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Consider It Fixed: Top Tech Picks

Microsoft Security Essentials: Reasonable Security for Free

I'm awfully sick of bulky security products.  You know, those do-anything-anti-everything products from Symantec, McAfee and the others.  Over the last 6 months, my client call volume increased dramatically with complaints of slowing computers.  My customers were not be assaulted by spyware and adware.  They were under assault from their trusted security vendors raising pigs - bloated anti-everything products.  If you have a 3 year old PC with a 2 GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, you may find the machine nearly useless overnight due to the latest antivirus update.

So, I began a quest to find a great security product based on new criteria – it must be small and use limited system resources.  As well, it must install in under 5 minutes.  Anything that takes longer is such a dead giveaway that it’s bloatware.  I started looking at the options and spent time with a number of products including Kaspersky, Viper from SunBelt Software, and ClamWin, an open source antivirus program.  I started installing Kaspersky on a number of client PCs with good results.  

However, there was a downside to this choice.  Most PC users now have access to ‘free’ antivirus software from their internet service providers.  Comcast and AT&T, my 2 providers, offer McAfee to their users at no additional cost.  It’s quite a tempting offer until it renders your PC somewhat useless.

Now enters Microsoft to offer Microsoft Security Essentials.  I have been testing the product on 4 of my PCs, and I must admit, Microsoft has done a decent job on this product.  So far in my testing, I have not seen any problems.  In fact, it’s proving to be a great product.  I'm especially pleased with its performance on my netbook.  Most netbooks are optimized for long battery life – the opposite of performance.  Most antivirus suites kill any remaining performance in a netbook.  But Microsoft Security Essentials' small profile is perfect for these low performance computers.

Here is what I like about Security Essentials:

• It’s readily available at no cost
• It installed very quickly
• It’s small and doesn’t have much overhead
• It installs on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7
• It can catch most common virus and malware problems

If you are interested in trying it, you can download it here: http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials.  Just remember to remove your old bloated antivirus software in the add/remove programs section of the Control Panel before installing it.

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Contact Info: info@consideritfixed.com
                   860-985-7300

Rethinking the Role of the Desktop PC in a Law Firm

As a technology company supporting law firms, I dread some of the phone calls that I receive early in the morning.  You see, it’s often a lawyer with a problematic PC.  Like most lawyers, they have become extremely dependent on the PCs.  Some would say more than their legal assistants.  Usually, they are hoping that I can drop everything and get them back to work as the thought of a day without a working PC is just too unfathomable.

Most firms, put either a desktop PC, or more recently, a laptop PC on each attorney’s desk.  Typically, they purchase business class computers.  I often see laptops with docking stations, large monitors, full-sized keyboards and mice.  These are great configurations, but they come typically with a high price.  When these machines malfunction, the lawyer is ‘dead in the water’, unable to work until the machine is fixed.

The typical repair strategy is to troubleshoot, and if necessary, repair with some parts that are quickly available or utilize a backup PC.  For example, if the hard drive is defective, the repair time can be several hours.  If the machine is under warranty with a service agreement, parts can be available within 24 hours.  But, in real life the actual downtime is often longer.  A simple hard drive replacement can take a long times since the entire desktop needs to be reinstalled and configured.  So, until recently, there has never been an ideal approach to provide zero downtime to the lawyer with technical trouble.

Recent changes in the PC and software industry have made me rethink my strategy to help avoid this from happening.  The price of computers has drop precipitously over the last year.  Very capable desktop computers are now available for $500 to $800.  Additionally, the price of laptop computers has fallen dramatically where they are available in a similar price range providing that you don't need a laptop that is docking station capable.  It’s important to note that these lower cost systems are not anemic systems, but very capable and powerful machines.  As well, the advent of netbook computers has added a very capable low end to the options as well.

Another important factor in this strategy is using software that allows for easy, reliable, and automatic synchronization across multiple PCs.  My personal favorites include:

• Microsoft Exchange Server for messaging, calendar, and contacts 
• Dropbox for file synchronization
• Xmarks for browser favorite/bookmark synchronization
• LastPass for login information synchronization

If you do a cost analysis, it isn’t hard to make the argument that 2 PCs – a desktop PC and a laptop PC – in every attorney’s office makes a great deal of sense.  By doing this, they have 2 working computers with identical information.  They literally can pickup either PC and be productive.  If one PC has a problem, they simply move to the other PC, and off to work they go.  An added benefit, is that they have a light weight laptop to take with them when they leave the office. I like this approach so much, that it’s become my standard approach to enabling my users to as productive as possible.

Cost Analysis

If you are interested in learning more about how this new approach can benefit your firm, please contact Consider It Fixed.

