Northern Computer: 2013

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

Northern Computer News Announcement

Northern Computer is pleased to announce that they have come to an agreement to take over the IT Services division of ITS Kelowna effective November 1st. ITS Media will continue to repair iPads, iPhones and iPods and provide creative web services.

We welcome clients of ITS and extend our commitment to make sure that they are looked after professionally and in a timely fashion. The combined knowledge and experience of our staff and ITS staff in network installations and administration will continue to provide a high level of expertise in the Okanagan Valley.

"The transition will be smooth and former clients of ITS Kelowna will have immediate access to the business and technical resources that Northern Computer offers," said Jim Condon, owner of Northern Computer.

Northern Computer is a locally owned company in its 32nd year of business. We provide business computer solutions (both on premise and in the “Cloud”) in the Okanagan including Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton. With Northern Computer you have a partner that not only knows where the future is headed, but that can proactively connect you to it.

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
#1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca

Tuesday, 8 October 2013

Selecting the Right Level of Power Protection

There are four choices to make when selecting power protection:

Does this equipment need power protection?

Since surge protectors are so inexpensive, and provide protection against power surges. We recommend that all electronic equipment be plugged into surge protectors.

Does this equipment need uninterrupted power?

If the equipment is critical to the operation of your business, or requires several minutes to safely shut down, it should be connected to an uninterruptible power supply. For example network servers are constantly writing data to their hard disks. If power were lost during a data write, the data in memory would be lost. Additionally, servers need several minutes to safely shut down. We recommend that all servers be connected to uninterruptible power supplies. Note that uninterruptible power supplies typically have surge-protected outlets.

How long do I want my equipment to be able to run in case of a blackout?

The total wattage used by the equipment you want to keep running in case of a blackout, times the length of time you need your equipment to run will determine whether you should implement uninterruptible power supplies or emergency power generation equipment. Many UPS's are sized to allow computers attached to them to run for 10-25 minutes. This is sufficient time for users to logoff their computers, write unsaved data to disk, and perform an orderly shutdown of the operating system.

For most small businesses, the cost of emergency power generation equipment is prohibitive, costing several thousand dollars or more. Most businesses choose to implement uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

Do I need software that will automatically shut down my computer and save my files in the event of a blackout?

Many UPS’s have software that will automatically sense a power outage and perform an orderly shutdown of a computer connected to it. We strongly recommend automatic shutdown software for all network servers.

Deciding Which Equipment to Protect

Below is a chart to assist with determining your power protection needs. Please bear in mind that every business is unique, and these recommendations are general guidelines only. We would be happy to assist you in determining your particular needs.

Item	Recommended Protection Level	# of units	Wattage per unit	Total Wattage
Printers	Surge Protection
Modems/Routers	Surge Protection
Hubs/Switches	Surge Protection
Network Interface Cards	Surge Protection
Desktop Computers	UPS
Network Servers	UPS or EPGE
Web Servers	UPS or EPGE

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
#1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca

Power Protection for Your Computer Hardware - Surge Protectors and UPS'

It's been said that there are two types of computer users: those who have lost data because of a power problem, and those who are going to. Power failure and power surges are responsible for almost half of all data loss occurrences. Fortunately, it is relatively simple and inexpensive to protect against power problems.

Our computers need steady, "clean" power - power that does not sag, spike, or blackout. So how do we protect our computers and data from power problems? Since we don’t have unlimited budgets, we must design a system that gives us the maximum protection that we can afford. We must inventory our systems, and decide which ones need which level of protection.

Understanding Power Protection Equipment

There are three basic levels of power protection equipment commonly used today. Understanding the differences will help you decide which level is appropriate for each piece of equipment you want to protect.

Level 1 protection: The Surge Protector

The most basic protection begins with combating surges and spikes. Surge protectors are inexpensive devices that filter electrical power to eliminate surges and spikes before they get to your equipment.

APC SurgeArrest Home/Office
8-Outlets- $29.95

When purchasing a surge protector, the lower the let-through voltage, the better your equipment will be protected. It is also wise to purchase a surge protector that has a warranty that not only covers the surge protection device, but the equipment that it is protecting.

