Today, there is a strong trend in the computer industry away from backing up to tape and towards backing up to disk. There are five main reasons for this:
1. In our experience, every tape backup drive fails at some point in its life. And when it does it’s a stressful time for all diagnosing the problem, convincing the manufacturer that its faulty and putting in place an interim solution until the replacement tape drive is installed; 
 2. The ever-increasing amount of data stored on a server means the time taken to back it all up onto tape is increasing. Sometimes the “backup window” continues into the working day, slowing down network performance for everyone. This problem gets even bigger when there is more than one server or when the amount of data grows over time and it no longer fits onto one tape;
3. Swapping tape cartridges on a daily basis involves a human process, and is thus prone to forgetfulness and mistakes;
4. These days, disk drives are not only cheaper than tape drives devices, they’re also far more reliable over the long term; and
5. Restoring data from tape will always be a clumsy, tedious, slow and mistake prone process. And all at the exact point in time when there’s pressure on to get everything operational again as soon as possible.
 
In a nutshell, the backup process and the restore process is a lot faster, a lot simpler and a lot safer with disk drives than it is with tape drives.

In my next blog I'll outline what I think is today's best server backup strategy.

At NetCare, we are at the forefront of upgrading companies from older versions of Microsoft SBS like SBS2003 to the latest and greatest version  - SBS2011.

I've written a blog previously on why SBS2011 is a great choice for businesses that have between  5 and 50 staff so I want to concentrate this time on how painless the process will be for you and your staff. Most small businesses have a horror story or two about server upgrades, and so they are naturally concerned about the impact it will have on their business productivity during the transition.

In fact we often hear the fear of a major disruption is the biggest reason why companies put off  installing a new server even though their current server may be way out of warranty, is always running out of disk space , or worse still, it crashes on a regular basis! If this sounds like your business then read on - we can help!

As one of Sydney's leading Microsoft partners providing IT support services exclusively to businesses that have between 5 and 50 staff, we know how to migrate your old SBS2008, SBS 2003, or even SBS2000  server to SBS2011.

I'm writing this blog on a plane returning from a conference hosted by both Microsoft and HP on SBS2011. The primary focus was on how to migrate customers to SBS2011 in a way that minimizes downtime and disruption, as well as ensuring that the outcome is reliable and consistent. And I'm very pleased to say that we're doing it according to world's best practice.! In fact, if you want to find out full details on the process we follow, I suggest you look at www.sbsmigration.com

Currently we are averaging one new server install per week, and that is very quickly building up our experience and expertise. It also means we're getting faster and more efficient in moving our customers to SBS2011. We've upgraded customers from creaky old SBS2000 systems, SBS2003 servers that need to be updated because of hardware performance, capacity and warranty reasons and even SBS2008 systems because the clients (like us!!!) want all the great new features of SBS2011 NOW!

If you are considering upgrading your old system  to a new HP server running SBS2011 and you're not sure whether your current IT guy is up to the task, then I encourage you to call or email us at NetCare to arrange an obligation-free consultation at your premises.

Recently I got a new PC for my desk and I was immediately very impressed by how much faster it was. I had been using a 3 year old laptop that had always  seemed fast enough. But, all of a sudden, the logon screen was up in a flash, and a few seconds later I'm logged in and ready to start work.
 
I really think that my daily productivity has increased with this new PC and it made me think that there are probably a lot of other people who think their PC is still OK, when in fact its slowing them down all day every day.  Especially those still running Windows XP on a Pentium 4 processor.
 
The difference is astounding. For a start Windows 7 is so much faster and its effortless to adjust to and use. But that’s just the beginning. The new HP PCs we're providing to our clients have the new Intel i5 and i7 range of processors .
 
We recommend the i5 for everyday business use, and the i7 for people running intensive applications or who have multiple applications open at any one time.  And for those who have rediscovered the need for speed. Like me.
 
The next thing to talk about is graphics quality on the new second-generation LED monitors. Our favourite at the moment is the Viewsonic 24" LED. These super slim monitors now only cost $220 and they are truly amazing. My PC has an Intel graphics adapter and the two partnered together have stunning clarity and very fast refresh times. Multitasking with different apps, viewing web-based training as well as using Skype to more effectively communicate with clients and remote staff is a breeze.
 
Now disk space. Typically new PCs come with a huge hard disk drive of say 320Gb or 500Gb capacity. But in an office situation only a small fraction of this is ever used as we all store our data on the server (don't we!!!). Because hard drives are so cheap these days, its not worth the drive manufacturers making smaller capacity ones to save $5 or $10.
 
But hard drives are not what I want to talk about. The first thing we did with my PC is remove the hard drive and replace it with a 80Gb solid state drive. Now they're still quite expensive at around $200 but wow, do they really make my new PC race along.  And, with no moving parts in my PC (I've never used my DVD drive), my PC Is whisper quiet all the time. I'm sure with the fan just ticking over, the power supply is not doing much work - I don't know the facts but I'm sure I'm saving on energy costs as well.
 
Lastly, let's talk about price. With the Aussie dollar at historic highs with the US$, PCs are continuing to defy gravity and are falling in price. I can guarantee you that your new PC will cost less than the original price of the one sitting on your desk now.

In summary, NetCare recommend that you seriously consider replacing your ageing PCs as soon as you can. For one simple reason - increased productivity. We can confidently state that a new PC with Windows 7, a fast i5 processor and 4Gb of memory will definitely make a difference to the amount of work you get through in a day. And for those among you who really value your time and productivity I commend one with an i7 processor and a solid state drive as well.