Contact Info: info@consideritfixed.com
 ................. 860-985-7300

LassPass, Microsoft Exchange Server, DropBox, Xmark, Xmarks, Netbook, Docking Station

Cloud Computing: A Law firm in the Clouds

The law firm, Seiger Gfeller Laurie LLP of West Hartford, Connecticut had a huge challenge.  They decided to depart from their parent firm that provided their information technology infrastructure, and they needed to get on their own systems as quickly as possible.  The current systems were “state of the art” IT solutions for the legal world.  No expense had been spared in selecting server, communications, and office hardware; and the software choices were modern and considered among the best.

 

In my interviews with the partners, I found that while they had these great systems in place, they often referenced their limitations, not their capabilities.  Slow was often used in describing email, and remote access was often described as painful.  Quite a shame since these attorneys spend a good deal of time on the road traveling both domestically and internationally.

Background

Seiger Gfeller Laurie LLP (SGL) is a law firm founded on the principle of doing things differently and better.  In contrast to the traditional law firm model, focused on billable house and staffing matters based on a hierarchical pyramid, SGL’s focus is on obtaining results for its clients in the most efficient ways possible.  Today, SGL is comprised of 8 experienced and tenacious litigators from some of the largest international law firms in the world. 

Its existing IT solutions consisted of Microsoft Exchange Server, Hummingbird DM, Time Matters, Equitracs, and Blackberry phones.  Their branch office was connected to the main office via a T1 and the applications were hosted either in the main office or on a local server.  For example, the Exchange Server was hosted at the main office.  Remote access was provided by connecting to the local server and then routing over the internal network from the office in West Hartford, Connecticut, to the main office several states away.  Other applications resided in the local office.  So, the users always had to connect via the local office.  As well, since they were accessing their network via a virtual private network (VPN), they couldn’t easily access Exchange via Outlook Web Access nor run Outlook on more than one machine outside the office.  Every application had to pass through the VPN.

SGL needed to deploy their new IT solutions rapidly, manage costs, and have excellent remote access.  A traditional approach would work, but also reproduce the limitations that they had with their current IT infrastructure.  It was time for a different approach and an opportunity to get out of the business of leasing and managing servers, communications hardware, and several complex software licenses and upgrade programs.

I talked to the partners about the multiple benefits of using the Internet and Internet-based solutions for their business.  These type of modern solutions are called Software as Services or SaaS.  The category as a whole is often referred to as cloud computing where the cloud is the Internet.  Cloud computing, according to the Wikipedia, is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet.  Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure in the "cloud" that supports them.  My job was to identify, test, select, and implement applications that would solve SGL’s IT requirements.

In the world of technology, major advancements occur that enable newer, and often times, better approaches to solving the same problem.  Things that we now take for granted, were once recognized as major advances.  In the 1980s, most business computers were large and complex.  They were called mainframe and mini computers.  Users accessed business applications via character-based terminals.  These computers cost thousands of dollars, and were very complex to operate and support.  In the 1990’s, these computers were replaced by lower cost PC-based servers and clients running graphical operating systems.  This drove down the cost of business computing and made it much more accessible.  But is still had a fair amount of complexity in that the systems required specialized software running on the client as well as the server.  Today, while this model of computing is still in broad use, the client/server model is being replaced by a newer model which doesn’t require specialize software on the client, and the server is maintained by a 3rd party on a fee per use basis.  The client accesses the business application through an Internet browser.  This simplifies the configuration significantly as the business no longer needs to maintain complex servers and the client configuration is dramatically simpler.  In truth, the clients still needs to run applications like Microsoft Office and utilities like virus protection software.  But these are off the shelf applications.  As a testament to the validity of this approach to computing, millions of people are already using Internet hosted applications in the form of Gmail, Amazon, Google, E*TRADE, and the list goes on and on.

Application Selection

Calendar and Messaging.  The first application that we selected for SGL was Microsoft Exchange Server.  But rather than purchasing hardware and software licenses, we selected a vendor that provides what is called hosted Microsoft Exchange Server.  To setup the service, we pointed SGL’s MX record to the right DNS, setup accounts, and configured Outlook on each workstation.  Even better, our hosting vendor offers full support for Windows Mobile, Blackberry, and iPhone synchronization as well as modern SPAM and virus protection.  Deployment was rapid and without fault.  Each employee had access to Outlook on all of their PCs, Outlook Web Access, and an iPhones with full support for mail, calendar, and contacts.

Cost: $12.95 per user a month including unlimited mailbox size, SPAM and virus protection, and smartphone synchronization.

