ANTenna Blog -- February 2010 Archive

The 10 Most Strategic IT Vendors For SMBs

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 09:21 AM ET | Feb 26, 2010

The most strategic vendors for SMBs may be the same as for large enterprises. Or, the local and regional vendors that keep serve the IT needs of smaller businesses may just fly under the radar of national and global vendor rankings.

Survey Reveals Reasons SMBs Choose Managed Services

Posted by Jake Widman 09:23 PM ET | Feb 25, 2010

A survey conducted by Hurwitz & Associates of Dell Managed Services customers elicits some of the reasons SMBs are drawn to managed services and some of the benefits the participants have realized.

QuorumLabs Introduces Business Continuity Appliance

Posted by Jake Widman 07:16 PM ET | Feb 25, 2010

OnQ 2.0 combines backup with virtual machines to give SMBs a way to get up and running immediately after any kind of server failure.

SMBs Using Social Media More. . . Reluctantly

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 04:29 PM ET | Feb 25, 2010

Recent reports indicate the SMB use of social media is increasing at a steady clip, but other research finds that the commitment may be lackluster.

Intel Hacked At Same Time As Google

Posted by Keith Ferrell 03:35 PM ET | Feb 25, 2010

Intel's annual report revealed that the company was successfully hacked this past January, around the same time as the Chinese Google hacks were grabbing all the headlines.

Mac PDF Conversion Tool Gets Significant Upgrade

Posted by Jake Widman 08:11 PM ET | Feb 24, 2010

Recosoft has released a new version of its PDF2Office PDF-to-Word conversion tool for the Macintosh. Among other improvements, the new version saves in the .docx Word 2008 format.

Do SMBs Need More Fiber Connections?

Posted by Paul Korzeniowski 11:33 AM ET | Feb 24, 2010

Good news/bad news. The good news is a growing number of companies now are able to connect to telecommunications service provider via fiber optic lines. However, the bad news is the carriers have focused on meeting the needs of large enterprises at the expense of small and medium businesses.

TextFlow + Box.net = Easy Revision Management

Posted by Jake Widman 12:14 AM ET | Feb 24, 2010

Businesses that need to manage input from multiple collaborators on shared text documents will benefit from the new TextFlow application for Box.net, which makes it simple to see changes side by side and choose which one to accept.

Customers, Not Stimulus, Spur SMB Hiring

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 03:45 PM ET | Feb 23, 2010

Despite efforts in Washington to incent job creation among smaller businesses, customer demand remains the leading driver for hiring.

SMBs More Optimistic, But Still Scared To Borrow

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 03:42 PM ET | Feb 23, 2010

Small business owners are more optimistic about the economic outlook than a year ago, but lack of customer demand and anxiety about solvency keeps a majority from pursuing additional credit.

P2P Business Problems Growing: FTC Issues Warnings

Posted by Keith Ferrell 11:35 AM ET | Feb 23, 2010

The FTC's announcement that nearly 100 private and public organizations had insecurely transmitted confidential, personal data over P2P networks is a wakeup call not just to those receiving the warnings, but to every business whose employees may be using file-sharing technology -- and especially to those who don't know whether employees are P2Ping or not.

Double-Take Puts Disaster Recovery In The Cloud

Posted by Jake Widman 03:50 PM ET | Feb 22, 2010

Continuing the recent trend toward using cloud storage for backup and recovery, Double-Take has introduced Double-Take Cloud. The cloud option gives businesses a recovery alternative to a steep hardware investment in duplicate servers.

Rich Get Richer in Ethernet Switch Marketplace

Posted by Paul Korzeniowski 12:30 PM ET | Feb 22, 2010

Consolidation has been the watchword in the Ethernet switch market. With growth rates slowing and competition increasing, vendors have been trying to gain size in order to weather the changes. Such an outlook is being made for good reason. Market research firm Dell’oro Group found that revenue for giants Cisco, HP, and Juniper increased $600 million in the last quarter, leaving few leftovers for the remaining suppliers.

Small Business Social Media Usage Booms

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 01:17 PM ET | Feb 19, 2010

A study finds that almost one of every five small business owners now actively uses social media for their business.

Virtualization And Blade Servers: A Competitive Edge

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 10:26 AM ET | Feb 19, 2010

A recent case study offers some insights into a useful combination for many small businesses: virtualization and blade servers.

Salesforce Chatter Enters Private Beta

Posted by Jake Widman 06:30 PM ET | Feb 18, 2010

The social networking and messaging addition to the Salesforce.com CRM and cloud services is now in use by 100 companies, bringing it that much closer to availability to all companies using the Force.com platform.

Windows 7 Performance Questions Don't Add Up

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 11:38 AM ET | Feb 18, 2010

A new study claims that Windows 7 creates serious performance issues for PC users. I'm not sure the authors are even asking the right questions here -- never mind their answers.

