Well Mother Nature has certainly taken her toll on Australian businesses recently. The flooding in Queensland has had a devestating impact on many businesses to the point that many are totally ruined and unlikely to get back to viable operation.
I have been reading various blogs and forums from Qld IT business owners similar to myself. Most of them were unaffected by the flooding but their clients well that is another story. One example was particularly poignant. A business owner had just invested in a totally new server system in December. It was washed away along with other PC's and a large multifunction printer. Another instance saw a school throw out 150 almost brand new PC's.
There have been many stories of companies losing their data as well as the equipment. Why? In many cases they had no backup at all, in other cases if they did have a backup it didnt work, in other cases they were backing up to hard drives that were also in the flood path.
It is a timely reminder to all of us to check, recheck and double check that we have a backup that works and that the copies taken are in a safe place far removed from the main server. If ever you want to have a discussion about backup and what steps to take to ensure you will be able to recover dont hesitate to give me a call. I would hate to see any of our clients go through what some of these Queensland people have been going through.
We have got some exciting developments in the pipeline for 2011. The first of these is our lunchtime seminars in Orange and Dubbo. These will be a little more casual than what we have previously been doing and will allow you just to drop in and drop out as you want. The good news is they are totally free, all you will have to do is RSVP for them. Watch out for them starting in February.
That's all for this month.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
End of Year
Well the year is ending with a splash, at least as far as the Central West is concerned! As I write this te floodwaters are receding in Dubbo and the Sydney style traffic gridlocks have started disappearing.
Reckon a few traffic jams have been good for us. Reminds us just how good life is in a regional city most of the time.
I know the floods have been bad news for many in the farming community and I know it has impacted on businesspeople including a few of our clients. The big picture though is that the drought is over and there most likely will be a series of better than average seasons ahead. Lets hope so for everyone's sake in regional NSW.
I have just received our latest client satisfaction survey from Natalie Bramble. Overall satisfaction is sitting at 78%. That is the same as last time so we havent changed much at all. From some of the comments some of you are very impressed with what we are doing, some find it ho-hum and some find our service very unimpressive. Clearly we can do a better job and consistently do a better job.
Our clients deserve a big thank you from all of us here at IT West.
We want to thank you for your patience while waiting for us to resolve your problems.
We want to thank you for your tolerance when we try to fix a problem and at first we dont succeed.
We want to thank you for your forthrightness in telling us when things are not going how you want. That gives us our best chance to fix it.
At times you have probably thought maybe there is someone quicker, someone smarter, someone who communicates better. That is totally understandable So we want to thank you, our clients, for persisting with us.
We thank you for spending your hard earned money with us. We know it is not an easy decision and it takes courage and just a little dose of blind faith to sign up with us. Thank you for showing that faith in us.
Thank you to those clients who speak well of us in testimonials and our marketing. Without your help we would struggle to find other good clients like you.
A big thanks to the clients who attended our events and seminars this year. It is an effort and uses your valuable time so thank you for coming along to help make them a success.
Like I said earlier we can do a better job and consistently do a better job. Thank you for helping us get there.
Hope everyone has a happy, relaxing Christmas and New Year break. Look forward to talking to you next year.
Reckon a few traffic jams have been good for us. Reminds us just how good life is in a regional city most of the time.
I know the floods have been bad news for many in the farming community and I know it has impacted on businesspeople including a few of our clients. The big picture though is that the drought is over and there most likely will be a series of better than average seasons ahead. Lets hope so for everyone's sake in regional NSW.
I have just received our latest client satisfaction survey from Natalie Bramble. Overall satisfaction is sitting at 78%. That is the same as last time so we havent changed much at all. From some of the comments some of you are very impressed with what we are doing, some find it ho-hum and some find our service very unimpressive. Clearly we can do a better job and consistently do a better job.
Our clients deserve a big thank you from all of us here at IT West.
We want to thank you for your patience while waiting for us to resolve your problems.
We want to thank you for your tolerance when we try to fix a problem and at first we dont succeed.
We want to thank you for your forthrightness in telling us when things are not going how you want. That gives us our best chance to fix it.
At times you have probably thought maybe there is someone quicker, someone smarter, someone who communicates better. That is totally understandable So we want to thank you, our clients, for persisting with us.
We thank you for spending your hard earned money with us. We know it is not an easy decision and it takes courage and just a little dose of blind faith to sign up with us. Thank you for showing that faith in us.
Thank you to those clients who speak well of us in testimonials and our marketing. Without your help we would struggle to find other good clients like you.
A big thanks to the clients who attended our events and seminars this year. It is an effort and uses your valuable time so thank you for coming along to help make them a success.
Like I said earlier we can do a better job and consistently do a better job. Thank you for helping us get there.