Note: Many surge protectors do not provide surge protection on every outlet they contain. Be sure to verify that each outlet you plug electronic equipment into is surge-protected.

Level 2 protection: The Uninterruptible Power Supply

The next level of protection involves purchasing an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). UPS prices start at under $100 for very simple devices that provide protection for a laptop computer, to tens of thousands for large server rooms. For a small network server room, expect to pay between several hundred to a few thousand dollars for a UPS. A UPS provides battery backup that aids in saving data by keeping computer systems running with no interruption in the event of a blackout or over voltage. UPS’s also offer protection from surges, spikes, and sags.

APC Back-UPS ES 8 Out
550VA 12V - $95.00

When the power goes out, a UPS provides anywhere from a few minutes to several hours of power to keep your computers running. An important additional benefit of a UPS is that many also are equipped with a special software that senses a blackout, and safely shuts down any computers connected to them, writing unsaved data to disk, and issuing shutdown commands to the operating system.

Note: If you are connecting multiple computers to a UPS, verify that it has the capability to safely shut down more than one computer.

Level 3 protection: Emergency Power Generation Equipment

A step up from Uninterruptible Power Supplies is Emergency Power Generation Equipment (EPGE). Such equipment is usually powered by Gasoline or Diesel fuel, and can provide power for extended periods. In a small installation, a portable generator is placed outside your business, and extension cords are run from the generator to critical equipment and portable lights. For more complex environments, or permanent installations, the generator is permanently mounted, and connected to the main power supply of the building.

The cost for EPGE begins at a few thousand dollars, and can rise exponentially, depending upon your needs.

Note: EPGE needs regular maintenance and testing. Just like you’re your car, your EPGE will need to be run periodically, tuned up, tested, etc.

Click here for information on selecting the right level of power protection.

- Janet F, IT Consultant

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
#1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: www.northerncomputer.ca

7 Reasons why it’s Time to give up on Windows XP Once And For All

Although businesses have been getting rid of Windows XP for at least the last 3 years, the fact remains that as of March 2013, nearly 39% of the world's PCs were still running Windows XP. That's about 600 million PCs.

Beginning April 8, 2014, security updates, non-security hotfixes, online technical content updates, and other free or paid assisted support options for Windows XP will stop, making it even more important to upgrade to a new PC with a current operating system.

Here are 7 of the top reasons it’s time to finally give up Windows XP now.

Security & Viruses. Microsoft won't be releasing any more security updates to the average user. Any security flaws that hackers find won't be fixed. Your computer will be a sitting duck, even with security software installed. There is a huge library of viruses aimed at Windows XP and limited antivirus support still available.
XP Is OLD (almost 13 years old!). And like a teenager, it is having trouble adjusting to the world, it wasn’t built for the modern digital age. The 1st iPod was released the same year as Windows XP. In a world where the 5th iPhone has been released, no one should be left using an O/S that pre-dates the 1st iPod!
Least Secure Operating System (By Far!). ALL other platforms, including Linux, all versions of Mac OS X, Windows 7 and Windows 8 are more secure than XP by a huge margin. It's missing key security features introduced in Windows Vista. It can't support the latest, safest and most Web-compatible versions of Internet Explorer. Web developers will be overjoyed to see XP-only Internet Explorer versions 6, 7 and 8 go away. Those versions are so far behind other browsers, they practically have to write another website just for those browsers.
Built For A Simpler Time. XP was created for a simpler world of technology. It was formatted to fit to a screen only 640 pixels wide, and it showcased IE6 as a new product. The internet was a different place when XP was developed. Smartphones were non-existent, laptops were a luxury and tablet computers were science fiction.
No More Band-Aids. Only so many Band-Aid fixes on top of each other can be effective. Third party software vendors are also unlikely to support new versions of their applications on Windows XP. Third-party companies would love to stop supporting XP. It takes a lot of time and money to make sure programs and hardware work on every version of Windows.
Support Is Ending. Mainstream support of XP ended 4 years ago (April 2009) with only critical security updates since then.
Malware Everywhere. You can continue to use XP, but with more malware than ever. XP is by far the most vulnerable platform to connect to the internet.

