IT Business As Usual

Thanks for the BD wishes

2011-08-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks everybody for so many messages, calls and more. I am unquestionably a very lucky man having such wonderful and diverse group of friends.

My day started beautifully sunny, was able to wake up relatively early and go for an easy 5.6 Km run, went to work with really nice people, and even had some time at lunch time to have a Grande Dark Roast cup of coffee (part of it went to my shirt, but the rest has been gladly consumed). Getting back home I found myself replying to many voicemail, email, T and FB messages. So, despite my failed attempts to hide under the laptop, I have been found.

Later on I am enjoying my kids’ “surprise dinner” and handmade gifts.

So, your wishes have become true: I’m happy to be so healthy, so loved by my family, and counting on all of you around me. I am truly blessed.

I definitely can’t ask for more. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! (Salty ones in my eyes).

Shooting oneself in the foot

2011-06-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

I live in a so called “developed” country. However, in my city, geographical area and other zones; there are many unions that simply exist for the entertainment and make-a-living motive of their leaders. My business and many others, mostly all, are affected by such big unions.

The national postal service happens to be on strike. The members of their unions demand better pay, pensions, and everything related to money now and for the future for the workers of an industry that is slowly dying (see related article: The U.S. Postal Service Nears Collapse @ http://bx.businessweek.com/united-states-postal-service/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fc.moreover.com%2Fclick%2Fhere.pl%3Fr4676038466%26f%3D9791).
New technologies have been pushing the need for paper traveling from A to B inappropriate, expensive, slow, irrelevant, not-green, etc. etc. etc.

So, these union leaders, in their infinite wisdom, demand that postal workers get ‘better’ working conditions, meaning money. They seem not to realize anybody who nowadays has a job is in excellent working conditions.

Consequently, with the strike, such organization has made most of us find workarounds, substitutes, new ways of doing business, and even realizations as to what can be delivered cheaper or not needed to be sent using such service. When the strike ends -it will end soon- even more postal workers will find themselves without a job. The ones that are able to keep their position for whatever reason will find that the volume has decreased, and then, only then, all involved will start realizing they have just shot themselves in the foot.

Too bad, too late.

Lots of flavours...

2011-06-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

I am now accompanying my apples and blackberries with mango... waiting to see if anybody throws a pineapple or starfruit my way too.

Vendors and services

2011-05-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

As of late my phone has been ringing displaying telephone numbers from many different area codes, some easily identifiable some others not. My email in-box has also supported a barrage of messages from many different and undoubtedly new vendors, offering their products arguing that those are the best in their class.
Some of those companies which we have had some kind of relationship in the past are coming back with new products, strategies and offerings, sot that we come back to support, offer, comment on, and recommend again.

As in your field, the IT landscape changes constantly, but the constant here is that it changes quickly, sometimes in unforeseen directions that catch us unprepared and makes us realize that the best predictions are those that belong in the short-term realm. Trying to plan for long-term trends in IT is just a dream.

Needless to say, as trusted business advisers, we have to be ever-observant of such changes in wind direction and adjust the sails appropriately. Products, services and technologies that were relevant just half a year ago, are now surpassed or replaced by new incumbents; and sometimes by some that have been there for years, only under the radar. Some have been so good that we only understand the concepts years after those have been crafted and brought to life.
From devices to telecommunication to Internet developments, there are always new and exciting tools our businesses should be taking advantages of.

So, although I have to be patient and polite to the junior salesperson trying to convince me about their products (she’s convinced theirs are the best in the world) simply because I approached their booth, visited their website or tried one of their services; I also have had very good conversations and experiences with senior representatives about how their offerings compare to the competition and such. One thing is certain; the number of new companies, new products and new services is only increasing.

Better to accept that fact and start clearing up the arena to have such competitors face off.

More vendors, more services, more new products. Vote now, and hang on.

Proximity versus Productivity.

2011-04-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

It perplexes me that Human Resources decision makers and departmental heads still base their hiring practices only on a few traits, such as years of experience, previous jobs, certifications, and studies in general.

Although not always the case, most SMEs are comprised of local talent that usually commute to work on a daily basis. People in the major cities of North America and Europe are so used to commuting for at least fifteen minutes each way, that they even think it is ‘normal’ to do so. In fact, some even consider themselves lucky not having to spend more than half an hour doing it, as that figure is below the average for most major cities.

With telecommuting and the current remote technologies we utilize now, commuting time averages have decreased for people whose job involves being in front of a computer most of the day. However, there are still many other functions that require physical presence at the work place.

Even if a person travels for only fifteen minutes each way for a year, minus holidays and vacation; such person still wastes 120 hours a year doing nothing.
Better rephrased: such person still spends 120 hours a year wasting resources, polluting, making everybody else spend even more time on the roads and, in brief, being counter-productive.

A 45 minute commute extinguishes 360 hours a year. That’s fifteen full days a year; if we include sleep time in the equation, that’s a whooping twenty two and a half days per year.

Then the well-rested not-stressed productivity factor needs to be taken into account:
Let’s suppose we have two people working in the same department doing very similar work. X is a worker whose qualifications, a combination of experience, education, smarts and all involved and required for the position, gives her a mark of 92. She works with another worker (Y) whose mark is 88.

X commute to work is 30 minutes. Y’s is 15.
Therefore, we can infer that Y is more relaxed than X. Y will also usually be more on time than X. When leaving, Y could very well take an extra 1 to 5 minutes before rushing out the door. For X, the sooner she leaves the better. X also spends more than double the amount of money needed to commute than Y does.

We could measure the productivity gains attained by a more rested worker in terms of emotional intelligence, mind freshness, focus on the tasks, etc. All these without even considering external and disruptive factors in the daily commute such as accidents, power failures, peak-hour fluctuations and such. We can conclude that Y will always be ‘closer’ to the job in every sense. So, let’s give X an 90 mark on proximity and timeliness, while Y receives a 95.

That would make X receive a total mark of 82.8, while Y makes 83.6.
Needless to say, Y will be way more productive than X. Even if the commuting factor is decreased by an extra point in opposite directions (91 for X, 94 for Y), that makes 83.72 vs. 82.72. This would make X be ahead in ideal scenarios (no disruptions in the daily commute), but in real terms both numbers would be even close, with the extra-work benefits from and for Y: less money spent on commuting, less time doing it; polluting way less than X, etc. In brief, lots of resources saved and a fresher element at work.

In terms of community, Y would feel she’s working in and for her community, being a happier person than X, whose day starts having to face the long commute to a place she doesn’t even feel she belongs to…

Get the picture?

So, why do we keep hiring based on non-community and non-proximity factors?
It is true that some key people need to travel more than others, also truth there are some that go to different places all the time, and perhaps have no other option but to do so once or twice per week, but daily?

Let’s reset the hiring machine. Local resources preferred.

Productivity + savings. What’s not to like?

Even more Clouds on the Horizon

2011-03-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

On September 10, 2010, I sent a link to Cloudy with a chance of more clouds* http://businerdss.blogspot.com/2010/09/cloudy-with-chance-of-more-clouds.html

This week’s Bloomberg Businessweek’s cover page (March 7 – March 13, 2011 | Businessweek.com) reads “Put your head in the cloud” http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_11/b4219052599182.htm

That previous years-old article (Internet years that is) is still valid: if I wanted to edit it to make it more current I would not change a single word.
If anything, I can only add that while lots of IT vendors are trying to scramble and reengineer their products to make them more “Cloud-friendly” the fact is that some don’t have a real strategy or even a good concept of what The Cloud is supposed to be.
Others however, have some great technology we could all benefit from.

Seems like the main deterrents for Cloud adoption are mainly the misunderstanding of subscription-based services instead of the feeling of technology “ownership”; and the perception that we will incur an expense instead of an investment when we port our systems to the The Cloud.
Both scenarios can be easily understood by simply applying due diligence, start reading about these trends. In any business and trendy magazine the concept is explained in plain language, and key indicators such as the “Projected market for cloud computing in 2014 is USD$149b, Gartner” bring attention to how big Cloud Computing is and will be.

Even consumers and SoHos are adopting the Cloud, some in a faster pace than companies. They start with the easy to understand services such as on-line data backup, and then when they see the advantages they start switching email, accounting packages, and CRM systems to the cloud too.

Is your company already planning to jump on this wagon? What are your thoughts about the so many changes in such a short period of time? With regards to cost vs. benefit? How easy it is to grasp the Cloud concept?

Better get your umbrella now.

* http://businerdss.blogspot.com/2010/09/cloudy-with-chance-of-more-clouds.html

My wish for the New Year is also my resolution.

2010-12-31T15:54:00.000-08:00

You might not believe me, especially if you know me well or have been in touch with me recently, however:

In the New Year I do not wish you lots of success, neither health. I do not wish you happy moments or many of those. I do not wish you get more money than what you’ve received, neither good luck.

My wish is different this time.

I wish you share yourself; not with me only, but with everybody else: I’m sure if you are reading this message you already have and have had way more of any of those items listed in the last paragraph. So, please share. I’m not asking you to sell your car and donate the proceeds to a charitable organization, neither that you open your house to everybody in need of shelter or food.

My wish is that you lend a helping hand to those around you: a family member, a co-worker, a classmate, even a stranger. Not in the sense that you start sharing personal data or possessions with a complete unknown person, but rather that you help the old lady cross the busy street, or patiently wait for her to get to the curb. That you ask someone if everything is alright if their face shows a desire to share a situation or frustration. That you help carry the heavy bags a mother is struggling to get across the parking lot while also pushing a stroller. That you help your peer finish his or her job if you already did and have some spare time. That instead of plopping down on the couch at the end of your day you go ask your daughter/sister/son/brother if they needs help with the homework…

Simply put, that you lend a hand, a shoulder, a high-five, a nod, anything positive to those that could benefit from your sharing. All these actions should be accompanied by a smile, of course.

So, my wish for you this New Year is simply that: share yourself. I am making it my own wish, my hope, and my resolution.

My only second wish is that you are with me on this voyage.

Happy New Year!

Facebook, text message, phone call, email, YouTube… what’s your pleasure?

2010-12-29T07:14:00.000-08:00

A day after Christmas I met with some friends I hadn’t seen for years. After catching up on everything that has happened to us (and by us) in such a long time, one of them asked me what field of study I had chosen at university.

It has been a while since the last time I heard that question. The fields I work on now have apparently no connection to those origins, and the lateral and postgraduate studies seem to somehow leave those titles in the background.

Then it sparked again: the many years I and my fellow classmates, coworkers, competitors, etcetera have been producing the many ways we communicate nowadays.

See, putting aside the many courses on business, societal studies, personal growth and anything else nonrelated to technology; I am a telecommunications and an electronics engineer, have taken many courses on computing and similar technologies, and have worked for at least a quarter of a century on telecommunication and computer networks.
Throughout that time I’ve met so many technicians, programmers, consultants, designers, engineers, and so many other IT related people that listing their names would require a whole book. And that’s only me: I can’t imagine the millions of people around the world that have made and continue to make possible the most amazing type of technology ever created. It is a kind of magic.

From Edison, to Franklin to Marconi, through Berners-Lee to Gates to Jobs, through Brin and Page, Yang and Filo, and Zuckerberg… the list is long and keeps growing…

All these amazing new ways to communicate: book flights, close sales, win contracts, find information and friends, enjoy scenes of what’s going on a different part of the world, watch commercials from other countries, etcetera, and etcetera. None of it would be possible without the creativity, dedication, hard work, smarts and long hours put by the myriad of people around these “networks”.

Did you just receive a picture of your newborn granddaughter on EM? Called your family 8,000 Km away via Skype? Quickly finished your homework through research via Google and Wikipedia? Finally found and purchased that gadget on eBay or that rare book on Amazon? Recently found an old friend on FB?

All good, isn’t it?
It isn’t good. It is AMAZING!

So, the next time you see those telecommunications-company vans going on the highway, the pulling-cable technicians you dismiss as nonexistent, the nerdy looking programmers you think know nothing except computers, the engineers that have trouble explaining the IT terms in simple language, or the consultants that seem to charge more than what their advice is worth; please take a look at your laptop, Blackberry, iPad or any gadget you choose and use for communicating; and acknowledge each and every one of those wonderful people.

You don’t need to kneel and kiss their feet. A simple “hi” or “thank you” will do.

Engineering… what a ride. What a magic an amazing ride.

What!? Sucha long time? Really?

2010-12-29T07:13:00.001-08:00

Well... I guess I am back to writing a little bit then.

Sorry for the long pause.

Data volume and variety

2010-10-27T17:32:00.000-07:00

At a meeting with one of our main clients’ referral the topic of data security shifted to the amounts of data at their disposal, therefore being very agile when it comes to obtaining reports, statistics and such. One of the main decision makers was pointing to the fact that they had close to 100 GB of data “perfectly safe” thanks to the systems and technologies acquired as of recent.

At one point during the discussion I asked what tools they were using for validating the wholeness of such data, making sure there were no duplicates, which interfaces they used to match diverse types of data and their respective packages to talk to each other, how they obtained updated statistics from such data, and a few other questions.
I started projecting the following:

“What if your data were not as c mpl te as y u t ink it is?”
“How do you make sure some of it do you make sure some of it is not duplicates is not duplicates?”
And so on…

Turns out the diverse types of data they posses are not standardized and most programs used have no way to communicate to each other. So, some information stored in database A is duplicated in database B; while some of such data is duplicated inside the same database. There is no policy or tool that guarantees the data is retrievable from backup and even from its original repository. And there is not Business Intelligence package or procedure to gather information from all these places to have instant reports on the financial health of the business or any other operation or department.

In other words, this is another instance of what we refer to as data rich, insight poor.

It was obvious that the IRR on all these expenses (not investments in this case) was of a negative value, an infinite amount, but in terms of time.

The main issue?
Business-type decision makers pointing to the IT-type ones as “not getting it.”
IT-type decision makers pointing to the Business-type ones as “not learning it.”

What is the catalyst for Marrying IT with Biz?
Training.

The least we can do is sit down the biz people for a day listening to IT: not about the technology insights or anything in terms of Terabytes, Gigahertz or Operating Systems; but rather on the reasons why a particular technology is better than the “inexpensive” or “popular” or “affordable” ones; and how those integrate –or not- with the rest of the existing applications.

