Insol IT Term of the Week February 22, 2012

With the advancement of technology many previously limited to computers are now available on tablets (iPad, Icona, Galaxy, etc.) and mobile phones.  For example, many people utilize instant messaging (IM) instead of texting.  There are several instant messaging free services.  Below are the definitions according to Gartner.

Instant Messaging (IM):  is a communications service in which short messages appear in pop-up screens as soon as they are received, thereby commanding the recipient’s immediate attention. Most IM services offer presence information that indicates if the user is online and available to send and receive messages. These services also provide “buddy lists” that are groups of people who have been selected by the user for frequent access, as well as group-based chat services. Enterprise IM provides real-time message passing within private and public networks.

AOL Instant Messenger (AIM): A free, public instant-message service and one of the earliest. A variety of free client software is available, supporting Windows and Macintosh PCs, Palm operating system (OS), Microsoft’s Pocket PC and Symbian handheld devices. See also instant messaging (IM).

Windows Live Messenger: An enterprise IM service operating via Microsoft Exchange servers but compatible with MSN IM.

Yahoo Messenger: Free public IM service.

All three services, AIM, WM, and Yahoo are available for free on your laptop and as apps for devices such as iPad, iTouch, iPhone, Blackberry, Droid, etc.  The apps are free for tablets and phones, but you need internet service on your device to send messages.

Please fill free to submit questions through our blog.

IT Glossary: http://www.gartner.com/technology/it-glossary/

Important Cloud Solution features: acces

Important Cloud Solution features: accessibility only to those within your organization with a unique username and password.

Insol IT Term of the Week February 15, 2012

Do you ever wonder why you receive pop-ups while you are browsing the internet or when you attempt to download software programs?  Two common pop-ups are ActiveX and Java (AKA JavaScript, Java Applet)

According to Gartner, ActiveX is: An application programming interface (API) that enhances Microsoft’s OLE protocol. Often compared to Java, ActiveX facilitates various Internet applications, and therefore extends and enhances the functionality of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser. Like Java, ActiveX enables the development of interactive content. When an ActiveX-aware browser encounters a Web page that includes an unfamiliar feature, it automatically installs the appropriate applications so the feature can be used.

The term “Java” can be applied to Sun’s Java platform or to its Java programming language. The Java platform is made up of a set of technologies that provide cross-platform, network-centric computing solutions. The programming language is simply one aspect of the Java platform. The elements of the Java platform include the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which provides a uniform Java byte code emulator for Java’s cross-platform runtime environment; the Java programming language, which provides a robust, object-oriented language for constructing Java components and applications; and the standard Java-class library packages, which provide sets of reusable services that promote consistency among components and applications.

The Java programming language is based on C and extends and complements the basic capabilities of HTML. Java permits the creation of applications and application modules (called “applets”) that run in the JVM on the browser. Browsers from Netscape and Microsoft have a JVM. Java’s platform independence and security are designed in, rather than added on, so applications can run on a wide variety of desktop platforms as long as they can run a Java-enabled browser.

Basically, ActiveX and Java are facilitators for other programs which allows users to view or run content on their computers, etc.

Please fill free to submit questions through our blog.

IT Glossary: http://www.gartner.com/technology/it-glossary/

Insol IT Term of the Week February 9, 2012

Ethernet vs Wireless…so what is the difference?

According to Gartner, Ethernet is defined as: A baseband local-area network (LAN) originally developed by Xerox and supported by Intel, Digital Equipment (now Compaq Computer) and Hewlett-Packard. It has a bus topology with carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) access control. Ethernet is not identical to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3. Related terms include:

Ethernet address: 48-bit code for Layer 2 networking maintained by the IEEE and hardwired into network adapters; also called MAC address.

Ethernet, thick: Ethernet coaxial cable suitable for networks that are medium/large or with widely spaced nodes.

Ethernet, thin: Ethernet coaxial cable suitable only for small networks with closely connected nodes.

Wireless is defined as: Form of communication that uses the radio spectrum rather than a physical medium. It may carry analog or digital signals and may be used on LANs or WANs in one- or two-way networks.