XP is a relic from a different world. Use at your own risk. For more information on end of life support click here to visit Microsoft’s site.

www.windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows/help/what-does-end-of-support-mean

Janet F, IT Consultant

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Buying a Tablet for Your Business – 6 Considerations

Tablets are everywhere, but which one is right for your business? There is a wide variety to choose from, both for consumers and businesses. There is no question that the iPad is the most popular

tablet with consumers. However, it may not be the best solution for business users for protection from the bumps and bruises of business travel and for sharing presentations. Below are a few key considerations to think about when you are looking to purchase a tablet for your business.

Operating System – Tablets are powered with different operating systems. The two most common ones are Windows and Android. A few tablets come with proprietary OS, such as the Apple’s iOS and BlackBerry.

· Android - the most common OS for tablets. It was initially developed as a mobile phone OS and is available from several manufacturers. Full Adobe flash support. Strong integration across Google's rapidly growing services.

· Windows 8 Pro & Windows RT – The majority of convertible netbooks and notebooks are equipped with a Windows OS. Both versions of Microsoft’s new OS use a touch-optimized interface and run apps developed for it. Since there is a common interface spread across devices, if your organization develops any custom applications, you’ll only need to make one for desktops, notebooks and tablets. If you need to get a lot of work done on your tablet, especially creating or manipulating documents and spreadsheets, a Windows tablet might be the way to go.

· Proprietary OS – Some manufacturers integrate their proprietary operating systems into the products, such as Apple iOS and BlackBerry’s Playbook.

2. Portability - The weight and size of the tablet are a major factor when it comes to portability. 10” inch tablets are pretty much the standard size, but manufacturers have started experimenting with smaller sizes with the 7” being the most popular. While a 10” may be good as a reader, a 7” tablets will fit easily into your jacket pocket or your hand bag. In terms of weight, a little difference can make a huge difference in the handling comfort.

3. Tablet Form Factor – Slate or Hybrid (tablets with a detachable or integrated keyboard).

4. Wi-Fi or 3G/4G– All tablets connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, but some models also let you use 3G or 4G mobile internet connections. Do you want to be able to use your tablet if a Wi-Fi hot spot is not available? Browsing plans can be expensive and purchasing a tablet with SIM card is more expensive in the beginning.

5. Features:

· Storage – To save a few dollars you may buy a tablet with a storage space of 16 GB. While these may be sufficient for a few hundred photos, some videos, 2 or 3 movies and about 50 apps, you may find that you are struggling with memory space in a few months’ time. If you anticipate your need for memory to be higher, look for a tablet with more storage. 32 GB and 64 GB tablets are standard memory storage sizes with most manufacturers.

· Expansion slots, USB slots and others - If you have a HD TV, you might want a HDMI slot out from your tablet that can be connected to your TV to watch the photos or videos you have taken, or stream a movie from the internet. A USB slot or SC card can also come in handy for viewing files or pictures.

· Processor - This is typically what decides how fast or how efficiently your tablet runs various programs including your regular browsing, watching videos and running your favourite apps.

· Battery life – The down side to higher processing power on your tablet is that it may need more battery juice to keep it running optimally and the tablet may generate more heat as it starts to process more information. A look through the manufacturer rating on the battery power should give you a fair idea of how long the tablet is going to last. Most tablets give 6+ hours of battery life when in constant use with some l 10 hours or more.

6. Price - If you've set a budget for your tablet and your favorite model falls within that range, you're in great shape. But sometimes you find yourself debating between a pricier model than you really, really want and a more affordable model that feels like a compromise. Before you make your final decision, make sure you're comparing apples to apples (or Androids to Androids) in terms of storage, processing speed, Internet access and size, since even tablets within the same product line often come in different models and performance levels. Besides the cost of the tablet itself, you'll want to consider the price of any accessories or components that you may need to use your tablet the way you want to.

Need some help sorting through it all? We have advisors that can access what you need and point you in the right direction.

The Impact of Tablets – 5 Ways Businesses Are Using Them

From just a few short years ago, tablets have gone from being non-existent to becoming a common device that is being adopted by many businesses. As a tool, tablets are being used as companion

devices that provide a powerful computing platform for workers on-the-go to access data locally and in the cloud.

