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AT&T Breaks Contract Only Barrier For Wireless Phones
For the first time a
major cellular service provider is opting to sell new wireless phones without a
contract. AT&T announced iPhone
3G pricing for new and existing AT&T customers, several attractive voice and
data plans which do not require a long term contract.
This is a break from
the pricing model that is used in the United States and a move towards the model
use in other countries. When
Verizon was asked if they were going to follow and offer a similar plan they
said that they had no plans at this time to move in that direction but would
study the approach.
Firefox 3.0 is a Winner According to Janco
Janco Associates, an independent technology based consulting firm has
declared Firefox the winner in the ease of use battle. Janco has used all
of the Firefox 3.0 release candidates and the released product for over two
months in its process to evaluate the ease of use of the new browser.
 The CEO of Janco said, "When compared to the
current IE offering, we have found that Firefox 3.0 is much more stable.
In addition, the password vault is a great ease of use tools that helps to
control the rapid expansion of user ids and passwords that are required as more
sites begin to implement Web 2.0 applications that require use ids and
passwords."
What is a Successful Disaster Recovery Planning Process
Disaster
planning and business continuity is having a set of disaster-planning teams,
including emergency response teams, emergency operations centers,
issue-prevention management teams and crisis-management teams at the ready.
- Disaster recovery teams
are responsible for managing their own operations and on-site issues during
crises and during planning for emergencies.
- Executive support is also important for full business
continuity implementation.
- Ongoing program assessment also makes sure that they are up
to speed and keeping business continuity ongoing, rather than triggered by a
disaster.
- Focus on the things that everyone can relate to, like cost
and operational downtime and you need to support them, not tell them what to
do."
- Keep the risk impact assessment fresh and reflective of
social, economic and other disasters.
- "Could you work with only 40% of your staff?" - Many people
are often unavailable during an emergency, and that skeleton staff operability
should be a part of any plan. For an IT department, this could mean extra
attention to staffing patterns, since key IT infrastructure is considered
critical, and could result in IT staff being more required to be on-site -- or
at least prepared -- in an emergency.
How Much Should Business Spend for Desktops, Laptops, and Other Workstations?
If you are purchasing desktops and
laptops for yourself or hundreds of people in your business, cost is a vital
part of your decision making process. The total cost of desktops stretches far
beyond the initial purchase price of the hardware and software.
  
As you make those decisions you must know what your true
requirements are. Janco has determined that most desktop and laptop users
fall into three classes:
- Those who use one or more custom or delivered applications.
They may need a browser to access applications, but they are not usually given
e-mail access or productivity tools.
- Those who need a browser, e-mail access and productivity
tools.
- Those who need a browser, e-mail access and productivity
tools, and who also use various custom delivered applications. It is important
that they connect to and interoperate with other people and systems in their
company.
Almost all enterprises have users in each class, and some large
enterprises and government agencies have thousands of desktop users in each
class. Most people in the first two classes do not require expensive Windows XP
or Windows Vista with the full Office Suite to do their jobs. So why spend
the money?
How Important is a Disaster Plan
It is impossible to deny how important disaster recovery and
business continuity are in today's digital economy. In a survey conducted
by FEMA fully 35% of all businesses that are impacted by a disaster never
re-open their doors.
 Without systems in place to keep applications and data flowing
after a natural disaster or other interruption, a business risks losses that
extend far beyond a manufacturing plant or data center. Many businesses incur
ongoing financial loses, damage to a businesses' reputation, and possible
regulatory and legal sanctions. In a worst-case scenario like 35% of the
companies that FEMA estimated, a company can find its existence
threatened.
How can an organization tackle disaster recovery and business
continuity issues effectively? How can it develop a strategy that reduces risk
and increases the likelihood of success? And how can it devise a roadmap for
coping with constant change? There are no easy answers, but the Disaster
Recovery Planning Template with the Security Manual Template are a step in
the right direction.
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