And then sit down the IT people for a day listening to Biz: not about the budget projections or anything in terms of Marketing, Cost Containment or JIT Inventory; but rather on the reasons why a particular process is better than the “easy” or “accepted” or “cool” ones; and how those incorporate –or not- with the rest of the existing departments.

Once IT gets it and Biz learns it, all that data in your possession will be better able to provide information; its sole reason to exist.

Ready for the meeting?

Cloudy with a chance of more clouds

2010-09-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

From magazines targeting technology channels such as Computer Dealer News and IT In Canada, to business related such as Fortune Magazine and Bloomberg Businessweek the term “Cloud Computing” is everywhere.

It has dominated the IT Professional areas and obviously the developers’ world for a few years. And now it is transitioning to the business and government spheres. Why?
You just need to go to main business sites such as http://www.businessweek.com/ or http://economist.com/ or http://money.cnn.com/ and search for Cloud Computing to receive a list of recent and ever more updated articles about what it was, what it means, what it will be, and how big corporations are trying to outdo their rivals in this area; the new business opportunities it brings, and even how governments are taking advantage of such technologies.

Some of us have been using cloud computing for many years even without noticing it. Do you have a HoTMaiL or Yahoo! email address? A Facebook account? All those messages and pictures live on-the-cloud. You use any computer or device to access, create, change and delete your information while consuming others’ and interacting with these.

The Cloud Computing concept is the same, just applied now to businesses: access, store, create, change, distribute, and collaborate on content on the Web, using any device that connects to it and utilizes a Web browser or similar technology.

Most of us start with the simplest of Cloud-Computing services, such as messaging and on-line Backup: something similar to putting your foot in the water to know how cold it is. Then we start getting it and move to Hosted Email; then once we know about it and are comfortable with it we go for documents’ sharing, then software as a service, and later even paying for servers and computers utilization that we don’t even know where their physical location is. The variety of services and the constant growth of such services and number of suppliers make it more affordable and easier now. It will be a matter of some years that entire organizations will be running everything on-the-cloud.
Hard to imagine? Walk into the server room of your headquarters today and you’ll see hundreds of blinking lights, UPSs, servers, switches, routers, cables everywhere, and such; along with the air-conditioning units required to keep such place cool. Picture now the same room with just one small UPS unit, a modem, and a wireless router. That’s it.
In a few more years not even those three elements will be necessary because the urban wireless networks will provide connectivity. Perhaps we won’t even need computers on our desks, and a tablet or slate device will be our main means of working then.
It’s difficult to let go and think that all of our files and data could reside on-the-cloud instead of our servers, computers, external storage devices and portable and mobile units; but it starts to make sense, doesn’t it?

Better get your umbrella now.

Train people only when needed

2010-08-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

It went like this:
- Sorry, I’m late for the meeting. There were a lot of cars on the streets today.
- Wait, do you drive here?
- Yes, of course. It takes me only 45 minutes most of the times
- You don’t live in 1234 Grand Avenue anymore?
- I still live there. Why?
- Well, have you thought about taking public transportation instead? When I lived close to your home I preferred that, it was a consistent 20 minutes commute, and way cheaper than driving and parking
- I do not know the public transportation system, but do know that schedules change a couple of times a year, so I prefer to drive
- Well… you can learn it pretty quickly and save time and money
- Look, if my car breaks or there is a definitely good reason to study such mode of transportation I will learn it and use it
- Saving time and money is not a good reason?
- I’m comfortable driving my car, alright? If a new law or the company requests I use any other means of transportation then I’ll research it; that time has not come yet, right? By now I’m fine this way
- Well… let’s focus on business then…

And so it is with our computer systems. Some people have shortcuts on their Desktop to get to what they need to open to be able to work. If the shortcuts disappear for any reason they do not know how to get from point A to point B anymore. Some others have a step-by-step document they follow on those tasks that are not a daily routine and forget easily. So, a device, and address or a name changes and the instructions or shortcuts have to be recreated for those users.

Training anyone? When I touch on the subject to decision makers -incredibly- most of them speculate that those employees that get the training will go to the competition. Others do not see the business value of having more IT-literate staff because; well… they already count on those instructions and shortcuts on their Desktops.

I do not know how much productivity is lost by people doing things the way they are used to, instead of knowing and applying different methods to get to their destination. However, I’m sure businesses would save lots of money (and most importantly, time) if personnel simply knew other ways to do such tasks. No need most of the times to pursue certifications or diplomas or titles; a very basic and/or introductory course can take care of most company’s wants.

Any way I see it, I prefer the 20 Vs. 45 minutes ride.

We could argue that “…that time has not come yet…” or anything similar. I might be totally wrong under your company parameters, but independently of field and size, somehow I strongly believe that time is here now.

What's worse than training your workers and losing them? Not training them and keeping them.
-Zig Ziglar

Nothing Personal

2010-07-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

On reviewing a few reports on the state of Internet Security, lately I have observed a pattern nobody seems to want to talk about. Perhaps the overuses of such issue and the constant reminders about it have become common and invisible signs for our IT-avert and strained eyes.

Here we go again: most security breaches both at home and at the workplace happen due mainly to human error.

Although I am also tired of repeating the same long list of safe actions on visiting Websites, opening email attachments, replying to certain messages and all that jazz; this time I would like to focus on something that should concern you: your personal information. Even better, these are only a few tips to protect your financial information.

1. Financial institutions will never contact you via email asking for your personal information, they already have it when you signed up the contract. Do not provide anything personal to messages that look legitimate; but are not.

2. Whether you receive electronic or printed statements for your credit cards and banking accounts, peruse them carefully every month, and clarify charges you don’t identify as soon as you review your statement.

3. Change passwords every few months, at least make an effort to change them every six months or annually. Select easy to remember passwords for you, but that are complex and difficult to guess for everybody else; a longer than 7 characters combination of numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters is best. Dare I suggest you base them on your name, the institution, a date and even perhaps a sequential number in a way that only you know? For example, I would set something like this for Uberbanken Bank: user name “hector_curiel” password “HC1999UberBank01”.

4. The same way you shred confidential paper based documents and expired credit cards, make sure no personal information is being given away when you dispose of external Hard Drives, USB flash drives, and obviously computers. Make sure the contents of such devices are erased and if at all possible, destroy the Hard Drives.

5. When connecting wirelessly to the Internet, make sure the signal you are using is encrypted. If not possible, at least make an effort not to transmit any confidential information in the form of email –or similar- messages; also avoid on-line banking when this is the case.

As you can see, all it really requires is a little bit of common sense. If you start educating yourself on best practices at work, at home, and when using public facilities; the virtual world will become a safer place for us all.
A simple search on the internet for what you want to know, and depending on your Internet literacy and needs, will take you to places such as these:
http://corp.support.com/blogs/post/7-common-sense-ways-protect-your-online-bank-account
http://www.tdameritrade.com/security/onlineSafetyTips/onlineSafetyTips.html
http://www.commonsense.com/internet-safety-guide/
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_stay_safe_in_an_internet_cafe.html

Enjoy and use the Web appropriately and you’ll help us all, starting with yourself.
Nothing Personal.

Extracts from Computer Crime and Security Survey

2010-07-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

This week I received the 14th Annual Computer Security Institute’s Computer Crime and Security Survey, Executive Summary. It is a long document with plenty of tables and graphs; along with much IT and Information Security related jargon that in reality only IS Professionals fully understand.

However, a few figures catch my attention on the Types of Attacks Experienced by businesses: while some assaults that only technically-inclined individuals can perform vary year after year; some easier to understand for the average person are worth mentioning.
The Exploit of wireless networks reduced considerably to only 7.6%.
The three more prominent types of “attacks”:
3. Insider abuse of Net access or Email @ 29.7%, down from almost 60% in 2007
2. Laptop/mobile device theft @ 42.2%, down from 50.0% in 2007
and
1. Malware infection @ 64.3%. Up from 52% in 2007 and 50.0% in 2008

How are you protecting your data on these regards?
Are your personnel being trained on and constantly reminded of best navigation and Internet use practices?
Are your portable devices secured through strong authentication and encryption?
and
Most importantly, what type of malware protection does your business utilize?

Average losses due to these attacks, although lower than the US$345,000.00 in 2007; are still high at US$234,000.00

I’ve seen companies still using “free” products believing it is cheaper to have these packages instead of proper protection for their assets.
I’m sure yours is not one of them. Is it?

Send you a what?

2010-07-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

So, tomorrow noon (July 2nd @ 12:00) marks the exact middle of the entire year. In case you are unaware of, this is the first decade of the new millennium.
And yet, just a few minutes ago I received a telephonic request for me to send a “FAX” …
Gosh! Don’t they have an email system, or at least one free Y! or HoTMaiL address?

I replied indicating that the last time I had the need to use a FAX machine was May of 1999. I would have a very hard time finding such machine around here. And, obviously, I suggested I would scan whatever physical document they were requesting and would send it via email if they provided an address. After three silent seconds that sounded as if the person on the other side of the line had discovered Radium, she said in a loud and –I’m sure- smiley voice: “That’s an EXCELLENT idea. Yes, please!”

As I see it, the only companies that push and promote FAX lines -and machines- are the telephone suppliers’ corporations. Aside from those, I honestly believe we should declare FAX machines defunct. If possible, before the end of the year.

If, by any chance you still own one of those relics, please know that:
+ You are wasting not only space, but also electricity, ink and paper; and damaging the environment.
+ If you have a scanner (67% chance), and your recipient has an email address (90%+ chance), you can kiss your F@# machine goodbye.
+ If you count on a MFP printer (most big copiers are or can be), you can kiss your F@# machine goodbye.
+ Some of these MFPs come with software that allows you to see the documents before deleting, storing, or printing them. You can kiss your F@# machine goodbye.
+ If you have a server with a modem, the server can act as a FAX recipient and also send, and the electronic documents can be managed easily: delete SPAM, keep the good ones in organized folders, etc. In brief, you can kiss your F@# machine goodbye.
+ There are many Internet-based companies that provide a FAX-to-Email service (and vice versa, if definitely unavoidable). Some are very affordable for low volumes of such documents. There are many options and plans and you can pay on-demand or a subscription fee; such prices will save you money by substituting that aged machine and the power and telephone line associated to it. So, you can kiss your F@# machine goodbye.

Think about this the next time the word FAX appears in your horizon. It would be lovely to see the Wikipedia definition of FAX as “A fax (short for facsimile) was a document sent over a telephone line. Fax machines existed, in various forms, since the 19th century and until the end of 2010, though modern fax machines became feasible only in the mid-1970s as the sophistication increased and cost of the three underlying technologies dropped…”

Believe me, you can kiss your F@# machine goodbye.

World Cup 2010

2010-06-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

Taking a glance at the big screen watching the beautiful game. It immediately catches my attention the now great -in every sense- variety of teams from all parts of the world.

Not that they did not participate before, but certainly all countries have greatly improved their games and it is fascinating to watch the different styles against each other. The predominance of European and South-American teams of years gone, along with their results predictions, has been nicely replaced with wonder and amazement at what the newer emerging countries can do when providing and facing such a variety of styles.

The results are somehow unpredictable: control vs. speed vs. height vs. force vs. precision vs. time vs. effort vs. technique vs. individualism vs. rehearsal …

I've been fortunate enough to have worked in companies that allow diversity, and most of those even encourage it. While it is difficult to manage such a variety of ideas, work styles, business background culture and so on; the truth is that the results are way better than if the teams were composed of similarly minded individuals.

In fact, the best products of collective minds: be it cars, NGOs, computers, movies, policies, et cetera; are those crafted by a team: the more diversified, the better the results.

Diversity at play. It is, in fact, a beautiful game.

Easy days, busy days

2010-06-07T19:45:00.001-07:00

All is well, work flows nicely, another day of accomplishments, successes, deadlines met, budgets not exceeded, evenings with loved ones... life's good.

And then, Bam! Something goes wrong: which means long work hours, weekends become nonexistent, mind is busy all the time, lack of proper sleep contributes to the frustration, stress and extra pressure to solve the issues.

I love it. Really.
Another lesson learned, the day to day tasks will become easier after this experience; and all in all, it is just part of the roller-coaster ride, if there were no ups, there would not be any downs. No rush, no calm; no heat, no cold; ...wavelengthed life...

So, no time for much reading or editing. Gotta get back to whatever it was I was doing before this 10 minutes respite.
See you later when the storm disappears and clear skies help the recently watered flowers bloom.

Computer efficiency and lifespan

2010-06-02T12:02:00.001-07:00

Turns out the best way to make cars more efficient has nothing to do with fuel burning effectiveness or engine power: rather, eliminating all the extra weight components such as bumpers, air bags, reinforced frame, belts, power brakes, etc. would make it better if we could simply find the way to prevent cars from crashing.

In a similar fashion, computers carry a lot of extra “weight” we shouldn’t need in the first place: antivirus, firewalls, backup software, USB, VGA, Ethernet ports; anti-theft slots and frames, fans, etcetera.
For some of those physical components, there are chips, services and/or programs that need to work every time to make such mechanisms work.
The extra services, programs and packages that run all the time in order to “secure” our systems make them work harder, and therefore take up valuable resources that would make our tasks simpler, and computers work faster and last longer were they not so hugely utilized.

Although we are moving towards more efficient processors, more secure Operating Systems and applications, and better detection and prevention from malign physical threats and those from the Web, there is still a long way to go on these regards.

Then, what can we do then to make our systems last longer while making them perform better?
+ Acquire computers with the latest electronics technologies. Saving a couple hundred up front buying a discounted older or less capable system will only cause more expenditure through time (let alone the headaches).
+ The latest OSs are way more efficient than their older siblings, and newer packages are not only ‘faster’ but also better designed and protected against data loss and malware. Acquire/upgrade as soon as your budget allows.
+ Lightweight Internet Security Suites, online backup packages, hosted email and similar services make a huge difference in resources utilization. Choose the ones that perform better without over-bloating your systems.
+ Avoid installing programs that do nothing for you, whether they are “free” or paid for, if there is no real need to have them, do not even download them.

Basically, think about what you carry in your car on a daily basis. It is only the essentials for your day to day chores, right?
If what you really need is a van or a truck, then the same analogy applies to computers.

Fortune 500 and Symantec

2010-05-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

On May 3, 2010 Fortune Magazine released the Fortune 500 list. The volume (161, Number 6) is a heavy one; weighting more than any other magazine published this month, and more than any regular night time fiction novel.

