This past week, the Long Island Railroad has had to cancel over 25% of their trains, causing hour long delays for their passengers. A rainstorm on Monday caused a 97 year old piece of technology to fail, the effect of which cascaded through the switching system of the Jamaica station.
Why am I blogging about this? Because it's a warning.
Was the LIRR surprised at what happened? I'll venture to say "No, they were not". At some point in the recent past, someone informed someone else that there was a critical system which was almost 100 years old. They knew the critical system was part of the switching system at their main junction and a failure would mean days of service delivery problems.
But the LIRR is lucky. They have no competition. No matter how much their service might suffer, commuters really don't have any other options (unless they want to drive the Long Island Expressway during rush hour). There are no other commuter companies that a disgruntled customer can go to, no matter how unhappy they are with the Railroad.
Unfortunately, the same isn't true of about your business and your customers. Unless you continually keep your customers happy, there's another company right next door just waiting to take their business.
So ask yourself two questions.
What would happen if you couldn't run 25% of your critical business functions for several days?
What is your "97 year old technology"?
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Use Technology to Drive Revenue
Chase Bank released a great new app last month. With your iPhone and the QuickDeposit app, you can now snap a picture of an endorsed check and the check is deposited to your account. I'm old enough (just barely) to remember waiting on line at the bank and only during banking hours. When the ATM was introduced, we still had to go to the bank but we could at least do it on our own time. Now, you can make your deposits wherever you are and whenever you want.
This isn't some wildly creative, off the wall, earth shattering concept like the electric lightbulb or the iPod (remember when you had to carry a walkman and buy music at the record store). But it is a significant feature which, for now, sets Chase apart from their competition.
When most of use think of technology, we think of infrastructure and basics. Our network, our email, remote access, backup and disaster recovery and so on. Technology lowers our cost of doing business. It saves time and makes us more efficient.
But what about using technology to increase revenue? What about adding value for your clients? When was the last time you thought of your products and services and looked that them from the client's perspective? I'm not just talking about email newsletters and e-commerce stores. How can technology really set you apart and get you noticed? Chase's iPhone app doesn't advertise the services the bank offers or let clients check their balance while on the road. It goes right to the heart of how busy their clients are and makes their lives easier by saving them time. It adds value to the client in a way that no other bank yet does.
What can you do? Off the top of my head, here are some quick ideas:
Law firms - Create online collaborative workspaces which you and your clients can use for ease of information sharing. This would eliminate large email attachments, problems with not having the latest version of a document, waiting for FedEx, etc.
Architecture firms - same thing
Retail stores & Restaurants - Time sensitive promotions using social media, not only to drive traffic but also to create positive online buzz (bring over a netback and offer them free dessert if they post a review online while they're still sitting at the table)
Medical offices - Allow patients to schedule their own appointments using web based or smartphone appointment setting tools. Save both their time and your staff's time
Anyone in sales - slick iPad based demonstrations which you can show while at the client and web based tools to update and close the deal right then and there (As an aside, if you haven't tried the iPad yet you should. Call me and I'll bring one over. It's so intuitive, my 2 year old daughter figured out how to use it without anyone having to show her)
Not-for-profits - Web based applications to support your fund raising efforts (for example, broadcast a lecture live over the internet with links to "click her to donate and access special member-only material")
None of these are revolutionary. But they are all focused on the client and on driving revenue.
So where do you go from here? Set up a brain storming session with you trusted technology advisor (which would be CMIT, right?) and figure out how you can use technology to drive revenue. It's simpler than you think.
This isn't some wildly creative, off the wall, earth shattering concept like the electric lightbulb or the iPod (remember when you had to carry a walkman and buy music at the record store). But it is a significant feature which, for now, sets Chase apart from their competition.
When most of use think of technology, we think of infrastructure and basics. Our network, our email, remote access, backup and disaster recovery and so on. Technology lowers our cost of doing business. It saves time and makes us more efficient.
