iPad for Productivity…. IT Perspective. Post #2

The mobile web… An undeniably central portion of any good modern on-the-go worker’s toolkit.  It really doesn’t matter what your job or business is, it seems there is always a need for the mobile web in an average modern day.

Once I got used to using the Safari browser on my iPhone, whether on wi-fi or 3G, there was no going back.  Despite the limitations and frustrations of mobile browsing, being able to almost instantly pull up a Google search, map directions, product information, store hours, technical walkthrough, or any number of web uses while on the go for work is no longer a luxury.  It is a necessity on the majority of my days away from the office or home.

However, mainly due to the constant pinching and zooming required on many smartphone browser sites, the idea of an iPad as a step up from the smartphone that is still more convenient than pulling out a full laptop is one of the categories of testing I set out to conduct in this new technology model I’ve forced on myself.

And I have to say, it has been a largely pleasant experience.  

PROS

Screen Size

The version of Safari for the iPad is really no different than the iPhone – they are both the iOS version.  At first thought, I felt there would be little difference in experience.  But the extra few inches of screen real estate make quite a difference in many ways, the web being one of them.  Not having to do as much zooming in and out, and crisper, larger text make for a big difference when doing mobile web activities.  This larger screen size translates into a larger virtual keyboard as well, which pays dividends.  Lastly, tabbed browsing is more efficient as you can see and switch tabs without having to bring up the separate screens and scroll left and right between them as you do in the iPhone browser.

Dedicated Browsing

What I mean by this is that many times the mobile web searches I am conducting on the go happen while I am using my iPhone for a business call as well.  Having to switch back and forth between apps and screens on the phone while in th call can be tedious and cause accidental hang-ups, etc.  Having the iPad to use for full-screen multi-tabbed browsing while simply using the iPhone for the call itself or even other kinds of multi-tasking not involving the browser enhances the experience and efficiency.

Hands-Free

With the Apple screen cover for the iPad that doubles as a stand for the iPad, I can set it up on a counter, table, desk, whatever and have a vertical hands- free browsing experience while holding a phone or using my hands for other necessary work.

Bluetooth Keyboard

Freeing up even more screen real estate with one of the bluetooth keyboards made for the iPad makes the experience even more pleasant, especially for things like filling out forms, blog and forum posts, etc.

Battery Usage

The iPad battery life is much longer than the iPhone for browsing, especially as my phone battery drains due to voice calls and other usage throughout the day.

CONS

Browser/Site Incompatibilities

There are some websites that don’t play well with Safari.  The solution to this is to download one of the other browsers, such as Opera or Atomic, available for the iPad, and test those until I find the one that works best with a particular site.  This is more pronounced than in Windows or OS X as some pages want to load a mobile version and others don’t, and certain site functions don’t work as well with the iOS.

No Flash

For me, this is rarely an issue as I generally don’t rely on much Flash content, especially for work.  Occasionally there will be a walkthrough video I would like to be able to view for a task I am trying to complete, but this is quire rare, and more and more sites are providing HTML5 or other alternatives to Flash for this very reason.

Wifi Only

My particular iPad is wifi only, so I don’t have as much freedom browsing as with the 3G option on my iPhone.  However, this is only because I didn’t want to double-pay for an additional 3G data plan for the iPad.  Instead, I am going to wait until the data plan expires on my current Acer netbook and then look into one of the 4G portable hotspots that power multiple devices, which will include the iPad.  This shouldn’t be taken as a real Con, as it is specific to my situation.

Summary

For mobile web activities related to IT support and productivity (as well as many other business tasks and uses), the advantages of the iPad seem to greatly outweigh the cons.  The tablet gets a Win for this category of mobile productivity.

