Newsletter – May 2007
Windows Vista:
What you need to know before you upgrade.
Windows Vista is finally here. Released in January, Microsoft’s latest operating system is everywhere and isn’t going away anytime soon. The large PC manufacturers are pushing VIsta on all their Home and Small Business computers and it is getting harder and harder to find XP preinstalled. Vista is no longer the operating system of the future, it’s the operating system of the present.
Windows Vista is full of changes (both good & bad) and requires some getting used to at the very least. For those of you who are considering Vista, there are some important things you should consider:
Hardware:
It’s no surprise that Windows Vista is the most resource intensive operating system yet. With the addition of things like real-time search indexing and the Aero interface, Vista is pushing the hardware requirements higher than ever.
Now, keep in mind that these specs don’t take into account the other applications that you may wish to run concurrently. For optimum performance with multiple business applications (Outlook, QuickBooks, Office) running we recommend a dual-core processor and 2Gb of system memory.
Software:
Many applications may not currently work with Windows Vista or may require an update to provide compatibility. Be careful here because sometimes you may have to actually purchase a new version of the product for compatibility. It’s wise to check the manufacturer’s website for information on compatibility before purchasing or upgrading to Vista.
Upgrade:
If you are upgrading an existing PC to Windows Vista, you can run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor to check your system and ensure it is ready. The Upgrade Advisor will tell you exactly what hardware and software will support your upgrade to Vista and what won’t. For more information on this tool, click the link below:
As always, KTS is your local Gold Certified expert in the latest Microsoft products and services. If you have any questions or need assistance with your product selection or upgrade, please feel free to contact us today!
Technology Spotlight:
Access Outlook Anywhere!
For most of us, Outlook has become a necessity in both personal and business arenas. We rely on Outlook not only to deliver our mail but also to track our contacts and plan our day. Many (myself included) do not even leave the house before first checking Outlook to see what the day has in store. Thankfully, the ever increasing availability of internet access and some Microsoft foresight has put the Outlook client at our fingertips no matter where our travels may take us. The two technologies that make this possible are “Outlook Web Access” and “Exchange Over the Internet” (renamed to “Outlook Anywhere” in Exchange 2007).
Outlook Web Access allows you to access your email securely through a web browser like other familiar internet-based email systems. This gives you the ability to do almost anything you can do in Outlook anywhere that you are able to surf the web. Outlook Web Access is perfect for when you are using a public terminal such as at an internet café or the airport. The best of all is that Outlook Web Access provides an interface that is very similar to that of your regular Outlook client so you are instantly familiar with the location of the information you need.
Exchange Over the Internet uses a technology called RPC over HTTPs to actually connect the Outlook client installed on your notebook or home PC to your corporate email server through the internet. This allows you to use the full features of Outlook when you are away from the office especially when traveling with your notebook. Exchange Over the Internet uses secure internet protocols to pass your data between your computer and the corporate email server without the need for a VPN connection or firewall configuration.
Since each of these technologies transmit data over unsecured public internet connections, it is important to use proper encryption methods so your data is protected when traveling over these networks. Through the use of a third-party issued SSL Certificates, you can establish the necessary encrypted channels with your corporate email server and be sure that your data is safe.
Kazmarek Technology Solutions is your local expert in remote email solutions and can help you provide your remote users with the information they need to stay productive even while away from the office. Call us today for more details!
What’s KTS Up To?
KTS recently implemented a virtualization solution to provide the development team of a local software developer with more resources while still utilizing only one physical server. The goal was to allow the programmers access to a number of virtual servers, each running different versions of the software build without having to dedicate a separate machine to each unique testing scenario. Our solution was to use Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 running on a Dell PowerEdge 2950 Server, with client access provided by Microsoft Terminal Services. The solution gave the developer’s a flexible testing environment that allowed them to increase production on their latest release and provide a product more thoroughly tested then previously possible.
Virtualization Technology can add value and functionality to a new server, or can be used retroactively to enhance the function of an underutilized server. Virtualization gives you the ability to run almost any operating system in a “VM”, (Virtual Machine) which you can use for legacy application isolation, software development and testing, training and demonstration, disaster recovery or portable applications. KTS can develop a strategy to provide virtualization technology for your company to save costs on hardware, add functionality to existing systems and more!