On page 15, opposite to the “Welcome to the 2010 Fortune 500” Letter from the Publisher, the full page ad reads:
Are you prepared to face today’s biggest IT risks?
- Confidence in a connected world (S) Symantec.

Then from pages 211 to 237 (or F-1 to F-26) each footer ad is a Symantec one. Some of the main messages from those mini-ads alternate the following two sentences; along with brief paragraphs that contain and highlight these points:

PUT SECURITY FIRST –data loss prevention –encryption –Web security –endpoint protection –virtualization management

CONTROL YOUR DATA –archiving –deduplication –disaster recovery –green IT –storage software –Symantec Hosted Services

It is obvious that Symantec sponsored the list. For those of us not around technology names or new to the IT world; know that Symantec is the company that bought/merged with smaller and diversified ones that produced and sold products such as Norton Antivirus, System Works, WinFAX, Veritas Backup, pcAnywhere, and many others.

The Symantec Corporation now focuses exclusively on services, software and devices that have only one purpose: secure data (PUT SECURITY FIRST and CONTROL YOUR DATA).
The company is ranked 353 in the Fortune 500, and number 3 as a software company after Microsoft (36) and Oracle (105). Its 2009 revenues were US$6,150,000.00.

If a company of these qualifications is trying to -finally- convey the signature on each of those ads: Confidence in a connected world message to readers of such publication; what should we take from it?

The Confidence in a connected world translation is simple: Self- Assurance in an Internet based environment.
Or, using trendy words: Security (your data) in a Cloud-Computing environment.

Is it just coincidental that Computotal CSI has been focusing on Total Data Security for the past 15+ years?

Proud to be part of such a futuristic enterprise.

Secure your Data

2010-05-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Where does your data reside? Do you carry it with you? How? Is it instead somewhere in what some people call “servers”? A combination of these?

Is your data important? Could you survive without it?

Wouldn’t it be nice not to carry your data around on laptops or storage units, and instead know exactly where it is and be able to access it at anytime from anywhere?

We’ll get there soon. Actually, some companies are already there: from documents to full databases to email and more, there are a lot of providers that already offer all kind of services for us to have all of our data –and processes- living “on-the-cloud”. This is, Cloud-Computing or SaaS: Software as a Service.
Some of us are still reluctant to do this, or we are worried about the fact that we could lose control over our data not knowing exactly where it is. Or rather, we are so used to “feeling” our data in our hands that the simple thought of not having it with us is like not having it at all.

So, in this “felt” scenario we are also used to backing our data up to even more physical devices so that we sleep well knowing our data is safe.
Until the day comes when we make the mental switch and convince ourselves that the cloud is more secure than our portable devices, we will continue to have the need to back it up, either to more devices (or to the cloud!)

In brief, until all our data resides on the cloud, it is necessary to save it and keep it secured.

There will also come a time when it will be cheaper to replace than to fix laptops, whether those are Windows based, Macs, Linux based, iPads or Blackberries. It will be as common as replacing cellphones was by the end of last century.

Some of us already interchangeably use a smartphone, a laptop or any computer’s Web browsers to access our email. As simple as it is now to do this, it will also be to access the rest of our data: whether it is proposals, spreadsheets, diagrams, movies or books. calendars, to-do lists and contacts too. All we need is a device that connects to the Web and presto! We are productive. No need to carry data, no need for briefcases, no need to be in the same cubicle every day.

So, before we make the full move to a Cloud-based business, we still have to protect our data. How?

Here is a very basic summary of the most important data protectors in your office:

1. UPS. But not the delivery company. UPS stands for “Uninterruptible Power Supply”.
If you have servers, you certainly have UPSs around. What these units do is protect equipment from electricity spikes, low and high voltage changes and even outages.

2. Computer storage redundancy/resiliency. Most common in desktops, workstations and (mandatory in) servers than in regular laptops, hard drives and storage units are mirrored so that if one of them is damaged, the other makes the whole system operate normally; the idea is to replace the damaged unit as soon as possible so that redundancy is attained again.

3. Operating System: MS Windows, Mac OS X, Ubuntu Linux, Google Chrome OS… whichever makes your computer/device be able to run software such as calendars, email programs or Web browsers is an OS. The newer it is and the more bits it operates on the better. For example, Windows 7 (version is 6.1! -not 7.0-) is better than Windows Vista (version 6.0) and even more than Windows XP (version is 5.1). And Windows 7 64-bit is better than Windows 7 32-bit.

4. Encryption. Barely used for its many “complications”. We only tend to encrypt very specific and important files and/or email messages. It is getting easier to implement and use, and nowadays we can encrypt not only individual files, but also entire folders; and even external memory units and hard drives, both internal and external.

5. Internet Security Suite. Of paramount importance: what most of us still refer to as “anti-virus” is most of the times a combination of anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-spyware… in brief: anti-malware.
Most suites also offer depending on vendor and package acquired a firewall, some kind of identity protection, browsing advisor features, et cetera.

6. VPN. Or similar technologies. So that whoever connects remotely to your network does so in a secure way. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network: there are no direct lines connecting offices or individual computers, rather the Internet is the conduit: by compressing and encrypting the information traveling so that prying eyes can’t do much to interpret what is being sent over “open wires”.

7. Email access. Local vs. Web based… this is getting complicated now: it is very likely that your company email is not in your physical servers. It might be, but it’s becoming easier, cheaper, faster and more ubiquitous to simply connect to the email servers on the cloud than having resources put in place to manage company’s email. Anyway, the more on-the-cloud email services you have, the better.

Are we there yet?

8. Data Backup (its main purpose: data recovery). Fortunately for all of us, on-line data backup is mature enough so that there are many options nowadays, and so are the different levels of services attached to those. From pricing to likes to features. There was a time long ago when we used to back up our data with no encryption and awkward compression using external devices such as Hard Drives, Disks, and –believe it or not- tape cassettes!

Go over the list again. Please bear in mind this is in reality an oversimplification of the terms and technologies around each of the points listed. However, if any of these is missing in your environment, better to start asking your IT department questions.

UPS

2010-05-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

But not the delivery company. UPS stands for ‘Uninterruptible Power Supply’.

If you have servers, you certainly have UPSs around. What these units do is protect equipment from electricity spikes, low and high voltage changes and even outages. They contain a battery that helps equipment continue to operate when there is no electricity power on the grid, communication between the UPS and the server/computer allows to shutdown properly when a certain minimal battery threshold is reached, so that damage is minimized.

Do invest money when selecting a UPS for your main equipment; a couple hundred extra might make the difference between business continuity and business closed.

Because your main equipment is the original repository of data, it is of paramount importance to protect it.

Computer storage redundancy/resiliency

2010-05-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

Most common in desktops, workstations and (mandatory in) servers than in regular laptops, hard drives and storage units are mirrored -or in a similar arrangement- so that if one of them is damaged, the other(s) make(s) the whole system operate normally; the idea is to replace the broken unit as soon as possible so that redundancy is attained again.

There are many ways to achieve redundancy in the internal storage units on servers and networked storage devices. The main point here is to make sure that hardware does not become an issue for keeping our data safe. Power outages and current spikes, heat, regular wear and such could cause such damage.

Obviously, the better the storage units’ quality, number of them, and array type will secure data better.

Operating Systems

2010-05-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Windows, Palm-OS, Mac OS X, Ubuntu Linux, Google Chrome OS… whichever makes your computer/device/smartphone be able to run software such as calendars, email programs, telephone, contacts lists or Web browsers is an OS.

The newer it is and the more bits it operates on, the better. For example, Windows 7 (version is 6.1, not 7.0!) is better than Windows Vista (6.0) and even more than Windows XP (5.1 or 5.2).

And Windows 7 64-bit is -obviously- better than Windows 7 32-bit.

An OS is in reality a program. One that functions as a container of smaller ones, a huge package that allows other programs to be installed and work on top of it.
For example, Notepad is a program embedded in Windows, while Adobe’s Acrobat Reader can be installed and used on it.

Easy! Isn’t it?

Data Encryption

2010-05-22T10:45:00.001-07:00

Barely used for its many “complications”. We only tend to encrypt very specific and important files and/or email messages. Have you ever done it?

However, encryption is getting easier to implement and use, nowadays we can encrypt not only individual files, but also entire folders; and even external memory units (USB Flash Drives) and Hard Drives, both internal and external.

In fact, we do not need to acquire third party products for encrypting anymore; business editions of Windows 7 and the latest OSs and email programs offer it “out of the box”.

Some technologies implicitly offer encryption: wireless routers, VPN systems, email servers, and some more.

Encryption offers a very high level of security for data protection, the only caveat would be that we lose the key: then we are in deep trouble. However, the scale will always tip to the positive and many advantages of encrypting and therefore securing our data.

Internet Security Suite

2010-05-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

Of paramount importance: what most of us still refer to as “anti-virus” is most of the times a combination of anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-spyware… in brief: anti-malware.

Most suites also offer -depending on vendor and package acquired- a firewall, some kind of identity protection, browsing advisor features, data backup and recovery, parental controls, et cetera.

While some products are better in one or more categories, others are in different areas. However, depending on real needs and type of organization, there are many studies, reviews and comparisons between the many different products, versions, and variants.

Also important is the fact that we need to be cognizant that what worked a few years ago, might not do it as well anymore. The threat landscape changes with the ways and at the pace technology does. Your chosen product could have been top-performer half a decade or just a couple of years ago; better to check its effectiveness today.

A good way to know where our selected suite stands is to check often independent third party organizations that test and qualify these products. For instance, for SOHO and consumer-based products visit http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/small-business-antivirus/ and read articles such as http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2010/05/13/the-state-of-pc-security/

For business applications, these two sites offer the best testing and reviews:
Virus Bulletin: http://www.virusbtn.com/vb100/rap-index.xml

AV Comparatives: http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report24.pdf and
http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report25.pdf

Virtual Private Network

2010-05-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

There are many articles, Blogs and books related to VPNs: from the very technical and complicated ones, to blank and purely theorizing, to businesses oriented.

VPNs or similar technologies allow whoever has proper credentials to connect remotely to your network in a secure way. This obviously allows remote users to access information and utilize programs without the need to be physically present in your premises. There are no direct copper or fibre optics cables interconnecting offices or individual computers, rather the Internet is the conduit: by compressing and encrypting the information traveling from the office to the remote worker, so that prying eyes can’t do much to steal and much less interpret what is being sent over “open wires”.

There are also new technologies taking place (MS’s Direct Access) that will replace the need to install more devices to our wiring closets or packages on our over-loaded servers. These are already being implemented today, and will surely make everybody’s life easier.

A complete and very good –although technical- explanation of VPNs can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VPN

Email Access

2010-05-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

Exchange, Gmail, Web-based, Outlook, Thunderbird, POP, Evolution, Domino, IMAP, Lotus Notes, Blackberry, Windows Live Mail… confused? Me too.

It would require many pages or perhaps an entire volume to list products and differentiate the many and every time more techniques required for making email work. What is definitely true is that the local vs. Web based email system implementation battle has been won by the latter.

By local I mean having a dedicated server or computer run the main email program inside our offices, so that we can quickly and easily access email. It is also more expensive to do this, so if by any chance your company holds an Exchange, Domino or similar product; tell them to evolve. The financial department will thank your input.

It’s easier, cheaper, faster and more ubiquitous to simply connect to the email servers on the cloud than having resources put in place to manage company’s email. Basically, the more on-the-cloud email services you have, the easier and better it is.

You for sure know that Google offers Gmail along with some other Cloud-based products, but it is not the only company doing so. Big Blue has started already, there are plenty of dedicated ISPs and MSPs already on-the-cloud, and even Microsoft is “All-in” now; offering partial integration with existing products, and definitely fully integrating with the new generations: Office 2010, for instance.

By the way: what you receive aside from knowledge when you attend school or take a course is a diploma or certificate. You do not acquire “education”. Education is a concept the same way Email is. So, what you receive and send by using email is messages. You do not receive “an email”, you receive “a message”.
If you still tell your acquaintances “I will send you an email” you are lying. Nobody has ever been nor will ever be able to send email.

Data Backup

2010-05-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

The main purpose of the existence of data backup is data recovery. Fortunately for all of us, on-line data backup is mature enough to the point that there are many options nowadays. There are also many different levels of services attached to those: from pricing, to likes to features.

There was a time long ago when we used to back up our data with no encryption, awkward compression and very complicated interfaces using external devices such as Hard Drives, magnetic media cartridges, CD/DVD Disks, and –believe it or not- tape cassettes!

Real data backup compresses the data and encrypts it so that nobody but the owners of such data can access it. Copying data is not really a backup, rather a simple copy.

Big organizations replicate their data between cities and in doing so have an easy and fast way to recover in case of disaster, using a variety of methods and devices to accomplish this. For the rest of us, from big vendors such as Dell to small dedicated companies such as Mozy and Carbonite, they all offer a huge variety of on-line DBU products.

We of course would recommend ecBackup and SOS Backup. You are probably already using one of these.

Of higher wages and similar evils

2010-05-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

Overhearing a conversation about someone that has “so many” responsibilities now. He was not complaining about the higher pay he's getting simply because his role now is higher than before. But incredibly quick to condemn the new tasks “imposed” on him.

Shouldn't that be that way? Accountability and performance matched to pay and position. Simple.

I could rant on and on with plenty of examples and explanations. Today I will say just this: man, if you don't like your new title, or were happier with the previous job description, get back to it and leave this one for somebody who will feel alright with that new role and pay.

Dream Team

2010-05-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

One of my teammates was bitterly complaining that sometimes he felt the entire team, or most of it, needed to be replaced. He is very competitive and sometimes leaves his own tasks and duties to help others, so that they achieve deadlines and quotas. However, it does not always happen so.

We see this scenario even in “professional” sports: two or three stars meet most of the qualities required for the team to be close to perfect. However, when the rest of them are not as good, or simply make mistakes, or do not execute according to plans; it is very likely that such team will lose the game.

In business is quite the same: we would love some times to have a Dream Team in our department or the whole company, but being realistic that would be close to impossible to achieve. The same market demands would prevent it from ever happening.

So, what do we do? As I explained to Theo, all we can do is give our best every time. Whatever we can achieve individually and as a team, should carry implicitly our 100% best effort. The market will notice, eventually. The best part is, as individuals, we will always be able to sleep well knowing we are doing the best we can. We cannot demand nor accept less from ourselves.

