Information Technology
October 2007 Archive

Attack of the IT-Crushing Zombies, Part 2

October 30, 2007 | From data-sucking mobile devices, to skeletons on the Web, small and midsize businesses face an array of security and other threats. Learn how to protect your systems
By Keith Ferrell

Spiceworks Brings Sizzle to Network Management

October 29, 2007  | IT pros at small and midsize businesses are hot for free, ad-supported network management software from Spiceworks. Find out why
Courtesy of TechWeb

3 Ways to Treat IT as a Commodity

October 29, 2007 | Once you accept the argument that IT is a commodity, author Nicholas Carr has three simple rules to govern IT investment at your small or midsize business. But there's a weakness in Carr's conclusions, says Mike Bohlmann
By Mike Bohlmann

Attack of the IT-Crushing Zombies, Part 1

October 26, 2007 | Small and midsize businesses face an array of hideous threats to their IT operations, from bloodthirsty headhunters to demonic employees, cyberthugs, and dirtbags. Here's how to protect your systems from trouble. Part 1 of 2
By Keith Ferrell

IT Flexibility Key to Alignment With Business Goals

October 25, 2007 | IT managers at a commercial bakery and a law firm explain how keeping technology strategies and procedures broad gives them the agility to stay in sync with changing business needs
By Jennifer Zaino

5 Easy, Cheap Ways to Green Your Data Center

October 24, 2007 | Whether your 'data center' is a single server or a roomful of racks, these expert tips can make it more energy efficient. And it doesn't have to cost a lot -- in fact, it can save a bundle
By Jimmy Ray Purser

Do You Need an SEO Consultant?

October 23, 2007 | You know you need to optimize your Web site to get more search engine traffic. Should you turn to the pros? We asked search experts for their advice
By Naomi Grossman

3Com Struggles -- Should Small and Midsize Businesses Bolt?

October 23, 2007 | A series of missteps doesn't bode well for the networking vendor. Small and midsize businesses have helped the company stay afloat, but for how long?
By Paul Korzeniowski

Don't Let Software Clunkers Eat Your IT Budget

October 22, 2007 | That new software that was going to solve your company's big problems and make you look like a superstar to boot just doesn't work the way the vendor promised it would. Now what?
By John Dickinson

Make the Search Engines Find Your Web Site

October 19, 2007 | A Web site belonging to a small or midsize business can evenly compete with sites belonging to larger companies -- if it is properly optimized for visibility by Google, Yahoo, and other search engines
By Naomi Grossman

Building a Better RFID Reader

October 18, 2007 | ThingMagic's Yael Maguire figured out how to get RFID tags to be read more easily and accurately. Now he believes there is nothing this technology can't do
By Naomi Grossman

Chicago Wi-Fi Plans May Rile ACLU

October 12, 2007 | Chicago's municipal Wi-Fi plan is ambitious -- and could get the ACLU and other privacy advocates riled up if the city also uses the network for "proactive homeland security monitoring"
By Paul Korzeniowski

How to Stop Snarfing and Other Common Switch Hacks

October 11, 2007 | ARP poisoning, SNMP snarfing, and "fuzzing" are common hacks perpetrated on Ethernet switch gear. Cisco networking expert Jimmy Ray Purser explains how to guard against these hacks.
By Jimmy Ray Purser

The Real Value of Real-Time Data Integration

October 8, 2007 | Continuous access to the most accurate, up-to-date information about your business can accelerate the speed at which you do business. The race is on
By Thomas Lesica

Wireless LANs Poised to Topple Ethernet? Not.

October 5, 2007 | Sure, employees at small and midsize businesses are working remotely more frequently and in greater numbers, but cutting the Ethernet cable altogether in favor of full-on Wi-Fi is a bad move
By Paul Korzeniowski

Expert Solutions to Common Wireless Problems

October 4, 2007 | Multipathing, hidden nodes, data collisions, near/far errors and other common wireless problems can be easily ID'd and resolved. A Cisco networking expert explains how
By Jimmy Ray Purser

The IT Manager Who Saved the Day

October 3, 2007 | When his servers went up in smoke and nearly half the company's data went with them, Hal Baumgardner set out to rebuild the IT shop so this could never, ever happen again
By Naomi Grossman

Managing Relationships With End Users

October 2, 2007 | The IT guy doesn't have to be the joke of the company. Developing and maintaining a good relationship with your end users can go a long way toward breaking those stereotypes -- and making your job much easier
By Mike Bohlmann

Open Source Software: Do You Have Time to Exploit It?

October 1, 2007 | Before you take the leap into the innovative world of open source, make sure your IT department has the time -- and the inclination -- that using this software requires
By Paula Hunter