Back Ups

Backups

The Majestic PC. Strong, Proud, and ready to crash and burn with all your data at a moments notice.

What are you doing to back up your mission critical data? What is your disaster recovery plan? Have you even thought about one?

It's probably safe to assume that since you are reading this, you run your dealership from your PC. Or maybe you only rely on your PC for email or web access. However you look at it, your PC is probably involved in your business and what is on it and what you do on it is critical to your success. What would you do if your PC crashed? What if your business data what fried? How would you get it back?

BACKUPS my friend. When it comes to managing your PC, there is nothing more annoying than backups. However, they have to be done. Most versions of Windows ship with a back up application, and there are many you can download for free, or purchase. Let's talk about a few and backup methodology.

If you are running Windows XP Professional or Vista, you have backup software. In XP, its located in the SYSTEM TOOLS section, and in Vista, you can simply type in BACK UP in the search field and find the BACK UP and RESTORE CENTER. In either case, you are presented with options to backup your entire PC or select files. Windows Backup is not perfect, but odds are you have it and it's relatively painless to setup.

In the case of a single PC, I recommend backing up select files. In the case of a disaster, odds are you are only going to either reinstall or purchase a new OS, so system type files will be replaced anyway. What you want to save are your business records, contacts, emails, favorites, etc. You can even back up on a set schedule. The two main methods of backup are FULL and INCREMENTAL. Full is fairly self explanatory. Basically whatever you schedule to back up with the full option will get overwritten when it runs. The plus is you are ensuring yourself an entire back up, the downside is EVERY file gets backed up, whether it needs to or not. So if you have a lot a data, your backup is going to take awhile.

Incremental backups only backup what has changed since the last back up. If you worked on a particular spreadsheet that day, and that was it, your incremental back up will be quick and easy. A good rule of thumb to follow is two full backups a week (typically at the beginning and middle of the week) and the rest can be incremental.

Of course there would be no point in backing up to the same location, so lets talk MEDIA. Where are you going to put this stuff? Easy...removable media. Nowadays you can go down to your local Best Buy store and pick up a few gigs for a few bucks. Western Digital makes some great pocket type external hard drives, up to 300GBs, for less than $100.00. And although a dont recommend it, you can also backup to your hard drive and archive to a CD or DVD. Of course if you forget to do this then you will kick yourself.

So if you don't want to use Windows Backup, what is out there? Check this out

http://tinyurl.com/dnmzvb

There are tons of options. Those are just the free ones! So get yourself setup with a decent backup scheme asap!

Cloud Computing Follow Up

Just a follow up article I came across on what Cloud Computing is and where how it is currently defined.

Cloud Computing: A Transition Methodology
— Cloud computing refers to the practice of leveraging third-party computing resources, such as network grids and server farms, to extend IT capabilities and reduce the cost of ownership. This practice offers numerous potential benefits to organizations that want to centralize software and data storage management while eliminating the costly overhead of in-house hardware and software maintenance and the personnel required to build, support, and maintain enterprise computing solutions.

Microsoft pulls their head out of the ARSES....

This is the first really super cool thing I have seen come out of the Windows 7 media explosion.


Its like someone at Microsoft grew a pair and said "hey...our stuff is bloated, so many if you you guys insist on making it that way, we can at least give users the option to decrease the bloatedness"

This person is now the subject of ridicule at the Redmond campus, but I call him HERO.

Is it wrong.....

...that I find this stuff really cool?

Hey Vista Users!

Critical patch coming tomorrow!

Microsoft is expected to release and upcoming patch on March 10 which address issues on Vista, Windows Server 2003, XP, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 2000.

Patches include 1 “critical” which is the highest Microsoft alert level, 2 “important”, and the rest within the 3rd and 4th alert level status. There are no details yet of the patches but Microsoft has confirmed this should be available on March 10.

Netbooks: Making their way in the world today

PCs. Laptops. Notebooks. Netbooks.

Wait…what was that last one? NETBOOK? HUH?

Netbooks are becoming more and more popular and make things easy for the small business person on the go. You don’t have to be a computer geek to work one either. Netbooks typically have smaller screens, smaller keyboards, and have less powerful hardware then a typical laptop or PC notebook. They are also under $400.00

With a WiFi connection, these Netbooks are perfect for "cloud computing", which put simply is using an internet connection to connect to an online application or data. Basically you don’t have to install any pieces of behemoth software.

What are your basic computer needs at a client site? Web? Check your email? Show a presentation? All of these can be accomplished with a Netbook. Plus, at an average of 2.5lbs, they are easy on your shoulder bag!

But what about the hard drive? Where can I save my stuff? How much can I save my stuff? These days there are all sorts of online options for your data. My personal favorite is Google Docs.

Google Docs give you a beefy FREE office suite...all online. You get a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a presentation maker free. You can store documents online, and even upload WORD and Excel formats. It opens them!

And because its online, all your documents are saved online. No more having to worry about where they are, or using flash drives. What's more, you can share the files with anyone. No more having to rely on email to send a file. What if the file is too big? What if its caught by a spam filter? Being able to share the document online eliminates those possibilities.

Netbooks and the concept of cloud computing really allow you to redefine the boundaries of your office and how you sell. You can increase your ability to faster serve your clients and spend more time in the field.

HERE COME THE TECHIES

According to the Wall Street Journal...more companies are hiring TECHIES than anyone else. Welcome to business in 2008. While this doesn't tell me anything I didn't already know...it should tell you something. Businesses are starting to rely more on IT...and realizing that having an IT plan in place is vital to staying competitive.

Kaeser is aware if this...and while it may seem that we aren't on the cutting edge, that doesn't mean we don't have IT solutions in place to make things better. I used to think that having a successful IT program in business meant having all the latest gadgets, software, and tools. Now, I have come to realize that IT is simply a process that allows the business to move forward with ideas. Obviously, the genesis of those ideas come the tech...but change for tech sake is not efficient, nor does it necessarily mean a successful ROI.

IT is now as integral a part of business as Customer Service, Accounting, Order Processing, etc. One cannot function without the other. This of course makes me very happy. But it should also make you think. As an independent salesperson in 2008...you probably have an IT infrastructure in place....you just don't realize it.

You have your home computer. You have your email. You have files you save. Hopefully you are backing things up. You have a system for keeping your customer accounts. You have a list of websites you visit for research. You may maintain a website...you may not. Regardless...you have systems in place that rely on tech in order for you business to survive. Those processes you do keep your business flowing...and when they work your business works. When they don't, your business suffers.

Tech helps Kaeser help you, and it helps you help your customers.