Hope everyone has a happy, relaxing Christmas and New Year break. Look forward to talking to you next year.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Missing in Action
It is incredible how time can disappear before you even know it.
I just got a fright when I saw how long since I wrote something meaningful in this blog.
Nearly two months but my mind was thinking a few weeks. Unbelievable! How could that time have passed so quickly?
Truth is my mind has been elsewhere. Had more than my share of personal 'stuff' to deal with and writing the blog became low priority. Hey at least it proves I do produce it myself...the ghost writer is actually a ghost...I have never seen him or her.
Folks I'm back on the horse though and have 'hot off the press' fresh stuff to bring you over the next few months from the world of IT. Very exciting news that is bound to bring some big changes to many small businesses. One of our main vendors, Microsoft, plans to do some really cool stuff in 2011 so I will keep you posted.
What I experienced with the time 'flying by' before I knew it happens so much in business. We get distracted by other priorities and what we were working on or dealing with takes backstage. Trouble is we then tend to forget that it was an important task we wanted to achieve or get done and only when the absence of completion of that task raises it's head does it suddenly become a priority again. Lots of times we will discover that an eon has passed by when we swear it was just a little while!.
The best business operators I have seen stick like glue to the task at hand and get it completed before moving on OR if something does come up that is urgent set up a system that will bring them back to the task before too long. Oh to be as organised as this. Folks I'm working on it!
I just got a fright when I saw how long since I wrote something meaningful in this blog.
Nearly two months but my mind was thinking a few weeks. Unbelievable! How could that time have passed so quickly?
Truth is my mind has been elsewhere. Had more than my share of personal 'stuff' to deal with and writing the blog became low priority. Hey at least it proves I do produce it myself...the ghost writer is actually a ghost...I have never seen him or her.
Folks I'm back on the horse though and have 'hot off the press' fresh stuff to bring you over the next few months from the world of IT. Very exciting news that is bound to bring some big changes to many small businesses. One of our main vendors, Microsoft, plans to do some really cool stuff in 2011 so I will keep you posted.
What I experienced with the time 'flying by' before I knew it happens so much in business. We get distracted by other priorities and what we were working on or dealing with takes backstage. Trouble is we then tend to forget that it was an important task we wanted to achieve or get done and only when the absence of completion of that task raises it's head does it suddenly become a priority again. Lots of times we will discover that an eon has passed by when we swear it was just a little while!.
The best business operators I have seen stick like glue to the task at hand and get it completed before moving on OR if something does come up that is urgent set up a system that will bring them back to the task before too long. Oh to be as organised as this. Folks I'm working on it!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Business and the Internet
Business and the internet go hand in hand these days. Has it always been that way?
Cast your mind back 10 years It's the Year 2000...the Sydney Olympics were upon us. We had come through the Y2K scare and the introduction of GST. That second one caused far more stress and anxiety for business owners than the first one.
Many businesses did have internet in those days and they were establishing websites. However most were on good ole dial up. Slow as a wet week and totally unreliable. Most websites were just simple, static pages or barely useable ecommerce pages. The hype, at the time, that the internet represented where all business would take place far exceeded the actual results. Thus we had the dotcom boom and bust.
Gradually though over the past 10 years the interaction of business and internet has changed. We all now have much faster, instant on connections, we have browsers that actually work and there are advances in website technology that mean a far more useful and useable interface on most sites. Also there is now a much larger group of workers who have been born in the internet era and hence are digital natives. The inherent advantage of internet are it's instant access, constant availability and easy adaptability. These advantages now outweigh any of the disadvantages and nearly every business I see is deeply hooked into the internet.
One continuous issue is security of our information in this era of total connectedness. You cannot be too careful and must maintain your defenses to protect your data. Our seminar in Orange is going to address this very issue so make an effort to get there if you can. You wont be disappointed. Talk to you again next month.
Cast your mind back 10 years It's the Year 2000...the Sydney Olympics were upon us. We had come through the Y2K scare and the introduction of GST. That second one caused far more stress and anxiety for business owners than the first one.
Many businesses did have internet in those days and they were establishing websites. However most were on good ole dial up. Slow as a wet week and totally unreliable. Most websites were just simple, static pages or barely useable ecommerce pages. The hype, at the time, that the internet represented where all business would take place far exceeded the actual results. Thus we had the dotcom boom and bust.
Gradually though over the past 10 years the interaction of business and internet has changed. We all now have much faster, instant on connections, we have browsers that actually work and there are advances in website technology that mean a far more useful and useable interface on most sites. Also there is now a much larger group of workers who have been born in the internet era and hence are digital natives. The inherent advantage of internet are it's instant access, constant availability and easy adaptability. These advantages now outweigh any of the disadvantages and nearly every business I see is deeply hooked into the internet.