Employees want to use tablets. Tablets run operating systems that are familiar to employees, avoiding the support nightmare for IT when transitioning to new technology. Many businesses view the tablet as a tool to improve the way they do business.

5 Ways to Use a Tablet for Business

1. Point of Sale System – Tablets can used for transactions that occur away from the storefront and can be found at tradeshows, farmers markets and other areas away from the store front . They have also become popular for processing credit card and debit payments. This opens up opportunities for small business that may not have offered payment by debit or credit cards previously. It also opens opportunities for mobile businesses such as mobile food trucks. Click here for info about accepting mobile payments.

2. Presentations & Proposals – Showing your presentation to prospective clients on your tablet is useful for a small group setting. Some tablets also come with ports that will allow you to connect them to a larger screen, such as a TV screen.

3. Access to documents – With the growth of cloud technology, documents can be accessed and viewed from our devices and often edited as well.

4. Training – Employees can take training with apps that interact by clicking on pop-ups to reveal additional information or taking a quiz at the end. If information becomes out-of-date it can be updated quickly and without the expense of creating new paper copies.

5. Video - An underexploited element of tablets today that's likely to grow. Whether watching prerecorded video or making a video call , the use of video in sales makes it much easier for someone to call up a 30-second video from the device and hand the tablet to the prospect to watch it or to speak face to face with a client that can’t be met with in person.

Now the only decision left to make, which tablet is best for your business?

Thursday, 2 May 2013

Mobile Printing

We live in a world that is always on the go and our devices have adapted. Many of the devices that

we carry around used to require us to stay in one place to use them. Today cell phones allow people to make calls everywhere, MP3 players can store all your music on a device that you can take anywhere and smart phones, tablets and laptops allow us to have constant access to email and calendars.

Documents can be created on the go, but printing those documents can be tricky. A mobile printer saves plenty of time and money that would otherwise be spent in travelling to a stationary printer to print something and then travelling back to hand it over to whom it is required. For example, a service technician may want to print an invoice or report to be signed off by a customer while on a job site. The real time availability of producing these items also reflects professionalism.

Some of the main points to consider when selecting a mobile printer:

Functionality. Do you need to print a variety of documents or just snapshots?
Print Speed. More than often, the mobile printer is used to product on-spot receipts and invoices. The printing speed of mobile printers should be good to avoid delays and to avoid keeping the customers waiting. The print speed of mobile printers is measured in inches per second (IPS).
Size and Weight. Some models can weigh more, especially if being used with a battery and can take up a lot of suitcase space.
Accessories. Find out what’s included. Is a battery or car power adapter included? Is wireless printing available?

Canon Pixma iP100

The rugged, compact iP100 Mobile Printer delivers remarkable quality and print-anywhere portability. This model has a very high print resolution, can print a borderless 4" x 6" photos in under a minute, offers automatic duplexing, and can print a book (or 290 pages of a book) in one charge of its optional battery. A car power adapter and bluetooth connectivity are optional accessories.

Dimensions when closed: 12.7" x 7.2" x 2.4"

Weight: 4.4 lbs

Max print resolution: 9600 x 2400 dpi

MSRP: $279.99

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner
#1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca

Sleek. Thin. Powerful. Light.

What is an Ultrabook?

If you are looking to buy a new laptop, you may have come across the term Ultrabook. Ultrabooks are a new category of laptops that are lightweight, sleek and powerful. The term ultrabook was coined by Intel to describe a laptop that has the following characteristics:

Thin and Lightweight. Less than 0.8 inches or 20mm. Most weight between 3 and 4.5 pounds.
Powerful. Run via a low voltage and high-powered Intel processor.
Near instant on and instant resume capabilities. They need to be able to resume from hibernation in less than eight seconds.
Longer Battery Life. They must boast a battery life of at least 5 hours.

Are Ultrabooks a good option for you?

