Welcome to the July edition of our Making Business Smarter E-Newsletter!

Has the summer really started? Rain, rain, go away! We’ll all look forward to a dryer and warmer July and August.

Despite the inclement weather, some significant new technology opportunities (and pitfalls) have recently emerged. One of the most significant is Microsoft’s introduction of Windows 7. Vista seems to be one of the “Edsels” (if you are too young to relate to this reference, check it out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsel ) of desktop operating systems. As technology professionals, we appreciated the great strides that Vista has made in desktop security, consistent user interface and easy network connectivity. However, we, like most of our friends and clients, have struggled with the software compatibility issues that Vista’s improved security has produced. Several of our engineers have been running Windows 7 since its first beta version release. Here are a few of their observations:

• “Windows 7 is a great step up from XP and Vista and looks to be possibly the best OS launched by Microsoft in years.”

• "I can actually work again."

• “Windows 7 delivers what Vista promised: better performance and easier use.”

• As an owner I am elated. My staff was able to take older slower computers and give them new life and power using Windows 7 OS!

Windows 7 is being released at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference this week, and will be ready for distribution in a few months. We’ll keep you updated as this replacement for Windows XP and Vista progresses.

Another technology opportunity that we are now using is a Communications Server. We now have an employee who is living in North Carolina. He is providing remote support for our clients from his new home. The Communications Server allows us to seamlessly keep track of his status, and use several communications tools to collaborate on projects. The collaboration tools include unified voicemail, email, instant messaging, audio and video conferencing and “presence”. The “presence” feature allows any user to know the status (i.e. Free, Busy, In a Meeting, Out of the Office, etc), of all other users, and use the appropriate communications method. So far we are very pleased with the way we can integrate a remote worker into our normal business processes. This can really make a difference for companies with multiple sites and remote workers. Ask Bill or Jeff to show you how this has benefitted SAGE.

Finally, the pitfall. We have been lulled into a false sense of security with the arrival of nearly ubiquitous wireless connectivity. When we go to Starbucks, or at an airport, we just pull out our laptop and connect to the internet. Yes, the connection is easy. But read our security column for the lowdown on how the person at the next table may be scanning your computer for vulnerabilities and then attacking them. As usual, there is a correlation between “easy to use” and “easy to hack”. One of the things SAGE does is help make the easy to use solutions hard to hack. If nothing else, please remember the big three: (1) Operating System Patched to current standards, (2) Current Anti-Malware (Virus and Spyware) patterns and engines, and (3) Computer Firewall turned on and configured with minimal exceptions. If you follow these three rules, you are a more difficult target. Happy computing.

Enjoy the summer. See you next month.