Next Week: Email Solutions

iPad for Productivity? An IT perspective… Post #1

One of the exciting and sometimes challenging/frustrating aspects to my job with NSI Partners is the review and testing of new technologies.  When this is software- or browser-based, it is relatively easy to do these tests from my existing computers and devices.  From time to time, though, it is the primary computing devices and models themselves that I have to be willing to test and play with.

ipad (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

Such is the case with a recent experiment: restrict my mobile computing solution to an iPad and iPhone, ditching the powerhouse laptops I’ve gotten accustomed to in lieu of a desktop computer solution for the home office.  Why torture myself?  To see how successful I can really be performing a wide range of computing tasks while away from the office using a “truly mobile” device — one with a mobile operating system and size/design as opposed to something like a Netbook – which is just a low-powered Windows laptop with the full OS.

So for several weeks now I have been working (and studying) with this device model:  iPad 2, iPhone 4s, and powerful iMac at the home office.  The experience so far has been both liberating and frustrating, providing a benefit in some scenarios and lots of pain in others.

For the next few weeks I will write about various aspects of this experience, making the rounds on a variety of produuctivity and software categories, detailing the apps I have tested, the ones I have rejected, and what solutions are both liberating and compromising.

 Ultimately, there are 2 answers to the basic question of qhwther the iPad can be a mobile computing solution.  If you perform complex computational tasks while on the road (graphic editing, video conversion, detailed document/spreadsheet/presentation design), the iPad is not for you – at least, not as a full mobile computing solution.  On the other hand, if you tend to spend most of your mobile computing time in email, web browsers, performing limited or simple document creation, or doing a lot of remote machine access, then the iPad may well provide you a lightweight, compact, successful mobile computing solution.

Read as I post the next several weeks if you care to learn more about my experiences in this odd IT challenge…

Case Study – Remote IT Support Colorado Springs

The Challenge

TechConnect was tasked to manage the technology needs of a client with 4 separate office locations and a corporate section with over 20 separate workstations. Technology needs included security, backups, and custom industry-specific software. Client also needed to keep costs low and as predictable as possible.

The Solution

TechConnect determined that remote-access technology would allow us to do much of the work remotely, saving time and money and cutting down on overhead. To that end, we installed remote-access solutions for full remote access to all machines and VPN connectivity between stores for purposes of sharing files/folders and software client-server relationships.

We upgraded all machines in an affordable manner to high hardware and software environment standards. We also set up public and private Wifi networks at all client locations. Network security software was configured to provide security on all computers and routers, and backups for disaster recovery were set up on essential machines, utilizing offsite cloud backups for key files.

A schedule of weekly remote maintenance checks on all machines keeps all client software updated and ensures only necessary business software remains installed and properly configured. Thanks to remote-access technology, the client’s monthly maintenance cost is a fraction of a traditional IT support contract.

Case Study – Network Support

The Challenge

End server tape backups and move to Network Attached Storage (NAS) backups with a proper, robust Windows domain and Exchange-capable backup solution. Also implement a new domain-wide security solution with alerts and reports.

The Solution

We purchased and installed affordable but capable NAS devices with RAID mirroring for extra backup redundancy. Symantec Backup Exec and Symantec Endpoint Protection was licensed, installed, and configured and on the client’s Small Business Server. We configured weekly reports and as-triggered alerts for a variety of conditions, to be sent via email to proper personnel.

Remote-access technology was leveraged to allow us to perform weekly reviews of key reports and ensure regular updates on server and client machines. Verifying backups and maintaining space on NAS for continuous backup sets is also done remotely, minimizing costs and overhead for the client.

Migrating to Office365 from onsite servers

Image by Microsoft Sweden via Flickr

This week our team will be doing another “move to the cloud” for one of our clients.

Small and Medium Organizations who have previously installed onsite Windows Servers in order to run Microsoft Exchange for email, contacts, and calendars can benefit from the new cloud services Microsoft is offering.  This is a particularly well-timed decision when you might be considering upgrading an aging Small Business Server 2003, or other aging Server platform running Exchange.

Why?  Because the cost of migrating a smaller organization to Microsoft Office 365, plus the ongoing annual cost of a relevant subscription tier, can be less than

or equal to the cost of a new server and associated costs.  The added advantage of much lower ongoing maintenance and upkeep costs (as Microsoft staff do 90% of that work at no additional cost) can be a very wise choice in today’s business and technological marketplace.

