Columns

Enterasys Expands Reach In Bid To Become Relevant Again

August 28, 2008 | The recent reshuffling in the network equipment market continued as Enterasys expanded its reach. In an attempt to break out of its doldrums, the company added VoIP systems and call center software. Is it too little, too late?
By Paul Korzeniowski

Strategy Matters: Understanding Generation X

August 26, 2008 | With Generation X firmly entrenched in the modern workplace, it's important to understand how this generation ticks -- whether you're a Gen Xer yourself, a baby boomer, or a Gen Y millennial -- so you can execute your strategy more effectively and grow your business.
By Nilofer Merchant, CEO of Rubicon Consulting

Strategy Matters: Understanding Generation Y

August 26, 2008 | With Generation Y taking more and more responsibility in the workplace, it's important to understand what makes this generation different -- whether you're a Gen Y millennial yourself, a Gen Xer, or a baby boomer -- so you can relate to them as colleagues and customers and keep your business growing.
By Nilofer Merchant, CEO of Rubicon Consulting

Hackers' Potential Damage Increases

August 21, 2008 | As hackers evolve from irresponsible adolescents to organized crime figures, the danger to your business -- no matter how big or small -- grows. Forget about spam and viruses, now the hacking game is bigger and more vicious, from phishing and identity theft to shutting down power grids and municipal extortion.
By Paul Korzeniowski

How-To Allay IP Telephony Concerns

August 19, 2008 | Skepticism abounds among IT and business decision makers about IP telephony. Yankee Group's Steve Hilton examines the root cause of the concern and offers suggestions for how channel partners can respond in this month's Ask Steve.
By Steve Hilton, Courtesy of Yankee Group

Yelp Controversy Exposes Dark Side of Web 2.0

August 14, 2008 | Web 2.0 and user-generated content are great news for growing companies, offering them the ability to harness the wisdom of crowds and stand out even without the benefit of huge marketing budgets. But what happens when the social networks turn mean or try to take advantage of their power?
By Fredric Paul

How To Avoid Virtualization Vendor Lock-In

August 12, 2008 | Within the IT industry, virtualization is all the rage, but this hardware-sharing option comes with its own poison: becoming locked in to proprietary vendor solutions. In response, one supplier has cooked up an antidote.
By Paul Korzeniowski

The Smaller Business' Edge: Treating IT Right

August 12, 2008 | Newly minted IT grads are looking at higher than ever salaries from big business. Smaller businesses can't compete on the paycheck, but they can attract IT talent if they make their place of work a place employees want to remain.
By Naomi Grossman

Tech On The Go: Returning Home To Re-Sync Systems

August 7, 2008 | Home at last, bMighty's "Tech On The Go" correspondent unpacks, unwinds, and anticipates the joys of a reliable Internet connection -- not so fast -- to re-sync his laptop with his home system.
By Scott Koegler

Why YOU Aren't Using Videoconferencing

August 6, 2008 | Despite dramatic improvements in quality and affordability, most businesses still aren't using videoconferencing. The reasons why might surprise you.
By Fredric Paul

Brocade's Foundry Acquisition Shakes Up Storage and Networking Markets

August 5, 2008 | "What's next?" That's the question to ask about the combination storage supplier Brocade and established network equipment vendor Foundry Networks. And what does it mean for growing businesses?
By Paul Korzeniowski

Tech On The Go: Keeping Up With Current Events

August 5, 2008 | Thanks to satellite radio, bMighty's "Tech On The Go" correspondent hasn't been out of the loop during his travels.
By Scott Koegler

Tech On The Go: Trucker Antenna Boosts Connectivity

July 31, 2008 | After a well-timed delivery at the Grand Canyon, bMighty's "Tech On The Go" correspondent is cruising eastward sporting a spring-mounted cellular trucker antenna -- he hasn't lost signal in a thousand miles.
By Scott Koegler

Tech On The Go: How To Print On The Fly

July 29, 2008 | After a GPS adventure along Old Route 66, bMighty's "Tech On The Go" correspondent finds a way to print his tax documents and create a photo book of his cross-country escapades.
By Scott Koegler

SAN Wars: ISCSI vs. Fibre Channel

July 28, 2008 | For small and midsize businesses, storage requirements have been growing. Selecting the right solution recently became more difficult as Fibre Channel vendors made their approach more viable for smaller businesses, but that also means more choice.
By Paul Korzeniowski

The Zen of Password Cracking

July 25, 2008 | Password cracking is an integral part of a security audit -- and can be a lot of fun. Cisco's Jimmy Ray Purser has four methods to accomplish this and the tools IT administrators can use to do it on their own.
By Jimmy Ray Purser, Courtesy of Cisco

Tech On The Go: Keeping the Video Streaming

July 25, 2008 | Perched on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, bMighty's "Tech On The Go" correspondent reviews his video kit and, thanks to shoddy connections, struggles to upload the latest images.
By Scott Koegler

WiMax Stumbling Out of the Gate

July 24, 2008 | Like many technologies ballyhooed before the first customer use, WiMax hasn't moved smoothly from the development lab to the mainstream. That's compromising Sprint's plan to use WiMax to support wireless services for small and midsize businesses.
By Paul Korzeniowski

Tech On The Go: Automating GPS and Managing Projects

July 22, 2008 | Simmering in the Las Vegas heat, bMighty's "Tech On The Go" correspondent explains how he harnesses the power of GPS and project management software to streamline his workflow.
By Scott Koegler

Telephone Solutions for Smaller Businesses: Affordability is Finally Here

July 22, 2008 | The telephone is probably among the oldest of office appliances -- and still one of the most standard ways of communicating with customers. Now a number of vendors are making systems that combine analog phone lines and Internet telephony and, most important, are affordable for smaller businesses.
By Ramon Ray, Small Biz Technology

Smartphone Battle Intensifies

July 16, 2008 | Turbulence is often a sign of an emerging opportunity, but surprisingly there's now quite a bit of turmoil in the mature mobile phone market. New high-profile contenders have startled Nokia, the top supplier, prompting a series of dramatic changes.
By Paul Korzeniowski

Strategy Matters: 6 Ways to Strategize Like Enterprises

July 15, 2008 | Effectively implementing and executing business strategy can be the difference between success and failure. By strategizing like enterprises, smaller businesses can meet their objectives and level the playing field.
By Nilofer Merchant, CEO of Rubicon Consulting

Tech On The Go: Staying Connected From Everywhere

July 15, 2008 | Lingering just outside Yellowstone National Park, bMighty's "Tech On The Go" correspondent concludes that staying connected requires some flexibility, advance planning, and multiple subscriptions. Put another way, it means spending $$ for services you may not use.
By Scott Koegler

Ask Steve: Hosted vs. On-Premises Call Center Solutions

July 14, 2008 | Customer contact centers serve the same role for smaller businesses as they do for enterprises, but many struggle to find call center solutions that scale affordably. Yankee Group's Steve Hilton takes a look at the total ownership costs of hosted and on-premises call center solutions in this month's Ask Steve
By Steve Hilton, Courtesy of Yankee Group

When Speed Just Isn't Enough: A Network Quality Check

July 11, 2008 | As your smaller business' network traffic grows, getting faster switches isn't your only option. Jimmy Ray Purser says that paying attention to a network's quality of service -- by classifying packets as they enter your network -- can be just as important
By Jimmy Ray Purser, Courtesy of Cisco