The Inevitable Force of Change; Why We Can’t Ignore It Anymore

Sometimes it sneaks up on us without warning.  Sometimes we try to manage it before is spins out of control, but it gets away from us anyway.  Some spend millions of dollars to avoid it, help manage it, or control it altogether.  The one thing we can’t do is avoid it.

Change in technology.  It’s coming.

It’s right on the front landing page of our website, “The Science of IT”.  What exactly does that mean?  Well, to all information technology networks, there is a science to managing them.  There is a science to controlling them, altering them, twisting and bending them.  I’ve explained before how important a network is to an organization; the manner in which we exchange information.  Managing it is equally important.  I don’t think we’re in a tech bubble anymore.  Instead, I think it’s becoming a way of life, a method of our own existence.  That’s a pretty bold statement.  Here’s another one:

“The future of our society will rely on not only programs and applications, but the management of our interaction with them.  IT managed services is the future.  Period.” -Craig Ganssle

Like it or not, more and more software applications are coming, changing the way we do our banking, purchase goods and services, manage hospital and personal vital records.  Applications that, to a certain level, make life easier.  Or will it make life harder?

I don’t think it has to be harder.  I think it can be managed properly, but it’s going to come at either a price, or time.

Growing up, I was the little helper to my father that held the flashlight on all the projects he did around the house.  During a time when he had his side handy-man business, I occasionally helped out and made a little money as a helper with some of those jobs.  My family has also always been into cars…..really into cars.  So, with that being said, you’d think I know a thing or two about cars and home repairs.  I know enough to do the very basics, and enough to be a danger to myself and others around me.  I hate it.  I hate painting, I hate issues with cars, I hate spending my valuable time trying to fix those little things around the house that need attention.  So, I don’t pretend to like them, or have the knowledge to do them.  I find someone who does and I pay them.  I’m not the expert, they are.

I believe the future will be the same when it comes to your computers, networks, tablets, smart-phones, and so on.  If you don’t know what you’re doing, or you hate it, hire someone to manage it for you.  Because if you look at what’s coming, it’s only getting more complex and more integrated.

My heart goes out to the the older crowd who seem to be lost in all of this rapid change.  Filing for social security is all on-line now.  Paperwork for retirement…electronic.  Banking, electronic, and so on.  I can only imagine how difficult some of this must be to understand and how painful the process is.  I wish I could say it was only going to get easier.

Small to medium size business are in a similar situation.  Revenue is not enough to have a full time IT staff.  Your typical small mom-and-pop computer repair place requires you to either go to them and wait for your system to be looked at in a day or two.  Or you could get the local office supply store to log in remotely and check it out.  I’m sure the person selling sticky notes and licorice at the counter will be thoroughly helpful and be qualified to solve your problems.  Windows XP is a goner in 2012, Windows 8 is coming and is completely different from Windows 7.  Security is a huge concern.  PCI and HIPPA compliance are about to blow your mind if you have not been following that almost daily.  Cloud storage and infrastructure as a service is on the rise, and 80% of business owners and decisions makers have no idea what that even means.

It’s coming……and there’s no stopping it.

There is an organization that can help with all of this.  Of course I’m talking about my company don’t be silly!  But what most people don’t know is this is EXACTLY why I started this company.  I’ve been in the industry for almost 20 years.  I’ve followed the trends and made research and development a huge part of our business.  It’s why my college major was business and my minor was computer science.  My philosophy is to alter business and simply use technology as my tool.  It doesn’t have to be so hard, but it does have to be managed.  I understand what it takes to run a company.  Accounting, time tracking, sales, orders, receivables, payable, employees, marketing, and the list goes on.  I know.  I’ve done it.  Except, I do all of it from a tablet and I can do it sitting on a beach, or on top of the Rockies.  It’s secure, and it’s manageable.

We can do the same for you.

ISC is such a diverse and flexible IT solutions company, we can manage almost anything from anywhere.  I can be sitting at a coffee shop in Atlanta, and remotely control an iPad in Los Angeles assisting someone setting up their corporate e-mail. For larger companies, we can integrate the same security software used on your computers and servers, on employee mobile devices.  If an employee is let go, or leaves the company, within minutes we can wipe that mobile device of all your company data without ever having to lay a hand on it.

I know we all hate change.  I hear it from some of our current clients and I’m sorry, but it’s happening.  We want to help.  We want to help your business be successful and embrace these changes at a pace that works for you.  ISC was built to manage businesses and the IT Solutions they rely on.

It doesn’t cost anything to simply talk to us:  info@yourisc.com.

Or visit us: http://www.yourisc.com/

SOPA and PIPA: Congress’ Continued Attempts To Regulate The Internet.

 

SOPA and PIPA: Congress’ Continued Attempts To Regulate The Internet.   

by Shaun Daugherty

Introduction

SOPA and PIPA have taken prominent roles in the news over the past several months.  If you have not heard, these are not the names of the next reality stars, but rather, aggressive legislation geared towards government regulation of the internet.  The introduction of these two bills has sparked an immense amount of debate, both for and against the proposed legislation.  The bills are very similar in their stated goals and means to accomplish the same.  The passage of one or both of the bills would create a number of questions for internet users, intellectual property owners, and the companies that conduct business over the web.  Naturally, the potential for substantial litigation over every aspect of the bills loom large.  However, given the massive push back from various business groups, companies, and the public-at-large, both bills have come to a screeching halt in their respective Congressional locations.