Are you the star in your team?

Of importance

2010-04-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

Having some time to plan for the future: I mean, I’m trying to focus on those tasks the experts say are important for the continuity of the business. All I’m saying is today’s chores are mainly aimed at the long-term plans inherently of any enterprise, venture, partnership, or organization.

In other words, I’m not doing anything crisis-solving like activities right now. No learning, no replying to “urgent” messages, not even planning tomorrow’s day, and such. Simply thinking and deciding on the next moves based on past performance.

So, working on a ‘nice’ quadrant. Feels like there won’t be much money to be made this week, but today's labour will be similar to that of a hardworking farmer.

I’ve read that’s important. I guess it’s important. I wish it’s important and I hope it’s important.

Hope the macroeconomic world agrees with this, governments don’t disrupt policies and no drastic natural events alter, once again, all those future plans we’ve seen destroyed recently.

Finding Qualified Personnel

2010-04-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

I’ve heard it countless times: people at the top of the decision making process, in HR and even on intermediate management positions. It is SO difficult to find qualified staff.

Whether the position to be filled is an entry-level or a top-notch, the woes about lack of knowledge, experience and most importantly; attitude is ever present in most organization. It does not matter what the hiring process is; there will always be loopholes in the system, and exaggeration from people to fill vacant places in order to get a ‘job’.

Which begs the question: how are you perceived from your supervisors, clients, stockholders, colleagues and people at different levels?
Are you capable, valuable, competent and have the attitude? In just one word, are you employable?

How did you manage to get to the place you are at right now? How long do you think you can be there, based on the answers to the previous questions?

Be of value: show your worth, and peace of mind will always be by your side.

The forgotten best Operating System from Microsoft

2010-04-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Well, Windows 7 is here to stay. Really useful, more intuitive, not as nice looking yet as OS X, neither as sleek as Ubuntu, but overall a very good Operating System (OS) indeed.
The best of course is that it is a true 64 bit OS, which makes it faster and more secure than its previous siblings.

However, despite Windows XP being the most popular OS ever, there was once (and still is in operation, on high-end workstations) the best OS MS ever released; it is still a mystery why MS stopped bettering it and opposed to continuing to push adoption and third party development for this particular OS. I'm referring to Windows XP 64 bit (wrongly labeled sometimes as x64).

It is flawless. It was the fastest OS there was when it was released, save for a few Linux distros that truth be told did not have a very good network support. On AutoCAD and similar packages you could really appreciate the advantages of XP 64 vs, 32 bit. In fact, not only architects and designers benefited from it, some of the animated movie pictures released a few years ago were crafted on machines based on this.

Too bad MS decided to stop releasing even Service Packs for it. It will retire support soon too; so those of us that have a computer running it, are a little bit sad yet grateful for the eXPerience. Windows XP 64 bit has been the absolute best OS released ever by MS before Windows 7 64 bit.

Time to upgrade it to Windows 7 now.

Off-track Sales Presentations

2010-04-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

A month ago, a client of ours was bitterly telling me about a sale they lost due to lack of preparation and due diligence. Technology -or lack of proper use- apparently played a huge role on the mishap. I wanted to tell her how to avoid such heartbreaking scenarios, but I was there basically as a crying shoulder and did not dare to break her woes.

Last week, I heard of another similar embarrassing moment in a presentation. Although apparently the show went on with good dribbling from the presenter, the fact of the matter is that there could have been many ways of preventing such mishaps with a little bit of planning.

In July 2009 I delivered a Business Sales Tips related presentation and one of the main topics was, precisely, how to formulate, test and apply backup and contingency plans when technology fails us. I also explained and showed with a few examples how to prepare, test and apply techniques to avoid such happenings.

The slides of the presentation can be found here, however I think one has to be a member of such group to be able to see them. ...and they really mean not much without the accompanying talk and show.

I wish these salespersons and presenters could have attended then; it would have help shown a more positive outcome than whichever potential clients and attendees perceived from such derailed sessions.

In brief, the secret to be ready for a flawless delivery is:
• Practice, practice, practice
• Have the same material you are presenting in at least 2 different media types (i.e. Presentation slides file in your computer, in an external storage device, and printouts)
• If there are charts of diagrams that will be crafted while explaining, have them also pre-printed in poster form, or at least printouts for all attendees
• Did I mention practice?
• A brief introductory message and delivery of material before the talk will always help, acknowledge your audience has received it
• Imagine you are presenting in two totally different places: one counts on all gadgets needed such as projectors, flip-charts, white-boards, good lighting, and etcetera. The other has none of these. Simply prepare all needed for both scenarios
• Deliver at least the slides after the presentation is over, if you did not provide any information beforehand
• Finally, practice

So, there you have it. Again, this summary might not make much sense without a proper... er, presentation; but these might be building blocks for future events.

Finally adopted Outlook

2010-04-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

It is good to have some kind of relationship with the big manufacturers, in this case Microsoft. I tested the beta release of Office 2010 for a few months. It has -obviously- many improvements over the previous versions and I just knew I would upgrade as soon as I could.

Well, I downloaded the latest version (2010) within minutes of it being posted on the Web. I immediately started using Word, Excel and PowerPoint to continue to appreciate the many new features and nicer interface views and more intuitive menus and icons.

The MS-Office department has always been the best at designing, releasing and maintaining their products. It might have something to do with the fact that Office was not designed by MS from the ground up: most of the products were acquired from different companies and integrated in a suite. It might also have to do with the fact the latest versions of Office were architected by Ray Ozzie… independently of the reason, the Office dept. at Microsoft, simply, rocks.

However, I’ve been somehow skeptical regarding Outlook. All the problems of the past related to corrupted files, limitations on the size of data files; sluggishness and duplication of messages… et cetera, et cetera have somehow frightened me away from it.

So, I’ve used for a long time a combination of Eudora (15 years), Lotus Notes (11), Thunderbird (3) and Evolution (2); mainly and interchangeably depending on location, machine being used and intention.
However, Eudora was killed by Qualcomm 4 years ago, and although some enthusiasts decided to take over the task of creating a Thunderbird-based next version (8), it has been a long time waiting for the final release to substitute my old good Eudora v7.1.

Lotus Notes has been my preferred Calendaring, To-do, Tasks and Contacts manager. The email portion of it has left me wishing for a good release soon, to no avail. The interface takes ages to be changed to something more eye-candy-like, and although the functionality of the program is incredibly good, Lotus Notes is still targeting the corporations only. (I won’t mention Domino: a decade ago most of us IT pros knew what it was, now on hearing the word we all think of the game, or relate it to a pizza chain.)

Evolution and Thunderbird are both very good, but only as POP and IMAP based email programs.

All of these are still 32-bit based applications.

So, I took the plunge: decided to simply start using Outlook and that was it. Well… I obviously have been using it from time to time, mainly to help people that use the program on a daily basis. So I knew and know its intricacies and all; just that after the 2007 release I was sure the next version would simply be very good.

So, there you have it: I’ve said it. I’ve done it. It’s official. I adopted Microsoft’s Outlook 2010 64-bit version as of yesterday: April 22nd, 2010.

Next time you receive an email message from me you can check –if not from my Blackberry- it was crafted using Outlook.

Communicating our ideas independently of and despite the language

2010-04-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

So, with so many devices and Web based technologies we start getting used to lots of ways of communicating, it is becoming more and more complex to convey ideas nowadays. From the clear and precise books and magazines’ authors and other existing text formats, to the unconventional and rushed, sometimes –most times- grammatically and orthographic incorrect email, chat and TXT messages; it is becoming not only somehow quick and efficient, but also frustrating and worse –in those regards- every time.

It comes to my mind for instance; one specific person whose use of chat features left so much to wish for, from horrific grammar and the simple lack of proper punctuation to the constant hitting of “next line” before finishing a sentence. Sometimes I thought they were assertive on their findings, affirmations and declarations, only to find out after some frustrated minutes that what they were doing was asking questions.

However, with some effort on our part we can be sure the message happens to be transmitted right most of the times, in fact way more than not. Therefore it has to be a positive outcome, and although the messages can vary in format, the soul of such are received.

However, w/some effort on our part we can B sure da mssg happens 2B transmitted right most of da x, in fact way > not. .: it has 2B a +++ outcome n although da mssgs can vary in format, da soul of such R got.

And… we are reading this in just one language! It becomes VERY interesting and lots of fun when two transceptors understand more than one tongue. You surely have had such experience already.

Purists will complain and criticize such use –deliberate or not- by so many “illiterate” folks.
Me? I have no problem with that when it comes to quick chats and such. However, books, articles and even Blogs deserve quality; not only in the content, but also in the way they are delivered.

X-I-10! Isn’t it? B2W now. C U L8R

Useful waste of resources

2010-04-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

As an IT professional, consultant and business partner, it still amazes me to find people reluctant to acquire the latest software technologies, and dump old applications that do not do anything but hold the brakes of their own organizations.

Chances are you are reading this on a hand-held device; if not, then there’s a 95% chances you are using a Windows based PC. Is it Windows 7? (Today is Tuesday, April 20, 2010)

Well… Windows XP, its predecessor, is already almost a decade old. Are you holding on the upgrade because at least one of your applications “does not run on anything other than XP”? Did not we all know about the impending upgrade coming? So, what are your software suppliers doing?
Have you tried replacing that old package with something new that will make your time better used?

I have faced people asking me what the best path would be to degrade Windows 7 to XP; o that they continue to use everything the way they are used to.

Just think about the enormous amount of resources you put in place to accomplish this, and then, once again in a short period of time put some more resources to get the system back to the future. It is just a waste of time, effort and human capital.

Why not invest all those resources in acquiring newer packages? Believe me, they will make everything easier, and you will be more productive in no time.

Investments vs. expenses

2010-04-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last week a member of my club and I were discussing the advantages of newest TV/Monitor technologies and the many differences between brand names and mainly display capabilities between LCD, Plasma and LED developments. All in all a very healthy and enlightening discussion; you can nowadays go to any big chain store and find the three type of technologies side by side, compare them and come up with the best value (i.e. price/features), personal likes, and business fits.

At one point during the chat, she said something like “we just invested in a nice 50 inch plasma ...”. I did not pay much attention to the sentence. However, later that day I kept thinking about the 'invested' word used in such a conversation. It was somehow awkward to hear it, perhaps because she changed the word from bought to invested in at the last second; and mostly because such scenario was not in any way, er… truth.

So, how do we differentiate between expenses and investments? I've read countless books and articles and still am confused about what really represents and investment and what is simply money that needs to be spent in order to continue our business/life. I would say everything we put resources in so that we will complete a package or product to be delivered to another entity is in fact an investment. However, cars? Computers? TVs? Yes, we need them to do our work, some more than the others, but all of those items only depreciate through time; there is no way for me to say “I invested in this car…” because it will NEVER appreciate. It will never return more money than I paid for it. It becomes in fact, a tool, an asset, an active.

So, where do we draw the line? Very gray area indeed. However, what I’m doing now before spending any money –or time- on anything is think about whether such item is an expense or an investment.

Back to watching my expensive TV now.

Data, data everywhere…

2010-04-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

…but, where’s the information?

As IT suppliers, partners, consultants, professionals and such, we are always focused on providing services that in reality have just one goal: to protect your data.

Come to think about it: setting up UPSs to protect the servers and containers of files, installing Internet Security Suites so that those accessing such data are able to do it without having to worry it could become corrupted (or disappear). Configuring VPNs so that no prying eyes can look at your files, setting up data backup strategies and solutions so that disaster recovery procedures are in place; encrypting wireless signals, avoiding Spam and similar maladies that would alter said data, finding the best on-site and cloud-based solutions so that everything can be ported to the Web -and available to authorized staff only- planning and implementing CRM strategies in a similar fashion… the list goes on.

Certainly, we also set up new computers and fix servers, systems and networks when they are broken; we have to. However, absolutely everything we do gravitates around one single entity, the most precious asset there is in your electronic digital systems: data.

Without that data, you cannot obtain information. Independently of source, quantity and quality of such data; you need to dig in it to do your business and make the best decisions possible for the challenges of today and to plan for the future.

With the current data deluge we all experience, it is of paramount importance to be able to differentiate between information and data; and then know which data is in reality important to us and which is not.

Your business is distinctive and therefore some information will always emerge uniquely too; the data sources might be diverse and heterogeneous, some easy to understand or carry with us, some not.

Global data is growing at exponential proportions and so is yours. The following article might shed some light with regards to trends and the type of challenges we as IT and business professionals face, and it also highlights the need for business decision makers to be cognizant of this trend; so that we all can meet those challenges as a team.

Hope you enjoy the read; at least take a look at the figures and graphs. That will help us all get better at extracting information and then making better decisions.
http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15557443

The Daffodil Principle

2010-04-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

~Anonymous Author~

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world ...

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....

Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...

There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money.
Love like you've never been hurt, and, Dance like no one's watching.

If you want to brighten someone's day, pass this on to someone special.

I just did!

Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

Time and space

2010-03-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

Without being philosophical, time and space should always be included in our equations. Mainly when we are trying to achieve success.

Success: nice word.
What does it mean?

We all kind of know the concept, but it is an individual feat. Do not try to achieve anybody else's success, that does not belong to you.

We are all unique, and we've been in different places at different times, so we need to be cognizant of that fact at all times.

Therefore, we need to mark our own finish lines ourselves; that will make us successful -or not-
Needless to say, we must set deadlines for such finish lines to be crossed. That will definitely be our personal and undeniable mark: so, applying both time and space to our personal equation, will make us acquire a particular speed that'll allow us to achieve, well, success.

Then, that speed will be comfortable enough for the next races.

Hungry for devices

2010-03-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

The best advice for grocery shopping I've ever read is: “go when you are not hungry”.

The same way you should check the fridge and pantry to know what you have, what you want, and what you need for the most basic of necessities applies to technology, and I'm pretty sure every other type of business related purchases. Whether you are looking for a new laptop or printer, note what you already have in premises to make sure you are not going on a frenzy spending spree: even if it is only taking a peek on-line. Even if we do not have an updated inventory, noticing and noting will make us realize that most of the times what we really need is already on our place. A little bit of organization and/or rotation of elements can do the trick.

And, if in fact we need to acquire more, take your time buying; not being “hungry” will allow us to make better decision on our purchases; whether it is a device, a service, software, advice... Whatever it is, go with a full belly.

