Create New Business or Reduce Expenses? Why not both...

With economic changes rapidly happening and a slowdown forecast coming, how can your business maximize use of your precious computer technology budget?

Here are five things you can implement now at relatively low costs to reduce expenses or help increase sales and thus bottom line profitability:

1. Email Marketing
   
   It is proven historically correct or accurate that people who bought from you are most likely to buy again. You probably already have email addresses for your best customers and they would probably enjoy hearing about new products and services that you offer. Ace Internet can help you set up a way to communicate with up to 500 people a month for only $15. It is a web based tool and takes less than 15 minutes to set up and send your first emails. Give it a try today!
   
   
2. SharePoint or Web WorkPlaces
   
   If you are running a Microsoft Small Business Server or use Comcast Business Services then you already have everything you need to start groups of people (either inside or outside of your company) to collaborate, work on large Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations or other files. Right now, almost all email systems have limitations on files sizes. SharePoint puts you in control of some of these limitations and gets salespeople collaborating with customers. Call ACE Internet for an online demo.
   
   
3. "SaaS" or Software as a Service
   
   Ever day there are probably dozens or hundreds of new web based applications being developed in cyberspace. Microsoft is leveraging its LIVE platform for chat, presence, document sharing and more. Google has similar offerings and there are many others (Salesforce.com, etc.) If you have a specific sales tool you are using or a process that helps you sell...contact Ace Internet and see what other options exist that are web based and easy to use.
   
   
4. Smart Phone Technology
   
   The iPhone, the Blackberry, Microsoft Windows Mobile devices...the price on all of this technology has come way down and the power and functionality keeps going up. We are not at the point where you can ditch your laptop and some of your traveling workers need access when they can not use a laptop. Thus comes in smart phone technology. Using phones that are just a little bit smarter, key people can access calendars, contacts and emails that will SYNC with their desktop. If you already have a Microsoft Small Business Server, you ned to buy no other software. Just have Ace Internet adjust your firewall and activate services and you can start selling and communicating more with your customers.
   
   
5. Remote Workers
   
   In the past, having access to your files or your office desktop when you are at home or on the road was a luxury. Today it is almost a requirement but not just for the boss. Bringing on a part time worker or allowing tele-commuting is now far easier to manage. It is very fast to get someone online and selling or servicing your customers while he or she is off site. Ace Internet has several low cost and easy to deploy options...several of which require NO additional hardware or software purchases. Best of all, these solutions have NO recurring fees. Once set up, you just start working and managing projects and customers. Call Ace Internet to see how easy it is to try.
   

Bad guys, Bogus Software and Server Updates

It seems that the pace of trouble by being online changes almost as fast as the benefits of being online. October was a tough month for new troubles and I wanted to highlight just a few of them for you. First of all, a new round of bogus software from seemingly legitimate sources is cropping up. Several bad guys have released programs that mimic or outright COPY the names and logos of legitimate businesses. The old term for this was phishing. But this new round of malicious software gets installed on your PC or server with a Microsoft logo and makes you believe that you need to go to a web site and BUY something to fix the problem that it found. The crazy thing is that the bogus Microsoft software is actually written by a bad guy and is trying to trick you into paying to remove the problem they installed! Be very careful when downloading and installing new software. Also, be aware of new programs that suddenly appear on your PC.

Along similar lines, Microsoft released a new warning for servers to security patch systems. (See http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx and the October 23 release.) Many of my clients have me regularly on site and remote accessing sites to patch systems. If you have not heard from ACE this month, give us a call.

The real key to keeping all of your PC's and laptops secure in addition to secure servers will take a few steps. Number one is maintaining your firewall at a good secure level. Number two is maintaining your anti-virus and anti-spyware software at fully patched levels and checking their scan results regularly. The next step is to run your Windows Updates at least monthly and when you receive notifications from ACE or Microsoft to update. And one of the last things to regularly maintain is a keen eye on your systems for any irregular or suspicious behaviour.

Between keeing your systems protected and looking for potential troubles and being vigilant, you can be ahead of troubles before they get into your systems!

Security, Viruses and Malware

There have been a lot of bad things going on on the Internet lately and I thought it would be a good time to review some basics about managing your computers.

One attack in specific seems to be causing trouble.

Some people are getting emails from package shipping companies claiming to be UPS, etc with a tracking number in a ZIP or RAR compressed file. Once the user opens this attachment, it starts to lay the roots to download and install an application that has one of many names. Windows Anti-virus 2008 or Windows Anti-virus 2008 for XP. First of all, Microsoft does not currently make a product like this. Although it appears to be legitimate and installs itself as a program in the ADD/REMOVE programs toolbar, it is bogus. Secondly it needs to be removed.

What this program does is send out SPAM to other people and tries to get them to open attachments and infect other computers.

It is a little bit difficult to uninstall and requires someone like Ace Internet or your local PC company to remove the infection.

The first hint that something is wrong is that you will see a new icon on the desktop and/or a new toolbar as part of Internet Explorer.

You need to take action quickly at this moment. Call and get help or at a minimum unplug the PC or laptop from the network so it is isolated.


These kinds of things seem to come in waves and I am concerned that a new wave might be moving through.

#1 - always make sure your anti-virus program is running when you computer is turned on. It only needs to scan occasionally but it ALWAYS must be turned on when the system is on.

#2 - be vary wary of attachments...even from people you know. Try as hard as you can to make sure it is legitimate before opening the attachment. In most cases it is OK to preview the body of the message to ascertain that this is something you are supposed to open.

#3 - if strange things are happening, call your IT person. Catching this problem quickly really helps. In a few cases recently, part of the repair was to remove the infected hard drive and install a new disk and reload Windows. Often if the problem is caught early, it can be cleaned up.

So with this new information, be careful out there.

Ace Internet Services, Inc
PO Box 50686
Bellevue,WA 98015
P:206-551-7000
w: www.ace2100.com
e: james@ace2100.com

Small Business Networking Made Easy

2008 will be a year of many changes. It is my opinion that whenever we have big US elections people start thinking a lot about personal choices they have made in many areas of their lives. All of a sudden, new decision and options become available that just yesterday (or even last year) were not up for considered changes. Where to live, what job do I do, new car, new friends...and even for businesses...new computer tools to solve old business problems. Yes, Change is ALWAYS great political speak but the real people can jump in too and take advantage (in a good way) of opportunities for change.

Drop me an email if you agree or have a differing opinion??