Document Management.  Good document management is a key ingredient in any successful law practice.  SGL had been using Hummingbird DM.  It provided excellent document storage and retrieval, with integration into Microsoft Office and Outlook.  They had it setup on their local server and replicated over their internal network to headquarters.  As a client/server application, Hummingbird had to be installed and setup on all PCs that access the system.  It was a good solution, yet it required constant supervision and maintenance.  Considering that this application is the ‘bread and butter’ of the firm, a move into the clouds had to meet with extremely stringent criteria.  It had to be secure, reliable, and offer very similar capabilities to what the firm was used to – easy access, robust search, and Office and Outlook integration.  SGL choose a solution that they immediately were able to use.  The vendor provided free migration support which went flawlessly - users, client numbers, matter numbers were setup, their document library imported, and they were up and running.  To use the product, all you need to do is open a web browser and login. Additional, the product has the ability to create restricted access so that others outside the organization can access documents in the library if needed.  So, now they have the ability to dynamically virtualize their organization with external resources.  SGL now has all of this combined with the peace of mind knowing that their most important data is maintained and backed up in a secure, world-class data center.

Cost: $30 per user per month.

Time and Billing.  The next application we selected for SGL was time and billing.  In the past, SGL had used a powerful system that required a server and individual user licenses.  The cost of purchase combining hardware and software licenses was very high.  As well, remote access into the system required a VPN connection.  This can be extremely complicated when 3rd party book keeping and accounting staff need access into the system.  SGL looked at a number of solutions and quickly settled on a product that met their requirements.  It is available from a web browser so they and their designees, can easily access the system from any place, and their data is safely stored in a state of the art data center. 

Cost: $19.95 per user a month.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

1. Ease of deployment.  Cloud computing is the next evolution in modern computing.  Deployment is simplified in that you don’t need a local server, software licenses, and server support and maintenance.  Furthermore, applications are accessed through a browser and data is securely maintained and backed up in a state of the art data center.  So, client-side configuration is simplified.
2. Pay as you go.  Fees are typically paid monthly calculated by the number of users.  There is no capital expense nor depreciation of expensive server and communications hardware.  You are out of the business of software maintenance programs, and installing upgrades and patches.
3. Automatic backup.  Your data resides in state of the art data centers where is it secure and backed up.  Often times, these data centers are in multiple locations and regularly audited by security experts.
4. Technical Support.  Technical support is provided as part of the business application.  There is no special fee for support.  Support is part of the product and typically available 7/24/36.
5. No software updates.  All application improvements are managed by the application hosting company and added in when available.  You are no longer in the businesses of patches, hot fixed, and updates.
6. Rapid deployment.  New application deployment is rapid and can often happen as soon as an account is setup with the application vendor.  Users typically have access to an administrative portal where they can add, manage, and delete users.  Deployment for new users is typically a simple add user function.
7. High availability.  Users can access their business applications from anywhere using nearly any computer.  When a computer fails, the user can simply move to another computer and get busy without installing and configuring new software.

A Testimonial

The senior partner at SGL recently traveled to the UK.  He took a brand new netbook, an ASUS 1008HA.  To setup the new PC, I installed virus protection, Microsoft Office, Skype, configured Outlook, and setup Office integration software for the document management system.  That’s it, nothing else, nothing more.  The senior partner was able to connect to the Internet from his hotel in London and access all of his critical applications and data just as if he were in the Office.  He’s never been able to do this before.  Now, he can simply work anywhere as productively as if he were in the office.

If you are interested in learning more about how cloud computing can integrate and benefit your business, please contact Consider It Fixed.

Contact Info: info@consideritfixed.com
                   860-985-7300

Clouding Computer, Legal, Law, Software as Services Saas, NetDocuments, TimeSolv, AppRiver Mailstreet,  Legal software, Law Firm software, Law software, document management, time and billing, host Microsoft Exchange Server, Mark Seiger, Charles Gfeller, Robert Laurie, Seiger Gfeller Laurie LLP

Netbooks: A Good Look At The ASUS Eee PC 1008HA

I have been sitting on the fence looking at netbooks.  My quest – a lappy that is powerful enough, that has enough storage, that has a high quality screen with a decent keyboard, and that has the ability to run Windows 7 well.  I’ve been diligently monitoring new product announcements and became aware of the pending release of the ASUS 1008HA.  I was attracted to its integrated design; thin and light; that it uses the newer ATOM N280; that it has a LED screen; and that it has reasonable storage.  I didn’t like that it was reported as having a problem running Windows 7 and that is was extremely difficult to upgrade its RAM and hard drive.  Yes, you can upgrade its RAM from 1GB to 2GB, and the hard drive can also be replaced.  But it requires a complete dissassembly of the machine to upgrade.  I continued to monitor Eee PC user groups and learned that a recent BIOS upgrade fixed the Windows 7 issue.  Then I learned that an ASUS reseller, AGearNotebooks.com, can upgrade the 1008HA to 2GB of RAM and upgrade the hard drive to a number of available options including 500 GB products and SSDs.  So, I purchased the 1008HA from AGearNotebooks.com configured with 2 GB of RAM and a 7200 RPM 320 GB hard drive.  Very cool indeed!