But what about using technology to increase revenue? What about adding value for your clients? When was the last time you thought of your products and services and looked that them from the client's perspective? I'm not just talking about email newsletters and e-commerce stores. How can technology really set you apart and get you noticed? Chase's iPhone app doesn't advertise the services the bank offers or let clients check their balance while on the road. It goes right to the heart of how busy their clients are and makes their lives easier by saving them time. It adds value to the client in a way that no other bank yet does.
What can you do? Off the top of my head, here are some quick ideas:
Law firms - Create online collaborative workspaces which you and your clients can use for ease of information sharing. This would eliminate large email attachments, problems with not having the latest version of a document, waiting for FedEx, etc.
Architecture firms - same thing
Retail stores & Restaurants - Time sensitive promotions using social media, not only to drive traffic but also to create positive online buzz (bring over a netback and offer them free dessert if they post a review online while they're still sitting at the table)
Medical offices - Allow patients to schedule their own appointments using web based or smartphone appointment setting tools. Save both their time and your staff's time
Anyone in sales - slick iPad based demonstrations which you can show while at the client and web based tools to update and close the deal right then and there (As an aside, if you haven't tried the iPad yet you should. Call me and I'll bring one over. It's so intuitive, my 2 year old daughter figured out how to use it without anyone having to show her)
Not-for-profits - Web based applications to support your fund raising efforts (for example, broadcast a lecture live over the internet with links to "click her to donate and access special member-only material")
None of these are revolutionary. But they are all focused on the client and on driving revenue.
So where do you go from here? Set up a brain storming session with you trusted technology advisor (which would be CMIT, right?) and figure out how you can use technology to drive revenue. It's simpler than you think.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Security Risk Posed by Your Digital Copier
The Data Trove Hidden In Your Copier
While you’re busy making sure your data is safe by encrypting your wireless network, sending emails over a secure connection, and storing your backups in a highly secured remote location, what are the chances that you’re still putting your information at risk?
It turns out that nearly every digital copier made since 2002 stores scans of every image they copy on an internal flash or hard drive. These hard drives don’t have an endless amount of memory, so over time they’ll overwrite old files with new ones. But still, the fact remains that if you’ve recently copied confidential company documents, images of those documents are living inside your copier. And that means they’re available to anybody who buys your used copier through a warehouse or reseller that hasn’t bothered to wipe your drive.
So what to do about this problem? Just be aware that, before you retire or resell your copier, it’s your responsibility to get confidential information off its hard drive or risk the consequences -- which could be anything from having your data sold to identity thieves to finding your company in breach of major privacy regulations such as HIPAA.
According to CBS News, who did a big story on digital copiers back in April, "All the major manufacturers told us they offer security or encryption packages on their products." In other words, while data protection is your responsibility, manufacturers are trying to do their part to help (even if they aren’t always screaming it from the rooftops). The amount you’ll have to pay for security and encryption add-ons varies by manufacturer, of course, and there are also third-party security providers who sell software that will wipe your copier’s drive for you.
Bottom line: it will cost you some money to make sure you’re not giving away data along with your old copier. But when you consider the alternative – allowing digital scans of paycheck stubs, employee social security numbers, bank routing numbers, and the kind of information that digital thieves could resell for top dollar – it’s worth it.
While you’re busy making sure your data is safe by encrypting your wireless network, sending emails over a secure connection, and storing your backups in a highly secured remote location, what are the chances that you’re still putting your information at risk?
It turns out that nearly every digital copier made since 2002 stores scans of every image they copy on an internal flash or hard drive. These hard drives don’t have an endless amount of memory, so over time they’ll overwrite old files with new ones. But still, the fact remains that if you’ve recently copied confidential company documents, images of those documents are living inside your copier. And that means they’re available to anybody who buys your used copier through a warehouse or reseller that hasn’t bothered to wipe your drive.
So what to do about this problem? Just be aware that, before you retire or resell your copier, it’s your responsibility to get confidential information off its hard drive or risk the consequences -- which could be anything from having your data sold to identity thieves to finding your company in breach of major privacy regulations such as HIPAA.
According to CBS News, who did a big story on digital copiers back in April, "All the major manufacturers told us they offer security or encryption packages on their products." In other words, while data protection is your responsibility, manufacturers are trying to do their part to help (even if they aren’t always screaming it from the rooftops). The amount you’ll have to pay for security and encryption add-ons varies by manufacturer, of course, and there are also third-party security providers who sell software that will wipe your copier’s drive for you.