Without a doubt, Ultrabooks are an excellent choice if portability and design are highly important to your lifestyle. For example, if you travel often, or if you use your laptop to write, conduct Web research, and perform similar activities, an Ultrabook is definitely the way to go. However, if you require the use of heavy graphics and portability is not a priority for you, it might be in your best interest to consider other options.

Buying Tips:

Rigidity – Is it as thin as a piece of cardboard and just slightly stronger? The exterior should be able to handle some pressure. An all-metal chassis is preferable for durability, as opposed to a design that sports a metal lid and plastic area around the keyboard.
Heat and Noise - Their small size can make cooling components difficult, and since Ultrabooks are the smallest laptops of all, they have the greatest challenge to overcome. Some may be a bit noisy or hotter than others.
Get the right ports – Some Ultrabook makers sacrifice certain ports to achieve a thinner design, but what should you be willing to live without? You may want to opt for an Ultrabook that includes both an Ethernet port (for wired Internet connections) and VGA (for connecting to projectors).
Warranty – An inexpensive mainstream laptop almost always has a one-year hardware warranty – and that’s about it. Higher end models will have longer warranties.

Lenovo Twist - $849

Toshiba Progete - $1199

Friday, 26 April 2013

Torture Tests of the Lenovo All-in-One PC

200 test units, 10 torture tests, 20,000 hours of testing-Lenovo ThinkCentre All-In-One desktops are built tough.

Lenovo ThinkPad Twist Demo Modes

Learn about the many modes of ThinkPad Twist in this functional overview.

Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Power Anxiety

You’ve got calls to make, emails to send and you just received the low battery warning on your device. Your heart begins to beat a little faster – you’re almost out of power! You forgot the adapter or don’t have a power outlet. Arrgghh!

Many of us develop a great deal of anxiety over the battery life of our devices. If you experience power anxiety, you might consider buying a backup battery for charging on the go.

Backup batteries will vary in size and weight depending on capacity. Battery capacity is measured in milliampere hours (mAh). The more milliampere hours a battery has, the longer it will run, somewhat like gallons of gas in a car. Most smartphone batteries have a capacity of 1,500 to 2,100 mAh while tablet batteries are in the 6,000 to 11,000 mAh range. To fully recharge these devices, you need an auxiliary source that meets or exceeds that capacity.

Which one is best depends on how much power you want on hand and how much weight you are willing to carry. A larger footprint and more heft will provide even more charging capacity. Below are a few peripherals to help to keep your devices backed up.

Targus Backup Battery for
Smartphones
$39.99

Featuring 2000 mAh of battery capacity, users can triple the talk time of their Smartphone. Just connect the backup battery to any Smartphone to recharge and continue calling, gaming, or surfing the web.

Targus Backup Battery for iPad
$69.99

Featuring 4800 mAh of battery capacity, the battery provides users with an additional 5 to 10 hours of use on iPad and can fully charge a Smartphone 3 to 5 times on a single charge.

Plug-N-Power Charging
Station with USB Charger
$29.99

This portable charging station features a USB fast charger (2.1A) for rapid charging of iPad and tablets. This charging station features 15 watts of total USB power and includes 3 AC outlets with 540 joules of surge protection and 2 USB charging ports for simultaneous charging.

So with your power anxiety remedied, you can move on to other neuroses, like the bacterial density on your mobile device’s touch screen.

Northern Computer - Your Trusted Partner #1 - 495 Banks Road Kelowna, BC V1X 6A2
Phone: 250.762.7753 Fax: 250.861.1861 Toll-Free: 1.877.257.2896
Email: sales@northerncomputer.ca or service@northerncomputer.ca
Web: http://www.northerncomputer.ca

5 Reasons to Consider an All-in-One PC

If you aren’t already feeling overwhelmed by the consumer devices available on the market today, AIO (All-in-One) PCs are striving for a piece of the competitive market alongside traditional desktops and laptops. With an AIO, the computer components are integrated behind the LCD panel or in the base of the display. Below are a few advantages of an AIO PC:

Space - They require less desktop space than a traditional PC and monitor. The single-unit design also requires only one cable to power everything, which eliminates the mounds of wiring that can create chaos when installing multiple components.
Mounting flexibility – they can be mounted to walls, used on pedestal stands or used for digital signage.
Touchscreen technology – An option available on some models. You can have a giant touchscreen tablet in your office that doubles as a desktop computer.
All your video and audio components are right there – integrated HD cameras and speakers – no need for the extra clutter of having to connect everything through USB ports and you’ll have a cleaner desktop area.
Cost Savings - AIOs consume about 18 percent less power than equivalent desktop systems and less hardware to purchase with built in components - monitor, speakers and camera.