Some sources claim that internet piracy and digital theft and infringement of intellectual property exceeds $50 billion per year in financial output, costs hundreds of thousands of people jobs, and costs federal, state and local governments several billion dollars in tax revenue each year.  One of the main problems has been that a great host of the offending websites engaged in the allegedly infringing activity are located and registered outside of theUnited Stateswhere current laws do not reach.  This has posed a problem forU.S.based companies and owners of intellectual property in enforcing their rights against the alleged infringers.  Past attempts at broad-based regulation of internet piracy, such as the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), have failed.  SOPA and PIPA have tried to incorporate the past efforts with new language aimed at stemming the tide of infringement over the internet.

SOPA and PIPA

SOPA is the acronym for the House Bill titled “Stop Online Piracy Act,” introduced by Representative Lamar Smith in October of 2011.  PIPA, a similar Senate bill introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy in May of 2011, is an acronym of an acronym.  PIPA is short for the PROTECT IP Act where “PROTECT” stands for Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft.  Both bills are directed at curbing the infringement of intellectual property by “rouge sites,” mainly from overseas, which is allegedly accounting for billions of dollars in losses.  While almost everyone agrees that this is a noble goal, as with most of the legislation coming out of Congress, the devil is in the details.

The originally proposed provisions of SOPA would seek to combat the problems of intellectual property infringement by expanding the U.S. Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) powers to regulate alleged infringing activity.  The DOJ would be able to seek judicial intervention against hosting servers and, perhaps more importantly to the offending site, the revenue sources for the offending sites.  Under the bill’s provisions, the DOJ can seek court orders to do any of the following: bar online advertising networks and payment facilitators from conducting business with websites that infringe federal criminal IP laws; bar search engines from linking to said sites; and requiring internet service providers to block access to the sites.

The bill also contains provisions which would allow owners of intellectual property to act independently to enforce rights.  To enforce their rights, the owner of a work of intellectual property must have a “good faith belief” that their work is being infringed.  They must then provide written notification to the payment facilitators and ad networks of the allegedly offending website of the infringement.  The notice must then be passed along to the accused website and service must be suspended, unless the accused website provides notice of how and why it is not in violation of any intellectual property rights.  Opponents of the bill say that this provision unjustly places the burden of proof and costs of any litigation on the alleged infringer to prove their innocence rather than the other way around.

Further, the bill’s provisions appear to impose duties and responsibilities on websites and service providers to self patrol and monitor the content of their sites or face prosecution and penalties.  The proposed act increases penalties and adds fines for violations of intellectual property rights and criminalizes various other activities.  There are limited immunity provisions included for companies that would voluntarily comply with the proposed provisions.  Also, there are penalties for intellectual property owners that knowingly make false accusations against a website for infringement.

PIPA is very similar to the language and provisions of SOPA; however, it is more limited in scope.  While it too seeks to cut the revenue sources to websites that engage in intellectual property infringement, it does not target internet service providers like SOPA.  Enforcement of intellectual property rights under this bill can come either through the DOJ or from a direct right of enforcement held by the owner of the allegedly infringed works.  Courts can be petitioned for orders restraining or enjoining the activities of various websites which are either engaged in allegedly infringing activities or facilitate the allegedly infringing activities.

Support

Support for the proposed legislation comes from a variety of sources with the most cited supporters being the Record Industry Association ofAmerica(“RIAA”), the Motion Picture Association of America and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  Generally the most support for these bills comes from companies whose primary business is the ownership, licensing, and management of intellectual property.

The supporters of these bills point to the fact that they fill important gaps left in their ability to enforce their rights against foreign websites.  They claim that the passage of these bills will provide the necessary protection for intellectual property owners against overseas piracy which continues to have a substantially negative impact on theU.S.economy and has a chilling effect on the creation of new and creative works.

Proponents state that the proposed legislation would work in conjunction with the current laws, such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and existing criminal statutes, to ensure that internet entities do not sit passively while infringement is ongoing on their websites.  Constitutional scholars have reviewed the proposed language for the supporters and concluded that legislation is not inconsistent with the First Amendment, contrary to the opposition’s fears.

Opposition

On the other hand, opposition to these bills is fierce.  The opposition comes from various internet giants such as Mozilla Corp., Facebook, eBay, Wikipedia and Google, just to name a few.  Most companies that host, support or conduct a substantial amount of business over the internet have voiced some sort of concern over the breadth of the proposed legislation.  U.S. Government subcommittees, such as for Homeland Security, have voiced concerns over what appears to be short sighted provisions that do not coexist with current efforts to maintain cybersecurity.  Even foreign governments and officials have been outspoken over their concerns of “fracturing the world wide web.”

Online protests and petitions have exploded and have caused key votes in the House and Senate to be postponed.  Wikipedia and Reddit hosted “blackouts” in January, Google gathered millions of signatures to its protest petition, and scores of people have marched inNew York,San Francisco,Seattle, andWashingtonD.C.against these bills.

