Dear AXICOM Clients, Colleagues and Friends,
Technology is ever-changing and AXICOM believes that we can be "translators" of all that is happening around us so that we can help you maximize your technology solutions. For example, " Cloud computing" is a new term that is being used quite a bit lately. Should you use cloud computing? What are pros and cons? If you feel undecided, you're not the only one! Recently, the LA Times published an article on the "cloud wars" and particularly about the decision that the City of LA is trying to make in terms of going with Google Docs (a "cloud" solution) or Microsoft Office. The stakes are high, of course, and it will be an important decision for the city. The city's eventual decision will be instrumental in reflecting how the "cloud" is perceived. If you are not familiar with the cloud, we are here to let you know more about it. We'll continue to write about it in the future as well as in this newsletter. On another note Microsoft Windows7 will be released on this month. The question is: "Is it the new and improved XP or the slimmed down and efficient Vista?' Come find out at our Windows7 Sneak Peak seminar on November 12. The event is FREE and don't be surprised if there are Microsoft goodies for all who attend. Seating is limited so we request that you register ahead of time. More on Windows 7 below. Please keep your eyes open for a survey that we'll be sending out soon asking you what technology topics are of interest to you. We have a long list of topics that WE think are interesting and compelling but we want to make sure that the events that we offer (and when we offer them) are relevant and convenient to our clients. Here's to a happy day with your technology! The AXICOM Team |
The Cloud Wars
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First, what is the cloud? The cloud is anything that is a hosted solution that is delivered via the Internet. For many business owners, a well-known hosted product is Salesforce.com. Google Docs is another cloud solution. That means that business data is not located in-house, rather it is "out there", in the "cloud". So what's the attraction? Cost, for one. Usually the monthly fees are affordable and updates are available as they are deployed. On the flip side, there are some significant security concerns. If your business data is "out there", then who has access to it? Also, some solutions are not that mature. In the case of Google Docs, their spreadsheet, for example, is nowhere near as feature-rich as Excel.
Google entered "the cloud" a few years ago with Google Docs as an alternative to Microsoft Office. It's only recently that Google Docs has reached a point that it has enough features to compete with Microsoft Office. It still doesn't have everything that the Microsoft Office suites offer but they are closing the gap. And, as was mentioned already, the City of Los Angeles is in the middle of trying to decide whether to go with Microsoft Office or Google Docs. And, we know that our clients might be considering the same. We have been testing Google Docs here at AXICOM so that we can assess what it can and can't do. What we like about Google Docs is the sharing ability. What we don't like is the unknown about security issues. For that reason, we've been using it for testing purposes only at the moment.
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October Events - In Detail
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Here's a few more details about our upcoming October events:
Ergonomics or "How to Save Your Back While Sitting at the Computer" - Knowing how to sit properly and use your hands correctly at the keyboard could mean better health and avoiding unnecessary pain. Come hear Brad Hutchins of OHS give us some key pointers to make our daily work experience more comfortable and how to invest in your own health for long-term dividends. And, find out why it's even more important today than a few decades ago to have this information.
Wednesday, October 14, 2-3 pm
Register HERE
Search Engine Optimization or "How to Make Sure Prospective Clients Can Find You on the Internet" - Does your business name come up on the first page for searches? How can you make sure that your company gets premier placement on search engines? Come hear Jonathan Myron, an industry expert on SEO, share his tips and tricks on this topic.
Thursday, October 22, 8-9 am
Register HERE
Social Networking - Facebook - Do you want to maximize your Facebook use? You'll be amazed at how much Facebook can do for your business! Come find out how and learn on the spot with Kira Wagner of The Software Magician.
Tuesday, October 27, 7:30-9:30 am
Register HERE
All seminars and workshops are held at AXICOM at 31352 Via Colinas #104, Westlake Village, CA 91362. Go to the AXICOM website and the Find Us tab for detailed instructions. (We suggest you take a look if you've never been to our office before!)
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Windows 7
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AXICOM will be hosting a Sneak Peek for Windows 7 seminar on November 12 from 2-3:30 at our office. Windows 7 is getting a
lot of attention right now in the media. Release date is October 22! If you're interested in
buying it or upgrading from Vista, contact us. Our technicians have
been testing it for the last few months and initial reaction from them
is very positive. They've been having fun with it so that's a great endorsement for the product. Of course, the first few months of deployment usually have "bugs" that need to be fixed so we're suggesting that you come to our seminar first and we'll have an update on initial reaction from consumers. In the meantime, here are a just a few of the new features of Windows 7 that we'll be discussing on November 12: - "Docking" your windows so that you can move a document to one half of the screen or manipulate the window size - Aero Peek to quickly move to your desktop - Problem Steps Recorder that creates step-by-step screen captures of problems - Easy personalization of desktop sceneryAnd so much more! Please sign up here for the Windows 7 seminar. If we have 10 sign-ups AT LEAST two weeks prior to November 12 (that would be by October 29), Microsoft has said that they will send us fun stuff to share with the seminar attendees so we encourage you to sign up! And, we'll be giving away one Office Standard 2007 package which includes Word 2007, Excel 2007, PowerPoint 2007 and Outlook 2007 to those who attend!
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AXICOM has been in business since 1996 providing technical support to small and medium businesses as well as non-profits and schools in the Ventura and Los Angeles County areas. Visit our website today for important information, articles, free resources and more.
Sincerely,
The AXICOM Team |
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