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Greetings!
 Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Normally those three names don't get used in the same sentence. But this week they were, for all the wrong reasons.
Say what you will about each of them, but they all had a unique contribution to our culture. They've each been villified (or at least made out as a caricature of themselves), but they've got a right to point to aspects of how we are and say "I helped make that."
Can we say the same? Speaking strictly from a work environment, can we look at the underpinnings of how the organization "lives" and take pride in our contributions?
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| Cisco and Simplex-IT for SMB |
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 Whether it be on an episode of "24" or by walking into almost any data center in the world, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the products Cisco brings to the table. But sometimes it's easy to get a little bit overwhelmed by the number of products.
As always, we're here to help. Of course, we're a Cisco Partner (if you've been keeping track with our newsletters, you knew that already). And we've recently added the Cisco Showcase to our site, which is accessable from our home page or just by clicking here.
This constantly updated site is specifically aimed at the Small to Medium Business.
As we've mentioned before, Cisco is in the process of redefining their offering for this range of product. And there are some exciting offerings here!
And of course, we can help! For more information, contact Julie. |
| Disaster Recovery vs. Business Continuity |
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Bob here...
If you've been keeping up with your Buzzword Bingo card, the term "Disaster Recovery" isn't as hot as it used to be. Don't worry, though, because "Business Continuity" has become the latest thing. And, truth be told, there's a reason behind it (for once).
Both terms relate to an organization's ability to deal with a "Disaster Event." Something that happens, causing significant stress on your organization, threatening its ability to keep working. "Disaster Events" come in all sizes. From a tech pouring his soda into your mission critical server to "Wow, that asteroid's coming close!"
For purposes of this article, we're going to a> talk about the technical aspects of DR/BC, and b> leave the Asteroid scenarios to the Bruce Willis' (and, to be fair, Robert Duvall's) of the world.
"Recovery" implies that something traumatic has occurred. "Disaster" implies...well, that's what we're recovering from, right? So the term Disaster Recovery essentially surrenders to the negative impact of an event, and focuses on what we're going to do now that the disaster's over.
"Continuity" implies continuing, with minimal interruption.
So...
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| Free Lunch is good. Business Continuity is VITAL! |
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| Part 2 of 2 on Business Continuity,
Simplex-IT's Monthly Lunchinar Series Continues...
We have had such fun with these gatherings and truly appreciate the interest and awesome conversation! Many thanks too, to Elaine at the Streetsboro Pizza Pan for always preparing a delicious lunch! If you haven't tried their pizza (and homemade sauce), give them a call!
July's topic is a continuation of last month's - and will get more in-depth about backing up your data. Join us on Wednesday, July 15th at 11:30am. Enjoy lunch with us, on us!
Ask yourself (and your company) these questions:
- Is our data getting backed up on a regular basis?
- Have we checked to MAKE SURE that our backups are actually happening?
- In the event of a disaster, can we retrieve all of our electronic information?
- Is our current solution trustworthy and reliable?
- How long would it take us to download our information if we lost it? How much of our business day would be victim to idle time?
Simplex-IT has worked with many clients who thought their backup was functioning properly, but wasn't. We've seen cases where information has been lost permanently. Make sure you are prepared and protected. Make sure your business continuity plan is doing what it should be!
Join us for ideas, product knowledge and information that will allow you to be proactive. Afterall, being reactive with backup plans just doesn't cut it!
Bob's ability to talk about business continuity is unlimited but space is not. Be sure to RSVP by contacting Julie at 234-380-1277.
We hope to see you there! Oh - did we mention that we give things away? |
| Netopia in Review |
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| Sam here. Sorry it's been so long since I last posted - life at Simplex-IT has been quite busy as of late. Some of the time that I wasn't blogging was taken up by a client up in Cleveland who has been searching for a low-end routing solution for their network. (By low-end I mean < $300).
Now, this client had some very, very specific requirements that had to be met and we tested out a couple of SMB routers to see if they were up to the task.
Requirements:
1. VLSM (Variable Length Subnet Mask)
2. LAN-LAN routing capabilities.
These requirements basically mean that, even though this is a firewall/routing device, I want it to be able to redirect traffic to another internal router on the same interface the traffic came in on. The Cisco ASA that they had in place does not allow for that. The other requirement (VLSM) means that I want to use a subnet mask that falls outside of the Class A/B/C - in the case 255.255.252.0.
Routers: Linksys RVS 4000 - This is a solid SMB router, however its subnet masks are class C or smaller. It's a drop-down list and cannot be modified without hacking the box. Now, one can hack the box as it's running Linux ( http://rootit.org/2008/06/linksys-rvs4000-p1/) is a reasonably good how-to on that). I don't like violating the EULA if I'm going to use a Router (or anything else) on a production network - so this guy is out. D-Link DIR-130:
For the rest of this blog entry, click here. |
| Stats in Security |
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As I network with company owners and IT professionals, the main concern I consistently hear falls within the realm of business continuity - the emphasis on and importance of a lock-tight IT security program. A McAfee CIO survey found that in 2008, $1 trillion dollars was spent globally on data theft and security breaches alone.
