Columns

Strategy Matters: 5 Reasons Why Strategy Fails

July 2, 2008 | Following best practices can help drive a successful business strategy, but understanding what the "worst" practices are is just as important. Here are five reasons strategy fails in small businesses, in midsize businesses, and in large enterprises
By Nilofer Merchant, CEO of Rubicon Consulting

Tech on the Go: How to Carry an Arsenal of Gadgets

July 1, 2008 | After setting up camp near Mount Rushmore, bMighty's "Tech on the Go" correspondent ponders the challenge of lugging a full suite of pocket-size personal technology and broadband data limitations
By Scott Koegler

SaaS Eases Security Cost and Complexity

June 30, 2008 | Small and midsize companies confront two chronic conditions related to information security: lack of time and a dearth of deep expertise. For many, the answer will be software-as-a-service security
By Benjamin Tomkins

Microsoft Inches Closer to Enterprise Management Play

June 30, 2008 | The challenges of network and systems management give many IT technicians in smaller businesses ulcers. Trying to manage and troubleshoot a hodgepodge of increasing complex devices can be vexing, but help is taking shape on the far horizon
By Paul Korzeniowski

Plan Now to Make the Most of 802.11n

June 25, 2008 | With the promise of higher speed and longer range, the 802.11n wireless standard can't be finalized soon enough. But the wait for a final approval gives smaller businesses time to assess their needs and plan strategically to make the most of the new standard.
By Mark Tauschek, Courtesy of Info-Tech Research Group

802.11n Wi-Fi: Is n for Now, or Not Yet?

June 25, 2008 | Is it time for small and midsize companies to make the move to 802.11n? Or are there compelling reasons to stick with 802.11a/b/g a while longer?
By Fredric Paul

Cloud Computing's Strengths Play To Smaller Companies' Needs

June 24, 2008 | For small and midsize companies, cloud computing offers enterprise-class or even better, consumer class -- applications for far less than enterprises pay to do it themselves
By Fredric Paul

Tech On The Go: Dueling Navigation Systems Debate Destination

June 24, 2008 | Armed with two different GPS navigation tools, bMighty's "Tech On The Go" correspondent makes his way across the Midwest without a hitch -- until the GPS navigators disagree about where to turn
By Scott Koegler

Networking Giant Attempts To Unify Management Tools

June 24, 2008 | Network management tools are here, there, everywhere -- one for wired connections, another for Wi-Fi LANs, and a third for cellular links. Many vendors have tried to consolidate these different tools and recently a networking giant took on the challenge. Smaller businesses may not be ready to revamp their network management yet, but in time, Cisco's move may ease network management headaches.
By Paul Korzeniowski

How to Build Your Very Own Hack Lab -- on the Cheap!

June 20, 2008 | Truly understanding network security only comes with hands-on experience. Building your own hack lab can give you the skills you need to become a network security expert. Jimmy Ray Purser takes you step-by-step through that process
By Jimmy Ray Purser, Courtesy of Cisco Systems

Strategy Matters: 9 Ways to Develop Team Motivation

June 19, 2008 | When the ancient Greeks invaded, they burned their ships so there was no choice but to move forward. By "burning the boat" on your next initiative, you can motivate your employees to contribute to the objective and help your business succeed.
By Nilofer Merchant, CEO of Rubicon Consulting

Tech On The Go: In Search of Wireless Connectivity

June 18, 2008 | Setting up camp close to a metropolitan area might mean reliable wireless access, just don't count on it. After cobbling together a solution and some troubleshooting, bMighty's "Tech On The Go" correspondent is back online.
By Scott Koegler

Time Management: 5 Rules for Managing the Monkeys on Your Back

June 17, 2008 | Leaders and managers in smaller businesses struggle to make do with scarce resources. It's a condition of being smaller, but the one resource that smaller businesses have in exactly the same amount as large enterprises is time. Having the same quantity doesn't make it any easier to manage.
By Mike Bohlmann

