Hardware & Software
September 2009 Archive

Salesforce.com Helps Launch SaaS Accounting Company

September 30, 2009 | FinancialForce.com, a startup providing financial and accounting software as a service, is getting a minority investment and on-campus office space from Salesforce.com. Will it be a new alternative for SMBs?
By Mary Hayes Weier, Courtesy of InformationWeek

Microsoft Offers Free Security Essentials

September 29, 2009 | New antivirus service could offer SMBs a new alternative to existing paid security products.
By Paul McDougall, Courtesy of InformationWeek

Ask Steve: The 7 Components Of Cloud Computing

September 29, 2009 | Yankee Group analyst Steve Hilton lays out the key aspects of cloud computing, and explains why he feels the technology isn't yet ready to star in prime time for SMBs.
By Steve Hilton

Dell's Sleek, Innovative New Lattitude Z Laptop Heralds "Consumerization" Of Business Technology

September 29, 2009 | The Lattitude Z packs unique features -- wireless docking and charging, hardware-enhanced instant access to e-mail and other key programs -- into a thin and light case clearly designed to impress the person in the next Business-Class seat.
By Fredric Paul

Intuit's New QuickBooks 2010 Eases Installation, Improves Reporting

September 28, 2009 | The latest version of the popular small-business accounting software also speeds editing of multiple list entries and makes it easier to customize forms and reports. Plus: new links to services like document management and e-mail marketing.
By Fredric Paul

What CIOs Think About Windows 7

September 26, 2009 | Most are doing some testing, but many have no firm deployment plans. What should be your company's approach?
By J. Nicholas Hoover, Courtesy of InformationWeek

NetSuite Offers iPhone App

September 24, 2009 | The app gives SMBs mobile access to NetSuite's on-demand ERP suite, and is another example of Apple's traction in the business world -- at least as far as the iPhone is concerned.
By Mary Hayes Weier, Courtesy of InformationWeek

Credit-Card Processing Options For SMBs

September 24, 2009 | It's a fact that adding payment options boosts sales, whether online, in brick-and-mortar stores, or even remote locations. Resource Nation helps small businesses understand how to leverage their credit-card processing options to increase revenue and speed payment.
By Merrin Muxlow

Building The Mac Office - 2009 Edition

September 23, 2009 | In 2009, there are more reasons than ever for small and midsize businesses to go Mac. But making the right choice on Macintosh and related hardware and software can make all the difference. bMighty Apple blogger Jake Widman pinpoints today's top choices for Mac-based SMBs.
By Jake Widman

An Open Letter To Microsoft: Why You Need To Make Windows 7 A Free Upgrade From Vista

September 22, 2009 | bMighty offers Microsoft a modest proposal: Establish your Web 2.0 street cred and instantly erase years of bad press with one simple move... Make Windows 7 a free upgrade for Vista users.
By Fredric Paul

Lenovo Unveils New All-In-One PCs

September 17, 2009 | The C100 has a 18-inch display, camera, speakers, and microphone in a single case and is priced at $399. The 20-inch C300 starts at $450.
By Antone Gonsalves, Courtesy of InformationWeek

Lenovo Offers Touchscreen Tablet, Laptop

September 16, 2009 | Part of a slew of new computers released in conjunction with Window 7, Lenovo's machines feature a SimpleTap application that allows for multi-touchscreen capability.
By Antone Gonsalves, Courtesy of InformationWeek

Top 10 Best Technology Ideas. . . That Really Aren't

September 16, 2009 | These 10 IT products, trends, and technologies are all extremely popular -- and deeply flawed. While they all seem like good ideas at first glance - they all carry serious downsides that SMBs ignore at their own peril.
By Fredric Paul

HP Launches Slick New Laptops -- And Some Desktops, Too

September 15, 2009 | HP's new Envy luxury laptops add style to the category, but the SMB-oriented ProBook 5310m offers decent looks at a much more affordable price. The Mini 311 straddles the line between netbook and notebook, while new All-in-One and traditional desktops round out the company's introductions.
By Fredric Paul

IBM's Cognos Express Brings BI To The Midmarket

September 14, 2009 | IBM's new Cognos Express -- introduced along with LotusLive Mobile and the IBM Mashup Center -- uses a modular approach to make it easier and less expensive for midsize companies to take advantage of business intelligence.
By Fredric Paul

SuccessFactors Spins Business Execution Suite

September 10, 2009 | New strategies by SuccessFactors and Taleo show how SaaS vendors plan to maintain strong growth.
By Mary Hayes Weier, Courtesy of InformationWeek

What To Look For In A Point Of Sale System

September 10, 2009 | Point of Sale (POS) systems can help retail and service industry businesses cut costs, manage inventory, and streamline sales -- but you need to know what options and features are right for your company.
By Merrin Muxlow

