Server Support Services: The Big Idea

Some people are destined to get big ideas; some are destined to grow very big because of those ideas. In the early days, the big idea was perhaps enough to determine success. However, today with the myriad forms of communication available to businesses just a big idea is not enough. Even the recipients of big ideas are used to modern communication methods. The point that I am trying to make here is that form, structure, sharing and communication on time, every time is extremely important for the success of that ‘big idea’.

For a small business that employs more than five people a community needs to be built so that all employees are focused on the same big idea. What is this community; a small business network server. What will this do for a small business? It will create a platform whereby a common communication and interaction platform is developed. Your business will be able to use e-mail, common calendar and the Internet to name a few of the key advantages. New marketing opportunities will be created as you now will have the option of creating your own website, selling online, and logging business sitting in the comfort of your office space.

Having aroused your interest (hopefully!), I must caution you that even a small business network server requires attention and good qualified tech support actually, the need for tech support kicks in even before you buy a small business network server. It is important that you purchase something that can be potentially scaled up to match with your growing needs. It would not hurt to have sound and qualified advice from a tech support professional. Whether it is price, compatibility or availability, a professional tech support person’s inputs would be invaluable.

Like with any new product and service, training and orientation is extremely critical. It is possible that you may have an in-house resource that could meet your server support requirements. Fantastic, with proper training your server ship is ready to sail.

While a server brings wonderful networking and communication opportunities to your business, it will also open you to the world. What I am referring to is the need for firewalls and other security measures against spam, virus, spyware and the need for passwords and user authentication. Server support is a 24/7 requirement. Your data back up typically happens when you are away from office so your server never sleeps and honestly neither should your server support. A small business cannot afford to have server support on holiday.

A small business server becomes the nerve center of your enterprise. You interact of it, you backup data on it, and you host your online business on it. It’s an extremely precious resource. Supporting this workhorse is an important part of your day to day business.

For a big idea to grow, the small business network server must grow as well. You will have to move from the plug and play server to a bigger business server. Similarly you will need to decide on how much computer support you actually need on a day to day basis.

Reacting to emergencies is one major area that computer support is required but I feel that preventive and diagnostic tech support is really mandatory for a business. For the big idea to become a big sustainable business, good sustainable technological infrastructure is a must. There is no getting away from this fact. Where there is technology, there must good tech support; either in-house or outsourced.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Server-Support-Services--The-Big-Idea/882024

New Features of Windows Server 2008 R2

As expected, Microsoft announced that Windows 7 will be ready for customers in time for the holiday shopping season. This is something that industry analysts and bloggers have speculated for months, but Microsoft has not confirmed until now.

"With early RC testing and extensive partner feedback we've received, Windows 7 is tracking well for holiday availability," said Microsoft senior VP of Windows Business Bill Veghte during today's keynote speech at Tech Ed.

Veghte touted in his speech that the one-two punch of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 will help businesses become more efficient and save money. Two Windows 7 features that utilize Windows Server 2008 R2 that Microsoft believes will accomplish this goal are DirectAccess for connecting to corporate networks without the use of a VPN, and BranchCache for speeding up access to files in remote offices that are away from corporate headquarters.

In a briefing late last week, Ward Ralston, a Microsoft Windows Server marketing executive, touted the efficiencies of the Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2 union.

"Companies that have been testing DirectAccess and BranchCache are seeing improvements in employee productivity. They are also seeing thousands of dollars of bottom line savings by eliminating VPNs and reducing WAN bandwidth," he said.

Microsoft also revealed today three interesting features new to the release candidate of Windows Server 2008 R2:

Hyper-V scales higher - Microsoft's server virtualization software will now give users the ability to support 64 logical processors, with the goal of getting more out of hardware and server availability and handling the biggest enterprise workloads. Previously, Hyper-V could only scale up to 32 processors.

Processor Compatibility Mode - Allows the migration of virtual machines to another physical server with a different CPU version (but not to a machine with a CPU made by a different chipmaker.) In the past, to move a Hyper-V virtual machine to different hardware, the CPUs had to be the same, forcing users to buy new hardware.