SMBs Face Growing Risks From Social Networks, Web 2.0

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 01:03 PM ET | Feb 17, 2010

A new SMB survey confirms that social networks and Web 2.0 applications pose a growing threat to SMBs and even those businesses with sufficient defensive resources struggle to thwart cybercriminals.

Virtualization Security: Focus On The Fundamentals

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 10:53 AM ET | Feb 17, 2010

Virtualization security remains a major concern for many companies. While new tools play an important part in solving this problem, so does a straightforward, back-to-basics approach to server security.

Citrix Launches Online Training Solution

Posted by Jake Widman 04:23 PM ET | Feb 16, 2010

Remote communication specialist Citrix Online has introduced GoToTraining, an easy-to-use solution for SMBs to conduct online, interactive remote training.

Staples Targets SMBs With IT Services

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 11:39 AM ET | Feb 16, 2010

Vying to be a one-stop shop for business IT, Staples seeks to grab the SMB market with "high-touch" services that can extend in-house IT efforts or provide full-service IT outsourcing.

Cloud Unified Communications Services Reach Overseas

Posted by Paul Korzeniowski 09:49 AM ET | Feb 16, 2010

Cloud services have gained acceptance in many markets, yet one area where they have been slow to take hold is unified communications. In order to entice more customers to use these services, Alteva addressed one of their limitations, international dialing capabilities.

New Domain Provides Global Business Directory

Posted by Jake Widman 03:51 PM ET | Feb 15, 2010

SMBs can use a .tel address to put all their contact information in one accessible, mobile-friendly location and easily organize and update it.

Keeping The Virtualization Hangover At Bay

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 12:54 PM ET | Feb 15, 2010

How do management tools fit into your company's server virtualization strategy? If you can't answer that question, don't feel too bad -- you have a lot of company.

Mobile Operators Ready to Take on Apple and Google?

Posted by Paul Korzeniowski 12:53 PM ET | Feb 15, 2010

The uneasy partnership among Apple, Google, and cellular service providers may become more strained moving forward. Aggravated that they need to cater to mobile phone suppliers, a group of two dozen network operators have banded together and are building their own developer community.

A Great Time To Be Back On The SMB Beat

Posted by Benjamin Tomkins 09:15 AM ET | Feb 15, 2010

Today marks my return to the exciting, dynamic world of small and midsize businesses IT. It's good to be back. Moreover, it's a good time to be back on this beat. With signs of economic recovery flickering on the horizon, SMBs are poised to compete on a playing field that technology continues to level.

Trojan Makers Thumb Noses At Trojan Hunters -- In A New Trojan!

Posted by Keith Ferrell 11:33 AM ET | Feb 12, 2010

The makers of the Zeus bankscam Trojan have nerve as well as criminal intent: A new variation of their credential-stealing malware includes a "Thank You" note to anti-virus companies!

Guides Get Down And Dirty With Virtualization Tech

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 10:23 AM ET | Feb 12, 2010

Good intermediate-level articles on server virtualization technology can be hard to find. One of the best series that I have read on the subject just added a new installment.

IBM Brings Its Collaboration Software To The Mac

Posted by Jake Widman 07:27 PM ET | Feb 11, 2010

As part of its drive to make sure its software works across an open set of platforms, IBM has announced that several Lotus collaboration and social applications now support the Mac and the iPhone.

Expect Office Mac 2011 This Year

Posted by Jake Widman 05:33 PM ET | Feb 11, 2010

In a press conference this morning, Microsoft reiterated that the next version of its productivity suite for the Macintosh, Office for Mac, will be out in the fourth quarter of 2010. It will get some interface changes a la Office for Windows, some new features, and even a new component.

What To Ask Before You Begin A Virtualization Project

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 09:28 AM ET | Feb 10, 2010

Ready to begin a server virtualization project for your small business? Here are ten questions to ask before you get started.

Zbot Bugat Bank Trojan Joins HacksTapping Businesses For $200K A Day

Posted by Keith Ferrell 09:18 AM ET | Feb 10, 2010

Zbot, the botnet already notorious for spreading the Zeus Trojan, has evidently launched a new intruder. This one targets businesses, specifically business financial accounts. And instead of grabbing credentials, this one goes straight for the cash.

Verizon Introduces 'Security-As-A-Service' Packages

Posted by Jake Widman 07:59 PM ET | Feb 9, 2010

The new Total Protection offerings are intended to protect SMBs against all five forms of security threats at an affordable monthly rate.

Why Google Buzz Could Be A Bust For SMBs

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 03:26 PM ET | Feb 9, 2010

Google is gunning for Facebook -- again. Will its efforts really build a better mousetrap, or will they simply make a mess out of Gmail?

