Don’t get in the News for being Hacked!
October 23, 2014
More and more often companies are in the news because their electronic computing systems were compromised. This leads to their customers’ personal information getting into the wrong hands. Sadly, the most common cause is not performing basic computer maintenance. Basic maintenance not only updates Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Office, but updates non-Microsoft products too, such as Java, Adobe products, anti-virus software and others.
What’s more, these updates can be pushed out to all of your computers without causing any user downtime. Emerson Technologies has tools that make this process very easy. These simple steps go a long way to ensuring the integrity of your data.
To find out how, contact Emerson Technologies.
Important Dates to Remember
June 11, 2014
End of Life Support for these Microsoft Products:
Windows XP ……………………….. Apr 8, 2014
Office 2003 ………………………… Apr 8, 2014
Exchange Server 2003 …………. Apr 8, 2014
Windows Server 2003 ………….. Jul 14, 2015
Solid State Drives are More Affordable
June 11, 2014
Solid state drives (SSD) have come down in price and their use is gaining momentum. Although they are not yet as cheap as traditional drives, they are worth the cost, especially in laptops. Not only do you gain performance in access the drive, but solid state components use considerably less power than a traditional spinning disk, saving on your laptop’s battery life.
Traditional hard drives contain a metal disc that spins around very fast and an arm that reads & writes data to and from the disk. The precision demanded with this operation makes them the most likely part on any computer to go bad. If you are looking for something to upgrade on your laptop, consider replacing your hard drive with a solid state drive.
Maintaining Solid Email Infrastructure
June 11, 2014
Microsoft has for some time now publicized Exchange 2003 will reach its end-of-life support on April 8, 2014. After this date Microsoft will no longer provide any support for this product. The effects of this are already showing in that Outlook 2013 cannot connect to an Exchange 2003 server. There are still many instances of Exchange 2003 being used. If you are one such organization, it is essential to take steps to keep your email infrastructure reliable. There are a number of possible solutions:
If you have questions or wish to discuss options for your organization, contact Emerson Technologies and we will be happy to discuss your situation.
Mac OS 10.9 to be Released Soon
October 14, 2013
Apple Computer will be releasing a new version of the Mac OS X operating system soon. Some of the biggest additions to this version is a much tighter integration with the mobile platform iOS. Code named Mavericks, Mac OS 10.9 also has much better functionality for working with multiple monitors.
There will undoubtedly be some software that is incompatible with Mac OS 10.9 when it comes out. Software & hardware vendors are already making updates to their systems to work with this latest release of OS X. If you’re not sure whether your hardware or software is compatible, contact Emerson Technologies and we will evaluate it for you!
Microsoft Products with Quickly Approaching End-of-Life
October 14, 2013
This is a reminder that in April 2014 Microsoft will no longer be providing support for a number of products, including the following:
- Microsoft Windows XP – Released 12 years ago in August of 2001
- Microsoft Office 2003 – Released 10 years ago in August of 2003
- Microsoft Exchange 2003 – Released 10 years ago in October of 2003
If you are using any of these products, we strongly urge you to upgrade them prior to that end-of-life date. While end-of-life doesn’t mean they will stop working right away, they will not receive any support or upgrades from Microsoft. Already lots of software does not support the older Operating Systems and this will increase more and more in the weeks to come.
Contact Emerson Technologies and we will be happy to help you develop a plan to migrate your computers to an updated environment. Not sure if this applies to you? We can help with that too!
Java Update Released
June 26, 2013
Within the last couple weeks, Oracle released an update to Java. Although you don’t run Java directly, other programs on your computer may use Java. As a result, you may have Java but not even realize it. Unfortunately Java has many security holes.
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Windows 8.1 Information
June 26, 2013
Read moreUpdates Available
May 2, 2013
If you have used a Windows computer anytime in the last 12 years, then you have had little icons in the bottom right hand corner of your screen telling you that an update is available. Not only that but you see them all the time! Here are the most common updates and what you should do about them:
- Microsoft Updates. Once a month, Microsoft releases updates and patches for Windows, Office and other products. If a serious security flaw is discovered during another part of the month, then Microsoft may have an additional release of updates instead of waiting until their time of the month. Except for rare circumstances, we recommend you go ahead and install Microsoft updates – this will include a restart.
- Java. A little orange square with a white cup of coffee indicates an update for Java. Java isn’t a particular program, rather it is a programming language used by other programs. This is updated all the time because security holes are often found. Instead of clicking on this icon and getting the update, we recommend you go to the web site java.com and click on the big red button to get the most recent Java. CAUTION: part way through the installation process it defaults to a check box that will install other software with it – it is not needed and we recommend not installing it.
- Adobe: A little red square with the Adobe icon indicates updates are available for one or more Adobe programs on your computer – Acrobat Reader, Acrobat Pro, etc. Go ahead and click the icon and install the update. CAUTION: part way through the installation process it defaults to a check box that will install other software with it – it is not needed and we recommend not installing it.
Those are the most common but there are others. Would you like to not worry about this? Emerson Technologies performs automated maintenance on workstations (laptops & desktops) and all these and many other updates are included. Give us a call to find out how we can ensure your organization is covered.
Dropbox vs Google Drive vs MS Skydrive
March 8, 2013
First there was Dropbox. Then last year Google released their answer with Google Drive. Then Microsoft got into the game with Microsoft Sky Drive. What are they? Are they useful for your business?