Unlike with traditional desktop PCs, with an all-in-one computer, what you see is what you get—for the life of the PC. With few exceptions, such as a memory or hard drive upgrade, upgrades to AIO systems are limited due to their small nature.

For those that have limited space for a computer and don't need to move it around, an AIO may be the answer. Faster processors, larger screens and more sophisticated multi-touch capabilities are all pointing to a bright future for this desktop form factor.

Lenovo M72z AIO 20"
4GB RAM - 500GB HDD - Core i3 3220 (3.3 GHz)
3 Year warranty
$799

Lenovo M92z AIO 23" (Touch)
4GB RAM - 500 GB HDD - Core i5-3470 (2.9 GHz)
3 Year Warranty
$1149

Thursday, 14 March 2013

5 Quick Brower Tips

1. Take advantage of tabbed browsing - While reading any web page if you come across a link you may be interested in open that link in a new tab so it can be viewed later. A new tab can be opened by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking the link or if you have a mouse with a wheel click the link with the middle mouse button.

2. Enter a quick URL - You don't need the http:// portion of a web page - When typing an Internet address you do not need to type http:// or even www. in the address. For example, if you wanted to visit Lenovo’s website, you can just type Lenovo and then press Ctrl + Enter to type out the full http://www.lenovo.com address.

3. Quickly move between the fields of a web page - If you're filling out an online form, e-mail, or other text field you can quickly move between each of the fields by pressing the Tab key or Shift + Tab to move back a field. For example, if you're filling out your name and the next field is your e-mail address you can press the Tab key to switch to the e-mail field.

4. Use Internet search engines to their full potential - If you're not finding what you want try surrounding the text in quotes. For example, if you were searching for Kelowna ‘computer repair' this actually searches for pages that contain both computer and repair and not necessarily pages that have computer and repair next to each other.

5. Know your Internet browser shortcuts - There are dozens of different shortcut keys that can be used with Internet browsers. Below are a few:

· Pressing Alt + D in any major Internet browser will move the cursor into the address bar. This is a great way to quickly enter an Internet address without having to click the mouse cursor in the address bar.

· Press F5 to refresh or reload a web page.

· Press F11 to make the Internet browser screen full screen. Press F11 again to return back to the normal view.

· Press Ctrl + B to open your Internet bookmarks.

· Press Ctrl + F to open the find box in the browser to search for text within the web page you're looking at.

Backing up to the 'cloud'

Online Backup systems have become increasingly popular in recent years and appear to be the answer to many common problems with traditional backup systems. Until recently, companies would utilize some sort of hardware solution, generally a tape drive for larger companies, and smaller companies often use portable drives. In both cases, backups needed to be transported offsite to provide effective protection. Online backup systems seem to have solved the biggest problem of traditional backup systems by storing backups in the cloud. Online backups also solve another major problem associated with traditional backup systems – hardware faults. Tape backup systems were notorious for having problems and many of my peers simply avoided tape backup systems altogether. The clouds have split apart (no pun intended), and a shaft of light is shining down - Our data backup concerns are over – or are they?

The largest cause of problems with data recovery has never been the systems used. There, I have said it. The cat is out of the bag. In the many years that I have been consulting and working with Information technology, I can honestly say that the largest cause of data loss has been ignorance. Data is not recovered because it was never there to recover. In some cases, users don’t communicate to management processes that are in place and what needs to be secured offsite. Management remains blissfully unaware of what users are doing beyond critical systems like email and accounting. Sometimes management decisions are made such as adding new software but backups are never adjusted to allow for this. Many businesses outsource their IT needs since it is much more cost effective than employing internal staff, but are reluctant to pay the time required to test and confirm that backup systems are running properly.