Nasuni Offers Cloud-Based Primary Storage

Posted by Jake Widman 01:41 PM ET | Feb 9, 2010

By providing a virtual machine that caches data actually stored in the cloud, Nasuni is trying to make it possible for a midsize business to use online storage as a primary file server.

Automobiles: The Next Network Security Challenge?

Posted by Paul Korzeniowski 07:25 AM ET | Feb 9, 2010

Executives spend much of their day in automobiles, and typically, little to no work is done during this time. That may soon change, according to market research firm Juniper Research. Automobile manufacturers are using voice recognition technology to gradually transform cars into mobile offices and the use of such services is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

Cachengo Rolls Out Appliance + Cloud Storage Option

Posted by Jake Widman 01:00 PM ET | Feb 8, 2010

The Director series from Cachengo pairs a local storage appliance with cloud-based backup in a "unified storage solution" priced to appeal to small and midsize businesses.

For SMBs, PayPal Could Mean Risky Business

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 12:33 PM ET | Feb 8, 2010

Many small businesses that deal with PayPal do so because they don't see any viable alternatives. In some cases, however, I wonder if these companies are really aware of the risks they are taking.

Internet Access Options Grow

Posted by Paul Korzeniowski 11:54 AM ET | Feb 8, 2010

Broadband has evolved so it means more than just a cable modem or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection. Now, companies are able to use optical Ethernet links to provide their employees with network access. Market research firm, Dell’Oro Group, expects interest in broadband connections to increase, with new optical Ethernet connections being very popular.

Microsoft Patch Tuesday: Ties Record For Most Bulletins (So Why Isn't The IE Hole Getting Fixed?)

Posted by Keith Ferrell 10:34 AM ET | Feb 8, 2010

Big patch day tomorrow. Get ready for a whopping 13 security bulletins, five of them labeled critical by Microsoft. No advance word on how many patches the bulletins will contain, but if history's any guidance we can figure an average of two per bulletin.

Web App Scanners Missing Lots Of Vulnerabilities

Posted by Keith Ferrell 12:55 PM ET | Feb 5, 2010

Web application vulnerability scanners may miss as many as half the vulnerabilities, according to a researcher who found mounds of missed vulnerabilities and false positives, as well as laggardly performance.

The Virtual Future Looks Bright For SMBs

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 10:29 AM ET | Feb 5, 2010

A year ago, many SMBs were still asking, "what's virtualization?" Today, it's a very different situation.

Carbonite Launches Small-Biz Version Of Online Backup

Posted by Jake Widman 04:33 PM ET | Feb 4, 2010

Online backup service provider Carbonite has launched Carbonite Pro, a version with pricing and administrative tools designed for small business use.

Report: IT Good For SMBs

Posted by Jake Widman 05:35 PM ET | Feb 3, 2010

Microsoft has released a survey on how well SMBs have done over the past two years of a difficult economy, and how that correlates with their commitment to IT. Short answer: the more committed they are, the better they did.

Investing in IT Increases Revenue

Posted by Paul Korzeniowski 04:22 PM ET | Feb 3, 2010

The notion that IT systems are key to a company’s bottom line was reinforced in a recent survey that Microsoft completed of 3,193 SMBs in a cross section of private industries in 15 countries. The survey found that businesses that view IT as business enabler and use hosted services performed better fiscally than those that do not.

Are Netbooks The Future For The PC Market?

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 11:05 AM ET | Feb 3, 2010

Chip designer ARM's chief executive says that netbooks are the future of computing -- and the future doesn't need Microsoft. Is he onto something here, or is he just blowing smoke?

Security Scoreboard Lists Services By Specialty

Posted by Keith Ferrell 12:02 PM ET | Feb 2, 2010

A new service, Security Scorecard, aims to help simplify the search for qualified security specialists simpler by listing them, categorizing them, making them searchable. Service providers will have the option of buying premium display space.

Mac vs. PC Security Not The Real Question

Posted by Jake Widman 07:05 PM ET | Feb 1, 2010

The argument over whether Macs are more secure than Windows PCs may never be resolved, but it's no longer the relevant issue, according to a survey of security experts.

Virtual Server Capacity Planning: Keeping It Real

Posted by Matthew McKenzie 03:02 PM ET | Feb 1, 2010

How many virtual machines should you run on a physical server? If your answer is "as many as possible," it might be time to take a step back.

WiMAX: a Better Option than 4G Networks?

Posted by Paul Korzeniowski 12:57 PM ET | Feb 1, 2010

Speed, no matter how much a company provides to its users, they often desire more. As mobile applications become more pervasive and more sophisticated, small and medium businesses need ways to boost wireless bandwidth. In the short term, WiMAX is in a better position to provide extra bandwidth than cellular networks, according to market research firm In-Stat.