A report on why your business should upgrade as soon as possible to Windows Small Business Server 2011
Author: Darryl McAllister, Managing Director, NetCare HelpDesk

Stay Connected. Increase Productivity. Save Time and Money.

Get ready to take your business to the next level. With Windows Small Business Server 2011 (SBS 2011) you can get business done faster, be more productive, and stay better connected. For greater business capacity and a new competitive edge, the time for upgrading to SBS 2011is now.

Designed and priced especially for small businesses with up to 75 users, SBS 2011 delivers enterprise-class technology in an affordable, all-in-one solution. Technology can vastly improve in 8 years and Small Business Server 2011 improves on Windows Small Business Server 2003 in many ways with some great new features.

The above two paragraphs are straight from the Microsoft marketing material on their website. And after installing SBS2011 in our own business, we agree 100%. Here’s our Top 5 reasons why:

1. Better ways to manage email - SBS2011 features the powerful new Exchange Server 2010. With this upgrade from Exchange Server 2003, you’ll get:
   • The improved Outlook Web Access (OWA) which mirrors Office Outlook more closely than ever;
   • New archiving options, such as defining when email expires and how to provision personal archives to a different database;
   • Automatic detection and repair of corrupted mailboxes and databases;
   • Larger capacity message store to overcome the 16Gb barrier of Exchange 2003 (and the still restricting 75Gb limit of Exchange 2003 R2).  
2. Better remote access capabilities - With the new and improved Remote Web Access, you’ll find you can get a lot more done remotely. Improvements include:
   • Secure, anywhere access to your files and documents through any common web browser;
   • A personalized web site address you can use to download and upload files to shared folders;
   • The ability to connect to the PCs in your network and run applications from virtually any location;
   • A new interface that is easier to use and customize.
3. More powerful online collaboration - SBS 2011 features Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Services 2010. It is a significant improvement on the Sharepoint version that came with SBS 2003. It powers exciting new features and capabilities that help you collaborate securely online – no matter where you are. These include:
   • Offering a familiar Microsoft Office experience, that integrates intuitively with Office 2010;
   • With Office Web Apps, users can view, create and edit documents anyplace with an Internet connection;
   • With collaboration tools such as blogs, wikis, and document libraries, anyone can customize a Web site to address a specific business need;
   • Quickly create powerful workflow applications like leave approvals and expense claim forms to improve everyday business processes.
4. Greater performance and capability - SBS 2011 runs on Windows Server 2008 R2. This new generation operating system offers significantly greater performance and capacity options than SBS 2003. These include:
   • SBS2011 is a 64-bit operating system, so all the 32-bit limitations of SBS2003 have gone. Most significant is that the server can now have more than 4Gb of memory providing considerable performance increases in memory-intensive applications like SQL-based accounting packages;
   • Leading hardware providers like HP have released servers specifically designed for SBS 2011 and these offer significantly greater performance and capacity options for the same price – or less;
   • A great new feature called BranchCache provides far easier access and synchronisation with network files than previously;
   • SBS2011 supports new virtualization technology allowing multiple virtual servers to run on one single physical hardware platform, providing scope for server consolidation.
5. Ability to perform migration during business hours - The final reason for upgrading to SBS2011 builds on all the reasons above. Now that you’re aware of the many new features that SBS 2011 can bring to your business, you will be pleased and relieved to hear that there is a defined server migration strategy from SBS 2003 to SBS 2011. This means that the migration can occur without disrupting your business productivity.

The Business PC helps you focus on what matters most – your business. Combining the latest hardware with the Windows 7 Professional operating system and the Office 2010 productivity suite, the Business PC helps you work and collaborate better, stay productive anywhere, and safeguard your work. But it is very important that you continue to update your machines at appropriate intervals. So if you are running a computer with Windows XP or older, it is definitely time to consider Windows 7.

Why should I move from Windows XP to Windows 7?

Windows 7 Professional is

• Easier to use
• More reliable
• More secure
• Faster than Windows XP.

Windows XP is nearly a decade old, with limited support for new hardware and software. Additionally, Windows 7 Professional has been specifically designed to meet the growing demands of modern technology users with more sophisticated networking, mobility, entertainment, data protection, and compatibility features. And with Windows XP Mode*, you get the compatibility of Windows XP in Windows 7 Professional. Finally, with Windows XP support ending in 2014, you need to think today about your long-term plan for phasing out Windows XP and moving to the future standard.

Why should I purchase Windows 7 Professional instead of Windows 7 Home Premium?

• Investing in Windows 7 Professional can bring long-term value to your business, while helping your workers be more productive – at home, at work, and on the road.
• New PCs with Windows 7 Professional are designed to be faster, more reliable, more secure, and easier to use than older PCs running Windows XP or Windows Vista.
• More sophisticated networking and mobility features help mobile workers access their computer programs, files, and network resources away from the office.
• PCs with Windows 7 Professional can do more to protect your valuable business and customer data.
• Compatibility features let you run many of the programs and devices you use today – including applications for Windows XP – in Windows XP Mode.
• Windows 7 Professional offers more protection for sensitive information and enables you to schedule automatic backups to storage or network drives.

So if you think it is about that time for you to upgrade all your machines and IT infrastructure, you should come and talk to NetCare and we will be more than happy to help you out.