In this case, being full will translate into being smart. Saving money and investing time; what a dish!

Munch, munch, repeat. Munch, munch, repeat.

Non payable and non recoverable payments

2010-03-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

Here’s the scenario: the accounts receivable department finds out a delinquent amount of money from a client of yours. Such customer has been a client for years, and consistently and promptly pays around $200.0 each month for services provided.

The accounts indicate that such charges derive from a difficult to track type of service, and there are notes related to your staff contacting the client about this a year ago. It is not clear what the outcome is in such notes; but the fact in your books and systems is that there is around $50.00 in arrears.
Q1. Do you send such claim to a collections agency? (Chances of recovering 50% such amount)
Q2. Do you contact the client and ask for payment? (Chances of recovering 25% such amount)
Q3. Do you simply cancel the amount as unrecoverable and move on? (Chances of recovering 0)

What to do?
Please stop reading for a minute and think hard about this picture.

Well…
Facts show that the client is consistently paying other services; so it is very likely that we made a mistake. Even if we did not err, and in fact the client did not pay; it is very likely that there is a good reason for that.

A3. Send a letter to your client along the lines of: “…we recently found out a pending payment amount of $50.00; however, we believe this has somehow been a glitch in our invoicing processes and therefore we have decided you owe us nothing. Concretely, we’d like to thank you for your loyalty during the past X years and hope we can offer you more and better services. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have…”

A2. Same as A3.

A1. Same as A2.

Why? Well, we do not have all the facts, or have the wrong or incomplete ones. Transferring it to collections will simply upset the client; who independently of being at fault or not and whether they pay or not; most likely will go elsewhere for the services we’ve been providing. We will lose a client, a recurring $200.00 per month; and most probably will lose some -and will never make other- clients that are acquaintances of this one.

Say "Yes" only when you are sure.

2010-03-22T16:14:00.001-07:00

It is 1,000 times better to say “No”, than to say “Yes” and never deliver.

Clear directions and examples

2010-03-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

Time and again we face the challenges of appropriately directing clients to our doors, whether virtual or not. They barely ever make it there and those that do, sometimes don't dare entering or calling. The culprit? Ourselves of course.
We also wonder why, after a huge investment in resources to create literature and advertising (virtual or not) for our business, do not get the expected results… same factors.

I've experienced and seen people get to places they thought were the appropriate ones, only to start asking questions; confused and delayed on their plans, simply because the directions and/or instructions are not clear enough.
I've also experienced and seen people that loses interest in a particular article, pamphlet, post, advertisement or similar. Again, lack of proper thinking and planning on our part makes it difficult for the recipient to get the message we've invested so much in trying to convey.

3b) Take a look at these 3 comparison examples:

Address at the end of advertisement
1a) Please visit us at:
ABC Center, Inc.
1234 Main Ave
San Jose, CA, 98765
1-800-888-ABCC

1b) Please visit us at:
ABC Center, Inc.
1234 Main Ave.
San Jose, California, U.S.
Zip Code 98765
Toll free: 1-800-888-ABCC (1111)
To get there: take highway # 5 towards San Jose. Take exit # 67-B, which goes west. Drive for three blocks then turn left at Sun Ave. You'll see our logo and name right in front of you. Parking is free on your right.
For map click here

Magazine article
2a) ...so, in case the temperature has risen above 90 degrees, consider shortening your distance by 2 miles, or reduce your pace to 9'/mi for the second half of this exercise...

2b) ...so, in case the temperature has risen above 90 degrees (32 C), consider shortening your distance by 2 miles (3.2 Km), or reduce your pace to 10'/mi (5’ 40”/Km) for the second half of this exercise...

Solution
3a) It is always more difficult to try to explain something without examples. Incorporating more and better pieces of data in our communication will always provide better results. Try doing these simple changes and all efforts will be compensated and targets met.

3b) Take a look at these 3 examples (implicit here)

The messenger spends only a minute in creating a detailed set of instructions, and even if it takes more time, the messenger/recipient (m/r) time ratio becomes zero as more people gravitate to our doors.
Take the second example for instance: if such magazine has a circulation of 100,000 and 1 out of 3 readers does not understand the English system; without including the metric measurement units in the article leaves 33,333 readers manually or mentally calculating degrees, distances, and speeds. Suppose it takes an average of 60 seconds to convert the three units, that alone makes more than 555 hours of effective wasted time.
When the messenger includes such data, the m/r ratio here becomes 0.00003. As the magazine keeps readers happy and therefore attracts more, such ratio keeps decreasing.

With today’s technologies it is very easy to include not just extra text or a link to a map and such. Image, sound and video clips can be included in our communication to make it even better. Think about all the possibilities.

So, invest that extra time to communicate clearly, and your recipients will become captive clients for life.

What do you want to do?

2010-03-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

Remember when you were a kid and watched the Olympics, or the moon landing, or the firefighters putting out a fire or saving somebody from a building engulfed in flames?

How about those paintings once you enjoyed so much at an art gallery or a museum? Perhaps pictured in a book?
And books, of course! How many times after reading one you could not put down but until finishing it you thought to yourself: “I’d like to write something like this”.

What did you want to do?

Are all those famous singer or actress’ dreams extinguished? Are you waiting until you retire to retake drawing and painting lessons? Record your album? Travel the world around?

It’s a little bit late now, isn’t it?
It’s not.

What you wanted to do when you were a kid is STILL what YOU WANT to do NOW.
Be a little bit selfish and explain all those that depend on you that you will start chasing your dreams. Do not hesitate. Do it NOW. Please! Do not die with and unfinished to-do list.
Start (or restart) today.

First four steps: see yourself in the mirror, take a deep breath, look deep into your eyes, and tell yourself out loud: “I’m starting today”.
That’s it.

What are you doing? GREAT! :)

Great idea!

2010-03-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

As it happens, I was incredibly busy last week on very long days, and far away from home and my usual surroundings. Despite the fact that we have so many ways now to be productive using all kind of tools, along with cheaper rates for long-distance calls and all; it is still difficult to work when one's not in the customary places. Add a few hours in a different time zone and it becomes even harder. In brief, you end up working more than usually.

On one of those nights and despite being incredibly tired, a very good idea came to mind. It was so good that there was no need to even plan or rethink it. A Eureka moment close enough to those of Franklin, Da Vinci or Einstein.

Well, it's been a few days now and it is time to implement such wonderful idea. The only problem is ...I forgot what it was.

Another old-age victim.

Where are all the trainers?

2010-03-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

In our ever-busy IT field, we can barely keep up with demand for maintenance, new projects, new systems and all. We have been getting comfortable lately with very basically implementing whatever it is we need to do in order to continue with the next set of tasks.

We leave the users and/or clients feeling that they have a new shining car, and although the doors are open, they do not know where the keys are.

Where are all the trainers? There must be an incredible amount of demand for so many and varied new packages and ways of utilizing new technologies. Yet we keep being asked again and again about things we thought users would know or find out pretty easily.
I'm also sure we IT departments or consultants could set training sessions for such topics, however there must be people better prepared for such tasks.

And yet, some of my colleagues keep complaining about the lack of work. There is no such thing; there are still so many holes to be filled: training is just one example of myriad areas that still need to be covered.

I'm also sure this does not apply exclusively to the IT field.

So, are you looking for work? Time to start working then.

Nice talking 2 U

2010-03-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

This is cool: at the end of the day, once everything`s been leveraged, the bottom line is that every short conversation has become a cliche.

Competitors without medals

2010-02-28T23:59:00.000-08:00

Just finished watching the closing ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Having a few hours to kill at the airport I am still and constantly thinking about the past two weeks at work and mainly focusing on the one coming, can’t help but remember similar days in the past.

I keep wondering about all kind of teammates, past and present, which I have known have been in comparable situations not just once or twice. All of them coming through and fulfilling all expectations and even exceeding those sometimes.

What else can we do? Athletes prepare for many hours every week in pursue of a triumph, a record, a medal, the exhilaration, excitement, fame perhaps, and even a secured future for them and their families. The rest of us have to work; some of us went through sports competitions when younger, but either we were not cut for the chosen sports or we made a bad selection, or there was simply no infrastructure in place to support our dreams.

Now we face the daily competitions in the business world. Who gets the medals here?

Some people have no idea what kind of preparation one has to go through to deliver the results bosses, other departments, or clients are expecting. Sometimes such efforts, long hours, past memory recalling, quick thinking, resourcefulness and willingness are just taken for granted.

For athletes that fail to make it to the podium, they simply don’t get a medal but are in no way punished in any way: life goes on as usual. However if we fail we put our job on the line or lose the client; with a very slim chance of gaining it back. Ever.

I respect every profession, and know that there are some specific ones in which a mistake can result in injury and fatality, a recession, or worse.
Yet I have to focus on the IT field, one of the most fascinating yet frustrating of all; I salute all of you administrators, programmers, technicians, engineers and consultants whose performance is deserving of at least a moment at the podium.

You are really the unsung heroes of many enterprises.

“Me sirve tu batalla, sin medalla.” (I used your battle without a medal) –Mario Benedetti

Tic tac tic tac...

2010-02-25T09:55:00.001-08:00

What do you do when you are sleep deprived?

Is it a self-inflicted over-caffeinated reason? Too many worries? Lots of work and plenty of tasks still pending? Issues at home? Most of the above?

It's one of those nights when your body is exhausted yet your mind's still busy trying to figure out where to start the next day. Most of the solutions have been already figured out but you don't dare to get off the bed and write them down, and/or you are so tired (physically) that you prefer to try to remember everything the next day.

The thing is, if you think you are young enough to recall everything the next day, great! If not, then what? You know you will forget something. Worse, the very item you forget most of the times is the entire solution's touching stone.

You can only compare your dilemma with that of a comatose patient that hears and sees everything around her but is unable to respond to anything.

Hope you can remember e-ve-ry-thing then; in the meantime, try to get some sleep. There is always more coffee the next day. Tic tac tic tac tic tac … ...

Waves

2010-02-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

Working overtime now with barely a minute to concentrate on other stuff. Culprits are clients that all of a sudden decide on new implementation with only 2 week warning. Love it.

So, not complaining, rather reporting my lapses of absence from the cloud lately.

All these ups and downs in rapid succession remind me of the fair. When I was part of staff all seemed to be like a merry-go-round: up and down and up and down and then the full cycle would repeat in similar ways. The horse was different but the tasks were the same, to the point of infinite boredom.

However as of late, everything seems to resemble the roller-coaster. I must confess I still cringe at the feeling of going down, turning quickly to the right or left or upwards is fine with me; it’s just the vertigo that I still can't control.
Obviously I understand going down means I will go up eventually. The only difference between the fast moves on a real roller-coaster and my current situation is that the mental exhaustion will get off-limits if the ride doesn't end soon.

Again, not complaining, but simply reporting.

I hope you are enjoying your ride too, independently of the apparatus you're riding.

Letting IT linger

2010-02-10T20:41:00.000-08:00

On Monday, at kid’s soccer practice I found a program for volleyball drop-in. It made me remember how well I used to play and how much fun it was on my teenage years, as well as how much I enjoyed watching the international tournaments. The strategy, the athleticism, the pressure, everything around volleyball attracted me to be there that night.

However, the simple thought that it had been at least a couple of decades since the last time I faced a team of six on the other side of a net on a real court made me dread such initiative. I walked away for a 10 or 15 minutes lapse while recalling so many good times long gone.

Then I returned to see the page: it was clear: “Volleyball drop-in, $2.00 2 hours 8:30pm – 10:30pm, maximum 40 people”.

So, it would be three courts. I then remembered seeing some people getting to the gym some nights; all dressed and ready for the volleyball sessions. I felt compelled to join again. Yet, the thought that I would be the oldest person in the court, and perhaps the slowest, heaviest and most ignorant of the rules made me refrain again.
Then I found myself coming back to re-read such invitation for the third time! It was decided: I went home, looked for short pants, tennis shoes, a comfortable t-shirt and a bottle of water.

Turns out I had a great time! :D All my fears dissipated once there: it took me a few minutes to get acquainted with the ball feeling and weight, its bouncing and all. I wasn’t the oldest, or slowest… it did not matter. I took a beating and was on the floor a few times, some muscles I forgot existed hurt that night and the following days, but it was just great.

In business, and mainly on those IT related, we do the same. Don’t we? We let those specific projects or tasks linger sometimes more than necessary. Postpone them. Procrastinate. All the time!

We dread all the inconveniences of the pressure, the hindsight, the fact that we don’t know or remember everything there is to apply to the task, et cetera.
Surely we will finish exhausted and take a beating too. But I’m pretty sure the rewards will far outweigh the hassles.

Go play that game!

Criticizing and complimenting

2010-02-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

Strange how most of the times is so easy to find fault, to vent out, to finger point, to even offend those that -intentionally or not- happen to create an unhappy event or situation for us.
We are so used (dare I say thanks to the media?) to prefer the negative news, the condemning and the complaining, rather than focusing on good news.

Seems to me like we are forgetting to apologize, to ask for forgiveness, to even say a word of appreciation to those that do things properly; worst, we don’t even offer the slightest form of recognition to the ones that go beyond the call of duty to help us.

If everybody is like me to a certain degree, I've found out that some of the best advice I’ve ever received has come from the most unexpected places and people. It has taken some time for those tips to become a push; partly because when the words are uttered we are in hearing mode but not in listening mode. It only happens that after maturing some ideas and then remembering such words we take action; with very positive results most of the times. And at such times, we then forgot who the tipster was.

Sometimes I’m in awe when I discover that those words have created something so positive. Better yet, people at times do some things for you and you only realize the effect of such actions later. And then again we can't remember who did what for us.

Thank you. :)

It might have been just a few words or a small gesture you did for me. So, I thank you while my smile shows my gratitude.

Note to self: please do the same for everybody else. Saying thank you requires less than a second. A smile is easier than any other use of our facial muscles.

INSTALLING LOVE -Author Unknown

2010-02-06T14:19:00.000-08:00

Tech Support: Yes ... how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love. Can you guide me though the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running?
Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge, and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?
Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?
Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.
Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

My Netbook is 90 years old

2010-02-02T08:38:00.001-08:00

…or so it seems.

Just a few weeks ago I was shouting to the world the great and many advantages of such little pieces of leading edge technology. I was about to post something related to the Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s Reader for more on magazines and newspaper ideas… and then Jobs announces the iPad.

