Technology Management's Software Answers Blog

Google in your printer

We continue to see the internet being linked to more and more devices, but I like the way they have incorporated Google maps into this new HP printer. So simple, why didn’t someone think of it before?

Warehouse Demolition Video

I’m currently pulling together content for events we’re planning to run in 2010 centred around using mobile technology in the warehouse.

However, judging by this video doing the rounds on YouTube, I think this company has enough on their plate!

Hosted Exchange. All the benefits, none of the worry

Recently I was talking to a business that had been without there Exchange Email server for a couple of days due to a hardware failure. It had really impacted their business and we were called in to see how we could offer some advice on preventing this happening again. As they had a single Exchange server we spoke about all types of different offerings to allow for a failover onto a secondary server etc… But the option that they really liked was getting rid of their Exchange Server all together but not losing the functionality they get from Outlook and Exchange. The solution, hosted Exchange, quite simply we run the Exchange server in a data centre which takes advantage of running on the latest technology, making sure it won’t go down. The data centre also boasts multiple air con units, its own generator for power and countless ways off accessing the internet. You run Outlook on your PC or laptop but just connect to the hosted Exchange server, all the normal features of Outlook are available as is Outlook Web Access (connecting to Exchange through a browser) Mail pushed out to mobile devices also works normally.

As there is no investment for the client on new hardware or extra Exchange licences, its a very low start up cost. You simply pay an amount per user per month, this also means that should you have seasonal workers or a large contract where you need to pull extra people into the business for a short time you only pay for them when they are working. Unlike traditional licencing where you would buy the Client Access Licence (CAL) and once you reduce numbers you are left with them on the shelf, at a big cost. Hosted Exchange costs start from £5.99 per user per month.

If you’re after more details please contact myself or Jon Archer on 1902 578300 email liam.walton@tecman.co.uk  or jon.archer@tecman.co.uk

 

• No up-front cost for hardware and software
• Pay by the month and by the amount of users
• Anti-Virus & Anti-Spam included
• High security encryption
• Use your domain name
• Access from anywhere on the internet
• Built-in support for Windows mobile devices
• Built-in Back-up & Recovery
• Advanced archiving available

Windows 7 Speed tests….

Just some very rough speed tests on the Lenovo laptops that came with Windows 7 installed. Boot up time (from hitting the power button until able to launch an application) 53 Seconds. There was no network login on that, but still very quick. And shutting down just 8 seconds, no hanging around anymore!

These were new laptops with 2GB RAM installed, but it does show the claims for speed are true in the real world environment. I will update this post once the machines are on the network and been in production for a few weeks.

Windows 7 UK & US TV adverts

Saw one of these over the weekend on the TV, thought I’d post them up when I found them online. Having found the home networking options (homegroup) really useful but also really easy to get working, the middle video rings true for me.

 

Windows 7 – Released & being requested by customers…

 

Well the 22nd October came and with it the launch of Windows 7, we’re big Windows 7 fans here at Technology Management having rolled it out a few weeks ago internally. More importantly how would our customers take to it?

Well we had a network upgrade booked in and the customer wanted to purchase 5 laptops at the same time, once they knew Windows 7 would be shipping at around the same time they requested we supply Laptops with Windows 7 installed. So it was great to receive 5 new Lenovo laptops all ready to go with Windows 7 on Friday 23rd. Having had a play with the laptops this weekend and seen some of the nice customisations that Lenovo have built in I'm confident the customers will be pleased with their choice of operating system. One nice touch is in the “devices and printers” area the computer Icon is now a Lenovo ThinkPad rather than a image of a generic PC…

Lenovo are also claiming that they have enhanced the performance of their machines running Windows 7 by booting up to 56% faster than XP or Vista…

Well Windows 7 does boot up a lot quicker than previous versions of Windows but I will find out what our customers think when we install them later this week..Of course we will report back on this blog. But I think its a good sign that people are confident enough to go with Windows 7 from day 1 of release. We still have the occasional customer who ask to downgrade from Vista to XP due to the bad press Vista got. Windows 7 is definitely getting good reviews and everyone we have shown it to seem to like the better  performance and simplicity of the interface. If you buy a new machine between now and the end of the year just check the manufacturer is offering a free upgrade to Windows 7 if it still ships with Vista. The majority of the bigger vendors are, so make sure you take advantage.