So basically, Ethernet is the wire that is used with most desktop computers and wireless is what most people use for laptops, tablets, and mobile devices.

Please fill free to submit questions through our blog.

IT Glossary: http://www.gartner.com/technology/it-glossary/

Insol IT Term of the Week: February 1, 2012

Do you have trouble understanding what your IT help desk is saying to you?  For most users the questions asked by the IT help desk seem like Greek.   Join the crowd.  With any industry there is a jargon unique to the industry that most people do not know.  Users just want their computer to work and do not care what the IT help desk is telling them.

For example…a user calls the IT help desk and says I cannot search the Internet.  The help desk proceeds with asking users questions.

• Who is your ISP?
• Are you connecting via Ethernet or Wireless?

Most of the time there is a dead silence on the line…the user scratches their head and responds with “I do not know, but I cannot search the Internet”.   I feel your pain.  Most of the time the IT help desk assumes the users has obviously done something wrong and they are not too bright.

This series focuses on helping the general public increase their IT terminology so they have a better understanding.  Hopefully, this will assist you with communicating with your IT help desk.  I found an IT glossary provided by Gartner to assist us with the technical definitions.

The Insol IT Term of the Week is Internet Service Provider (ISP).

According to Gartner, ISP is defined as:  “A company that provides Internet access to its customers. The majority of ISPs are too small to purchase access directly from the network access point (NAP), and instead buy pieces of bandwidth that are available from larger ISPs. Access to the Internet can be provided either via modem or by direct connection, which offers far higher speeds.

Internet service providers are different from online services, although these services sometimes also provide access to the Internet. Online services provide access to exclusive content, databases and online discussion forums that are not available outside the service.”

So what does this mean?  Basically, an ISP is the company that providers your Internet service.  For example, some of the larger ISP companies are Comcast, AT&T, or WindStream.

Please fill free to submit questions through our blog.

IT Glossary: http://www.gartner.com/technology/it-glossary/

Insol Tip of the Week: January 31, 2012

Insol Tip of the Week: January 31, 2012

Executives are always searching for new ways to reduce costs and develop or maintain a competitive advantage over their competitors.  Information technology (IT) is a tool that assists with facilitating both of these goals.  It is important to develop an IT strategic plan (road map) and consider current and future IT needs.  Below is a list of IT trends for 2012 which may assist with your planning.  According to Gartner the Top Ten IT Trends for 2012 are:

1. The evolution of virtualization
2. Big data, patterns and analytics
3. Energy efficiency and monitoring
4. Context aware apps
5. Staff retention and retraining
6. Social networks
7. Consumerization
8. Compute per square foot
9. Cloud computing
10. Fabrics

It is important to evaluate your core competencies and organizational goals when developing an IT solution for your organization in your IT strategic plan.  Many organizations assume that IT trends such as the list above are only achievable for large organization with million dollar budgets.  However, this is untrue.  IT is scalable and applies to all organizations whether small, medium, or large.  Virtualization and cloud computing are two technologies that provide cost effective methods for organizations.  Are you interested in learning more about any of these items?  Visit www.insolnet.com to learn about Insol’s managed IT services or contact us at sales@insolnet.com.

Source: http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/gartner-10-key-it-trends-2012

Insol Tip of the Week: January 24, 2012

Are you interested in cloud computing, but hesitant on turning over your data to a third party?  According to a survey by Business Web Hosting Plans you are not alone.  The survey polled 500 small and midsized businesses. The top concerns about cloud computing were:

• Security
• Interoperability
• Compliance
• Reliability
• Privacy
• Costs

The concerns above are common misconceptions about cloud computing.  As long as, businesses select private cloud solutions these items are not an issue. Public clouds such as EMC2 (Amazon), iCloud, and Google Apps store your data with everyone’s data. Where as, private clouds are devoted to an organization and, if setup correctly are the most secure.

Let us explain how these myths are untrue with our services.