One continuous issue is security of our information in this era of total connectedness. You cannot be too careful and must maintain your defenses to protect your data. Our seminar in Orange is going to address this very issue so make an effort to get there if you can. You wont be disappointed. Talk to you again next month.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
SMBiT Pro Cloud Discussion
Just wrapped up a podcast with Robert Crane.
Folks might recall Robert was the presenter at our very successful Cloud Computing Seminar back in July.
He hosts this series of podcasts called 'Need to Know'. The target audience is Service Providers like ourselves throughout Australia and there are quite a few listeners much further afield as well.
Robert and I were basically chewing the fat on how Cloud Computing will impact on businesses like IT West. It is very interesting to reflect on how Cloud Computing is changing the IT landscape. One thing for sure and certain is that our businesses will not look the same in 2 years time as they do now.
Watching Top Gear last night and the guys were moaning about the demise of manufacturing in Britain. For example they mentioned there were something like 140 car makers in Britain in 1910 and now there is effectively none. that is a good example of how an industry has changed over time.
The difference with high technology industries is they change much, much faster. For our clients and readers based in Dubbo you have already seen how fast things change. Just as one instance look at the retail landscape for computers. A few short years ago there was only 1 business in Dubbo that was the go to place for purchasing a computer. It was Axxiss Technology. They were the mainstream and anyone who wanted genuine service would go there. Well today not only has the name Axxiss Technology disappeared but so has their retailing operation! By the way IT West stopped the retail sale of computers back in January of this year. We also recognise the changing landscape of the IT industry and want to stay ahead of the curve.
Robert Crane is a very shrewd operator and I like his approach. He is clearly way ahead of the curve and I think his business approach is a template for all businesses like IT West into the future. Robert now has totally moved his business into the Cloud and he supports his clients wholeheartedly in their transition into the Cloud. He understands what is necessary and is focused on results for clients rather than a grand show of what the tech can do. We are definitely following a similar model.
Our clients deserve to get the best advice from us on how to transition their business into using Cloud Computing based solutions. We have been sussing out several different solutions and while we do have a current offering you should expect that offering to change over time. That is just natural as this is all very brand new and some of the technology does need to mature, become more robust and more responsive to business needs.
Watch this space for more Cloud Computing developments.
Folks might recall Robert was the presenter at our very successful Cloud Computing Seminar back in July.
He hosts this series of podcasts called 'Need to Know'. The target audience is Service Providers like ourselves throughout Australia and there are quite a few listeners much further afield as well.
Robert and I were basically chewing the fat on how Cloud Computing will impact on businesses like IT West. It is very interesting to reflect on how Cloud Computing is changing the IT landscape. One thing for sure and certain is that our businesses will not look the same in 2 years time as they do now.
Watching Top Gear last night and the guys were moaning about the demise of manufacturing in Britain. For example they mentioned there were something like 140 car makers in Britain in 1910 and now there is effectively none. that is a good example of how an industry has changed over time.
The difference with high technology industries is they change much, much faster. For our clients and readers based in Dubbo you have already seen how fast things change. Just as one instance look at the retail landscape for computers. A few short years ago there was only 1 business in Dubbo that was the go to place for purchasing a computer. It was Axxiss Technology. They were the mainstream and anyone who wanted genuine service would go there. Well today not only has the name Axxiss Technology disappeared but so has their retailing operation! By the way IT West stopped the retail sale of computers back in January of this year. We also recognise the changing landscape of the IT industry and want to stay ahead of the curve.
Robert Crane is a very shrewd operator and I like his approach. He is clearly way ahead of the curve and I think his business approach is a template for all businesses like IT West into the future. Robert now has totally moved his business into the Cloud and he supports his clients wholeheartedly in their transition into the Cloud. He understands what is necessary and is focused on results for clients rather than a grand show of what the tech can do. We are definitely following a similar model.
Our clients deserve to get the best advice from us on how to transition their business into using Cloud Computing based solutions. We have been sussing out several different solutions and while we do have a current offering you should expect that offering to change over time. That is just natural as this is all very brand new and some of the technology does need to mature, become more robust and more responsive to business needs.
Watch this space for more Cloud Computing developments.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Another Chamber Night
Business people are just so resilient. They also have lots of energy.
Thanks to all the fine Dubbo business people who turned up to our Time to Network event with the Chamber of Commerce.
Nearly 25 brave souls faced up to the rainy weather to come to IT West
They had a drink (or two), a nibblie and a chat about technology.
Suffice to say everyone is interested in getting info on technology.
It totally infiltrates our lives these days and more and more people are becoming thirsty for knowledge.