Beyond email, as I have written about previously, Office 365 offers online, browser-based versions of Office applications for document creation and editing on-the-go, and also features the newest Microsoft SharePoint cloud interface for online document storage and sharing (as well as other intranet-related features).  The newest addition to the offerings is Microsoft Lync, which replaces the older Office Communicator and Live Meeting products and empowers instant messaging, real-time voice chat, screen-sharing, and other cool communication tools.

A small business or organization without an on-premise Windows Server or Exchange environment can easily setup new accounts and enable better email, calendaring, contact management, document sharing and storage, and IM and collaboration tools than they have previously had available.

All this can be had at around 6.00 per user per month for the features I have described, a price competitive with Google Apps for Business but which integrates much more organically with Windows operating systems and Office products.

More and more of us are moving to the cloud for essential services for our agencies andy businesses.  Office 365 provides a cost-effective and very useful set of tools for any organization today.

If you are interested in learning more or want to receive a free quote on how NSI Partners TechConnect can assist your organization with cloud-based technologies, contact us today at tech@nsipartners.com !

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Running Windows Applications in OS X Lion with Parallels 7…

Lately I find myself in what I would normally have thought of as an awful IT scenario:  figuring out how to run Windows and OS X side-by-side, or at the same time.  In my mind, it seems somewhat counterproductive to bog down a nice Apple hard drive with a Windows client.  Microsoft Office for Mac already has a poor reputation for performance in MacBooks.  But the idea of running a full-blown edition of Windows, whether via BootCamp or virtually, seems scary in some ways.  Didn’t I switch to OS X to avoid all the problems I’ve had for years with Microsoft OSes?  Why would I invite the trouble back?  Well, generally, I wouldn’t.  There is part of me that cringes at the idea of what could happen, given my history with Microsoft’s unpredictable software environments and designs.  That being said, what if you really want to get your agency or small business over to Apple computers for all their greatness, but there’s a few people who just can’t stand the thought of living without some Windows-only software?

Parallels to the rescue!

With the most recent version offering new OS X Lion – integrated features, this program is really a great option for organizations or users in the scenario I describe above.  Whether you install a copy of Windows to Boot Camp or simply a virtual version within Parallels, there are a host of appealing touches to this popular and well-designed app that make it the one to beat in my opinion.  With the ability to share drives and profiles between your OS X and Windows user accounts, map Windows program shortcuts to the Lion dock, access the Windows Start menu and taskbar from INSIDE OS X, and vice versa from inside your Windows environment, the solution seems the best of all possible worlds.

While there are a lot of menus and features to play with in order to turn on and off the more advanced features, it took me all of four hours to get the app installed, partition a virtual drive, install Windows, download and install needed Windows updates, a full version of Microsoft Office, and learn enough about the way Parallels enables “co-existence” of the two OSes to convince me it would be a decent solution for some of those in my company fitting the scenario I described earlier.  No longer do I have to tell them their best option is to just stay on a Dell or HP laptop.  I can now offer them the security, OS, user interface, stability, and other great features an Apple computer offers, while still enabling them to run those Windows-only apps they feel tethered to.

For any other IT folks, or business/non-profit organizations in a similar place, wanting to move to Apple computers but still connected to a few pieces of Windows-only software, Parallels 7 is my recommendation!

Wide Area Network Solutions for SMBs through Software, not expensive Hardware

One of the exciting things about the TechConnect services we provide here at NSI Partners is being able to constantly innovate technology solutions for the Small-Medium Business (SMB) universe.  From software to hardware to smartphones, technology is often fluid, and one of the advantages of smaller organizations is being able to move swifter with less cost and investment than large enterprises.