Future Outlook

The potential short and long range consequences of these bills are murky at best.  Critics of the bills claim that they will lead to censorship and wide spread violations of the freedom of speech.  Some have voiced the fear that any IP owner with a “good faith belief” that their property is being infringed could shut down an entire website of thousands of pages of non-infringing material for one possible infringement.  Further, companies that host, place ads with or facilitate payments on the web are concerned that the self-policing provisions will place a tremendous, if not impossible, burden on them.

Passage of these bills could causeU.S.companies that do business over the internet to experience unanticipated interruptions in business due to their web provider or payment facilitator’s website being shut down for violating the act.  For instance, if eBay or PayPal were to be found in violation of either of the Acts as passed, they could be shut down until they could prove their innocence.  Any company that was using eBay or PayPal services to do business with their own non-infringing goods would be an unfortunate casualty of this war.

Supporters claim that the fears stated above are misguided and the proposed bills have nothing to do with loss of freedoms or censorship.  Further, it is pointed out that the bills are targeted at foreign based websites that are currently outside the reach of existing laws.  A spokesman from the RIAA claims that the main opponents of the bills are simply stirring up propaganda which is difficult to fight since they have direct access to the public through their websites.

Ultimately, we will have to wait and see how this all unfolds.  Massive rewrites are being planned and alternative legislation has recently been proposed.  If Congress takes anything away from this endeavor, it should be the knowledge that attempting to regulate the internet is a slippery slope with some potentially substantial unintended consequences.

ISC Sponsors Marines in Afghanistan

Our President and Chief Technical Officer, Sgt. Craig Ganssle, once served with Det. 2 Comm. Co. / 4th FSSG with Gunnery Sergeant Tony Ruiz.  GySgt. Ruiz and these Marines designed an original emblem for their team in Afghanistan and were looking to get some shirts made; trying to figure out who could do it for them, arrange payment, etc.  Craig Ganssle stepped up and made sure these brave Marines got what they deserved.  ISC was honored to have these shirts made with their original logo.  

A special thank you to Jerry Hewitt at Just Graphics in Marietta, GA and the designer, Abe Levinson, who transformed the graphic from a pencil drawing into what you see below.

Here’s to a safe return to the Marines of 3rd Platoon / OEF 11-2

Afghanistan,  July 2011 – February 2012

Semper Fi, Gentlemen.

 

To see more, go to http://www.yourisc.com/in-the-lab-managed-IT-Service_tech_support

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Review

Here is our review of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus w/4G on Verizon LTE

It took me awhile to get to using a new phone.  I was in love with my HTC Incredible when I got it, and knew I was going to use it until it died.  I even thought it was dead once, wiped it, started from scratch, and go it to work again.  Whew!  I didn’t feel like spending on a new phone, and I was happy with my incredible.  Then….the Incredible started having issues.  It was officially time to look for a new phone.

If you’re anything like me, I use this phone almost non-stop all day long.  From social networking, to phone calls, texting, e-mail, the calendar, more e-mail, taking credit cards from clients, a little more e-mail, scanning bar codes, checking our company tickets, a few more e-mails, Google Docs, Google Currents (news), Google Offers & Scoutmob, etc, etc…..I’m a heavy user.  My point is, when I pick a phone, I want to have something I’m going to use for awhile.  It had to have enough memory, nice screen, fast, and of course working on the latest 4G from Verizon Wireless.  I’m on VZW because I actually want coverage when I travel….enough said.

I had heard and read a lot about the Samsung Galaxy Nexus prior to launch, specifically from The Verge.  I had read some good things, but will admit, Verizon Wireless had given me a Samsung Galaxy S phone once before; and while it was nice and light, I was not impressed.  The Samsung software layered over top of Android was slow, un-responsive at times, and down right sucked!  The camera didn’t work well from day one, and the keyboard was a nightmare.  I will say, in the  Galaxy S favor, the screen was typical of Samsung…..beautiful.  Needless to say, I was reluctant for another Samsung device.  A good friend of mine, James Walsh of TriNet was basically waiting for this thing to come out.  He had asked me if I had heard anything about it, and I could only forward him what I read from The Verge.  So….launch day came…..and went….no phone.  James texts me wanting to know, “are they ever going to launch this thing”.  I had no answer because I don’t think VZW knew themselves.  Long story short, it launches, and James is a happy man.

I picked his brain a few times asking questions about it, how he liked it, etc.  Everything he had to say was good.  I got my hands on one at a local VZW store, played with it, and decided to go for it.  So far, I’ve been very pleased…..with a few exceptions.  Either way, here’s my breakdown on the device:

Screen

Samsung holds to what they are known for….it’s gorgeous.  The AMOLED glass is flawless and the clarity is indeed superb.

Speed

 I live in an area where I barely squeeze through some 3G, but I’m normally on the 802.11 wireless at home anyway.  Outside of the house I’m all over Atlanta, which was the 2nd 4G LTE market to go live.  When in 4G LTE covergae, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus sings.  I download updates on Google Currents news faster than on my Xoom Tablet.  Since VZW is still running voice on CDMA, the phone does nicely rocking my data requests in the background on 4G LTE.

Battery

I try to keep in mind this is a smart phone, because I think they all suck when it comes to battery life, but I will say I’m not impressed with this one.  While there is a quick feature to bring up apps running in the background on the device Galaxy Nexus easily, and swipe them away, (kill them), the battery is still a hog.  They do make an extended battery, but I love the size and slow curve to the Galaxy Nexus so I don’t want to have to compromise size and weight to gain more battery juice.