There is a new problem created by online backup solutions that many users are not fully aware of. Doing a ‘full backup’ of the system can take hours or even days for some companies. During the backup, your system is vulnerable. Daily processes that could be critical to a recovery are not being backed up. Because of this, and also to limit the use of available bandwidth, backup providers and IT professionals will only occasionally do a full backup, and rely on backing up changes to the system (often referred to as incremental backups). The theory behind this is that you have a full backup, and incremental changes and it makes it possible to recover data to a certain point in time. How much backup to store offsite has a cost, and a place where businesses feel they can cut back.

A lot of techs recommend 45 days. So, a full backup, 45 days of retention has become the standard. There are problems with this system. If your full backups are not every 45 days, then a gap between your last full backup and the retention period exists. Most programs like accounting systems store data in a number of files, and if you are unable to recover a file, recovery of the whole program can be compromised. A modified file, if it remains unmodified beyond the retention period, will not be recoverable, except from a much older full backup. Retention periods should mesh between full backups. Test your backups – create files and store them for a week or two, then delete them and ask for them to be recovered from backup.

- Mark Smed is a consultant and network Technician for Northern Computer Inc. in Kelowna, and also sits on the board of directors for the Network Professional Association (www.npa.org).

Three Things Every Business Owner Should Love About Cloud Computing

“Cloud computing” is a phrase that you may have heard, but what is it? And, more importantly, how can it help your company?

Chances are, you are already using an application in the cloud or storing files there. Are you using Gmail or Facebook? Have you ever uploaded anything to the internet? Do you have a website? The software and storage for your account exists on the service’s computer (the “cloud) rather than on your computer.

So how might cloud services help in your organization? If you are responsible for making sure that all of your employees have the right hardware and software they need to do their jobs, you understand the headaches involved. Simply equipping everyone with a computer isn’t enough – you also have to purchase software and licenses. When you have a new hire, you have to buy more software or make sure your current software license allows another user. And then there’s the maintenance – making sure all your servers are functioning, loading software updates, trouble-shooting. The list is endless.

With cloud computing, instead of installing software and applications on each computer, you only load the software and applications once into your virtual cloud environment. Your employees log into a Web-based service which hosts all the programs the user would need for his or her job.

In a cloud computing system, local computers no longer have to do all the work of running applications. The network of computers that makes up the cloud handles them instead. Hardware and software demands on the user’s side decrease.

So, how can cloud computing help your company?

• Mobility. You don’t have to be confined to working from one physical location. You can work from any PC, anywhere and relocation is easy -there is less hardware to move.

• Cost Savings. Cloud computing helps you reduce the costs of a capital investment in servers and storage devices. There are also no ongoing costs for power and additionally, you can save money on IT support.

• Easy Implementation. Without the need to purchase hardware or software licenses, a company can get its cloud computing services off the ground quickly. You can also grow or shrink to match your demand, referred to as elastic. If you need more computing power, it is available instantly. There is no need to secure additional hardware or software that you may or may not need to use.

Find out more about Cloud Computing solutions available from Northern Computer here.

- Janet F, IT Consulting

Monday, 18 February 2013

How to Set a Password to Microsoft Office Files

With the Microsoft Office system, you can use passwords to help prevent other people from opening or modifying your documents, workbooks, and presentations. This can keep files safe and secure.

To set a password for a Microsoft file, first open any Microsoft office's component such as Word, Powerpoint, Excel etc and follow the instructions below for the version of software that you have:

MS Office 2007

1. Click on the Office button

2. Click on prepare and encrypt document

3. Enter the desired password and click OK

4. A new window appears asking to confirm the password. Click OK.

5. Once your password is entered, you must save your document for the encryption to take effect.

6. Now, whenever the file is opened, a password will be required in order to open the document.

MS Office 2010

1. Click on “File” in the upper left-hand corner.

2. Click on “Info”.

3. Click on “Protect Document” then “Encrypt with Password”.

4. You will be prompted to enter a password to encrypt your document

5. You will be prompted to re-enter your password.

6. Once your password is entered, you must save your document for the encryption to take effect.

7. Now, whenever the file is opened, a password will be required in order to open the document.