Windows 7 + Outlook 2010 - They're Grrrrrrrreat!

I waited way too long to upgrade! My new system with Windows 7 and Outlook 2010 is working out great. So much of my time is spent in eMail and it was a bit tough to get used to the "ribbons" in Outlook, but so far so good. I ended up loading my "old" mail as archives so my new inbox would be completely free of clutter. All of my legacy emails are available when I need them, just not in my "inbox". One thing to look out for is that the latest version of Outook places the "pst" file in your Documents folder. This is a good place for it to be (people won't miss backing it up anymore), but if you were used to the old way of doing things where the pst was in some hidden folder, it takes a bit of getting used to.

Microsoft Office 2010 - What does small business think?

Every month I send out an e-newsletter to our clients updating them technology tips and strategies for small business. Recently, we posted news on the Microsoft Office 2010 release - whats new, whats the same.... A few minutes later I got the following response from one of our long term customers: "I hate Office 2007 and wish I could go back to 2003!!!! A new version?? NO WAY!!"

I have to confess I'm still running Office 2003 on my own laptop, but in the next few days I'll be getting my brand new laptop with Office 2010. Can't wait to find out how I'll adapt to the "latest and greatest". Stay tuned...

eMail Encryption - MA Data Protection Law

One of the requirements of the new Massachusetts Data Protection Law (201 CMR 17.00: Standards for The Protection of Personal Information of Residents of the Commonwealth ) is encryption of all emails containing personal information. For the "do it yourself" folks, here is a link to purchase Voltage eMail Encrytion software which integrates nicely with Microsoft Outlook: http://www.ekaru.com/vsn/purchase.htm

Tech Companies Help Survivors of the Haiti Earthquake

Several tech companies have stepped up to help survivors of the Haiti earthquake. Notably, Google has donated $1 Million and is offering free Google Voice calls to US families with relatives in Haiti. Also, if you're looking for a way to contribute, check the link "Information, resources, and ways you can help survivors of the Haiti earthquake" on the Google Home Page for many different ways you can help.

Is Your Business Ready for the New Massachusetts Data Protection Law?

The countdown to March 1, 2010 goes on!

After a number of extensions, the new MA Data Protection Law goes into effect March 1, 2009. Are you prepared to help your organization get into compliance with the new data security regulations? Massachusetts has enacted one of the most onerous data protection laws in the country. The regulations apply to every individual or entity, including those outside Massachusetts, that maintain personal information regarding Massachusetts residents, and regardless of whether the information is stored in paper or electronic form. To be in compliance, covered entities must ensure that such data is maintained securely, and develop Comprehensive Written Information Security Policies (CWISPs).

Take our quick poll (10 seconds!) and find how your business readiness compares to others.

Windows 7 is leaving the Microsoft Help Desk Quiet

One of the measures of success of Windows 7 is that call volume to Microsoft's help desk is down. According to Barbara Gordon, Vice President of Customer Support for Microsoft: "Overall we are finding our call center volume is down significantly more than we expected." Most Microsoft watchers would say this is because Windows 7 is a big improvement over Vista (definitely true!), but Microsoft also points out that two new support channels (worth checking out!) are also making a difference: Microsoft Answers and MicrosoftHelps on Twitter.

With Microsoft Answers, users can submit questions to the help community, and Microsoft employees validate answers. So far, Microsoft has validated about 60,000 inquiries.

The Microsoft Twitter help site went live in October. Users can post a tweet with "@microsofthelps" in the message and Microsoft will respond. Seven employees work full time on creating responses by either providing a simple answer (hard to do in 140 characters!) or pointing to a place where people can get a more detailed answer. The goal is to answer a question that 1000s of users may have with one response. "It's really like a customer megaphone," Gordon said.

AntiVirus - Full Disk Scan - Just Do It!

My Antivirus software kicks in to annoy me periodically for a full system scan. It slows me down, and like a lot of people, I'll admit that I often stop the scan because it takes to long, and it slows my system down! I know it's important, but if I'm working on five different things, it's an inconvenience. My Antivirus is always checking incoming and outgoing emails, and all the files I open, but the full system scan on top of that what bothers me.

With a laptop, it's tough to make sure you're doing everything you need do do to protect your system. When my system is on, I'm working and I'm busy! When I'm not working, my system is off and in my computer bag.

Last night - PANIC - I had a warning about a Virus. I quickly checked to make sure it wasn't one of those spoofed threats (that are actually viruses, and if you click on ANYTHING it just makes it work). This was a REAL warning, but my Antivirus software caught it (I was on the web, and going through a lot of emails so it could have been anything).

So... time for a full system scan. I left my computer on overnight. It took 5 hours and 45 minutes for the scan to complete, but two threats were discovered and healed by the end. Bottom line, make the time to run those full scans!