Samsung Layered Software

I will say that this is a night and day experience from the Galaxy S I had.  There is little or no drag when switching between app.  I also like how this phone seemed “stripped” so to speak.  It did not come with a ton of useless apps that I could not remove from the factory.  Also, The Virtual Voice Mail App was as if it was forgotten, and not on the phone.  You have to download it from the Android Market Place under Galaxy Nexus Virtual Voicemail.

Keyboard

Not bad when I can keep it going.  I have issues with it “sticking” and waiting for the words to catch up.  When this gets really bad, I can’t even type anymore til it catches up and populates everything I’m trying to get down.  I understand there are some bug-fixes for this coming soon.  Thus I’m not going to download a second keyboard UI until I see how that does.

Camera

A little disappointing.  While I could certainly get used to the front facing 3.0mp camera for the occasional Google Hangout, the rear facing camera with a limited 5.0mp is shameful.  I mean, my HTC Incredible had an 8.0mp….?  I do like the fast capture capability; I can now compete with my wife and her beloved iPhone.  The pictures still come out pretty clear, and the focus is relatively quick, but I was really looking for a higher end camera from this device.  The video does capture in 1080p which is nice.  I’m not a huge video watcher on my phone since I have a tablet.

So there it is, my opinion of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.  Overall, I feel like it’s a great device, but lacks in a few areas that could have been avoided and made it a real killer Android SmartPhone.  Give me a better battery, 8.0mp rear facing camera, 5.0mp front facing, and fix the bugs on the keyboard, and this truly is an all in one device.

 

 

 

 

Managed Services……what is it, and how is it different from IT Support? And why is it so important?

So….what is “Managed Services”?  How does it differ from IT Support?  Or computer repair?

Well, let’s look at a breakdown of services typically requested by residential and SMB clients.

The “Break / Fix” Scenario

Typically, this is an instance where a customer has an issue with a computer or simple network device.  They request someone to come to their office or house, or choose to take the system or device to a big box chain store and have it looked at. This customer is typically not someone on a monthly contract with a service provider and pays by the job.  This can be expensive.  It can also be mis-leading by individuals who are not qualified to work on computers.  In the past this was the norm and an acceptable method of resolving an issue.  The problem arising today is that we are becoming more and more of technology driven society, and if your information is not “cloud” based, or you’re not backing up, you could loose a lot of data.  Almost all of the big box chain stores do not have qualified or certified people working on your system.  As a matter of fact, they have been the target of criminal lawsuits for stealing data, installing ghosting and tracking programs, and fraud.  Not cool.

This method is the most common among the home and home office customer.  The best advise for the person who falls into this category is to stay away from the big box chain stores, and find a local tech that you can use over and over again.  One who is certified, insured, and can even access your system remotely.  ISC happens to be one of the only companies that services both commercial AND residential on affordable monthly maintenance plans.  Here’s a link to check out how they do it: http://www.yourisc.com/residential-services-managed-IT-Service_tech_support

The “Service Contract” Scenario

While becoming more common among residential customers, with companies who offer affordable packages for them, this scenario if most popular among the small to medium sized company, (SMB).  However, we’re starting to see that it is fading fast.  With the service contract, you usually pay a monthly fee to “belong” to a service provider who more than likely provides some sort of routine maintenance on a monthly basis.  At least you hope they do.  They often charge for additional IT support for things such as resolving virus issues, installing 3rd party programs, installing printers, etc.  The basic things.  The problem with this scenario is most tech support companies have bloated costs for things like this.  They charge an arm and a leg just to come your door.  And if they do offer remote access, the security is crap.  It is in my opinion that even this level of customer support needs to be treated as a managed service client.  Contracts, security offerings, data backup, anti-virus included in costs, etc.  See more of this here: http://www.yourisc.com/support-managed-IT-Service_tech_support

The “Manged Services” Scenario

This brings me to the managed services segment.  I believe this is going to be the manner in which tech support is going to evolve.  ISC is one of the only companies that offers complete managed services for everyone.  That’s right…..EVERYONE.  While this scenario has been mostly reserved for larger companies, or small businesses and medium sized businesses, technology has allowed us to progress beyond the norm of in-house managed services from the tech down the hall.

ISC uses the same program for residential customers as it does for the larger companies we support.  This program is a monitoring support program.  So we go beyond the concept of, “I can access your system remotely and save you a trip”.  Well I would hope so by now!  Secure elements for remote access into customers system and networks should be a no brainer.  Not only are you able to save them money, but it’s more cost effective to you and/or your organization as well.  The monitoring is what sets ISC apart from the rest.  Through our managed services program, (MSP), ISC engineers can see your system, and everything about it, no matter where you are, as long as your online.  We can see your RAM usage, how much disk space you have left, and even what kind of operating system and/or motherboard you have and tell you if you can support a RAM upgrade.  We receive alerts when your disk capacity reaches a certain threshold, same is true for memory, processor usage, etc.  And that’s just the end user system level.

Want to know the current state of your company network?  ISC can tell you who is on Facebook, for how long, how much of the network bandwidth their using, and throttle them back.  With advanced reporting, ISC can run reports daily, weekly, monthly, whatever you like.  We can take over control of a system for maintenance, or stand idle in the background and install updates.  Security?  Yeah not an issue.  We can run security reports through the same program no matter what security software you’re using.

