E – N E W S from 2SS.Com

Int’l Standard Serial No. - ISSN: 1523-3537  2009-No. 25

Have you visited our website lately?

Get Help Now
(Through 'The Cloud')

We know that at least part of how you evaluate our service is being able to resolve minor problems yourself and having the resources to troubleshoot, so that our time is
primarily aimed at moving you ahead.  Here are some resources to help!

1.  Let 'Google Voice' connect us now

2. 
Let us connect to your PC Now (ß Just click)

3.  Send a text message to 2SS.Com Now (ß Just click)
This sends a brief text message using your E-mail software. For best results, use the subject line and up to 150 characters for both subject and message.

Or call us in the office at 916-966-1962 or via cell phone 916-801-3707.

4.  Support Links and Phone Nos. for Popular software titles
This is a word document with active links.  It includes all the software that we typically install and support on  client PCs.  (If desired click here for a PDF version with links that can be read but NOT clicked on.)

5.  2SS.Com Standard Install
Featuring standard PC installation features and including the latest recommended software, etc..

6.  2SS.Com Guides
(e.g. Support Articles) on eBay


7.  Dell PC support

For servers, desktops and notebooks.

8.  HP Support
For printers, scanners, etc.

Considering 'The Cloud'?

A long time friend and client recently asked:

"What is your view on small businesses thinking about migrating from an in-house server (e.g. exchange, etc.) to remote desktops in the cloud?  If so, do you see them migrating server files into sharing tools like SharePoint to allow for easier access than remote desktops provide?"

At 2SS.Com we believe the big picture is that before long (maybe as soon as 5 to 7 years) we’ll all be able to carry around a small device (it may become a feature of our phones) that allows us to make a simple connection anywhere.  The connection might be to a ‘then’ old-style desktop PC or Mac as found in most any office, or to some kind of ‘connect and view’ workstation that’s set up for this purpose.

The point will be to make available a large screen and easy to use input devices (e.g. mouse, keyboard, voice activation and/or touch screen) to instantly make our data, our preferences and our applications (configured as we like them) available to us wherever we choose to ‘Connect’.  Of course you’ll be able to do all that on the device itself but not with the same productivity as when you connect.

 

So we think that between now and then lies the answer to this question. 'Cloud computing’ and cheap storage are already just two of the several forces driving the Internet to become our universal operating system.  Increasingly the devices that access it (Mac, iPhone, Android, PCs, ‘net books’, etc. ) are not nearly as important as what they deliver when they connect.  Already many of our 2SS.Com customers have implemented ‘hands-off’ backups.  That is local backups to one or more cheap USB hard disks, combined with offsite backups into the cloud where as a reseller we’re currently able to drive the price down to as little at $5.00 per megabyte per YEAR!.  And of course we’re beginning to have clients who find Exchange and 'updated anywhere' E-mail to be a useful tool.  But, old-style E-mail is still just fine for many folks and the current complexity of getting a company or even a few individuals into ‘the cloud’ is still a little prohibitive.  Nevertheless its changing fast!

 

The last part of this question focuses on file sharing and surprisingly we’ve seen little interest in  'cloud-based' file sharing solutions (e.g. SharePoint) among our 2SS.Com clients even though its been proposed a couple times.  We suspect that it’s because these tools are a BIG investment (e.g. subscription, development and training) compared to doing nothing, and most small businesses have not yet switched to the ‘everyone telecommutes’ model that may force them to have greater interest.  Right now cheap (e.g. under $150 a year) work-from-home solutions like 'GoToMyPC' or 'WebEx PCNow' do just fine to get people into their already sunk-cost proprietary business networks which offer the rough equivalents of 'cloud-based' file sharing, using shared drives, access to network applications, and in some cases even shared Outlook contact lists and calendars.

 

We see Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and a few others lining up to offer the next generation of SharePoint style solutions as a cheaper, even free, alternative.  In particular Google is already well along with its $50 a per person per year corporate access to G-Mail, Google Voice, Google Docs, and much more.  New businesses without infrastructure investments and others young enough to learn, are breaking early toward using and getting full value out of 'cloud-based' tools, But, established businesses are understandably held back by already sunk investments and the need to insure that they survive to consider investing in new alternatives at the right time.

Shortcuts to get into 'The Cloud' today!

  1. Ready for 'In-the-cloud' productivcity? - You can have many of your files, links and applications available to you anywhere you can access the Internet.  If you're ready now Contact us to ask about helping you create a virtual PC for yourself similar to our demonstration website at www.2VPC.Com.  For more details see our previous issue (To review it click -èhere)
     

  2. Mozy online Backup software & services.  We've featured Mozy before, and now it's in use by many of our clients.  Home/personal users get up to 2GB of BackUp FREE, or for about $50 a year an unlimited amount of storage.  If you're home PC is NOT YET backed-up we recommend you STOP what you're doing RIGHT NOW, download and install Mozy backup,  (click è here).  (You'll actually get 2.3 GB of space by using this 2SS.Com 'referral link' and in the future you'll be able to get more space by referring others as well.)
     
    P.S.    We recently updated our guide titled "
    Computer Backup for Small Bus.-The What, Why & How?" 
    with our 'Hands-Off' backup recommendations.   (To review it click è here)
     

  3. Long-time Microsoft Outlook User?  - 2009/2010 brought the tipping point for many of our clients and long-time Microsoft Outlook.   Some of them, like us at 2SS.Com, don't prefer to delete old messages, so they needed to cope with having more-and-more of them. The answer we prefer is to create laddered archive files labeled by year.  (To see the step-by-step of what's involved read our guide "Outlook Archive Files-The What, Why & How?"  (To review it click è here.)
     

  4. Got a Fast Connection?  -Everything in the cloud depends on getting there faster and faster.  As you consider the alternatives available in your area you may want to check out guide on Internet and networking communication speeds titled "Internet Connection Speeds - (w/Comparison Chart)' (To review it click è here).  You might also like to test you current speed in a way that you can easily compare to other alternatives.  Our favorite to do just that is the service from Visualware (Click here)

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Last modified: November 22, 2010