Midmarket Companies Search for Networking, Dev Skills
According to a recent report from the Computing Technology Industry Association, companies with between 100 and 1,000 employees generally have completed their basic infrastructure-hardware, software and networking-and are ready to focus on the next level in the hierarchy.For most companies, getting to that level means they need to focus on hiring IT staff with networking and operating system expertise.Specifically,...
When to License, Rent or Outsource
So, a company has decided to invest in a new customer relationship management or enterprise resource planning system. Should it go the traditional route and license the system? Should it outsource the entire process and application management? Should it experiment with renting the application on the SAAS model?The decision isn't always clear-cut. The outsourcing option often is chosen by...
How to Secure VOIP Systems
When it comes to voice over IP, progress is a double-edged sword.The technology offers a host of benefits, from lower calling costs and greater mobility to advanced functions like unified messaging and collaborative whiteboarding. But as VOIP matures, and as hackers become more familiar with its intricacies, the threats may someday equal the benefits-unless companies prepare now.Today, the biggest...
Demystifying Online Backup
Traditionally, companies have backed up their own data, on-site, with software and hardware purchased on their own. Although that's still a good approach, it's often best suited to large organizations with the IT staff to handle the headaches that can arise.Companies with several hundred or fewer employees, however, are perfect candidates for considering online backup-that is, offloading the responsibility...
$100K Tech Makeover Inspiring Big Dreams
One small business is about to find out just how far $100,000 will go toward improving its business.The three finalists in Microsoft's Total Technology Makeover contest are vying for that $100,000, which must be used to buy Dell hardware and Microsoft software and services to overhaul their businesses.Allen Schulman, who has been in the bicycle business for as long...
Wikis, Blogs and the Workplace
Companies are increasingly using consumer technologies like wikis and blogs and social networking sites like LinkedIn and MySpace for promoting their business and for researching what the competition is up to. They should do so with caution, though, experts say-while these sites are free and easy to use, slipshod execution can backfire on a business.About 25 percent of businesses...