MCPc Blog

September Monthly Roundup: Top IT Industry Articles

Below, we share articles from last month that provide insight on the following IT topics: the changing landscape of telecommunications, benefits and best practices for Windows 7, why virtualization works (how to make it work for your business), the security of cloud computing and how to clean up your WiFi network.

Telecommunications & Telepresence

Things are changing in the world of business telecommunications, and September continued to shed light on how businesses can integrate new technologies in videoconferencing, telepresence, VoIP and mobile to improve collaboration.

In Getting Videoconferencing Right, http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2010/092110-getting-videoconferencing-right.html?page=1 Brian Kopf http://www.linkedin.com/pub/brian-kopf/2/343/655 shares several tips for SMBs who are interested in videoconferencing, but are unsure how to start the transition. Kopf covers everything from choosing the right system for your business needs to common pitfalls to avoid in deployment.

Our favorite tip: “Don't cut corners when it comes to infrastructure. When organizations fail to ensure that the network can support the new system, the result can be poor quality and an overall sub-par user experience.”

When thinking about videoconferencing and telecom, we can’t forget about the potential market disruption coming from unexpected sources. Dave Michels http://www.linkedin.com/in/davemichels offered insight on The Other Voice Channels, http://www.ucstrategies.com/unified-communications-strategies-views/the-other-voice-channels.aspx including: managed service providers, Internet dealers and retailers, web services and more.

According to Michels: “These disparate channels don’t speak the same language, but can all fill the role of the primary voice partner. It creates multiple opportunities and challenges for voice vendors, to straddle the various channels and attempt to meet the needs of very different go-to-market approaches.”

Keep in mind that these are not things to be aware of in the future. Changes are happening now. Additional articles on the topic last month, which have potential to dramatically affect the industry and your network, include:

• Avaya and Skype Partner for Unified Communications http://www.thevarguy.com/2010/09/30/avaya-and-skype-partner-for-unified-communications/
• All Signs Point to Cisco Home Telepresence Launch http://www.crn.com/news/networking/227501030/all-signs-point-to-cisco-home-telepresence-launch.htm

Windows 7

Christina Tynan-Wood http://www.linkedin.com/pub/christina-tynan-wood/1/29/992 reported that Windows 7 Lifts PC Satisfaction Rates, http://www.infoworld.com/d/adventures-in-it/windows-7-lifts-pc-satisfaction-rates-238 as found in the American Customer Satisfaction Index http://www.theacsi.org/index.php annual manufacturing and durable goods report.

Since Windows 7 is clearly gaining momentum and end-user praise, here are a few additional articles to help you effectively install, secure and work with the new software.

• 11 Tools for Windows 7 Migrations [SLIDESHOW]: http://www.networkworld.com/slideshows/2010/092710-windows-7-migration-tools.html Helpful information to guide a successful Windows 7 upgrade, by Jon Brodkin http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonbrodkin
• Expert Guide to Windows 7 Security: http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/the-infoworld-expert-guide-windows-7-security-896 After installation, ensure that your new environment stays secure, by following these tips from Roger A. Grimes. http://www.infoworld.com/author-bios/roger-grimes
• Truly Awesome Tools for Windows 7 Power Users: http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows/truly-awesome-tools-windows-7-power-users-629 So, you have your end-users all set up and secure. Now it’s time for you to see what Windows 7 can do for you. This collection of tools by J. Peter Bruzzese http://www.linkedin.com/pub/j-peter-bruzzese/4/647/98b can help you organize your desktop, collaborate with colleagues, manage and share files, and more.

Virtualization

After VMWorld, Alan Radding http://www.linkedin.com/in/independentassessment reported that Virtualization is the Future of Corporate IT. http://bigfatfinanceblog.com/2010/09/08/virtualization-the-future-of-corporate-it/ Basing the article on a virtualization survey conducted by CommVault http://www.commvault.com/ of more than 10,000 of its customers, Radding concludes that, “for the CFO, the question is not whether the organization should adopt virtualization, but how extensively it should virtualize and how fast.”

So, if this is the case, and you’re interested in virtualization for your business, here are a few additional articles to help guide your way:

• What Storage Virtualization Really Means: http://www.infoworld.com/d/data-explosion/what-storage-virtualization-really-means-685?page=0,0 This article by Matt Prigge http://www.linkedin.com/in/mattprigge takes a basic look at different levels of storage virtualization, which may help you determine which is right for your business.
• How to Build a Solid Server Virtualization Foundation: http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/how-build-solid-server-virtualization-foundation-886 Great information from Paul Venezia http://www.infoworld.com/author-bios/paul-venezia for moving to a virtualized server environment. He covers everything from making the case internally to updating your infrastructure. The article also links to a free PDF download, Storage Virtualization Deep Dive, http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/download-the-server-virtualization-deep-dive-report-480?source=ifwelg_rs which offers detailed information to guide a successful deployment.
• Take Desktop Virtualization Step by Step: http://www.forbes.com/2010/09/02/desktop-software-computing-technology-virtualization.html Once you’ve established a virtualized storage environment, you may consider desktop virtualization. Why? According to David F. Carr, http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfcarr “If you're managing PCs the old-fashioned way, you're missing out on an opportunity to make your organization more efficient and resilient.”

Cloud Computing

As you know, one key benefit to virtualization is that it can set your organization up to employ cloud computing. However, there is concern among many IT professionals about the security of cloud solutions.

You can rest assured. Scott Campbell, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/scott-campbell/1/70a/918 citing Gartner’s Neil MacDonald http://www.linkedin.com/pub/neil-macdonald/2/a86/234 reported that in fact, Cloud Security Is Better Than What You Have Today. http://www.crn.com/news/cloud/227500386/gartner-cloud-security-is-better-than-what-you-have-today.htm?pgno=1

Why? According to Macdonald, cloud solutions are the “first generation of IT to bake in security, rather than treat it as an afterthought.”

In addition, the simple fact that the standard business workforce is increasingly mobile makes a strong case for storing data on the cloud: “We're tearing down the walls of our enterprise. The mobilization of the workforce demands anytime access. With consumerization you can [reach] corporate assets from any type of device. Users are demanding this… If you extend that mindset, if the workload can move from this data center to that data center, heck we might as well just move it to Amazon… Increasingly, we do not control elements of our IT infrastructure. Cloud is just one element of that, and yet we're fighting it."

WiFi

Another subject relevant to the mobile workforce, of course, is WiFi. Cisco’s Chris Kozup http://www.linkedin.com/pub/chris-kozup/0/162/551 spoke with Tom Kaneshige http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tom-kaneshige/0/4a8/212 about 6 Ways to Improve Your WiFi Network http://www.cio.com/article/617585/6_Ways_to_Improve_Your_WiFi_Network for your mobile-in-office users.

1. Fill coverage holes.
2. Ensure that access points support 802.11a/g.
3. Disable and replace outdated technology.
4. Run 5 GHz frequency.
5. Ensure that mobile devices are secure.
6. Test for, and clean up, RF interference.

For details on these tips, see the full article. http://www.cio.com/article/617585/6_Ways_to_Improve_Your_WiFi_Network

What Do You Think?

What articles, blog posts, videos or podcasts did you find interesting last month? Post a comment, and we’ll be sure to keep an eye on those sources for future wrap-up articles like this one.

This post is an MCPc blogging team collaboration. 

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