Technology is always changing and evolving, but most businesses can't afford to keep pace with the latest trends.  Instead, focus on laying a solid foundation for your business technology, with a plan and a budget for ongoing support, maintenance and replacement.  It's just as important to get the technology basics right as it is to have a strong financial or marketing plan.  This month we touch on the ten technology basics that should be in place in your business.
March 2009 - Cyber-Bullying

School-aged children quickly learn to make friends, display preferences and establish their own social circles.  This interaction used to take place in person, via notes or letters, or via the home telephone.  Affordable technology has now provided our children with new methods of communicating, including ‘online’ via various methods on the internet and also through personal cellphone text messages.

Often technology’s little problems or hassles are ‘put up with’, instead of being given the attention needed to resolve or improve them.  Let’s start the New Year by dealing with a few areas that can be easily and inexpensively solved. Watch out for part 2 of this article next month.

Often technology’s little problems or hassles are ‘put up with’, instead of being given the attention needed to resolve or improve them.  Let’s start the New Year by dealing with a few areas that can be easily and inexpensively solved. Watch out for part 2 of this article next month.

MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Nexopia, Hi5, Skyrock and Friendster are common examples of online communities or ‘social networking’ websites.  They enable you to build connections to people who share your interests and provide communication methods like instant messaging, message boards and status messages.

When a business consists of more than one person, questions arise about how to share critical business information and technology resources such as printers.  Most small businesses start to link computers together with a network and are unaware that the benefits of a ‘server’ computer may actually be within their budget.

"If you have a presence on the internet (or if you are considering it) then having your own internet domain name adds to your credibility. It also means your I.T. infrastructure can change behind it, but your customers still have the same website address to visit. Your domain name can also be used within your email addresses (e.g.me@mybusiness.com instead of me@emailforfree.com). This month we look at some of the traps of internet domain name registration."

July 2008 - Technology Moved

"Moving into a different house or office can be very stressful, though many moving companies offer practical tips for the packing and relocation of your goods.  So how can you ensure that everything goes to plan with all of the technology that you rely on?  This month we offer 10 tips for moving your technology."

June 2008 - Give your computer some space

"‘You can guarantee that technology is always changing and always improving.  This is particularly true for computer hard disk drives which provide the long-term storage for your files.  Not long ago, disk sizes of 250GB (Gigabytes) and 320GB would have only been needed by businesses (who could have afforded them), but now these sizes are accepted as standard for new home computers.

This increase in storage capacity has come from an improvement in the quality and cost-efficiency of the components and the driving consumer need for more and more storage space.  It’s estimated that as much as 98% of all information that exists today was ‘born digital’ i.e. it did not exist before someone created it in a digital format.  We’ve become a society that functions on emails, websites and documents and all of that information has to be stored somewhere.  And that’s before you’ve mentioned entertainment, with digital photos, videos and music compounding our storage problems.  All of this is nicely supported by rising internet speeds, which now make it possibly to email a 10MB attachment without taking 3 days to deliver it."

May 2008 - The Secret World of Spam Email

"‘Spam’ (also called unsolicited commercial e-mail) can just seem like an annoyance, but it’s actually a thriving, wealthy industry.  How does this industry work and how did you get caught in the middle of it?  This month we explore how ‘spammers’ earn a significant income and how you can protect your main e-mail account."

April 2008 - Be found on the Internet

"The internet continues to rise in popularity as a resource for people to research and source products, services and even other people. This is driving businesses to establish their own presence on the internet with a company website. And, unless people know the name of your company, they will most likely use a search engine (like Google) to find out who can provide a particular product or service in their area. So, getting a good ‘ranking’ (i.e. appearing on the first page or ideally at the top) in the results can be a big advantage.  This has created a whole new science called ‘Search Engine Optimization’ (SEO), or ‘the process of raising web site visibility in search engines and directories to increase targeted leads’. This month we explore a few SEO tips to get you started"

March 2008 - Electricity - Friend or Foe?
"Most technology depends on a clean, uninterrupted supply of electricity. Unfortunately, inconsistencies in your electrical supply or a sudden complete loss of power can cause major damage to computer systems and other sensitive equipment. This month we investigate power problems and the devices that are essential for protecting your technology investment."

December 2007 - Electronic Greeting Cards
"As e-mail is more widely accepted as a communication method for doing business, it is also more commonly being turned to for sending good wishes to friends and family members on special occasions and holidays.  Slower, dial-up internet connections used to limit us to sending a text email as our message, instead of mailing a letter.  But now faster, broadband internet can handle animations, movies and audio too.  So, don’t be surprised if you see more cards in your Inbox and less in your letter box."

November 2007 - Remembering Secure Passwords
"Passwords are your keys to accessing electronically stored information.  In many cases you may not notice until it is too late that important details, regarding your identity or your business, have been used.  It is critical to create ‘strong’ passwords and keep them well protected, whilst also being able to remember them."

October 2007 - USB Devices
"Universal Serial Bus (or USB) has rapidly become the standard for connecting devices to your computer.  In fact, many computers no longer ship with a floppy disk drive as standard, but will have at least one USB port.  USB connectors are used by input devices (mice, keyboards, scanners, digital cameras), output devices (portable CD writers, printers), storage devices (external hard disk drives, flash or USB memory keys/sticks) and even decorations and novelty items such as mobile phone chargers, flashing light snowmen, coffee cup warmers and mini reading lights."