My Netbook is in agony… my mind is suddenly empty… and my IT world seems to be nicer every time.

Now, if we could link somehow the iPad to solving the warming issue…

Silence is good for business

2010-02-01T14:55:00.000-08:00

More than a year ago I was at a friends’ house enjoying a small party. They were leaving the city back to their country of origin. Most of the guests were from a different country too, so we felt the communion and understood to a very good degree the feelings of our hosts.

At some point during the conversation I noticed that most of my input was practically non-existent. Nobody would respond to my questions and/or they continued talking to each other with a different topic as if my words were some kind of momentary noise. I felt embarrassed and obviously started to try to remember anything that might have offended anybody. I recalled nothing.

Last weekend, at a friend’s birthday party the conversation centered on newborns and mainly the pains of going through a difficult labour. This time quite the same happened, after I opened my mouth and said something that hugely overrode and diminished whatever any of the present women went through in there, in terms of time length and pains of such an event.

Then it struck me: that other time I explained that by sheer coincidence I went to 3 famous restaurants in 3 different cities within a week. It was just incredible that somebody brought up the names and places and I had just recently visited the 3 disparate places and ate in such restaurants within a 7 day trip.

This time, what I said was also kind of incredible. Nobody in that other occasion believed me, and neither did anybody now. Despite the fact that everything I said was true and I can prove it with my expense report, credit card statements and hospital records; it is in fact quite incredible, especially for people that do not live a similar lifestyle or have been anything close to what was described at the hospital.

My lesson?
DO NOT open your mouth that quickly. I remember most of my best financial, business and professional successes have happened after a long silence on my part. Strange: sometimes because I am trying to find the right words, sometimes because I do not know the answer and most of the times because my mind is blank but trying to articulate a sentence. It just worked to my advantage.

Sometimes the truth hurts or makes you look like an idiot. That truth is being tried to be conveyed with your own words! Do NOT do it. Keep silent when what you will say is very distant from the center and normality of what everybody is focusing on. Better to prepare with facts and figures and present them, instead of simply open your big mouth, no matter how small it is.

Enjoy the silence.

Getting easier every time, thanks to IT

2010-01-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

As Internet connectivity becomes faster, new technologies are better and more integrated than before, social networking is becoming commonplace, both on the Web and inside the buildings; we can do so many things remotely now that we simply could not just some years ago.

Nowadays we can connect to the office seeing on our screen exactly and almost 100% with the same clarity everything we have on our computer. It is becoming simpler to connect, faster to work on, and cheaper to implement.

I remember some years ago the fuzz and all the outrage from some of us regarding the “IT does not matter” article. Most of us did not understand the paradox implicit in such document.
What company, big or small could ever survive without IT today?
What would you be doing instead of reading these lines on your screen?

Exactly.

Now please forward as appropriate, use as many methods as you can: post, tweet, blog, email, txt message, facebook, your choice -or all of them-.

See? There are so many now! And all are cheap, fast and easy. :)

Kids’ play

2010-01-26T08:24:00.001-08:00

Watching kids at soccer practice, I just realize how sometimes we adults do not understand the rules of the game and therefore perform a very poor role in the organization. On top of that, those of us that do understand the rules sometimes lack the ability or intelligence (or both) to play better than we in reality could.

I'm not trying to convey the message that we all should be experts on technology or a specific device or tool, or business processes, but trying to make an analogy so that I remind myself we can always improve via training, practice and paying attention.

The game the kids are playing and specifically the exercise the coaches implemented for them to learn has not real implications for those that are here just to have fun. For the ones that will become soccer players, at least on a semi-professional level, this day will be somehow ingrained in their memory for life.

In a business environment, there is implications, complications and grave consequences when those rules are not known, followed, or implemented at least to minimum requirements.

Are your teammates playing by the rules and to the best of their abilities?

Then you should win 3 – 0.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!

Cloud Computing gaining strength

2010-01-25T12:36:00.001-08:00

A lot of smaller companies and new products have started sprouting in the last couple of years. Almost every day now we get news about this new on-line backup solution or the new offers on hosted email and document managers from new and old companies.

Even Microsoft wants to start offering such products on top of the existing consumer-targeted and free Live features; this time gathering brokers and ISPs to push their products on the business space.

Seems to me like this is the start of the real social Internet: we pay right now for some services while most of the really useful ones are still free. I am envisioning a free-internet for all in the near future: the plan is that we all share our existing equipment in a way so that computers and servers are intelligent enough to find, assemble and provide functions from different places and supply those to the ones that need it at that moment. The unused computing power, idle at 12:00 GMT would be helping those whose time zone is 0:00 GMT, and vice versa. A quid pro quo environment that makes use of all the interconnected computers in the globe.

Now, that’s the real Cloud Computing concept.

One month after Xmas

2010-01-24T11:40:00.000-08:00

WOW! So much to do, so little time... or so it goes.

After what seems like an eternity there is a feeling of void for being so separated from the writing world.
Not that there is no intention, simply that with so much work and all the latest developments globally, one but wonders what is important and what is not.
After sharing tears and thoughts watching the Haiti scenes on TV and Web, trying to please clients as best as we can, asking ourselves how come kids still insist on a different colour or style of shoes when everything else is way more urgent that such demand.

Trying to keep a “normal” life balancing everything that is going on in our micro and macro environment is sometimes an open question. Why do we do our job? What's the purpose of taking kids to school, go to work, return exhausted to continue with evening activities... always waiting for the weekend, that comes and becomes shorter every time...?

When will it end!?

Then, while trying to make sense of it all, we get distracted by work, family issues, health matters... social events, … never to come back to our train of thought to fully figure out our purpose in life.
Or at least a better, easier or faster way to get to the next mark.

Oh! well... I'd better get back to my email... there are 6 urgent messages I have to reply to among other 100 not-so-important that I still have to address.

Keep me posted if you find something close to an explanation of what really matters in this planet.

Phone ringing, gotta go.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-12-31T12:32:00.000-08:00

To say things a little bit differently:

H A P P Y N E W Y E A R !

Salut! Cheers! ¡Salud!

Losing sight of business

2009-11-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

Early morning today on another casual and brief face to face chat reminds me of the fact that we loose sight of the nature of our business.

We are getting so used to be fixated on a set of screens day to day, that we forget what's behind all those screens. It is people, we all make the business.

From our micro-company to the largest corporations, none of those entities would exist without us.

Please go back to basics. People is the target, whatever our position is in this place; focus on people.

We'll find it more rewarding when we add the P factor to the routine equation.

Good job, people.

Winter approaching

2009-11-16T19:41:00.001-08:00

I happen to live in a place where summers are great, but winters are, well... Winters.

As December approaches, winds are stronger, power lines get cut, rain makes some telecommunications spotty at the best of times; and when snow is finally here, it takes more time than average to get to the places we want to get to.

All these combined create an interesting array of corrective measures most of the times. So, we find ourselves immersed in a waterfall of tasks that prevent us from checking the scenery, an enjoy it.

Today, for instance, wind blew most of the day, and at times it joined forces with heavy rain. That made driving a nightmare. Walking commuters obviously paid a higher price.

However, it is until late at night that I find the whole thing beautiful. The rain is present and so is the wind. The temperature outside is nearing the point of freezing, but all in all the night is beautiful. Can't see stars, can't hear the birds or bugs, but even so, the blurry shape of distant trees moving in waves makes the landscape unique. The wind has brought distant scents of nature that we definitely can't appreciate on warmer days. All in all I just notice how little times we "stop to smell the flowers".

This is one of such moments I realize I've wasted so many precious moments thinking that it would be a waste of time to make a pause on daily chores and admire the surroundings.

Pretty sure my mind will be fresh and in better shape tomorrow after this delightful break.

(Sniff...) Hah... It takes my breath away.

I hate Outlook

2009-11-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

Well... I like it when I use it myself. But hate it when I or any of my peers needs to troubleshoot a client problem.

I do not really hate it now. I did before the 2003 edition, this one was ‘alright’ and presented a very useful interface and set of features. The most recent one is even more capable and useful than its predecessors, obviously; and most of its hidden features still lay dormant waiting to be discovered by most of us.

MS-Outlook is the most ubiquitous email program there is on businesses Windows computers: Although the 98 and previous versions seem to have disappeared entirely; I've seen 2000 editions, 2002 (XP), 2003 and up to version 2007. Outlook 2003 seems to be the most predominant version used nowadays.
Even so, most users do not know the real capabilities of the program. Most of us simply use it as a very basic email tool, and although we manage to quasi-configure it for our likes, or are able to change the main signature and a few other minor tweaks; less than 20% of its capabilities are put to work on an everyday basis.
From the technological behind-the-scenes point of view, there are so many items in the wish list and unanswered questions. Among them:
+ How come Microsoft did not make the installer for 2003 and mainly for 2007 convert the old PST file format version to the new at install/upgrade time?
+ How come it does not compress the files automatically?
+ Why it does not backup the files automatically?
+ How come the ribbon is only present when creating a new item and not on the main interface?
+ Why do we always have to have the main file open and it becomes kind of cumbersome to switch to a different file; if we so wish?

Although I use a couple of different product for my email; I’ve started to like Outlook for the other features such as calendar, to-do tasks, contact and mainly because of all the plug-ins and add-ons capable of taking advantage of Outlook. Needless to say, synchronizing to a Domino or Exchange server makes it even more powerful.
I’m eager to see the 2010 version which surely addresses most of these questions and wish list items (according to MS people, the 1st beta is “around the corner”).
Will this version convert me to an avid Outlook user? It depends: the price is still bloated and I’m used and very comfortable with the other products I use for email, contacts and calendar.

So, let’s see. The, umh, outlook for Outlook 2010 seems promising.

Feel like running, or praying, or simply thinking? But please do not give up.

2009-11-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

This one is also great:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfQbvn2ACzc

Lyrics:
Mother,
I've gotta get out of here
So I can save our family
From this poverty
And when I make my money
I'll send it back to you

Father,
Give me strength, I pray
I have to end this misery
It's causing too much pain
I'm gonna look for richer lands
Where the money's made

I'm gonna put my whole world
In your hands
I have to put my whole world
In your hands
In your hands

Mister,
Please let me work somehow
You've kept me waiting eighteen months
And still I'm not allowed
And every time you promise me :
"Not much longer now "

I've to put my whole world
In your hands
You've got my whole world
In your hands
In your hands
Listen to me, listen to me

Mister,
Mr ! You say you're trying
But don't you know my brother's dying
You say "It won't be long"

But why am I so cursed
For where I am born?

You've got my whole world
In your hands
I've had to put my whole world
In your hands
I'm gonna put my whole world
In your hands
I've had to put my whole world
In your hands
In your hands.

Aren't we lucky?

2009-11-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

At soccer practice. A good break on the day and suddenly I have more information than I can consume in the palm of my hand: news, dozens of email messages, weather updates, a few text messages, facebook notifications, etc. And the ability to browse the Web if I'm inclined to.

Long are the days in which I would take a newspaper and browse thru its pages trying to find anything attractive to read. Or waiting for the evening news hour in order to be updated on world developments.

Nowadays even teenagers can get (and create) news or simple posts without even the need to know how to spell words. Pix, movies, short sentences... Whatever they can get from their phones and PDAs can easily and quickly be on the Internet.

The good news too is that we can as easily filter the information to the one we only want to receive.

We are SO lucky to live at this pace...
...sorry, gotta go. New message notification.

C U l8r.

Sports and biz do not mix

2009-11-08T14:40:00.001-08:00

Two months ago I attended a huge technology related event. The place contained more than 500 attendees, some very young, some others more mature.

At breakfast and lunch I looked for people I knew who shared the same interest I have. When I was unsuccessful in getting together with any of them I would look for an empty chair in a table with people my age or older. My intention to hear from them about industry trends and mainly business.

Much to my surprise, when trying to establish conversations about business strategies, modes, recent experiences and such; the topics would immediately switch to technical stuff of popular sports. I felt out of place when two or three of them started talking about the new guy(s) in the local team: names and last names were mentioned but none of those I'd recognize. I felt like an idiot when one of them asked my opinion about how the team would make this season; I felt blushing trying to answer a very simple question about something most of them knew about. I don't even remember my answer, just babbled about -as politely as I could- the unimportance of such topic to me.

They carried on, excluding me from the conversation from that point forward. I do not think any of them believed me when I pointed out there were way more important developments in our world than a sports team, whether local or not.

How is it that a “The Yankees won the series” headline is more attractive than knowing 700 people got their job back yesterday? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy success at sports and arts, but it is enjoyable when I or a member of my family or even a friend, or someone I know personally wins. But a bunch of unknowns?

Come on! Let's go back to what is really important in this life, that's the first step to fix the mess we've dumped our world in.

What was the score? ...or maybe I should ask first: what was the sport?

Ubuntu 9.10 and Open Office 3.1

2009-11-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

My little netbook working like a charm. I love this combination of technology: a very affordable long-lasting battery device that does not require an OS license neither an expensive Office product. It is even more powerful that a full fledged desktop system 5 years ago, at a less than 20% the price. All works, sound, video, wireless, and printing. What a wonderful machine.

My only wish is I could type faster on such a tiny keyboard; aside from that I could not be happier.

I am certain nascent companies that start using these elements and don't look back or to the sides to see what everybody else is using will be as competitive as any other organization utilizing commercial products. There is practically no difference now on the basic office applications and the way we use the Internet and email have become easier and more intuitive now. In a matter of a few years we will be able to open files created in a different platform without noticing any differences. THAT is the best thing about all this affordability and Open Source initiatives.

Thank you GNUses. You really did see the future long time ago.

Cheers!

Of secondary priorities

2009-11-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

Strange how we tend to put thing in inverse order sometimes. We work like 19th century donkeys and some times more hours than what a healthy environment should be.
We answer the phone and/or reply to EM messages on our PDA even when we are supposed to be enjoying the game or watching our kids do a new trick.
Which begs the question: shouldn't we focus more on family 1st and work 2nd? What is it that forces us to check the screen at the slightest vibration or ring?

Sounding like a broken record, I've learned that work will be waiting for me every time. No matter how little or how much I accomplish today, tomorrow will be full of to do lists and new2 tasks too.

I am trying to focus more on enjoying my family yet again. I'm wishing me luck.

Stoic enterprises

2009-11-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

It might seem like the R season is finally over. The victims of such couple of years we all know about will become just a memory in a few years.