The era of managed service is here.  More and more we, as a society, both individual and business, are becoming more reliable on technology daily.  It’s part of almost everything we do.  Whether it’s running business reports, processing transactions in our store, keeping accurate medical records, filing important financial or legal information, or connecting with friends and loved ones on a global scale.  With social networking so prominent, it’s as if our lives are on-line.  The storage of pictures and videos are so important.  Wouldn’t you like to have the same kind of support a 300+ company has?  For businesses, wouldn’t you like the personal attention the residential user gets?  Don’t you want a company that has partners that supports them with your network or systems?  ISC has you covered and you can check it out here:  http://www.yourisc.com/network-consulting-managed-services-managed-IT-Service_tech_support

It’s time to let someone you can trust manage your systems and networks.  You worry about your business or your life, let ISC worry about all the technology needs.  We’re here for you.  That’s why it’s yourisc.

It’s not just about the technology. It’s about the business.

Let’s think for a minute how much we rely on technology on a daily basis for our business.  How many hours a day are you glued to that hand-hled device checking mails, posting on Twitter to boost followers, checking into places to generate more traffic for you or your company?

I often think that many individuals and companies alike take for granted the value of the technology or network supporting them.  I don’t think people realize just what it takes to support an average small business who needs a website, e-mail, and the day to day desktop applications.  You know what I see when we mention those things?  Here’s just a few things:

• Domain management
• MX Record assigning and management
• CNAME hosting and management
• disk drive maintenance
• Security
• registry filing
• Windows updates
• Java updates
• Adobe updates
• Security
• System RestorePoints
• Data back-up
• server management
• mobile compatibility
• mobile syncing
• Security
• mobile collaboration
• document collaboration
• data storage
• web based access
• HTML
• Security
• A+
• C+
• network +
• CLI
• Anti-Virus management
• Malware Management
• CDMA
• GSM
• Security
• LTE
• Ohms Law
• Fiber
• T1
• Ethernet
• Social Media Integration
• Securty
• HL7 Compliance
• PCI Compliance
• HIPPA Compliance
• POS Systems
• Software applications
• Word
• Excel
• Power Point
• Outlook

……….we could do this all day.

It takes a lot to run a business.  It takes a lot of knowledge, time, motivation, and determination.  In 2011, it also takes a lot of technology.  I often look back and think about the customers who opted out of hiring my company to manage their network because, “My friends nephew is good with this stuff”.  The fact is it takes a team of people to manage even the smallest network simply.  In a time when the business owner should be focusing on the business, he’s dependant upon all this technology to do just that.  Should we be taking shortcuts?  Or should we be looking at ways to implement new technology, to lower overall costs and increase efficiency and productivity……?

When you decide not to hire a good IT company to manage your network, who’s loosing?  The IT company didn’t have you before they walked in the door, so if they don’t have you when they walked out, they didn’t lose anything.  They might not have gained either, but they didn’t lose.  However, you might have lost.  This might have been the best organization to manage your network.  It was most likely better than what you had been using….nothing.

What if you had an existing company…..?  Are they following up with you at least every year to show where improvements can be made?  I belive that is an imperative role for any outsourced IT company.  In the 4th business quarter, they should have a full report plan to go over as to what improvements can be made on the network to save money, and where money may need to be spent to increase network ability.

It’s not just about the gizmos and gadgets anymore.

It’s more serious than that.

This is business.

The Most Important Element to Your Business is Your Network…..Both of Them.

“The Key to Success in Battle, is Effective Communications”

These can be words to live by; for almost any situation.  To me, they were the words written above every door in 29 Palms California at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, (MCAGCC).  They were words to live by during my time in the military.  My job in the military had the shortest life expectancy in a combat situation; 2.3 seconds.  Take out the enemy’s communication, and you cripple them.  The same applies to business.

So what are we referring to when we say “effective communications”?  While trying to have an un-biased opinion, (because I own a tech company that does ITSS), you’re only half right.  The other is in fact social networking…..but I’m not talking about your Twitter, Facebook, Digg, etc.  I’m talking about the actual act of networking on a social level.  I’m going to touch on both in this post.

First, the social networking aspect.

While I am sure to post, tweet, update, shout, like, or whatever else I do for my company on a daily basis, the one thing I am sure to do as much as I can, is network.  I sponsor several networking events in a months time.  The sponsorship is for two reasons: 1) It is marketing for my company.  2) I believe in it so much, and it has done so well for us, I want to give something to others through networking events.

Some would say if you went to a networking event, and out of all the other professionals you met there, none turned out to be customers, that it was a wasted event.  Was it?  Myself or the other people in my organization don’t always land a new client from every event, but we make contacts.  We meet people whose products or services we might be able to use now, or in the future.  In general, we just network and meet other professionals, executives, and experts in different industries and from all over.  To me, this is invaluable; even compared to your modern-day stereotypical social networking. (Facebook, Twitter, etc)  I actually get to have one on one face time with these people.  Many times I have heard those that I am speaking to about my company, express to me that they can sense the passion I have for what I do, as well as the vast knowledge base for my industry.  I appreciate that, and I take it to heart.  I do have a passion for what I do….otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing it.  I get a sense of satisfaction when we save a client money, and equally make their business more productive, and more efficient through technology.  While we might not land a customer at every event, we are quite possibly remembered for our passions and knowledge when they do need it….because they most certainly will at some point.