Bottom line: it will cost you some money to make sure you’re not giving away data along with your old copier. But when you consider the alternative – allowing digital scans of paycheck stubs, employee social security numbers, bank routing numbers, and the kind of information that digital thieves could resell for top dollar – it’s worth it.
Friday, June 25, 2010
When and How to Upgrade to Windows 7
It has taken Microsoft 9 years, but a good, stable, usable replacement to Windows XP is finally here.
Should you upgrade from Windows XP (or Vista if you went that route) to Windows 7? Actually, Microsoft has already made that decision for you. Sometime within the next two years, Microsoft will End of Life (EOL) Windows XP. That means they won’t be issuing any more fixes, technical support and most importantly, security patches. It also means that the vendors of the applications that you use to run your business will also be ending support for their Windows XP versions. New features, fixes and technical support will no longer be available.
The Gartner Group and other industry analysts are recommending that you plan to be off of Windows XP by the end of 2012.
There are a few different approaches you can take to make the switch.
Option 1 – Buy all new PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed. You’ll be off of XP on 7 and you’ll have all new hardware to boot. It’s a good approach. The downside is that you’ll have to buy all your new hardware which can be expensive. Using a leasing company will enable you to finance the purchase over 2, 3 or 5 years.
Option 2 – Replace your old PCs, upgrade your newer ones. Chances are some of the PCs that you’re purchased in the past few years will run Windows 7 just fine. If that’s the case, the best approach is to buy new PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed to replace the older ones as they need to be retired (a good guideline is to retire your desktop PC after 4 or 5 years). Once all the older ones are replaced, purchase upgrade licenses for the remainder and upgrade them in place. This will take a bit longer than the first approach but it will cost less.
Which ever approach you take, you’ll need to be completely on Windows 7 by the end of 2012. That give you 2 and 1/2 years to make it happen. Figure out which approach you’re taking and spread the upgrade out into 5 sections of 6 months each. Every 6 months replace or upgrade the next 20% of your desktops. Don’t wait until late next year to get started or you’ll be looking at a large upgrade all at once.
And, whatever you do, don’t just expect Windows 7 to work perfectly right out of the box. Test all your applications first. More on that next month.
Should you upgrade from Windows XP (or Vista if you went that route) to Windows 7? Actually, Microsoft has already made that decision for you. Sometime within the next two years, Microsoft will End of Life (EOL) Windows XP. That means they won’t be issuing any more fixes, technical support and most importantly, security patches. It also means that the vendors of the applications that you use to run your business will also be ending support for their Windows XP versions. New features, fixes and technical support will no longer be available.
The Gartner Group and other industry analysts are recommending that you plan to be off of Windows XP by the end of 2012.
There are a few different approaches you can take to make the switch.
Option 1 – Buy all new PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed. You’ll be off of XP on 7 and you’ll have all new hardware to boot. It’s a good approach. The downside is that you’ll have to buy all your new hardware which can be expensive. Using a leasing company will enable you to finance the purchase over 2, 3 or 5 years.
Option 2 – Replace your old PCs, upgrade your newer ones. Chances are some of the PCs that you’re purchased in the past few years will run Windows 7 just fine. If that’s the case, the best approach is to buy new PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed to replace the older ones as they need to be retired (a good guideline is to retire your desktop PC after 4 or 5 years). Once all the older ones are replaced, purchase upgrade licenses for the remainder and upgrade them in place. This will take a bit longer than the first approach but it will cost less.
Which ever approach you take, you’ll need to be completely on Windows 7 by the end of 2012. That give you 2 and 1/2 years to make it happen. Figure out which approach you’re taking and spread the upgrade out into 5 sections of 6 months each. Every 6 months replace or upgrade the next 20% of your desktops. Don’t wait until late next year to get started or you’ll be looking at a large upgrade all at once.
And, whatever you do, don’t just expect Windows 7 to work perfectly right out of the box. Test all your applications first. More on that next month.
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