We polled people prior to the event to see what they were interested in. That way we were on target with our little mini seminars.
Everybody went for sexy closely followed by scary!
No 1 on the pop chart was Mobile Tech.- Blackberry, iPhone and the undeniably popular iPad. Didnt everyone want to have a geek at this!
Next we tackled Social Media and if Facebook is not on your radar today then it very soon will be. 500 million subscribers means it has become undeniable already.
Finally we covered anti virus, spyware and identity theft. People were enthralled to learn just how exposed and vulnerable they are to attacks. It is creepy to know that malicious type viruses are disappearing. Why? Because there is more money in manipulating computers, copying data and stealing identities than destroying PC's. It has become SO sophisticated that now you can be rung and told to go to a website to fix your computer...you will be asked to login...and, if you do it, you will have compromised your security...the caller is a part of the scam.
Look forward to talking next month. Dont miss my blog at blog.itwest.biz
Thanks to all the fine Dubbo business people who turned up to our Time to Network event with the Chamber of Commerce.
Nearly 25 brave souls faced up to the rainy weather to come to IT West
They had a drink (or two), a nibblie and a chat about technology.
Suffice to say everyone is interested in getting info on technology.
It totally infiltrates our lives these days and more and more people are becoming thirsty for knowledge.
We polled people prior to the event to see what they were interested in. That way we were on target with our little mini seminars.
Everybody went for sexy closely followed by scary!
No 1 on the pop chart was Mobile Tech.- Blackberry, iPhone and the undeniably popular iPad. Didnt everyone want to have a geek at this!
Next we tackled Social Media and if Facebook is not on your radar today then it very soon will be. 500 million subscribers means it has become undeniable already.
Finally we covered anti virus, spyware and identity theft. People were enthralled to learn just how exposed and vulnerable they are to attacks. It is creepy to know that malicious type viruses are disappearing. Why? Because there is more money in manipulating computers, copying data and stealing identities than destroying PC's. It has become SO sophisticated that now you can be rung and told to go to a website to fix your computer...you will be asked to login...and, if you do it, you will have compromised your security...the caller is a part of the scam.
Look forward to talking next month. Dont miss my blog at blog.itwest.biz
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Cloud Computing Wash Up
Very, very interesting!
How fired up was everyone after the Robert Crane seminar we held this month? Robert spoke about Cloud Computing. Folks if you havent heard the term yet you soon will. The Cloud is coming and Robert is something of a messiah. He had such great info we immediately started talking to him about coming back and doing some longer sessions. We will firm up some dates and get back to you on this.
The strongest takeaways for me from Robert really reinforced what I had already been thinking and observed in the technology marketplace. The Cloud is certainly not for everyone. Also the Cloud will often be just a part of the strategy for most businesses and finally the whole issue is complex and rapidly changing. Basically this makes decisions on future technology almost unmanageable for the average business owner.
If you think about it what do business people want in business? A large number that I know want less hassles. Diving into a new technology like this is prone to increase the hassles if not done right. People do not want something that creates hassles.
Our purpose, as I relentlessly let people know, is to remove the technology headache for small business owners and operators in Regional Australia. Based on that purpose we are now offering a business assesmentt to determine your readiness for Cloud Computing. We come in, review what you are doing now, talk about what you are planning to do and suggest how the Cloud could or could not apply to you. It is obligation free and simply a service to help clients and prospective clients find a way through the Cloud maze.
If you want our help on this it is over to you. Talk to you all next month.
How fired up was everyone after the Robert Crane seminar we held this month? Robert spoke about Cloud Computing. Folks if you havent heard the term yet you soon will. The Cloud is coming and Robert is something of a messiah. He had such great info we immediately started talking to him about coming back and doing some longer sessions. We will firm up some dates and get back to you on this.
The strongest takeaways for me from Robert really reinforced what I had already been thinking and observed in the technology marketplace. The Cloud is certainly not for everyone. Also the Cloud will often be just a part of the strategy for most businesses and finally the whole issue is complex and rapidly changing. Basically this makes decisions on future technology almost unmanageable for the average business owner.
If you think about it what do business people want in business? A large number that I know want less hassles. Diving into a new technology like this is prone to increase the hassles if not done right. People do not want something that creates hassles.
Our purpose, as I relentlessly let people know, is to remove the technology headache for small business owners and operators in Regional Australia. Based on that purpose we are now offering a business assesmentt to determine your readiness for Cloud Computing. We come in, review what you are doing now, talk about what you are planning to do and suggest how the Cloud could or could not apply to you. It is obligation free and simply a service to help clients and prospective clients find a way through the Cloud maze.
If you want our help on this it is over to you. Talk to you all next month.
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