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1Vol 11-5  May 2011
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Ekaru
Specializing in information technology outsourcing for small and medium businesses (1-50 Employees). "It's like having your own IT department"
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www.ekaru.com

978-692-4200
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Welcome to this month's issue! The Technology Advisor provides technology advice, strategy, tips and trends to help you manage and grow your business!


DNS - What you don't know CAN hurt you!  

From the Ekaru Blog:  Twice in the past month we received panicked calls from clients - "Help! Our email stopped working and we can't get any emails!" It turns out in both cases, the problem was the result of someone making updates to a web site and making unintended changes to DNS.

 

While it's not important for users to know what all the tech jargon means, its VERY important to never make changes that you don't understand.  DNS stands for Domain Name Service.  It's the database of addresses that make the Internet work.  If you type www.ekaru.com into a browser, it's the master directory that tells your computer what IP address to find us at ("A" record").  If you send an email to info@ekaru.com, then a different IP address is used to find us ("mx" record").  Your computer understands IP address, not names.

 

Your domain name registration establishes the legal ownership of your domain name.  You should double check that the registration is in the name of your company or an owner of the business, and not any other employee or outside consultant.

 

Your name servers tell the world where your IP addresses are stored, so people can find you when they look up your domain name.  The most common mistake we see, is that when people make changes to their website without understanding how DNS works they often change their name servers without realizing that the "mx" records will break and mail won't be delivered.  It's ok to change name servers, but you must then copy your custom DNS records from your old name servers.

 

As a general rule, NEVER make changes to DNS unless you 100% understand what you're doing.  If someone else is working on your web site, make sure they understand your DNS records before giving them access to your registration.

 

By the way for the techies, the tool we use to check DNS records (and highly recommend!) is www.dnsstuff.com.  It's the first place we look when we get a call from a customer who can't access their email when their Internet access is working fine.

Tech Headlines
Microsoft Plugs Critical Hole in Windows. This week, in one of the lightest patch Tuesday's in recent history, Microsoft patched one critical security hole in Windows and two less critical holes in Office.  Read more on cnet.com.
 
iPad Cannibalization Talk Crazy, Says Analyst - Only 12% of iPad buyers said the bought an iPad instead of a notebook.  Read more in ComputerWorld.
  
Apple's Privacy Headache - Apple wants iPhone users to know they're not stalking them.  Read more on cnet.com.
   
Follow us on Twitter  For up to date news links and updates related to small business technology, follow us at www.twitter.com/ekaruIT   We typically update this a few times a day.   

 

Find us on Facebook  We recently created a Facebook page for Ekaru.  We'll use it as a site for tech Q&A and other news.  If you're on facebook, please "like" us to get updates.   Thank you!

Lunch & Learn Webinar - Meaningful Use Requirements for Electronic Health Records

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment act of 2009, the federal government has created substantial financial incentives for medical practices to implement Electronic Health Records (EHRs).  To receive these funds, providers need to meet "Meaningful Use" requirements.  Simply put, "meaningful use" means providers need to show they're using certified EHR technology in ways that can be measured significantly in quality and in quantity.

  

If you missed our webinar last week, the slides are available on line:  http://bit.ly/lwGiZp.

 

 

Stay tuned for details on the next webinar.  Past webinar topics include data security, going paperless, and computer "fitness".  If you have a suggestion for future topics, let us know! 

 


Friday-The-13th 

Happy Friday the 13th!

For an interestering article on Paraskevidekatriaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th, and its origins, read more on about.com.


 

Introductory Technology Assessment Over 450 local small businesses have chosen Ekaru to manage their computers and networks. We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation to get started. We'll visit your office, review your network, and make recommendations. Call us at 978-692-4200 or email us to schedule a no-obligation assessment. If you know someone who could benefit from this offer, simply forward this email to them. Thank You!

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msbs
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
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