An article in a recent edition of Information Weekly magazine explained that companies, although seemingly active in their security practices, rarely notice red flags indicating pending dangers. During their day-to-day, IT professionals get used to seeing 'blips' within the system so at times, true warnings can be overlooked. Many companies admit that they have a difficult time discerning normalcy from threat. The McAfee survey also reported that $600 million dollars was spent last year on repairing the damage from security breaches.
Think you are safe on the inside? Think again. Insider negligence contributes to more than 88% of company data violations. Your internal gurus may not be as good as you think they are...or your equipment may not be providing you with the security and fallback that you need.
Take the time to evaluate what you have and what you need to implement before you're stuck spending the money and time to repair and recover. We partner with fantastic vendors so let me know if I can help you with anything!
Oh, and learn about another step you can take toward achieving business continuity by reading my blog! Call or email me for more information and have a GREAT July 4th holiday! -Julie |
| Mark your Calendar! |
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Simplex-IT's Annual BBQ!
Please join us on Wednesday, August 19th for our second annual BBQ! We'll have the usual fare - burgers, brats, potato salad and desserts, along with great networking and the opportunity to meet the Simplex-IT gang.
The BBQ will start at 4pm so come on over to our World Headquarters and see what we're all about! Meet others in the 'neighborhood', have some dinner and enjoy a summer evening in Hudson.
More details to follow but if you are interested in joining us, call or email Julie. We hope so see you there! |
| The Buzz about Windows 7 |
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Hello everyone!! Cary here. Perhaps you have heard the "buzz" about the new Windows operating system called "Windows 7"? It's been out for testing for quite a while and has been getting great reviews! Next newsletter I will be reviewing Windows 7 in more detail, but for now I wanted to let you know what has been happening and how you can take advantage of some great pricing!! First, let me start off by saying that Windows 7 will be released on October 22, 2009. But if you wait until then you'll pay the full "retail" price. Right now Microsoft is selling a limited quantity of Windows 7 for ½ the retail price. This deal is for the upgrade versions of Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional. The costs are $49 for the Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade and $99 for the Windows 7 Professional upgrade. For the rest of this Blog Entry, click here. |
| Want to find out about this stuff quicker? |
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| Blog updates from Simplex-IT over the past month
Remember to check out our blogs:
Free MS Certification Live Meeting
Career Eye Followup
Career Eye for the IT Guy - June 13th Event
Fight hunger with MS's "Browser for the Better" campaign
Why Lunchinar? And how to keep Sales Pitches to a minimum
Costume for Halloween? How about Windows 7?
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Simplex-IT Customer Spotlight 
Bramhall Engineering & Surveying Company |
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Bramhall Engineering & Surveying Company, Inc. has provided professional services to their clients since 1996. In that time they have strived to be the leading provider of Civil Engineering and Land Surveying Services in the area. Their commitment to their clients has earned them recognition by both the Case Weatherhead School of Management "Weatherhead 100" and the Golden 30 as one of the top 10 outstanding growth companies in Northeast Ohio. Bramhall provides services such as:
Civil/Site Engineering - (Water Distribution Systems, Stormwater Management, Sanitary Sewer Systems including force mains and pump stations, On-Site Septic Systems
Grading and Drainage Design, Erosion and Sedimentation Control, Roadway Design, Flood Plain Hydraulic and Hydrologic Studies, Retaining Wall Design)
Structural Engineering Design - (Structural Steel, Reinforced Concrete, Shallow and Deep Foundations, Masonry, Timber Structures, Vehicular and Pedestrian Bridges, Pre-engineered, Metal Buildings)
Site Planning - (Planned Urban Developments, Residential Communities, Industrial Parks, Commercial Site Development,
GIS Mapping and Data Acquisition)
Surveying - (ALTA Surveys, Mortgage Inspection Surveys, Subdivision Plats, Condominium Plats, Topography Surveys
Annexation Maps, Zoning Maps)
Roger Kuhl is an Engineer at Bramhall and also doubles as their IT technician. Roger explains that, although he could handle small issues, the larger problems and projects were above his scope. He explains that since Simplex-IT has come on board, it has allowed him to get back to performing his engineering functions. "Sam and Cary have been very responsive to our needs. I know when I call on them, the problem will get solved immediately, and without pulling me from my work."
Click here to visit Bramhall's website
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| Plain Funny #8 |
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| Helpdesk isn't new!
Bob here. We've all had to deal with Helpdesk issues. But has it always been that way?
Apparently yes. Click here for more info about the "Medieval Helpdesk."
Thanks to The Le for the suggestion. | |
We'd love to hear feedback about this! Send comments to Bob@Simplex-IT.com, or call us at 234.380.1277!
Sincerely,
Bob Coppedge
Simplex-IT LLC |
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