Review: HP ProBook 4510s Takes SMB Notebooks In A New Direction

September 9, 2009 | The slick HP ProBook 4510s' interesting combination of style and performance -- along with a somewhat unusual form factor -- make it an intriguing choice as a desktop replacement machine. But what, exactly, makes it an SMB notebook?
By Fredric Paul

Hybrid Clouds: No Easy Concoction

September 5, 2009 | The promise of seamlessly meshing their internal "clouds" with public cloud computing services is drawing IT interest from companies large and small. But much work remains to be done to make it a reality.
By Charles Babcock, Courtesy of InformationWeek

From Amazon To IBM, What 12 Cloud Computing Vendors Deliver

September 5, 2009 | Find the right cloud computing vendor for your company: A comparison of key services factors, from price and service type to hypervisor platforms and OS compatibility.
By Andrew Conry-Murray, Courtesy of InformationWeek

Judge Stays Microsoft Word Ban

September 4, 2009 | A lower court decision to halt sales of the word processing program is on hold pending appeal. SMBs shouldn't worry about the word processor going away any time soon.
By Paul McDougall, Courtesy of InformationWeek

VMware Go Eases Virtualization For SMBs

September 3, 2009 | Responding to worries that its ESXi hypervisor is tricky to install and maintain, VMware creates an online configuration tool to help small and midsize companies get started with virtualization.
By Fredric Paul

Wipro Offers Cloud Computing Service

September 1, 2009 | The IT outsourcing company has teamed with Oracle to offer a platform service that software companies can use to make their apps available via SaaS -- and thus more affordable to SMBs.
By Mary Hayes Weier, Courtesy of InformationWeek


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ANTenna Blog
News, Views, Insight, And Advice

Cyber Monday Security Risks Are All Business

Keith Ferrell, 11.25.2009

Why Cyber Monday for the online shopping surge? Because for many, Monday's the first working day after Thanksgiving. Which means they can do their online shopping on business time, on the business dime, using business machines over business connections. You may not be able -- or want -- to do anything about the productivity drop, but at least you can tell your people to shop safely. Read Post

Fusion-io: This Ain't Your Father's SSD Hardware

Matthew McKenzie, 11.25.2009

Think your new SATA solid-state hard drive is hot stuff? There's a new kid on the block that will make it look like a relic from the storage Stone Age. Read Post

Black Friday FOR SMBs, Not Just BY SMBs?

Fredric Paul, 11.24.2009

Typically, Black Friday is a sales event where companies offer big discounts to consumers to spur sales the day after Thanksgiving. But in today's economy (ITE) companies are also pushing Black Friday to their SMB customers.  Read Post

Holiday Internet Marketing Grows, A QuickBooks Marketing App Gets Upgraded, And A New Entry-Level Shopping Cart

Fredric Paul, 11.24.2009

A new Constant Contact survey says SMBs are boosting their Internet marketing for the Holidays, ClickFuel has upgraded its FuelStation online marketing dashboard to work with QuickBooks 2010 and QuickBooks Pro, and ProPay's CartLite is an entry-level shopping cart.  Read Post

Unified Communications Looks to the Sky

Paul Korzeniowski, 11.23.2009

To date, cloud computing has had little impact on the Unified Communications (UC) market. The underlying technology has been slow to fall into place, the cost of these services has been high, the benefits have been hard to pinpoint, and the distribution channel has been weak. Infrastructure providers, such Broadsoft, Cisco, and Microsoft, have been pushing to overcome those barriers and may be close to providing small and medium businesses with more UC cloud options. Read Post

Storage, Storage, Storage: New Storage Devices In 3 Sizes

Fredric Paul, 11.23.2009

Data storage choices for SMBs just keep on coming as Data Robotics and Synology debut new storage solutions for prosumers, small businesses, and the midmarket.  Read Post

Yes, Virginia -- There IS A Google Phone

Matthew McKenzie, 11.18.2009

So -- you stay in touch with Google Mail, edit Google Docs, and surf the Web with Google Chrome. You're curious about Google Voice and intrigued over Google Music. Is it just a matter of time before you're carrying a Google Phone? Read Post

Handy Tool Makes Updating Mac Apps Easy

Jake Widman, 11.16.2009

MacUpdate Desktop simplifies the process of keeping your applications, preference panes, and widgets up to date by automatically downloading and installing what you need.  Read Post

Firefox Gets A Bad Rap From Shoddy Security Research

Matthew McKenzie, 11.11.2009

Is Firefox currently the Web browser most likely to stick your PC with a dangerous security vulnerability? Only if you believe headlines written by people who really should know better. Read Post

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