Technology Management Wins Microsoft Dynamics Award

In recognition of Technology Management’s hard work in testing and implementing a pre-release version of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 for one of its customers, the company has been awarded the Technology Adoption Program Go-Live trophy.

The Microsoft Technology Adoption Program is designed to provide a consistent experience for Microsoft partners to obtain real-world customer feedback on Microsoft pre-release products.

Participating customers find that some of the most powerful benefits include:

• Product team engineering
• Help in deploying their Microsoft solutions
• Early product education.
• An opportunity to influence product development through their feedback
• The strategic edge all this can give them in their line of business

The benefits of the Program (sorry for the American spelling!) extend to Technology Management’s own team where it provides an excellent learning opportunity, ahead of other Microsoft Dynamics NAV resellers.

Your Chance to See Microsoft CRM Up Close

On Thursday 26 November Technology Management will be hosting an event for those interested in looking at Microsoft Dynamics CRM in more detail.

It will be a workshop type event, where break-out sessions will allow attendees to pick and choose which sessions they go to.

As well providing a general overview of how the system works ‘as one’, breakout sessions will include more detailed information on sales management, service management, marketing campaign management, customisation and web integration.

Follow this link to learn more and to book your free place.

How to Kick-Start Your SharePoint Project for Under £4,000

Businesses are finally getting to grips with the potential of Microsoft SharePoint to improve worker collaboration and automate ad hoc business processes.

And with Technology Management’s latest offering, there has never been a quicker way to implement a SharePoint project. For less than £4,000 SharePoint Workflow Accelerator from Technology Management includes three days of consultancy to scope out, build and deploy your Microsoft SharePoint site.

Such a speedy development time frame is made possible due to the deal including a software tool called Nintex Workflow that makes the process of building workflow much, much faster than was previously possible. Once your SharePoint project has been completed your own super users can make use of the Nintex Workflow tool to build further workflow with ease.

Learn more about SharePoint Workflow Accelerator today, or, if you’re unfamiliar with Microsoft SharePoint, take a look at this short video…

Pegasus Wins Software Satisfaction Awards

 

Pegasus Software had a double success winning 2 awards in the 2009 Software Satisfaction Awards:

• Mid-range Accounting Software
• Payroll Software

Established in 2006 to reward high standards from software providers serving UK businesses, the Software Satisfaction Awards continue to act as an invaluable guide for those businesses looking to purchase the very best software systems. Participants in the survey are asked to rate their business software products on four key attributes: ease of use; functionality; reliability; and value for money.

The awards recognise Pegasus Opera II Payroll & HR as the best solution for small and medium businesses looking to simplify their payroll and ensure compliance, whilst Pegasus Opera II is the best solution for small and medium businesses looking to control finances as they grow. 

Commenting on the victory Stuart Anderson, Operations Director at Pegasus said: “This is fantastic news – a real recognition of the innovation that Pegasus has made with our offerings.   We are incredibly proud of this achievement.”

“Pegasus will continue to push the boundaries of what a software supplier can deliver; be it innovative products, measurable return on investment or strong Channel Partners.”
Pegasus was also nominated for Software Vendor of the Year. This was a new award to mark achievements that transcend industry boundaries.  Pegasus had been chosen because of its pioneering product portfolio, and the judges have been impressed by the loyalty of the long-term Pegasus customer base.
The Software Satisfaction Awards is organised by Sift Media, a leading B2B publisher of online communities including AccountingWEB, in association with the Business Application Software Developers Association (BASDA).