Which brings me to the second aspect.

Take a moment and try to think of one company, or profession, that exists today, that does not use technology.  Think of a business that does not use a computer or information network.  Can you think of one?  I cannot.  I’ve tried, but even the teenager that cuts grass over the summer, probably keeps a spreadsheet of customers or finances on a computer at home.

I’ve mentioned, on several occasions, the importance of an information network.  Bill Gates talks about it for over 300 pages in his book, “Business at the Speed of Thought”….(not to be confused with this post, I named it before I ever found his book..lol).  The network to which business owners and executives share information with their employees, customers, vendors, partners & affiliates, is critical to the survival and function of any business.  People have heard me ask, “If you came into work, and the HVAC was down, whether dead of winter, or middle of the hottest day in summer, could you perform business?”.  The answer is usually, yes.  While it might be uncomfortable for the customers, (should you have a retail location), or miserable for the employees, day-to-day operations can still continue.  Then I ask, “What if you came in to work and the plumbing was down, or the main utility power; could business still resume?”  Perhaps if you have backup generators or power plants in place.  Maybe some people work off of laptops, tablets, and wireless carrier devices.  So, sure….business can generally resume.  Then I end with my favorite question, “What if you came into work and your network was down?”.  Think about that for a minute……………………………………….got it.  What do you do?  What if your server was down?  What if a virus spread through every end-user system like wildfire throughout the night?  What if your centralized database got hacked, or your network access storage was hacked into?  What would you do?  Do you have a company outsourced to manage your network?  Do they just spring into action when something breaks?  Or do they take an active interest in preventative maintenance to keep these things from happening?  The answer I get from most business owners, executives, and decision makers of organizations is that they don’t have anyone in place, but a few numbers they call if something happens.  If your answer to issues like this is something like “Geek Squad”, or “The PC Doctor”….you’re in trouble.

Every business owner dreams of the success of owning and running their own company.  They dream about being the big boss, having the fancy car, raking in the dough, etc.  It is important to remember, these things only come with the success of the actual business, and the success of the actual business, (battle) is effective communications.  The backbone of any great company, is the quality of the network in which they share and extend information.  Your network infrastructure should have redundancy built into it.  It should be managed by those who specialize in that industry.  Don’t have your friend’s son who’s big into video games and plays on his computer manage and fix your network.  Seriously?!?!?  Your overhead needs to be low, profit margins high.  Never take out of the technology budget.  It is your key to success in battle.

The Negative Impact on Social Media Marketing…..really? Negative?

It’s hard to believe anyone would think of social media marketing as having a negative impact on a business.  And for the most part, I would say the positive outweighs the negative.  However, I  don’t think we should ignore what bad can come out of it.

When we think of some of the biggest names in companies out there, we think of companies like General Electric (GE), AT&T, Coca-Cola, etc, etc.  With companies this size, and the sheer volume of customers they have, it’s certain someone, somewhere is going to have something bad to say about them.  It might be a bad experience they had with that company, a faulty product, whatever, someone at some point had something negative to say.  Chances are, it probably had very little impact on the company.  Keep in mind, I’m talking about one customer here.  This is not the same as, for instance, the Toyota recalls we saw in the news in 2009.  This effected thousands of customers, if not more, and made it into the media spotlight…which we all know where that leads.  I’m talking about 1 single customer.  Most would agree, that the effects of one un-happy customer to any of the aforementioned companies, has little if any impact on business.

Shift gears to the modern-day small business; where competition is high, the  market place and economic conditions make it near impossible to have access to working capital, and social media is critical.

I believe it is crucial for every start-up, or small business to have a realm of social media marketing to establish a name of their product of service.  The reach this level of marketing extends far beyond that of mass mailers, local advertising in magazines and other periodicals, and above all for the most part…..it’s free.  How can you beat that!?  My company, ISC, has been in business for 4 years.  As an IT Service & Support (ITS&S) company, our marketplace is vast.  After all, our customer is pretty much anyone with a computer or network.  That’s a lot of people.  The beginning was rough, starting in the spring of 2007, we were right at the beginning of the downfall of the US economy.  Rasing capital has been impossible.  I started ISC with my own money, and so far, to this day, this still remains the case.  I’m proud to say, we’re turning a profit, and we don’t owe anyone, anything.  But, it also makes moving forward very hard.  We utilize social media marketing to every extent we can.  So far, it’s been pretty good.  Our website averages several hundred hits a day, we have 131 “likes” on our Facebook page, and we have several established partnerships with some big name companies in our industry, (Cisco, Webroot, VMware, Zimbra, Microsoft, Intel, etc).  Many of these companies also follow us on Twitter.  We still search for Venture Capital.  We’ve had some interest, but the economy keeps investors wanting to hold on to their cash.  The banks are another story, if you want to borrow $250,000, we’ll need you to have $250,000 already in reserve to back the load….?  Then why would I borrow it in the first place!?  Most would think because then you can leverage $500,000 for working capital.  WRONG!!!  Unless you want to end up broke, or backed into a corner from a ton of debt, over-extending your company financially is not a smart move.

