Small Business Server 2008 released
November 2008
After much anticipation, the latest version of Microsoft Small Business Server has now arrived. It has had good reviews, and we have good experience of it in our test lab. Server 2003 was a stalwart product from Microsoft, so let's hope 2008 keeps up the pedigree!

Read more about this article here: ZDNet Story

Cloud computing to take the world by storm
October 2008
...but not just yet. According to a number of sources, cloud computing is set to revolutionise the computer industry. People will no longer own their own servers, but instead their data will live out on the Internet, in a 'cloud', which they can access whenever they want, rather like Google Mail. Our opinion? Although this is an exciting technology, be careful where you put your company secrets - we've been using this at TechDivision for a couple of years now, and it's too unstable and insecure for the main market yet.

Read more about this article here: NewsWeek Story

Writing may be on the wall for paper
September 2008
After years of speculation about the paperless office (and we've not even managed that at TechDivision!) Sony have now released their new demo of a screen that uses 'Electronic Ink'. Apparently, the black and white text is much easier on the eye to read than a traditional screen, and the screen consumes incredibly little battery power. Will it replace the holiday paperback? Probably not, but it could well be finding its way into the business world...

Read more about this article here: BBC News

Canadian Woman in Tech Support hostage drama
August 2008
Ever felt that your tech support helpdesk has been passing you from pillar to post? Well, a Canadian woman has been charged with holding a tech support engineer hostage after losing her Internet connection. Frankly, we sympathise (although don't advise you to try it!) All too often in this job, we encounter support companies who are far too willing to blame everybody else - hence why we always act as a single point of contact for solving all IT issues, seeing problems through to resolution rather than trying to pass the buck. The woman has denied the charges, claiming she is a pacifist, but after 20 phone calls, we can see how even the most ardent pacifist could end up going a little bit loopy.

Read more about this article here: VNUNet Story

Goodbye to the computer mouse?
July 2008
Could the end of the computer mouse be nigh? Thanks to the increase in 'gesture-based' input devices, a lot of people have been wondering if using your computer in future could be more like using a Nintendo Wii. Our view? Well, the mouse will probably be around for a good while yet, but anything that keeps people fit while using their computers has to be a good thing!

Read more about this article here: BBC News Story

Open XML document format stalls
June 2008
Microsoft's bid to have its own word processing format ratified is running into problems. Why is this relevant to small businesses? Because like it or not, your next upgrade is likely to be Office 2007 - and many of our customers don't like it at all. Other incumbents, like Open Office, are gaining in popularity amongst our customers, as you can't beat the price - free!

Read more about this article here: BBC News Story

Microsoft walks away from Yahoo!
May 2008
Google's dominance of the search engine market continues, as Microsoft pulls out of a bid for Yahoo! Our advice: keep your Google Ad-Words subscriptions up to date. Google have 75% of the search market to themselves, and the other 25% is shared by the other websites. It would be a good idea to match your advertising spend proportionately!

Read more about this article here: BBC News Story

Beware what you reveal on-line
March 2008
Another cautionary tale about putting your life 'on the web'. Remember, once it's out there, it's out there forever, so keep your details secure! Not good, especially if you're trying to lead a double life like this person...

Read more about this article here: BBC News Story

Windows Server 2008 gets cautious welcome
February 2008
After the luke-warm (as in almost totally negative) response to Windows Vista, the cautious response to Windows Server 2008 is to be expected. At the moment, Windows Small Business Server 2003 seems to do everything our customers want it to, but we're always keeping a look-out for future developments; we very keen to see what Small Business Server 2008 will offer for our clients.

Read more about this article here: Silicon

PM Backs flexible working for UK parents
January 2008
Good news for Home Workers - Gordon Brown is looking at extending the right of employees to work from home. This can sound like bad news for Small Businesses, but with the right tools, working from home can be more effective than heading into the office, and anything that can save on office overheads is welcome!

Read more about this article here: Silicon