File Classification Infrastructure - FCI is a built-in feature that allows IT pros to classify and manage data in file servers. Data can be classified as having high, medium or low business impact, and then users can back up the most important data more often and on higher-speed storage.

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Source: itworld.com

iYogi Acquires Clean Machine Inc.

Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine appointed as President Global Channel Sales at iYogi

New York, NY, May 11th, 2009 : iYogi, a global direct to consumer and small business remote technical support provider, today announced it’s acquisition of Clean Machine Inc, a provider of remotely administered PC security and performance management services. Clean Machine will operate as a separate brand under the iYogi services umbrella along with the recently lunched Support Dock (www.supportdock.com) and its comprehensive range of 24/7 technical support services for computers, printers, MP3 players, digital camera, routers, servers and more than 100 software applications. Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine is appointed as the President of Global Channel Sales for iYogi.

iYogi will integrate technology and innovation that Clean Machine Inc. has developed for delivering an enhanced service experience by proactively managing the health and security for PC's and Apple Computers. This acquisition also broadens iYogi's access to key markets through Clean Machine's existing partnerships. Larry Gordon's past experience and successful track record will accelerate iYogi's expansion through his focus on global alliances.
Commenting on the acquisition of Clean Machine Inc., Uday Challu, CEO & Co-founder of iYogi, said,

"This acquisition will help iYogi to enhance our customer experience and extend our market reach to the millions of consumers that are challenged by the increasingly complex technology environment. Clean Machine's proactive maintenance and management of PCs in home and small business environment will be our launch platform for building the next generation of managed services for consumers."

"We are delighted to have Larry spearheading partnerships and global alliances for iYogi. His incredible experience in marketing, sales and building global alliances will help forge partnerships with retailers, multiple service operators, software publishers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and other such companies that are at the frontlines for managing tech support issues for consumers and small businesses",

added Challu.

With more than 20 years of experience, Larry Gordon has played a variety of strategic roles in marketing, sales and building alliances. Larry was the Executive Vice President at Capgemini and Kanbay. He was also VP of Global Marketing for Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leader in global IT services and Director of Marketing for New York based Information Builders.

"I am excited to join a company that shares a common mission to Clean Machine in creating a global brand for delivering the best technical support to consumers and small businesses. We also share a common approach of utilizing highly skilled talent with leading edge tools, thereby delivering services at incredible price-points, with high margins for our partners",

said Larry Gordon, the newly appointed President of Global Channel Sales at iYogi.

ABOUT IYOGI

Headquartered in Gurgaon, India with offices in New York, USA, iYogi provides personalized computer support for consumers and small businesses in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. IYogi's 24/7 phone and remote technical assistance, spans across a comprehensive range of technologies we use every day from a wide range of vendors. Utilizing its proprietary technology iMantra , and highly qualified technicians, iYogi delivers amongst the highest benchmarks for resolution and customer satisfaction. iYogi is privately held and funded by SAP Ventures, Canaan Partners, and SVB India Capital Partners. iYogi was recently awarded the Red Herring Global 100 Award, recognizing it as one of the 100 most innovative private companies driving the future of technology. For more information on iYogi and a detailed list of technologies supported, visit: www.iyogi.net.

ABOUT CLEAN MACHINE

Clean Machine Inc. is a NJ-based and incorporated company that helps consumers and small business owners easily manage and protect their computing environments safely and cost effectively. The company is has a unique, powerful and inexpensive PC concierge service. Specifically, each customer is assigned a highly-trained tech concierge who remotely examines their computer system on a scheduled and very secure basis. The PC concierge will immediately fix software-based problems and prevent new threats to the customer's computing environment including offensive pop-ups, browser redirects and slow performance, and then provides a detailed report. Clean Machine's proprietary Radar(TM) technology (Remote Access Detection Audit and Repair) allows its expert technicians to remotely resolve any problems, eliminating the need for customers to go through the frustrating process of speaking with a tech support expert, and still having to do the work themselves. In other words, the Clean Machine PC concierges do it all. For more information on Clean Machine please visit www.pccleanmachine.com.