Hosted Desktop services are fast becoming a credit crunch solution.

SME’s are fast turning to Hosted Solutions in a bid to cut their IT Expenditure.  Our IT Department have received a record amount of enquiries about Hosted Desktops in the first quarter of 2009 and it appears that cost cutting has a lot to do with it.

We have been approached by over 50 companies in Q1 of this year alone and most of these are looking to save money not just on their IT Support, but also on their procurement. Many people that have shown an interest are Office managers or in-house IT Managers that have been told to find a way of cutting costs while retaining the same standard of network because of the current financial climate, and this is where Hosted Services become the perfect solution.  

What is a hosted desktop?

A hosted desktop solution is an alternative to a traditional local server based network. All of your business critical data emails and applications are hosted on our secure cloud network. Users access their work through a “virtual desktop” via their Pc which will look identical to the existing desktop we all know and love. Access to company drives, emails and data is no different to how it was before, in fact unless someone told you otherwise you would think that you were working locally from your Windows pc.

What are the benefits?

There are too many to mention in this blog entry, but the main one is cost. You can save up to 70% on your IT expenditure by using a hosted desktop solution. There is no need to purchase any hardware as your servers are no longer required; all you need to access your virtual desktop is a basic pc with an internet connection. You will never need to purchase software again nor will you need to upgrade as everything is automatically upgraded when new software version is released. All this is required is a low cost monthly fee per user. Oh and by the way, unlimited IT Support is also included as standard.

The bottom line is with a hosted desktop solution, you get to benefit from a state of the art IT Infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of your traditional network. Contact us today if you want to find out more about what a Hosted Solution can do improve your business and save you money.

Over a million iPhone 3GS sold in first 3 days.

Apple has confirmed that it has sold more than 1 million 3GS units worldwide within the first 3 days of launching the phone.

Demand for the new iPhone is far greater than the original iPhone. Many O2 and Carphone Warehouse stores across the UK have already sold out of the phone with consumer demand outstripping supplies. O2 believe that it has sold 50% more 3GS phones on the opening day compared to the launch day of the original iphone.

So why has it been so more popular? is it really that much different from the original phone to justify such a demand? the recession certainly isn’t stopping people from dipping into their pockets and shelling out for a new piece of hardware

Apple have also confirmed that over 6 million people have downloaded the new iPhone 3.0 software. Our IT Support company have received over 200 requests from clients asking us to assist them in upgrading their phones with the latest software release.

Windows 7 to be released without Internet explorer 8

latest news from the Microsoft camp.

Microsoft has announced that Windows 7 will be released WITHOUT Internet explorer 8 included.

The EU have decided that the Internet Browser cannot be included with European releases due to concerns about the sufficiency of competition among web browsers that are available to windows users throughout Europe.

Amazingly, there is nothing stopping hardware manufacturers installing Internet explorer with new builds that include Windows 7.

Is this another case of EU madness or are the EU right to make Microsoft remove Internet explorer 8 from Windows 7?

IT Support companies have been made aware that they will need to install an Internet browser when upgrading clients machines to windows 7. Most engineers may find it sensible to carry a copy of the browser on a pen drive. Downloading from the Internet will be impossible on a fresh install because it will not have a browser installed!! The irony of it.

The windows 7 launch date in the UK has been confirm as October 22nd. The european version will be called Windows 7 “E” (European version).

Limited pre-orders will be available from July 15th so get in there early if you want a sizable discount.

Internet advertising hit by global recession.

The recession is affecting just about everybody, and Internet marketing is no exception.

Statistics from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Pwc show that revenue generated by Internet advertising is down by at least 5% in the first quarter of this year.  In America. the amount spent on Internet advertising was down to £5.5bn from 6.1bn at the end of 2008.

After almost 6 years of increases on Internet advertising, we are now starting to see a slow decline in what people are spending. The most noticeable dip was halfway through 2008 which was a 5% fall.

A statement from Randall Rothenburg, present of the IAB reads; Interactive advertising has taken its rightful place as a fixture on marketing plans across sectors, which means we aren’t immune to broader economic trends,”

But despite the fall, Internet advertising has been hit far less hard then other industries in America. Analysts predict that these figures will soon correct themselves once economic conditions improve.

Article by Our IT Department. IT Support London Based Company.

Virgin Media trial 200 Meg broadband connection.

Could this change the way we think about using our broadband?

Virgin Media have announced that they are to trial 200 meg broadband in the UK.  Information is low on the ground at the moment but we do know that Virgin will be using the Motorola BSR 64000 integrated CTMS solution with TX32 decoupled downstream modules. In short, its going to be fast and rumours continue to circulate that the service could be available as early as next year!

Aparently Virgin have already started to pilot test the service in the Kent area and a lucky  few have been selected to try the service for 6 months in order to get customer feedback.

A statement from Joe Cozzolino, senior vice president of Motorola’s Home and Network Mobility europe reads “We are delighted to be selected by Virgin Media as it rolls out DOCSIS 3.0-based services, and we look forward to working closely as we head towards the reality of the 200-Mbps home”.

Exciting stuff indeed for us geeks, as if 50 Meg didn’t seem fast enough for us!! 200 Meg would certainly put the UK on the map for the fastest brodband connection, as currently the fastest speeds available for home users is 160 Meg in Japan. Who says we get left behind when it comes to the latest technology?

News provided by Our IT Department | IT Support London Based Company | 0845 129 9940

A guide to Cisco certification

Network security is one of the most crucial parts of being an IT engineer. A  network administrator should be capable of implementing and maintaining security solutions on a client network. A network security professional is one who develops business solutions, and one who monitors, designs and implements network security from all levels. Among the wide array world-recognized technical certifications issued by Cisco Systems, Incorporated is the professional and expert level of security certification.

Firstly, there is Cisco Certified Security Professional. A CCSP certified individual has an advanced knowledge when it comes to the technology implemented and the Cisco products used to provide security solutions on networks from all levels.

To be a CCSP, an IT professional should first pass either the Cisco Certified Network Professional or the Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional examination.  Next,  there is an expert level of security certifications issued by Cisco, this is called the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert. For this expert level of certification an IT professional can take an examination for different fields of specialization such as routing and switching, security, service provider, voice technology and storage networking.

The Cisco Security Examination”

To achieve a CCSP or a CCIE Security certification, an IT professional needs to sit a written and a laboratory exam. This exam is made up of multiple choice questions about security protocols, application protocols, general networking, security technologies, Cisco security applications, network security in general and general Cisco security information.

To achieve a CCSP certification, a candidate must pass a two-hour qualifying exam. The aforementioned topics are covered, which will mainly include networking concepts as well as equipment commands. Once the candidate passes the written Cisco Security exam that is when the candidate will be eligible to take the lab exam.  After the candidate has passed the two hour written qualifying exam, the next step is to undergo the CCIE security laboratory examination. This exam is tough and has eight-hour duration. The main purpose is to test the candidate’s ability to get a secure network running at a particular time.

Before  taking the Cisco security examination, either for the professional or the expert level, a candidate should undergo several security trainings. This includes the Cisco security training as well as the Cisco Secure SAFE Implementation. The Cisco Secure SAFE Implementation is laboratory intensive, which will help a candidate successfully pass the laboratory part of the Cisco Security examination.  Be it an examination for the professional or expert level of the Cisco Security certification examination, a candidate needs enough preparation to pass the written and laboratory tests. This way, the IT professional will have sufficient knowledge about the specific Cisco security protocols and components, to protect the entire network.

Resources;

IT Support from Our  IT Departmen, the Cisco specialist| 0845 129 9940 | support@ouritdept.co.uk