Most of what we look for working capital for is marketing.  If I had never taken an interest in communications and computer networks, I should have gone into marketing.  Someone, somewhere is making some serious money off of it because it is expensive as hell!!!  Thus, the advantages to social media.

So how the negative impact?  It’s free, it reaches potential customers all over the world, it can be rather creative, and currently it’s the latest “fad”.  Well, unlike the big corporations, 1 un-happy customer can have a huge negative impact on a small business….especially if they know their way around the social media circle.

Here in Atlanta, there is a local PR firm to which I was invited to attend one of their networking events.  These people sure can put on an event; ice sculptures, music, fantastic city view from the venue, etc.  After attending the first event, I went home with a fistful of business cards and started plugging the info into my e-mail acct.  Why carry around a ton of business cards when I can store it all in my phone.  I decided to Google the gentleman who headed the PR firm that hosted this event.  My search revealed, second from the top, a very negative comment in the subject line of one of the search results.  I was a little baffled.  I mean, I met this person, he put on a good event, was a great public speaker introducing sponsors at the event, etc.  I of course clicked on this link, and read more about this negative comment.  While I believe there are always two sides to every story, and I, of course, was not present for whatever went down between these two, I began to realize the impact this one post by one un-happy customer had.

Now, I understand the concept of, “the customer is always right”.  I get that.  We strive to do everything we can to give the customer the best possible experience.  We, as a business, also need to make a profit.  That is what we’re here for.  We’re not in business to give products and services away for free, that would be pointless.  But I’m sure we’ve all either experienced, heard about, or possibly even witnessed one of those customers who wants what they want right now, for free, and with the best service imaginable.  It happens, and it’s a part of business.  A decade ago, this would have been the kind of situation you would try to avoid, but should it still turn out poorly, you tried to put it behind you.  Not anymore.

The impact of a single negative comment from one irate customer through all the social media circles can be disastrous.  If the un-happy customer is familiar with social media, experienced in navigating around them, posting, blogging, etc, the little “Google spiders” out there will pick up on keywords, (like your company name) just as easily as your SEO efforts.  So what do we do about these sort of situations?  How can we handle customers that think they should have it all and have it for free, and then blast you socially when they don’t get it?

I believe in killing them with kindness.  If the cyberspace they start to “bash” you on is a site you too frequent or have an account with as well, don’t hide from it.  Confront them in the same spotlight.  This might lead to an on-line debate, going back and forth like Romper Room, so remember to be professional, be courteous, and remember your please and thank you.  I notice on Facebook a lot of companies have fan pages which will not allow open comments….I suppose that’s one way to handle it, but their also not getting any of the positive feedback which can come from allowing public comments visible.  Others I see, handle the public criticism pretty well.  They go to a certain length via the social realm, before they then try to contact the person privately.  In my opinion, this is better than hiding or ignoring the negativity.

Let’s face it, the first thing someone does when they want to more about a company, product, or service they never heard of is get behind the old Google search engine., so when you’re a small business or a start-up, the social media realm is going to be huge for you.  We may not always be able to please every customer, but it is important that we try.  So hiding behind criticism, negative comments, or someone bad-mouthing you in the social media circle, isn’t trying.

Facebook – Zynga – Clutter = Google+……?

So it’s been a few weeks now, and in case you’ve been under a rock somewhere, you know Google launched their social media arm; Google+.

Right now you have to be invited to Google+ by someone who is currently using it, but that has already led to over 10 million users in these short few weeks.  Amazing.  Below is a little bit about it,the differences between Google+ and its rival giant Facebook, and how this new wave of social media might benefit you or your business.

First of all, Google+ has a cleaner look than Facebook.  I myself, and I would imagine those who are technically challenged, might find this makes it that much easier to use than Facebook.  For businesses, much like the option of having a “page” on Facebook, there currently is not an option like this on Google+.  However, Google developers have made us aware that it is in the works, and they urge individuals with businesses NOT to use the current set-up to start a business page.  I would imagine this is probably because the business page version will be chock full of other features geared towards business use it lacks at this time.  Here’s a little more about what you’ll find in Google+:

Circles

Within circles, you can categorize the people you’re connected with.  Business people in the business circle, family in the family circle, friends in the friends circle….you get the idea.  I love this.  I know Facebook has groups, but between what I am seeing with the mobile version, both on my Android phone and tablet, it is a snap to choose who you want to see your updates.

Stream

Basically, much like it says, it’s the stream of data coming from everyone you’re connected with; just like the news section of Facebook.  Instead of “liking” a post, you can “+1″ it.  Instead of “blocking” a post, you can “mute” it.

Huddle

This is probably one of my favorite features.  Huddle is like a virtual chat room for anyone you choose.  This can be  handy little tool for business use.  You can send an update, much like a chat or SMS to everyone in the Huddle.  It’s like a group chat session.  Android mobile devices actually have a separate app for this feature.  Which I think is nice….you can get into a Huddle without having to open Google+; like a shortcut.  Nice.

Sparks

Need you “spark” your interest on something?  Sparks allows you to find content on Google+ that interests you.  Fashion, Recipes, Sports, etc.

Hangout

Probably what will separate the men from the boys, women from girls, and Google+ from Facebook.  How about a video chat session with up to ten people.  It’s like Skype on steroids.

