Posted by Jim Van on November 4, 2011 under entrepreneur, small business | 
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There’s no arguing the fact that small businesses that have an online presence fare better than those that do not. A 2010 Pew study of 300 businesses found that those who have an online presence receive at least ten times more customers than businesses that do not. So, just what goes into developing an online presence? Read more of this article »
Posted by Jim Van on October 28, 2011 under entrepreneur, eOffice, mobility, portability, small business | 4 Comments to Read
I’m the first to admit that there are many days, weeks even, where I live online. One result has been a dependence on search engines, first AltaVista, the engine developed by my employer, DEC, and 
currently Google. Traditionally, I’ve used Google to look up movie times, restaurant listings, shopping and a plethora of other information. Not so much anymore Read more of this article »
Posted by Jim Van on October 21, 2011 under entrepreneur, eOffice, mobility, portability, small business | Read the First Comment
Can the iPad Really Replace A Laptop?
Since the iPad’s introduction, many of us have fantasizes on replacing our heavy, bulky laptop computers with a light, sleek alternative. So, does the iPad measure up? 
First off, let it be said that tablets, of which the iPad is a member of this device group, make better consumers of content than producers. Does that necessarily mean that it can’t replace your laptop? It depends. Read more of this article »
Posted by Jim Van on October 14, 2011 under entrepreneur, eOffice, mobility, portability, small business | 3 Comments to Read
Last post, I explained why I selected the iPad for use here at Logicomm for our day-to-day functions. It’s a terrific device, and while tablets don’t quite replace the full-featured laptops and 
workstations that still power our back office, as a device for use in client interactions, particularly in the field, it can’t be beat…at least not yet. Read more of this article »
Posted by Jim Van on October 7, 2011 under entrepreneur, eOffice, mobility, portability, small business | Be the First to Comment
Since the original iPad was released in spring of 2010, many of us have discussed its potential as a business tool. Originally released as a ‘rich man’s toy’, most people considered it more of a large-screen iPhone at the beginning. But, as with most things on this platform, applications have made a difference.
The platform is the key
One of the beauties of owning an iOS (apples’ mobile device operating system) powered device is the availability of apps of every type, and the imagination of users. About a year after the iPhone was first released, for example, there were over 70,000 apps, tiny programs that enable a user to perform tasks ranging from chats, reading news, to communicating and exchanging data with computers, in its App Store. Currently, or at least at last count, there were over a quarter-million Apps, with several thousand added every day. Read more of this article »
Posted by Jim Van on September 30, 2011 under Uncategorized | Be the First to Comment
According to a 2010 Forrester Research study, nearly 40% of all backups fail. Some industry experts say that number is very conservative, giving figures in the 50 and 79th percentile. No matter which numbers one uses, it’s obvious that we have a problem when it comes to back up reliability.
How Come? Read more of this article »
Posted by Jim Van on September 23, 2011 under business continuity, data security, disaster recovery, security, small business | Be the First to Comment
The Remote (Online) backup industry is exploding. As with any ‘explosion’, there’s almost always a bubble (remember the dot com bubble? We’d prefer not to…it’s embarrasing). In any bubble, there are plenty of ‘experts’ selling their services, some of whom are experts, and some of whom will move on to the next big thing as soon as this bubble deflates.
Unfortunately, many businesses lack the knowledge about remote backup to ask the right questions of prospective suppliers. With hundreds of companies offering remote backup, it’s challenging to choose the right provider with whom one can entrust the company’s critical business data. Here are some minimal criteria that all providers should meet. If a prospective vendor doesn’t meet all of them, you might consider moving on and looking at another: Read more of this article »
Posted by Jim Van on September 16, 2011 under business continuity, data security, disaster recovery, security, small business | Be the First to Comment
The Difference Between Home and Business Online Backup Plans
I’m not sure about you, but my inbox is full of online backup offers for as low as $6/mo to backup up to 50gb of my data. Yipee! Just three years ago, the same amount of data backup would’ve cost me north of $75/month. Prices have really fallen. Or have they? Read more of this article »
Posted by Jim Van on September 14, 2011 under entrepreneur, small business | Be the First to Comment
Last Monday. we held the first monthly meeting of the Providence Entrepreneurs Meetup Group for the 2011/2012 season at the Cafe at Whole Foods in University Heights, Providence. This is a monthly get together that varies in size from a handful to a couple of dozen members who get together to network and share stories. While the meetup itself was interesting, the communications I had with members who couldn’t make the meetup was even more interesting. A clear majority of them talked about strategy in this economy. Read more of this article »
Posted by Jim Van on September 9, 2011 under business continuity, disaster recovery, entrepreneur, eOffice, small business | Read the First Comment
In our line of business, we see a lot of systems and networks. Sadly, about 70% of them aren’t backed up regularly, including about 20% that aren’t backed up at all! But there are the 30% who do perform regular backups, and the variety of methods is astounding, ranging from backing up to a local ‘thumb’ drive, an external hard drive, CD/DVDs, and good old-fashioned tape. Some even use our recommended method of remote online backups.
Whatever method you use, effective backups require a couple of key components: Read more of this article »