RIM Digs in for BlackBerry Attack

June 17, 2008 | RIM has bolstered its product line with the BlackBerry Bold and taken steps to develop an ecosystem around its technology. But will this be enough for mobile professionals in smaller businesses to stick with BlackBerry in the face of increasing fierce competition?
By Paul Korzeniowski

Ask Steve: The Outlook for Ultra Mobile PCs

June 16, 2008 | Fully featured mobile computing lingers on the horizon like a mirage despite burgeoning bandwidth and connectivity creeping toward every corner. So when will Ulta Mobile PCs take off? Yankee Group's Steve Hilton looks to Star Trek for answers in this month's Ask Steve.
By Steve Hilton, Courtesy of Yankee Group

How I Hack Your Layer 2 Network

June 13, 2008 | Many smaller businesses think they have to put up with lower end security because they cannot afford more expensive enterprise gear. Jimmy Ray says that's not true -- and he wants to show smaller business how to keep their networks secure, on a budget
By Jimmy Ray Purser, Courtesy of Cisco Systems

Hackers Follow Users to Social Networks

June 10, 2008 | What's the latest threat to your company network? Social networks. Why should you care? Because your employees probably use social networks and, odds are, they're using your computers to do it.
By Paul Korzeniowski

Strategy Matters: Smaller Businesses Move Quickly to Strategic Alignment

June 5, 2008 | Even seasoned business leaders struggle to put strategy into action, focusing on the "what" at the expense of the "how." Because smaller businesses have more visibility into the interdependencies, conflicts, resources, and deliverables that often hobble larger organizations, they can move more nimbly to put strategy into action.
By Nilofer Merchant, CEO of Rubicon Consulting

Unsecured Wireless Networks: Bad For Both Sides Of Smaller Businesses

June 3, 2008 | Those open-access and unsecured wireless networks we and our employees encounter in our travels are convenient -- and may be risky to use. Far more risky is the number of those networks that belong to small and midsize businesses, exposing themselves and their data not just to bandwidth freeloaders, but also to intruders.
By Keith Ferrell

Emergency Preparedness for Smaller Businesses: How Good is Your Plan?

May 29, 2008 | With tornadoes tearing across America's Midwest, the deadly Myanmar cyclone, and China still reeling from the recent earthquake and continuing aftershocks, now is a time to consider emergency preparedness. And though most companies have formal, written emergency plans, few know for sure those plans will work when disaster strikes
By Paul Korzeniowski

Security 101: Layer 1 Is the Loneliest Number

May 23, 2008 | Network security is complex, but it starts at two simple places: the hardware and human levels. Jimmy Ray explains how USB ports, keyboard loggers, Bluetooth, and more can make your smaller business vulnerable -- and how to protect it
By Jimmy Ray Purser, Courtesy of Cisco Systems

Ask Steve: What Wireless Tools do Smaller Businesses Need?

May 19, 2008 | Wireless access is growing by leaps and bounds, but what tools do smaller businesses need to make the most of this newfound mobility? Yankee Group's Steve Hilton talks wireless tools in this month's Ask Steve.
By Steve Hilton, Courtesy of Yankee Group

Strategy Matters: Eight Great PowerPoint Myths

May 15, 2008 | PowerPoint presentations that flood the audience with glittering graphics, brazen bulleted lists, and endless animations may look great, but they often drown out the message. Just because you can use every PowerPoint feature doesn't mean you should
By Nilofer Merchant, CEO of Rubicon Consulting

Network Management Tools That Break Price Points, Not the Bank

May 12, 2008 | Historically, network and system management solutions have been expensive to deploy and difficult to maintain. As a result, they've been beyond the grasp of many smaller businesses, but several recent advancements are making these tools more accessible
By Paul Korzeniowski

To Catch a (Hacking) Intruder

May 9, 2008 | Securing your smaller business' data is critical to its survival. But how do you secure your network if it's been hacked? More important, how can you tell if you've been hacked? Jimmy Ray has all the answers
By Jimmy Ray Purser, Courtesy of Cisco Systems