However, as of today there are more SMEs wounded than we know. They are never mentioned in the news but only as a collective number on statistical presentations way after the fact. Some of them have presented a strong, fierce and very honourable fight. They’ve withstood their ground for most of the storm.

It is until now that the inflicted wounds start to become unbearable, the strength has waned and they are about to fall, or close their eyes never to open again.
I’ve seen a few of such warrior SMEs play the entire game with a drive to win right up to the final whistle. What a lesson.

I salute you all, great captains. Your members will disband perhaps but they know the quality of your leadership now. They will be back at first call, whichever boat you happen to get now.

Thanks for the active lecture, the inspiring show and the great relationship we made. I will be back too, just let me know you are ready to sail again.

With the uttermost respect and admiration,

Where are all the sales people?

2009-11-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Trying to establish a new partnership for a week now: they have been very slow to respond.

Not a surprise most of the times, but for some coincidental reason it is right now that we need to be able to provide some clients with the type of technology and products this particular partnership would make.

Strange: when you can offer good solutions to most clients, they seem not to need anything. Now that we can’t supply the specific products, most are demanding it.
Kindda Murphy’s law. Isn’t it?

Oh! Well...

Still waiting for the phone to ring or the email pop-up to appear.

Of long breaks and others

2009-10-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

For how long can you hold your breath under water?

I felt as if I was doing just that, only this case I was not writing instead of not breathing. Kind of purposely, I did not do it partly because of business and partly to focus on reading what others in the field of IT were saying.

Well, there have been many developments happening, the Windows Seven launch and parties; new and more intrusive worms in the wild; more and more new companies offering cloud services, the list is endless and each time longer.

Praise for W7 has been the central topic for most. Although I have been using it for roughly a month now, I still have a wishing list that I suspect will take many months to be entirely checked off.
While it is true that W7 is better than its predecessors, the fact is that Vista should have been 2 years ago what W7 is now. Period.

There are so many topics to retake. I’ll start with something that ends in a “9.10”

What has kindda gone under the radar is Ubuntu. Putting aside the long times for downloading the image file (only when you do it on the launch date), the fact is that it is a breeze to install and use now. My Netbook is a Dell mini with only 4 GB HD, therefore the need for a small footprint OS, and one that simply works.
From the moment I created the USB bootable flash drive to the minute I declared my lil machine ready to start using it was just 86 minutes. Except –in my case- for a glitch that forces you to reinstall the wireless “proprietary” drivers; everything else went smooth. Easy wizard, quick process, nice graphics, … it comes with Open Office 3.1, Firefox 3.5, Evolution email... it's just great. Even adding a network printer is so quick, i.e. a newer HP p1505n is listed among hundreds of other brands and models, and works like a charm.

So, have you had enough already on W7 praise and critics? Check everything Linux, you won't be disappointed this time.

Promise.

Obsolescence

2009-09-23T19:16:00.000-07:00

While swapping cars with one of my peers, I had to come back running and ask her to provide her keys for the second vehicle, which I did not bring with me. I started thinking about why we need keys for a car, and then some other similar parts/devices in order to start, turn on, or make something function.

With so much technology available nowadays, why do we still need to carry around metallic keys for cars? Or doors?
When visiting a hospital or business, why do we still need to sign on a sheet of paper at the reception to state our name and the reason for our visit? Most of the plastic cards we carry around already contain our main information, wouldn’t it be simpler to just swipe our ID or even a credit card to let them know who we are?
How about disks? CDs, DVDs, Blue-rays, etc. Wouldn’t it be easier and cheaper for the big entertainment and software manufacturers to invest all that money spent on creation and distribution of such devices into networking technologies, so that we get the electronic files quickly and easily without the need to have to insert a piece of plastic into mechanical trays or slots?

How about newspapers and magazines? The Kindle is out, Sony Reader too, PDAs have better resolutions now... and we still receive newspapers and all kind of resource-intensive publications in our doorsteps and mailboxes. How come nobody in the newspaper industry distributes one of such readers just once? That would allow the unit to update daily or weekly using any kind of wireless technology, so that we do not have to recycle and waste so much every single day.

Have they ever read about what the words “vision” and “innovation” mean?

I could rant on and on with so many examples; I can’t believe we are almost into the completion of the first decade after the turn of the century and we are still carrying so much baggage from the previous one.

Well... you get the idea. I wish the next time you read about the latest innovations on these subjects you do it on a Kindle-like unit.

As the latest Mac ads state: Cheers! To innovation

Being more mobile now

2009-09-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

At kid's soccer practice. An entire hour to kill. The acquaintances I used to talk to have left. The other parents seem intent to either focus on watching their kids play or read magazines, write on existing documents and/or simply use that 20th century organic material they call Paper in one way or another.

I thought about bringing my netbook to reply to a few mail messages or simply craft a document or two while I wait and glance every so often to my child.

However, and despite the fact that the netbook is light and very portable, more and more I feel inclined to use a totally different device that does not require me to sit or find a flat or stable surface or position in order to type. I'm finding my PDA easier and easier each time.

From my first Palm Pilot Pro all through the changes to this BB, I've found that it's just a matter of getting used to any of such devices in order to become really productive. The new Palm Pre is out already and it has a keyboard! Long gone are those Styluses that helped us easily transition from that wood derivative I referred before to these amazing devices.

A month or so ago I posted a piece about how easy I found it to be to type and upload a Blog article created and uploaded entirely on my BB. I'm pretty sure that eventually will become the norm rather than the extreme.

True mobility. And simpler every time.

Technical training

2009-09-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

I attended a 2-day event last week. The purpose of such was to “train” people on new or latest technologies and show what's coming down the pipe.

The topics were varied and the organization allowed attendees to choose from a variety of tracks throughout the day. I was in three different tracks; some of the topics were very technical and fast, non-understandable for the regular Joe, while others were simpler and better explained in the allotted time.

On my calculations, the number of attendees was around 800. During the presentations, on breaks between speakers, and at lunch time I spoke to some fellow technicians, engineers, consultants, contractors, business owners and such.
In the entire 2 days and despite my best efforts to pull information about it nobody touched on the business side of the -mmhh- business. The focus was on software, and the boxes that can use that software, and the interconnections between such boxes and so on...
But no Business Case. No comparison tables. No white papers on case studies –beta or not-. No ROI graphs.

Now don't get me wrong, on average it was good and most of the speakers knew their stuff and delivered very good sessions. However, there was nothing but tech talk all thru the event. There was mentioning obviously on companies already using this and that; and real demonstrations on existing systems working and so on.
However, I felt there was this need to know the appropriate application of all these new toys to real world cases; in brief I think I was expecting more than what they can really deliver. Or perhaps I wanted them to do my work: analyze technologies and crunch numbers to come up with such documents.

I might had simply made a mistake on the training and signed up for something I did not need or want.

Oh! Well... I will wait for such thing to come to my town.

Hope you do enjoy your events.

September already

2009-09-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

WOW! This has surely been the fastest year ever! I'm pretty sure our hours have been 59 or 58 minutes each …or so it feels.

We IT inclined people know that in economic slowdowns, after government and heath care, IT is the most resilient field there is nowadays. Even so, I know many peers and companies that constantly whine about our industry status quo.

Not me. I am so fortunate to work in good company, and working with great suppliers while servicing clients that I really like and who seem to like us too. We have been very busy each day. Not a single opportunity for slacking.
So, what is the fuzz about? With September, school starts, vacations end, fall is almost here, and then holidays abound. With all that coming down the pipe, there is no time for complaints.

Did I mention a few changes in the IT horizon will take place too? (Ubuntu 9.10, Windows 7)

So, sorry for the briefness. Work calls.
Enjoy being busy. If you are not, believe me it is your fault.

Where are we going?

2009-08-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

Besides the myriad of applications that already exist for practically anything, the pace of new releases for, well… practically everything, is just amazing. How can we, humble IT Professionals keep pace with both the existing and mature applications in the marketplace; and on top of that learn or maybe just get to know the nascent programs that people find on the Web and simply start using?
Nowadays you can even find video clips explaining the way to utilize such applications, some of which are more complicated than others and require a good amount of hours to understand.
And this is just the beginning: all will be ported to the cloud and therefore the pace of releases and new applications will become exponentially faster. There is absolutely no stopping on this race; and the finish line is nonexistent.

Do not worry, though. All these new developments will become eventually so easy to use that they'll also be disposable.

Hang on tight. The whirlwind ride is just starting.

True value

2009-08-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

Last year I had to take a device for fixing to a shop that returned it to me in worse shape than before. Although it was working, I constantly had to tweak it so that it would work better for a while, then it would start the annoyance again. This situation took a few months, so I decided to take it back to the shop for them to fix it once and for all.
They inspected, tweaked, disassembled, put all back together and could not find a single problem, and returned it to me once again; just to have the same situation as before. Two months later I went to the shop: same story.

For the past month it was getting worse day after day. I decided I needed to fix it myself and so I purchased a kit that most likely would make it work as expected. Turns out I could not fix it, and made it worse; however, in so doing I realized the shop did not do things properly in the first place. Hence, the main failing component was in such a poor shape that practically just touching it made the whole thing collapse. It would have been so easy and cheap for the shop to simply replace such part and really fix the problem.

I spent countless hours dealing with what was such an easy fix. I felt like suing the shop, or starting a bad publicity campaign on-line; or simply get there and shout to the owner, the technicians, and everybody who would port the shop logo.

I did not do anything: partly because I have better things to do with my time, and mainly because the headaches associated with any of such actions would have made me older in a matter of a few months.
I decided to swallow all of the time wasted, the money lost and all. I went to a different shop to have it fixed knowing that they would charge for the fix, but I'd much rather pay these unknown guys than going back to the original shop.

To my surprise, they accommodated my request in their busy schedule, had it seen before the expected waiting time, and fixed it in a matter of minutes. I was so glad I had it back in perfect shape that I was about to pay whatever fee I would see in the invoice.
Here comes the best part: FREE. They realized somebody else messed up long time ago, and without asking me anything simply replaced the broken part with a new one. Then they only asked me if I would be willing to come back to them for future service.

My gosh! They had me at the reception. I'm sold!
Kudos to such human and really service-oriented people.

That's what I call true value.

Dreading new Data Backup setups

2009-08-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

I remember the old days when backing data up took not only lots of preparation in every sense, but also lots of time for practically every task associated with the process.
Choosing the right type of tape drive, then the software to be installed, configured, and finally monitored. The daily, weekly, monthly resources allocation for simply inserting, extracting, labelling, storing tapes was then replaced by either CDs and DVDs or HD cartridges. The options for backing up to these would range from very expensive-corporate-like products, to affordable-but-difficult proprietary packages.

Lately, most of the big names in data backup have finally switched their attention to NAS and external Hard Drives. Finally! ...a little too late though.
Last year I set into production our first Windows 2008 Server box. A few months ago I used its Data Backup console to set a scheduled job that has been working like a charm. I already tested the data recovery and all; all just works. So, no extra software to be purchased, no hassle.
Today, I added a 2nd drive to the equation; I expected a somehow difficult setting having the existing job not interfere with the new. I was surprised to find that I could simply add the second drive to the existing schedule with not much thinking or tweaking.

I dreaded this task for a couple of months, I even avoided it somehow. It is SO easy now to manage all these tasks that I wonder why it took so long to the BU SW manufacturers to get to this. Mind you, this is a Microsoft product (service).
Not dreading anything anymore.

Next “complex” task, here I come!

Windows 7 is finally (?) coming

2009-08-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Strange, isn't it? We all expected the next generation of the most popular OS to be released by March or April 2010; however, strong competition (Fedora, Suse, Ubuntu and Chrome OS) and pressure for both consumers and corporations have made Micro$oft release it sooner than that. No fancy or strange name, not much of a fanfare; but rather a product that seems more like an apology than an offer.

I have worked, tested and experimented all Windows versions of XP (even 64b); Vista Standard, Home, Business and Ultimate (even 64b); and some of the 7 Beta and Release Candidate (even 64b).

I see Seven as Vista SP3. I know there are many behind-the-scenes improvements on security and networking on Seven, but most of the ‘new’ noticeable features in it are just what we were hoping for in Vista a couple of years ago. For those of us that use Linux or Macs, we only can wish some of the very useful tools on these could be at least be imitated by Seven. Not many new features in that department.

1st disappointment: WinFS is not in it yet.
2nd: if only Seven could be as fast and easy as XP on connecting to networks…

Oh! Well. I've set my eyes on Windows 8. I'm sure THAT ONE will be a real competitor to the nascent Chrome and the ever-more useful Ubuntu.

The wait is on.

Easy tasks

2009-07-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Wow! I must be very old by IT Professionals' standards.

See, yesterday and today I've been doing tasks that a few years ago simply would cause anybody to plan very carefully the best course of action. It has become second nature to just start doing those for me. No planning, no worries, no scares.
I guess that's what experience really is: an accumulation of practice in order to make permanent.

And then, the new technologies are the ones that scare me. Therefore, since most of my experience and specialization are becoming obsolete; I must continue doing these now menial and boring tasks. I simply don't dare touch the new stuff.

Business does not change, fortunately. So, creating quotations, proposals and reports is something I still enjoy. Good thing these do not change much. Just the wording, the new names of devices and software versions and the strange labels attached to older firms' products that have been acquired by bigger fish.

So, it's businerdss as usual.

Good.

Email programs and devices

2009-07-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

I just found out I use a variety of methods to send and receive email messages for/on my main email account:
If checking via web browser, my hosting company allows me to choose between Horde, Roundcube and Squirrel.
On my Windows server, I use Eudora
On my Vista/W7 Laptop, I use Thunderbird and/or Lotus Notes
On my Ubuntu laptops, I use Evolution
On my PDA, I use Blackberry email
I think on the family desktop I've also used Outlook, but that has been for testing purposes only
So, at least 9 different ways to use the same service. And that's only one account (on last count, among business related, associations' and free ones, I have at least 15).

No wonder people gets confused by my variety of fonts, features, signatures, looks, and all.

Wait! I need to send me an EM reminder about standardizing my signature. Chat soon.

Mellow tasks

2009-07-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

I dunno about you but it's incredibly hot in my city these days. I am able to work remotely today and I do not know whether that's a good thing: my place does not have any air conditioned and my only source of breeze is open windows. I’m pretty sure the office and perhaps even the servers’ room is cooler than here.