Photos

Photos, is pretty self-explanatory.  It’s photos from your phone.  You can choose which ones you want to share or not.  There is a setting on Google+ to automatically upload new photos taken with your phone.  This means as soon as you take a picture, it automatically uploads to Google+.  Now, this doesn’t mean it shares it right away, but it’s there and gives you the option to check it as a photo to share if you so desire.  Here’s the kicker I’m not sure other realize; this means all your photos are in the cloud.  It’s like an automatic backup for photos from your phone!!  Much like Google Music Beta.  I love this feature.  Most will probably learn to appreciate it more if they lose or damage their phone, get a new one, sync with Google+ and get their photos back.

So, there you have it.  The low-down from ISC on this new social media application that has taken the world by storm over the last few weeks.  For more information, check out Mashable’s step-by-step guide to Google+ here:  http://mashable.com/2011/07/16/google-plus-guide/

I think Google has a long way to go to spread like the wildfire that is Facebook.  Many are not going to want to change and start something new; it probably took them this long to get their Facebook profile built to where they want it and the idea of starting over seems grueling.  I think we have to remember who we’re dealing with though….it’s Google.  They’ve managed to do things better than others.  Though some of their projects did seem to flop, Buzz, Wave….these attempts at social media flopped. But, it’s Google.  The power of their search engine collaborated with the existing services they have that have been a great success, Gmail, Maps, Earth, Goggles, Picasa, of course the infamous Search Engine, and a multitude of other applications, this could be the next huge drive for Google.

So far, in my opinion….it’s a +

While packing for the cloud, don’t forget your music….courtesy of Google.

So, I have a Motorola Xoom tablet.  I love the thing, it’s awesomonious….(yes this is a word, my oldest daughter and I made it up….it’s gonna be a thing, just go with it).  Anyway, when I got it, there was an app icon which was a little pair of headphones.  I wondered what this was for, and figured, (since it’s headphones), it would be for music.  While it was not one of the first things I began playing with on my Xoom from the start,  it’s been the “leading app” the past two days now.  Here’s why.

The Google IO conference was this past week, to which they announced, (and launched), their music program, (currently called music beta).  As a Xoom holder and Google partner, I was invited to beta test the program…..(sweet perks!).  I gotta say….I’m loving it…..(it’s streaming right now as I write this blog….Jack Johnson to be specific)

To begin with, it’s a simple program loaded onto your computer.  From there, it will search whatever file directory, or program for that matter, you tell it to, to pull music. ( I told it to look in iTunes for mine).  It will also search Windows Media Player, etc.  Then, it begins uploading.  I had 2,000+ songs in iTunes alone.  I had a networking event to attend last night, so I just left it. When I returned home for the evening, it had about 80+ songs to go.  Once finished, I went to my tablet, and there it all was….album covers and all.  Next, off to check my Android phone.  I downloaded the music beta app, and sure enough……there’s all my music.  This was pretty nice.  Now, it does stream it over the air, (OTA).  However, on my Xoom tablet, where I am limited to 3GB of data a month, I checked the option to only stream when on Wi-Fi.  Nice thinking Google!  My phone has the unlimited data package, so I just let it run.  Thus far in the Atlanta, GA and the surrounding areas, (I’m mostly on 4G LTE here), I’ve yet to hear a song skip, hiccup, etc.  When at my desk at home, I simply pull up the music beta web page, and there everything is.  No internet connection?  Not to worry!  The most recently played songs will automatically be made available offline, not to mention, you can assign what albums or artists you want available offline…..but I got to thinking, there’s another angle here!

I’m in the cloud.  So, should I get another computer, change phones, replace my tablet, whatever……I simply log into my Google acct, make sure I have the music beta app….done.  I’m backing up at the same time here!  LOVE THAT CLOUD CONCEPT!

Now, I never install anything on the main drive on my system at home other than the operating system, and programs, (such as iTunes).  Everything else is on a external hard drive or network access storage.  When I run iTunes, I make sure it’s mapped to look for my music on one of the external drives, thus where I store it when I initially download it.  I’ve got my own little cloud going on so if a system ever crashes, I can wipe clean., start over, re-download iTunes, and keep on rolling, (this doesn’t happen often, but when you test programs or hardware a lot, it occurs).  But now I’m able to take it a step further from a mobility perspective.  No more wires, no more need to sync with my NAS or EHD.  It’s all out there in my secure cloud.  If I download something from iTunes, Google Music Beta recognizes this, and uploads it immediately…..holy sweetness batman!

Amazon has started their cloud music, and while I’ve heard some good things about it, I’m going to bet we’re going to see a lot more from Google on the music.  First off, I’m sure there will be an actual name for it at some point other than “Google Music Beta”.  Also, as soon as it gets tied in with the Android Marketplace, ( or most likely its own “music marketplace”), we will see the availability to purchase  music via our phone, tablet, laptop, desktop….whatever, and it will sync across all devices.

Much like a Dropbox for your music, I’m excited to see what the future holds from Google on the Music Beta.  Depending on how much music you have, and your connection speed, it might take some time to initially upload everything.  However, I’m starting to already experience that it’s worth the time.

Be on the lookout for availability soon to the masses.  Or, give us a shout, send an e-mail, reply here….it’s all good.  We’ll be sure to share the news of Google Music Beta and how it’s going.  More info can also be found by Google here.