing For, Anyway?

Posted by Fredric Paul 07:07 PM ET | Jun 5, 2009

A recent Forrester research report seems to challenge the notion that cloud computing is of most value to small and midsize companies, finding that a higher percentage of enterprises are aware of -- and interested in -- the technology. But if you ask me, the enormous diversity in the technological needs and savvy of smaller companies renders those findings moot.

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Cloud Computing

Is Your Company's Web Site Delivering The Goods?

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 04:12 PM ET | Jun 5, 2009

Want to know whether your company's Web site is working hard or hardly working? A new Firefox extension can deliver the answer.

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Hardware & Software | How-To | Internet/Web | Open Source | Web 2.0 | bMighty

Disaster Recovery: Location, Location, Location

Posted by Keith Ferrell 11:04 AM ET | Jun 5, 2009

A comment from a reader offers a reminder that effective disaster recovery planning -- and successful DR in the event of disaster -- requires more than just IT and personnel planning. You have to know where those resources are going to be able to work.

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Backup | Business & E-Business | Business Continuity | IT | Security | Storage

Google's Search Analysis Dashboard Can Help You Discover More Business

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 06:13 PM ET | Jun 4, 2009

Knowing how customers find your business can help you gauge the effectiveness of your marketing, but understanding what those customers are looking for and where they're located can help you drive more revenue for your existing business and even develop new products and services.

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

Cisco Gives Partners More Options To Offer SMBs

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 04:43 PM ET | Jun 4, 2009

Positioned to boost business for channel partners, Cisco introduced new products and services specifically for small and midsize businesses.

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Networking & Communications

Keep TOS Changes From Burning Your Business

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 04:28 PM ET | Jun 4, 2009

Many small businesses fail to notice when an online service provider changes its terms-of-service agreement. It's a case where what you don't know can very definitely hurt you.

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Business & E-Business | How-To | Internet/Web | Management | Social Networking | Software-as-a-Service | Web 2.0 | bMighty

Make Your Web Site SEO/Social Media Friendly

Posted by Fredric Paul 03:31 PM ET | Jun 4, 2009

In this economy, few companies feel comfortable spending big bucks promoting their Web sites. The alternative is to do everything you can in the areas of seach engine optimization and social networking -- and Lee Odden over at the Online Marketing Blog has some great tips.

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Business & E-Business | Sales/Marketing | Social Networking

Verizon Business Launches Cloud Computing Service

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 12:56 PM ET | Jun 3, 2009

Verizon Business is touting the security and availability of its new cloud-based Computing as a Service (CaaS) solution.

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Cloud Computing | Company Size: 250-999 | Company Size: 50-249 | Hardware & Software | IT | Server How-To | Services

Intuit Partner Platform Adds Federated Apps

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 11:15 AM ET | Jun 3, 2009

SMBs may benefit from increasingly connected applications as developers offer Web apps through the new federated applications capability of Intuit's Platform-as-a-Service.

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Cloud Computing | Company Size: 1-49 | Company Size: 50-249 | Finance/Accounting | Hardware & Software | Services | Software-as-a-Service

Accidental Data Leaks Are Still Data Leaks

Posted by Keith Ferrell 11:02 AM ET | Jun 3, 2009

The inadvertent posting of sensitive U.S. nuclear information by the G.P.O. is a reminder to all of us that a) accidents happen and b) accidents involving digital copies of confidential information happen all too easily.

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Business & E-Business | Government | Linux | Messaging | Security

Communications Tempts Small Businesses, But Bleak Economy Means Most Aren't Ready To Buy

Posted by Fredric Paul 11:01 AM ET | Jun 3, 2009

A new survey by Avaya shows that three quarters of SMBs think communications is important, but won't consider buying unless they can see a clear return on investment. The rest aren't ready to spend, period. Equally telling, only a quarter of small businesses are confident enough to invest in technology today.

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Company Size: 1-49 | Company Size: 50-249 | Economics | Messaging | Networking & Communications | Technology/Telecom | Unified Communications

Android Ready to Make a Netbook Push?

Posted by Paul Korzeniowski 10:18 AM ET | Jun 3, 2009

Acer has decided to jump on Google’s Android operating system bandwagon by developing a netbook based on it. The announcement underscores the growing interest that the netbook sector has recently been gaining as well as the potential challenges that Android may present to Microsoft’s Windows operating system.

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Mobile

xTuple Launches ERP App Store

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 09:59 AM ET | Jun 2, 2009

The open source ERP vendor has launched xChange, an online marketplace for extensions and add-ons to xTuple ERP including two new offerings from xTuple.

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Hardware & Software

Does Social Media Drive Sales? Vendors Say "Yes" Research Says "No"

Posted by Fredric Paul 09:13 PM ET | Jun 1, 2009

That's the gazillion dollar question. Using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to drive engagement, marketing, and customer service is all fine, but the bottom line is whether these services lead to actual sales. Companies who use these services say they do, but a new survey says the don't.

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Business & E-Business | Sales/Marketing | Social Networking

Toshiba Debuts Its First US Netbook

Posted by Fredric Paul 06:44 PM ET | Jun 1, 2009

A couple months ago I reported that Toshiba America had big problems with the little notebooks. But the company has changed its tune with the introduction of the mini NB205.

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Hardware & Software | Mobile

Danger! Search Engines At Work!

Posted by Keith Ferrell 01:32 PM ET | Jun 1, 2009

Some search terms and categories are more dangerous than others, and likelier to lead to malware according to a new report from McAfee. Among the most dangerous current category and term? Lyrics, of all things.

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Business & E-Business | Internet/Web | Security

The .NET Browser Add-On Security Uproar

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 12:17 PM ET | Jun 1, 2009

Some Firefox users are screaming bloody murder over a Windows update that quietly adds an unwanted browser extension to their systems. Maybe it's time to step back and take a deep breath.

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Hardware & Software | Internet/Web | Open Source | Security | bMighty

Twitter's Business Uses and Challenges - Plus 5 Twitter Tips From TWTRCON

Posted by Fredric Paul 02:54 AM ET | Jun 1, 2009

Sometimes it seems that the most important thing in the Twitterverse is... Twitter. And the social networking navel gazing was gathering boatloads of lint at this weekend's TWTTCON event in San Francisco, where hundreds of people spent their Sunday talking -- and Tweeting -- about... Twitter. Specifically, the business uses of Twitter, which is why I spent my Sunday there too.

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Internet/Web | Social Networking