Image via Wikipedia

A great example of this is a business with multiple locations in one city or regional area that relies on software solutions designed for the more-traditional Local-Area-Network (LAN) architecture.  For instance, let’s say your business wants to use a time-sheet program that allows employees to log in and out for the workday and track hours , as well as enabling reports and calendaring features for the admin staff.  One such example of this type of program is ShopClock.  Designed to work with a Microsoft SQL back-end database residing on a computer in the LAN designated as a server, then allowing workstation or client installs on multiple computers for employees to access and sign in and out.  Problems start to appear when you want to have one server at one business location but install licensed copies at other store locations that need to reach out to the server across the internet.

One traditional solution to this problem is from a hardware perpective:  work with your ISP to create a tunneled VPN via routers and switches, or get your own routers with VPN features that tie your public IP addresses together into a Wide Area Network (WAN) allowing the devices at each store to communicate with each other as if they were on the same network.  Thousands of dollars can be spent successfully implementing such a solution.  A second option that is less than desirable is to install stand-alone server/workstation setups at each location.  However, this can cost more as often additional licenses are required, and the stores don’t communicate with each other.



A third solution, and one we enjoy recommending and implementing for our TechConnect SMB clients, is LogMeIn Hamachi.  A great product that allows us to do a simple software install at each computer needing access to the WAN, and viola!  Instant connectivity between multiple geographical office locations for the purpose of connecting workstations to a server as in the case of ShopClock.  This has other obvious uses too, such as file sharing, remote printing, and even includes chat functionality.  For a handful of dollars a month, it could take over a decade for the costs of this option to catch up with some of the hardware solutions (not to mention saving on electricity bills and space not being used for additional hardware).

This is just one example of a creative, cost-effective technology solution for a small or medium business that enables the business to focus on growing and servicing customers with excellence, without sacrificing lots of time, energy and money on enterprise-type solutions.  If you work with a small or medium business needing better support and implementation of technology, feel free to contact us at tech@nsipartners.com.

Small Business IT Support Colorado Springs

Today’s small business or organization needs cost-effective, competitive IT and technology support and solutions. That’s where NSI Partners TechConnect comes to the rescue. On-demand, as-needed technical expertise to help your business or nonprofit with:

-computers     -software     -operating systems     -printers     -scanners

-smart phones     -mobile devices     -networks     -routers     -switches          -file sharing     -data backup

-application choices     -databases     -training and tutorials

-cloud services

When you’re looking for just-in-time IT staffing that will help technology work FOR you rather than the opposite, choose NSI Partners TechConnect.

CONTACT US now at 719-328-0042, ext.810 or email tech@nsipartners.com

Remote IT Support Colorado Springs

Today’s small business or organization needs cost-effective, competitive IT and technology support and solutions. That’s where NSI Partners TechConnect comes to the rescue. On-demand, as-needed technical expertise to help your business or nonprofit with:

-COMPUTERS -SOFTWARE -OPERATING SYSTEMS -PRINTERS -SCANNERS

-SMART PHONES -MOBILE DEVICES -NETWORKS -ROUTERS -SWITCHES

-FILE SHARING -DATA BACKUP                - APPLICATIONS -DATABASES

-TRAINING -CLOUD SERVICES

When you’re looking for just-in-time IT staffing that will help technology work FOR you rather than the opposite, choose NSI Partners TechConnect.

CONTACT US now at 719-328-0042, ext.810 or email tech@nsipartners.com

Network Support Colorado Springs

Today’s small business or organization needs cost-effective, competitive IT and technology support and solutions. That’s where NSI Partners TechConnect comes to the rescue. On-demand, as-needed technical expertise to help your business or nonprofit with:

-COMPUTERS -SOFTWARE -OPERATING SYSTEMS -PRINTERS -SCANNERS

-SMART PHONES -MOBILE DEVICES -NETWORKS -ROUTERS -SWITCHES

-FILE SHARING -DATA BACKUP – APPLICATIONS -DATABASES

-TRAINING -CLOUD SERVICES

When you’re looking for just-in-time IT staffing that will help technology work FOR you rather than the opposite, choose NSI Partners TechConnect.

CONTACT US now at 719-328-0042, ext.810 or email tech@nsipartners.com