• Security: Our data center is a tier IV data center that provides 99.999% up time as well as state-of-the-art facilities and security systems.
• Interoperability: Access to our data center is available from any laptop (PC or MAC) that has an internet connection (minimum of DSL) with the remote desktop application.  Our clients range from construction businesses to security firms with Windows, OSX, Linux, etc.
• Compliance: Our data center facilities are HIPAA, SAS70 Type 2, and SSAE 16 compliant.
• Reliability: Our data center is fully redundant with two sources for every connection (i.e., power, internet) and it provides 99.999% up time.
• Privacy: Each of our client’s services are configured to best practices standards and are completely separate.  As mentioned under compliance, our data center facilities are HIPAA, SAS70 Type 2, and SSAE 16 compliant.
• Costs: Contact us to learn how we can reduce your IT budget.  Our goal is to provide improved IT services at a reasonable cost.  Our infrastructure the ARC provides the hardware and software needed to host your services in our data center.  This allows you to budget fixed monthly costs rather than budgeting for huge capital expenditures every 3-5 years for new equipment.

To learn more visit us online at www.insolnet.com.

Source: http://www.businesswebhostingplans.com/cloud-computing-attitudes-for-small-and-midsized-businesses.html and http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/1/prweb9117487.htm.

Insol Tip of the Week: January 17, 2012

Recent trends show that global information technology (IT) providers are reducing their resources.  According to an article on CIO.com: “CEOs at three of India’s top ten outsourcing providers recently told the Times of India that they plan to “reduce on-site work by up to five percent over the next year and handle traditional onsite projects such as managing takeover of an existing outsourcing contract& through videoconferencing.”  Are your prepared for this change?  The article, 5 Tips to Keep IT Outsourcing on Track as Global Providers Cut Staff:

1. Conduct a Process Design Review
2. Invest in Change Management Efforts
3. Consider Nearshore Alternatives
4. Beef Up Your Technology Backbone
5. Revisit Contract Pricing

As an alternative to offshore outsourcing you many want to consider Insol, www.insolnet.com.  Insol is a managed services provider in Atlanta that has the resources to serve as your IT staff.  Let our experts assist you when you need them without having to pay the full time overhead.  At Insol we provide services at a manageable monthly rate.  Our goal is to partner with you and provide everything IT so you can focus on your core competencies.  Our core competency is everything IT.  To learn how we can assist you checkout our services: http://www.insolnet.com/Content.aspx?page=managed_it_services&tool=quicklinks.

Insol Tip of the Week: January 10, 2012

Do you have Windows and Apple users at your company?  Virtualization and RDP bridges the gap across platforms.  The number of Apple users is continually increasing.   This includes ProBooks, iPhones, iPads, etc.   Users can access their data from anywhere there is an Internet connection.

To learn more visit www.insolnet.com.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Insol Celebrates 20th Anniversary as Managed Services Provider in Georgia and Beyond

ATLANTA, Georgia: Insol one of Atlanta’s managed services provider (MSP) is pleased to announce the celebration of its 20th Anniversary, 1991-2011. Insol provides a variety of services such as secure private cloud solutions, consulting, application support, and business continuity and disaster recovery.
We have a unique blend of strategic business consulting led by our CEO and Founder Dr. Mark Rosenhaft and the exceptional technology execution led by our President Angel Martinez. Our customers want their business and technology to be in alignment and working flawlessly, while they stay focused on their core competencies. We possess the resources to assess, manage, and implement IT Strategic Plans (IT Roadmap) from beginning to end.
Our clients often outsource non-core business functions like human resources or Facilities and already use the Cloud for some applications. Dr. Rosenhaft stresses to Insol clients “Don’t pay for costly upgrades, don’t own hardware or software, and eliminate costly IT personnel turnover so they can do what they do best……. They focus on their core competencies”.
Since the introduction of our Insol Secure Private Cloud we have enabled clients to take advantage of this new offering as a part of the technology roadmap. Insol is the Total Technology Solution Provider for organizations either On-Site or Off-Site, we handle the Managed IT. Clients can continue business as usual or centralize and virtualize their network in order to support multiple locations at a lower cost, with higher security.
Whether you are a small, medium or large business, Insol can provide the IT services that you can depend on and that our customers have come to trust for over twenty years!
The bottom line is……..Simplify your technology and reduce costs

www.insolnet.com