Which makes me work slower than usual, despite the fact that I am mainly writing email messages, checking logs and applying updates. No physical movement practically, and even so I’m sweating.

Seems like everybody else feels the same; I have received only 2 phone calls in the day and have made two others myself.

After a cold lunch I decided to take my laptop somewhere else; found a nice park with plenty of families gathered around the kids’ water park, the shadows of a tree and the wind have made my workday more enjoyable. I even found a couple of open shared WiFi signals. Whoever is “Judds” thanks a lot for making my day nicer.

At my place I have a secured wireless network but also provide a secondary open signal. I've been fortunate enough to be able to find a way to connect through somebody else's router and therefore I offer mine in return. It is just nicer to share.

Shouldn't it be like this? It costs us nothing to simply open a channel for other to make their life easier, the same way the Open source community works towards a better world, we all can offer whatever we can to others. It just makes sense in my view.

I’m still mellow, but at least a smile is present.

What a month!

2009-07-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

Well, now I know how it happens that all of a sudden varied situations accumulate and make one’s life… mmh, interesting; to say the least.

Just a month ago I knew that week would be hard and fast: I ran a half marathon on Sunday, woke up incredibly early on Monday to install/merge a server into an existing network, along with making everything in the network work flawlessly that same day. All that on top of the regular weekly duties, and having to prepare a presentation for a 40 attendees’ audience the next week.

All would have been alright save a few hours shaved from my daily sleep, however, sky fell when my partner had to leave in a sudden trip that would make me work twice as much for 5 days.

I learnt that one can do so much when under pressure, but also know that we need to rest in order to recharge and be at 100% level. It is until this week that I feel I’m finally catching up to everything –including sleep-, so then I need to come back to running, reading, and writing.

So, please understand it has not been a lack of desire that has putting me away for so long: it’s been simply, life.

Thanks for your patience!

River view

2009-06-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

About to leave a branch office, the car is parked in a parking lot that oversees a huge river. For whatever reason it always catches my attention and I find myself looking up the river.

There's nothing that links me to it in any way. However, every time I'm here I feel strongly connected to the river. The view is not great, there's nothing artistic or picturesque about it. Yet here I am again and again trying to decipher the message it's trying to convey...

The other day I took a picture to send it to somebody I care about, and then when checking the picture after I did, I felt like a stupid because there is absolutely no way anybody would find anything interesting on it; save some engineers looking at a couple old bridges.

The point here is that I disconnect from work and other worries each time I'm here. In fact, I feel so relaxed and at peace that I had the time and inclination to write and post this entire piece on my PDA.

Not bad for a grammar and orthography freak. ;)

Find your relax spot!

The train...

2009-06-20T14:44:00.001-07:00

Here I am stuck in traffic realizing I need to really start doing something about not having to drive a car everywhere.

While all I can do is listen to music, watch the vehicles around me and realize by focusing far in the distance the "problem" is a long train crossing, all my mind can really do is try to count its cars. Kind of easy, they are all different colours and shapes, one after another, a parade of steely objects all linked together and part of a whole.

What would those cars be unhooked?

Just like our thoughts and actions, they do really belong together. One after another they form and shape whole ideas and developments. They become actions that create value once we implement them; some even need more than ourselves to come to fruition, others grow by hooking up to somebody else's train cars and becoming part of their trains.

Keep it growing. Your train will look nicer with more cars of different shapes and colours. Make it so that your cars become somebody else's train too. And more importantly, allow other's trains to join yours and become a longer one.

Move your train; allow others to count your cars.

Read my mind

2009-06-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

<blank>

Thanks!

Planning and the consequences of not doing it

2009-06-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard the 80/20 rule? About how most of the time 20 percent of people perform 80% of the work?
How about the “1 hour of planning saves 8 in execution”?
Yep. I have too.
Even so, and despite the fact that I know these, have some diplomas, have worked in many different fields, postgraduate studies, decades of work experience, etc. etc. I keep falling prey of my own rushed decisions.
Here we are again, operating in crisis mode all the time. Something crashed and everybody is upset and demanding to be back and operational in as little time as possible; which makes me apply band-aids to the problem instead of really fixing whatever is wrong once and for all.
And then, we come back again and again to slowly and painfully fix what we didn’t properly in the first place. Worst, every time we are back to the problem we are regretting our inaction and inability to plan and set things right.
When will I learn? Some people look up to me for advice and I give it as if was my gift to know it all and as if I never made any mistakes.

My gosh... do I really need to be born again? Do you have some advice for me? I think I need to hear from you now.

...oh! Excuse me; they are calling me again... I need to go back there and continue the patching. C U soon.

The most deafening sound...

2009-06-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

The most deafening sound of all: silence.

System is dead... next!

2009-06-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Maria cried for an hour after receiving the news that her laptop hard drive was damaged beyond repair. Not that it could not be sent to a data recovery lab, just that the company did not consider it necessary. She then received a brand new laptop with the latest OS, latest Office Suite, fastest processor available and a hard drive that had 8 times more capacity than the dead one.
Inconsolably, she said “...and I've been so busy that had not had time to make a data backup for the last month.” Turns out she did not backup her files for more than 3 months.
Now she faces the multiple challenges that come with the adoption of a new system, or a new process, or a new technology... a new everything. She will learn to live with that while recreating and salvaging whatever she can from the old backup. Practically a new job.

However, despite the fact that this change was “enforced” on her, isn't it the same with our everyday life that we face new situations and challenges?

Dust settles down and we are ready to start the new cycle. Turn the page, take the plunge, close the loop, check off the date, kiss it goodbye, resign the game or announce check mate, open that door, smell the flowers, check the scenery...
It is not that bad, is it? Just start the next chapter of your life. It is in fact the continuation of your steps: glance at the Km mark and realize that you are closer to the finish line.

Whatever it is you are getting today: a new system, a plan, a challenge, a task, a friend, a project, an idea. Just take it as a man, take it as a woman. Just take it.
Make sure the next chapter is based on the previous ones, just richer and more entertaining. You have all the material to create it so.

Take it with a smile! :D

The future...

2009-05-26T15:28:00.001-07:00

I saw the future such a long time ago that I have already forgotten how it is.

Latest Service Packs and OS versions

2009-05-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

Aside from the other departments, on mine I have constant access to 7 different computers. A couple of them have dual-boot capabilities. All in all, and due to the fact that for the last 2 weeks major software manufacturers have released latest patches and versions; I have
Ubuntu 9.04 version on 32b machine
Ubuntu 9.04 amd64 (w Open Office 3.0)
Windows 7 Ultimate Release Candidate 64b
Windows Vista Business Service Pack 2 32b
MS Office 2007 Service Pack 2 on Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 64b
MS Office 2007 Service Pack 2 on Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (x2)
…and a barebones 32b Linux install for a UTM-like computer

All works. Some computers are extremely fast (64b.) Others look real nice thanks to the new graphic capabilities and so on.
So, for the last couple of weeks, as time allows at breaks and evenings I have been playing with most of the new features.
So what? What’s new under the sun?

I do not know what I have been looking for being so prompt to download and install the latest and greatest. I think it was a hidden desire to find something, anything positive in such latest news turmoil …

Did not find anything that would satisfy me.

I think the really important things in life are too distant from the latest bleeding edge technology. I just do not know where to look.

Oh! Well…

Will keep searching.

Good Society around me

2009-05-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

I am fortunate enough to live in a city that not only encourages all peoples to migrate here, but actually welcomes them.
My coworkers, partners, clients, neighbours and everyone around me comes from diverse and unique parts of the world. The best? Despite and amidst all the negative news –exaggerated or not- about corruption, wars, hunger, illnesses and such; we all live in peace here.

I just realized how privileged I am to raise a family in such a multicultural mosaic. There are days in which I hear more than 12 different languages being spoken by simply passing by a plaza or just dropping off or picking up kids at school.

This song is a beautiful thought about what’s important in terms of tolerance and acceptance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJxstoRocHc
Lyrics here:
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858715833/

Have a great day!

Burning desires

2009-05-05T16:27:00.000-07:00

One of my subs came to me asking me to please copy a CD-ROM for him. Nobody in his department knows how to do it and even he having access to two computers he does not dare trying.

The fact is that he knows I am the most senior IT-related person around, and also that my computer is the most powerful in the building.
It has been a while since I copied a CD-ROM; a few years ago I would do that constantly, and for that purpose I had a DVD drive as Origin and a DVD/CD burner as the main copier.

Now I only have one unit. I have not had the need to do anything similar in a while, and the fact that both CDs and DVDs are being quickly replaced by flash drives, USB devices, Internet High Speed connections, etc. Keeps me wondering whether Blu-Ray Disks will be the last type of rotating device we will ever touch.

I can’t wait to see what the new technologies will bring in terms of audio and video. How many HD movies and pre-recorded events will a device connected to the TV set contain, say 5 years from now?
Neither I know.

As I extract the quickly and newly burned CD from the tray, scribble the title with a permanent marker on its surface, and put it in and old empty sleeve; I can’t help but wonder how far we have come on this field within just a couple of decades.

Here’s to more and amazing surprises in the near and far future.

Cheers!

Ubuntu and the Swine Flu

2009-04-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Ubuntu 9.04 was released last week. Good.
The main (only?) bug found so far has to do with the Adobe Flash Player not working in some systems.

After lots of forum contributing/checking, blogging about it, and trying installing and uninstalling packages, downloading latest Flash versions for different distros, reverting video drivers to earlier versions, etc… etc… Some guys already found the solution. Among them, in case you are reading this from a Linux x86 based putter: http://bugfixbug.wordpress.com/2009/04/25/ubuntu-flash-does-not-work/
(For a 64b system, simply uninstall: sudo apt-get remove swfdec-mozilla
And then reopen Firefox, let the system find and suggest to install the default player and voilá. It will work beautifully.)

Now back to the real world: Swine flu spreading quickly, mainly in North America.
Seems like the barrage of bad news will always override the good ones. No wonder Youtube and many other sites that provide “feel good” content are the most sought-after.

However, despite these news and all the other ones combined: economic downturn, hunger in Africa, extremists gaining ground…

Have you ever thought that we, the ones capable of being in front of a computer -perhaps even drinking coffee- are in fact, happy?
When was the last time you were hungry? Thirsty? Sick? Injured?

That’s right. I count my blessings, not my troubles.
Do you?

Cheers!

Getting "The Cloud

2009-04-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Microsoft is finally R&Ding, investing, and getting it on “the cloud.”
It’s a good thing. No matter how many years it took them to jump on the SAAS bandwagon, now most of what the populi is used to use, will be available through a browser.
It’s a good thing the mini-laptops debuted some months ago, that’s certainly a small push that helped the move gain momentum. Now that all HW is getting very affordable, and new versions more intuitive than previous OSs editions; we can swap Linux, MAC, and Windows computers without much hassle and be productive with any of those.
As it happens, M$ usually acquires companies that are spearheading a particular product or service and then applies its financial muscle and marketing expertise to make it the main or leading product in the marketplace. Expect MANY existing and new MS products running from ...ahem... Internet Explorer 8, or any recent browser.

Should we not follow this lead? My company, and many I worked before, still runs processes and systems that are very outdated. Not just the software systems, but the processes in acquiring and retaining clients are far from up to date. Many of such responsibilities and tasks rest on my shoulders, but without proper support from my fellow ‘mates I can’t make such changes alone.
We could easily eliminate tons of paper, electricity, and wasted time by simply starting a few changes that need to take place yesterday. For example, would you believe it is April 2009 and we still use a FAX machine!?

We do.

That particular device is my first target.

I’ve got a confession to make

2009-04-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well, in reality I have lots of things I should confess. Just that I am scared to do.

Most of us have a few thoughts time and again about something wrong we did and keep thinking that it is better to continue hiding the truth because that way nobody will be affected. The thought that everything is fine the way it is somehow provides a false peace in which we immerse ourselves as in a public pool.
Like me, most of us think that it is alright to hide such things and not disclose them to the parties involved. Or better said, not disclose them to the parties not involved, but that somehow should be.

This is a mental and spiritual burden that is wearing us down, whether we notice it or not.
Don’t believe me? What keeps you up at night? Isn’t it related to those ‘secrets’? Good, you are leaving a legacy of goodness, honesty and integrity for your family and friends.
However, if it is... well, simply start unloading the sack. It is not that difficult. People you need to tell about it will be thankful; and you’ll sleep sounder.

Yes, I am not disclosing everything. Not right now. I mean, not everything at once: it is being done gradually and I’m starting with the simplest and easiest ones. With practice I will get better at facing those heavy demons that I’ve been carrying around.

Business related, although huge, are easy. Family... well, I’ll get there. I promise.

I hope you also feel lighter soon.

Let go.

2009-03-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

In many fields, but particularly in this field of ours, we know there’s new tools released very often. We do not know how to utilize them, but we also know they will be easier to use once we acquire them. It only makes sense, aside from the fact that said tools will certainly come with newer features and more capabilities.

However, we find ourselves constantly (dare I say daily?) maintaining very old systems and processes.

Lots of resources are put in place in order to make such gear work as we need it to be.
Lots of resources are put in place in order to make such gear work as we are used to.

Yet we know that we would save lots of money, time, and effort by simply replacing those old implementations with more modern equipment. However, we seem to have this fear to try new things that the very thought of having to learn something new is dreaded.

And then, when we finally decide and get the newest tool, we usually find ourselves saying: “how could I live/work/be without this?”

Exactly the same happens with the mental baggage we carry everywhere: old feelings, old ideas, unchecked to-do items, worries that should no longer exist because the situation that created those have disappeared or changed... etc.
Why can’t we update them, replace them, or simply let them go?

I have decided to make an inventory of such items. My goal is to reduce that warehouse to 10% or less of what it contains today. As it happens when we move, a myriad of things will be there just taking space; plain garbage most of the times.
I know it won’t happen overnight, but I also know by the end of the year I will keep only the things that really matter to me in the present time.

I will, simply, let go.

Two ears as a prize

2009-03-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

Did it ever occurred to you that the absolutely best trophy is not made of gold or similar, and might not carry a monetary value? that one the "matador" receives for abusing and slowly killing a bull:

Two ears. Although not usable, or maybe edible, he receives 2 ears.

Why is it so that many or our politicians and business decision makers do not get those? I'm pretty sure most would not understand the message; but a few that did would certainly start communicating better.

Ole!