When I received my netbook, I immediately upgraded the BIOS to version 0602.  I then wiped the hard drive and install Windows 7 RC1 (version 7100).  The machine started right up, connected to my wireless network, and proceeded to automatically update several device drivers.  I was impressed – everything worked great on the 1008HA except the trackpad.  It worked but lacked its more advanced functions including scrolling and zoom.  I tried downloading the available XP driver from the ASUS support site, but it didn’t add the missing functionality.  I hunted around and discovered a posting saying the the touchpad driver for the T91 would give me what I was looking for.  So, I installed it, and viola, I now had the advanced functionality that I wanted.  Next, I installed Kaspersky’s beta Windows 7 virus protection, my apps and utilities, and have been using it for a week. 

My initial impressions:

Size – Excellent

Small, light and good looking.  Initially, it had a toy-like quality about it.  How could a serious computer be so tiny.  Now, I’m used to it and love it.

Screen – Very Good

Bright, crisp, and very readable. Not quite as good in outdoor light, but what display is.

Performance – Excellent

The 1008HA has very impressive performance, in fact, better than I expected.  I am running Windows 7, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, Microsoft Office, both IE and Firefox, Feed Demon, EverNote, Dropbox, and Windows Live Writer.  Windows 7 loads quickly and I can easily run multiple applications without noticeable degradation.  As I write this, I am running IE, Firefox, Outllook, and Live Writer. It’s humming along beautifully.

Keyboard and Touchpad – Good

Like all new laptops, it takes a few days of use to adjust to a new keyboard and touchpad.  It took a bit longer than usual for me to get used to the 1008HA.  Perhaps it’s the small size that’s at the heart of this.  Overall, it’s fine.  But I do find the keyboard a bit noisy – some of the keys make a sort of rattling sound.  I initially had a problem hitting the ‘a’ key and often hit the ‘s’ instead.  That problem has stopped.  Like the keyboard, it has taken me longer to adjust to the touchpad.  The touchpad buttons are a one piece rocker.  It doesn’t take much effort to depress it, but it is somewhat narrow, perhaps 3/8”.  So, I need to be right on top of it to press it.  The scroll location is in the typical location (right side vertical) and works OK, but due to its overall small size, it’s a smaller target.  The touchpad also supports zooming with gestures similar to the zoom gestures on the iPhone.  It works OK, but I find that the mouse pointer sometimes move off the screen and it looses its focus.

Ports – Very good

The 1008HA has 2 USB ports; a VGA port much like those found on the new Macbook Pros that requires a special adapter which ASUS cleverly stores on the underside of the netbook; 1/8” audio in and audio out ports; an Ethernet port; and a SD card slot.  The ports are all covered with small doors that give the machine a sleek, sculpted look.  Time will tell how durable they are.  ESATA would have been really sweet.

DVD drive – What do you expect?

There is no DVD drive.  But if you install SlySoft’s free Virtual CloneDrive, your netbook can have a virtual blu ray drive.  I installed Microsoft Office via an .iso file.  You can play blu ray movies the same way.  That’s cool.

Video Camera – Very Good

I installed Skype and had it up and running in no time.  The camera works as it should.

Battery – Very Good

I haven’t had time to do any accurate measurement of battery life.  I have been using the machine on battery, but without much effort at conservation.  I’m getting around 4 hours of battery life in a performance setting which is quite adequate for the way that I work.  So, I have no complaints about battery life.   

AC Power Adapter – Poor

The AC power adapter is small and white to match the white body of my 1008HA.  I just can’t understand why ASUS, who seems to be paying attention to Apple’s design sense, didn’t do anything to make the charger easier to store and transport.  The adapter has long enough cables, but it’s narrow design gives the user no easy way to store the cables.  It seems that a bit of thought in this area would yield a much more useful power adapter that would take up so much less space.  A very small netbook with a bulky, unwieldy power adapter makes little sense.

In summary, after a bit of fooling around and adjusting, I am finding the ASUS 1008HA to be a great netbook.  Its performance is better than expected running Windows 7.  It is small, light and good looking.  The screen is very readable, and the keyboard and touchpad are fine once you spend a bit of time with them.  Upgrading the netbook is a challenge unless you enlist the help from a firm like AGearNotebooks.com.  Then it’s a non-issue.  If I could change one thing, I’d redesign the AC power adapter to match the coolness and integration of the 1008HA – smaller with built-in cable storage a la Apple.  I would recommend this product to anyone looking for a good netbook today.  Tomorrow may be a different story as new products in this category come to market.

Contact Info: info@consideritfixed.com
                   860-985-7300